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FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020 / RAJAB 4-5, 1441 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17321 24 PAGES 150 FILS

basketballPages 21 & 24

ARRIVALS FROM ABROAD BOOST CORONAVIRUS CASES TO 43❑ QATARI AMIR ORDERS EVACUATION OF QATARI, KUWAITI CITIZENS FROM IRAN

Come home ... stay home, Kuwaitis toldFingerprint attendance system suspended

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday urged nationals who are currently abroad to return home.

In light of a statement (made earlier) by Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Interior calling on citizens to abstain from travelling except for necessities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Kuwaiti nationals who are abroad to return to Kuwait.

The Foreign Ministry said the call was intended to spare them hazards of infection of coronavirus and relieve them of rapid and changing precautions for entry and departure for travelers, undertaken by states as precautions against the virus.

The Cabinet added its voice urging Kuwaitis not to travel abroad unless it was necessary in line with the state’s efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh affirmed

that such calls for not traveling abroad came to ensure citizens safety and prevent them from being subjected to coronavirus countermeasures implemented by other nations.

The number of coronavirus cases in Kuwait went up to 43 after 17 new cases were reported, said the Health Ministry Thursday.

Assistant Secretary at the Health Ministry Dr Buthaina Al-Mudhaf told a press conference that the new number came after 1,675 swipe tests were taken from individuals returning from infected areas abroad.

The new announced cases are being quarantined in hospitals according to treatment protocols stipulated by WHO, affirm-ing that all those infected were in good health and recovering.

The government is continuing to follow up on all developments connected with the coronavirus to get better-informed and more ready to face the virus.

In a television interview late Wednesday, Minister of Health Dr Bassel Al-Sabah affirmed that the ministry was tak-ing necessary and precautionary measures to counter COVID-19 and inform the public on a regu-lar basis on the development lo-cally and internationally.

On the possibility of recov-ery, Dr Sheikh Bassel Al-Sabah affirmed that the percentage is at around 98 percent, indicating that a small percentage of cases resulted in death mostly among the elderly, young children, and those with severe illnesses.

He reaffirmed that all neces-sary precautions were taken to prevent the virus from causing any harm, stressing it was im-portant to follow official news sources in regards to the disease.

Globally, there are around 81,000 cases of the coronavirus with the most recorded in the epi-center of the disease China.

Kuwaiti Civil Service Com-mission issued a decree to sus-pend fingerprint attendance sys-tem in all government agencies starting from March first, said a Kuwaiti official Thursday.

ClarifiedIn a press statement, head of

the Kuwaiti Government com-munications center and its of-ficial spokesperson, Tareq Al-Mizrem clarified that new temporary measures will be is-sued as part of the government’s efforts to confront the emerging coronavirus.

Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued a de-cree on Wednesday ordering op-erating special flights to evacuate Qatari and Kuwaiti citizens from Iran.

Qatari news agency (QNA) said the decision was in response to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, in Iran.

During its extraordinary meet-ing held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Seif Palace, the Cabinet has tak-en a package of decisions to face the novel coronavirus, COVID 19, as follows:■ Suspending all government and private schools, colleges, universities and military col-leges, and Awqaf and Islamic Affairs educational centers as of March 1, 2020 until March 12, 2020.■ Tasking the Kuwait Supply Company with supplying local markets with sufficient quantities of face-masks to be used by citi-zens and expats to curb infection.■ Assigning the Social Affairs Ministry, in coordination with the Union of Consumer Coopera-tive Societies, to make available all sterilization products in all cooperative societies.■ Demanding the World Health Organization to send a special-ized global medical team as soon as possible to review and assess measures taken by the state bod-ies to control the new corona-virus and offer their advice and recommendations.

Measures■ Assigning Acting Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs to coordinate with the Speaker to hold a special session of the Parliament to allow the government to brief lawmakers about its measures to combat the virus.■ Urging all citizens and ex-pats to avoid gatherings, which may help spread infection and the epidemic, and embody con-structive cooperation as well as understand measures aiming to ensure their safety and protec-tion from the disease, and ignore rumors and untrue information circulated.

Earlier, the Cabinet had fol-lowed up the developments of the spread of the novel coro-navirus after the confirmation of some cases in Kuwait and the outbreak of the disease in some other countries all over the world, mainly in the Arabian Gulf region.

The Cabinet listened to a pre-sentation by Minister of Health Dr Sheikh Bassel Al-Sabah, head of the taskforce tasked with watching the developments of

Emergency numbersFOLLOWING are set of emergency num-bers announced by the Ministry of Health for Kuwaitis and residents to contact the authorities in case of suspicion of corona virus.

Capital Governorate: ........... 22531092Hawally Governorate: .......... 25311346Farwaniya Governorate: ...... 24796729Ahmadi Governorate: .......... 23940197Jahra Governorate:.............. 24572456Al-Sabah Hospital: ............... 24826592

Newswatch

WASHINGTON: Military students from Saudi Arabia have resumed flight train-ing at US bases, nearly three months after a Saudi trainee shot and killed three US Navy sailors at Naval Air Station Pen-sacola in Florida.

The US Navy said in a statement that flight training for the Saudi students re-sumed Tuesday. The training for about 850 Saudis at multiple US bases was sus-pended Dec 10, four days after the deadly shooting.

Operational training, such as flying and other non-classroom instruction, was allowed to restart once additional safety restrictions were put in place. (AP)

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WASHINGTON: The Trump administra-tion on Wednesday added the head of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia responsible for attacks on US troops in Iraq to its terror-ism blacklist.

The State and Treasury departments announced they had labeled Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary general of Ka-taib Hezbollah, a “specially designated global terrorist.”

As a result, any assets al-Hamidawi may have in US jurisdictions are frozen and Americans are barred from doing business with him. (AP)

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BEIRUT: Turkey-backed Syrian opposi-tion fighters Thursday retook a strategic northwestern town in Syria, opposition activists said, and cut off the key high-way linking the capital, Damascus, with the northern city of Aleppo, days after the government reopened it for the first time since 2012.

Despite the loss of Saraqeb, govern-ment forces made major gains to the south, taking control of almost the entire southern part of Idlib province with the capture of more than 20 villages Thurs-day, state media and opposition activists said. (AP)

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DAMASCUS: An Israeli drone fired a missile at a car in southern Syria on Thursday, killing one person, Syrian state TV reported.

The state-run media outlet gave no fur-ther details on the attack near the south-ern village of Hader in the Quneitra region on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It said the person killed was a civilian.

There was no immediate comment from Israel about the drone attack. (AP)

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CAIRO: Libya’s UN-backed government says 21 civilians have been killed, includ-ing at least 13 children, since Jan 9 cast-ing doubt on a fragile cease-fire the Trip-oli-based government and rival factions in the east agreed last month to observe.

The Field Medicine and Support Cen-ter, a rescue group affiliated with the Tripoli government, late Wednesday released the names of civilians killed in Tripoli by Hifter’s forces between Jan 9 and Feb 20. The list included another 31 civilians who were wounded. (AP)

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CAIRO: Rival Libyan politicians met on Wednesday for UN-sponsored political talks in Geneva aimed at ending the lat-est round of fighting over the country’s capital, Tripoli.

Yet just hours later, the High Council of State, an advisory body to the western Tripoli-based government, sent a letter to the UN mission demanding that talks be suspended until “concrete progress is made” in ongoing military negotiations. (AP)

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TUNIS: Tunisia has a new government at last, after four months of arguing among rival parties in the young North African democracy.

After a 15-hour debate, the Tunisian parliament voted 129-77 with one absten-tion to approve the government of Prime Minister-designate Elyes Fakhfakh ear-ly Thursday. A previous effort to form a government by a different prime minister failed last month. (AP)

Saudis ban foreign pilgrims

Friday prayers cancelled in TehranDUBAI, Feb 27, (Agencies): Saudi Arabia on Thursday banned foreign pilgrims from entering the Kingdom to visit Islam’s holiest sites over the new coronavirus, potentially disrupting the plans of millions of faithful ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and as the annual Hajj pilgrim-age looms.

The decision showed the growing worry across the Mideast about the virus as Iran confirmed that infected cases in the country spiked by over 100, to 254 now. Those with the virus in the Islamic Repub-lic now include Iranian Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as the English-language spokeswoman “Mary” for the 1979 hostage-takers who seized the US Embassy in Tehran and sparked the 444-day diplomatic crisis, state media reported.

A total of 26 people have died so far in Iran, the world’s highest death toll outside of China, where the outbreak began.

Saudi Arabia’s barring of pilgrims from Makkah, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day, and also the holy city of Madinah, appeared unprecedent-ed in modern history. The Kingdom’s Al Saud ruling family stakes their legitimacy in overseeing and pro-tecting the sites. Authorities also suspended entry to travelers from nations affected by the new virus who hold tourist visas for the Kingdom.

It appeared Saudi officials worried about the risk of pilgrims spreading the virus as they had in Iran. The virus’ epicenter in the Islamic Republic is the holy Shiite city of Qom, where the faithful in rev-erence reach out to kiss and touch a famous shrine. That shrine and others have remained open, despite Iran’s civilian government calling for them to be closed.

There have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Saudi Arabia amid the outbreak.

“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all interna-tional measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement an-nouncing the decision. “We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm.”

News of the cancellation shocked the Muslim world, as many save their entire lives for a chance to see the Kaaba and walk along the path of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and visit his tomb in Madinah.

Hundreds of faithful deplaned in Pakistan as the ban came into effect, while Indonesia and Turkey had to turn away thousands of pilgrims set to fly. Authorities at Cairo’s international airport said the Saudi decision created “intense confusion” and “ex-treme anger” among thousands of passengers wait-ing for flights. Security officials needed to call in reinforcements to control the crowd as news of the ban broke, said the officials, who spoke on condi-tion of anonymity as they weren’t allowed to speak to reporters.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretariat General has affirmed its support to all preventive and proactive measures taken by Saudi Arabia to provide the maximum protection to citi-zens and expats planning to perform Umrah pilgrim-age and visit Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

It was a precautionary and preventive move to pre-vent the entry of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, into the Kingdom.

DecisionIn a press statement, the Secretariat said the deci-

sion on suspending entry to Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage or visiting Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy is tem-porary and will contribute to maintaining the safety of pilgrims and visitors.

Seyed Hadi Khosroshahi, former Iranian am-bassador to the Vatican, was counted amongst the coronavirus fatalities, said a media source Thurs-day.

The state-run news agency (IRNA) indicated that Khosroshahi, 81, died Wednesday after he was ad-mitted to the hospital. The late official has held sev-

eral positions during the 1980s.Earlier on, deaths due to the coronavirus in Iran

went up to 26 people, while confirmed cases reached 245 individuals.

Semiofficial news agencies in Iran are reporting that Friday prayers have been canceled in Tehran and elsewhere in the Islamic Republic over the outbreak of new coronavirus.

The news came Thursday as Iran drastically in-creased the number of confirmed cases of the virus by over 100 to 254, with 26 deaths.

The announcement came as Saudi Arabia on Thursday banned foreign pilgrims from entering the Kingdom to visit Islam’s holiest sites over the new coronavirus, potentially disrupting the plans of millions of faithful ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and as the annual Hajj pilgrim-age looms.

Turkish Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to Azerbaijan’s autonomous Nakhchivan region and also carried out measures to disinfect 250 planes, the company said Thursday.

Turkey’s national flag carrier continues flying to the Azerbaijani capital Baku and Ganja, the coun-try’s second-largest city, the airline’s chairman Ilker Ayci added in a press release.

The airline disinfected more than 250 aircraft as part of measures to fight coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, he reaffirmed.

In the wake of a dozen deaths from coronavirus in neighboring Iran, service there has been suspended, along with flights to China, where the outbreak be-gan.

The Arab League called on Thursday on Arab States to join hands to stop mounting spread of coro-navirus.

The Arab League is aspiring to see boost of com-munications, information swap and continuous co-ordination among the member States against the epidemic, said Ambassador Haifaa Abu Ghazala, the Arab League Secretary General Assistant for Social Affairs.

Abu Ghazala, who also called for aiding countries stricken with the deadly virus, noted that number of cases infected with the contagious disease has been increasing in China and other nations including Arab States.

She, addressing the 53rd regular session of the Arab Council of Health Ministers, expressed ap-preciation for precautions that have been taken by China, Arab countries and the World Health Organi-zation to stem spread of the disease.

Abu Ghazala affirmed the council bids to ensure good health standards and living for citizens of all ages in the Arab world through the sustainable de-velopment plan 2030.

The session agenda includes a number of topics related to Arab citizens’ health, a basic factor for socio-economic development.

In this Feb 24 photo, Muslim pilgrims pray near the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as worshippers circumambulate around during the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah in the Muslim holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia halted on Feb 27 travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears of the global outbreak of the new coronavirus just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming as the Mideast has over 220

confi rmed cases of the illness. (AP)

A worker disinfects subway trains against coro-navirus in Tehran, Iran, in the early morning of

Feb 26. (AP)

Iraqi health officials and Civil Defense staff wear-ing protective suits spray a hotel used by Iranian citizens with disinfectant as a precaution against

the coronavirus in Najaf, Iraq on Feb 26. (AP) Continued on Page 2Continued on Page 2

LOCALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

2

Kuwait diplomatic missionsabroad mark National Days

Alolaimi stresses deep rooted ties between Kuwait and India

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): Kuwait’s Embassies to Morocco, Romania and the Czech Republic as well as Con-sulate General in Mum-bai, India, have marked the 59th National Day, the 29th Liberation Day and the 14 anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s as-sumption to power.

In Morocco, the Kuwaiti Embassy held a reception on this occasion that included a number of senior offi cials.

On the sidelines of attending the reception, Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani lauded in a statement to KUNA the depth of fraternal relations between Kuwait and Morocco under the leadership of their wise leaders.

He expressed his pride for the bilateral ties between the two countries and their nations.

He affi rmed keenness on boosting the bilateral relations and pushing them to further ho-rizons.

Kuwait’s Ambassador to Ro-mania Talal Al-Hajri recalled, during a reception held on this occasion, the achievements made during the last years and sacrifi ces offered by the ances-tors to build a modern state through a moderate and wise policy.

He pointed to the approach of the Kuwaiti diplomacy led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

He commended the ties be-tween Kuwait and Romania, describing them as “good”, and the developed cooperation in political, economic and cultural domains.

Furthermore, the Kuwaiti Embassy in the Czech Repub-lic hosted a reception on the National Days that featured a number of senior offi cials, poli-ticians, and heads of Arab and foreign diplomatic missions.

Kuwait’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic Rashed Al-Hajri conveyed the greetings and congratulations to His High-ness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the government and people.

He emphasized that the mod-erate policy adopted by Kuwait gained the respect of interna-tional community.

He noted that this policy led to the UN honoring of His High-ness the Amir as a Humanitarian Leader and Kuwait as a Human-itarian Center.

RelationsHe extolled the deep-rooted

relations between Kuwait and the Czech Republic in all fi elds, not-ing that they have common views and stances regarding a number of current international issues.

The Kuwaiti Consulate Gener-al in Mumbai held a reception on the Nationals Days on Tuesday.

A number of senior govern-ment offi cials at the state of Ma-harashtra and many accredited Arab, Gulf and foreign diplo-matic missions were present.

Speaking at the reception, Consul General Mansour Alolai-mi stressed the deep-rooted rela-tions between Kuwait and India.

He also conveyed the greet-ings and congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the govern-ment and people.

He prayed to Allah Almighty to maintain security and pro-gress in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, In a statement to the people, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah recalled the joyous occasion of the libera-tion of Kuwait from the seven-month Iraqi occupation in 1990-91, saying that it was a pivotal movement in Kuwait history.

He added that the national oc-casions should be a reminder for all the people of Kuwait to stand together and work hand-in-hand for the welfare and prosperity of the country.

Sheikh Sabah thanked citi-zens and expatriates for their sincere feelings during the ad-vent of the national occasions and commended government and private bodies for contribu-tions to the celebrations.

His Highness the Amir thanked all those who congratu-lated the Kuwaiti leadership and people from within the country and abroad, saying it was impor-tant to remember the sacrifi ces made by various individuals, both men and women, for the sake of the development and progress of Kuwait.

KUNA photoSaudi and Kuwaiti fl ags together in the celebration.

Participated in ‘Maker Faire’ event

Al Shammeri defi es challengesfaced by young entrepreneurs

KUNA photoCelebrations at the Embassy of Kuwait in Czech Republic.

Celebrations at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Romania to mark the 59th National Day and the 29th Liberation Day.

Kuwait fl ag adorns Riyadh buildingsThe fl ag of Kuwait has ornamented the buildings of the Saudi capital of Riyadh in a good gesture marking Kuwait’s 59th National Day and 29th Liberation Day.

Folk ensembles sang Kuwaiti na-tional and traditional songs at malls and touristic facilities as people hoist-ed the national fl ags of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait.

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: Saad Al-Shammeri makes a clear example of an ambitious Kuwaiti youth. Defying the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, he succeeded in reserving a place in the investment platform with an exclusive product, a cement mixture characterized with four unconventional specifi cations, reports Al-Rai daily.

Al-Shammeri, who works as an assis-tant engineer, is a welder. His ambition did not stop at his fi eld of study. Rather, he propelled it towards the passion of fi ne art and graphic design, according to his vision: “The world on its capacity cannot accommodate our dreams.

\What we should do is to strive to-wards achieving our dreams, and if we cannot, at least we would have taken a step to success to enable us achieve the goal even after a while,” he said.

Al-Shammeri participated in the events of the “Maker Faire”, with home accessories made of a cement mixture, but as soon as you touch or carry it, doubt kicks in on the material used for such home accessories. He takes the initiative to say, “It is my own cement mixture, I worked fi ve years to reach such features that represent a competi-tive advantage for me in the market, and which will also help me reach my future goals, whether in creativity or entering the world of fi nance and business.”

He indicated his cement mixture has four main characteristics that distinguish

it in the market, namely:1. Weight: It is considered lighter than

other mixtures in a very noticeable rate.2. Texture: It has a smooth texture and

could simply be used without the need for smoothening it with sand paper.

3. Hardness: The mixture has high levels of solidity despite its light weight.

4. Insulation: It is heat insulated and benefi ts those using it for that purpose, especially in the Gulf weather character-ized by seasons of extreme heat.

Al-Shammeri said he seeks to put this mixture for sale in the near future pro-vided that it’ll be used at that stage for handicrafts and accessory making, indi-cating at the same time that he received offers from some construction industries to use it.

After setting out with his own mixture from his house amid persistent work for over a period of fi ve years, he expressed hope that his cement mixture will be-come a commercial product used by anyone, in order to create a milestone in the decoration and accessories sector, all the way up to construction and building.

Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to “celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset”, and the fl agship Maker Faires are held in San Mateo, California, Detroit and New York City, whereas the New York Maker Faire is also known as the “World Maker Faire”.

Banks to provide all preventive equipment

CBK directs local banks to takemeasures against ‘coronavirus’KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has di-rected all local banks to take preventive measures so as to face the novel coronavi-rus, COVID-19, to protect employees and customers through providing sterilization materials and face masks as well as all re-quired preventive equipment.

In a press statement issued on Thurs-day, the bank stressed its keenness on the safety of all workers and customers in the banking sector.

The bank also affi rmed working on in-tegration with all efforts made by all con-cerned bodies in Kuwait to face the virus and prevent its spread, the statement noted.

It asked the banks to provide all pre-ventive equipment, mouth-masks and sterilization materials at all locations of

automated teller machines (ATMs), and direct all customers to use them neces-sarily before and after using the ATMs, it pointed out.

All local banks must urge their custom-ers to benefi t from e-channels through the applications of smartphones or e-location to achieve transactions without going to branches, if not necessary, it stated.

The banks also are asked to appeal to their customers to use bankcards instead of banknotes, according to the statement.

In addition, the CBK called on the banks to write awareness messages on means of protection instructed by the Ministry of Health through its accounts on social media and other channels so as to target the largest segment of custom-ers, the statement concluded.

Come home …Continued from Page 1

the disease, on the current implemen-tation of the emergency plan and the precautionary measures to cure the confi rmed cases in Kuwait who came from Iran.

He noted that the infected cases have been moved to a well-equipped government hospital to get treatment.

The minister stressed that those who have infected with the virus are in sta-ble condition, referring that all neces-sary steps are taken, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry, to evacuate all nationals who are in the infected countries, test them and place them under obligatorily quarantine. In ad-dition, the ministers listened to some presentations by a number of ministers on the measures by the government bodies to face the spread of the coro-navirus and means of coordination to achieve the desired goals.

The Cabinet expressed its appre-ciation to the efforts by offi cials at the Ministry of Health and all government bodies to fi ght the virus.

In the light of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus worldwide, pas-sengers leaving Kuwait via airports or land outlets have to undertake to comply with the safety rules set forth by the ministries of health and interior upon their return.

The regulations include remaining in a 14-day quarantine if need be pur-suant to Act 8 (1969) and cooperation with the competent authorities in order to curb the spread of the virus and pro-tect the public health in Kuwait, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Thursday.

In case of failure to meet the obliga-tions, travelers would be liable to legal measures stipulated in the above-men-tioned law, the statement reminded.

Saudis banContinued from Page 1

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lebanon believes there is a “window of hope” to contain coronavirus locally because it has not spread on a wide scale.

Iman Al-Shanqity, in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), stressed on necessity of promoting public awareness about the novel virus, how it spreads and means of protection against it.

Al-Shanqity affi rmed signifi cance of stringent measures that were taken by China. Cases that were later discovered in 20 states were of travelers who were in the Asian nation, epicenter of the epidemic.

Dangers are high in China because the epidemic broke out there. The haz-ards are high too in Lebanon because of direct fl ights with states that have wit-nesses spread of the disease – namely Italy and Iran, she added.

Elaborating on the situation in Leba-non, Al-Shanqity has said, “We are trying to impose tighter inspection on aircraft fl ying from epidemic-stricken countries, namely passengers with symptoms of the disease by placing them, as a precaution, at the public Raf-ic Al-Hariri Hospital to take necessary measures.”

“The situation in the Gulf States is different because most of the cases in Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq are related to travels to Iran,” said Al-Shanqity, adding that WHO focuses attention on countries where the dis-ease has spread locally — namely Iran and Italy.

Assessing Lebanon’s response to the international action in facing the virus, she said Lebanon “has shown full trans-parency with respect of the facts related to the virus, fi rstly with regard of equip-ment and secondly, publicizing the fi rst case of confi rmed infection.”

LOCALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

3

Al-Ghanim reschedules the special session on coronavirus to March 2

Bid to dispel rumors and reveal factsBy Saeed Mahmoud Saleh

Arab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: National Assembly Speak-er Marzouq Al-Ghanim has rescheduled the spe-cial session on coronavi-rus to March 2, instead of March 1, due to the prior commitments of some ministers.

Al-Ghanim had earlier called for this session to discuss the measures taken by the govern-ment regarding coronavirus. He said the session aims to respond to citizens’ questions, dispel ru-mors and reveal facts.

Meanwhile, MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari has stressed the im-portance of enhancing media activities; including media cam-paigns being conducted by the Ministry of Information to raise public awareness on coronavirus.

MP Muhammad Barrak Al-Mu-tairi urged the National Assembly Offi ce to arrange medical check-up for everybody - including MPs and employees of the Assembly’s Secretariat General - who will at-tend the upcoming session in or-der to make sure no one is infected with coronavirus, considering some of those who came from Iran allegedly interacted with others upon arrival to Kuwait.

MP Abdullah Fehad consid-ers Iran’s decision to prevent the entry of the medical crew on the aircraft allotted for Kuwaitis who will return home from Mash-had Airport an aggressive action against neighboring countries, especially after it concealed the actual number of Iranians infected with coronavirus. He added the GCC countries must take a fi rm decision regarding Iran’s attitude.

In another development, sourc-es disclosed the Public Author-ity for Civil Information (PACI) received complaints about the names of voters recorded under the addresses of some citizens as the latter do not know these per-sons.

Sources affi rmed PACI looked

Kuwaiti volunteers celebrate national holidays with Syrian orphans in Turkey.

General view of Kuwait Towers. (Badr Shihab – KUNA)

into these complaints which were proven to be groundless, stressing that procedures are strictly followed in register-ing voters under one address to prevent errors. Sources said voters residing in houses for rent should personally appear

at PACI to present the rent con-tract along with the landlord who will confi rm that the infor-mation presented by the tenant is correct. Sources pointed out that the automated system does not approve the registration if the number of families regis-

tered under the same address exceeds four.

Another source from the Elec-tions Affairs Directorate said the voters list has been verifi ed, af-fi rming the removal of citizens who died and inclusion of those who reached 20 years old.

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): Kuwait Airways will operate a special fl ight on Thursday to evacuate nationals from the Italian city of Milan after registering death of some cases infected with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, there.

In a press statement, the na-tional carrier said on Wednes-

day that the fl ight is set to take off at 2:25 pm (Milan local time) and return home at 10:15 pm (Kuwait time). The evacuation process comes in coordination with the ministries of foreign af-fairs, health and interior, as well as the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, it added.

It expressed its readiness

to any assignment by the con-cerned bodies to evacuate further Kuwaiti passengers if necessary to ensure their return home safely, it noted.

Up to 12 of those infected with coronavirus have been died in Italy, while the number of infected cases reached 374 in seven provinces.

Iraq bans travel to Kuwait

Ministry of Commerce cancelsexhibitions due to coronavirusKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced cancelling all planned exhibitions and events as well as issuing of relevant permissions un-til further notice.

In a press statement on Wednesday by the Ministry said the precautionary measure was taken in accordance with the cabinet instructions after its meet-ing on Feb 17.

It aims to maintain public health and help control coronavirus (COVID-19)

Meanwhile, Iraqi Ministerial Com-mittee in charge of confronting the new coronavirus, COVID-19, decided on Wednesday, to close schools and universities and to prevent Iraqis from traveling to several countries, among them the State of Kuwait.

In a statement, the committee said that it has decided to prevent the travel of Iraqis to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Kuwait and Bahrain, with the excep-tion of offi cial and foreign delegations and diplomatic missions.

The committee also decided to ban the entry of visitors from Kuwait and Bahrain until further notice, after it had previously prevented entry of vis-itors from the seven remaining coun-tries on the list.

The committee also decided to shut down educational institutions and uni-versities, starting tomorrow, Thurs-day, until the seventh of next March.

The committee banned gatherings in public places, calling on concerned

authorities to take the necessary meas-ures to implement these decisions.

Earlier, Iraq announced the confi r-mation of fi ve cases of COVID-19, the fi rst of which belonged to an Irani-an student who was in Najaf Province.

Furthermore, Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Saud Al-Harbi on Thursday declared special measures for the sector in line with recent Cabinet instructions in light of coronavirus breakout.

The minister indicated in a state-ment classes would proceed until end of upcoming fasting month of Rama-dan (expected between April 23 and May 23). Examinations would be held immediately after Eid Al-Fitr, he said, indicating that there would be changes for the second semester date as well as start of the next academic year.

Indefi nite postponement is ap-plicable on interviews for employ-ing supervisors, training courses and workshops and interviews for hiring non-Kuwaiti personnel.

Managers of schools have been ad-vised to ensure that all proper health precautions are in place, along with necessary hygiene at rest rooms. Moreover, clinics at schools must be fully equipped to deal with coronavi-rus cases.

Furthermore, a hotline will be set up for instant communication between schools and the ministry. Also, gath-erings will be banned at the ministry buildings, educational zones and af-fi liate facilities.

KAC operates special fl ight to evacuate citizens

LOCALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

4

Cabinet orders naming famousmonument after late Mubarak

FM offers condolences on demise

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27, (KUNA): Upon directives from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Cabinet has instructed naming one of Kuwait’s famous monuments after late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in recog-nition of his princi-pled stance in sup-port of Kuwait dur-ing the Iraqi occu-pation in 1990s.

The Cabinet, in an extraordinary meeting held on Wednesday, mourned with great sor-row the former Egyptian leader who demised last night, extending sincere condolences to Egyptian President Abdelfatah El-Sisi, to the Egyptian people, and to his family.

It stated that with the death of Mubarak, the Arab world lost a historic figure who left remarkable hall-marks in serving the causes of his homeland and issues of the Arab and Islamic worlds.

The Cabinet also recalls, especially during current National Day and Liberation Day anniversaries, with gratitude and appreciation Mubarak’s firm historical stance, and pivotal role in shaping the Arab position in rejecting – from the first moments – the treacherous Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah on Thursday offered condo-lences to the government and people of Egypt over the passing away of former president Hosni Mubarak.

A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION

DIWANIYA‘Probe minister for ‘home quarantine’

‘Competent target, corrupt protected’“ACCORDING to sources from the Ministry of Health, eight people coming from the Iranian city of Mashhad were found infected with the novel corona virus. The infection was discovered after laboratory tests were conducted on them,” columnist Saud Al-Samaka wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.

“However the Minister of Health, in agreement with some parliamentarians gave permission for those infect-ed people coming from Iran to be quarantined in their respective homes and not in the hospitals of the Ministry of Health or places designated for people to be quaran-tined where they can be under the watchful eyes and direct observation of the health officials which is a clear evidence that electoral interests played a vital role in the decision of the Health Minister who bowed to the demands of the MPs.

“This means even in such situ-ations ‘wasta’ played the central role without paying concern to the health of the citizens and resi-dents in the country because those who arrived from Iran may be infected by the corona virus and can end up infecting the entire household. What are the Minister of Health and the MPs up to? Why the Kuwaitis who arrived from Iran were not referred to the concerned authority and quarantined to complete the incubation period?

“Does this behavior suit a top official? Can we say this minister, more as a doctor respects the honesty and lives up to the oath of his profession? Does he deserve to be entrusted with the portfolio of the Ministry of Health given the exceptional circumstances the nation and the entire world are passing through? The virus has haunted the world from one end to the other and an unprecedented state of alert has been declared, while we seem to toy with the issue.

“Is this a government worthy to remain in power? The reign began with two ministers, one of whom is convicted by a final court verdict and the other is accused of forgery. Then comes along a minister who allows people returning to the country from another country infected with a deadly epidemic to go to their homes without being subjected to mandatory quarantine although fully aware if he is infected he can pass the disease to the entire household.

“Does this minister know the seriousness of his deci-sion and the fatal repercussions which can go a long way in infecting a big number of people they come in contact with and help spread the virus? All this is done to satisfy the deputies in the National Assembly to earn their loyalty so that he is not grilled in future.

“Of course, we do not have a real National Assembly. Even if one or two deputies are loyal and we can count loyal deputies on our fingertips it has no effect. However, if such a thing had to happen in the Parliament of another country, where MPs are patriotic, conscien-tious, honest and responsible for their acts, they would immediately hold the government responsible and inter-rogate and work to file a no-confidence motion against the entire government unlike our silly grilling which the MPs get involved into to satisfy their selfish interests or the interests of their constituencies forgetting the inter-ests of the nation. They target ministers who are compe-tent and defend the corrupt.

“The responsibility is on the shoulders of His Highness the Prime Minister, who in turn is responsible in such exceptional and sovereign circumstances to immediately dismiss the Minister of Health for committing a sin against the people in Kuwait. He (Health Minister) has taken a decision which is seen as a crime against the people of this country by caving in to the requests of MPs by allowing citizens coming from Iran, a country infected by the corona virus to be ‘quarantined’ inside their homes and not the facilities provided by the state. His decision can bring catastrophe to the entire country.

“I strongly believe the Prime Minister should have referred the Health Minister to the Public Prosecution on charges of harming the people and putting their lives at risk in the aftermath of the deadly epidemic.

“Either the Prime Minister dismisses the first person responsible for the spread of the epidemic – the health minister – or he resigns with his government, which is only logical and reasonable from the moral point of view since one minister has already been found guilty by a court and another stands accused of fraud.

“The former minister of health, Maasouma Al-Mubarak, resigned following the outbreak of fire at the Jahra Hospital although she had nothing to do with the issue, but her delicate political sense and her respect for the government demanded she take the decision in the face of the crises since she was responsible for the health sector.

“Therefore, it is the political and moral duty of the Minister of Health and he should be immediately dis-missed from office and referred to the Public Prosecution.”

Also:“Unfortunately what we had warned of in a previous

article happened since Kuwait is part of a global scandal when it comes to our medical system – a scandal which has reverberated everywhere – just because the Ministry of Health caved in to political pressure a few days ago and failed to quarantine Kuwaitis who arrived from Iran but allowed them to go home with an undertaking that they will isolate themselves from their family members inside their homes for 14 days in total disrespect for the simple law, disrespect for the nation and disrespect for the safety of compatriots and people living in the coun-try,” columnist Zayed Al-Zaid wrote for Annahar daily.

“The Ministry of Health gave us a headache for sev-eral days with its preparations in line with the interna-tional standards and undertaken by health organizations headed by the World Health Organization, but failed to confront the virus upon when it first appeared in Kuwait.

“The Kuwaitis saw for themselves the differences between tests and medical preparations at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Airport when the Kuwaitis evacuated from Iran arrived. These preparations were in sharp contrast with that of the developed and underdeveloped nations around the world in terms of receiving their citizens who were evacuated from the corona virus countries.

“The carelessness on one hand and caving in to political pressures (from the MPs) who know nothing about medicine but are well-versed in electoral purposes and selfish motives, is conclusive evidence that the Minister of Health has failed to manage this vital and sensitive sector especially at this particular time.

“Therefore, the Minister of Health should bear the responsibility of the scandal of allowing more than 700 Kuwaitis who returned from Iran were allowed to go home with an undertaking to quarantine themselves, a decision which the entire media in the Middle East has ridiculed and it we are not far from criticism of the Western media.

“The risk of this news reaching the Western media will not be limited to distorting or ridiculing Kuwait’s image and showing the extent of failure of its medical sector, but will go beyond what is more dangerous than publishing Kuwait’s image as a carrier of the disease, which will lead to Kuwaitis being ‘harassed’ at all world airports just like the Chinese and the Iranians, all

this will happen because of the negligence and indiffer-ence of the Ministry of Health.

“There is nothing more to say but to heed the call of the director of the Chest Hospital, Dr Reem Al-Asousi, who said all 700 people who were allowed to go home should ‘hand over themselves’ to be quarantined along with those who came in contact with them – including family members and domestic workers – for fear of the epidemic spreading in the country.”

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“Many people in the country asked us to write about political corruption but we opted to move away because it is clear, unfortunate and hasty in what is not worth explaining. However, there is another way to measure it – through the biography of the most wonderful person-ality in Kuwait’s political history during the period before the rigging of the 1967 elections, which will make it clear to everyone the reason why we are so weak”, Bader Khalid Al-Bahar wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“Before the first constitutional crisis in the first Parliament in 1964, it was common for a conflict among some members of the ruling family to take over the position of prime minister. Soon that was decided by appointing the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem, who asked Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Saqer to nominate some of the deputies to serve as ministers. He submitted several names out of which three of them were chosen – Hammoud Al-Nisf, Abdel-Aziz Al-Shaya, and Muhammad Al-Ghanim.

“After Al-Saqer informed his colleagues of their choice, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem retreated from one of them, and Al-Saqer felt that the agreement was broken. He said, ‘It is incumbent upon me to respect the princi-ples and commitment to give up my position as the National Assembly Speaker’. So the prime minister retreated and accepted all the names, which is the first reason for Al-Saqer not to resign.

“As for the actual resignation from the National Assembly, its memory is still alive today since 1965. He indicated in his letter of resignation to the Parliament that ‘some members of the government were behind this intransigence’. They made this uproar that was issued by an elected group in the Parliament, in which it was sup-posed to welcome the popular development in the forma-tion of the Cabinet, in a reference from him to a govern-ment alliance with the majority of the lawmakers.

“Indicating that Kuwait could avoid the crisis, he also said, ‘In light of all this, it was impossible for me to continue fulfilling my duty as the National Assembly Speaker in this atmosphere charged with violations without expecting the consequences. I ask the honorable Parliament to accept my resignation’. His resignation was accepted and ten members, including Al-Khatib and Al-Qatami, resigned with him.

“The events took place when a majority in the 1964 Parliament withdrew twice because the first constitu-tional government was not able to take oath before the Parliament, the first in the December 8 session after taking the oath before the Amir. They justified this once because Al-Saqer did not consult them when nominat-ing members of the Cabinet, and another to object to one of the ministers.

“As for the second withdrawal, it was during the December 12 session when 31 members objected, as a majority, with government support to the unconstitu-tionality of the ministerial formation for violating Article 131, which stipulates that the minister shall not assume any public office or engage in commercial activity. This was because there were three merchants in the government nominated by Abdul-Aziz Al-Saqer.

“Here Al-Saqer affirmed that it was useless to con-tinue, and submitted his resignation. He insisted on it, despite the Amir’s attempt to dissuade him, but he waited for it until the Amir returned from a treatment trip in Bombay. When Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem returned on December 27, he made the choice to dis-solve the government instead of the Parliament, due to his concern about the parliamentary life.

“Then, the government was re-formed on January 1, 1965. It was headed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem and it took an oath before the Parliament despite the presence of two merchants. After this, the Amir left again to complete his treatment. When he returned, Abdulaziz Al-Saqer resigned the same day, as mentioned at the beginning of the article.

“Here, we affirm, regardless of the accuracy of the succession of events, the lightness, cheapness and lack of importance of positions for some men, when their morals, values, principles and words are placed on the other side of the scale, so that the secret behind the abandonment of a high position in the political work is revealed to a great task with the weight of Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Saqer.”

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“There is no doubt that Ministry of Health plays a vital role in the society, which is to better the health services and strive to reach advanced levels for achiev-ing a future vision in providing integrated and compre-hensive health care at the highest international levels”, Faihan Al-Azmi wrote for Al-Nahar daily.

“In order to achieve such objectives and develop this vital and important sector that concerns the health of the individual and society, healthcare should be made avail-able to everyone without exception. It should not be limited to those who are able to pay exorbitant fees that burden the citizens and residents alike.

“The level of complaining about the poor health ser-vices in Kuwait has reached its peak. The problems in the health sector have increased from worn-out build-ings and lack of safety aspects in the new buildings, as well as problems with specific specialties of doctors.

“We have to understand that the problem of Ministry of Health or the health sector in general is a matter of concern and attention, because it directly affects human life and health. Any error – big or small – or any decline in the performance becomes apparent, and perhaps very intense to everyone.

“Also, the number of nurses in relation to the number of patients in hospitals is disastrous, as we find that most complaints from patients in hospitals are directed at the nursing staff and their inability to follow or serve patients with the required quality and speed.

“The dire conditions in Ministry of Health’s hospitals and their medical centers are no less bad than the recent decisions taken regarding increasing the medical fees, for which the patient’s pricing is set – either he agrees to pay the fees or he is thrown into the street without receiving treatment.

“How does this happen in the country of humanity? MRI cost is higher in public hospitals than in private hospitals. How is it that the treatment in government hospitals is more expensive than in private hospitals?

“Doesn’t a resident (expatriate), who is our partner in this country, pay KD 50 as health insurance annually? So how do they end up paying more for every visit, something that makes us wonder for what that KD 50 is being used?

“To say the least, we are just raising concerns regard-ing our health services, given that everyone is upset with the poor condition of our hospitals, as well as the high prices for operating procedures and X-rays.”

— Compiled by Ahmad Al-Shazli

Al-Samaka

‘Seized’ masks to be sold at normal priceKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan said the masks which have been seized from one of the stores will be sold at a fair price, reports Al-Rai daily.

Following reports that some trad-ers are out to make a fast buck taking advantage of the spread of coronavi-rus, he went on to say, “I assure the Kuwaitis that the emergency teams will not falter and will not compro-

mise when it comes to protecting them and ensure that the markets do not hoard vital medicines to sell them at a higher price,” he added.

Sources told the daily inspection teams from the ministry Wednesday evening seized thousands of masks from a warehouse inside a residen-tial building in Al-Farwaniya.

The sources pointed out the store will be administratively shut and the goods will be confiscated.

LOCALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

5

Authorities launch hunt for Kuwaitis who slipped into country unchecked

Finger of neglect points to port of entry

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: The concerned authorities are looking for Kuwaitis who entered the country before efforts to evacuate them from Iran began on Feb 22, especially those who were in Iran when the coronavirus was detected in Mashhad, reports Al-Rai daily.

The daily added, these Ku-waitis slipped into the country without informing the authori-ties that they were in Iran.

Well-informed sources told the daily the fi nger of neglect is pointed at the concerned port sector for failing to account for travelers entering the country from countries (particularly Iran) where the coronavirus was detected because they failed to the precautionary health meas-ures.

The sources pointed out the passenger manifesto showed a number of Kuwaitis returned from Iran after a decision was issued to quarantine passen-gers.

The sources added, these pas-sengers arrived into Kuwait from Iran via Gulf capital to es-cape being quarantined and not adhered to the plan introduced by Kuwait to airlift those strand-ed in coronavirus infected areas, particularly Iran and Iraq.

The sources stated the secu-rity authorities are now sifting through the list of passengers to locate their residential address and summon them for examina-tion and apply health measures on them and those they came in contact with.

The sources say the Ministry of Interior has asked the airlines to provide all information and data including copy of passen-gers manifest as soon as possi-ble especially after it discovered

Fatima Al-Zahra Mosque in Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah region. (Babu Nilandan – KUNA).

KUNA photoA pharmacy caught selling gas masks at exhorbitant prices is sealed by a Ministry offi cial.

19 pharmacies shut for selling overpriced masksThe Kuwaiti Ministry of Trade and Industry closed 19 new drug stores for failure to com-mit to the decided prices of medical masks.

Thus, the total number of

closed pharmacies has risen to 19, the ministry said in a press statement.

The shutdown is part of a campaign launched by the ministry to control the price of

medical masks in the coun-try.

Earlier on Tuesday, the min-istry closed fi ve pharmacies for raising the price of masks illegally. (KUNA)

several cases of people who en-tered the country without being subjected to medical check over the past 14 days.

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Biometrics suspended: Gov-ernment spokesman, Tariq Al-

Muzram, announced the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has decided to temporarily suspend the fi ngerprint attendance sys-tem in all government institu-tions, starting from Sunday, March 1, 2020, as part of gov-ernment efforts to confront and

contain the coronavirus, reports Al-Rai daily.

The Civil Service Commis-sion (CSC) in its circular said the decision is valid for month (until March 31, 2020). How-ever, the employees will have to sign in and sign out.

Wedding halls ‘reservations’KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: An offi cial source from the Ministry of Social Affairs re-vealed that the min-istry cannot take any action regarding the cancellation of wed-ding hall reservations due to the existence of contracts in this regard. The offi cial explained the decision to postpone or cancel reservations is in the hands of those who did it, reports Al-Rai daily.

The source added in the event that some-one wants a refund after cancellation of reservation; they should visit the fi nan-cial affairs sector of the ministry, indicat-ing the law is clear in this aspect, stipulat-ing that cancellation should not be done in less than a week from the date of reservation to guarantee eligibility of refund.

Prayer TimingsFajr ............................................................................... 04:56Sunrise ......................................................................... 06:16Dohr .............................................................................. 12:01Asr ................................................................................ 15:19Maghreb ....................................................................... 17:46Isha ............................................................................... 19:03

Weather Expected weather for the next 24 hours:By Day: Warm with light to moderate north

westerly wind, with speeds of 12-35 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear.

By Night: Cold with light to moderate north westerly wind to light variable wind, with speeds of 08-32 km/h.Station Max Min Exp RecKuwait City 23 14Kuwait Airport 24 10Abdaly 23 09Bubyan — —Jahra 25 12Failaka Island 23 13Salmiyah 21 14Ahmadi 22 13Nuwaisib 26 11Wafra 25 09Salmy 23 06

4 days forecast — WeatherFriday, Feb 28

Expected weather: .................. Warm and somescattered clouds will appear

Max Temp.....................................................25CMin Temp......................................................09CWind Direction ......................................NW-VRBWind Speed ...................................... 06-30 km/h

Saturday, Feb 29Expected weather: ...............................Warm and some scattered clouds will appear with a chance

for light fog forming over some areasMax Temp.....................................................26CMin Temp......................................................10CWind Direction .......................................VRB-SEWind Speed ...................................... 06-26 km/h

Sunday, March 01Expected weather: ....................Warm and some

scattered clouds will appearMax Temp.....................................................28CMin Temp......................................................09CWind Direction ......................................VRB-NWWind Speed ...................................... 08-40 km/h

Monday, March 02Expected weather: .....................................WarmMax Temp.....................................................24CMin Temp......................................................10CWind Direction .............................................. NWWind Speed ...................................... 15-38 km/h

Marine ForecastStation Max Min Sea Today’s Exp Rec Surf Waves Ht DirectionSouth Dolphin - - - 4ft SEUmm Mudayrah - - - 4ft SEBeacon M28 - - - 4ft SEBeacon N6 - - - 4ft SE

Qaruh Island 21 16 - 4ft SEUmm Al-Maradem 21 16 - 4ft SESea Island Buoy - - - - -Salmiyah 21 14 - 4ft SE

4 days forecast - MarineFriday, Feb 28

Expected weather: ................... Warm and somescattered clouds will appear

Sea state .............................. Slight to moderateWave height............................................... 1-3 ftMax Temp.................................................... 25CMin Temp.....................................................09CWind Direction ..................................... NW-VRBWind Speed ......................................06-30 km/h

Saturday, Feb 29Expected weather: ................... Warm and some

scattered clouds will appear with a chance for light fog forming over some areas

Sea state ............................. Slight to moderateWave height............................................... 1-3 ftMax Temp.................................................... 26CMin Temp.....................................................10CWind Direction ...................................... VRB-SEWind Speed ......................................06-26 km/h

Sunday, March 01Expected weather: ................... Warm and some

scattered clouds will appearSea state ......Slight to moderate, rough at timesWave height............................................... 2-6 ftMax Temp.................................................... 28CMin Temp.....................................................09CWind Direction ..................................... VRB-NWWind Speed ......................................08-40 km/h

Monday, March 02Expected weather: .................................... WarmSea state .............................. Slight to moderateWave height............................................... 2-5 ftMax Temp.................................................... 24CMin Temp.....................................................10CWind Direction ..............................................NWWind Speed ......................................15-38 km/h

Tide times at Shuwaikh Port1st high tide ...............................................14:352nd high tide ..............................................02:181st low tide.................................................08:312nd low tide ...............................................20:35Sunrise ......................................................06:16Sunset .......................................................17:46

Recorded yesterday at Kuwait AirportMax temp ....................................................23°CMin temp .....................................................13°CMax Rh ....................................................... 90%Min Rh ........................................................ 19%Max Wind........................................NW 60 km/hTotal Rainfall in 24 hrs ...............................0 mm

Recorded yesterday at South DolphinMin/Max/ Air Temp ..................................... -/- CMin/Max Rel Hum ..................................... - / - %Wind Direction/Wind Speed................N / - km/hPrev Wave Dir/Max Wave Ht ....................N / - ftMin/Max Sea Surface Temp ......................- / - CSea Current ........................................Upwelling— Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Mete-orological Dept.

deaths*Khalaf Kamel Manei Al Shamari, 62 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Sedeeq Block 3, Street 309, House 204, Tel. 98786665 (Women) Qairawan, Block 1, Street 11, House 6. Zahra Ali Johar Shahab, wife of Mohammad Abdul Reda Al Muathen, 70 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Bneid Al Gar, Huseiniyat Spaie Al Jadeeda, Tel. 90079922 (Women) Rumaithiya, Block 2, Jamaan Al Heraiti Street, Avenue 20, House 4, Huseiniyat Al Zahra Al Butoul, Tel. 65099970. Ahmad Shaaban Haji Ali Ghathanfari, 68 years old, buried on Thursday at Asr prayers. Condo-lences: Sharq, Shaaban Mosque, Tel. 50006100 – 50150022. Ahmad Jasem Mohammad Al Sani, 61 years old, to be buried on Friday at 9:00 am. Condolences: (Men) Qortuba, Block 4, Street 3, House 35 Tel. 99844231 (Women) Mubarak Al Kabeer, Block 5, Street 3, House 15, Tel. 50007091.Salman Abdullah Jasem Al Dabous, 86 years old, to be buried on Thursday after Asr prayers. Condolences: (Men) Fahaheel, Diwan Al Dabous, Sheikh Salem Sabah Al Salem Road, Tel. 23925822 – 23925811 (Women) Fahaheel, Block 10, Ali Al Ghanim Al Dabous Street, House 1, Tel. 23923330 – 23923003. Wael Mohammad Thaif Allah Al Qahss, 44 years old, buried on Thursday. Condolences: (Men) Jahra, Diwan Mohammad Al Qahss, Block 2, Mohammad Thaif Allah Al Qahss Street, House 2, Tel. 99785451 (Women) Jahra, Block 2, Mohammad Thaif Al Qahss Street, House 2. Omar Ahmad Mo-hammad Ahmad Boudai, 34 years old, to be buried today after Asr prayers. Condolences: (Men) at the cemetery only Tel. 97979365 (Women) Shuhada, Block 1, Street 109, House 18, Tel. 97979365.

Feb 27, 2020

‘Customers dwindling’

Cafe-goers stay at homeKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: With the in-creasing talk about the dangers of the Corona virus (COVID19) and consider-ing the high number of infected cases in Kuwait, many café goers in the past few days prefer to stay at home for fear of coming into contact with people carrying the virus, reports Al-Rai daily.

A quick tour of several café joints in Farwaniya, Hawalli and Khaitan areas re-vealed a noticeable decline in the number of customers, which are usually crowded at the weekends and offi cial holidays. It is always diffi cult to fi nd an empty place, especially if the holiday coincides with a football match between the top Spanish or Egyptian teams, or a match involving the popular Liverpool team in support of Egyptian star Mohammad Salah.

One of the workers at Al-Ruwwad Café in Khaitan, Walid Tawfi q, attributed the decrease in number of visitors to the cafe to the fear of many of them of con-tracting the novel Coronavirus, expecting their numbers to decrease further in the coming days.

Asked why he was present at the café and not afraid of getting infected with the virus, a customer named Ismat Tahsin said “we will only suffer from what God has written for us. The cafe is for me and my friends whom I sit with daily.” On the reason why he was sitting alone, he said “I waited for my friends whom I sit with every day to play dominoes, but nobody turned up for their fear of injury.”

The state of cafes in Farwaniya area was very similar to cafes in Khaitan, as the number of customers decreased by almost half. A worker in one of the cafes, Atef Ramadan said, “Tables in this place I work and the adjacent cafe used to be fully booked one hour before the discov-

Forms introduced

‘Sign before going’KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: Ministry of Health has imposed a declaration form on all departures from Kuwait Airport and the land border exits, to be signed before leaving the coun-try, in light of the spread of corona-virus globally, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

Statement added the signing of declaration form is in accordance with international precautionary measures taken to manage and contain the infection, which may be imposed by other countries on pas-sengers traveling from and to Kuwait at any time.

The ministry stated the declara-tion includes the traveler’s commit-ment to the rules and regulations issued by offi cial authorities at their destinations, and upon returning to Kuwait, the traveler must adhere to instructions of the Ministries of Health and Interior from the date of entry and throughout the duration of the quarantine if necessary.

ery of cases of corona infection. Ramadan added, “However, as you see

today, numbers are few and we expect it to decrease even more with the discovery of larger cases”. Most of the customers who smoke hookahs now prefer to order (Ahwaz) medical protection for them-selves, as they believe the infection is only transmitted through the regular Ahwaz.”

LOCALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

6

Border point between Kuwait & Saudioperates normal; Abdali remains shut

‘Psychopath’ former inmate stirs chaos on streets

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: There has been no request from either Saudi Arabia or from Kuwait to close the entry and exit borders points between their countries, reports Alrai daily quoting reliable sources thus denying earlier news.

The sources pointed transit between the country via the respective border points ‘op-erates normal’ and there is no change in the movement of vehicles or people. The daily quoting sources on the National and Liberation days holidays there was heavy movement of traffi c from ei-ther side.

However, the sources said the Abdali border crossing between Kuwait and Iraq has been tempo-rarily closed until further notice, because of the outbreak of coro-navirus, saying no one is permit-ted either to enter or leave through this border point.

In a related context, the sourc-es confi rmed there is a kind of easing by the customs authori-ties for the trucks bringing in the foodstuff such as meat and veg-etables, saying “the current pro-cedures include inspecting them at the port and allowing them to proceed immediately, without the security convoy accompany-ing them to the Sulaibiya cus-toms depot to ensure foodstuff has quick access to markets and cooperative societies.”

Meanwhile, the Al-Anba daily

also denied the Salmi and Nuwai-seeb border points between Ku-wait and Saudi Arabia had been closed and called on social media users not to promote rumors at this stage when the country is making all efforts to fi ght the coronavirus.

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Psychopath stirs chaos: Police have arrested a Kuwaiti psycho-path after he allegedly stole the taxi from an Egyptian and ended up colliding with three vehicles in Farwaniya belonging to three Ku-waitis, reports Al-Anba daily.

After the Kuwaitis called the

Operations Room of the Ministry of Interior police began looking for the suspect but could not be found.

A little while later an unidenti-fi ed woman complained that an unidentifi ed taxi driver had delib-erately collided with her vehicle in downtown Kuwait City and escaped; and yet another person informed the security authorities that an unidentifi ed taxi driver attempted to run over him but he escaped unhurt.

In the meantime the taxi driver had fi led a complaint with the Far-waniya Police Station saying an

unidentifi ed person had escaped in his taxi and that there was 200 dinars in the taxi compartment. Police received another complaint from a passerby saying a taxi driv-er had stolen his wallet which was later found by an unidentifi ed per-son by the road side and handed over to police.

The suspect was fi nally arrested in a suburb of Jahra and police re-cords show he is a former inmate of the Central Prison and had es-caped from Psychiatric Hospital where he was receiving treatment.

He has been referred for inter-rogation.

MoI photoAbandoned vehicles were lifted by the Municipality recently during a raid in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Many shops were also shut including raids conducted against make-shift markets in the area. Lots of food unfi t for hu-

man consumption was confi scated. Piles of old clothes put up for sale were also seized.

Offi cers honored: Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior Lieutenant General Essam Al-Naham honored a number of security employees of border check-points in appreciation of their efforts and dedication, especially airport offi cers who arrested a Kuwaiti in possession of a weapon inside Kuwait International Airport.

According to a press release, the em-ployees were honored in the presence of Assistant Undersec-retary for Border Security Affairs at Ministry of Interior Major General Man-sour Al-Awadhi and Director General of Airport Security De-partment Major General Waleed Al-Saleh.

Last week, a hysterical Kuwaiti citizen had threatened to commit suicide using a weapon inside Kuwait International Airport, and airport security offi cials managed to deal with the situation in an appreciable manner.

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Miraculous escape: Two security operatives escaped death by providence when a speeding trucker hit their patrol car along the King Fahad Motorway while they were trying to deal with a ghastly traffi c incident in which an Egyptian expatriate died and four others sustained various degrees of injuries.

A security source said the Operations Room of the Ministry of Interior received

Bedoun culprit

Police car on fi reKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: The security authorities have opened an investi-gation into why a bedoun who was caught on the Jahra Street in down-town Kuwaiti City and forced into a police vehicle was not body checked, reports Al-Anba daily.

According to the daily the bedoun was caught on suspicion because he looked abnormal and put in the back of the police vehicle and the suspect allegedly pulled out a cigarette light-er from his pocket and set fi re to the police car while he was being taken to a police station for interrogation.

Following this the patrolmen pulled over, and managed to put out the fi re with the help of a fi re extinguisher before the arrival of fi remen.

The bedoun has been detained for interrogation and charged with de-stroying public property.

information about the fi rst incident and dispatched a rescue team to the scene, and paramedics referred the four injured people to a hospital in critical condition while the remains of the Egyptian were deposited to Forensics for autopsy.

The source noted the two security operatives were still at the scene when a heavy duty trucker ran into their patrol car and damaged it completely but they escaped unhurt. A case was registered.

News in Brief

Al-Naham

KFSD photoThe car erupts in fl ames.

Fire erupts in car, no casualtiesFire engulfed a luxury vehicle in Rawda area. No casualties were reported.

According to a press release, when the Control Room of Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) received informa-

tion about the vehicle on fi re, fi refi ghters rushed to the location and extinguished the fi re within a short time. Investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fi re.

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: The Min-istry of Commerce and Industry has asked Kuwait Supply Company to provide 10 million masks either by importing or direct contracting with suppliers in the local market as per the directive of the Council of Ministers, reports Al-Rai daily.

A source con-fi rmed the Cabi-net supports the endeavors of supervisory au-thorities, fore-most of which is the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to ensure there is no black market for masks taking advantage of the corona virus crisis.

This refl ects keenness of the gov-ernment and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled to provide this commodity in this time of scarcity.

Also, Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan issued decisions to close 19 pharmacies in the past three days for not selling masks.

It is mentioned that according to the law, Kuwait Supply is the com-pany responsible for providing goods in the ration card and the subsidized construction materials.

It reduces prices, distributes and organizes the disbursement of subsi-dized items.

The source did not specify quan-tities that will be distributed to each benefi ciary and whether this will be one-time or with every share dis-bursed until the announcement of the end of the crisis. The number of

benefi ciaries of ration card items ac-cording to offi cial data announced by the ministry in 2019 reached 2.13 million distributed in 236,968 ration cards.

The source said Kuwait Supply will meet with local suppliers to discuss implementation of the Cabi-net’s decision, in addition to looking into the possibility of providing the required quantity within the shortest period and specifying the markets which they will depend on. He indi-cated that 10 million masks will be the fi rst batch of the government’s order, adding the second batch could be up to fi ve million.

He confi rmed there are prelimi-nary discussions on possibility of granting the Ministry of Health half of the targeted masks; bearing in mind that the ministry needs about 200,000 masks per month in normal conditions.

As per the offi cial data issued by the Ministry of Commerce and In-dustry, the value of the subsidies for goods, ration supplies and construc-tion materials last year reached KD 208 million. The amount allocated as subsidies for foodstuffs that include basic materials, in addition to infant milk and nutrients reached KD 113.9 million and the value of construction materials subsidies was KD 95 mil-lion.

On the other hand, the sources confi rmed that the Ministry of Com-merce and Industry offi cials launched an extensive campaign on warehous-es of companies and pharmacies to ensure availability of masks, stress-ing that the ministry will take legal and administrative measures in case of any manipulation as the mask be-came a major need this time.

Masks

Hoarders will be punished

Government to distributemasks with ‘ration’ food

Al-Roudhan

World News Roundup

INTERNATIONALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

7

Health

New coronavirus outbreak

Trump faces criticalpersonal challengeWASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): President Donald Trump faces a critical personal challenge in grap-pling with the new coronavirus outbreak: asking Americans to believe him after he and some of his top advisers have contradicted federal scientists in playing down the threat.

Keenly aware of the stakes not just for public health but also his credibility, Trump conducted a lengthy press conference Wednesday evening aimed at reassuring everyone that he has the crisis well in hand.

Trump surrounded himself with his administra-tion’s top health experts. And he encouraged

Americans to be prepared for the virus’ potential spread.

But he continued to minimize the risk, saying the outbreak “may get a little bigger; it may not get bigger at all.” And he con-tinued to distance himself from the stated opinion of public health officials that it’s inevitable the virus will spread within the United States.

As businesses, schools and people in general think about preparing, the X-factor may be an unpredictable president who has clashed repeat-edly with scientists in his own administration and tends to see any crisis through the lens of his own reelection chances.

Worse“I don’t think it’s inevitable,” Trump said at the

news conference, where he announced Vice-President Mike Pence would lead the administra-tion’s response to the outbreak. “I think it has a chance that it could get worse. There is a chance you can get fairly substantially worse. But noth-ing’s inevitable.”

He also said he had recently learned that thou-sands die from the flu each year, contrasting that to the coronavirus.

After two days of the stock market tumbling, Trump took to Twitter Wednesday morning to blame the media and Democrats for causing undue alarm and harming American financial markets.

He singled out MSNBC and CNN for “doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible,” and added that ”incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action.”

He blamed part of this week’s stock market slide on people’s reaction to Tuesday night’s Democratic debate and the possibility one of those candidates might replace him. And Trump acknowledged that the outbreak could “have an impact on GDP” but insisted that the US economy is still “doing great.”

The setting for Trump’s evening press confer-ence - the White House press briefing room - was meant to offer a sense of calm and assurance by the Republican president. It was only the second time in his presidency that Trump had spoken from the podium in that room, and aides acknowl-edged he was trying to underscore that he has the situation under control and understands the grav-ity.

In advance, Trump played down the mortality rate for a pathogen that has been confirmed to have killed 2,700 people globally. His top eco-nomic adviser, Larry Kudlow, echoed Trump’s outlook, saying Tuesday that the US had “con-tained” the threat of a domestic outbreak.

Trump’s and Kudlow’s comments were at odds with warnings from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials who said American com-munities need to prepare now for when the dis-ease starts spreading domestically. There have been just 60 confirmed cases in the US.

Public“The messaging by the White House is unhelp-

ful,” said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University. “What the White House is doing is conveying a sense of overconfidence ... Of course, we do want to main-tain calm with the public, but it flies in the face of facts.”

Trump’s public efforts to project calm masked a behind-the-scenes focus.

During his 36-hour visit to India, Trump received briefings from staff and periodically checked the impact on Wall Street, tweeting at all hours to try to reassure Americans and the mar-kets about the spread of the virus.

Trump expressed deep concern to aides about the effect on the markets, according to White House officials and Republicans close to the West Wing. Trump has tied his fortunes to Wall Street more closely than any of his recent predecessors and has made a strong economy his No. 1 argu-ment for reelection.

As the media coverage of the virus has increased, Trump has grown concerned that even fears of an outbreak would stagger Wall Street, leading him to wonder aloud if Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was the right person to lead the administration’s response, the officials said.

Since the start of the crisis, Trump has been reluctant to blame China, where the virus origi-nated, for fear of upsetting President Xi Jinping or damaging ongoing trade talks.

But he is also fearful he could be accused of being unresponsive to the crisis. At the urging of a number of his internal and outside advisers, he directed the White House to adopt a more public presence, leading to a briefing by officials and emails to the press stressing the administration’s response.

“Americans want to see their president taking charge and showing leadership, and that is exactly what President Trump is doing,” said Trump cam-paign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany.

Privately, aides said concerns have spiked in recent days inside the Trump reelection cam-paign. Republicans close to the White House are keenly aware of the political implications of a pandemic scare. In 2014, the GOP aggressively criticized the Obama administration’s handling of the Ebola epidemic, which it later credited with helping the party seize back the majority in the Senate.

See Also Page 15

Pence

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, is greeted on stage by Nina Turner with his campaign as he arrives to speak at a campaign event in Myrtle Beach, SC, on Feb 26. (AP)

‘Conventional campaign’ like Biden’s won’t defeat Trump

‘Democratic unity urged amid Sanders’ surge’WASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday urged party unity amid Bernie Sanders’ surge in the presidential race, even as House Democrats worry about a volatile election season that could put a self-described democratic socialist atop the ticket and threaten their majority.

“I would hope that everyone would say, no matter who the nominee is for presi-dent, we wholeheartedly embrace that per-son,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told the House Democratic caucus at a closed-door meet-ing, “’We cannot show any division.

This has to be about unity, unity, unity,” she said, according to a Democratic aide who attended the ses-sion. The aide was not authorized to discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Down-ballot jitters are apparent as the Vermont senator takes an increasingly commanding lead in early voting and with-stands the constant pummeling by rival s who have been unable to slow his rise.

With South Carolina’s primary on Saturday, followed by the Super Tuesday contests on March 2, House Democrats are navigating how best to hold onto their seats while opponents try to lasso them to Sanders’ socialist label.

VotersMany first-term Democrats are counting

on their own well-crafted brands, not the party’s eventual presidential nominee, whoever that may be, to see them to reelec-tion. The House majority was built by lawmakers who come from districts where President Donald Trump is popular, and his campaign operation will be turning out voters in fall.

But in a campaign cycle full of unknowns as the party tries to unseat Trump, they are relying on the back-grounds that pushed them to office in the first place to do it again.

“I will go into my race with the same degree of confidence, no matter who is at the top of the ticket,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, a freshman Democrat from a competitive New Jersey district, who sup-ports former Vice President Joe Biden in the primary.

Malinowski, said he will “absolutely” support Sanders if the senator becomes the

party’s nominee. But the congressman said Democrats need to simplify their message and seize the moment with a candidate who can topple Trump. “Why we would risk this extraordinary opportunity by nominating somebody who has a tendency to divide our own side is is beyond me,” he said.

Other Democrats, though, are more open about their fears of a Sanders’ nomi-nation.

First-term Rep Elaine Luria, who defeated an incumbent Republican in 2018 in a swing district in coastal Virginia, said a Sanders candidacy would be “incredibly divisive” and could endanger more centrist members of Congress like herself.

LabelHer opponents are already trying to tag

Luria, a former Navy commander and Naval Academy graduate, as a “socialist,” she said. Luria rejects the label as “ridicu-lous.”

“Bernie Sanders just adds fuel to that fire,” Luria said.

She has endorsed Biden, but had praise for former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, calling them politicians who “build bridges rather than break them down.”

Hoping to propel Biden’s lagging candi-dacy in a state he has pledged to win, the No. 3 House Democrat, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, an influential leader and the highest-ranking African American in Congress, announced his endorsement on Wednesday.

Veteran Rep. David Price, D-N.C., said of Biden: “There’s not a congressional district in this country he couldn’t cam-paign in.”

Divisions run deep among House Democrats, whose primary preferences span the party’s ideological reach, from the most liberal and progressive members backing Sanders to those preferring Biden, Bloomberg or the other more centrist can-didates.

Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is one of Sanders’ most high-profile backers in the House, an elec-trifying campaign surrogate. Rep Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is a Sanders campaign co–chairman.

Many liberals say Sanders is the only

candidate able to energize base voters and take on Trump. His commitment to curb-ing income inequality and his bold policy proposals, including “Medicare for All” and tuition-free college, are galvanizing voters, they say.

They point to Sanders’ strong showing in Nevada as a snapshot of the coalition he could build nationwide against Trump.

DefeatCampaigning Wednesday in South

Carolina, Sanders warned that a “conven-tional campaign” like Biden’s won’t defeat Trump.

In Tuesday night’s presidential debate, candidate Pete Buttigieg warned of the potential down-ballot consequences in Congress if Sanders won the nomination. Senate Democrats are struggling to flip the chamber from Republicans, who have a slim majority, while House Democrats are working to retain their advantage.

Pelosi said she thinks that “whoever our nominee is, we will enthusiastically embrace – and we will win the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.”

House Democrats hold a modest major-ity, more than a dozen seats, and while Trump is eager to have his party in control of the chamber, House Republicans have seen a rush toward the exits with retire-ments. The House GOP is still recruiting candidates to challenge the Democrats and has lagged in fundraising.

Pelosi said lawmakers will have a brief-ing Thursday at the Democratic National Committee headquarters about the nomi-nating process. The party convention is in July.

Democrats changed the nominating rules to reduce the power of “super dele-gates” – lawmakers and other VIPs – to choose the nominee.

If no candidate secures the nod outright on initial round voting at the convention, the super delegates, including lawmakers, may have a role to play in casting votes.

At an earlier debate in Las Vegas, the 2020 candidates were asked whether the candidate with the most delegates should be the nominee, even if that person lacked a delegate majority. Almost every candi-date suggested that the convention process should work its way out.

Politics

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, arrives for a meeting with fellow Democrats at Capitol Hill in Washington

on Feb 26. (AP)

Bonavolonta Barrett

Gunman kills 5 at brewery: An employee opened fire Wednesday at one of the nation’s largest breweries in Milwaukee, killing five fellow workers before taking his own life, police said.

The assailant who attacked the Molson Coors complex was iden-tified as a 51-year-old Milwaukee man who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

“There were five individuals who went to work today, just like everybody goes to work, and they thought they were going to go to work, finish their day and return to their families. They didn’t – and tragically they never will,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

Authorities offered no immedi-ate motive for the attack and did not release details about the shoot-er or how the shooting unfolded. (AP)

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Utility to pay $53m: A utility company will pay the largest criminal fine ever imposed for breaking a federal pipeline safety law – $53 million – and plead guilty to causing a series of natu-ral gas explosions in Massachusetts that killed one per-son and damaged dozens of homes, federal officials said Wednesday.

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has agreed to plead guilty to vio-lating the Pipeline Safety Act and pay the fine to resolve a federal investigation into the explosions that rocked three communities in the Merrimack Valley, north of Boston, in September 2018.

“Today’s settlement is a sober-ing reminder that if you decide to put profits before public safety, you will pay the consequences,” FBI Agent Joseph Bonavolonta said.

The company said in an emailed statement that it takes full responsibility for the disaster. (AP)

❑ ❑ ❑

Child can see neurologist: A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a 5-year-old

America

President Donald Trump, with members of the president’s coro-navirus task force, waves as he ends a news conference at the Brady press briefing room of the White House on Feb 26 in

Washington. (AP)

Guatemalan child in US custody must be allowed to be seen by a pediatric neurologist for a head injury he suffered before his fami-ly was arrested.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has defended the care given to the child and sought to deport him and his fami-

ly.The child fractured his skull

and suffered bleeding around his brain in a December fall, a month before his family was detained and taken to an ICE family deten-tion center in Dilley, Texas. The boy’s father is at a jail in California. (AP)

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Trump sues NY Times: The campaign to reelect President Donald Trump sued The New York Times for defamation Wednesday, saying it was respon-sible for an essay by a former executive editor for the newspaper that claimed the campaign made a deal with Russian officials to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

In the lawsuit in state court in New York, Donald J. Trump for President Inc said the newspaper knowingly published false and defamatory statements when the Op-Ed piece claimed the campaign had an “overarching deal” with “Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy” to defeat the Democratic candidate.

The lawsuit blamed the news-paper for the essay, saying the March 2019 article headlined “The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo,” by Max Frankel, said the deal called for “the quid of help in the campaign against Hillary Clinton for the quo of a new pro-Russian foreign policy.” (AP)

❑ ❑ ❑

Wall will hurt sacred land: A Native American leader from Arizona grew emotional Wednesday as he told a congres-sional committee about the pain members of his tribe feel about

US officials blasting through land they consider sacred to build part of President Donald Trump’s wall along the US-Mexico border.

“No one reveres our military veterans more than the O’odham, however, dynamiting these sacred sites and burial grounds is the same as bulldozing Arlington National Cemetery or any other cemetery,” Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris told lawmakers in Washington. (AP)

❑ ❑ ❑

Drive to woo black voters: Flush with cash, President Donald Trump’s campaign is stepping up its outreach to black Americans as it tries to claw away support from the traditionally Democratic vot-ing bloc ahead of November’s general election.

Trump’s campaign is announc-ing Wednesday that it is opening 15 “Black Voices for Trump Community Centers” in the com-ing weeks in major cities in battle-ground states.

The offices will feature a line of campaign swag, videos of prominent Trump surrogates like Diamond and Silk explaining their support for the president and pam-phlets outlining the president’s record. (AP)

World News Roundup

INTERNATIONALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

8

Vatican

Masses canceled in N. Italy

Pope holds usual AshWednesday’s customVATICAN CITY, Feb 27, (AP) : Pope Francis celebrat-ed the Ash Wednesday ritual that marks the opening of the Catholic Church’s Lenten season in traditional fash-ion while greeting the public in Rome as other Masses were canceled in northern Italy over fears of the corona-virus outbreak.

Francis and a long line of priests, bishops and cardi-nals walked in a procession through Rome’s Aventine hill into the 5th-century Santa Sabina basilica for a late-afternoon Mass. Neither the priests nor the faithful wore face masks, but Rome has largely been spared the virus as Italy’s national case count grew to more than 440.

Other Catholic countries took Ash Wednesday pre-cautions. In the Philippines - Asia’s only majority Ro-man Catholic country - priests sprinkled ashes on the

heads of the faithful rather than making the mark of the cross on their foreheads to avoid physical contact.

“Wherever the ash is placed, on the forehead or on the head, the feeling is the same, it’s uplift-ing,” Editha Lorenzo, a 49-year-old mother of two wearing a face mask, told The Associated Press in Manila.

At the Vatican, Francis held his general audience as usual in

St Peter’s Square and offered prayers to people sickened by the virus and the medical personnel treating them. In the crowd of thousands, a handful had masks on their faces.

“I want to again express my closeness to those suf-fering from the coronavirus and the health care workers who are treating them, as well as the civil authorities and all those who are working to help patients and stop the contagion,” Francis said.

ShakingFrancis kissed at least one child as he looped through

the square in his popemobile and made a point of shaking hands with the faithful sitting in the front row. Usually, he only waves.

He also greeted prelates with a handshake at the begin-ning and end of the gathering, but it appeared most clergy were refraining from kissing Francis’ ring or embracing him, as they normally would do.

In his remarks, he urged the faithful to put down their cellphones during Lent and pick up the Bible instead.

“It is the time to give up useless words, chatter, ru-mors, gossip, and talk and to speak directly to the Lord,” he said.

While Francis went ahead with his usual Ash Wednes-day plans, the patriarchate of Venice canceled the Mass scheduled for St Mark’s Basilica, after a handful of elder-ly people in the lagoon city tested positive for the virus.

The surrounding Veneto region is one of two northern Italian regions where clusters of cases emerged in Italy. The other is Lombardy.

In the Philippines, the Rev. Victorino Cueto, rector of the popular National Shrine of our Mother of Per-petual Help in the Manila metropolis, said the practice of sprinkling ash on heads of devotees was a precaution to prevent the spread of infections but actually is an old tradition based on the Old Testament.

“It’s better to be cautious,” said churchgoer Evet Ac-cion.

On Good Friday, which marks Christ’s death on the cross, bishops in the Philippines strongly suggested that churchgoers refrain from kissing or touching the cross, a common practice among Catholics. “Instead, the faith-ful are requested to genufl ect or make a profound bow as they venerate the cross,” said Archbishop Romulo Valles, who heads the bishops’ conference.

Last month, the bishops recommended that Catholics receive the Eucharistic host by the hand instead of the mouth and avoid holding hands in prayer during Masses as precautions amid the viral scare.

In the United States, Catholics fi lled St Joseph Cathe-dral for an Ash Wednesday service in San Diego, where two patients with the virus were recently treated at a lo-cal hospital after being evacuated from China. Priests maintained the tradition of placing ashes on parishioners’ foreheads. Some worshipers said they saw little reason for concern, while noting a reluctance among fellow pa-rishioners to shake hands during Mass recently.

Pope Francis

Campaigners cheer outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, on Feb 27. Campaigners have won a court ruling to block the plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport on envi-ronmental grounds. The case before Britain’s Court of Appeal could stall the 14 billion-pound ($18 billion) plan to expand Heathrow Airport. (AP)

Govt will not appeal ruling

Campaigners win in court tostop Heathrow ‘expansion’LONDON, Feb 27, (AP): Campaign-ers won a court ruling Thursday to block the plan for a third runway at Heathrow Airport on environmental grounds, setting the stage for a new fi ght over whether to make Europe’s biggest airport even bigger.

The ruling by Britain’s Court of Appeal could stall the 14 billion-pound ($18 billion) plan to expand the London airport amid concerns about climate change, pollution and noise. The judges ruled that the gov-ernment did not take into account its commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change in making its de-cision.

“We won!’’ said an ecstatic Lon-don Mayor Sadiq Khan, a longtime opponent of the project.

“Huge’’ Environment Minister and longtime opponent Zac Gold-smith tweeted.

Heathrow Airport said it will ap-peal to the Supreme Court and says it is “confi dent that we will be suc-cessful.”

Heathrow says a third runway is needed to meet increasing demand for air travel. Parliament approved the plan in 2018, triggering a chal-lenge from environmental groups who say the project confl icts with Britain’s commitments to fi ght global warming. Local residents also com-plain about noise, pollution and in-creased congestion.

But things have changed since Parliament approved the matter. In particular, Boris Johnson, a longtime opponent of the expansion who once promised to lie down in front of the bulldozers to prevent the runway, is now prime minister.

Less than a few hours after the rul-ing, Johnson’s spokesman said the government will not appeal, signal-ing a change of tone in the leadership.

The ruling opens the possibility that he will use the decision to at-tempt to kill the measure.

The location of a new runway in

southeastern England has been de-bated for years, pitting the economic benefi ts of greater expansion versus the consequences of all those addi-tional planes at Heathrow, already one of the world’s busiest airports. The issue is so toxic that politicians created an independent commission to weigh the options.

Amid furious public relations bat-tles, the Airports Commission backed Heathrow in 2015, rejecting plans from Gatwick Airport, 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of central London, as well as a proposal to build a new airport in the Thames Estuary.

The Department for Transporta-tion argued the project would permit an additional 260,000 fl ights a year and give a 74 billion-pound ($99 bil-lion) boost to the British economy over 60 years.

Despite Parliament’s approval, the issue never went away. Envi-ronmentalists and local campaigners kept fi ghting. They were cheered by the court ruling, particularly as the change in the political climate offers greater hope for refusal.

“It surely must be the fi nal nail in the coffi n for Heathrow’s attempts to steamroll over local and national op-position to their disastrous third run-way plans,’’ said Gareth Roberts, the leader of Richmond Council, which is in the the fl ight path. “The expansion of Heathrow would be a catastrophe for our climate and environment and for the thousands of Londoners who would be forced to live with the huge disruption it will cause.’’

Meanwhile, the spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government will not appeal the Court of Appeal’s’ decision blocking the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

James Slack said the government’s full position will be laid out in a writ-ten statement from Transport Secre-tary Grant Shapps to be published soon.

Britain

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures during a visit to the Connec-tion, a homelessness centre, at St Martins in the Fields, London, Feb 27.

(AP)

Harry Assange

Call me Harry: The British prince who is preparing to step back from royal duties would normally be referred to as sir or his royal highness. But as he was introduced to speak about sustainable tourism at an event in Scotland on Wednesday, the Duke of Sussex said the formality no longer was necessary.

“He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry,’’ conference host Ayesha Hazarika said. “So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm Scottish welcome to Harry.”

The request refl ected the seismic shift underway in the British monarchy.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, say they will walk away from most royal duties starting March 31, give up public funding and try to become fi nancially independent. The couple, who were named the Duke and Duch-ess of Sussex on their wedding day, have also abandoned plans to use the “SussexRoyal’’ brand because of UK rules governing the use of the word “royal.’’

Harry spoke at an event for Travalyst, a coalition he founded along with companies such as Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvi-sor, Trip.com and Visa. The conference in Scotland was a discussion of sustainability in travel, including creating an online scoring system to rate the eco-friendliness of differ-ent fl ights, accommodations and vacation experiences.

Harry warned that the growth of tourism is damaging some of the world’s most cher-ished sites. (AP)

❑ ❑ ❑

Assange shouldn’t face extradition: A lawyer for Julian Assange argued Wednes-day that the WikiLeaks founder should not be sent to the United States because a UK-US treaty bans extradition for political offenses.

Assange, 48, is wanted in the US on spying charges over the leaking of classi-fi ed government documents a decade ago. American prosecutors accuse Assange of conspiring with US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password, hack into a Pentagon computer and release hundreds of thousands of secret diplomatic cables and military fi les on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He faces 18 charges of espionage and computer misuse, and faces a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison if convicted.

Assange says he was acting as a journalist entitled to First Amendment protection. His lawyers argue that the US charges are a politi-cally motivated abuse of power.

Assange’s attorney, Edward Fitzgerald, said Wednesday that extradition for political offenses is prohibited under the 2003 UK-US Extradition Treaty.

“If it’s not a terrorist case, not a violent offense, then the principle you should not be extradited for a political offence is of virtually universal application,” he said in court. “It dates back for more than 100 years.

“The US, of course, writes it into every treaty because they don’t want their citizens being extradited for political offenses.”

US authorities deny Assange is being pros-ecuted for political offenses. James Lewis, a lawyer for the US government, said in court Monday that Assange was an “ordinary” criminal who had put lives at risk by publish-

Hindenburg title dropped: He led Germany’s army in World War I and served for nearly a decade as the country’s president, but thanks to his role in Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, Paul von Hindenburg is an honorary Berliner no more.

The Berlin state government on Thursday struck the Prussian aristocrat off of its honor-ary citizen list, citing his act as president in 1933 of appointing Hitler as chancellor, the dpa news agency reported.

Hindenburg was elected president in 1925 and served in that role until his death in 1934.

He defeated Hitler, as well as a commu-nist contender, in a 1932 runoff election for president. Despite initial resistance, after the Nazi party won the largest number of seats in a later 1932 parlia-mentary election, he appointed Hitler chan-cellor on Jan 30, 1933 – at a time when many still underestimated Hitler’s ambitions.

The Berlin gov-ernment also cited Hindenburg’s role in signing decrees suspending civil liber-ties and granting Hitler more powers in its decision to take him off the honorary citizen list. When Hindenburg died, Hitler became de facto president as well, cementing his leadership of the Nazi dictatorship.

Both Hitler and Hindenburg were added to Berlin’s honorary citizen list on the same day in 1933. Hitler was removed in 1948, three years after the end of World War II.

The decision to remove Hindenburg was passed by Berlin’s left-wing coalition of Social Democrats, the Left Party and Greens last month over the objections of others. The center-right Christian Democrats argued that even though Hindenburg was a controversial fi gure, he didn’t deserve to be stripped of his honorary title, and noted he was elected to his second term with the support of the Social Democrats. (AP)

❑ ❑ ❑

Greek island residents protest: Dem-onstrators gathered Thursday for a fourth consecutive day on the eastern Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios to protest government plans to build new migrant detention centers.

The protest comes amid heightened tensions on the islands that have felt the full impact of migrant fl ows from war-torn Syria in particular. On occasion, the tensions between the island residents and police have turned violent.

Shops and services were shut on Lesbos as workers extended an initial 24-hour strike into a second day as part of the protests. The mayors of Lesbos, Chios and the nearby island of Samos were to meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens to discuss the situation.

Wednesday’s protests descended into violence, with hundreds of demonstrators attacking police guarding the building sites of future migrant detention camps on Chios and Lesbos. A crowd also laid siege for hours to a Lesbos army camp where riot squads were staying.

Offi cials have said 43 police offi cers were injured in violence in Lesbos, and another nine in Chios, where a mob burst into a hotel being used by riot police and beat offi cers resting in their rooms. (AP)

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Spanish top court backs rapper: Spain’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday overturned a previous verdict that found a rapper guilty of exalting terrorism and humili-ating victims of attacks in tweets.

César Montana Lehmann of the Def Con Dos rock band had been sentenced to one year in prison by the country’s Supreme Court for a series of tweets in 2013 and 2014 in which he talked about sending a cake bomb to former King Juan Carlos I on his birthday and said that some politicians made him long for a former armed leftist group.

The singer, whose stage name is César Strawberry, was also banned from holding any public position for more than six years.

The Constitutional Court said Tuesday that the guilty ruling violated the singer’s free speech rights.

Amnesty International and other rights groups had campaigned on Montana’s behalf. (AP)

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German court upholds restrictions: Germany’s highest court ruled Thursday that a Muslim law clerk can be prevented from wearing a headscarf during court proceed-ings.

In its ruling, the Federal Constitutional Court said the judiciary’s obligation to com-plete neutrality outweighed her freedom of religion rights, the dpa news agency reported.

The Frankfurt-born woman of Moroccan background had sued after she began as a legal clerk in 2017 and was restricted as to what she could do by Hesse state authorities.

She was allowed to wear her headscarf, but while wearing it she was prohibited from following court proceedings from the bench, and instead had to sit among the courtroom observers.

She was also unable to lead any courtroom sessions, or take evidence from witnesses. (AP)

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Spain opens talks with Catalonia: The Spanish government and the separatist leaders of Catalonia formally opened talks on Wednesday on how to resolve the fester-ing political crisis provoked by the region’s separatist movement.

As expected, the three-hour meeting between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Catalan regional chief Quim Torra and their teams did not lead to any major break-throughs.

The two governments issued a joint state-ment afterward that that they had agreed to continue meeting every month, alternating between Madrid and Barcelona, the home to the regional Catalan government.

Torra repeated his demands for north-eastern Catalonia to be allowed to hold an independence referendum and for the release of nine separatist leaders who are serving prison sentences for their role in an illegal 2017 secession attempt.

“We have had an honest and frank debate, an open debate that has made clear the dis-crepancies between the two sides,” Torra said after the meeting.

“We made it clear that these are talks to deal with the political confl ict in Catalonia that is based on the issues of self-determina-tion and amnesty (for separatist prisoners), and we still don’t have an answer from the Spanish government.” (AP)

Britain

Europe

man Martin Moore-Bick after corporate entities involved in a refurbishment that took place before the fi re had threatened to remain silent on the grounds they may incriminate themselves. Such silence has the potential of hampering efforts to learn lessons from what was the greatest loss of life in a fi re on British soil since World War II. London’s Metropoli-tan Police are conducting a separate probe into crimes ranging from gross negligence to manslaughter to health and safety violations. (AP)

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UK opens EU trade talks: Britain published its opening demands for trade talks with the European Union on Thursday, delivering a blunt threat to walk away from the table if there is no progress within four months.

The two sides appear headed for a rocky fi rst round of negotiations as they try to forge a new relationship following the UK’s depar-ture from the now 27-nation bloc.

Britain and the EU both say they want to reach a free trade agreement, but have starkly divergent views on how it should be overseen and what constitutes fair competition between their two economies.

The EU says Britain must agree to follow the bloc’s rules in areas ranging from state aid to environmental protections, and give Euro-pean boats access to UK fi shing waters, if the two sides are to strike a good deal. (AP)

ing uncensored secret documents.Assange has complained of struggling to

hear and concentrate during the extradition hearing, which is being held at London’s high-security Woolwich Crown Court.

Assange has been in Belmarsh Prison, next to the court, since April 2019, when he was evicted from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He jumped bail and took refuge in the embassy seven years earlier to avoid being sent to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault. (AP)

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UK offers guarantee: Britain’s attorney general offered a guarantee Wednesday not to use oral comments from witnesses testifying before the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in subsequent prosecutions over the fi re that killed 72 people.

Suella Braverman wrote to inquiry chair-

Hindenburg

INTERNATIONALARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

9

Diplomacy

China’s bid for WIPO hit

Beijing ‘slams’ US overattack on its candidateGENEVA, Feb 27, (AP): A Chinese ambassador on Wednesday ripped into the US for an “attack” on Chi-na’s candidate to head a United Nations agency that monitors and tracks intellectual property like patents, trademarks and industrial designs – a lucrative and crucial part of the growing digital age.

The showdown over the leadership of the World In-tellectual Property Organization amounts to the latest face-off between the United States and China.

The comments by Chen Xu, China’s Ambassador in Geneva, laid bare rising tensions over an alleged US campaign to prevent veteran WIPO offi cial Weng Binyang from becoming director-general of the mon-ey-making agency that counts 192 member states.

“The United States is turning this election into a po-litical game. The United States has no candidate of its

own, yet it tries every means to block Ms Weng Binyang and even takes this venture at its top diplomatic agenda,” Chen told reporters at a news confer-ence on the issue at the UN’s Geneva compound.

“It is sad that the United States has gone so far as to warn some of the medium and small countries not to vote for China, or they will face con-sequences such as weakened

relations with the United States or losing the World Bank and IMF loans,” Chen added.

“The United States attack on China’s candidature, China’s contribution, in the areas of IPR is not only unfair, it’s irrational,” he said, referring to intellectual property rights.

DecisionA WIPO “coordination committee” is set to select

its nominee for director-general at a closed-door vote March 4-5, before the agency’s general assembly makes the fi nal decision in May. The assembly has never rejected a coordination committee nominee since WIPO was created in 1967.

Weng is one of six remaining candidates out of 10 who originally announced plans to replace Director-General Francis Gurry of Australia. Candidates from Colombia, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Peru and Singapore are also in the race.

The United States and other Western allies have long expressed concerns about China’s approach to intellectual property, with Trump administration of-fi cials accusing Beijing of outright theft of Western know-how. The spat comes as China has been fl ex-ing its intellectual muscle in recent years. By WIPO’s own count late last year, China alone accounted for nearly half of all patent fi lings worldwide.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said two weeks ago that the United States was “tracking” the WIPO election “very, very closely.”

“We are going to make sure that whoever runs that organization understands the importance of enforcing intellectual property rights across nations and across boundaries,” he said on Feb 13.

“You should know that we’re engaged in lots of conversations to make sure that whoever is ultimately selected has respect for property rights and the rule of law in the context of intellectual property rights,” he said.

Trump’s assistant for trade and manufacturing poli-cy at the White House, Peter Navarro, on Sunday went even further in a column in the Financial Times news-paper, insisting that international intellectual property rules “underpin the innovation economy.”

“The US believes that giving control of WIPO to a representative of China would be a terrible mistake,” Navarro wrote. “China is responsible for 85% of coun-terfeits seized by US border offi cials; and Chinese IP theft costs the American economy between $225-$600 billion annually.”

He alleged a Chinese “gambit to gain control over the 15 specialized agencies of the UN”. He noted that China already has leadership of four of those, while no other country leads more than one.

The Chinese ambassador dismissed that charge: “It’s not our strategy to intentionally to seek the domi-nance in terms of numbers. It’s a natural process.”

He also blasted the US for having “turned their back” on multilateral cooperation, citing Trump ad-ministration withdrawals from international organiza-tions like the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, and the UN-backed Human Rights Council.

Chen Xu

Honor guards wearing protective face masks patrol outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Feb 27. Malaysia’s king summoned Mahathir Mohamad to the palace Thursday, fueling talks that he may have majority support to return as the next prime minister after his abrupt resignation and the collapse of his ruling

coalition this week. (AP)

Bachelet Trump

UN rights chief regrets: The United Nations’ human rights chief expressed regret Thursday over the Sri Lankan government’s decision to withdraw its co-sponsorship of a 2015 resolution backing an investigation into alleged human rights violations during the country’s civil war.

Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the decision risks setting back efforts for postwar recon-ciliation. (AP)

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Scars of violence haunt Delhi: India’s hard-line Hindu nationalists watched anti-government protests centered in Muslim communities for months in anger that fi nally boiled over in the worst communal rioting in New Delhi in decades, leaving 32 people dead and the Indian capital shell-shocked.

Tensions had been building over a new citizenship law that critics see as a threat to India’s secular society and a way to further marginalize the country’s 200 million Muslims.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi feted US President Donald Trump on his fi rst state visit to India, a moment that was supposed to help cement the country’s place on the world stage instead became an embarrassment. (AP)

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Death toll climbs to 34: The death toll rose to 34 in the communal violence that rocked the north-eastern parts of Delhi while

Subcontinent

Pakistan, Egypt discuss ties: Pakistan and Egypt on Wednesday discussed bilateral and defense ties during the visit of Egyptian Commander-in-Chief and Minister for Defense and Military Production, General Mohamed Zaki to Pakistan. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan during a meeting with Egyptian Defense Minister stressed that implementa-tion of the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions remained the only way for peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute. (AP)

200 more were injured, the Press Trust of India said quoting a senior Delhi Health Department offi cial.

According to media reports from the ground, the situation has been brought under control now as more security men were deployed in the affected areas and local peace committees comprising representatives from all the communities were activated.

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Snap elections if vote ends in an impasse

Parliament will pick new PM: MahathirKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 27, (AP): Malaysian interim leader Ma-hathir Mohamad said Thursday that Parliament will pick a new prime minis-ter next week following the collapse of the ruling alliance, and that snap elec-tions will be called if the vote ends in an impasse.

Mahathir, who met the king earlier Thursday, said the monarch couldn’t fi nd a candidate with a clear majority to lead the nation after consulting all 222 lawmakers over the last two days. As a result, the king decided to have the low-er house of Parliament vote on a new leader on Monday, he said.

“If the lower house fails to fi nd a person with the majority, then we will have to go for a snap election,” he told a news conference.

A failed bid by Mahathir’s support-ers to form a new government without his designated successor, Anwar Ibra-him, and Mahathir’s shock resignation on Monday broke apart the ruling alli-ance less than two years after it defeated a corruption-tainted coalition that had led the country for 61 years.

Both Mahathir and Anwar are vying for the premiership, renewing a political feud that stretches back more than two decades.

“The king is obviously being very cautious. He decided not to give Anwar or Mahathir a chance to form a gov-ernment and let the MPs decide,” said James Chin, head of the Asia Institute at Australia’s University of Tasmania. “This means horse trading will carry on all weekend until Monday morning.”

Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy in the 1990s during Mahathir’s fi rst stint as prime minister, but he was sacked fol-

lowing a power struggle and later jailed on sodomy and corruption charges that he said were trumped up. Anwar led a reform movement that helped build a fl edgling opposition but was jailed a second time for sodomy in 2014 in a move he said was aimed at killing his political career.

Mahathir, who retired in 2003 after 22 years in power, made a comeback in 2016, spurred by anger over a massive graft scandal involving a state invest-ment fund. Mahathir and Anwar rec-onciled and forged an alliance that won the 2018 election, ushering in the fi rst change of government since independ-ence from Britain in 1957.

But their relationship remained un-easy as Mahathir refused to set a time frame to hand over power to Anwar.

OldestMahathir, the world’s oldest leader at

94, said Wednesday that he wanted to form a nonpartisan government if cho-sen as prime minister for a third time. He said he had quit to show he wasn’t power crazy and because he didn’t want to work with the former corrupt regime that he ousted in 2018 polls.

But his unity government plan was rejected by Anwar’s camp and other opposition parties, which said it would only create a “Mahathir government” that was not accountable to the people and was unsustainable.

Anwar said lawmakers from the three remaining parties in his alliance had nominated him to be prime minister when meeting the king after Mahathir rejected their offer to restore their for-mer government. Anwar’s camp con-trols 41% of parliamentary seats, 20

seats short of a simple majority.Mahathir on Thursday also said he

had rescinded his resignation as chair-man of his Bersatu party.

Bersatu abandoned the governing alliance four days ago in a bid to form a new government with several op-position parties. But it fl opped after Mahathir quit in protest of the plan to work with the United Malays National Organization, the party of disgraced ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak who is on trial on corruption charges.

Mahathir reiterated Thursday that he still cannot accept UMNO but is will-ing to embrace UMNO members who leave the party. He said he still needs to discuss this with Bersatu leaders, who were willing to accept UMNO en bloc. Bersatu already joined hands with UMNO to take control of a southern state earlier Thursday. Mahathir said he will accept the outcome of Monday’s vote and that the new leader can choose anyone he likes as his Cabinet mem-bers, alluding back to the unity govern-ment plan he proposed.

The political drama that unfolded over the weekend saw 37 lawmakers, led by Bersatu, ditching the ruling alli-ance, depriving it of majority support. The king dissolved the Cabinet but re-appointed Mahathir as interim leader.

The crisis comes at a time of slowing economic growth, with Mahathir say-ing Thursday that the economy is ex-pected to expand by 3.2% to 4.2% this year, down from the previously forecast 4.8%.

He announced a 20 billion ringgit ($4.7 billion) stimulus plan to boost the economy, which has been hurt by the global outbreak of a new virus.

Malaysia

Politician Anwar Ibrahim, (right), walks with his wife Wan Azizah Ismail as they head to their party headquarters for a press conference after meeting the king in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Feb 26. Malaysia’s king held unusual consulta-tions with lawmakers for a second day Wednesday to resolve a political vacu-um caused by the abrupt collapse of the ruling coalition and the resignation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. (AP)

Featu

res

Featu

res

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows Devin France in a scene from the fi lm ‘Wendy’. (AP)

Ending could warm the hearts of

A wild spin on Peter Pan myth in Zeitlin’s ‘Wendy’By Lindsey Bahr

A Peter Pan story told from Wendy’s perspective sounds either too precious to be true or ripe for a skewering. But in the hands of the

fi lmmakers behind “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Wendy” resides — ever so delicately — in the space between. It is an achingly earnest, feral, transporting and (very) loose re-imagining of the classic J.M. Barrie tale about not wanting to grow up.

Gone are the outdated mores and fancy window dressings of Barrie’s story, however. Here, the Darlings are a raggedy American family liv-ing in the Deep South and surviving by slinging eggs and coffee in a diner full of characters with weathered faces and hearty laughs. In the opening scene, Wendy, a rosy cheeked toddler who is already getting a taste of labor helping her mom crack eggs over the stove, watches a young boy fl ee from his plate of bacon and the horrifying life sentence of possibly growing up to be a “broom and mop man.” He spots a shad-ow fi gure of a child on a train speeding by and follows it out of town, away from the unromantic realities around him to where he might just have a chance of being a pirate.

Years go by and Wendy, played by newcomer Devin France, grows up a little bit. She’s become obsessed with the fantasy of what she saw, illustrating stories about the boy who left and intently watching the trains outside her window. Then one day the fi gure appears again and she and her twin brothers (Gage and Gavin Naquin) make a mad dash for the freedom they presume lies at the other end of the tracks.

The shadow fi gure, of course, is Peter Pan (Yashua Mack), who is closer to birth than he is to even being a teenager. Wearing a tattered red prep school blazer and no shirt, he has a mischievous grin, an insa-tiable thirst for danger and a complete disregard for (or plain ignorance of) consequences, which will reach a particularly disturbing climax later. His island is lush, mythic and full of wonders and perils, both real (like rusty, wrecked ships) and imagined (like aging, which is shown to be grotesque and sad). The Darlings delight in letting their wild sides take over and fear only getting older.

SuccessDirector Benh Zeitlin, after “Beasts” in 2012, went from a Sundance

gem to a four-time Oscar nominee (including best picture), spent much of the interim working on this follow-up, which he wrote with his sis-ter Eliza Zeitlin. In a director’s statement, he describes how neither of them wanted to grow up, but sometime after the wild success of “Beasts”, they realized they’d have to. This is part of the reason why they’ve chosen Wendy’s perspective instead of Peter’s. But they get to have it both ways since they’ve released Wendy from the cages of ideal Victorian womanhood and made her into an adventurous free spirit (or a real child), torn between wanting complete freedom and knowing that it can’t last.

There is much of “Beasts” in the DNA of “Wendy”, and Zeitlin’s aesthetic is no less enchanting, nor is his magic with novice child ac-tors. Yet “Wendy” comes up short compared to “Beasts”. There is a

lack of that manic spark that made his breakout so undeniable. With its repetitiveness and lack of structure, it’s even a little tedious at times.

And yet it’s so sincere that it’s hard to pick on “Wendy” for some wheel-spinning, or even the sullen whimsy of it all. It’s headed some-where good and worthwhile: This ending could warm the hearts of even the most grown up grown-ups in the audience.

“Wendy”, a Searchlight Pictures release, is rated PG-13 by the Mo-tion Picture Association of America for “for brief violent/bloody im-ages”. Running time: 112 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Also:PARIS: Filmmaker Roman Polanski is skipping the awards ceremony for France’s equivalent of the Oscars — where his latest movie leads this year’s nominations — because of protests prompted by a new ac-cusation against him.

Women’s rights activists have called for a boycott of Friday’s Cesars ceremony in Paris, and plastered anti-Polanski banners and graffi ti at the event venue and the Cesar academy headquarters.

The entire male-dominated leadership of the Cesars stepped down recently amid a spat over its byzantine decision-making structure and over how to deal with the Polanski problem.

In a statement Thursday provided to The Associated Press, the Paris-based Polanski said the ceremony was turning into a “public lynching”. Addressing the new accusation against him, he said, “Fantasies of un-healthy minds are now treated as proven facts.” (AP)

NEW YORK: Like many incoming members of the American Acad-emy of Arts and Letters, Laurie Anderson didn’t know a lot about the venerable honor society until she was asked to join it.

“I had only a hazy idea of what it was so I was a little mystifi ed,” An-derson says of the academy, which, among other programs, gives out hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in grants and awards.

“Now that I know what it is — and especially what it does — I’m very excited to be part of this group and hope to make a contribution.”

Anderson, the celebrated multimedia artist, is one of 13 new inductees to the academy, founded in 1898. The group began as al-most exclusively white and male, and was averse to modernism and other new art forms. But the artists voted in this year refl ect an open-ness to diversity and experimenta-tion that has grown noticeably over the past few decades.

Others announced Wednesday include the authors Colson White-head, Edwidge Danticat and Mary Gaitskill; composer Terry Riley; the artist and photographer Carrie Mae Weems; and painters Julian Schnabel, Amy Sillman and Carroll Dunham. Also join-ing the academy are authors Barry Lopez and Mona Simpson, archi-tect Toshiko Mori and composer Chinary Ung.

“I believe that it is the Acad-emy’s intention to have a member-ship that recognizes excellence and refl ects the world as it is today,” says architect Billie Tsien, the academy’s president. “In this way the Academy becomes enriched and connected to a larger world.” (AP)

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NEW YORK: Jude Law, War-wick Davis and Evanna Lynch are among the readers in an all-star recording of J.K. Rowling’s “The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” the fi rst time her Harry Potter spinoff has been available as an audiobook.

Audible, the audiobook pro-ducer and distributor, announced Wednesday that “Beedle the Bard” will go on sale March 31. The audio release is a joint project between Audible and Rowl-ing’s Pottermore. According to Audible, “at least 90 percent” of the proceeds going to Potter will be given to Lumos, the nonprofi t founded by Rowling that helps

children in orphanages worldwide fi nd permanent homes.

Other readers include Noma Dumezweni, Jason Isaacs, Bon-nie Wright and Sally Morte-more. (AP)

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NEW YORK: Two long-running series — CBS drama “Criminal Minds” and ABC’s “Fresh Off the

Boat” — ended their runs last week with modest bumps in the ratings.

The investigators on “Criminal Minds” concluded their 15th and last season by chasing a psycho-path who liked to cut off the faces of his victims. The last episode reached 5.4 million viewers, up 12% from its season average, the Nielsen company said.

The Huang family fi nished the

sixth season of “Fresh Off the Boat” with a sweetly nostalgic episode that included a peek at the future for the characters. Its last episode was seen by 2.4 million people, or 6% more than the sea-son average, Nielsen said.

Both shows had one oddity in common. They each ended with two separate episodes where the second, the actual fi nale, had fewer viewers

than the fi rst. “Fresh Off the Boat” had 3 million for its fi rst half hour.

The numbers will increase when delayed viewing is added in.

Television’s week was dominat-ed by the Democratic presidential debate, which was seen by 19.8 million people on either NBC or MSNBC. It’s the most-watched Democratic nomination debate ever. (AP)

Film

Variety

Film

Film a cunning if empty remake

‘Man’ a game of hide and seekBy Jake Coyle

Unraveling the dusted bandages of H.G. Wells’ classic 1897 science-fi ction novel, writer-direc-

tor Leigh Whannell has refashioned “The Invisible Man” as a bracingly modern #MeToo allegory that, despite its brutal craft, rings hollow.

Our image of Wells’ villain — the white wrap-pings, the dark sunglasses — comes largely from James Whale’s also-classic 1933 fi lm. This “Invis-ible Man” might have stayed closer to that vision had a box-offi ce bust not interfered. After “The Mum-my”, with Tom Cruise, fi zzled, Universal Pictures canceled its Marvel-esque monster franchise dubbed the Dark Universe. Out went plans for Johnny Depp as the Invisible Man. In came a violent, low-budget Blumhouse-produced re-imagining from the co-creator of the “Saw” franchise. The bandages and shades, needless to say, didn’t make the cut.

Instead, this “Invisible Man” has shifted its focus from Wells’ optics scientist to a woman, Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss), running from him and fl eeing a toxic relationship. In the movie’s breathtaking opening (one seemingly modeled after “Sleeping With the Enemy”), she carefully, with disgust on her face, lifts the hand draped over her in bed. With barely hushed panic, she makes her well-planned nighttime escape from his bleakly modernist sea-side house while the sound of waves pummeling the northern California shoreline thunder around her.

The man, Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), we don’t quiet see. But we immediately get a vivid sense of his abusiveness from Cecilia’s white-knuckle fear. She takes refuge in the home of a childhood friend, a police offi cer (Aldis Hodge), and his daugh-ter (Storm Reid). There, she trembles with dread at the thought of Adrian coming for her. Her intense paranoia is only momentarily relieved when she gets news that he has killed himself. But when she begins to sense an eerie presence, and notice things like an unexplained imprint on the rug, Cecilia knows that Adrian — “a world-leader in optics” capable of

extreme discoveries — is still with her. “He’s not dead,” she says. “I just can’t see him.”

A pervasive terror cloaks the movie. It’s elevat-ed considerably by Moss, an actress thoroughly at home in the most prickly, anxious and unsettling situations. Her Cecilia is a portrait of a woman des-perately clawing for her freedom, but haunted by the specter, real or imagined, of her terrorizing ex. Trembling and tortured, Moss makes her stalking terrifyingly palpable.

SenseBut there’s also a sense, from early on, that “The

Invisible Man” is more interested in utilizing a clev-er and timely conceit for jump scares and muscular, half-visible action sequences than for any genuine exploration of Cecilia’s psychology. We know, from this invisible man’s fi rst foggy breath, that he’s there; there’s no mystery, just a perverse game of hide and seek. It takes much of the movie for Cecilia to con-vince anyone else of her unseen tormentor. But as Whannell turns toward the third act, the once prom-ising set-up disintegrates and “The Invisible Man” gets lost in a familiar torrent of bullets and blood, as well as a few implausible twists that pull the movie further away from Moss’ Cecilia.

While Wells imbued his invisible man with com-edy and tragedy, this one remains little more than a lethal plot device, and one so unhinged that any sense of realism vanishes. Adrian turns out to be a psychopath whose single-minded obsession with Cecilia squanders all the more intriguing capabili-ties of invisibility. (For that, we’ll always have “At-lanta”.) Whannell has the talent and cunning to turn “The Invisible Man” into a chilling and well-crafted B-movie. But if you’re looking for anything more than that, you’ll probably come up empty.

“The Invisible Man”, a Universal Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for some strong bloody violence and lan-guage. Running time: 124 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Also:NEW YORK: Next year, you’ll be able to see the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton” perform the musical smash from the comfort of a movie theater.

The Walt Disney Company said Monday it will distribute a four-year-old live capture of Lin-Ma-nuel Miranda’s show in the United States and Canada on Oct 15, 2021.

The groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop show about the life of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards and made numer-ous tours.

The fi lm was made at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016 and will star all of the original Tony Award winners — Miranda as Alexan-der Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as An-gelica Schuyler; and Leslie Odom Jr as Aaron Burr.

Others who star include Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. The fi lmed version is directed by the show’s director, Tommy Kail.

“We are thrilled for fans of the show, and new au-diences across the world, to experience what it was like onstage — and in the audience — when we shot this,” Kail said in a statement.

Hamilton is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Miranda that tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow, the show’s music draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes; the show also incorporates color-con-scious casting of non-white actors as the Founding Fathers and other historical fi gures. Through this use of modern storytelling methods, Hamilton has been described as being about “America then, as told by America now.” (AP)

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People & Places

NEWS/FEATURESARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

11

Soundtrack City

Nashville awash infi lm, game scoresNASHVILLE, Tenn, Feb 27, (AP): Nashville is al-ready known as Music City, but a new wave of music being recorded there for video games, TV shows and movies could earn it a new title as Soundtrack City.

The city has a reputation for high quality studio mu-sicians that can play just about any genre, including country, pop, rock, gospel and more. Nashville musi-cians have also been behind the soundtracks for some of the biggest video game franchises including “Mad-den”, “FIFA”, “Call of Duty” and “Star Wars”.

And more production companies have been bring-ing their fi lm and TV soundtrack recordings to Nash-ville, including Netfl ix, Showtime, Sony and Focus Features, thanks in part to an incentive program en-

acted into law in last year.“Nashville has become one

of the two or three major places to record in the world for fi lm, game and television,” said Ste-ve Schnur, president of music for Electronic Arts, the popular video game company.

Schnur’s background in-cludes working at MTV and record labels such as Arista and also working as a music supervisor on fi lms prior to joining EA. He’s been a sort

of Pied Piper for soundtrack recording in Nashville. “I’ve been preaching Nashville for quite some time and initially it was met with a little cynicism,” he said. “Nashville? Don’t they make country records there?”

For a long time, EA recorded soundtracks for their games with orchestras in Los Angeles, London and eastern Europe. That changed about seven years ago when Schnur came to Nashville to record music for a trailer for a game called “Dragon’s Age Inquisition”.

Greatest“It was like the world’s greatest band,” Schnur said

of the 60-member orchestra assembled for the record-ing. “It really supported what Nashville is: a collabo-rative place.”

Even more so, Nashville’s musicians were both fast and accurate, even on complicated scores written by acclaimed composers such as Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, Jeff Russo and John Debney.

“This is a fi rst-take town,” said Schnur. “You go to Prague, you’re doing six or seven takes.”

Now, Schnur estimates 90 to 95% of EA’s scores are being recorded in Nashville, with the rest recorded in London.

The music of video games often is integral to the game-play in creating both emotion and attachment to the characters and storyline. Kris Bowers, the composer and pianist behind the Oscar-winning fi lm “Green Book”, came to Ocean Way Nashville Re-cording Studios to record the soundtrack for “Mad-den NFL 20”.

Bowers said he can still recall exactly the music of the games he played as a child, such as “Golden Eye 007” on Nintendo 64 or “Super Smash Bros” and “Zelda”.

“I think the music immediately connects you, especially when there are strong themes or these melodies that you can’t forget. It’s the same thing as hearing a John Williams score. You hear it and you’re immediately transported to your childhood,” Bowers said.

Bowers also explained that because video games are non-linear, meaning the player’s decisions can take the game in different directions, he had to com-pose music in a totally different way than he does for fi lms or TV.

Different“For each of these different endings or different it-

erations of the storyline, or the way that it branches out, there will be a different piece of score,” Bowers said. “For myself, thinking as more of a fi lm compos-er, how do I make each branch feel similar, like they are related, but obviously matching the emotional tone of the story at that moment?”

That also means a lot more music to record com-pared to a feature fi lm. Schnur said video game scores can range between an hour to 300 minutes of recorded music.

Bob Raines, executive director of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, said that when Tennessee has to compete with neighboring states like Georgia and Louisiana for fi lm and TV production, music pro-duction was their competitive advantage.

Raines notes that Tennessee has the highest concen-tration of musicians in the country and is the second in the country for concentration of sound engineers. About fi ve years ago, Raines said they started seeing growth in the scoring sector, so the state started work-ing on an incentive program.

In just six months, they brought fi ve new musical scoring projects to Tennessee that likely would have gone to eastern Europe, with companies such as Net-fl ix, Showtime Networks, Focus Features, Sony and EA, Raines said.

“We have a legacy of music as a state brand so it was easy to promote,” said Raines.

Schnur said now the problem isn’t bringing projects to Nashville, it’s fi nding the studio space and time to record them.

“Nobody second guesses coming to Nashville,” said Schnur. “The only question now is there’s not enough space and we need more.”

Also:NEW YORK: The South Korean boy band BTS per-formed at Grand Central Terminal in New York City for a special episode of t’s “The Tonight Show”.

The band performed their new single “On” with an ensemble of dancers and a marching band for the epi-sode, which aired on Monday. Metro-North Railroad offi cials told The New York Times the fi ve-minute performance took two months to organize.

The crew of about 180 people arrived at Grand Cen-tral at about 10 pm on Feb 8. The dancers and march-ing band rehearsed in Vanderbilt Hall and the North West Balcony rooms while the crew set up their cam-eras and people left the busy transit hub, said Meredith Conti, Metro-North’s manager of special events.

BTS didn’t set foot on the terminal fl oor until it closed at 2 am, so they could avoid being spotted, said Meredith Conti, Metro-North’s manager of special events. They had about two hours to shoot the video before the terminal’s cleaning staff arrived to wash the fl oors.

Gavin Purcell, the show’s interim show-runner, wrote on Twitter that the episode was “our love letter to this city.”

Schnur

In this Oct 21, 2019 photo, conductor David Shipps (front left), directs the orchestra during the recording of a video game soundtrack in Nashville, Tenn. (AP)

Kids shine

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ goes bigNEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): The cast of “To Kill a Mockingbird” ditched its somber Broadway home Wednes-day for the cavernous Madison Square Garden, performing the play for 18,000 school kids in an electric one-time-only performance that one actor called “primal”.

It marks the fi rst time a Broadway play has been performed at the venue nicknamed “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, which is home to the New York Knicks and Rangers. The last line of the play is “All rise” and the students did exactly that, giving it a standing ovation and a hearty thank you.

“I loved the book in middle school when I read it and seeing it live and seeing the characters come to life, it’s so much more real,” said Alissa DiC-risto, 17. “It makes you feel so much more.”

The play’s usual Broadway home is the 1,435-seat Shubert Theatre, where it’s routinely sold out. But thousands of middle and high school students from all fi ve boroughs got to see it for free, courtesy of the Scott Rudin-led production and James L. Dolan, execu-tive chairman and CEO of The Madi-son Square Garden Company. The tickets were distributed by the city’s education department. Free popcorn and bottles of water were also offered on the way out.

The audience this time surrounded the stage and, in the moments before the play, started using the fl ashlight feature on their phones to make pat-terns and signals, turning the Garden into a tapestry of lights, like a forest ignited with fi refl ies.

As the play progressed, the students clapped, booed, cheered and gasped, even erupting in the same pitched ex-citement as a buzzer-beating 3-point basket when the stately Atticus Finch wrestled with the evil Bob Ewell. At other times, the Garden was complete-ly silent as it felt like 18,000 young people held their breaths, particularly during courtroom scenes.

“We did say how we feel and each and everyone was respectful, too, when they needed to,” said 17-year-old Eric Meza, who had his fi rst expe-rience with a Broadway show. “It was just an amazing experience.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper

Lee won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and has been widely praised as a sensi-tive portrait of racial tension in 1930s Alabama. At its core is Finch, a law-yer called upon to defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin adapted Lee’s play and it crack-les with current issues: institutional racism, a fl awed criminal justice sys-tem, police misconduct, sexual assault and standing against evil. Ripples of anger coursed through the crowd when racial epithets were used.

“I feel like it targeted a lot of promi-nent issues in today’s society and it really did speak to me,” said Ambria Creary, 17. “Defi nitely there were parts where you had to react because it hurt so bad to even imagine it hap-pening today.”

The entire current Broadway cast performed the show, led by Ed Har-ris as Finch. They practiced for the Garden show in a warehouse in Long Island City, preparing to work on their new space, a stage measuring 90 feet in length by 40 feet in width.

ExperienceDespite the size, the actors kept the

experience intimate, rolling pieces of equipment onstage and helping put away props. Some, when not onstage, sat in chairs or a bench waiting their cues. At one point, Nick Robinson, who played Jem, gave Lisa Gay Ham-ilton, who played Calpurnia, a gentle hug after a powerful scene.

“It was magical. It felt like what theater used to like be thousands of years ago,” said actor Taylor Trensch, who played Dill Harris. “It’s some-thing I’ll remember forever.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio and City First Lady Chirlane McCray introduced the show, urging the students to think about the themes of the play and urging them to embrace the arts. “You are part of history today,” McCray said. Direc-tor Spike Lee, a die-hard Knicks fan, said: “Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t be artists. Follow your dreams.”

While Sorkin’s script wasn’t al-tered, the staging had to adapt to the hulking space. Eight cameras captured the action and beamed it onto four massive screens so everyone could see

small details.The stage arrived in about 100

pieces and took four hours in install, including the jury box, which remains empty throughout, a signal that the audience also is complicit in the trial. On Wednesday, director Bartlett Sher paced along one side of the stage dur-ing the performance, helping actors with their sound equipment and cheer-ing them on.

Trensch thought back to his own youth and didn’t initially know if the three-hour play would capture the at-tention of the children. He needn’t have worried.

“It was almost primal,” he said. “There was like an electrical charge in the air that you don’t get at the Shubert Theatre.”

Also:BOSTON: Strike up the band: Keith Lockhart is marking 25 years as the conductor of “America’s Orchestra”.

The Boston Pops said Wednesday its 2020 season will pay special tribute to Lockhart, its second longest-tenured conductor after the legendary Arthur Fiedler.

Only Fiedler, who conducted for nearly half a century, has been more of a fi xture at the Pops. Founded in 1885, the orchestra is known nationally for its July Fourth concerts on the banks of the Charles River, where fi reworks back up the percussion section.

“I’m thrilled and humbled to have reached my 25th anniversary season as conductor of what is truly the one-and-only Boston Pops,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart was just 35 and a musical wunderkind when he took the baton in 1995, following in the footsteps of “Star Wars” composer John Williams and Fiedler, who conducted from 1930 until his death in 1979.

Since then, Lockhart has led the Pops in more than 2,000 concerts worldwide, including the 2002 Super Bowl and the 2008 NBA Finals, and has shared the stage with several hun-dred guest artists ranging from Elton John and former president Bill Clin-ton to astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Big Bird. There have been 45 national tours to more than 150 cities in 38 states, and four tours to Japan and South Korea.

Stage

Actress Yvonne Strahovski (left), and co-creator, executive producer and actress, Cate Blanchett (right), attend the Berlinale Series Premiere for the fi lm ‘Stateless’ during the 2020 Berli-nale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany

on Feb 26. (AP)

Domingo Bell

LOS ANGELES: Lee Phillip Bell, who co-created “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” and hosted her own daytime talk show in Chicago for 33 years, has died. She was 91.

Bell died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, according to Eva Ba-sler, a spokeswoman for the family and their company Bell-Phillip Television Productions.

“Our mother was a loving and sup-portive wife, mother and grandmother,” her family said in a statement. “Gracious and kind, she enriched the lives of all who knew her. We will miss her tremendously.”

Bell and her husband William J. Bell co-created two of daytime television’s most successful and enduring dramas. “Y&R” has been on the air since 1973, while “The Bold and the Beautiful” will mark its 33rd anniversary in March.

Born in Chicago on June 9, 1928, Bell began her career as a broadcast journalist in her hometown, where she hosted and pro-duced her eponymous daytime talk show from 1953-1986 on WBBM-TV, the local CBS affi liate. She explored timely social issues and concerns, while also interview-ing presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, Judy Garland, Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey, Lucille Ball and the Beatles and Rolling Stones. She won 16 regional Emmy Awards for her show.

Bell also produced and narrated several award-winning specials and documentaries on such topics as foster children, rape and divorce. (AP)

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MADRID: Global opera star Plácido Domingo has canceled his upcoming performances at one of Spain’s main opera houses as offi cials and music venues in the tenor’s home country reassess their ties after he apologized for sexually harassing women over the course of two decades.

A statement from the Teatro Real in Madrid said that Domingo himself had taken the step of canceling his part in the upcoming “La Traviata”, with fi ve shows scheduled in May, ahead of a meeting on Thursday in which the venue’s patrons were to decide on his case.

Domingo “won’t be taking part in the upcoming production of La Traviata that opens in May,” said the brief statement.

The theater, it added, “reaffi rms in its

Variety

From left: Actors Gabriel Montesi, Barbara Chichiarelli, directors Damiano D’Innocenzo and Fabio D’Innocenzo and actors Elio Germano and Ileana D’Ambra attend a photocall for the movie Bad Tales (Favolacce), during the 70th

International Film Festival Berlin (Berlinale), in Berlin, Germany. (AP)

policy of zero tolerance of harassment and abuse of any kind, and in its permanent solidarity with the victims.”

On Wednesday, the Spanish government

canceled two other upcoming performances by Domingo in the Spanish capital, making Spain the fi rst country in Europe to cancel on the megastar since the allegations from

women surfaced last year in the United States.

The Culture Ministry said the cancella-tion was in support of the women who have accused the tenor of misconduct and take a stand against sexual harassment. (AP)

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NEW YORK: ABC News has suspended political reporter David Wright after he was recorded in a barroom conversa-tion calling President Donald Trump a “nightmare spouse that you can’t win an argument with.”

Wright also used a common vulgarity to describe why he didn’t like the president in a conversation recorded by Project Veritas, the conservative website that uses hidden cameras and undercover report-ers to ensnare journalists in embarrassing conversations.

Months ago, Project Veritas released a tape of ABC’s Amy Robach complaining on set about her bosses not using a report that she had done on Jeffrey Epstein.

Wright and an ABC producer, Andy Fies, were recorded in a bar at the Double-tree Hotel in Manchester, New Hamp-shire, while covering that state’s primary. Wright talked about the frustrations of covering Trump and said the press was “easily distracted and that means we don’t bring focused attention to something that could make a difference.” (AP)

Music

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

12

h o r o s c o p eBy Jacqueline Bigar

Happy birthday for Friday, Feb 28, 2020: This year, your intuition greets your stability. The combination proves to be powerful when applied together. If single, you might reveal these traits as you reveal different personali-ties and different segments of your life. If you both agree, you know you have a good bet. If attached, you often delight your sweetie with your friendship and willingness to pitch in to help. You fi nd Taurus overly structured and a stick in the mud at times. You often distance yourself from this sign.

The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult.

Capricorn - (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

***** Your imagination charms a loved one or someone who is very close to you. As

a result, you could fi nd more harmony when dealing with this person. A child or a funny situation triggers your imagination. Tonight: Reveal more of your sense of humor.

Aquarius - (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

**** Stay centered knowing you can only gain by not being reactive. Surprises sur-round real estate or a domestic matter. You cannot change what is happening, but you can control your responses. Weigh the pros and cons. Tonight: Head home early.

Pisces - (Feb 19 - Mar 20)

***** Share your opinions, but don’t ex-pect agreement. A phone call or email could stun you. Take your time having a discussion. You could have a diffi cult time getting others to agree with you. Expect some controversy. Tonight: Return calls and emails fi rst.

Aries - (Mar 21 - Apr 19)

*** A more possessive streak emerges and makes you wonder what is going on. Work-related interactions carry a secretive tone. Refuse to honor a request that could be costly or diffi cult in some manner. Tonight: Indulge a little.

Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20)

***** You could be exhausted by another person and his or her decisions. You might wonder if others understand the impact of in-terrupting you as you work or are in the mid-dle of a conversation. You might need to put a stop to this behavior. Tonight: All smiles.

Gemini - (May 21 - June 20)

*** Play it more low-key. What you see

could change. A current of the unexpected runs through your day, possibly your life. You might not want to discuss a personal matter. One-on-one relating changes your perception. Tonight: What works for you.

Cancer - (June 21 - July 22)

***** Your emotions run out of control. You could experience substantial highs and lows. Neither set of feelings is an accurate representation of things. They are only feel-ings, which change quickly. Tonight: Follow the action.

Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22)

**** A must appearance could benefi t you far more than you realize. Know when you have had enough and cannot push any more. Let others demonstrate their essence and opinions. An unexpected event could force a

second look. Tonight: Out till the wee hours.

Virgo - (Aug 23 - Sept 22)

**** Look at the long term. What’s im-portant is that you detach to get a sense of the big picture. Do not respond to a child or friend’s power play. Rather, allow this person to reveal more of who he or she truly is. To-night: Opt for something different.

Libra - (Sept 23 - Oct 22)

***** One-on-one relating could take you down an unusual path. At fi rst, you might not feel comfortable with what is happening. The unexpected occurs when dealing with an im-portant person. Tonight: Walk away from a power play.

Scorpio - (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

***** Others respond to your energy. How you handle the intensity of the mo-ment could be crucial. Choose your words with care; otherwise, you might fi nd that an apology is necessary. Be clear when describ-ing your desires. Tonight: Decide what you want.

Sagittarius - (Nov 22 - Dec 21)

*** Plunge into a project with determi-nation and a desire to clear out additional work. Revise your thoughts fi nancially. You also might change the nature of your work or days. Be open to change. Tonight: Put up your feet and relax.

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Born today: Race car driver Mario Andretti (1940), actress Bernadette Peters (1948), architect Frank Gehry (1929)

home decor indoor gardening beauty tips taste buds

origami art hawaiian umbrella bonsai tree moisturizers for skin mint & ginger lemonadeSupplies:

Branch Scrapbook paper Hot glue gunInstructions:To create a fl ock of paper cranes, fi rst cut

thin paper into 1 inch squares. Use light weight scrapbook paper, or you can use anything that will fold well. Use an origami crane tutorial, to learn how to fold the cranes. If you don’t know how to make an origami crane, you may want to practice by making several larger cranes before you go onto small cranes. Create 30 small pa-per cranes in the colors of your choice. Glue the cranes to the branch.

The hawaiian umbrella tree, dwarf scheffl era ar-boricola, in nature grows as a small evergreen shrub. Full of banyan roots, the leaves are min-iature and shaped like umbrellas, which together, form a beautiful, green, and dense canopy.

Site: It can tolerate low light conditions but they will do their best if the indoor location is ex-posed to indirect lighting from an east or west fac-ing window or in rooms with fl uorescent lighting on for long portions of the day.

Temperature: Warmer temperaturesWater: This particular bonsai needs to be wa-

tered well about every two to three days.

Moisturizers are great for adding moisture to, and keeping moisture in the skin. It is important to ap-ply a moisturizer all over the body immediately af-ter toweling off. The oils in the lotion will trap any residual water in the skin, naturally increasing the skin’s hydration.

Sleep in general allows the body to rejuvenate and repair. Without enough sleep, the skin will grow haggard and dry.

A weekly exfoliation of the top layer of facial skin is a must; it will help to bring back the radi-ance and luster that winter months take away.

Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup apple juice 1 teaspoon fi nely chopped fresh ginger A few mint leaves 2-3 tablespoons of honey A few ice cubes Method: Stir fi rst six ingredients together until honey dis-

solves. Stir in soda water. Serve over ice. A great thirst quencher

Dear AbbyWoman feels ‘little’ connection to mom

By Abigail Van BurenDear Abby: I was born into a poor family, and

my father gave me up for adoption to his well-to-do sister. My narcissistic adoptive mother se-verely abused me physically, mentally and emo-tionally as a child, and tormented me fi nancially as an adult. I no longer speak to her.

My biological mother has been attempting to have a relationship with me as her daughter. But I don’t regard her as my mother. I don’t feel any-thing toward her. All those years of abuse have

left me feeling ... jaded.My biological mother is

still poor, and she constantly asks me for money to help my nieces and nephews with their needs. I understand that they are blood, but I work hard for my money and cannot afford to support them fi nancially. They have had plenty of op-portunities in the past to better their lives but decided to live

off handouts. How do I fi nd validation that I am a person and not just a piggy bank?

— Jaded in CaliforniaDear Jaded: Considering the circum-

stances in which you were raised, it may not be easy. A way to fi nd some of that val-idation would be to start establishing some boundaries in your life. If you can afford to see a licensed mental health professional, you would benefi t greatly by scheduling some sessions. Not only will it help you to get your priorities straight, it may also help you to feel less guilty about saying no to relatives with ulterior motives.

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Dear Abby: I felt compelled to write after see-ing your Dec 15 response to “Anywhere, USA,” the hosts seeking guidance about how to respond to the daughter of longtime friends who had re-cently visited. The daughter had emailed asking for a report on her parents’ habits and conduct during their trip.

As a caregiving daughter myself, knowing many other caregiving adult children and be-longing to a few support groups for caregivers, I believe inquiring of family friends and other relatives about their loved ones is not wrong or invasive. Our loved ones behave differently in different situations. How they negotiate changes and social situations without the caregiver pre-sent may provide important clues and informa-tion regarding their mental/cognitive status.

Caregivers try to give their loved ones as much freedom as safely possible. Gaining information about the visit would possibly give clues regard-ing the ability to travel independently or not, and whether they can still negotiate social and public situations appropriately. These are examples of things that a caregiver will never observe without the eyes of others.

Many caregivers out there read your column, and others who have aging, declining friends with caregiving kids. People must not hesitate to say something when they notice a change in behavior.

— Loyal Reader in New JerseyDear Reader: I’m printing your letter be-

cause it is representative of the response I received about “Anywhere, USA’s” letter. You raise an important issue about how it “takes a village” to band together and to share observations about changes in older people’s comportment beyond simple ag-ing.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Bu-ren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phil-lips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAb-by.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

(Source: Universal Uclick)

Abigail

what’s on todaywhat’s on today emergency number 112

Civil ID info: 1889988Site for checking travel ban www.kuwaitcourts.gov.kw/mojweb/NGeneral/Main.jsp

■ KKIC to hold Islamic seminar: Kuwait Kerala Islahi Center (KKIC) has organ-ised a publicity event in Abbasiya for the upcoming 5th Islamic seminar titled ‘Religion, Nationalism and Humanity’ near Farwaniya Garden from Feb 25-28.

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■ Arnis/Eskrima training: Eskrimador-Kuwait a member of Cacoy Doce Pares World Federation now opens a new batch of training. Learn the Philippine national sports, which is Arnis/Eskrima with the authentic style and techniques. Training schedule will be every Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm @ Kaifan Sports Complex-Karate Gym. Text or call #50292148-Herms.

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■ Free IFRA coaching classes: Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA) will be starting free refresher/coaching class-es for existing referees, new recruits, those aspiring to be referees and even those who would like to learn about the laws of the game at IEAS – Salmiya (Don Bosco).

Classes will be from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm every Friday.

Those interested may call 99519439 or get in touch with any IFRA member for registration.

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■ FBC tournament: Filipino Badminton Committee (FBC) is inviting all badminton enthusiast in Kuwait to join their regular badminton tournament being held every Friday from 8 am to 7 pm at Kuwait Disabled Sports Club, Bin Khaldoun Hawalli. Over 10 badminton courts are now available for badminton practices and tournament and it is open for all nationalities and from different badminton organizations. Exclusive-private court are also available on per hour rental. For more information, please contact Dr Chie Umandap – 97197268

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■ UBC badminton tourney: United Badminton Club (UBC) is inviting all play-ers and enthusiast of all nationalities to join their badminton tournament every Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. UBC offers 10 badminton courts for their tour-naments, where an exciting price awaits to the winners. And not just that, they also have raffle prizes for those who joined their tournaments. UBC also allowing exclusive badminton courts for hourly rentals. UBC is a newly-formed badmin-ton club located at Street 9, Block 3, Fahaheel Sports Club, Fahaheel, Ahmadi Al Asimah Kuwait headed by Dennis Romeo Malay and Jimmy Carandang. For more information please contact the following number 6566753.

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■ Holy Quran classes: Emanway Foundation – Musk is offering classes to teach English-speaking ladies (and girls ages 5 and up) to read the Holy Quran in Arabic. The method is al-Qaedah Noorania, a traditional program which has been used for many years around the world. (Note: ‘Al-Qaedah’ simply means ‘base’; this can be likened to a basic phonics program.) No Arabic knowledge is required. Every Friday from 4:00 to 5:15 pm. Al-Salam Area (south Surra), Block 2, Street 201, House 30. Classes are free, but seats are limited, so register now by calling 66274724.

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■ Tagalog Khutba for Filipinos: The Ministry of Awqaf, Islam Presentation Committee, & Kuwait Philippine Cultural Center (KPC Center) invites all Filipino

■ El Shaddai weekly fellowship: The El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Kuwait Chapter invites all the Filipino in our weekly fellow-ship.

● Every Monday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm St Joseph Hall (Basement), Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City.

● Every Friday (except 1st Friday), 12:30 pm to 4 pm, Sacred Heart Hall, Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City.

For more information please call any of the following nos: 66758948, 66523946, 99615956, 99495832, 66078953 and 67067956.

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■ ENK’s worship service: Every Nation Kuwait (ENK) invites you to our Worship Service every Friday, 9 am at Royal King Palace Restaurant, Kuwait City. Pls con-tact: 99248990 for more details.

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■ J.I.L Worship Services: J.I.L Kuwait invites everyone on their worship service every Friday 10:30 am at the Villa located at Gharnada. For more info please call 6195797 or 6330562.

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■ KTCC activities: Worship service – every Wednesday 7:00-9:00 pm at North Tent, NECK.

Children’s Bible School – every Wednesday 7 to 9 pm at Activity Building, NECK.

Overnight prayer – every 1st Thursday from 10 pm – 4:00 am at Diwaniya, NECK.

Communion Service – every 3rd Wednesday.

The Following meeting are held at our KTCC Prayer House:

1) Children Bible School Teacher’s Prayer – 1st Saturday 7 to 9 pm.

2) Children’s Prayer – 2nd Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

3) Bible Study – every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

4) ISOM – Batch 1 Class Tuesdays – 7 to 9 pm and Batch 2 Class Fridays – 4 to 6 pm.

5) Choir Practice – Mondays – 6 to 8 pm.

6) Men’s Fellowship – 4th Friday – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

7) Women’s Prayer – (Abbasiya) – 3rd Sunday – 6:30 to 8:30 pm and (Salmiya) 4th Tuesday – 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

8) Fasting Prayer – every 3rd Friday from 12:00 Noon – 3:30 pm.

9) Cottage Prayers – every 2nd and 4th Week.

10) Baptism Service – every 4th Friday.Welcome to all Tamil known people to

participate in our regular activities to wor-ship the Lord in our own mother tongue and be blessed!

For details or for any prayer needs con-tact Tel No: 66920350 / 99432849.

Items for the What’s On page can be sent directly to the Arab Times, P.O. Box 2270, 13023, Safat or faxed to 24818267 or e-mail to arabtimes@arabtimesonline.com. All items on this page are published as a courtesy to the public. These announce-ments can include birthday greetings, weddings, social functions or any other non-commercial events. Photographs of all events are welcome.

A fl yer of the event

Muslim & Muslima to hear Khutba (Sermon) in Tagalog every Friday at Marzouq Al-Badr Mosque, Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq St (at the back of Ambassador Supermarket and SM Supermarket, near Salhiya Police Station & Kuwait Airways Bldg) in Kuwait City. There will be a com-munity started and lunch after Friday prayers at KPC Center in Farwaniya. For further information, please call KPC Center, Tel 4712574.

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■ St Paul’s Church weekly activities: English worship services on Fridays at 10.30 am and on Sundays at 6.30 pm. The Friday English service has separate sessions for children and youth. A Mandarin language speaking congrega-tions meets separately on Fridays at 10.30 am in the Youth Centre at St Paul’s. A combined service with the English and Mandarin language congregations is held on the first Friday of every month. A fam-ily service is held on the second Friday of every month with presentations from dif-ferent organs of the church. The Church of Pakistan has services in English every Thursday at St Paul’s at 5.35 pm and for Urdu language speaking members every Friday at Diwaniya of the NECK Centre, Kuwait City at 5.45 pm. Please contact Fr Michael Mbona on mobile 65960781 or call at Church house on 23985929 or email to chaplain@stpaulskuwait.com or mrmbona@gmail.com For Mandarin speaking congregation contact Revd Zhu Peijin on 99551783 and her email address is greenolivettc@hotmail.com

Contact person: Fr Michael Mbona Mobile: 65960781 Email: mrmbona@

gmail.com❑ ❑ ❑

■ Redeemed Christian Church: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (HOD Parish) worship in English.

Celebration Service: Friday 9 am – 11 am; Divine encounter: Sunday, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm; Digging Deep (Bible studies): Tuesday, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm; Night vigil every last Friday of the month from 10 pm.

Venue: New Mishref. For more infor-mation and direction please call 9927-6603, 6557-7482. Email: rccghouseofda-vidq8@gmail.com

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■ PGMK service: Praise God Ministry of Kuwait (PGMK) holds services in Telugu and English in the NECK Compound, Lighthouse Church.

Fridays and Saturdays — 11.30 to 1:00 pm in English / 1:15 to 3:00 pm in Telugu.

Sundays services in the Hall of Hope from 3.30 to 5 pm and then in Lighthouse Church from 7.30 to 9.30 pm.

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■ BBBC weekly services: Bible Believers’ Baptist Church (BBBC) in Mangaf invites you to visit us for our weekly services in English. Friday morn-ing Bible teaching starts at 10:30 am. The Sermon and Children’s Church begins at noon. On Monday evening we hold our prayer meeting and Bible study at 7 pm. For more details, please call 66220416 or email faithful.stewards@gmail.com

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ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

13

KT Bank AG Munich branch

Offers complete portfolio of certifi ed Islamic banking products

KFH-Germany opens a branch in MunichKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: Kuwait Finance House-Germany KT Bank AG, the fi rst and only bank with an Islam-compliant business model in Ger-many and in the eurozone, has offi cially opened its Munich branch. Now KFH-Germany “KT Bank AG” exists in Frankfurt, Berlin, Mannheim and Cologne, the bank is now also represented in Mu-nich.

With the number of clients doubling in the retail and corporate segment since 2018 and sustainable business growth according to target fi gures in the

deposit and fi nancing business, the opening of the KT Bank branch marks yet another milestone for the successful model of ethical Islamic banking in Germany.

Located in the best central location in Bavaria’s capital, the new KT Bank branch in Munich offers the complete portfolio of certifi ed Islamic bank-ing products and services for retail, corporate and institutional clients according to ethical banking criteria.

KT Bank offers free current accounts without

overdraft, profi table investment opportunities based on the principle of profi t-sharing, lucrative savings and fi xed-term deposit accounts, real es-tate as well as business fi nancing or unique pay-ment solutions such as the automated installment payment card Jetzz Card, and much more. With the new Munich location, KT Bank is now also the principal bank for Muslims and SRI (Socially Responsible Investment) interested customers in Bavaria.

‘Unique collective of professionals from diverse fi elds’

PPF Kuwait conducts annual general meeting and talk showKUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: Progres-sive Professional Forum (PPF) Ku-wait, a collective of professionals for channelizing expertise, compe-tence and social consciousness of professionals towards inclusive so-cietal development has conducted their fourth Annual General Meet-ing at Al-Najath School, Mangaf on Feb 14, 2020, followed by a talk-show by eminent Economist and Vice-Chairperson of Kerala State Planning Board, Prof V.K. Ramachandran on the subject, ‘Em-igrant’s Resources for Economic Growth’.

Prof Ramachandran empha-sized that every professional should possess at least four prom-inent virtues such as technical ex-pertise in their respective fields, logical reasoning and rational ap-proach, social consciousness and commitment to support the soci-ety including the marginalized sections. He highlighted that the concept of ‘scientific temper’ is embedded in the Indian Constitu-tion itself.

The Professor considered PPF Kuwait as a unique collective of professionals from diverse fi elds such as Advocates, Chartered Ac-countants, Engineers, Doctors, Scientists, Management Profes-sionals etc. and wished all the best for their forthcoming endeavors. A memento was presented on behalf of PPF Kuwait to Prof V.K. Ra-machandran.

The function was presided over by the President of PPF Kuwait, E. Rajagopalan. The General Secretary of PPF, Sankar Ram offered wel-come address.

The chief guest, Prof V.K. Ra- Abdul Sageer – GC KEF Memento to chief guest.

machandran was introduced to au-dience by outgoing Gen Secretary, Anil Kumar P.N. and guest of hon-our Suresh C. Pillai was introduced to audience by the outgoing presi-dent, G. Santhosh Kumar.

Ajith Kumar N. (Director, Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board and Mem-ber, Kerala Loka Sabha), Suresh C. Pillai (Chairman & MD of Mark Group of Companies), Ms Sherin Shaju (Member, Loka Kerala Sab-ha and General Secretary, Vanitha Vedi, Kuwait), Abdul Sageer Ebra-him (General Convener, Kuwait Engineers Forum), Jeothish Che-rian (President, KALA Kuwait) of-fered felicitations.

In view of his contributions ex-tended to the benefi t of expatriates from various nationalities and in view of his selfl ess services ren-dered to those affected by calami-ties in our motherland, a memento was presented to Suresh C. Pillai by the Chief Guest, Prof V.K. Ra-machandran, joined by other guests and representatives from PPF, Ku-wait.

The talk show concluded with ac-tive Question and Answer session; the Vice-President of PPF Kuwait, Adv Thomas Stephen extended vote of thanks. The talk-show was well coordinated by Master of Ceremo-ny, Shaji Madathil.

Earlier, the Annual General Meet-ing elected 23 member executive committee and the executive com-mittee selected the offi ce bearers for the year 2020-21 as E. Rajagopalan (President), Adv Thomas Stephen (Vice-President), K.P. Sankar Ram (General Secretary), Sherly Sasira-jan (Joint Secretary), Sunil Kumar V.P. (Treasurer).

E. Rajagopalan – President PPF Audience

‘Been There’ entertaining novel

Chavez ‘No Bad Deed’a tense family drama

This book cover image released by Harper Collins shows ‘No Bad

Deed’ by Heather Chavez. (AP)

By Oline H. Cogdill

‘No Bad Deed,” William Morrow, by Heather Chavez.

Heather Chavez’s debut begins with an explosive beginning that quickly spirals into a tense family drama that revolves on myriad believable turns. “No Bad Deed” lives up to its name as veterinarian Cassie Larkin tries to fi g-ure out how her quiet, well-organized life that is full of good deeds could spin out of control so quickly.

On her way home after a long day, Cassie spots a man attacking a young woman on the side of the road. She stops to call for help but against the ad-vice of the 911 dispatcher, she gets out of the car to try to help. Even Cassie doesn’t understand why she doesn’t re-main in her car, but her foolish actions harken back to the time when she was a bit reckless. The man turns on her, threatening her by saying about the woman he was molesting, “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” He then steals her van, which has all her identifi ca-tion, address and photos of her family. It doesn’t take long for the police to identify the culprit – Carver Sweet – though they can’t locate him.

That night, Cassie’s husband, Sam, disappears, leaving their 6-year-old daughter Audrey on the street while they were trick or treating. Cassie ad-mits that Sam is the more responsible parent and abandoning their daughter is so out of character she is sure that Carver has tracked her down. But po-lice detective Ray Rico suspects that Cassie or her 15-year-old son, Leo, were involved in Sam’s disappearance.

Twists The brisk plot of “No Bad Deed”

moves with realistic twists as Cassie proves to be a credible sleuth, intent on saving her family and trying to fi nd out why she has been targeted by Carver. The case takes Cassie from her com-fortable suburban home to the more ru-ral areas of California’s Sonoma wine country. Her investigation will un-cover some disturbing family history. Chavez has a knack for characters that shines in “No Bad Deed” as she fi lls her novel with fl awed, authentic peo-ple whose behavior is natural.

“No Bad Deed” is an assured debut.❑ ❑ ❑

“Been There, Married That: a Novel,” St Martin’s Press, by Gigi Levangie

Being a book about Hollywood, maybe it’s not a coincidence that “Been There, Married That” by Gigi Levangie seems more like a movie than a novel.

Rich detail is paid to the food, the clothes and the decor surrounding Ag-nes Murphy Nash, the perfect wife to successful movie mogul (and cringe-inducing narcissist) Trevor. Readers are fully immersed in a jet-set lifestyle that by page 2 seems too good to be true.

It’s also obvious pretty early on that there will be a trade-off for that enviable life. There’s obviously more to her than her fl avorless friends; Ag-nes actually has her own career as an author and the story starts at her own book party. She can hold a business conversation and has a desire to be a role model for her daughter Pep.

The question is: Does Agnes have her priorities right?

There were moments I doubted it. For a supposedly smart woman, it took her an incredibly long amount of time to put together that Trevor had locked her out of the house and was sleep-

ing with the help. But, giving her the benefi t of the doubt, sometimes you don’t see what’s in plain sight if you are willing so hard for it not to be true.

In the fi rst half of the book, Agnes’ backbone is fl imsy and her relation-ships are out of whack. She signed off on being sent to rehab for eating disorders after an “intervention” be-cause she was addicted to snacking on almonds. That low point came when Trevor dangled a private jet and spa-like accommodations. What?!

Vulnerable Try telling your vulnerable teenage

daughter that.But clawing her way out of the faux

Shangri-La in Tuscon becomes a forma-tive experience for Agnes, and when she returns to her mansion, she starts to put her trust in the right places, especially her mooch convicted-felon sister, Fin.

Together, they become an enchant-ing Thelma-and-Louise duo. I predict readers will cheer them on until the happy ending befi tting a chick fl ick that surely this book will be someday.

Also:NEW YORK: Edwidge Danticat had an eventful Wednesday, praised for work both past and current.

Hours after the American Academy of Arts and Letters announced that she was among this year’s new members of the venerable honor society, Dan-ticat became the fi rst two-time winner of the Story Prize, a $20,000 award for short fi ction. She was presented the Story Prize on Wednesday night for her collection “Everything Inside,” set in part in Miami and her native Haiti. In 2005, she won the inaugural Story Prize for “The Dew Breaker.”

“It is something to see a writer whose previous work is already ca-nonical, write a story collection with the fi erce desperation and love usually seen in fi rst books,” Story Prize judges wrote in their citation. “But Danticat is not one of our regular writers, she is a harking angel. She comes to tell us that the world is new, again and again, and that stories will not lose their urgency, their necessity.” The other fi nalists Wednesday night were Kali Fajardo-Anstine for “Sabrina & Corina” and Zadie Smith for “Grand Union.”

Danticat is also known for the mem-oir “Brother, I’m Dying” and for the novel “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” which Oprah Winfrey selected for her book club in 1998. (AP)

A photo from the event

ACK organises Innovation and Entrepreneurship Tour in UAEThe Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) recently organized and sponsored a highly successful 2020 Innovation and Entrepreneur-ship Tour to the United Arab Emir-ates, with nine impressive students participating from the School of Business and the School of Engi-neering.

The four-day international edu-cational tour highlighted innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability initiatives in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The program featured visits to the

UAE’s leading start-up incubators and accelerators, Abu Dhabi Sus-tainability Week (the largest gath-ering of sustainability in the Middle East), Masdar City, 3M Innovation Center and the forward-thinking Ar-bor School.

The students met a number of entrepreneurs who generously shared their advice and insights, followed by an opportunity to pitch their start up ideas at Krypto Labs, where they received valuable feed-back and encouragement to imple-

ment their start-up ideas. Another highlight of the tour was

visiting Expo 2020 Dubai, the fi rst World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEA-SA) region. The students received an overview of the expo, followed by presentations from the Expo 2020’s innovation and sustainability experts and a fascinating behind-the-scenes bus tour of the expo’s construction site.

Commenting on the great benefi t the tour had on the participating

students, ACK International Af-fairs Manager, Ms Johanne Flynn said, “UAE is widely known as an international hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, and this tour provides our students with op-portunities to connect theory to a wide range of real-world initiatives, attend international events, meet inspiring entrepreneurs, innova-tors and educators, and to further develop their own entrepreneurial mindset and start-up ideas before they graduate.”

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

14

Challenger

DIRECTIONS:Fill each square with a

number, one through nine.■ Horizontal squares

should add to totals on right.

■ Vertical squares should add to totals on bottom.

■ Diagonal squares through center should add to total in upper and lower

right.

THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION.

Today’s ChallengeTime 8 Minutes

7 SecondsYour Working

Time __ Minutes__ Seconds

Yesterday’s solution

Drinking problem?: Friends of Bill W. are available to help. Totally confi dential. Email: rohsecretary@gmail.com

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Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with addiction problems. Totally confidential: 94087800 English/Arabic.

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Cancer online support group: If you are Cancer patient or family member fi ghting with this deadly disease, come join our online support group. Best way of dealing with this disease is providing support and share our experience with each other. There are lot of things which even doctors can’t tell so be member of this website and start sharing your experiences which may help others. October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The primary purpose is to pro-mote self examination and screening mammography as the most effective way to save lives by detecting breast cancer at early stage. For more information visit: http://fi ghtingwithcancer.webs.com/

LatestMarch 6

Register online with NORKA: For those who have not yet been able to register for Kerala Govt’s NORKA insurance identity card and become a mem-ber of the Non-Resident Welfare Pension Scheme, Online Spot Registration is being offered. The offi ce bearers of the Global Kerala Pravasi Association (GKPA) have arranged this service for expatriates on March 6, March 13, and on March 20 in connection with various area meetings of GKPA in Kuwait.

Registration will be open on March 6 at Man-gafIndraprastha Hall, March 13 at Sarathi Hall, near Abbasiya Choice Restaurant and on March 20 at Farwaniya Metro Clinic Hall from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This is an opportunity for those who are not familiar with NORKA registration and welfare fund registration through online portals.

Organizers are advised that applicants to the NORKA/ Welfare Pension scheme must come in person with a self-signed (attested) passport, civil ID copies and passport size photo.

Mahboula- 50636691- 69008568-97251910-51167888

Mangaf: 66985656- 66675665-69638951-60357933-96968983

Abbasiya: 50751131-65594279- 66653904-99721860-66278546

Farwaniya: 65877083-66587610-66445023-65646273-55583179

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click

Conceptis SudokuThe grid must be so completed that every row, column and 3x3

box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive

Answer to yesterday’s puzzle

bridgebridgeBy Steve Becker

contract bridgebridge

GKPA Mangaf meetings: Global Kerala Pravasi Association (GKPA) Kuwait Chapter announced the Mangaf-Fahaheel meeting on

Friday, March 6, from 3:00 pm in Mangaf Indraprastam Hall at and Abbasiya Area meeting on Friday, March 13, in Sarathi Hall at Abbasiya

near Choice Restaurant from 2:00 pm.Meeting includes GKPA membership card issu-

ance, membership campaign , NORKA & Welfare scheme spot online registration, NORKA welfare previous applicant status checking opportunity, Explanation on subjects like NORKA Pravasi chit, Pravasi investment plan, NORKA Legal for Re-turnee Entrepreneurs Loan, How to fi le a complaint in the Norka cell on Employment / Visa Scam will be in detail. Cultural programs will be conducted after the public meeting as well.

Applicants for membership, NORKA, Welfare Fund are informed that they must come with self-signed passport / civil ID copy and a photo,

Each and every Kerala pravasi in Kuwait is requesting voluntarily come together as a member for fulfi lling needs and rights back in Kerala on being united. GKPA is a Non-political, non-religious and non-regional global platform for Kerala expatriates, registered as society in Kerala and serving the community in 14 countries and 14 districts in the Kerala.

(GKPA Reg: KTM / TC / 118/2018) Mangaf- Fahaheel Area Team Contact :

66985656- 66675665-69638951-60357933-96968983

Abbassiya Area Team Contact: 50751131-65594279- 66653904-99721860-66278546

March 27SIF ‘Sastra Prathibha’ awards: Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait has announced the results of its 6th edition Sastra Prathibha Contest in Kuwait. Top scoring 18 students were declared ‘Sastra Prathibha’ from the students who appeared the exam in three categories.

The winners of the Sastra Prathibha title are Reine Mary John (Class 4), Sahassra Gatamanani (Class 4), Madhav Prasanth (Class 4), Aditya Arun Kartha (Class 5), Jalaludeen Akbar (Class 5), Shuvangi Das (Class 5), Manha Anees Shina (Class 6), Mathew George (Class 6), Riddhiraj Kumar (Class 7), Angelina Elizabeth Poulose (Class 7), Isaam Thalhath (Class 7), Ashwin Sajan Pillai (Class 8), Anushikha Sreeja Vinod (Class 8), Taha Rafi k Chikte (Class 9), Gokul Sreenivasan (Class 9), Vaishnavi Rajesh Pai (Class 10), Prakhar Gupta (Class 10), Shreya Lizzy Thomas (Class 10).

The prestigious ‘Acharya J.C.Bose Sastra Puraskar’ for the best school is secured by Indian Education School, (Bhavans).

The awards for winners and outstanding per-formers will be distributed at the grand honoring function, which is scheduled to be held on March 27, at Indian Central School, Abbasiya. Winners of Sastra Pratibha title will get the opportunity to visit prestigious research laboratories in India and also get the opportunity for personal interaction with top scientists in India. For further updates on SPC Season VI, please follow www.facebook.com/sifkuwait, or email at info@sifkuwait.com.

April 3KMS to mark 4th anniversary: Kuwait Ma-layali Samajam (KMS) is celebrating its 4th an-niversary on April 3, 2020 at Poppins Auditorium in Abbasiya from 5 pm onward. Various cultural programs will be staged in this occasion. C.S. Bathar is nominated as the program convener for the anniversary celebration.

Word by Word

Example QodwahExample is better than precept. Al qodwah al hasana khair men al wassiya.

Numbers

8409 Eight thousand four hun-dred and nine

Thamaniyat alaaf wa arbai maah wa tesah

A beautiful day at Kuwait Towers. (Krishnadas Ramanujam – KUNA)

A flyer of the event

ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

15

Health

Claws of health

‘Lobster blood’ couldplay role in new drugsPORTLAND, Maine, Feb 27, (AP): Maine lobsters have long de-lighted tourists as the state’s most beloved seafood. But one company thinks the crustaceans can save hu-man lives by providing their blood for use in new drugs.

The effort, involving a long-time lobster scientist, wouldn’t be the fi rst example of coastal invertebrates being used to aid human health. Horseshoe crabs are harvested because their blood contains a protein used to detect contamination in medical prod-ucts. A different startup company in Maine announced in 2016 that it would develop a bandage coated with a substance extracted from crushed lobster shells. And the US Army has made use of fi eld band-ages treated with a blood clotting compound processed from shrimp shells.

The company working on the lobster blood project, Lobster Un-limited of Orono, is investigating whether lobster blood can be used as a potential weapon against vi-ruses and cancer. Representatives with the company said results are promising — the US Patent and Trademark Offi ce issued them a patent in late October related to their work.

The blood is easy to come by because it’s a byproduct of lobster processing, company head Robert Bayer said. Lobster blood is likely a long way from playing a role in new drugs, Bayer said, but there’s “no question it has antiviral and antican-cer properties” based on research needed to apply for the patent.

“Right now, this blood is liter-ally thrown out on the fl oor and goes down the drain,” said Bayer, a professor emeritus of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at University of Maine. “We can collect millions of pounds of it, which makes it a viable product worth pursing.”

The company proposes to use compounds derived from hemo-lymph, which is lobster circulatory fl uid, to improve human health and possibly the health of other mam-mals. Lobster Unlimited’s looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry to work with on the devel-opment of drugs.

PowerfulScientists with the company

have found that hemocyanin, a protein in the fl uid, works as a powerful stimulant for the immune systems, Bayer said. For example, experiments show the substance can reduce the viral load of herpes simplex virus-infected cells, ac-cording to documents the company fi led with the US patent offi ce.

The next step is to fi nd partners in industry to work on the devel-opment of new drugs, because the company doesn’t plan to manufac-ture or sell its own, said Cathy Bill-ings, another member of Lobster Unlimited. New products would also need to stand up to testing and then win approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Interest in developing non-food products from lobsters has grown in recent years as Maine’s haul of the crustaceans has grown. The 2010s saw Maine’s catch of lob-sters eclipse any previous decade by many millions of pounds. The

remnants from processing them are used in everything from Christmas decorations and gardening soil to cooking stock. Using them in medicine represents a new frontier, Bayer said.

Invertebrate biology is very different from that of mammals, but there are some commonalities that could make it possible to use lobster products in medicine, said Diane Cowan, a Maine-based lob-ster biologist not involved in the Lobster Unlimited project. Those commonalities make it possible to use animals such as lobsters and horseshoe crabs to aid human health, she said.

Lobsters, like humans, have cir-culatory fl uid, though lobster’s is a kind of bluish gray as opposed to red, Cowan said. “So to have an idea that you can take something from one animal and use it for an-other is not outrageous,” she said. “The circulatory fl uid that runs through all bodies of all living ani-mals is very similar.”

Steve Train, a Long Island, Maine, lobsterman, was a little surprised when he heard about the possibility of lobster blood playing a role in new drugs.

“But if it can help people, I hope it’s true,” he said, adding, “These scientists know more than I do.”

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Obese: About 4 in 10 American adults are obese, and nearly 1 in 10 is severely so, government re-searchers said Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fi ndings come from a 2017-18 health survey that meas-ures height and weight. More than 5,000 US adults took part.

The survey found that the obe-sity rate was 42% — higher than the 40% found in a similar 2015-16 study. The severe obesity rate was more than 9% in the new survey, up from the 8% fi gure in the previ-ous one.

Those increases aren’t consid-ered statistically signifi cant: The survey numbers are small enough that there’s a mathematical chance the rates didn’t truly rise.

But it’s clear that adult obe-sity rates are trending up, said the CDC’s Cynthia Ogden, one of the report’s authors.

A half-century ago, about 1 in 100 American adults were severe-ly obese. Now it’s 10 times more common.

The obesity rate has risen about 40% in the last two decades.

The fi ndings suggest that more Americans will get diabetes, heart disease and cancer, said Dr Wil-liam Dietz, a George Washington University obesity expert.

It also will be increasingly diffi -cult for doctors to care for so many severely obese people, Dietz said. He has estimated that on average, every primary care doctor treat-ing adults has about 100 severely obese patients.

“How’s a provider going to do that? Severe obesity really requires very intensive therapy,” he said.

The CDC did not report new obesity numbers for kids and teens. That may come out later this year, Ogden said. In 2015-16, 18.5% of kids and teens were obese and just under 6% were severely obese.

People wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they visit the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan on Feb 27. (AP)

Coronavirus has infected 82,000 globally

Countries take tough steps to contain virusBANGKOK, Feb 27, (Agencies): A viral outbreak that began in Chi-na has infected more than 82,000 people globally. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it. Saudi Arabia cut travel to Islam’s holiest sites, South Korea toughened penalties for those break-ing quarantines and airports across Latin America looked for signs of sick passengers Thursday as a new virus troubled a mushrooming swath of the globe.

With the illness pushing its way into a sixth continent and the num-ber of sick and dead rising, the crisis gave way to political and diplomatic rows, concern that bordered on panic in some quarters, and a sense that no part of the world was immune to the disease’s spread.

“Viruses don’t know borders and they don’t stop at them,” said Rob-erto Speranza, the Health Minister in Italy, where northern towns were on army-guarded lockdown and super-market shelves were bare.

Schools throughout Japan were being closed for weeks to try to stop new transmissions.

As growing parts of Europe and the Middle East saw infections and a fi rst case was found in South Ameri-ca, air routes were halted and border control toughened. But for an illness transmitted so easily, with its tenta-cles reaching into so many parts of the world, leaders, puzzled over how to keep the virus from proliferating, seemed willing to try anything to keep their people — and economies — safe.

In South Korea, the hardest-hit country outside China, four Busan markets known for colorful silks and a dizzying array of other wares were shuttered while the country’s military sent hundreds of its doctors and soldiers to aid in treatment and

quarantines. In Iran, the front line of Mideast

infections, offi cials loosened rules barring the import of many foreign-made items to allow in sanitizers, face masks and other necessities, and removed overhead handles on Teh-ran’s subways to eliminate another source of germs. Peru put specialists on round-the-clock shifts at its big-gest airport, Argentina took the tem-perature of some new arrivals and El Salvador added bans for travelers from Italy and South Korea.

Disease has been a constant con-cern surrounding the hajj, with chol-era outbreaks in the 19th century killing tens of thousands making the trip. More recently, another corona-virus that caused Middle East respir-atory syndrome, or MERS, prompt-ed increased public health measures, but no outbreak resulted.

MeasuresCOVID-19’s westward creep —

including a case in California in the United States that does not appear linked to overseas travel — had some countries warning their people to obey measures intended to keep a single case from blossoming into a cluster that could paralyze a com-munity.

A man originally from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the glob-al outbreak, who contracted the virus was charged alongside his wife in Singapore for allegedly lying about their whereabouts as offi cials tried to stem further infections. In Colombia, which has yet to report any cases, of-fi cials reminded residents they could be jailed for up to eight years if they violate containment measures. And in South Korea, the National Assem-bly passed a law strengthening the punishment for those violating self-isolation, more than tripling the fi ne and adding the possibility of a year in prison.

“It came later than it should have,”

said Lee Hae-shik, spokesman for the ruling Democratic Party, calling for further non-partisan cooperation to address the outbreak.

Countries’ efforts to contain the virus opened up diplomatic scuffl es. South Korea fought prohibitions keep-ing its citizens out of 40 countries, calling them excessive and unneces-sary. China warned Russia to stop discriminatory measures against its people, including monitoring on pub-lic transit. Iran used the crisis to rail against the US, which it accused of “a conspiracy” that was sowing fear.

CloseJapan will close schools nation-

wide to help control the spread of the new virus, the government an-nounced Thursday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shin-zo Abe asked all elementary, middle and high schools to remain shut until spring holidays begin in late March.

The measure affects 12.8 million students at 34,847 schools nation-wide, the education ministry said.

“The coming week or two is an extremely important time,” Abe said. “This is to prioritize the health and safety of the children and take precautions to avoid the risk of pos-sible large-scale infections for many children and teachers who gather and spend hours together every day.”

The decision comes amid growing concern about the rise in the number of untraceable cases of the virus in northern Japan and elsewhere. Ja-pan now has more than 890 cases, including 705 from a quarantined cruise ship. An eighth death from the virus was confi rmed Thursday in Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, now considered a site of growing cluster.

Abe’s announcement came hours after several local governments an-nounced their own decisions to sus-pend classes.

Offi cials in the northernmost main

island of Hokkaido said they were closing all 1,600 elementary and middle schools. Hokkaido now has 54 confi rmed cases, the largest in the country outside the cruise ship.

The emergency school closures come as schools were busy prepar-ing for graduation ceremonies at the end of the school year. Koizumi primary school Vice-Principal Nor-inobu Sawada said the decision to suspend classes was unavoidable.

“The most important thing is to prevent infections, so there aren’t many other options,” he said.

Switzerland’s health affairs minis-try confi rmed on Thursday that three people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The ministry added in a statement that one of those infected is in the canton of Geneva and the two others are in the canton of Graubunden.

The three persons have been put under quarantines at hospitals, it not-ed. The number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen so far to four.

Two patients have tested positive for coronavirus in England, bringing the total number of UK cases to 15, UK announced on Thursday.

The virus was passed on while they were in Italy and Tenerife, and are being treated at specialist centers at the Royal Free Hospital, London, and the Royal Liverpool Hospital, said England’s chief medical offi cer Prof Chris Whitty.

The new cases in England come as the government is set to launch a public information campaign, which will focus on hygiene and how to prevent the spread of infec-tion, according to BBC. The South Korean and US militaries announced Thursday that they were postponing their annual joint drills due to con-cern about a viral outbreak that has infected soldiers in both countries’ armed forces, put many troops in quarantine and closed base facilities.

Microsoft says virus hurting supply chain more than expected

The virus outbreak in China is hurting Mi-crosoft more than expected, as the com-pany said it won’t meet targets that had already factored in the uncertainty.

In particular, Microsoft said revenue from Windows licenses and its Surface devices “are more negatively impacted than previ-ously anticipated.” The company said de-mand for Windows products is still strong, but getting the supply chain back to normal is taking longer.

That goes for both Microsoft-made Sur-face devices and Windows products made by third parties, which include Acer and Le-

novo.Last month, Microsoft predicted it would

make between $10.75 billion and $11.15 billion in revenue from its personal comput-ing business in the January-March quar-ter. Microsoft’s chief fi nancial offi cer, Amy Hood, said on a Jan 29 earnings call that the company had widened the usual range for its revenue forecast because of the “un-certainty related to the public health situa-tion in China.”

The company’s statement Wednes-day suggests that the range was not wide enough to refl ect the spread of the outbreak

and its ongoing effects. About a third of Microsoft’s revenue

comes from Microsoft’s personal comput-ing division, which houses the company’s Windows operating system, its line of Sur-face laptops and tablets, its Xbox gaming hardware and software and its Bing search service. Microsoft didn’t say if its Xbox busi-ness has been affected by the supply chain problems.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Washington, is among many tech compa-nies relying on Chinese factories to make electronics devices and parts. (AP)

Market Movements 27-02-2020

Business Change Closing ptsCHINA - Shanghai SE +3.40 2,991.33PHILIPPINES - PSEi +20.30 4,149.67

Change Closing ptsAUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries -53.34 6,737.40EUROPE - Euro Stoxx 50 -118.14 3,459.54FRANCE - CAC 40 -183.83 5,500.72GERMANY - DAX -392.90 12,381.98INDIA - Sensex -143.30 39,745.66JAPAN - Nikkei -477.96 2,1948.23PAKISTAN - KSE 100 -251.01 38,087.32S. KOREA - KRX 100 -48.31 4,496.03

In this fi le photo, a Microsoft computer is

among items displayed at a Microsoft store in suburban

Boston. Microsoft says its supply chain is being hurt

by the virus outbreak in China and will return to nor-

mal operations at a slower pace than it expected a

month ago. (AP)

Best Buy posts strong fourth quarterly salesNEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): Best Buy Co reported strong fourth-quarter re-sults as shoppers bought appliances, mobile phones and tablets during the holiday season.

The robust results, announced Thursday, beat Wall Street expecta-tions, and came as many of its big box peers like Target and Walmart had wrestled with sales shortfalls.

Best Buy, which is facing increasing competition from Amazon, is holding its own after aggressively expanding its online operations, speeding up de-liveries and making visits to its stores for customers a better experience. That effort was led by Hubert Joly until he stepped down in 2019 after seven years as CEO Corie Barry took over the job in June.

The Richfi eld, Minnesota, com-pany is also expanding into technol-ogy aimed at older customers. Last May, Best Buy acquired Critical Sig-

nal Technologies, a provider of per-sonal emergency response systems and telehealth monitoring services for at-home seniors. In August, it bought the predictive health care technology business of BioSensics and hired its data science and engineering team. In 2018, it purchased Great Call, which provides emergency response devices for the aging.

The company introduced curbside pickup service that allows shoppers to pick up items without getting out of their car at 100 stores. It said it already accounts for 15% of store pickup units at those locations. It plans to expand that service to the majority of stores this fi scal year.

Like many retailers, Best Buy has been whipsawed by the US trade wars with China and now, a new virus in China is also throwing a wrench in supply chains. Best Buy offered a prof-it outlook that factored in the impact

of the virus but said the situation was too fl uid to determine exact fi nancial impacts from the disruption of its sup-ply network. It said it’s analyzing the situation vendor by vendor and weigh-ing which factories are back up and running.

“We view this as a relatively short-term disruption that does not impact our long-term strategy and initiatives,” said Best Buy Chief Financial Offi cer Matt Bilunas in a statement.

But Best Buy is entering the year with some strength.

In the quarter ended Feb 1, it earned net income of $745 million, or $2.84 per share. Earnings, adjusted for amor-tization costs, were $2.90 per share. The results topped Wall Street expec-tations of $2.76 per share, based on a survey by Zacks Investment Research.

The consumer electronics retailer said revenue rose to $15.2 billion in the period, also surpassing Street

forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $15.09 billion.

Sales at stores opened at least a year rose 3.2% for the fourth quarter, mark-ing the 12th straight quarter of compa-rable sales growth.

For the fi scal year, the company re-ported profi t of $1.54 billion, or $5.75 per share. Revenue was reported as $43.64 billion.

For the current quarter ending in May, Best Buy expects its per-share earnings to range from $1 to $1.05. Analysts expect $1.08 per share, ac-cording to FactSet.

The company said it expects reve-nue in the range of $9.1 billion to $9.2 billion for the fi scal fi rst quarter. Ana-lysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $9.26 billion.

Best Buy expects full-year earn-ings per share in the range of $6.10 to $6.30, with revenue ranging from $43.3 billion to $44.3 billion.

World economy could see its fi rst quarterly fall since 2008

Virus fears chills markets, global economy outlook

In this fi le photo, a truck leaves the docks at Port Miami in Miami. The overall pace of growth in the October-December quarter was unchanged from its initial estimate a month ago, though the components were slightly altered, the Commerce Department said Thursday. (AP)

FRANKFURT, Germany, Feb 27, (AP): The widening coronavirus out-break threatens to seriously disrupt the global economy just as it was steadying itself against headwinds from the US-China trade dispute.

Concerns are high in Europe, where the three largest economies are already scraping along at the edge of recession, with Germany particularly exposed. China, the epicenter of the crisis, is a major sales market for German auto-mobiles and serves as a source of parts for Germany’s own factories.

The global economy was just stabi-lizing after wobbles caused by the trade war between the US and China and fears of a disorderly British exit from the Eu-ropean Union. The coronavirus hit just as a US-China preliminary deal and a Britain-EU agreement on a transition period had boosted hopes for a modest upswing, particularly in Europe.

Now the world economy could see its fi rst quarterly fall in seasonally ad-justed output since the global fi nancial crisis of more than a decade ago, says Ben May, director of global macro re-search at Oxford Economics.

Frequent business and tourism des-tinations for people from China are already being hit hard, confi rming that this will be a key way that the pain will spread to other Asian economies, with Singapore and Hong Kong feeling the effects.

Comparisons to the 2003 SARS epidemic, another deadly outbreak that originated in China, aren’t reassuring because China’s share of the global economy is much bigger than it was back then, and supply chains moving raw materials, parts and products snake through the global economy more than ever.

Stock markets may have been slow to appreciate the risk posed by the coronavirus because they hoped cen-tral banks could step in with stimulus. Erik Nielsen, group chief economist at UniCredit, said that while monetary or fi scal stimulus can boost demand in an economy, the virus is interrupting sup-ply – which may not be so easy to boost with policy tools.

“Think of it this way: China has closed a reported 70,000 movie theat-ers because of the virus. That’s a supply shock, and no amount of income (de-mand) stimulus will boost ticket sales,” he said.

He said it is now “a virtual given” that global domestic output will take “a

major hit” in the fi rst quarter of the year. While the stock markets seem to be act-ing as if the virus will be a short-term story with an early rebound, he said, “there is no evidence to support such an outlook.”

Individual companies have already reported trouble, most notably Apple, which said it will miss its sales target. But it could take until April or May be-fore hard data on production and sales gives a clear picture of the impact on a regional or global level, May said.

Anxiety has risen in Germany, where stocks fell 4 percent on Monday.

“Given the latest developments, one has inevitably to talk about downside risks for German exporters,” said An-dreas Rees, chief German economist at UniCredit. “The coronavirus could be-come a major trigger in dampening both the global demand and supply side.”

Rees cited fi gures showing car sales in China fell 92 percent in the fi rst two weeks of February, and pointed out that of the 21 million cars sold in China last year, about 1 in 5 was made either in Germany or through German investment in China. Most Chinese auto showrooms are closed.

Rees echoed May in saying there is “huge uncertainty” about the impact. That in itself can be a drag on invest-ment and ambitious business planning.

Europeans had been hoping for a modest upturn this year after major economies staggered through a rough patch at the end of the year. Germany showed zero growth in the fourth quar-ter, while the No. 2 and No. 3 econo-mies, France and Italy, shrank slightly. Two straight quarters of falling growth are one defi nition of a recession

The new head of the European Cen-tral Bank, Christine Lagarde, has so far focused on a review of the bank’s monetary policy strategy amid hopes that a stimulus package enacted under her predecessor Mario Draghi would see the eurozone economy through and help strengthen growth and infl a-tion. But markets are now pricing in a bigger chance for a rate cut by July. The ECB has already cut rates into un-precedented negative territory. Its key benchmark deposit rate is an minus 0.5 percent.

Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund, said that the fund’s baseline scenario is that China’s economy slows but returns to normal in the second quarter, meaning the impact is minor and short-lived.

In this photo released by Lebanon’s offi cial government photographer Dalati Nohra, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, (foreground), and Leb-anese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, (background left), walk aboard the drilling ship Tungsten Explorer which will be conducting drilling opera-tions of the fi rst exploration well, located approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) offshore from the capital Beirut Lebanon, Feb 27. Aoun inau-gurated the Mediterranean country’s fi rst offshore exploratory drilling for oil and gas, calling it a ‘historic day’ for the cash-strapped country. (AP)

Exploration amid crisis

Lebanon begins ‘historic’ offshore oil & gas drillingBEIRUT, Feb 27, (AP): Lebanon’s president Thursday inaugurated the Mediterranean country’s fi rst off-shore exploratory drilling for oil and gas, calling it a “historic day” for the cash-strapped country.

Michel Aoun spoke aboard the drill ship Tungsten Explorer, which will be conducting the drilling op-erations of the fi rst exploration well, located approximately 30 kil-ometers (18 miles) offshore from the capital Beirut.

“Today is a happy day for us and for all Lebanese, and we hope the dream we’ve all imagined is real-ized today. It is a historic day,” he said.

The ceremony at sea contrasted sharply with Lebanon’s crippling fi nancial and economic crisis, including a deepening liquid-ity crunch and soaring public debt. The limits have prompted protests against the fi nancial institutions - including violent attacks on ATM machines and some bank branches.

Lebanon has one of the highest

debt to GDP ratios in the world, standing at about $87 billion or more than 150% of the country’s GDP. Teetering on economic and fi nancial collapse, the Lebanese government is now considering whether to pay or default on its $1.2 billion Eurobond debt, which matures next month.

Lebanon has never defaulted on its debt payments. Defaulting could be costly to the national economy and banking system, which un-til the recent fi nancial crisis was considered one of Lebanon’s most profi table and reputable sectors.

Experts say it would be years be-fore the country could start extract-ing and reaping the benefi ts of any oil found in its waters, should any be found.

On the ship, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the exploratory drilling “offered a ray of light amid the darkness” and hoped it was the beginning of a transformation that would see Lebanon become an oil country.

US economy grows by 2.1 pctin Q4 but virus ‘threat’ looms

Slowdown in business restocking less severe than expected

WASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): The US economy grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in the fi nal quarter of last year, but damage from the spreading coronavirus is likely depressing growth in the current quarter and for the rest of the year.

The overall pace of growth in the October-December quarter was un-changed from its initial estimate a month ago, though the components were slightly altered, the Commerce Department said Thursday. A slow-down in business restocking was less severe than fi rst believed. But a cutback in business investment in new equipment was more of a drag on growth than initially thought.

Economists have been downgrading their forecasts for the fi rst quarter of this year as fears of the impact of the virus has escalated. Stock markets have plunged this week on news that the number of coronavirus cases worldwide has now topped 81,000.

That decline resumed on Thursday with the Dow Jones industrial average down sharply in early trading. All major US markets tumbled into correction.

The virus, which started in Wuhan, China, has spread to more than 30 coun-tries, including the United States, Italy and South Korea.

Vital supply chains from China that companies in the United States and elsewhere depend on have been dis-rupted, and that problem is expected to worsen. Microsoft and Apple have warned about adverse impacts from the supply chain disruptions.

US companies with sizeable op-erations in China are being impacted directly. McDonald’s has closed hun-dreds of stores there. Starbucks has closed more than half of its locations. While it’s begun to open stores in China where the outbreak has abated, it is now spreading faster outside of China.

In a report to investors Thursday, Goldman Sachs said the fallout from the virus would likely wipe out all the earnings growth it had been predicting for 2020 if the virus continues to spread. David Kostin, a strategist for the fi rm, said his baseline estimate is now for zero growth in S&P 500 earnings per share this year, down from an earlier forecast of 5.5% earnings growth.

The rising fears about the economic damage the virus can do have infl icted the worst losses on US stocks in two years, less than a week after Wall Street was hitting record highs. To try to demonstrate the government’s resolve to deal with the spread of the virus, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was appointing Vice-President Mike Pence to take the lead in coordinating US actions.

But economists are warning that if the virus turns into a global pandemic, the impact could be severe enough to

push the global economy and the US economy into recessions.

“The global economy was already very weak because of the trade war, and it would not take much to shove it on its heels,” said Mark Zandi, chief econo-mist at Moody’s Analytics.

Zandi said his baseline forecast, which optimistically assumes that the outbreak remains largely contained in China and dissipates by spring, projects that global growth will slow to 2.4% this year – 0.4 percentage point lower because of the virus.

He expects the annual pace of US growth to slow to 1.3% in the current quarter, down by 0.6 percentage point because of the virus. He said for the year, he is forecasting US growth of 1.7%. That would be the slowest annual growth of the Trump presidency and far below the 3%-plus growth that Trump had promised to deliver during the 2016 campaign. Because of the market turbu-lence and the rising potential of adverse effects from the virus, expectation of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve have risen. The CME Group tracker of investment sentiment has put the possi-bility of a quarter-point cut as early as March at 37%, up from just 7% a week ago.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said the possibility of two rate cuts this year “has gone up dra-matically” because of the virus threats.

Until recently, many economists had expected that the Fed could keep rates unchanged the whole year after three

rate cuts last year, when it was strug-gling to cushion the impact of Trump’s trade war with China and a slowing global economy.

The estimated 2.1% annual growth pace in the October-December quarter followed an identical gain in the third quarter. For 2019 as a whole, the econ-omy grew by 2.3%, the slowest pace since a 1.6% increase in 2016.

Trump is counting on a strong economy to propel him to re-election in November. But for each year of his presidency, economic expansion has fallen below the levels he had promised to deliver during the campaign, when he derided the growth rates achieved under president Barack Obama. While growth did jump to 2.9% in 2018, propelled by the 2017 tax cut and increased govern-ment spending, it returned last year to near the average achieved by Obama.

Thursday’s report from the Com-merce Department was its second of three estimates of economic growth for the October-December quarter. It showed that consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic growth, grew at a 1.7% annual rate in the fourth quarter, down from an initial estimate of 1.8% growth.

Business investment on new plants and equipment was also lower, falling at a 2.3% rate, worse than the initial estimate of a 1.5% drop. These weaker numbers were offset by more business restocking of store shelves and upward revisions to residential investment and federal government spending.

Bayer board chairman steps down amid legal battle

Bayer AG board chairman Werner Wen-ning is stepping down from his post at the drug and chemical company, which is facing a major legal battle over its Roundup weed killer.

Wenning, who is 73, said he had planned to leave last year but was asked to stay due to “the company’s situation at the time.” His current contract runs through 2022.

He will be succeeded at the company’s April 28 board meeting by board member Norbert Winkeljohann, 62, the company

said in a news release Wednesday.Wenning has served as board chair

since 2012. He joined the company in 1966 and rose to become CEO before moving to the board. He was board chair during the company’s 2018 acquisition of US seed and farm chemical company Monsanto.

The acquisition turned into a problem for the company after it inherited expo-sure to legal troubles involving Roundup. Thousands of lawsuits fi led in US states and federal courts say Roundup has

caused cancer in users. Monsanto’s owner, Bayer, denies

such allegations and says the product is safe.

Groundskeeper DeWayne Johnson was awarded $289 million by a Califor-nia jury in the fi rst Roundup case to go to trial. The award was later reduced to $78.5 million and is currently being ap-pealed.

Shareholders have criticized Bayer management for underestimating the risks when it took over Monsanto. (AP)

BUSINESSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

17

CEO Werner Baumann and CFO Wolfgang Nickl

of Bayer AG (from left), hold the results at the

Financial News Confer-ence in Leverkusen,

Germany, on Feb 27. The German drug and chemi-cal company announced

increased sales of 43.545 billion euros for 2019.

Bayer is still facing major legal battles over the

Roundup weed killer after the acquisition of Monsan-

to in 2018. (AP)

Downturn not signifi cantly deep or generalized – economist

Mexico data confi rms 0.1% contraction in 2019MEXICO CITY, Feb 27, (AP): Mex-ico’s economy entered a technical re-cession and contracted 0.1% in 2019, the fi rst year of President Andrés Ma-nuel López Obrador’s six-year term, according to fourth-quarter govern-ment fi gures reported Tuesday that confi rmed preliminary data from last month.

Moody’s Analytics analyst Alfredo Coutiño wrote in a report that eco-nomic activity steadily declined over four consecutive quarters last year, qualifying for the technical defi nition of a recession - “certainly a moderate contraction, but in the end it is a reces-sion.”

Mexico’s economy typically de-celerates in the fi rst year of a politi-cal transition, Coutiño wrote, but last year’s performance was lower than what was seen in the inaugural years of López Obrador’s previous two pre-decessors.

It was also well short of initial fore-casts that Mexico’s economy would grow 2% last year.

Analysts say policies such as the cancellation of infrastructure projects - like a partially built new airport for the capital that the president is replac-ing by converting a military base to the north - and revision of energy contracts have spurred investor uncertainty and reticence.

And a government austerity pro-gram pushed by the famously fi scally ascetic López Obrador hurt consumer spending and slowed the economy as well, according to Coutiño.

Budget normalization and the be-ginning of a national infrastructure program should pull Mexico out of re-cession in 2020 and to modest growth around 1%, he added, but “investment will not accelerate until the govern-ment implements measures to restore confi dence and credibility.”

Economist Jonathan Heath argued that despite the four consecutive quar-ters of contraction, it’s not correct to

think of Mexico as having slipped into recession. He said the downturn was not signifi cantly deep or generalized, since some sectors continued to show growth.

“A rate of minus 0.1% is not sta-tistically different from zero,” Heath tweeted.

The 2019 recession represented Mexico’s worst annual growth perfor-mance in 10 years, according to Citi-banamex, which blamed it primarily on a contraction in industrial produc-tion and a deceleration in the services sector.

Citibanamex said in a report that Mexico’s industrial sector contracted 1.2% in the fourth quarter of 2019, its seventh straight drop, while services expanded just 0.2% during the quarter.

Citibanamex, too, forecast 1% growth for 2020.

“We continue to be especially con-cerned by the weakness in industrial production,” the bank said. “Nonethe-less, our projections imply a modest recovery for economic activity from (the fi rst quarter of 2020) and go-ing forward, propelled by a moderate growth in exports, a gradual recovery in consumption and a stabilization of investment.”

López Obrador has maintained that Mexico’s economy is solid and re-jects criticism of his policies. He touts projects such as a planned “Mayan train” railway through southeastern states that he says will lift up some of Mexico’s poorest communities. López Obrador has also pushed social pro-grams especially for the young, elderly and indigenous, and an ambitious tree-planting program, and their benefi t to individual and family economies.

Earlier this month, Mexico’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to 7%, seek-ing to stimulate the sluggish economy and in response to global uncertainty including the effects of the COVID-19 disease outbreak.

Outgoing Bank of England governor and COP26 Finance Adviser to Britain’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney (left), talks with President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde during an event to launch the private fi nance agenda for the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 at Guildhall in London on Feb 27. The 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 will be hosted in Glasgow from Nov 9-19, 2020 under the

presidency of the UK. (AP)

NTSB makes recommendations

Autopilot, distracteddriver caused ‘crash’WASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): Tesla’s partially automated driv-ing system steered an electric SUV into a concrete barrier on a Silicon Valley freeway because it was op-erating under conditions it couldn’t handle and because the driver likely was distracted by playing a game on his smartphone, the National Trans-portation Safety Board has found.

The board made the determina-tion Tuesday in the fatal crash, and provided nine new recommen-dations to prevent partially auto-mated vehicle crashes in the future. Among the recommendations is for tech companies to design smart-phones and other electronic devices so they don’t operate if they are within a driver’s reach, unless it’s an emergency.

Chairman Robert Sumwalt said the problem of drivers distracted by smartphones will keep spreading if nothing is done.

“If we don’t get on top of it, it’s going to be a coronavirus,” he said in calling for government regula-tions and company policies prohib-iting driver use of smartphones.

Much of the board’s frustration was directed at the National High-way Traffi c Safety Administration and to Tesla, which have not acted on recommendations the NTSB passed two years ago. The NTSB investigates crashes but only has au-thority to make recommendations. NHTSA can enforce the advice, and manufacturers also can act on it.

But Sumwalt said if they don’t, “then we are wasting our time. Safety will not be improved. We are counting on them to do their job.”

For Tesla, the board repeated previous recommendations that it install safeguards to stop its Auto-pilot driving system from operat-ing in conditions it wasn’t designed to navigate. The board also wants Tesla to design a more effective system to make sure the driver is always paying attention.

If Tesla doesn’t add driver moni-toring safeguards, misuse of Auto-pilot is expected “and the risk for fu-ture crashes will remain,” the board wrote in one of its fi ndings.

Tuesday’s hearing focused on the March 2018 crash of a Tesla Model X SUV, in which Autopilot was engaged when the vehicle swerved and slammed into a concrete barrier dividing freeway and exit lanes in Mountain View, Calif, killing Ap-ple engineer Walter Huang.

Just before the crash, the Tesla steered to the left into a paved area between the freeway travel lanes and an exit ramp, the NTSB said. It accelerated to 71 mph and crashed into the end of the concrete barrier.

The car’s forward collision avoid-ance system didn’t alert Huang, and its automatic emergency braking did not activate, the NTSB said.

Also, Huang did not brake, and there was no steering movement de-tected to avoid the crash, the board’s staff said.

NTSB staff members said they couldn’t pinpoint exactly why the car steered into the barrier, but it likely was a combination of faded lane lines, bright sunshine that af-fected the cameras, and a closer-than-normal vehicle in the lane ahead of the Tesla.

The board also found that Huang likely would have lived if a cushion at the end of the barrier had been repaired by California transporta-tion offi cials. That cushion had been damaged in a crash 11 days before Huang was killed.

Recommendations to NHTSA included expanded testing to make sure partially automated systems can avoid running into common ob-stacles such as a barrier. The board also asks that NHTSA evaluate Au-topilot to determine where it can safely operate and to develop and enforce standards for monitoring drivers so they pay attention while using the systems.

NHTSA has told the NTSB it has investigations open into 14 Tesla crashes and would use its enforce-ment of safety defects to take ac-tion if needed. The agency issued a statement saying it will review the NTSB’s report and that all com-mercially available vehicles require human drivers to stay in control at all times.

“Distraction-affected crashes are a major concern, including those in-volving advanced driver assistance features,” the statement said.

Sumwalt said at the start of Tues-day’s hearing that systems like Au-topilot cannot drive themselves, yet drivers continue to use them without paying attention.

“This means that when driving in the supposed ‘self-driving’ mode, you can’t read a book, you can’t watch a movie or TV show, you can’t text and you can’t play video games,” he said.

Under questioning from board members, Robert Molloy, the NTSB’s director of highway safety, said the NHTSA is taking a hands-off approach to regulating new au-tomated driving systems like Au-topilot. Molloy called the approach “misguided”, and said nothing is more disappointing than seeing rec-ommendations ignored by Tesla and NHTSA. “They need to do more,” he said of the federal highway safety agency.

French fi rms to invest in energy and defense ventures

Greece looks to France for investment driveATHENS, Greece, Feb 27, (AP): French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said his government is backing Greece’s request to make emergency spending on the mi-grant crisis exempt from offi cial fi scal calculations.

He also pledged Tuesday to help boost investment by French fi rms in energy and defense ventures in Greece.

“Greece is clearly on the right (path) and that’s good news for everybody,” Le Maire said after talks in Athens with his Greek

counterpart, Christos Staikouras.Greece emerged from eight

years of international bailouts in 2018 and is scrambling to rebuild public services, its military, and major infrastructure projects after years of funding cuts.

Le Maire, whose country is cred-ited with helping keep Greece in the 19-country eurozone during the crisis years, said France and keen to invest.

“There is cooperation and friendship – a friendship between the heads of state, at the level of

ministers, and there is a friendship between out peoples,” Le Maire said.

Greece wants to redirect re-turned bond profi ts from European central banks to public investment programs and wants to make 280 million euros ($305 million) in emergency spending on the mi-grant crisis exempt from calcu-lations for budget targets set by bailout lenders. Le Maire said he backed both requests.

His visit came a day after France’s minister of defense, Flor-

ence Parly, visited Athens and said the two countries were on track to fi nalizing a major defense coopera-tion agreement in June – involv-ing an increased number of joint exercises in the Aegean Sea and assistance in upgrading French-made military equipment, includ-ing fi ghters, helicopters, and navy frigates.

Greece, wary of neighbor Tur-key over oil-and-gas drilling rights in the region, recently concluded a similar agreement with the United States.

EU approves tough negotiatingmandate for Britain trade talks

Trade deal negotiations will begin in Brussels next MondayBRUSSELS, Feb 27, (AP): The European Union on Tuesday gave its chief ne-gotiator a robust mandate for free trade talks with ex-member Britain, setting up a likely clash over the UK’s demand to export to the continent on its own terms without the need to neces-sarily respect the bloc’s rules and regulations.

The 27 remaining EU nations are insisting that if Britain wants the best possible trade deal, it will have to adhere to many of its rules from state aid to environmental standards and to keep its waters open to EU fi shing boats.

The contrasting starting positions suggest the talks over the future trad-ing relationship could be as frayed as the three-year negotiations related to issues around Britain’s actual depar-ture from the bloc. After insults and backbiting, the discussions eventu-ally yielded an agreement on the di-vorce terms.

“It will be very tough. But it has been very tough for the past three years,” said the EU’s negotiator Michel Barnier.

Britain immediately accused the EU of backing away from its previous commitment to striking a free trade agreement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, said the bloc was demanding “oner-

ous commitments” from the UK.“We will not accept any demands

for the UK to follow EU rules, just as we would not expect the EU to accept UK laws,” he said.

In London, the UK government announced that the trade deal nego-tiations will begin in Brussels next Monday, a month after Britain’s of-fi cial departure from the bloc.

The post-Brexit trade talks al-ways carried the palpable threat of a chaotic split without any agreement which would make trade costly and unpredictable overnight. Under an agreed transition period, Britain has to abide by EU rules until Dec 31. But without a trade deal, the threat of more chaos looms at the end of the year.

“It will be an enormous task. I am afraid we will not only be negotiat-ing, but also preparing ourselves for the chance of a no-deal Brexit,” Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok warned.

Britain has already rejected abid-ing by EU rules, arguing that the abil-ity to diverge from EU rules is a key component of Brexit. Supporters of Britain’s departure from the bloc say the great dividend will lie in the re-patriation of powers to London from Brussels for the benefi t of the British economy.

Another stumbling block is the timetable. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists that a deal needs to be done by the end of the year so Britain can leave the EU’s frictionless single market and cus-toms union. Britain remains within

the EU’s economic orbit until the end of 2020 to smooth its departure from the bloc. That transition period can be extended once for up to two years but Johnson has said he won’t be doing so.

That means the timetable to negoti-ate everything from fi shing rights to access to EU markets is tight, as most trade deals take years to conclude.

“We need a good agreement rather than succumb to calendar pressure,” said France’s Europe Minister Ame-lie de Montchalin, who insists the UK must align itself with EU rules even as they evolve in the future.

The EU is fearful the UK could undercut EU fi rms if it is allowed to diverge too much from social, indus-trial and environmental standards that took years to build together. Given that Britain is an intrinsic part of the European economy following its 47 years of membership of the EU, that’s a particular concern across EU capitals.

The UK’s negotiating mandate is due to be published on Thursday. Britain has said it would be seeking a deal similar to the EU’s free trade agreement with Canada with no quo-tas or tariffs on goods. Britain has also promised it won’t undercut the EU by lowering standards on environmental protection, food hygiene or workers’ rights. Johnson said earlier this month that “we are not leaving the EU to un-dermine European standards.”

The challenge for negotiators will be to fi nd a way to make that com-mitment binding that both sides can agree on.

The fi rst challenge will be fi sher-ies, where the UK is set to clash with France. Johnson has insisted that re-claiming waters where local fi sher-man had to share catches with EU boats was an absolute priority.

De Montchalin was just as insist-ent that those waters need to remain open to EU boats. Johnson’s govern-ment strongly disagrees and says that when the transition period ends, Brit-ain will have control of its waters just like other coastal states.

“It doesn’t matter what the EU puts in its mandate as we become an in-dependent coastal state on Dec 31, 2020,” Slack said. “Any access by non-UK vessels to fi sh in UK waters will be for us to determine.”

EU ministers have also warned that Britain must fully respect the com-mitment it made in the Withdrawal Agreement to keep the border be-tween the UK’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland free of customs posts and other obstacles.

That will be done by keeping Northern Ireland aligned to EU rules even if the rest of the UK diverges. Comments by Johnson’s government seeming to downplay the signifi cance of that agreement have set off alarm bells among EU leaders.

Barnier said it was “surprising” to hear what was being said by some in Johnson’s entourage.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Cov-eney said that if Britain did not fully implement its border commitment, “it will damage signifi cantly the pros-pects of being able to get even a bare-bones trade agreement.”

South Africa giving billions to struggling state-owned firms

South Africa on Wednesday an-nounced an additional $3.5 billion in government spending for struggling state-owned power utility Eskom and national carrier South African Air-ways over the next three years as the country’s weak economy faces an electricity crisis.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni also announced an additional $15 billion over the next 10 years for restructuring the energy sector. South Africa relies

heavily on coal for power production but must explore other options as aging plants falter.

Mboweni’s national budget address was largely bleak.

South Africa’s economy is expected to grow by only 0.9% this year and un-employment is the highest in a decade at 29%.

The power crisis is having a negative impact on the economy, the minister said.

South Africa continues to experi-ence widespread and frequent power cuts.

“Government will do whatever it takes to ensure a stable electricity sup-ply. As I said, it is our number one task,” Mboweni told parliament.

His speech faced criticism from op-position parties over the continued bail-out of state-owned companies.

Mboweni said the government would spend over $950 million to settle debt

for SAA.The airline is currently in bankruptcy

and recently cut some fl ights to stay afl oat.

“It is the very sincere hope of many that this intervention will lead to a sus-tainable airline” that is not a burden for the country, Mboweni said.

Others disagreed. “It is outrageous that funds desperately needed to stim-ulate the economy and the creation of jobs are poured into the SAA vanity

project,” a lawmaker with the opposition Democratic Alliance, Alf Lees said in a statement.

Mboweni also announced more mon-ey for law enforcement agencies and the national prosecuting authority. He said some of the cases to be prioritized include those from the inquiry currently investigating allegations of government corruption during former president Ja-cob Zuma’s tenure from 2009 to 2018. (AP)

BUSINESSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

18

‘We didn’t want the thermo-electric plant’

Stalled mega project in central Mexico stirs discordHUEXCA, Mexico, Feb 27, (AP): The thermo-electric plant looms over the smattering of homes and cows munching on dried corn stalks in Huexca, a tiny farm com-munity in central Mexico where many residents view it as a sleep-ing monster ready to roar to life.

During test runs of equipment in the still idle power plant, resi-dents say, the noise reached more than 110 decibels, as loud as a jet engine at takeoff and roughly 50% above levels considered tolerable for the average human pain thresh-old. People say they experienced intense headaches, children vom-ited and some residents suffered hearing loss.

“We didn’t want the thermo-electric plant. They imposed it on us,” said Teresa Castellanos, a life-long resident of Huexca who has fought since 2012 against the gov-ernment project.

Huexca means “place of happi-ness” in the indigenous Náhuatl language, but the town of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants has become a place of discord. Some people want the plant put into operation. Others are vehemently against it, saying it will destroy their rural life and possibly force them to aban-don the only land they have ever known.

The power plant is part of a me-ga-energy project that includes a natural gas pipeline that traverses three states. It’s at the heart of a years-long, contentious battle, and is now raising questions among some people about the commit-ments of the new leftist govern-ment to indigenous land rights.

Dozens of mostly indigenous communities along the 159 kilo-meters (nearly 100 miles) of pipe-line have united to fi ght the project, which they believe will deprive them of water for their crops and contaminate the soil and air.

Hundreds of environmental-ists marched in Mexico City on Friday to show their discontent with the government’s big infra-structure plans. In addition to the mega-energy project, those plans include a tourist train through Mayan lands and a cargo rail line in the south that activists say put business interests ahead of the wishes of indigenous communi-ties, while endangering flora and fauna.

The power project has ad-vanced in fits and starts for more than a decade. It’s essentially complete, but legal stays and blockades by locals have pre-vented connection of the last few hundred feet of pipeline needed to fire up the power plant.

In the town of San Pedro Apat-laco, men from villages along the pipeline route take turns sleeping under a tarp on the banks of the Cuautla River to make sure the fi -nal tubes aren’t laid down. Those pipes would carry water between the thermo-electric plant and a water treatment facility. The men

have camped there for over three years, next to abandoned tubes.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took offi ce Dec 1, 2018, wants the stalled project up and running. Scrapping it would cost the country more than $1 bil-lion, he says.

“That is money from the budget, money of the people,” López Obra-dor said last week.

The fi rst phase of the project in-volved building the pipeline under communities around the Popocaté-petl volcano, which stands between the sprawling Mexican capital and the industrial city of Puebla.

Residents complained the con-struction began surreptitiously, without public consultations. They worry the pipeline could leak or even explode, this being a volcanic region. The national human rights commission agrees that the project trampled indigenous rights.

Last year, activist Samir Flores, who had drummed up opposition, was shot to death outside his home in the town of Amilcingo. Just days earlier, he had challenged govern-ment assertions about the power project at a public forum.

Castellanos said she has also re-ceived death threats. She has been beaten, she said, and told that her daughters would be sold into pros-titution if she keeps fi ghting the plant.

She said the threats came from other residents of Huexca she ac-cuses of being paid by government or private sources to generate local support for the project.

A tall metal fence topped with loops of concertina wire protects Castellanos’ modest, one-bedroom cinder block home.

“This is how I live - like a caged bird,” she said, while roosters crowed outside.

Standing up for the environment is a dangerous undertaking in Mex-ico. Amnesty International says 12 environmental activists were killed in the fi rst nine months 2019, while London-based Global Witness counted 15 such killings in 2017 and 14 in 2018.

In January, Homero Gómez González, who defended the mon-arch butterfl y against loggers and farmers in Mexico’s western state of Michoacán, was found dead with a head wound at the bottom of a holding pond.

Investigations rarely establish clear motives or lead to convic-tions in such cases.

In the killing of Samir Flores, family and friends say they don’t believe Mexican authorities have made a genuine effort to fi nd the culprit.

“It has been a year and we have no indication that points to who the murderers were,” said Liliana Ve-lázquez, Flores’ widow and mother of his four children.

Velázquez, like Castellanos, op-poses the power project.

“We want these mega-projects out of our lands,” she said.

A newly-built power generation plant stands idle with the Popocatepetl Volcano in the background, near Huexca, Morelos state, Mexico, Feb 22. Dozens of mostly indigenous communities along the 159 kilometers of pipeline have united to fight the mega-project they believe will deprive them of water for

their crops, while contaminating the soil and air. (AP)

Chinese SMEs recovering, moreloans, aid coming: say officials

Activity overall is back to 33% of normal levels

BEIJING, Feb 27, (AP): Small, mostly private com-panies that are the engine of China’s economy are back to operating at one-third of normal levels af-ter anti-virus controls shut factories, shops and res-taurants, regulators said Thursday, and they prom-ised more low-cost loans and other aid.

The ruling Communist Part has ordered areas that are at lower disease risk to revive manufactur-ing and other businesses that have been shut for a month. That comes at a time when outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran are leading to travel bans and other controls abroad.

At a news conference, officials

expressed confidence China’s 18 million small and medium-size en-terprises are recovering quickly. The category includes most of the pri-vately owned restaurants, factories, stores and other companies that gen-erate its new jobs and wealth.

Activity overall is back to 33% of normal levels, while manufacturing reached 43%, said an official of the Cabinet’s planning agency, Zhang Kejian, at a news conference. He said activity was increasing by about 1% per day.

Beijing imposed the most sweeping anti-disease controls ever attempted af-ter the virus emerged in the central city of Wuhan in December.

Most access to Wuhan was sus-pended Jan 23. The Lunar New Year holiday was extended to keep facto-ries and offices closed. Restaurants and cinemas were shuttered and the government told millions of people to stay at home. It is unclear how many might have close for good, un-

able to pay rent and other expenses without revenue.

“Many companies want to re-sume work as soon as possible,” said Zhang. “But they also worry about risks due to the spread of the epi-demic. There is a dilemma.”

Forecasters say automakers and other manufacturers won’t return to normal production until at least mid-March. Auto and other sales are ex-pected to rebound, but tourism and other service industries might not be able to recover lost sales.

Beijing has promised tax breaks and low-interest loans. Economists caution that aid alone won’t solve all their problems because travel curbs and other controls still in place have disrupted shipments of goods and kept employees from getting back to work.

Global automakers are reopening factories but say the pace will de-pend on how quickly they can get components.

Other officials earlier gave higher operating levels of up to 70% for steel mills and manufacturing in export-oriented coastal areas. That reflected the gap between more pros-perous state industry and coastal provinces and companies in lower-income regions.

Many factories in Hubei, the in-land province where Wuhan is lo-cated, are still closed. Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, is a center for automakers and suppliers of com-ponents for smartphones and other products.

The government said earlier more than 1,000 companies have received low-interest loans from a 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) recovery fund set up by the central bank.

Banks that have lent as much as they are allowed will be helped to replenish their capital to “further promote the development of the real economy,” said a central bank vice-president, Liu Guoqiang.

investment funds

NBK CAPITALMoney Market Funds Watani KD Money Market Fund II Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 18, 2020 KD 1.089 1.088 Feb 11, 2020 Watani USD Money Market Fund Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 18, 2020 USD 10.720 10.717 Feb 11, 2020 Watani KD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 18, 2020 KD 1.087 1.086 Feb 11, 2020 Watani USD Money Market Fund (Acc to Islamic Shariah principles) II Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 18, 2020 USD 10.507 10.505 Feb 11, 2020 NBK Kuwait Equity Fund Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 06, 2020 KD 0.883 0.895 Jan 23, 2020 Gulf Equity Investment Fund Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 06, 2020 USD 13.160 13.595 Jan 23, 2020 Regional Bond and Sukuk Investment Fund Watani Invesment Company Weekly Feb 06, 2020 USD 11.760 11.656 Jan 23, 2020—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Gulf Bank Al Basha’er GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly June 30, 2019 USD 7.907 7.701 May 31, 2019 Coast Fund Coast Investment & Dev. Co. Monthly Aug 31, 2019 KD 0.826 0.817 June 30, 2019 Markaz Real Estate Fund Bi-annual Nov 01, 2019 KD 1.337 1.339 Sept 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Al Ahli Bank Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 1.056 1.025 Nov 30, 2019 Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 0.899 0.882 Nov 30, 2019 Ahli International Multi-Asset Holding Fund Al-Ahli Bank Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 11.103 10.977 Nov 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Boubyan Bank Boubyan KD Money Market Fund II Boubyan Bank Weekly Feb 18, 2020 KD 1.068 1.057 Jan 28, 2020—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Boubyan Capital Investment Co. Boubyan USD Liquidity Fund Boubyan Capital Investment Co Weekly Feb 18, 2020 USD 10.734 10.723 Jan 28, 2020 Boubyan Multi-Asset Holding Fund Boubyan Bank Monthly Jan 31, 2020 USD 11.978 11.983 Dec 31, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Kuwait Investment Co.Local Fund Al Raed Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Feb 06, 2020 KD 1.177 1.184 Dec 31, 2019 Kuwait Investment Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Jan 31, 2020 KD 0.922 0.875 Nov 30, 2019 Al Hilal Fund Kuwait Investment Co Monthly Feb 10, 2020 KD 0.886 0.885 Dec 31, 2019 Al Atheer Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Jan 31, 2020 KD 1.174 1.193 Dec 31, 2019International Diversified Fund Kuwait Investment Co Weekly Oct 31, 2020 USD 21.180 20.600 Aug 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

National Investment Co. (NIC) Al-Wataniya Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 0.687 0.658 Nov 30, 2019 Al-Darij Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 0.382 0.388 Nov 30, 2019 Mawarid Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 0.477 0.458 Nov 30, 2019 Zajil Fund NIC Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 0.795 0.770 Nov 30, 2019 Al Mada Investment Fund NIC Weekly Dec 31, 2019 USD 0.850 0.839 Nov 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) Mumtaz Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2019 KD 5.510 5.177 Nov 30, 2019 MIDAF Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2019 KD 4.171 3.929 Nov 30, 2019 Islamic Fund Kuwait Financial Center Weekly Dec 31, 2019 KD 2.052 1.925 Nov 30, 2019 FORSA Financial Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Dec 31, 2019 KD 1.351 1.258 Nov 30, 2019

Real Estate Fund Kuwait Financial Center Monthly Jan 31, 2020 KD 1.337 1.337 Nov 30, 2019

Kuwait & Middle East Financial & Inv. Co. Al Rou’yah Fund KMEFIC Monthly Oct 31, 2019 KD 1.389 1.389 Sept 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Global Investment HouseIndex Funds Global Premier Market Index Fund Global Weekly Dec 05, 2019 KD 1.760 1.643 Oct 31, 2019Equity Funds Al-Mamoun Fund A Global Weekly Nov 28, 2019 KD 0.855 0.823 Oct 31, 2019 Al-Mamoun Fund B Global Weekly Nov 28, 2019 KD 0.855 0.823 Oct 31, 2019 GCC Large Cap Fund Global Weekly Nov 26, 2019 USD 171.829 169.560 Nov 05, 2019 Global Saudi Equity Fund Global Biweekly Dec 03, 2019 SAR 265.948 265.200 Nov 05, 2019Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly Nov 26, 2019 USD 90.410 91.800 Nov 05, 2019Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly Dec 03, 2019 USD 110.698 109.130 Nov 05, 2019 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Weekly Nov 28, 2019 KD 1.537 1.492 Oct 31, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Kuwait Finance & Investment Co (KFIC) Al Wasm Fund KFIC Weekly Feb 12, 2020 KD 0.551 0.567 Jan 22, 2020 Al Basha’er GCC Equity Fund KFIC Monthly Sept 30, 2019 USD 7.549 7.907 Jun 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

KAMCO KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly Sept 30, 2019 KD 1.392 1.515 July 31, 2019 KAMCO Real Estate Yield Fund KAMCO Monthly Oct 31, 2019 USD 8.910 8.840 July 31, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Wafra International Investment Co. Wafra Equity Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2019 KD 1.125 1.105 Nov 30, 2019 Wafra Bond Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2019 KD 1.059 1.050 Nov 30, 2019 Masaref Investment Fund Wafra Co. Weekly Jan 31, 2019 KD 1.306 1.236 Nov 30, 2019 Fajir Islamic Fund Wafra Co. Monthly Jan 31, 2019 KD 0.919 0.872 Nov 30, 2019—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Al-Tharwa Investment Co. Tharwa Investment Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly Feb 06, 2020 KD 1.066 1.092 Jan 23, 2020 Tharwa Islamic Fund Tharwa Investment Co Weekly Feb 06, 2020 KD 0.728 0.738 Jan 23, 2020—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Bank Al-Bilad Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily KD 0.542 0.544 Jan 15, 2020—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Commercial International Bank CIB Money Market Fund (Osoul) CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 02, 2020 EGP 417.930 415.820 Jan 19, 2020 CIB II Equity (Isthethmar) CI Asset Management Weekly Jan 30, 2020 EGP 182.790 188.580 Jan 16, 2020 CIB and Faisal Islamic Al Aman CI Asset Management Weekly Jan 30, 2020 EGP 96.190 99.020 Jan 16, 2020 Hemaya CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 02, 2020 EGP 245.430 243.840 Jan 02, 2020 Thabat CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 02, 2020 EGP 285.300 283.940 Jan 19, 2020 Takamol CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 02, 2020 EGP 180.920 182.450 Jan 19, 2020 Misr El Mostakbel CI Asset Management Weekly Feb 02, 2020 EGP 22.810 22.900 Jan 19, 2020 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV)————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Funds Fund Manager Valuation Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV)————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

trade deal signings buoyed bankers’ hopes Bacardi taps veteran Parker

A new survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests they’re optimistic about the economy over the next few months, thanks to the signings of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and the China trade agreement.

The fi nding was one of several in the latest Rural Mainstreet Sur-vey. The overall index for February declined to 51.6 from 55.9 in Janu-ary. Any score above 50 suggests

a growing economy, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking econ-omy, organizers say.

“Due to weak farm income, 40.6% of bankers reported that their banks had restructured loans while only 3.1% indicated that their banks had rejected a higher percentage of farmland loans,” said Creighton Uni-versity economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey.

The survey’s confi dence index in-creased to a healthy 58.1 from Janu-

ary’s weak 50.0, the survey report said.

“The signing of the Phase 1 trade agreement with China and the USM-CA boosted economic confi dence across the region with expectations of higher international agriculture sales,” Goss said.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Da-kota and Wyoming were surveyed. (AP)

Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, today announces the ap-pointment of Kathy Parker as Chief Marketing Offi cer for PATRÓN tequila and GREY GOOSE vodka. Parker will be joining Bacardi after a stand-out career at Diageo and Unilever where she served in a number of senior marketing, brand and innovation roles. In her new position, she will drive global strategy including brand eq-uity, architecture, positioning, integrated market-ing across creative, media and experiential, plus new product development and innovation for PATRÓN and GREY GOOSE, which stand to-

gether at the super-premium end of the enviable portfolio of Bacardi brands. Parker will report to Mahesh Madhavan, CEO, Bacardi Limited, and join the company’s Global Leadership Team.

Most recently, Parker was Senior Vice-Presi-dent for Global Premium Rums, Gins and Port-folio Scotch Whiskey brands at Diageo, where she drove transformational growth across her portfolio and completely revitalized several brands. During her tenure, she also served as Senior Vice-President Marketing Innovation and led global marketing and innovation for Guinness.

BUSINESSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

19

exchange rates – Feb 27

US dollar

BuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuy

BEC

Muzaini

Commercial Bank

Gulf Bank

NBK

Burgan Bank

ABK

KFH

KBE

BuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuySellBuy

Cash.302350.306900

——

.299000

.309400——————

.305050

.307150

.303340

.308870—

Draft.304100.306450.297050.304500.303050.309150.305050.307150.305050.307150

—.303400.302550.308650.304050.307150

—

Danish krone

Cyprus pound

BEC Muzaini

Gulf Bank

ABK

KFH

KBE

BECCommercial BankGulf BankAl-Ahli Bank

BECMuzaini Exchange

BuySellBuySell BuySellBuySellBuySellBuy

US dollar.304100.305050.305050.305050

Gold 999 kg— —

Gold 999 10 tola——

Gold ounce——

Gold gm 22k——

Gold gm 21k——

Gold gm 18k——

100 gm 999——

10 gm 999——

Transfer.304100.306450.297050.304500.303050.309150.305050.307150.305050.307150

—.303400.302550.308650.304050.307150

—

Cash.040198.045199

———————————————

Draft.040198.045198

——

.044163

.044467

.043831

.045170

.044040

.044510————

.043942

.044507 —

Cash———————————

Draft——— ————————

Transfer——— ————————

Sterling pound

Cash.38889

.402796— —

.392000

.401000——————

.392400

.400930

.389125

.400666—

Draft.388701.399701

—.401940.391328.399205.391330.399258.39 4520.398930.404920

—.389400.400430.381370.406882

—

Indian rupee

Yemeni riyal

Transfer.388701.399701

—.401940.391328.399205.391330.399258.39 4520.398930.404920

—.389400.400430.381370.406882

—

Cash.003642.004414

——

.004000

.006500———————————

Draft.004210.004291.042810.042800

—.004285

—.004338.004234.004299.004304

—.004250.004350.004232.004321

—

Transfer.004210.004291.042810.042800

—.004285

—.004338.004234.004299.004304

—.004250.004350.004232.004321

—

Cash.000996.001076

—————————

Draft.001176.001276.001223

————————

Transfer.001176.001276.001223

————————

Euro

Cash.326543.340243

——

.327000

.336000——————

.328480

.336790

.326182

.336576—

Draft.325882.334882

—.339370.330764.337422.328197.334796.329940.333900.338430

—.326020.335710.324361.337005

—

Pakistani rupee

Thai baht

Transfer.325882.334882

—.339370.330764.337422.328197.334796.329940.333900.338430

—.326020.335710.324361.337005

—

Cash.001339.002109

———————————————

Draft.001956.001991

—.001956

—.001994

—.002016

—.001998

————

.001972

.001999—

Transfer.001956.001991

—.001956

—.001994

—.002016

—.001998

————

.001972

.001999—

Cash.009460.010010

—————————

Draft.009352.009902

————

.009641

.009867—

Transfer.009352.009902

————

.009641

.009867—

Japanese yen

Cash.002697.002877.002883

——————————————

Draft.002659.002839.002777

—.002749.002804.002729.002771.002730.002763

——

.002720

.002770

.002672

.002825—

Sri Lankan rupee

South African rand

Transfer.002659.002839.002777

—.002749.002804.002729.002771.002730.002763

——

.002720

.002770

.002672

.002825—

Cash .001325.001905

——

.002000

.003500———————————

Draft .001642 .001686

.001685—

.001692—

.001709

.001656

.001703

.001704

.001706——

.001673

.001695—

Transfer.001642 .001686

.001685—

.001692—

.001709

.001656

.001703

.001704

.001706——

.001673

.001695—

Cash———————————

Draft—————

.020672—————

Transfer—————

.020672—————

Swiss franc

Cash.308073.319073

——

.308000

.318000———————————

Draft.306703.313703.316530

—.311395.317663.309321.315543.310670.314570

——

.309480

.316300

.303837

.319848—

Bangladesh taka

Korean won

Transfer.306703.313703.316530

—.311395.317663.309321.315543.310670.314570

——

.309480

.316300

.303837

.319848—

Draft.003555.003566.003546

——

.003622—

.003661——————

.003560

.003648—

Cash.002895.003696

———————————————

Transfer.003555.003566.003546

——

.003622—

.003661——————

.003560

.003648—

Cash.000245.000260

—————————

Draft———————————

Transfer———————————

Canadian dollar

Cash.224215.233215

——

.227000

.236000———————————

Draft.223502.233502.232270

—.227259.231834.228054.232689.229720.232270

——

.228440

.232540

.225256

.234519—

Philippine peso

Syrian pound

Transfer.223502.233502.232270

—.227259.231834.228054.232689.229720.232270

——

.228440

.232540

.225256

.234519—

Cash.005869.006169

——

.005000

.007900———————————

Draft.005574.006066.005993

——

.006082—

.006141

.005880

.006090————

.005963

.006126—

Transfer.005574.006066.005993

——

.006082—

.006141

.005880

.006090————

.005963

.006126—

Cash.001300.001520

——— — —————

Draft.000610.000830

——— ——————

Transfer.000610.000830

——— ——————

Swedish krona

Cash.027444.032444

———————————————

Draft.027260.032260

——

.031147

.031774

.031073

.032018

.031330

.031670————

.030923

.032962—

Australian dollar

Iranian Riyal

Transfer.027260.032260

——

.031147

.031774

.031073

.032018

.031330

.031670————

.030923

.032962—

Cash.195385.207385

——

.202000

.210000———————————

Draft.193384.206384

——

.202889

.204285

.202382

.205031

.200250

.208740——

.202040

.205100

.200784

.205453—

Transfer.193384.206384

——

.202889

.204285

.202382

.205031

.200250

.208740——

.202040

.205100

.200784

.205453—

Cash———————————

Draft———————————

Transfer———————————

Saudi riyal

Cash.080633.081933

——

.081099

.081915————————

.080888

.082049—

Draft.081133.081773.081254

—.080768.082394.080807.082500.081230.082040.081460

—.080350.082420 .080888.082049

—

Hong Kong dollar

Lebanese pound

Transfer.081133.081773.081254

—.080768.082394.080807.082500.081230.082040.081460

—.080350.082420 .080888.082049

—

Cash.037327.040077

———————————————

Draft.036826.039926

.039849 .039172.039210.039480.039021.039803

—————————

Transfer.036826.039926

.039849 .039172.039210.039480.039021.039803

—————————

Cash.000102.000252

—————————

Draft.000187.000207.002030

——— —————

Transfer.000187.000207.002030

——— —————

UAE dirham

Cash.082799.083631

——

.082799

.083631————————

.082600

.083799—

Draft.082015.083464.082959

—.083049.083620.082738.083756.083000.083760

——

.082360

.084300

.082600

.083799—

Singapore dollar

Malaysian ringgit

Transfer.082015.083464.082959

—.083049.083620.082738.083756.083000.083760

——

.082360

.084300

.082600

.083799—

Cash .213416 .223416

———————————————

Draft.214416.220416.226820.222824.217916.219416.217488.219941.217040.221950

—.222570.217240.220210.217179.220321

—

Transfer.214416.220416.226820.222824.217916.219416.217488.219941.217040.221950

—.222570.217240.220210.217179.220321

—

Cash.069853.075853

—————————

Draft.068154.075154.077877

—————

.072856

.073604—

Transfer.068154.075154.077877

—————

.072856

.073604—

Bahraini dinar

Cash.806689.814797

——

.806689

.814797————————

.804940

.816280—

Draft.805792.814292.809050

—.809173.814743.805477.816801.807970.816020

——

.802270

.817720

.804940 .816280

—

Jordanian dinar

Indonesian rupiah

Transfer.805792.814292.809050

—.809173.814743.805477.816801.807970.816020

——

.802270

.817720

.804940 .816280

—

Cash.427331.436331

——

.420000

.435000———————————

Draft.426461.433961.429750

——

.433713—

.437081

.424720

.438230——

.428270

.435900

.429164

.434318—

Transfer.426461.433961.429750

——

.433713—

.437081

.424720

.438230——

.428270

.435900

.429164

.434318—

Cash.000018.000024

—————————

Draft.000017.000024

———

.000022—————

Transfer.000017.000024

———

.000022—————

Omani riyal

Cash .790826.798774

——

.827990

.836310————————

.789125

.798186—

Draft.784618.795568.791423

—.830520.836240.790953.801853.791820.799040

——

.788580

.801350

.789125

.798186—

Egyptian pound

New Zealand dollar

Transfer.784618.795568.791423

—.830520.836240.790953.801853.791820.799040

——

.788580

.801350

.789125

.798186—

Cash.019384.022124.021650

—.012000.023000

———————————

Draft.018927.019708.193040

——

.020395—

.019986

.018820

.020130—

.017300

.018490

.020130

.019331

.019848—

Transfer.018927.019708.193040

——

.020395—

.019986

.018820

.020130—

.017300

.018490

.020130

.019331

.019848—

Cash.188488.197988

—————————

Draft.186487.197487

——

.192980

.196904—————

Transfer.186487.197487

——

.192980

.196904—————

All rates in KD per unit of foreign currency

travellers cheques local gold — Sterling.388701.393606.392605.392720

Euro.325882.330079.328258.328170

Transfer.040198.045198

——

.044163

.044467

.043831

.045170

.044040

.044510————

.043942

.044507 —

BEC

Muzaini

Commercial Bank

Gulf Bank

NBK

Burgan Bank

ABK

KFH

KBE

Production to start by 2027

Dutch consortium unveilsambitious ‘hydrogen’ planTHE HAGUE, Netherlands, Feb 27, (AP): A Dutch consortium an-nounced an ambitious plan Thurs-day to create “green” hydrogen using power from a huge offshore wind farm that has yet to be built.

The “NortH2” proposal by the Dutch arm of energy giant Shell, gas company Gasunie and Gro-ningen Seaports aims to produce 800,000 metric tons (882,000 tons) of hydrogen a year by 2040.

The companies say using re-newable energy in production will help achieve climate goals laid out by the Dutch government and the European Union.

A feasibility study is expected to launch this year and the consor-tium hopes to produce hydrogen by 2027, depending on factors

including the granting of permits and the assignment of locations for wind turbines in the North Sea.

Gasunie is a Dutch state-owned company that manages and main-tains infrastructure for transport and storage of gas in the Nether-lands and northern Germany.

The Netherlands is drastically cutting its production of natural gas following years of small earth-quakes in the northern province of Groningen and also has laid out plans to slash carbon emissions in coming years.

EU leaders have agreed to make the bloc’s economy carbon neutral by the middle of the century, but Poland, which depends on coal for much of its energy needs, did not immediately agree to the timeline.

A woman wears a face mask as a precaution against the COVID-19 while walking on a bridge in Hong Kong on Feb 27. Hong Kong’s government is proposing a nearly $1,300 cash handout for each resident over 18 years old to help alleviate hardships brought on by the spreading viral outbreak

and prolonged political protests. (AP)

HK plans handouts, tax cutsHONG KONG, Feb 27, (AP): Hong Kong’s government is proposing a nearly $1,300 cash handout for each resident over 18 years old to help al-leviate hardships brought on by the spreading viral outbreak and pro-longed political protests.

The subsidy was among a slew of emergency measures in a budget pre-sented to the city’s legislature Wednes-day by Financial Secretary Paul Chan.

“I consider that, with ample fi scal re-serves, the government has to increase public expenditure amid an economic downturn to stimulate the economy and ride out the diffi cult times with members of the public,” Chan said.

The downturn in tourism and busi-ness activity from the virus outbreak has compounded the troubles brought on by months of often violent protests last year. The fi nancial center is de-ploying its more than 1 trillion Hong Kong dollars ($140 billion) in reserves to help counter the economic contrac-tion and shore up public support for the government.

Among other measures, Chan said

the government would provide 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,283) subsidies to about 7 million Hong Kong resi-dents over the age of 18, cut the salary tax by 100% up to 20,000 Hong Kong dollars ($2,567), double the monthly allowance for low-income families, cut corporate taxes and electricity rates, and boost funding for the Trade Devel-opment Council, the arts, the Tourism Board and for public hospitals.

To promote growth of high-tech industries, the government plans to spend 2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($250 million) to convert an old fac-tory in the city’s outskirts into a mi-croelectronics center, and to earmark 3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($380 mil-lion) to expand the city’s Science Park.

Overall, the plans add up to about 120 billion Hong Kong dollars ($15.4 billion) in countermeasures.

“Although a record high defi cit is envisaged in next year’s budget, I believe that only with such a budget can we help our community and local enterprises ride out their diffi culties,” Chan said.

Markets shudder again on virus‘fears’, extending recent decline

S&P 500 index 9.6 pct below record high

NEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): Stocks are falling sharply on Wall Street as investors continue to fl ee risky assets as countries take increas-ingly drastic measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak and as more big-name companies warn that they’ll be affected.

The S&P 500 index is now 9.6% below the record high it set last week and its headed for its worst week since October 2008. A de-cline of 10% below its recent peak would mark what market watchers call a “correction,” a normal phe-nomenon that analysts have said was long overdue in this bull mar-ket, which is the longest in history.

Microsoft and Budweiser maker In-Bev became the latest to warn inves-tors about the virus’ potential hit to their fi nances.

Bond yields continued sliding as investors shifted money into lower-risk assets. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell further into record low territory, to 1.28% from 1.31% late Wednesday. Gold prices edged higher.

The market recovered some of the ground it lost in the early going, and the S&P 500 was down 1.7% as of 11:10 am Eastern time after being down as much as 3.5% earlier.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 450 points, or 1.7%, to 26,507. It was down as much as 960 points ear-lier. The Nasdaq slid 1.7%.

American Airlines fell 4.3% as airlines continue to feel pain from disrupted travel plans and suspended routes. Delta Airlines, which is reduc-ing fl ights to South Korea because of the outbreak in that nation, fell 2.4%.

The virus has now infected more than 82,000 people globally and is worrying governments with its rapid spread beyond the epicenter of China.

In California, health offi cials say a new coronavirus case could be the fi rst in the US that has no known con-nection to travel abroad or another known case, a possible sign the virus is spreading in a community.

Japan will close schools nationwide to help control the spread of the new virus. Saudi Arabia banned foreign pilgrims from entering the kingdom to visit Islam’s holiest sites.

Italy has become the center of the outbreak in Europe, with the spread threatening the fi nancial and industrial centers of that nation.

The price of crude oil fell 3.4%. The price has been falling sharply as inves-tors anticipate that demand for energy will wane as the economy slows.

At their heart, stock prices rise and fall with the profi ts that companies make. And Wall Street’s expectations for profi t growth are sliding away. Ap-ple and Microsoft, two of the world’s

Members of the Mohawk community stand near the entrance to the blockade of the commuter rail line on Feb 26, in Kahnawake, Quebec. (AP)

New rail blockades in Canada emergeHAMILTON, Ontario, Feb 27, (AP): Protesters erected new rail blockades Tuesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government said it was working to calm tensions with a Brit-ish Columbia First Nation at the heart of demonstrations disrupting train traf-fi c across Canada.

A day after police dismantled a ma-jor railway blockade near Belleville, Ontario, new ones surfaced in both Quebec and Ontario.

The largest emerged in Hamilton along a heavily traveled commuter rail line. The disruption along what the Go Transit passenger rail service describes as its busiest route left thousands of passengers scrambling to make alter-native travel plans and caused numer-ous delays and cancellations.

Hamilton police said they had no plans to move in on the small group

of demonstrators camped out on the tracks near a Canadian National Rail-way Co depot.

Demonstrators have set up block-ades in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in solidarity with opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in northwestern British Columbia.

Hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation oppose the work on their traditional territory, despite support from its elected council.

Constable Jerome Stewart said CN Rail served demonstrators a court in-junction Monday night ordering them to leave the area and police are moni-toring the situation.

GO Train passenger rail service in Hamilton and all points on the route to Niagara Falls, Ontario, had been halt-

ed since Monday evening, Metrolinx spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins said. Shuttle buses were running to help commuters, she said.

Tom Nederpel cancelled plans to take trip into Toronto on Tuesday afternoon when he heard of the blockade, fearing he wouldn’t be able to get a train home to Dundas, Ontario, in the night.

“They’re completely out of order,” he said of the protesters. “They’re blocking railways that don’t belong to them. They’re blocking national rail-ways, and businesses and commuters.”

Mark Miller, the federal indigenous services minister, said the govern-ment hoped to hear from the hereditary chiefs by Wednesday. He said Canada is committed to peacefully resolving the situation that has hampered freight and passenger travel in much of the country for nearly three weeks.

biggest companies, have already said their sales this quarter will feel the economic effects of the virus.

Goldman Sachs on Thursday said earnings for companies in the S&P 500 index might not grow at all this year, after predicting earlier that they would grow 5.5%. Strategist David Kostin also cut his growth forecast for earn-ings next year.

Besides a sharply weaker Chinese economy in the fi rst quarter of this year, he sees lower demand for US exporters, disruptions to supply chains and general uncertainty eating away at

earnings growth.Such cuts are even more impactful

now because stocks are already trad-ing at high levels relative to their earn-ings, raising the risk. Before the virus worries exploded, investors had been pushing stocks higher on expectations that strong profi t growth was set to re-sume for companies.

The S&P 500 was recently trading at its most expensive level, relative to its expected earnings per share, since the dot-com bubble was defl ating in 2002, according to FactSet. If profi t growth doesn’t ramp up this year, that makes a

highly priced stock market even more vulnerable.

Goldman Sach’s Kostin said the S&P 500 could fall to 2,900 in the near term, which would be a nearly 7% drop from Wednesday’s close, before rebounding to 3,400 by the end of the year.

Traders are growing increasingly certain that the Federal Reserve will be forced to cut interest rates to protect the economy, and soon. They’re pric-ing in a better than two-in-three proba-bility of a cut at the Fed’s next meeting in March. Just a day before, they were calling for only a one-in-three chance.

Business PlusPlus

The inflation rateruins any returns on the

government bond market or the

savings market - and it has always been that

way historically

Some companies are still using it, some have dropped it completely –

we don’t know which are which. It’s hidden in rates and hard to find

‘

‘

’

’

Ultra-low rates have helped push up stock markets to record highs

Negative interest rates hits saving, borrowingat minus 0.5%, passing the rate to the customer, and making money on mod-est mortgage fees.

The Danish bank is unusual in of-fering the negative rate, but mortgage rates for credit-worthy borrowers are also not far above zero in Germany. For instance, a 10-year mortgage with a large down payment can carry interest of only 0.7%.

It’s worth noting that real interest rates - in other words, when offi cial and market rates are below the rate of infl ation - have been negative at several points in history, such as in the 1970s, when infl ation in the developed world ran into double digits.

What’s unusual today is that the ac-tual quoted rates are below zero and that rates have been low for so long.

Interest rates are always a tradeoff, says economist Adalbert Winkler, pro-fessor of international and development fi nance at the Frankfurt School of Fi-nance & Management. “Low real rates favor borrowers like mortgage holders at the expense of savers, and when rates rise it’s the other way around.”

“This is always the case when you have expansionary monetary policy and it doesn’t make sense to deny that,” he said.

Low rates make it easier for govern-ments to borrow and build infrastruc-ture that can spur economic growth, although political pressures have meant that Europe’s biggest economy, Ger-many, prefers to balance its budget than borrow. Other governments, such as Italy, are constrained by high debt.

Negative rates have not yet appeared in the United States, but they could if the economy stumbles into recession, some economists say. The Federal Reserve would almost certainly cut the short-term rate to nearly zero, as it did for seven years beginning in the Great Recession.

Since the US 10-year yield is already very low by historical standards, at 1.6%, it wouldn’t take much to push it below zero, said Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics. The Fed may try to prevent it from happen-ing, possibly by selling Treasuries, but it’s not clear they would succeed.

“We’re not immune to it,” he said. “That’s a kind of Alice in Wonderland-type world that we don’t want to go into.”

So far, Federal Reserve offi cials have downplayed the potential for negative rates in the US.

“That’s not a tool we’re looking at,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday during a congressional hearing. He cited research that negative rates can hurt banks’ profi ts and restrain their willingness to lend.

The German Economic Institute in Cologne studied multiple factors be-lieved to cause low rates and concluded it’s not just due to central banks but represents a longer-term trend. So low or negative rates could be around for years.

With that in mind, Mitchell, the professor, persuaded her two daughters to save 18% of their salaries when they found their fi rst jobs.

“We’re in a very different capital market regime now than in the last 30 years,” she said. (AP)

Traders Jonathan Mueller, (left), and Michael Capolino work in their booth on the fl oor of the New York Stock Exchange near the close of trading, Feb 25. Ultra-low rates have helped push up stock markets to record highs, as vanishing returns on safe assets lead to a search for returns elsewhere. (AP)

Price optimization illegal in 20 US states

How auto insurers use your habits to raise pricesBy Kayda Norman

NerdWallet

You expect your car insurance rates to increase after you buy a new vehicle,

cause a crash or add a young driver to your policy. But some insurers jack up prices based on seemingly unrelated data – like your magazine subscriptions or what groceries you buy.

Even if you have a clean driving record and have stayed loyal to your insurance company for the past 10 years, you could be paying higher premiums than someone with the same driving history, car and background. Why? Price optimization.

What is price optimization?Price optimization is the practice

of charging higher rates based on the likelihood that a person will not shop around for a lower price. Insurers create algorithms based on all kinds of personal data, including loyalty to other service providers and shopping behavior, but not your driving habits. This is a separate formula from other common auto insur-ance rate factors like age, neighborhood, gender and the type of car you drive.

Factors can run the gamut from your magazine subscriptions, the number of phones you buy and your web browsing history. This means a company’s most loyal customers may be most affected by this practice.

And while it’s true insurers often have

a loyalty discount, if you’re overcharged by 30%, a 5% or 10% loyalty discount isn’t worth it, explains Robert Hunter, director of insurance at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofi t group based in Washington, DC.

With the average cost of car insurance at $1,621 per year in 2019, according to a NerdWallet rate analysis, price optimiza-tion could cost you more than you think.

For example, Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofi t based in Los Angeles, detailed

a recent case in which Farmers Insurance overcharged its longtime California cus-tomers 4%-13% more in premiums each year than it should have – $26 million to $29 million a year in total.

Who is affected by price optimiza-tion?

Price optimization is illegal in 20 states, but the CFA asserts all states should outlaw the tactic. “Some compa-nies are still using it, some have dropped it completely – we don’t know which are

which,” Hunter says. And while every state requires rates not be excessive or unfairly discriminatory, he says some state insurance commissioners just aren’t paying attention to price optimization. “It’s hidden in rates and hard to fi nd.”

Because companies use different algorithms to determine rates, price opti-mization can affect anyone who doesn’t compare insurance rates often. Even those not affected by price optimization can save hundreds of dollars a year by comparing rates.

“The reason they can charge you $1,000 and another person $2,000 is be-cause the person paying $2,000 doesn’t know about the $1,000 company out there,” Hunter says.

Shop around at least once a yearAuto insurance shopping isn’t

glamorous, but just an hour of your time comparing rates might pay for your next vacation. Whether you shop online, through an agent or a combination, here are some quick guidelines on how to compare car insurance quotes.

Auto insurance premiums change as often as every six months, so you might benefi t from doing a search each time your policy is up for renewal, but if that seems like a hassle, aim for once per year.

Sarah Brown, president and CEO of Keller-Brown Insurance Services of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, notes it’s not necessarily a matter of time but

life events that can cause rate changes. She sees the biggest rate infl ation when customers add a young driver to their policies or buy a new vehicle. She says it’s best to shop around before you’re hit with higher rates.

“You may qualify for a preferred pricing tier before the young driver is added,” for example, but you may not qualify after, Brown says.

Customers considered “preferred” by insurers tend to have clean driving records and credit histories, and receive the best rates.

Other times you should compare rates include:

■ After you’ve had a car accident, DUI or traffi c ticket.

■ Before moving or relocating.■ When you want to change what

your policy covers.Price isn’t the only factorDrivers should consider more than

cost when choosing an insurer, including things like the company’s reputation and customer satisfaction scores.

“It’s very easy to be seduced into focusing on the price. But you’re buying this insurance to protect yourself against that fateful day when something hap-pens,” says Harvey Rosenfi eld, founder of Consumer Watchdog.

To learn more about a company, you can look up complaints to insurance commissioners or fi nd auto insurance reviews online.

By David McHugh and Christo-pher Rugabe

Imagine a mortgage that pays you the interest, not the other way around. Or

a savings account where it’s the bank, not the saver, who collects interest.

Welcome to the upside-down world of ultra-low and negative interest rates that is taking hold in many parts of the world where economic growth has been sluggish. Now more than a decade old, economists think it could be a feature of the global economy for years to come and change the way people save and invest.

“This will mean that we must save more, work longer, and expect less,” said Olivia Mitchell, an economics pro-fessor at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The latest chapter is the drop in interest rates on some bank deposits below zero as central banks, particularly in Europe and Japan, try to support the economy amid uncertainty about trade by making borrowing cheaper to spur spending and investment. Offi cial data released Friday showed that Germany’s growth ground to a halt at the end of last year.

Economists think there are also longer-term factors causing low rates, such as aging populations in rich coun-tries and high rates of savings in China

and other emerging economies.Low rates fi rst hit in the wake of the

global fi nancial crisis. The US Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and European Central Bank slashed rates close to zero. In 2014, the ECB went negative.

Ultra-low rates have helped push up stock markets to record highs, as vanishing returns on safe assets lead to a search for returns elsewhere. Pushing people to invest in riskier assets is part of the stimulus effect central banks are trying to impart. But there are also fears that very low rates can cause markets to bubble up, and crash back down with painful consequences. So far, the dire predictions haven’t come true. The cur-rent bull market in US stocks turns 11 years old on March 9.

In Germany, some banks are now telling companies and others with large amounts of cash that they must pay a rate on large deposits instead of accruing interest. The penalty typically applies to big accounts, such as more than 500,000 euros ($555,000), accord-ing to fi nancial website Biallo.de. Banks are doing this because they themselves have to pay a 0.5% penalty on deposits they hold at the European Central Bank. If banks can’t fi nd a home for depositor money, it winds up in their ECB hold-ings and results in their being charged.

Small depositors like individual

consumers are so far not being charged on savings. The idea is politically toxic, especially in Germany.

But the low rate environment raises questions about preserving wealth, especially for those trying to save for retirement. German newsmedia are full of stories about “penalty rates”and criti-cism of the European Central Bank for, as they put it, expropriating savers.

Gerhard Michel, a fi nancial coach in Duesseldorf, says people need to be aware that infl ation eats away at savings even in more normal times, though people may be less aware of it when rates are above zero.

“If you look at it historically, people with savings accounts never had any kind of interesting performance,” he said. “The infl ation rate ruins any returns on the government bond market or the savings market - and it has always been that way historically. What shocks people now is that people must say the word zero, or even negative, interest.”

Michel, who is 53, teaches his coachees about value investing, a more time-consuming approach that analyzes fi nancial statements to look for compa-nies the market may be underestimating.

His approach with his own money: “I will buy stocks until the end of my days.”

Four trillion euros worth of govern-ment bonds of the 19 countries that

use the euro now yield less than zero. Trillions more in Japanese and other government bonds trade below zero around the world. Even Greece, which defaulted on government bonds in 2012 and carries the highest debt load in Eu-rope, was able to sell three-month notes at a negative rate.

Why, in fact, would anyone pay for the privilege of buying a bond?

One way of viewing the phenomenon is that the investor is paying for the safety of the investment. Or buyers may hope to sell the bond at a profi t. That is possible if rates go even lower - as some analysts think they will.

On the positive side of the ledger, low or negative interest rates can make it easier for companies and consumers to borrow, stimulating economic activ-ity. The European Central Bank says its policies created 11 million new jobs since 2013. In the U.S., home sales have picked up as mortgage rates have fallen to 3.7%.

Now, even some home buyers can get into the negative rates game.

Denmark’s Jyske Bank offers a minus 0.5% interest mortgage while still making a profi t. Customers must make monthly principal payments, but the sum they owe is whittled down month by month by the negative rate over the life of the mortgage. The bank is able to fund the mortgage by selling a bond

German court says Tesla can fell trees at site of new plant

A German court has ruled that the clearing of trees from the site of Tesla Inc’s fi rst electric car fac-tory in Europe can go ahead, days after it issued an injunction tempo-rarily halting the preparatory work.

The top administrative court in the Berlin-Brandenburg region ruled late Thursday that authorities had been within their rights to clear the way for work to start.

The court had issued an injunc-tion last weekend to give it time to

consider the case after an environ-mental group challenged a lower court’s ruling that Tesla could go ahead with felling the trees. Final planning approval for the factory has yet to be granted.

The company wants to start manufacturing 150,000 electric cars a year from mid-2021, with plans to increase that number to half a million annually.

Palo Alto, California-based Tesla announced in November

that it had decided to build its fi rst European factory in the Berlin area. The planned site is at Gru-enheide, just east of the capital in Brandenburg state.

Germany’s main business lobby group, the Federation of German Industries, on Friday wel-comed the latest court decision. Holger Loesch, a senior offi cial with the group, described it as “an important signal for Germany as a site for investment.” He called for

a wider discussion about planning and approval procedures in Ger-many, “which over the years have developed into a serious impedi-ment to investment.”

Economy Minister Peter Alt-maier said the latest court ruling “is a good signal for environmental protection, jobs and future technol-ogies.” He said he also hopes for an intensifi ed discussion of how to speed up planning procedures. (AP)

Cleared trees lie stacked on the

entrance to the site for the planned Tesla fac-tory near Gruenheide,

Germany, Feb 16. A German court has

ruled that the clearing of trees from the site

of Tesla Inc’s fi rst electric car factory in

Europe can go ahead, days after it issued an injunction temporarily

halting the preparatory work. (AP)

In this fi le photo a shopper scans an Amazon Go app on a cellphone while entering an Amazon Go store in Seattle. You expect your car insurance rates to increase after you buy a new vehicle, cause a crash or add a young driver to your policy. But some insurers jack up prices based on seemingly unrelated data – like your magazine subscriptions or what gro-

ceries you buy. (AP)

SPORTSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

21

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Jose Garcia (83) reaches out for a low throw as Seattle Mariners’ Dylan Moore (25) steals second base during the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game on Feb 26 in Goodyear, Arizona.

(AP)

Utah’s Timmy Allen (right), shoots over Stanford’s Spencer Jones (14) in the second half of an NCAA col-lege basketball game on Feb 26 in

Stanford, California. (AP)

Texas rallies to beat No. 25 TCU 77-67; Baylor clinch outright Big 12 title

Walker scores 25 as No. 6 UConn women rout CincinnatiCINCINNATI, Feb 27, (AP): Megan Walker scored 25 points, freshman Anna Makurat added 20, and No. 6 UConn dominated a match-up of the American Athletic Conference’s top two teams in every way, beat-ing Cincinnati 105-58.

The Huskies (24-3, 14-0) had already clinched their seventh AAC regular season title. After a sluggish start, they pulled away from Cincinnati (18-9, 9-5), which was in sec-ond place alone heading into the game.

The Bearcats had won 12 straight home games, one shy of the school record from 2002-03. Their hopes for a big upset evaporated in the second quarter as UConn surged ahead by 28 points.

UConn got another encouraging perfor-mance from Makurat, who has scored 18, 17 and 20 points in the last three games. Her best scoring stretch has added depth to a lineup dependent upon its top four returning players from last season.

Christyn Williams matched her career high with 26 points as UConn pulled away to 100 for the first time this season.

Antoinette Miller scored 17 for Cincinnati, which trailed by as many as 51 points.

UConn opened the game 1-for-6 from the field with three turnovers, but started creating distance late in the first quarter. Makurat and Walker had three-point plays off drives to the

Connecticut guard Anna Makurat (24) shoots over Cincinnati guard Addaya Moore (left), during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Feb 26 in Cincinnati. (AP)

basket in the final 66 seconds for a 19-11 lead.Cincinnati was only 4 of 17 from the field in

the first quarter, and the Bearcats’ poor shoot-

ing continued into the next one. Walker and Williams hit back-to-back 3s that built the lead to 34-15.

UConn led 46-18 at halftime behind Walker, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. Cincinnati shot only 17.5% in the half and got outrebounded 30-15.

Texas 77, TCU 67In Fort Worth, Texas, Celeste Taylor scored

13 of her career-high 22 points and Joyner Holmes all 15 of hers in the second half when Texas rallied to beat No. 25 TCU 77-67.

With the loss by TCU (20-6, 11-4), second-

ranked Baylor (15-0) clinched the outright Big 12 title.

The Lady Frogs led 35-26 at halftime behind Jaycee Bradley’s 10 points but the Longhorns (17-10, 8-7) scored the first 12 points of the third quarter and kept the lead, extending it to 12 with six consecutive points to open the fourth quarter. TCU only got as close as six midway through the final period.

Three Longhorns finished with triple-dou-bles: Taylor grabbed 10 rebounds and Holmes 12 while Charli Collier had 16 points and 16 rebounds. Sug Sutton had 10 assists, giving her 408 in her career, to go with eight points. Texas scored 25 points off 20 TCU turnovers.

Lauren Heard scored 19 points, Kianna Ray

16 and Bradley 14 for TCU, which shot 29% in the second half.

TCU won at Texas 65-63 on Jan 3 and was looking to sweep a season series from the Longhorns for the first time. The loss came the same week TCU entered the Top 25 for the first time this season.

Hartford 73, Stony Brook 70In West Hartford, Connecticut, Jada Lucas

scored 20 points and Hartford – which had been the only winless Division I program this season, women or men – won its first game in its season finale, beating America East champi-ons Stony Brook 73-70.

The victory was also the first in Morgan Valley’s head coaching career.

Carmen Villalobos added 16 points – 12 in the second – for the Hawks (1-28, 1-15).

Azariah Wade gave the Hawks the lead for good at 61-59 with 5:20 left and they had a seven-point lead after Lucas’ jumper with just under two minutes remaining.

Anastasia Warren hit a 3 to get Stony Brook (25-3, 13-2) within 70-67 with 29 seconds left but the Seawolves missed their final four shots.

The Hawks shot 52% from the 3-point line (11 of 21), better than their overall 48%.

The top eight teams in the nine-team America East advance to the conference tournament, so Wednesday’s game was the Hawks’ last.

BASKETBALL

Astros’ Bregman hit by pitch

Stanton latest injured Yanksstar will likely to miss openerNEW YORK, Feb 27, (AP): New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss opening day because of a strained right calf, anoth-er significant injury for a team that was beset by health problems last sea-son.

Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton was hurt near the end of defensive drills. An MRI found a Grade 1 strain.

“It will probably put us against it a little bit,” Boone said. “I would say it’s time for him to get back, but then get-ting built up and stuff. We’ll see.”

The announcement came a day after New York said All-Star pitcher Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery

and would miss the entire sea-son. Slugger Aaron Judge and lefty James Paxton already had been slowed this spring by inju-ries.

The Yankees put a major league-record 30 players on

the injured list last year, with Stanton missing most of the season.

Asked if he felt snake-bitten, Boone replied “No”.

The AL East champions Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.

Stanton played in just 18 games due a number of injuries last season, bat-ting .288 with three homers in 59 at-bats. He hit 38 homers in his first year with the Yankees in 2018, one year after going deep a career-high 59 times in 2017 with the Miami Marlins.

The outfielder/designated hitter signed a $325 million, 13-year con-tract after the 2014 season.

Yankees 8, Nationals 2Masahiro Tanaka gave up a two-run

homer and struck out two in his two-inning start and Zack Britton fanned two in a perfect inning of relief in a rain-shortened game. Miguel Andujar, D.J. LeMahieu and Clint Frazier each doubled for the Yankees.

Originally scheduled to pitch Saturday in a game that was rained out, Joe Ross got the start for the Nationals and threw two perfect innings.

Marlins 8, Cardinals (SS) 7South Korean star Kwang-Hyun

Kim threw two perfect innings for St Louis in his first Grapefruit League start. Matt Carpenter was a late scratch with back stiffness. Dylan Carlson, a 2016 first-round draft pick, singled and tripled.

Cardinals (SS) 7, Astros (SS) 5Houston star Alex Bregman hom-

ered in the third inning and was hit in the back by a pitch from minor leaguer Ramon Santos the next time up. It was the seventh time an Astros batter has been plunked in five spring games, this coming after the team’s sign-stealing scam was revealed in the offseason.

Myles Straw homered twice, one of them an inside-the-park drive. Jose Urquidy got four outs in the start, allowing two hits, one of them a home run.

Orioles 4, Braves 3Hanser Alberto hit two singles and

Dilson Herrera doubled for the Orioles. Asher Wojciechowski gave up a homer and struck out two over two innings.

Travis d’Arnaud singled and hom-ered for the Braves and 2019 draft pick Bryce Ball homered.

Twins (SS) 4, Phillies 2Jean Segura doubled and singled in

a start at third base for the Phillies. Zach Eflin walked one over two score-less innings. Sergio Romo gave up two hits and an earned run in an inning of relief.

Jake Odorizzi allowed a run on two hits. Nelson Cruz hit his second spring home run for Minnesota.

Red Sox 6, Pirates 3Scheduled to split time between sec-

ond base and first for Boston, Michael Chavis hit a long home run that cleared the left field stands.

Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller struck out three of the five batters he retired, walked one and gave up three base hits.

Twins (SS) 10, Rays 8Debuting a new slider, Devin

Smeltzer worked into the third inning in his second spring outing, allowing three runs on five hits. Trevor Larnach hit his second spring home run.

Tampa Bay ace Blake Snell retired the side in order, striking out one, in his one-inning start. Michael Brosseau hit a two-run homer.

Astros (SS) 4, Mets 2Austin Pruitt gave up one hit over

three scoreless innings in the start for Houston.

Noah Syndergaard pitched two scoreless innings in his start for the Mets, but reliever Edwin Diaz gave up two runs on three hits in an inning of relief. Ryan Cordell had two hits.

Cubs 8, Royals (SS) 0Kyle Hendricks allowed one hit

over two scoreless innings in his spring debut for the Cubs and Alec Mills walked one in two more. Javier Baez hit his first home run of the spring and Jason Kipnis doubled.

Top pitching prospect Brady Singer started for the Royals allowed three hits and struck out two over two score-less innings.

Mariners 5, Reds 3Justin Dunn made adjustments to

his delivery over the offseason and he debuted those changes in a two-inning start for Seattle, striking out two and allowing a run on two hits. Wei-Yin Chen threw two perfect innings of relief.

Tim Lopes doubled twice and Evan White hit his second two-base hit of the spring.

Royals (SS) 7, White Sox 6Ryan McBroom singled and dou-

bled and Bubba Starling doubled and homered for the Royals. Greg Holland struck out two in a perfect inning of relief.

Matt Tomshaw started for the White Sox and allowed a hit over two perfect innings, striking out a pair. Adam Engel hit a three-run homer.

BASEBALL

Stanton

Morsell’s late 3 lifts No. 9 Maryland past Minnesota

Stanford tops Utah as Florida thumps LSU

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb 27, (AP): Darryl Morsell drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left for No. 9 Maryland, capping a comeback from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat Minnesota 74-73.

Jalen Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds, including a soaring rebound and slam with 14.5 sec-onds remaining that pulled the Terrapins within 73-71. Gabe Kalscheur short-armed the front end of a one-and-one free throw with 12 seconds to go for the Gophers, who missed three foul shots in the final 39 seconds. Then the Terrapins hustled the ball up to find Morsell, who had 13 points and nine rebounds, for the winner from NBA range.

Anthony Cowan Jr had 10 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Maryland (23-5, 13-4), which main-tained a two-game lead for first place in the Big Ten with three games to go.

Daniel Oturu had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota (13-14, 7-10), which saw its NCAA Tournament hope all but disappear with a third straight excruciating home defeat.

Penn St 65, Rutgers 64In State College, Pa, Myles Dread

hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 sec-onds left to lift Penn State over Rutgers after the Nittany Lions blew a 21-point lead.

Trailing 40-19 late in the first half, the Scarlet Knights tied the game at 62

with 1:32 left in the game on Geo Baker’s layup.

His jumper gave Rutgers a two-point lead with 42 seconds remaining.

Villanova 71, St John’s 60In Villanova, Pa, Saddiq Bey scored

23 points and Justin Moore added 21 to lead Villanova past St John’s.

The Wildcats (22-6, 11-4 Big East) had trouble shaking St John’s until late on a night the program honored former star Kyle Lowry.

Lowry, a five-time All-Star guard for the NBA champions Toronto Raptors, played two seasons for the Wildcats and was one of the early pieces that helped build coach Jay Wright’s program into a national power.

UNLV 76, Boise St 66In Las Vegas, Amauri Hardy and

Bryce Hamilton combined to score 46 points and UNLV breezed to a 76-66 victory over Boise State.

Hardy finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, including three 3-pointers, for the Rebels (16-14, 11-6 Mountain West Conference), who won their fourth straight game and moved past Boise State (19-11, 11-7) into fourth place in the conference standings.

CSUN 73, Long Beach St 64In Long Beach, California, Lamine

Diane had 28 points and 11 rebounds as Cal State Northridge topped Long Beach State 73-64.

Festus Ndumanya scored 14 points for Cal State Northridge (12-17, 7-6 Big West Conference). Terrell Gomez added 14 points. Darius Brown II had 11 points.

Max De Geest had 11 points for the Beach (10-19, 5-8). Colin Slater added 10 points. Chance Hunter had six rebounds.

Cal Baptist 73, Utah Valley 66In Riverside, California, Milan

Acquaah scored 24 points and De’Jon Davis added a double-double and

BASKETBALL

California Baptist beat Utah Valley 73-66.

Davis scored 21 points with 16 rebounds, Brandon Boyd scored 13 and eight Lancers (20-8, 9-4 Western Athletic Conference) entered the scor-ing column.

Stanford 70, Utah 62In Stanford, California, Tyrell Terry

scored a season-high 27 points, Oscar da Silva had 20 and Stanford ended a four-game losing streak to Utah, beat-ing the Utes 70-62.

Jaiden Delaire scored 11 points off the bench, including a key 3-pointer with a minute to play, giving the Cardinal (19-9, 8-7 Pac-12) a six-point lead.

Timmy Allen scored 17 points for the Utes (15-13, 6-10), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Both Gach added 15 points, Jaxon Brenchley scored 13 and Branden Carlson 12.

Saint Louis 76, St Joseph’s 63In St Louis, Javonte Perkins had 21

points as Saint Louis beat Saint Joseph’s 76-63.

Hasahn French had 19 points and eight rebounds for Saint Louis (20-8, 9-6 Atlantic 10 Conference). Jordan Goodwin added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Terrence Hargrove Jr had 13 points and three blocks.

Ryan Daly had 16 points for the Hawks (5-23, 1-14). Cameron Brown added 14 points.

Florida 81, LSU 66In Gainesville, Florida, Keyontae

Johnson had a career-high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds – his fourth double-double in Florida’s last six games – and the Gators handled LSU from start to finish in a 81-66 victory.

Freshman Scottie Lewis also enjoyed a career night for Florida, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

Andrew Nembhard chipped in 17 points for Florida, which shot 55% from the field and hit 9 of 21 from 3-point range.

Air Force 60, New Mexico 58In Colorado Springs, Colorado, Sid

Tomes hit back-to-back 3-pointers, including the game-winner from well beyond the arc and Air Force rallied past New Mexico 60-58.

Lavelle Scottie had 16 points and nine rebounds for Air Force (11-18, 5-12 Mountain West Conference). Scottie has scored 1,499 points in 125 games for the Falcons.

ACU 85, Sam Houston St 69In Abilene, Texas, Payten Ricks had

23 points as Abilene Christian beat Sam Houston State 85-69.

Clay Gayman had 13 points for Abilene Christian (18-10, 13-4 Southland Conference), which won its sixth straight game.

Kolton Kohl added 12 points.Lamar 86, Incarnate Word 66

In Beaumont, Texas, T.J. Atwood scored 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting and Lamar routed Incarnate Word 86-66.

Anderson Kopp and Davion Buster

added 20 points each for Lamar, Kopp with four 3-pointers and Buster with six.

Lamar was 11-for-22 shooting from distance, while Incarnate Word was 3-for-8.

Louisiana-Lafayette 77, Arkansas St 74

In Lafayette, La, Cedric Russell had 22 points as Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Arkansas State 77-74.

P.J. Hardy had 19 points for Louisiana-Lafayette (12-17, 7-11 Sun Belt Conference). Jalen Johnson added 12 points. Mylik Wilson had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Marquis Eaton scored a career-high 28 points for the Red Wolves (15-15, 7-12), who have lost eight games in a row.

Notre Dame 62, BC 61In Boston, John Mooney scored 22

points with 12 rebounds, and T.J. Gibbs flipped in the game-winner with 0.1 seconds left to help Notre Dame beat Boston College 62-61 in matchup of the longtime Catholic school rivals.

Steffon Mitchell had 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for BC.

Missouri 61, Vanderbilt 52In Nashville, Tennessee, Xavier

Pinson scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, and the Missouri Tigers beat Vanderbilt 61-52 for their first Southeastern Conference road win this season.

Reed Nikko added 14 points for Missouri.

Scotty Pippen Jr led Vanderbilt with 19 points, and Saben Lee added 14.

Marquette 93, Georgetown 69In Milwaukee, Markus Howard, the

nation’s leading scorer, poured in 30 points as Marquette romped past Georgetown 93-69.

Jagan Mosely had 19 points and six rebounds for the Hoyas (15-13, 5-10). Jahvon Blair added 15 points. Jamorko Pickett had 12 points.

Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu (25) drives toward the basket as Maryland forward Donta Scott defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Feb 26 in Minneapolis. (AP)

SPORTSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

22

Players of Brazil’s Flamengo celebrate with the trophy after defeating Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle 3-0 in the final match of the Recopa at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb 26. (AP)

Flamengo beat Del Valle to win 1st Recopa SudamericanaBrazil’s Flamengo won the Recopa Sudamericana for the first time, beating Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle 3-0 at the historic Maracanã stadium.

The latest winners of Copa Libertadores had drawn 2-2 in the first leg of the final against the 2019 champions of the Copa Sudamericana.

Flamengo opened the scoring in the 20th minute with their top goal-scorer Gabriel Barbosa. Only four minutes later, the Brazilian team were down to 10 men after William Arão was sent off.

The Ecuadorians stepped up the pressure and forced goalkeeper Diego Alves to make several difficult saves. Still, the Brazilians managed to add a second in the 62nd minute with Gerson, to the delight of almost 70,000 fans.

Del Valle quickly noticed their efforts would fall short after striker Alejandro Cabezas was sent off in the 73rd minute.

Gerson added Flamengo’s third two minutes before regular time. (AP)

India secure semifinal spot at Women’s T20 WCupMELBOURNE, Australia, Feb 27, (AP): India secured the first of the semifinal spots at the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup after holding off New Zealand for a three-run win at the Junction Oval on Thursday to improve to 3-0 in the group stage.

The 16-year-old opener Shafali Verma scored 46 from 34 balls to guide India to 133-8, a target usu-ally well within reach of a New Zealand lineup that hadn’t failed to chase a sub-140 total in the T20 format in more than six years.

But with Sophie Devine (14), Rachel Priest (12) and Suzie Bates (6) all out by the ninth over, New Zealand slipped to 34-3 and just fell short in the

chase, finishing 130-6 despite a late 34 from 19 balls from 19-year-old Amelia Kerr, who earlier took two wickets.

India opened the tournament with a 17-run win over defending champions Australia at the Sydney Showground Stadium last Friday and followed up with an 18-run win over Bangladesh. They have one more group game against Sri Lanka on Saturday before the semifinals, which are scheduled for March 5.

India have never won the Women’s T20 World Cup. The Australians have won four of the previous six editions, with England winning the inaugural event in 2009 and West Indies winning in 2018.

City rally to beat Real in CLTousart’s goal gives Lyon 1-0 win over lethargic Juventus

MADRID, Feb 27, (AP): With two late goals in five minutes, Manchester City turned the tables on Real Madrid and boosted their chances of finally winning an elusive Champions League title while they can.

Gabriel Jesus scored an equaliz-er in the 78th minute and Kevin De Bruyne netter an 83rd-minute win-ner from the penalty spot as Man City came from behind for a 2-1 win over Madrid in the first leg of the last 16 at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

“It’s a great satisfaction to be able to win at the Bernabéu,” Man City coach Pep Guardiola said. “We are not used to these types of results. It shows that we can go to any stadium and win.”

City are likely playing in their last Champions League before having to serve a two-year UEFA ban from European competitions for breaching financial regulations and failing to cooperate with investigators. The club have yet to win a Champions League title despite the heavy spending that helped them win two straight Premier League crowns under Guardiola, and were eliminated by Tottenham in last year’s quarter-finals.

Francisco “Isco” Alarcón opened the scoring in the 60th for Madrid, who played the final minutes without defender Sergio Ramos after he was shown a straight red card for a foul to stop an 86th-minute breakaway by Jesus.

“Those last 10 minutes changed the game,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “We played a good match, it hurts to see those mistakes in the end. We didn’t deserve that, but in football you have to be fully focused for the entire 90 minutes.”

The return match in England will be on March 17.

“Happy for the victory, of course, but for the performance as well,”

SOCCERReal Madrid’s Gareth Bale (right), jumps for the ball with Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi during the Champions League, Round of 16, first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago

Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain on Feb 26. (AP)

Guardiola said. “They started really well in the first 15 minutes, but after these 15 minutes we played really good. But it’s still not over. If there is one team in the world that can over-come this, it’s this club (Real Madrid).”

In Wednesday’s other game, a rare goal from combative midfielder Lucas Tousart gave hard-working Lyon a 1-0 home win against a lethargic Juventus in the first leg of their round-of-16 game in the Champions League.

Guardiola’s team was the most dan-gerous team throughout the match but couldn’t get past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois until Jesus’ close-range header. The Brazilian forward, a surprise starter over Sterling and Sergio Aguero, jumped behind Ramos to meet a well-placed cross by De Bruyne.

Sterling, back in action after nursing a muscle injury, made a crucial impact after coming off the bench by setting up the penalty that De Bruyne calmly

CRICKET

converted past Courtois. Madrid struggled to get clear chanc-

es but took the lead after Rodri gave the ball away near midfield. The blun-der allowed Vinícius Júnior to make a run into the area and find Isco free from markers for an easy goal.

Courtois made a few difficult saves in both halves, while Madrid’s best

chance until Isco’s goal was a close-range header by Karim Benzema saved by Ederson before the break.

“We created good chances but we were off-target and Courtois made some great saves,” Guardiola said.

Madrid historically have thrived at the Bernabéu in the Champions League, but they have won only three of their last 10 European matches at the stadium, drawing three and losing other four. They were eliminated by Ajax in last year’s round of 16 after a 4-1 home loss. That marked the first time since 2009-10 the Spanish power-house failed to reach at least the semi-finals.

It was the third straight setback for Madrid, who were coming off a draw and a loss in the Spanish league, results that dropped the team behind Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league.

Man City have filed an appeal against UEFA’s ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but if the UEFA punishment stands, City won’t be back in the Champions League until the 2022-23 season.

Guardiola said he is not using the ban to motivate his players this season.

“We cannot control what happens off the pitch, we can only control what happens on the pitch,” he said. “It’s not easy for our club to live (through this), but I’m confident that everything is going to go well. Hopefully the board and the lawyers can convince UEFA that we did the right things, not the wrong things.”

Juventus’ Alex Sandro shoots on goal before Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi (left), can block the shot during a Champions League, Round of 16, first leg soccer match between Lyon and Juventus at the Lyon Olympic Stadium in

Decines, outside Lyon, France on Feb 26. (AP)

NYCFC draw small crowd

Leganés denied request to sign a player out of windowMADRID, Feb 27, (AP): A request by Spanish club Leganés to replace a player signed recently by Barcelona was denied Thursday by the country’s soccer federation.

The Spanish league and the fed-eration allowed Barcelona a “long-term injury” dispensation to sign a player from another Spanish league team outside the transfer period to fill in for Ousmane Dembele, who had been ruled out for several months with a leg injury.

Barcelona used the dispensation to trigger the 18 million euro ($19.4 million) buyout clause in Martin Braithwaite’s contract with Leganés last week, almost three weeks after the transfer window had closed.

Braithwaite was Leganés’ best attacking player, and the club did not want him to leave.

While Barcelona is leading the league, its modest rival from Madrid is fighting to avoid relega-tion.

Leganés said in a statement that the decision was “unfair” and “tainted the competition and the right of all clubs to compete under the same conditions.”

❑ ❑ ❑

Major League Soccer’s New York City team drew a tiny crowd for its first competitive match of the season, a CONCACAF Champions League victory over Costa Rica’s San Carlos that was played at Red Bull Arena.

The announced crowd for Wednesday night’s game was 4,396, and the actual attendance in the 25,000-capacity stadium, appeared to be under 1,000.

NYC’s home has been Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since it launched in 2015, and the team has been trying to put together a deal for its own venue. This game was played at the home of its rival New York Red Bulls.

❑ ❑ ❑

In Real Madrid’s first 34 matches this season, the team lost only three times.

In the last three games, howev-er, Madrid was beaten twice and held to a home draw – the club’s worst run of the season and com-ing just before Sunday’s “clásico” against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

“I see Sunday’s game as an opportunity for us to change our fortunes around,” Madrid coach

Zinedine Zidane said. “It’s a bad moment for us, I agree, but on Sunday we have a great chance to change that.”

❑ ❑ ❑

Gio Reyna is following his father to the US national team.

The 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder will be invited to the American training camp ahead of exhibitions on March 26 at The Netherlands and four days later at Wales.

“We want our younger players per-f o r m i n g , playing at a high level, and he’s doing that,” US coach G r e g g Berha l ter s a i d Wednesday. “As a result of that he

gets an opportunity with the first team.”

❑ ❑ ❑

Used to bending free kicks for goals, David Beckham was not prepared for seven years of twists en route to his team’s Major League Soccer debut this week-end.

“This I always knew was going to be a challenge. I didn’t realize how big of a challenge it was going to be,” the former England captain said Wednesday. “When we announced seven years ago, I thought it would take one or two years and we’ll be playing in the league. We’ll have a stadium. We’ll have great players. But it took slightly longer than that.”

❑ ❑ ❑

Forward Mallory Pugh and defender Tierna Davidson are back with the US women’s nation-al team for the upcoming SheBelieves tournament.

Both players, who were on the team’s World Cup-winning squad last year, were not included on the smaller roster that took part in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying earlier this month.

Coach Vlatko Andonovski named the 23-player squad Wednesday. The SheBelieves tournament, which includes England, Japan and Spain, begins March 5.

Soccer Roundup

Dembele

SPORTSARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28-29, 2020

23

Every action ‘should be considered public’, says new committee leader

Salt Lake City vows transparency, frugality in Olympic bidSALT LAKE CITY, Feb 27, (AP): Leaders of a new Salt Lake City Olympic bid committee vowed Wednesday to be transparent and frugal as they design a plan based around existing venues and experi-ence from hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics but that will also include new, modern ideas.

The committee held its fi rst meeting as it sets out to assess whether Salt Lake City should bid for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olym-pics. There’s no timeline for that decision.

Committee chair Cindy Crane told board members that every conversation they have about the Olympics should be considered public as the part of a completely open process. Crane, a former CEO of a major utility company, said after the meeting that the re-mark was made to establish ground rules and was not a direct reference to a bribery scandal that nearly de-railed the plans for the 2002 Win-ter Olympics hosted by Salt Lake City.

But, she said, “The strength of our operating principles are to make it very, very clear that those days are well behind us and not in our path forward.”

The bribery scandal broke in 1998, three years after Salt Lake City was chosen over cities in Canada, Sweden and Switzer-land. Salt Lake’s bid commit-tee doled out $1 million in cash, scholarships, medical care, gifts and other favors to International Olympic Committee members and their families. That includ-ed ski trips, NBA tickets, plas-tic surgery, knee replacements, violins and housing and salary for children of IOC members, according to report by an ethics panel.

It led to the expulsion of six IOC members, the resignation of four others and severe warnings for several others, though none faced criminal charges. US pros-ecutors brought criminal charges against two Salt Lake bid lead-ers, but both men were acquit-ted by a judge halfway through a federal trial.

Now decades later, the IOC is struggling to fi nd cities willing to take on the fi nancial and soci-etal burden of hosting the Winter Olympics while also having the climate and venues needed for

winter sports. Utah has estimated it could host the games for about $1.4 billion, a fi gure that would be far less than other cities since Utah would use venues built in 2002 that have been maintained.

An exploratory committee es-timated it would cost about $10 million to put together a bid, but it might only cost half of that, said Fraser Bullock, president of the committee and key organizing player in Salt Lake City’s 2002 Olympics.

The US Olympic and Paralym-pic Committee chose Salt Lake City two years ago over Denver and Reno, Nevada, as the next American city to bid for a Win-ter Olympics, but hasn’t chosen which year it wants Utah to pur-sue.

Sapporo, Japan, said earlier this year it will bid for the 2030 Games. It’s unknown when the IOC will choose hosts for the 2030 and 2034 Games because it recently aban-doned its old practice of awarding Olympics every two years, and seven years ahead of the games themselves.

Bullock said it’s imperative that the committee start think-ing creatively how to make sure a second Olympics in Salt Lake City would be fresh and new and not just a repeat of 2002. He float-ed the idea of having an event in downtown Salt Lake City, such as the “Big Air” snowboarding competition. Another idea would be to have outdoor hockey at the area’s soccer stadium used by Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, he said. A slew of new sports have been added to the Winter Olympics since Salt Lake City hosted, he said.

“It’s very compelling to have the new disciplines and move them around to different places, engage the community,” Bullock said. “The IOC loves to see community engagement.”

Crane said making a second Olympics fresh is a must: “It has to be a new games for us, a new games for the new athletes, a new games for the world. ... We love to think about our success (in 2002) but this is about what we can do for the future games.”

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) takes a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Feb 26 in Las Vegas. (AP)

Fleury earns 61st career SO,Golden Knights down Oilers

Lizotte, Kings send Penguins to 4th straight loss

LAS VEGAS, Feb 27, (AP): Nick Cousins scored in his Vegas debut and the Golden Knights beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Pacific Division.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves to earn his 61st career shutout, tied for 17th all-time with Turk Broda. The 16-year-veteran netminder is now 5-0-0 in his last five starts.

Cousins, acquired from Montreal at the NHL’s trade deadline Monday, be-came the 10th player in Golden Knights history to score a goal in his team debut. He knocked home a rebound on a power play for his sixth overall goal to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead midway through the third period.

Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore also scored for Vegas, which won its seventh straight game.

With the victory, the Golden Knights increased their lead to four points ahead of the Oilers and Vancou-ver, each with 74 points. Just six points separate the top four squads in the Pa-cifi c as Calgary holds the top wild-card spot, two points better than Nashville.

Vegas improved to 11-3-2 under Pe-ter DeBoer, who replaced fi red Gerard Gallant on Jan 15.

Edmonton is 18-13-3 on the road and lost for the fi rst time when playing on the second of back-to-back nights, dropping to 6-1-0.

Mikko Koskinen made 30 saves for the Oilers.

Pacioretty put Vegas on the board when he skated in on the right side, past Josh Archibald, and lasered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Koski-nen. It marked the fi fth 30-goal season in Pacioretty’s career, and fi rst since 2016-17.

Theodore extended Vegas’ lead to 3-0 when he took a pass from Alec Martinez off a draw and fi red a shot from the point past Koskinen.

Kings 2, Penguins 1In Los Angeles, Blake Lizotte had

a power-play goal and an assist, Cal Petersen made 36 saves and the Los Angeles Kings spoiled the Penguins debuts of Patrick Marleau and two more deadline acquisitions with a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

Lizotte posted his second career multi-point game and Trevor Lewis also scored as the last-place Kings

hung on for their fourth win in seven games.

Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots in Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive loss. Bryan Rust scored with 13:18 to play, but the Penguins couldn’t get the equalizer past Petersen, who was strong in his seventh career victory.

Evgeni Malkin got the key assist on Rust’s goal while playing in his 900th career game, but the Pen-guins opened a road swing against California’s three teams with their fourth straight regulation loss. That matches the Pens’ total regulation defeats in their previous 22 games since Christmas.

Marleau played 19 shifts in his debut for the Penguins, who ac-quired the 40-year-old forward on Monday from the Kings’ rivals in San Jose.

Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues also made their debuts for Pittsburgh after the club’s series of moves to bol-ster their playoff push.

Lizotte put the Kings ahead just 2:34 when he redirected Sean Walker’s long blast during a power play for his fi fth goal. Lizotte’s goal was his fi rst in 23 games since Dec 17.

Lewis then scored with 32 seconds left in the second period, swooping

down the wing onto a pass from Lizotte and scoring on his own rebound for his fourth goal of the season.

The 33-year-old Kings stalwart and two-time Stanley Cup champion was a topic of trade rumors through-out the month, but wasn’t moved while GM Rob Blake shook up his struggling roster by dealing Tyler Toffoli, Alec Martinez, Derek For-bort, Kyle Clifford and Jack Camp-bell.

Pittsburgh fi nally scored when Mal-kin’s centering pass was tipped home for Rust for his 24th goal.

Avalanche 3, Sabres 2In Denver, J.T. Compher broke a

tie on a wrist shot with 8:06 remain-ing, Martin Kaut scored his fi rst NHL goal and the banged-up Colorado Ava-lanche won their fourth straight, beat-ing the Buffalo Sabres 3-2.

Gabriel Landeskog also scored to help the Avalanche vault into second place in the Central Division.

Pavel Francouz was sharp in stop-ping 31 shots, including several sprawling saves in the closing minute after the Sabres pulled their goalie for an extra skater. Francouz was recently named the league’s fi rst star for the week.

Zemgus Girgensons and Curtis La-zar scored for the Sabres, who have dropped fi ve straight to Colorado. Wayne Simmonds made his Buffalo debut after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils.

Tyson Jost set up the decisive goal by winning a tussle for the puck behind the net and dishing it over to Joonas Donskoi, who then fed it to a wide-open Compher in front.

It was Compher’s 10th goal of the season.

Jost nearly scored his first goal since Nov 30 with 17:22 remaining when he redirected in a puck that was near his shoulders. But it was waived off by officials due to a high-stick.

Carter Hutton had 31 saves for Buf-falo - and some good fortune, too. He had one puck headed into the net in the second period before it defl ected off the skate of a defenesman, clanked off the post and skidded harmlessly into the corner.

Francouz turned in another solid showing. A week ago, he went went 3-0-1 with a 1.46 goals-against aver-age. He also recently signed a two-year contract extension, too.

Los Angeles Kings’ Michael Amadio (10) defends on Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dominik Simon (18) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Feb

26 in Los Angeles. (AP)

NHL Results/Standings

WASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): Results and standings from the NHL games on Wednesday.

Colorado 3 Buffalo 2Vegas 3 Edmonton 0

Los Angeles 2 Pittsburgh 1

Note: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

P W L OT GF GA PtsBoston 64 39 13 12 210 164 90Tampa 63 40 18 5 224 175 85Toronto 64 33 23 8 224 213 74Florida 63 33 24 6 219 213 72Montreal 65 29 27 9 197 199 67Buffalo 63 29 26 8 184 196 66Ottawa 64 21 31 12 169 219 54Detroit 65 15 46 4 131 244 34

Metropolitan Division P W L OT GF GA PtsWashington 63 39 18 6 222 193 84Pittsburgh 62 37 19 6 202 170 80Philadelphia 63 36 20 7 210 185 79NY Islanders 62 35 20 7 179 168 77Columbus 65 31 20 14 170 171 76Carolina 62 35 23 4 202 176 74NY Rangers 62 34 24 4 207 191 72New Jersey 62 25 27 10 171 211 60

Western ConferenceCentral Division

P W L OT GF GA PtsSt Louis 64 37 17 10 206 179 84Colorado 62 37 18 7 215 168 81Dallas 63 37 20 6 171 160 80Nashville 62 31 23 8 198 198 70Winnipeg 65 32 27 6 196 195 70Minnesota 62 30 25 7 191 201 67Chicago 63 27 28 8 187 203 62

Pacific Division P W L OT GF GA PtsVegas 65 35 22 8 211 196 78Vancouver 62 34 22 6 207 190 74Edmonton 64 33 23 8 201 199 74Calgary 64 33 25 6 192 198 72Arizona 66 31 27 8 182 176 70Anaheim 63 25 30 8 165 200 58San Jose 63 26 33 4 161 207 56Los Angeles 64 23 35 6 158 204 52

In this Feb 9, 2002 file photo, Georg Hackl, of Germany, speeds past an Olympic logo during a practice run for the men’s singles luge at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah. (AP)

CAS due to issue its ruling

Le Clos seeks Yang’s gold for doping caseNAPLES, Italy, Feb 27, (AP): Chad le Clos believes he has a claim on Sun Yang’s gold medal from the Rio de Ja-neiro Olympics, with a verdict due on Friday the Chinese swimmer’s latest doping case.

“He should be banned. It’s as simple as that,” Le Clos said in an interview with The Associated Press this week. “Anyone who tests positive should be banned. I should get my gold medal back from Rio.

“Not for the moment. I lost that. I don’t really care about that,” Le Clos added on Wednesday. “It’s just for my record. If I break my leg and I can’t swim again I want my record to say, ‘Two individual golds, two individual silvers’. Because that’s what it should be.”

Le Clos’ Olympic record currently contains one gold medal and three sil-vers – including a second-place finish to Sun in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2016 Games.

Odds are, though, that Sun won’t lose any Olympic titles when the Court of Arbitration for Sport issues its rul-ing in Lausanne, Switzerland, at 10 am local time (0900 GMT).

The case centers on Sun’s alleged refusal to provide blood and urine in September 2018 in a visit by sample col-lectors to his home in China. During the late-night confrontation, a security guard used a hammer to smash a container holding Sun’s blood as the swimmer lit the scene with his mobile phone.

The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed after swimming federation FINA merely warned Sun and cited doubts about credentials shown by three sample collection officials.

A three-time Olympic champion, Sun could be banished from the sport for up to eight years but any ban likely

Oly figure skater Knierimannounces his retirementCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Feb 27, (AP): Figure skater Chris Knierim, one half of the husband-and-wife duo that helped the US win a team bronze medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics, announced his retirement Wednesday while Alexa Knierim said she will continue skating with a new partner.

The three-time national champions have withdrawn from next month’s world championships.

The Knierims will be replaced by Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson

on the American team headed to Mon-treal.

The 32-year-old Chris Knierim said his passion for skating had waned while injuries had mounted, and that forced him to consider his future. He also said he’s been dealing with de-pression and is receiving treatment for it.

The 28-year-old Alexa Knierim did not say who she was considering for a new partner, but her husband said he plans to be part of her coaching team going forward.

won’t be backdated before September 2018 – meaning all of his Olympic medals seem safe.

But there’s also the fact that interna-tional swimming authorities worked to protect Sun from being banned, accord-ing to a Swiss supreme court document.

FINA has faced criticisms in the past for favoring Sun during his career.

It did not announce Sun’s three-month ban for doping imposed by Chinese authorities until after it ended in 2014.

“I just hope the system and whatever we have is really accurate,” said Hun-garian swimmer Katinka Hosszú, who won three golds in Rio. “I just hope the decisions they are making is fair and is for the sport and not for other reasons.”

The medals that Sun risks losing most are the two golds that he won at last year’s world championships in the 200 and 400 free. At the event in Gwangju, South Korea, fellow med-alists Mack Horton of Australia and Duncan Scott of Britain refused to stand with him on the podium.

Sun has denied any wrongdoing. Any ban imposed in the coming days would likely prevent him from com-peting at this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

“I have nothing against anybody. It’s not personal,” Le Clos said. “It’s just how the world should be. If you cheat or if you do something wrong, like if you false start, you get disquali-fied. It’s simple as that.”

In this July 26, 2019 file photo, Chi-na’s Sun Yang waves following the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats at the World Swimming Champion-ships in Gwangju, South Korea. (AP)

SWIMMING

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China, South Korea and Japan try to contain the fallout of rapidly spreading outbreak

Asian baseball, soccer, rugby affected by new China virusTOKYO, Feb 27, (AP): Baseball and basketball played in empty stadiums. Soccer leagues delayed. Clubs left out of Asian competitions or matches relo-cated.

And the rapidly spreading virus that has infected more than 81,000 people globally and left more than 2,750 dead, mostly in China, continues to threaten the Tokyo Olympics which begin July 24.

The three biggest soccer leagues in Asia have gone into recess, as the gov-ernments of China, South Korea and Japan try to contain the fallout of the rapidly spreading virus. The surge of postponements of sports events has spread from China, where the outbreak started, to South Korea and Japan.

Japan’s professional baseball league says it will play its 72 remaining pre-season games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. The regular season is to open on March 20.

“This was a bitter decision to make,” Commissioner Atsushi Saito was quot-ed as saying. “Because we can’t deter-mine the situation, I won’t say any-thing right now about (opening day). “If possible, we all want to go ahead on March 20.”

Outside of sport, worries over the ever-expanding economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis multiplied Thursday, with factories idled, trade routes frozen and tourism in trouble, while a growing list of nations braced for the illness to breach their borders.

Japan’s top soccer league, the J-League, has halted all play until March 15. That announcement came less than a week after South Korean authorities postponed the start of the K-League season, which came in the wake of the suspension of the lucrative Chinese Super League. The Korean domestic basketball season will finish with matches in empty stadiums.

Continental competition has been disrupted, with Chinese clubs exclud-ed from the start of the competitions including the Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Champions League. Other countries in Asia have refused to allow Chinese teams to enter, or placed Chinese sports teams in quarantine.

On Thursday, the governing body for Super Rugby said a match between the Australia-based Brumbies and Japan’s Sunwolves set for Osaka on March 6 would likely be relocated. If that wasn’t possible, the teams would receive two competition points each, as they would if the match was drawn.

Other matches involving the Sunwolves, who play some of their home matches in Singapore, were like-ly to be affected in the the tournament that involves clubs from South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and Japan..

The Hong Kong Sevens, the annual highlight of the rugby sevens global competition, has been pushed back to later in the year. Major events in China including the Formula One Grand Prix and the track and field world indoor championships were among the first to be postponed.

The staging of the Tokyo Olympics remain a serious threat because of the virus. On Thursday, five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ian Thorpe said Australia’s athletes should con-sider their long-term health before deciding to compete in Japan in July.

“I would most definitely be con-cerned,” said Thorpe, who still has a profile in Japan long after retiring from competitive swimming. “What we need ...is to use some of the best expert disease specialists to find out what is the risk to the team. What is the risk to the other nations and how can we have an Olympic Games, one that is safe, that doesn’t put athletes at risk?”

A notice outside San Siro Stadium advised that the Serie A match between Inter and Sampdoria was canceled in Milan, Italy on Feb 23. In Lombardy, the hardest-hit region by the spread of the coronavirus with 90 cases, schools and universities were ordered to stay closed in the coming days,

and sporting events were canceled. (AP)

Serie A’s biggest match could be played in ‘empty’ stadiumMILAN, Feb 27, (AP): Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte probably won’t have to sit through a torrent of boos when he returns to Turin for the first time to face former club Juventus.

That’s because there could be no fans there to see it.

The Derby d’Italia, one of the sea-son’s biggest matches, may be played in an empty stadium on Sunday because of the virus outbreak in north-ern Italy. The epicenter of the outbreak is in the Lombardy region, and Milan is its capital.

“I hope that from today there will be a regression in the diffusion of the virus so that I, too, can go see Juventus-Inter,” said Attilio Fontana, the governor of the

Lombardy region. “We’re monitoring the situation. I’m very calm. We need to see what the situation is. It’s the same as for the schools. We’ll do a check Saturday and then we’ll see.”

WASHINGTON, Feb 27, (AP): Results and standings from the NBA games on Wednesday.Cleveland 108 Philadelphia 94Charlotte 107 New York 101Washington 110 Brooklyn 106Orlando 130 Atlanta 120Minnesota 129 Miami 126

Houston 140 Memphis 112Dallas 109 San Antonio 103LA Clippers 102 Phoenix 92Boston 114 Utah 103

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L Pct GBToronto 42 16 .724 –Boston 41 17 .707 1Philadelphia 36 23 .610 6½Brooklyn 26 31 .456 15½New York 17 41 .293 25

Southeast Division W L Pct GBMiami 36 22 .621 –Orlando 26 32 .448 10Washington 21 36 .368 14½Charlotte 20 38 .345 16Atlanta 17 43 .283 20

Central Division W L Pct GBx-Milwaukee 50 8 .862 –Indiana 34 24 .586 16Chicago 20 39 .339 30½Detroit 19 41 .317 32Cleveland 17 41 .293 33

Western ConferenceSouthwest Division

W L Pct GBHouston 38 20 .655 –Dallas 36 23 .610 2½Memphis 28 30 .483 10New Orleans 25 33 .431 13San Antonio 24 33 .421 13½

Northwest Division W L Pct GBDenver 40 18 .690 –Oklahoma 36 22 .621 4Utah 36 22 .621 4Portland 26 33 .441 14½Minnesota 17 40 .298 22½

Pacific Division W L Pct GBLA Lakers 44 12 .786 –LA Clippers 39 19 .672 6Sacramento 24 33 .421 20½Phoenix 24 35 .407 21½GS Warriors 12 46 .207 33

NBA Results/Standings

Note: ‘x’ denotes clinched playoff spot.

SOCCER

Philadelphia 76ers’ Al Horford (left), and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Porter Jr battle for a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Feb 26 in Cleveland. (AP)

Embiid sprains shoulder asCavaliers cruise past Sixers

Doncic, Porzingis power Mavericks by slumping Spurs 109-103

CLEVELAND, Feb 27, (AP): Collin Sexton scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 108-94 win Wednesday night over the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost All-Star center Joel Embiid with a sprained left shoulder in the first quarter.

The 76ers, already playing with-out All-Star guard Ben Simmons, never led against the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and fell to 9-21 on the road.

Embiid collided with Cavaliers cen-ter Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder in obvious pain but stayed in the game and missed both free throws.

The Sixers pulled Embiid at the next time stoppage and he walked to the locker room while rubbing his shoul-der. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter, but went back for more evaluation and treatment. At halftime, Embiid rejoined his team-mates on the bench with a wrap on his injured shoulder.

Sixers coach Brett Brown, sensing his team was in early trouble, called timeout two minutes into the game, but Cleveland steadily built its lead. The Cavaliers shot 58% in the first half and led 70-50 midway through the third quarter. Philadelphia cut the lead to 85-80 in the fourth, but got no closer.

Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 13 rebounds while Larry Nance Jr scored 13 points and had 15 rebounds for Cleveland, which had five players in double figures. Cavaliers center Andre Drummond didn’t play because of a strained left calf.

Shake Milton, who replaced Simmons in the starting lineup, scored 20 points. Furkan Korkmaz scored 14 points and Alec Burks had 13.

Mavericks 109, Spurs 103In San Antonio, Luka Doncic had

26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and 12 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks powered past the San Antonio Spurs 109-103.

Doncic’s triple-double was his 13th

BASKETBALL

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) scores over San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game

in San Antonio on Feb 26. (AP)

this season for Dallas, which over-came a disastrous start to the fourth quarter and snapped a four-game skid in San Antonio.

DeMar DeRozan had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to lead the Spurs.

Clippers 102, Suns 92In Phoenix, Kawhi Leonard scored

24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Marcus Morris added 18 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 102-92.

Los Angeles won its second straight game, bouncing back from a tough stretch that included its only three-game losing streak of the season. The Clippers are still working to piece together their upgraded playing rotation, which includes the recently acquired Morris and guard Reggie Jackson.

Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 25 points and 17 rebounds. All-Star guard Devin Booker had a rough night, scor-

ing 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting.Rockets 140, Grizzlies 112

In Houston, Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 63 points as the Houston Rockets sailed to their fifth straight win, 140-112 over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Harden piled up 30 points without playing in the fourth quarter and Westbrook, who had 33, sat down for good with about six minutes left.

The duo had 46 points by halftime as Houston built a 73-47 lead.

Timberwolves 129, Heat 126In Miami, Jordan McLaughlin’s

layup with just under nine seconds left put Minnesota ahead for good, D’Angelo Russell led all scorers with 27 points and the Timberwolves added to Miami’s late-season stagger by beating the Heat 129-126.

Malik Beasley scored 21 points, Juancho Hernangomez tied a season-

high with 17 and McLaughlin added 13 for Minnesota.

Kendrick Nunn led Miami with 24 points. Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Butler – back after a two-game absence for personal reasons – had 18 for Miami. The Heat fell to 23-4 at home and have dropped seven of their last nine overall.

Magic 130, Hawks 120In Atlanta, Evan Fournier scored 28

points, Aaron Gordon added 25 and the Orlando Magic pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 130-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Solidifying their hold on the final playoff spot in the East, the Magic put the Hawks away with a 14-5 spurt after Trae Young’s drive cut the Orlando lead to 114-109 with 6:20 remaining.

Fournier scored nine points in the game-clinching run, and Gordon fin-ished it off with a 3-pointer.

Wizards 110, Nets 106In Washington, Jerome Robinson’s

3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left lifted the Washington Wizards to a 110-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets, snapping a three-game losing streak.

After Robinson gave Washington a 108-106 lead, Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-point attempt and Robinson added two free throws as Washington won a game in which it squandered an 18-point lead.

Thomas Bryant’s free throws gave Washington a 105-104 lead with 29 seconds left and Dinwiddie’s driving layup put Brooklyn up by one.

Hornets 107, Knicks 101In Charlotte, North Carolina, Terry

Rozier scored 26 points, and the Charlotte Hornets handed the New York Knicks their fifth straight loss 107-101.

The slumping Devonte Graham returned from a team-mandated night off and scored 21 points. P.J. Washington and Bismack Biyombo each scored 12 points for the Hornets, who snapped a two-game losing skid.

Julius Randle finished with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.

Celtics 114, Jazz 103In Salt Lake City, Jayson Tatum had

33 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics over the skidding Utah Jazz 114-103.

Jaylen Brown added 20 points and Marcus Smart had 17 for Boston. All five starters scored in double figures to help the Celtics finish 3-1 on a road trip out West.