ISSUE NO: 17852

28 Pages 150 Fils

www.kuwaittimes.net

Established 1961 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf

SHAWWAL 7, 1440 AHMONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Amir receives Qatari, UAE officials whopaid respect over PM mother’s passing2 11

Max 49ºMin 29º

Divided G20 admits trade wars pose a risk to world economy

Chechen women going places with female-only taxi service19 History man Nadal sweeps to 12th

French Open and 18th Grand Slam28

Minister questioned over delays in payment of salaries to contract workers

MP proposes evening work amid soaring temperatures

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: MP Faisal Al-Kandari yester-day proposed a draft law stipulating thatgovernment departments dealing with thepublic work in the evening to avoid thescorching heat of the sun. The draft law,which must be passed in the Assemblyand accepted by the government tobecome effective, states that governmentoffices, especially those dealing with thepublic, must open from 5.00 pm to 10.00pm in the summer months. The bill alsostates that the summer evening timingshould start from June 1 and continue untilthe end of August, a period when thetemperature soars in Kuwait to around 50degrees Celsius.

According to an Al-Qabas report yes-terday, Kuwait recorded the highest tem-perature in the world on Saturday - 52.2degrees Celsius in the shade - in Mitribahin the north of the country, according tomember of the Arab Union of Space andAstronomy Dr Khalid Al-Zaaq of Saudi

Arabia. Soaring temperatures have alsocaused a spike in the consumption ofpower, as the load register hit 13,500megawatts on Friday. Informed sourcessaid it is expected that power consump-tion will go over the 13,800-megawattlimit in the next three days. Temperaturesare expected to reach 50 degrees Celsiustoday and 51C tomorrow.

Government offices currently openfrom around 7.30 am to around 2.00 pmfor almost all departments throughout theyear, except in Ramadan, when workinghours are reduced. Kandari said in hisproposal that during the summer months,temperatures rise to over 50 degrees,posing a threat to people’s lives and con-stituting a huge pressure on services -especially electricity - sometimes result-ing in major fires.

The bill provides flexibility to the CivilService Commission to decide whichdepartments should open in the eveningand can exclude some departmentswhich do not deal with the public. The

lawmaker said a number of studies andresearches on climatic change have con-cluded that temperatures are forecast torise rapidly in the Arabian Gulf to thebrink of 60 degrees Celsius in the future.He said the law is important for thehealth of both the employees and thepublic. Several previous attempts tochange working hours in the summermonths had failed.

Meanwhile, MP Osama Al-Shaheenyesterday asked Minister of State forEconomic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel aboutgovernment measures to force contrac-tors pay the salaries of their workers. Thelawmaker said the United Nations select-ed HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Jaber Al-Sabah as a humanitarianleader and Kuwait as an internationalhumanitarian center. As a result, the gov-ernment must live up to this honor bypreserving the image and reputation ofthe country, he said.

Shaheen added that it has beennoticed that many contractors with gov-

ernment projects fail to pay the salariesof their workers on time, which couldlead to strikes and social unrest. The law-maker asked the minister about measuresbeing used currently to guarantee andensure that salaries of workers are paidon time, and inquired if the ministry andthe manpower authority have any plan toeliminate any delays in salary payment.

MP Faisal Al-Kandari

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: MP Majed Al-Mutairi submitted a draftlaw yesterday calling on the government to estab-lish a fourth telecom company that offers mobileand data services. The bill states that 50 percent ofthe new company’s shares will go to Kuwaiti citi-zens, 24 percent to the government and theremaining 26 percent to be sold to a strategicinvestor in a public auction.

Kuwait has one of the highest mobile penetra-tion rates in the world, and while this has led tomarket saturation, the three operators - Zain,Ooredoo and Viva - are combating this by buildingextensive 5G networks and developing mobilebroadband content and services.

MP calls on govt to establish new mobile operator

DUBAI: Oman will impose a new tax on sugary drinksand tobacco products starting on June 15, as the smallGulf oil producer seeks to boost state revenuesstrained by years of low oil prices. A 100 percentexcise tax will be introduced for tobacco products,energy drinks, alcohol and pork meat, while a 50 per-cent tax will be applied on carbonated drinks, accord-ing to a statement from an official at the SecretariatGeneral for Taxation published by Oman’s state newsagency on Saturday.

“The excise tax is a consumption tax and is consid-ered to be indirect taxes. Thus, the final charge is on theconsumers, but it is collected in advance at a stage ofthe supply chain, notably through the business sectors,”

said Sulaiman bin Salim Al-A’adi, director general ofsurvey and tax agreements. Oman has been slow inimplementing fiscal reforms aimed at limiting thewidening of its budget deficit, while it has increasinglyrelied on external funding - through bonds and loans -to refill its coffers.

The sultanate had originally planned to introduce a 5percent value-added tax in 2018, which is now expect-ed to start in 2020. “Further delays in implementation,along with a scenario of lower oil prices, pose down-side risks to our assumption of narrower fiscal deficitsrelative to 2015-2017,” S&P Global Ratings said inApril, adding that it expected fiscal gains in 2019 com-ing from the implementation of excise taxes on tobaccoand energy drinks.

Oman said at the start of the year it expected itsbudget deficit to be 2.8 billion rials ($7.27 billion)this year, or 9 percent of gross domestic product.Sources told Reuters last month that to cover part ofthe deficit, Oman is expected to issue a new interna-tional bond soon in a deal likely to go up to $2 billionin size. — Reuters

Oman to impose new excise tax to boost revenues

KHARTOUM: Four people were killed in Sudan yes-terday as protesters launched a civil disobedience cam-paign against the military after a bloody crackdown on asit-in demonstration calling for civilian rule. The cam-paign got underway nearly a week after the assault ondemonstrators at the sit-in outside army headquarters incentral Khartoum, which followed talks breaking downbetween protest leaders and military rulers over whoshould lead a new governing body - a civilian or soldier.

Following the call for the campaign of civil disobedi-ence, protesters set about building roadblocks inKhartoum while markets and shops were closed in sev-eral other towns and cities. A doctors committee linkedto the demonstrators said two people were killed yes-

terday in unrest that rocked Khartoum and two others inits twin city of Omdurman, just across the Nile river.

The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctorsblamed forces of the ruling military council and paramil-itary “militias” for the four deaths, which it said took the

Continued on Page 24

Civil disobedience campaign empties streets of Sudan

KHARTOUM: Residents walk by barricades on a desert-ed street yesterday on the first day of a civil disobedi-ence campaign across Sudan. — AFP

COLOMBO: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modimade an unexpected visit yesterday to a Colombochurch bombed during the Easter suicide attacks on hisfirst trip to neighboring Sri Lanka since his election tri-umph. Modi’s cavalcade made a detour to St Anthony’sshrine on the way to President Maithripala Sirisena’sseafront office in the capital, where a red carpet mili-tary parade awaited. “I am confident Sri Lanka will riseagain,” Modi said on Twitter where he posted photos ofhimself at the church. “Cowardly acts of terror cannotdefeat the spirit of Sri Lanka. India stands in solidaritywith the people of Sri Lanka.”

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who receivedModi at Colombo’s airport, said the two of discussedways to combat militant attacks like the assault on thethree hotels and three churches which left 258 dead

and 500 injured. “The two leaders discussed the collec-tive steps to stamp out international terrorism,”Wickremesinghe’s office said in a statement.

Continued on Page 24

Modi visits bombed Sri Lankan church

COLOMBO: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paysrespects to victims of the Easter Sunday attacks at StAnthony’s Church yesterday. — AFP

L o c a l Monday, June 10, 2019

2

Amir receives Qatari, UAE officials whopaid respects over PM mother’s passing

Sheikh Sabah congratulates Jordan’s King Abdullah II on 20th Anniversary

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receivesUAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Lt Gen Sheikh Saif BinZayed Al Nahyan.

Qatar’s Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah binNasser b in Kha l i fa A l Than i o f fe rs condo lences to H isHighness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Emirati Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak AlNahyan offers condolences to His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh SabahAl-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Chief of KuwaitNational Guard (KNG) His Highness SheikhSalem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, His Highness the CrownPrince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, senior sheikhs, His Highness the PrimeMinister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-HamadAl-Sabah and Al-Sabah Family members yes-terday received Qatar’s Premier and InteriorMinister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser binKhalifa Al Thani and his accompanying delega-tion, who paid their respects to Al-SabahFamily over the passing away of Wadha Ali Al-Munir, mother of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.

His Highness the Amir and Al-Sabah Familymembers also received UAE Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of Interior Lt Gen SheikhSaif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who offered condo-lences over the passing away of the mother ofHis Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.Furthermore, His Highness the Amir and Al-

Sabah Family members received EmiratiMinister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan MubarakAl Nahyan and his accompanying delegation,who paid their respects to Al-Sabah Familyover the passing away of the mother of HisHighness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak. OnSaturday, National Assembly Speaker MarzouqAli Al-Ghanem had expressed his condolencesover the demise of the mother of His HighnessSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak. In a post on his twit-ter account, Ghanem extended his condolencesto Sheikh Jaber’s family on the occasion.

In other news, His Highness the Amir senta cable to King Abdullah II of Jordan, con-gratulating him on the occasion of the 20thAccession to the Throne Day. In the cable,His Highness the Amir wished to theJordanian monarch utmost health, as well asthe brotherly people of Jordan utmost pros-perity. His Highness the Crown Prince andHis Highness the Prime Minister sent similarcables. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives Qatar’s Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah binNasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, who paid respect over the passing away of Wadha Ali Al-Munir, mother of His Highness the Prime Minister SheikhJaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. — KUNA photos

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerof Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-HamadAl-Sabah headed yesterday to New York to attend andhead a number of UNSC sessions as part of Kuwait’spresidency of the council during its 2018-19 non-per-manent membership. The UNSC will hold a sessiontomorrow, headed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, to dis-cuss the issue of missing persons during the times ofarmed conflicts. Kuwait will tender a draft UN resolu-tion in support of protecting civilians during war.

On Wednesday, the Kuwaiti FM will head a UNSCsession on peacekeeping and international security toprevent conflicts and encourage mediation. Kuwaitconsiders mediation an integral part of its foreign poli-cy. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled will also preside over ahigh-level meeting on June 13 focusing on the item con-nected with the UN cooperation with regional and non-regional organizations. Kuwait will submit a paper dur-ing the meeting about ways to bolstering cooperationbetween the UNSC and the Arab League.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled’s delegation consists ofAssistant Foreign Minister for the Affairs of the DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister’s office Dr Ahmad Al-Sabah, Kuwait Permanent Representative to the UN head-quarters in New York Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi,and a number of senior officials at the Foreign Ministry.Assistant Foreign Minister for Protocols AmbassadorDhari Al-Ajran and other officials saw Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at the airport. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The World Forum for the Culture of Peace isscheduled to kick off at the Peace Palace in the Hagueon Thursday. The event’s organizer, Kuwait’s AbdulazizSaud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation, said in a state-ment yesterday that the forum’s agenda would betopped with two themes; teaching the culture of peaceand protecting the global cultural heritage, in additionto 17 curricula for teaching peace at schools. MaltesePresident George Vella is scheduled to address theinaugural speech. The opening session is set to includestatements by Dutch Foreign Undersecretary JokeBrandt, Erik de Baedts, the General Director of theCarnegie Foundation-Peace Palace, Chairman of Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtainand Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The first session will be headed by the formerBosnian president, Haris Siljadzic, Secretary General ofthe Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef Al-

Othaimeen, Arab Maghrib Union Secretary-GeneralTaieb Baccouche, Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Yamani, President of the International Committee of theRed Cross Peter Maurer, Chairman of Kuwait RedCrescent Society Dr Hilal Al-Sayer and Palermo MayorLeoluca Orlando.

The Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah willpreside over the second session. It will be addressed bythe representative of the Iraqi president, Ali Al-Shukri,Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President ofBahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA),Yemeni Minister of Higher Education and ScientificResearch Abdullah Lemles and the Minister of HigherEducation in Iraq’s Kurdistan, Dr Yusuf Goran. The thirdsession will be headed by Terje Rod-Larsen, thePresident of the International Peace Institute. Speakersinclude the Maltese parliament speaker, KuwaitiMinister of Education and Higher Education Hamed Al-Azmi and other dignitaries. The fourth and closing ses-sion will be headed by Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, theincumbent President of the International Court ofJustice, and other eminent and leading figures. Theforum will be held in partnership with the World PeaceFoundation, Leiden University in Holland, the ICRC andthe Peace Palace. — KUNA

Al-Babtain’s worldforum in the Haguebegins Thursday

Kuwaiti FM headsto New York to attend,head UNSC sessions

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah leaves for New York to attend a number of UNSC sessions. — KUNA

L o c a l Monday, June 10, 2019

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News in brief

Kuwait records world’s highest temperature

KUWAIT: Kuwait registered the highest temperaturein the world on Saturday - 52.2 degrees Celsius inthe shade - in Mitribah in north of the country,according to member of the Arab Union of Spaceand Astronomy Dr Khalid Al-Zaaq of Saudi Arabia.Temperatures - that reached 49C at Kuwait airport -caused increased consumption of power, as the loadregister reached 13,500 megawatts, an increase of600 megawatts, on Friday. Informed sources said “itis expected for the load to go over the 13,800megawatt limit due to the return of ‘whirlpools’ andhigh temperatures during the coming three days.”Sources said the maximum operating load that MEWcan cover is 13,830, in addition to a 500-megawattsurplus. Temperatures are expected to reach 50degree Celsius today and 51 tomorrow. — Al-Qabas

‘Privatization important’

KUWAIT: State Minister for Economic AffairsMariam Al-Aqeel said it is important to continueprivat izat ion projects to divers i fy incomesources. “Privatization methods are various anddifferent, as there is the handing of the sectorcompletely to the private sector, and may be lim-ited to handing over management and operationto the private sector,” she said. “We began withthe T4 airport building and noticed improvementsafter a Korean company took over its manage-ment.” She said there are plans to privatize themanagement of Jahra Hospital through a Koreancompany, then it will be extended to other facili-ties if proven successful. —Al-Rai

Actual budget deficit ‘undisclosed’

KUWAIT: Former Deputy Premier, FinanceMinister and Central Bank Governor Sheikh SalemAl-Sabah said the actual budget deficit is ‘undis-closed’ due to major expenses not included in it.He said there is unprecedented uncontrolled pub-lic expenditure without production or creativity.He said that according to laws that call for notcalculating these expenses with the budgetexpenses, funds are taken from the generalreserve to cover them, adding that if the deficitcontinues, it will be financed by withdrawing fromthat reserve parallel to borrowing from the mar-kets if the public debt law is passed. Sheikh Salemsaid if borrowing continues along with withdraw-ing from reserves without reforming the currentsituation and having financial discipline, this willlead to the drying of remaining liquid funds in ashort time, leading to many risks. He describedborrowing without a plan on how to repay thedebts as a “strange matter.” —Al-Jarida

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Official foreign ministry statistics aboutKuwait’s annual contributions to the budgets ofregional, Arab and international organizations showedthat those contributions amount to KD 26.5 million,including KD 3.133 million for international organiza-tions, KD 10.77 million for Arab and regional ones,KD 1.274 million for Islamic ones, KD 7.253 millionfor UN peacekeeping troops, KD 3.152 million in vol-untary donations and KD 500,000 for activities inthe countries housing Kuwaiti embassies abroad.

Gas station shopsUnion of Consumer Cooperative Societies (UCCS)

Vice Chairman Khaled Al-Hudhaiban urged OilMinister Khaled Al-Fadhel to allocate special outletsfor co-ops at gas stations around Kuwait, noting that

co-ops have the right to have their own mini-marketsat gas stations to serve the public and provide com-petitive prices. Hudhaiban added that the oil ministryhad been repeatedly approached in this regard withno response so far, and expressed hope that Fadhelwill approve the request.

AutomationThe Ministry of Social Affairs has so far achieved

85 percent of the KD 12.95 mil l ion project ofautomating its various sectors pending full automa-tion by 2020 to put an end to paper use and humanerrors. A report issued by the ministry showed thatonce the project is complete, all of the ministry’s 16services will be available online. In addition, thereport said the Ishbelia old age home project is stilldelayed after its tender was rejected by the StateAudit Bureau and returned to the ministry. The report

explained the KD 4 million project involves building ageriatric house with a capacity of 700 residents.

Rumors deniedMinister of Education Hamed Al-Azmi strongly

denied that any of the ministry schools’ teaching oradministrative staff members take drugs insideschools . Responding to an inquiry by MPMohammed Al-Dallal about a video on social media,Azmi stressed that the education ministry’s socialand psychological services’ sector constantly coor-dinates with the interior ministry’s narcotics depart-ment to boost drug-related awareness in variousschools. Separately, undersecretary of the ministry ofhigher education Sabeeh Al-Mokhaizeem announcedreceiving applications for the 2019-2020 scholarshipprogram, noting that the deadline for applying isJune 20.

Kuwait contributed KD 26.5 millionto international organizations

Co-ops press to open mini-markets at gas stations

Councilmembercalls for regulatingbedoon vendors’ workBy Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: Municipal Council member and head of theHawally committee Abdullah Al-Roumi filed two pro-posals on setting certain locations for bedoon water-melon vendors. His proposal came after the municipali-ty recently confiscated their goods and prevented themfrom selling the fruit “without any consideration fortheir needs and the fact that this is their only source ofincome as bedoons,” he said in a statement yesterday.Roumi suggested setting up special outlets in variousgovernorates for them as well as setting all the needed

laws and regulations to keep them under the close con-trol of state inspectors to makes sure their products aresafe. Meanwhile, councilmember and head of the griev-ances committee Meshaal Al-Hamdhan inquired aboutthe conditions on licensing goldsmiths, noting that thisprofession requires the use of some materials thatcould be highly hazardous if disposed in the sewers.

802 complaintsActing Director of the Public Authority for

Manpower Abdullah Al-Motoutah said according to thestatistics compiled by the domestic helpers’ recruitmentdepartment in May 2019, there are 397 registereddomestic helper recruitment offices, 530 applicationswere made in the same period, 67 licenses wererenewed and eight new licenses were issued. Motoutahsaid that the total number of complaints and grievancesfiled with the department was 802, including 281 thatwere tended to, 161 amicably settled and 56 referred tocourts.

1,575 reports Manager of the Health Ministry’s medical emergen-

cies department Monther Al-Jalahma announced thedepartment dealt with 1,575 reports during the Eidbreak. He explained that the reports included transfer-ring 968 cases to hospitals and nearby clinics, treating339 cases onsite (mainly with minor injuries from caraccidents, fights or burns) and transferring 268 casesbetween various hospitals. Jalahma added seven caseswere medevacked in the same period.

Summer burialsManager of the funerals department at Kuwait

Municipality Faisal Abdulkareem Al-Awadhi said inview of the high summer temperatures and in order tomake things easier for families of the dead and mourn-ers during funerals, the department decided to schedulesummer burials at 9:00 am and after Asr and Eshaprayers, adding that all needed illumination had beenprovided for use during nighttime.

Motorist killedin King FahdRoad crashBy Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: An Arab woman was killed in a car accidentafter her vehicle flipped over on King Fahd Road nearSalam. Firefighters and medical personnel handled theaccident which created a huge congestion on the keyhighway. An investigation was opened to reveal thecause of the accident

Farwaniya fireFire broke out in a six-storey building in Farwaniya,

prompting Farwaniya fire station to respond. The firewas put out after evacuating the building. No injurieswere reported. Meanwhile, investigations went under-way to determine the cause of the fire.

Swindling casesA man Syrian was transferred to Farwaniya detec-

tives after he was arrested on arrival over swindlingcases filed against him.

DrowningA three-year-old girl was medvacked to Adan

Hospital after drowning in a Khairan swimming pool.

Police received a call from the girl’s mother seekinghelp, so they responded along with paramedics.

Family issuesA Kuwaiti man sustained several injuries and almost lost a

finger during a fight at his in-laws’ house with his two brothers-in-law for reason yet to be known. The two brothers attackedhim with a sharp object. He was taken to Sabah Hospital.

Kuwaiti organizationsupports first Qurancontest in SwitzerlandGENEVA: Kuwait’s Mercy International - TheAssociation of Social Reform (Sanabel Al-KhairCommittee) has supported a Holy Quran contest, thefirst of its kind to be held in Switzerland, the coordina-tor of the Switzerland Quiz Competition Jamal Al-Khateeb said yesterday. In a statement to the press,Khateeb praised the association’s keenness to supportspreading the good spirit of Islam in various societies.He explained that the final number of participants was50 people between the ages of seven and 70 years,who were competing at five different levels rangingfrom two parts of the Holy Quran up to 30 parts. He

confirmed that the first five winners of the competitionhad won the Umrah trip as a first prize and then theother prizes were between $1,000 and $250. The com-petition provided the appropriate environment to com-pete in memorizing the Holy Quran and formed an addi-tional way of communication between the spectra ofthe Muslim community in Switzerland without any eth-nic considerations, he noted.

It will highlight the new capabilities and talentsamong the community not only in the recitation, but alsoin explanation and interpretation of the Quran, especiallythat all participants know the dominant languages inSwitzerland, it will be easier for them to explain the vers-es to other people. Meanwhile, the chairman of the com-petition’s jury Sheikh Bu Katheer bin Omar said thatsuch activities will stimulate the Muslims of Switzerlandto preserve the book of God and the continuation of themessage of Islam through the mastering of the verses ofthe Holy Quran. He added that the competition will

strengthen the spirit of persistence not only to memorizethe Holy Quran but also to manage its meanings and dis-cover its treasures. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The victim’s vehicle is seen after the accident. The scene inside a Farwaniya apartment after a fire was extinguished.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways signed an agreement with Kuwait Integrated Petrochemical Industries Company (KIPIC) to provide special discounts on travel tickets for KIPIC employees. Kuwait Airways CEO Kamel Al-Awadhi and KIPIC CEO Hatem Al-Awadhi signed thethree-year contract yesterday.

GENEVA: The contest’s jury members judging a contestant. —KUNA

Monday, June 10, 2019

4L o c a l

Grand Mosque remains one of Kuwait’s mostnotable religious, architectural landmarks

KUWAIT: Kuwait has witnessed the construction of animmense number of buildings with distinctive architecturaldesigns in recent years, such as the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center and the many skyscrapers scat-tered along Kuwait City’s landscape, yet the GrandMosque continues to be one of the country’s most notablereligious and architectural landmarks. Located on theArabian Gulf shore in Kuwait City, construction of thisoutstanding edifice began in 1979 following instructions ofthe late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,and it officially opened on January 27, 1986. TheAndalusian-style building was designed by renowned Iraqiarchitect Mohamed Saleh Makiya. Meanwhile, nearly 50engineers and 450 construction workers worked on con-structing the building which cost an estimated total of KD14 million.

Despite the large number of mosques built aroundKuwait since that date, the ‘State Grand Mosque’ remainsKuwait’s largest mosque, covering a total area of 45,000square meters, including 25,000 square meters for theactual structure, while the remaining 20,000 squaremeters constitute the building’s exterior area that consistsof gardens, open yards and outdoor corridors. The mainprayer hall has an estimated capacity of 11,000 worship-pers, which is often filled during the qiyam prayer inRamadan, and especially on the night of the 27th day ofthe holy month when worshippers observe the ‘Laylat Al-Qadr’ (Night of Power). The mosque’s outside yards arealso prepared during that night to provide more room forworshippers as the main prayer hall would overflow withpeople.

The Grand Mosque is considered a comprehensive reli-gious institution that plays an important role in spreadingthe message of Islam and showcasing Kuwait’s role in thisregard. In addition to hosting daily prayers, the mosquealso houses a large library featuring a vast collection ofIslamic publications, and organizes free guided tours forvisitors of all religions during weekdays from 9:00 am to10:45 am and from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Worshippers perform the qiyam prayer at the Grand Mosque on the 27th night of this past Ramadan.

The Dome of the Grand Mosque undergoing renovations.

Crowds of worshipers perform the qiyam prayer in the Grand Mosque on the 27th night of Ramadan.The late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah tours the Grand Mosque during its official opening onJanuary 27, 1986.

KUWAIT: Worshippers perform the qiyam prayer inside the Grand Mosque. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and KUNA The Grand Mosque.

Worshippers perform the qiyam prayer outside the Grand Mosque on the 27th night of this past Ramadan.

L o c a l Monday, June 10, 2019

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Tunis Congress very important forArab media: IFJ Secretary General

Photo of the Day

KUWAIT: Traditional Kuwaiti household items displayed at a market in Kuwait City. — Photo by Essa Al-Otaibi (KUNA)

BRUSSELS: The upcoming World Congress of theInternational Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Tuniswill discuss important issues for the media in the Arabworld, according to Secretary General AnthonyBellanger. “For the first time since 1926 when the IFJwas established, we are organizing our globalCongress in the Arab world and also in the Africancontinent,” Bellanger said in an interview in Brussels.“For this reason this Congress is very important. Ouraffiliates in Africa and the Arab world are very impor-tant for us because many issues in these countries willbe discussed in Tunis,” he said.

Over 300 participants representing journalists’unions and associations across the world will attendthe 30th IFJ Congress from June 11-14, which will putthe future of journalism in the digital age at the top ofits agenda. “Therefore this Congress in Tunis is veryimportant and symbolic for us,” he said, adding thatTunisia has seen a lot of progress in the media sectorbut still much needs to be done. In the rest of the Arabworld media progress is different from one country toanother, noted the IFJ chief, stressing the role of newsagencies in the Arab world in contributing to theprogress of the press.

Bellanger, from France, was appointed in 2015 by theIFJ executive committee. IFJ is present in 146 countriesrepresenting around 600,000 journalists around theworld, making it the biggest media organization in theworld, he said. Bellanger noted that during theCongress on Wednesday there will be regional meet-ings with the countries of the Arab world and there willbe a special session to discuss big issues in the regionand it is very important because we hold this onceevery three years.

Meanwhile, Mounir Zaarour; Middle East and ArabWorld Policy and Program Director at the IFJ, said thatat the margins of the Congress, the IFJ is looking for-ward to strengthen the relationship and the workingprogram with the IFJ affiliates in the Gulf CooperationCouncil countries, which include journalist associationsin Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and UAE. “Thisworking program will look into how we can supportthe future of journalism in the region with these fiveGulf countries. We want to strengthen the relations

with the Associations in the Gulf countries to form akind of alliance to protect the future of journalism,” headded.

The Congress will kick off next Tuesday withdebates on three key issues; the future of journalism inthe digital age, good trade union practices around theworld and the situation of journalism in the MiddleEast after the Arab Revolutions. Delegates will alsodiscuss and adopt a new “IFJ Global Charter of Ethicsfor Journalists,” which was first adopted in 1954 by theIFJ’s World Congress and last amended in 1986. TheCongress will also elect a new IFJ President andExecutive Committee. —KUNA

IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger

KJA acceptse-media journalists’membershipKUWAIT: Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA)announced launching its e-media committee after gettingMinistry of Social Affairs’ approval for e-media journalismstaff members, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) editors andthe information ministry’s news and political program staffmembers to join KJA. In this regard, KJA SecretaryGeneral Adnan Al-Rashed stressed the significance of thenew committee, noting that it greatly helps organize e-media activities. The committee includes KJA boardmember Owayyed Al-Saleeli as Chairman, Nasser Al-Shatli as Rapporteur, in addition to Mohammad Al-Ajmi,Bader Al-Mutairi and Yousif Al-Kout, Rashed added.Speaking on the occasion, Saleeli promised to work ondeveloping electronic media and journalism through hold-ing occasional technical and vocational training coursesfor e-media journalists.

4 killed in India political gun battle

InternationalHong Kong political crisis builds after huge protest

Page 9

To deter shootings, Americans shun naming suspectsPage 8

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

WEST BENGAL: Indian supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shout slogans as they block a road during a protest against the recent killings at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal yesterday. —AFP

BJP, Trinamool rivals accuse each other of killings, intimidation

Tehran urges Europe to normalize ties or face consequencesLONDON: Iran said yesterday that Europe was not in aposition to criticize Tehran for its military capabilities,and called on European leaders to normalize economicties with the Islamic Republic despite US sanctions orface consequences. President Donald Trump last yearwithdrew the United States from a nuclear deal withIran and reimposed sanctions. Trump has condemned a2015 nuclear deal with world powers, signed by hispredecessor Barack Obama, as flawed for not beingpermanent and for not covering Iran’s ballistic missileprogram or its role in conflicts around the Middle East.

The European signatories to the deal - France,Britain and Germany - share the same concerns as theUnited States over Iran’s ballistic missile program andregional activities. However, they have defended thenuclear accord saying that at least it puts curbs onIran’s nuclear program and can be the basis for futuretalks. “Europeans are not in a position to criticize Iranfor issues outside the JCPOA,” Zarif was quoted as say-ing by the state broadcaster, using the acronym for thenuclear deal.

“The Europeans and other signatories of the JCPOAshould normalize economic ties with Iran... We will haltour commitments or will take action in accordance totheir measures.” Iran last month stopped some commit-ments under the nuclear deal and warned that in 60days it would scale back more commitments ifEuropeans fail to shield it against the US sanctions.German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will visit Iran thisweek, during which he will explore options for preserv-ing the fraying nuclear non-proliferation pact.

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani yesterday alsocriticized French President Emmanuel Macron for say-ing last week in a meeting with Trump that they sharedthe same objectives on Iran. Macron said France wantedto make sure Tehran will not get nuclear weapons: “Wehad an accord until 2025 and we want to go further andhave full certainty in the long run... (Then) reduce ballis-tic activity and contain Iran regionally.”

“The recent remarks by the French president in ameeting with Trump were shameful and inept,” Larijaniwas quoted as saying by Fars news agency. “Macron’scomments did not match what he has been telling ourpresident, Mr (Hassan) Rouhani, in their meetings andon the phone.” Iran insists its nuclear activities areentirely peaceful, and has repeatedly refused to discussits missile program. —Reuters

KOLKATA: A gun battle between supporters ofIndia’s ruling right-wing party and a regional rivalhas killed four people in West Bengal, police saidyesterday, as violence raged in the tinderbox state.At least 18 others were injured in the clashes thatbroke out Saturday in the eastern state that has beenon edge since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched an aggressivecampaign to win parliamentary seats last year.

“Three of the dead were BJP workers while theother was a (regional) Trinamool party supporter,” apolice official said. Local BJP leader Mukul Roytweeted that three BJP workers were shot dead anda Trinamool minister said one of his party memberswas killed in the fight.

Violence peaked across the state during the gener-al election in April-May and has continued even afterresults were announced, giving a massive nationwide

victory to the BJP. Both the BJP and Trinamool, led bythe firebrand Modi critic Mamata Banerjee, accuseeach other of killings, intimidation and corruption.Sandeshkhali, the site of thelatest gun battle, remainedtense yesterday with morethan 100 police personnelstanding guard in the area,witnesses told AFP.

The BJP, which has tradi-tionally held sway in theHindi-speaking belt in thenorth, has been trying hardto pick up support in WestBengal where Banerjee’s par-ty has dominated for close to a decade. It won 18seats in the general election in West Bengal, up fromthe two that it managed in 2014, en route to its

nationwide win. Trinamool won 22 while centre-leftopposition party Congress picked up two of the total42 seats in the state. Modi’s party won a huge 303

seats in the national parlia-ment, increasing its previoustally of 282 seats in 2014.

Fight over flagsThe clashes in

Sandeshkhali broke out overthe hoisting of BJP flags andthe putting up of posters, saidthe BJP’s general secretary inthe state, Sayantan Basu.“They tried to throw away our

party flags and posters and when we protested, ourworkers were shot from point blank range,” Basu wasquoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Local

minister Jyotipriyo Mullick who belongs to the Trinamoolparty said one of their supporters was “hacked and shotdead by BJP workers”. State elections in West Bengalare scheduled to be held in 2021 with the BJP expectedto give a tough fight again. The state has witnessed someof the most violent feuds between rival parties.

Last month, a BJP supporter was shot dead in statecapital Kolkata and a car belonging to a Trinamoolmember was pelted with rocks. In February, aTrinamool lawmaker was shot dead. And last year, aBJP worker was killed and his body was hanged from atree. Modi has called the killings “shameful and anti-democratic”. Political killings are rife across India.While National Crime Bureau data said there weremore than 100 political murders in 2016, experts saythe figure was likely much higher. Kerala, UttarPradesh and Bihar states are the worst for politicalmurders, the government data shows. —AFP

Violence rages in West Bengal

TEHRAN: A handout picture provided by the office of the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows Iranians gathering to listen tothe Iranian supreme leader’s speech at his shrine in Tehran. —AFP

Indian authorities offer cash reward for missing planeITANAGAR: Indian authorities have offered a cash reward toboost a desperate hunt for a military transport plane missingfor nearly a week and feared to have crashed in a remotenortheastern state. The Indian Air Force and Arunachal Pradeshstate government announced the 550,000 rupee ($8,000)reward to get village chiefs to organize search parties for theAN-32 that disappeared from radars last Monday carrying 13people.

The Soviet-built air force plane went missing near the bor-der with China and air searches, satellite surveys and efforts topick up signals from the plane have all failed. In addition tousing Indian Space Research Organization satellites and otherhi-tech means, ground teams have been scouring the Mechukajungle region for the plane. The air force said it would give500,000 rupees and the state government offered 50,000rupees for “credible information” leading to the discovery ofthe plane. Rewards after air accidents are rare. An $80 millionreward was offered after Malaysian Airlines flight went missingin 2014 on a Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight. It has not been found.The Indian military has deployed nine helicopters, fighter jetsand transporters looking for the plane. The ground search isconcentrated in Siang district and involves police, air force andarmy forces, the Indo-Tibetan border police, civil administra-tion teams, hunters and some local people.

A senior district official told AFP that authorities wanted toget village chiefs more involved. Bad weather has hamperedthe search in recent days but a full hunt resumed Saturday. Theturboprop plane was carrying eight crew and five military per-sonnel on the flight. Many relatives of the missing are waiting inthe state city of Jorhat for news. Military spokesman WingCommander Ratnakar Singh said that no efforts are beingspared in the hunt. “We stand in support of the families in thesedifficult times,” Singh said. —AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, June 10, 2019

7Established 1961

How the crisisin SudanunfoldedKHARTOUM: The deadly crackdown bysecurity forces on protesters in Sudan fol-lows a building standoff between the rulingmilitary and demonstrators demanding civil-ian rule. The unrest started in December2018, when citizens revolted against atripling of the price of bread. In Aprildemonstrators launched a sit-in in front ofthe military headquarters in Khartoum todemand the departure of the regime oflong-time president Omar Al-Bashir.

He was ousted by the army a few dayslater, but the protesters remained in placein their thousands to press their demandfor the military to cede power. On June 3security forces broke up the sit-in, launch-ing a crackdown that left more than 100dead in just a few days. Here is a summaryof events leading up to the military’s moveto end the long-running protest.

Talks break downOn May 20, after several breakthroughs,

talks between the ruling military council andprotest leaders reach a deadlock over whoshould head a new governing body whichshould oversee a three-year transition tocivilian rule. Protest leaders insist a civilianmust head the new sovereign council andthat civilians should make up the majority ofits members, proposals rejected by the rul-ing generals. Islamist movements back themilitary in the hope it will keep sharia,Islamic law, in place since a 1989 coup. OnMay 28-29, thousands of workers in both

the public and private sectors strike acrossthe country to pressure the military rulers.

Saudi, UAE, Egypt back military In late May, the head of the military

council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, visitsSaudi Arabia, Egypt and the United ArabEmirates. As commander of the country’sground forces, Burhan is reported to havecoordinated the deployment of Sudanesetroops within the Saudi-led coalition whichintervened in 2015 in Yemen to support thegovernment against Houthi rebels accusedof links with Iran.

The three regional powers have throwntheir weight behind the Sudanese militaryfor fear of a repeat of the turbulence thatfollowed the Arab Spring in several coun-tries in 2011. Qatar, however, a long-timeally of Bashir but also a friend to Iran andinvolved in a bitter dispute with SaudiArabia and its allies, has seen its influencein Sudan wane since the start of the crisis.On May 31, the military council closesdown the Khartoum bureau of the Qatarinews channel Al Jazeera, which regularlybroadcasts footage of demonstrations.There is no reason given for the order.

Bloody crackdownOn June 3, men in military fatigues move

in on the protest camp outside the armyheadquarters and disperse the thousandsgathered there with force. More than 100have been killed and hundreds woundedsince the start of the crackdown, accordingto the Central Committee of SudaneseDoctors, close to the demonstrators.Internet connectivity is disrupted.

A day later the military announces thatall previous agreements with protest lead-ers on the transition are scrapped and thatelections will be called “within a period not

exceeding nine months”. Protestersdenounce a putsch. In Khartoum andacross the country, the Rapid SupportForces (RSF) - paramilitaries with originsin the 16-year-old war in the westernregion of Darfur - are thought to havebeen behind the crackdown. They areaccused of atrocities, including attacks onhospitals. The international communitydemands an end to the violence andresumption of dialogue.

Civil disobedienceOn June 5, as gunfire crackles across

the capital, the army says it is open tonegotiations “with no restriction”. Protestleaders turn down the call for talks with the

military council “that kills people”. SaudiArabia expresses “great concern” at devel-opments and calls for a resumption of dia-logue. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputychief of the ruling military council and headof the RSF, says the country will not beallowed to slip into “chaos”. Oppositionfigures are arrested on June 8, a day aftermeeting Ethiopian Prime Minister AbiyAhmed who had travelled to Khartoum as amediator. On June 9, police fire warningshots and tear gas to disperse demonstra-tors building roadblocks in the capital, inresponse to a call by protest leaders for“civil disobedience” across the country.Markets and shops are closed in severalSudanese towns and cities. —AFP

OMDURMAN, Sudan: A Sudanese man rides his motorbike around a makeshift barri-cade blocking a street for cars in Khartoum’s twin city Omdurman on the first day of acivil disobedience campaign across Sudan. —AFP

Sudan’s RSF, ‘new version’ of Darfur Arab militiasCAIRO: Heavily armed and dressed in desertfatigues, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) havemade their presence felt in Khartoum since militarygenerals cracked down on a long-running sit-in.Piled onto pickup trucks mounted with machineguns or patrolling the streets on foot, they are seenby some protesters as a new version of the infamousJanjaweed militias accused of horrific abuses inDarfur. The RSF is a paramilitary force led by thedeputy head of the ruling Transitional MilitaryCouncil, Lieutenant General Mohamed HamdanDagalo, nicknamed Himeidti.

Dagalo was a former leader of one of the ArabJanjaweed militias at the height of the conflict inDarfur that started in 2003. The Janjaweed militiaswere recruited when Khartoum trained andequipped Arab raiders to crush an ethnic minorityrebellion in the area. The groups were sent to attackvillages on camel and horseback as part of a cam-paign of terror that saw now ousted president Omaral-Bashir indicted for war crimes, crimes againsthumanity and genocide by the International CriminalCourt (ICC).

In 2013, during clashes between the Arab militiasand the security forces in Darfur, “Dagalo was oneof the few commanders to stay loyal to the regime,which got him chosen for the RSF - the new paramil-itary force aiming to control and strengthen theJanjaweed,” said Jerome Tubiana, a researcher spe-cialized in Sudan. Under the control of Sudan’s pow-erful National Intelligence and Security Services(NISS) and then the presidency, the RSF was sent tofight insurgents in Darfur, and in South Kordofanand Blue Nile states.

But the force was accused by rights groups ofabuses against civilians in Darfur, such as rape,extrajudicial killings, looting, torture and burningvil lages. In 2014, the ICC prosecutor FatouBensouda called them the “new version of theJanjaweed”. That same year, Abbas Abdelaziz, theNISS officer jointly in charge of the force withDagalo, said calling the RSF “Janjaweed” was aninsult, insisting the men had combat experience andhad “become professionals”. —AFP

LOS ANGELES: Armed guards, safety assessmentsand now even a “Tactical Rabbi” to train volunteers onthe use of weapons-such is the reality today at syna-gogues in the United States facing mounting anti-Semitic attacks. It is at a shooting range in the hillsoverlooking Los Angeles that a team of AFP reportersmet recently with Raziel Cohen, dubbed the “TacticalRabbi,” who was sporting a 9mm pistol on his hip andcarrying a semi-automatic rifle over his shoulder.

Cohen was trying to determine how well books canstop bullets. The idea is to transform a library at asynagogue or Jewish school into a shelter in the eventof an active shooter situation. “We’re trying to bridgethe gap between the time that the shooting begins andlaw enforcement arrives,” he said. “The expressionthat goes on is that we carry guns because we can’tcarry police officers, which is not just a joke,” addedCohen. “The reality is that there can’t be police every-where all the time.”

Cohen, who has been passionate about guns sincehis youth, is a security expert and certified shootinginstructor who has taken part in counter-terrorismcourses given by retired and elite active-duty militarypersonnel. Born into a religious family, Cohen is also arabbi for the Chabad-Lubavitch community in LosAngeles. Chabad is a sect of Hasidic Judaism, and LosAngeles is second only to Brooklyn, New York in itsnumber of Chabad congregations.

Cohen said his expertise in security took on moremeaning after the April 27 shooting at the ChabadPoway Synagogue near San Diego that left one deadand three wounded. It came six months after a shoot-ing at a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 people dead-theworst attack against Jewish people in the modern his-tory of the United States. “One of the TenCommandments that’s taught very incorrectly is ‘Thou

shall not kill’,” Cohen said. “It’s not ‘Thou shall not kill,’it’s ‘Thou shall not murder.’ “In fact, in the Bible it saysthat you have the obligation to protect yourself.”

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United Statesremained at near-record high levels in 2018, accordingto the Anti-Defamation League, which recorded 1,879incidents, the third-highest level since the 1970s. 2017had marked an unprecedented rise in such incidents,with 1,986 cases of harassment, vandalism or anti-Semitic attacks recorded, the organization said. Cohensaid given the uptick, it was the duty of the Jewishcommunity to learn to fend for itself. But not everyoneagrees with Cohen’s reasoning.

‘Guns not the answer’ Ivan Wolkind, chief operating officer of the Jewish

Federation of Greater Los Angeles and founder of thefederation’s security program, said some 500 groupshave joined the program, exchanging information andsecurity tips with police or the FBI. Wolkind, a reserveofficer with the Los Angeles Police Department, saidwhile he wholeheartedly believes in prevention, he isnot convinced that arming worshippers is the answer.“I can’t make a judgment as to whether or not peopleshould have weapons in their place of worship butwhat I can say is to have people carrying weaponswithout a huge amount of training... is potentially veryvery dangerous,” he said.

He said his program focuses on prevention ratherthan encouraging worshippers to arm themselves. “Sowe put 98 percent of our energy into what we call leftof bang,” he said. “So if you think of a timeline wherethere is pre-incident-everything that happens beforean incident-and then the bang is what happens andthen there’s everything to the right. “We put 98 per-cent of our energy into left of bang-recognizing, pre-

venting and mitigating the effects of an attack.”Wolkind said he fears that people who undergo

weapons training may feel overconfident and ignorewarning signs leading up to a shooting. “They maystop looking for some of the pre-incident indicatorsthat I feel are so important,” he said. He said his secu-

rity program has been so successful that churches,mosques and even the Church of Scientology havereached out for advice. “We’ve got a lot of experi-ence,” he said. “And we are absolutely open to sharingthat with anyone and everyone as other people try todo the same thing in their communities.” —AFP

Guards, ‘Tactical Rabbi’ to train volunteers on the use of weapons

US Jewish community tries to defend itself as attacks rise

PACOIMA: Rabbi Raziel Cohen, aka ‘Tactical Rabbi’, looks on as a student shoots a Glock 9mm pistolduring a demonstration at the Angeles Shooting Ranges in Pacoima, California. —AFP

Algeria andSudan: Newchapters ofArab revolt PARIS: The Arab world is again beingrocked by revolt, with uprisings in Algeriaand Sudan seeing long-time leaders ousted,although in both the military has frustratedpopular demands for change. A first wave ofrevolt in 2011 caused shock waves acrossmany Arab countries, starting in Tunisiawhere president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali wasousted in January after 23 years in power.While Tunisia has since been able to transi-tion to democracy, the results in other coun-tries is bleak.

In Egypt, where mass uprisings forcedHosni Mubarak to quit in February 2011after ruling for almost three decades, powerhas settled in the hands of former army chiefAbdel Fattah al-Sisi, accused of repression.Other countries caught up in the 2011 “ArabSpring”, such as Libya, Syria and Yemen,have descended into civil war and chaos.Here is a summary of main events in the newArab world uprisings in Algeria and Sudan.

AlgeriaUnprecedented demonstrations erupt in

February 2019 after President AbdelazizBouteflika says he is planning to stand for afifth term in upcoming elections. In his 80s,weakened after a stroke in 2013 and rarelyseen in public, the wheelchair-boundBouteflika has been in power since 1999. As

protests grow to demand he step aside,army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah on March 10pledges that the military shares the “valuesand principles” of the people.

It is a turning point, with Gaid Salahamong those considered loyal to Bouteflika.Two weeks later he demands the presidentquits or be declared medically unfit to rule.On April 2 Gaid Salah demands impeach-ment proceedings against Bouteflika.Abandoned by his loyal supporters, thepresident submits his resignation hours lat-er. But Algerians continue to protest,demanding the departure of the entire rul-ing system, including Gaid Salah who hasbecome the country’s powerbroker.

They reject plans for a presidential elec-tion in July, saying Algeria’s institutions aretoo tarnished by corruption to guarantee alegitimate vote. There are massive demon-strations in the capital on May 31, for a 15thconsecutive Friday and despite a spate ofarrests and detentions. “No elections withthis gang in power,” the crowd shouts. Theconstitutional council says on June 2 that aJuly election would be impossible as onlytwo people had submitted their candidatureand both were rejected.

Sudan Protests in December against a hike in

bread prices quickly grow into rollingdemonstrations for Omar al-Bashir to quitafter three decades of iron-fisted rule. OnFebruary 22, Bashir declares a nationwidestate of emergency. But the protests growand on April 6 thousands set up camp out-side the army headquarters in Khartoum,some taking inspiration from Bouteflika’souster days earlier.

On April 11, military authoritiesannounce they have removed Bashir and

that a transitional military council will gov-ern for two years. Protesters denounce a“military coup” and demand civilian rule.Talks between protest leaders and militaryrulers appear to make headway but breakdown on May 20 over the composition ofa transitional authority. Protesters main-tain pressure on the ruling military council,with demonstrations and a major strike onMay 28-29.

In late May military council chief Abdel

Fattah al-Burhan visits Egypt and theUnited Arab Emirates, both firmly againstpopular uprisings, as he seeks regional sup-port. On June 3, troops and paramilitariesdisperse the protest camp outside the armyHQ with force, leaving more than 100 dead,according to the Central Committee ofSudanese Doctors that is close to thedemonstrators. On June 5, protest leadersturn down a military council offer for elec-tions and talks. —AFP

Monday, June 10, 2019

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

TAPACHULA: Sitting inside a truck at acheckpoint near Mexico’s southern border, asoldier is scrolling through images on ascreen, looking for human forms hidden incargo vehicles. The scanning equipment deliv-ering the images to his computer is part ofMexico’s new bid to stop undocumentedmigrants and human traffickers. It is a crack-down that is about to get stronger, under thedeal the Mexican government struck Fridaywith the United States to avoid PresidentDonald Trump’s threatened tariffs.

At another checkpoint nearby, officersinspect minibuses and taxis heading northfrom the Suchiate River, the frontier betweenMexico and Guatemala. It does not take themlong to find an undocumented family travelingin a minibus. They make them get off-a father,mother and three children, including a baby-and put them in a van with bars on the win-dows. It is likely the first step toward deporta-tion. “We’re here 24/7,” one border officertells AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.And the Central American migrants fleeing indroves from desolate poverty and brutalstreet-gang violence have begun to feel theimpact. Migrant detentions have tripled inMexico since January, to 23,679 in May.Deportations are also up, to 16,507 last month.

Clamping down As part of its deal to avert Trump’s threat

of five-percent tariffs on all Mexicangoods-which would have risen incremental-ly to 25 percent by October-PresidentAndres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s govern-ment has agreed to deploy 6,000 officersfrom Mexico’s new National Guard to thesouthern border starting today.

That will make it that much harder forCentral Americans to slip through what hastraditionally been a highly porous border.Though some migrants and activists remaindefiant. The new deployment “might makethe big caravans disappear, but not migra-tion in general. It will continue one way oranother,” said Ernesto Castanedo, anactivist at the Buen Pastor migrant shelter inthe southern city of Tapachula.

The shelter houses 600 migrants, mostlyHondurans taking a break on their north-ward trek. The migrants watch TV, playfootball and wash their clothes as Unicefworkers give their children impromptuclasses. “It doesn’t matter what DonaldTrump does, he can never stop us,” saidanother migrant, 57-year-old Josue Arenal,from Honduras. “Migrants always sneakthrough. He can close the border, build a

thousand walls, migrants are always goingto find a way.”

Contraband of all sorts AFP reporters saw undocumented

migrants crossing the border at dawn onrafts, a day after the US-Mexican deal wasannounced. The customs officers on thebridge appeared indifferent to the thrivingblack-market operations ferrying migrantsand stolen gasoline across the river. “Theyshould go after organized crime,” notmigrants, said Abraham, 49, a one-timemigrant from El Salvador who now works ina migrant shelter.

He experienced first-hand the dangersmigrants face when he made his ownattempt to reach the United States by hop-ping the freight train known as “The Beast.”Members of a Mexican gang-one of manyknown for preying on migrants-robbed himand threw him off the train. Severely injured,he spent five years recovering in hospital,before returning to El Salvador. When hemade it back to his village, he found hisfamily had already given him up for dead. Atthe local cemetery, they had erected atombstone with his name on it over an emp-ty grave. — AFP

Fear, anger as border guards tighten net in south Mexico

Mexico deploys 6,000 officers to the southern border

KUALA LUMPUR: Police brutality, migrant abuseand Death Row ensured the United States scoredpoorly among rich countries in a new surveyreleased - assessing human rights from Mexico toMozambique. The Wellington-based HumanRights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) quizzedexperts in all of the 19 nations it assessed, includ-ing civil society groups, lawyers and journalists,and gauged how each state treats its citizens.

“On safety from the state, the United States isperforming significantly below the others,” saidAnne-Marie Brook, co-founder of HRMI, told theThomson Reuters Foundation. She compared theUS performance against that of Australia, NewZealand, Britain and South Korea, all of whombelong to the Organization for EconomicCooperation and Development. “The UnitedStates is the only one that has the death penalty,extrajudicial killings, like police killings that arenot justified, and all the things going on at theborder with children separated from parents,”she said.

Countries surveyed were Australia, NewZealand, Fiji, South Korea, Vietnam, Nepal,Mozambique, Angola, Liberia, DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Britain,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United States,Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil. Among areas exam-ined: freedom of expression and association, theright to participate in government, and harminflicted by the state or its agents, from torture topolitical arrests. Countries were scored acrossmultiple categories, making an overall rankingimpossible to set.

The United States also scored low on citizens’right to health and food, and on the right to livefree from torture. Deaths involving police in theUnited States average nearly three a day,researchers wrote in the American Journal ofPublic Health last year, with black and Latino mentwice as likely as white men to die during interac-tions with police. The US treatment of migrantsalso came under close scrutiny since US PresidentDonald Trump made stemming immigration fromMexico a high priority of his administration.

US border patrol agents have apprehendedalmost 45,000 unaccompanied children at thesouthwest border since October. “For the averageperson who has bought into the idea of the UnitedStates as a world leader, leading democracy, theymay find the results surprising,” said Brook. TheHRMI now had data for about two years, makingit difficult to point to trends, she said, thoughminority groups were identified as most at risk inthe countries surveyed.

In Asia-Pacific, Vietnam performed poorly onempowerment rights - freedoms related to opin-ion, expression and assembly. “The groups identi-fied as most at risk are human rights advocates,journalists, people with particular political affilia-tions or beliefs, people who protest or engage innon-violent political activity,” Brook said. InLatin America, safety from the state was worsen-ing as minority groups encounter police violence,she added.

Britain notched up marked inequalities in qual-ity of life, with disabled Britons especially at riskof rights violations. Australia received a poorscore on the right to freedom from torture, whichthe survey called “a serious problem”. The surveysingled out free speech as a “very concerning”issue in Nepal. Launched in 2016, HRMI is aglobal and collaborative project run by academ-ics and people working in human rights. Fundedby grants and donations, they track the humanrights performance of nations based on theircommitments. — Reuters

How safe is your state? USscores low on human rights

To deter shootings, Americans shun naming suspectsWASHINGTON: As the superintendent of JeffersonCounty School District in Colorado, Jason Glass overseesone of the most troubled pieces of property in the UnitedStates: Columbine High School. The site of the one of thefirst - and still among the deadliest - school shootings inthe country, Columbine has proved an enduring headachefor the school district ever since two students killed 12 oftheir classmates, a teacher and themselves in 1999.

In an open letter published this week, Glass detailedhow every year hundreds of people try to get on campusto “reconnect with the 1999 murders,” while in the yearsthat followed, many other school shooters took inspirationfrom the Columbine attack. Around the 20th anniversary ofthe killings this year, reports that an armed woman hadtraveled to the area triggered a lockdown of the highschool - and of many other schools in the area - only forthe woman to be found dead, an apparent suicide.

“Columbine High School has a gravitational pull forthese sorts of individuals,” Glass wrote. “Most of them arethere to satisfy curiosity or a macabre, but harmless, inter-est in the school. For a small group of others, there is apotential intent to do harm.” Now the school district isconsidering following the dramatic example set by manyother property owners whose buildings were the site of

carnage. “Today school safety experts recommend tearingdown buildings where school shootings take place,” Glasssaid. “Since the morbid fascination with Columbine hasbeen increasing over the years, rather than dissipating, webelieve it is time for our community to consider this optionfor the existing Columbine building.”

Such a move is not undertaken lightly. Glass said offi-cials were considering asking voters to approve a rise inproperty taxes to provide “an additional $60-$70 million”to build a new high school with added safety features. Yetdespite efforts to improve security in US schools and otherpublic buildings in the 20 years since the Columbinekillings, the United States still sees hundreds of massshootings every year.

In a bid to halt the bloodshed, authorities now strive todeny the killers the infamy many of them seek. Late lastmonth, after a city employee killed 12 people in a Virginiamunicipal building, police and elected officials paid tributeto the victims but made a point of rarely speaking thekiller’s name. “I did it once,” Virginia Beach police chiefJames Cervera said in an interview. After announcing theshooter’s name at a press conference, he took to referringto the man as “the suspect,” or “the shooter.”

‘Contagion’ Researchers say the “copy-cat effect,” in which mass

shooters take inspiration from other mass shooters in pur-suit of fame and recognition, is real. Sherry Towers, a pro-fessor of mathematics at Arizona State University, appliedmodels usually used for studying diseases to mass shoot-ings. She told AFP high-profile mass shootings thatattracted lots of media attention prompted a “contagion,”inspiring others. Adam Lankford, a professor of criminolo-

gy at the University of Alabama, said some mass shootersget as much media attention as Hollywood movie stars.

“That’s a reward that imitators are pursuing,” he said.“Some mass shooters explicitly said that infamy is betterthan obscurity.” Towers said there was a growing under-standing among news outlets and politicians that the pub-lic eye should not be focused on the perpetrators.Following the killings of 51 people at two mosques inChristchurch in March, New Zealand’s Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern vowed never to mention the shooter’sname. “He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist.But he will, when I speak, be nameless,” she said. — AFP

COLORADO: In this file photo, school children hug each other inthe parking lot outside Columbine High School in Littleton - thesite of a school shooting where 15 students and teachers werekilled by two former students in a suicide mission. — AFP

Deal, no deal or delay: What will May’s successor do about Brexit?LONDON: Who are the candidates vyingfor British Prime Minister Theresa May’s joband what have they said about Brexit? Mayhas resigned, triggering a contest that willbring a new leader to power, with most ofthe frontrunners expected to push for acleaner break with the European Union.Below are the 11 Conservative lawmakerswho have said they are running and whatthey have said about Brexit. They arearranged in the order listed by oddschecker,a website that compiles bookmakers’ odds.

Boris Johnson, 54The bookmakers’ clear favorite was the

face of the official 2016 referendum cam-paign to leave the European Union. Theformer London mayor resigned as foreignminister in July last year in protest at May’shandling of the exit negotiations. Johnsonsaid in a campaign video that Britain wouldleave the EU on Oct. 31 “deal or no deal”.He has also said a second referendum onEU membership would be a “very badidea” and divisive.

In a newspaper column, he said: “Noone sensible would aim exclusively for ano-deal outcome. No one responsiblewould take no-deal off the table.” He hassaid he would withhold a previouslyagreed 39 billion pound ($49.66 billion)Brexit payment until the European Uniongives Britain better exit terms. Local mediareported he told a leadership hustings thatthe Conservatives would not be forgiven ifBritain did not leave the EU by Oct. 31 andwould face “political extinction.” Johnsonwas educated at Eton College and OxfordUniversity.

Jeremy Hunt, 52Hunt replaced Johnson as foreign minis-

ter in July after serving six years as healthminister. That role made him unpopularwith many voters who work in or rely onthe state-run, financially stretched NationalHealth Service. On Brexit: A “Remain” sup-porter in the 2016 referendum, Hunt nowsays that while he would prefer to leave the

EU with a deal, he believes a no-deal exitis better than no Brexit.

However, in a Daily Telegraph article hebecame the most senior leadership con-tender to reject a threat to leave with nodeal by the end of October, saying parlia-ment would block any such move. “Anyprime minister who promised to leave theEU by a specific date - without the time torenegotiate and pass a new deal - would, ineffect, be committing to a general electionthe moment parliament tried to stop it. Andtrying to deliver no-deal through a generalelection is not a solution; it is political sui-cide,” he wrote.

“A different deal is, therefore, the onlysolution ... That means negotiations thattake us out of the customs union whilegenerously respecting legitimate concernsabout the Irish border.” He has not howev-er entirely ruled out a no-deal exit, sayinghe could consider it as a last resort, butthat it would likely force a national electionin which the Conservatives would be pun-ished by voters. Hunt was educated atOxford. He speaks fluent Japanese.

Andrea Leadsom, 56A pro-Brexit campaigner, Leadsom

made it to the last two in the 2016 contestto replace Prime Minister David Cameronfollowing the referendum. She withdrewafter a backlash to an interview in whichshe said being a mother gave her more of astake in the future of the country, seen bycritics as an unfair attack on May, who hasno children. Leadsom resigned as Leaderof the House of Commons last month, say-ing she did not believe the May govern-ment’s approach would deliver on theBrexit referendum result. On Brexit: Shetold the Sunday Times she would put sig-nificant effort into encouraging the EU tocome up with a “deal that we can all livewith”, but also said Britain had to leave bythe end of October, with or without a deal.Leadsom was educated at the University

of Warwick before spending 25 years inbanking and finance.

Michael Gove, 51Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit

campaigners during the 2016 referendum,scuppered Johnson’s 2016 leadership bidby withdrawing his support at the lastmoment to run himself. Seen as one of themost effective members of May’s cabinetas environment minister, Gove supportedher Brexit strategy.

On Brexit: Gove said he believed hecould unite the party and deliver Brexit.Writing in the Daily Mail newspaper, Govesaid he would seek a Canada-style freetrade agreement with the EU, ruled out asecond referendum, and pledged thatConservative lawmakers would be involvedin shaping Britain’s negotiating position.“We must leave the EU as soon as we can. Iwant us to leave before October 31 and thatwill be my goal. I won’t be engaging in can-kicking or dithering,” he said, adding that hewould “always choose Brexit over noBrexit”. “If, finally, it comes to a decisionbetween no deal and no Brexit, I will chooseno-deal,” he said. But Gove said he wouldnot give up on progress and rush into a no-deal Brexit when a deal could be reachedwith “just a little more time and effort”. Hesaid any delay could be a few days orweeks. Leaving without a deal could meanparliament forcing Britain into a generalelection, he said. Gove, who was adopted asa child, was educated at Oxford University.

Rory Stewart, 46A former diplomat who once walked

6,000 miles across Iran, Afghanistan,Pakistan, India and Nepal, Stewart wasrecently promoted to InternationalDevelopment Secretary. Stewart was firstelected to parliament in 2010 and backedremaining in the EU in the 2016 referen-dum. He opposes a “no deal” exit andvocally advocated May’s deal with

Brussels. On Brexit: He told Sky News thathe favored a “pragmatic, moderate Brexit”.He said he would not seek to change May’swithdrawal agreement, which has beenrejected by parliament three times, andsaid anyone who said they could do so byOctober was “deluding themselves ordeluding the country”. “We have a dealnegotiated with the European Union on theWithdrawal Agreement. What I would bedoing in parliament and with the Britishpeople is sorting out that political declara-tion and landing it so we can get out andmove on.” Stewart was educated at EtonCollege and Oxford University.

Dominic Raab, 45Raab, a hardline Brexiteer, quit as May’s

Brexit minister last year after just fivemonths in the job, saying her draft exitagreement did not match the promises theConservative Party made in the 2017 elec-tion. He had held junior ministerial rolessince being elected in 2010. Raab, a blackbelt in karate, campaigned for Brexit. OnBrexit: Raab told the BBC that he plans toseek a “fairer deal” with Brussels, includingrenegotiating the customs and borderplans relating to Northern Ireland. He alsosaid he would not delay Brexit beyondOctober, however, and was prepared toleave without a deal.

Raab said he expected that if Britain leftwithout a deal, it would likely get to keeparound 25 billion pounds of its 39 billionpound exit payment, and the governmentcould use that money to support business-es through Brexit. He caused a stir when herefused to rule out proroguing, or sus-pending, parliament until the Brexit dead-line to prevent lawmakers blocking a no-deal Brexit. Parliament Speaker JohnBercow said proroguing parliament wouldnever happen and other candidates havecriticized Raab’s stance as undemocratic.

Proroguing parliament, which usuallyhappens once a year so the governmentcan outline a new legislative program, is a“prerogative power” - it is a decision forthe prime minister, which is given effect bythe Queen. Hannah White, deputy directorof the Institute for Government think tank,said: “Suspending parliament to preventdemocratically elected representativesfrom making a decision you suspect theywish to take would amount to a coupagainst Parliament and risk bringing theQueen into a terrible conflict.” The son of aJewish refugee, Raab was educated atOxford University. — Reuters

CHIAPAS: Migrants heading to United States gather around a fire at a shelter inTapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico. — AFP

Conservative MP Boris Johnson Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Monday, June 10, 2019

9

Hong Kong political crisis builds after huge protest against extradition law

HONG KONG: Hong Kong was plunged into afresh political crisis yesterday night after sev-eral hundred thousand people took to thestreets to thwart a proposed extradition lawthat would allow suspects to be sent to main-land China to face trial. Organizers said theirinitial estimates put the turnout at well overhalf a million people, saying it outstripped ademonstration in 2003 when 500,000 hit thestreets to challenge government plans fortighter national security laws.

Those laws were later shelved and a keygovernment official forced to resign.Yesterday’s outpouring was already raisingthe pressure on the administration of HongKong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and herofficial backers in Beijing. “She has to with-draw the bill and resign,” veteran DemocraticParty lawmaker James To told crowds gather-ing outside the city’s parliament and govern-ment headquarters yesterday night. “Thewhole of Hong Kong is against her.”

After To spoke, thousands were still arriv-ing, having started the march five hours earli-er, filling four lanes of a major thoroughfare.Some sat in a nearby park singing “hallelujah”,but on a nearby road tensions were buildingafter hours of peaceful protest. Riot policearmed with batons and helmets were gather-ing while government-funded broadcasterRTHK reported that they used pepper spray

on six masked men trying to block the road.Lam had yet to comment on the rally. The

demonstration capped weeks of growing out-rage in the business, diplomatic and legalcommunities, which fear corrosion of HongKong’s legal autonomy and the difficulty ofensuring basic judicial protections in mainlandChina. US and European officials have issuedformal warnings - concern matched by inter-national business and human rights lobbiesthat fear the changes would dent Hong Kong’srule of law.

The former British colony was handed backto Chinese rule in 1997 amid guarantees ofautonomy and various freedoms including aseparate legal system, which many diplomatsand business leaders believe is the city’sstrongest remaining asset.

The unusually broad opposition to the ren-dition bill displayed yesterday came amid aseries of government moves to deepen linksbetween southern mainland China and HongKong. Police had yet to issue their own esti-mate of the protest size. But as tens of thou-sands reached the Legislative Council in theAdmiralty business district, the starting pointin Victoria Park was crowded with thousandsmore still waiting to join the march.

Some carried yellow umbrellas - a symbolof the pro-democracy Occupy protests thatchoked key city streets for 79 days in 2014.

Streets were packed along the route; Reuterswitnesses at various key points estimated thecrowd at several hundred thousand. Chants of“no China extradition, no evil law” echoedthrough the highrise city streets, while othermarchers called for Lam and other senior offi-cials to step down.

Good-natured protestOne protester held a sign reading “Carry

off Carrie”, while another declared “Extraditeyourself, Carrie”. Another sign said “let’s makeHong Kong great again”, with a photo depict-ing U.S. President Donald Trump firing Lam.The genial crowd included young familiespushing babies in prams as well as the elderlybraving 32 degree C (90∞F) heat, somespraying each other with water misters.Debates will start in the council onWednesday on the amendments to theFugitive Offenders Ordinance. The bill couldbe passed into law by the end of June.

Lam has tweaked the amendments butrefused to pull the bill, saying it is vital to pluga long-standing “loophole”. She has also saidspeedy action is needed to ensure a HongKong man suspected of murdering his girl-friend can be sent to Taiwan for trial.Opposition to the bill has united a broad rangeof the community, from usually pro-establish-ment business people and lawyers to students,

pro-democracy figures and religious groups.Insurance agents, executives and small entre-preneurs joined bus drivers and mechanics inthe streets yesterday. Dozens of people toldReuters it was their first protest march, withsome remarking on the strong sense of unityamong the diverse crowds. “I come here tofight,” said a wheelchair-bound, 78-year-old

man surnamed Lai, who was among the first toarrive. Schoolteacher Garry Chiu joined theprotest with his wife and 1-year-old daughter,saying, “It is no longer about me.” “I need tosave my daughter. If the law is implementedanyone can disappear from Hong Kong. Noone will get justice in China. We know thereare no human rights,” — Reuters

Syrian rebel town buries goalie who became ‘singer of the revolution’AL-DANA: Thousands of people flocked to thefuneral yesterday of a Syrian soccer star turned fight-er who became an icon of the revolt against PresidentBashar Al-Assad. Abdelbasset Al-Sarout, 27, died onSaturday from wounds he sustained in northwestSyria, where an army offensive has pounded the lastmajor rebel bastion for weeks. Once a well-knowngoalkeeper from the city of Homs, Sarout gained anew kind of fame when the popular uprising againstAssad’s rule erupted in 2011.

He was dubbed the “singer of the revolution” forchanting ballads at rallies that eulogized slain activistsand vilified the president. After Assad’s iron-fistedcrackdown on the protests, Sarout took up arms andbecame a wanted man. His path mirrored the upris-ing’s spiral into an armed fight to the death betweenDamascus and the myriad militias and guerrilla bandsthat the conflict spawned.

Sarout was moved from a hospital in Turkey, whichbacks the opposition, across the border on Sunday,with a convoy of cars and motorcycles following thecoffin into Syria. People chanted, honked and wavedrebel flags on the way to the funeral in the bordertown of al-Dana, where one of Sarout’s brothers isburied. Four of Sarout’s brothers and his father hadalready died fighting pro-government forces.

Crowds stood on the roofs to watch Sarout’s body,wrapped in white, being carried through the town.Rebels from his faction, Jaish Al-Izza, fired into the air.In the mosque, men including fighters in combat uni-form kneeled in front of his body to pray, some ofthem weeping. “We all know Sarout’s songs and gold-en vocals. Today is a big loss, a sad day for the Syrianrevolution. We lost one of its icons,” said Ali Al-Zajel,an activist at the funeral. With Russian and Iranianhelp, Assad’s military has reclaimed much of Syria bycrushing opposition enclaves in recent years.

Sarout was among hundreds of thousands ofcivilians and insurgents shuttled to the northwestunder surrender deals as the army reconqueredtheir hometowns. Sarout, who fought governmentforces in his home city, left under such a deal in2014 after a bitter two-year siege. As rebel factionsstruggled with infighting and the growing influenceof Muslim jihadists, Sarout was accused of switch-ing his allegiance to Islamic State, which he deniedin a video in 2015. — Reuters

Broad business, legal and social concern over bill

From Baikonur to Borat: Things to know about KazakhstanALMATY: Kazakhs went to the polls yes-terday to elect a new president, thoughlong-term former leader NursultanNazarbayev is likely to pull the strings frombehind the scenes for many years to come.Here are five things to know about the ex-Soviet Central Asian nation:

Space Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country

in the world with an area of more than 2.7million square kilometers. Since gainingindependence from the Soviet Union in1991 it has also been the world’s largestcountry to lack access to a sea. The vastKazakh Steppe is home to the Baikonurcosmodrome - the world’s most famouslaunch pad nearly 60 years after YuriGagarin blasted off from there to becomethe first man in space. The Russia-con-trolled cosmodrome has had a monopolyon travel to the International Space Stationever since NASA stopped its launches tothe facility.

Chilly steppe capitalFormer president Nazarbayev, 78, was

until March the only leader Kazakhstanhad known since independence. Hedescribed the transformation of a provin-cial steppe town into the new capitalAstana during the 1990s as one of the topachievements of his three-decade reign.The country’s capital was previouslyAlmaty. The city was renamed Nur-Sultanin Nazarbayev’s honor after he steppeddown as president in March. It is known forits futuristic skyline of skyscrapers andchilly winter temperatures that regularlyplunge below -20 degrees Celsius. Anobservation tower in the centre of the cityof a million inhabitants is topped with aviewing platform where visitors can placetheir hands on a gold imprint ofNazarbayev’s palm.

Contested history with Russia Kazakhstan is proud of its nomadic his-

tory and marked 550 years since the birthof the first Kazakh state in colorful fashionin 2015. The celebrations followed contro-versial remarks by Russian leader VladimirPutin, who said that Kazakhs had never hadstatehood prior to their country’s inde-pendence from Moscow. While Kazakhstanand Russia traditionally enjoy strong rela-tions, their shared history sometimes gets inthe way. Earlier this year the Russian for-eign ministry criticized a Kazakh film-mak-er’s documentary which argued the faminein Kazakhstan during Soviet forced collec-tivization constituted a genocide.

Hit by oil prices Kazakhstan is Central Asia’s biggest

economy which has in the past seen dou-ble-digit growth, but has struggled torecover from a 2014 plunge in oil prices. Ithas also been affected by the economiccrisis in Russia, which led to a devaluationof the Kazakh currency, the tenge, and tohigh inflation. Oil accounts for around aquarter of the country’s Gross DomesticProduct and most of its budget revenues.The world’s biggest producer of uranium,Kazakhstan is also overflowing with man-ganese, iron, chromium and coal.Kazakhstan has linked the future of itseconomy to neighbouring China, investingheavily in its road network, railways andport infrastructure to facilitate trade links.

Getting past Borat For al l the petrodol lars the

resource-rich state has invested inimage promotion, many beyond its bor-ders continue to associate the countrywith British comedian Sacha BaronCohen’s 2006 smash hit mockumentaryBorat. Baron Cohen’s sleazy characterhas faded from Kazakhstan-relatedheadlines over a decade since the film’srelease. But he reared his head again in2017 when Baron Cohen offered to payfines for Czech tourists detained byKazakh police after they posed forphotos in the capital wearing Borat-style ‘mankinis’. — AFP

NUR-SULTAN: People vote in Kazakhstan’s presidential elections in Nur-Sultan yesterday. — AFP

HONG KONG: Protesters gesture as they chant ‘no extradition’ as they rally against a controversialextradition law proposal in Hong Kong yesterday. — AFP

Bangladesh highway blocked as fishermen protest catch banCHITTAGONG: Several thousand fishermen blockedBangladesh’s busiest highway yesterday, police said, asprotests escalated over a two-month fishing ban in the Bayof Bengal. The fishermen say the 65-day blockade -intended to replenish fish stocks - is driving them out ofbusiness. Their one-hour protest at the coastal town ofSitakunda caused several kilometers of tailbacks on themain road linking the capital, Dhaka, to the second city ofChittagong. Local police chief Suman Banik said thedemonstration by 3,000 fishermen and their families waspeaceful “but it caused a huge traffic jam on this busyhighway”.

The demonstrators only cleared the road after a gov-ernment administrator and a local member of parliamentpromised to help. The fishing ban runs from May 20 to July

23 and navy and coast guard vessels are patrolling thezone to prevent breaches. Bangladesh frequently bansdeep sea fishing and catches in coastal rivers to helpstocks, but this is the longest imposed for seas near thecoast and fishing communities are furious.

About 15 million people in the region directly or indi-rectly depend on Bangladesh’s multi-billion dollar fishingindustry. Shyamol Palit, an organizer of the demonstration,said the ban has hit poor fishermen hard, especially theHindu Joldas community. More than 55,000 Joldas familieslive in the Chittagong region and are employed in coastalfishing mainly running their own small boats. “The Joldashave taken loans to sail boats this season. This sudden andlong embargo has put them in a debt trap,” he said.

The government has announced it will provide free ricefor nearly half a million families of badly-affected fisher-men. But Palit said the scheme is not wide enough and“you cannot run a family only with a sack of rice.” The banhas also hit the nearly one million Rohingya refugees wholive in camps in Bangladesh after fleeing violence inMyanmar’s Rakhine state in recent years. The refugees arenot officially allowed to work outside the camps, but thou-sands are secretly employed on trawlers owned byBangladeshis. — AFP

Nepal authorities facemountainous challengeidentifying dead bodies KATHMANDU: The bodies of four climbers who failedtheir Everest challenge and left little clue as to their identi-ty have thrown up a new challenge for Nepalese authori-ties who control the world’s tallest peak. Worn by the windand cold to near skeletons, the remains have been in aKathmandu morgue since they were brought back fromthe slopes two weeks ago with nearly 11 tons of trash.Police and government officials admit they face a hugechallenge putting names to the dead climbers and sendingthem back to their home countries. They cannot even besure how long the corpses had been among scores waitingto be found on the slopes.

A government-organized clean-up team retrieved thebodies between the Everest base camp and the South Colat 7,906 meters (25,938 feet) this climbing season. “Thebodies are not in a recognizable state, almost down totheir bones. There is no face to identify them,” seniorpolice official Phanindra Prasai said. “We have directed thehospital to collect DNA samples so they can be matchedwith any families who come forward.”

Everest afterlife Nepalese police are going through administrative

processes so they can make an appeal for help and informforeign diplomatic missions about the bodies. But some fearthe mystery could take years to solve. “It is a difficult task,”said Ang Tsering Sherpa, former president of the NepalMountaineering Association. “They need to share moreinformation about the bodies, especially the locations ofwhere the bodies were found, and reach out to expeditionoperators.” More than 300 people have died on the 8,848-metre high mountain since expeditions to reach the topstarted in the 1920s. It is not known how many bodies arestill hidden in the ice, snow and deep crevasses. The bodyof George Mallory, the British climber who went missingduring a 1924 attempt on the summit, was only found in1999. The remains of his partner Andrew Irvine have neverbeen found. And it is still not known if they reached the top.

Some bodies, still in colorful climbing gear, have becomelandmarks on the way up to the summit, earning nicknamessuch as “Green Boots” and “Sleeping Beauty”. “GreenBoots” is believed to be an Indian climber who died duringa 1996 expedition. The body was believed to have beenmoved away from the main path in 2014. “Sleeping Beauty”is said to be Francys Arsentiev, who was the first Americanwoman to reach the summit without bottled oxygen in1998, but who died on the way down. — AFP

BAB AL-HAWA: Fellow Syrian rebel fighters carry thecoffin of late rebel fighter Abdel-Basset Al-Sarout yes-terday at the Bab Al-Hawa crossing point, northwest-ern Syria, on the way to his funeral after crossing theborder from Turkey. — AFP

CHITTAGONG: Bangladeshi fishermen block a highway as they protest against a two-month long fishing banon the Bay of Bengal in Chittagong yesterday. — AFP

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Chile ramps up climate ambition, but is it enough?

Chile’s new climate change plan, unveiled byPresident Sebastian Pinera this week, puts thehost of this year’s UN climate conference on

track to play its part in meeting globally agreed goalsto limit warming of the planet, researchers said. Butgreen-leaning politicians and activists in the SouthAmerican nation called on the government to bring for-ward its deadlines for closing coal-fired power plants.On Tuesday, Pinera unveiled a climate action plan thatwould shut all coal power plants by 2040, and targetcarbon neutrality by 2050, meaning the country wouldemit no more heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissionsthan it can absorb in its forests. “One of the greatestdangers we confront as humanity is global warming andclimate change,” said the president.

Eight coal-fired power plants will be closed down inthe next five years, he announced. Coal producesalmost twice the amount of carbon dioxide as naturalgas when burned. By 2050, all economic sectors -including agriculture, waste and industrial processes -should become carbon-neutral, the plan said. Chile’sforests absorbed 36 percent of national emissions in2013, and the 2050 net-zero goal would depend ontheir contribution to the carbon accounting.

In December, 20,000 to 30,000 delegates, includ-ing world leaders, are expected in Santiago for theannual UN climate talks, where governments will beurged to ramp up pledges to reduce emissions underthe Paris climate change accord. Research consortiumClimate Action Tracker (CAT) told the ThomsonReuters Foundation that if Chile’s decarbonization planbecame an official commitment under the ParisAgreement, it would be compatible with the mostambitious goal to curb warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius(2.7F) above pre-industrial times.

The Paris pact, adopted by nearly 200 nations, set agoal to limit global temperature rise to “well below”2C, and to “pursue efforts” for 1.5C. But still-risingglobal emissions are currently on track to fuel at least3C of warming, climate scientists say. In the build-upto the Paris conference where the climate accord wasagreed in 2015, Chile committed to reduce the intensi-ty of its emissions relative to GDP by 30 percent by2030 from 2007 levels. This target was rated “highlyinsufficient” by CAT. Moreover, under that plan, CAT cal-culated that Chile’s emissions would actually rise 41 per-cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels as the country leftitself space for economic growth. Environment MinisterCarolina Schmidt described the unveiling of Chile’s moreambitious plan this week as “an enormous landmark in thetransformation needed throughout the world for sustain-able development and carbon neutrality”.

Melting glaciersBut not all politicians are satisfied. In late May,

opposition leader Catalina Perez proposed a “climateemergency” declaration to the organizing committeefor the “COP25” U.N. climate change conference. “Itwent badly,” she said afterwards, with fellow membersunable to reach consensus. Meanwhile the effects ofglobal warming are becoming more evident in theAndean nation. “We have to learn to live with climatechange,” a windswept Pinera said a week ago, as hevisited the southern Bio Bio region, which had been hitby highly unusual tornadoes. “It has come to stay.”

Scientists are still investigating the influence of cli-mate change on the severity and frequency of torna-does. Chile is currently affected by a multi-yeardrought and creeping deserts, which are shifting fruitproduction to the more temperate south. The countryis home to 82 percent of Andean glaciers, nearly all ofwhich are in retreat, threatening water supplies.Flooding, heatwaves and devastating forest fires areother impacts already being experienced - and whichscientists predict will worsen as the planet heats up.

On Wednesday’s World Environment Day, Perez’sDemocratic Revolution Party joined 52 civil societygroups in a letter urging Pinera to deepen commit-ments to tackling climate change. Signatories includedExtinction Rebellion Chile, Greenpeace Chile and theinternational youth movement of children skippingschool to protest about climate inaction, “Fridays forFuture”. “We hope COP25 will be remembered byfuture generations as the moment that the planet’s luckchanged,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, in the inhabited areas around Chile’scoal-power plants, air pollution is a far bigger issuethan carbon dioxide emissions. Parliamentarian DiegoIbanez, who represents Quintero and Puchuncavi, twoof the coal plant zones, warned that the region’s chil-dren would be “condemned to five more years” ofhealth risks, citing a prevalence of cognitive difficultiesand cancer among the local population. Others fearplant closures could result in job losses and risingenergy prices, but Energy Minister Susana Jimenezsaid seven months of talks with the affected industrieshad preceded the announcement. — Reuters

Of all the institutions set up in Geneva under theLeague of Nations after World War I, only one, theInternational Labour Organization, survived the rise

of fascism and World War II. Historians have pointed to sev-eral reasons why the ILO, which marks its 100th anniversarytoday, endured while the rest of the League collapsed. Theyincluded anxiety in the West about worker uprisings follow-ing the Russian Revolution, the election of US presidentFranklin Roosevelt in 1932, and the ILO’s exile in Montrealfrom 1940-47.

More modern concerns will top the agenda at the ILO’sannual congress this week, where dozens of leaders includ-ing French President Emmanuel Macron, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel and Russian Prime MinisterDimitry Medvedev are expected. Following the #MeToomovement, ILO delegates will consider a convention onharassment and violence in the workplace, but may end upsettling for a non-binding “recommendation,” the organiza-tion’s director general, Guy Ryder, told journalists recently.

Under ILO’s 100-year-old “tripartite” structure, dele-gates include government officials, union leaders and pri-vate sector employer representatives. “It’s going to behard grind multilateral tripartite negotiations,” Ryder said,stressing that he is not expecting a celebratory atmos-phere at a congress also due to issue a declaration on“The Future of Work”. “I’d love to think there’ll be a festivemoment in it,” Ryder said. “I very much doubt it.”

Nazis out, Americans in In the preamble to the articles that set up the ILO -

originally called the International Labour Office - theTreaty of Versailles stressed that harsh working conditionswere so pervasive they “imperilled the peace and harmonyof the world”. The victorious powers of WWI faced heavypressure to establish a dedicated world labour office, saidDorothea Hoehtker, who leads historical research at theILO. This was partly because unions had made significantdemands following the crucial role workers played in thewar effort, Hoehtker told AFP.

But also the Russian Revolution of 1917 - which, amongother things, featured a working class revolt against theelite - forced Western powers to face the prospect of “acomplete political and economic system change,” sheadded. The ILO was founded as a cornerstone of the newLeague, but its fate proved different. The League sufferedits first major blow in Nov 1919 when the US Senaterejected American participation, despite presidentWoodrow Wilson being one its architects. That left theLeague almost fully reliant on European powers.

While the emergence of fascist dictatorships in Italy andGermany precipitated the League’s collapse, the ILO wassaved due largely to Roosevelt’s election. The US signedonto the body in 1934, just months after the Nazis walkedaway, as Roosevelt was in the process of implementing TheNew Deal -his pro-jobs program designed as a response tothe Great Depression. “The New Deal was perfectly in linewith what the ILO wanted,” Hoehtker said. Roosevelt-allyand former New Hampshire governor John Winant becameILO director in 1939. Because Geneva is surrounded byFrench territory, Winant moved a scaled-down ILO to

McGill University in Montreal shortly after the Nazisattacked France in 1940. The agency continued workingduring the war, notably by helping set up social securitysystems in Latin America.

Stalin says no The ILO’s survival was again threatened after World

War II. As the winning powers were shaping a new globalgovernance system, which became the United Nations, theSoviet Union under Joseph Stalin expressed staunchopposition to the ILO, especially its tripartite structurethat offers roles for unions and employers. “The SovietUnion really didn’t want the ILO to exist, Hoehtker said.“They didn’t like freedom of association and they didn’twant to have employers - capitalist employers - in theorganization.” Ultimately, the West prevailed and the ILOin 1946 was established as the first specialized agency ofthe UN, returning to Geneva the next year.

Post #MeToo conventionThe ILO’s tripartite structure, unique across the UN,

still creates complications at times, including during thedebate on harassment and violence in the workplace.One of the obstacles in the talks, Ryder said, is thatemployers have concerns about the extent of theirresponsibility, especially whether an enterprise shouldbe responsible for harassment among colleagues thathappens away from the workplace. “We have to findways through these outstanding issues,” Ryder said. “I’mconfident that we will.” — AFP

ILO, survivor from League of Nations, turns 100A sign commemorating the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is pictured in front of its headquarters on June 7, 2019 in Geneva. — AFP

Alternativemeat seen aspotentially juicy business

No longer at the food fringes, plant-based meats are selling well insupermarkets and emerging as a

hot commodity for fast food chains, indus-trial food companies and Wall Streetinvestors. JPMorgan Chase has estimatedthe market for plant-based meat couldeasily top $100 bil l ion in 15 years.Barclays says the “alternative meat” mar-ket could account for around 10 percent ofall global meat sales, or up to $140 billionin 10 years.

Among big restaurant chains, BurgerKing has been testing since April a vege-tarian version of its flagship “Whopper”,while McDonald’s has unveiled a meatlessburger in Germany. Kentucky FriedChicken is studying non-meat options forits menu. Alternatives to meat are not new,of course, but startups and other growingplayers in the business have taken advan-tage of newer technologies to simulate thetaste and texture of authentic meat morecomprehensively.

At the same time, more consumers areopting for plant-based products out ofconcern for the environment, animal wel-fare or for health reasons. The best-knownnew ventures, Impossible Food and BeyondMeat, have had difficulty at times meetingsurging demand for their products, even asWall Street has bet on their potential. Onits first day on Wall Street as a publicly-traded company, Beyond Meat surged 163percent, finishing the session at $65.75.

Since then, shares have more than dou-bled, ending Friday’s session at $139.13, upa stunning 39.4 percent after the companysaid it anticipates sales growth of 140 per-cent. Impossible Burger, which is alreadysold in more than 7,000 restaurants in theUnited States and Asia, recently raised$300 million in a financing round that val-ued the company at $2 billion.

Enter food giants Among large food companies, Swiss

giant Nestle in April launched its“Incredible Burger” in Europe based onsoy, wheat and extracts of beetroot andother plants. In the fall, Nestle plans tooffer a pea-based “Sweet Earth” veggieburger in the United States. Anglo-Dutchcompany Unilever last year bought theVegetarian Butcher, which has said it aimsto become the “largest butcher in the

world” with plant-based meat. US compa-ny Kellogg has been present in alternativemeat since the 1970s through MorningStarFarms. While the brand has not enjoyed thesame outsized gains of late as the newerplayers, it remains the biggest producer inthe United States. Others active in the bur-geoning business include Brazilian giantJBS, which is launching a vegetarian burgerin its home market, and Tyson Foods, aone-time investor in Beyond Meat thatplans its own plant-based product.

Sales of alternative meat jumped 23percent in 2018 in the United States,according to the Food Institute. Yet thataccounts for just one percent of the totalmarket for meat, much lower than the 13percent of milk represented by non-dairysources such as soy, almond and coconut.

Some risks In spite of the strong potential, analysts

caution against losing sight of some uncer-tainties facing the industry. “There are riskfactors to consider, such as alternativemeat products being less healthy thanclaimed as a result of additives to appeal tocustomer taste,” said the Barclays note.Barclays also pointed to “potential regula-tory restrictions” as far as marketing. Forexample, farm groups have lobbiedWashington to restrict the term “meat” toanimal-based products.

Also, there is always a risk that emerg-ing stars in the business could be roiled bya recall, said JPMorgan. And the impact ofmistakes could be amplified by the growingpresence of bigger and more diversifiedcompanies that are racing into the market.The conventional companies also havesophisticated supply chains and readyaccess to capital. — AFP

With Venezuelain collapse, townsslip into primitiveisolation

At the once-busy beach resort ofPatanemo, tourism has evaporatedover the last two years as

Venezuela’s economic crisis has deepenedand deteriorating cellphone service leftvisitors too afraid of robbery to brave theisolated roads. Gone are the vendors whoonce walked the sands of the crescent-shaped beach hawking bathing suits andempanadas - a traditional savory pastry.These days, its Caribbean shoreline flankedby forested hills receives a different type ofvisitor: people who walk 10 minutes from anearby town carrying rice, plantains orbananas in hopes of exchanging them forthe fishermen’s latest catch.

With bank notes made useless byhyperinflation, and no easy access to thedebit card terminals widely used to con-duct transactions in urban areas, residentsof Patanemo rely mainly on barter. It is justone of a growing number of rural townsslipping into isolation as Venezuela’s econ-omy implodes amid a long-running politi-cal crisis. From the peaks of the Andes toVenezuela’s sweltering southern savannahs,the collapse of basic services includingpower, telephone and internet has leftmany towns struggling to survive.

The subsistence economy stands instark contrast to the oil boom years whenabundance seeped into the most remotereaches of what was once Latin America’srichest nation. “The fish that we catch is toexchange or give away,” said Yofran Arias,one of 15 fishermen who have grownaccustomed to a rustic existence eventhough they live a 15-minute drive fromVenezuela’s main port of Puerto Cabello.“Money doesn’t buy anything so it’s betterfor people to bring food so we can givethem fish,” he said, while cleaning bonefish,known for abundant bones and limitedcommercial value.

In visits to three villages acrossVenezuela, Reuters reporters saw residentsexchanging fish, coffee beans and hand-picked fruit for essentials to make endsmeet in an economy that shrank 48 percentduring the first five years of PresidentNicolas Maduro’s government, accordingto recent central bank figures. Venezuela’scrisis has taken a heavy toll on rural areas,where the number of households in pover-ty reached 74 percent in 2017 comparedwith 34 percent in the capital of Caracas,

according to an annual survey calledEncovi carried out by private Venezuelanuniversities.

Residents rarely travel to nearby cities,due to a lack of public transportation,growing fuel shortages and the prohibitivecost of consumer goods. In some regions,travel requires negotiating roads barricad-ed by residents looking to steal from trav-elers. At one such roadblock in easternVenezuela, a Reuters witness saw a driverfire gunshots in the air to disperse a crowd.“I haven’t been to the city center in almosttwo years. What would I do there? I don’thave enough (money) to buy a shirt or apair of shorts,” said a fisherman inPatanemo who identified himself only asLuis. “I’m better off here swapping thingsto survive.”

Coffee for fuelVenezuela is suffering one of the worst

economic collapses in modern history.Inflation has topped 1 million percent,according to figures released by the oppo-sition-run congress. The United Nationssays 4 million citizens have fled Venezuela,3.3 million of them since 2015. Maduroblames the situation on an “economic war”waged by his political adversaries as wellas US sanctions that have hobbled the oilindustry and prevented his governmentfrom borrowing abroad.

The central bank in April released eco-nomic indicators for the first time in thenearly four years, showing a less severecataclysm than figures published by con-gress. But the bank’s data underscored adramatic contraction and spiraling con-sumer prices, nonetheless. The bolivar haslost 99 percent of its value since Madurotook office in 2013. In the mountains of thecentral state of Lara, residents of the townof Guarico this year found a different wayof paying bills - coffee beans.

Residents of the coffee-growing regionnow exchange roasted beans for anythingfrom haircuts to spare parts for agriculturalmachinery. “Based on the cost of the prod-uct, we agree with the customer on thekilos or number of bags of coffee that theyhave to pay,” said hardware store managerHaideliz Linares. The transactions arebased on a reference price for how muchcoffee fetches on the local market, Linaressaid. In April, one kilo of beans was worththe equivalent of $3.00. In El Tocuyo,another town in Lara state, three 100 kilosacks of coffee buy 200 liters of gasoline,which is in increasingly short supply in theOPEC nation due to chronic operationalproblems at state oil company PDVSA. InBorburata, another town a few miles fromPatanemo, Keila Ovalles harvests eggplant,tomato and passion fruit in the backyard ofher modest home. She said it was similar tothe way her family lived in the early 20thcentury. — Reuters

In this photo taken on Jan 7, 2019 theImpossible Burger 2.0, the new andimproved version of the company’s plant-based vegan burger that tastes like realbeef, is introduced at a press event duringCES 2019 in Las Vegas. — AFP

Britain’s smaller banks nowwallow in giants’ shadow

W African farm ‘bootcamp’ gets green entrepreneurs into shape

KFH Group achieves leading position in arranging sukuk issuances globally 1412 13

Fukuoka meeting exposes differences between US and other nations

Divided G20 admits risks from trade wars

Established 1961

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

FUKUOKA: IMF managing Director Christine Lagarde (second row left), US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (front center), China’s Finance Minister Liu Kun (second row right) and other delegation members pose in a family photo session at theG20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Fukuoka yesterday.—AFP

FUKUOKA: The world’s top financial poli-cymakers admitted yesterday that tradetensions had worsened and posed a risk forthe global economy, after a G20 meetingthat laid bare differences between theUnited States and other nations.

Following 30 hours of wrangling in whatone official described as a “tense” atmos-phere, G20 finance minister and centralbank chiefs produced a hard-fought finalstatement acknowledging that “growthremains low and risks remain tilted to thedownside.”

“Most importantly, trade and geopoliti-cal tensions have intensified,” the G20 said,adding they “stood ready to take furtheraction” if required. As a compromisepushed by Washington, the statementomitted language from a previous draftthat mentioned a “pressing need to resolvetrade tensions.”

The statement capped two days of talksin the western Japanese port city ofFukuoka that also tackled the thorny issueof taxing internet giants and, for the firsttime, the economic challenges posed byageing. “In our view, this is the best out-come we could deliver. Not the perfectoutcome but a good outcome,” said EUEconomic and Monetary AffairsCommissioner Pierre Moscovici, who

admitted that reaching agreement was “notan easy task.”

“Almost everyone in the room thinksthat trade tensions are a threat to growth...It’s not always the mood in the Americanadministration,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’sthem against all the others but it looks likeit sometimes, even if everyone also criti-cizes some aggression from China.”

‘Principal threat’ Trade battles were front and center of

policymakers’ minds as the US and Chinacontinue to threaten each other with tariffsthat economists fear could slam the brakeson global growth.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned thetariffs could shave global GDP by 0.5 per-cent or about $455 billion in 2020 and saidtrade conflicts constituted the “principalthreat” to the global economic outlook.The G20 ministers heaved a sigh of reliefjust hours before the meeting when the USand Mexico clinched a deal over immigra-tion that stopped Washington imposingfive percent tariffs on Mexican goods.

But US Treasury Secretary StevenMnuchin said Washington stood ready toimpose more tariffs on China if PresidentDonald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping fail tostrike a deal at the G20 summit later this

month in Osaka. “If China wants to comeback to the table and negotiate on thebasis that we were negotiating, we can geta great historic deal. If they don’t, we’llproceed with our tariffs,” Mnuchin toldreporters Saturday.

He tweeted Sunday he had had a “con-structive” meeting with China’s centralbank governor Yi Gang, during which therewas a “candid discussion on trade issues”.

But taking a different line from the otherpolicymakers, Mnuchin said the slowdownin some parts of the world was not due totrade difficulties and even said the frictioncould benefit some countries if companiesrelocated from China to avoid tariffs.“There will be winners and losers,” said thetreasury secretary.

‘I don’t like them’ The quandary of reforming the global

tax system to take into account the rise ofinternet giants such as Google andFacebook was another issue exercising theminds of policymakers in the coastal city.In the final statement, the G20 agreed to“redouble our efforts for a consensus-based solution with a final report by 2020”.However, here again the Fukuoka meetingexposed a difference of opinion over whatform this reform should take. Frustrated by

a lack of global action on the issue, somecountries such as Britain and France havealready introduced a so-called digital tax,but Mnuchin was blunt in his assessment ofthese policies.

He said the US had “significant con-cerns” and stated “I don’t like them.” ButMoscovici was more positive, saying hewas “rather optimistic” the G20 wouldclinch agreement on a new set of interna-tional tax rules by 2020.

“It’s doable, it’s more than doable,” hetold reporters. Appropriately for a meetingheld in Japan-on track to become theworld’s first “super-aged” society in whichmore than 28 percent of the population isover 65 — the G20 ministers discussed forthe first time the “challenges and opportu-nities” posed by ageing. They suggestedgetting more women and elderly peopleinto the workforce and “promoting elderly-friendly industries”, as well as reformingthe fiscal and banking systems to take intoaccount ageing populations.

“You basically have a very large portionof mankind that is ageing and then theworkforce is shrinking,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria told AFP in an inter-view. Solving the issue will require whole-sale changes to the way society is organ-ized, added Gurria. —AFP

ROME: Italy’s coalition parties have pushed backagainst criticism of proposals to issue special gov-ernment bonds to help pay state debts, highlight-ing growing tensions within the heart of the cabi-net. The so-called “mini-BOT” scheme, namedafter Italy’s Treasury bills, was drawn up by thefar-right, euroskeptic League party and was unex-pectedly endorsed by parliament last month in anon-binding vote.

Critics say printing small-denomination bills, withno expiry date, would be akin to creating a parallelcurrency and as such could open the way for Italy toquit the euro. Economy Minister Giovanni Tria, anacademic with no political affiliation, condemned theplan on Saturday, saying mini-BOTS would be eitherillegal or useless. However, both the League and itsgovernment partner the 5-Star Movement, hit back,accusing Tria’s ministry of doing nothing to resolvethe problem of unpaid state arrears.

“They are always silent, still, stationary, then assoon as someone proposes something new theywake up and say “Ah, no, it can’t be done,” said 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio, who also serves asdeputy prime minister. “If the tool to pay companiesis not the mini-BOT, then the economy minister canfind another one,” he wrote on Facebook at theweekend.

Italy’s other deputy prime minister, Leagueleader Matteo Salvini, also issued a statement, say-ing the economy ministry should realise it was“urgent” to find a way to pay arrears to state suppli-ers. “It is a question of justice,” he said.—Reuters

Italy’s ruling parties take aim at minister Triaover mini-BOTs

WASHINGTON: The Chinese govern-ment convened top tech companiesthis week and warned them of conse-quences if they cut off technology

sales to the country, US media report-ed on Saturday.

The meeting followed US PresidentDonald Trump’s move last month toblacklist Chinese tech giant Huaweiover nat ional security concerns,threatening the firm’s global ambitionsand ramping up the months-long tradebatt le between the two countr ies .Earlier this week, the Chinese govern-ment summoned executives fromAmerican firms Dell and Microsoft and

South Korea’s Samsung, among others,to warn them that any moves to rampdown their businesses in China maylead to retal iat ion, The New YorkTimes reported.

American companies were told “thatthe Trump administration’s move to cutoff Chinese companies from Americantechnology had disrupted the globalsupply chain, adding that companiesthat followed the policy could facepermanent consequences,” the news-

paper reported. Companies based outside the

United States were told that as long asthey maintained business as usual, theywouldn’t be punished, the newspaperreported. Last Friday, Facebookannounced it would cut Huwaei offfrom its popular social networking appto comply with the US sanctions, fur-ther isolating the company that hasbecome the world’s second-largestsmartphone vendor.—AFP

China warns tech giants after US Huawei ban

Monday, June 10, 2019

12B u s i n e s s

Established 1961

EXCHANGE RATES

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 304.750Euro 348.370Sterling Pound 391.170Canadian dollar 231.670Turkish lira 53.920Swiss Franc 312.300US Dollar Buying 296.550

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.816Indian Rupees 4.390Pakistani Rupees 2.097Srilankan Rupees 1.722Nepali Rupees 2.743Singapore Dollar 225.080Hongkong Dollar 38.814Bangladesh Taka 3.600Philippine Peso 5.888Thai Baht 9.744Malaysian ringgit 77.916

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 81.294Qatari Riyal 83.730Omani Riyal 791.813Bahraini Dinar 809.490UAE Dirham 83.000

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 20.750Egyptian Pound - Transfer 18.171

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

BAHRAIN EXCHANGE COMPANY WLL

Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.224Tunisian Dinar 105.050Jordanian Dinar 430.570Lebanese Lira/for 1000 0.203Syrian Lira 0.000Morocco Dirham 32.170

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 304.290Canadian Dollar 227.140Sterling Pound 388.330Euro 342.520Swiss Frank 306.445Bahrain Dinar 809.220UAE Dirhams 83.250Qatari Riyals 84.490Saudi Riyals 82.040Jordanian Dinar 430.470Egyptian Pound 18.055Sri Lankan Rupees 1.724Indian Rupees 4.383Pakistani Rupees 2.016Bangladesh Taka 3.604Philippines Pesso 5.807Cyprus pound 18.105Japanese Yen 3.780Syrian Pound 1.590Nepalese Rupees 2.741Malaysian Ringgit 73.530Chinese Yuan Renminbi 44.545Thai Bhat 10.545

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.381006 0.394906Czech Korune 0.005462 0.014762Danish Krone 0.042117 0.047117Euro 0. 337871 0.351571Georgian Lari 0.131935 0.131935Hungarian 0.001146 0.001336Norwegian Krone 0.031275 0.036475Romanian Leu 0.065164 0.082014Russian ruble 0.004694 0.004694Slovakia 0.009088 0.019088Swedish Krona 0.028385 0.033385Swiss Franc 0.301915 0.312915

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.205022 0.217022New Zealand Dollar 0.197008 0.206508AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.224105 0.233105US Dollars 0.300550 0.305850US Dollars Mint 0.301050 0.305850

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003004 0.003805Chinese Yuan 0.042542 0.046042

Hong Kong Dollar 0.037004 0.039754Indian Rupee 0.003732 0.004504Indonesian Rupiah 0.000017 0.000023Japanese Yen 0.002733 0.002913Korean Won 0.000247 0.000262Malaysian Ringgit 0.069475 0.075475Nepalese Rupee 0.002676 0.003016Pakistan Rupee 0.001452 0.002222Philippine Peso 0.005748 0.006048Singapore Dollar 0.218043 0.228043Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001350 0.001930Taiwan 0.010152 0.010332Thai Baht 0.009371 0.009921Vietnamese Dong 0.00013 0.00013

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.792194 0.808694Egyptian Pound 0.018073 0.020673Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000209 0.000269Jordanian Dinar 0.424078 0.433078Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000156 0.000256Moroccan Dirhams 0.020455 0.044455Omani Riyal 0.783682 0.789362Qatar Riyal 0.079275 0.084215Saudi Riyal 0.080020 0.081320Syrian Pound 0.001289 0.001509Tunisian Dinar 0.098390 0.106390Turkish Lira 0.045774 0.055619UAE Dirhams 0.081384 0.083084Yemeni Riyal 0.000989 0.001069

Turkish Lira 50.585Singapore dollars 220.210

NBK Money Markets Report

LONDON: Computer meltdowns. Unexplained holes inaccounting. Personnel management scandals. Forsmaller banks that want to compete with historic giantsof global fame, UK finance has proven to be a mine-field. When visiting their local branch or going online,Britons have struggled to break their habit of relyingon a big bank with an established name.

Britain’s Big Five-Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RoyalBank of Scotland and Santander UK-hold a command-ing 63-percent share of the retail banking market,according to the Centre for Economics and BusinessResearch.

This dominance remains despite years of hardshipthat followed the 2008 financial crisis, which saw inter-est rates fall to historic lows and consumers finding lit-tle point in keeping money parked in savings accounts.“The last 20 years have seen significant consolidationin the UK retail banking market,” Stephen Jones, chiefexecutive of the UK Finance banking trade association,wrote in a report.

“The structure of UK retail and commercial bankingis relatively concentrated, with a notable absence ofmid-tier competitors of scale.”

Small but crowded field Paradoxically, this market grip was cemented by the

very same crisis that tarnished the big banks’ reputa-

tions a decade ago. The Big Five, along with mortgage-specialist Nationwide, together have about £1.8 trillion($2.3 trillion, 2.0-trillion-euros) in retail banking assets.

Their competitors have a combined total of £360billion. While relatively small, the field of also-rans iscrowded with names such as Metro Bank, TSB (a sub-sidiary of Spain’s Banco Sabadell) and CYBG, whichhas just merged with Richard Branson’s Virgin Money.

They each have millions of clients and are joined by“fintechs” such as Revolut and Monzo-two digitalbanks with big ambitions that want to expand beyondtheir young, city-dwelling consumer base.

Costly mistakes The upstarts have little in common beyond a shared

experience of suffering scandals that make newspaperheadlines. The most recent involved Metro Bank, whichhas been losing its luster after a bright launch in 2010 bythe US banker Vernon Hill, perhaps best known for callinghis clients “fans”. Hill has been busy trying to reassure his1.7 million fans that Metro Bank is still standing, after rais-ing funds, seeing a drop in profits, and coming under thescrutiny of regulators for classifying unsavory real estateloans as “low risk”. Metro Bank’s troubles came a fewmonths after TSB suffered a comprehensive computerfailure caused by a software update, which saw millionsof clients lose access to the bank’s site and app.

The breakdown forced TSB to part ways with itsgeneral manager and cost nearly $300 million-a heftysum for a bank that broke away from the LloydsBanking Group to try its own luck in 2013.

Digital banking wave Britain’s digital banking sector has not been spared

either, as it rides the wave of changing consumer habits.Perhaps none experienced more damage than Revolut,which had to take a stern look at its personnel manage-ment after a whistleblower accused it of forcing jobapplicants to work for free.

Revolut’s Russian-born boss and founder NikolayStoronsky now wants to evolve to a more consumer-friendly business model. Beyond these individual prob-lems, which companies in other fields know just as well,smaller banks have to overcome more regulator hur-dles, which carry an especially high cost.

They must further be financially strong enough toconvince investors to follow them-a task complicatedby the gloom of the seemingly endless Brexit crisis.

A decade of low interest rates has even forcedbehemoths such as Goldman Sachs to venture pasttheir established niches and into the digital space.Goldman’s new Marcus online savings account offershigher interest rates than established competitors andis partnering with Apple to launch a credit card.

Marcus has attracted more than $35 billion in onlineconsumer deposits in the past years, a result thatGoldman views as a success.

Industry watchers see benefits in the added compe-tition, which creates more options as brick-and-mortarbranches disappear. But a report by parliament’sTreasury committee cautions that branch closures aremaking the elderly feel cut off from their cash. —AFP

Britain’s smaller banks nowwallow in giants’ shadow

UK’s Big Five hold a commanding 63% share of retail banking market

Dollar selloff boosts Fed’s rate cut expectations, US economy coolsKUWAIT: The resilient US dollar has suffered significantly over thepast week. After hitting a 1-year high of 98.371 in May, the dollarindex has since fallen back sharply towards the 96.450 level. Theselloff delivers the first clear indication that the buck is commencingits downward trajectory in response to building Fed rate cut expec-tations. Up until recently, the US dollar had shown resiliencytowards lower treasury yields.

The amplification of Fed rate cut expectations was prompted bydovish comments from St Louis Fed President Bullard who is a vot-er this year on the FOMC. Bullard said cutting rates “may be war-ranted soon,” due to the elevated economic risk caused by globaltrade tensions as well as weak inflationary pressures. At the sametime, Bullard has been worried about the yield on the 10-year bond,which has fallen below 3-month yield as well as below the federalfunds rate itself. It seems that this inversion of the yield curve hasbecome evident enough to reinforce the case for a rate cut.Historically when the yield curve has been this inverted, the Fed hasalways cut interest rates and delivered a series of rate cuts.Furthermore, the Fed Chairman dropped his typical reference to theFed being “patient” in approaching any rate decision and mentionedinstead that the central bank was watching the fallout from the tradewar and would react “as appropriate.” It looks like PresidentDonald Trump may finally get the rate cut he has been asking for.

Year to date, the US 2-year treasury yield has fallen around 64basis points to 1.86 percent and a 60 basis points drop for the 10-year to 2.08 percent. The sharp drop is not only attributed toincreasing rate cut prospects, but also due to strong demand forsafe haven US bonds. Interbank rates have also followed the down-ward trajectory. The 3-month Libor rate is near an 8-month low at2.45 percent, way below the 2.79 percent seen at the start of theyear. The Fed Funds Futures is currently pricing a 98 percentchance for a cut at the December meeting.

In the FX sphere, the dollar index was further pressured onFriday as the US economy only added 75,000 jobs, lower than themedian 185,000 predicted by economists. As for wages, the annualrate dropped from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent, while the unemploy-ment rate remained near a 50-year low of 3.6 percent. The proba-bility for three or four quarter-point Federal Reserve rate cuts thisyear jumped higher to 60 percent after the labor report wasreleased, from 49 percent seen in the previous session, according toBloomberg data on federal funds futures. As such, the dollar indexwas the worst performer in the currencies market losing nearly 1.06percent of its value. The DXY opened the week at 97.590 andclosed on Friday at 96.544.

In the equities market, the Dow Jones snapped a six-week los-ing streak and the S&P 500 has risen nearly 5.30 percent from itslows seen this month. US Federal Reserve officials have hinted thepossibility of lower rates to come, while financial markets’ tone indi-cates that a lower overnight rate in the future is certain. Looking at

fundamentals, stock prices are inversely related to interest expens-es. Hence, the prospect of lower rates to come has opened thegreen light for US stock markets. The Dow Jones gained 4.65 per-cent in the past five trading sessions.

US Manufacturing As the global economy is evidently cooling down and trade ten-

sions linger on, the US manufacturing sector is under pressure. TheISM manufacturing index fell to 52.1 in May from 52.8, the lowestreading since October 2016. An alternative indicator, the US Markitmanufacturing PMI also declined by 2.1 points to 50.5, which wasthe worst reading since September of 2009. Both surveys haveweakened noticeably since late last year. If trade tensions intensifyand becomes a norm, the manufacturing sector’s direction of travelcould be tilted to the downside.

In regards to the service sector, the latest PMI data portrait anoptimistic picture as the PMI reading rose to 56.9 in May, from55.5. It looks like the service sector is doing the heavy lifting for theeconomy, which accounts to nearly 80 percent of US GDP. Theoverall economy has grown at a healthy pace in recent quarters,though underlying signs suggest growth is slowing. A weaker man-ufacturing sector, subdued inflation and the recent private sectorjust hiring 27,000 versus expectations of 185,000 are signals thatthe largest economy is losing momentum.

Euro appreciates The ECB’s governing council maintained its loose monetary pol-

icy last week as expected and pushed back the timing of its interestrate hike. Governing officials at the ECB pledged to keep rates attheir current levels at least through the first half of 2020, instead ofthe end of this year as it had said only back in March. As for ratecuts, the head of the ECB stated that officials had addressed theBank’s readiness to act in case of “adverse contingency” and severalgoverning members had raised the possibility of additional interestrate cuts or even restarting asset purchases. Current money marketfutures are pricing in a 45 percent chance of a 10 basis point cut inECB rates by the end of 2019. In the meantime, the central bank willsupport the single economy through (TLTRO-III), which providescheap financing to credit institutions and banks. The lending rate tothe euro-zone banks has been established at 10bps above the aver-age main refinancing rate (currently 0 percent), however if lendingexceeds a certain benchmark, then 10bps above the marginaldeposit rate (currently -0.4 percent) will be applied.

Looking at ECB predictions, growth was slightly revised higherto 1.2 percent for 2019, although for 2020 and 2021 GDP wasdowngraded to 1.4 percent. Prices are now seen rising just 1.3 per-cent this year, 1.4 percent next year and 1.6 percent in 2021.Economic data out of the euro-zone has been frail indeed with themanufacturing sector in negative territory, weak growth and a sub-dued inflation. The most recent inflationary readings disappointedto the down side after headline CPI dis-inflated from 1.7 percent to1.2 percent and core price growth tumbled from 1.3 percent to 0.8percent. Moreover, the global trade war displays no sign of scalingdown, Italy is once again in conflict with the European Commission,German industry continues to post dismal figures, stock markets arecontinuously in the red and a hard Brexit may just be around thecorner. Providing banks with cheap funding maybe the only solutionat the moment, especially with rates already at 0 percent and no fis-cal levers to pull, options are somewhat limited. With universaluncertainty already harming trade, major central banks like the ECB

and the US FED seem to have given up plans to tighten policy.As for the single currency, the EUR/USD pair soared to a 1.5-

month high of 1.1308 after the ECB meeting. The euro appreciatedas markets had anticipated an even more dovish motion from theECB and for the central bank to acknowledge softness in economicgrowth. Money market futures are now pricing in a 45 percentchance of a 10 basis point euro-zone rate cut by the end of yearversus 75 percent before the ECB statement. In addition, the dollarwas softer across the board on lower treasury yields, paving theway for the single currency to appreciate. Over the past five tradingsession, the euro gained 1.44 percent over the USD and was thesecond best performing G10 currency in the FX market last week.

UK manufacturing Britain’s manufacturing segment contracted for the first time in

almost three years as the index fell from 53.1 to 49.4. The shrinkagein the manufacturing sector was attributed to diminishing Brexitrelated stockpiling, weaker global demand and most importantly theBrexit conundrum. Several firms surveyed in this reading conveyedthat some clients had diverted supply chains away from the UK as aresult of an uncertain Brexit outcome. The boost from stockpilingwas expected to be temporary, while quarterly growth is expectedto slow to 0.2 percent in the second quarter, the Bank of Englandsaid in its latest inflation report.

As for the services sector, the PMI data improved to 51 fromApril’s 50.4. In spite of the uptick in services activity in May, theaverage for the sector so far in 2019 is 50.3, down from the 2018average of 53, elevating fears for the health of a sector thataccounts for about 80 percent of UK economic output. The domi-nant service segment is still suffering a potent cocktail of depresseddemand and uncertainty. A sharp depreciation in the Sterling poundsince the referendum is increasing transport and input costs, whilestaff wages are increasing. As a result, service companies are underimmense pressure. The progress in the sector’s activity in May wascounterbalanced by worsening manufacturing and constructionPMI indices, which both dropped below the 50 mark indicating acontractionary environment. Overall, a slowdown in the globaleconomy and worldwide trade tensions escalating combined withBrexit uncertainties increases the probability that the UK manufac-turing sector could remain in contraction territory. As such, a ratehike from the central bank seems farfetched at the moment.

In regards to the Sterling pound, the GBP incurred its firstweekly gain in five weeks against the USD. The positive momen-tum is attributed to dollar weakness rather than markets feelingmore confident that Britain can avoid a no-deal Brexit. Thepound gained 0.77 percent versus the USD last week. The CHFalso took advantage of the dollar’s weakness and found furthersupport due to its risk aversion demand. The USD/CHF pair

ended the weekly session at 0.9876, a 1.20 percent loss for thedollar in weekly terms.

Aussie perseveres despite rate cut The Australian dollar was barley impacted by the RBA’s decision to

cut its cash rate by 0.25 percent to 1.25 percent, which is the first poli-cy rate move in nearly three years. Markets have been expecting theloosening of monetary conditions as the overnight indexed swap (OIS)was 102 percent priced for a 0.25 percent cash rate cut just before theannouncement. Furthermore, in the Bloomberg survey, 36 of 38 econ-omists had expected a cut. Thus, the perseverance of the Aussie dollarwas partly due to an already priced in scenario and a weaker dollaracross the board. The AUD/USD rose to a high of 0.7004 after therate cut decision. It is still all about the labor market the RBA noted; theRBA cut its cash rate to upkeep employment growth and providegreater confidence that price growth will be consistent with the 2-3percent target objective. In addition, the RBA expressed concern thatrecent inflationary results have been lower than projected, howeverthey still expect inflation to pick up. Underlying inflation is forecasted at1.75 percent in 2019 and 2.00 percent for 2020. The Australian ratemarket is also predicting a further rate cut this year to 1 percent duringthe second half of this year. Hence, with more room for the Bank to easemonetary policy amidst increasing downside risks stemming from tradedisputes; recent modest Aussie gains are built on shaky foundations.Looking at the preferred safe haven currency, the yen has soaredtremendously in response to the latest re-intensification in trade ten-sions between the US, China and Mexico. Therefore mounting down-side risks to the global growth outlook have encouraged a pick-up insafe haven demand for the yen. During May the yen strengthenedagainst the US dollar from 111.37 to 108.68. The USD/JPY depreciatedto a five month low of 107.80 last week.

Commodities In the commodities complex, gold prices soared to $1,348.08

last week, the highest level in 14 months. Declining US interest costshas made the yellow metal more attractive as the opportunity lossof holding it has diminished. Ever-growing expectations for a USrate cut and concerns that the trade war rhetoric could hit globalgrowth boosted demand for the safe haven metal. On a weeklybasis, the price of gold surged 2.52 percent.

KuwaitKuwaiti dinar at 0.30300The USD/KWD opened at 0.30300 yesterday morning.

LONDON: Metro Bank is one of the several upstart Britishbanks that have suffered scandals recently as they battleagainst the Big Five. —AFP

B u s i n e s s Monday, June 10, 2019

13

Huawei turns to Africa to offset US blacklistPARIS: As the US leads a drive for the West to shunHuawei over security fears, the Chinese tech giant hassought to strengthen its position in Africa, where it isalready well-established. Huawei has taken a leading rolein developing next-generation 5G mobile phone net-works around the world.

But it has been in turmoil since Washington chargedits equipment could serve as a Trojan horse for Chineseintelligence services. The world’s second smartphonemarker fiercely denies the allegations, but the US hasurged countries to avoid it and several companies havedistanced themselves.

They include Google, whose Android operating sys-tem runs most smartphones. And as Washington andBeijing duke it out in an escalating trade war, nationsaround the world are faced with the dilemma of havingto choose a side between the world’s two top economies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin weighed in onFriday, slamming Washington’s attempt to “unceremoni-ously push” Huawei out of the global market. Earlier inthe week, Russia’s MTS telecoms giant signed a dealwith Huawei to develop a 5G network in the country.Chinese President Xi Jinping, a guest of Putin at an eco-

nomic forum in Saint Petersburg, said China was “readyto share technological inventions with all partners, inparticular 5G technology”.

But will the escalating fight lead to African nations hav-ing to choose between China-the continent’s top tradepartner-and the US? “For African countries this trade warmay end up a binary choice. It will be very difficult forAfrica to just ignore” it, said Aly-Khan Satchu, an inde-pendent economic analyst based in Nairobi.

‘Very aggressive strategy’ Huawei, now a major factor in US-Chinese tensions,

has looked to strengthen its ties in Africa, last week sign-ing an agreement to reinforce its cooperation with theAfrican Union. “This was a way to show that Huawei isstill present in Africa and that they want to remain amajor player by positioning themselves in this veryimportant growth sector,” said Ruben Nizard, an econo-mist and Sub-Saharan Africa specialist at the Frenchfinancial services firm Coface.

The deal comes after the French newspaper LeMonde reported in 2018 that China had spied on theAU’s headquarters in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, cit-ing sources inside the organization. The report said thespying began in 2012 after the completion of the AU’snew headquarters that was financed by China, and wasonly noticed when technicians discovered data on thebuilding’s servers was being sent to Shanghai.

Both China and the AU reject the allegations. Huaweihas established itself across Africa since launching inKenya in 1998, and now operates in 40 countries, pro-viding 4G networks to more than half of the continent.

It will also showcase 5G-the next-generation mobile

phone network that will transmit data at far greaterspeeds-in Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations, whichwill be held from June 21 to July 19. “Africa is a marketHuawei had identified and which they conquered thanksto a very aggressive strategy based on cheap financingand speed of execution,” Satchu told AFP. “The fact thatHuawei has equipped the AU says it all,” he added.

‘Big Brother Beijing’ Huawei’s presence in Africa goes far beyond selling

smartphones and building mobile networks. In SouthAfrica, it provides training at the country’s top universi-ties, this year launching a specialized course on 5G.

Kenya’s government signed a 17.5-billion-shilling($172 million) deal with Huawei in April to build a datacenter and “smart city” services. The Chinese giant alsooffers a “safe city” surveillance program. This initiative,according to the firm’s website, “can prevent crimes tar-geted towards the normal citizen, tourists, students, eld-erly persons etc before they occur”.

It has been deployed in Kenya’s capital Nairobi as wellas Mauritius, with 4,000 “smart” surveillance video cam-eras set up at 2,000 sites across the Indian Ocean islandnation. Some media outlets in Mauritius have condemnedthe system as “digital dictatorship” from “Big BrotherBeijing”. But Ghanaian Security Ministry Albert Kan-Dapaah, for one, says Huawei’s video surveillance tech-nology helps catch criminals. “When a crime has beencommitted, thanks to the cameras, we work magic,” Kan-Dapaah says in a promotional video for the Chinese firm.

Huawei Marine, the company’s submarine cable arm,is helping to deploy a key 12,000-kilometre (7,450-mile)cable system connecting Africa to Asia. With Huawei so

deeply embedded in Africa, the continent may find it dif-ficult to avoid becoming a collateral victim of the US-China bust-up.

“Africa is caught in the middle of a trade war that theyshould not have to take part in, because they have noth-ing to gain,” said Nizard. —AFP

SHENZHEN: People walk past Huawei advertising atShenzhen-Bao’an international airport in Shenzhen,China’s Guangdong province. —AFP

TORI-BOSSITO, Benin: Machetes in hand and wearinga straw hat against the sun, the participants of an“agro-bootcamp” in the farmlands of the West Africannation of Benin harvest maize, cowpeas and rice. “Cutat the base,” says Oluwafemi Kochoni, an organicfarming teacher, who runs the agricultural workshop toprepare young people for a future sustainably workingthe land.

“Then leave the plants in place, we will bury them-they will decompose and fertilize the soil.” It’s begin-ner’s advice but the program in Tori-Bossito, just out-side Benin’s economic capital Cotonou, aims to teachbasic, traditional ways of agriculture to those who haveforgotten or never known a life on the land.

In Benin, a poor country next to oil giant Nigeria,some 80 percent of its 11 million people depend onagriculture, according to the UN’s Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO). Most are subsistencefarmers eking out a living growing crops on small plotswhere a lack of infrastructure and flooding that canwipe out harvests and seed stocks are key challenges,the FAO warns. But the “agro-bootcamps”-the name isborrowed from the intensive training of the US army-take place close to the suburbs of the city and areaimed at a different market. They are part of a widermovement to encourage self-sufficiency on the conti-nent, which has some two-thirds of the world’s remain-ing uncultivated arable land-but spends $64.5 billion ayear importing food, according to the AfricanDevelopment Bank.

For 27,000 CFA francs ($45, about 40 euros) aweek, agro-bootcampers learn agricultural techniques,follow marketing courses and can network with suc-cessful agro-entrepreneurs.

‘Ecologically-aware businesspeople’ Like in traditional farming, the agro-bootcamp way

of life is communal on the three-hectare (seven-acre)

plot of land put at its disposal for the week by a familyin exchange for baskets of vegetables. On the edge ofthe fields, a border hedge of moringa plants and grass-es are grown to help stabilize the soil.

There is also a fish farm in a pond, and another areato grow mushrooms. Behind the scheme is the Gardensof Hope, an organization promoting sustainable ways offarming. “The advice usually received by farmers isbased on the use of chemicals,” said participant RachidiIdrissou, an agronomy student in Benin.

“We think of quick yields-and not sustainable pro-duction to preserve our land.” Benin is a youthful coun-try; nearly two-thirds of the population is aged under25. Camp organizers want to show young people strug-gling in the crowded cities looking for a job that work-ing the land can offer an alternative and successfullivelihood. Originating from Africa and Europe, the 25participants in this third agro-bootcamp are mostlymen and of eight different nationalities but share avision of an ecological and sustainable way of farming.They sleep in tents and are kept busy from dawn untillong after dusk. “Our belief is that to solve the employ-ment problem in our countries, young people must cre-ate their businesses with awareness of ecology of theclimate,” said coordinator Tanguy Gnikobou.

‘A philosophy’ Of the 85 people who have taken part in the last two

bootcamps, 10 have already launched new agriculturalactivities, farms or enterprises, according to organizers.Social networks mean that participants and organizerscan stay in touch for support as they develop theirfarms and small businesses. Participants farm in waysfarmers did before the massive movement of people tothe cities.

“Initially, it was an alternative to conventional farm-ing, to return to ancestral methods with the respect ofthe environment,” said Kochoni. “Then it became a way

of life, and a philosophy.” More camps are planned forlater in the year in north Benin, then in Chad and IvoryCoast. Cheikh Amadou Bass, 36, a civil servant inNouakchott, capital of the desert nation of Mauritania,owns a large plot of land the size of five football pitchesin his home village. Bass dreams of showing his young

compatriots that rather than crossing the sea in searchof a new life abroad, there are opportunities on theland. “With nature, you have everything at your finger-tips,” Bass said, enthusing about how manure meanschemical fertilizers are not needed. “I have made agreat discovery,” he added. —AFP

Program in Tori-Bossito aims to teach basic, traditional ways of agriculture

W African farm ‘bootcamp’ gets green entrepreneurs into shape

The program aims to teach basic, traditional ways of agriculture to those who have forgotten or neverknown a life on the land. —AFP

Trump, AMLO toutdeal to avert tariffs on MexicoTIJUANA, Mexico: Presidents Donald Trump andAndres Manuel Lopez Obrador each declared the dealaverting US tariffs on Mexico a win Saturday, as marketsbreathed a sigh of relief-though rights groups con-demned what they called a draconian crack down onmigration.

Lopez Obrador said the bottom line on the last-minute deal reached Friday night was simple: “there willnot be an economic or financial crisis in Mexico onMonday.” Economists had warned the pain of Trump’sthreatened tariffs-set to start at five percent today andrise incrementally to 25 percent by October-andMexico’s likely retaliatory measures would have beenacute for both countries, with potentially global spillover.

Instead, the countries hammered out a deal in whichMexico agreed to bolster security on its southern bor-der and expand its policy of taking back migrants, mostof them from violence-riven Guatemala, Honduras andEl Salvador, as the United States processes their asy-lum claims.

Trump hailed it as a victory, after a week of terrifyinghis southern neighbor, whose economy depends heavilyon exports to the US. “Mexico will try very hard, and ifthey do that, this will be a very successful agreement forboth the United States and Mexico!” he tweeted earlySaturday.

Later, he added: “Everyone very excited about thenew deal with Mexico!” The relief was palpable in theMexican border city of Tijuana, where Lopez Obradorled a rally attended by several thousand people to cele-brate the deal and “the friendship of the people ofMexico and the United States.”

However, the leftist leader-who said he had just spo-ken to Trump on the phone-also warned his Americancounterpart that it was not enough for Mexico to tightenits borders, saying Washington also needed to invest ineconomic development in Central America to stem theexodus from the region. —AFP

Monday, June 10, 2019

14B u s i n e s s

Gulf Bank’s monthly salary draw to be held todayKUWAIT: Today, Gulf Bank will be holding its fifthmonthly Salary Account draw live at Q8 Pulse 88.8 FM(Diwaniyat Alyaqout and Al-Ansari show). The drawwill be approved by, and held in the presence of, a rep-resentative from the Ministry of Commerce.

Commenting on the draw, Ahmad Al-Amir, AssistantGeneral Manager forExternal Communicationsat Gulf Bank said: “Everymonth, we look forwardto strengthening our rela-tionships with our cus-tomers by making it pos-sible for them to maketheir dreams come true.Besides offering our cus-tomers a range of bene-fits, Gulf Bank’s Salaryaccount also automati-cally enrolls its cus-tomers into our monthlydraws, so all those

enrolled can have a chance to win. We are excited tosee who is going to be our fifth winner of the yeartomorrow, and can’t wait to offer them a cash prize ofup to 12 times their salary!”

The Salary account gives new customers theopportunity to receive either a KD 100 cash gift upontransferring their salaries to Gulf Bank or an interest-free loan of up to KD 10,000. Customers must have aminimum salary of KD 500 and will be eligible for theoffer following their first salary transfer to Gulf Bank.

Customers can also enjoy additional benefits like aVisa or MasterCard credit card free of charge for ayear, as well as a chance to apply for a loan of up toKD 70,000 or a consumer loan of up to KD 25,000.

The new 2019 Kuwaiti Salary Offer automaticallynew customers who transfer their salaries to Gulf Bankin the monthly and annual draws. The monthly drawsallow customers the chance to win cash prizes of up to12 times their salary, while the yearly draw gives themthe opportunity to win Kuwait’s largest salary prize ofup to 100 times their salary.

Ahmad Al-Amir

KUWAIT: Chief Investment Banking Officer at KFHCapital, Right arm of KFH Group, Abdullah Sulaiman Al-Haddad said that “The company has succeeded inenhancing its role in the sukuk field by arranging newissuances and enhancing the market and its products, thusplacing KFH Capital in a leading position, globally andregionally, and affirming KFH leading position and expert-ise in this field”.

Al-Haddad stated, in a press release, that KFH Capitalhas finalized recently the arrangement of a $1.25 billionFirst Sukuk Issue Transaction for SaudiTelecommunications Company. The sukuk issue is a 10years transaction with returns approximating 3.89 percent.The transaction comes as part of the company’s $ 5 billionSukuk Program which is governed by the Sukuk IssuanceRegulation 144 A and Reg. S system of the US SecuritiesAct. The Sukuks are listed in the Irish Stock Exchange.Subscription volume reached 3x the targeted amount, thusreflecting the world’s tremendous trust in Saudi Economyand the company’s capabilities which are rated A1 byMoody’s Rating Agency.

Concerning government sukuks, Al-Haddad said thatKFH Capital was one of the leading arrangers of the

Turkish government sukuks for $2 billion where demandon sukuks exceeded $4.9 with 5.8 percent return for athree-year term. This issue reflects the robust Turkisheconomy and appetite of Sukuk investors to acquire thiskind of sukuks. KFH Capital acted as the Main Arranger ofA 1 billion sukuk transaction for Sharjah government forseven years term, 3.854 percent returns, a rating of A3 byMoody’s and BBB+ by S&P. Subscriptions amounted 5xthe issuance amount. The sukuks were listed on the IrishStock Exchange and NASDAC Dubai Index.

Al-Haddad added that the major contribution made byKFH Group in the Premier Sukuk market including(issuance, arrangement and restructuring) has achieved thecompany a highly reputable position worldwide, placingKFH Group on top of the banks organizing the sukukissuance transactions through Bloomberg Global Platformwhere it achieved the first position regionally and thirdposition globally. Al-Hadad reiterated that these positionsexpress the company’s endeavor and success in the field ofsukuks as well as the powers of the company’s humancapabilities and expertise in arranging and issuing sukuksfor several decades, thus rendering KFH Group as one ofthe most reputable references in the field of sukuk world-

wide. Al-Haddad revealedthat, for further enhancementof KFH Group contributionto the sukuk market, KFHCapital has launched a newindex to follow up and meas-ure sukuk performance, asthe first Islamic financialinstitution that takes the ini-tiative to provide a newrevolving instrument to fol-low up and Annalise $ issuedsukuks in global markets.This contribution comes to

affirm KFH Group pioneering role in the Sukuk market andreflect the groups leading position in the premier and sec-ondary Sukuk markets. It also reflects the great trust in theSukuk product as one of the emerging financial instru-ments in the debt markets worldwide. The index aims toprovide a measurement of one of the most significantIslamic products at present.

He indicated that the company’s initiative to launch theindex in cooperation with “S&P Dow Jones Indexes” and

listing the same on the Bloomberg Global Platform reiter-ates the company’s keenness to enhance the index relatedproducts system which has attracted investors significant-ly, namely fund managers, wealth managers, banks invest-ment companies.

The availability of an accredited Sukuk index as ananalytical instrument shall participate in market promotion,performance enhancement and increased demand onSukuk product as per highly accurate and accreditedinformation. He affirmed also that the index is consideredas the first of its kind for an Islamic financial institution andrepresents a qualitative addition for the growing Sukukissuance and trading activity worldwide. The index is aprice index which depends on the movement of Sukukprices and related returns. The index components weredistributed into various credit risk categories highly ratedby global rating agencies as well as other unrated risks.The index depends on information related to High liquiditySukuks with high Issue volumes.

The index is limited to $ issued Sukuks which representthe majority of Sukuks issued by governments, companiesand global corporates including GCC countries, Turkeyand certain Asian markets.

KFH Group achieves leading position in arranging sukuk issuances globally

KFH Capital arranges first $1.25bn sukuk for STC, launches $ Sukuks Index

Abdullah Al-Haddad

Flydubai arrives at Sochi, Russia’s RivieraDUBAI: Dubai-based flydubai has inaugurated its newservice from Dubai to Sochi. Flydubai flight FZ985 arrivedat Sochi International Airport (AER) on 07 June and wasmet with a traditional water cannon salute and a welcomeceremony. The event was attended by Alexander Katorgin,flydubai General Manager for Russia, and Sergey Filippov,Executive Director for Sochi International Airport.

Flydubai has been operating to Russia since 2010 andoffers passengers from across its network more optionsfor travel to Moscow and other major Russian citiesincluding Yekaterinburg. In 2018, flydubai accounted for43 percent of the increase in passengers travellingbetween Dubai and Russia. flydubai becomes the firstGCC-based carrier to launch direct flights between Dubaiand Sochi. With the new route, flydubai now serves ninedestinations in Russia and in total 21 destinations in Russia,Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Commenting on the occasion, Jeyhun Efendi, SeniorVice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerceat flydubai, said: “Russia is an important market for us andflydubai becomes the first GCC-based airline to offerdirect flights between Dubai and Sochi. Our flights toSochi, along with the start of flights to Naples in Italywhich began on 31 May, are further examples of how wecontinue to open up previously underserved markets. Ourservice and the convenience of direct flights, together withthe recent changes in visa requirements which are recipro-cal for Russians and UAE Nationals, will make Sochi apopular year-round destination and also enable easieraccess for travellers to Dubai.”

Flydubai provides the option for Business Class travelon all its routes in Russia. Business Class passengers enjoy

a comfortable spacious seat, a choice of meals from aninternationally-inspired menu, a generous checked bag-gage allowance and fast track through immigration andsecurity. The flydubai Business Class experience also pro-vides complimentary access to Inflight Entertainment (IFE)with over 1,000 hours of entertainment and more than 150films available in Russian on HD touchscreens. Passengersin Economy are provided with comfortable RECARO seatsand can purchase extra-legroom seats, InflightEntertainment and light snacks on board or preorder hotmeals prior to their flight.

Emirates will codeshare on this route and for bookingsunder the codeshare Emirates passengers will receivecomplimentary meals and the Emirates checked baggageallowance on flights operated by flydubai in Business andEconomy classes. The partnership between flydubai andEmirates was announced in 2017 and has expanded tomeet increasing demand as passengers realize the benefits,

such as access to an expanded global network, the con-venience of travelling on a single ticket with seamless pointto point baggage handling, the alignment of the frequentflyer program and a smooth transfer during transit inDubai.

Sochi is one of the major tourism hubs in Russia locatedon the Black Sea, popular for its beaches, forests andmountains. It is well known for hosting the 2014 WinterOlympics and being home to some of the best facilities forwinter sports.

Earlier this year, authorities from the UAE and theRussian Federation announced a visa-free regime betweenthe countries for the respective passport holders for thefirst 90 days upon arrival. Flydubai operates flights to over90 destinations in 47 countries, including popular routesamong Russian travellers, such as Dubai (UAE),Kathmandu (Nepal) and Zanzibar (Tanzania).

Al-Tijari announces winners of Al-Najma weekly account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank conducted the weeklydraws on Al-Najma Account and the draw on the “Salaryand Cash on Top” campaign. The draws were conductedin the presence of Ministry of Commerce and Industryrepresentative Latifa Al-Jean.

The results of the draw were as follows:1 Al-Najma weekly account - the prize of KD 5,000

and was for the share of Madassar Abbas Ghlam Hussain.2 The “Salary & Cash on Top campaign” prize of KD

1,000 and was for the share of Shouq Hajji Al-Azmi.The bank stated that the account prizes this year is

featured by the highest cash prize and diversity of prizesthroughout the year clarifying that Al-Najma Account willoffer weekly prize of KD 5,000, monthly prize of KD20,000 and a semi-annual prize of KD 500,000 in addi-tion to the largest prize - linked bank account payout ofKD 1,500,000. Al-Najma Account can be opened bydepositing KD 100, and customer should maintain a mini-mum amount of KD 500 to be eligible to enter all drawson Al-Najma Account prizes. As for the chances of win-ning, the more balance a customer maintains in Al-NajmaAccount, the more chances the account holder will get towin, where each KD 25 will give the customer one chanceto win, the account also offers additional benefits like theATM card, a credit card against customer’s account andall CBK banking services that customer can enjoy.

As regarding “Salary & Cash on Top” campaign desig-nated for Kuwaiti and expatriate employees as well as theretirees and which is valid until 31 December 2019 and themechanism of joining this campaign for availing its bene-fits, the Bank explained that Kuwaiti employees with asalary of KD 500 and above whether newly recruited orin service can transfer their salary to the Bank and availthe benefits of this campaign by getting instant cash giftof KD 250 or an interest free loan 5 times the salary up toKD 10,000, add to this they will automatically enter theweekly draw on KD 1,000. As for the expatriate cus-tomers categorized under Premier Banking Account witha salary KD of 1,700 and above, they will get instant cashgift. The retirees with pension KD 1,000 and above willalso get an instant cash gift of KD 150 when transferringtheir pension to the Bank and automatically enter theweekly draw on a prize of KD 1,000 and avail the benefitsof this campaign designated for Kuwaiti and expatriateemployees working in private and public sector as well asthe retirees. Further, the campaign provides customerswith the opportunity to get additional benefits and takeadvantage of the advanced and unrivalled services andproducts the bank provides to its customers to meet theirneeds and expectations.

Kaico, the first dealers in GCC to welcome all-new Peugeot 508KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Company, KaicoAl Shaya & Al Sagar, the authorized distributers ofPeugeot cars in Kuwait celebrates its longtime partner-ship of 50 years by being the firsts among GCC coun-tries to welcome the brand new Peugeot 508.

The arrival of the new Peugeot 508, which offers top-end technological features for an intense driving experi-ence, showcases invention in a new dimension. The radi-cal sedan with a bold look makes no compromises ondesign. With its dynamic shape, aggressive front andmuscular style, you can count on the new 508 to turnheads wherever you go.

The new Peugeot 508 premium radical sedan heraldsa new era of sportiness and elegance. Its sculpted lines,finely detailed grill and new light signature emphasize itssleek, bold and innovative spirit. With that being said,you most certainly don’t need to worry about compro-mising style with efficiency, specifically with the newPEUGEOT 508 PureTech 1.6L Turbo engine. ThePureTech 3-cylinder turbocharged engine reduces fuelconsumption and emissions of CO2 by up to 21 percentcompared to the 4 cylinder engine of the same power.

We cannot mention efficiency without mentioninghigh technology, especially when talking about the latestPeugeot models, so sit back and relax as the new 508boasts the latest safety features and driving aids.Moreover, feeling inspired while driving is what youshould feel every time you start your engine, with pre-cise driving, stimulating steering and exemplary roadholding reinforced by controlled suspension, the newPEUGEOT 508 premium radical sedan enhances yourdriving pleasure and freedom of movement.

KAICO presents its dedication and commitment totheir partnership with Peugeot by continuously thrivingto be the first to showcase the latest Peugeot cars. Toelaborate on the successful partnership with Peugeot, thegeneral manager of KAICO, Ashish Tandon stated, “Weare and always will be honored to have had the opportu-nity to partner with Peugeot, considering the vision ofKAICO is providing our customers delightful and excit-ing products, and PEUGEOT has done just that for us.”

Furthermore, Sr. Divisional Manager - vehicles,Nader Salmeh articulated on the matter and has stated,“From the moment we have partnered with Peugeot tohitting the 50 year mark, it has always been an excitingjourney to continuously receive and showcase the mostreliable and technology driven vehicles out there in themarket. And the all new Peugeot 508 is the perfect defi-nition of that”.

Burgan Bankannounces winners of Yawmi account drawKUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the namesof the daily draw winners of its Yawmi account draw, eachtaking home a cash-prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners are: ● Jassim Mohammed Jassim Alghareeb● Saud Mohammed Saud AlhumaidanIn addition to the daily draw, Burgan Bank also offers a

Quarterly Draw with more chances to win higher rewards,offering the chance to one lucky customer to win KD125,000 every three months. The Yawmi Account offersdaily and quarterly draws, wherein the quarterly drawrequires customers to maintain a minimum amount of KD500 in their account for two months prior to the drawdate. Additionally, every KD 10 in the account will entitlecustomers to one chance of winning. If the account bal-ance is KD 500 and above, the account holder will bequalified for both the quarterly and daily draws.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmiaccount and/or increase their deposit to maximize theirchances of becoming a winner. The higher the level of thedeposit, the higher the likelihood to win.

SOCHI: The flydubai aircraft is greeted with water cannons on arrival at Sochi Airport

W h a t ’ s O n

15Established 1961

Monday, June 10, 2019

The Aqua Park Water Games City recently organized a special program for the Eid holidays which attracted both citizens and expatriates who spent a joyful time playing water games and taking part in the enter-tainment shows presented by Mustafa Al-Najjar. In this regard, Aqua Park board member and general manager, Mohammed Abdul Redha Khorsheed stressed that the program included new games, cartoon figuresand musical bands.

Luna Restaurantat SymphonyStyle adds newspecials to menu

Luna, the award-winning restaurant ofSymphony Style Kuwait, A RadissonCollection Hotel is pleased to invite

you for a new and exceptional dining experi-ence to sample and enjoy its spiced up andnew freshly introduced dishes. The distinc-tive menu of Luna, which delivers the aro-matic authentic Tuscany delicacies, nowincludes even more variety that you will cer-tainly love and enjoy. The Executive chef ofthe hotel, Jonathan Spiteri is introducing,starting this March new irresistible optionsto the existing menu that you can now savorover lunch or dinner.

The new additions involve meals of richflavors such as the freshly grilled Lobsterthermidor, served intriguingly out of a livedisplay of lobster. You can also indulge inthe elegantly crafted Duck Confit and itsauthentic Gnocchi and duck jus. Once youhave fully indulged in a remarkable meal, youcan enjoy the vibrant taste of tiramisu with

espresso ice cream or a duet of cheese plat-ter served with honey.’

Luna Restaurant has been synonymouslyknown for offering a dining experience like noother and as the destination for all discerningtaste-buds who are in love with authenticTuscany flavors and cuisine. Furthermore, thesublime Italian restaurant offers a diversifiedrange of Tuscan dishes, from pasta and risottoto sea bass and steak. The exceptional chefsat Luna restaurant constantly take care of thedetails of food using the freshest Italianingredients and innovate new ideas toimprove the restaurant’s dining journey.

Acommunity of crafters in Kuwait yesterday cametogether to celebrate Worldwide Knit in PublicDay. Aimed at promoting the art and craft of

knitting, WWKIPD was started in 2005 by DanielleLandes and takes place on the second Saturday of Juneeach year. It is the largest globally-celebrated knitterrun event in the world. This year, knitting groups in 33countries including the US, New Zealand, Cyprus,Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Germany, India, Brazil, Mexicoand Greece as well as Kuwait and others participated.In Kuwait, more than two dozen crafters including citi-zens and expats from various nationalities cametogether in Salmiya to knit, crochet, weave, embroiderand otherwise celebrate the enjoyment and benefits oftextile arts. The annual meet-up was organized byKuwait Crafters and Kuwait Knitters.

Kuwait celebrates Worldwide Knit in Public Day

H e a l t h Monday, June 10, 2019

16

SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO: On a moonlit night offItaly’s coast, fishermen are hauling in the usual catch: cuttle-fish, red mullet and plastic waste. But this time, they won’tthrow the rubbish back. The trash instead is being collected,analyzed and, where possible, recycled in an initially month-long experiment to try to provide a blueprint for cleaningup the sea. “A lot of the fishermen used to throw the rubbishback into the sea, because the law says they can’t bring it toland,” said Eleonora de Sabata, coordinator for Clean SeaLife, which runs the project. “They’re not authorized to car-ry waste, in ports there’s nowhere to put this kind of wasteand it’s not clear who should dispose of it.” That dilemmawill hopefully not be an issue for the around 40 fishingboats sailing off the Adriatic resort of San Benedetto delTronto who are taking part in the initiative.

Since it started, the fishermen have collected around aton of waste a week for a month, of which 60 percent isplastic. Each day, volunteers catalogue and sort the smellycatch on the quayside. Some is recycled, some is disposedof along with household or industrial waste, but none goesback in the sea. The project had been due to wrap up onJune 7, the day before World Oceans Day, but has nowbeen extended through the summer months. Organizershope it will offer waste management solutions that can bescaled up for the rest of Italy and beyond.

Plastic jumble Much of the rubbish is single-use, such as bottles,

plates and cutlery, but also includes old nets from fishingor mussel farming and assorted random plastic objects,from medical products to fax machine parts. FishermanClaudio Uriani, 62, sorts the catch into different buckets,ready to be sold at market. The most voluminous species isthe plastic, though. “Let’s say we didn’t always collect it.There didn’t used to be anyone on land to take the plastic,”said Uriani, who’s been fishing since 1972.”If the fish eatplastic, they get sick, and so we also can get sick.” TheMediterranean Sea faces the additional problem of being avirtually closed body of water surrounded by dense humanpopulations. A study by the peer-reviewed Public Libraryof Science (PLOS) published in 2015 estimated that theMediterranean contains 1,000-3,000 tons of floating plas-tic, with an unknown quantity on the seabed.

The Nile river delivers at least 1,500 tons of plastic intothe Med annually, according to the PLOS study. Spermwhales wash up regularly on Italian beaches, their stom-achs full of plastic. “The rubbish that ends up in the sea allcomes from people, from lakes and rivers, it’s essential toeducate people that what they put in the water ends up inthe sea,” said harbor master Mauro Colarossi.

‘Political decision’ In March European lawmakers approved a new law

banning single-use plastic products in the EU from 2021.A draft bill is also before the Italian parliament on thehandling of existing waste. Under current laws, if fisher-

men opt to retrieve and dispose of the rubbish they pull inwith their catch they could face prosecution for illegallytransporting it.

“If fishermen provide a service to the community bybringing this waste to land, it shouldn’t be them who haveto pay,” said Colarossi. It’s estimated that 80 percent ofwaste in the sea comes from land and 20 percent fromboats and the fishing industry. “The value of this experi-ment is to find out what’s on the seabed, understand howmuch is recyclable and how to manage this waste,” said DeSabata. “All this information will help decision-makers totake a political decision and so continue.” So far up to aquarter of all the waste retrieved was recyclable, depend-ing on whether the polymers in the plastic were still in goodenough condition after being in salt water, De Sabata said.

The pollution problem is not just about preventingplastics entering the food chain. If a tin of paint is broughtup in the nets from 100 meters below, the whole catch istainted and must be thrown away. Likewise, fishermen tellof getting so much plastic in their nets that it stops thembeing able to catch fish. “The problem is in the sea but thesolution is and should be on land. There needs to be apolitical solution, we need to go from alarm to action,” saidDe Sabata. As the ship returns to port after a night oftrawling, the fish and the waste are unloaded onto thequayside. “If we did this for a year instead of a month, thesea would be clean,” said captain Stefano Voltattorni,heaving yet another crate onto the dock. — AFP

Fishermen helping to overhaul trashy plastic habits off Italy

In this photograph taken on May 23, 2019, a bucket ofplastic waste recovered from fishing nets sits beside atray of fish onboard a fishing boat off the coast of SanBenedetto del Tronto. — AFP

Monday, June 10, 2019

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CROSSWORD 2227

ACROSS1. Greenish-yellow pear.5. A contagious skin infection caused bythe itch mite.12. Inquire about.15. A particular geographical region ofindefinite boundary (usually serving somespecial purpose or distinguished by itspeople or culture or geography).16. Fortification consisting of a low wall.17. The syllable naming the fifth (domi-nant) note of any musical scale in solmiza-tion.18. The 11th letter of the Greek alphabet.19. A state of high honor.20. Fiddler crabs.21. English essayist (1775-1834).22. Having been read.23. Occurring or payable every year.25. The compass point that is one pointeast (clockwise) of due north.27. The basic unit of money in Bulgaria.29. (Greek mythology) Goddess of theearth and mother of Cronus and the Titansin ancient mythology.30. A shop where a variety of goods aresold.33. An Indian side dish of yogurt andchopped cucumbers and spices.36. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.37. Not in good physical or mental health.39. One of the most common of the fivemajor classes of immunoglobulins.43. The battle in 202 BC in which Scipiodecisively defeated Hannibal at the end ofthe second Punic War.45. A domed or vaulted recess or projec-tion on a building especially the east endof a church.48. A line spoken by an actor to the audi-ence but not intended for others on thestage.51. Relating to the deepest parts of theocean (below 6000 meters).52. Steal goods.53. A Roman Catholic priest who acts foranother higher-ranking clergyman.55. The lower house of the parliament ofthe Republic of Ireland.56. Late time of life.58. An official prosecutor for a judicial dis-trict.59. Look at with amorous intentions.60. (criminal law) A pleading describingsome wrong or offense.63. Absence of the sense of smell (as bydamage to olfactory nasal tissue or theolfactory nerve or by obstruction of thenasal passages).66. A small parachute or articulated flap toreduce the speed of an aircraft.68. A small ball with a hole through themiddle.71. (Hawaiian) A small guitar having fourstrings.72. A constellation in the southern hemi-sphere near Telescopium and Norma.75. (usually followed by `to' or `for') On thepoint of or strongly disposed.76. Reproduce someone's behavior orlooks.78. A master's degree in business.79. A unit of surface area equal to 100

square meters.80. Someone making a search or inquiry.81. The network in the reticular formationthat serves an alerting or arousal function.

DOWN1. A large bundle bound for storage ortransport.2. Using speech rather than writing.3. (prefix) Half or partial.4. A small tent used as a dressing roombeside the sea or a swimming pool.5. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meattrimmed off.6. A white metallic element that burns witha brilliant light.7. Wild sheep of semidesert regions in cen-tral Asia.8. (Norse mythology) God of light andpeace and noted for his beauty and sweetnature.9. A corporation's first offer to sell stock tothe public.10. Suggestive of the supernatural.11. An infection of the sebaceous gland ofthe eyelid.12. Earlier a god.13. A plain plinth that supports a wall.14. African mahogany trees.24. Title for a civil or military leader (espe-cially in Turkey).26. A soft silvery metallic element of thealkali earth group.28. A member of the mercantile and pro-fessional Hindu caste.31. Lower in esteem.32. Any of various cycads of the genusZamia.34. One of the five major classes ofimmunoglobulins.35. A hard gray lustrous metallic elementthat is highly corrosion-resistant.38. Gull family.40. A member of an agricultural people ofsouthern India.41. Take in a sail with a brail.42. An industrial city in northern Francenear the Belgian border.44. The word class that qualifies verbs orclauses.46. Wood of a pecan tree.47. A soft-finned fish of the family Gadidae.49. Submerged marine plant with verylong narrow leaves found in abundancealong North Atlantic coasts.50. Broadcasting visual images of station-ary or moving objects.54. Having a dusty purplish pink color.57. A special loved one.61. A foot traveler.62. A sharp narrow ridge found in ruggedmountains.64. A religious belief of African origininvolving witchcraft and sorcery.65. A person who makes things.67. God of love and erotic desire.69. A small cake leavened with yeast.70. South African term for `boss'.73. Considerate and solicitous care.74. The rate at which heat is produced byan individual in a resting state.77. An ancient city of Sumer located on aformer channel of the Euphrates River.

Yesterday’s SolutionDaily SuDoku

Wordsearch Puzzle Yesterday’s Solution

Monday, June 10, 2019

18S t a r s

Established 1961

Yesterday’s Solution

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

There is a battle going on inside of you right now—the part of you that wants to spendall your time with other people is battling for control with the part of you that just wantsto be left to your own thoughts for a while. If you can get out of major social obligations,let your solitude-seeking side win out just for today. You have to spend some time assess-ing the good things in your life, and the bad things in your life, in order to determinewhat is holding you back.

It's a great day for making predictions—your insight is strong and your ability to sensewhat is about to happen is even stronger. People should rely on you for news on what iscoming up next in the worlds of fashion, music, television, comedy, and books—basical-ly, you can forecast anything but the weather. Your connection with the arts is especiallystrong right now, in part because your creativity is looking for a new outlet. Seek onetoday, and you will find it.

Life is going to take you for a ride today—but it'll be a gentle, relaxing trip. The newknowledge that familiarity brings is pretty interesting, and you'll get a big dose of ittoday. It seems that getting up close and personal with someone you idolize will remindyou that everyone is human and flawed. Let go of big responsibilities for a few hours—let the universe drive, while you sit in the passenger seat and enjoy the view.

This latest project of yours is closer to completion than you might think. If you take timeto clean up your work area, organize what you've done so far, or complete the detailedinfrastructure, you will quickly see that any doubts you had about meeting this deadlinecan get tossed right out the window. You are finally starting to realize how capable youreally are! Now that there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, you can expect yourmood to brighten.

In whatever you do today, try to make sure that your ideas are voiced—even if you raiseyour hand just to make a brief statement. It's important that you are heard. You are dis-secting the world around you very effectively now—the questions you have been askingare the right ones, and you are definitely headed in the right direction. Keep going andtake advantage of the solid momentum you have built.

Today you won't be able to get away with hiding behind someone else or escaping for somealone time. Even if you're dying for some peace and quiet, the day's activities will force youto become involved with something new. You can't easily ignore what is starting to developbetween you and someone else, but you can put off dealing with it. When it comes to apotential new flirtation, procrastination is the perfect tactic—at least for now.

Today you need to determine what is the most important thing in your life—or else youmay make the mistake of putting the cart before the horse. Think about what needs tohappen in order to enable other things to happen, and make that your top priority today.That means if you have to rest or take care of yourself (instead of hitting the town), thenso be it. What seems like fun today may cause you some trouble tomorrow, so keep thatin mind when your phone starts ringing off the hook.

Someone from your past is back on the scene and is acting on old assumptions about whoyou are. Today you'll have to take a chance to move beyond your past actions (good or bad)and show him or her the new person you have become. This will be a subtle yet significantturning point in your relationship—this person's reaction will determine whether or notthe future will find you closer together or further apart. It looks like you are not the onlyone who has changed.

The dark days of the past are not going to come back to haunt you, so why are youafraid to start down a new path? There is a fresh idea coming into your life, and it willbe burning brightly, illuminating the way forward—and showing you that you havenothing to fear. This is a time to trust other people because they honestly do want thebest for you. Your instincts have never let you down before, and they certainly aren'tgoing to today.

Goofy games and practical jokes are no longer as appealing as they once were—you arestarting to realize that serious ideas can provide a great deal of reward. Utilize your intel-lect a lot more today, and leave your fabulous sense of humor on the sidelines for now.People need to hear what you really think about the tough issues, and you need to haveyour position nailed down. Who knows? Your passion could inspire other people tochange their minds.

All your forward momentum is starting to wane a bit, which is both a positive and a neg-ative thing. On the one hand, this time out will finally give you a chance to take in theinteresting view you've been missing out on for so long. But on the other hand, this pausemeans that you are going to have wait even longer for the changes you've been hopingfor. Conserve your energy and be more patient. Be confident that you will experiencewhat you deserve soon enough.

Expect a great day full of accomplishments! Some of the puzzles you have been work-ing on are finally coming together, and the picture the pieces are forming is lookingpretty sweet! But before you start making any big pronouncements, try to keep thisamazing progress under your hat. You will have plenty of time to bask in the spotlightlater. But first, you need to wait until everything is done and polished up. Hold off for abig payoff!

Pop icon Madonna said she felt “raped” by an in-depthprofile of her in The New York Times, calling thenewspaper “one of the founding fathers of the patri-

archy.” The New York Times article entitled “Madonna atSixty” focused too much on her age, Madonna said, arguingit would not have done so were she a man. “The journalistwho wrote this article spent days and hours and monthswith me and was invited into a world which many peopledon’t get to see, but chose to focus on trivial and superficialmatters such as the ethnicity of my stand in or the fabric ofmy curtains and never ending comments about my agewhich would never have been mentioned had I been a

MAN!” Madonna said on her Instagram account.“Im sorry i spent 5 minutes with her,” the singer and

dancer wrote about the author of the article, journalistVanessa Grigoriadis. “It makes me feel raped. And yes I’mallowed to use that analogy having been raped at the age of19.” In the article, Madonna had told Grigoriadis that shehad “felt raped” when her 2015 album “Rebel Heart” wasleaked early. The author said in the piece that “it didn’t feelright to explain that women these days were trying not touse that word metaphorically.”

The singer said the profile was “further proof that thevenerable N.Y.T. Is one of the founding fathers of thePatriarchy. And I say-DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHYwoven deep into the fabric of Society. I will never stopfighting to eradicate it.” The Times article describedMadonna in her 1980s heyday as using “her iron will toforge a particular type of highly autobiographical, uber-empowered, hypersexualized female pop star who becamethe dominant model of femininity across the nation.”

But it characterized her current incarnation as that ofa “sexagenarian claiming her space among artists twogenerations younger” and said the audience she per-

formed for at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegasappeared more enthused about the South Korean K-popboy band BTS. — AFP

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Established 1961

Lifestyle

A participant of the Wave-Gothic-Festival poses for a photo at the Victorian picnic on June 7, 2019 in Leipzig, eastern Germany. The yearly music and culture festival of the black gothic scene, that traditionally takes place over thePentecost holidays, will run from June 7 to 10, 2019. — AFP

Chechen women go placeswith female-only taxi service

Checking her blind spot, FatimaDzhambulatova changes lanes on abusy avenue in Chechnya’s capital

Grozny. In this Muslim republic of Russia,she is spearheading a women-only taxi serv-ice. At the wheel of a white sedan bearing thebright purple logo “Mekhkari”, the name ofthe service launched this spring, the 49-year-old taxi driver explains the appeal of womendrivers in the conservative region. Someclients have husbands who won’t allow theminto a car with another man, she says, whilesome believe women are safer drivers, andothers simply prefer riding with a member ofthe same sex.

In the sparse office of Mekhkari, whichmeans “girls” in Chechen, founder MadinaTsakaeva said she got the idea after realiz-ing she preferred to ride with female driv-ers, who were hard to find. “It was veryrare for our city,” she said. “So we did asurvey on social media about what peoplethought of the idea of a women-only taxi.”The project eventually got financial back-ing, the amount of which has not been madepublic, from the Emirates-based ZayedFund for Entrepreneurship and Innovation,which opened a Grozny chapter in 2017.So far, Mekhkari has five drivers and a fleetof five cars.

Into the driving seat Libkan Bazayeva, coordinator of Grozny-

based women’s rights organization WomenFor Development, said that the idea for awomen-only taxi service in Chechnya hadbeen a long time coming. “In the Soviet era,you could count the number of women whodrove on one hand, the whole republic knewthem and their entire life story,” she said.

That started to change about a decadeago. In 2008, Women For Developmentorganized free driving courses for about 100women, half of whom began driving inGrozny. Traffic policemen in the city of270,000 were shocked, Bazayeva said, butthe campaign proved “infectious” andwomen behind the wheel are now common.

‘Feel safer’ The Zayed fund stressed the value for

conservative Muslims of the female-only taxicompany, which only takes bookings forwomen passengers or women travelling withchildren. The service “will be very convenientfrom the point of view of religious norms andtraditions,” the fund said on its Instagramaccount in late March, when it made thedecision to approve the funding. After theend of two separatist wars with the Russiangovernment, Chechnya has in recent years

seen a resurgence of Islam, encouraged byits leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has gov-erned the North Caucasus region with aniron fist since 2007.

But it’s not only conservative Islamic tra-ditions that compel women in Grozny to usethe service: passengers say that they alsoappreciate what they describe as a lessaggressive style of driving. “Men drive moreerratically, women are more careful. I feelsafer with a woman,” 29-year-old KhedaYusaeva said, from the back seat ofDzhambulatova’s taxi. Another reasonwomen might prefer the service is to avoidconflict with their husbands over riding witha male stranger, Bazayeva said, adding thatshe knew of cases where a man had beatenhis wife simply for having a taxi driver’sphone number saved in her address book.

‘Huge step forward’ “The appearance of women drivers in the

sphere of this male-dominated profession isa huge step forward, a big accomplishment ina male world,” Bazayeva said. She also saidthat she believed the initiative was “symbol-ic” of women’s participation in the country’seconomic life, in a society where their rightsare limited. Tsakaeva now has plans to add 15more cars and is even considering expanding

to offer deliveries and other services tohomes of women who cannot leave thehouse. When Mekhkari first sought to recruitfemale drivers, there was no shortage ofexperienced applicants, Tsakaeva said.

Dzhambulatova said that most of the menshe had come across on the job had been

positive, complimenting the car, gesturingwith a thumbs-up and asking for the taxi’snumber-for their wives. “This is a desirablejob for me, and I’m very interested in chat-ting with my clients, I get some very interest-ing women,” the driver said, before adding: “Ilike being behind the wheel.” —AFP

A view of the Heart of Chechnya mosque is reflected on a metal panel with the silhouette of awoman wearing a scarf in central Grozny. — AFP

In this file photo Madonna poses in the press room atthe 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City MusicHall in New York City. — AFP photos

In this file photo French Designer Jean-Paul Gaultierand Madonna arrive for the 2018 Met Gala, at theMetropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Madonna says shefeels ‘raped’ by NewYork Times profile

In the early days of Russia’s internet, hip-pies founded the first telecoms venturewith Americans, an astrophysicist ran the

country’s most visited website and providerspunished hackers by kneecapping them withbaseball bats. The heady time, which coincid-ed with the 1991 break up of the SovietUnion, is the subject of a new documentarythat looks back at a very different era as theKremlin clamps down on internet freedom inpresent-day Russia.

Setting the tone, footage from 1990shows American Joel Shatz and his Sovietpartner Joseph Goldin-the duo behind thefirst Soviet-American telecoms venture-dri-ving a ballistic missile transporter carryingclowns to Red Square after convincing thetraffic police that the performance had beenapproved “by the highest authorities”. AndreiLoshak, a former television reporter, tracksthe main personalities behind the Russia-based internet, known as Runet, for the doc-umentary “Holy War. The history of Runet,”to be screened Sunday at Moscow’s BeatFilm Festival.

His travels take him back and forth acrossthe Atlantic to film the current lives of earlyinternet savants, website editors and trolls,who are now Silicon Valley entrepreneurs,cannabis investors and pro-Kremlin politi-cians. Although Russia now dominates head-lines with ever-tougher legislation restrictinginternet use, in the 1990s “the internet devel-oped completely freely,” Loshak says.

Russia has benefited enormously: internetaccess is cheap and home-grown platformsare more popular than US-based corpora-tions like Google and Facebook. “The inter-net was the place where everything devel-oped as it can develop when the governmentdoes not intervene,” he says. In one clip,Russian President Vladimir Putin is shownmeeting internet entrepreneurs in 1999 andtelling them that the Internet is a “promisinginitiative” that he would not touch.

“And in fact, he did not touch the internetfor 15 years,” Loshak says, adding: “Thanksfor that, curiously.” However, a raft of newlaws clamping down on internet use werepassed following mass anti-government

demonstrations in 2011-12 and Moscow’s riftwith the West after its annexation of Crimeain 2014.

‘Insane laws’ New restrictions of online content are

proposed weekly, while internet companiesare now required to store personal data inRussia and comply with security services.Many websites and services deemed danger-ous for law and order are blocked, from pro-fessional social network LinkedIn to theTelegram messaging app-though the blocksare easily circumvented for the moment.

In March, Putin signed laws making it acrime to publish “fake news” or show “disre-spect towards authorities” on social media. InMay he signed a law on “digital sovereignty”that will provide the Kremlin with the abilityto cut off Russia, or a particular Russianregion, from the global internet.

Russia now slaps fines on users bad-mouthing Putin online. Current Time, theproducers of the documentary, say it is par-ticularly pertinent for younger audiences

who did not witness the early days of theinternet in Russia first-hand. “It remindsthem that information is not supposed to becensored or weaponised. It’s supposed to befree,” they said in a statement to AFP. The“insane laws” will continue, since the govern-ment views the internet as a threat, Loshaksays. “It’s a battle, and it’s not very clear whowill come out on top.”

The restrictions have already taken a toll.“There are fewer large internet media outletsin Russia now, they have lost their influence,”Loshak says. “And new companies stoppedappearing. There have been practically noIPOs” since the Russian internet leader Yandexwent public in 2011. But Loshak believes it’stoo late for Russia to impose a rigid Chinese-style system of censorship because the inter-net was born in an atmosphere of freedom andthat cannot be easily undone. “In China, theydidn’t have the 90s like in Russia, when every-thing was swept away and we had real free-dom,” he says.—AFP

Monday, June 10, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 20

From hippies to hackers: New film tracks saga of Russia’s internet

Russian journalist, documentary filmmaker AndreiLoshak speaks during an interview with AFP inMoscow.—AFP

Ismail Kadare draws the curtain to bring ashaft of light into the Tirana apartmentwhere he wrote furiously during the dark

days of communism-a space visitors can nowexplore first-hand after his former home wasturned into a museum. “I worked here, nextto the fireplace,” the renowned 83-year-oldAlbanian novelist told AFP, sitting in the spotwhere he used to write his drafts by hand. “Iwrote on my lap” and “I only worked in themorning,” added Kadare, who penned someof his most famous works, including the “ThePalace of Dreams”, while living in the third-floor apartment of the concrete building withhis family, from 1973 to 1990.

During that time, the windows were cov-ered with heavy drapes to shield their homefrom the paranoid eye of the communistregime led by former dictator Enver Hoxha,who painfully isolated Albania during his 40-year-reign. The museum, called ‘KadareHouse Studio’, opened in May. With woodenfloors and pale green and white walls, thespace is sprinkled with personal mementoes:a set of pipes laid out on a table, a type-writer, a shelf full of books and an ID cardlisting a young Kadare as a “reserve officer”.

There is also a photo of Italian actorMarcello Mastroianni in the film adaptation

Kadare’s first novel to win internationalacclaim, “The General of the Dead Army”.The slice-of-life setting honours the author’swishes that the place be a museum and not a“mausoleum”. With his wife Elena, also awriter, Kadare now splits his time betweenTirana and the Latin Quarter in Paris, wherehe went into exile in 1990 shortly beforeAlbania’s communist regime collapsed.

Cubist crime The intense repression of Hoxha’s regime

is captured by the fate of the architect of theapartment, Maks Velo, who was sentenced toeight years in prison for the building’s cubistdesign-considered a deviation from socialistaesthetics. However, Kadare says he did notlet the dictatorship crush his own creativity.His novels, essays and poems rejected thebrand of socialist realism dictated by author-ities and instead used allegory, history andmyth to expose life under totalitarianism.“Dark times bring unpleasant but beautifulsurprises,” Kadare, speaking slowly, told AFP.

“Literature has often produced magnifi-cent works in the dark ages as if it wereseeking to remedy the misfortune inflicted onpeople.” While some poets and creativeswere imprisoned-or even killed-by the

regime, Kadare was spared. In her memoirs,Hoxha’s widow Nexhmije said the Albanianleader, who prided himself on a fondness forliterature, saved the internationally-acclaimed author several times.

Archives from the Hoxha era show thatKadare was often close to being arrested,and his poem “Red Pashas”, published in1975, saw him temporarily banished to aremote village. Kadare, for his part, deniesany special relationship with the dictator.“My work obeyed only the laws of literature,it obeyed no other law,” he insists. The writereventually fled to Paris to seek asylum a fewmonths before the regime toppled in the ear-ly 1990s.

That departure was “an act of healing”and a form of protest, says Kadare, who atthe time left several manuscripts in the Tiranaapartment that were seized by authorities butlater recovered from a police cellar.

‘Against modesty’ Kadare’s writing has been translated into

more than 40 languages, making him theBalkans’ best-known modern novelist andwinner of numerous awards. He won theinaugural Man Booker International Prize in2004 and has been nominated several times

for a Nobel. Although the topic “embarrass-es” him, Kadare said he enjoys seeing hisname “mentioned among the candidates” forthe Nobel. “I am not modest because, in prin-ciple, I am against modesty,” he said. “Duringthe totalitarian regime, modesty was a call tosubmission. Writers don’t have to bow their

heads.” As for whether he was happy duringthe days spent scribbling in Tirana undercommunism’s grip, Kadare finds the questionirrelevant. “The people who lived throughthis period were unhappy, but art is above allthat. Art is neither unhappy nor happy undera regime.”—AFP

Renowned Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare visits his apartment in Tirana.—AFP

In Jamaica, the spirit of Bob Marley is inescapable:it permeates the Caribbean island nation, even itsfootball pitches-a sign of the reggae legend’s pas-

sion for the sport. After Marley’s death, his childrenpicked up the torch-and the country’s women’s team,who have qualified for their first-ever World Cup thissummer in France, owe a lot to the musician’s daugh-ter Cedella. “Two things he loved were music andsoccer,” says Allan “Skill” Cole, a one-time local foot-ball star who befriended the music icon in the 1960s.Cole told AFP that Marley was a football “fanatic”,and liked to organize pick-up matches with his band-mates between concerts.

Cole, who is now a 68-year-old with fine graydreadlocks, was a teenager at the time. “He wanted todo everything that we did. We trained together, weran in the morning... The only thing he didn’t like wasgoing to the gym,” Cole said at a hotel in theJamaican capital Kingston. Just a few minutes away,at the Bob Marley Museum, among the portraits ofthe musician that line the walls is a photo of him on afootball pitch, chest squared and socks high, 1970sstyle. “If I were to play him on a team, I would puthim on defense-he was fearless, he loved to tackle,”said Cole, who eventually became Marley’s tour man-ager and even was credited with co-writing somesongs, including “War.”

Football is even intertwined with the story sur-rounding Marley’s death in 1981 of skin cancer, whichfirst developed under his toenail. During a game,Marley was tackled and injured his toe. A closer lookrevealed the rare form of melanoma. Many includingCole believe that an initial infection caused the can-

cer, even if no medical evidence backs up the theory.“That’s where the toe first gave signs” that somethingwas wrong,” he said. “But we didn’t take it very seri-ously then.”

In the name of the father Marley’s passion for football runs through his

family. In 1998, his eldest son Ziggy recorded the offi-cial anthem of the “Reggae Boyz,” Jamaica’s men’snational football squad, when they qualified for theirfirst World Cup. In 2014, Cedella Marley came to therescue of the women’s team when their program wasaxed by the national federation and they even slippedoff FIFA’s official rankings list. Thanks to Cedella, the“Reggae Girlz” quickly regained sponsors and mediaattention-and launched themselves right into the racefor the 2019 World Cup. “She had a vision from herfather. I’m fortunate to be part of it. The players arethe same way, they talk about it all the time,” saidhead coach Hue Menzies, with an air of reverence.“She stuck her neck out for us. She has been herefrom day one.”

In Jamaica, such a gesture does not go unnoticed.On May 19, at the team’s last home game before theWorld Cup begins, the announcer at the NationalStadium in Kingston thanked Cedella-a business-woman, singer and fashion designer-at least a half-dozen times. Marley, who was in the stands, told AFPafter the game-a 3-1 victory for the home team overPanama-that her passion for the sport came from herdad. Football “has been in my life since I was born, soit was only natural to be a part of it,” the 51-year-oldsaid after embracing the players-and consoling the

losing squad.“They needed help, they are women, they were

being told they couldn’t play a sport that they love.So we got involved and here we are!” Even if many ofthe players were not even born before Bob Marley’sdeath, they are aware of his legacy and the power hisname still holds in Jamaica. “To have a Marley behindus, it’s a great feeling,” said one of the team’s stars,striker Khadija Shaw, her eyes lighting up.“Everywhere you go, everybody knows BobMarley.”—AFP

Jamaica’s players pose for a team group photo before the friendly match between Jamaica and Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.—AFP photos

Cedella Marley attends the friendly football match Jamaica vs Panama at the NationalStadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Cedella Marley (center bottom) poses with Jamaica’s Women football team ‘Reggae Girlz’ afterthe friendly football match Jamaica vs Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Panama’s Aldrith Quintero (left) pulls the shirt of Jamaica’s Chantelle Swaby during thefriendly match between Jamaica and Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw looks on ahead of thefriendly match between Jamaica and Panama atthe National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Monday, June 10, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fa s h i o n

Established 1961 21

Tailored suits and leisure wear take center stage atLondon Fashion Week Men’s this weekend, wheredesigners are presenting their latest offerings forspring wardrobes. Designers young and estab-

lished hold spring/summer 2020 catwalk shows and pre-sentations until today, including the likes of AlexanderMcQueen, Edward Crutchley, QASIMI and Xander Zhou.

London’s central Jermyn Street, known for its menswearstores, hosts an open-air catwalk show on Saturday. InBritain, spending on menswear rose 3.5% to 15.5 billionpounds ($19.7 billion) last year, according to marketresearch firm Mintel, which estimates a similar growth in2019. But growth in the British menswear market is seenslowing, with spending estimated to rise 15.4% in the fiveyears to 2023 versus 26.6% growth in the previous fiveyears, it added.

“Although the British menswear market continues toperform well, growth is slowing as the market is becomingmore mature while a reliance on discounting is holdingback value growth,” Samantha Dover, Senior Retail Analystat Mintel, said. Though smaller in size than similar eventsheld in fellow fashion capitals Milan, Paris and New York,London is known for its traditional tailors as well as itsemerging designer talent. London Fashion Week Men’sruns until today.—Reuters

Model presents a creation by British designer Edward Crutchley on the first day of the Spring/Summer 2020 London Fashion Week Men’s fashion event in London onJune 8, 2019. — AFP photos

Suited and booted: Menswear on show at London Fashion Week Men’s

British fashion designer James Long (center) acknowledges the crowd after showcasing his collection for Italian fashion house ICEBERG on the firstday of the Spring/Summer 2020 London Fashion Week Men’s fashion event in London.

Big wave incoming, use your legs!shouts Gabriella Lazzari, as her laugh-ing students try out their new gondo-leering skills in the sunshine of

Venice’s lagoon. Lazzari is one of some 20women who teach tourists from around theworld how to row standing up, Venetian style,in “Batela coda di gambero”, shrimp-tailedwooden boats. “We take them out to thelagoon so they can do the gondoleering partwithout crashing into everybody,” quips JaneCaporal, who founded the Row Venice organi-zation more than eight years ago in a bid tosave the “voga alla veneta” style of rowing.“Obviously Venice is motorized now, so peopledon’t row around in their little boats anymore,”she said.

“The idea is to save the tradition. Not justthe actual rowing, everything: the boat build-ing, the oar making, the forcola (oar rowlock)making, crafts that have been going for cen-turies and centuries,” she said. AccountantYezi Jin shrieks in delight as she drives theblade into the water and propels the boat for-wards, far from the peaceful canals of Italy’sfloating city, in the vast open waters wherevaporetto waterbuses sail back and forth. “It’shard work, my back’s aching, but it’s greatfun!” the 32-year old from Portland in the

United States said, as her husband, grippinghis own oar tightly, tried valiantly to match herpace. “We see all the islands here... it’s verydifferent from the Rialto Bridge or being in thecrowds,” Jin added.

Master craftsman Most of the women who teach “voga” also

race professionally, and Row Venice sponsorsthem. Caporal sees it as a way of attempting tolevel the playing field in a sport and professiondominated by men. There is currently only onefemale gondolier in the whole city. She has hadto fight tooth and claw for her share of the 20million tourists who visit the Serenissima eachyear, Caporal said. “The number of people cer-tified as gondoliers is controlled by the gondo-liers’ association. “It’s a tightly-closed shop.With Row Venice we’ve carved out a space forwomen to work too,” she added.

The British-born Australian, who has livedin Venice for 30 years, said she picked thebatela-a traditional workboat now out of pro-duction-because it is more stable than theasymmetrical gondola and easier to manoeu-vre. “I came across one that was sold to me bya rowing club, it had been out of use for years.It was made by a master craftsman who hadseen this kind of boat as a boy and remem-

bered it,” she said.The former stockbroking analyst fell in love

with it, and was ready to shell out 14,000euros ($15,600) for a replica to be made.

But the master craftsman had died. Withno-one left alive who knew how to make them,the boat builders had to get the plans from the

city’s naval history museum.

‘A dream come true’ “It’s a pleasure to enable tourists to live

Venice by water, and explain the pollution andhigh-water problems,” said Lazzari, in refer-ence to the damage cruise ships cause to the

fragile ecosystem and floods that leave SaintMark’s Square underwater. Just a week ago, amassive cruise ship lost control, crashing intothe wharf and sparking fresh controversy overthe damage the huge vessels cause to the city.“I tell them about the types of boat there usedto be, like the mascareta, so-called because itwas used by masked ‘working women’, or thegondolas, which were the taxis of the rich,”Lazzari added.

The Doges of Venice, the Republic’s rulersuntil the 18th century, boasted golden, two-deck ships which were used yearly in a“Marriage of the Sea” ceremony, which sym-bolically wedded Venice to the water. RowVenice pays tribute to the carnival city’s hey-day by sponsoring parties held on boats in thelagoon on summer nights.

By day, its craft glide peacefully pastducks diving for crabs and disused boatyardstransformed into canal-side gardens. “It wasa dream come true,” says Alice Hendricks, 71,her eyes sparkling as she gets out of thebatela after her first lesson. “It was verychallenging, it looks so easy when you watchthe gondolieri doing it... but after a few trieswith it you kind of get a feeling for it. It’s ajoy,” she said. — AFP

Monday, June 10, 2019L i f e s t y l e Fe a t u r e s

Established 1961 22

Gondoleering goddesses teach ancient art to the masses

The Row Venice organization is a group of women who teach tourists how to row Venetian style, standing up. — AFP photosRow Venice aims to preserve tradition, both of the rowing style itself, but also the crafting of the ‘batela’ - a traditional work-boat now out of production.

Gabriella Lazzari (left) says it is a pleasure to show tourists around Venice by water, explaining itspollution and high-water problems.

With their flaky pastry casing, creamy custardf i l l ing and brulee topping, Macau’sPortuguese egg tarts are as much of a part

of the Chinese enclave’s fabric as its casinos-but theirorigin is surprisingly British. Across the city it is notuncommon to see long lines of tourists patiently queu-ing for the sweet treats, a sight that might not seem allthat surprising given the former Portuguese colony’smost famous desert is based on Lisbon’s equallyrenowned pastel de nata.

But the current craze for Portuguese-style egg tarts-which has spread across China and parts of Asia inrecent years-owes much of its success to a Brit whoblundered into the business. The tale began threedecades ago when Essex-born industrial pharmacistAndrew Stow opened Lord Stow’s bakery at the south-ern harbor side village of Coloane. “In 1989, recognizingthere were no western street-side bakeries... he decidedto do something for the local Portuguese communitywhich was to create a pastel de nata for them,” saidEileen Stow, Andrew’s sister, who now manages thebusiness.

With no original recipe for pastel de nata to use,Andrew experimented with a heavier British custardfilling, based on a family recipe, and Portuguese pastrytechniques. The creation initially raised a few eyebrowsamong Andrew’s Portuguese friends in Macau, but thelocal Chinese community became hooked. Courtesy ofthe British, Cantonese cuisine already had a version ofan egg tart, made with shortcrust pastry and a more jel-ly-like filling.

“To differentiate it from what they recognized in dimsum, a ‘dan tart’ (egg tart in Cantonese), they call it a

‘po tart’... ‘Portuguese egg tart’,” Eileen said. Thecreamier, flakier, richer versions were a roaring success.“That’s how it grew before the days of likes online. It’sjust word of mouth,” added Eileen, who took over thebusiness after her brother’s death in 2006. The businessnow churns out 21,000 handmade egg tarts per dayfrom three bakeries in Macau, and it also boasts twofranchises in Japan and Manila.

A string of rivals have cropped up in the last threedecades in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. One ofthe best-regarded Macau competitors was set up byAndrew’s ex-wife Margaret Wong. She sold her recipeto KFC, which now offers Portuguese egg tarts at out-lets across China, a move that has introduced Macau’sPortuguese-British hybrid to hundreds of millions morehungry mouths — AFP

How a Brit got Asia to fall for Macau’s Portuguese egg tarts

Chef Dennis del Rosario turning a tray of egg tarts to make sure they cook evenly at Lord Stow’s bakery inMacau. — AFP photos

A customer (center) leaving Lord Stow’s bakery in Macau.

Customers being served at Lord Stow’s bakery in Macau.

Custard which goes into making egg tartsbeing stirred at Lord Stow’s bakery in Macau.

Eileen Stow (center), who manages the business, posing for a photoin front of freshly baked egg tarts at Lord Stow’s bakery in Macau.

Chef Dennis del Rosario preparing to box up cooked egg tarts at Lord Stow’s bakery in Macau.Custard being poured into the pastry molds at Lord Stow’s bak-ery in Macau.

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Monday 10/6/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeFEG 441 Asyut 00:05IGO 1757 Kochi 00:10THY 772 Istanbul 00:20JZR 254 Amman 00:20KAC 102 London 00:50DLH 625 Dammam 00:50JZR 722 Alexandria 01:00KAC 504 Beirut 01:00JZR 734 Cairo 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:20UAE 853 Dubai 01:40KLM 446 Bahrain 01:45PGT 858 Istanbul 01:50THY 1464 Istanbul 01:50KKK 1268 Istanbul 01:55ETH 620 Addis Ababa 02:15QTR 1086 Doha 02:40THY 1404 AYT 02:45PGT 860 Istanbul 02:50GFA 211 Bahrain 02:50JZR 502 Lahore 02:55THY 768 Istanbul 02:55ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05OMA 643 Muscat 03:05JZR 406 Kochi 03:05RBG 1551 Alexandria 03:15MSR 612 Cairo 03:15KAC 418 Manila 03:20QTR 1076 Doha 03:30OHY 352 Istanbul 04:00IGO 1751 Chennai 04:10KAC 346 Ahmedabad 04:15KAC 784 Jeddah 04:25JZR 404 Hyderabad 04:50FDB 069 Dubai 05:05DHX 170 Bahrain 05:05KAC 382 Delhi 05:15THY 770 Istanbul 05:20JZR 402 Mumbai 05:25KAC 344 Chennai 05:30KAC 552 Cairo 05:45JZR 112 Doha 05:50JZR 702 Asyut 06:10BAW 157 London 06:10KAC 284 Dhaka 06:15KAC 678 Dubai 06:40KAC 204 Lahore 06:45RBG 559 Alexandria 06:50KA C302 Mumbai 07:05JZR 106 Bahrain 07:10IGO 1755 CNN 07:10JZR 714 Sohag 07:20RBG 211 Luxor 07:25FDB 053 Dubai 07:50QTR 1084 Doha 08:00MSC 401 Alexandria 08:00IRA 601 Tehran 08:10KAC 352 Kochi 08:20UAE 855 Dubai 08:25JZR 710 Luxor 08:45ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 08:50KAC 334 Trivandrum 09:00OMA 641 Muscat 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00QTR 1070 Doha 09:20IGO 1753 Ahmedabad 09:40FDB 055 Dubai 09:40KAC 384 Delhi 09:55AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 10:20GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40AXB 395 Kozhikode 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55SYR 341 Damascus 11:00QTR 1074 Doha 11:00FEG 1641 Sharm el-Sheikh 11:00THY 1282 Trabzon 11:05JZR 1736 Cairo 11:05JZR 114 Doha 11:10JZR 122 Dubai 11:45AXB 789 CNN/Bahrain 12:10JZR 252 Amman 12:20JZR 716 Sohag 12:25SAW 701 Damascus 12:30RBG 553 Alexandria 12:30

THY 766 Istanbul 12:30UAE 871 Dubai 12:45MSR 610 Cairo 12:45KAC 742 Dammam 12:55IRA 667 Esfahan 13:10RJA 644 Amman 13:20KAC 774 Riyadh 13:35JZR 212 Jeddah 13:45FDB 8191 Dubai 13:50KAC 672 Dubai 14:00KNE 231 Riyadh 14:10GFA 221 Bahrain 14:15QTR 1078 Doha 14:25KAC 364 Colombo 14:35KAC 194 Trabzon 14:40KAC 304 Mumbai 14:45JZR 222 Riyadh 14:45SVA 500 Jeddah 14:45KAC 562 Amman 14:50KAC 618 Doha 14:50KAC 286 Dhaka 14:55KAC 788 Jeddah 14:55KAC 118 New York 15:00KNE 529 Jeddah 15:05KAC 412 Bangkok 15:10ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 15:15OMA 645 Muscat 15:20ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45FEG 341 Sohag 16:00KAC 546 Cairo 16:05FDB 051 Dubai 16:10JZR 732 Cairo 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:15SAW 705 Damascus 17:00JZR 116 Doha 17:05SVA 510 Riyadh 17:10GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 214 Jeddah 17:35KAC 158 Istanbul 17:40JZR 124 Dubai 17:40JZR 104 Bahrain 18:00JZR 302 Istanbul 18:20MSR 620 Cairo 18:30SAW 703 Damascus 18:55FDB 063 Dubai 19:05GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05RJA 640 Amman 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20KAC 744 Dammam 19:25KAC 506 Beirut/LCA 19:25KAC 616 Bahrain 19:40KA C776 Riyadh 19:45KAC 674 Dubai 19:45FDB 057 Dubai 19:50KAC 174 Munich 19:55KNE 381 Taif 20:00KAC 196 BJV 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:05DLH 624 Frankfurt 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15KAC 620 Doha 20:30QTR 1088 Doha 20:40JAV 621 Amman 20:45RBG 219 Sohag 20:55KLM 445 Amsterdam 21:00ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ALK 229 Colombo 21:15THY 764 Istanbul 21:30KAC 164 MXP 21:40KAC 622 Doha 21:50GFA 219 Bahrain 21:50KAC 564 Amman 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 786 Jeddah 22:20SVA 514 Riyadh 22:25AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:25SVA 502 Jeddah 22:45JZR 128 Dubai 22:50MSC 411 Asyut 23:15MSR 614 Cairo 23:30FDB 071 Dubai 23:35KAC 548 Alexandria 23:50

Departure Flights on Monday 10/6/2019Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 00:05MSC 412 Asyut 00:15MSR 615 Cairo 00:30FDB 072 Dubai 00:30FEG 342 Sohag 01:05JZR 713 Sohag 01:10IGO 1758 Kochi 01:10KAC 677 Dubai 01:40THY 773 Istanbul 01:50DLH 625 Frankfurt 01:50KAC 285 Dhaka 02:00KAC 417 Manila 02:00KAC 363 Colombo 02:00JZR 111 Doha 02:10THY 765 Istanbul 02:50IGO 1752 Chennai 05:10KAC 303 Mumbai 05:15THY 1465 Istanbul 06:00FDB 070 Dubai 06:00JZR 715 Sohag 06:15THY 771 Istanbul 06:30GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50RJA 643 Amman 07:00JZR 251 Amman 07:10JZR 121 Dubai 07:15JZR 113 Doha 07:30RBG 550 Alexandria 07:30BAW 156 London 07:40KAC 173 Munich 07:55JZR 211 Jeddah 08:00IGO 1756 CNN 08:10KAC 181 Paris 08:10KAC 193 Trabzon 08:10RBG 214 Sohag 08:15FDB 054 Dubai 08:35KAC 163 MXP 08:35KAC 545 Cairo 08:50KAC 561 Amman 08:55KAC 157 Istanbul 08:55MSC 402 Alexandria 09:00KAC 121 New York 09:05QTR 1085 Doha 09:10IRA 666 Esfahan 09:10KAC 671 Dubai 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:15ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 741 Dammam 09:40KAC 773 Riyadh 09:40JZR 731 Cairo 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50KAC 505 Beirut 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 09:55JZR 301 Istanbul 09:55OMA 642 Muscat 10:00KAC 101 London 10:05QTR 1071 Doha 10:30FDB 056 Dubai 10:40IGO 1754 Ahmedabad 10:40KAC 617 Doha 10:40KAC 195 BJV 11:00JZR 221 Riyadh 11:20AXB 890 Mangalore 11:20GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35AXB 396 Kozhikode 11:50MEA 405 Beirut 11:55FEG 1642 Sharm el-Sheikh 12:00SYR 342 Damascus 12:00THY 1283 Trabzon 12:00JZR 213 Jeddah 12:05QTR 1075 Doha 12:10JZR 123 Dubai 13:10AXB 790 CNN 13:10RBG 554 Alexandria 13:10JZR 115 Doha 13:25SAW 702 Damascus 13:30MSR 611 Cairo 13:45THY 767 Istanbul 14:00

IRA 600 Tehran 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15RJA 645 Amman 14:15FDB 8192 Dubai 14:50GFA 222 Bahrain 15:00KNE 320 Taif 15:00KAC 673 Dubai 15:00JZR 103 Bahrain 15:05QTR 1079 Doha 15:30SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45KNE 530 Jeddah 15:55KAC 105 London 15:55KAC 563 Amman 16:00JZR 405 Kochi 16:00KAC 743 Dammam 16:05KAC 775 Riyadh 16:05KAC 615 Bahrain 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 16:20OMA 646 Muscat 16:20KAC 785 Jeddah 16:20KAC 619 Doha 16:25KAC 547 Alexandria 16:45FEG 242 Alexandria 16:55FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25KAC 361 Colombo 17:35KAC 155 Istanbul 17:35UAE 858 Dubai 17:40KAC 621 Doha 17:50KAC 381 Delhi 17:55SAW 706 Damascus 18:00SVA 511 Riyadh 18:10JZR 721 Alexandria 18:15JZR 127 Dubai 18:20GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 403 Hyderabad 18:25JZR 733 Cairo 18:35JZR 261 Beirut 19:10JZR 253 Amman 19:10QTR 1081 Doha 19:20KAC 345 Ahmedabad 19:20MSR 621 Cairo 19:30FDB 064 Dubai 19:45GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50SAW 704 Damascus 19:55KAC 331 Trivandrum 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00RJA 641 Amman 20:05KAC 357 Kochi 20:05JZR 401 Mumbai 20:30FDB 058 Dubai 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35KNE 232 Riyadh 20:50KAC 353 Bengaluru 20:50DLH 624 Dammam 20:55OMA 648 Muscat 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15KAC 301 Mumbai 21:25RBG 210 Sohag 21:35JAV 621 Amman 21:45DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50QTR 1089 Doha 21:50KAC 203 Lahore 22:00KLM 445 Bahrain 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15ALK 230 Colombo 22:20THY 1413 Trabzon 22:25UAE 860 Dubai 22:35KAC 383 Delhi 22:35JZR 407 Ahmedabad 22:40GFA 220 Bahrain 22:50KAC 783 Jeddah 22:55KAC 551 Cairo 23:00ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:05QTR 1083 Doha 23:20SVA 515 Riyadh 23:25JZR 701 Asyut 23:45SVA 503 Jeddah 23:45

ClassifiedsMonday, June 10, 2019

AirlinesKuwait Airways 171Jazeera Airways 177Wataniya Airways 22 066 536Turkish Airlines 1884918American Airlines 22087425 22087426Jet Airways 22924455FlyDubai 22414400Qatar Airways 22423888KLM 22425747Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6British Airways 22425635Air France 22430224Emirates 22921555Air India 22456700Air India EXPRESS 22438185/4 Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444Egypt Air 22421578Swiss Air 22421516Saudia 22426306Middle East Airlines` 22423073Lufthansa 22422493PIA 22421044Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8Indian Airlines 22456700Oman Air 22958787Turkish Airlines 22453820/1Aeroflot 22404838/9

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Ali Modak Imtiyaz Shoukat,holder of Indian Passport No.J4440540 wish to correct myname as (given name) ImtiyazShoukat Ali (sur name) Modak.Hereinafter in all my docu-ments, my name will appear asImtiyaz Shoukat Ali Modak.(C 5544) 09-06-2019

I, Adeniyi Toluwalope Fatoba -holder of Nigeria PassportNumber A10488415 andKuwait Civil ID Number275051205279, would like tochange my name to AdeniyiToluwalope Obafemi. Fromhenceforth, all my official doc-

uments shall bear the nameAdeniyi Toluwalope Obafemi.

I, Sharoon Cedric s/o SaithKhushnood holder of PakistaniPassport No- BR4429022,would like to correct my nameon civil ID# 2902070901151,from Sharoon Saith SaithKhushnood to Sharoon Cedric.(C5545)

I, Shalom David s/o SaithKhushnood holder of PakistaniPassport No- AF7674522,would like to correct my nameon civil ID# 296072900556,from Shallum Saith Khushnoodto Shalom David. (C 5545)4-6-2019

Monday, June 10, 2019N e w s

Established 1961 24

Continued from Page 1

overall toll to 118 since the June 3 crackdown to dis-perse the sit-in. The health ministry says 61 people diednationwide in Monday’s crackdown, 49 of them by “liveammunition” in Khartoum.

In the capital’s northern Bahari district, people gath-ered tyres, tree trunks and rocks to build new road-blocks as the campaign began yesterday. “Almost allinternal roads of Bahari have roadblocks. Protesters areeven stopping residents from going to work,” a witnesstold AFP. But riot police swiftly moved in, firing gunshotsin the air and tear gas at demonstrators before clearingthe makeshift barriers, he said.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which firstlaunched protests against longtime ruler Omar Al-Bashirin December, said the campaign of civil disobediencewould continue until the military rulers transfer power toa civilian government. In Bahari district, onlookers saw apolice truck full of people in civilian clothing but it wasnot possible to confirm whether they were arresteddemonstrators. “We blocked the streets to send a mes-sage to those trying to steal our revolution that they willfail,” said Emad Ibrahim, 25, a protester from Bahari. “Itis a long road ahead for us, but after the sacrifice madeby our brothers who have been killed, we believe thatwe will achieve our goal.”

Several protesters said they faced difficulties butwere still backing the campaign. “The roadblocks pre-vented me from reaching the market to buy vegetables,”said Hassan Abdelrahim, a vegetable vendor. “This willimpact my income, but when I look at these youngsterswho are on the streets since six months, I’m not angryeven if I lose my income.”

Khartoum residents have mostly remained indoorssince Monday, when men in military fatigues raided the

protest camp. Several vehicles of the feared RapidSupport Forces, blamed by witnesses for the killings,were seen yesterday moving across some parts of thecapital loaded with machineguns. RSF members werealso seen surrounding the main electricity station.

Several airlines have scrapped their Sudan flightssince the deadly raid and passengers were left waitingoutside Khartoum airport’s departures terminal yester-day, although it was unclear whether any flights wouldtake off. The downtown business district was largelyshut and buses were not running in several areas, butprivate vehicles were ferrying passengers in somelocations. In Omdurman, many shops and marketsremained closed but people were seen buying staplesin some grocery stores. “Troops were also seenremoving roadblocks from some streets inOmdurman,” an onlooker said.

In the central city of Al-Obeid, the main market wasshut and several bank employees did not report to work,residents said. In the town of Madani, southeast of thecapital, people were seen queuing outside closed bak-eries while the main market was also shut. “I went tothree bakeries and have been unable to buy bread,” aMadani resident told AFP by telephone, adding thatprotesters had built roadblocks on several streets mak-ing it difficult for vehicles to pass.

It was the tripling of bread prices that first triggeredprotests against Bashir in December, which later turnedinto a nationwide movement against his ironfisted rule.After the president was ousted in April, demonstratorsremained camped out for weeks in Khartoum to pres-sure the ruling generals into transferring power. Afterseveral rounds of negotiations between protest leadersand the military, talks broke down in mid-May.

Witnesses say the subsequent assault on the sit-inwas led by the RSF, who have their origins in the notori-ous Janjaweed militia, accused of abuses in the Darfurconflict between 2003 and 2004. Ethiopian PrimeMinister Abiy Ahmed travelled to Sudan on Friday in abid to revive negotiations, holding separate meetingswith the two sides after which he called for a “quick”democratic transition. — AFP

Civil disobedience campaign empties...

Continued from Page 1

It added that the two leaders held most of their talksin Modi’s limousine while driving the 33 km betweenthe capital and the airport. Modi stopped in Colomboon his return from an official visit to the Maldives,where he inaugurated a radar system and military train-ing center. The two projects, costing $26 million, werefunded by India.

His brief but politically significant visit to the twoneighbors came less than 10 days after Modi secured asecond landslide election win and as New Delhi seeksto fend off Chinese influence in the region. TheMaldives, an archipelago of more than 1,000 tiny coralislands, and Sri Lanka straddle the world’s busiest east-west maritime route. India, the traditional ally of bothSri Lanka and the Maldives, had watched with unease

as former governments of strongman leader AbdullaYameen in the Maldives and Sri Lanka’s MahindaRajapakse leaned towards Beijing for political andfinancial support.

Yameen’s election loss last September, however, hasseen new leader President Ibrahim Mohamed Solihswing back towards New India. Sri Lanka too hasmoved back toward New Delhi since the defeat ofRajapakse in Jan 2015. Last month, authoritiesannounced a partnership with India and Japan to devel-op a deep-sea container terminal in Colombo next to acontroversial $500-million Chinese-run facility. Thethree plan to develop what is known as the EastTerminal of Colombo port.

China owns 85 percent of the adjoining ColomboInternational Container Terminal, which was commis-sioned in 2013. State-owned Sri Lanka PortsAuthority owns the remaining 15 percent. More thantwo thirds of transhipment containers handled inColombo originate from or head to India. Sri Lanka,unable to repay a huge Chinese loan, handed overanother deep-sea port in the south of the island to aBeijing company in Dec 2017, in a deal that raisedconcerns at home and abroad. — AFP

Modi visits bombed Sri Lankan church...

World Wrestling Entertainment star The Undertaker makes his way to the ring during a match at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Super Showdown event in the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah late on June 7, 2019. — AFP

RAMALLAH: Palestinian leaders say a US envoy’scomments on Israel having the right to annex at leastparts of the occupied West Bank show “extremists” areinvolved in White House policy on the issue. In a state-ment late Saturday in response to US ambassador toIsrael David Friedman’s comments in a New York Timesinterview, a Palestinian government spokesman saidsome leading US policy on the issue were “extremists”lacking in “political maturity”.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said it was lookinginto filing a complaint with the International CriminalCourt on the issue. Palestine Liberation Organization sec-retary general Saeb Erekat on Twitter called Friedman an“extreme ambassador of the settlers”. “Their vision isabout annexation of occupied territory, a war crimeunder international law,” he said. Erekat also renewed aPalestinian call for countries to boycott a June 25-26 con-ference in Bahrain to discuss economic aspects of apeace deal the White House has been working on.

In the interview published Saturday, Friedman said

some degree of annexation of the West Bank would belegitimate. “Under certain circumstances, I think Israel hasthe right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank,”he said. Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six-DayWar and its construction of settlements there is viewed asa major stumbling block to peace as they are built on landthe Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Friedman has in the past been a supporter of Israelisettlements as has the family of Jared Kushner, USPresident Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser lead-ing efforts to put together the peace deal. Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged ahead of Aprilelections to begin annexing West Bank settlements.Bringing settlements under Israeli sovereignty on alarge-scale could end any remaining hopes for a two-state solution to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

More than 600,000 Jewish settlers now live in theWest Bank and annexed east Jerusalem among somethree million Palestinians. On the long-delayed peaceplan, Friedman said it was aimed at improving the quali-

ty of life for Palestinians but would fall well short of a“permanent resolution to the conflict”. Kushner hashinted that it will not endorse international calls for thecreation of a Palestinian state.

Publication of the plan looks set to be furtherdelayed after the Israeli parliament called a snap gener-al election for September, the second this year. The planis regarded as too sensitive to release during the cam-paign. The Palestinian leadership has already rejectedthe plan, saying Trump’s moves so far show him to beblatantly biased in favor of Israel. Those moves includerecognizing the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’scapital and cutting hundreds of thousands of dollars inaid to the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Germany’s top diplomat yesterday reaf-firmed his country’s support for a two-state solution tothe Israeli-Palestinian conflict ahead of the long-await-ed US peace plan. “We are still in agreement thatreaching a two-state solution through negotiations isthe only solution,” Heiko Maas said during a press con-

ference in Amman with his Jordanian counterpart. “Weand Germany agree that the two-state solution is theonly way to end the conflict,” Jordanian ForeignMinister Ayman Safadi said.

Several UN resolutions have enshrined the two-statesolution, which envisages separate homelands for Jewsand Palestinians, as the path to a peace settlement. Bothministers also stressed the importance of the UnitedNations agency for Palestinian refugees, just weeksafter the US called for it to be dismantled after cuttingits roughly $300 million annual donation. Jordan ishome to nearly 2.2 million Palestinian refugees, whomake up almost half of the kingdom’s population.

Separately, Mass said Germany would give Jordana $100 million loan to help cope with economic diffi-culties in the kingdom where IMF-backed fiscalreforms sparked mass protests last year. Jordan,whose stability is seen as vital for the volatile MiddleEast, also hosts some 1.3 million refugees from neigh-boring war-torn Syria. — Agencies

US envoy’s annexation comments show ‘extremist’ approach: Palestinian leaders

Germany says two states ‘only solution’ to conflict

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader pardoned hundreds ofprisoners on the occasion of the end of Ramadan, but aLebanese national who Beirut expected to be releasedwas not among them, authorities said yesterday. In total,the sentences of 691 prisoners were either commuted ordeferred as decided by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as agesture for the Eid al-Fitr holidays, said the jucidiary’s

Mizan Online news website. Last week, Lebanon saidone of its nationals condemned in 2016 to 10 years’ jailin Iran after being found guilty of spying for the UnitedStates would be on the pardon list.

The Lebanese foreign ministry, quoted by the coun-try’s official NNA news agency, said Nizar Zakkawould be pardoned at the request of Beirut as a ges-ture for Eid. But Zakka’s name was not on the list, saidIran’s judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili.“The individual was sentenced and the president ofLebanon had - in letters to judicial officials - request-ed a conditional pardon,” he said, quoted by Mizan.“This request has been in the judicial process and, incase any decision is taken by the judicial apparatus,information will be provided.” — AFP

Iran leader pardons 691 on Eid, but Lebanese excluded

Monday, June 10, 2019S p o r t s

IAAF has been left ‘frustrated’ as Russian athletes ban upheld

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IAAF to rebrand as World Athletics

BUENOS AIRES: The Argentine Jaguares won theSouth African conference and secured a homequarter-final in Super Rugby when they outplayedthe Coastal Sharks 34-7 in Buenos Aires Saturday.

Full-back Emiliano Boffelli and winger SebastianCancelliere scored two tries each as the home sideromped to a bonus-point victory after leading 12-0at half-time. The winning margin could have beenmuch wider as fly-half Joaquin Diaz Bonilla missedfour of eight shots at goal and Boffelli failed withhis only penalty attempt.

Topping the South African table confirmed theprogress of the Jaguares, who won just four match-es of 15 three years ago in their debut season.Beating the Sharks gave the South Americans a 10win-five loss record this season and they are set totriumph at home to bottom team the Sunwolvesnext Friday in the final league round.

If the Jaguares win, they will finish second over-all behind runaway leaders the CanterburyCrusaders of New Zealand, and enjoy home advan-tage again if they reach the semi-finals. TheCrusaders, seeking a third consecutive title and10th overall, are on 58 points having completedtheir 16-match regular season schedule.

Jaguares have 46 points and the ACT Brumbiesfrom Australia 43 and both are assured of homequarter-finals, along with the fourth-placedWellington Hurricanes from New Zealand.“Winning the South African conference with amatch to spare is a wonderful achievement for us,”said Jaguares skipper and centre Jeronimo de laFuente. “The side did not start the season particu-larly well, but winning twice on our last visit toSouth Africa and winning three of four matches inAustralasia turned it around. “I congratulate all theplayers in the squad, the coaches and the manage-ment for a job well done. We have worked hard anddeserve whatever success comes our way.”

Sharks skipper and scrum-half Louis Schreudersaid: “We had to start well to have any chance ofwinning here, but instead we found ourselves onthe back foot for most of the first half. “We con-ceded too many penalties during the opening 40minutes, which often turned promising attackingsituations into a need to defend near our tryline.

“However, we are not out of the running for aquarter-finals place. If we can beat the Stormers inCape Town next Saturday, I believe we will makeit.” Cancelliere held off rival winger MakazoleMapimpi to score the first Jaguares try after onlyfour minutes and Boffelli then got his first, whichDiaz Bonilla converted for a 12-point advantage.

Instead of scoring to nudge back into con-tention, the Sharks conceded further tries to Boffelliand Cancelliere and trailed 29-0 by the hour mark.The Sharks finally scored 12 minutes from time atEstadio Jose Amalfitani when centre AndreEsterhuizen powered over after a rolling maul andfull-back Curwin Bosch converted.

But the Jaguares had the final say in the 80thminute when winger Santiago Carreras ran on to agrubber kick and dotted down for his first SuperRugby try. —AFP

Jaguares outplay Sharks to win South African conference

MONACO: The IAAF has been left “frustrated” byRussian back-sliding on issues critical to the country’sreintegration into global track and field, a top officialsaid yesterday. Rune Andersen, head of the doping taskforce for the International Association of AthleticsFederations (IAAF), said he had recommended to the27-strong IAAF Council, which duly followed hisadvice, that it uphold its ban on Russian athletes, firstimposed in 2015 over mass state-sponsored doping.

Andersen said Russia had paid out more than $3.2million (2.8m euros) for the Task Force’s work and hadalso committed to paying any more costs, so the “costcondition has been met”. He added “progress has beenmade on the second outstanding issue,” that of retriev-ing data and samples from a Moscow laboratory at theheart of the scandal.

Those have been passed on to the Athletics IntegrityUnit (AIU), a watchdog founded by the IAAF to combatdoping in the sport, and it will not be until they reportback that they have everything they need that the TaskForce will consider that issue resolved.

The AIU are also investigating whether Russian ath-letics federation (RUSAF) officials were involved in thealleged cover up of a doping offence by high jumperDanil Lysenko. “Reinstatement cannot be consideredwhile that investigation remains pending,” Andersensaid. A Sunday Times story on June 2 alleged RUSAFofficials had fabricated documents to show Lysenko,the 2017 world silver medallist, was too ill to providehis whereabouts after failing to make himself availablefor out-of-competition drug testing.

Russia authorities came out blazing, saying theywere victims of an “information war” and questioningthe timing of the story ahead of the IAAF Councilmeeting.

BANNED COACHES, DOCTORS “Finally the Task Force noted recent allegations that

banned coaches and banned doctors continue to workwith Russian athletes,” Andersen said.

“If so, that calls into question whether RUSAF is ableto enforce doping bans and whether all RUSAF athleteshave embraced the change to a new anti-doping cul-ture proclaimed by RUSAF, both of which are condi-tions to reinstatement.

“The Task Force shares the Council’s frustration atprogress in two areas being undermined by apparentback sliding in two other areas. “It hopes the outstand-ing issues can be resolved soon.”

The last global event Russia appeared in was the2015 Beijing world championships, but dozens ofRussian athletes cleared by the IAAF have gone on tocompete as neutrals.

While US-based long jumper Darya Klishina was thesole Russian athlete cleared to participate at the 2016Rio Olympics, 74 Russian athletes competed as neutralslast year and 68 have been cleared since the start of2019. The next chance Russia has of seeing the banoverturned will be at a IAAF Council meeting in Dohajust days before the September 27-October 6 worldchampionships in the Qatari capital, leaving a hypothet-ical window open for its reintegration almost four yearson from the initial ban.

Meanwhile, world athletics’ governing body, theIAAF, is to rebrand as World Athletics, it wasannounced yesterday. The International Association ofAthletics Federations (IAAF) was initially founded in1912 as the International Amateur Athletic Federation.

The body, currently presided over by Britain’s two-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist Sebastian Coe,took its present name in 2001 and World Athleticsshould be operational from October.

“‘World Athletics’ builds upon the organisation’srestructuring and governance reform agenda of thepast four years to represent a modern, more creativeand positive face for the sport,” said Coe, who took

over from disgraced long-time head Lamine Diack inAugust 2015.

Coe said the IAAF Council, meeting in Monaco,agreed it made “the sport more accessible to a wideraudience while giving the global governing body theopportunity to more clearly communicate its mission asthe leader of the world’s most participatory sport”.

“The hope is that our new brand will help attract andengage a new generation of young people to athletics.”IAAF CEO Jon Ridgeon was slightly blunter in his

assessment of the IAAF brand.“The IAAF name has been in existence for over 100

years, but it has little understanding or relevance tothose outside of athletics,” he said. “The new identitycreates a symbol that can stand alone and work withpartners and events.”

The new brand identity will begin its rollout inOctober after the world championships in Doha andfollowing congress’ approval of the change to the fed-eration’s legal name. — AFP

IAAF president Sebastian Coe (left) and Rune Andersen.

SYDNEY: Rugby Australia has lashed out at Israel Folaufor disrupting the sport after an explosive letter accusingthe governing body of leaking details of his code of con-duct hearing was made public. Folau sent the letter to theRugby Australia board after Sydney’s Daily Telegraphran a series of stories last week on his dramatic fall fromgrace for homophobic comments on social media.

The reports included intimate details of his tribunalhearing, which was meant to be private. Super Rugby’s

record try scorer opted not to appeal against the rulingthat he was guilty of a “high level” breach of the sport’scode of conduct and instead launched legal action,asserting he was simply posting a message from theBible. In his letter, which was also obtained by theTelegraph and published on Saturday evening, Folaualleged that Rugby Australia was the source of the leaks,which he called “blatantly unfair”. “I would like to knowwhy Rugby Australia has not managed to maintain theintegrity of its processes and ensure that informationwas kept private and confidential,” he said.

“For example, I am not ‘sick of rugby’ and whoevertold the media that I am is telling lies. “Another exampleis the way the media has been told that your expecta-tions were made clear to me by Ms (Raelene) Castle. Weall know that is far from the truth,” he added, referring toRugby Australia’s chief executive.

“It makes me sad that these things have apparentlybeen told to the media by someone at Rugby Australia. Ifyou are not the source, why has no one come out to set

the record straight?” Rugby Australia hit back in a state-ment, saying the “media campaign” being run by Folau’scamp was affecting all levels of rugby and had overshad-owed a crunch Super Rugby match between the NSWWaratahs-Folau’s former team-and the ACT Brumbies inSydney.

“Rugby Australia has acted with complete profession-alism and integrity at all times through the process inwhich Mr Folau was found by an independent three-member tribunal panel to have made multiple, seriousbreaches of the Professional Players Code of Conduct,”it said. “While we will continue to respond to any legalaction as required and will continue to defend the valuesthat underpin our game and the work done by the hardworking volunteers, we will not engage in a runningmedia commentary.”

Folau’s Instagram post that “Hell awaits” gays andothers he considers sinners sparked heated debate inAustralia, with some defending his right to express viewshe sees as central to his religious beliefs. — AFP

Rugby Australiaslams Folau ‘mediacampaign’ after leaked letter

ELMONT: Sir Winston came from behind to winthe 151st running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakesin Elmont, New York by a length on Saturday.Favourite Tacitus, whose late charge came up short,was second and Joevia third around the sprawling, 11/2-mile dirt track on a warm, sunny day.

Sir Winston came on strong late, moving fromthe rail to the outside down the stretch to overtakepace-setter Joevia and finish in a relatively slowtwo minutes, 28.30 seconds. While making hismove, Sir Winston appeared to cut off PreaknessStakes winner War of Will, initially raising theprospect of a challenge similar to one that disquali-fied Maximum Security after it crossed the line firstat this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Both Sir Winston and War of Will, however, aretrained by Mark Casse and no protest was made. “Isaid all week long that he was doing really well,” asmiling Casse said of the 10-1 winner. “What can Isay, it’s just exciting.”

He said second-favourite War of Will, ridden byTyler Gaffalione, did not run his best race onSaturday. “I could see War of Will was struggling,”Casse said. “He was maybe a little flat today and Isaw jockey Joel (Rosario) cut the corner a little bit(on Sir Winston) and I could see where War of Willwas getting a little weary.”

The win was just the third in 10 starts for SirWinston, who finished second in the Peter PanStakes at Belmont last month. The race is the finalleg of US thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown,which was not up for grabs after Kentucky Derbywinner Country House did not run in the Preaknessdue to illness. He did not compete at Belmont either.

The race caps a wild Triple Crown season thatsaw the first disqualification of a horse that crossedthe line first at Churchill Downs and a rider thrownfrom his horse at the start of the Preakness.

The races were also contested amid growingcontroversy around the sport as 27 horses havedied at Southern California’s Santa Anita Park sincethe racing season began in late December. The lat-est fatality came on Wednesday when two-year-oldcolt Derby River was euthanized after suffering afractured shoulder, renewing calls for a suspensionof racing at the venue. — Reuters

MONTREAL: Sebastian Vettel ended Mercedes’ run ofearly-season qualifying supremacy on Saturday when heclaimed a dramatic late pole position for Ferrari in a crash-hit showdown at the Canadian Grand Prix.

“I feel so very, very happy for the team,” Vettel said. “Iam full of adrenaline and the last few weeks have beentough for us. The car felt very good and now I hope wecan carry that into the race.” The four-time championrepeated his 2018 success, when he won from pole, byoutpacing championship leader Lewis Hamilton ofMercedes by two-tenths of a second at the Circuit GillesVilleneuve. It was Vettel’s first pole position triumph of theseason, his first pole in 17 races since last year’s GermanGrand Prix and a signal that Ferrari’s superior straight-linespeed was well-suited to the track.

“Seb did a stunning lap and he deserved to be on pole,”said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. “Lewis picked up acouple of mistakes in the hairpin.” Defending five-timechampion Hamilton of Mercedes had appeared to be oncourse for his record seventh Canadian pole until the finallaps, when he was outpaced by Vettel in the dying sec-onds. “We’re certainly very happy and the entire weekendhere we have been performing ok so this is a positive sur-prise for us,” said Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto. “Thetrack will improve. It will be a lot hotter day so it will be atough race.”

Vettel’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc claimed thirdplace on the grid. “I don’t really know how I struggled with

the car and the set-up,” he said. “Congratulations to Seb.He deserves it and hopefully I’ll have a better race from myside tomorrow.

“We are strong on the long run pace and hopefully itwill be the same tomorrow and we can have a good run.”

Vettel beamed as he talked to a congratulatoryHamilton after the session. Vettel clocked a best lap of oneminute and 10.240 seconds to beat Hamilton’s lap in1:10.446. “He’s bloody good in qualifying,” said Vettel,pointing to Hamilton. “Hard to crack ... I really enjoyed it.”

“You know what, the feeling in the car when it justkeeps coming and the feeling - it felt so good. I enjoyed itand I’m very happy and happy for the team over the lastfew races, it’s been very tough.” Hamilton said: “I don’t feeldisappointment. We gave it everything I had got. Theywere faster and in the last sector they were killing us, thetiming was right, procedures were perfect, we had P1 for asecond, but we knew they were quick.

“I’m glad I was able to split the Ferraris. The weather isfantastic, we’ve got some great fans here so hopefully wecan put on a great show.” Mercedes had been fastest inqualifying in five of the six races since the start of the yearand will now face a battle to extend their record run of sixseason-opening wins in Sunday’s race.

It was the 56th pole position of Vettel’s career andcame after Kevin Magnussen had crashed into the “wall ofchampions” in his Haas car at the end of Q2. He wasunhurt. Daniel Ricciardo of Renault qualified fourth, aheadof Pierre Gasly of Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas in the sec-ond Mercedes. The Finn spun in Q3 and was unable torecover and clock an improved lap.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh in the second Renaultahead of the two McLarens of Lando Norris and CarlosSainz. Magnussen qualified 10th. — AFP

Vettel grabs dramatic pole

MONTREAL: Pole position qualifier Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and second place qualifier LewisHamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talk in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Canadaat Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. — AFP

Sir Winston wins 151st Belmont Stakes in upset

CLEVELAND: Roberto Perez homered in his fourthstraight game and drove in three runs as the hostCleveland Indians denied CC Sabathia in his bid for his250th career win with an 8-4 victory over the NewYork Yankees on Saturday. Rookie Oscar Mercadolaunched a two-run homer and Kevin Plawecki added asolo shot and a sacrifice fly for the Indians, who havebelted 14 homers while winning four of their past fivegames. The offense was more than enough for AdamPlutko (2-1), who overcame Didi Gregorius’ two-runhomer in the first to allow just two runs on three hits insix innings. Oliver Perez permitted two runs on as manyhits, but three other relievers combined to yield one hitover the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings to end the game.Gleyber Torres had an RBI double and scored on a sac-rifice fly in the seventh inning for the Yankees, who havelost five of their past six games.

METS 5, ROCKIES 3Carlos Gomez and Pete Alonso homered, Steven

Matz tossed six solid innings, and host New York beatColorado. Gomez, Todd Frazier and Wilson Ramos hadtwo hits each, and Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his14th save for the Mets. Nolan Arenado and CharlieBlackmon had RBIs for the Rockies, who fell to 2-3 ontheir six-game road trip.

ANGELS 12, MARINERS 3Los Angeles hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in

the fourth inning and cruised past visiting Seattle.Tommy La Stella, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani wentdeep off Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (3-4) inthe fourth. Cesar Puello, who finished with four RBIs,homered in the eighth for the Angels. It was Ohtani’sfirst showdown with Kikuchi in the United States anddrew widespread interest in their native Japan, wherethey attended the same high school. The two facedeach other five times in Nippon Professional Baseball,with Ohtani going 2-for-5 with a double and threestrikeouts. ‘

CUBS 9, CARDINALS 4Victor Caratini delivered a pinch-hit, tiebreaking,

three-run double in the sixth inning, and host Chicagopulled away for a win over St. Louis. Kyle Schwarberdoubled, homered and drove in two runs for the Cubs,while Javier Baez finished with a triple and two RBIs.Chicago fell behind 4-0 in the first inning but scoredthe next nine runs to notch its fifth victory in the pastsix games. Marcell Ozuna and Harrison Bader homeredfor St. Louis, which dropped back to .500 with its thirdloss in the past four games. The Cardinals fell to 0-5 atWrigley Field this season.

PHILLIES 4, REDS 1Nick Pivetta pitched his first career complete game,

J.T. Realmuto homered and Philadelphia beat visitingCincinnati for its fourth straight win. Coming off sixscoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers inhis previous outing, Pivetta allowed a run on six hitsand no walks while striking out six. He had never previ-ously gone beyond 7 1/3 innings. Pivetta (4-1) allowedhits to the first two Reds batters and then didn’t allowanother baserunner until Joey Votto’s leadoff single inthe seventh inning.

DODGERS 7, GIANTS 2Corey Seager had four hits and four RBIs to lift Los

Angeles over host San Francisco. Seager finished 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and has hits in 13 of his last 14games. Justin Turner, who was questionable to playbecause of a tight hamstring, went 3-for-3 with twodoubles, two runs and two RBIs. Los Angeles starterRich Hill (3-1) earned the win with five innings of two-run ball, allowing seven hits, walking three and strikingout six.

RAYS 9, RED SOX 2 (GAME 1)Ryan Yarbrough pitched a career-high 7 2/3 superb

innings, and Travis d’Arnaud backed him with a three-run homer as visiting Tampa Bay once again stymiedBoston’s bats in a win to kick off a day-night double-header. Yarbrough (5-2) gave up the two runs (oneearned) on four hits and struck out seven as the Rayswon their fourth straight to tie the New York Yankeesatop the American League East standings. The RedSox, who lost 5-1 Friday after entering the seriesoutscoring opponents 31-13 over a four-game winningstreak, were kept to one run until Jackie Bradley Jr.homered in the eighth. Star slugger J.D. Martinez wasagain sidelined by back spasms.

RED SOX 5, RAYS 1David Price matched his season high with 10 strike-

outs over six innings as Boston beat visiting Tampa Bayto salvage a split of a day-night doubleheader. Price(4-2) played stopper yet again after the Red Sox lostthe first two of the four-game series. He gave up onerun on five hits and walked two, recording seven of hisstrikeouts against the Nos. 3-5 hitters in the Rays line-up. Tampa Bay had a four-game winning streak cometo an end. As part of a bullpen game, Colin Poche (0-1)took the loss in his major league debut.

WHITE SOX 2, ROYALS 0Lucas Giolito outdueled Brad Keller, posting a

career-high 11 strikeouts, as Chicago defeated hostKansas City. Giolito didn’t give up his first hit until alead-off single in the fourth by Alex Gordon. At onestretch, he got eight straight outs via the strikeout. Hematched his career high of 10 strikeouts with two outsin the fifth inning. He broke it with his third strikeout of

that inning. The victory for Chicago set up a rubbergame for the series on Sunday, a contest that hasn’tgone well for the Royals. They are 0-5 in rubber gamesin 2019 and 0-13 in rubber games dating back to May30, 2018.

BREWERS 5, PIRATES 3Ryan Braun produced a tiebreaking single in the

fourth inning, and Milwaukee continued its successover visiting Pittsburgh. The Brewers moved to a sea-son-high nine games over .500, won for the eighth timein 12 games and improved to 5-1 against the Pirates ona day in which they stranded 13 and went 2-for-14 withrunners in scoring position. Braun, who hit a three-runhomer in Friday’s 10-4 win, snapped a 3-3 tie when helined a single to center field off Michael Feliz (2-2) toscore Lorenzo Cain. Mike Moustakas homered,Orlando Arcia had an RBI double and Cain produced arun-scoring single for the Brewers.

ORIOLES 4, ASTROS 1Andrew Cashner worked six solid innings, Anthony

Santander produced a sparkling defensive play, and TreyMancini scored the go-ahead run on an error in theeighth inning as Baltimore scratched out a victory overhost Houston. The Orioles will go for the series victorySunday in the rubber match. Baltimore is 0-11-1 in its last12 series, while the Astros are 9-0-1 over their last 10.

Left-hander Paul Fry (1-3) earned the win in relief for theOrioles. Miguel Castro notched his second save.

BRAVES 1, MARLINS 0Julio Teheran pitched six scoreless innings, and

rookie Austin Riley doubled and scored the game’s onlyrun as Atlanta defeated host Miami. Luke Jackson gotfour outs for his ninth save of the season, as the Braveshave won 18 of their past 22 games against the Marlins,including the first two contests in this series. ForTeheran (4-4, 3.03 ERA), this was the third time thisyear he has pitched at least five scoreless innings. Heallowed just two hits-one single and one double-walkedone and struck out five. He got eight ground-ball outsand three flyouts.

TIGERS 9, TWINS 3JaCoby Jones homered twice and drove in five runs,

and Christin Stewart also homered to lead Detroit tovictory over visiting Minnesota. Jones finished 3-for-4and also scored two runs while Miguel Cabrera,Gordon Beckham, Brandon Dixon and Harold Castroeach added two hits for Detroit, which snapped athree-game losing streak and won for just the secondtime in its last 15 home games. Nick Ramirez (2-0), thesecond of five Detroit pitchers, picked up the victory,allowing one run on three hits and three walks overthree innings. He struck out three. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Former unified mid-dleweight champion Gennady Golovkinturned back the clock on Saturday nightwith a sensational fourth-round knockoutof Steve Rolls in their super middleweightfight at Madison Square Garden.

The 37-year-old Kazakhstan fighterhit Rolls with a short left that sent theCanadian crumbling face first to the can-vas with one minute to go in the fourth infront of a crowd of 12,357.

“I feel great, I feel like a new baby,”said Golovkin. Golovkin, who was fightingfor the first time in nine months and com-ing off the first loss of his career, chose tofight the heavy underdog Rolls as hejockeys for a third fight against championSaul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

But in the back of everyone’s mind waslast week’s shocking heavyweight upsetthat saw unheralded and overweightAndy Ruiz steal three titles by disman-tling champion Anthony Joshua. Golovkinmade sure there was no repeat of that,using the first three rounds of the 164-pound fight to figure out how to breakdown the undefeated Rolls.

Golovkin sized him up by winning aclose first round. In the second, Rolls (10-1) hit him with a left hook and a left jabthat snapped Golovkin’s head back. ButGolovkin started to see cracks in Rolls’defence in the third round. He stayedpatient-even holding off and not throwingpunches despite getting Rolls in a vulner-able position. Golovkin’s the type of box-er who can put those moments away inhis muscle memory bank for use later inthe fight.

And that’s just what he did to finish offthe Canadian in the fourth, first landing achopping left hand to the top of the headthat hurt Rolls. The wobbly-kneed Rollsstaggered backwards and then triedunsuccessfully to get Golovkin in a clinch.

Golovkin worked his way out of itand then slammed a short left from asouthpaw stance into the face of Rollsfor the knockout. “It is my style toknock people out,” said Golovkin, whoonce had a 23 knockout streak. “I toldmy coach, ‘OK I see it now, I see, I justneed a little bit of time’.”

Asked who he wanted to fight next,

Golovkin didn’t hesitate, “Everybodyknows. I am ready for Canelo. Just bringhim, ask him. If you want a big dramashow, tell him.” Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs)made a number of key changes headinginto the scheduled 12-round fight.

He split with long-time trainer AbelSanchez and signed a lucrative six-fight

deal with US streaming company DAZNwhich may well smooth the way to a thirdbout with Alvarez, another DAZN fighter.

This was his first fight with newtrainer Johnathon Banks and he hopesalso a new beginning for his career. “Icome back to my knockout (ways),” hesaid. — AFP

S p o r t s Monday, June 10, 2019

26 Established 1961

Indians deny Sabathia 250th win, Mets defeat Rockies

CLEVELAND: DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees singles against the Cleveland Indians in the first inningat Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. —AFP

Angels go back-to-back-to-back in win over Mariners

Captain Morgan grateful for Roy’s ‘luxury’ runsCARDIFF: England captain Eoin Morgan saidJason Roy was a “luxury” after the opener’s latestbig hundred helped England thrash Bangladesh by106 runs as the hosts got their World Cup cam-paign back on course.

Roy’s 153 — his third one-day internationalscore of 150 or more in nine hundreds-tookEngland to an imposing 386 for six in Cardiff onSaturday.

It was just the start the World Cup favourites,top of the one-day international rankings, neededafter a surprise 14-run loss to Pakistan last time out.“It’s a luxury,” said Morgan after England made ittwo wins from three ahead of their match againstthe West Indies in Southampton on Friday.

“People in general, talk about scoring hundreds.He’s an exception to the rule. “He just goes on andget big scores. The rate he can get them at is sodifficult to defend.

“He scores all the way around the ground, hetakes really good bowlers down, he hits good ballsfor boundaries. He’s great to have in the side. “Oneof his biggest strengths at the moment is his tem-perament, compared to the start of his internationalcricket to right now, I think there is a considerabledifference.”

Roy has yet to play in a Test match but Morganinsisted: “I’ve said this before: I do think he couldplay Test cricket at some stage. “I think he hasevery attribute to be a Test cricketer.” Meanwhile,Jonny Bairstow, who helped Roy put on a rapid 128for the first wicket after England were sent into batat Sophia Gardens, said: “Having opened the bat-ting now for a long period of time for England, hisconfidence will be very high.

“It’s great for him to score 150 in the World Cupand you are hoping we can both kick on from thatstart today, be that a chase or setting, in one of thehuge games we’ve got coming up,” added Bairstow,who made 51.

The only worry for England following a domi-nant display was a hip injury suffered by Jos Buttlerwhen hitting a six during a typically dashing 64.Buttler did not keep wicket, with Test glovemanBairstow behind the stumps instead. “He is going tobe monitored over the next 48 hours, but at themoment it’s more precautionary rather than notbeing able to do his job,” said Morgan. “I am quiteconfident that it’s not a serious injury.” — AFP

NEW YORK: Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan (red trunks) trades punches with SteveRolls of Canada (white trunks) during their Super Middleweights fight at MadisonSquare Garden in New York City. — AFP

Dhoni removes dagger logofrom keepingglovesLONDON: MS Dhoni took the fieldwithout a controversial dagger logo onhis wicketkeeping gloves in yesterday’sWorld Cup game against Australia afterbeing ordered to remove the symbol bycricket’s governing body.

Dhoni’s gloves in the opening gameagainst South Africa bore an apparentmilitary insignia that breached rules laiddown by the International CricketCouncil. But a different pair of glovesappeared to conform with ICC regula-tions when India fielded after making352 for five batting first against worldchampions Australia at the Oval.

The ICC turned down a request by

the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) to allow Dhoni to sport the sym-bol that gained widespread attention ontelevision and on social media in India,with #DhoniKeepTheGlove trending onTwitter.

According to the World Cup clothingand equipment regulations manual, onlytwo manufacturer identifications can besported on the back of each glove. Also,any logos should not have any politicalor racial connotations.

Dhoni is an honorary lieutenantcolonel in India’s Parachute Regiment. InMarch, the India team wore camouflage-style caps provided by Dhoni during aone-day game against Australia as atribute to India’s armed forces after 40troops were killed in a suicide bombattack in Kashmir.

The ICC has previously ruled againstplayers making political statements andin 2104 the global governing bodybanned England all-rounder Moeen Alifrom wearing wristbands saying “SaveGaza” and “Free Palestine”. — AFP

Golovkin brutally knocks outRolls, calls for third Canelo fight

TAUNTON: New Zealand cementedtheir spot at the top of the cricket WorldCup league table with a seven-wicketvictory over minnows Afghanistanthanks to a unbeaten half-century byKane Williamson and fine bowling bytheir seam attack led by JimmyNeesham.

The Kiwis, despite losing MartinGuptill first ball of their innings, neverlooked in any serious trouble chasing apaltry 173 for victory at Taunton asWilliamson and Ross Taylor shared acentury partnership for the third wicketbefore getting home with more than 17overs to spare.

It was the Kiwis’ third consecutivevictory and puts them in pole positionfor the semi-finals, while Afghanistanhave recorded three straight losses. “Theteam have put together some strong per-

formances, but it is important that youjust move on and look forward to thenext challenge,” Williamson told a pressconference.

Williamson top-scored with anunbeaten 79 after surviving a missedrun-out chance on 22. He hit nine bound-aries in his 99-ball innings. Earlier,Afghanistan’s batting woes continuedafter their openers got them off to abrisk start’ with openers HazratullahZazai and Noor Ali Zadran putting on 66by the 11th over.

But man-of-the-match Neesham,who took a ODI career best 5-31, andLockie Ferguson (4-37) then grabbedfour wickets for four runs to reduceAfghanistan to 70-4. They never recov-ered and lost wickets steadily beforebeing bowled out for 172 with nearlyten overs to spare. — Reuters

Neesham, Williamson lead the wayas Kiwis demolish Afghanistan

S p o r t s Monday, June 10, 2019

27

GLASGOW: Substitute Oliver Burke ensured SteveClarke’s reign as Scotland manager got off to win-ning start as his late goal condemned minnowsCyprus to a 2-1 defeat in their EuropeanChampionship qualifying match at Hampden.

Scotland’s talismanic captain Andy Robertson,buoyed by his recent Champions League successwith Liverpool, fired in a sensational 61st minutestrike to open the scoring. The hosts had chances toadd to their tally but Hampden was silenced in the87th minute as Ioannis Kousoulos headed home anequaliser.

The joy amongst the small band of travellingCypriots support was short-lived as Burke tapped intwo minutes later to seal a victory that sees Clarke’sside move up to third in Group I, level on points withsecond placed Russia.

“We put ourselves in a position to win the gamewith a great strike from Robertson. I couldn’t seeCyprus scoring from open play but unfortunately weswitched off at a set play and got severely punishedfor it,” Clarke said of the win that moves his side upto third the group.

“But after that the players showed great charac-ter and resilience. It would have been easy for themto feel sorry for themselves but they didn’t and Ithink that bodes well for the future.” The win comesalmost 21 years to the day since Scotland facedBrazil in the opening game of France ‘98 - the lastmajor tournament the Scots qualified for.

Belgium are up next for Scotland but their per-formance against the world’s top ranked side willneed to be at a much higher level if they are to leaveBrussels with any kind of positive result. The famousHampden roar might not have been at full volumebut there was an air of optimism among the near32,000 strong Tartan Army who had becomeincreasingly disillusioned following a shambolic startto their Group I campaign.

Scotland’s 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan in theirgroup opener followed by an unconvincing perform-ance in the 2-0 win over lowly San Marino gave theScots a mountain to climb in terms of automaticqualification and ultimately cost Alex McLeish hisjob. In stark contrast to the unveiling of McLeish 15months previously, Clarke, named ScottishPremiership manager of the year for leadingKilmarnock into third place in the top flight, was apopular choice among the Tartan Army.

However, there was little for the support to getexcited about in the first half as the Scots seemedcontent to soak up the pressure while hitting Cypruson the break - something Clarke’s Kilmarnock sidebecame adept at in the Scottish Premiership.

Scotland’s main threat came down the left-handside as Robertson l inked up well withBournemouth’s Ryan Fraser and Callum McGregorof Celtic. However, the lack of a killer final ballmeant there were few opportunities for EamonnBrophy, who was handed his debut by his formerKilmarnock boss.

A Charlie Mulgrew free-kick that was pushedround the post was as close as it got for the Scotswith Cyprus more menacing in attack as Marshallsaved from Antreas Makris and Pieros Sotiriou.

The hosts started the second half on the frontbut just as the frustration was beginning to buildwithin Hampden, Robertson struck. The bal lbroke to the le f t-back 20 yards out and hearrowed an unstoppable shot past Urko Pardo inthe Cyprus goal.—AFP

Burke hits late goal for Scotland against Cyprus

Germany and Spain open World Cup with tense wins as Norway cruise

RENNES: The women’s World Cup moved up a gear onSaturday with three matches including a narrowGerman victory over China that left the winners com-plaining that they were roughed up, but today’s three-match programme finishes with a new chapter in theoldest international football rivalry, as England take onScotland in Nice.

Germany beat China 1-0 in Rennes on Saturday witha 66th-minute goal by 19-year-old Giulia Gwinn. Later,Spain came from behind against first-time participantsSouth Africa to win 3-1 and join Germany at the top ofGroup B.

In the evening, Norway found there is life after AdaHegerberg, scoring three times in 20 minutes in themiddle of the first half to beat Nigeria 3-0 in Group A.The Germans complained that the Chinese had aimedfor their ankles.

“They were often late in the tackles and kept catch-ing our feet,” said German captain Alexandra Popp.Coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said she had notbeen sure at one stage if star Dzsenifer Marozsanwould finish the match.

“A lot of our players were caught on the ankle today,and it doesn’t look good for some of them. What DzseniMarozsan suffered today was brutal.” “We were a littlesurprised by the assertive approach of the Chinese, butit’s a competitive game, not a friendly,” she said.

In Le Havre, South Africa took a shock lead withtheir first ever shot on target at a Women’s World Cupwhen Thembi Kgatlana, who plays for Beijing BGPhoenix in China, curled a right-foot shot into the topcorner in the 25th minute.

Spain dominated possession, but needed 69th and82nd-minute penalties, both converted by JenniferHermoso, to regain control of the game. Guro Reitenscored Norway’s first goal and gave a player-of-the-

match display to suggest Norway can thrive withoutLyon striker Hegerberg who refused to come to thetournament.

“I don’t think I have played better,” Reiten said. Thevictory puts Norway level with France at the top ofGroup A. England and Scotland meet for the first timein a Women’s World Cup.

England lost in the semi-finals in 2015 and at Euro2017 but those runs attracted attention and they wonthe prestigious SheBelieves Cup in the United Statesearlier this year. “For us as players, we know that thereis a lot more interest in our team, and obviously withthe results and the success that we have had with theSheBelieves, of course that brings a little bit of pressureand a little bit of expectation,” said the captain, StephHoughton.

Scotland kick off their first World Cup match withmemories still fresh from their 6-0 humbling at thehands of England at Euro 2017. The Scots are much-changed since the 2017 humiliation. Former Arsenalboss Shelley Kerr has taken over as coach and keyplayers who missed that game are set to feature thistime.

“Probably of all the teams we’ve got in the groupstages this is our toughest game by far. I think Scotlandcan go a long way in the competition with the qualitythey’ve got,” said England coach Phil Neville, eventhough Group D also contains Japan, winners in 2011and England’s semi-final conquerors four years ago.

Leading Scotland into a World Cup puts Kerr in aprivileged position. After all, the men have not been to amajor tournament since 1998. “Obviously it is our firstWorld Cup, we are the first Scottish team to play at aWorld Cup for over two decades,” said Kerr.

Earlier yesterday, there are two games in Group C.Australia, a constant force in women’s football take on a

rising power, Italy, in Valenciennes. Then the Sambafootball of Brazil encounters the Reggae Girlz ofJamaica in Grenoble. While former finalists Brazil still

boast the greatest woman footballer, Marta, Jamaica,appearing for the first time, are the lowest ranked teamin the tournament. — AFP

RENNES: Germany’s defender Giulia Gwinn (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the France 2019Women’s World Cup Group B football match between Germany and China, at the Roazhon Park stadium inRennes, western France. —AFP

Victory over Nigeria puts Norway level with France at the top of Group A

HONG KONG: Macau’s football chiefs have said they willnot send a team to Sri Lanka for a World Cup qualifyingmatch this week, citing security fears following the deadlyEaster suicide attacks. The decision sparked a rebukefrom Sri Lanka’s football authorities who insisted thecountry was safe for international matches and that theirteam had a right to play on home soil.

The Chinese enclave had been due to play Sri Lankaon Tuesday in the second leg of a qualifying first-roundclash. But in a statement the Macau Football Association(MFA) said it had decided not to send a team “due to therecent terrorist attack in Sri Lanka and for the sake of theteam’s personal safety”.

The MFA said it had asked FIFA, the Asian FootballConfederation and Sri Lanka’s footballing authorities toswitch the match to a neutral venue but the request hadyet to be granted. “MFA will have to put our players’personal safety as a priority. And, in the view of the factthat we cannot guarantee the safety of the team whilethey are in Sri Lanka and we cannot afford to take therisk to put our players’ lives in danger,” the statement,published Saturday night, said.

The decision is a blow for sport in Sri Lanka, a country

that has long hosted international sporting matches but iscurrently reeling from a series of coordinated Islamistsuicide attacks against churches and hotels on EasterSunday that killed more than 250 people. The FootballFederation of Sri Lanka said it had “fulfilled all securityrequirements” with FIFA and AFC ahead of the matchand noted that China had relaxed the travel advisoriessparked by the Easter attack. “It is paramount importantfor any national team to play in their home soil in front ofhome fans and especially in FIFA Official Qualifiers whichfall only every four years,” the federation said in a state-ment, adding it hoped Macau would change its mind.

Macau won the first leg 1-0 at home on Thursdaythanks to a second-half goal from Filipe Duarte as thefirst round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 FIFA WorldCup in Qatar got under way. — AFP

Macau pull out of WCup qualifier in S Lanka citing safety

CARY: Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, who will beright in the firing line for Canada at the women’sWorld Cup in France, knows all about the fight forequality in a male-dominated sport. The 32 year-oldis the player who wanted to take on the men at theirown game, literally.

After bringing home a bronze medal for Canada inthe 2016 Olympics, Labbe sought to rekindle a dyingpassion for football by training with a professionalCanadian men’s team. She joined the Calgary Foothills,a minor league club that serves as a feeder outfit forMajor League Soccer in the United States, in a bid tokeep sharp and show her credentials.

“As a goalkeeper I think it’s really good becauseyou’re facing fast shots, hard shots, the speed of thegame is really quick,” says Labbe, who grew up playingon men’s hockey and football teams, training with themen. Labbe’s performances were such that she endedup in the team for a 4-0 win in a pre-season game, butthe overseeing Canadian Professional DevelopmentLeague barred her from featuring in any future match-es, insisting on a “gender-specific league.”

“It was difficult to be told that you can’t playbecause of something that’s completely out of yourcontrol,” Labbe says. “It’s not something that I cango home and work on or change. My gender is mygender.”

Despite her frustrations, Labbe hopes her effortsinspire other women “not to limit themselves becauseof rules and because of gender.” “If you can put your-self in an environment where you’re going to bepushed and you can show that you can overcomechallenges with skill and pace...that’s really importantfor development.

“I think it’s really important we celebrate thosewomen.” She now turns out for the North CarolinaCourage in the American National Women’s SoccerLeague (NWSL), where she is put through her pacesin training sessions by a male goalkeeping coach,Nathan Thackery.

“Hold, drive, balance, good!” Thackery barks as heputs Labbe through her paces on the training ground,peppering her with shots. “It’s always kind of pushingme, keeping me on the edge of my limits,” she says ofthe sessions.

Amongst her club teammates, Labbe-set to start forCanada when they kick off their World Cup campaignagainst Cameroon in Montpellier today-is known forher humility. “She has a ton of accolades, but she’s moreof a silent leader,” says Courage defender MerrittMathias.

As for Labbe’s quest for gender parity, Mathias says“it’s because of people like her and her success that

we’ll keep driving this fight forward to get equality, ifnot for us then for the younger generation.”

In the US, the current generation of female soccerplayers has taken their battle to the courtroom. InMarch, the women’s national team filed a discriminationlawsuit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF), suingfor equal pay and working conditions to their less suc-cessful male counterparts.

The complaint points out that for their 2015 WorldCup victory, the women were paid less than one thirdof what the men earned for losing in the round of 16 a

year earlier. “What they’re doing is super important forthe rest of us around the world to kind of pave the wayfor us and to give us an opportunity to then follow intotheir footsteps,” says Labbe, who envisions pursuingsomething similar in her home Canada.

This will be her third World Cup, and she is hopingto go further than in 2015, when Canada lost in thequarter-finals as hosts. “We want to bring home thattrophy. We’re also realistic in that we realise there arefive or six other teams that are going in and saying thesame thing.” — AFP

Goalkeeper Labbe blazing trail for Canada at WCup

JUSSAC: Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen ofDimension Data won a sprint in a reduced pelotonof the chief race contenders after a short but chal-lenging opening stage of the Criterium duDauphine yesterday.

It was the third win of the season for the 32-year-old, who got the edge on Belgian pair PhilippeGilbert of Quick Step and Wout Van Aert of Jumbo.In a race seen as form sharpening for the Tour deFrance Chris Froome, riding in the black and red ofIneos, finished in the reduced group of around 35riders after the 142km run over six lush, green, hills inthe stunning Cantal region.

“I doubt I’ll be keeping the yellow jersey for long,”Boasson Hagen joked after the race, but his win is agood sign for his team with the Tour just three weeksaway. “I got a bit lucky with the positioning,” he saidafter coming round the back of Gilbert in the homestraight in a trademark powerful last 150 metres.

The day was marked by a long range attack thatstubbornly clung on to a slender lead until the final600 metres. At that moment Quick Step ace JulianAlaphilippe put the hammer down with Gilbert on hiswheel and a win for one of the Belgian classics spe-cialists looked a certainty.

“It shows I’ve got the legs,” Boasson Hagen toldFrance Television after his sprint. Earlier in the race,on the final climb, Quick Step also tried to get away,but Froome, Michal Kwiatkowski and the Ineos bandwere onto them immediately.

Monday’s second stage, a 180km undulating runfrom Mauriac in the Cantal region onto Craponne-sur-Arzon in the Haute-Loire offers the peloton eighthills to negotiate. —AFP

Froome shows form as Boasson Hagen wins Dauphine opener

Stephanie Labbe

SportIAAF has been left ‘frustrated’ as Russian athletes ban upheld

Golovkin brutally knocks out Rolls, calls for third Canelo fight

Germany and Spain open World Cup with tense wins as Norway cruise2725 26

Established 1961

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Nadal sweeps 18th Grand Slam title, just two behind Federer’s all-time record of 20 majors

PARIS: Winner Spain’s Rafael Nadal (2nd R), second-placed Austria’s Dominic Thiem (2nd L) pose with their trophies and with President of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) Bernard Giudicelli (L) and Australia’s tennis player Rod Laver(R) at the end of the men’s singles final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem on day fifteen of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris yesterday. —AFP

PARIS: Rafael Nadal swept to an historic12th Roland Garros title and 18th GrandSlam crown yesterday with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1,6-1 victory over Austria’s Dominic Thiem.The 33-year-old Spaniard becomes the firstplayer, man or woman, to win the sameSlam 12 times after seeing off a brave chal-lenge from a weary Thiem in a repeat of the2018 final.

Nadal is now just two behind RogerFederer’s all-time record of 20 majors andthree ahead of Novak Djokovic who wasknocked out by Thiem in the semi-finals.The world number two also took his Paris

record to an astonishing 93 wins and justtwo losses having previously won the title in2005-2008, 2010-2014, 2017 and 2018.

“I want to say congratulations toDominic. I feel sorry as he deserves to winit as well,” said Nadal. “But he has everychance in the future. He has unbelievabletalent for the sport and I want to encouragehim for the future.

“It’s a dream to win again, an incrediblemoment. When I first played here in 2005 Inever thought I would be still playing herein 2019. “It’s very special for me.” Sunday’striumph confirmed the ‘Big Three’ strangle-

hold on the Grand Slams having shared thelast 10 between them.

It also gave Nadal an 82nd career titleand 950th match win. “It’s very tough. Igave everything these last two weeks,” saidThiem, who had seven fewer winners andseven more unforced errors in the final.

“Rafa, well done. You are an amazingchampion and a legend in our sport. “I amhappy that you are playing. To win 12 times,it’s unreal.” “I will try again, for sure.”

In a 53-minute first set of brutal hittingand raw physicality, it was Thiem whobroke first for a 3-2 lead. But the 25-year-

old’s joy was short-lived as Nadal retrievedthe break in the sixth game before racingaway with the next three games to pocketthe opener. Thiem, who had beaten hisopponent four times on clay in his career,failed to claim a single point off Nadal’s firstfive service games of the second set.

However, the dogged Austrian pushedand pushed, forced Nadal into three rushedgroundstrokes and, from nowhere, broke totake the second set. It was the first set hehad managed to take off Nadal at RolandGarros after three previous defeats.

Nadal was riled by the insult. He swept

the first 10 points of the third set, carvingout a double break for 3-0 before sweep-ing to a third break for the set. Thiem, bid-ding to become just Austria’s second GrandSlam champion after Thomas Muster wonin Paris in 1995, had played four successivedays to reach yesterday’s final and the tollwas slowly telling. He wasted break pointsin the first and third games of the fourth setand Nadal pounced to stretch to 3-0. Thatwas soon 5-1 and the relentless barragecontinued with Nadal taking the title on asecond match point when Thiem fired areturn long. —AFP

Nadal wins historic 12th French Open

LONDON: India’s top order fired in unison and theirbowlers produced a tidy display to beat reigning worldchampions Australia by 36 runs in a thrilling World Cupmatch at the Oval yesterday.

Shikhar Dhawan (117) smashed his 17th ODI centuryand forged significant partnerships with fellow openerRohit Sharma (57) and skipper Virat Kohli (82) to powerIndia to a commanding 352-5.

Several frontline Australia batsmen got good starts butnone could bat deep enough to see them home as theywere all out for 316 in exactly 50 overs.

Steve Smith (69), David Warner (56) and Alex Carey(55 not out) scored the bulk of the runs for Australia, whotasted their first defeat after wins against Afghanistan andWest Indies earlier in the tournament.

India’s new ball pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-50) andJasprit Bumrah (3-61) shared six wickets between themwhile spinner Yuzvendra Chahal claimed 2-62. — Reuters

India secure 36-run winagainst Australia

LONDON: Australia’s Mitchell Starc (L) is run out by India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the 2019 Cricket WorldCup group stage match between India and Australia at The Oval in London yesterday.— AFP

NICE: Nikita Parris blasted home a penalty awarded after aVAR review to set England on their way to a 2-1 win over oldrivals Scotland in their opening match at the women’s World Cupin Nice yesterday.

Parris scored from the spot in the 14th minute and Ellen Whiteadded another goal for Phil Neville’s side five minutes beforehalf-time on the Cote d’Azur. A shaken Scotland fought back inthe second half, and Claire Emslie reduced the arrears with 11minutes to go, but they could not find an equaliser.

The Lionesses will still feel they were worthy winners. Among thefavourites to win this World Cup, they are now well set up toprogress from Group D before facing Argentina in Le Havre onFriday and then returning here to Nice to tackle former winnersJapan on June 19. Neville-who resembled men’s manager GarethSouthgate, sporting a waistcoat on the touchline-had warned thatthis would be his team’s toughest fixture in the group stage. However,at the Nice stadium where England’s men lost to Iceland at Euro2016 and which registered a crowd of just 13,188 for the occasion,Neville’s team ultimately got the job done in the first half against aScottish side playing their first ever match at the World Cup.—AFP

England win in women’s WCup opener