Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

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SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016 SHAWWAL 1 , 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Min 32º Max 47º High Tide 01:42 & 12:16 Low Tide 06:59 & 19:59 40 PAGES NO: 16926 150 FILS Farewell! Ramadan Ramadan Kareem By Teresa Lesher A lthough the hardship of Ramadan is about to end and festivities of Eid are about to begin, there will be sadness in every devout Muslim’s heart that Ramadan has passed. Barely having had their last breakfast at sunset, they will immediately start looking forward to the next Ramadan and counting the months and weeks until it comes again. They will begin to greet one another with the phrase “Aasakom min awadah” which means, “May you repeat it.” Some people may tilt their head in confusion and wonder why would anyone look forward to a month of daily 16- hour fasts in 45 degree temperatures? What is so special about Ramadan? First of all, Ramadan is an opportunity to express your devotion to Allah. Everything on the earth was created for us, according to many verses in the Quran (eg, 2:29). Many use their time and the earth’s resources to satisfy themselves through acquiring things, entertaining themselves and seeking sensual pleasures. Doing so is not necessarily forbidden but it shouldn’t be the goal of ones’ life. So why were we created? Allah gave us life and He hopes that we will voluntarily give it back to him through worship and submission to His will. Almost everything we do in life has some sort of return for us, even if it is done purely for Allah’s sake. For exam- ple, when we give charity, others benefit and we feel their happiness too. But fasting in Ramadan is a chance to show our devotion to our Lord, because nobody benefits from the fast. Nobody even knows if you are fasting, so this expression of faith is purely for Allah. Another reason many people are sad to bid Ramadan farewell is because the atmosphere of intensified worship and charity will pass, as well as the extra rewards that we are promised. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that one who fasts during Ramadan with faith and hope in Allah’s reward will have his past sins forgiven. One who prays at night in Ramadan with faith and hope in Allah’s reward will also have his past sins forgiven. And only in Ramadan can we experience Lailatul-Qadr, whose merit is worth a thousand months, according to the Quran. These holy days and nights are treasures to devout Muslims. And soon this unique holy season will pass and life will go on as usual. I will miss Ramadan and all the lessons it teaches me. I have learned so much about myself - about how my body can adjust to extreme circumstances, and about how dedicated I can be when I am striving to accomplish something important. Continued on Page 13 Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 Suicide bombers hit 3 Saudi cities, Pakistani attacker identified RIYADH: Outrage spread yesterday after a deadly sui- cide bombing at Islam’s second-holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, one of three attacks in the king- dom on a single day. Religious and political leaders across the Middle East denounced the attack near the Prophet’s Mosque that left four dead and came as Muslims prepare for the feast this week marking the end of the holy month Ramadan. There were no claims of responsibility for Monday’s bombings in Medina, Jeddah and the eastern city of Qatif, but the Islamic State group had urged its sup- porters to carry out attacks during Ramadan. The jihadist group has claimed or been blamed for a wave of shootings and bombings during the holy month this year, including in Orlando, Bangladesh, Istanbul and Baghdad. The suicide bombing in Medina came during sunset prayers at the mosque-where Islam’s Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is buried and which attracts mil- lions of pilgrims each year. The Saudi Interior Ministry said officers became suspicious of a man heading for the Prophet’s Mosque through a parking lot. “As they tried to stop him, he blew himself up with an explosive belt causing his death and the death of four police,” the statement said, adding that five others were wounded. The targeting of Medina caused widespread outrage, both in Saudi Arabia and across the Muslim world. The head of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, the kingdom’s main government advisory body, called it an “unprecedented” incident. Continued on Page 13 MEDINA: People stand near an explosion site in Medina. (Inset) Undated photo shows Abdullah Qalzar Khan, who is alleged to have carried out a suicide attack in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia identified the suicide bomber as a Pakistani resident of the kingdom who arrived 12 years ago to work as a driver. — AP News i n b r i e f Muslim teens beaten outside a NY mosque NEW YORK: Two Muslim teenagers were beaten outside a New York City mosque by an attacker who shouted slurs at them, a rights group said on Monday, calling for police to investigate the incident as a bias crime. The attack early on Sunday was at least the third involving Muslims in the United States over the weekend. A law enforcement source said investigators had ruled out the incident as a bias crime. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said in a statement that a 16-year-old boy was attacked outside Brooklyn’s Muslim Community Center as he took a break from prayers. A surveillance video released by CAIR showed a man punching, kicking and stomping the youth as he lay in the street. Another teenager on a bicycle was chased and attacked when he rode past the boy. CAIR said the man was reportedly heard shouting: “You Muslims are the cause of all the problems of the world” and calling the youths “terrorists.” Iraqi interior minister resigns after bombing BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Interior Minister says he submit- ted his resignation in the wake of Sunday’s devas- tating suicide bombing in central Baghdad, which killed at least 200 people. Mohammed Salem Al- Ghabban told reporters yesterday that the gov- ernment “has failed in having the different array of security forces work under a unified plan in Baghdad.” He says Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has not yet accepted his resignation. Al-Ghabban called on the government to hand over security inside the cities solely to the Interior Ministry. He says he submitted a reform plan when he took office in 2015, but it was shelved. Responsibility for securing Baghdad is shared by the army, feder- al and local police. The Interior Ministry is in charge of the police. In recent years, militants have carried out bombings and other attacks in and around Baghdad on an almost daily basis. Nearly 30,000 ‘foreign terrorists’ in Syria, Iraq GENEVA: Nearly 30,000 “foreign terrorist fighters” are cur- rently in Syria and Iraq, a high-ranking UN official said yes- terday, warning that the risk of attacks in their home coun- tries was growing. “The number of foreign terrorist fighters is very high” in war-ravaged Syria and neighboring Iraq, said Jean-Paul Laborde, UN assistant secretary general and head of its Counter-Terrorism Committee. “There are nearly 30,000, and now that the territory held by Daesh (the Islamic State group) is shrinking in Iraq, we are seeing them return, not only to Europe but to all of their countries of ori- gin, like Tunisia, Morocco,” he told reporters in Geneva. “The terrorist attacks in those countries of origin risk getting big- ger and bigger to counter-balance the pressure on them” on the ground in Syria and Iraq, he said. Laborde urged countries to put in place a “filter system to distinguish between the large majority of (returning) foreign fighters, who are not dangerous... and those who are.” KUWAIT: Gulf Cables Chairman Bader Al-Khorafi celebrates with his son Nasser after Gulf Cables team win the 37th Al-Roudhan Ramadan futsal tournament on Monday. — (See Page 20) Gulf Cables crowned champions DUBAI: Driven by radical beliefs, twin brothers alleged- ly killed their mother in Saudi Arabia after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria in a case that outraged Saudi Arabians worried about rising Islamic militancy. The June 24 killing, in a country where respect for elders is seen as a bedrock of society, whipped up a storm of debate over the possible influ- ence of a mediaeval Islamic scholar revered as a fore- runner of Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam. Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman General Mansour Al-Turki said the pair were suspects in the killing. “The only thing (we have established) is that they (the twins) follow Takfiri ideology,” Turki said, using a phrase which Saudi authorities use to refer to Islamist militancy. “The case is still under investigation,” said the spokesman, who declined to give further details. Reuters was unable to contact the 20-year-old twins, or their lawyers or family members, and could not independently confirm if the alleged killing was influ- enced by Islamic State or religious ideology - or what the mother actually said. In a statement after the attack, the interior ministry said that the twins, Khaled and Saleh Al-Oraini, were arrested on suspicion of stab- bing their 67-year-old mother Haila, their 73-year-old father and their 22-year-old brother at the family home in the capital Riyadh. The mother, who died of her wounds, had objected to her sons joining Islamic State jihadists in Syria, Saudi media reported. The father and brother were in hospital in a serious condition, while the alleged attackers were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen, media said. Reuters was unable to confirm the status of family members or the whereabouts of the suspects. “Had this come from drug addicts or ignorant youth, it would not have been unusual,” Saudi writer Mohammad Ali Al- Mahmoud said. “The shock is that it came from a pair of religious children acting in the name of Islam.” This is the fifth killing of family members by suspected mili- tants in Saudi Arabia since July last year, the online Saudi news website akhbaar24 reported on June 26. There have been similar cases of other killings of close relatives by Islamic state members, including a widely reported incident in January in which a suspect- ed militant killed his mother in public in the Syrian city of Raqqa because she had encouraged him to leave the group. The killings compounded fears of radicalization in the kingdom. Continued on Page 13 Killing of Saudi mother sparks debate about Islamic scholar Twins accused of killing their mother EID GREETINGS Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan wishes HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah, Cabinet members, heads of states around the world, Kuwaitis, expatriates and our val- ued readers Eid Mubarak. Kuwait Times will not be published from July 7 to 9. Our next issue will be pub- lished on Sunday, July 10. MIAMI: NASA celebrated a key triumph yesterday as its $1.1 billion Juno spacecraft successfully slipped into orbit around Jupiter on a mission to probe the origin of the solar system. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, erupted in cheers as the solar observatory entered its aimed-for orbit around the biggest planet in our cosmic neighborhood at 11:53 pm. “We are there. We are in orbit. We conquered Jupiter,” said Scott Bolton, NASA’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “It is almost like a dream coming true.” Juno launched five years ago from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and has trav- eled 1.7 billion miles since then. Continued on Page 13 PASADENA: A 1/5th size scale model of NASA’s Juno spacecraft is displayed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. — AFP Nasa Juno spacecraft loops around Jupiter

Transcript of Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

Page 1: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016 SHAWWAL 1 , 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

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Farewell! Ramadan Ramadan Kareem

By Teresa Lesher

Although the hardship of Ramadan is about to end andfestivities of Eid are about to begin, there will be sadnessin every devout Muslim’s heart that Ramadan has

passed. Barely having had their last breakfast at sunset, they willimmediately start looking forward to the next Ramadan andcounting the months and weeks until it comes again.

They will begin to greet one another with the phrase“Aasakom min awadah” which means, “May you repeat it.”Some people may tilt their head in confusion and wonderwhy would anyone look forward to a month of daily 16-hour fasts in 45 degree temperatures? What is so specialabout Ramadan? First of all, Ramadan is an opportunityto express your devotion to Allah.

Everything on the earth was created for us, according tomany verses in the Quran (eg, 2:29). Many use their time andthe earth’s resources to satisfy themselves through acquiringthings, entertaining themselves and seeking sensual pleasures.Doing so is not necessarily forbidden but it shouldn’t be thegoal of ones’ life. So why were we created? Allah gave us life andHe hopes that we will voluntarily give it back to him throughworship and submission to His will.

Almost everything we do in life has some sort of returnfor us, even if it is done purely for Allah’s sake. For exam-ple, when we give charity, others benefit and we feel theirhappiness too. But fasting in Ramadan is a chance toshow our devotion to our Lord, because nobody benefitsfrom the fast. Nobody even knows if you are fasting, sothis expression of faith is purely for Allah.

Another reason many people are sad to bid Ramadanfarewell is because the atmosphere of intensified worshipand charity will pass, as well as the extra rewards that weare promised. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that onewho fasts during Ramadan with faith and hope in Allah’sreward will have his past sins forgiven. One who prays atnight in Ramadan with faith and hope in Allah’s rewardwill also have his past sins forgiven.

And only in Ramadan can we experience Lailatul-Qadr,whose merit is worth a thousand months, according to theQuran. These holy days and nights are treasures to devoutMuslims. And soon this unique holy season will pass and life willgo on as usual. I will miss Ramadan and all the lessons it teachesme. I have learned so much about myself - about how my bodycan adjust to extreme circumstances, and about how dedicatedI can be when I am striving to accomplish something important.

Continued on Page 13

Saudis rattled by terrorattacks; bombings kill 4 Suicide bombers hit 3 Saudi cities, Pakistani attacker identified

RIYADH: Outrage spread yesterday after a deadly sui-cide bombing at Islam’s second-holiest site in theSaudi city of Medina, one of three attacks in the king-dom on a single day. Religious and political leadersacross the Middle East denounced the attack near theProphet’s Mosque that left four dead and came asMuslims prepare for the feast this week marking theend of the holy month Ramadan.

There were no claims of responsibility for Monday’sbombings in Medina, Jeddah and the eastern city ofQatif, but the Islamic State group had urged its sup-porters to carry out attacks during Ramadan. Thejihadist group has claimed or been blamed for a waveof shootings and bombings during the holy monththis year, including in Orlando, Bangladesh, Istanbuland Baghdad.

The suicide bombing in Medina came during sunsetprayers at the mosque -where Islam’s ProphetMohammed (PBUH) is buried and which attracts mil-lions of pilgrims each year. The Saudi Interior Ministrysaid officers became suspicious of a man heading forthe Prophet’s Mosque through a parking lot. “As theytried to stop him, he blew himself up with an explosivebelt causing his death and the death of four police,”the statement said, adding that five others werewounded. The targeting of Medina caused widespreadoutrage, both in Saudi Arabia and across the Muslimworld. The head of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, thekingdom’s main government advisory body, called itan “unprecedented” incident.

Continued on Page 13

MEDINA: People stand near an explosion site in Medina. (Inset) Undated photo shows Abdullah Qalzar Khan,who is alleged to have carried out a suicide attack in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia identified the suicidebomber as a Pakistani resident of the kingdom who arrived 12 years ago to work as a driver. — AP

Newsi n b r i e f

Muslim teens beaten outside a NY mosque

NEW YORK: Two Muslim teenagers were beaten outsidea New York City mosque by an attacker who shoutedslurs at them, a rights group said on Monday, calling forpolice to investigate the incident as a bias crime. Theattack early on Sunday was at least the third involvingMuslims in the United States over the weekend. A lawenforcement source said investigators had ruled out theincident as a bias crime. The New York chapter of theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said in astatement that a 16-year-old boy was attacked outsideBrooklyn’s Muslim Community Center as he took abreak from prayers. A surveillance video released byCAIR showed a man punching, kicking and stompingthe youth as he lay in the street. Another teenager on abicycle was chased and attacked when he rode past theboy. CAIR said the man was reportedly heard shouting:“You Muslims are the cause of all the problems of theworld” and calling the youths “terrorists.”

Iraqi interior minister resigns after bombing

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Interior Minister says he submit-ted his resignation in the wake of Sunday’s devas-tating suicide bombing in central Baghdad, whichkilled at least 200 people. Mohammed Salem Al-Ghabban told reporters yesterday that the gov-ernment “has failed in having the different array ofsecurity forces work under a unified plan inBaghdad.” He says Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadihas not yet accepted his resignation. Al-Ghabbancalled on the government to hand over securityinside the cities solely to the Interior Ministry. Hesays he submitted a reform plan when he tookoffice in 2015, but it was shelved. Responsibilityfor securing Baghdad is shared by the army, feder-al and local police. The Interior Ministry is incharge of the police. In recent years, militants havecarried out bombings and other attacks in andaround Baghdad on an almost daily basis.

Nearly 30,000 ‘foreign terrorists’ in Syria, Iraq

GENEVA: Nearly 30,000 “foreign terrorist fighters” are cur-rently in Syria and Iraq, a high-ranking UN official said yes-terday, warning that the risk of attacks in their home coun-tries was growing. “The number of foreign terrorist fightersis very high” in war-ravaged Syria and neighboring Iraq, saidJean-Paul Laborde, UN assistant secretary general and headof its Counter-Terrorism Committee. “There are nearly30,000, and now that the territory held by Daesh (theIslamic State group) is shrinking in Iraq, we are seeing themreturn, not only to Europe but to all of their countries of ori-gin, like Tunisia, Morocco,” he told reporters in Geneva. “Theterrorist attacks in those countries of origin risk getting big-ger and bigger to counter-balance the pressure on them”on the ground in Syria and Iraq, he said. Laborde urgedcountries to put in place a “filter system to distinguishbetween the large majority of (returning) foreign fighters,who are not dangerous... and those who are.”

KUWAIT: Gulf Cables Chairman Bader Al-Khorafi celebrates with his son Nasser after Gulf Cables team winthe 37th Al-Roudhan Ramadan futsal tournament on Monday. — (See Page 20)

Gulf Cables crowned champions

DUBAI: Driven by radical beliefs, twin brothers alleged-ly killed their mother in Saudi Arabia after she tried tostop them from joining Islamic State in Syria in a casethat outraged Saudi Arabians worried about risingIslamic militancy. The June 24 killing, in a countrywhere respect for elders is seen as a bedrock of society,whipped up a storm of debate over the possible influ-ence of a mediaeval Islamic scholar revered as a fore-runner of Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman General MansourAl-Turki said the pair were suspects in the killing. “Theonly thing (we have established) is that they (the twins)follow Takfiri ideology,” Turki said, using a phrase whichSaudi authorities use to refer to Islamist militancy. “Thecase is still under investigation,” said the spokesman,who declined to give further details.

Reuters was unable to contact the 20-year-old twins,or their lawyers or family members, and could notindependently confirm if the alleged killing was influ-enced by Islamic State or religious ideology - or whatthe mother actually said. In a statement after theattack, the interior ministry said that the twins, Khaledand Saleh Al-Oraini, were arrested on suspicion of stab-bing their 67-year-old mother Haila, their 73-year-old

father and their 22-year-old brother at the family homein the capital Riyadh. The mother, who died of herwounds, had objected to her sons joining Islamic Statejihadists in Syria, Saudi media reported.

The father and brother were in hospital in a seriouscondition, while the alleged attackers were arrestedtrying to flee across the border to Yemen, media said.Reuters was unable to confirm the status of familymembers or the whereabouts of the suspects. “Had thiscome from drug addicts or ignorant youth, it would nothave been unusual,” Saudi writer Mohammad Ali Al-Mahmoud said. “The shock is that it came from a pair ofreligious children acting in the name of Islam.” This isthe fifth killing of family members by suspected mili-tants in Saudi Arabia since July last year, the onlineSaudi news website akhbaar24 reported on June 26.

There have been similar cases of other killings ofclose relatives by Islamic state members, including awidely reported incident in January in which a suspect-ed militant killed his mother in public in the Syrian cityof Raqqa because she had encouraged him to leave thegroup. The killings compounded fears of radicalizationin the kingdom.

Continued on Page 13

Killing of Saudi mother sparks debate about Islamic scholar

Twins accused of killing their mother

EID GREETINGSKuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyanwishes HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Cabinet members, heads of statesaround the world, Kuwaitis, expatriates and our val-ued readers Eid Mubarak. Kuwait Times will not bepublished from July 7 to 9. Our next issue will be pub-lished on Sunday, July 10.

MIAMI: NASA celebrated a key triumph yesterday as its$1.1 billion Juno spacecraft successfully slipped intoorbit around Jupiter on a mission to probe the origin ofthe solar system. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory inPasadena, California, erupted in cheers as the solarobservatory entered its aimed-for orbit around thebiggest planet in our cosmic neighborhood at 11:53pm.

“We are there. We are in orbit. We conquered Jupiter,”said Scott Bolton, NASA’s principal investigator from theSouthwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “It isalmost like a dream coming true.” Juno launched fiveyears ago from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and has trav-eled 1.7 billion miles since then.

Continued on Page 13

PASADENA: A 1/5th size scale model of NASA’s Junospacecraft is displayed at the Jet PropulsionLaboratory in Pasadena, California. — AFP

Nasa Juno spacecraft loops around Jupiter

Page 2: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hasreceived Eid Al-Fitr greetings from HisHighness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National AssemblySpeaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem, HisHighness Chief of the National Guards SheikhSalem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of theNational Guard Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh NasserAl-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The top leaders expressed in the cables toHis Highness the Amir their faithful loyalty tothe dear homeland and the people of Kuwait,wishing His Highness life-long good healthso Kuwait may prosper under his leadershipwith further progress. His Highness SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad reciprocated, expressingidentical sentiments to the officials, alsoexpressing good wishes to the Arab andMuslim nations.

His Highness the Crown Prince wished HisHighness the Amir good health, praying Godto help him achieve further prosperity andstability for the nation, in light of the strongnational unity, security and safety the coun-try enjoys. His Highness the Amir sent a replyto His Highness the Crown Prince, expressinghis appreciation for this good sentiment andcongratulating him on the Eid.

Meanwhile, His Highness the CrownPrince received a cable from Ghanem whocongratulated him on the Eid, on behalf ofMPs. In reply, His Highness the Crown Princesent cable to Ghanem congratulating himand the MPs on the occasion, and wished

Kuwait many returns of the occasion underthe wise leadership of His Highness the Amir.

His Highness the Crown Prince sent cablesof congratulations on Eid El-Fitr to theNational Guard Chief His Highness SheikhSalem Al-Ali and Sheikh Mubarak Al-Abdullah. His Highness the Crown Princereceived replies from the National GuardChief and Sheikh Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who both congratulatedhim on the occasion.

Also His Highness the Crown Prince

received congratulating cables on the Eidfrom senior Sheikhs, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HisHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and FirstDeputy Premier and Foreign Minister SheikhSabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HisHighness Sheikh Nawaf received cables con-gratulating him on the Eid from ministers,governors and other state officials and diplo-mats, as well as many Kuwaiti citizens and

expats. His Highness the Crown Prince sentcables in reply congratulating all on theoccasion.

In the meantime, His Highness the Amirand His Highness the Crown Princeexchanged Eid Al-Fitr greetings with Kingsand presidents of Arab and Muslim nations,hoping the happy occasion may recur withheavenly blessings, security and stability forthese countries.

His Highness the Amir received a phonecall Monday from King of Bahrain Hamad binIsa Al-Khalifa congratulating him on adventof Eid Al-Fitr. King Hamad wished this happyoccasion returned on the two countries andtheir people, the Arab and Muslim worldswith further prosperity, as well as bestowingHis Highness the Amir with good health. HisHighness the Amir thanked King Hamad forhis call, and wished the Bahraini people last-ing development and prosperity under theleadership of the Monarch.

Also, His Highness the Amir received aphone call Monday from Sheikh Mohammadbin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi CrownPrince and UAE’s Armed Forces deputysupreme commander, congratulating him onadvent of Eid Al-Fitr. Sheikh Mohammadwished this happy occasion returned on thetwo countries and their people, the Arab andMuslim worlds with further prosperity, aswell as bestowing His Highness the Amirwith good health. His Highness the Amirthanked Sheikh Mohammad for his call, andwished the UAE people enjoy lasting devel-opment and prosperity under the leadershipof President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. — KUNA

Amir, Crown Prince receiveEid Al-Fitr greetings

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

His Highness the Crown Prince SheikhNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Amir condemnsterrorist

bombings inSaudi Arabia

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has telephonedCustodian of the Two Holy Mosques King SalmanBin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, expressing strongcondemnation of the two terrorist bombing attacksthat happened in the Kingdom yesterday.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad,in the telephone contact with the Saudi Monarch,denounced in strongest terms the two terroristexplosions; one targeted a security office nearProphet Mohammad Holy Mosque in Madinah andthe other happened in Al-Qatif in eastern sector ofthe country, killing the innocent, terrorizing the citi-zens and undermining the Kingdom’s security.

Such satanic acts where the culprits desecratedsanctity of the houses of Allah, the Holy Month ofRamadan and wasted lives of the innocent, contra-dict “Our religion Islam and all other heavenly lawsand covenants and human race values,” HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad statedduring his contact with King Salman.

Moreover, His Highness the Amir expressed toKing Salman congratulations on forecast advent ofEid Al-Fitr, praying to His Almighty that the happyoccasion may recur in the two brotherly countries,in the Arab and Muslim nations.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosquesexpressed gratitude to His Highness the Amir for the“generous gesture that embodies the ties betweenthe two brotherly countries.” He reciprocated on theEid good wishes, in addition to wishing SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad life-long good health and furtherprosperity for the State of Kuwait.

Meanwhile, National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem condemned the suicidalattacks on two mosques in Saudi Arabia thatclaimed a number of servicemen and civilians. Anattack occurred outside the Grand Mosque inMadina killing and injuring security forces and civil-ians, while the other took place near a mosque inQateef, eastern Saudi Arabia.

Ghanem, in a cable to President of the SaudiShura Council Abdullah bin Ibrahim, said attackingthe holy places was a proof that terrorism was notrelated to any religion and that terrorists knew noth-ing about teaching of Islam.

Ghanem, extending condolences for the familiesof the victims, reaffirmed solidarity of the Kuwaitipeople with their Saudi brothers. He said SaudiArabia was paying the price of confronting terrorismand terrorists, but the Kingdom would be victoriousin defeating terror as well as protecting sacred places.

The State of Kuwait had condemned the wave ofterrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, as a source from theMinistry of Interior denounced attacks on mosquesin the cities of Qateef and Madinah, which killed anumber of innocent lives. “These heinous attacks areindicative of radical and malicious ideologies,” thesource noted.

Moreover, the source underscored that Kuwaitstands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supportsits efforts to uphold security and stability. The state-ment also conveyed condolences and sympathies tothe families of the victims and wished a speedyrecovery for those wounded. — KUNA

Tribal chief condemnsBahrain blast

KUWAIT: Chief of the Ajman tribe Sheikh Sultan bin Salman AlHethleen condemned the terrorist explosion that took place inEast Eker area in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He described this terror-ist act as ‘a villainous attack’ that targeted innocent citizens andexpats during the holy month of Ramadan. He said such heinousacts do not represent Islam and are far from the simplest ofhuman principles. Hethleen called for open and quick solidaritywith the Kingdom of Bahrain, as did the GCC countries, addingthat he is sure authorities will identify the culprits in this criminalact that targeted our dear people in Bahrain. “[The culprits] targetall Arab GCC countries both leadership and sincere people,” hesaid. Hethleen condoled King Fahad bin Essa, his crown princeand the prime minister, and prayed to Almighty Allah to bestowHis mercy on the victims.

MANAMA: The Kingdom of Bahrain has stressed its full sol-idarity with the State of Kuwait in all measures taken tomaintain security and stability, and combat terrorist plotswhich seek to undermine the country’s stability and safetyof people.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said in a press statement onMonday that these measures ensure the protection of thestate’s properties and institutions, and the continuation ofdevelopment and prosperity paths under the wise leader-ship of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The statement reiterated the depth of historic andbrotherly relations with Kuwait, indicating that Bahrainaffirmed that it stands side by side with the State of Kuwaitin its endeavors aiming to combat violence and terrorismin all its forms and manifestations.

The Kingdom of Bahrain expressed its strong condem-nation and denouncement of attempts seeking to under-

mine stability and security of Kuwait and its national unity,the statement said. Member states of the Gulf CooperationCouncil (GCC) will continue decisively combating terrorismwhich poses a threat to GCC nations and member states, itnoted.

Bahrain’s Minister of Interior Sheikh Rashid bin AbdullahAl-Khalifa lauded, in a telephone conversation withKuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior MinisterSheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, the success madeby Kuwaiti security apparatuses that led to the arrest ofmember of “terrorist groups”, it said.

Sheikh Rashid also voiced its support for measures takenby Kuwait aiming at maintaining security and confrontingfirmly everybody tries to pose a threat to the country’s sta-bility and security, it said. Sheikh Rashid reiterated fullcooperation in all conditions between security authoritiesof the two countries in the framework of the firm brotherlyrelations, the statement concluded. — KUNA

Bahrain supports Kuwait’smeasures taken to maintainsecurity, combat terrorism

Sheikh Sultan bin Salman Al Hethleen

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanemsaid on Monday that Kuwait and Kuwaitis were ready to har-ness all potentials and efforts to support the brothers in Qatarto contribute to the success of hosting the 2022 World Cup.

This came during Ghanem’s reception of Secretary Generalof the Supreme Commission for projects and national heritageand official in charge of organizing the World Cup in QatarHassan Al-Thawadi and Assistant Secretary-General of theCompetition Nasser Al- Khater.

Ghanem said that Qatar hosting of this global event isa source of pride for all Gulf and Arab people, expressinghis confidence in the ability of Qataris in the organizationof such major events, especially since Qatar had demon-s t r a te d i t s a b i l i t y i n h o s t i n g s u c h wo r l d e ve n t s .Meanwhile, Thawadi gave a detailed explanation of theQatari preparations to organize the FIFA World Cup for2022, reviewing the importance of such world champi-onship. — KUNA

Qatar hosting of World Cup2022 source of pride: Ghanem

KUWAIT: Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS)announced yesterday that it has distributed670 food baskets to displaced families in theIraqi province of Anbar, amidst deterioratinghumanitarian conditions there. The residentsof the city of Fallujah in Anbar are in direneed of humanitarian assistance, “before thesituation morphs into a humanitarian catas-trophe,” KRCS Deputy Chairman Anwar Al-Hassawi said.

Moreover, he noted that the food basketswould be delivered directly to the displacedfamilies, saying that such aid aims to mitigatethe adversity these families have to endure.Meanwhile, the KRCS Deputy Chairman saidthat the aid is part of relief campaignsencompassing numerous locations acrossIraq. He also added that KRCS aims to doleout as much relief aid as possible to amelio-rate the living conditions of the needy.Meanwhile, KRCS announced that it hassigned an agreement with the Lebanese RedCross (LRC) for the purchase of bags of bloodto equip hospitals with tools needed to aidSyrian refugees in the country. In collabora-tion with LRC, KRCS works to dole out asmuch aid as possible to meet the needs ofrefugees, said KRCS’s delegate to LebanonMsaad Al-Enezi in a statement.

“After the Eid holidays, KRCS will initi-ate a new phase of nutritive aid to vari-ous locations across Lebanon,” Enezi not-ed. During the course of the holy monthof Ramadan, KRCS had launched a mass“fast-breaking campaign” where it distrib-uted 30,000 meals to Syrian refugees inthe country, part of the society’s inces-sant aid of the needy. — KUNA

KRCS delivers 670 food baskets to displaced persons in FallujahBlood bags donated to Syrian refugees in Lebanon

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L O C A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior is determined to continueto carry out ‘preemptive strikes’ to protect the nation fromthe perils of terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister and InteriorMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabahsaid yesterday.

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled made the remarks in astatement issued by the ministry after he chaired a meetingwith senior security officials to review current plans and

developments. Moreover, he noted that the use of preemp-tive strikes have paid ultimate dividends as authorities havebeen able to thwart a number of terrorist plots targetingthe nation. Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled also underscoredthat the security of the nation takes ultimate precedence asturmoil grips the region.

Meanwhile, the Interior Minister said that he had receivedseveral phone calls from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders

commending security forces on their recent achievements andtheir efforts to uphold security in the country. “True security isthe ability to repel all threats that aim to do harm and kill inno-cent lives,” he noted, adding that the nation is grateful for andconfident in the efforts of security personnel. With the onset ofthe Eid Al-Fitr holidays, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled sought toallay concerns of safety, urging the people of Kuwait to staycalm. “All security precautions are in place,” he said. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah chairs a meeting with senior security officials yesterday to reviewcurrent plans and developments. — KUNA

Interior Ministry vows preemptive strikes against terrorism

Rape report ledto fugitive’s arrest

Suspect wanted to

serve 91 years in jail

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A rape report led police to arrest a suspectwanted to serve several sentences with a total jailtime of 91 years and eight months. Investigationshad went underway after police received a com-plaint from the Philippines Embassy about a rapecase against a number of Filipina nationals. Embassyofficials told police that an unknown person wouldcontact people who offer to relinquish the servicesof their Filipina domestic helpers. He would thenagree with the employer to take the maid for a trialperiod, but would instead sexually assault the maidand escape, according to the embassy’s complaint.Investigations led police to identify the suspect as30-year-old Raed Waleed Mayouf, Kuwaiti, who wasarrested inside furnished apartment in Mahboulah.The man was taken to the proper authorities for fur-ther action. On that regard, the Interior Ministry’sRelations and Security Media Department released astatement, urging the public to contact certifieddomestic help offices only to hire or return maids.

BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saidMonday that the Alliance is working with several Gulf countries inthe fight against terrorism and in particular against the so-calledIslamic States (IS) and to project stability in the region.

“One of the main messages at the Warsaw summit will be thatNATO will work to fight terrorism and fight Islamic state (IS) byworking with partner countries in the wider Middle East regionand North Africa to enable them to fight terrorism,” he told a pressconference ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, onFriday and Saturday.

In reply to a question by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) at thepress conference, the NATO chief said “we are also working withseveral countries in the Gulf region and we will soon inaugurate aNATO training Center in Kuwait.” “I visited Kuwait recently, saw theconstruction at the center and this center will be an importantplatform for regional cooperation between Gulf countries andNATO, addressing for instance what we can do to project stability,”he added. NATO is now training Iraqi forces inside Jordan but theywill take a decision at Warsaw to expand that training of Iraqiforces inside Iraq. NATO is also working with Tunisia to developtheir intelligence capacities but also their security forces, he noted.He said that this week’s NATO Summit in Warsaw comes “at adefining time for our security. With threats and challenges frommany directions.”

Further enhancement“So at our Summit in Warsaw, we will agree to further enhance

our military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance,”Stoltenberg said. Another major theme of the Summit will be pro-jecting stability beyond NATO borders, he said adding that “whenour neighbors are more stable, we are more secure. NATO can,and will do more to support them. We will decide that NATOAWACS aircraft will provide information to the Global Coalition tocounter IS.” The NATO leaders will agree on a role for NATO in theCentral Mediterranean, complementing the European Union’sOperation Sophia. And building on our effective cooperation inthe Aegean to cut lines of human trafficking, he added.“Afghanistan remains our largest operation. President Ghani and

Chief Executive Abdullah will join us in Warsaw,” he said.In an earlier interview, Stoltenberg said that King of Jordan

Abdullah II has been invited to the summit together with thePresidents of the EU Council and the EU Commission among oth-ers to participate in a meeting on NATO efforts to project stabilityto NATO’s Southern neighborhood. He stressed that “Jordan is oneof NATO’s most active and effective partners and a valuable part-ner for NATO in projecting international security.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to convey my deepestcondolences to His Majesty King Abdullah II and to the Jordanianpeople for the tragic terrorist attack that took place at the Syrianborder on 21 June. My thoughts are with those who have losttheir loved ones and with those who have been wounded. Morethan ever, we need to stand united against the scourge of terror-ism,” he said. “We will continue to support Jordan in the fightagainst terrorism,” he stressed. There will also be at the sidelines ofthe Warsaw summit a Defense Ministers meeting with partnercountries taking part in NATO’s Interoperability Platform initiative,which will include Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and theUnited Arab Emirates, he said. — KUNA

Stoltenberg: NATO trainingcenter in Kuwait important

platform for Gulf cooperation

Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) signed a two year health insurance contract with Warba Insurance Company totreat firemen. KFSD Director General Lt General Yousuf Al-Ansari received the General Advisor of Warba InsuranceMohammad Al-Alban and Assistant CEO Osama Al-Wazan.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH)held a girgian event for kids atDiscovery mall as part of its socialresponsibility and in the framework ofits eventful Ramadan program. KFHPublic Relations team distributed gir-gian confectionary and gifts to thechildren amidst friendly and passion-ate Ramadan atmospheres. girgian isconsidered as an important occasionfor children to enjoy. It is a folkloricevent associated with the holy monthof Ramadan and it contributes inspreading joy and love among chil-dren. It is worth noting that KFH iskeen on holding girgian events on anannual basis in efforts to reinforce tieswith all segments of the society.

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced the conclusion of its 20th annual Ramadan social pro-gram, in which more than 1,000 iftar meals were distributed daily throughout the holy month. Meanwhile, NBKvisited an orphanage in Shuwaikh to share the Eid Al-Fitr joy with children there.

KFH holds a girgian eventfor kids at Discovery Mall

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Photoo f t h e d a y

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 20164

KUWAIT: MP Abdullah Al-Tamimi hosted a Ramadan reception this year, which was attended by government officials, ambassadors, and a large group of citizens.— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

KUWAIT: The Pontifical Council forInterreligious Dialogue at the VaticanCity sent the following message tocommemorate the Islamic holy monthof Ramadan and the advent of theIslamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr:

‘Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,The month of Ramadan and Eid Al-

Fitr is an important religious event forMuslims around the world, focused onfasting, prayer and good deeds, and isesteemed by Christians, your friendsand neighbors. On behalf of thePontifical Council for InterreligiousDialogue and Christians all over theworld, we extend best wishes for aspiritually rewarding fast, supportedby good deeds, and for a joyful feast.As is our cherished custom, we wishto share with you on this occasionsome reflections in the hope ofstrengthening the spiritual bonds weshare.

A theme that is close to the heartsof Muslims and Christians alike is mer-cy. We know that Christianity andIslam both believe in a merciful God,who shows his mercy and compassiontowards all his creatures, in particularthe human family. He created us outof immense love. He is merciful in car-ing for each of us, bestowing upon usthe gifts we need for our daily life,such as food, shelter and security.God’s mercy is manifested in a partic-

ular way, however, through the par-don of our faults; hence he is the onewho pardons (al-Gh‚fir), but the onewho pardons much and always (al-Ghafour).

To underscore the importance ofmercy, His Holiness Pope Francisdeclared a Jubilee Year of Mercy to becelebrated from 8 December 2015 to20 November 2016. In this regard hesaid: “Here... is the reason for theJubilee: Because this is the time formercy. It is the favorable time to healwounds, a time not to be weary ofmeeting all those who are waiting tosee and to touch with their hands thesigns of the closeness of God, a timeto offer everyone, everyone, the wayof forgiveness and reconciliation”(“Homily”, 11 April 2015).

Your pilgrimage (hajj) to the Holyplaces, mainly Makkah and Medina, issurely a special time for you to experi-ence God’s mercy. In fact, among thewell-known aspirations addressed toMuslim pilgrims is: “I wish you ablessed pilgrimage, praiseworthyefforts and the pardon of your sins”.Making a pilgrimage to obtain God’spardon for sins, both for the living anddead, is truly a salient custom practiceamong believers.

We, Christians and Muslims, arecalled to do our best to imitate God.He, the Merciful, asks us to be mercifuland compassionate towards others,

especially those who are in any kindof need. So too he calls us to be for-giving of one another.

When we gaze upon humanitytoday, we are saddened to see somany victims of conflicts and violence- here we think in particular of the eld-erly, and children and women, espe-cially those who fall prey to humantrafficking and the many people whosuffer from poverty, illness, naturaldisasters and unemployment.

We cannot close our eyes to theserealities, or turn away from these suf-ferings. It is true that situation areoften very complex and that theirsolution exceeds our capacities. It isvital, therefore, that all work togetherin assisting those in need. I t is asource of great hope when we experi-ence or hear of Muslims andChristians joining hands to help theneedy. When we do join hands, weheed an important command in ourrespective religions and show forthGod’s mercy, thus offering a morecredible witness, individually andcommunally, to our beliefs. May theMerciful and Almighty God help us towalk always along the path of good-ness and compassion!

We join our prayerful good wishesto those of Pope Francis for abundantblessings during Ramadan and for alasting joy of Eid al-Fitr. Happy Feastto you all!’

Christians and Muslims: Beneficiariesand instruments of divine mercy

Culture shock: Old Arab houses defy modernity, as they continue to withstand the test of timeand remain despite Kuwait’s rapid development during the period that followed the discovery ofoil. Photo prepared by Mahmoud Zakaria Abu Al-Lella, researcher in heritage, Ministry ofInformation. (Source: ‘Kuwait Miracle on the Desert,’ by David Cooke).

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 20165

Young Voices

By Athoob Al-Shuaibi

Near ly a quar ter of Kuwait ’sentire population is under theage of 14 and yet with the

exception of school assemblies, wenever hear their voices. Dur ingRamadan, Kuwait Times likes to pub-lish a special series that engages withits readership in a more direct, per-sonal way to learn their concerns,issues and viewpoints.

This Ramadan, we will chat withsome of our youngest readers abouttheir lives in Kuwait, in an attempt tosee the world through their eyes.What do they see for the future ofour beautiful country? What wouldthey improve and how would theychange it? By listening to their futureplans, s tor ies, and exper ience inRamadan, we can remind ourselvesand hopefully our readers of the tiesthat bind us all together as a species.These are the voice of Kuwait’s futureand we invite them to share theirthoughts with us here.

Some may be surprised with whatmight come from those l itt le l ipswhen they speak about themselves,their dreams and their perceptions ofthe world around them. Seven-year-old Amna Al-Hassan is a beautiful girlwho loves trying new things, makingadventures and challenges, travelingand seeing new places, making newfriends, as well as raising and feedingdomestic animals. Amna sees herselfas a bright and professional careerwoman, who can support her familyand country.

“I want to become a surgeon, adoctor for children,” she said. “I wantto help children to become healthyand active, so they can enjoy theirchildhood free of any pain.” This isnot surprising, since she, ever since avery young age, has been taking partin talent fine-tuning classes and per-sonal development activities, such asballet dancing, art studios, discussiongroups for critical thinking, creativity,confidence and social sharing.

“ I created por traits for Bait Al-Yasameen in order to be sold in anar t auction to suppor t the Syrianrefugees’ schools in Lebanon. Iexchanged letters with them with thehope to meet them one day at theirhome country,” she said.

Like other kids, she enjoys visitingthe Ice Sk at ing R ink , K idzania ,Discovery Mall, Winterland, Trampo

at Promenade, the Kuwait ScientificCenter’s aquarium, the 360 ART cen-ter, K- Summer Camp, and watchingher favorite movies at the movie the-atre. “I also like to paint my nails,holding parties and doing some out-door activities with my siblings dur-ing the summer and winter,” addedAmna.

She thinks that Kuwait is a lovelyand caring country because the peo-ple are so kind and they love to helpeach other. “We do not have wars,”she said. However, Amna believesthat Kuwait can become a dreamlandby taking good care of the environ-ment, recycling and giving k ids achance to participate in the decisionmaking process about education. “Iwish that Kuwait will come up withmany inventions that can assist theworld to become a better one andsupport humanity,” she finally con-cluded. Amna is planning to visitGermany and hopes to get a chanceto do some fun activities, meet newfriends, attend shows, take a lot ofpictures, visit new places, eat newfood and buy souvenirs for her bestfriends.

‘I want to help kids become healthyso they can enjoy their childhood’

KUWAIT: Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, the Nayef Palace was once again a popular destination in the moments before iftar this year.Children and their families gathered in the yards outside the popular landscape in Kuwait City to watch the canon’s fire, which signaled the endof a long fasting day. —KUNA photos

Page 6: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Before the liberation of Kuwait, whilewe were gathering around a fire, afriend looked at me with a smile and

said: ‘The boil has burst’. This happenedwhile military vehicles patrolled residentialareas, tanks roared on roads, Iraqi intelli-gence knocked our doors in search forresistance fighters, antiaircraft guns roaredabove schools, black rain fell like drops oftar because the raindrops mixed with thesmoke resulting from burning oil wells,silent questions clouded children eyes,women were ver y fr ightened and menwere too sad yet full of faith.

My friend’s smile at that gloomy timeshowed that he had grown impatient and

that what happened was inevitable,because ever s ince i t was subjec t toOttoman power, Iraq has been a threat toKuwait, which naturally enough, used tokeep silent and opt for wisdom and talks.This made successive Iraqi regimes contin-uously threaten Kuwait , and thus myfriend’s words were true.

Threats had been constant like a boilthat keeps swelling until it starts develop-ing pus inside, make a patient irritateduntil this boil bursts and throws out what itcontains. Describing the threats as a ‘boil’came back to my mind while I was watch-ing the recent developments in Bahrainthat has got used to constant foreignthreats, until those threats became morelike a seasonal ceremony related to thedevelopment of incidents there.

Whenever the Bahraini governmentpractices its authorities within its own bor-ders, sovereignty and on its own issuesand concerns, threats and intimidationspour in. However, this time threats exceed-ed Bahrain and went as far as setting theentire region on fire, which is a very badomen and another huge boil!

—Translated by Kuwait Times

Seasonal threats

Al-Qabas

By Salah Al-Sayer

CrimeR e p o r t

Suspicious bagsSecurity authorities went on alert after two sepa-

rate calls about two suspicious bags. Interior Ministryoperations received a call from a citizen about a bagnear Batla Al-Basman Mosque in Andalus, so explo-sives experts went to the area and checked the bagbut did not find anything. The second call was fromSiddeeq about another bag but nothing was found.The callers are being summoned for questioning.

Drug possessionRabiya police sent a citizen to the Drug Control

General Department (DCGD) when they found 120Captagon tablets and two heroin joints with him. Asecurity source said a police patrol suspected a man ina car, so they asked him for his ID. He seemed scaredand nervous, so he was searched and the drugs werefound with him. Meanwhile, two citizens were arrestedby special forces with 61 tablets on FahaheelExpressway and were sent to the DCGD.

Firearm foundLow tide led to the discovery of a firearm and 500

rounds buried at a beach. Interior Ministry operationsreceived a call from an Asian expat who works as aguard at a chalet, saying he found a weapon androunds buried at the beach. Ahmadi security menrushed to the area and recovered the stash.

Client freedHawally police freed a woman detained by the owner

of a salon in Salmiya following a dispute between thetwo. A security source said the citizen called police andasked them to help her out of a problem she got intowhen she went to a salon. A dispute took place with theowner, who did not let her leave. Police freed the woman,then took both women to the police station, where theyexchanged charges.—Al-Rai and Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: A citizen attacked his father with a knife, whoonly suffered a superficial cut. The suspect was arrested byAhmadi detectives after escaping from the house locatedin Fahd Al-Ahmad. A security source said a call came from acitizen claiming his drug addict son pulled a knife at himand attempted to stab him. Detectives located the suspectand arrested him after stiff resistance, and he was taken tothe detectives department for interrogation.

Drug dealers caughtDrugs Control General Department’s (DCGD) Director

Col Waleed Al-Duraei sent a British national to the publicprosecution charged with bringing in drugs for sale. Duraeireceived a tip about plans by the Briton to get marijuana ina parcel, so a plan was made to catch him red-handed. Asource said that information was received about the expatgoing to the air cargo department to get the parcel, andwhen he was on his way home, he was arrested.Meanwhile, a bedoon was arrested as four kilograms ofshabu were found in his house. A source said the bedoonwas convinced to sell 50 gm to an undercover agent, andwas caught with the marked notes.

Bootlegger caughtCriminal detectives arrested a Danish man with 28

imported liquor bottles, trying to sell them in Hawally.Detectives received a tip about the man trading in import-ed liquor. He was arrested in Shaab with the 28 bottles. Hewas sent to DCGD. Meanwhile, two Indian men were arrest-ed by Hawally police with 30 bottles of liquor in Salmiyaduring an sale. A police patrol saw a car in an open area, sothey approached it and found two Asians buying and sell-ing liquor. Both were sent to concerned authorities.

FightJahra police broke up a fight between two citizens in a

mosque in Qasr, and one of them suffered injuries. A secu-rity source said worshippers could not control the fight, sopolice went to the mosque. Investigations are underway.

Ahmadi manstabs father

Al-Anbaa

Happy EidMy friend’s smile at that

gloomy time showed thathe had grown impatientand that what happened

was inevitable

Everyone faces daily traffic jams, butwhat are the reasons? The most com-mon one is perhaps the mobile

phone. When the red light turns green, wewait for cars to start moving, but they donot move until the light turns red again.When you look around, you see everyonebusy with their phones, some taking pic-tures, others talking on the phone, whileothers are busy with Instagram, Facebookor other social media.

Ever y day when I dr ive, I see manythings. Once I saw a girl driving her car andtaking selfies, without consideration tothose behind or in front of her. Once when Iwas trying to make a turn, I saw a young

man slowing down with his phone in onehand sur f ing Instagram, and I wonderabout those who Snapchat while driving!

The question that presents itself is: Whatis so important that deserves attentionwhile driving? Recklessness and not com-plying with traffic laws leads to catastro-phes and accidents. Before picking up hisphone for any of the reasons that we men-tioned above, he will find that his life ismore valuable than entertaining others athis expense.

Security authorities should activate andstiffen the laws with regards to using thephone while driving, because the majorityof jams are caused by the phone. Not onlytraffic jams, but most car accidents thatlead to death have mobiles as the main rea-son. So we request the security authoritiesnot to stop at fines, but also revoke thelicense and confiscate the mobile, so wewill not have ‘mobile jams.’

—Translated by Kuwait Times

Mobile jamsAl-Qabas

By Dr Nermin Al-Houti

Once I saw a girl driv-ing her car and takingselfies, without consid-eration to those behind

or in front of her

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works announced yester-day the partial opening of a 1.25km directional ramp onthe Jahra Road Development Project which connects tothe new entrance ramp extending 1.5km into the recentlyopened 4 km section of the elevated Jamal Abdul NasserDevelopment Project’s viaduct heading from Grenada toKuwait city to serve the hospital area. The directional rampis a 30 meter high (4th level) division from the recentlyopened portion of the elevated Jahra Road viaduct, oppo-site to the General Traffic Department, connecting to theJamal Abdul Nasser’s project 8m high (3rd level) ramp overthe hospitals road. Road users accessing this directionalramp will now be able to connect to Jamal Abdul NasserStreet and this is the first of many future openings that willconnect both the Jahra Road and Jamal Abdul NasserStreet Development Projects.

Landmark opening Engineer Ahmad Al-Hassan, the Assistant

Undersecretary for the Road Engineering Affairs Sector atthe Ministry of Public Works, commented: “This is a land-mark opening as it connects together two of Kuwait’slargest and most strategic projects - The Jahra RoadDevelopment Project and The Jamal Abdul Nasser StreetDevelopment Project. As both service residential, commer-cial, medical and educational areas, the openings we havehad, and will be having in the coming year will provide aneven greater ease of movement to road users.”

“This is the latest in a series of partial openings wit-nessed on the Jahra Road Development Project. There hasbeen a noticeable improvement felt by all road users andwith more openings scheduled, we expect to see an evengreater flow of traffic in the areas serviced by this project.As with every opening, The Ministry of Interior and theGeneral Directorate of Traffic have been working closely

with us, and inspections have been carried out to ensurethat all safety standards and necessary opening proce-dures have been met. In order to ensure minimal disrup-tion, the ramp opening took place during a low-traffic peri-od,” added Yasser Boudastour, Project Engineer at the JahraRoad Development Project.

Almost finishedThe Project Engineer of Jamal Abdul Nasser Street

Development Project, Engineer Mahmoud Ramadan, reit-erated that the main bridges and structures of the projectare nearing the finish line, with the remaining worksincluding the final technical installations and finishing, inaddition to the completion of the relocation and refurbish-ment of services and utilities.

“The Ministry of Public Works is still committed to followup on the partial openings progress of its two projects asplanned in coordination with other engineering ministriesand associated parties, and we ask all road users to followthe instructions of traffic and adhere to the speed limits onthe road for their own safety in order to continue works onthe project sites with minimal inconvenience” addedEngineer Mahmoud

The mega projects involves the construction of approxi-mately 38 km of viaducts for both projects - a 17.7 km inJahra Road including 7.3 km of mainline Jahra Road, 2.4 kmof bridges on linked roads and 8.0 km of ramps, including atrough at the 2nd Ring Road intersection, 10 pedestrianbridges, and service roads - whereas in Jamal Abdul NasserStreet, 18 km of viaducts include 8km of the mainline and10 km of exit/entry ramps at 3 main interchanges, in addi-tion to a 760 m trough at the 2nd Ring Road intersection, 8pedestrian overpasses with 20 km of service roads. Bothprojects include a series of major service and utility reloca-tion and revamp.

Public Works Ministry announceslatest partial road openings

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently concluded itsannual girgian visits to a number of organiza-tions and associations as part of its corporatesocial responsibility Ramadan program. Thevisits aimed at encouraging communityengagement, solidarity, and charity in Kuwaitwhile drawing smiles on people’s faces duringthe blessed Month of Ramadan. BurganBank’s Corporate Communications represen-tatives took part in the visits by distributinghundreds of girgian gift bags to people whileproviding fun-packed days of activities. Thebank’s visits covered the Palliative Care Center(PCC) for Cancer Patients, Abeer 2 VoluntaryTeam for Mentally Disabled, the KuwaitPsychological Medicine Hospital and KuwaitSports Club. The bank also distributed girgiangifts to the children at Moevenpick Hotel andResort Al-Bida’a during their summer camp.Through this Kuwaiti tradition, the bank’s gir-

gian visits awakened a sense of kindness andgiving within the hearts of all people, duringthe holy month of Ramadan. Burgan Bank willcontinue portraying its dedication to being akey player in Kuwait’s social fabric and will fur-ther initiate heartfelt activities throughout theyear. It is worth mentioning that BurganBank’s support to this initiative falls under itsrecently launched full-fledged communityprogram entitled ‘ENGAGE’ - Together to bethe change. This program sheds light on importantaspects affecting every segment of the socie-ty by promoting social welfare through edu-cational, cultural, social and health initiatives.Burgan Bank’s approach to ‘ENGAGE’ beginswith a vital principle that as a Kuwaiti financialinstitution, its conduct and policies should bealigned with the needs and interests of theKuwaiti society.

Burgan Bank awakens a sense ofsharing through its girgian visits

Page 7: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

‘Mosque-mobile’ makes praying easier in Jakarta

Page 12

Drug lord’s pet hippos roam Colombian village

Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

WASHINGTON/ANKARA: Just before lastyear’s nuclear deal with Iran, five US universi-ties visited the country to explore renewingeducational ties that flourished before theIslamic Revolution. The group, which includedrepresentatives from Rutgers and theUniversity of Southern California (USC), founda desire on both sides for more exchanges andconcluded that US students and scholarswould be warmly welcomed in Iran.

But there was a hitch - the head of the dele-gation, Allan Goodman, was a former US intel-ligence analyst. In March this year he wasattacked in hardline Iranian media reportswhich have painted the June 2015 visit as a USattempt to build an espionage network andundermine the Iranian state. US officials andGoodman’s employer, the Institute ofInternational Education (IIE), say that’s not thecase and that there was no US governmentinvolvement in the trip.

Nevertheless, the negative press reportshave cooled efforts to rebuild educational tiesin the wake of the landmark nuclear deal, twoUS officials said. They said the US governmentis now cautioning American universitiesagainst moving too fast and that the schoolsthemselves are treading warily. “People lookedat that backlash and said ‘Let’s go slow,’” saidone of the officials, who spoke on condition ofanonymity.

Goodman, who lists his intelligence back-ground in his online biography, did notrespond to repeated interview requests.Earlier in his career, he coordinated the dailyintelligence briefing President Jimmy Carterreceived in 1979 and 1980, a period when theIslamic Revolution toppled the Shah anddozens of US diplomats were held hostage inTehran. The CIA declined comment onGoodman’s intelligence past, saying it doesnot discuss personnel matters. The StateDepartment and Iranian foreign ministry alsodeclined comment. The episode highlights thepolitical struggle between Iranians who want

to work with the United States and hardlinerswho often raise espionage accusations andfear opening up will undermine their rule. USofficials say it also illustrates the challenge ofestablishing even seemingly innocuousexchanges given Iranian mistrust of foreigninvolvement in its affairs.

That mistrust dates to Britain’s exploitationof its oil, the CIA-sponsored coup that over-threw its prime minister, MohammedMossadegh, in 1953 and Shah Mohammed

Reza Pahlavi’s subsequent brutal reign. Theofficial said he had expected at least onememorandum of understanding between aUS and an Iranian university to have beensigned by now. A senior Iranian official said itappeared that the foreign ministry had “sus-pended the issue”. The IIE’s mission is toadvance educational exchanges and access toeducation worldwide. It administers theFulbright program that sends US students andscholars abroad and brings foreign ones here.

‘Topple the Iranian Establishment’In March, Mashregh, a Persian language

online news service allied with the IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps, cast the delega-tion’s visit as a way for Washington to create anetwork of students to spy for the UnitedStates after returning to Iran. It also saidIranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif invited the group, which included BallState University, Pitzer College and WayneState University. A second senior Iranian offi-

cial said Zarif “had invited the group.” TheIranian foreign ministry declined to comment.

Zarif, who received his doctorate from theUniversity of Denver and served as Iran’s UNambassador, was Iran’s chief negotiator in thenuclear deal, under which Tehran agreed torestrict its nuclear program in return for relieffrom US, European Union and United Nationssanctions. He was regularly lambasted duringand after the nuclear talks by hardliners whoaccused him of crossing Iran’s “red lines” overthe deal. “It seems that the government ... bywelcoming the American delegation’s visit, haswelcomed the American government’s plansto topple the Iranian establishment,” Mashreghsaid. Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research, andTechnology invited the delegation, accordingto IIE spokeswoman Sharon Witherell. “The visitwas not part of any US government program,and was not funded by the government,” shesaid in an emailed statement, adding that thegroup does not regard the criticism ofGoodman as a setback to its efforts. “There isinterest on both sides in reestablishing mutual-ly beneficial academic ties.”

For current and former US officials, the criti-cism is an unjustified attempt to discreditGoodman, who has devoted nearly twodecades to educational exchanges and, in anycase, was an intelligence analyst rather thanan agent. Former US officials said Goodmanwas at the CIA at a time when there was littlemovement of analysts into operations.

Given his past professional ties to the CIA,Goodman would be “effectively disqualifiedfrom current intelligence operations” becausehe would be unable to establish the “cover” orpretext that would be needed, said analystSteven Aftergood of the Federation ofAmerican Scientists. “Raising alarms about spy-ing is a convenient way for Iranian opponentsof US-Iran rapprochement to derail and under-mine all contacts with Americans,” addedAftergood, an expert on secrecy, national secu-rity and classification policy. — Reuters

US-Iran education exchange plans coolHardline media cast visit as effort to build spy network

SARAJEVO: A Bosnian Muslim man wearing a traditional Bosnian outfit fires a cannon from a vantage point overlooking Sarajevo to markthe end of daily fasting on the final day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan late on Monday. With sunrise yesterday, Bosnian Muslimsstarted celebrations of Eid Al-Fitr. — AFP

NEW YORK: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumpon Monday defended a social media post he made two daysearlier that included an image depicting Democratic rivalHillary Clinton against a backdrop of cash and a Star of David,while Clinton called the image anti-Semitic. In a tweet onMonday, Trump said he had not meant the six-pointed star torefer to the Star of David, which is a symbol of Judaism.Rather, he said, the star could have referred to a sheriff ’sbadge, which is shaped similarly except for small circles at theends of each of its six points, or a “plain star.”

The presumptive Republican nominee later released astatement saying Clinton’s criticism of the image was anattempt to distract the public from “the dishonest behavior ofherself and her husband”. He was referring to a heavily criti-cized private meeting last week between former President BillClinton and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch as an investi-gation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server whilesecretary of state nears a conclusion.

His tweet came after Mic News reported on Sunday thatthe image attacking Clinton - which included the words:“History made” and, inside the star, “most corrupt candidateever!” - had been shared on a neo-Nazi web forum called /pol/.

Reuters confirmed the image was posted there on June 22 byviewing a link to an archived version of a /pol/ page, althoughthe page has since been updated and the image removed.

“Donald Trump’s use of a blatantly anti-Semitic image fromracist websites to promote his campaign would be disturbingenough, but the fact that it’s a part of a pattern should givevoters major cause for concern,” Clinton, the presumptiveDemocratic nominee, said in a statement emailed to reporterson Monday. The Nazis forced Jews to wear a Star of David ontheir clothing to identify themselves during the Holocaust.

Trump posted and deleted the tweet on Saturday, thentweeted a similar image in which the star was replaced by acircle. On Monday, he lashed out at journalists for continuingto report on the original tweet. “Dishonest media is tryingtheir absolute best to depict a star in a tweet as the Star ofDavid rather than a Sheriff’s Star, or plain star!” Trump wroteon Twitter. Saturday’s incident was the latest departure byTrump from a recent effort to appease Republicans worriedabout his brash public persona by trying to appear morerestrained. The Republican convention, where Trump isexpected to be named the party’s nominee for the Nov. 8presidential election, is two weeks away.

Trump defends ‘star’ tweet; Clinton says it’s anti-Semitic

JAKARTA: An Indonesian suicide bomberbelieved to be a supporter of the IslamicState militant group attacked a police sta-tion in the city of Solo yesterday, killinghimself and wounding a police officer,security officials said. Indonesia has beenon heightened alert since Islamic Stateclaimed responsibility for its first attack inthe Southeast Asian country last Januaryin Jakarta, in which eight people werekilled including the four attackers.

Shortly after yesterday’s attack,

President Joko Widodo, who is from Soloand a former mayor of the city, urgedcalm and ordered police to arrest any-one who may have been connected tothe bomber. “I have asked the policechief to chase down the network anduncover who is the suicide bomber,” thepresident told reporters. “We hope peo-ple remain calm on this last fasting day.No need to be scared.” Police havestepped up security at churches,mosques, shopping malls and airports as

Indonesia, home to the world’s largestMuslim population, prepares to cele-brate the end of the Islamic holy monthof Ramadan. Police said the attacker det-onated the bomb he was wearing short-ly after driving his motorcycle into thegrounds of the police station in Solo,which is known as a hotbed of religiousfundamentalism. A police officer whotried to stop him from entering sus-tained minor wounds.

Police said they believed the suicidebomber was Nur Rohman, a suspectedfollower of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesianfighting for Islamic State in Syria. Naim isbelieved to be one of the mastermindsof the Jakarta attacks in January.Security officials fear that Naim and oth-er Islamic State leaders were now askingtheir supporters in Indonesia and in oth-er countries to launch attacks at home,instead of being drawn to the fight inthe Middle East.

“What is happening in Indonesia is aspillover of conflicts in the Middle East,”Tito Karnavian, the of the NationalCounterterrorism Agency, told reportersin Solo. Southeast Asian militants fight-ing for Islamic State in the Middle Easthave said they have chosen one of themost wanted men in the Philippines tohead a regional faction of the radicalgroup that includes Indonesians andMalaysians, security officials said lastmonth. — Reuters

IS-linked suicide bomber attacks Indonesia police

SOLO, Indonesia: Police stand guard outside a police station in thisIndonesian city yesterday after a suicide bomber riding a motorbike blewhimself up in an attack on a police station. — AFP

Page 8: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

NAIROBI: Israel and Kenya should work hand-in-hand against terrorism, Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu said in Nairobi yesterday during thesecond leg of a four-nation Africa tour. SayingKenya and Israel “face the same challenges” ofterrorism, Netanyahu cited the 2013 attack onthe Israeli-owned Westgate shopping mall inNairobi in which at least 67 people were killedby four gunmen. “We have also experienced sim-ilar attacks in our country,” Netanyahu said.“Working together will help us defeat thescourge of this terror even faster.”

On Monday the prime minister visitedUganda to commemorate the 40th anniversaryof the Israeli raid on Entebbe airport in whichhis brother Yonatan was k i l led rescuinghostages held by German and Palestinianhijackers. Despite his personal loss, Netanyahusaid the raid was, “a devastating blow to inter-national terrorism.”

In Nairobi the Israeli leader promised to shareintelligence and provide “direct assistance”aimed at saving lives. “There is a raging battle

with terrorism,” Netanyahu said. Relationsbetween Africa and Israel have been strainedover the years. In the 1960s the Arab-Israeli con-flict drove a wedge between African countries,many of which were embroiled in liberationstruggles, and the Jewish state.

Later, wars between Israel and its neighborsin 1967 and 1973 led North African nations tourge sub-Saharan African states to cut ties withIsrael, which many did. Israel’s support for theapartheid regime in South Africa - which endedin 1994 - also soured relations with much of therest of the continent. Yesterday, KenyanPresident Uhuru Kenyatta said the hatchet hadsince been buried. “We have had difficult rela-tions with Israel as a continent, but the worldhas changed and we can’t live in history,” he said.“We will find more ways to cooperate and ourrelationship can only become stronger.”

The two leaders also discussed investmentopportunities, student exchanges, easing of visarestrictions and opportunities to employ Israelitechnologies in health, water and agriculture

development. “Israel is coming back to Africaand Africa is coming back to Israel,” Netanyahusaid, insisting that Kenya and Israel share “com-mon opportunities” as well as threats. “Africa hasno better friend outside of Africa in the practicalneeds of security and development than thestate of Israel,” he said.

On the eve of Netanyahu’s tour Israelannounced a relatively modest $13 million aidpackage to strengthen economic ties and coop-eration with African countries. Israel’s businesswith Africa constitutes only two percent of itsforeign trade, leaving plenty of room for growthwhile demand for its defence expertise andproducts is rising. It also sees African countriesas potential allies, particularly at the UnitedNations and other international bodies, where itis regularly condemned over its occupation ofthe West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip.Netanyahu is due to visit Rwanda today, wherehe will meet with President Paul Kagame andvisit a memorial to the 1994 genocide, beforetravelling to Ethiopia. — AFP

NAIROBI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta shake hands at State House yesterday. — AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Netanyahu says Israel andKenya share terror threat

Kenyatta says hatchet has been buried

DORADAL, Colombia: More than 20 years after Colombiandrug lord Pablo Escobar died in a gunfight with police, astrange legacy survives him: His pet hippos. Look out of thewindow in the dead of night in the village of Doradal andyou may see one plodding down the street. Police killed orlocked up Escobar’s drug gang, but not the hippos in hisprivate zoo. Left to themselves on his Napoles Estate, theybred to become what’s said to be the biggest wild hippoherd outside Africa - a local curiosity and a hazard.

“I was going to football training this morning about6:30 and there was one in the meadow, opposite theschool,” says Lina Maria Alvarez, 12. Just outside the vil-lage, Diego Alejandro Rojas, 19, shines a flashlight on ablack mass grazing among the tall grass. Its eyes catchthe light and shine like glowworms. “They come from theNapoles Estate along the canal after nightfall,” Rojas says.“They are like the village pets. I’m more afraid of thesnakes than the hippos.”

Hippo Paradise David Echeverri Lopez, a biologist from the regional

environmental corporation Cornare, says it is the biggestherd of wild hippopotamuses outside of Africa. The havethrived in this green spot in northern Colombia, butEcheverri warns they are a hazard for the local area and its

environment. They break fences and defecate in the rivers.“This is a paradise for them,” said local veterinarian JairoLeon Henao. “They have no predators so they are more atpeace than they would be in their natural habitat and theyhave been reproducing faster.”

Hippo Aggression Escobar bought four hippos from a zoo in California and

flew them to his ranch in the early 1980s, Echeverri says. Henow estimates there are about 35 in the area. Doradal andthe Escobar’s old ranch lie 190 km from the city of Medellin,which gave its name to his cartel. Escobar was one of therichest and most powerful criminals ever. His racket grewinto a multi-million dollar business that dominated thecocaine trade and was blamed for numerous killings. Likehis gang, hippos can very fierce, naturalists say.

“If they get aggressive they pose a risk to Colombianbiodiversity. They could displace native fauna” such asotters and endangered manatees, Echeverri says. “It is aninvasive species and very resistant to everything. They car-ry diseases that can kill livestock,” Echeverri says, standingby the lake at Hacienda Napoles, where hippos’ giantsnouts and ears poke out of the water. They threaten fish-ing too. “They pollute the water courses where they defe-cate,” Echeverri says. — AFP

ISTANBUL: Receptionist, waiter, hairdresser, pastry-seller: these are the jobs of the ambitious youngSyrians who abandoned their dreams in Damascusto start from scratch in Istanbul. In Fatih, a densely-packed neighborhood that serves as a hub for Arabsin Turkey’s biggest city, the traces of home are every-where. The delicate scent of Aleppo’s famous soapfloats out of storefronts, mingling with the enticingaromas of the pistachio and almond pastries soldthroughout Syria.

Rafik carefully piles a kilo of sticky baklava into acardboard box bearing the legend “Treats fromDamascus” in Arabic. “I designed the logo for theshop and the packaging myself,” says the 27-year-old- a brief return to the creativity of his former days asan artisan wood carver. “I always fought to studywhat I wanted. I was passionate about it and nothingcould turn me away from art and design.”

But that was before the war that has been rav-aging his homeland since 2011 - and before thearmy of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad began call-ing up young men like him for conscription. “Itwasn’t bombs that I fled - it was the possibility ofbecoming one of those people throwing the bombs,”says Rafik, who like other refugees would only givehis first name. Further up the road, Ahmad dozes inthe summer heat at the restaurant where he waitstables, before the arrival of the first customers afterthe Ramadan fast ends at nightfall.

“My parents gave everything so I could do myaccountancy studies,” says the 24-year-old, whosesad eyes don’t match his bright smile. “Today I findmyself far from them, in a country where I haven’tmastered the language and where, as a waiter, Ihave to do everything in the restaurant.” But Ahmadhas no regrets over his decision to head to Istanbultwo years ago - even though he earns only 900Turkish lira ($310) a month as a waiter and has toshare a flat with three other Syrians to cover therent. “I had the choice between war and exile, and Ididn’t even hesitate,” he says.

‘We have No Country’ Turkey has taken in 2.7 million people from

neighboring Syria since the start of the brutal con-flict. Ankara has refused to grant them officialrefugee status, referring to them as “guests”, thoughPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled recentlythat they could eventually be granted citizenship.Very few have work permits and many struggle toeke out a living on odd jobs. Around a tenth live inrefugee camps, the rest in towns and cities - includ-ing some 350,000 who have come to Istanbul.

Nour, 26, arrived in the city alone a few monthsago and now works as a receptionist in a languageschool founded by a fellow Syrian. She won’t go intodetails about what pushed her to leave behind her“family, work and love life”, saying simply that she leftfor “ideological reasons”. “I know I’m luckier than a lotof other Syrians who live in tents or who beg in thestreet, but that’s not enough to make me happyhere,” she says, her voice cracking.

But she expresses pride at how young Syrians inIstanbul are doing their best to fit in. “I feel like I canbe useful to my compatriots here,” she said. “Sinceour country can’t offer us anything anymore, wehave to adapt to the Turks who have welcomed usand learn their language. Our students are mainlyyoung Syrians in their 20s and 30s. They are verymotivated and in less than six months they’re get-ting by in Turkish.” Maher, a 29-year-old hairdresser,learnt his Turkish on the Internet. “It’s quick and real-ly efficient. If you’re motivated you can do anything,”he says. In Damascus he had his own salon; here,he’s working for someone else. “It’s not exactly thefuture I dreamed of,” he admits. “I hope I can gohome one day.” But pastry-seller Rafik doesn’t seehimself ever going back to Syria. “In 1948 thePalestinians thought they’d be going home in a fewdays - look where they are today,” he says. “We don’thave a country anymore,” he adds, handing a box ofcakes to a customer. — AFP

DORADAL, Colombia: A hippo is seen at the Hacienda Napoles theme park, once theprivate zoo of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, at his Napoles ranch in Antioquia depart-ment on June 22, 2016. — AFP

SKARAMANGAS, Greece: “B for book, C forcar...” repeat a dozen six and seven-year-olds inan English class taught by two refugee volun-teers in a makeshift classroom at a Greekmigrant camp. There will be no summer holi-days for these pupils, who have to make up forlost time as Greece prepares plans to educatearound 8,500 refugee children, starting inSeptember. The volunteer teachers from Syria,an engineer and a university student, areamong about 20 refugees giving lessons to 670students between the ages of six and 13 at theSkaramangas camp in the suburbs of Athens.

Half of the refugees in the camp - Syrians,Afghans and Iraqi Kurds - are under the age of17. With only two classrooms set up in shippingcontainers, each child receives about twohours of classes per week, including lessons intheir native languages - Arabic, Dari andKurdish - plus English and maths. “It’s only adrop,” says Syrian engineer Bazel Shrayyef, butstill “the start of a return to normality” for thechildren who have faced war and exile and arein danger of becoming apathetic from a life puton hold.

The volunteer teachers say rebuilding tiesto school is essential for the children. “We havechildren who are eight to 10 years old whodon’t even know how to hold a pen or writetheir name in their language,” says Syrian LuaayKoman Al Babille, a former student of palaeog-raphy in Aleppo, who initiated the educationefforts at the camp. In a makeshift teachers’lounge, also inside a container, he puts togeth-er textbooks from Syrian programs on theInternet, careful to remove anything that couldaggravate tensions.

According to the NGO Save the Children,which has warned of the risk of a lost genera-

tion, the refugee children stuck in camps inGreece on average have not been in school fora year and a half. And more than a fifth ofschool-age children have never set foot in aclassroom.

‘Children are Angry’ In Skaramangas, refugees wait to know

where they will be relocated in the EuropeanUnion, or if they will be given asylum in Greece- so they don’t know where they will be livingin six months to a year from now. “In our classesit’s hard for students to concentrate for a longtime, we have to keep getting them to payattention,” says Ianni Baveas, one of the localvolunteers who teaches the children Greek. “Alot of the children are angry,” adds her fellowvolunteer Poppy Paraskevopoulou.

She says she has been waging a battle withcharity groups, the administration and thearmy which manages the refugee camp to geteight more classrooms to have a real educationprogram. The challenge for Greece, wheresome 50,000 refugees are stranded after theclosing of Europe’s borders through the Balkancountries in late February, is to create a schoolprogram for the children in the camps.

The Greek education ministry is working onit, incorporating the initiatives like the one inSkaramangas and the pool of volunteers whohave fostered solidarity with the refugees. Theprogram set to start in September wouldinclude classes to integrate the students, in thecamps or at public facilities, ahead of properschooling. But there are many difficulties inachieving that goal. The refugee population isvery mixed and still very unsettled. And nation-al education is underfunded in debt-wrackedGreece after six years of austerity. — AFP

No summer break for migrant schoolchildren in Greek camp

ATHENS: Children follow English lessons in a container converted into a classroomon June 24, 2016 at the refugee camp of Skaramangas. — AFP

Odd jobs in Istanbul for young Syrians

Drug lord’s pet hippos roam Colombian village

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Halima cries as hermother Yagana lifts her up to be weighed.The one-year-old girl’s belly protrudes overlegs that are barely more than paper-thinskin and bone. The baby has been treatedfor severe acute malnutrition for a weeksince arriving in the city of Maiduguri,northeast Nigeria, weighing just 4.5 kg. Thecourse of high-energy food supplementshas helped her put on 0.7 kg. But she is stillhardly bigger than a healthy newborn.

Flies crawl on her face as she sits on hermother ’s lap at the nutrition clinic.Volunteers clean up her diarrhoea fromthe floor and Yagana wipes her daughter’sbare bottom with a dirty rag. Yagana, fromthe village of Dire, in the Mafa area ofBorno, once had six children. Halima is theonly one still alive. “Soldiers told us toleave, just leave, leave,” she said. BabyHalima “just fell sick. We had no food.”

Humanitarian Emergency Northeast Nigeria has been torn apart

for the last seven years by Boko Haraminsurgents. At least 20,000 people havebeen killed and more than 2.6 millionothers left homeless by the Islamist fight-ers. But as Nigeria’s military recapturesterritory from the militants in the remoteregion, the full effects of the conflict arebeing laid bare as aid agencies are finallyable to move in. With homes and busi-nesses destroyed and farmland devastat-ed, the United Nations has warned thatsome 50,000 children could starve todeath this year in Borno state alone ifnothing is done.

“We estimate that there will be almosta quarter of a million children under fivesuffering from severe acute malnutritionin Borno this year,” said Unicef Nigeriarepresentative Jean Gough. “Unless wereach these children with treatment, onein five of them will die. We cannot allowthat to happen.” Doctors Without Borders(MSF) has said at least 188 people died inthe month to June 22, mainly from diar-rhoea and malnutrition, in Bama, some 70km from Maiduguri. — AFP

Boko Haram tragedy:Malnutrition rising

ISTANBUL: Syrian and Turkish people walk in a street next to shops with Arabic lettering onMonday in the Fatih neighborhood. — AFP

MAIDUGURI: This photo taken onJune 30, 2016 shows a young babyboy suffering from severe acute mal-nutrition in the Muna informal settle-ment on the outskirts of the capital ofBorno State. — AFP

Page 9: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

MOTHERWELL, Scotland: Cooling tow-ers, blast furnaces and coking coal. Thegrit and humor of steelworkers headingto early-morning shifts. That wasMotherwell before the steelworks closedand the “Steelopolis” of Scotland becameanother tattered, post-industrial towntrying to a find its place in a service econ-omy. Had this been south of the border,maybe Robert Butcher, whose father losthis job when the Ravenscraig steelworksclosed in 1992, would have channeled hisresentment toward the European Union.But unlike many blue-collar voters inEngland and Wales, Butcher doesn’t seehow leaving the 28-nation bloc wouldbenefit declining industrial towns likeMotherwell that were once the backboneof the sprawling British Empire.

“Britain is not what it was. It thinks it is.But it’s not. And it’s as simple as that,” saidButcher, a 52-year-old metal worker, fix-ing his car in the front of an abandonedhome not far from the formerRavenscraig worksite. In one of the defin-ing splits of last week’s EU referendum, all32 council areas in Scotland as well asNorthern Ireland went against theirsouthern neighbors and voted for Britainto stay in the bloc. Even towns shatteredby the demise of shipyards, coal minesand steelworks made the calculus thatquitting the EU wouldn’t turn thingsaround for them. “I think it’s a lot to dowith the Scottish independence move-ment,” said Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, oneof the 54 legislators representing theScottish National Party in the BritishParliament.

A lawyer and former actress, Ahmed-Sheikh said the SNP’s enthusiastic cam-paigning for continued British EU mem-bership helps explain why Scotland votedto “remain.” The party leads the localScottish government and spearheadedan unsuccessful campaign for Scottishindependence in a 2014 referendum. “Itreally is unfathomable to imagineScotland not being part of the EU,” shesaid, outside her constituency office inAlloa, a town once known for its woolindustry. “People up and down the coun-try are thinking that they’re going towake up tomorrow and it’s all going to bea really bad dream.”

Immediately after the vote, SNPleader and Scottish First Minister NicolaSturgeon raised the possibility of arepeat referendum on Scottish inde-pendence, saying it’s unfair for Scots tobe pulled out of the EU against their willsimply due to the larger numbers ofEnglish voters. In Edinburgh, a pictur-esque university city where kilt-wearingbagpipers entertain tourists on the RoyalMile, 74 percent voted to “remain” - thehighest in Scotland. The overall win forthe “leave” side in Britain appeared todeepen the animosity toward Englandamong some Scots.

Shock Others were just shocked by the out-

come. “The day that the result came out I

was on my way to one of the agriculturalshows in Edinburgh,” said Lindsay Wright,a 23-year-old celebrating her degree inveterinary medicine. “And the atmos-phere there was just one of dismay, andsort of ‘What will happen now, how will itaffect our livelihoods?’”

She said perhaps Scots voted differ-ently from the English and the Welshbecause they already had thoughtthrough the consequences of leaving theEU when they voted in the 2014 inde-pendence referendum. Leaving Britainwould have meant leaving the EU, too, atleast temporarily. In that 2014 ballot, 55percent of Scots voted to stay in the UK.To be sure, not all Scots feel the sameway about Europe. Unionists marchingSaturday with British flags and Protestantbanners in the annual Orange Orderparade in Glasgow rejected the assertionthat Scotland was being dragged out ofthe EU by other parts of the UK.

“There’s isn’t a Scottish vote, therewas a UK vote,” said Findley McLaughlin,a penny whistle player in the ProtestantBoys marching band. “The SNP have gotan agenda, 100 percent. They just wantto break up the (United Kingdom). Andit’ll never work.” Anthony Ridge Newman,an associate researcher at the Universityof Glasgow, said Scottish nationalism haschanged the way Scots “view their placein the United Kingdom and the way theyview their place in Europe.” However, hesaid, there’s a contradiction in how theScottish National Party calls for inde-pendence from Britain while still wantingto remain part of the larger EU.

Motherwell, southeast of Glasgow,belongs to an area where 62 percent ofvoters backed remaining in the EU.Places with the same recent history ofdecline in England and Wales typicallyvoted “leave” by a similar margin. Ironworks and coal mines made Motherwellone of Scotland’s most important indus-trial centers in the 19th century. TheRavenscraig steelworks opened in 1957and its closure in 1992 left hundreds ofsteelworkers jobless and affected thou-sands of related businesses. “It was allright for them that went and got theirredundancy,” Butcher said in a thickGlaswegian accent, taking a break fromreplacing a bulb on his headlights. “But ifyou didn’t get a job within a year, youhad to start living off the money.”

The cooling towers came down in1996 but the Ravenscraig site is stillundergoing redevelopment. Derelict andpolluted land is still being cleaned up tobe reopened for residential or commer-cial developments - a project partiallyfunded by the EU. Asked why he thoughtindustrial towns in England and Scotlandvoted so differently despite sharing somany traits, Butcher said it comes downto how they view their place in theworld. “There are a lot of things Englandlikes with the EU, but they don’t run it,”he said. “And that’s their only problem,when they don’t run it. They like to havethe last say.” — AP

Why Scotland, unlike its neighbors, voted to stay

LONDON: Britain’s Conservative party started votingyesterday to replace outgoing Prime Minister DavidCameron following his resignation in the wake ofBritain’s shock decision to leave the European Union.Interior minister Theresa May is the clear frontrunner,pitching herself as a sober operator capable of unify-ing a party fractured by last month’s referendum andof leading Britain out of the EU. The new leader willalso have to ease fears over Brexit’s effect on theeconomy, with the Bank of England on Mondaymoving to boost bank lending as it warned that risksto financial stability “have begun to crystalize”.

May has said she does not plan to invoke Article50, the formal procedure for leaving the EU, until theend of the year at the earliest, despite pressure fromEuropean leaders for a quicker divorce. May cam-paigned for Britain to stay in the EU but now saysthat “Brexit means Brexit” and has ruled out an earlyelection or a second referendum - both seen as pos-sible ways of rowing back from the result. One of herleading rivals, Andrea Leadsom, who campaignedfor Britain to leave, has said she wants exit negotia-tions to be “as short as possible” in order to avoid“prolonged uncertainty”.

The ruling party’s 330 MPs will vote for one of fivecandidates, with the least popular being eliminatedahead of similar votes to reduce the shortlist to two.The party’s 150,000 members will then decide thewinner, with the result to be declared on Sept 9.

Brexit’s ‘Sad Heroes’ The race took a dramatic turn last week when

justice minister Michael Gove announced his candi-dacy, delivering a stinging attack on pro-Leave allyBoris Johnson moments before he was expected toannounce his own bid. A wounded Johnson pulledout of the contest but the affair appears to haveturned some MPs against Gove. Leadsom receivedJohnson’s backing on Tuesday. “Andrea Leadsomoffers the zap, the drive, and the determinationessential for the next leader of this country,” said theformer London mayor. “She possesses the qualitiesneeded to bring together leavers and remainers inthe weeks and months ahead.”

The vote has shaken Britain’s political order,plunging both the Conservatives and oppositionLabour party into chaos. Leading Brexit campaigner,MEP Nigel Farage, resigned as head of the UKIndependence Party on Monday, saying his “politicalambition has been achieved”. “The Brexit heroes ofyesterday are now the sad heroes of today,” EuropeanCommission president Jean-Claude Juncker told theEuropean Parliament. “Those who have contributedto the situation in the UK have resigned, Johnson,Farage and others. They are as it were retro-national-ists, they are not patriots,” he said. “Patriots don’tresign when things get difficult, they stay.”

Britain’s negotiations to leave the EU will form akey plank of each leadership bid, and May told MPson Monday that the status of EU residents alreadyin Britain was up for debate. Gove and Leadsomhave said EU citizens should be given guaranteesthey can stay.

Labour Crisis Talks Leadsom insisted she would drive a hard bargain

with Brussels, if elected. “I know how to strike a dealin a tough negotiation,” she said. May, who cam-paigned to stay in the EU, has already secured thesupport of 115 MPs, while Leadsom has 40 declared

supporters. Outsiders Stephen Crabb and Liam Foxcomplete the line-up. Further rounds of voting willbe held on Thursday and the following Tuesday untiltwo candidates remain.

In the Labour Party, leader Jeremy Corbyn isstill clinging to his job, despite being defeated ina non-binding no-confidence vote of Labour law-

makers angry at his lacklustre campaigning tostay in the EU. Deputy leader Tom Watson was setto hold emergency talks on Tuesday with influen-tial trade union leaders in an attempt to forceCorbyn’s resignation, but the leader posted a mes-sage to party members on Monday, promising hewas “carrying on”. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

LONDON: British Secretary of State for Justice and leadership candidate for Britain’s rulingConservative Party Michael Gove gives a thumbs-up to photographers as he arrives for a cabi-net meeting at 10 Downing Street yesterday. — AP

Voting begins in race to replace British premier

Interior minister May clear frontrunner

KALININGRAD, Russia: On the curb-side outside the civilian airport inKaliningrad, Russia’s Baltic Sea outpost,a group of about 20 servicemen inRussian navy uniforms lined up earlierthis month, waiting for a bus to takethem to their base. “We are an addi-tional reinforcement,” one of the youngmen, who said he and his colleagueshad flown in that day, told Reuters asthey waited on the rain-soaked tarmac.He gave no further details.

Russia and NATO are each buildingup their military capability across east-ern Europe, spurred by the conflict inUkraine which has prompted officialson both sides to talk of the risk of anew, Cold War-style confrontation. ForRussia, a strategic centerpiece is here inKaliningrad. A relic of the Soviet Union,it is a small piece of Russian territorysandwiched between NATO membersPoland and Lithuania, allowing theKremlin to project its military powerinto the alliance’s northern flank.

During a three-day visit by Reutersearlier this month, there was ample vis-ible evidence of Russia enhancing itsmilitary presence. Trucks moved mili-tary equipment from a port to loca-tions inland, small groups of service-men flew in, work was under way toboost security near one base andextensive construction was takingplace at another base housing a mili-tary radar system. Reuters was able tosee only a glimpse of what the Russianmilitary is doing in Kaliningrad. Muchof the region is off-limits to foreignerswithout a special permit and at onepoint men in civilian clothes orderedphotos of military infrastructure delet-ed. The Russian defence ministry didnot respond to questions about itsdeployments in Kaliningrad.

But much of the activity tallied withwhat military analysts and Westerndiplomats say Russia is doing: prepar-ing to station new missiles inKaliningrad and build a web of anti-air-craft systems that could challengeNATO aircraft over the Baltic states andparts of Poland. Russia’s military build-up will be on the agenda when leadersof NATO member states meet inWarsaw on July 8 for an alliance sum-

mit. Russia says it has been forced torespond because NATO is drawingcloser to its borders.

“When it comes to threats in the(Kaliningrad) area, indeed we can talkof an increase in the intensity of Russia’saggression in recent days,” Poland’sDefence Minister Antoni Macierewicztold Reuters. “These threats have a veryimportant, dangerous role, always pres-ent in NATO’s thinking - these are anti-access activities, which are a seriousthreat to the alliance.”

Radar StationKaliningrad was born after World

War Two when Soviet troops occupiedthe German port of Koenigsberg. Thewar left most of the city bombed torubble. The remaining German popula-tion was expelled and the city annexedto the Soviet Union, resettled withRussians and renamed Kaliningrad inhonour of a Soviet leader who died in1946. After the breakup of the SovietUnion in 1991 it became a Russianexclave, with no land borders with oth-er parts of Russia.

According to NATO planners, Russiais using Kaliningrad to pursue what isknown as an anti-access/area denial(A2/AD) strategy for surrounding areas.That involves a strategic layering ofsurface-to-air missiles to block offNATO’s air access, if needed, to thethree Baltic states and about a third ofPoland. Some Western officials believethe Baltic states, which have large eth-nic Russian minorities, could be seizedby Moscow, much as Russia took con-trol of Ukraine’s Crimea region twoyears ago. Moscow says it has no suchintention, but needs to beef up itsdefences because of NATO buildup inthe Baltic.

Unlike Ukraine, the Baltic states arepart of NATO, which means the alliancewould be bound to act to protect themfrom any threat to their territory. AEuropean Union diplomat who focuseson security said Russia’s strategy foradding anti-air capability in Kaliningrad“will only progress - the process is cen-tralized and well-coordinated”. “And theRussians spend the greatest amount offinancial resources on those capabili-

ties,” the diplomat said. “The question iswhat is it intended for?”

The biggest construction worksseen by Reuters were at the PionerskyRadar Station, on Kaliningrad’s north-ern coast. The radar itself, whose rangecovers all of Europe and which givesearly warning of air attack, becameoperational in 2014. Now, the militaryis expanding the infrastructure aroundit. Trucks carrying sand and gravelcould be seen driving into the base.Dump trucks, a truck-mounted craneand an excavator were parked nearby.Construction workers walked in andout of the base, some in camouflagetrousers. “The station is strategic forRussia, that’s where a lot of work isgoing on,” said a soldier based there.

Information posted on the websiteof Russia’s Federal Agency for SpecialConstruction, which carries out con-struction projects for the military, saidwork was underway to build barracks,a heating plant, canteens, a medicalstation, storage units, a firefighting sta-tion, a social club and sports facilities.New buildings could be seen behindthe gate into the base. Two localsources said the new accommodationcould house up to several hundredservice personnel.

Military activity could also beobserved in the region’s main city, alsocalled Kaliningrad. Military truckscould be seen emerging from theKaliningrad port - a civilian facility thathas a military section - and heading toother parts of the region. Several of thetrucks were carrying small artillerypieces. Others had containers on theback, and in other cases the cargo wasconcealed beneath a tarpaulin.

At a third location, near the town ofSvetlyi, a watchtower just off the roadhad been renovated, and a swathe offorest around it had been freshly felledto improve sight lines from the tower.Two local sources familiar with the mil-itary set-up in the region said thewatchtower was part of a chain ofsecurity to protect a military com-pound near Svetlyi that stored thearsenal of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, head-quartered at the nearby port ofBaltiysk. — Reuters

Russia Baltic outpost digs in for standoff with NATO

PARIS: A French inquiry into the terror attacksthat rocked Paris in 2015 yesterday recommend-ed a fusion of the country’s intelligence servicesafter the “global failure” of the country’s myriadagencies. The parliamentary inquiry was set upin February to probe possible security failings inthe run-up to the two major jihadist attacks inParis last year that left 147 people dead. “Thetwo big intelligence bosses admitted duringtheir hearings that the 2015 attacks represent a‘global intelligence failure’,” said Socialist law-maker Sebastien Pietrasanta.

France currently has six different intelligenceunits answering to the interior, defense andeconomy ministries. After 200 hours of hearings,lawmakers found that the different agencies hadstruggled to communicate about knownIslamists who had either been under surveil-lance, in prison or had their phones tapped atsome point before carrying out attacks. Thepresident of the commission of inquiry, formerjudge Georges Fenech, said the barriersbetween the various intelligence services led tothe surveillance of Charlie Hebdo attacker SaidKouachi being lifted when he moved from Paristo the northeastern city of Reims.

The next time he was heard of was when he

and his brother Cherif opened fire at the satiricalweekly in Paris on January 7 last year, killing 12people. Two days later, Amedy Coulibaly, whomet Cherif in prison, took shoppers hostage at aJewish supermarket, killing four people. He alsoshot dead a policewoman in Paris. JusticeMinister Jean-Jacques Urvoas said during hishearing that Coulibaly - a known radical andrepeat offender - represented intelligence fail-ings within the prison system, having beenreleased from custody without being put undersurveillance.

The French system of judicial supervision,whereby terror suspects not deemed dangerousenough to be remanded in custody are insteadordered to report regularly to the police, alsocontained “weaknesses”, said Pietrasanta. SamyAmimour, who was involved in the attack on theBataclan concert hall on November 13, when ateam of jihadists killed 130 people across Parisnightspots, was able to travel to Syria in 2013despite a ban on leaving France. The lawmakersheard from an anti-terrorism judge that terror-ists were subject to the same level of surveil-lance as small-time crooks who peddle marijua-na when released from prison under courtsupervision. — AFP

France attacks probe urges intel overhaul

Page 10: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

DHAKA: Bangladeshi police said yesterday one ofthe men they shot dead during the siege of a Dhakacafe on the weekend may have been a hostage killedby mistake, while the hunt for accomplices of thegunmen who killed 20 people focused on six sus-pects. Police yesterday named five Bangladeshi gun-men who stormed the restaurant in Dhaka’s diplo-matic zone late on Friday. Most of the victims in theviolence claimed by Islamic State were foreigners,from Italy, Japan, India and the United States.

It was one of the deadliest militant attacks inBangladesh, where Islamic State and Al-Qaeda haveclaimed a series of killings of liberals and members ofreligious minorities in the past year. The governmenthas dismissed those claims, as it did the Islamic Stateclaim of responsibility for Friday’s attack. Pictures offive young men clutching guns and grinning in frontof a black flag were posted on an Islamic State web-site hours after the attack, along with the claim ofresponsibility, but despite that, authorities haveruled out a foreign link.

Police believe that Jamaat-ul-MujahideenBangladesh (JMB), an outlawed domestic group thathas pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a sig-nificant role in organising the band of privileged,educated young attackers. Confusion over exactlyhow many gunmen were involved was at least part-ly cleared up on Tuesday when police said amongthe six people security forces killed when they

stormed the building to end a 12-hour stand-offwas Saiful Islam Chowkidar, a pizza maker at theHoley Artisan restaurant.

“We killed six people in the restaurant. A case hasbeen registered against five. The sixth man was arestaurant employee,” Saiful Islam, a top police offi-cial investigating the attack, told Reuters. “He maynot be involved,” he said, adding that the investiga-tion was going on. An employee of the cafe, showna photo of a man killed at the eatery and wearing achef’s outfit, identified him as Chowkidar, and saidhe had worked there for 18 months. Police namedfive men as attackers in a case filed on Tuesday toallow them to launch official investigations, includ-ing questioning families of the militants for clues asto what turned them into killers. Two other suspectsare in hospital.

‘Guided’Police said they were hunting for six members of

the JMB who were suspected of organising theattack. “Six members of JMB have been shown asaccused in the case. We are trying to arrest thembecause they could be the mastermind,” Islam said.The JMB has been accused of involvement in manyof the killings over the past year and Islam said policewere interrogating more than 130 of its membersalready in custody in the hope of gleaning clues. “Wedon’t know who is the mastermind behind the

attack. We just know that these boys were guided tolaunch an attack on the restaurant,” he said.

The five named in the case filing were NibrasIslam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer,Khairul Islam and Shafiqul Islam. The attack marked amajor escalation in the scale and brutality of violenceaimed at forcing strict Islamic rule in Bangladesh,whose 160 million people are mostly Muslim. It hasshocked the country, as have details emerging aboutthe well-to-do lives of some of the gunmen.

At least three of the gunmen were from wealthy,liberal families who had attended elite Dhakaschools, in contrast to the traditional Bangladeshimilitant’s path from poverty and a madrassa educa-tion to violence. Three of the attackers had beenmissing since the beginning of the year, police havesaid. Two had attended a private university inMalaysia, one of whom, Nibras Islam, was not partic-ularly religious, according to a student who playedfootball with him at a private college in Dhakabetween 2009 and 2011.

“We are in touch with investigators in Malaysiaand they are sharing all the information but as ofnow we have not found any links with internationalmilitant groups,” Islam said. One of the dead gunmenwas from a poor family and had studied at a madras-sa and another hailed from a lower-middle classbackground, said another senior police official whodeclined to be identified. — Reuters

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

YANGON: Khin Htar Kyu was in her late teens whenshe left her village in Wakema Township in Myanmar’ssouthern Ayeyarwady Region with a younger sister tofind work in Yangon to help pay the debts of her farm-ing family. On arrival she took the first job she wasoffered and began work as a live-in housemaid with afamily in Sanchaung Township. Four years have passedand the 23-year-old has rarely had a day off. She usual-ly works from 4 am to 10 pm to cook, clean and takecare of young children, earning US$85 per month andfree meals and lodging. “Sometimes, I want to take oneday off during the week but I can’t,” Khin Htar Kyu said.“I was happier as a farmer, I had a lot of quiet and free-dom. I need not care about anything except my crops.”

Across Myanmar, there are tens of thousands ofgirls like Khin Htar Kyu who leave their families tobecome a domestic worker and send money home.The urban migration is a longstanding practice inMyanmar but the process of relatives or neighborsconnecting girls with wealthier families is beingreplaced by recruitment agencies and unregisteredbrokers, prompting calls for more to be done to ensurethey are treated well and know their rights.

Women and child rights activists say they usuallyreceive little pay and lack labour rights protection, andthe maids are often young - or underage - and vulnera-ble to various forms of abuse by their employer. NawAye Aye Hlaing, programme manager with Yangon-

based non-governmental organisation Women Can DoIt, said workers usually don’t complain as they are iso-lated in their employers’ homes and lack support whenthey want to report abuses.

“Myanmar has no special support group to helphousemaids as they are seen as unimportant workers,”she said, adding that more must be done to ensureproper treatment of workers. “Housemaids should beset reasonable tasks ... (and) employers should beresponsible for creating a safe working environment,”said Naw Aye Aye Hlaing.

Vulnerable and UnprotectedAung Myo Min, executive director at NGO Equality

Myanmar, said many maids are children from poorfamilies who cannot care for them. They are placedwith wealthier households and provide free labour inreturn for a roof over their heads. “Some of these chil-dren have a lower status than domestic workers - theyjust get a meal and shelter, not money, for their work,”he said. Maung Maung Soe, a lawyer in Yangon, toldMyanmar Now, an independent website supported bythe Thomson Reuters Foundation, that maids are oftenpoorly fed, lack proper sleeping quarters and are regu-larly beaten.

Yet, court cases against abusive employers are rareas maids lack legal avenues to complain. “They have lit-tle legal protection as there are no (labour) laws to pro-

tect housemaids against employers. But if they areaccused of stealing money from their employer theycan easily be prosecuted,” said Maung Maung Soe, whohas provided legal aid to abused workers. Files atYangon Regional Police Headquarters obtained byMyanmar Now show authorities recorded only eightcases of criminal abuse of maids by employers in thewhole country between 2011 to 2015, four cases ofwhich were in Yangon.

In only one case an employer was sentenced. KyiHla Myint, a man from Yangon’s Bahan Township,received three years in prison with hard labour inFebruary 2014 for beating a 14-year-old girl, burningher hands with cooking oil, and locking her up in aroom without food. In 2013, a 14-year-old house-maid filed a complaint with police over beatings onher head, back, arms and chest by members of a fam-ily in North Dagon Township who employed her forfour years. Three of them are now facing criminalprosecution.

Legal Protection NeededRights activists said the cases are just the tip of the

iceberg as many abuses go unreported because vic-tims lack the knowledge to stand up to their employ-ers or because issues are quietly settled by employers.“Only if housemaids have major injuries on their bod-ies can they have enough proof for a police complaint.

Otherwise, it is very difficult for them,” said MaungMaung Soe. Aung Myo Min, of Equality Myanmar, saidthe government should draw up legal protections fordomestic workers and inform them of their rights.“Housemaids need to know how and where they canfile complaints against abuses by employers,” he said.

Nyunt Win, deputy director-general at Factories andGeneral Labour Laws Inspection Department, said theMinistry of Labor, Immigration and Manpower has heldtalks with civil society organisations over drafting a lawto set a minimum age for domestic workers and pro-vide basic labour rights, such as working hours andholidays. He acknowledged the workers’ situation waspoorly regulated. “There are many controversial issuesregarding housemaids, including working hours andoff-days,” Nyunt Win said, before adding that maids“should not refuse to prepare meals or wash clothes atthe time when their employers come home”.

Myanmar Now contacted several lawmakers in theruling National League for Democracy but none knewof the draft law. The Yangon Kayin Baptist Women’sAssociation has created an organisation calledProtection for Women in Household Services that triesto ensure girls are employed by families who treatthem well. Naw Phaw Wah, the director of the organi-zation, said her staff have helped about 100 maids findsafe jobs and carry out regular visits to check on theirworking situation. — Reuters

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi politician spoke yes-terday of his horror to learn his son wasamong the suspects who murdered foreign-ers at a Dhaka cafe, and said many youngmen from wealthy, educated families weregoing missing. Imtiaz Khan Babul said his 22-year-old son Rohan Imtiaz, who was killedwhen commandos stormed the cafe onSaturday, had been a top-scoring studentwhose behavior gave no hint he was radical-ized before he disappeared last December. “Iwas stunned and speechless to learn that myson had done such a heinous thing,” a tearfulBabul told AFP. “I don’t know what changedhim. There was nothing that would suggestthat he was getting radicalized. He hardlyread any religious books.”

Babul, an official with the ruling AwamiLeague party, said he believed his son mayhave been “brainwashed” online. He had notseen Rohan since travelling to India inDecember with his maths teacher wife, leav-ing their three children in Dhaka. In themonths following Rohan’s disappearance,Babul lobbied senior party officials to helpfind his only son and even scoured the city’smorgues. As he searched, he met other fami-lies who had suffered the same fate. “I met somany parents whose boys had gone missing,”he said. “Even yesterday, one of them wassaying that I was lucky that I got the body ofmy boy. Some of them are not so lucky.”

Security forces shot dead six men whenthey stormed the cafe, bringing the all-nightsiege to an end, while one suspected attack-er was taken alive and is being questioned.

Police initially identified all six as suspectedattackers, but yesterday they said they werelooking into whether one was a kitchenworker who was held hostage. Relatives ofSaiful Islam Chowkider raised the alarm afterrecognizing the 39-year-old among the pic-tures of the suspects police released after thesiege. “We protested. We said he was never amilitant. He was hardworking man and oneof the best pizza and pasta makers inBangladesh,” Chowkider’s cousin Solaimantold AFP. “We went to the military, but theywould not hand over the body, they said hewas a suspect.”

Diplomat ConcernsWitnesses say the perpetrators of the

attack, claimed by the Islamic State group,spared the lives of Muslims. The 20 peoplekilled included nine Italians, seven Japanese,a US citizen and a 19-year-old Indian student.Yesterday, the bodies of the Japanese victimsarrived on a government plane in Tokyo. Allhad worked with the government-run JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA) inBangladesh. Authorities said an aircraft carry-ing the bodies of the nine Italian victims hadflown out of Dhaka early Tuesday.Bangladesh’s foreign minister met diplomatsTuesday following the attack, the worst by fartargeting the international community inDhaka. Hundreds of foreign firms operateout of Bangladesh and its clothes manufac-turing industry is the lifeblood of the econo-my, accounting for more than 80 percent ofexports. — AFP

Politician stunned by son’s role in attack

NEW YORK: The United States celebrated theJuly Fourth holiday on Monday with parades,baking contests and picnics draped in red,white and an extra layer of blue, as policeramped up patrols because of concerns aboutterrorism and gun violence. Millions ofAmericans marked independence from Britainwith celebrations as boisterous as a music-packed party by country music legend WillieNelson for 10,000 people at a race track inAustin, Texas, and as staid as colonial-era cos-tumed actors reading the Declaration ofIndependence at the US National Archives inWashington.

“It’s a good day for reflecting on the posi-tive things about America - the sense of free-dom that you can go after and achieve what-ever you want,” said Helen Donaldson, 48, themother of a multi-ethnic family of four adopt-ed teens living in Maplewood, New Jersey.Donaldson, a white Australian immigrant,cheered with her two New Jersey-bornAfrican-American daughters, both 12 anddressed in red, white and blue, as a recordingof the Star Spangled Banner played to kick offa children’s relay race. Nearby, in the bakingcontest tent, 13-year-old Nate Fisher enteredhis cherry blueberry tart into competition. “Ihave high hopes,” he said, flashing a smile.

History was made in the traditional hot-dog-eating contest at New York’s Coney Islandwhen long-time champion Joey “Jaws”Chestnut took back the Mustard YellowInternational Belt from last year’s upstart win-ner Matt Stonie. Chestnut set an unofficial newworld record by downing 70 hotdogs in 10minutes - topping his previous record of 69franks. In the women’s division, Miki Sudo suc-cessfully defended her title by eating 38 hot-dogs in 10 minutes.

With the holiday taking place days afterattacks in Baghdad, Dhaka and Istanbul, theNew York Police Department deployed eightnew “vapor wake” dogs, trained to sniff outexplosives on a moving target in a crowd. Thedepartment’s presence this holiday wasboosted by nearly 2,000 new officers just daysafter they graduated on Friday from the NewYork City Police Academy. “You’re going to seea lot of people in heavy vests, helmets andlong guns and they can respond at amoment’s notice to any incident,” NYPD Chiefof Department James O’Neill told a news con-ference. “There’s also a lot you won’t see.”

Chicago Braced for ViolencePolice in Chicago, which has seen a spike

in gun murders this year, announced astepped-up presence with more than 5,000officers on patrol over the long weekend, tra-ditionally one of the year’s most violent, saidChicago Police Superintendent EddieJohnson. The Chicago Tribune said at leastthree people had been killed and 34 wound-ed over the holiday weekend by Mondayevening. Dry weather forecasts across thecountry thrilled fireworks lovers, althoughsome spots in Michigan have been so rain-starved that pyrotechnic shows were can-celed in a handful of communities nearDetroit because of the risk of fires.

A 19-year-old tourist in New York’s CentralPark suffered a severe foot wound on Sundayafter an apparent homemade fireworkexploded when he jumped off a rock andstepped on the device, authorities said. InCompton, California, a 9-year-old girl’s handhad to be amputated when she was injuredafter unwittingly picking up a lit firework,media said. — Reuters

Red, white and extra blue as tight security marks I-Day

Isolated and lacking rights, Myanmar maids toil

DHAKA: People offer flowers to pay their respects to the victims of the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery yesterday. — AP

Bangladesh police may have killed hostage by mistake

Six men killed by police; five named in case filing

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiinducted 19 new ministers into his cabinet yester-day to bolster his two-year-administration butdrew criticism that he was backtracking on a prom-ise of lean government. The ministers, announcedby the government, were sworn-in at a ceremonyat the presidential palace but their portfolios werenot immediately announced. A top governmentsource told Reuters Modi had dropped five of cabi-net colleagues. A formal announcement on thechanges was expected later on Tuesday.

With the expansion, the size of Modi’s cabinethas swelled to 78 - one of the biggest in years and

a far cry from Modi’s 2014 election promise of“minimum government and maximum gover-nance”. “If this was a reform-minded government,you would be reducing the numbers of people andportfolios, shedding ministries,” said Manoj Joshi, apolitical expert at Observer Research Foundation inNew Delhi. “What you can read from this is that it isnot particularly efficient or concerned about gov-ernance,” Joshi said, referring to Modi’s rulingBharatiya Janata Party.

Modi swept to power in May 2014 on a promiseof jobs and growth. However, critics have ques-tioned his government’s performance and political

analysts say the ruling party suffers from a short-age of experienced members. A number of newministers hail from India’s backward castes, mem-bers of which are widely expected to play a criticalrole in an election in the most populous state ofUttar Pradesh next year.

That state election is likely to have a bearing onModi’s bid to retain power in a general election,due by 2019. “His eyes are set on his re-election in2019,” said Neerja Chowdhury, an independentpolitical analyst. “He has given representation tothe social groups that voted for him in the last gen-eral election.”

Modi expands cabinet into one of biggest

NEW DELHI: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (third left) stands Prime Minister Narendra Modi (fourth left) and with newly inductedministers at a swearing-in-ceremony at the Presidential Palace yesterday. — AP

NEW YORK: Fourth of July fireworks explode in front of the Lower Manhattan skyline asseen from Brooklyn Bridge Park on Monday. — AP

Page 11: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times
Page 12: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

I N T E R N AT I O N A LWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

BEIJING: Beijing and Tokyo were at loggerheadsTuesday over accusations Japanese warplaneslocked their fire control radar onto Chinese aircraft,as state-run Chinese media said the country need-ed to be ready for “military confrontation” else-where. Beijing has long been embroiled in fierceterritorial disputes with Tokyo over Japanese-con-trolled islands in the East China Sea, and with ahost of littoral states over the South China Sea,which it claims almost in its entirety.

Chinese vessels and planes regularly enterwaters and airspace near the East China Seaislands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu inChina. China’s defense ministry late Mondayaccused Japanese fighter jets of using their firecontrol radar to lock onto two Chinese aircraft on“routine patrol” in the Air Defence IdentificationZone (ADIZ) it declared unilaterally in 2013. Theaggressive move generally means an attacker isready to fire weapons at a target.

Japan’s deputy chief cabinet secretary KoichiHagiuda denied the accusation yesterday, tellingreporters that Tokyo’s Self-Defence Forces hadscrambled F15 jets to monitor Chinese aircraft.“There are no facts showing that we took provoca-tive action against Chinese military planes,” he said.In 2013, Tokyo demanded Beijing apologise whenit said a Chinese frigate had locked its fire-controlradar onto a Japanese destroyer in internationalwaters.

The row over the islands has seen relationsbetween the world’s second- and third-largesteconomies plunge in recent years, before recover-ing slightly, although they remain poor. Beijing isalso involved in a separate set of territorial disputeswith other littoral neighbors over its extensiveclaims in the strategic and resource-rich SouthChina Sea. It has rapidly built up reefs and outcropsinto artificial islands with facilities capable of mili-tary use. The issue has raised tensions in the regionand with the United States, which has key defensetreaties with Japan and other allies in the area.

Yesterday, China began a week of naval exercis-es in waters around the Paracel Islands, in thenorthern part of the sea. They came a week beforea United Nations-backed tribunal in The Haguerules on a case brought by the Philippines chal-lenging China’s position. Beijing has boycotted thehearings and is engaged in a major diplomatic andpublicity drive to try to delegitimize the process.

Bitter Pill of Humiliation’ In an editorial yesterday, the Global Times - a

newspaper owned by the People’s Daily group thatoften takes a nationalistic tone - said China shouldaccelerate the build-up of its defense capabilitiesand “must be prepared for any military confronta-tion”. “Even though China cannot keep up with theUS militarily in the short-term, it should be able tolet the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes

in the South China Sea dispute by force,” it added.Beijing also accuses Tokyo of interfering in the

South China Sea, where it is not a claimant but hasstrengthened ties with some of the Asian giant’srivals, including the Philippines. China bases itsmaritime claims on a vaguely defined “nine dashline” dating back to maps it produced in the 1940s,and has been asserting them more aggressively inrecent years. Manila lodged its suit against Beijingat the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in ear-ly 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations ithad exhausted all political and diplomatic avenuesto settle the dispute.

The tribunal will issue its ruling on July 12,though China has consistently rejected its right tohear the case and has taken no part in the pro-ceedings. At a regular briefing yesterday, Chineseministry of foreign affairs spokesman Hong Lei reit-erated that Beijing rejected all third-party resolu-tions of the dispute. The hearing would “in no wayhelp peace and stability” in the region, he said,adding: “We will not accept any settlementimposed on us.”

The arbitration case had been orchestrated bythe Philippines and the US to portray China as “anoutcast from a rules-based international communi-ty”, said an editorial in the China Daily. The newspa-per, which is published by the government, added:“It is naive to expect China to swallow the bitter pillof humiliation”. — AFP

SYDNEY: Temporary Australian Electoral Commission workers sort through absen-tee ballot papers yesterday. — AFP

JAKARTA: As the call to prayer rang out across theIndonesian capital, Sutikno faced a dilemma - thedevout Muslim needed to set off through Jakarta’s noto-rious traffic to pick up his wife but did not want to missout on worshipping. However for him and others jug-gling the demands of hectic, 21st century life and piety

in the crowded capital of the world’s most populousMuslim-majority country, a solution has just pulled up.

The “mosque-mobile” started cruising throughJakarta in June as the Islamic holy month of Ramadandrew to a close, aiming to ensure Muslims did not missout on prayers by setting up in busy places, such as

near festivals and sports events. Sutikno, a middle-aged office worker who like many Indonesians goes byone name, came across the van parked between asports stadium and shopping malls, and it proved agodsend. “I was supposed to go to a mosque that isquite far away but then I saw this one,” he told AFP. “Ijust parked my car and performed my prayers here. Ican save time and go and pick up my wife faster.”

The green and white van has been specially adapt-ed to become a mobile place of worship. At prayertime, the sides of the vehicle open up and a smallstage is extended, from which the imam preaches.Prayer rugs are rolled out in front of the van, withspace for up to 100 people, and a handful can worshipinside the vehicle. It also provides special robes forwomen and a tank of water for the faithful to rituallycleanse themselves before praying. The mosque start-ed operating in Jakarta with a team of four in the finalweek of Ramadan, a month of fasting and piety, butplans to continue afterwards.

The van offers its services between 3:00 pm (0800GMT) and 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) for two prayer sessions,at a time traffic is bad as millions flood out of down-town areas and head back to satellite cities. Muslimsare supposed to pray five times a day. DuringRamadan, the crew running the Jakarta “mosque-mobile” also serve snacks to people stuck in gridlockwhen it is time to break their fast.

Overcrowded, Traffic-Choked Cities The van is run by the Archipelago Mosque

Foundation, an organisation that sets up and main-tains mosques, with funding provided by AdiraSharia, a group that provides Islamic-compliantfinancing for motor vehicles. “We were concernedthat there was a lack of places of worship at crowdedspots such as music concerts, festivals and footballgames. Sometimes people intend to pray, butbecause there are no facilities, they skip it,” saidHamzah Fatdri, director of the mosque foundation.

The Jakarta mosque-on-wheels has hit thestreets after the foundation launched a mobile placeof worship in the city of Bandung, southeast of thecapital on the main island of Java. The Bandungmosque proved a success, offering prayer sessionsat 50 different locations in its first year of operation,and the foundation hopes the van in the capital -which is slightly larger than the Bandung model -can do even better.

Indonesia is already home to some 800,000mosques, including a large number in Jakarta andother major cities. But with many people stuck ingridlock at prayer time - particularly duringRamadan - and ad hoc festivals and sports eventstypically failing to provide facilities for praying, thefoundation believes the “mobile-mosque” will be agreat help. — AFP

China, Japan jets in close East China Sea encounter

Chinese paper says should prepare for armed clash

‘Mosque-mobile’ makes praying easier in Jakarta

LIUZHOU, China: A general view shows the swollen Liujiang River in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region yesterday. — AFP

SYDNEY: Embattled Australian Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull defended his performanceafter widespread calls for his resignation andsaid yesterday he was confident of retainingoffice after vote counting resumed in acliffhanger election. Electoral officials begancounting 1.5 million postal and absenteevotes that will be crucial to the result ofSaturday’s election, which is still seen as tooclose to call. That process is likely to carry onfor days, possibly weeks, leaving Australia in apolitical vacuum after Turnbull’s gamble incalling an early election backfired badly with amuch bigger swing than expected against hisconservative coalition.

Turnbull’s Liberal-National coalition has sofar secured 68 lower house seats and the cen-tre-left Labor opposition 67, according to pro-jections by the Australian BroadcastingCorporation, both agonisingly short of the 76seats needed to form a majority government inthe House of Representatives. Ten seats remainin doubt. Turnbull said in his first public com-ments since Sunday that he took full responsi-bility for his coalition’s campaign and that hewas still confident of winning a majority.

“There is no doubt that there is a level ofdisillusionment with politics, with govern-ment and with the major parties,” Turnbulltold reporters. “We need to listen very careful-ly to concerns of the Australian peopleexpressed through this election,” he said.Turnbull’s disastrous polling has led to attacksfrom inside and outside his party after hegambled and called elections in both housesof parliament in an attempt to settle a queru-lous upper house Senate.

The political stability he had sought hasevaporated, with a wave of independents win-ning office, likely making it impossible for himto push ahead with his reformist economic

agenda, including a A$50 billion ($37.7 billion)corporate tax break. Labor leader Bill Shorten,who has been appearing in what has beendescribed as a cross-country victory lap,warned Turnbull against making any furtherdrastic decisions, and said Labor was ready towork with all parties in parliament.

“I really think Malcolm Turnbull ... has donea grave disservice to this country and he hasgiven us instability,” Shorten told reporters inQueensland state. The election was meant toend political turmoil that had seen four primeministers in three years. Instead, it leftTurnbull’s own leadership in question less thana year after he ousted then prime minister TonyAbbott in a party-room coup.

Turnbull is being blamed for a series of mis-steps, beginning with triggering the doubledissolution of parliament in May, and a longeight-week campaign that allowed time forLabor to hit key issues like healthcare and com-pany tax cuts. Abbott’s supporters, includingformer chief of staff Peta Credlin and SenatorCory Bernardi, have made blistering attacks onTurnbull’s judgment. At the same time, inde-pendents who could hold the balance of pow-er have refused to commit to either the coali-tion or Labor.

Former prime minister John Howard, ahugely influential figure in conservative poli-tics, joined Attorney-General George Brandisand Treasurer Scott Morrison in urging unitybehind Turnbull. “This hasn’t been an out-come we wanted but it’s not the end of theworld. People shouldn’t start slitting theirthroats, certainly not Liberals,” Howard toldreporters. Peter Chen, a political analyst at theUniversity of Sydney, said the election hadexposed Turnbull as a failure. “I think probablywhat he should be doing is cleaning out hisdesk. He’s done,” Chen said. — Reuters

Turnbull defies critics as vote count resumes

JAKARTA: This picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows Indonesian men offering prayers at a “mobilemosque” outside a sports complex. — AFP

SHANGHAI: Severe flooding across central andsouthern China over the past week has killedalmost 130 people, damaged more than 1.9 millionhectares of crops and led to direct economic lossesof more than 38 billion yuan ($5.70 billion), statemedia said yesterday. Premier Li Keqiang traveledon Tuesday to Anhui, one of the hardest-hitprovinces, where he met residents and encouragedofficials to do everything they could to protect livesand livelihoods. Li was also to visit Hunan province.

Heavy rainfall had killed 128 people across 11provinces and regions and 42 people are missing,state news agency Xinhua reported. More than 1.3million people have been forced out of their homes,it said. Weather forecasts predicted more down-pours during what is traditionally China’s flood sea-son. Xinhua said more than 1.9 million hectares ofcropland had been damaged and another 295,000hectares had been destroyed, resulting in directeconomic losses of 38.2 billion yuan. More than40,000 buildings have also collapsed, it added.

It was not clear how that would affect the sum-mer grain harvest, which was expected to reach140 million tonnes this year. The stormy weatheralso took a toll on farm animals. In Anhui, theflooding killed some 7,100 hogs, 215 bulls and5.14 million fowl, the China News Service report-ed. In the southern province of Hunan, torrentialrain and flooding had forced more than 100 trainsto stop or take detours since midnight on Sunday,Xinhua reported.

In one city, about 3 tonnes of gasoline and dieselleaked from a petrol station on Monday, contami-

nating floodwater that flowed into a river, it said.Water in 43 rivers in the middle and lower reaches ofthe Yangtze River had exceeded warning levels and

patrols were monitoring dykes, Xinhua quoted ChenGuiya, an official with the Yangtze River WaterResources Commission, as saying. — Reuters

China floods kill 130, wipe out crops BANGKOK: Thailand’s Justice Ministry saysit has no plan to execute rapists who mur-der their victims, saying such a harshpenalty would provoke more rapists to kill.The ministry ’s third-ranking official,Tawatchai Thaikyo, posted the commentsMonday on his Facebook page amid grow-ing outrage over the suspected rape andmurder of a 27-year-old teacher, whosealleged attacker was a convicted rapistwho lived in her apartment building. Thewoman’s death has prompted calls forharsher penalties for rapes and capitalpunishment for fatal rapes.

Capital punishment is legal in Thailandfor 35 different crimes, including drugoffenses, terrorism, national security crimes,murder and fatal rapes. But in practice, thedeath penalty is rarely used. The last execu-tion was carried out in 2009 for two drugtraffickers. “If raping equals the death penal-ty, it would encourage rapists to kill all vic-tims to shut their mouths,” Tawatchai said.“Wouldn’t it be better if we require all con-victed rapists to undergo a rehabilitationprogram and give them support to preventthem from committing such crimes again?”

Part of the public anger is over theprison system’s failure, in this case, to reha-bilitate. The main suspect in the attackFriday is a 27-year-old factory worker whowas released from prison last August afterserving less than two years behind bars for

raping a friend’s wife. He initially told policethat he lived a few doors down from theteacher and knew her apartment door wasbroken, so he sneaked in late Friday withthe intention of raping her but she foughtback so he killed her, local media reported.He later changed his confession to say hehad no intention of raping but only wantedto rob the teacher. Another neighbor foundthe woman’s naked body, her throatslashed, the day after the attack.

The suspect, identified as ChatreeRuamsungnoen, was arrested Saturdayand police canceled a subsequent reenact-ment of the crime, which is common inThailand when suspects confess, over con-cern he would be attacked by angry mobs.The head of Thailand’s military govern-ment also commented on the case, sayinghe disagreed with the calls for capital pun-ishment.

“Look at what other countries are doingglobally. Human rights laws have stoppedcapital punishment in many countriesaround the world,” Prime Minister PrayuthChan-ocha said, adding that severe penal-ties alone won’t prevent rapes. Even if thepunishment were “three executions” it stillmight not be enough to deter criminals, hesaid. “Society has to help pressure them,”Prayuth added, saying public condemna-tion could be a greater deterrent than thedeath penalty. — AP

Thai government rules out death penalty for rapists

BANGKOK: A car bomb in Thailand’s conflict-hit south killed a policeman and woundedtwo others yesterday, as the kingdom’s juntachief vowed to boost security in the Muslim-majority region during Ramadan. The blast,which hit a police checkpoint sending debrisand a thick plume of smoke into the sky, isthe latest in a spate of attacks that have killedmore than 20 people during the Muslim holyfasting month.

Violence in Thailand’s “Deep South” - thesouthernmost provinces bordering Malaysia -tends to spike during Ramadan before rebelsreturn home for the Eid festival. The area hasbeen battered by 12 years of violencebetween the Buddhist-majority state andshadowy Muslim rebels seeking greaterautonomy for the culturally distinctprovinces. The region was annexed byThailand more than a century ago. Near-dailyshootings and roadside bombs have leftmore than 6,500 dead since 2004, most ofthem civilians.

Yesterday’s car bomb, a rare form of attack,was the second to strike the region in lessthan two weeks. “The bomb was hiddeninside a pick-up truck. The suspects drove andparked the truck at the checkpoint beforefleeing,” said Lieutenant Colonel SompongRongyang, a police officer at the scene inNong Chik in Pattani province. A policeman’sbody was found after a bomb disposal teamcleared the site, police said, adding that twoothers were hospitalized for burns.

Thailand’s military, which seized control ofthe country in a 2014 coup, has pledged tojump-start peace talks with the insurgents,but there has been little progress. The militaryhas however been credited with reducing vio-lence with tougher security measures. Juntachief Prayut Chan-O-Cha called Tuesday forheightened safety in the area, which is ruledunder emergency laws and awash with mili-tary officers, ahead of Eid this week. “We haveto step up security measures and all forcesmust be on standby,” he said. — AFP

Car bomb kills policeman in rebel-hit south Thailand

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N E W SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

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“This crime, which causes goosebumps, could nothave been perpetrated by someone who had an atomof belief in his heart,” Abdullah Al-Sheikh said. Cairo-based Al-Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islam,condemned the attacks and stressed “the sanctity ofthe houses of God, especially the Prophet’s Mosque.”Saudi Arabia’s supreme council of clerics said theblasts “prove that those renegades... have violatedeverything that is sacred.” The attack drew condemna-tion across Islam’s religious divide, with Shiite powerIran calling for Muslim unity after the attacks in itsSunni-dominated regional rival.

“There are no more red lines left for terrorists tocross. Sunnis, Shiites will both remain victims unlesswe stand united as one,” Iranian Foreign MinisterMohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. Lebanon-based Shiite militant group Hezbollah-which SaudiArabia accuses of supporting “terrorist acts” across theregion-also denounced the Medina attack as “a newsign of the terrorists’ contempt for all that Muslimsconsider sacred.” The governments of Turkey andLebanon joined in the condemnation, while Iraq saidthe attacks amounted to “heinous crimes”.

Middle East expert Madhawi Al-Rasheed said theattack in Medina appeared aimed at humiliating theSaudi government, the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites.“It’s an attempt to actually embarrass the Saudi gov-ernment because it boasts of protecting the pilgrimsand the holy places,” said Rasheed, a visiting professorat the National University of Singapore’s Middle EastInstitute. There also seemed to be an “organized effortby the perpetrators to coordinate their work,” poten-

tially signaling a worsening security situation in Saudi,she said.

IS urged Ramadan attacksAt the same time as the Medina attack, another sui-

cide bombing occurred near a Shiite mosque acrossthe country in the Shiite-populated Gulf city of Qatif.The Saudi interior ministry said “the body parts ofthree people were found” at the site but had not yetbeen identified. Nasima Al-Sada, a Qatif resident,called the attackers crazy and said: “I don’t knowwhere they get this idea.” Monday’s first attack hap-pened in the western Saudi city of Jeddah, where twopolice officers were wounded in a suicide bombingnear the US consulate in the early hours.

The interior ministry said a Pakistani resident,Abdullah Qalzar Khan, 35, carried out the Jeddahattack. He had been living with his wife and her par-ents in the city for 12 years. The US embassy in Riyadhreported no casualties among consulate staff duringthe attack , which coincided with the US July 4Independence Day holiday. Since late 2014 a series ofbombings and shootings claimed by IS in Saudi Arabiahas targeted minority Shiites as well as members ofthe security forces, killing dozens of people.

Most of the attacks have been staged in EasternProvince, home to the majority of Shiites in the Sunni-dominated Gulf state. IS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadihas called for attacks on Saudi Arabia, which is takingpart in the US-led coalition bombing the jihadists inSyria and Iraq. The group also considers Shiites to beheretics. IS spokesman Abu Mohamed Al-Adnani hadin late May urged the group’s supporters to carry outattacks during Ramadan. — AFP

Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings...

Continued from Page 1

Its arrival marks the start of a 20-month mission duringwhich scientists hope to find out more about how muchwater Jupiter holds and the makeup of its core to figureout how the gas giant-and other planets including Earth-formed billions of years ago.

“This amazing universe that we see, how does thatwork and how did it begin?” asked NASA project scientistSteve Levin. “That is one of the amazing things aboutworking for NASA and working on big projects. You get toanswer big questions.” The spacecraft is equipped withnine science instruments, including a camera, which priorto orbit captured a video of Jupiter and its moons glidingaround it at different speeds.

“In all of history we’ve never really been able to see themotion of any heavenly body against another,” said Bolton,after showing the video during a post-orbit press confer-ence for the first time. “This is the king of our solar systemand its disciples going around it,” he said. “To me, it is verysignificant. We are finally able to see with real video, withreal pictures, this movement and we have only been ableto imagine it up until today.” All non-essential equipmentwas turned off for the approach, but the first post-orbitpictures from the spacecraft’s on-board camera shouldarrive in a few days, NASA said.

“The spacecraft worked perfectly, which is always nicewhen you’re driving a vehicle with 1.7 billion miles on theodometer,” said Rick Nybakken, Juno project managerfrom Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Juno’s inaugural lap

around the solar system’s most massive planet-the fifthfrom the sun-will last 53 days. Subsequent orbits will beshorter, about two weeks each. The first mission designedto see beneath Jupiter’s clouds, Juno is named after theRoman goddess who was the wife of Jupiter, the god ofthe sky in ancient mythology. The spacecraft orbits Jupiterfrom pole to pole, sampling its charged particles and mag-netic fields for the first time and revealing more about theauroras in ultraviolet light that can be seen around theplanet’s polar regions.

Juno should circle the planet 37 times before finallymaking a death plunge in 2018, to prevent the spacecraftfrom causing damage to any of Jupiter’s icy moons, whichNASA hopes to explore one day for signs of life.AlthoughJuno is not the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, NASA saysits path will bring it closer than its predecessor, Galileo,which launched in 1989. That spacecraft found evidenceof subsurface saltwater on Jupiter ’s moons Europa,Ganymede and Callisto before making a final plungetoward Jupiter in 2003.Juno’s orbital track is closer thanGalileo’s-this time within 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers)above the cloud tops.

With an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium, Jupiter isknown for its Great Red Spot, a storm bigger than Earththat has been raging for hundreds of years. On Monday,Heidi Becker, senior engineer on radiation effects atNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, described the closeapproach as going “into the scariest part of the scariestplace... part of Jupiter’s radiation environment wherenobody has ever been.” — AFP

Nasa Juno spacecraft loops around Jupiter

Continued from Page 1

On Monday, suicide bombers struck three cities in anapparently coordinated campaign of attacks as Saudis pre-pared to break their daily fast observed during the holymonth of Ramadan, killing at least four security personneland themselves.

Impassioned debateThe case has caused impassioned debate because Islam

teaches that devotion to caring for elders is a pathway toheaven. Some scholars and media commentators have askedif it was the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya, a 13th century Islamicscholar from Damascus known for his fatwas (religious opin-ion) about takfir that were behind young militants killingfamily members they regarded as apostates. Islamic Stateembraces the concept of takfir, often quoting Ibn Taymiyyato exhort its followers to kill other Muslims seen as apostates,including relatives. The word takfir is derived from the Arabicword kafer, which means unbeliever.

It was Ibn Taymiyya who inspired the founder ofWahhabism, the 18th century Sheikh Mohammed IbnAbdul-Wahhab. Wahhabism, the religious movementespoused by rulers of Saudi Arabia, demands rigid adher-ence to what it sees as Islam’s original practices and a rejec-tion of more modern ideas. These links, as well as sharedpractices such as the use of beheading as a means of execu-tion, led some Western commentators to accuse Riyadh ofsympathy with groups like Islamic State which holds territo-ry in Iraq and Syria.

However, Western-allied Riyadh says Ibn Abdul-Wahhabwas a reformer. The Saudi government rejects any talk oflinks between his message and that of modern jihadists,denouncing Islamic State and Al- Qaeda as terrorists and reli-gious heretics. But Riyadh’s official stance has not preventedscholars and commentators from seizing on the latest killingto dissect the degree to which Ibn Taymiyya is responsible formotivating today’s jihadists.

“Some are angry at me for pointing out the legacy of Ibn

Taymiyya in the religious violence that is sweeping us,”prominent scholar, Abdul-Salam Al-Wail, professor of sociol-ogy at King Saud University, wrote on his Twitter account.“To the Shaikh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyya), human life is cheapand his legacy clarifies this,” he added, using the honorificof the renowned scholar, who spent time in jail for hisbeliefs and who resisted Mongol invaders. Wail said thatwhile Ibn Taymiyya was a prolific scholar for his time, hepointed to his fatwas that permit a son to kill an apostatefather, saying they contradict the essence of Islam.

The case drew a rare intervention from the Saudi Islamicaffairs minister, Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al Al-Sheikh, who wasquoted as saying that Ibn Taymiyya’s fatwa allowing a son tokill his father had been taken out of context. “The statementby the Shaikh al-Islam, may God have mercy on him ... isintended for if they meet at war in which the son is on theside of the faithful and the father is on the side of apostates,”he was quoted by Rashed bin Othman Al-Zahrani, deputychairman of the Electronic Islam Academy, as saying.

“This means that only in this case and it does not contra-dict the verse which states: be kind to thy parents,” the minis-ter added in comments published in Al-Hayat, Al-Jazirah andother Saudi media outlets. Reuters was unable to contact theminister to confirm his comments. Joining debate over thecase, several writers and scholars said it was time to removethe sanctity from traditional theology that permits suchactions, saying ancient teachings are not always appropriatein the modern age.

Writing on Twitter after the killing, columnistMohammed al-Sheikh called for reviewing “our readings ofthe theological heritage of Ibn Taymiyya” to clarify itbelonged “to a different time and different circumstances.Otherwise, terrorism will not end.” Al-Mahmoud said the firststep in fighting militant ideology would be by opening upIbn Taymiyya’s teachings for debate. “What is needed now isto drain this swamp, by opening the door to criticizing ourheritage,” the writer, Al-Mahmoud said. “What is needed is toshake the confidence in these teachings that are beingimported from our distant past.” — Reuters

Killing of Saudi mother sparks debate...

Continued from Page 1

I learn about my weaknesses too, and without the usualdistractions, I am able to pinpoint specific attitudes and habitsthat I need to change. I will miss Ramadan for the brother-hood and sisterhood that is so apparent as Muslims jointogether in one great project, which is fasting for a monthwhile striving to accomplish the most good and expressingour gratitude and reliance through frequent prayer and sup-plication.

Everyone will miss this immense opportunity to draw clos-er to Allah. Once Ramadan has passed, the focus on worshipand charity will pass and mundane duties and distractions willcreep back into our lives. I will miss the feeling of lightnesswhen my stomach is empty and my head is clear - when I amnaturally drawn to thoughts of God and His abundant bless-ings. I will miss the joy of breaking fast, and the camaraderie

of fellow fasters who gathered for the meal. I will miss the attention to the Quran, and waking up in the

last part of the night to pray. The moments of Ramadan areslipping quickly away, and the opportunity to demonstratesuch devotion in solidarity with all Muslims worldwide is pass-ing. Farewell, Ramadan, we will miss you. As we start countingthe days until your return, stay in our memories and inspire usto carry on with our worship through fasting, reading Quranand praying late at night. Be with us, Ramadan, throughoutthe coming year.

Courtesy of the TIES Center, whose mission is to empowerKuwait’s expats through social and educational services that pro-mote a positive and productive role in society, and to facilitateopportunities for intra- and interfaith interactions that promotesocial solidarity. For more information, please call 25231015/6 ore-mail: [email protected].

Farewell! Ramadan

TEHRAN: Tributes poured in yesterday for Iranian film-makerAbbas Kiarostami, acclaimed as a “towering figure” in worldcinema, following his death in France at the age of 76.Kiarostami, who won the coveted Palme d’Or at the CannesFilm Festival in 1997 for “Taste of Cherry”, emerged from theIranian New Wave of the late 1960s to become one of theworld’s most revered directors.

Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese praised his “extraordi-nary body of work”. “He was a true gentleman, and, truly, oneof our great artists,” Scorsese told The Hollywood Reporter.Kiarostami’s poetic parables of ordinary lives won him interna-tional acclaim, with French director Jean-Luc Godard oncedeclaring that “film begins with DW Griffith and ends withAbbas Kiarostami.”

News of his death broke late on Monday, with Iranianmedia reporting that he died from a blood clot in the brainfollowing months of treatment for intestinal problems. TheISNA news agency said he had returned to Iran from his homein Paris to undergo several operations between February andApril, before travelling back to France last week for furthertreatment. “Kiarostami’s different and deep outlook on life,and his invitation to peace and friendship, will be an everlast-ing achievement,” tweeted President Hassan Rouhani.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif added: “Iran has lost a tower-ing figure in international cinema”. Just last week, Kiarostamihad been invited to join the Academy in Hollywood as part ofits efforts to increase the diversity of its Oscar judges. “He was-n’t just a film-maker. He was a modern mystic, both in his cine-ma and his private life,” Asghar Farhadi, another of Iran’srenowned directors, told Britain’s The Guardian. Iranian cine-mas were due to pause showings yesterday evening for aprayer in Kiarostami’s memory, ISNA reported.

Cultural ambassador Deciding to stay on after the Islamic revolution of 1979,

Kiarostami was able to skirt the difficulties faced by otherdirectors since his films were never overtly political, preferringto tell philosophical tales about the lives of ordinary people.Although some of his films were banned in Iran, he becamean ambassador for the country’s continued cultural riches. “Onthe one hand, there is the state cinema, financed by theauthorities... then there is an independent sector that is flour-ishing,” he told reporters at Cannes in May.

In a statement yesterday, French President FrancoisHollande praised the director for forging “close artistic ties anddeep friendships” with France. Born in the Iranian capital onJune 22, 1940, Kiarostami studied painting at the University of

Tehran before finding work as a graphic designer and directorof commercials. He joined the Centre for the IntellectualDevelopment of Children and Young Adults in 1969 as headof the film department, freeing him to make his own films.Two years later, he released his first work, a short film called“Bread and Alley”, followed by the feature-length “TheTraveller” in 1973, which confirmed his position as a pioneerof the “realism” school.

Kiarostami was launched on to the international stage byhis “Koker” trilogy, named after the town in which they wereset and starting with 1987’s “Where is the Friend’s Home?” Hisfilms were known for their modest style, dark realism and slyhumor. They were almost always shot in real locations, oftenfeaturing non-actors. “Some refer to his pictures as ‘minimal’ or‘minimalist’, but it’s actually the opposite,” Scorsese told TheHollywood Reporter. “Every scene in ‘Taste of Cherry’ or ‘WhereIs the Friend’s House?’ is overflowing with beauty and surprise,patiently and exquisitely captured.”

Kiarostami’s Palme d’Or victory in 1997 led to some diffi-culties in his home country after French actress CatherineDeneuve gave him a kiss while presenting the award-enoughto garner the fury of conservatives in Iran. He went on to winthe Special Jury Prize at the Venice film festival two years laterfor “The Wind Will Carry Us”. He travelled the world in his lateryears, making films such as “Certified Copy” in Italy and “LikeSomeone in Love” in Japan. Although this afforded himgreater freedom from Iran’s censors, the globe-trotting wasalso an attempt, he said, to tell stories about “universal charac-ters, that can be accessible to everyone.” — AFP

Kiarostami, giant of Iranian cinema dies

Abbas Kiarostami

Page 14: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

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July 8 this year marks the 22nd anniversary of the death ofKim Il Sung (1912-1994), eternal President of theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea. On the occasion

of the day the Korean and other progressive peoples of theworld are looking back upon the life of President Kim Il Sungwho accomplished the undying exploits for the history andhumankind with his outstanding ideology and theory andrevolutionary practice. Kim Il Sung was born into a poorfarmer’s family in Korea which was under the military occu-pation by the Japanese imperialists (1905-1945).

He embarked on the road of revolutionary struggle in hisearly teens, determined to save the destiny of the countryand people. In the course of blazing the trail of the revolutionhe created the Juche idea and Songun idea, which he bril-liantly implemented in the whole period of his revolutionarycareer spanning 70 years. The Juche idea and Songun ideaproved their truthfulness and vitality to the full, thus becom-ing the great guiding ideas in realizing independence of themasses and the valuable spiritual wealth common tomankind.

President Kim Il Sung was an outstanding leader whoestablished the social system centred on the masses of thepeople in the DPRK and set an example in accomplishing thecause of mankind for independence. He organized andwaged the 15-year-long anti-Japanese armed struggle andachieved Korea’s liberation (August 15, 1945). After the libera-tion he founded the Workers’ Party of Korea (October 10,1945), successfully carried out the anti-imperialist, anti-feudaldemocratic revolution, and, on this basis, founded theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea (September 9, 1948).

He led the Fatherland Liberation War, the Korean war(1950-1953), to victory, thereby defending the country’s sov-ereignty and dignity from the aggression by the US-led impe-rialist allied forces. He also successfully conducted postwarrehabilitation, socialist revolution and the construction ofsocialism in several stages, developing the DPRK into a peo-ple-centered socialist power, independent in politics, self-suf-ficient in economy and self-reliant in national defense.

The President performed great exploits in realizing thecause of reunifying the divided Korea. He put forward fairand reasonable proposals for the country’s reunification,such as the three principles of national reunification, the pro-posal for founding a Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo,and the 10-point program for the great unity of the wholenation. He also wisely led the reunification movement, thusushering in a bright prospect for the Korean reunification.

The President made great contribution to the cause ofmaking the world independent. By advancing the slogan,“Peoples of the world who advocate independence, unite!”he rendered sincere assistance to the national liberation andindependent development of many countries of the worldand energetically led that such progressive movements ofthe world as socialist movement and non-aligned movementshould hold fast to their ideals and principles. Kim Il Sungwas the incarnation of benevolence. No one in the world val-ued people and loved them like him.

Everybody who met the President was greatly enchantedby his personality and worshipped him. German writer LuiserRinzer, a very devout Catholic, praised that the President wasa godlike man whether he liked it or not. Jimmy Carter, for-mer president of the United States, stated that President KimIl Sung was greater than George Washington, ThomasJefferson and Abraham Lincoln, the most illustrious early USpresidents, all combined.

Kim Il Sung was, indeed, the most outstanding leader,peerlessly great person, and great saint of mankind, repre-sentative of the 20th century. Though he passed away, hisideology and cause are being carried forward brilliantly. TheKorean people preserve him in his lifetime appearance andhold him in high esteem as the eternal President of the DPRK.They keep the Juche idea and Songun idea he authored astheir unchanging guiding ideas, and cherish it as theirunshakeable faith and will to follow the road of independ-ence, road of Songun and road of socialism he pioneered.

In the closing years of the last century the cause of social-ism in the DPRK was faced with the worst circumstances,caused by the great national loss over the sudden death ofthe President, collapse of socialism in several countries andsubsequent anti-DPRK stifling offensives by the imperialistallied forces, and natural disasters that hit the country forconsecutive years.

However, the Korean people held higher the banner ofSongun and turned out in the confrontation with imperial-ism and the US, defending firmly their socialism. They furtherprovided a springboard for attaining a gigantic goal of build-ing a thriving socialist nation as the President had wished.From then on miraculous events have taken place in theKorean people’s building of a thriving country, boosting theDPRK to the rank of artificial satellite manufacturer andlauncher, and nuclear state acknowledged by the world.

In the course of implementing the lines and proposals ofindependent reunification he had advanced the June 15reunification era under the banner of By Our Nation Itself wasbrought about in the Korean peninsula, thus opening a radi-cal phase in the Korean reunification movement. The DPRK,in its efforts to realize the cause of global independence clari-fied by him, has greatly contributed to the worldwide social-ist reconstruction movement and its new upsurge, andaccomplishment of the anti-imperialist independent cause ofthe world.

Praise and admiration for the immortal exploits of thePresident and his noble personality are still ringing outamong many people of the world. The April SpringFriendship Art Festival that had been held in grandeur inPyongyang in celebration of his birth anniversary has contin-ued even after his death. Recollection and commemorativemeetings, seminars, book and photo shows and other eventsare held in many countries as an annual event on the occa-sion of his birth and death anniversaries.

Focus

A N A L Y S I SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

In recollection of ‘great man’

By Paul Taylor

The European Union’s authority isfraying as governments and politi-cians in many members challenge

EU policies and take aim at “Brusselsbureaucracy” in the aftermath of Britain’svote to leave the 28-nation bloc. TheCzech president and some contenders forthe French presidency have called for theirown referendums on continued member-ship of the pan-European economic andpolitical community, although no suchplebiscite is on the cards in the nearfuture. Verbal assaults on the role of theEuropean Commission and the EuropeanParliament since the British shock almosttwo weeks ago look more like an attemptto appease domestic public opinion thana concerted drive to strip Brussels of itsmain powers.

But they could further undermine thelegitimacy of the EU’s common institu-tions in the eyes of citizens. France, facinga presidential election next year, hasthreatened to stop obeying EU rules onworkers posted from one member state toanother, which it says undercuts the jobsof native employees. President FrancoisHollande has also demanded a rewritingof EU merger control rules and restrictionson state aid to industry to enable the cre-ation of “European champions”.

Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Vallssaid on Sunday an EU regulation allowingemployers to pay seconded workers lessthan their local counterparts must bechanged soon or Paris would stop apply-ing it. Employers are not now obliged topay posted workers more than the mini-mum wage of the host country - often wellbelow the average wage in the sector - andthey pay social contributions in their homecountry welfare systems which are usuallyfar lower than those in western Europe.Central and east European governmentsoppose moves to reduce the gap.

“ There must be equal treatment

upwards to fight social dumping,” Vallssaid. Spooked by a surge of support foranti-EU nationalist Marine Le Pen, conser-vative candidate Alain Juppe called onMonday for a new balance of powerbetween Brussels and member states anda halt to further EU enlargement, endingTurkey’s membership bid. He called lastweek for a referendum on a “new Europe”.Italy is demanding a loosening of recentlyadopted EU regulations that make share-holders, bondholders and depositorsliable for the losses of failed banks beforetaxpayers.

Soulless technocracyItalian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi,

who has fought to bend EU budget deficitrules and now seeks to pump billions ofeuros into his country’s ailing banks ifneeded to shore them up, said on Mondaythe EU was run by “a technocracy with nosoul”. He also opposed sanctions againstfel low southern members Spain andPortugal for violating the EU’s deficit limitslast year - a step the Commission is due toconsider yesterday in a German-backeddrive to uphold the much-abused budgetrules. Italy’s banks are saddled with 360billion euros ($401.18 billion) in bad loansand their share prices plunged after lastmonth’s Brexit vote. Rome is in talks withthe EU Commission to devise a plan torecapitalize its lenders with public moneylimiting losses for bank investors.

Dutch and German ministers haveattacked a Commission decision that theEuropean Parliament can approve a tradepact with Canada without referring it tonational parliaments. The Dutch parlia-ment was assured it would have a chanceto weigh in on the treaty. But perhapsmost worryingly for the EU, senior minis-ters in Germany, the bloc’s reluctant hege-mon, are advocating shrinking the execu-tive Commission, trimming its powers, andbypassing common European institutionsto take more decisions by intergovern-

mental agreement. A call from veteranGerman Finance Minister WolfgangSchaeuble, long an advocate of closerintegration, to shift more policy decision-making to governments for expediency’ssake was among the most striking indica-tors of the mood around Europe. “If theCommission doesn’t get involved, then weshould take the matter into our ownhands and solve problems between gov-ernments,” Schaeuble told Welt amSonntag newspaper, saying now was atime for pragmatism. “This intergovern-mental approach proved successful duringthe euro zone crisis,” he added. Berlininsisted on setting up the euro zone’s res-cue fund as an intergovernmental bodyoutside the control of the EU’s commoninstitutions, giving itself a veto on eachstage of bail-outs for distressed states andthe decisive say on fiscal policy conditions.Many experts say further moves towardsinter-governmentalism would accentuate

German dominance and increase resent-ment among other EU members. Amongsome former communist countries thatjoined the bloc in 2004, there is resent-ment at perceived meddling by Brussels,notably on issues concerning the rule oflaw and media freedom, as well as envi-ronmental regulation.

The Polish and Czech foreign ministerscalled last week for European CommissionPresident Jean-Claude Juncker to resignas a scapegoat for the June 23 Britishvote. The Visegrad Group of four centralEuropean countries - Poland, Hungary,the Czech Republic and Slovak ia -demanded that the powers of the EUexecutive be reined in and more compe-tences be returned to capitals. “We needto change the overall functioning of theEU and I think it is needed to change thefunctioning of the EuropeanCommission,” said Czech Prime MinisterBohuslav Sobotka. — Reuters

EU authority fraying in reaction to Brexit vote

The European Union says it will not be“paralyzed” after Britons voted to leave,but Brussels policymakers say uncertain-

ty over Britain’s future is already complicatingthe lawmaking process for the rest of the EU.As London waits, possibly for months, for asuccessor to Prime Minister David Cameron tostart negotiating an exit that will retain itseasy access to EU markets, some Europeansfear that Britain could obstruct legislation tostrengthen its hand.

“We cannot afford to be stuck in limbo.The British must not hold the EU to ransom,”former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt toldthe European Parliament in a Brexit debatelast week. But despite his call, echoed acrossBrussels, for Britain to launch the two-yearprocess of withdrawal, Cameron has left that

to whoever the party chooses to replace himin September.

Some frontrunners for Conservative leadersay they see no hurry to trigger Article 50 ofthe EU treaty, the start of formal negotiationsto leave the bloc, and some Britons want thereferendum result reversed. “It’s slightly surre-al,” a British diplomat conceded, as EU leadersrule out any discussion of Brexit terms beforeArticle 50 is live, so that EU officials and diplo-mats are in a vacuum. One gag doing therounds in Brussels recalls “Schroedinger’s cat”:as the physicist’s imaginary pet was both aliveand dead, so Britain is both in the EU and out,at the table but silent.

Britain is scheduled to chair ministerialcouncils for six months from next July. ButCameron has also left to a successor whether

to go ahead with the presidency, irritatingofficials who reckon it takes two years to pre-pare a good agenda. The official line from aBritish government spokesman is: “We remaina part of the EU until negotiations are con-cluded.” But British officials admit that onmatters that will not affect Britain once it hasleft-most issues-they can have little say, leav-ing only short-term business-next year’s EUfishing quotas, say-in which diplomats arespeaking out. “We are in a holding pattern,”the British diplomat said.

Bloody awkwardLegally, British ministers retain full voting

power in European councils, including a vetoon some issues, and, in 751-seat EU parlia-ment, Britain’s 73 members keep voting. But aBriton has already resigned a key parliamen-tary role on climate change, long an issueBritain has led on. Legislation due this monthto spread the burden of cutting carbon diox-ide emissions could be held up, some officialssay, while they rework the sums to excludethe bloc’s second-biggest economy withoutknowing when, or even if, it will leave. “Wealready feel we have lost credibility in theeyes of other MEPs,” a UK parliamentarysource said. That Brexit has begun is evidentin the European Commission, the EU execu-tive, where British nominee Jonathan Hillresigned, costing London a key role oversee-ing financial regulation that was seen as help-ing the City against the euro zone.

Cameron’s successor can still nominateanother commissioner, but cannot expect amajor job; EU officials, stung by Britain’s shockvote, sneer that London may get “commis-sioner for ballet”. At the level of summits ofnational leaders, too, Cameron saw himselffrozen out when the other 27 met onWednesday in his absence. For now, withoutBritain the European Council cannot make

law, but such meetings will be common onceLondon triggers Article 50, which keeps it outof negotiations with itself.

The divorce is unprecedented and it isunclear whether Britain should be excludedonly from explicit talks on Brexit or from otherdebates-on trade policy, say-in which any EUdecisions today may affect Britain as an out-side power. More troubling for some is thatBritain might, depending on who will lead it,not trigger Article 50 and use its insider rightsas leverage to force negotiation on a deal foritself. “They could just be bloody awkward,” asenior EU official said, fearing Britain couldhold councils to ransom.

States no longer have a veto on manyissues, however, and one EU envoy warned: “Ifthe UK makes problems, majority votingmight be applied quite heartlessly.” Anothersenior official said that if Britain does notlaunch Article 50 this year and dares beobstructive in the EU to force negotiations,then the Union could look at its legal options.Citing EU treaty Article 4 demanding “sincerecooperation” from member states, the officialsaid: “If your action paralyses the system thenwe can legally oblige you.” He acknowledged,though, that such threats from Brussels carrylimited weight.

Parliamentary questionsThe European Parliament is also struggling

with Brexit. Last week, Commission PresidentJean-Claude Juncker turned to pro-LeaveBritish members to ask: “Why are you here?”The parliament’s German speaker, MartinSchulz, has told lawmakers there will be nochange in Britons’ rights, even once with-drawal talks start under Article 50, untilBritain leaves. However, MEPs formal rightsare few; influence comes from holding officeon committees or steering through legisla-tion. —Reuters

In or Out? Brexit limbo gives EU headache

LONDON: ‘Remain’ supporters gather on Park Lane in London, before marching toParliament Square to show their support for the European Union in the wake of thereferendum decision for Britain to leave the EU, known as ‘Brexit’. — AP

BERLIN: A woman holds a poster during a protest opposing Britain’s exit from theEuropean Union in Berlin. — AP

Page 15: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

PARIS: UEFA are not happy with Gareth Bale and other Wales playersparading their children on the Euro 2016 pitch in Paris after their last 16 winover Northern Ireland. “It is always cute when the kidsare there,” said UEFA operations director MartinKallen. “But it is a European Championship not afamily party.” Bale hugging his daughter Alba onthe Parc des Princes pitch after the 1-0 win overNorthern Ireland became one of the images of Euro2016 after. Other players also had their children onthe pitch. “We are not 100 percent against it, but weare cautious. We have to guarantee security,” Kallensaid. “There should be a certain order. There arealso certain safety issues behind it. “Smallkids five, six years old. If something hap-pens what do you do,” said the Swiss official,who said there would be problems if therewas a pitch invasion. “The stadium is notthe safest place. You have to have thatunder control.” —AFP

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

MILAN: Italy ’s billionaire former prime minister SilvioBerlusconi said yesterday he was ready to sell AC Milan to aChinese investor as long as 400 million euros are invested inthe struggling Serie A giants over two years. “I gave up allclaims to the price, I accepted what was offered to me, whichdoes not even take into account the importance of the brand,”Berlusconi said. The 79-year-old media mogul did not namethe investor but said it was a “Chinese company with publiccapital”. “I demanded the new owners commit to invest atleast 400 million euros (about $450 million) in AC Milan overthe next two years,” he told reporters on his release from hos-pital after open-heart surgery. He had initially hoped to keepthe fallen seven-time European champions “in Italian hands”but in May the club said Berlusconi’s holding companyFininvest had begun serious negotiations with a Chinese con-sortium. The takeover would see AC Milan become the sec-ond Milan club, after Inter Milan, to be sold to Asian owners.Inter was taken over by Indonesian businessman Erick Thohirin November 2014. —AFP

Berlusconi ready to sell AC Milan to Chinese investor

SWANSEA: Swansea City completed the signing of Dutch midfielder Leroy Ferfrom Queens Park Rangers on a permanent deal yesterday for an

undisclosed fee. The Netherlands international impressedhead coach Francesco Guidolin while on loan at the LibertyStadium last season. The Welsh outfit are his third club inEnglish football, after QPR and Norwich City. “I’m very happy,from the first minute I felt at home,” he told the club’s web-site. “We did very good in the second half of the season. “If

we play like that, we can aim for higher, and that’s what wewant. Hopefully some new strong players (will) come in to

help us. “It makes it easier for me as well, if a coach wantsyou. (Guidolin) was surprised (at my ability), he said.”

The 26-year-old was relegated from the PremierLeague at both Carrow Road and Loftus Road,

but last season he helped Swansea recoverfrom a poor start to the campaign to securesafety. He scored eight goals in 50 QPRappearances, and has played for theNetherlands 11 times. — AFP

Swansea sign Fer on permanent deal

UEFA not happy about Bale daughter on pitch

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GB Baltimore 47 35 .573 -

Boston 45 37 .549 2

Toronto 46 39 .541 2.5

NY Yankees 40 42 .488 7

Tampa Bay 34 48 .415 13

Central DivisionCleveland 50 32 .610 -

Detroit 44 39 .530 6.5

Kansas City 43 39 .524 7

Chicago White Sox 43 40 .518 7.5

Minnesota 27 55 .329 23

Western DivisionTexas 52 32 .619 -

Houston 44 39 .530 7.5

Seattle 43 40 .518 8.5

Oakland 36 47 .434 15.5

LA Angels 33 50 .398 18.5

National LeagueEastern Division

Washington 50 34 .595 -

NY Mets 45 37 .549 4

Miami 43 40 .518 6.5

Philadelphia 38 46 .452 12

Atlanta 28 55 .337 21.5

Central DivisionChicago Cubs 52 30 .634 -

St. Louis 43 39 .524 9

Pittsburgh 42 41 .506 10.5

Milwaukee 36 46 .439 16

Cincinnati 30 54 .357 23

Western DivisionSan Francisco 53 32 .624 -

LA Dodgers 48 37 .565 5

Colorado 37 45 .451 14.5

Arizona 37 48 .435 16

San Diego 36 47 .434 16

MLB results/standingsMilwaukee 1, Washington 0; Tampa Bay 4, La Angels 2; Boston 12,Texas 5; Chicago White Sox 8, NY Yankees 2; Oakland 3, Minnesota1; Houston 2, Seattle 1; Pittsburgh 4, St. Louis 2; Chicago Cubs 10,Cincinnati 4; Philadelphia 8, Atlanta 2; San Francisco 3, Colorado 1;NY Mets 8, Miami 6; Toronto 6, Kansas City 2.

TORONTO: Toronto Blue Jays’ Edwin Encarnacion, left, gets tagged out on a slide to home plate by Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez during the fourth inning of a baseball gamein Toronto, Monday. — AP

KANSAS CITY: Aaron Sanchez pitched eightone-run innings, Darwin Barney and JoshDonaldson hit two-run singles in a five-runseventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jaysdefeated the Kansas City Royals 6-2 onMonday night. Sanchez has not lost since April11 held the Royals to three hits, including ahome run by Kendrys Morales, one walk andstruck out three as the Blue Jays (46-39) wontheir third straight game. Edinson Volquezallowed four hits, three walks and four runs insix-plus innings as the Royals (43-39) lost theirsecond game in a row and dropped to 16-28

on the road. The right-hander struck out fiveand hit a batter.

CUBS 10, REDS 4Kyle Hendricks scattered four hits and did

not allow an earned run over 5 1/3 inningswhile Chicago teammate backed him withthree home runs to snap a four-game losingstreak in a victory over Cincinnati. Hendrickscollected his third win in his last four startswhile allowing four hits and one unearnedrun, walking one and striking out a pair.Addison Russell went 2-for-5 with three RBIs

and two runs, Willson Contreras was 2-for-4with two runs scored while Jason Heywardwent 2-or-4 with two RBIs.

BREWERS 1, NATIONALS 0Junior Guerra allowed just two hits in 7 1/3

innings and Martin Maldonado hit a solohomer as Milwaukee beat Washington. WillSmith retired two batters in the eighth for theBrewers and closer Jeremy Jeffress, a Virginianative, pitched the ninth for his 22nd save as alight rain fell. The Brewers snapped a four-game losing streak while first-placeWashington lost for just the second time innine games.

ATHLETICS 3, TWINS 1Oakland scored three runs in the seventh

inning in a come-from-behind win overMinnesota. After being held scoreless throughsix innings, Oakland third baseman DannyValencia opened the seventh with a doubleinto the right-center field gap, advanced tothird on a fielder’s choice and scored on a sin-gle by Stephen Vogt. A broken bat blooper toshallow left by Billy Butler loaded the basesand two batters later, Coco Crisp singled tocenter, scoring a pair of runs for a 3-1 lead.

RAYS 4, ANGELS 2Tampa Bay hasn’t won often in the last

three weeks, but they have had a surprisinglygood chance when Matt Moore is pitching.Moore held Los Angeles to two runs in 6 2/3innings, as the Rays won for just the third timein 19 games. The Angels have now lost 12 of14 games. The Rays’ bullpen, which hadallowed runs in 17 of the last 18 games, gotthe final seven outs. Ryan Garton struck outMike Trout and got C.J. Cron to pop out foul inthe ninth, stranding two runners for his firstcareer save.

ASTROS 2, MARINERS 1Lance McCullers delivered a masterful per-

formance coming off a missed turn in the rota-tion while George Springer supplied theoffense in Houston’s win. McCullers producedhis best start of the season, working sevendominant innings in his first start since June22. He allowed one run on five hits and onewalk while matching his season high of 10strikeouts. He retired 14 consecutive Marinersduring the middle stretch of his outing andalso danced around trouble in the first andseventh innings.

WHITE SOX 8, YANKEES 2Tim Anderson and Dioner Navarro each hit

two-run home runs, and Chicago pulled away

for the win. Anderson finished 2-for-4 with tworuns scored and two RBIs. Todd Frazier went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, two runsscored and an RBI as Chicago won its thirdconsecutive game. White Sox right-handerJames Shields limited the Yankees to two runsin six innings to win his second straight deci-sion. Shields allowed five hits, walked two andstruck out three.

RED SOX 12, RANGERS 5Rick Porcello and Boston spotted heavy-hit-

ting Texas four runs in the first inning and thencame roaring back to drub the team with thebest record in the American League. Porcello,who became Boston’s first 10-game winner,shut down Texas for the rest of his six-inningouting. For the second straight day, all nineRed Sox starters had at least one hit as Bostoncollected a season-high 21 hits.

Sandy Leon ripped four hits, Brock Holt,Dustin Pedroia, Travis Shaw and Mookie Bettshomered, Xander Bogaerts and Pedroia hadthree hits apiece and Hanley Ramirez andDavid Ortiz both stroked two doubles in thevictory. The Red Sox have recorded 22 runs on37 hits in two games.

PHILLIES 8, BRAVES 2What was the coldest offense in the majors

through the first two months of the year hassuddenly become one of the hottest asPhiladelphia’s deluge continued at theexpense of Atlanta rookie Joel De La Cruz.Jerad Eickhoff picked up a win for the fourthtime in his last five decisions. It was one of thestrongest outings of the season for the 26-year-old, who gave up just two runs on fivehits while striking out eight in 7 2/3 innings.The Braves (28-55), who lost for the eighthtime in the last 11 games, have the second-worst record in the majors, ahead of onlyMinnesota (27-55).

PIRATES 4, CARDINALS 2Gregory Polanco accomplished a first and

Pittsburgh is back over .500. Belting twohomers in a game for the first time in his majorleague career, Polanco led Pittsburgh to itsfifth straight win. With the Pirates trailing 1-0in the top of the sixth, Polanco drilled a 2-1pitch from starter Carlos Martinez 392 feetover the right-field wall. Polanco capped thescoring in the eighth by greeting reliever SethManess with his 12th homer of the year, a linedrive that sliced inside the left-field foul pole.

GIANTS 3, ROCKIES 1Jake Peavy recorded a win on July 4 for the

first time in his 15-year career, l imiting

Colorado to one run over 6 2/3 innings. BusterPosey and Angel Pagan hit home runs offRockies’ Tyler Anderson. The loss was theRockies’ sixth in a row.

METS 8, MARLINS 6Yoenis Cespedes’ two-run double with two

outs in the eighth inning snapped a tie as NewYork overcame a six-run deficit to beat Miamiat Citi Field. The Mets (45-37) trailed 6-0 in thefourth inning before storming back to earntheir fifth straight win. The Marlins (43-40)have lost five of seven. Jerry Blevins earnedthe win by stranding a runner at third for thefinal out of the eighth. Right-hander JeurysFamilia notched his 29th save despite allowinga hit and walk in the ninth.

INDIANS 5, TIGERS 3Mike Napoli’s two-run home run in the sev-

enth inning broke a 3-3 tie and liftedCleveland to a victory over Detroit atProgressive Field. With the win, Cleveland is10-0 vs. Detroit this season. The AmericanLeague Central Division-leading Indiansextended their lead over the second-placeTigers to 6 1/2 games. The loss snaps Detroit’ssix-game winning streak. Reliever Jeff Manship(1-1) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings to get thewin and Cody Allen pitched the ninth to earnhis 18th save.

PADRES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 4Derek Norris homered, doubled and drove

in three runs to help lead San Diego pastArizona. Yangervis Solarte also homered, MattKemp doubled home a run and Ryan Schimpfadded a pair of doubles for the Padres, whohave won three of four. Norris left the game inthe bottom of the eighth after he was hit onBrandon Drury’s backswing. Luis Perdomo (3-3), allowed three earned runs-the fourthstraight start in which he’s given up three ormore-over six-plus innings but earned his firstwin since June 15.

DODGERS 7, ORIOLES 5Chase Utley registered three hits and drove

in two runs as Los Angeles rallied for a winover Baltimore at Dodger Stadium. Yasiel Puigand Yasmani Grandal each hit solo home runs,and Kenley Jansen got his 25th save as theDodgers used their fifth consecutive victory toremain five games behind the first-place SanFrancisco Giants in the National League West.Corey Seager went 2-for-5 to extend his hit-ting streak to 17 games, a career high and theNational League’s longest this year. — Reuters

Sanchez wins 8th decision, Blue Jays top Royals 6-2

SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco Giants outfielders, from left, Jarrett Parker, Angel Pagan,and Mac Williamson celebrate the 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies after a baseball gameMonday, in San Francisco. — AP

Page 16: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

LONDON: Jenson Button has notstood on the British Grand Prix podi-um in 16 attempts and, heading intowhat could be his last chance onSunday, accepts it may never happen.

The McLaren Formula One driver’sbest result on home soil is fourth-in2004, 2010 and 2014. “We won’t befighting for a podium. There is anotherBritish guy (Mercedes’s triple champi-on Lewis Hamilton) that will be, but Iwon’t have that opportunity which is a

shame,” the 36-year-old Button toldreporters.

Whether he wi l l get anotherchance, only time will tell. Out of con-tract at the end of the season, butlinked to Will iams on the paddockrumour mill, the 2009 world championsaid he would not be treating theweekend as a farewell.

“There is no point thinking it mightbe my last because then I have to gothrough those emotions again if it

isn’t my last ,” he said. “ I n a way i twould be a shame if I didn’t think of itas my last, and it was my last. But thenagain I don’t want to go into the week-end thinking ‘Oh, it is going to be mylast’ - and get to the end of the yearand think ‘I want to do another’.”

Button has 15 wins to his credit andhas won in Monaco, Spa and Suzukaamong the classic circuits. He also hasthe biggest pr ize of a l l , won withBrawn GP, to console him. “Would I

rather have a world championshipthan win the British Grand Prix? Yes, ofcourse. So, I have achieved my maintarget in Formula One,” he said.

McLaren, a great team struggling toget back on top after their switch toHonda engines in 2015, have not wona race since 2012 and it has been morethan two years since they celebrated apodium finish.

The former champions are improv-ing, however, and Button started third

and finished sixth in Austria last week-end.

“I don’t know if it is going to be mylast British Grand Prix... all I know isthat I will do my best with what I haveavailable, and that is all I can do infront of the home crowd,” he said.

“ They have been so suppor t ivesince the start of my career in FormulaOne up until now, through the goodyears and the bad years, they havealways been fantastic.” — Reuters

Button accepts British GP podium will stay a step too far

OKLAHOMA CITY: Kevin Durant’s decision tojoin the Warriors on Monday sent tremorsthrough the NBA, and players and executivesthroughout the league immediately started tocontemplate how the newest super team wouldalter the landscape. “ Thats crazy!!! ! KD inGSW????” Wizards center Marcin Gortat tweeted.“(Are) they gonna score 200 points a game?”

The Warriors already were a super teambefore one of the league’s most unstoppablescorers decided to leave Oklahoma City for theBay Area. Golden State won the championship in2015, rolled to a regular-season record 73 victo-ries last season and came within one game ofback-to-back titles when they lost to theCleveland Cavaliers Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Now they have added the player who nearlyeliminated them a round earlier.

Though not everyone is anointing them nextyear’s champions. “Everyone is so hyped up onthe matchup problems on the offensive end?They still gotta come down the other end,”Pistons All-Star center Andre Drummond tweet-ed. “Not a very big team.” Durant’s decisionimmediately rekindled the discussion aboutstars leaving teams to chase a championshipelsewhere. Durant spent his first nine seasons inOklahoma City.

HEAD WESTWhile there, he helped lead the Thunder to

the Western Conference finals four times and tothe NBA Finals in 2012, where they lost to theHeat, another super team formed when LeBronJames and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade inMiami. Durant himself spoke out negativelyabout creating super teams when James madehis decision in 2010.

But after the Thunder could never get to thetop of the mountain with Durant, RussellWestbrook and Serge Ibaka - and even thoughthey had the Warriors down 3-1 in the confer-

ence finals - Durant opted to head west.“If you can’t beat um, join um,” Clippers for-

ward Paul Pierce tweeted to tweak Durant. WhenJames left Cleveland for Miami, stars such asMichael Jordan, Charles Barkley and

Magic Johnson were critical of the decision tojoin forces with players he had competedagainst. “ There’s no way, with hindsight, Iwould’ve ever called up Larry (Bird), called upMagic and said, ‘Hey, look, let’s get together andplay on one team,’” Jordan said in 2010. “Butthat’s ... things are different. I can’t say that’s abad thing. It’s an opportunity these kids havetoday. In all honesty, I was trying to beat thoseguys.” Denver Nuggets forward Jusuf Nurkic wasequally puzzled by Durant’s decision.

“Somebody beat you! And you go there... ?”Nurkic tweeted. “Superstar not doing that man.”

BIGGER ADVANTAGEWhile Durant has never been too concerned

by outside opinions, his decision may also haveramifications on the NBA’s collective bargainingnegotiations. During the last lockout, the ownerspushed to make changes to the agreement sothat teams, especially those in smaller markets,would have a bigger advantage in retainingplayers. Commissioner Adam Silver has said inthe past that those changes were effective, butthe influx of new money into the system thissummer from the league’s new $24 billion televi-sion contract, and Stephen Curry’s bargain con-tract that was negotiated when he was strug-gling with ankle injuries, conspired to give theWarriors enough wiggle room to spend $54 mil-lion on Durant. The league and the players’union can opt out of the current CBA this year,and both sides have been negotiating to try toavoid another work stoppage.

One of the biggest talking points Silver hasbeen making over the past six months is theleague’s continued push for more parity. “The

intention wasn’t that in this system that teamscould sign, without going above the tax, thatmany max player contracts and that many All-Stars,” Silver said during All-Star weekend inToronto.“So if you ask me from a league stand-point, we would prefer that our All-Stars be dis-tributed around the league rather than havingso many All-Stars in one market. But we’ll seewhat happens this summer.”

IMPORTANT COGSThe summer is here, and so are the Warriors,

who still have work to do.The Heat went 2-2 in the finals during the

James, Wade and Bosh era, including a loss tothe underdog Dallas Mavericks in their first sea-son together. When James went back toCleveland to team up with Kevin Love and KyrieIrving, the Cavaliers lost in the finals their firstyear before winning this season.

And everyone remembers the Los AngelesLakers falling short both in 2003-04 - when GaryPayton and Karl Malone joined Kobe Bryant andShaquille O’Neal to chase a title - and even morespectacularly in 2012-13 when Dwight Howardand Steve Nash came to town. This time appearsto be different, with all four of Golden State’s All-Stars aged 28 or younger and squarely in theirprime. “Only problem there’s only 1 ball,” Jazzcenter Rudy Gobert tweeted. And only so muchmoney, as odd as that sounds this summer.

So the Warriors have agreed to trade AndrewBogut and will likely have to jettison HarrisonBarnes - two important cogs for them the pasttwo seasons - and will rely on several minimumsalary veterans to fill out the roster for depth.

They will also face a crush of attention andmany hoping they fail. Warriors forwardDraymond Green no doubt understands this,and got straight to the point with Durant in hisfirst message to him on Twitter: “Block out thenoise.” — AP

Kevin Durant

Durant leaves Thunder, giving Warriors look of super team

SEOUL: A US-born basketball star accusedof forging birth certificates was banned forlife in South Korea yesterday, after she triedto qualify as a local to play in the domesticleague.

Centre Chelsey Lee and her two agentsare suspected of fabricating her and herfather’s birth certificates to suggest she hada South Korean grandmother.

Teams in the Women’s Korean BasketballLeague (WKBL) are only allowed two for-eign players, but international players witha Korean parent or grandparent are notincluded in the quota.

Following a board meeting Tuesday,WKBL Commissioner Shin Sun-woo saidLee will be suspended for life and her gamerecords will be annulled. Lee’s team,Bucheon KEB Hana Bank, finished secondin the 2015-16 season but their records andranking will also be nullified, Shin added.

Shin said the league will now scrap the

extra quota for overseas Korean players toprevent similar cases in the future. BucheonKEB Hana Bank issued an public apology,vowing to take legal actions against Leeand her agents.

“We’re very sorry,” the team said, addingthe club’s owner and head coach will stepdown. Miami-born centre Lee, 26, won theleague’s rookie of the year honours in the2015-16 season after playing a major role inBucheon KEB Hana Bank reaching thechampionship series.

Lee had been recommended for SouthKorean citizenship by the Korean BasketballAssociation and the Korean OlympicCommittee so that she could help SouthKorea qualify for this year’s Olympic Games.

But some of the documents she provid-ed raised suspicion, and following amonths-long investigation prosecutorsconcluded the birth certificates wereforged. —AFP

US player banned for life in S Korea

SAUMUR: Germany’s top two sprinters have beenleft smarting ahead of yesterday’s fourth stage of theTour de France. Briton Mark Cavendish has dominat-ed the sprints so far, winning the first and thirdstages ahead of Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipelrespectively. It’s been a remarkable turnaround forthe 31-year-old Manxman, who had to play secondfiddle to Kittel and Greipel over the previous threeeditions of the Grand Boucle.

But the Germans are gunning for their more illus-trious rival ahead of Tuesday’s 237km ride fromSaumur to Limoges-the longest stage of this year’sTour. Kittel ’s struggles-he finished seventh inMonday’s sprint finish-are particularly baffling givenhe’s widely considered to be the fastest man in thepeloton. He won four stages in both 2013 and 2014before missing last year’s race due to injury and ill-ness. But he says his Etixx team made mistakes in therun-in to Monday’s finish on a slight uphill gradient.

“We learnt it the hard way today (Monday): if yourtiming sucks, you won’t win a sprint in the Tour. Timeto move on & concentrate on tomorrow (Tuesday),”Kittel wrote on Twitter after the third stage.

That stage was marked by a slow and pedestrianpace for the first five hours of racing before the pelo-ton finally kicked into gear and chased down Frenchbreakaway pair Armindo Fonseca and ThomasVoeckler. Greipel suggested on Twitter that thesprinters’ teams wouldn’t allow Tuesday’s stage to get

so stale. “So @LeTour what I found out 2day. Sittingon the saddle for 6h is boring — riding to a finishwith 196 fresh riders isn’t that exciting,” he com-plained. Greipel was edged out by barely an inch byCavendish, who overhauled him at the last possiblemoment in yesterday’s finish to claim a 28th Tourstage win, equalling the mark of Bernard Hinault injoint second on the all-time list. It will be anotherday to conserve energy and stay out of trouble forthe overall contenders as the Tour continues tocareer south towards the big mountains.

Today’s stage includes a lumpy finish that willprobably shred the peloton, but on Tuesday therewill almost certainly be a bunch sprint. Things havebeen going well for reigning Tour champion ChrisFroome, who is fourth overall at just 14sec off raceleader and yellow jersey wearer Peter Sagan.

“We’re really happy with where we are with Chris.You can’t control everything but we’re pleased withthe position at the moment,” said Sky sports directorServais Knaven.

Froome’s main rival Nairo Quintana is also wellplaced, two positions behind Froome but on thesame time as the Briton. Both sprinted hard onTuesday’s stage to stay near the front and camehome in 22nd and 23rd place respectively. But thatdrew criticism from Cavendish and Sagan, whoaccused the overall contenders of getting in thesprinters’ way. —AFP

Sprinters plan to fight back against Cavendish

PARIS: Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish rides during the 237 km fouth stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France cyclingrace yesterday between Saumur and Limoges.— AFP

Hamilton praying for real race at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton

LONDON: Lewis Hamilton will head intohis home British Grand Prix praying for thesake of the fans that angry Mercedes boss-es continue to allow him and team mateNico Rosberg to race each other freely.

The pair collided on the last lap inAustria on Sunday, with Mercedes teamhead Toto Wolff threatening to impose‘team orders’-making them hold position inthe closing stages- after what he called a“brainless” accident. A 140,000-strongcrowd is expected at Silverstone on Sundaywith most cheering on Hamilton who wonlast year. “You could go to Silverstone andbe told ‘Don’t move’. That would be theworst,” Hamilton told reporters after win-ning Sunday’s race while Rosberg limpedhome fourth in a damaged car and had hisoverall lead cut to 11 points. “I didn’t comeinto this to be in that situation,” added thetriple Formula One world champion whosaid team orders went against all his racingvalues. “I will pray and hope that’s not thesituation, firstly for myself because thatwould take the joy of racing out and sec-ond for the fans because it will rob the fansof what they pay so much for,” saidHamilton.

“ They save up all year to go to the

Silverstone GP or whatever race it is. Teamorders is not something that shoulddeprive them.”

Hamilton said real racing was the reasonwhy fans were so passionate about thesport, spending hours in muddy campsitesand handing over hard-earned cash to buymerchandise. “My fans feel what I’m feelingand it’s why I have such a connection withthem,” he explained. The champion recog-nised emotions were running high but sug-gested “brainless” might not have been thebest word for Wolff to use.

Hamilton also recalled the infamous2002 Austrian Grand Prix where Ferrari’sBrazilian driver Rubens Barrichello led allthe way but was then ordered at the end tolet Michael Schumacher win.

“I was disappointed as a fan back thenand we never want to see team orders likethat ever happen,” he said. “The great thingis that Toto and (non-executive chairman)Niki (Lauda) have been great these pastthree years in allowing us to race.

“We’re driving at 200-plus mph and youexpect us to drive around and never, everhave a problem? I doubt it. So I hope that itdoesn’t change and we can continue torace.” — Reuters

Page 17: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

TAUNTON: Azhar Ali made an unbeatencentury to strengthen Pakistan’s positionon the final day of their England touropener against Somerset at Taunton onTuesday. Ali (101 not out) and AsadShafiq (69 not out) shared a stand of 138in 30 overs as Pakistan made 236 for fourdeclared in their second innings.

That left Somerset needing a hugetotal of 468 in 73 overs for victory.

But given Somerset had collapsed to128 in their first innings, with

left-arm paceman Mohammad Amir

taking an impressive three for 36, justholding out for a draw would be a fineachievement for the south-west county.

However, a sunny day at Tauntonmeant there was less swing in the air forPakistan’s pacemen than earlier in thematch. Veteran Somerset opener MarcusTrescothick, the former England bats-man, drove both Amir and Sohail Khandown the ground.

He also late cut Khan for a couple offours. At lunch, Somerset were 47 forone with 40-year-old left-hander

Trescothick 37 not out. But first-classdebutant Adam Hose was out off whatbecame the last ball before lunch whenhe was lbw to leg-spinner Yasir Shah foreight after he missed a ball that wentstraight on.

Pakistan resumed Tuesday on 140 forfour, with Ali 50 not out and Shafiqunbeaten on 26. Shafiq went on to com-plete a 76-ball fifty with seven fours. Thepair were especially severe onSomerset’s spinners on Tuesday, withthe 31-year-old Ali hoisting teenager

Dom Bess for two huge sixes over long-on in successive balls. As soon as Ali hadgone to his 26th first-class century, in168 balls including 12 fours and two six-es, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haqdeclared.

Former spot-fixer Amir took three for36 in 11 overs in Somerset’s meagre firstinnings. Amir’s exciting career came to ashuddering halt during a Lord’s Test in2010 when he and new-ball partnerMohammad Asif were caught bowlingno-balls to order on the instructions of

captain Salman Butt as part of a tabloidnewspaper sting operation.

All three received five-year bans fromcricket and together with sports agentMazhar Majeed, jail terms.

Amir, who served three months in anEnglish young offenders institute, hasonly featured in the game’s shorter for-mats since his return to Pakistan duty inJanuary. But the 24-year-old left-armer isnow back in England and could make hisTest return in the first of a four-matchseries at Lord’s on July 14. — AFP

Ali century builds on Amir haul in Pakistan opener

EUGENE: Alysia Montano falls to the track in the Women’s 800 Meter Final during the 2016 US Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at HaywardField yesterday in Eugene, Oregon. — AFP

EUGENE: A distraught Alysia Montano called hercareer “a farce” and branded the InternationalAssociation of Athletics Federations (IAAF) “a cor-rupt institution” after crashing out of the USOlympic trials on Monday.

The 800 metres runner, who believes she hasbeen denied at least three global medals bydope cheats, had hoped this would be the yearshe finally made the Olympic podium. But withless than 100 metres to go in Monday’s final shebecame entangled with Brenda Martinez and fellto the track, eventually finishing dead last.

That ended any hope of her going to Riosince only the top three finishers in the cut-throat trials advance. Tears flowed from the 30-year-old defending US champion as she spoketo reporters and the agony only intensified aftershe was asked why this had been such an emo-tional year. “I’m missing three medals in like

eight years of my life as a professional runner,”said Montano, who believes she lost medalsbecause of cheating rivals at the 2011 and 2013world championships.

Fifth at the 2012 Olympics, Montano hassince seen both winner Mariya Savinova andbronze medallist Ekaterina Poistogova, bothRussians, accused of doping by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report.

“My entire professional career has been afarce basically,” said the emotional Montano“Now everyone is talking about the Russians notrunning in the Olympics but they are missingthe whole point that the IAAF is a corrupt insti-tution which is still running the game for us pro-fessional athletes.” The IAAF was not immediate-ly available for comment. The former presidentof the sport’s global governing body, LamineDiack, has been accused by French investigators

of receiving over 1 million euros ($1.09 million)in bribes to cover up positive doping tests.

Diack’s son Papa Massata Diack, a formerIAAF consultant also embroiled in the case, hasdenied any involvement in bribery or corruptionand says his father is also innocent. The IAAF hasalso called for Russian athletes to be bannedfrom the Rio Games after a WADA reportunearthed what it alleged was evidence of sys-tematic state-sponsored doping. Emotionally, ithad all been difficult to cope with as she chaseda spot in Rio, Montano said.

“Trying not to take that anger with me totoday and still try to be in the sport, knowingthat who’s been running the show have beenusing us all along. That’s why it was an emotion-al struggle for me,” Montano said. “And I made itall the way to the final, with all that emotionalbaggage.” —Reuters

Montano rails against ‘corrupt’ IAAF after missing Rio spot

MOSCOW: Russia’s athletics federationyesterday published a list of the 68 ath-letes who have formally requested to beallowed to compete at the Rio Olympicsfollowing a decision to suspend the trackand field team.

The athletes have “met the criteria” toparticipate and were approved by Russiancoaches, said the federation (ARAF), whichlast month had its suspension over allega-tions of institutionalised and pervasivedoping upheld by athletics’ ruling body theIAAF. “Every athlete has sent in an individ-ual request to participate in the OlympicGames, for confirmation by the IAAF,” ARAFsaid. The list includes track and field starslike world champion hurdler SergeyShubenkov, long-jumper Darya Klishina,and pole vault tsarina Yelena Isinbayeva.The IAAF’s ruling on June 17 said thatRussia’s athletics federation was up to twoyears away from returning to operationalcompliance with anti-doping requirements.

But it left the door ajar to some com-petitors not tainted by doping to competeas neutrals in Rio.

The International Olympic Committee

went a step further and said athletes whopass an individual test by the IAAF cancompete under their nation’s flag. Theprocess through which athletes can “clearlyand convincingly show that they are nottainted by the Russian system” as the IAAFdemands before the Games begin is notentirely clear.

The World Anti-Doping Association(WADA) argues that tough measures arekey to send a message that doping is unac-ceptable, while another investigation ofRussian doping is still ongoing, with areport to be published next week. TheWADA investigations were launched fol-lowing allegations revealed by whistle-blowing athlete Yuliya Stepanova last year,who said athletics officials supply bannedsubstances to competitors in exchange fora share of athletes’ fees.

Stepanova last Friday was declared eligi-ble to compete under a neutral flag. TheCourt of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) saidMonday it will decide whether to overturnthe ban against Russia’s athletics pro-gramme by July 21, two weeks before thestart of the Rio Games. — AFP

Russia says 68 athletes asked to compete in Rio

EUGENE: World indoor 800 meterschampion Boris Berian suffered an upsetdefeat at the US Olympic trials hereMonday as a dramatic collision in thewomen’s two-lap race left two of thefront-runners in tears.

Berian, a rising star in the 800m whowas working in a McDonald’s restauranttwo years ago, was narrowly beaten inthe final stretch at Hayward Field, finish-ing second behind Clayton Murphy.

Murphy came home in 1 minute 44.76seconds, just ahead of Berian who wassecond in 1:44.92 with Charles Jock thirdin 1:45.48. All three runners booked theirtickets to Rio in the per formance.Despite the defeat Berian was delightedto have secured his Olympic qualifica-tion. “All this came so fast, it’s just amaz-ing right now,” Berian said. Murphy’s vic-tory was the biggest racing surprise inthe fourth day of action but was over-shadowed by controversy in thewomen’s 800m as a final-bend collisionknocked Alysia Montano and BrendaMartinez out of contention. Montano, anoutspoken voice in the fight againstdrugs and who has missed out on severalmedals at major championships after fin-ishing behind Russian runners laterfound to have been doping, appeared toclip Martinez from behind with around150 meters to go.

Martinez was knocked off balance andout of contention as Kate Grace racedclear to win in 1:59.10 ahead of AjeeWilson and Chrishuna Williams.Montano, 30, meanwhile had collapsedsobbing to the track before crossing theline in tears, as she digested the end ofher dream of competing in Rio four yearsafter she was denied a bronze at the2012 London Games. Martinez said theincident had been triggered after shewas knocked off balance from behind. “Idon’t know, I got clipped from behind. Ijust tried catching my fall but by thenthey were already making another gear,

another move and I just couldn’t regainmy composure,” she told reporters, tearswelling.

BLAME GAME Martinez’s coach pointed the finger of

blame at Montano-but the formerOlympian denied responsibility.

“I don’t know what happened toBrenda but she ended up tripping and Ifound myself jumping around her andthen someone kicked me out frombehind,” Montano said.

“I didn’t touch anyone. You can goback and watch the footage - she justjumps straight out.”

Asked about the suggestion fromMartinez’s coach that she had been toblame for the incident, Montano replied:“He needs to go and watch the footagebut if this is going to be a blame game Idon’t really want to play that right now.”Reflecting on her emotional finish,Montano said she had realized herOlympic dream was over as soon as shecrashed to the floor. “It doesn’t really set-tle in at that moment in time. You just say‘Get up’ and they’re really far away. Andyour heart breaks,” she said, choking backtears. Elsewhere Sunday in the men’spole vault, rising star Sam Kendrickscomfortably qualified with a winningleap of 5.91 meters, well clear of his near-est rival Cale Simmons who failed at 5.70.

Kendricks, a second lieutenant inthe US Army reserve, was unable to setwhat would have been a world leadingbest with three failures at 6.00. The23-year- old f rom M iss iss ippi hasemerged as the nearest r iva l toFrance’s Renaud Lavillenie, the reign-ing Olympic champion, who edgedKendricks into s i lver at the WorldIndoor Championships in March.

In the day’s other final, Cyrus Hostetlerwon the javelin with a throw of 83.24m.Curtis Thompson was second with82.88m and Riley Dolezal third. — AFP

EUGENE: Clayton Murphy, left, winner, and Boris Berian, in second place, celebrateafter men’s 800-meter final at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials, Monday, inEugene Ore. —AP

Berian upset as crash row flares at US trials

SEOUL: Ki Bo-bae is under no illusions aboutthe pressure she will face in Rio as she bids tobecome the first archer to defend an individ-ual Olympic title but after shooting more than500 arrows a day in training the South Koreanis ready for the challenge.

Archery has been a gold mine for Korea atthe Olympics with the country’s athletes hog-ging 19 of the 36 titles up for grabs since thesport returned in its modern format in 1972.The strong performance of the archery team,who have won at least two golds at eachGames since 1988, has helped the Koreans topunch above their weight in the overallmedals table. With that success has comeexpectation, Ki told Reuters. “Previous Koreanarchery teams have left a legacy with theirgreat achievements and for many SouthKoreans when they think of the Olympics theyremember how successful our archers havebeen,” she said.

“So there is a bit of pressure weighing onour shoulders in that regard. But we have tothink positive and the only way to overcomethat pressure is through training.” Training issomething the Koreans take very seriously.Still sporting nasty sunburn from a practicesession on Mount Halla on Korea’s Jeju Island,Ki loosed arrows with frightening accuracy atthe target as torrential rain hammered downat the Taeneung national training centre inSeoul. If Ki was distracted by the rain she didnot show it. Cameras flashed, telephonesrang, the media jostled for position but stillshe did not flinch.

Hardly surprising, though, given that theteam practised at a baseball stadium lastweekend before a domestic league game inorder to get used to crowd noise.

Such has been the success of Koreanarchers that their coaches are in high demandaround the world, which has gone some wayto levelling the playing field.

“It’s true that the average level of tech-nique and skills have gone up but Asian ath-

letes are still head and shoulders above every-one else,” said Ki.

ABSENT STARS?While Korea are confident of getting golds

in archery as well as shooting, judo and taek-wondo, two of their biggest stars may not beon the plane to Rio. Olympic vault championYang Hak-seon missed two selection trials dueto a torn Achilles but a gymnastics official saidon Tuesday they would hold three more trialsin the hope that he would be fit enough to tryto claim a place on their five-man team.

The situation regarding swimmer Park Tae-hwan remains in the hands of the Court ofArbitration for Sport (CAS). Park, the firstKorean to win an Olympic swimming medal

when he won the 400 metres freestyle gold inBeijing, completed an 18-month doping banimposed by world governing body FINA inMarch. However, as per Korea OlympicCommittee regulations, he was then subjectto an additional three-year ban from the daythe FINA suspension expired.

Park took his case to the CAS and filed aninjunction with a local court, which ruled heshould be eligible for selection. “The opinionfrom CAS has not come out yet,” nationalOlympic Committee President Kim Jung-haeng said at a news conference. “We wouldneed to respect both the ruling from theSeoul Eastern District Court and also the CASruling.” — Reuters

South Korean archers target more gold in Rio

SEOUL: South Korean archery national team member Ki Bo-bae, a 2012 London Olympic goldmedalist, prepares to shoot during a media day for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Summergames at the Korean National Training Center in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. The 2016Olympic Summer games will be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from Aug 5 to Aug 21. — AP

Page 18: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

AMSTERDAM: Doping cheat-turned-whistle blowerYuliya Stepanova is “very welcome” at the EuropeanAthletics Championships, track and field’s continen-tal chief insisted yesterday.

Stepanova received a two-year ban from the IAAF(International Association of Athletics Federations) in2013 after abnormalities showed up in her biologicalpassport.

But in 2014, she and her husband Vitaly Stepanov,who had worked at the Russian Anti-Doping Agency(RUSADA), appeared in a German television docu-mentary as whistle blowers of widespread dopingfraud in the Russian sports system.

Following the startling revelations, which havesince plunged the IAAF into its worst-ever crisis andseen Russia banned, the Stepanovs left Moscow for

Germany and have since settled in the United States.The IAAF Doping Review Board unanimously

accepted Stepanova’s application, “seeking excep-tional eligibility, to compete in international compe-tition as a neutral athlete”.

She will now make her controversial return tocompetition at the Euros in Amsterdam, with roundone of the women’s 800m scheduled for Wednesday.

“She has been cleared by the IAAF taskforce to beable to compete if she was cleared by the anti-dop-ing review board,” European Athletics president SveinArne Hansen told reporters Tuesday.

“She’s a symbol to the clean athletes. With herbrave statements and brave actions, she’s reallygoing out there to protect our sport.

“We are happy to see her here. She is treated like

every other athlete, there’s nothing special.“She’s very welcome because she’s done a great

job for the sport,” Hansen said of the 30-year-old whohas been vilified in her native Russia, with critics alsorounding on the IAAF for seemingly rewarding a for-mer doping cheat.

The IAAF banned the Russian athletics federationfrom international competition in November, but 68athletes have formally requested to be allowed tocompete at the Rio Olympics under special criteria.

Hansen hinted he would be more than willing toaccept Russian athletes in Amsterdam should theybe cleared by the IAAF.

“The IAAF doping review board are still workingvery hard,” he said.

“If they clear some athletes tonight or tomorrow

morning, we’re very happy to see them at theEuropean championships. “Clean athletes are alwayswelcome.” But France’s Renelle Lamotte, the leadingEuropean woman over 800m this season with a bestof 1:58.01, said that she did not agree withStepanova’s return to competition.

“I am against the fact that athletes who oncedoped can come back. Whether they denounced thesystem or not, it’s an injustice,” she said.

French federation president and IAAF Councilmember Bernard Amsalem, however, praisedStepanova as a “courageous woman who dared tospeak out”. “She’s a symbol of the fight against dop-ing, something to which athletics is totally commit-ted, and an example other sports would do well tofollow.” — AFP

Stepanova ‘ very welcome’ at European champs: Hansen

OMAHA: The US Olympic swim team has a historyof improving its times from the trials to the games.The Americans are counting on it happening againnext month in Rio after not setting a single worldrecord during the eight-day selection meet.

Led by Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, the USstill boasts the most powerful swim team in theworld. But other countries have improved since fouryears ago in London and Phelps knows he’s got tobe much better by the time the Rio Games begin.

Clearly, there’s cause for concern. Many of thetimes swum in Omaha were slower than the 2012trials, where no world records were set. Ryan Lochteand Missy Franklin struggled this time around andthey’ll be joined by 29 rookies on the team, onemore than in London.

“We’re going to have to improve for sure,” DavidMarsh, head coach of the US women’s team, saidSunday. Phelps has said he wants to swim anotherpersonal best at least once before he retires afterRio. He was faster at last year’s summer nationalswhere he swam times that would have won medalsat the world championships in Russia.

“It’s been 2009 since I’ve done a best time,” he

said. “It’s frustrating to not be able to go the sametime or faster than I did last year, especially becauseI think I’m in better shape than I was last year.”

Phelps joked that if Bowman doesn’t have a planto make him faster he’ll have to fire the only coachhe’s had his entire career. “His times this week weremediocre, and I’m crystal clear on what to do,” saidBowman, who will guide the US men in Rio.

EXPECTATIONSPhelps qualified in three individual events,

Ledecky and newcomer Maya DiRado made it inthree each, and Franklin will swim two. Ledecky car-ries huge expectations into her second Olympics. InJanuary, she lowered her own world mark in the800-meter freestyle at a meet in Austin, Texas,where she set world-leading times in the 200 and400 freestyles. She’ll try to become the first womansince American Debbie Meyers at the 1968 MexicoCity Games to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 free.

“I’m just going to focus on my racing and whatmy goals are, and anybody else’s expectations don’treally mean that much to me,” Ledecky said.

The average age of the men’s team is 23.9 years,

with Anthony Ervin the oldest at 35. The women’steam averages 22.3 years, with Ledecky theyoungest at 19 just as she was in 2012.

Several stalwarts of the US team failed to punchtickets to Rio, including Natalie Coughlin, TylerClary, Matt Grevers, Cullen Jones and Jessica Hardy.All of them medaled in London, where the teamwon a leading 31 medals, including 18 golds.

“It’s challenging being at trials and being able tomake the transition from here to the games,”Phelps said. “You got to be ready when the lightscome on and if you’re not, you could fall short by ahundredth or a few hundredths, and that’s thetough part.”

Heading to his fifth and last Olympics at 31,Phelps appears more willing than he has in the pastto share his experience and expertise with hisyounger teammates. He certainly has more time,with eight events no longer on his schedule.

“If I can do anything to help the rookies, I’m allfor it,” he said. “Just being able to help them justkind of stay in their relaxed zone, not get worked upbecause it is the Olympics. It’s just another meet,you know?” — AP

US swim trials close with no world records, Rio Games next

OMAHA: (L-R) Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky of the United States celebrate during Day Eight of the 2016 US Olympic Team Swimming Trialsat CenturyLink Center on Monday in Omaha, Nebraska. — AFP

MOSCOW: Extra security measures areplanned for the 2018 World Cup inRussia following hooligan violence atthe European Championship, new FIFAsecretary general Fatma Samoura saidyesterday.

Russian fans, some equipped withmartial arts gear, clashed with Englishsupporters in Marseille city center andinside the stadium during the tourna-ment in France.

Asked during her f i rst vis it toMoscow about fears that such violencecould be repeated in Russia, Samourasaid “there will be additional meas-ures,” including known troublemakersbeing banned from stadiums.

Samoura said FIFA obser versattended all host cities during theEuropean Championship, and theirrecommendations would form a keypart of future security policy.

“All these lessons learned will beused not only here but also in thefuture by FIFA in any country wherewe identity a high risk of security,” shesaid.

Samoura did not provide specificsof the new measures or say whetherany FIFA observers were present forthe violence in Marseille.

“Security during the World Cup inthe Russian Federation is guaranteedby the government,” Russian SportsMinister Vitaly Mutko said. “The securi-ty will be unobtrusive, but serious.”

It is not the first time security plansfor the 2018 World Cup have beenaltered. Last year, organizers said therewould be a greater focus on securing

fan zones from terrorism in the wakeof attacks in Paris.

Russia has tightened its anti-hooli-gan measures in the run-up to theWorld Cup, introducing legislation toban offenders from stadiums. Anamendment to that law, signed thisweek by President Vladimir Putin,means blacklisted fans’ names will bepublished by Russian police.

Russian authorities provided just 30names of suspected troublemakers toFrench police ahead of Euro 2016,against 2,500 supplied by Germany.

However, Marsei l le authorit iesthanked Russian police for sharingintelligence which led to the convic-tions of three Russian fans for involve-ment in the Marseille violence and thedeportation of 20 more.

Samoura announced the tightenedsecurity measures for the World Cup asFIFA revealed the ticket prices for the2018 tournament.

The cheapest tickets for foreignfans at group stage games will risemore than 16 percent since 2014, withthe new prices set at $105 - a $15increase on the equivalent tickets inBrazil two years ago.

Tickets for the final cost between$455 and $1,100, and those for theopening game between $220 and$550. Russian residents can benefitsfrom sharp discounts, with the cheap-est tickets for the domestic audienceselling for 1,280 rubles ($20), roughlythe same as those for local fans at theprevious tournaments in Brazil andSouth Africa. — AP

FIFA: More security for WorldCup after Euro 2016 violence

OMAHA: Connor Jaeger had to swimnearly a mile to earn another race atthe Olympics. Abbey Weitzeil claimedher second individual event in Rio witha frantic dash from one end of the poolto the other.

The f inal night of the US Olympicswimming trials came down to the longand short of it, a pair of races that could-n’t provide more of a contrast. Jaegerused a powerful finishing kick to pullaway from Jordan Wil imovsky in the1,500-meter freestyle Sunday night,while Weitzeil claimed victory in the 50free just ahead of Simone Manuel.

The metric mile was a two-man raceal l the way. By the end, no one waswithin a half-lap of the leaders. Jaegergot a strong kick off the next-to-lastwall and began to get some separationon his only challenger. Pulling away onthe final lap, he finished in 14 minutes,47.61 seconds.

“He’s the fastest American ever, so it’sfun to just try and hang with him as faras I can,” said Wilimovsky, who touchedin 14:49.19 - more than 17 secondsahead of third-place finisher MichaelMcBroom.

Jaeger and Wilimovsky had alreadylocked up their berths in Rio before theydove in the pool. Jaeger also won the400 free, while Wilimovsky had earned aspot for the U.S. in the open-water event

at Rio. Now, he’ll become the first U.S.swimmer to compete in both the pooland the ocean at the same Olympics.

“It ’s really, really cool,” Wilimovskysaid. “Obviously open water has onlybeen around (at the Olympics) since2008, so it’s not that old.” Jaeger won asilver medal in the 1,500 at last year’sworld championships. Four years ago, hefinished sixth in the event at the LondonOlympics.

“We’re going to have to be better inRio,” said Jaeger, who was more than 6seconds off his personal-best time. “

The 50 free was a carbon copy of the100 free. Weitzeil won in 24.28 secondsand Manuel was next at 24.33 - the same1-2 finish they had in the two-lap race.Madison Kennedy missed out on a trip toRio by 15-hundredths of a second.

“I’m super stoked,” Weitzeil said. “Icame to this meet in 2012 as a 16-year-old just making the cuts, just came toparticipate. To go from then to now infour years, winning events that I wasthinking about during that time, it’s justamazing. It hasn’t set in what I’ve actual-ly done.”

Four other swimmers who alreadyearned spots on the Olympic team werefarther back.

Olivia Smoliga finished fourth, whileDana Vollmer, Lia Neal and Amanda Weirbrought up the back of the pack. — AP

Jaeger, Weitzeil win final 2 races of US Olympic trials

S P O RT SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

MELBOURNE: The turn of the Olympic cycle has ush-ered in a new generation of riders plotting to over-throw track queen Anna Meares, but the seasonedAustralian is confident of being in top gear to defendher sprint title at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The double Olympic champion was confirmed inAustralia’s formidable track team for Rio yesterdayand will become only the third woman to competein the velodrome at four Olympics.

Having medalled at Athens, Beijing and London,Meares will saddle up a month before her 33rd birth-day, her place in the pantheon of Olympic cyclinggreats already assured.

But four years after her dramatic London win overchampion sprinter Victoria Pendleton signalled theend of one era, she is determined to see off the nextwave of challengers.

“I feel nerves and I think that’s normal,” the 11-

times world champion told Reuters in an interviewyesterday. “I think it reiterates to me (the Olympics)are still important even after all these years. Two-thirds of my life I’ve dedicated to being a cyclist.

“I’ve had a lot of time to deal with the shift ofVictoria Pendleton and another eight or nine womenwho have retired since London.

“There was a big adjustment as a new influx ofyounger girls came through and many are stillcoached by the same coaches who worked with theprevious generation.

“So there is a combination of new, young bodiesand old coaching heads which has made it very diffi-cult in the years between London and Rio.

“That said, that’s what keeps me interested andintrigued in the sport. It’s never stagnant andchanges with the strengths and weaknesses thatcome through with new girls and the older coaching

philosophies that have to adapt and evolve witheach Olympic cycle.”

SOLACE IN ROUTINEThe interval between the Games has been an

emotional roller-coaster for the Australian, whosemarriage to her high-school sweetheart fell apart in2014.

She was devastated by the break-up and contem-plated retiring from the sport before finding solace inthe familiar routines of training and competition.

She clinched her 11th world title with victory inthe keirin at Paris last year but has not had it all herway since.

German Kristina Vogel, who won the team sprintgold at the London Olympics, took her keirin title atthe world championships in the same velodrome inMarch, and the Australian failed to make the podiumin the individual sprint won by China’s Zhong Tianshi.

Meares, however, has a veteran’s sense of herbody’s capabilities and is confident she will be inpeak form when she rolls into the Barra Velodromenext month. “I know I’ve got a big task ahead of meand I know where I’m tracking,” said Meares, whowon her first Olympic gold at the age of 20 in thenow-defunct 500 metres time trial at Athens.

“I know what my goals were at the start of thecampaign, where my analysis and re-analysis haveput me at this point in time.

“And I also trust my coach Gary West and his sup-port team and the plan we have going into Rio to beat my best for that competition.”

Meares has set goals for Rio, where she will com-pete in the keirin, the individual sprint and the teamsprint with Stephanie Morton. But as in London fouryears ago, she is keeping them to herself.

“My coach and my manager are the only onesthat know them,” she said.

“That keeps me in some control of analysing whatmy results are like in Rio because I understand there’sthe pressure and expectation for me to perform anddeliver like I always have done.” — Reuters

Anna Meares on track for more Rio glory

OMAHA: Connor Jaeger of the United States competes in a heat for the Men’s 1500Meter Freestyle during Day Seven of the 2016 US Olympic Team Swimming Trials atCenturyLink Center on Monday in Omaha, Nebraska. — AFP

Anna Meares

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DINARD: Gareth Bale will have thetaunts of team-mates past and presentechoing in his memory when he takes tothe field for Wales in today’s Euro 2016semi-final against Portugal.

Bale saw five major tournamentscome and go over the first 10 years of hiscareer, but with Wales having endedtheir 58-year wait on the internationalsidelines, the 26-year-old is making upfor lost time.

Chris Coleman’s side have created asensation by reaching the last four inFrance and it has given Bale reason torecall with a smile the jibes to which hewas once subjected.

“I have had a lot of abuse over theyears,” the Real Madrid forward toldreporters at the Wales media centre inDinard, northwest France. “Just whenwe used to lose and when we were(ranked) 100th in the world.

You have nine weeks’ holiday insteadof two. “It is good to finally be in amajor tournament, actually doing greatthings with our national team. It is greatto be a part of.” Should Bale reach thefinal, he could find himself facingGermany midfielder Toni Kroos, hisMadrid team-mate, who took a dim viewof Wales’s chances prior to the tourna-ment. “I remember Toni Kroos sayingwe’d only have three games. So it wouldbe nice to meet him in the final,” Balesaid with a smile.

“It was a good laugh and a joke, a bitof banter. But we’ve obviously exceededa lot of people’s expectations. We under-stand that and we’re just enjoying itnow.” Wales’s stunning 3-1 victory overBelgium in the quarter-finals took theteam into uncharted past their previousbest major tournament showing of a

last-eight finish at the 1958 World Cup.But Bale says that the atmosphere

within the Wales camp is “exactly thesame”, with regular quizzes helping toprevent the players dwelling on theenormity of what they have achieved.

DENMARK AND GREECE INSPIRATION “We’re still doing our quizzes,” said

Bale, who is on a quiz team with ChrisGunter, Joe Allen, Hal Robson-Kanu,Danny Ward and Ben Davies.

“We won again today. That is six in arow now. We’re on fire!” The squad havealso been watching as many games atthe Euro as possible. Bale praised theunrated Iceland for their “amazing jour-ney” to the quarter-finals, where theylost 5-2 to France. With Wales now flyingthe flag alone for the minor nations,Bale is drawing inspiration fromDenmark and Greece, who defiedexpectations to win the EuropeanChampionship in 1992 and 2004respectively.

Having arrived in France after a sec-ond Champions League triumph withMadrid, Bale had his eyes on the finalfrom the start-unlike some of his team-mates, who have had to hastilyrearrange holiday and even weddingplans as Wales have voyaged deeper intothe tournament.

“I fully believed that we could dosomething. That is why I booked my holi-day for the 11th (the day after the final). Iam not like the others,” he said.

“I fully believed that we could dosomething. You see the fairytale ofGreece and Denmark and stuff, and youthink: ‘Why can’t we do it?’” Inevitably,Wednesday’s game has been portrayedas a shootout between Bale and hisMadrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo,who captains Portugal.

Former Wales midfielder Ryan Giggs,who has played with both players,entered the debate on Monday, tellingCNN that on current form, he wouldwant Bale in his team over the Portugalnumber seven. But Bale gives the com-parisons short shrift. “It’s irrelevant, tobe honest. Everyone says it’s me andRonaldo, but it’s Wales v Portugal,” hesaid. “We could both not have a kick allgame and a team will win, so it’s reallynot about us. I’m sure the press will hypeit up, but I know full well it’s about us as ateam.” — AFP

EVIAN: Germany face hosts France in theEuro 2016 semi-finals tomorrow in themidst of an injury crisis, but buoyed bymemories of their flooring of Brazil at thesame stage of the 2014 World Cup.

The Marseille clash will be another testof Germany’s mettle after their historicquarter-final defeat of Italy. Die Mannschaftare without three stars with defender MatsHummels suspended, plus striker MarioGomez and midfielder Sami Khedira injured.

Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger is highlydoubtful with a knee strain, but neverthe-less the world champions are relishing theFrench challenge. Joachim Loew has com-pared the situation to two years ago whenGermany stunned hosts Brazil 7-1.

France’s 5-2 hammering of minnowsIceland in the quarter-finals on Sunday

means the hosts come to Marseille withhopes high-game on, says Loew. “Themajority of the people in the stadium willbe behind France, the country is now full ofthis euphoria, this energy,” said Germany’shead coach.

“It’s great when it’s like this. “In Brazil, itwas just the same. There were 200 millionbehind the team and we coped well,” hesaid with a heavy hint of understatement.

MIDFIELD CHANGES A scoreline similar to the sensational 7-1

drubbing is very unlikely, but the messagefrom the German camp is clear-challengeaccepted.

“France will have gained a lot of confi-dence from their victory, but they know,regardless of our personal situation, what

we can do. I’m looking forward to the game,”said Loew. Thomas Mueller and MarioGoetze, who will replace Gomez, are likelyto start up front in Marseille as Loew hintedat a 4-4-2 line-up, rather than the 3-5-2which beat Italy.

But a new face is set to be seen in themiddle. Either Emre Can of Liverpool orBorussia Dortmund’s Julian Weigl is set toparter Toni Kroos in the defensive midfieldwith Khedira out and Schweinsteiger strug-gling. “We’re going to have to makechanges and find solutions,” said Loew. Itrust any of my players in the squad, but Iwon’t play anyone who is not 100 percentfit.” He was full of praise for France’s star-studded attack of Olivier Giroud, DimitriPayet and Antoine Griezmann, all of whomscored against Iceland. As it was against

Italy, who Germany had never previouslybeaten at a major tournament, this is anoth-er tie steeped in history, while France willwant revenge.

FRENCH REVENGE Les Bleus lost to Germany in the 2014

World Cup quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro’sMarcana, thanks to Mats Hummels’ first-halfheader. And France has never fully forgivenGermany for their penalty shoot-out defeatin the controversial semi-finals of the 1982World Cup finals in Spain.

An epic 3-3 draw, with four goals scoredin extra-time, came down to a penaltyshoot-out which Germany won 5-4, but thematch is remembered for a brutal incident.

France’s Patrick Battiston was knockedunconscious, with two teeth missing and

three cracked ribs, after a collision withGermany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher.

Although no foul was given by the refer-ee it did nothing for diplomatic relationsbetween the European neighbours. Loewdeflected any questions of the 1982 match,but talked up the current French team, whohe believes will be harder to beat than Italy.

“France are harder to predict, they aremore flexible,” said Loew after their win overIceland. “They had a few problems to getinto the tournament, but you could see thatthe early goal freed them up and were 3-0up at half-time.

“They will have almost a fanatical sup-port behind them in Marseille and forwardsin form, like Giroud, Griezmann and Payet.“I’ve always said they are amongst thefavourites. I love games like this.” — AFP

Brazil memories buoy battered Germany for France

LONDON: New Manchester United manag-er Jose Mourinho announced his return toEnglish football yesterday by reminding theworld that he is a proven winner who willtell his players to forget the past three yearsof under-achievement and instead targetsuccess.

In a news conference at Old Traffordbefore 25 camera crews from around theworld, Mourinho covered a wide range ofissues from transfer targets to the need forWayne Rooney to continue playing as astriker and the departure of Ryan Giggs.

He seemed determined to deflect atten-tion away from himself to “the biggest clubin the world”. The 53-year- old, whodescribed himself as “the Special One” andthen “the Happy One” during similar mediaconferences to announce his arrivals atChelsea in 2004 and 2013, adopted a moreserious and less showy approach yesterday.

“I want everything. I want to win match-es, I want to play well. I want to score goals,I don’t want to concede goals. I want every-thing,” he said.

Improving on last year’s fifth place wouldnot be sufficient, he said, indicating that heintended to return United, who won the lastof their 20 league titles in 2013, to their for-mer position of dominance.

“There are some managers who won thetitle 10 years ago, some have not won a titleever. The last time I won the title was oneyear ago. So if I have something to prove,imagine the others.

“For Manchester United fans for so manyyears success was just routine but the lastthree years I want to forget. I will never beable to work without success. I feel a bitfrustrated that I am not playing ChampionsLeague. I do not hide I chase Sir Alex(Ferguson’s) records in the ChampionsLeague.”

Turning to Rooney, Mourinho suggestedthe 30-year-old’s future lay up front and notin midfield where England manager RoyHodgson employed him in a failed experi-ment at the European Championship inFrance.

“In football there are many jobs but themost difficult to find is the guy who putsthe ball in the back of the net. (Rooney)will never play 50 metres away from thegoal. He will be a nine, 10, 9.5, not a six oran eight. You can tell me his pass is amaz-

ing but my pass is amazing too withoutpressure.”

Mourinho, who was out of work for fivemonths after being sacked by Chelsea, saidformer United manager Ferguson hadoffered him two pieces of advice on joiningthe club: to bring an umbrella to cope withthe notorious Manchester weather and abottle of wine for them to share.

The Portuguese also addressed the sud-den departure of Giggs from the club after29 years, denying that the decision hadbeen down to him. “It’s not my responsibili-ty that Ryan is not in club. The job Ryanwanted was the manager’s job and the clubdecided that was the job for me.

“Ryan wants to be a manager and madea decision, which was brave and honest. Iwould never stop him coming back, I wouldalways say yes.”

Mourinho bridled at suggestions he didnot promote young players, saying he hadpromoted 49 players from academies, but

admitted he intended to sign another big-name player to bring to four the number ofclose-season signings at United.

“We decided four targets. From these tar-gets, we have three. Until we don’t have thefourth, we are still working hard. Myselfand the structure. When we have the fourth,I will breathe.”

United have already signed Villarrealdefender Eric Bailly and PSG striker ZlatanIbrahimovic while Dortmund midfielderHenrikh Mkhityaran is on his way to theclub. They have also been heavily linkedwith a 100-million-pound ($131.37-million)move for Juventus’s Paul Pogba, their for-mer player, but Mourinho did not say if theFrenchman was a target.

United’s first game under Mourinho willbe against Borussia Dor tmund in theInternational Champions Cup in Shanghaion July 22. Their Premier League seasonbegins with a trip to Bournemouth on Aug.13. — Reuters

Wales jibes fire Bale for Euro semi-final

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s new Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho poses with ascarf on the pitch during a photocall at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, northern England,yesterday. Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club’sCarrington training base yesterday. The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May afterthe sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 201619

Mourinho targets glory at Man United unveiling

UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Portugal v Wales 22:00beIN MAX 2 HDbeIN MAX 3 HD ENbeIN MAX 1 HDbeIN MAX 4 HD FR

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

LONDON: Tomas Berdych fired a verbal volley atWimbledon after being forced to play on into the twi-light gloom then return yesterday to book his place inthe quarter-finals.

The Czech 10th seed was locked at 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(10/8), 6-7 (9/11) with compatriot Jiri Vesely when theirfourth round tie on Court Three was finally suspendedon Monday.

Play finished a few minutes after the 9:19pm sunsetin London and conditions were gloomy even beforegoing into the lengthy tie-break. All other matches hadbeen called off for the evening.

The pair returned for the final set yesterday, which2010 Wimbledon runner-up Berdych won 6-3, claimingvictory on his eighth match point.

“I can’t really see. That’s the fact. I was just asking tostop. When I ask, I’ve been told, ‘It’s too late, you have tofinish that’,” he said of the fourth set tie break. “The refer-ee tells you that the Hawk-Eye is not in operation any-more. I don’t know why actually we have to play inthose situations when a very accurate machine is notable to operate. I don’t think the human eye can seebetter than that. That’s another fact.

“I experienced this for a third time in a row. So I’mactually getting used to it.”

Berdych asked if the match could be moved underthe lights of the Centre Court roof, as has happenedbefore with matches suspended due to darkness. Playcan continue on Centre Court until 11:00pm.

But the frustrated Berdych said he had been literally

left in the dark. “I was asking for it. Especially when I’vebeen playing for last couple of days consecutively. I justfelt like there would be a chance to finish. But there wasnot really a clear answer why not,” he said.

PLAYER POWER CALL Two years ago, Berdych was involved in the latest-

ever finish on Wimbledon’s outside courts, when he lostto Marin Cilic at 9:38pm on June 27, 2014 — a full 16minutes after sunset. Berdych called for more playerpower in deciding whether to carry on in fading light.

“We should have definitely some word in thatbecause we are the ones who are on the court. We arethe ones that are performing,” he said.

“The decisions are made by people who are sitting atthe chair. That’s a bit unfair in this sense.” However,“when you feel that you can’t really change any deci-sion, it’s really pointless to try”.

Berdych next faces France’s 22-year-old Lucas Pouille,the 32nd seed, in Wednesday’s second match on CourtOne. It is only the second time the 30-year-old hasreached the last eight since his run to the final six yearsago. “I practiced with him one day before the tourna-ment started. That’s the only time we’ve spent on thecourt together.

“There are plenty of things to see about his game.That’s what I’m going to do and prepare with my team,”said the Czech number one. “Hopefully everythinggoes well, I can make the match done-and finally havea day off.” — AFP

Berdych blasts Wimbledon duelling in the dusk

WIMBLEDON: Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych returns to Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely during their men’s singlesfourth round match on the ninth day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn TennisClub in Wimbledon, southwest London. — AFP

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16Durant leaves

Thunder, giving

Warriors look of

super team

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 201617

South Korean

archers target

more gold in Rio

Mourinho targets glory at Man United unveiling Page 19

WIMBLEDON: Germany’s Angelique Kerber returns against Romania’s Simona Halep during their women’s singles quarter-final match on the ninth day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn TennisClub in Wimbledon, southwest London, yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: Venus Williams is back in the semifinals of aGrand Slam tournament for the first time in six years.Making another title run at the age of 36, the five-timeWimbledon champion beat Yarsoslava

Shvedova 7-6 (5), 6-2 yesterday, advancing to thefinal four at the All England Club for the first time since2009 and first time at any major since the 2010 USOpen. “I love playing the game, I always have,” theeighth-seeded Williams said. “When you’re winningmatches it makes it that much sweeter. I can’t lie aboutthat.”

From 5-2 down in the tiebreaker, Williams ran off fivestraight points to take the first set, then rolled through thesecond set on No. 1 Court. She’s one win away fromreturning to the Wimbledon final for the first time since2009, where she lost to sister Serena, a six-time champion.

“The wins and the losses they all lead to these big

moments,” Venus said. “You can’t always have this bigmoment. If you’re Serena Williams, I guess that happensa lot. As Venus Williams, this is an awesome day.”

Venus will next face No. 4 Angelique Kerber, theAustralian Open champion who held off No 5 SimonaHalep 7-5, 7-6 (2) in the first match on Centre Court, adefensive battle that featured 13 breaks of serve, includ-ing eight in a row in the first set.

Top-ranked Serena Williams was playing No. 21-seed-ed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Centre Court in anoth-er quarterfinal. The winner will play either No. 19Dominika Cibulkova or Elena Vesnina, who faced off onNo. 1 Court.

In the completion of a fourth-round men’s matchsuspended by darkness on Monday at one set apiece,No. 10 Tomas Berdych overcame Czech countryman JiriVesely 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (9), 6-3. Berdych, the 2010

Wimbledon runner-up, will play Lucas Pouille of Francein Wedneday’s men’s quarterfinals.

OLDEST PLAYERVenus Williams, the oldest player in the women’s

field, has made a remarkable resurgence in her 19thappearance at Wimbledon. She was already the oldestplayer to advance to a Grand Slam quarterfinal sinceMartina Navratilova made it this far at Wimbledon in1994 at the age of 37.

Venus won her first title at the All England Club in2000, and then added titles in 2001, ‘05, ‘07 and ‘08, buthas been slowed in recent years by Sjogren’s syndrome,a condition that can cause joint pain and saps energy.

Yesterday Shvedova - a 96th-ranked player fromKazakhstan contesting her third Grand Slam quarterfi-nal - saved a set point against Williams with a forehand

winner while serving at 5-4 in the first set. Shvedovathen went up 5-2 in the tiebreaker, but stalled asWilliams rallied to take command.

“Oh wow,” Venus said. “I mean, what a tough day onthe court. The first set, I felt like I had so many opportu-nities, but then she would play so well. And even thetiebreaker, it seemed like she was

going to win it, and somehow walked out of that withthe set. What a day it was against an opponent who wasjust on fire.” Kerber has a 3-2 career edge againstWilliams, but they haven’t faced each other since 2014.The German won in straight sets on grass at Wimbledonat the 2012 London Olympics “We’ve had a lot of greatmatches, she and I. We haven’t played in a while,”Williams said. “Clearly, she’s had a great year, anothergreat result in the Slam. I would love to be walkingtoward the final, and progress made today.” — AP

Venus, Kerber set-up Wimbledon s-final clash

KUWAIT: The 37th Al-Roudhan Ramadanfutsal tournament concluded on Mondayunder the patronage of HH the AmirSheik h Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, which was held over the month ofRamadan, with the crowning of the GulfCables team after it defeated KuwaitInternational Bank in a shootout.

The match, that saw a large number ofofficials and fans attending, headed byNational Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and Information Minister andState Minister for Youth Affairs SheikhSalman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, ended in a3-3 draw after regular time.

Ghanem told journalists this presti-gious tournament, that has a name dearto Kuwaitis, witnesses success year afteryear because of its organizers’ keenness

to meet the wishes of its fans by attract-ing world stars in the world of futsal. Headded that what distinguishes the tour-nament is the repute it enjoys and thefans’ interaction with its activities, whichis one of the most important factors of itssuccess and continuity, and it has becomethe most important sports event to beheld in Ramadan.

Sheikh Salman said he was honored torepresent HH the Amir in the closing cere-mony of this major tournament that hasspecial attention from the Amir, andreminded of the effor ts made by theorganizing committee to ensure the suc-cess of this distinguished tournament,which has international status.

The tournament was held at MartyrFahd Al-Ahmad Center in Daiya.

Gulf Cables crowned champions

The victorious Gulf Cables.

37th Al-Roudhan Ramadan futsal tournament

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BusinessWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Twin crises expose Angola’s failure to kick its oil habit

Page 22

DAMAC Properties introduces AKOYA Imagine development

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Global economy: Unsettling feelings Page 25

US factory orders fall, but rising order backlogs help

Pages 23

LONDON: Bank of England governor Mark Carney leaves after speaking at a news conference at the Bank of England in London yesterday. — AP

BoE takes steps to meet Brexit challenge Sterling skids to new 31-year low

LONDON: The Bank of England took steps toensure British banks keep lending and insurers donot dump corporate bonds as it said the econom-ic risks it warned of before the vote to leave theEuropean Union had started to materialize.

Sterling fell to a fresh 31-year low against theUS dollar, hit by the suspension of trading inBritish real estate funds run by major investmentfirms, and there were other new signs of weak-ness in the economy. The BoE, which is trying tooffset the hit to the economy from the June 23referendum result, said it would lower theamount of capital banks are required to hold inreserve, freeing up an extra 150 billion pounds($196 billion) for lending.

Governor Mark Carney said the Bank hadwarned in March that risks around the referen-dum posed the most significant near-termdomestic risks to financial stability. “Some ofthose risks have begun to crystallise,” he said.Finance minister George Osborne met the headsof top banks and said afterwards they had toldhim they were in good shape to cope with theturmoil caused by the vote’s shock result.

“They report back that capital is strong, liquid-ity is strong, and we’ve got to make sure thatlending is available to businesses... and they’veassured me that it will be,” he said.

The BoE move reversed a decision it took ear-lier this year, when it started tightening screwson lenders because Britain’s economy had

appeared set for more growth. “It means thatthree quarters of UK banks, accounting for 90percent of the stock of UK lending, will immedi-ately have greater flexibility to supply credit toUK households and firms,” Carney said. Amiduncertainty about Osborne’s future as financeminister following the announcement by PrimeMinister David Cameron that he will resign,more responsibility has fallen on Carney and theBoE to steer Britain through its political crisis.Sterling resumed its fall, sinking more than 1.4percent to below $1.31 for the first time sinceSeptember 1985. I t was down 1.2 percentagainst the euro. Yields on 20 and 30-year Britishgovernment bonds hit new lows.

PROPERTY WORRIESThe slide in the value of the pound came after

the fund arm of insurer Aviva said it had suspend-ed its 1.8 billion-pound UK Property Trust, follow-ing a similar move on Monday by insurerStandard Life.

The BoE said foreign flows of capital into com-mercial real estate fell 50 percent in the first threemonths of 2016 and transactions fell further inthe second quarter, an extreme example of con-cern among investors about the referendum. Onthe stock market, housebuilding firms were trad-ing sharply lower, with shares in Berkeley Group,Barratt Development, Taylor Wimpey andPersimmon all down more than 5 percent. There

were other signs of economic weakness onTuesday and the BOE said: “The current outlookfor UK financial stability is challenging.”

Business confidence fell sharply in the daysafter the vote to leave the EU, a survey showed,and retailer John Lewis said its sales grew moreslowly last week. Furthermore, Britain’s dominantservices industry grew at its slowest pace in threeyears in June, according to a survey conductedmostly before the referendum. The BoE said itwas closely monitoring investors’ willingness to

fund Britain’s large current account deficit afterthe shock outcome of the vote, as well as highlevels of household debt and the subdued globaleconomy. But there were also signs of calm. ABoE auction to provide banks with liquiditypassed without an increase in demand andBritain sold government bonds without any prob-lems. Carney said the fall in sterling should helpease the balance of payments shortfall but thepace of investment would also be important.

BREXIT RISKSThe BoE’s announcement on bank capital fol-

lowed an unusually explicit comment by Carneylast week that he believed the BoE would easemonetary policy soon too. “These measures arereally about Carney aligning the Bank ofEngland’s guns in case the UK economy enters adownturn,” Aberdeen Asset ManagementInvestment Manager James Athey said. “He’s notwaiting for anything bad to happen, but ratheracting in case it does.” The BoE told banks inMarch to increase the amount they hold againstcyclical upturns in the credit cycle.

Now, by putting the so-called counter-cyclicalcapital buffer back to zero until at least June2017, banks’ capital requirements will be easedby by 5.7 billion pounds, potentially freeing up anextra 150 billion pounds for lending.

The BoE also gave insurers more time to adjustto new EU capital rules to avoid pressuring them

to dump corporate bonds and avoid high capitalcharges as interest rates plunge.

The BoE said it would keep a close eye on thebuy-to-let mortgage sector, in case landlords sellas property prices fall, and on the rising numbersof vulnerable indebted households.

STERLING SINKS Sterling hit a fresh 31-year low against the dol-

lar yesterday, as investors worried about the eco-nomic and financial fallout of Britain’s vote toleave the European Union. The pound, the assetthat has borne the brunt of market concernsabout the economic impact of the vote, slid asmuch as 1.3 percent on Tuesday to hit $1.3112, itslowest since September 1985. That left it around12 percent below its levels before the June 23referendum.

Sterling did briefly inch higher after Bank ofEngland Governor Mark Carney, speaking follow-ing the publication of the Bank’s semi-annualFinancial Stability Report, said the fall in the cur-rency should help ease the balance of paymentsshortfall, but it then gave up those gains to tradedown 1.1 percent on the day by 1130 GMT at$1.3143. “One of the most striking things for us isthe fact that he (Carney) spoke quite openlyabout the need for sterling to adjust to act as astabiliser, and that its weakness was necessary...sothat was actually a positive spin,” said ING curren-cy strategist Viraj Patel. — Agencies

KHOBAR: Saudi petrochemicals producersare looking for mergers and acquisitions tosecure scale and raw materials as part of anefficiency drive to adjust their businesses tolower oil prices. The industry has developedsubstantially since the 1970s, fuelled bycheap gas feedstock provided by the Saudigovernment. Saudi Basic Industries Corp(SABIC), the kingdom’s biggest petchemsfirm, is the world’s fourth-largest by salesbehind German BASF and Bayer and US DowChemical.

But a government decision in Decemberto raise feedstock prices, has forced petchemfirms to reconsider their business models,already hit by lower product prices due tocheap crude. Saudi companies have alreadyinvested abroad with SABIC signing a coalto chemicals project in China. Another reac-tion has been consideration of potentialmergers and acquisitions. “We made a com-mitment at SABIC to improve our efficiencyto absorb the additional cost for the feed-stock and we will do that, but we still lookfor any other options that can positionSABIC competitively for investment throughacquisitions,” the company’s acting CEOYousef al-Benyan, told Reuters.

The acquisitions route could create anumber of benefits, including increasedscale for businesses to drive efficiencies,sourcing raw materials, and expanding intonew product ranges. Petrochemicals are the

second-largest contributor to Saudi’s econo-my at 7-10 percent of GDP and has thepotential to be a significant part of the king-dom’s Vision 2030 economic plan.

“The way forward is to crack naphtha orto grow outside, and me and everybody arelooking outside. By increasing gas prices,the opposite will happen, it is definitely notgoing to encourage investors to go furtherdownstream,” Mutlaq al-Morished, chiefexecutive of National Industrialization Co(Tasnee) said.

INEFFICIENCIESIt is the increase in feedstock prices that

has jolted the Saudi petchems industry intoaction, as previously they could enjoy muchimproved margins thanks to subsidies.Remove the subsidies-the Saudi governmenthas pledged to phase out “support” over thenext five years-and high-priced oil and Saudiis competing on a level playing field.

“What is alarming in the Saudi petro-chemical industry is its obsolete fixed assetsand inefficiency, where large numbers ofplants today are more than 20-30 years oldand do not match parameters of fuel con-sumption and need to be replaced,” saidMohammed Alomran, a member of theSaudi Economic Association. Most Saudipetchem firms are now undertaking restruc-turing programs to slash costs-Tasnee said ithas cut 2,000 jobs, while SABIC is reviewing

some of its investments. It could help toswitch to a more effective feedstock, but thisis being inhibited by Saudi’s shortage of gas.“I think the Saudi petchem industry is moreconstrained by new gas allocations than byprice,” said Sanjay Sharma vice President -Middle East and India at IHS ChemicalConsulting.

Aramco plans to double gas output in adecade but it is unclear just how much willgo to petrochemicals. One alternative isderiving petrochemicals directly from crudeoil, with Aramco and SABIC announcing thisweek they were study building an oil-to-chemicals (OTC) venture.

OTC will open up a number of new down-stream product lines to Saudi producers,which fits with the kingdom’s strategic goalsof creating more higher-value products. Butthe technology is still developmental andthere are question marks over how it wouldwork commercially, Sadad Al-Husseini, a for-mer top executive of Aramco, says.

Therefore, perhaps the most promisingshort-term solution would be to go downthe M&A route for more feedstock supply.Aramco has indicated it would seek opportu-nities in global upstream gas, while SABIChas said in May it would look to NorthAmerica for gas to fuel growth. However, it isunlikely to result in M&A within the Saudisector due to cumbersome rules on combin-ing listed companies. — Reuters

LONDON: “How much oil lies beneath thedesert sands of Saudi Arabia and how long willit last before running out?” is a question thathas intrigued and confounded oil experts forfive decades. The kingdom has proven reservesof 266 billion barrels according to governmentestimates submitted to the Organization of thePetroleum Exporting Countries (“AnnualStatistical Bulletin”, OPEC, 2015).

If these numbers are correct, Saudi Arabia’sreserves will last for another 70 years at theaverage production rate of 10.2 million barrelsper day reported for 2015. But there is wide-spread scepticism about the official estimates,which were abruptly raised without explana-tion from 170 billion barrels in 1987 to 260 bil-lion in 1989. Official reserves have remainedconstant every year since then at 260-265 bil-lion barrels, even as the country has consumedor exported another 94 billion barrels(“Statistical Review of World Energy”, BP, 2016).If the government data is accurate, the king-dom has managed the remarkable feat ofexactly replacing each produced barrel withnew discoveries or increased estimates of theamount recoverable from existing fields.

But most of the country’s giant and super-giant oil fields were discovered between 1936and 1970 and no comparable discoveries havebeen made since then. The implied increase inreserves must therefore come from enhancedestimates of the amount of oil recoverablefrom existing reservoirs.

The problem is that field-by-field produc-tion profiles and reserve estimates are statesecrets known by only a small group of insid-

ers, making it impossible to test or verify them.Analyzing Saudi reserves and trying to predictwhen the kingdom’s production will begin todecline has been a graveyard for the reputa-tion of professional oil analysts.

The kingdom is currently producing moreoil than ever before, defying predictions thatits output would peak and then fall (“Twilightin the desert”, Simmons, 2005).

RESERVE ESTIMATESThe oil industry employs a number of differ-

ent ways of classifying the amount of oil avail-able for future production. The broadest catego-ry is the total amount of original oil in place(OOIP) in the reservoir formation before produc-tion began. In the 1970s, there was broad agree-ment that the OOIP of Saudi Arabia’s discoveredoil fields was around 530 billion barrels. The esti-mate for original oil in place was reported to theUS Senate’s Subcommittee on InternationalEconomic Policy by executives for Arabian-American Oil Company (Aramco). Aramco wasthen jointly owned by four US oil companies(Exxon, Texaco, Socal and Mobil) as well as thegovernment of Saudi Arabia so its owners andexecutives could be required to testify.

The subcommittee report, now nearly 40 yearsold, contains some of the last detailed informationabout Saudi reserves in the public domain (“Thefuture of Saudi Arabian oil production”, U.S.Senate, 1979). But not all of the original oil in placecan be produced technically or profitably so mostanalysts focus on a series of narrower measureswhich look at the amount of technically and eco-nomically recoverable reserves. — Reuters

LONDON: Sterling hit a fresh 31-year lowagainst the dollar yesterday as investorsworried about the economic and financialfallout of Britain’s vote to leave theEuropean Union.

Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves: How big are they really?

Saudi petchem firms may seek M&A as part of efficiency drive

Page 22: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

HERSHEY, Pennsylvania: The town ofHershey, Pennsylvania, calls itself the “sweet-est place on earth.” But if chocolate giantHershey Co. considers any new acquisitionoffer in the coming weeks, it could face bit-ter opposition from some in its namesaketown, where residents have prospered fromits presence and tend to be fierce defendersof its independence.

The impact of such views goes beyondsentimental in the wake of MondelezInternational Inc’s $23 billion bid to buy thecompany, which Hershey said on June 30 ithad rejected. The town of Hershey, wherethe company’s staunchest loyalists arereferred to as “Hershey-ites”, has real influ-ence over corporate decisions.

The Hershey Trust, a $12 billion schoolcharity and the company’s controlling share-holder, has become increasingly involved inthe local community over the decades, andhas appeared to listen to its concerns in thepast. Pennsylvania’s attorney general, whosupervises the trust and can ask a court toblock any deal, holds an elected office and issensitive to local concerns, though the cur-rent office holder is not planning to seekreelection.

Pennsylvania law requires any charitabletrust to consider, when selling an asset, the“special relationship of the asset and its eco-nomic impact as a principal business enter-prise on the community” and the “specialvalue” of its ties to the community.

Since the company was founded byMilton Hershey 122 years ago, residents herehave fought many plans that would havechanged Hershey Co. and, in turn, a commu-nity built around one of the world’s mostfamous confectioners. Although the HersheyTrust rejected the bid by the maker of Oreoscookies, a spike in Hershey’s share priceabove the bid of $107 per share has indicatedinvestors expect a new offer.

Many in the rural town of around 14,000people voiced apprehension to Reutersabout a sale, despite apparent reassurancesfrom Mondelez.

The food and beverage multinationalhas offered to keep Hershey’s name, moveits headquarters to Hershey, and preservejobs, according to people familiar with thematter who declined to be identifiedbecause Mondelez has not disclosed detailsof the bid. Most residents declined to givetheir full names, citing local sensitivitiesaround discussing the firm, which employs4,800 people here.

“I don’t think they should sell the compa-ny,” said a 76-year-old woman who gave hername as G.C., as she guided visitors throughHershey’s Chocolate World, a sprawling candystore stocked with giant chocolate bars.“Hershey is Hershey. It should always beMilton Hershey. He did good for the commu-nity,” said the woman, who has worked atChocolate World for eight years.

“IT’S ALWAYS BEEN HERSHEY”A 3.5-hour train ride from New York,

Hershey stretches out across verdant fieldsbetween delectably named streets such asChocolate Avenue and Cocoa Avenue.Between well tended lawns and street lampsshaped like the popular Hershey’s KissesChocolate, Hershey is dotted with landmarksfrom a theatre to a cemetery that are tied tothe confectioner. Residents point to housesbuilt by Milton Hershey for his factory work-ers and extol the “Hershey legacy”, where asuccessful business looks after the people,the way Hershey did at the height of theGreat Depression in the 1930s by embarkingon a construction spree in town to createjobs. House prices and income levels inHershey are substantially higher compared toneighboring towns in Pennsylvania, accord-ing to government data. — Reuters

‘Sweetest’ town clings to Hershey, adding

to takeover hurdles

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.966Indian Rupees 4.492Pakistani Rupees 2.891Srilankan Rupees 2.069Nepali Rupees 2.815Singapore Dollar 225.470Hongkong Dollar 39.031Bangladesh Taka 3.860Philippine Peso 6.477Thai Baht 8.645

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.790Qatari Riyal 83.221ani Riyal 786.902Bahraini Dinar 804.570UAE Dirham 82.484

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 34.490Egyptian Pound - Transfer 31.542Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.216Tunisian Dinar 104.780Jordanian Dinar 427.470Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.019Syrian Lira 2.019Morocco Dirham 138.770

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 302.800Euro 341.860Sterling Pound 403.030

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.394078 0.409078Czech Korune 0.004410 0.016410Danish Krone 0.041163 0.046163Euro 0.0331045 0.0340045Norwegian Krone 0.032309 0.037509Romanian Leu 0.074407 0.074407Slovakia 0.009016 0.019016Swedish Krona 0.031770 0.036770Swiss Franc 0.304693 0.315693Turkish Lira 0.099759 0.110059

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.218787 0.230787New Zealand Dollar 0.211308 0.220808

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.229358 0.238358Georgina Lari 0.136668 0.136668US Dollars 0.298500 0.303200US Dollars Mint 0.299000 0.303200

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003387 0.003971Chinese Yuan 0.044104 0.047604

Hong Kong Dollar 0.036916 0.039666Indian Rupee 0.004334 0.004744Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002876 0.003056Kenyan Shilling 0.002986 0.002986Korean Won 0.000251 0.000266Malaysian Ringgit 0.072045 0.078045Nepalese Rupee 0.002853 0.003023Pakistan Rupee 0.002744 0.003034Philippine Peso 0.006412 0.006712Sierra Leone 0.000051 0.000057Singapore Dollar 0.218862 0.228862South African Rand 0.014607 0.023107Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001672 0.002252Taiwan 0.009257 0.009437Thai Baht 0.008302 0.008852

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.796083 0.804583Egyptian Pound 0.027064 0.032182Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000181 0.000241Jordanian Dinar 0.422943 0.431943Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000150 0.000250Moroccan Dirhams 0.019285 0.043285Nigerian Naira 0.001248 0.001883Omani Riyal 0.779554 0.785234Qatar Riyal 0.082305 0.083755Saudi Riyal 0.079607 0.080907Syrian Pound 0.001282 0.001502Tunisian Dinar 0.136075 0.144075Turkish Lira 0.099759 0.110059UAE Dirhams 0.080906 0.082606Yemeni Riyal 0.001367 0.001447

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 302.750Canadian Dollar 234.832Sterling Pound 402.409Euro 338.122Swiss Frank 295.856Bahrain Dinar 800.880UAE Dirhams 82.660Qatari Riyals 83.870Saudi Riyals 81.454Jordanian Dinar 426.816Egyptian Pound 33.996Sri Lankan Rupees 2.075Indian Rupees 4.504Pakistani Rupees 2.889Bangladesh Taka 3.856Philippines Pesso 6.462Cyprus pound 159.551Japanese Yen 3.948Syrian Pound 2.394Nepalese Rupees 3.801

Malaysian Ringgit 76.600Chinese Yuan Renminbi 45.873Thai Bhat 9.600Turkish Lira 104.496

Canadian dollar 236.190Turkish lira 104.780Swiss Franc 313.780Australian Dollar 228.920US Dollar Buying 301.600

GOLD20 Gram 271.45010 Gram 138.6405 Gram 70.170

LUANDA: A month ago, a 17 ton shipment ofbananas left Angola for Portugal in what state mediaheralded as a “first symbolic batch” in the resurgenceof a farming sector wiped out by civil war.

But that war ended 14 years ago and since thenAngola has overlooked agriculture, developinginstead an addiction to oil income and the imports itbuys. Now, with crude less than half its price of twoyears ago, the country appears to be grinding to ahalt. Africa’s top oil producer needs more than acontainer load of fruit to solve a financial and eco-nomic crisis - compounded by a public health crisis -that has laid bare the failings of the “diversification”mantra of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, its president forthe last 37 years.

Oil wealth turned Angola into sub-SaharanAfrica’s third-biggest economy and one of the conti-nent’s few “upper-middle income” states. Butbeyond the high-rises on the capital’s Dubai-stylecoastal promenade, the problems are plain to see.Cranes stand idle atop half-finished concrete officeblocks in Luanda while piles of rubbish lie uncollect-ed in the streets, a result of municipal budget cutsimposed this year to try to balance the books.

The squalor is a breeding ground for vermin, fliesand disease, and health experts say it is no coinci-dence that a yellow fever epidemic that started inDecember in one of Luanda’s vast slums has spreadacross the country and beyond, reaching evenChina.

“Luanda is dirty, disgusting,” said 58-year-oldbusinessman Antonio Bobbe, edging past a vagrantrummaging through a mound of trash. “The govern-ment doesn’t do anything. There’s no responsibility.You should see the rats. They’re huge.” On top of thefilth, a shortage of hard currency makes doing busi-ness tough for anyone but the well-connected. “Ifyou have friends, government friends, you can getdollars. If not, nothing,” said Bobbe. “We hope that

the situation changes, but at the moment there’s nolight at the end of the tunnel.”

“ANGOLA RISING” NO MOREBefore independence from Portugal in 1974,

Angola was a major exporter of fruit, coffee andsisal. Then two decades of conflict destroyed com-mercial agriculture and since peace returned in 2002problems ranging from uncleared mines in sugarplantations to uprooted rural workers have frustrat-ed efforts to revive it. While Angola has rebuilt animpressive infrastructure, getting any sort of pro-ductive industry off the ground has gone nowhereapart from the oil on which it relied to achievebreakneck economic growth.

It now churns out 1.8 million barrels a day fromits offshore fields and is China’s leading crude suppli-er. But those petro-dollars come at a price. Oilaccounts for 40 percent of GDP, 70 percent of gov-ernment revenues and 95 percent of foreignexchange income, leaving the nation of 25 millionpeople dangerously exposed to fluctuations inworld oil markets.

With crude languishing at $50 a barrel, downfrom over $100 in mid-2014, Angola is starved ofdollars. Growth has slowed to 3 percent - almost arecession in local terms - while the national currencyhas collapsed and inflation in a country that importsalmost everything hit an annual 29 percent in May.For dos Santos, a Soviet-trained oil engineer regard-ed as the pillar of post-war stability, the timing ofthe twin crises could not be worse. They have strucka year before an election and two years before whatthe 73-year-old president has said will be his retire-ment.

“The fragilities of the post-conflict state that dosSantos has built are being exposed,” said PaulaRoque, an Angola expert at Britain’s OxfordUniversity. “That whole rhetoric of ‘Angola Rising’ no

longer holds.” Desperate, the government swal-lowed its pride and sought help from the WorldHealth Organization against yellow fever but lastweek the International Monetary Fund said Luandahad ended talks about a broad financial rescuepackage. The government has not commented andfinance minister Armando Manuel did not respondto requests for an interview.

GOLDEN GOOSEBesides yellow fever, few indicators are as telling

as the kwanza currency, down more than 40 percentin the last year against the dollar at the official cen-tral bank rate. Available only to a lucky few individu-als and firms, the rate is of little consequence toordinary Angolans, who have to rely on a black mar-ket where the kwanza is worth as little as 570 to thedollar, less than a third its official value of 165.

“For people bringing in anything from the UnitedStates or South Africa it’s very difficult,” said 26-year-old Nadio Medina, who used to import used carsfrom South Africa. Now he sells eggs wholesale topavement burger stalls. In an unusually frank admis-sion last month, dos Santos admitted that bloatedstate oil company Sonangol, the central pillar of theeconomy and the source of nearly all its dollars, hadnot paid a cent into state coffers since January.

“Our country lives upon imports - imports forfood, for raw materials to national manufacturers,for industry, agriculture, construction,” he said. “Weneed to make other goods to export besides the oil.That is a strategic task.”

Yet looking past the rhetoric, the only thing likelyto change is Sonangol. Last month, dos Santosmade his 43-year-old daughter Isabel chief execu-tive, inviting cries of “supersonic nepotism” fromanti-graft website Maka Angola, a rare dissentingvoice in one of Africa’s most politically-closed states.

Last year, for instance, 17 members of a Luandabook club were jailed for reading a volumedescribed as a “blue-print for non-violent resistanceto repressive regimes”. Isabel dos Santos - said byForbes magazine to be Africa’s richest woman -insisted her appointment was everything to do withshaking up Sonangol and nothing to do with adynastic dos Santos succession plan, as her father’sopponents allege. “It’s not because of politics. I wasbrought into this project because of my experiencefrom the private business sector,” she told Reuters inan interview that laid out her central aim: to pro-duce more oil for less money.

Foreign oil firms Chevron and BP applauded herplans that include having Boston Consulting Groupand PriceWaterhouseCoopers as advisers and strip-ping out Sonangol’s real estate, banking and avia-tion units to focus on oil. To many, the overhaul isthe clearest sign yet that President dos Santos reallyis preparing for retirement but not necessarily tomake way for his daughter. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait, a member ofthe international Ooredoo Group,announced the ninth weekly winners ofits all new prepaid campaign “EveryRecharge Wins.” Seven of the winnerswere presented with the SamsungGalaxy mobile and 1 winner with theiPad Mini 3.

The winners of this week are: Darrell Castillo — Samsung Galaxy, Fawzia Jalali — Samsung Galaxy, Nand Sing — Samsung Galaxy, Mohammad Abdullah Hussain —Samsung GalaxyZiaul Miah —Samsung Galaxy, Iqbal Fars — Samsung Galaxy, Saud Salim Al-Ajami —SamsungGalaxy, Teyah Faraj —iPad Mini 3.

Ooredoo’s “Every Recharge Wins”campaign is the first of its kind, provid-ing customers with chances to enterdaily, weekly, and monthly draws, inaddition to a grand draw for each KD1recharge. Customers can win smartphones, tablets, cash prizes and a grandprize, which is the 2016 Toyota PradoV6. The more customers recharge theirlines, the more chances they get to win.

In addition to the draws, customers willalso be entitled to get free SMSs, inter-net, Nojoom points or minutes, instant-ly upon every recharge.

To take part in these draws and winone of the great prizes, customers

merely need to recharge their prepaidlines. The more the customers recharge,the more chances they have to win. Allwinners will be contacted directly andan announcement with the winners’names will be made.

Ooredoo’s operations in Kuwait dateback to December 1999 when itlaunched wireless services as the sec-ond operator. The company today pro-vides mobile, broadband internet andcorporate managed services tailored to

the needs of customers and businesses.Ooredoo is guided by its vision ofenriching people’s lives and its beliefthat it can stimulate human growth byleveraging communications to helppeople achieve their full potential.

Ooredoo announces winners of its prepaid campaign

Twin crises expose Angola’s failure to kick its oil habit

Push to broaden economy too little, too late

DUBAI: United Arab Bank (UAB), a United ArabEmirates-based lender, has secured a $150 mil-lion loan of two years duration, sources awareof the matter said yesterday.

The transaction is the latest loan raised by aregional bank as liquidity comes under pres-sure from lower oil prices and a weaker econo-my. UAB began a marketing period for the loanin May, saying at the time that the cash wouldbe used for general corporate purposes andprepayment of an existing syndicated facility.

Bahrain’s Bank ABC, Germany’s Commerzbankand UAE’s Emirates NBD arranged the deal,which was closed at the end of June, accordingto three sources aware of the matter.

Four additional banks joined the trans-action during the marketing phase, two ofthe sources said: Banco Popular Espanol ,Banka Kombetare Tregtare, CommercialBank of Qatar and Habib Bank. UAB didnot immediately respond to a request forcomment. — Reuters

UAE’s United Arab Bank signs $150m 2-yr loan

Page 23: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

BU S INE S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

BERLIN: Britain could be involved in a free trade dealwith the European Union after British EU membershipends via the European Economic Area (EEA), GermanAgriculture Minister Christian Schmidt said yesterday.

The free trade zone EEA could provide an optionto allow the multi-billion-euro food and farm tradebetween Britain and the EU to continue, Schmidttold Reuters. “We export a large amount to theUnited Kingdom and are well positioned there withour products,” Schmidt said. “That will naturally haveto be newly negotiated.” He added: “It cannot beexcluded that in some sectors there could be tariffand non-tariff trade barriers (after Brexit). It will also

not be the case that the internal market will betransferred 100 percent to a non-member country.”“But the concept European Economic Area offersitself, for example,” Schmidt said.

The EEA enables countries including Norway tohave free trade with the European Union. Germanysold 4.54 billion euros ($5.06 billion) of agriculturalproducts to Britain in 2015 including meat and grain,while German factories also supply much of Britain’scoffee and cocoa.

British whisky, cheddar and stilton cheese areprominent on German supermarket shelves. ButGermany’s trade with Britain is still a relatively small

part of Germany’s total 2015 agricultural exports of68.5 billion euros, he said. “We should use Brexit as anoccasion to review whether all regulations are reallynecessary in Europe’s complex agricultural structure,”Schmidt said. Meanwhile, a new EU aid package fordairy farmers likely to be announced on July 18 isexpected to include EU-wide measures to restrain milkproduction, Schmidt said.

“There is too much supply on the milk market,”Schmidt said. “We need volume discipline in milk pro-duction. EU aid will be coupled to a reduction of milkvolumes. But there will be no new quota.”

European dairy farmers have suffered a collapse in

milk prices as output rose after the end of restrictiveEU production quotas last year, while a Russian embar-go on EU food imports and weak Chinese dairyimports created a supply surplus.

The EU’s agriculture commissioner said onThursday that a new package of financial support forEuropean dairy farmers was being prepared but alsoruled out a return to restrictive production quotas. “Itis of central importance that the EU takes action joint-ly,” Schmidt said. “Different reactions from individualEU countries would distort the competitive situation.”

“The EU will lay down a framework which will thenbe completed nationally.” — Reuters

Free trade possible with UK: German farm minister

WASHINGTON: New orders for US factory goodsfell in May on weak demand for transportationand defense capital goods, but growing orderbacklogs and lean inventories suggested theworst of the manufacturing downturn was prob-ably over.

The Commerce Department said yesterdaynew orders for manufactured goods declined 1.0percent after two straight months of increases.May’s drop was in line with economists’ expecta-tions and followed a 1.8 percent increase inApril. The department also said orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft fell 0.4percent in May instead of the 0.7 percent dropreported last month. These so-called core capitalgoods are seen as a measure of business confi-dence and spending plans on equipment.

Core capital goods shipments, which are usedto calculate business equipment spending in thegross domestic product report, dropped 0.5 per-cent in May as reported last month.

US financial markets were little moved by thereport. Manufacturing, which accounts for about12 percent of the economy, has been squeezedby a strong dollar and weak global demand,which have undercut exports of factory goods,as well as efforts by businesses to reduce aninventory bloat.

The sector has also been hurt by spendingcuts by energy firms as they adjust to reducedprofits from cheaper oil. There are, however,signs the sector could be close to turning thecorner. The Institute for Supply Management(ISM) survey last Friday showed a gauge ofnational activity surged in June, with factoriesreporting strong increases in new orders, includ-ing exports, order backlogs and inventories.

But a stunning vote last month in Britain toleave the European Unions poses a risk to bothmanufacturing and the services sectors. A sur-vey by the ISM last week found that, while mostprocurement executives do not foresee majordisruptions, many were cautiously watching the

situation closely and believed the so-calledBrexit would hamper growth.

In May, orders for transportation equipmentfell 5.7 percent, despite a 0.8 percent increase indemand for motor vehicles and parts. Defensecapital goods orders tumbled 28.1 percent.

Orders for machinery, which have been hurtby weak demand in the energy and agriculturalsectors, gained 0.3 percent. Orders for electricalequipment, appliances and components slipped0.6 percent. Orders for computers and electronic

products were unchanged.Inventories of factory goods dipped 0.1 per-

cent, suggesting factories were making progressin reducing the inventory bloat. That could sup-port future production at factories. Inventorieshave declined in 12 of the last 13 months. Theinventories-to-shipments ratio was at 1.36 inMay, unchanged from April. Unfilled orders atfactories increased 0.2 percent after rising 0.6percent in April. They have increased in four ofthe last five months. — Reuters

US factory orders fall, but rising order backlogs help

CANTON: A technician works on a door assembly for a Nissan Altima on the line at the NissanCanton Vehicle Assembly Plant in Canton, Mississippi. The Commerce Department reported onUS factory orders for May yesterday. — AP

ATHENS: A woman walks past a placard reading ‘No to their Yes’ yesterday in Athensone year after the Greek referendum, where 62 percent of the population voted ‘No’to further austerity measures. — AFP

LONDON: Britain’s housing market hassteadied after some deal cancellationsimmediately after the country voted toleave the European Union, housebuilderPersimmon said yesterday.

Chief Executive Jeff Fairburn said it wastoo early to judge the impact of the June23 “Brexit” decision, but his company’sfocus on lower priced deals involving first-time buyers and first-time movers made itwell placed to cope with any turmoil.“There is some uncertainty among peopleabout what’s happened and that’s natural,but we’ve not seen that translate to any sig-nificant change in our trading,” he toldReuters. Britain’s top housebuilders, includ-ing Taylor Wimpey, Barratt and Berkeley aswell as Persimmon, saw a combined 8 bil-lion pounds ($11 billion) wiped off theirmarket value following the Brexit vote.

Although the stocks have seen somerecovery since, they are still trading belowtheir pre-referendum levels, with confi-dence rattled by the first suspension of aUK property fund since 2008, multiple ana-lyst downgrades of the sector and govern-ment warnings over a possible fall in houseprices. At 0900 GMT, Persimmon shareswere down 4.6 percent at 1,369 pence,despite the company posting a 12 percentrise in first-half revenue and saying it wason track to meet analysts’ consensus rev-

enue and profit forecasts for the full fiscalyear. Hargreaves Lansdown analyst LaithKhalaf said investors were likely to “pushthe sell button first, and ask questions later”until a clearer picture of the housing mar-ket emerged.

Retirement home builder McCarthy &Stone said last week uncertain market con-ditions could affect its ability to meet itsfull-year sales volume target, whileLondon-focused estate agent Foxtons saidits earnings could fall. Analysts saidPersimmon was in a good position to copewith any turbulence, with a strong landbank and forward orders of 1.36 billionpounds ($1.79 billion) as of June 30.

It also has a further 5.50 pounds pershare to return to investors under a previ-ously announced scheme running until2021, which Fairburn said remained ontrack. Liberum analyst Charlie Campbellwrote in a note that the company’s divi-dend yield should “at least” support itsshares. Persimmon said legal completionsrose 6 percent to 7,238 units in the sixmonths to June 30, adding it had “good lev-els” of sales in May and June.

When asked what the company woulddo if Brexit led to a recession, as someeconomists have warned, Fairburn said itcould stop buying land and instead con-serve cash. — Reuters

UK housing market steadies after dip

LONDON: Sales growth at British retailerJohn Lewis’s department store chainslowed in the week to July 2 - the week fol-lowing Britain’s vote to leave the EuropeanUnion. As the only British retailer to publishweekly sales data it provides the most up-to-date snapshot of shopping behaviourafter the June 23 referendum, though thedata is clouded by the impact of the sum-mer sale and year-on-year weather com-parisons. The employee-owned John LewisPartnership owns Britain’s biggest depart-ment store chain as well as the upmarketWaitrose supermarket chain.

The firm said yesterday that its depart-ment store sales in the last week were up2.1 percent on a year ago at 90.8 millionpounds ($119.3 million), having increased7.3 percent in the previous week when itstarted its summer sale a week earlier thanlast year. “Summer Clearance continued toattract customers into John Lewis (depart-ment store) shops and the cooler weatheralso played its part, with last week compet-ing with 35C temperatures during the sameweek in 2015,” the firm said, making no

mention of the referendum result in its briefcommentary. Waitrose sales fell 2.8 percenton a year ago over the week, having beendown 0.7 percent in the previous week.

John Lewis said a year on year decreasewas expected at Waitrose as the equivalentweek was one of the sunniest of 2015 andwas �also a time of �significant nationalmarketing activity. A survey published onThursday showed confidence amongBritish consumers fell sharply in the daysafter the referendum.

The YouGov/CEBR Consumer ConfidenceIndex, which measures people’s economicsentiment on a daily basis, slumped to itslowest level since May 2013, when Britain’seconomy was just starting to emerge fromits post-financial crisis sluggishness. WhileBritain’s FTSE 100 index of blue chip stockshas recovered from its post-Brexit slump,given a bias to overseas earners, UK-focusedstocks such as general retailers are still sig-nificantly down, reflecting the possibleimpact of the current economic and politicaluncertainty on consumer confidence andspending. — Reuters

UK retailer John Lewis’s sales growth slowed

CHICAGO: Plant employees drive 2011 Ford Explorer vehicles off the assembly line atFord’s Chicago Assembly Plant in Chicago. The US government is investigating complaintsfrom Ford Explorer owners who say they smelled exhaust gas inside their SUVs. — AP

ABUJA: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharihas replaced Oil Minister Emmanuel IbeKachikwu as group managing director of stateoil company NNPC as part of a wider board over-haul. Oil accounts for about 70 percent ofNigeria’ revenue, but the OPEC member hasbeen hit hard by a prolonged drop in crudeprices that has caused the deepest crisis inAfrica’s biggest economy for more than adecade. Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru, previouslygroup executive director for exploration andproduction, will take the reins from Kachikwu,who will remain on the board as chairman, thepresident’s spokesman said on Monday.

Buhari, elected last year, has accused the pre-vious administration of failing to save whencrude oil cost more than $100 a barrel. In 2013the central bank governor said that tens of bil-lions of dollars in oil revenue had failed to make

it into state coffers, which the company denied.Kachikwu was appointed minister of state for

oil last year, making him a junior minister, whileBuhari kept the petroleum minister portfolio forhimself in order to oversee energy sectorreforms. Baru’s previous roles at the state oilcompany included a six year stint, from 1993 to1999, as an executive at the National PetroleumInvestment Management Services (NAPIMS), anNNPC subsidiary, where he worked on gas-relat-ed projects. “President Buhari urges the newboard to ensure the successful delivery of themandate of NNPC and serve the nation byupholding the public trust placed on them inmanaging this critical national asset,” saidBuhari’s spokesman Femi Adesina.

The president’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari, joinsthe new board, which replaces the one dissolvedby Buhari in June last year. “Reconstituting the

board appears to be an attempt to adopt a dif-ferent approach with a sense of proper oversightand accountability,” said Antony Goldman, headof Nigeria-focused PM Consulting. “The issue inthe past has been that NNPC has been involvedin deals that benefited certain individuals butnot Nigeria as a whole,” he added. Kachikwu, aformer Exxon Mobil executive, was brought in byBuhari as head of NNPC last August and wasnamed as minister of state for oil when his cabi-net was appointed a few months later.

Rolake Akinkugbe, head of energy and natu-ral resources at FBN Capital, said there was“always a question around how you could havethe head of the national oil company who wasalso the oil minister”. “Being moved to chairman,where he will not be involved in day-to-dayoperations but retains strategic input, helps toresolve that issue,” she said. — Reuters

Nigeria oil minister replaced as state oil company boss

UBS told to handclient info toFrench taxman

ZURICH: Swiss banking giant UBS said yesterday it hadbeen ordered to hand over client information to the Frenchtax authorities, amid allegations it orchestrated a vast sys-tem of tax fraud in France.

UBS said the Swiss federal tax administration (FTA) haddemanded that it provide information about former andcurrent clients living in France, based on data from 2006 to2008, following a French request for international adminis-trative assistance. “Pursuant to the disclosure order, UBS isrequired to produce the requested information to the FTA,”the bank said in a statement, adding though that it had“expressed its concerns to the FTA that the legal groundsfor this request are ambiguous at best”.

UBS said that it had taken measures to inform affectedclients, but stressed that many of the accounts affected bythe French request have been closed.

The bank said the French request was based on datareceived from the Germany authorities, who have previ-ously conducted a range of tax probes involving Swissbanks. “Certain data related to UBS clients booked inSwitzerland was seized during these investigations andalso apparently shared with other European countries,” UBSsaid, adding that it “expects other countries to file similarrequests.” Yesterday’s announcement came after Frenchfinance prosecutors last week asked for UBS to face trial forallegedly orchestrating a vast system of tax fraud in France,according to a legal source.

France opened a probe into UBS after former employeesblew the whistle over the bank’s alleged system of settingup dual accounts to hide the movement of capital intoSwitzerland between 2004 and 2012.

UBS denies the accusations, arguing that its involve-ment in such financial operations has not been proven.Meanwhile, the documents Germany handed to Frenchjudges last year allowed them to evaluate the assets ofFrench clients held by the bank in 2008 at nearly 12 billioneuros ($13.5 billion), according to a source close to theinvestigation. However not all involved tax evasion. UBShas been embroiled in a whole series of similar cases, mostnotably in the United States where the authorities said thebank used Switzerland’s banking secrecy laws to help richclients avoid the taxman. — Reuters

Employees work in the new mineral water bottling plant for Nestle Vera Naturealocated in Castrocielo, central Italy yesterday. The factory will be a new model forfuture development of the entire mineral water industry, with a potential of produc-tion of 220 million liters of water during the first year. — AFP

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

B U S I N E S S

Global growth is now expected at 3percent in 2016, versus 3.4 percent atbeginning of the year. The decision of

the UK to leave the EU has thrown a curve-ball to the commodity space. In our view,the UK is too small to matter for global rawmaterial markets, as such. Yet, global uncer-tainty created by the Brexit vote may dam-age economies outside Britain. The collater-al impact from that is much more of a con-cern. To that point, our global economicsteam has reduced GDP growth forecasts fora range of countries. Working these figuresthrough our global copper demand growthmodel suggests that metals offtake shouldexpand at a slower pace in 2016/17.

Our copper demand model factors incontinued subdued ac t iv ity. We havereduced expected copper demand growth,working weaker GDP expansion figures intoour models.

We will follow a handful of indicators toevaluate how severe of an impact Brexit hason the commodity space in the comingmonths. Confidence, which has often beenclosely correlated with copper quotations, isone of those variables.

Confidence may take a hit, which would bean issue. Copper prices have been correlatedto global trade cyclical commodities.

The vote of discontent Beyond the cyclical headwinds to growth,

we are also increasingly concerned aboutstructural impediments, a point we had madein a recent gold note (see Global MetalsWeekly: Era of uncertainty, weak growth andgold 17 June 2016).

In essence, wealth distribution, immigra-tion and sovereignty have been contentiousissues in various countries, largely reflectingthe discontent of the population with theincrease of globalization seen in recentdecades. Linked to that, populism has oftenbeen an obstacle to put measures in placethat would tackle lacklustre economic growth.

Brent and WTI crude oil OPEC’s output potential freeze, a strong

driving season, easy money, and falling USshale output should push WTI prices to $47 byJune. With Saudi domestic demand surging350 k b/d from winter to summer, exports maydrop by a similar amount by July. As Saudi nolonger tempers seasonal price swings, lowerdemand and refinery turnarounds may pushoil back down to $39 by September.

Past maintenance, and assuming a normalwinter, we see WTI rebounding to $54 by year-end. Prepare for a W-shaped recovery in oil.We project non-OPEC supply to contract by

900 kb/d in 2016, compared with an average20-year expansion of 710 thousand b/d.

Light-heavy oil spreads may widen on aforward basis as light crude output declinesrelative to heavy over the next 18 months. Thechange in the crude oil slate comes from acontraction in light non-OPEC supply againstan expansion of OPEC medium-heavy barrels.

The current forward oil price structure hasfallen too far to enable a medium term bal-ance in supply and demand. Oil prices needto average $55-$75/bbl so non-OPEC outputcan re-attain 2015 levels by 2020 and preventa huge shortfall. We estimate global oildemand will increase by 1.2 mn b/d perannum over five years at $55-$75, and by 1.7mn b/d at $30/bbl.

Cyclical commodities The mined commodities have rallied

sharply YTD, reinforcing our view that funda-mentals have started to stabilize. Recentupside was driven by a confluence of factors,including signs that the global economy hasbeen strengthening.

This also highlights that our business-cyclemodel has transitioned from downturn to therecession and into the recovery stage, which isusually the most bullish period for the metals.

Of course, this is also a reason that copperprices rallied the most in almost a decade aswe moved toward the end of 2Q16. This per-formance is even more remarkable whenkeeping in mind the Brexit vote on 23 June.

China a mixed story Unsettling as Brexit may be, the stabiliza-

tion of commodity fundamentals was heavilyinfluenced by a U-turn from China’s govern-ment, which has implemented another roundof monetary and fiscal stimulus after crackingdown on the economy ruthlessly in 2014/15.The effectiveness of these shows that activityin the housing sector and investment by thegrid have recovered. Charts show the implica-tions for metals demand, which both modelssuggest has expanded at a rate of just under10 percent YoY YTD.

Steady underlying Digging a bit deeper, steadier economic

activity in China has so far not taken copperout of recent ranges because the domesticphysical market was well supplied after recordshipments in 4Q15 and 1Q16; of course, tradehas now fallen to levels that are consistentwith the shortages implied by our annual sup-ply and demand model, suggesting furtherlarge declines in copper trade would beunusual.

This looks at this from a slightly differentangle, showing that prices on the ShanghaiFutures Exchange underperformed quotationson the London Metals Exchange.

The weakness of copper fundamentals inChina was also mirrored by physical premia1,

which fell for the past six months. Yet, the dataalso show that the physical market has beenstabilizing at low levels. In our view, this is par-tially due to persistent declines of Chinesecopper stocks in recent months (bondedwarehouses still hold around 600kt of copper),implying more limited scope for furtheraggressive inventory draws. Indeed, a gradualnormalization of stock levels has always beena key driver of our view that copper could per-form better in the second half of the year.

Against this backdrop, it is worth notingthat the government has continued support-ing the economy, notwithstanding concerns

that the stimulus may start to fade into thesecond half. This is, to some extent, also mir-rored by Chart 17, which shows that grosslocal government bond issuance hasremained elevated. Of course, part of this isdriven by debt-to-bond swaps. This programis aimed at shifting CNY15tn of debt into thecredit market over a period of three years. Inour view, it helps to reduce the debt burdenat least temporarily, in turn, limiting down-side risks to the economy.

Physical premia have to be paid on top ofthe quoted LME price; they can include itemssuch as transportation cost and insurance.However, they are also an indicator for thetightness of regional markets.

Currency is problematic Changing tack slightly, we acknowledge

that not all is hunky dory in China and wetrack various developments, including cur-rency movements, closely, especially afterauthorities have resumed fixing the CNYlower. A falling Chinese currency tended tobe bearish for commodities, as Chart 18shows, with the dynamic playing outthrough two transmission channels:

Imports: China is a critical buyer of com-modities, including copper, on internationalmarkets. As such, a decline in the CNY affectspurchasing power, which, in the past, oftenpushed equilibrium prices lower.

Exports: China has overcapacities for rawmaterials, including aluminium and steel. Aweaker CNY increases the competitivenessof Chinese producers, enabling them to shipmore metal abroad.

Having said that, it is worth noting thatcopper fell during periods of both apprecia-tion and depreciation in recent years, sug-gesting the linkage between FX and com-modity markets is somewhat tenuous, atbest. In fact, we believe that the multi-yearcopper bear market was caused by a struc-tural slowdown of demand in China, accom-panied by a stronger CNY. Meanwhile, thegovernment often weakened the exchangerate during periods of economic distress,leading to a coincidental movementbetween copper and the Chinese currency.

Against this backdrop, we believe thegovernment is now pushing the CNY to anew market equilibrium level, ie, the devalu-ations may not necessarily be a reflection ofthe authorit ies del iberately shif t ingexchange rates as a policy tool to managethe economy. Hence, the dynamics of thecurrency market may, to some extent, havechanged. To that point, copper rallied 6 per-cent in June, even though the CNY fell by 7percent, which reduces our immediate con-cerns over the Chinese currency.

Scrap market remains tight Looking at the supply side, we outlined in

a recent note that mine supply losses YTDhave been in line with our 6 percent disrup-tion allowance for the entire year. Disruptionsto that tune would lead to a roughly bal-anced refined market for the full year.

Copper supply at a crossroads The data highlights that scrap usage,

measured as a percentage of the global cop-per market, has declined. This dynamic isnot unusual in bear markets, as low pricesoften reduce the incentive to ship scrap intothe market; in addition, subdued manufac-turing activity also caps scrap generation.

Tighter scrap markets in the World ex-China which highlights that scrap discounts(scrap is priced with a discount to refinedmetal) have been particularly low in Europe.Meanwhile, looking at China, it may suggest

that scrap discounts there have been trend-ing higher. We believe this is partially influ-enced by increased scrap generation as thecountry’s metals market has matured.

Of course, this is one reason that refinedcopper output has been running above thelevels seen in 2015 and a critical impedi-ment to sustained rallies. Putting it togeth-er, beyond the tactical price strength in 2Hand factoring in also the cyclical head-winds, we maintain our cautious view for2017, with prices likely averaging $4,747/t(215c/lb).

Brexit and the collateral damage BLOOMBERG-BOFA MERRILL LYNCH GLOBAL RESEARCH

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B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

LONDON: World stocks extended losses yester-day and a week-long rally in Asia finally came toan end with traders cashing in profits whilekeeping a nervous eye on a brewing crisis inItaly’s banking industry. Shares worldwide hadpushed higher since last week after a string ofmajor central banks promised they would shoreup financial markets to protect them against anynegative fallout from Britain’s decision to leavethe European Union.

There were also hopes one of the EU’s biggesteconomies breaking away might not be aspainful for global markets as initially assumed.But as Europe mostly posted losses for a secondstraight day, and Asia’s rally ended, investors saidjitters were back.

“After share price rises last week and profit-taking yesterday, caution will reign in Europeanactivity today,” analysts at Germany’s Postbanksaid. All eyes are now on remarks by Bank ofEngland governor Mark Carney, expected laterTuesday. Germany’s DAX index and the CACboth lost ground in early business, whileLondon’s FTSE 100 managed to remain steady.But the pound was back under pressure, buying$1.3117 and hovering only a touch above its 31-year lows touched last week.

Non-European financial business still provid-ed support, noted David Croy, a senior ratesstrategist in Wellington at ANZ Bank NewZealand. “But it doesn’t alter the fact that cautionon behalf of central banks, the forthcomingBrexit negotiations with the EU and the wave ofelections in Europe next year have raised politi-cal risk in Europe,” he said. Tokyo finished 0.7 per-cent lower, while Seoul dipped 0.3 percent andHong Kong fell 1.5 percent, although Shanghairose 0.6 percent.

Sydney sank one percent with Australia look-ing set for a hung parliament after weekendelections threw up no clear winner.

Italian bank woes The financial sector remained under pressure

Tuesday after a warning from the EuropeanCentral Bank that Italy’s number-three lenderBanca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world’s old-est bank, had dangerously high levels of baddebt. The Italian banking system is emerging asa big worry for investors, compounding prob-lems after Britain’s decision to leave the EU, withstress test results on the continent’s lenders dueon July 29. Italy’s banks are expected to showcapital shortfalls.

BMPS shares, quoted in Milan, saw anotherbad day after record lows Monday, falling by afurther almost ten percent.

Asian markets mostly fell yesterday as aweek-long rally finally came to an end with

traders cashing in profits while keeping a nerv-ous eye on a brewing crisis in Italy’s bankingindustry. Shares worldwide have pushed highersince last week after a string of major centralbanks promised they would shore up financialmarkets to protect them against any negativeeffects from Britain’s decision to leave theEuropean Union.

There were also hopes one of the EU’s biggesteconomies breaking away might not be aspainful for global markets as initially assumed.However, analysts said that with so many uncer-tainties surrounding the future of the country aswell as ongoing weaknesses around the world,the rally had run out of steam.

“The market’s love affair with yield and all-things-not-Europe remains supportive,” saidDavid Croy, a senior rates strategist in Wellingtonat ANZ Bank New Zealand. “But it doesn’t alterthe fact that caution on behalf of central banks,the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with the EUand the wave of elections in Europe next yearhave raised political risk in Europe.”

Tokyo finished 0.7 percent lower, while Seouldipped 0.3 percent and Hong Kong fell 1.5 per-cent, although Shanghai rose 0.6 percent.

Sydney sank one percent with Australia look-ing set for a hung parliament after weekendelections threw up no clear winner. Standard &Poor’s has warned the country’s top-notch AAArating could be in danger if whoever wins officecannot improve budget balances.

Futures lowerUS stock index futures were lower yesterday,

tracking a decline in oil prices, as investors shiftedtheir attention to global growth worries post Brexit.

* Data from China showed that the country’sservices sector activity rose to an 11-month highin June, but a composite measure of activityincluding manufacturing fell to its lowest in fourmonths.

* Oil prices fell more than 2 percent as apotential economic slowdown weighed onprospects of demand.

* Britain’s vote to leave the European Unionlate last month sent global markets into a tizzyas investors worried of its consequences.

* The Bank of England said the outlook forUK’s financial stability post-Brexit was “challeng-ing” and reversed its March decision to increasethe amount of capital that banks must holdagainst upturns in the credit cycle.

* Wall Street closed down higher for thefourth day on Friday as investor sentiment wasbuoyed by strong manufacturing data.

* The Commerce Department will release areport that is expected to show that new ordersfor manufacturing goods fell by 1 percent inMay, compared to 1.9 percent in April. The datais expected at 10:00 am ET.

* While traders do not expect the US FederalReserve Bank to raise interest rates this year, theywill keenly watch policymakers’ comments onwhat the Fed’s next step would be. —Agencies

LONDON: Oil fell below $49 a barrel yester-day, pressured by concerns that a potentialslowdown in economic growth could sapdemand and by persistent signs of abundantsupply despite another militant attack onNigeria’s oil industry. Worries about the eco-nomic impact of leaving the European Unionhit Britain’s property market and drove thepound to a 31-year low. A flurry of data fromChina in the coming weeks is expected toshow weakness in trade and investment.

Brent crude was down $1.19 at $48.91 abarrel at 1309 GMT. The global benchmarkis still up more than 80 percent from a 12-year low close to $27 reached in January.US crude was down $1.35 at $47.64 a bar-rel. “Asia has been relatively weak andChina is not providing much support,” saidOlivier Jakob, oil analyst at Petromatrix,who also said weak refined products werepressuring crude.“Without the support ofthe products and with a structure in crudeoil that is weakening, it is difficult to thinkthat crude can break away to the upside.”

British bank Barclays said concern overthe global economy was weighing. “Thedeterioration in the global economic out-

look, financial market uncertainty and rip-ple effects on key areas of oil demandgrowth are likely to exacerbate already-lacklustre industrial demand growthtrends,” the bank said in a report.

Oil has gained support this year from theperception that a supply glut that hashalved oil prices in the last two years may beeasing, and from unplanned outages fromCanada to Nigeria. But signs of ample sup-ply of crude and products persist. A partialrecovery in Nigeria contributed to a rise inOPEC crude production last month, aReuters survey found last week. Severaltankers carrying gasoline-making compo-nents have dropped anchor off New Yorkharbour, unable to discharge as onshoretanks are full. In Libya, where oil output hasslowed to a trickle due to conflict, theNational Oil Corporation has agreed tomerge with its domestic rival, raising hopesthe OPEC country could start to pump more.

“Further downward price pressure isexpected as signs of an oversupplied glob-al market refuse to go away,” said oil brokerPVM, adding that “macroeconomic risk”was scaring buyers away. — Reuters

LONDON: Gold slipped below $1,350 anounce yesterday after the previous day’s rallytowards a recent two-year high ran out ofsteam, though prices were supported by con-tinued uncertainty following Britain’s vote toleave the European Union. The Brexit votesent gold to its highest since early 2014 onJune 24. While concerns about global growthand monetary policy continued to supportgold it has failed to match that since.

Spot gold was down 0.2 percent at$1,347.90 an ounce at 1330 GMT. “There issome profit taking coming in,” Mitsubishi ana-lyst Jonathan Butler said. “We’ve seen grosslong positions in gold reach record highs andclearly many investors are in a position totake profit. We’re some $100 above where wewere in the middle of last month.”

Elevated risk aversion will likely continueto support gold prices, however, he said.European shares fell 1.4 percent as nervousinvestors cashed in gains after a four-day win-ning streak ended on Monday, despite hopesof increased central bank stimulus to offset alikely downturn triggered by Brexit.

The Japanese yen rose almost 1 percentagainst the euro and dollar while sterling hitits lowest since the aftermath of the Brexit

vote. “The market is extremely nervous,” saidAfshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS. “That’swhy gold and silver are benefiting.”

US gold futures for August delivery wereup $11.80 an ounce at $1,350.80. US marketswere closed on Monday for theIndependence Day holiday. Silver was 2.4 per-cent lower at $19.80 an ounce, havingjumped above $21 an ounce for the first timein two years in the previous session.

It posted its biggest weekly gain in nearlythree years following the Brexit referendum,hitting its most expensive relative to goldsince September 2014. “Silver had soared bynearly 19 percent at its peak since the begin-ning of last week without there having beenany news to justify such a pronounced pricerise,” Commerzbank said in a note. “Evidentlyspeculative financial investors played a majorpart in the price increase.”

“In our opinion, there is now considerablecorrection potential from this side. If the ‘hotair’ were to dissipate, the silver price couldcome under more significant pressure.”Platinum was up 0.1 percent at $1,066 anounce, while palladium, which had fallenmore than 4 percent earlier, was down 1.6percent at $603.90. — Reuters

Oil falls below $49 on economic jitters

Gold slips back below $1,350 as investors cash in gains

World stocks slide as post-Brexit rally fades

TOKYO: A man is reflected on the electronic board of a securities firm in Tokyo. Asian markets most-ly fell yesterday as a week-long rally finally came to an end with traders cashing in profits. — AP

We were in Poland and Hungary last week. Themood in Warsaw was more constructive, andinvestors walked away with better feelings

but with high doubts still, likely accentuated by OFEreform plans announced this week. A day in Budapestleft us with still many questions about the NBH’s con-straints in hiking cycles.

But, given the global outlook, we think the central bankis unlikely to face a big challenge any time soon. InArgentina, the statistics agency released new GDP statisticsfor 2004-15 including large revisions, downward for realGDP and upward for the deflator. Growth was lowered by 1percent annual average in 2004-14, more in line with pri-vate estimates. Nominal GDP is up to $ 620bn in 2015 dueto the higher deflator. The economy officially entered arecession in 16Q1. We forecast a 0.9 percent GDP contrac-tion in 2016 and a 3.1 percent expansion in 2017.

In Brazil, the trade balance posted a $4.0 billion sur-plus in June (vs a $6.4bn in May, according to theMinistry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade(MDIC). This is in line with our expectation and belowthe market’s at $4.2bn.

In Colombia, according to the National StatisticalInstitute (DANE), the economic activity index (ISE)increased 0.6 percent yoy in April, seasonally adjusted,from 3.3 percent yoy in March and 3.0 percent yoy inApril 2015. Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Amergave a long interview to the local press over the week-end, voicing some strong opinions regarding EGP. Hecalled defending EGP a ‘big mistake’ and said that theauthorities had ‘two choices: either keep the poundstable or get factories working.’ He added that he willtake what he thinks are, in his view, the ‘right decisions’and ‘bear the responsibility.’

In Mexico, the Banxico survey is out. Consensusexpects headline inflation at 3.10 percent for year-end2016 and 3.39 percent for 2017 (vs 3.09 percent and3.37 percent in past survey) (BofA: 3.3 and 3.4 percent,respectively). In Nigeria: According to local press, theCBN is planning the dissolution of the board and man-agement of Skye Bank and to partially take it over.

In Turkey, June headline CPI stood at 7.64 percentyoy (0.47 percent mom), up from 6.6 percent in the pre-vious month, below our (7.9 percent) expectations butabove consensus (7.0 percent). Core inflation remainedelevated, easing only marginally to 8.67 percent, from8.7 percent in the previous month. Trading ideas andinvestment strategies discussed herein may give rise tosignificant risk and are not suitable for all investors.Investors should have experience in FX markets andthe financial resources to absorb any losses arisingfrom applying these ideas or strategies. BofA MerrillLynch does and seeks to do business with issuers cov-ered in its research reports. As a result, investors shouldbe aware that the firm may have a conflict of interestthat could affect the objectivity of this report.

Better mood in WarsawLocals appeared more constructive, and fixed

income investors walked away with better feelings butstill in high doubts. These are the impressions after ourresearch trip to Warsaw last week.

The worst case of full nationalization of the secondpillar private pension funds (OFE) is ruled out, while weview the authorities’ plans to boost long-term savings

constructively. But high uncertainty on the final out-come of OFE reform and frequent policy changes byPiS could keep the markets nervous, negative for equi-ties, and cautious to neutral for FX and local bonds.

Fiscal: Kicking the can down the road There is more evidence that the authorities are tak-

ing it more slowly on the remaining big-ticket electionpromises so as not to threaten the 3 percent of GDPbudget deficit threshold. This commitment seems tohave been strengthened by the external pressuresfrom rating agencies and, most recently, Brexit risks.

Tax free allowance hike will not be implemented in2017, and is envisaged to be part of a tax unificationproject, combining personal income tax and the healthand social security charges. A simple increase inallowance from PLN3,091 to PLN8,000 to all individualswould bring an annual cost of PLN20bn (1.1 percent ofGDP). But the Finance Ministry expects the tax unifica-tion plans to be budget neutral, with low-income work-

ers seeing their tax burden lower, and high incomeworkers seeing a rise in the overall burden.

A retirement age cut is still to be decided this week,with a strong push from the Finance Ministry to condi-tion pensions on a minimum number of years worked.If FinMin’s version is approved, the costs would behalved in the first year from PLN8.6bn. Officials are alsopointing to implementation from only mid-2017, oreven 2018.

CHF loansThe recent PLN depreciation has led to even more

pressure on President Andrzej Duda to submit a formalconversion proposal, but at the same time the fragilemarket sentiment post Brexit calls for high caution. ThePresident’s office is considering options to make con-version automatic unless borrowers ask for exemption,and envisaging returns FX spreads at a cost of PLN15bnfor banks. They also favour ‘fair’ exchange rates so thatCHF borrowers are not favored versus PLN-loan holders.But as of now there are no credible estimates of totalcosts, which in our view makes it less likely for a govern-ment endorsement any time soon. This is confirmed bycomments from Minister Henryk Kowalczyk that he

would be afraid to pass any CHF bill without a goodknowledge of the costs involved. We continue to see nostrong appetite from the government to push for aquick solution or high burden for banks. To our knowl-edge, there has been no official engagement betweenthe government and Duda’s office on this issue. Therange of costs estimates so far (PLN30-60bn) seems tooexcessive versus the banking sector’s net profit ofPLN13.5bn in 2015. Any loss making bank could applyto be exempted from corporate and bank tax. Given thetight fiscal space in 2017, the Finance Ministry is likelyvery sensitive to any losses in revenues, and thus willlikely advocate a cautious approach on CHF loan plans.Deputy PM and Economy Minister Mateusz Morawieckipresented on Monday proposals to strengthen long-term private savings in Poland. The plans envisage amerger of 75 percent of the second pillar (OFE) and thethird pillar (IKE), and the remaining 25 percent of OFE togo back to the state. The Economy Ministry also plansvarious incentives to encourage long-term savings in

the private pillar going forward. The aim is to have thenew private pension system from January 2018. ButMorawiecki also noted that this is a draft of ideas andmore discussions with different ministries and socialpartners will be carried out.

75 percent of OFE assets, which are currently invest-ed in Polish equities (PLN103bn), will be merged withthe purely voluntary third pillar IKE for each individual’saccount. One can eventually decide on which privatemanagers they want to oversee their pension savings.But for the first two years, the Polish DevelopmentFund (PFR) will be in charge to build up the systembefore releasing it private managers.

25 percent of OFE assets, which are mainly in cashand foreign investments (PLN35bn), will be transferredto the Demographic Reserve Fund (FRD). This wouldcut public debt by around 2pp of GDP, and have noimpact on the budget. New initiatives for pension sav-ings: Employees will be automatically enrolled in a newcontribution scheme, 2-4 percent of income with theoption to opt out within three months. Employers candeclare 2-3 percent contribution, with a compulsoryminimum of 2 percent, of which the state subsidizes0.5pp. Each employee will also receive a welcome

bonus of PLN250. The fiscal cost is around 0.1 percentof GDP pa, assuming 5.5m people joins out of 7.3memployees.

Argentina: Back to $600bn The statistics agency Indec released new GDP statis-

tics for 2004-15 including large revisions, downward forreal GDP and upward for the deflator. Growth was low-ered by 1 percent annual average in 2004-14, more inline with private estimates, increasing the credibility ofthe statistics. Nominal GDP is up to $ 620bn in 2015 asthe higher deflator more than offset the lower real GDP.The economy officially entered a recession in 16Q1. Weforecast a 0.9 percent GDP contraction in 2016 and a3.1 percent expansion in 2017.

Revised statistics confirmed the suspicions suggest-ed by private estimates. Argentina economy growth in2004-2015 was much slower than previously reportedduring the Kirchners’ government.

The most important revisions for 2004-15 are:

1) 2014 Real GDP level is down 19.3 percent due to9.5 percent lower 2004 GDP (base year) and lowercumulative growth in 2004-2014 (45.1 percent insteadof 62.9 percent).

2) 2014 deflator revised up 29.6 percent, surprisingon the upside, as a result of the 36.5 percent increase inthe private consumption deflator, consistent with welldocumented CPI inflation underreporting.

3) 2014 nominal GDP is 4.1 percent up: as the high-er deflator more than offset lower real GDP.

4) Negative growth revisions started in 2007 andwere substantial for some years: 2009 (-6.0 percent vs0.1 percent), 2012 (-1.1 percent vs 0.8 percent) and2014 (-2.6 percent vs 0.5 percent). See Chart 1. In con-trast, 2015 growth was revised up to 2.4 percent from2.1 percent.

The revisions were more extreme than we expectedwith a larger downward real revision and upward defla-tor revisions. After these changes, 2015 nominal GDP isup 12.9 percent (measured in USD, up from $550bn to$620bn) compared to our previous estimates, whichwould significantly reduce standard ratios to GDP suchas primary deficit. Note that while GDP numbers wererevised, 2004 remains the base year.

Global economy: Unsettling feelings Bank of Merrill Lynch Report

Page 26: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

KUWAIT: Philips announced the launchof its new 5-year sustainability program,‘Healthy people, sustainable planet’, dur-ing a webinar hosted by the company’sCEO Frans van Houten. This new pro-gram builds on Philips’ objective toimprove the lives of three billion peoplea year in 2025 [1] by making the worldhealthier and more sustainable throughinnovation. The program objectives arebased on three pillars: creating value forPhilips’ customers through sustainablesolutions, leading by example in its sus-

tainable operations, and multiplying itsimpact by driving sustainability throughits supply chain.

The program builds on the success ofEcoVision, Philips’ sustainabilityapproach that spanned the years 1994to 2015. In 2015, Philips was recognizedas a world leader for corporate action onclimate change, achieving a perfectscore in the CDP Climate Change surveyfor the third year in a row, and beingnamed industry leader in the ‘IndustrialConglomerates’ category in the Dow

Jones Sustainability Index.Important targets set in the new pro-

gram for 2020 include:* 70 percent of turnover from green

revenues and 15% from circular revenues * Carbon-neutral operations, 100 per-

cent renewable electricity* Enhanced supplier sustainability to

deliver structural improvements“I am extremely proud to share the

‘Healthy people, sustainable planet’ pro-gram,” said Frans van Houten. “At Philips,we fully embrace sustainability, because

of its benefits for society, and becausewe believe that it is a driver for economicgrowth. That’s why sustainability is anintegral part of our company strategy.Our new program reflects our commit-ment to the universally agreed UnitedNation’s Sustainable Development Goals,especially those to ensure healthy livesand promote well-being for all at allages, and to ensure sustainable con-sumption and production patterns. Wehave set ambitious targets for our inno-vations, products, solutions, operations

and the business partners we work with,to meet those objectives.” Further detailson the ‘Healthy people, sustainable plan-et’ program can be found here.

Market intelligence and statisticaldata are used for the number of peopletouched by our solutions that contributeto a healthy life or a sustainable planet.The average time these solutions areused is then multiplied by the number ofsolutions delivered in a year. After elimi-nation of double counts, this results inthe number of lives improved.

Philips launches new sustainability program 2016-2020 ‘Healthy people, sustainable planet’

KUWAIT: Ooredoo companies have organised aseries of charitable and community initiatives insupport of the spirit of the Holy Month ofRamadan across the Middle East, North Africaand Southeast Asia this June.

The diverse range of campaigns and initia-tives shared the core theme of building closer

connections, between communities andbetween people and their faith. This key themewas highlighted by Ooredoo’s “CloserConnections” Ramadan TVC, which has beenseen by more than 4.3 million people on globalvideo-sharing website YouTube.

Ooredoo’s Ramadan TVC was the first shortfilm created through collaboration betweenOoredoo Group, Ooredoo Qatar, OoredooKuwait and Ooredoo Oman. Featuring inspira-tional people from the three countries, the#CloserConnections campaign focuses on thebond that everybody feels - both with each oth-er and with their religion - during the HolyMonth.

Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al-Thani, Group CEO,Ooredoo, said: “The whole Ooredoo familycomes together to help people across our com-munities during the Holy Month, and this yearhas seen a wave of volunteers working on proj-ects that deliver real benefits. In particular, it hasbeen inspiring to see people from differentoperations across our footprint work togetheron some of these inspirational initiatives.”

In Qatar, volunteers have participated in arange of activities designed to reach our acrossthe community, including volunteer visits to theQatar Foundation for Elderly Care, HamadHospital and Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre,and a program to distribute Iftar packs to peoplebreaking their fast at Woqod petrol stationsacross the country.

There has also been a strong spirit of volun-teering in Kuwait, which the launch of the sec-ond edition of Ooredoo’s successful volunteerprogram in cooperation with “Spread thePassion”, a local non-profit organization foryoung people. The training program has includ-ed workshops and training camps. In addition,volunteers from Ooredoo Kuwait have distrib-uted more than 17,000 Iftar meals during theHoly Month through a distribution centre at itsheadquarters and a special tent.

In Iraq, Asiacell, an Ooredoo company, haslaunched a national CSR project to collect cloth-ing for children in orphanages across the coun-try. The clothing will be distributed over the Eidholiday, providing new clothing for childrenwithout families. In Palestine, Wataniya Mobile

organised a range of Ramadan activities, includ-ing distributing packs at the Al Aqsa Mosque toeveryone heading from the West Bank to per-form Friday prayers on the first Friday ofRamadan. The company also equipped an ERtent at Al Aqsa Mosque to provide all first aidassistance from trained staff to any visitor whorequired it.

Ooredoo Oman began its 12th OoredooGoodwill Journey on 12 June, receiving a warmsend-off from crowds of well-wishers as it set outon its annual 2,000 kilometre voyage of commu-nity support. Starting out from Salalah in theGovernorate of Dhofar, a team of 22 goodwillambassadors travelled to Shlaeem andHallaniyat Islands, Al Jazir, Mudhiabi, Sur,Bowsher and Qurayyat, before the final stop on26 June.

During the journey, volunteers donatedessential equipment, supplies and educationalmaterials to local organisations and associationsto help support education and entrepreneurshipopportunities for women and young people. Inaddition, the volunteers held a variety of eventsto celebrate the spirit of the Holy Month.

Over the past 11 years, Ooredoo Oman’sgoodwill ambassadors have travelled more than53,000 km, visited 171 charities, and providedassistance to around 11,000 people in differentlocations across Oman.

Ooredoo Algeria sponsored three Ramadantents in provinces across the country to enablepeople to break their fast in comfort. In addition,the company organised a programme of hospi-tal visits where volunteers went to cheer up sickchildren. Ooredoo also conducted Ramadanactivities in Indonesia this year, where Waleed

Al-Sayed, Deputy CEO, Ooredoo, made a signifi-cant donation to the International Digital BrailleQur’an Foundation in a special ceremony heldon the first day of the Holy Month. In addition,Ooredoo donated USD 10,000 to the House ofAtmanto’s Internet Foundation, which providestraining and development for people in need.

In addition, Ooredoo donated school kits andfunding for five orphanages and for a number offoundations that help the destitute in Indonesia.

Innovative Islamic Content As well as charity and community campaigns,

Ooredoo has also released a range of innovativeIslamic content during the Holy Month.

In the Maldives, Ooredoo customers couldbenefit from free prayer alerts, free Quran trans-lations and free hadith available on their phones.In addition, customers were able to subscribe tofree religious quotes via SMS as part of the serv-ice. Ooredoo Tunisia choose to connect people,to innovate and to share with people new expe-riences, launching a dedicated free Ramadanapp that provide exclusive Islamic content andby offering “Kadonet”, a new service thatenabled customers to purchase data bundles forother users. The channel has been speciallydesigned to enable customers to provide chil-dren and seniors with data, so that everybodycan share wishes and Ramadan greetings duringthe Holy Month, even if they are unsure how topurchase data themselves.

Wataniya Mobile launched a special “Top-Upand Win” Campaign” in Palestine to mark theHoly Month. The campaign gave customers thechance to win instant prizes when they topped-up and when they received and made calls.

Ooredoo builds closer connections across its footprint during Ramadan

DUBAI: DAMAC Properties unveiled AKOYAImagine, a cluster of homes surrounded bythe lush greens and fairways of the interna-tional golf course. Set at the heart of theAKOYA Oxygen master development,AKOYA Imagine presents a collection ofcolourful villas aimed at young couples andfamilies, representing the perfect perma-nent residence or vacation home.

In Phase 1, three-bedroom villas will bereleased with starting prices of AED 1.2 mil-lion, spread across an attractive three-yearpayment plan. Homes will also benefit fromfree service charges for five years. The unitswill go on sale on Saturday, 9th July inDubai at DAMAC Maison Canal Views, AlAbraj Street from 11am to 11pm.

As a vibrant community nestled within awonderful green backdrop, AKOYA Imagineis a neighbourhood for those who are con-temporary and relaxed in their style of liv-ing. Indoor and outdoor spaces are careful-ly arranged to offer a casual way of life thatblends function with social, family livingand an artful palette of colours. Interiorsare open, airy and splashed with zestyhues, which balance warmth with coolingtones, energy with serenity and space withintimacy. Ziad El Chaar, Managing Director,

DAMAC Properties, said: “AKOYA Imagine istargeted towards a new type of buyer -young, professional and savvy to thelifestyle and financial benefits of buying inan international golf course community.This type of community is proven to consis-tently yield higher returns than a purelyresidential one and there is a limited supplyin Dubai. Combined with the Tiger WoodsDesign element, a villa in AKOYA Imaginepresents a very lucrative investment, not tomention an extremely attractive home.”

Supporting El Chaar’s statement, adviso-ry firm KPMG stated in a recent report thatgolf courses typically increase the valuationof adjacent real estate by up to 20 percentwhen compared to similar real estate in aneighborhood without the golf coursecomponent.

AKOYA Oxygen is a 55-million-square-foot master development that will show-case the greenest living spaces in Dubai.Home to the 18-hole championship golfcourse by Tiger Woods Design, the eagerlyanticipated development boasts easyaccess to Dubai’s major highways; yet is farenough away from the bustle of the city tooffer a tranquil pace of life in a beautifulgreen setting.

DAMAC Properties introduces AKOYA Imagine development

KUWAIT: As part of the Eid Al-Fitar cele-brations, Gulf Bank is announcing anexclusive offer for its red customers towatch the latest films at Kuwait NationalCinema Company (KNCC) cinemasbetween July 7th and 11th 2016. Newred customers, who open an account atthe Avenues mall, will be receiving a freeticket to watch the latest movies.

During the period of the promotion,Gulf Bank will have a red booth presentat the KNCC cinema in the Avenues Mallto showcase its products and services topotential and existing customers

Gulf Bank continuously looks for newand interesting initiatives to reward itsloyal customer base over the year. GulfBank is committed to providing its redcustomers with the right promotions

that are tailored to meet their specificneeds and to better enjoy their holidays.Gulf Bank is pleased to celebrate thisoccasion with the people of Kuwait.

Gulf Bank’s red program is for highschool, college and university studentsaged 15 to 25 years old. There is no mini-mum deposit required to open theaccount or minimum balance charge.There is no minimum deposit requiredto open the account or minimum bal-ance charge.

To join Gulf Bank’s red program or tofind out more of its benefits, visit oneof the Bank’s 56 branches, contact theCustomer Contact Centre on 1805805for assistance and guidance or log onto www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’swebsite.

Gulf Bank’s new Red Account holders enjoy latest movies at

Cinescape with a free ticket ABU DHABI: International Travel Week-AbuDhabi (ITW-Abu Dhabi) has officially announcedthat the dynamic UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, willplay host to the world’s largest hosted buyerprogram - providing a unique and powerfulbackdrop against which the tourism industry’skey players will seek to shape future businessand maximise new revenue streams within thefastest growing travel sector that is halal, med-ical and shopping tourism.

Taking place from November 21-25, 2016, atAbu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, ITW-AbuDhabi will aim to deliver a comprehensive pro-gram which will combine targeted meetingswith first-class networking opportunities, inspir-ing knowledge-bound seminars and innovativeexperiences, culminating in a glittering galaawards evening to celebrate outstandingachievements across the international halaltourism landscape.

Commenting on the strategic partnershipwith the host destination, Andy Buchanan,Executive Organising Committee Director com-mented: “We are thrilled to bring ITW Abu Dhabito the culturally-rich and trailblazing city of AbuDhabi. Against this remarkable backdrop, partic-ipants will have the opportunity to discover,connect and be enriched, which in turn willassist them in defining and driving the future oftheir own business.” Indonesia Ministry ofTourism are delighted to be the official HeadlineSponsor for the ITW Abu Dhabi 2016, and com-mented that, “Indonesia participates again in2016 but this time bigger than 2015 as we wantto bring more sales.” As a major sponsor of thesummit, Indonesia Ministry of Tourism expectsto welcome key international delegations,investors, tourism associations and market-lead-ing specialists to the summit.

Evolutionary progressionITW-Abu Dhabi is a progressive and evolu-

tionary event which has developed from lastyear’s World Halal Travel Summit.

The 2015 edition enjoyed unprecedentedsuccess, where the summit yielded impressiveresults, generating more than $18.4 millionworth of business on the show floor, and a fur-ther $73.5 million stemming from opportunitiesdirectly created at the event.

With more than 6,000 travel professionalsexpected to participate in this year’s ITW-AbuDhabi, this transformative five-day event is hot-ly-anticipated to be the premium platform forthe global halal travel, medical and shoppingtourism industry.

With a dedicated commitment to the fiercelyand hugely influential fast-growing travel sec-tors, ITW-Abu Dhabi will continue to shine thespotlight on the exceptional halal, medical andshopping-relevant opportunities availableworldwide at this year’s event, with major influ-encers bringing their insight and knowledge tothe seminar stage.

Expansion of ‘ITW-Abu Dhabi’ Hot on the heels of 2015’s World Halal Travel

Summit success, and in response to growingdemand for a platform for discussion and recog-nition on halal, medical and shopping tourismsegments, ITW-Abu Dhabi will this year open upa Ministerial Forum, a high level debate of minis-ters and key stakeholders on Intra OIC(Organisation of Islamic Co-operation), medicaland shopping tourism and the real world chal-lenges of implementation.

ITW-Abu Dhabi will also host the secondWorld Halal Travel Awards, a glittering event torecognize outstanding products and servicewithin the halal tourism sector. The winners ofthe 2016 World Halal Travel Awards will beannounced at a gala event in Abu Dhabi on22nd November 2016. The awards ceremonyforms a crucial element of the summit which is

the largest gathering of global executives oper-ating in the family friendly travel sector. For thefirst time, ITW-Abu Dhabi will also introduce ‘TheFamily Vacation Show’ wherein exhibitors willhave a chance to interact with consumers face-to-face. The event will be information packedand created to directly sell and introduce offers,packages and promotions to qualified consumertravel audience.

Results-drivenAccording to Buchanan, the expanded 2016

edition is expected to be a boon for all involved:“ITW-Abu Dhabi was established with a clearobjective of providing opportunities to exploreand maximise on the latest trends and offeringswithin the fastest growing travel segmentsnamely halal, medical and shopping tourism. Ina concerted effort to distinguish itself on thehalal, medical and shopping travel industryevent landscape, ITW Abu Dhabi aims to deliveran elevated business-to-business platform thatis innovative, inspiring, and result-driven, withthe structured five-day program including ele-ments such as knowledge-sharing seminars,show floor meetings, exceptional networkingexperiences and a dazzling awards evening. Iexpect the 2016 edition to be a windfall forthose organisations and individuals that exhibitand participate.”

Confirmed participation for the ITW-AbuDhabi2016, stretching across multiple spec-trums, hails from a diverse spread of key play-ers including Accor Hotels, BangladeshTourism Board, Dinar Standard, Et ihadAirways, HCA Healthcare, Holiday Bosnia,Jannah Hotels, Marjan Island Resort & Spa,Medical Tourism Associat ion, SofyanHospitality, Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation,Swiss Medical Network, Thomson Reuters, VPSHealthcare and Wonderful Indonesia, the 2016headline Sponsors.

Abu Dhabi to host International Travel Week 2016 on Nov 21-25

Program to deliver exceptional networking

and knowledge-sharing experience

Page 27: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

T E C H NOLO G YTUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016

DETROIT: The US government is investigat-ing the first reported death of a driverwhose car was in self-driving mode whenhe crashed. Joshua D. Brown, 40, died May7 when his Tesla Model S, which was oper-ating on “autopilot,” failed to activate itsbrakes and hit a truck in Florida.

The crash raises questions aboutautonomous and semi-autonomous cars,their capabilities and their limits. Here areanswers to some of those questions:

Q: ARE THERE SELF-DRIVING CARS ONUS STREETS RIGHT NOW?

A: Yes, but in limited numbers. Variouscompanies, including Google, Ford andUber, have test fleets of autonomous carsrunning in specific areas, includingMountain View, California, and Austin,

Texas. Right now, those vehicles alwayshave a steering wheel, brakes and a driverready to take over in case of a problem, butprototype cars without steering wheels arealso being developed.

Q: HOW DO THEY WORK?A: A network of cameras, radars and

lasers feeds information to the car’s com-puters, helping to fill in the gaps in the GPSsystem, which knows how to get the carfrom point to point. Cameras let the car seewhat’s around it, while radar senses thingsin the dark or in inclement weather. Lasersconstantly scan the road and give a three-dimensional picture of what’s going on.

Q: ARE THERE LAWS ALLOWINGSELF-DRIVING CARS?

A: Right now, it’s a patchwork. Eightstates - including Nevada, Michigan, Floridaand Tennessee - and Washington DC. havelaws allowing autonomous vehicles. Otherstates have legislation in the works. Laterthis summer, the federal government isexpected to release guidelines for the safedeployment of autonomous vehicles.

Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SELF-DRIVING CARS?

A: Self-driving cars have the potential tosave lives by anticipating accidents beforethey happen. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich saidFriday that 90 percent of car accidents arecaused by human error, and distracted ordrowsy driving accounts for some 13 per-cent of those crashes. The accidents costabout $870 billion a year globally.

Q: CAN I BUY A SELF-DRIVING CAR?A: No. A few automakers offer cars and

SUVs with semi-autonomous modes thatcan perform some functions without helpfrom the driver, including maintaining a setspeed, braking, changing lanes and evenparallel parking.

Semi-autonomous features can befound on high-end vehicles from Tesla,Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti and Volvo. Somelower-priced models have them, too.Toyota, for example, plans to make auto-matic emergency braking standard on its

vehicles by 2017, ahead of a self-imposeddeadline of 2022 that most automakershave agreed to.

Q: WHEN WILL COMPLETELY SELF-DRI-VING CARS BE AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS?

A: That’s not yet clear. Volvo plans alarge-scale test of driverless cars in Swedennext year. Google wants to make cars avail-able to the public around the end of 2019.BMW, Intel and Israel’s Mobileye have

teamed up to roll out the cars by 2021.IHS Automotive, a consulting firm, pre-

dicts that the US will see the earliestdeployment of autonomous vehicles, withseveral thousand on the road by 2020. Thatnumber will rise to 4.5 million vehicles by2035, IHS says. But even if the vehicles areon the road, they might not be in yourgarage. The earliest self-driving cars mightbe on-demand taxis, employee shuttles orother shared vehicles.

Q: WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL CHAL-LENGES TO GETTING AUTONOMOUSCARS ON THE ROAD?

A: Driverless cars need detailed maps tofollow, and companies are still mappingroads. They also can have trouble stayingwithin lanes in heavy rain or snow. And, asthe Tesla crash showed, there will always bescenarios that driverless cars can’t foreseeor navigate correctly.

Brown’s car didn’t see an oncoming trac-tor-trailer because it was white against abrightly lit sky. Tesla CEO Elon Musk saidthe car’s radar is also designed to tune outwhat looks like overhead signs to preventfalse braking.

Q: HOW COULD THE TESLA AUTOPI-LOT NOT SEE SOMETHING AS LARGE ASA TRACTOR-TRAILER?

A: Raj Rajkumar, a computer engineer-ing professor at Carnegie Mellon Universitywho leads its autonomous vehicle research,said computers can’t be programmed tohandle every situation. But Tesla may needto adjust its radar, he said.

Tesla would not comment directly onthe radar and computer programs, but thecompany issued a statement saying that itcontinually advances its software by ana-lyzing hundreds of millions of miles of driv-ing data. The National Highway TrafficSafety Administration is looking at thedesign and performance of Tesla’s systemas part of its investigation. — AP

Tesla crash shows limits of self-driving technology

There is just no luck for Tesla in China. After slow sales, lay-offs, competition,and near-murder they are now facing a nasty accident in Nanjing in China.

APOPKA: A real estate sign in the Piedmont Park neighborhood in Apopka, Florida aformer agricultural hub now crowded with housing developments. Where one in 10homes was once a rental, now more than a third are. — AP

APOPKA, Florida: Many of the single-familyhomes in the Piedmont Park neighborhood ofApopka, Florida, used to be owned by fami-lies - the Vargases and the Townes, the Piercesand the Riddles. Now, they’re owned byBlackstone, American Homes 4 Rent andColony Starwood Homes, companies associ-ated with big real estate investment firms.

And the occupants are tenants, not own-ers. In the decade since the housing boomdeflated into a bust, financial firms recog-nized an investment opportunity in hard-hitareas like this Orlando suburb. Single-familyhomes lost to foreclosure could be boughtcheaply and transformed into rent-generat-ing income streams.

The corporate purchases have spreadthrough Piedmont Park and surroundingneighborhoods, where the percentage ofrenters rose from a bit over 10 percent tomore than 35 percent within a decade.Piedmont Park homeowners complain thatthe result is more transient neighbors, lessengagement at homeowners’ meetings anddifficulties reaching absentee corporate land-lords. Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer regardsthe surge of renters in houses throughoutcentral Florida as an unfortunate conse-quence of the damage this region absorbedfrom the Great Recession and housing bust.“Having an owner-occupied house is betterfor a neighborhood and better for a commu-nity than a house occupied by renters,”Kilsheimer said. “They are invested in theirchildren’s school. They’re invested the qualityof life in their community.” Claudette Guerrier,one of the original homeowners in PiedmontPark from its development in 1988, feels dis-heartened by the transformation. She saidher four-bedroom, two-story house has beenbroken into twice recently

“It was better in the beginning; now it’snot so good,” Guerrier said. In the aftermathof a housing crisis, metro Orlando sufferedone of the highest foreclosure rates in thenation. A few homes in Piedmont Park satempty for months, attracting squatters whomoved in and were hard to evict, said KarinSettle, president of the local homeownersassociation. One house of college-agerenters, she said, threw fraternity-like partieswith 20 or so cars parked outside and drunkmen hanging out on the porch - somethingthe neighborhood didn’t see in years past.

Several homeowners have said they’reconsidering selling their homes becausethere are so many renters now, she said. “Ifthese people come in and they’re out-of-stateinvestors - some place in Canada or Arizonayou don’t really have a physical office or peo-ple to contact about when there is somethinggoing on with the home,” Settle said. “On thegood side, they come in, renovate the house,typically gut it. They paint it, fix the fence andit looks nice from the curb. But then thesecompanies don’t take a lot of pains in termsof who they rent to.”

Laura Smith, a resident for 17 years, wasclose friends with her neighbors in the housebehind hers until they moved a couple ofyears ago. Since then, she said, it’s been onerenter after another. “They just come and go;you just see different cars,” Smith said. “I say tomyself, ‘I should make a better effort to get to

know them.’ But by the time I get around to it,they’re gone.”

The three-bedroom, two-bath home nextdoor to Michelle Harner’s house was sold inMarch. She was hoping that owner-occu-pants would move in. But the telltale signs ofa corporate landlord appeared within days.“Somebody doesn’t buy a house like that andturn around and rip everything out and com-pletely remodel the whole thing and put anew roof on it five days after buying thehouse,” she said. Property records show thatthe house was bought at the end of March byFreo Florida LLC for $145,000. Freo Florida,part of Progress Residential Trust, which ownsover 3,000 homes around the nation, listedthe house on Zillow as a rental for $1,325 amonth. Some renters do show pride in tend-ing to their homes, Harner said, but it’s ofteneasy to pick out which homes are rentals.Yards tend to be untended, cars are parked allover the street, “and you see one family a yearcome and go.”

The transient nature brings other chal-lenges. At a recent homeowners’ associationmeeting to discuss installing a new play-ground, only nine homeowners showed upfrom a neighborhood with more than 400residents. A decade ago, dozens would likelyhave attended. “When you have a high per-centage of renters, you end up having a lowturnout at things like homeowners’ associa-tion meetings, when you do a communityyard sale,” Harner said. “That collaborationsort of declines.

Ask the renters themselves, and some willsay that very sense of community is whatthey value most about living there. NicoleCaverly, who began renting in the PiedmontPark neighborhood this year, doesn’t consid-er herself a disengaged neighbor. After hav-ing lived for years in an apartment buildingwhere people kept to themselves, she lovesliving where she can chat with neighborsduring walks.

The previous owners had lost the house toforeclosure in 2015, after which it was boughtby Freo. Caverly, a store manager, says themanagement company her landlord uses hasbeen pleasantly responsive. It quickly fixedtroubled locks on the front door after shemoved in with her daughter and boyfriend.

She is saving for a down payment to buy ahome. But she doesn’t yearn for the responsi-bilities of ownership - from having to fixappliances to dealing with insect infestations.

For now, Caverly observed, “It’s a renters’market because nobody can afford a downpayment.” There are few signs that the realestate investment companies plan to sellmany of the homes they bought. But thetemptation to do so will keep rising if homeprices do. In the meantime, the companieshave scaled back their purchases - from 9 per-cent of all sales nationwide in 2013 to about2.5 percent early this year, said DarenBlomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac,which tracks housing data and trends.

The industry has been consolidating ascompanies try to create efficiencies of scale.Colony American Homes and StarwoodWaypoint Residential merged this year. AndAmerican Residential Properties merged withAmerican Homes 4 Rent late last year. — AP

When neighborhood is owned by billion-dollar companies

PARIS: French Socialist Prime Minister ManuelValls yesterday bypassed parliament to forcethrough labor reforms that have sparked fourmonths of strikes and street protests.

“This country is too used to mass unemploy-ment,” Valls told parliament as many membersbooed and several walked out of the chamber.He said a “coalition of immobility” had stymiedthe reforms, which aim at reducing unemploy-ment by freeing up the job market-notably bymaking it easier for employers to hire and firestaff. It was the second time the embattled gov-ernment used the so-called 49-3 provision forthis package of reforms, as it could not count onthe votes of legislators on the Socialist Party’sleft flank. It used the same measure to force apackage of economic reforms through parlia-ment last year, also to prevent the rebel left flankof the party from sinking it.

The labour bill now continues on its bicameralshuttle. It returns to the Senate before its defini-tive adoption by the lower house on July 22 —when Valls is expected to again resort to the 49-3manoeuvre for the final step. In the streets mean-while, protesters staged their 12th show of oppo-sition to the controversial package, seen as toopro-business and a threat to cherished workers’rights. However the numbers were down fromprevious protests. A Paris protest drew up to7,500 people according to police and 45,000according to the hardline CGT union.

Demonstrations peaked on March 31 at390,000 people across the country, according toofficial figures, while the unions claim the figurewas 1.2 million.

Unemployment in France stands at a stub-born 10 percent overall, but for young peoplethe figure is closer to 25 percent. Union- andstudent-backed demonstrations against thereforms began nearly four months ago, withsome protests descending into violence.

MPs have 24 hours to decide whether to call avote of no confidence in Valls’ government,which the rightwing opposition has alreadyruled out. The government survived a vote ofno-confidence by a comfortable margin over itsuse of the 49-3 clause in May.

On Tuesday the head of the Republicans’ par-liamentary group, Christian Jacob, said the cen-tre-right party would not call such a vote thistime around. Union- and student-backeddemonstrations against the reforms began inearly March, with some protests descending intoviolence. The worst unrest was seen in Paris onJune 14, just four days after the start of the Euro2016 football championships in France, whenaround 40 people were hurt and dozens were

arrested. President Francois Hollande, who facesa re-election bid next April, had hoped for a sig-nature reform to reverse his dire approval ratings.

800 amendments But pressure from the street, as well as parlia-

ment’s back benches, caused the government towater down the proposals, which only angeredbosses while failing to satisfy the unions. Themain sticking point has been a measure givingprecedence to agreements negotiated between

companies and their staff over deals reachedwith unions across entire industrial sectors-notably on working hours.

“Compromise was possible, it was even with-in reach,” said Christian Paul, head of the Socialistrebels. Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers’federation MEDEF, said last week that he was“very disappointed” with the bill in its watered-down form, calling it a “monument of complexi-ty, absolutely illegible” for small and medium-sized businesses. — AFP

French PM forces through contested labor reformsValls defends move on rising unemployment

FRANKFURT: German airline Lufthansa yester-day unveiled the details of a wide-ranging dealon pay and working conditions for its cabin staff,including a no-strike agreement and job guaran-tees until 2021.

Bringing to an end a long and bitter industrialdispute that hit thousands of passengers,Lufthansa and the cabin crews’ union UFO saidthat both sides had accepted a “comprehensiveagreement” drawn up during months of arbitra-tion. The talks had been mediated by MatthiasPlatzeck, the former Social Democrat presidentof the regional state of Brandenburg.

The deal covered issues ranging from pensionrights, pay increases, a long-term no-strikeagreement and job guarantees until 2021, the

two sides said in a joint statement. Lufthansa’s personnel chief Bettina Volkens

said that with Platzeck’s support, the airline andthe union had “managed to reach a solution atthe bargaining table out of the public eye.

“It was a struggle to reach an agreement inwhich it was necessary for both sides to makecutbacks from their original position. The cur-rent compromise demonstrates that the effortwas worthwhile,” she said. UFO’s chief negotia-tor Nicoley Baublies said Platzeck “managedvery neatly to bring our diverging intereststogether in the best possible way: Lufthansahas achieved economic and political securitywithout taking anything away from individualemployees at any point.” — AFP

Lufthansa reaches long-term no-strike deal with cabin staff

PARIS: French Labor Minister Myriam El Khomri (C-R) and French lawmaker Philippe Vigier (C-R)are pictured prior to a debate on the government’s planned labor law reforms yesterday. — AFP

PARIS: A woman carrying a backpack with a sticker reading “Red card to the labor law” stands behind French CRS anti-riot police during ademonstration against the government’s proposed labour reforms in Paris yesterday. — AFP

Page 28: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

PARIS: Lung-penetrating dust from coal-fired power plants in the European Unionclaims some 23,000 lives a year and racks uptens of billions of euros in health costs, anNGO report said yesterday. Even as the blocshifts towards renewable sources like windand Sun energy, coal still accounted for 18percent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emis-sions in 2014 and a quarter of its electricitymix in 2015, said the analysis.

Emissions from 257 power plants forwhich data was available “were associatedwith 22,900 premature deaths in 2013,” saidthe report entitled “Europe’s dark cloud:How coal-burning countries make their

neighbors sick”. There are a total of 280 coal-fired plants. The study was compiled byresearchers from four green energy lobbygroups: the Health and EnvironmentAlliance, the WWF, Climate Action NetworkEurope and Sandbag.

In addition to deaths, the report blamedcoal plant pollution for nearly 12,000 newcases of chronic bronchitis and more thanhalf-a-million asthma attacks in children inthe EU in 2013. The medical treatmentrequired, as well as reduced productivitycaused by absence from work, amassed“substantial costs” of 32.4 billion to 62.3 bil-lion euros ($36 billion to $70 billion), said

the report. About 83 percent of deaths,some 19,000 in total, were blamed oninhalation of fine particulate matter, air-borne particles so small-under 2.5 microme-ters in diameter-that they can enter deepinto the lungs and bloodstream.

Hearth disease, cancer“Most common causes of death connect-

ed to particulate matter exposure arestrokes, heart disease, chronic lung diseaseor lung cancer,” said the report. It warned theparticles “are transported hundreds of kilo-meters and across national borders, impact-ing the health of people both within the

country of production and further afield.”The report listed the EU’s worst offend-

ers, attributing 4,690 premature deaths tocoal power stations in Poland, 2,490 toGermany, 1,660 to Romania, 1,390 toBulgaria and 1,350 to Britain. The five coun-tries most affected by pollution from theirown as well as neighboring countries wereGermany with 3,630 deaths, Italy with 1,610,France with 1,380, Greece with 1,050, andHungary with 700. “Air pollution is responsi-ble for millions of deaths worldwide,”Roberto Bertollini, the World HealthOrganization (WHO) representative to theEU said in a statement. “Higher tempera-

tures from climate change will exacerbatethe problem.”

A similar study in the United States hadattributed more than 13,000 prematuredeaths to coal pollution, while Indianresearch has blamed as many as 115,000premature deaths and 20 million asthmacases per year on coal.

In Paris last December 195 nationsagreed to curb climate-altering green-house gas emissions from fossil fuels suchas coal, oil and gas in a bid to limit globalwarming to “well below” two degreesCelsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels. — AFP

Coal dust kills 23,000 per year in EU: Report

KINSHASA: A shortage of syringes is ham-pering plans to vaccinate people inDemocratic Republic of Congo against a yel-low fever epidemic despite the arrival ofmore than one million doses of vaccine,health officials said yesterday.

Congo’s government declared a yellowfever epidemic last month in the capitalKinshasa and two other provinces near theborder with Angola.

The World Health Organization (WHO) sayssome 1,400 suspected cases of the haemor-rhagic virus in Congo have resulted so far in82 deaths and is particularly concernedabout conditions in Kinshasa, a city of 12 mil-lion with poor health services and a climateconducive to mosquitoes.

The disease has k il led 350 people inAngola since December. The WHO plans tobegin a vaccination campaign in the provinceof Kwango near the Angolan border on July

20 but the UN body’s spokesman in Congo,Eugene Kabambi, said the country had onlyabout four million syringes but needed 10million. Kabambi said some 1.08 million vac-cine doses had arrived in Kinshasa in recentdays, but declined to say when he thoughtmore syringes might be delivered.

Health officials are reluctant to begin thevaccination campaign in only one zone indensely-populated Kinshasa for reasons ofpublic safety and order. “If we only organizein Kisenso, there will be huge crowds comingto Kisenso to obtain the vaccine and thatcould become unmanageable,” Kabambi said,referring to the first zone officials plan to tar-get in the capital city. “So we’re going to waita little to obtain more (syringes).”

Global vaccine shortageThe global stockpile of yellow fever vac-

cine stands at about 6 million doses after

having been depleted twice this year toimmunize people in Angola, Uganda andCongo. The current method for making vac-cines, using chicken eggs, takes a year. Healthofficials plan to administer a fifth of the stan-dard dose in Kinshasa due to the shortage ofthe vaccine. The lower dosage provides tem-porary protection against the disease butdoes not confer lifelong immunity.

More than one million people were vacci-nated in Kinshasa during a campaign fromMay 26-June 4 in two health zones. But theeffort was hampered by disorganization asresidents of other districts flocked to the vac-cination sites, preventing many local resi-dents from receiving the injection.

Kabambi said other regions along theAngolan border would eventually be vacci-nated, depending on how many more dosesare made available, in order to create an“immune buffer”. — Reuters

Shortage of syringes hampersCongo’s fight against yellow feverOMAHA: A dozen roses simply weren’t

enough for a Nebraska man who wanted“to do something special” for his wife tocelebrate her last chemotherapy treat-ment. So, he raised money and surprisedher with 500. Video of the surprise showsAlissa Bousquet’s repeating “holy moly”in disbelief as friends and family deliv-ered 36 vases of roses to her at theMethodist Estabrook Cancer Center in

Omaha. Husband Brad Bousquet writesthat he secretly texted wife Alissa’sfriends and family to help with the effort.The roses sold for $10 each with the pro-ceeds going to the Susan G. KomenFoundation for breast cancer research.He says the rose drive raised more than$4,500. Bousquet writes that the flowerswere shared with other patients at thehospital. — AP

Husband surprises wife with 500 roses after her chemo treatment

TOKYO: A former boxer who chopped off thepenis of his wife’s lover with a pair of gardenshears before flushing it down the toilet wasjailed in Japan yesterday. Ikki Kotsugai, 25, car-ried out the “vicious” attack in August 2015when he burst into the office of a lawyer whohad an affair with his wife. Kotsugai, an ex-box-er and law student, became enraged after mis-takenly believing his wife had been forced to

sleep with her boss at a legal firm, when inreality the affair was consensual, the judge saidat Tokyo District Court, according to Jiji Press.

The Sankei Shimbun daily newspaperreported that Kotsugai’s wife had falsely toldhim that she was forced to have sex with thelawyer. He was sentenced to four years andsix months Tuesday by presiding judgeKazunori Karei. — AFP

Japanese jailed for cutting off and flushing rival private part

WASHINGTON: Members of the running group “November Project” rest after their work out of running up anddown the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial. — AP photos

WASHINGTON: Members of the running group “November Project” sit together for a photo after running up anddown the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial.

WASHINGTON: Members of the running group “November Project” run up and down the stairs near the LincolnMemorial.

WASHINGTON: Members of the running group “November Project” run up and down the stairs at the LincolnMemorial.

WASHINGTON: When college rowing buddiesBojan Mandaric and Brogan Graham vowed tostay in shape post-graduation, they didn’t wantto shovel out hundreds to join a gym or evendrop $20 for a yoga class. So they returned toone of their most grueling college workouts:the stairs at Harvard Stadium. Five years later,there are nearly 800 others running those stepswith them at 6:30 am every Wednesday. Theirroutine, known as the November Project, nowhas thousands of participants and free workoutclubs in 20 cities, capitalizing on what’sbecome a popular fitness trend, with othergroups and individuals also gathering in iconicspots to get their sweat on.

Sites include national monuments, historiclandmarks and other public spaces around thecountry, ranging from the Lincoln Memorial inWashington, DC, to the Hollywood Bowl in LosAngeles, to New York City’s Gracie Mansion, thehistoric home where the mayor lives. Themountains of stairs and wide stone platforms

at these sites are ideal for box jumps, step rou-tines and tricep dips. Often the workouts mustbe held at dawn before the tourist crowdsarrive with selfie sticks. But the scenic viewsthese landmarks offer cannot be rivaled bylooking out the window of a non-descript gym.

“It creates a sentimental way to connect withyour city,” said Mandaric. “There’s a romanticcomponent to it, you’re working out, endor-phins are flowing, you’re meeting cool new peo-ple.” In Pennsylvania, the hot spot is thePhiladelphia Museum of Art’s front steps - bestknown for the famous scene from the movie“Rocky” where Sylvester Stallone’s character cul-minates his morning jog and jumps triumphant-ly. CoreFitness’ Lauren Krinis’ 6 am class drawsabout 45 people. “It really is fun to watch peoplewho think, ‘I could never run up and down thestairs,’ who then go run it four or five times anddo a full boot camp class or yoga session. It’sprobably one of the most motivating places youcan work out,” Krinis said.

National Park ServiceSome parks have imposed restrictions on

fitness groups, requiring classes to be free orbanning classes above a certain size. NationalPark Service officials say parks can play animportant role in contributing to a healthyAmerica and encourage their use for exercise,but many memorials and monuments haveareas where jogging and group workouts arenot allowed, in order to “maintain a reflectiveand contemplative atmosphere.” Still, theNational Mall, home to the Lincoln Memorial,hosts International Yoga Day and the MarineCorps Marathon, and November Projectgroups work out at the Lincoln Memorial stepsearly Wednesday mornings.

At the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre inDenver, Joe Hendricks’ free workout onSaturday mornings had been drawing a fewhundred people. But two years ago, he said,the city ordered groups with more than 20people to limit sessions to Sunday only. Now,

roughly 200 join him for a Sunday workoutthat includes everything from backwardcrawls up the bleachers to “piggy back” exer-cises where you carry your partner. Hendricks,53, leads the workouts alongside several otherfitness groups and soloists at the sandstonemonoliths where the Great Plains meet theRocky Mountains. “It’s a workout mecca reallyfor Denver. It’s just so energizing to have somany people around you and real motivating.People are high-fiving each other. Most peo-ple there are working out much harder thanthey would on their own,” he said.

Kim Wagler leads free boot camp classesand a walking club at the McKinleyPresidential Library & Museum in Canton,Ohio, which has 108 steps. “A lot of people areterrified to join a gym because they’re afraid offeeling uncomfortable and that’s a nice placewhere there’s a wide variety of people there,”Wagler said. “You’re not just going to show upand everyone is super fit and super lean.” But

some visitors have complained about runnersand walkers at the monument. “We do notwant the grounds to be an outdoor gym. It isdisrespectful to the president,” McKinley sitedirector Joyce Yut said in an email.

On a recent Wednesday at the LincolnMemorial in Washington, one of the nation’smost popular tourist destinations, 39-year-oldMary Kusler was pushing her way through avicious circuit of 17 times up the steps. “Itreminds you of the beauty of DC, of the calm-ness before the craziness of the everyday lifehere in DC,” said Kusler, who’s been workingout at the memorial for two years. “The peopleare what you come back for. The stairs and thegetting fit in the process is an added bonus.”It’s a sentiment that is echoed by other work-out groups. Hendricks met his wife of fiveyears at his Red Rocks boot camp. “It’s becomealmost like a social group,” he said. “This sum-mer alone there are nine weddings happeningof people that have met at my group.” — AP

Forget the gym, workout buffs hit up national landmarks‘It creates a sentimental way to connect with your city’

Page 29: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

H E A LT H & S C I E NC EWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

WISCONSIN: Researchers at the Wisconsin National Primate research Center (WNPRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, perform an ultra-sound on a pregnant rhesus macaque monkey infected with the Zika virus in Madison, Wisconsin. Researchers at the University released astudy detailing how research at the facility has found the Zika virus persisted in the blood of pregnant monkeys for 30 to 70 days but onlyaround 7 days in others. The study also found that monkeys previously infected with the virus were resistant to a second infection, which sug-gests the animals have a naturally occurring immunity. — AFP

HOUSTON: The poorest parts of Houston remindDr Peter Hotez of some of the neighborhoods inLatin America hardest hit by Zika. Broken windowscreens. Limited air conditioning. Trash piles thatseem to re-appear even after they’re cleaned up. Ona hot, humid day this month, Hotez pointed at onepile that included old tires and a smashed-in televi-sion with water pooling inside. It was a textbookhabitat for the mosquitoes that carry and transmitthe Zika virus, and one example of the challengefacing public health officials.

“I’m showing you Zika heaven,” said Hotez, thetropical medicine dean at Baylor College ofMedicine. Hotez and other tropical disease special-ists are most concerned about impoverished urbanareas along the Gulf Coast, where the numbers ofthe mosquito that spreads Zika are expected tospike. Texas already has dealt with dengue fever,transmitted by the same mosquito. Zika causes onlya mild and brief illness, at worst, in most people. Butit can cause fetal death and severe brain defects inthe children of women infected during pregnancy.

So far, Texas officials have reported 48 peopleinfected with Zika, all associated with travel. In onecase, the virus was sexually transmitted by some-one who had been infected abroad. Public healthofficials have spent months preparing for what theyare certain will be at least some locally transmittedcases. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,”said Dr Umair Shah, the executive director of theHarris County public health department.

Florida and other states in the South where theAedes aegypti mosquito is present also are takingsteps to prepare. In Florida, for example, Gov RickScott used his emergency powers last week toauthorize spending up to $26.2 million for Zika. Hisaction comes as Congress remains stalemated onPresident Barack Obama’s $1.9 billion proposal tofight the virus. A scaled-back $1.1 billionRepublican-drafted measure was blocked in theSenate on Tuesday by Democrats opposed to itsdenial of new funding for Planned Parenthood clin-ics in Puerto Rico, where there already are morethan 1,800 locally acquired cases, and to easingrules on pesticide spraying.

In Texas, major cities have sophisticated mosqui-

to screening programs and years of dealing withother mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue andWest Nile virus.

But local authorities in most of the state havelimited or no mosquito surveillance. The mosqui-toes they do capture are typically sent to outsidelabs, and getting results can take weeks. The small-est counties often have a single person drivingaround conducting surveillance - “Chuck in a truck,”Hotez calls it. The state health department hasspent more than $400,000 since the start of the yearto expand its lab capacity and to buy mosquitotraps. It also launched a $2 million Zika awarenesscampaign. Shah said there are cuts that can bemade, “but there comes a point where you stretchpeople too much.”

In Harris County, which encompasses Houstonand is the third-most populous county in the US,officials aren’t waiting for the federal government.They purchased their own testing machines andhave retrofitted two labs to run tests only for Zika toget results faster. Mosquito traps are set out onlawns and inside sewers in more than 250 designat-ed areas. Thus far, no mosquitoes have tested posi-tive for Zika. If one does, the county will send out

three-person investigative teams and use staff fromother agencies and volunteers to clear any contain-ers with water and other possible mosquito breed-ing grounds.

Improving our areasOther counties don’t have the same capacity.

Hidalgo County, which covers McAllen and poorareas along the border with Mexico, is using 12traps to collect mosquitoes for testing, countyhealth director Eduardo Olivarez said. Officials alsoare trying to get residents to clean up trash andinstall window and door screens. He is stymied bythe problem of old tires collecting across the coun-ty, apparently on their way to and from Mexico. Thecounty has several “colonias,” settlements withrecent immigrants that often lack running water orbasic infrastructure. Still, Olivarez says he’s notexpecting large Zika outbreaks because even thepoorest parts of his county are less congested andhave more air conditioning.

“Do we have poor areas? Can we look at improv-ing our areas? Definitely,” Olivarez said. “But I getpeople who get dengue and West Nile, and theylive in air-conditioned homes.” — AP

Zika virus a concern for poor urban areas along Gulf Coast

MONTPELIER: Democratic presidentialcandidate Bernie Sanders joined otherVermont leaders Friday to celebrate thestate’s newly implemented law requiringlabels on genetically modified food andblast proposed federal legislation thatcould pre-empt the state requirement.Vermont became the first state Friday torequire the labeling of food containingGMOs, or genetically modified organisms.

“Vermont had the courage to say ... ‘If it’sthe right thing to do, what are we waitingfor,’” Democratic Gov Peter Shumlin said tocheers from a rally audience of about 150people on the Statehouse steps. VermontSen Sanders sharply criticized the compro-mise bill in Congress that called for lessstringent regulations, and said the bill hasseveral shortcomings. The Senate is expect-ed to vote on the bill next week.

The federal legislation would allow anelectronic code on a package to stand infor a label, requiring a smartphone andinternet connection for a consumer toknow whether the product containedgenetically modified ingredients, Sanderssaid. Many products, including corn prod-ucts, beet sugar and soy oils that are inmany processed foods, could be exemptfrom the requirement, he added. “Perhapsmost shockingly and what exposes the par-tial nature of this legislation, this bill impos-es no penalties whatsoever for violatingthe labeling requirement, making the legis-lation essentially meaningless,” Sanderssaid. Vermont’s law imposes a penalty of$1,000 per day per genetically modifiedproduct that is not labeled as required.

At the Hunger Mountain Co-op inMontpelier, which specializes in naturalfoods and local products, general managerKari Bradley said it was frustrating that astate law the cooperative has supportedsince its inception in the legislature mightbe erased from the books by federal action.He said food co-ops elsewhere in the coun-try cheered them on but their states didn’thave the political climate to pass a labelinglaw. The federal bill is “not a solution that’s

in the spirit of the Vermont law,” he said.Food producers argue the science does-

n’t find significant difference betweenfoods that are genetically modified andthose that are not. But they also say theydon’t want to end up with a patchwork ofmultiple state regulatory schemes. Industrygroups including the GroceryManufacturers Association have sued toblock the Vermont law, arguing that thelabeling requirement amounts to com-pelled speech in violation of the FirstAmendment. The litigation is pending infederal court. Meanwhile, food companiesand retailers said they have taken steps tobe in compliance as of July 1, the start dateof the state law that passed in 2014. AtMehuron’s Supermarket in Waitsfield, man-ager Bruce Hyde Jr. said he and his teamwere ready while noting that stores like hishave to rely on national food companies toapply labels to products with geneticallymodified ingredients.

Campbell Soup Co has printed andshipped product labeled to comply withVermont’s law, company spokesmanThomas Hushen said, and the companyremains “committed to label on-package”throughout the country. Coca-Colaspokesman Ben Sheidler said the companywas making a “good-faith effort” to complywith the law but some lower-volume prod-ucts and packages “could be temporarilyunavailable in Vermont.”

Eric Blom, a spokesman for Maine-basedregional chain Hannaford Supermarkets,said the chain has new labels for any store-brand products it carries that containgenetically modified ingredients and thoselabels will be going to Vermont andthroughout Hannaford’s distribution sys-tem. Grocery Manufacturers Associationspokesman Roger Lowe said the grouphopes Congress acts quickly on the legisla-tion. He said, “Since the state of Vermonthas given companies 30 days to correct anyalleged GMO labeling violations, the imme-diate impact, if any, on companies in Julyshould be limited.”— AP

Uncertainty looms asVermont becomes

1st state to label GMOs

New Mexico court: Doctors can’t help patients end lives

ALBUQUERQUE: The New MexicoSupreme Court has ruled that terminallyill patients cannot end their lives withhelp from doctors, ending what right-to-die advocates thought would be a suc-cessful legal fight. In a 5-0 opinion, thehigh court overturned a previous districtcourt decision that doctors could not beprosecuted under the state’s assisted sui-cide law, which classifies helping withsuicide as a fourth-degree felony.

“If we were to recognize an absolute,fundamental right to physician aid indying, constitutional questions wouldabound regarding legislation thatdefined terminal illness or provided forprotective procedures to assure that apatient was making an informed andindependent decision,” Justice EdwardChavez wrote for the court.

Doctors can legally help terminally illpatients ends their lives in five states -California, Oregon, Washington, Montanaand Vermont - and advocates havespurred debate in dozens of other state-houses around the country. So far,they’ve been unsuccessful. Officials withthe American Civil Liberties Union ofNew Mexico, which launched the legalchallenge in the state 2012, called theruling “tragic news” for patients fighting

terminal illness. “From the very begin-ning this case has been about givingpeople more options and control at theend of life, and we are deeply disappoint-ed that the courts have decided againstallowing doctors to care for their patientsin this way,” ACLU-NM cooperating attor-ney Laura Schauer Ives said.

ACLU-NM spokesman Micah McCoysaid the group will now turn its attentionto changing state law. The legal chal-lenge involves a Santa Fe woman withadvanced uterine cancer who wantedcourts to clarify New Mexico’s laws pre-venting her from ending her life and put-ting doctors in legal trouble.

The justices were asked to throw outthe state’s assisted suicide law. In oralarguments, the New Mexico AttorneyGeneral’s Office argued the final decisionon the legality of the practice should beleft to state lawmakers, not the courts.California last year joined the four otherstates in passing a law that allows resi-dents to legally end their lives with med-ication prescribed by a doctor. State law-makers approved the measure followingthe heavily publicized case of BrittanyMaynard, a 29-year-old California womanwith brain cancer who moved to Oregonto legally end her life in 2014. — AP

CHICAGO: Rush University Medical Center inChicago is adopting virtual reality technologyto train its obstetrics and gynecology residentsin surgical techniques. The technology willallow Rush to do away with practice opera-tions on pigs, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.As a result, People for the Ethical Treatment ofAnimals agreed to cover half of the $12,000cost of the training module. The system willallow the 24 residents to practice using a joy-stick or surgical tools while they see a virtualpatient through a screen. Students will prac-tice common procedures on the uterus,ovaries and fallopian tubes.

“Surgery is no different than learning how toplay an instrument or a sport,” said OB/GYN resi-dency Director Dr Xavier Pombar. “The morepractice you have, the better you get.” The mod-ule is scheduled to be in place in August.Fourth-year resident Michelle Beck said thesoftware will allow her to become proficient ina variety of surgical concepts. “We’ll be able topractice everything from basic concepts to fullsurgeries and receive feedback in real time,”Beck said. The system “scores competency -how effective your movement was, how long ittook you to complete the task - and then givesyou a percentage.” — AP

Practice surgeries go virtual at Chicago medical center

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W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

The Indo Kuwait Friendship Society (IKFS)organized a ghabqa for IKFS memberson Saturday, 2nd July 2016 (27th

Ramadan 1437 Hijri) at Ahmad Tower - FatmaAuditorium amidst a galaxy of Kuwaiti, Indianand dignitaries.

The Qabka evening commenced at 10.30pm by recitation of verses from the HolyQuran by Miss Alameera almubeenah. Beforestarting the main program Sunil Jain,Ambassador of India, came to the venue andgraced the event.

A K S Abdul Nazar, General Secretary wel-comed the guests and said that ‘Ghabqa’, awonderful tradition of the locals has beenadopted by the IKFS first time since establish-ment of IKFS in 2011. Qabka considered as alocal tradition celebrated in the month ofRamadan after Taraweeh prayers.

Sayid Nasir Al-Mashoor Thangal, (Head ofForeign Exchange and Options at NationalInvestment Co.), Former Board Member ofIndian Community School and patron of IKFSadmired IKFS team for organizing a ghabqaevent and said that Ghabqa helps to fosterstrong ties amongst families and friends. Headded that In fasting, by refraining from thenatural human urges to satisfy one’s appetite,we are exercising our ability of self-restraint, sothat we can then apply it to our everyday lifeto bring about self-improvement. Alsoadmired IKFS President Dr Ghalib Al-Mashoor,President for his personal initiative for organiz-ing such a wonderful event named as Ghabqa.

Aziz Bin Al-Rasheedi, Media Giant andKnown personality among Kuwaiti Public rela-tions, as well as Bu Mohamed, a leadingKuwaiti businessman delivered complimenta-ry speeches. They said they are very muchhonored to participate in the IKFS GABKAEvent. Aziz said that these kind of programswill help to strengthen the ties betweenKuwaitis and Indians. This is a form of anexpression where our love, friendship andgratitude to the wonderful peoples of bothIndia and Kuwait.

Kuwait Tamila Islamic Committee (K-Tic)President Mohamed Meerasha Baqawi alsoadded some words in Urdu/Hindi languagewhile telling to develop and strengthen ourpowers of self-control, so that we can resistwrongful desires and bad habits, and there-

fore “guard against evil”. Talib Ba-Wazir, IKFS Patron said that

Ramadan fasting will help us to learn to refrainfrom usurping other’s rights and belongings.In fasting we voluntarily give up even what isrightfully ours; how can then we think of tak-ing what is not ours but belongs to someoneelse?

The Chief Guest from Chennai MoulanaAhmed Abdul Cader Alim Mahlari, (A Quranand Hadees Researcher, and Khateeb in

Kayalpatinam Big Masjid) delivered RamadanMessage while saying that for the past almost30 days we have been fasting and hopefullyattained nearness and closeness to Allah sothat Allah becomes a reality in our lives. As webear the rigors of fasting purely for the sake offollowing a Divine commandment, knowingand feeling that Allah can see all our actionshowever secret, it intensifies the conscious-ness of Allah in our hearts, resulting in a high-er spiritual experience.

Dr Ghalib Al-Mashoor, in his presidentialspeech reiterated the Charity and generosityand urged to speed up especially duringRamadan. It becomes obligatory when the sunsets on the last day of Ramadan. Anyone whogets married, has a baby born to him orbecomes Muslim before the sun sets on thatday, has to give zakat al-fitr [on behalf of him-self and/or his new wife or new baby], but ifthat happens after sunset, he does not have togive it. Whoever dies after sunset on the night

of fitr, zakat al-fitr must be given on his behalf.This is what Ahmad stated.”(Al-Mughni)

DrAl-Mashoor added that “We learn to give,and not to take. The deprivation of fastingmakes us sympathies with the suffering of oth-ers, and desirous of alleviating it; and it makesus remember the blessings of life which wenormally take for granted”. Anas also thankedIKFS for arranging QABKA. Iftekhar Ahamed,Treasure expressed vote of thanks followed byghabqa dinner.

Indo Kuwait Friendship Societyorganized Ramadan ghabqa

Majdi Qambar, General Manager and Shareholder of Amjad, Fairouz and Nada International real estate companies hosted an iftar for his group of companies at Sheraton Hotel recently.

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W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Al-Muhallab Mall proudly announcedtoday that its first ever fitness programhas received an overwhelming partici-

pation by volunteers who successfully burned200,000 calories out of the initial target of300,000 calories over a period of 2 monthsonly. The program comes in collaboration withFlare Gym and Fawzia Sultan RehabilitationInstitute (FSRI) with an aim of helping partici-pants lose weight while presenting the mone-tary reward to those in need.

Since the launch of the program in April2016, the mall has received great attendancein its track area, with health watchers and thegeneral public participating to play a role inthis program and achieving more than200,000 Calories. Flare Gym trainers are consis-tently providing exercise tips and sessions toenable participants to burn more calories,achieve a healthiest lifestyle, as well as donat-ing to a noble cause.

Commenting on the program, Shaikhah Al-Fadhalah - Senior Marketing Officer at Al-Muhallab Mall, said: “We are overwhelmed bythe success we are witnessing by all the partic-ipants of Al-Muhallab Mall’s Fitness DonationProgram. The amount of calories burned cou-pled by the passion of the general public toparticipate, is indeed something we are veryproud of. Our main aim from this program is togive the public an opportunity to enhancetheir lifestyles to a healthy and athletic one, as

well as infusing a sense of responsibility tothose in need by integrating a social responsi-bility factor within them. So much has beenachieved to date, and only 100,000 caloriesleft to be accomplished. Therefore on behalf ofAl-Muhallab Mall I would like to invite every-one to take part in this cause, to help us makea difference in people’s lives.”

The ‘Fitness Donation Program’ invites allsects of the community to collectively lose300,000 Calories until the end of the year,through running on the track in the 1st floor,every Tuesday from 5-7 pm. After jointly accu-mulating 300,000 Calories, the participantswill be able to donate 3,000 Kuwaiti Dinars tothose in need in FSRI.

It is worth mentioning that FSRI is a pioneerin providing the highest quality of compas-sionate rehabilitation care in Kuwait, whichoptimizes function and improves the qualityof life for the people of Kuwait and the GCCRegion by engaging qualified clinicians andsupporting research and education.

Al-Muhallab Mall’s recently refurbished

brand identity and corporate strategy aims atengaging with the general public throughspecially designed monthly activities andevents that would meet the needs of everysegment of the society.

200,000 Calories burned to date by Al-MuhallabMall ‘Fitness Donation Program’ participants

Only 100,000 calories left to meet the target

Celebrating the traditionalGirgian Nights, thePromenade invited all chil-

dren to a week-long celebratoryprogram from June 19 - 23. Thecelebrations took place in variouslocations, including ThePromenade Cultural Center andthe Promenade ice rink, and weremarked by the attendance of sev-eral influencers and social mediacelebrities. The program includedHababa story telling sessions forchildren, accompanied by a pup-pet show at the PromenadeCultural Center, as well as a figureskating show by the WorldChampion Figure Skater, CoachLeia, accompanied by a numberof talented children.

Children attended the GirgianNights celebrations in theirKuwaiti traditional attire, and theshows were accompanied by tra-ditional Girgian music and folkhymns. The audience alsoreceived gifts and surprises alongwith the shows.

Girgian is a tradition deeplyrooted in the Kuwaiti culture. Itaims at teaching children the val-ue of giving during the holymonth of Ramadan. Celebrationof Girgian illustrates ThePromenade’s commitment toenhancing Kuwaiti culture duringthe holy month, as well as instill-ing the spirit of giving and com-passion in all children.

The Promenade celebrates Girgian Nights with children

Page 32: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

03:25 Into The Pride04:15 Gator Boys05:02 Treehouse Masters05:49 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars06:12 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars06:36 Meet The Sloths07:00 Meet The Sloths07:25 Too Cute!08:15 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars08:40 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars09:10 Treehouse Masters10:05 Tanked11:00 Too Cute!11:55 Bondi Vet12:50 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars13:15 From Pound Pups To Dog Stars13:45 Gator Boys14:40 Treehouse Masters15:35 Tanked16:30 Into The Pride17:25 River Monsters (Best Of Series1-5)18:20 Restoration Wild19:15 Tanked20:10 Wildest Africa21:05 Treehouse Masters22:00 Restoration Wild22:55 Gator Boys23:50 River Monsters (Best Of Series1-5)00:45 Human Prey01:40 Restoration Wild02:35 Tanked

T V PR O G R A M SWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

47 RONIN ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

LAST KNIGHTS ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

03:20 Whitechapel04:15 Casualty05:10 Doctor Who06:00 Doctors06:30 Doctors07:00 Doctors07:50 Casualty08:40 Father Brown09:25 The Paradise10:20 Doctor Who11:10 Casualty12:05 Father Brown12:50 The Paradise13:45 Doctor Who14:35 Casualty15:30 Father Brown16:15 The Paradise17:10 Doctor Who18:00 Doctors18:30 Doctors19:05 Father Brown20:00 Silent Witness21:00 Silent Witness21:55 Ripper Street22:50 Bedlam23:40 Doctors00:10 Doctors00:40 Silent Witness01:35 Silent Witness02:30 Ripper Street

12:35 Gamer’s Guide To Pretty MuchEverything13:00 Gamer’s Guide To Pretty MuchEverything13:30 Lab Rats: Bionic Action Hero14:20 Phineas And Ferb14:45 Phineas And Ferb15:10 Disney Mickey Mouse15:15 Mighty Med15:40 The 7D15:50 The 7D16:05 Lab Rats16:30 Pickle And Peanut16:55 Penn Zero: Part Time Hero17:25 K.C. Undercover17:50 Star vs The Forces Of Evil18:15 Lab Rats18:40 K.C. Undercover19:05 Disney Mickey Mouse19:10 Annedroids19:35 Phineas And Ferb20:00 Kirby Buckets20:25 Gamer’s Guide To Pretty MuchEverything20:55 K.C. Undercover21:20 Pickle And Peanut21:45 Lab Rats22:10 Mighty Med22:40 Disney Mickey Mouse23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00amKSA

03:00 Untamed & Uncut03:50 Ultimate Survival04:40 How It’s Made05:30 Dirty Jobs06:20 Mythbusters07:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild07:25 Kids vs Film07:50 Too Cute! Pint-Sized08:40 How It’s Made09:05 How It’s Made09:30 Nextworld10:20 Mythbusters11:10 Bondi Vet12:00 Too Cute! Pint-Sized12:50 Ultimate Survival13:40 How It’s Made14:05 How It’s Made14:30 Dirty Jobs15:20 Mythbusters16:10 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild16:35 Kids vs Film17:00 Lost & Found With Mike & Jesse17:50 Driving Me Crazy18:40 Nextworld19:30 Mythbusters20:20 How It’s Made21:10 Lost & Found With Mike & Jesse22:00 Driving Me Crazy22:50 Untamed & Uncut23:40 Ultimate Survival00:30 Mythbusters01:20 Lost & Found With Mike & Jesse02:10 Driving Me Crazy

03:15 The Hive03:20 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch03:45 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch04:10 Hank Zipzer04:35 Binny And The Ghost05:00 Violetta05:45 The Hive05:50 Mouk06:00 Hank Zipzer06:25 Sofia The First06:50 Disney Mickey Mouse06:55 Gravity Falls07:20 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir07:45 Backstage08:10 Bunk’d08:35 Jessie09:00 Jessie09:25 Liv And Maddie09:50 Liv And Maddie10:15 Austin & Ally10:40 Jessie11:05 Jessie11:30 Girl Meets World11:55 Girl Meets World12:20 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir12:45 Shake It Up13:10 Shake It Up13:35 Jessie14:00 Jessie14:25 Austin & Ally14:50 Austin & Ally15:15 Disney Mickey Mouse15:20 Gravity Falls15:45 Miraculous Tales Of LadybugAnd Cat Noir16:10 Violetta17:00 Backstage17:25 Alex & Co.17:50 Girl Meets World18:15 Liv And Maddie18:40 Best Friends Whenever19:05 Austin & Ally19:30 Bunk’d19:55 Jessie20:20 Backstage20:45 Good Luck Charlie21:10 H2O: Just Add Water21:35 H2O: Just Add Water22:00 Binny And The Ghost22:25 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch22:50 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch23:10 Hank Zipzer23:35 Binny And The Ghost00:00 Violetta00:45 The Hive00:50 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch01:15 Sabrina Secrets Of A TeenageWitch01:40 Hank Zipzer02:05 Binny And The Ghost02:30 Violetta

10:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn10:36 The Haunted Hathaways11:00 Winx Club11:24 SpongeBob SquarePants12:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles13:00 Harvey Beaks13:24 The Loud House13:48 Get Blake14:12 Rabbids Invasion14:36 100 Things To Do Before HighSchool15:00 Game Shakers15:24 The Loud House15:48 SpongeBob SquarePants16:12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles16:36 Harvey Beaks17:00 Get Blake17:24 Harvey Beaks17:48 The Loud House18:12 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 Breadwinners21:48 Breadwinners22:12 Sanjay And Craig23:00 SpongeBob SquarePants23:48 Henry Danger00:12 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn00:36 Max & Shred01:00 The Haunted Hathaways01:24 Sanjay And Craig02:12 SpongeBob SquarePants

03:25 Lewis04:20 Don’t Tell The Bride05:15 Come Dine With Me Couples06:10 The Doctor Blake Mysteries07:05 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh08:00 Lewis08:55 Don’t Tell The Bride09:50 Come Dine With Me Couples10:40 Pick Me!11:35 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh12:30 The Doctor Blake Mysteries13:25 Emmerdale13:50 Eggheads14:20 Coronation Street14:45 Come Dine With Me Couples15:35 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh16:30 Code Of A Killer17:25 Don’t Tell The Bride18:20 Emmerdale18:45 Eggheads19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh20:30 Code Of A Killer21:25 Don’t Tell The Bride22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:15 The Doctor Blake Mysteries00:10 Masterpiece With AlanTitchmarsh01:00 Emmerdale01:30 Eggheads02:00 Coronation Street02:30 The Doctor Blake Mysteries

03:00 Five Days04:00 Entourage04:30 Entourage05:00 Wit07:00 Einstein And Eddington09:00 An Apology To Elephants10:00 Nightingale11:30 The Dead Mother’s Club13:00 If These Walls Could Talk15:00 The Tears Of Sichuan Province15:45 Something The Lord Made17:45 The Dead Mother’s Club19:00 The Wire20:00 Six Feet Under21:00 True Blood22:00 Olive Kitteridge23:00 House Of Saddam00:00 The Wire01:00 Six Feet Under02:00 True Blood

14:00 Good Morning America16:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 The Whispers19:00 Supergirl20:00 Once Upon A Time21:00 Suits22:00 Rush Hour23:00 Second Chance00:00 Rosewood01:00 Suits02:00 Rush Hour

03:00 Rudderless05:00 Before I Go To Sleep07:00 Grand Central09:00 A Mother Betrayed11:00 Before I Go To Sleep13:00 The French Minister15:00 Reach Me17:00 A Mother Betrayed19:00 Goodbye World21:00 The Disappearance OfEleanor Rigby: Him23:00 One Last Look01:00 A Mother Betrayed

03:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles03:24 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 SquarePants06:36 SpongeBob SquarePants07:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles07:24 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles07:48 Winx Club08:12 The Loud House08:36 SpongeBob SquarePants09:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles09:24 Harvey Beaks09:48 Henry Danger

03:00 Obsession: Dark Desires03:48 I Almost Got Away With It07:00 Deadly Affairs07:50 I Almost Got Away With It09:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn10:20 Nightmare Next Door11:10 Deadline: Crime With TamronHall12:00 I Almost Got Away With It15:20 Heartbreakers16:10 True Crime With AphroditeJones17:00 I Was Murdered20:20 Heartbreakers21:10 California InvestigatorΩ22:00 Vanity Fair Confidential22:50 Murder Among Friends

23:40 Disappeared00:30 Redrum01:20 Vanity Fair Confidential02:10 Murder Among Friends

Discovery Channel HD03:40 Dirty Money04:05 Storage Wars Canada04:30 Storage Hunters UK05:00 How Things Work06:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier06:50 Wheeler Dealers: Top 507:40 Fast N’ Loud: DemolitionTheater08:30 Dirty Money08:55 Storage Wars Canada09:20 Storage Hunters UK09:45 How Things Work10:35 Gold Divers11:25 Pacific Warriors12:15 Outback Truckers13:05 Dirty Money13:30 Storage Wars Canada13:55 Storage Hunters UK14:20 Alaska: The Last Frontier15:10 Wheeler Dealers: Top 516:00 Fast N’ Loud: DemolitionTheater16:50 How Things Work17:40 Diamond River Hunters18:30 Deadliest Job Interview19:20 Manhunt With Joel Lambert20:10 Storage Wars Canada20:35 Storage Hunters UK21:00 Diamond River Hunters21:50 Deadliest Job Interview22:40 Dive Wars Australia23:30 Fast N’ Loud: DemolitionTheater00:20 Wheeler Dealers: Top 501:10 Diamond River Hunters02:00 Deadliest Job Interview02:50 Dive Wars Australia

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 Loopdidoo07:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse08:05 Sofia The First08:30 Miles From Tomorrow08:45 PJ Masks09:10 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West09:35 Doc McStuffins10:00 Sofia The First10:30 Goldie & Bear10:55 Jake And The Never LandPirates11:25 The Lion Guard11:50 Miles From Tomorrow12:15 Henry Hugglemonster12:30 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West12:55 Minnie’s Bow-Toons13:00 Sofia The First13:30 Doc McStuffins13:55 Miles From Tomorrow14:25 The Lion Guard14:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse15:20 Doc McStuffins15:45 Jake And The Never LandPirates16:00 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West16:30 Doc McStuffins16:55 Sofia The First17:25 Goldie & Bear17:50 Jake And The Never LandPirates18:20 The Lion Guard18:45 Miles From Tomorrow19:00 PJ Masks19:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse20:00 Doc McStuffins20:30 Sofia The First21:00 Jake And The Never LandPirates21:30 PJ Masks22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse22:30 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West22:45 Unbungalievable22:50 Zou23:05 Henry Hugglemonster23:20 Calimero23:35 Zou23:50 Loopdidoo00:05 Art Attack00:30 Henry Hugglemonster00:45 Calimero01:00 Zou01:15 Loopdidoo01:30 Art Attack02:00 Calimero02:15 Zou02:30 Loopdidoo02:45 Art Attack

06:00 Boyster06:10 Super Matrak06:35 Super Matrak07:00 Star vs The Forces Of Evil07:25 K.C. Undercover07:50 Supa Strikas08:15 Supa Strikas08:40 Lab Rats: Bionic Action Hero09:35 Mighty Med10:00 K.C. Undercover10:25 K.C. Undercover10:50 Supa Strikas11:20 Supa Strikas11:45 Kirby Buckets12:10 Kirby Buckets

03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives04:00 Man Fire Food05:00 Chopped06:00 Guy’s Grocery Games07:00 Man Fire Food08:00 Chopped09:00 Barefoot Contessa10:00 The Kitchen11:00 Trisha’s Southern Kitchen12:00 Chopped13:00 Guy’s Big Bite14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives15:00 Man Fire Food16:00 Chopped17:00 The Kitchen18:00 Trisha’s Southern Kitchen19:00 Chopped20:00 Heat Seekers21:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives22:00 Man v Food23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives00:00 Iron Chef America01:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives02:00 Man v Food

03:00 Living With Fran03:30 Breaking In04:00 Better With You04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 Hank06:00 George Lopez06:30 The Bernie Mac Show07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Better With You08:30 Hank09:00 Living With Fran09:30 Suburgatory10:00 Angie Tribeca10:30 The Bernie Mac Show11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 George Lopez12:30 Better With You13:00 Hank13:30 The Bernie Mac Show14:00 Breaking In14:30 Suburgatory15:00 Angie Tribeca15:30 Dr. Ken16:00 Modern Family16:30 George Lopez17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Living With Fran18:30 Breaking In19:00 Suburgatory19:30 Men At Work20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 Dr. Ken21:30 Modern Family22:00 My Big Fat Greek Life22:30 My Big Fat Greek Life23:00 Life In Pieces23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers00:30 Dr. Ken01:00 Modern Family01:30 My Big Fat Greek Life02:00 My Big Fat Greek Life02:30 Life In Pieces

04:00 Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark06:00 Flightplan08:00 Metro10:00 Airplane vs. Volcano12:00 Last Knights14:00 Flightplan16:00 The Berlin File18:00 Metro20:00 47 Ronin22:15 Alien Outpost00:00 Dragon Blade02:00 The Berlin File

03:00 Freaky Friday05:00 Mulan07:00 Big Hero 609:00 Toy Story11:00 A Bug’s Life13:00 Toy Story 215:00 Monsters Inc17:00 Finding Nemo19:00 The Incredibles21:00 Ratatouille23:00 Wall-E01:00 Up

05:00 What Dreams May Come07:00 Beyond The Edge09:00 Memories10:45 Legends Of The Fall13:00 What Dreams May Come15:00 Les Miserables17:45 Memories19:30 Decoding Annie Parker21:30 Every Day

03:00 The Best Of Me05:00 Veronica Mars07:00 Some Girls09:00 The Best Of Me11:00 McFarland, USA13:15 The Song15:15 The Duff17:00 Annie19:00 Miss You Already21:00 Alex Of Venice23:00 The Water Diviner01:00 Extinction

04:30 Moomins And The CometChase06:00 Marco Macaco08:00 Bamse And The City OfThieves10:00 Daddy I’m A Zombie11:30 Cher Ami13:00 Baby Geniuses And The SpaceBaby14:30 Minuscule: Valley Of The LostAnts16:00 Vampire Dog18:00 Daddy I’m A Zombie20:00 Baby Geniuses And TheTreasures Of Egypt22:00 Minuscule: Valley Of The LostAnts23:30 Vampire Dog01:15 Bamse And The City OfThieves02:45 Baby Geniuses And The SpaceBaby

04:15 Ana Maria In Novela Land06:00 Song For Marion08:00 Boychoir10:00 50 To 112:00 Taken 314:00 So Undercover16:00 Boychoir17:45 The Walk20:00 Great Expectations22:15 Whiplash00:15 Boychoir02:00 The Walk

03:00 My Daughter Must Live04:30 Instinct06:45 The Hurricane09:15 Jack11:15 Pearl Harbor14:30 Shanghai16:30 A Lot Like Love18:30 My Daughter Must Live20:00 Gone Baby Gone22:00 Scary Movie 523:15 10 Things I Hate About You01:00 Greenberg

04:15 The Matador05:30 Les Paul: Chasing Sound07:00 The Overbrook Brothers08:40 The Trip To Bountiful10:25 The Englishman Who WentUp A Hill12:00 All On The Line13:00 Theatreland13:30 Banksy Does New York14:50 Pinter’s Progress15:45 ATP: All Tomorrow’s Parties17:10 Adonis17:20 Letter’s From The South19:05 The Overbrook Brothers20:40 Christmas, Again22:00 The Englishman Who WentUp A Hill23:35 The Trip To Bountiful01:20 Letter’s From The SouthTLC HD03:15 Ballroom Blitz04:00 Six Little Mcghees04:25 Six Little Mcghees04:45 Little People, Big World05:10 Little People, Big World05:35 Cake Boss06:00 Say Yes To The Dress06:25 Shopping Is My Life07:15 Toddlers & Tiaras08:05 Oprah Prime08:55 Oprah: Where Are They Now?09:45 Little People, Big World10:10 Little People, Big World

03:00 Better Call Saul04:00 Good Morning America06:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.07:00 Rosewood08:00 The Whispers09:00 Supergirl10:00 Castle11:00 Rosewood12:00 The Whispers13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show

04:00 Charlie And The ChocolateFactory06:00 Raising Helen08:00 Three Men And A Little Lady10:00 Bringing Down The House12:00 Raising Helen14:00 Beethoven’s Treasure Tail16:00 Three Men And A Little Lady18:00 Mr. Destiny20:00 Trust Me22:00 What We Do In The Shadows00:00 Three Men And A Little Lady02:00 Trust Me

23:30 I Will Follow You Into The Dark01:30 Les Miserables

03:00 Low Winter Sun05:00 Cougar Town06:00 The Simpsons07:00 Low Winter Sun08:00 American Idol10:00 Low Winter Sun13:00 Cougar Town14:00 The Simpsons15:00 Low Winter Sun16:00 American Idol18:00 3 (Three)19:00 Castle20:00 Fashion Star21:00 How I Met Your Mother22:00 The Simpsons22:30 The Simpsons23:00 Bones00:00 American Idol01:00 American Idol02:00 3 (Three)Sundance Channel HD

Page 33: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 6/7/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeTHY 772 Istanbul 00:10MSC 415 Sohag 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:30DLH 635 Doha 01:00JZR 539 Cairo 01:20PGT 858 Istanbul 01:25RJA 642 Amman 01:45KKK 6506 Istanbul 02:05GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15CEB 018 Manila 02:20UAE 853 Dubai 02:25OMA 643 Muscat 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:15ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:15QTR 1076 Doha 03:25KAC 544 Cairo 03:40JZR 555 Alexandria 04:15FEG 931 Alexandria 05:00DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10THY 770 Istanbul 05:15JZR 529 Asyut 06:00KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:30BAW 157 London 06:40FDB 5061 Dubai 07:15JZR 503 Luxor 07:25KAC 382 Delhi 07:30KAC 346 Ahmedabad 07:35KAC 206 Islamabad 07:40KAC 204 Lahore 07:40KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50KAC 156 Istanbul 08:00KAC 354 BLR 08:00KAC 286 Dhaka 08:05KAC 344 Chennai 08:15KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:15KAC 362 Colombo 08:20KAC 352 Kochi 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:05IRC 6511 ABD 09:15QTR 1070 Doha 09:20IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:50CCE 341 Alexandria 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40AXB 890 Mangalore/Bahrain 10:55MEA 404 Beirut 11:00JZR 561 Sohag 11:25ETD 9819 Abu Dhabi 12:10FDB 075 Dubai 12:25SAW 701 Damascus 12:35FEG 953 Asyut 12:55MSR 610 Cairo 13:00CLX 792 Luxembourg 13:15IRC 6521 Lamerd 13:35KAC 792 Madinah 13:45KNE 231 Riyadh 14:00KNE 529 Jeddah 14:05QTR 1078 Doha 14:05MSR 575 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:15JZR 1771 Jeddah 14:15FDB 057 Dubai 14:20GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KAC 512 Mashhad 14:30KAC 540 Sharm el-Sheikh 14:50KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00KNE 683 Madinah 15:05ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:10OMA 645 Muscat 15:10ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45RJA 640 Amman 16:00FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15JZR 535 Cairo 16:20JZR 787 Riyadh 16:45NIA 251 Alexandria 16:50KAC 562 Amman 16:55SAW 705 Damascus 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 357 Mashhad 17:30CCE 343 Sharm el-Sheikh 17:35

JZR 177 Dubai 17:45JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50QTR 1080 Doha 17:55SYR 341 Damascus 18:00MSR 620 Cairo 18:30KAC 774 Riyadh 18:35KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35KAC 502 Beirut 18:35KAC 742 Dammam 18:50KAC 618 Doha 18:55KAC 542 Cairo 18:55KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05KAC 614 Bahrain 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:15MSR 606 Luxor 19:30JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 154 Istanbul 19:45KAC 674 Dubai 19:45FDB 059 Dubai 19:50KAC 102 New York/London 19:55DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:05KNE 381 Taif 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15OMA 647 Muscat 20:20FDB 5053 Dubai 20:55ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:05UAE 859 Dubai 21:15KAC 1780 Jeddah 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:20QTR 1082 Doha 21:55GFA 219 Bahrain 22:00KAC 564 Amman 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25MSC 501 Alexandria 22:30BBC 043 Dhaka 22:40THY 764 Istanbul 22:55MSC 403 Asyut 23:10JAI 574 Mumbai 23:20MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 23:40

Departure Flights on Wednesday 6/7/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05MSC 404 Asyut 00:10JAI 573 Mumbai 00:25JAD 302 Amman 00:25MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30MSC 416 Sohag 01:05JZR 502 Luxor 01:15THY 773 Istanbul 01:40DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:00THY 765 Istanbul 02:45PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55UAE 854 Dubai 03:45KAC 417 Manila 03:55OMA 644 Muscat 04:00ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:10MSR 613 Cairo 04:15KKK 6505 Istanbul 04:20QTR 1077 Doha 04:35CEB 019 Manila 04:50JZR 560 Sohag 05:00FEG 954 Asyut 06:00RJA 643 Amman 06:25THY 771 Istanbul 06:45GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50FDB 5062 Dubai 07:55BAW 156 London 08:25KAC 511 Mashhad 08:40JZR 1770 Jeddah 08:40KAC 539 Sharm el-Sheikh 08:50KAC 791 Madinah 08:55KAC 117 New York 09:00JZR 534 Cairo 09:25KAC 787 Jeddah 09:30ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00IRC 6522 Lamerd 10:05IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25QTR 1071 Doha 10:35FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 153 Istanbul 11:00

KAC 501 Beirut 11:00CCE 342 Sharm el-Sheikh 11:10KAC 175 Frankfurt/Geneva 11:15KAC 561 Amman 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35JZR 356 Mashhad 11:40AXB 890 Mangalore 11:55MEA 405 Beirut 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05KAC 103 London 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:10FDB 076 Dubai 13:10JZR 786 Riyadh 13:20SAW 702 Damascus 13:35FEG 932 Alexandria 13:55MSR 611 Cairo 14:00ETD 9819 BRU 14:10IRC 6512 ABD 14:25CLX 792 Hanoi 14:30KNE 382 Taif 14:55MSR 576 Sharm el-Sheikh 15:00KAC 773 Riyadh 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:05GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:05KAC 617 Doha 15:15QTR 1079 Doha 15:15KAC 741 Dammam 15:30KAC 1781 Jeddah 15:30KNE 530 Jeddah 15:35SVA 503 Madinah/Jeddah 15:45KNE 684 Madinah 16:00KAC 613 Bahrain 16:00OMA 646 Muscat 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20KAC 563 Amman 16:30RJA 641 Amman 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25UAE 858 Dubai 17:40NIA 252 Alexandria 17:50SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15SAW 706 Damascus 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 538 Cairo 18:30CCE 344 Alexandria 18:35JZR 238 Amman 18:45SYR 342 Damascus 19:00QTR 1081 Doha 19:05MSR 621 Cairo 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50KAC 361 Colombo 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 19:55MSR 619 Alexandria 20:30FDB 060 Dubai 20:30KAC 283 Dhaka 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35KAC 331 Trivandrum 20:45DLH 634 Doha 20:50KAC 343 Chennai 20:55KAC 351 Kochi 21:00KAC 543 Cairo 21:00KNE 232 Riyadh 21:10JZR 554 Alexandria 21:15MEA 403 Beirut 21:15OMA 648 Muscat 21:15DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50FDB 5054 Dubai 21:55ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 21:55ALK 230 Colombo 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KAC 381 Delhi 22:25KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30KAC 345 Ahmedabad 22:55GFA 220 Bahrain 23:00KAC 205 Islamabad 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05JZR 528 Asyut 23:15QTR 1083 Doha 23:20MSC 502 Alexandria 23:30

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Jordan 00962

Kazakhstan 007

Kenya 00254

Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965

Kyrgyzstan 00996

Laos 00856

Latvia 00371

Lebanon 00961

Liberia 00231

Libya 00218

Lesotho 00266

Lithuania 00370

Luxembourg 00352

Macau 00853

Macedonia 00389

Madagascar 00261

Majorca 0034

Malawi 00265

Malaysia 0060

Maldives 00960

Mali 00223

Malta 00356

Marshall Islands 00692

Martinique 00596

Mauritania 00222

Mauritius 00230

Mayotte 00269

Mexico 0052

Micronesia 00691

Moldova 00373

Monaco 00377

Mongolia 00976

Montserrat 001664

Morocco 00212

Mozambique 00258

Myanmar (Burma) 0095

Namibia 00264

Nepal 00977

Netherlands 0031

Netherlands Antilles 00599

New Caledonia 00687

New Zealand 0064

Nicaragua 00505

Nigar 00227

Nigeria 00234

Niue 00683

Norfolk Island 00672

N. Ireland (UK) 0044

North Korea 00850

Norway 0047

Oman 00968

Pakistan 0092

Palau 00680

Panama 00507

Papua New Guinea 00675

Paraguay 00595

Peru 0051

Philippines 0063

Poland 0048

Ophthalmologists

Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444

Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222

Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171

Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999

Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700

Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223

Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510

Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660

Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478

Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996

Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988

Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166

Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General Practitioners

Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123

Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312

Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920

Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465

Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528

Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781

Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

Urologists

Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534

Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955

Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120

Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

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

[email protected]

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

Page 34: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Mental discipline should come easily for you. Problems and obstacles areeasy to conquer. You know what you are doing so well that you could be

chosen to help or teach others. Not to worry, once others learn all the intricacies of whatyou do, there is room in your day to be more into management. Very little, if any, slips byyou as you have special techniques for proofing work or products so that a customer willbe writing to your company about how pleased they are with the quality of your products.Your mind is full of practical ideas, especially related to your job or skills. It is good that youseek new ideas in management. You bring a great deal of love to your work. A strong urge

for the social life may find you active this afternoon.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You have an inborn ability to guide and lead others through the many diffi-culties in life. You could be very much in demand as a counselor-even if you actually workas a counselor. Solving problems in the workplace seems easier than usual. There is aninstinct to be powerful and in control-pulling the strings. This is a good day to get thingsdone. There is good eye-hand coordination and a sustained effort that will make most anytask run well. You may feel like exercising or getting out and about this evening. Perhapsvisiting friends or dinner out with a loved one is in order now. If you are entertaining thisevening, you will not have to fish for compliments. Having everything prepared inadvance, you have time to visit.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

There are many opportunities to make practical decisions today-you mayneed to give yourself a little time before responding in some cases. Your ideas run deeperthan superficial issues in which an interest in depth psychology could evolve. Your senseof responsibility is so well developed that you may find you are managing things a littlemore than you would like at this time. This may be a good time to put in for an upgrade inyour employment. You are needed to interact in the ways you know best. When you aremore able to express your talents you will appreciate how others work to develop their tal-ent. The people with whom you work will enjoy a little time of sharing and comparingnotes about time away from work.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

There are many things to accomplish now and your concentration is sointense you may find that people have to raise their voice to get your attention. You have anatural sense of organization and come across as disciplined and careful, perhaps a littletoo sober. Ease up this afternoon, co-workers may want you to take a long noon breakwith them. You have natural psychological ability, in particular when working with thepublic. Your ability to discriminate real breakthroughs and to spot new trends makes youable to work in areas at the very fringe of technology. A presentation you have preparedwill be a successful production. The evening brings friends and loved ones close to yourheart. Tonight is for love.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You feel understanding and accepting and are easily moved by the prob-lems of others. Psychology in all of its forms is a driving force in your life. An understandinginto the needs and wants of others and an appreciation for their frailties, as well as yourown, make you more cautious and conservative-pick your battles with care. There is a goalto reach today and your focus is on target. You are connected to farseeing visions andgroup work of all kinds. You may be a bit independent when working with standard poli-cies, however. Your sense of discrimination when it comes to practical issues is excellent.You are quick to compliment good problem-solving techniques in others. You like to work.A loved one needs you tonight.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Discovering what you truly believe in-fighting for it, even-is a high per-sonal priority. You may decide to quietly create an opportunity to push a truth-in-lendinglaw or uncover the real story behind a story. Religion, law, politics, travel and higher edu-cation are some of the arenas where this may take place. This is a time of testing your lim-its to see how far you can go. Communicating well is important to you. You will makeevery effort to be patient and make sure you are understood. You would do well in acareer that involves music, poetry, writing, psychology and philosophy-any realm of theimagination. You can help or teach others by sharing your own understanding. Examiningyour life is over; living it is now.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Things are happening and your career depends upon your own ambitionand drive. You are able to use your good thinking process and you feel what is the rightthing to do; you enjoy being in control. A management job is in your future. The secrethere is to trust in your own judgment. As long as you are looking for the most positiveend, you will do well. It is very important to focus on getting any facts straight-there couldbe trickery at this time. This is a better time to sell than to buy and a time to eliminate theexcessive-carpool. There is a need to improve channels of understanding and apprecia-tion. Classes in meditation, problem solving and even dancing can be a great activity foryou and your partner or mate-consider. Romance is fun this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Your thoughts and ideas may not mesh with the plans and methods ofsomeone you meet with today. You have a radical approach to communities and groupwork. You are unusually motivated toward an end result that will help many people. Thismay not have been your original plan but it has turned out to be just where you need tobe. Things will eventually be helpful to your own purpose if you maintain low tones fornow. Tall mountains and steep valleys are calling your name. It could be that you enjoymountain climbing or hang-gliding but if you could wait one more month the weatherwill be much better. You enjoy exploring and extreme sports; you can take advantage ofthese few weeks to improve the physical status.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You may decide that this is the best time to buckle down and secure yourcareer. Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility guide you

and prove successful. There is a special job that you would enjoy. Your career couldassume a much more determined and solid form when you consider these things.Obtaining and exchanging information takes on importance. Being more involved withneighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need. Communicating by phone, e-mail,snail-mail, etc., is where your attention moves this evening-fun topics. Lots of time is spenton your computer later this evening and you have plenty of fun playing a game or chat-ting with your favorite friend.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You may find yourself very appreciative of your very own skills today. Youmight enjoy putting together facts, solving problems and finding solutions for others, etc.A renewed appreciation for your work may be apparent to your superiors-in fact, to every-body. You develop a knack for organizing things and people, as a sense of ambition andpracticality takes hold. Work, achievement and ambition take priority. You are enteringinto a cycle of mental development that emphasizes the past and your roots in life.Curiosity about such things leads to study and research-perhaps the discovery of a familycrest, real estate or home and family planning take on greater importance. You can findsome excellent resources in the library for references.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

You are able to draw a clear picture of your ideas and others will under-stand your meaning. The events of the morning have the makings for a

bright and witty day. You could be seen by others as just the person to be put in charge ofsome project requiring a conservative mind. This afternoon you are very out-front andcandid with co-workers. Your intensity and passionate approach to life are obvious to allwho meet you. Your mind cuts right through all the window dressing and gets right downto the quick. Before anyone knows it, you have the results for everyone to see. You are thefirst person they run to when personal or business answers are needed. Hug a tree this

afternoon. Homemade ice cream also deserves your special attention.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Your presence is important in the workplace, particularly today when youare most tempted to stay home. You do tend to overwork and over worry about the peo-ple you help and today you are needed in a place similar to a courtroom. You will be ableto help guide at least two people today and will help to encourage a piece of mind wherefrustration has been overwhelming. You are good with people and may find yourselfworking in a courtroom, hospital or some type of rehabilitation clinic. You may complainof never having any privacy or time to think. You have a pattern of living that seems tothrow you into contact with many people. Patience with yourself is extremely importantand you will find yourself much more at ease with an art type of outlet.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1306

ACROSS1. Experiencing or showing sorrow or unhap-

piness.4. An Asian country under the control of China.11. Catch sight of.15. A user interface in which you type com-

mands instead of choosing them from amenu or selecting an icon.

16. Aroused to action.17. A disdainful pouting grimace.18. Title for a civil or military leader (especially

in Turkey).19. Showing a high degree of refinement and

the assurance that comes from wide socialexperience.

21. The basic unit of money in Gambia.23. (chemistry) P(otential of ) H(ydrogen).25. A loud harsh or strident noise.26. Freshwater fish of Central America having a

long swordlike tail.28. Philippine tree similar to the breadfruit tree

bearing edible fruit.31. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.32. A compact mass.35. Large swift fly the female of which sucks

blood of various animals.37. An endorsement.38. A door-like movable barrier in a fence or

wall.40. Elegant and stylish.43. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.44. European strong-scented perennial herb

with gray-green bitter-tasting leaves.45. The cry made by sheep.47. Austrian physician who tried to treat dis-

eases with a form of hypnotism (1734-1815).

50. Showing or feeling admiration.54. A state in northwestern United States on

the Pacific.55. A colloid in a more solid form than a sol.56. A large quantity of written matter.58. Stairway in India leading down to a landing

on the water.60. American prizefighter who won the world

heavyweight championship three times(born in 1942).

62. A volcano in south central Guatemala.64. A person forced to flee from home or coun-

try.65. One of two official languages of Norway.69. An artificial language related to Ido.71. (astronomy) The angular distance of a

celestial point measured westward alongthe celestial equator from the zenithcrossing.

73. A percussion instrument consisting of apair of hollow pieces of wood or bone(usually held between the thumb and fin-gers) that are made to click together (asby Spanish dancers) in rhythm with thedance.

74. A hospital unit staffed and equipped toprovide intensive care.

75. Omission or suppression of parts of wordsor sentences.

78. Preserve of crushed fruit.79. Cut off from a whole.80. Widespread genus or herbs or soft-wooded

arborescent shrubs cultivated for theirshowy flowers.

81. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

DOWN1. Any of a number of fishes of the family

Carangidae.2. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly

aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking truestems and roots and leaves.

3. The face of a timepiece.4. An impudent or insolent rejoinder.5. United States writer remembered for his sto-

ries (1783-1859).6. Having a toe or toes of a specified kind.7. An abundant tasteless odorless multivalent

nonmetallic element.8. Lacking strength or vigor.9. (meaning literally `born') Used to indicate

the maiden or family name of a marriedwoman.

10. A ductile silvery-white ductile ferromag-netic trivalent metallic element of the rareearth group.

11. A government order imposing a trade bar-rier.

12. A milk substitute containing soybean flourand water.

13. Cry weakly or softly.14. A period of time containing 365 (or 366)

days.20. A unit of surface area equal to 100 square

meters.22. A condensed but memorable saying

embodying some important fact of expe-rience that is taken as true by many peo-ple.

24. An acute febrile highly contagious viral dis-ease.

27. Any of the short curved hairs that growfrom the edges of the eyelids.

29. Type genus of the Alaudidae.30. Desert shrub of Syria and Arabia having

small white flowers.33. Swelling from excessive accumulation of

serous fluid in tissue.34. A republic in the Asian subcontinent in

southern Asia.36. Broken husks of the seeds of cereal grains

that are separated from the flour by sift-ing.

39. A promontory in northern Morocco oppo-site the Rock of Gibraltar.

41. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in amosque.

42. An emotional response that has beenacquired by conditioning.

46. A loss of the ability to write or to expressthoughts in writing because of a brainlesion.

48. Used as an Italian courtesy title.49. A great raja.51. Any of a group of heavenly spirits under

the god Anu.52. Do over, as of (part of ) a house.53. (Old Testament) Cain and Abel were the

first children of Adam and Eve born afterthe Fall of Man.

57. Angular distance above the horizon (espe-cially of a celestial object).

59. A pause during which things are calm oractivities are diminished.

61. Squash bugs.63. Beyond what is natural.66. (Norse mythology) The primeval giant slain

by Odin and his brothers and from whosebody they created the world.

67. Someone who works (or provides workers)during a strike.

68. God of love and erotic desire.70. South American wood sorrel cultivated for

its edible tubers.72. (usually followed by `to') Naturally dis-

posed toward.76. Being five more than fifty.77. A toxic nonmetallic element related to sul-

fur and tellurium.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Word Search

34stars

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday Solution

Page 35: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

SUDOKU

Solution

Color me!

JOKESQ: Knock, knock——Who’s There?——Boo——Boo Who? A: Well you don’t have to cry about it.

Q: Knock, knock——Who’s There?——Theodore——Theodore who?

A: Theodore is stuck and it won’t open!

Q: Knock-knock——Who’s there?——Cher——Cher who? A: Cher would be nice if you opened the door!

Q: Knock, knock——Who’s There?——Amos——Amoswho?

A: A mosquito bit me!

Q: Knock, knock——Who’s There?——Police——PoliceWho?

A: Police let us in, it’s cold out here!

Q: Knock-knock——Who’s there?——Amarillo——Amarillo who?

A: Amarillo nice guy.

Spring Rolls

What you need• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut

into thin strips• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce• 1 teaspoon cornstarch• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil• 2 teaspoons sesame oil• 5 cups bean sprouts• 2 cups chopped cabbage• 1 cup grated carrots• 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced• 2 scallions, sliced• 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger• 24 spring roll wrappers

What to do1. In a medium bowl, marinate the chicken with 1

teaspoon salt, pepper, soy sauce, and corn-starch.

2. In a wok or sautÈ pan, warm the vegetable andsesame oils over medium heat.

3. Add the bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, mush-rooms, scallions, and ginger and sautÈ, stirringoccasionally, for 5 minutes.

4. Add the marinated chicken and sautÈ, stirringoccasionally, until cooked through, about 8minutes.

5. Fill a pie plate with warm water.6. Immerse 1 spring roll wrapper in the water

until pliable, about 15 seconds, then transfer toa cutting board.

7. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling down thecenter of the wrapper.

8. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling,then fold both sides into the center, and rollthe wrapper up tightly to form a spring roll.

9. Transfer the spring roll to a plate and keep cov-ered with a damp paper towel.

10. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappersand filling.

RECIPES FOR KIDS

A sock owlYou will need

• 1 odd sock• 2 buttons• 1 small triangle of orange felt• cotton wool (stuffing)• scissors• sewing machine• needle and thread• glue

Activity1. Starting below the heel, cut the ankle

part of the sock from the foot part.Make a rounded curve for the owl’shead. (The opening of the sock will bethe bottom of the owl’s body.)

2. Now cut out the toe part of the sock,the very tip. Cut that in half to formtwo teeny-tiny wings for your owl.

3. With the remaining section, cut it upthe side to open it out. Now cut out arough circle that will form the base ofthe owl. (So it should be able to fitroughly into the diameter of the sock’sankle opening.)

4. Now take the body part, turn rightsides together and sew it along thetop curved edge.

5. Sew each wing along one side to formthe wings.

6. Keeping the body inside out and withright sides together, pin the base circlethat you cut earlier into the base ofthe owl’s body, leaving a seam ofabout 5mm.

7. Sew around that but make sure youleave a gap big enough to turn theowl right side out and stuff it with cot-ton wool.

8. Turn the owl right side out throughthe gap you left. Stuff it with cottonwool through the same gap. Now usea needle and thread to slip stitch thegap closed.

9. Sew on the owl’s wings.10. Sew on the owl’s eyes. Glue the beak

ACTIVITY

• Trees are tall plants made of wood.• Plants that aren’t quite tall enough to be consid-

ered trees are often called shrubs.• Trees can live for thousands of years.• Some trees can grow to around 100 meters in

height!• The tallest species of trees in the world include the

Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, Coast Douglas Fir,Sitka Spruce and Australian Mountain Ash.

• The Giant Sequoia is not only tall, it is also wide.Because of its amazing size, some believe that theGiant Sequoia is the largest living organism in theworld!

• Trees produce oxygen and reduce the amount ofcarbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

• The roots of a tree usually grow underground, help-ing keep it stable and providing it with water andimportant nutrients.

• Water and nutrients travel up the tree trunk,through the branches and all the way out to theleaves.

• The trunk of a tree is protected by an outside layerof bark.

• The way a tree grows through different seasons canbe seen by growth rings in the wood, they can evenbe used to determine the age of a tree.

• Planting trees can help prevent erosion.• Wood from trees can be used in a number of differ-

ent ways including as a building material and ener-gy source.

Did you know?

The okapi is a mammal native to the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congoin Central Africa. Although the okapi bears

striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is mostclosely related to the giraffe. The okapi and thegiraffe are the only living members of the familyGiraffidae. The okapi stands about 1.5 m tall at theshoulder and has an average body length of about2.5 m. Its weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg. It has along neck, and large, flexible ears. Its coat is achocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast withthe white horizontal stripes and rings on the legsand white ankles. Male okapis have short, hair-cov-ered horns called ossicones, less than 15 cm (5.9 in)in length. Females possess hair whorls, and ossi-cones are absent.

Okapis are primarily diurnal but may be activefor a few hours in darkness. They are essentiallysolitary, coming together only to breed. Okapis areherbivores, feeding on tree leaves and buds, grass-es, ferns, fruits, and fungi. Rut in males and estrusin females does not depend on the season. In cap-tivity, estrous cycles recur every 15 days. The gesta-tional period is around 440 to 450 days long, fol-lowing which usually a single calf is born. The juve-niles are kept in hiding, and nursing takes placeinfrequently. Juveniles start taking solid food from

three months, and weaning takes place at sixmonths.

Okapis inhabit canopy forests at altitudes of500-1,500 m. They are endemic to the tropicalforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,where they occur across the central, northern andeastern regions. The International Union for theConservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN) classifies the okapi as endangered. Majorthreats include habitat loss due to logging andhuman settlement. Extensive hunting for bushmeat and skin and illegal mining have also led to adecline in populations. The Okapi ConservationProject was established in 1987 to protect okapipopulations.

DietOkapis are herbivores, feeding on tree leaves

and buds, grasses, ferns, fruits, and fungi. They pre-fer to feed in tree fall gaps. The staple food com-prises shrubs and lianas. The main constituents ofthe diet are woody, dicotyledonous species; mono-cotyledonous plants are not eaten regularly.

In the Ituri forest, the okapi feeds mainly uponthe plant families Acanthaceae, Ebenaceae,Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Loganiaceae,Rubiaceae and Violaceae.

Okapi

Page 36: Saudis rattled by terror attacks; bombings kill 4 - Kuwait Times

F E A T U R E S

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016l if e st yle

Homes Glass House Installations: The ‘Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden’

Fried or baked, sprinkled with truffle oilor flavored with crumbled herbs,french fries are an enduring dish, fan-

cied up or served the simple way aroundthe globe. But what do we REALLY knowabout the history of the lowly sliced potato,or in a broader sense, the lowly sliced yam,okra or just about any vegetable that canbe, well, sliced and fried, sauteed or roast-ed, coated or battered. Blogs, books andrecipes abound. Add to the record a kitschy,new book, “Fries! An Illustrated Guide to theWorld’s Favorite Food,” by a restaurateurfrom the heart of potato country, Boise,Idaho.

Blake Lingle, co-founder and co-ownerof the Boise Fry Company, with four loca-tions there and one in Portland, Oregon,has some fun with his bite-size guide, writ-ten not for the hardcore foodie or food his-torian but the rest of us - just regular oldpotato lovers. Lingle makes clear that he’sno food scholar. To sum up the history offries, he broadened their definition beyondsliced potatoes, to include yams, sweetpotatoes and other vegetables prepared indifferent ways. Therein lies some interestingconjecture.

For instance, one of the earlier refer-ences to frying is the Bible’s Leviticus, 2:7 tobe exact: “If your grain offering is cooked ina pan, it is to be made of the finest flourand some olive oil.” Is it possible that a veg-etable made its way into the pan, Linglewonders. The book of Numbers referencescucumbers and leeks, among other things,in 11:5.

Some historians claim that Egyptianswere frying foods as early as 2500 BC.Lingle is betting that vegetables wereamong them. But the Romans wrote stuffdown, including what is considered theworld’s oldest cookbook, the Apicius, likely

compiled between the late fourth and earlyfifth centuries AD. It includes a recipe forfried chicken with fried vegetables. Linglefound no evidence, however, that vegeta-bles were sliced.

More to the point and elsewhere in theworld, it’s probable that sliced potatoeswere included in an Andean dish calledPachamanca during the Inca Empire. If so,the Andean fry predated the European fryby a few hundred years. The Spanish stolethe potato, and possibly the sweet potato,from the Incas and brought it to Europe,Lingle said.

But it was a Belgian journalist, JoGerard, who claimed sliced potatoes werebeing fried alongside fish in his country inthe late 1600s, predating the same claimby the French by three quarters to a fullcentury, Lingle said. The Belgians blamethe Americans for mistakenly givingfrench fries the name when they confusedFrench-speaking Belgian soldiers in pos-session of some sort of fried esculentswith French-speaking French soldiers dur-ing World War I.

Regardless, Belgium does appear toconsume more fries per capita than anyother country, Lingle said. “There seems tobe a certain amount of conflicting informa-tion out there,” he added in a recent inter-view. “I don’t know what the true answer is.”Fries remain all over the map, as a defaultside in the Americas and Europe, and oftenconsidered among the national dishes ofBritain and Belgium when served with fishand mussels, respectively, Lingle said.

So where are most potatoes grown?Fifty years ago, China was the world’s

fifth-largest producer behind the USSR,Germany, Poland and the United States.Today, China is the largest producer, Linglewrites. But in per-capita terms, when itcomes to potato and fry consumption,Americans eat twice as many potatoes asthe Chinese. Next to no research exists onfry consumption by country, beyond thefrozen-fry market, Lingle writes. Most friesare initially cooked in factories and cookedagain in homes, restaurants and “friteries.”

One thing is sure: chefs are having a fryfield day, Lingle said. Many are hand-cut-ting, inventing signature coatings and dipsand experimenting with techniques oftenreserved for other foods, such as dehydra-tion and sous vide, the method of sealingfood in plastic bags then placing them inwater baths or steam.

And then there’s the hash brown ques-tion. Are they fries? “Yeah I think hashbrowns are fries,” Lingle laughed. “If it’sbeen sliced and then cooked some way it’s,in my opinion, a fry.” — AP

Along, busy holiday weekend along the Gulf Coastand elsewhere is helping boost a surge in tourism inAlabama. Industry leaders say hotels and condo-

miniums in Baldwin County are reporting high occupancyrates for the July 4 holiday. Lakes and rivers from theTennessee Valley to Eufaula will also be clogged withboaters if the weather holds out, and at least two dozencommunities are holding celebrations including fireworksshows or concerts.

Alabama’s tourism director, Lee Sentell, says it all addsup to a profitable period for the hospitality and visitorindustry, particularly with the strengthening economy.Tourists spent a record $12.7 billion in the state last year,and officials hope for another record year in 2016. — AP

Busy holiday weekend boosts surging Alabama tourism numbers

A young boy rides a wave on a body board in Orange Beach, Ala.Bevin Walker, 12, of Sylacauga, Ala, plays volleyball near the shorelinewith her family in Orange Beach, Ala.

Beach goers take to the Gulf Shores for a long holiday weekend inOrange Beach, Ala.

Light reflects off the many hotel windows lining the beach that touristshave flocked to for the holiday weekend in Orange Beach, Ala.

A blue herring walks along thebeach at sunset in Orange

Beach, Ala. — AP photos

Restaurant owner in Idaho potato country writes ode to fries

These undated photos provided by The Glass House show parts of the art exhibit titled ‘Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden,’ at The Glass House in New Canaan, Conn. — AP photos

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

F A S H I O N

l if e st yle

Dior goes back tobasics as Chiuriwaits in wings

With Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuriexpected to take the reins at Christian Diorwithin days, the French fashion housewent back to its eminently wearable rootsin its Paris haute couture show yesterday.

Swiss pair Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux, who have beenholding the fort since the shock departure of Belgiandesigner Raf Simon last October, did not try to reinvent thewheel before handing over to Valentino’s Chiuri. Insteadthey returned to one of founder Christian Dior’s favoritevisual tricks-contrasting black and white.

Apart from a few sprinkles of gold leaf, the typicallyfeminine collection shown before a celebrity-studded audi-ence that included singer Celine Dion and actress Marion

Cotillard-comprised only the two colors. The pair, who wonwarm applause at the end, quoted the master himself whosaid, “White is simple, pure and goes with everything...while I could write a whole book about black.” While theypaid tribute to the expertise of the famous Dior couturestudios, speculation grew that Chiuri’s appointment wasimminent. A well-placed source told AFP last week that the52-year-old Italian had been anointed to take over the lux-ury French brand.

Chiuri has turned around the fortunes of Valentino withher longtime creative partner Pierpaolo Piccioli, making itone of the hottest and most profitable houses in Europe.Neither Dior nor Valentino would comment on her possibleappointment, nor whether Piccioli would be joining her.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016l if e st yle

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Sensual Van Herpen If Dior may have lacked invention, the brilliant Dutch

designer Iris van Herpen made up for it in spades. In whatwas the most poetic and subtly suggestive show of theseason thus

far, she created a line of exquisite high tech dressesinspired by the Japanese concept of “seijaku”, of “findingserenity amidst life’s chaos”. Three dresses in particularstood out amongst creations presented like art installa-tions in a baroque church to the sound of Zen bowl musicplayed live by Japanese musician Kazuya Nagaya. The first,an almost transparent bubble dress made from more than“one thousand .. hand-blown glass bubbles in transparentsilicone, creates a bioluminescent prism around the body,”the designer said. Another sheer creation used a similartechnique to coat “tens of thousands of Swarovski waterdrop crystals” to give the idea of “wet skin covered in dewdrops”.

While the third exuded a subversive sensuality withpearl-coated cotton and tulle cut to resemble opening oys-ters. Van Herpen, however, said it was inspired by thestudy of “cymatics, which visualizes sound waves”. “For meit is very important to show that fashion can do differentthings. Innovation is needed, craftmanship, showing thatthere is a different way of making a garment. We have tomove on,” she told AFP. “I was very inspired by my visits toJapan, it is a beautiful culture,” she added. In contrast,Schiaparelli paid homage to its famous “Circus” collectionof 1938, when its founder Elsa Schiaparelli roped in surreal-ist artists including Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau to helpher design her fabrics. — AFP

Models present creations for Chanel during the 2016-2017 fall/winter Haute Couture collection fashion show in Paris. — AP/AFP photos

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Models present creations for Christian Dior during the 2016-2017 fall/winter Haute Couture collection fashion show.

Models present creations by Giambattista Valli during the 2016-2017 fall/winter Haute Couture collection fashion show in Paris.

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37Dior goes back to basics as Chiuri waits in wings

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016

Russian Muslims pray outside the central mosque in Moscow yesterday, during celebrations of Eid Al-Fitr marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. — AFP

The outpouring of tributes for Iranian filmmaker AbbasKiarostami, who died yesterday, has reminded the worldof Iran’s huge impact on art-house cinema despite

restrictions on its artists. “On the one hand, there is the statecinema, financed by the authorities... then there is an inde-pendent sector that is flourishing,” Kiarostami told reporters atthe Cannes Film Festival in May. A few days later, the pointwas underlined when “The Salesman” by Iranian directorAsghar Farhadi walked away with two awards-very rare atCannes-for best screenplay and best actress.

US indie hero Jim Jarmusch, who cast exiled Iranian actressGolshifteh Farahani in his latest film “Paterson”, described Iranas “one of the gardens of cinema on our planet” at a Cannesnews conference. The key to Iranian cinema’s internationalsuccess lies in its position as “a bridge between the Westernand Muslim worlds,” said Scott Roxborough of The HollywoodReporter.

“For Western audiences, Iranian cinema has been the ulti-mate combination of the familiar and the strange,” he told AFP.“The visual style and storytelling are familiar, but the politicaland cultural setting are fascinatingly foreign.” Roxboroughsaid the challenges of working within the tight regulations ofthe censors actually benefited Iranian filmmakers, forcingthem to create a “subtle and unique cinematic language”.

“Because they were unable to directly deal with politicalissues, they looked inward-focusing on personal stories, oftenstories of childhood. “Because metaphoric language was con-sidered suspect, they specialized in realism that appeared onits surface to be like a documentary, but took on an almostfabulous, mythic character.”

Red lines Iran’s cinematic achievements are all the more impressive for

the constraints its filmmakers face in a country of strict reli-gious, political and cultural red lines, where directors must haveevery script pre-approved by the state. Jafar Panahi, a close pro-tege of Kiarostami, won last year’s top prize at the Berlin filmfestival for “Taxi” despite being banned from making films for 20years after he tried to make a documentary about anti-govern-ment protests in 2009. Meanwhile, a 30-year-old director,Keywan Karimi, was sentenced to 223 lashes and six years inprison-later greatly reduced after an uproar from artists in Iranand worldwide-for making a film about graffiti.

But Iranians have one of the richest artistic traditions on theplanet-dating back to the great Persian poets of the ancientworld-and art remains a central part of daily life despite the cur-rent challenges. “We may be behind in many fields... but for surein art, we can attract the attention of the whole world,” award-winning Iranian director Shahram Mokri told AFP. He saidKiarostami showed how to set aside the daily concerns of poli-tics to speak about universal themes and issues.

“He kept himself away from any marginal issues, from judg-ing others, and focused on art, poetry and painting. He justlived in the world of art. He went beyond Iranian borders,” saidMokri. Despite a wealth of great filmmakers, it was the singu-lar achievements of Kiarostami that opened the way for thosethat followed. “He definitely paved ways for others and influ-enced a great deal of people,” Farhadi told Britain’s TheGuardian. “He wasn’t just a film-maker, he was a modern mys-tic, both in his cinema and his private life.” Kiarostami, whowon the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in1997 for “Taste of Cherry”, emerged from the Iranian NewWave of the late 1960s to become one of the world’s mostrevered directors. — AFP

By Nawara Fattahova

Kuwait Times is publishing a daily recap of two Kuwaitisoap operas aired on Al Rai TV and MBC Drama. Hereare the recaps of the 29th episodes:

‘Saq Al Bamboo’ (Bamboo Stalk)Eisa comes home and finds Merla, who tells him she wants

to talk. But he refuses and takes the keys of his flat to not lether come again. Eisa is angry with Ghasan, Hind and Merla,and tells Khawla they are liars. Khawla asks him what hewants, but he is confused. She says she thinks that Merla loveshim and tells him that Ghasan and Hind brought Merla to lethim forget about Noor.

Merla comes to Eisa’s workplace, telling him they shouldtalk as she is leaving for the Philippines. His friend Ibrahimtells him that a Filipina committed suicide by jumping from aroof of the house and that her name was Luzviminda.

Ghanima asks Khawla about her brother and she tells herthat he will get married to his cousin Merla. Ghanima getangry, saying he should marry a Kuwaiti since he is saying heis Kuwaiti, but she rejects it should be Noor. Ghanima thentells Khawla that Eisa, the brother of Noor, wants to marry her,and that she agrees.

Eisa is helping Jaber and his friend with the election cam-paign of Hind. He tells Jaber that he is Eisa Al-Tarouf and thatHind is his aunt and Khawla is his sister. Jaber is surprised howthey let him stay in a servant’s room. Eisa then goes with Jaberto Hind’s symposium and tells all his cousins who are therethat he is their cousin. Eisa is fired from his work.

Been Galbin (Between Two Hearts)Noora didn’t tell Bashar that Dana told her she is getting

married. Dana was still hesitant, but Fareeda told her she has

to forget the past and start new life with Masoud, who lovesher, while Bashar doesn’t think of her. Bashar returns toAryam’s home and she promises to change her behavior andnot force him to do anything, and he promises her not toleave her again. Mihsen’s mother falls unconscious after aheart attack and they take her to the hospital. Noora asksBashar to go with her to Dubai as Mihsen can’t travel with her,and he agrees. Aryam suggests to go with him, but he said it’snot a good idea. Bashar and Noora go to Dubai and they meetDana at the hotel. Dana blames Noora for coming with Basharas she didn’t want to see him at her wedding as she is gettingmarried just to forget him. Bashar still loves Dana and regretsthat he divorced her. He goes with Noora and Dana for dinnerand tells Dana he realizes that he loves her.

‘Saq Al Bamboo’ and‘Been Galbin’: Episode 29

Iran cinema conquersworld despite restrictions

This file photo taken on March 16, 2014 shows Iranian FilmDirector Abbas Kiarostami posing during his visit to the54th Cartagena Film Festival. — AP/AFP photos

This file photo taken on May 22, 2014 shows Iranian direc-tor and President of the Cinefondation Jury AbbasKiarostami posing during a photo-call of “TheCinefondation Jury” at the 67th edition of the Cannes FilmFestival in Cannes, southern France.


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