a unique honour...02 thursday, february 20, 2020 his royal highness prime minister prince khalifa...

BKS International Bookfest 2020 opens TDT | Manama

The BKS International Bookfest 2020 opened yesterday, with a talk from renowned Malayalam

author Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu, and the preliminary round of QLIT, the international and Indian literature quiz for children and adults, and a story writ-ing competition for students.

The wholesome display of books from

a multitude of publications, the main feature of the event, was also opened to the public last night.

The night ended with a book signing and live interaction session with author Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu.

The final of QLIT 2020 for adults was also held by Quiz Masters Bonny Joseph and Anish Nirmalan, with six finalist teams.

Team Eros with Gayathri, Amit and Subin bagged the first place, Team Fer-dinand with P T Thomas, Rejitha, and Krishnakumar coming in second place, and Team Argon with Swapna, Renjan Joseph, and K B Mohanan bagged the third place.

The bookfest will mark its inaugural ceremony tonight, in the presence of the Deputy Leader of Opposition of the Kera-

la Legislative Assembly, Dr M K Muneer, and award-winning authors K R Meera and Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu.

The ceremony will begin with an in-vocation dance choreographed and per-formed by talents of Bahrain.

The bookfest will be inaugurated by Dr M K Muneer, and the bookstall will be formally inaugurated by K R Meera.

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03Nearly 800 ‘injured’ in worksite accidents in 2019 third quarter

04US delegation lauds Bahrain’s anti-human trafficking success

05 Enjoy world cuisine at LuLu

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His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa hailed deep-rooted historic relations binding Bahrain and Pakistan, built on the basis of co-operation and mutual respect. This came as he received at Al Safriya Palace Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and the accompanying delegation, who arrived in Bahrain at the invitation Shura Council Chairman Ali Al Saleh. Mr Sanjrani conveyed to HM the King greetings from Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, who wished the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people further progress and prosperity. HM the King welcomed Pakistan’s Senate Chairman and extended greetings to President Alvi and Prime Minister Khan, wishing their people further progress and prosperity.

Campaign to combat COVID-19Manama

A multilingual national campaign to combat

the novel Covel Cornona-virus (COVID-19) has been launched in the Kingdom of Bahrain to enhance public awareness and beef up prevention meas-ures.

Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh announced the plan in lined with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Pre-mier.

The wide-ranging cam-paign would be channeled through the social media, the press, Radio Bahrain and TV, the health cen-tres, labour camps and in co-operation with the Labour and Social Devel-opment Minister and the Labour Market Regulato-ry Authority.

“The Arabic language has been adopted to con-duct the campaign, along with other languages to reach out to all expatriate communities”, said the ministry.

She reassured the pub-lic that no COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Bah-rain adding that all other suspected infections had tested negative for the virus.

She called upon citi-zens and residents to con-tact the ministry round the clock on hotline 17246769 for any queries about COVID-19.

A unique honour Tamkeen honoured at World Congress WBAF 2020 held in Turkey

• Tamkeen was selected amongst a group of participating organisations from the Middle East at the award ceremony.

• Tamkeen Chief Executive described the award as a testimony to Bahrain’s continuous efforts to grow its economy.

TDT | Manama

Tamkeen has received The Best Governmental Agency of the Middle

East Supporting Entrepreneur-ship award at the World Con-gress WBAF 2020 held in Turkey.

The award ceremony took place at the World Congress WBAF 2020 VIP Gala dinner

where Tamkeen was selected amongst a group of participating organisations from the Middle East.

This award highlights Tam-keen’s role and efforts within the entrepreneurship sector since it provides various services and programs for entrepreneurs and contributes to the country’s so-cial and economic status.

The Chairman of Tamkeen, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa commented on the achievements Bahrain has at-tained with its strong presence within the region especially through its programs and ser-vices offered to entrepreneurs. According to him, this repre-sents a promising plan to de-velop the national economy, pointing out that this award also reflects the country’s vision of improving its economy and sup-porting the entrepreneurship sector.

Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Jan-ahi, the Chief Executive of Tam-keen also expressed his delight

on receiving such an award as it proves Bahrain’s continuous efforts to grow its economy.

“This is one of the most prom-inent international awards hosted by the World Congress, where more than 1,500 partici-pants from all around the world attend this event to discuss

the most important and recent topics around global econom-ic developments in addition to investment opportunities and how to strengthen the devel-opment of sustainable global economies.”

For his part, Baybars Altun-tas, Chairman of the Board of Directors, World Business An-gels Investment Forum (WBAF) extended his congratulations to Bahrain on this achievement and expressed his confidence in the contribution of Tamkeen’s role in supporting the startup ecosystem and entrepreneur-ship.

“This award is presented to organisations that demonstrate best practices in the region and salute those who stand out in imagining, discussing, and shap-ing the future of an entrepre-neurial world,” he added.

The World Congress WBAF 2020 is considered one of the world’s most important fixtures for early and post-early stage equity and capital markets.

Strong Pakistan ties

Dr Janahi receives the award.

This award is presented to organisations that

demonstrate best practices in the region.

BAYBARS ALTUNTAS

02THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received, at his residence in Germany yesterday, Adviser to HM the King for Diplomatic Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani. HRH the Prime Minister congratulated Dr Al Zayani on the precious royal trust bestowed upon through his appointment as Foreign Affairs Minister, wishing him every success in continuing to consolidate the distinguished status of the Bahraini diplomacy, which will contribute to achieving the Kingdom’s interests. HRH Premier lauded Dr Al Zayani’s competence and experience, as reflected in all his previous roles, responsibilities and posts. The Prime Minister expressed thanks and appreciation to Shaikh Khalid for his dedication and clear hallmarks in the Kingdom’s successful diplomatic march, wishing him every success in assuming his new duties and responsibilities.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the National Initiative for the Development of the Agricultural Sector patronised the opening of the Dar Aqua Fish Farm in Hoorat A’ali. She commended the importance of the project which contributes to supporting the National Food Security Strategy, in line with the royal directives to set up a project for national food production, including the allocation of several sites for fish farming and plant production. She praised the private sector for supporting the strategy which considers fish farming as one of the sources to bridge the deficit between supply and demand in natural fish stocks. She stressed Bahrain’s resolve to implement food security strategy by developing the agricultural sector through sustainable plans aimed to increase local production and the provision of adequate spaces for value-added projects that depend mainly on modern technologies.

Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa received Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjran. Shura Member, Adel Al Muawda and Deputy Chief of Public Security, Major-General Abdullah Al Zayed attended the meeting. He welcomed the guest, hailing the strong and rich brotherly ties between the two countries and the importance of such meetings to promote bilateral relations. He hailed the contributions of the Pakistani community to the development of Bahrain. The meeting reviewed co-operation and co-ordination, along with topics of common interests.

Southern Governor Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa received at his weekly majlis yesterday dignitaries, senior officials, officers, media persons and citizens. He praised the National Action Charter, stressing that it reflects Bahrain’s growth, prosperity and civilisation in the prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He also lauded the support of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.


Nearly 800 ‘injured’ in worksite accidents in 2019 third quarter

Labour Ministry stepping up campaigns to reduce worksite accidents

• The statistics for the third quarter were revealed by the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO).

• The Kingdom is on the right track when it comes to curbing the number of serious worksite accidents.

TDT | Manama

Close to 800 people were injured in worksite acci-dents in the third quarter

of last year, statistics show. According to official figures, as

many as 789 people were injured

in worksite accidents last year. The figures say 432 Bahrainis

and 357 expatriates were injured in worksite accidents in the third quarter of last year.

There were 613 accidents in-volving Bahrainis and 424 in-volving expatriates.

The statistics were revealed by the Social Insurance Organisa-tion (SIO). The SIO revealed that the majority of the cases were

from the private sector. Slip or fall was the most com-

mon reason for worksite acci-dents. Collision with machinery, injury caused by falling objects and cuts from tools are also listed as top reasons behind worksite injuries.

The report which compiled data from both private and public sectors showed that a total of 583 cases of work site injures were reported in the second quarter of the year.

Of the total, 321 accidents involved Bahrainis while 262 involved non-Bahrainis.

Quite similar to the third quarter, the private sector saw the vast majority of the acci-dents in the second quarter.

The public sector saw 113 worksite injures 97 in the sec-ond quarter. The private sec-tor saw 470 cases of worksite injuries.

In the second quarter the inju-ries from various accidents such as colliding with mobile devices, slipping and falling, carrying heavy objects, cuts by sharp ob-jects, cuts by mechanical issues, sharp objects piercing the body.

Over a thousand people were injured in worksite accidents in 2018. The statistics revealed by the Social Insurance Organ-isation (SIO) in 2018 says 1,037 people were injured in worksite accidents, which includes 613

Bahrainis and 424 expatriates. In the public sector last year,

221 cases of worksite accidents were recorded, 198 involved Bah-rainis while expatriates were the victims in 23 accidents in 2018.

However, the Kingdom is on the right track when it comes to curbing the number of seri-ous worksite accidents as the number of accidents that led to

serious injuries or fatalities has reduced by more than 30 per cent in recent years, the SIO ob-served.

The reduction has been partly attributed to the rigorous aware-ness campaigns done by the La-bour Ministry to bring awareness about the need to follow safety procedures when performing hazardous work.

Expat woman ruthlessly beaten up on the road

TDT | Manama

An expatriate lady was ruthless-ly attacked and beaten up in Salmaniya yesterday.

According to sources, the incident took place on a road near St Mary’s Orthodox church.

The victim is a nurse working in Salmaniya Medical Complex, they added.

However, the identity of the man is not known.

A video of the incident went vi-ral yesterday. It showed the woman walking down a road when a man who was following her attacked her

from behind. The video, which was over 30 sec-

onds showed the woman being hit repeatedly by the man. The woman was grappled to the ground where the man dealt her with repeated blows.

The man then grabbed the woman and forced her to her feet only to throw her back to the ground. The man then fled the scene.

A person was seen walking in the background but did not seem to notice the commotion.

The motive of the attack is not clear. The woman was injured due to the blows but severity of the injuries is not clear. A screen grab of the video that went viral.

The Labour Ministry has been putting in best efforts to reduce worksite accidents.

432Bahrainis were injured in worksite accidents in the third quarter of last

year.

Universities offering distance learning to students back from China TDT | Manama

Bahraini students who are back from China are having to start university

classes at 3 am as they continue classes through distance learn-ing, it is learnt.

Bahraini students are still at-tending university classes from their Chinese universities thanks to distance education arrange-ments that the universities have made.

However, the time difference between Bahrain and China means that classes begin at 3 am.

This arrangement looks to continue as the coronavirus out-break in China shows no sign of abating. The situation in China has made it impossible for the

students to return there.“Universities have begun on-

line classes to help students with their studies despite the difficult situation in China,” Hussain, a university student said.

Many online applications in-cluding the popular Chinese ap-plication Wechat is being used by teachers and university offi-cials to keep in touch with the students.

The Ministry of Health stated that it is taking measures to pre-vent an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in Bahrain.

A number of measures have already been taken, the ministry said in a statement.

“The ministry is taking all precautionary measures for this

purpose. The situation is being monitored closely. Co-ordination is ongoing with relevant authori-ties and the Bahrain Internation-al Airport.”

The ministry urged the pub-lic to take precautionary meas-ures after travel. It said that it is communicating directly with the World Health Organisation.

Bahrainis, were assisted by the Bahraini Embassy in China to return to the Kingdom to escape the country amidst the corona-virus scare.

In co-operation with the Min-istry of Health, the Bahrain In-ternational Airport is conducting thorough checks to make sure patients infected with coronavi-rus does not enter the Kingdom.

Egyptian relations discussed

• Both sides discussed ways of bolstering bilateral co-operation in confronting terrorism, extremism and foreign interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

Cairo

Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilater-

al Affairs and International Security, Ambassador Ehab Fawzi, yesterday received at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahraini Ambassador-Des-ignate to Egypt Hisham bin Mohammed Al Jowder.

Ambassador Al Jowder emphasised deep-rooted fraternal relations between the Kingdom and Egypt and common keenness on en-hancing bilateral coopera-tion for the benefit of the two brotherly countries and their peoples.

For his part, the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security lauded growing bilateral relations, reviewing ways of further de-veloping them. He wished the Kingdom of Bahrain contin-ued progress and prosperity.

Both sides discussed ways of bolstering bilateral co-op-eration in confronting terror-ism, extremism and foreign interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries.


STC denies logo copycat claims

London

The latest episode of the ongoing dispute over the new Saudi Telecom

Company (STC) logo witnessed a serious escalation with the US-based CTS Corporation fil-ing an opposition proceeding in the Kingdom to protect its name and logo from trademark infringement by the Saudi tel-ecom provider.

A statement issued by CTS claimed that the new STC logo, launched Dec 19, 2019, was a “direct copy of CTS’ logo.”

“CTS promptly notified STC that its copycat logo caused irreparable harm to CTS’ valuable and established brand.”

“Although CTS and STC have discussed this dispute, regret-tably STC has not engaged in a

serious manner. Consequently, CTS has no choice but to initi-ate an opposition proceeding with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property to pro-tect its valuable trademark. CTS remains open to a seri-ous and productive settlement discussion,” the US company’s statement added.

Fo r i t s p a r t , t h e R i -yadh-based STC issued its own widely circulated state-ment. Although it steered away from directly naming CTS, the statement published in sever-al Arabic Saudi media outlets defended STC’s position and accused an unidentified firm of “blackmail.”

“STC is the owner of the group’s new logo, which is officially registered in Saudi Arabia and other countries,” the statement said.

US delegation lauds Bahrain’s anti-human trafficking success

Bahrain attained Tier 1 status for two consecutive years in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report

Manama

A US Congress delegation praised the pioneering role played by Bahrain in

combating human trafficking and developing the work environ-ment by applying international criterial to safeguard the rights of workers.

This came during a meeting yesterday between Chief Execu-tive of the Labour Market Regula-tory Authority (LMRA) Ausamah Al Absi, the Head of the National Committee to Combat Traffick-ing in Persons (NCCTIP), and a delegation from the US Congress. The meeting was held in the pres-

ence of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The American Congressmen underlined Bahrain’s good repu-tation in combating human traf-ficking and promoting labour rights.

They stressed the international reports in this respect, including Bahrain reaching Tier 1 status for two consecutive years in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report.

Mr Al Absi updated the US del-egation about the reform project of the labour market and the ex-ecutive steps taken to carry it out.

He stressed the keenness of the Kingdom to protect the work

environment, affirming that re-specting the individuals’ rights and ensuring equality between them is part of the social culture in Bahrain.

Separately, the National In-stitution for Human Rights (NIHR)’s Secretary-General Yas-ser Ghanem Shaheen, received

the delegation. The secretary-general re-

viewed with them NIHR’s most important achievements in the past ten years, and its important role in dealing with issues related to human rights in accordance with the law.

He stressed that all the achieve-ments and successes would not have been accomplished without the support of HM the King to human rights institutions in the Kingdom.

The delegation was briefed on NIHR’s competencies and ob-jectives and toured the training centre, library and the call and complaints centre.

Mr Al Absi holds discussions with the US delegation.

His Majesty’s support has been vital for the

Kingdom’s human rights achievements.

MR YASSER SHAHEEN

US based CTS has filed proceedings against Saudi Telecom Co for trademark infringement.

Two remanded for pasting fake expiry dates on food items TDT | Manama

Two individuals have been remanded after being suspected of run-

ning a warehouse in the North-ern Governorate, where they allegedly pasted fake expiry dates on expired food items in order to resell it, the Public Prosecution confirmed in a statement yesterday.

In a statement, Chief Pros-ecutor Hassan Al Buali con-firmed that the Prosecution has initiated its investigations into the incident, explaining that the case involves several individuals.

Mr Al Buali said both sus-pects have denied the accu-sations, while a manhunt has been launched to nab the re-maining suspects.

The case first surfaced on Tuesday when Northern Governorate Police Direc-tor-General Brigadier Khaled Rabee’a Hamad Al Sinan confirmed that the Public Health Directorate in Health Ministry reported finding spoiled food in a warehouse in Hamala area during an inspection campaign con-ducted in co-operation with the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry.

Brig Al Sinan added that police moved to the site and

discovered that it is operat-ing without a licence and had stocked spoiled food and tools to change expiry dates.

Mr Al Buali confirmed in his statement yesterday that the Prosecution ordered the clo-sure of the warehouse while seizing tools and machinery found there.

The statement mentioned that the suspects are facing the charges of possessing ex-pired foodstuff with the in-tent to sell it; a crime that is punishable of up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to BD5,000.

“The Public Prosecution notes in this regard that it will take all legal measures to deter all forms of fraud and manip-ulation that may harm public health and safety,” it was add-ed in the statement.

We will take all legal measures

to deter all forms of fraud and

manipulation that may harm public

health and safety. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

TDT | Manama

BKS International Book-fest 2020 kicked off yes-terday with the objective

of bringing art and literature enthusiasts the best of Indian literature, culture, art, and di-alogue.

One of its star attractions this time is an attempt to break a world record. The first Indian member of the International Society of Caricature Artists, M Dileef, is inching closer to his goal of breaking the world record for the longest handwrit-ten Qur’an.

Having garnered internation-al attention when he began this feat at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2019, M Dileef has a litany of firsts in his cap.

His most noticeable feats in-clude creating the world’s larg-est badminton racquet in 2005, for promoting sports awareness, conception, and creation of the world’s largest bicycle for UAE National Day festivities, earning him a place in the Arabian Book of World Records.

This marvellously talented in-dividual also holds a place in the

Limca Book of Records and the Indian Book of Records for the largest Gandhi idol (3,333 feet).

M Dileef started his career as an art teacher, and created so-cio-political cartoons for lead-ing magazines and periodicals.

He is now the author of three books – ‘Vicharana’, ‘Thalavara’, and ‘Dileef cartoons’, and is the Chairman of Dileef Art Gallery, boasting of over 12 art galleries around the world!

Calling it his artistic tribute to

the spiritual pursuit and studies of humankind, the multitalented and supremely gifted artist is set to present three years’ worth of effort that has resulted in 1,000 meters of beautifully handwrit-ten Qur’an, to the world.

Mr Dileef showcases his ‘longest handwritten Quran’.

Man facing travel ban uses disabled brother’s passport to travel abroadTDT | Manama

A Bahraini man, who is under a travel ban, used his disabled brother’s passport and iden-

tity card, and used it to freely travel abroad.

This was recently revealed when the

30-year-old stood trial before the First High Criminal Court.

In the details of the case it was shown that the defendant has been banned from travelling abroad because of his conviction in civilian cases.

He is facing the charges of forging official documents, as he renewed his

disabled brother’s passport online but used his (the defendant) picture back in 2015.

In his statement, he said that he applied through the Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) website to renew his brother’s expired passport and identity card.

He told the Prosecutors that he en-tered his brother’s correct data through the website, but, he claimed that he had “mistakenly” uploaded his (the defend-ant) picture.

However, the defendant confessed that he didn’t correct the error and submitted the application until he

later received an SMS informing that the documents are ready to be col-lected.

The man did collect the passport and identity card and used it to travel in-and-out of the Kingdom for three consecutive years until he was recently held.

Spotlight on longest handwritten Quran as BKS Bookfest kicks off

05

business

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020

LuLu Hypermarket is delighted to explore the food trends and

tastes that are shaping our approach to food

and by bringing in popular chefs from

around the world, we shall be introducing

Bahrain’s gourmet’s to new ideas

JUZER RUPAWALA

DIRECTOR OF THE LULU GROUP

Saleh wins NBB’s personal loan cash back

TDT | Manama

Jasim Mohamed Saleh was named the final 2019 winner

of the National Bank of Bah-rain’s (NBB) Personal Loan Cash Back campaign for December.

He received a cash-back re-ward covering up to BHD 15,000 from his loan amount.

Saleh was presented with the award in the presence of NBB’s Retail management team on

9th of February at NBB’s Atrium Mall branch.

Accepting the reward, Jasim Mohamed Saleh said: “I am ex-tremely ecstatic to have won the personal loan cash-back prize from NBB, and was very delighted when I received the call and heard the news. I im-mediately shared the happy news with my family.”

Commenting, Subah Abdul-latif Al Zayani, Head of Retail Banking at NBB, said: “The Per-

sonal Loan Cash Back Cam-paign is in line with NBB’s com-mitment to reward the Bank’s loyal customers for selecting NBB as their preferred bank and benefiting from its products and services.”

Ahmed Faisal Al Maskati, Head of Asset Products at NBB, said: “We would like to con-gratulate our last winner and we invite all our customers to look forward to our upcoming promotions in 2020”.

Jasim Mohamed Saleh was presented with the award in the presence of NBB’s Retail management team on 9th of February at NBB’s Atrium Mall branch.

BKIC reports FY19, quarterly results TDT | Manama

Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company (BKIC) said it registered a net loss of

BD 31,000 for the last three months ending 31st December 2019, compared to a profit of BD 342,000 during the same period of the previous year. Fourth-quarter earnings per share was nil compared to 2 fils in the year-ago quarter.

BKIC board decided to pro-pose a distribution of cash div-idend for the year 2019 to the Shareholders who are regis-tered on the date of the AGM of 15 per cent, equivalent to 15 Fils per share of paid-up Capital amounting to 14.3 million.

Total comprehensive income for the quarter decreased 10pc to BD 741,000 from BD 819,000 in the same quarter of 2018.

Gross premium revenue in-creased by 2pc to BD 32.8m from BD 32m in the 4th quarter of 2018. Underwriting profit increased by 29pc to BD 144,000 from BD 112,000 in the pri-or-year quarter. Net investment income decreased by 21pc, from BD 181,000 in the 4th quarter of the previous year to BD 143,000 in the 4th quarter of the current year.

BKIC attributed the decrease in net profit mainly to the ex-traordinary expenses and de-creases in investment income.

Full-year results The company, a subsidiary

of Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), achieved a full-year net profit of BD 2.701m attributable to share-holders, compared to BD 3.155m in the previous year, registering a decrease of 14pc.

The reduction in the net profit was mainly due to the extraordinary expenses of VAT on UPR for the policies written before VAT implementation and voluntary retirement program expenses incurred during the year amounting to BD 633,000.

Earnings per share was 19 fils compared to 22 fils in the previous year.

Total comprehensive income increased by 35pc to reach BD 3.9m in 2019 compared to BD 2.9m in 2018.

Gross premium revenue stands at BD 81.7m, at the end

of the current year compared to BD 81.6m in the previous year. Underwriting profit stands at BD 2.2m, compared to BD 1.9m in the previous year, recording an increase of 16pc. Net invest-ment income increased by 3pc, from BD 2.01m in 2018 to BD 2.07m in the current year.

The total assets by the end of 2019 reached to BD 246m com-pared to BD 212m at the end of the previous year, registering an increase of 16pc.

In his comments, Ebrahim Alrayes, CEO, said, “BKIC is the leading insurance company in Bahrain market and continues to enhance its services by intro-ducing new products and devel-oping the existing products in order to maintain its leadership position.”

Ebrahim Alrayes, CEOMurad Ali Murad, Chairman

Enjoy world cuisine at LuLu• LuLu Food Festival stretches over two weekends till March 4th

TDT | Manama

Lu L u H y p e r m a r k e t Food Festival begins today offering an array

of world cuisine to delight shoppers.

The retail giant, well-known for the freshest produce and biggest variety of ingredients for all cuisines, will celebrate good taste and nutrition at two levels – one with its own food event at the Dana Mall.

The focus is on teaching chil-dren the value of healthy eating and popular kids’ influencer and food blogger Raj Kalesh will lead the children into ex-ploring nutrition and food ide-as.

Kids’ Cookery ContestA Kids’ Cookery Contest will

be held in partnership with American Garden and there will be great prizes for the win-ners. To underscore the idea that one must never miss break-fast, LuLu is offering everyone a complimentary breakfast on that day, from 8 a.m. till 10 a.m. All the hypermarkets will be promoting Arabic food on this day, with the ‘Akla Arabia’ theme.

The LuLu Food Festival stretches over two weekends

till March 4th, with many de-licious themes every weekend.

On February 21 and 22, there will be a BBQ Festival all the hypermarket outlets, featuring grills and kebabs from around the world.

On February 23 and 24, the hypermarket will take foodies off on a trip to the Orient with a focus on Chinese, Filipino and Thai foods.

On February 25, there will be a cookery demo by a famous food influencer, in partnership with Philips. This will take place at Ramli Mall.

On February 26, lovers of Ital-ian food can catch an authentic pasta cookery demo at the Juf-fair Mall, in partnership with pasta brand, Panzani.

The aroma of hearty Punja-bi delicacies will tempt guests

on February 25 at LuLu’s Desi Dhaba festival.

Four-day Seafood FestivalThere will also be a four-day

Seafood Festival from 26th to 29th of Feb and a Street Food Festival on 26th Feb at all the hypermarkets. The popular LuLu Biryani Festival will also be there in partnership with Tilda on Feb 28th & 29th

Flavours of KeralaOn February 29th, LuLu will

celebrate the robust flavours of Kerala with Malabar Thattuka-da featuring delicacies such as fish fry, stew and appam, beef fry and avial.

The festival is also a great time to stock up the pantry at home since Lulu will be offer-ing surprise food deals, hourly surprise offers and speciality ingredients flown in for the promotion.

“LuLu Hypermarket is de-lighted to explore the food trends and tastes that are shap-ing our approach to food and by bringing in popular chefs from around the world, we shall be introducing Bahrain’s gour-met’s to new ideas,” said Di-rector of the Lulu Group, Juzer Rupawala.

He added: “The LuLu hyper-market chain is well-known for its amazing array of hot foods, its fresh ingredients and sup-port of local cuisine and prod-ucts. We wish to showcase all these at the food festival in Lulu Hypermarkets.”

The Board of Directors of Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company B.S.C. resolved, at its meet-ing held on Wednesday, 19 February 2020, to recommend the distribution of dividend for the year ending 31 December 2019 to the shareholders whose names are registered on the company’s register on the Record Date. This is subject to the approval of the company’s shareholders on the upcoming Annual General Meeting. The proposed distribution is as follow:

• Cash Dividend: 15% of share nominal value, equivalent to15 Fils per share amounting to BD 2,140,349.

Below are the key dates to be taken note of:

Event DateGeneral Meeting Date 25 March 2020(Shareholders’ approval date)Cum-Dividend Date 26 March 2020(Last day of trading with entitlement to dividends)Ex-Dividend Date 29 March 2020(First day of trading without entitlement to dividends)Record Date 30 March 2020(The Day on which all shareholders whose names are on the share register will be entitled to dividends)Payment Date 9 April 2020(The Day on which the dividends will be paid to the entitled shareholders)

The Board of Directors 19 February 2020

Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company B.S.C.Recommendation of Declaration of Dividends

Bahrain Kuwait Insurance (BSC) is licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain as a General Insurance Company. www.gigbh.com


Prospective buyers will not want to miss

the opportunity to bid live on these

properties, which are entering the market

for the first time MAZAD CEO

TALAL ALARAIFI

TRA holds workshop on National Broadband Network Manama

Bahrain’s Telecommunica-tions Regulatory Authority

(TRA) held a workshop on the 5th of February, 2020 to share the success of the national broadband network project with other regulators around the region.

Attendees included dele-gates from TRA UAE, CITC in Saudi, TRA Oman and CITRA in Kuwait

The National Broadband Network project the result of Batelco splitting into two sep-arate entities independent of each other. The newly formed “BNET” is a wholesale organ-isation managing Bahrain’s Fixed infrastructure.

In a statement, Shaikh Nas-ser Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa,

Acting General Director of TRA Bahrain that consumers and businesses will reap the rewards of this new frame-work, which would serve as a major component in the Gov-ernment’s larger strategy of becoming a hub for ICT and a focal point of innovation.

Attendees included delegates from TRA UAE, CITC in Saudi, TRA Oman and CITRA in Kuwait

Buy realty online in Bahrain In a first, Mazad, Edamah ink deal connecting property buyers and sellers online

• Six empty plots of land to enter a dedicated live auction on 12th April 2020 for 3 weeks

• First property listed is a 12,000sqm empty plot in Aali

• Mazad and Edamah encourage the general public to participate

• Requires deposit of a refundable insurance fee

TDT | Manama

Mazad and Bahrain Real Estate Investment (Edamah) yesterday

announced signing a partner-ship deal to start an online auc-tion for local real estate proper-ties in the Kingdom.

The signing ceremony was held at the offices of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Representing a strategic align-ment between two companies within the Mumtalakat group, the agreement allows Mazad to introduce online auctions in cooperation with renowned specialized auction companies.

The move, connecting prop-erty buyers and sellers online

for the first time, will see six empty plots of land entering a

dedicated live auction on 12th April 2020 for 3 weeks.

Edamah CEO Amin Alarrayed revealed that the first property listed is a 12,000sqm empty plot in Aali, located near Riyadat Mall and the Arabian Open Uni-versity.

The remaining five proper-ties for online auction will be announced in March to allow potential buyers and investors enough time to prepare ahead of the live auction.

“Prospective buyers will not want to miss the opportunity to bid live on these properties,

which are entering the market for the first time,” said Mazad CEO, Talal AlAraifi.

While bidders are expected from the investment and busi-ness communities, Mazad and Edamah encourage the general public to participate and ex-plore the possibilities offered by the diverse property listing.

Auctions ensure the asset sale process attracts only serious and qualified buyers as it requires the deposit of a refundable in-surance fee, reducing sale time and costs while providing bid-ders with a variety of choices.

Officials posing for a group photo session following the signing of a deal for online auction of real estate in the Kingdom at the offices of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain

Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, welcomed the chairman of the Association of Bahrain Travel and Tour Agents Jehad Amin and members of the association to the airline’s headquarters in Muharraq. Guests from ABTTA met the airline’s executive management headed by its Chief Executive Officer Kresimir Kucko as well as Deputy Chief Executive Officer Capt. Waleed Al Alawi, Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Coste and members of the commercial division at Gulf Air. Gulf Air’s team has presented its commercial strategy for the year 2020 and discussed ways of further strengthening the relationship and the two-way collaboration between the national carrier and the travel agents’ community in Bahrain.

Growing Bahrain’s Startup Ecosystem discussed at BBBF meetingTDT | Manama

Bahrain British Business Fo-rum (BBBF) held its monthly

business networking lunch yes-terday at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel.

The meeting was chaired by the BBBF Chairman Khalid Al Zayani OBE, who welcomed the keynote speaker Dr Simon Gal-pin, Bahrain EDB’s Senior Advi-sor on Investment Promotion, to the meeting.

The meeting was also attend-ed by Stuart Summers, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Bahrain and more than 80 BBBF members and their guests.

In his address, Dr Gal-pin outlined the EDB’s ap-proach to supporting and growing Bahrain’s Startup Ecosystem.

Dr Galpin commented: “At the EDB, we focus on attracting investment that helps further diversify our economy and gen-erate jobs in the local market, working closely with poten-tial investors to capitalise on the opportunities available to them in this $1.5 trillion Gulf market”.

“One of the BBBF’s core objec-tives is to assist and introduce new trade and investments to both countries that can benefit and enhance the common eco-nomic interests of our member companies. Therefore, providing support to new startups is im-portant to the BBBF,” said. Khalid Al Zayani OBE.

Keynote speaker Dr Simon Galpin (6th from left); Stuart Summers (4th from left) and Khalid Al Zayani OBE (5th from left) with the BBBF Executive Committee members

Dr Galpin addressing the forum

Selection of the audience

Some of the meeting attendees

UAE regulator to investigate Pakistan bank for money launderingReuters | Dubai/Karachi

The United Arab Emir-ates’ central bank is in-

vestigating Pakistan’s largest bank to ascertain if it violated anti-money- laundering and terrorism-financing laws, the regulator said yesterday.

The Central Bank of UAE (CBAUE) said in a statement yesterday that it was in “close contact” with Pakistan’s bank-ing regulator to verify report-ed irregularities of a Pakistani bank in UAE.

A spokeswoman of the CBAUE confirmed to Reuters that the statement referred to Habib Bank Ltd (HBL), Paki-

stan’s largest bank.The bank, which is largely

owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and Pakistan government, had total assets of 3.1 trillion Pa-kistani rupees ($20.1 billion) at the end of September 2019.

The statement by the UAE banking regulator added it “will take appropriate regula-tory action once we have ver-ified the findings reported in the media to confirm if there was any violation to UAE’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combat of Financing of Ter-rorism (AML/CFT) laws and procedures.”


The Gulf Hotel is currently preparing the opening of the refurbished Fusion Restaurant with an expanded terrace

facility, and will open under the guidance of the talented Bahraini

Chef Tala Bashmi

GARFIELD JONES, CEO

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in cooperation with the Industrial Development Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Tourism held yesterday at Bait Al Tijjar a workshop on the “Industrial Services System”. The workshop deliberated about the online services of the Industrial Development Directorate available on its Industrial Services System. These include industrial registration and renewal, the granting of “Made in Bahrain” mark, in addition to receiving and processing duty exemption applications. The workshop also touched upon malpractices in international trade such as the increase of import and subsidy and explained the GCC common law on antidumping.

Gulf Hotels Group announces financial results TDT | Manama

The Gulf Hotels Group (GHG) yesterday reported a 46.7 per cent increase in

its fourth-quarter net profit to BD 1.734 million from BD 1.182 m in the year-ago quarter.

GHG said the increase in the net profit mainly relates to an increase in income “but is also due to preopening expenses at the Gulf Convention Centre ear-lier booked in 2018.” Earnings per share was 7 fils compared to 6 fils in the fourth quarter of last year.

GHG board also recommended a 25pc cash dividend to share-holders.

Quarterly results Fourth-quarter total compre-

hensive income was BD 1.764K, compared to BD 1.397K in the fourth quarter of last year, with an increase of 26pc.

Gross profit from hotel oper-ations achieved was BD 8,071 m, compared to BD 6,285 m in the fourth quarter of last year, with an increase of 28.4pc.

In regards to revenue, the company achieved BD 10.455 m, compared to BD 10.286 m in the fourth quarter of last year, with an increase of 1.6pc.

Full-year resultsFull-year net profit was BD

5.950 m compared to BD 6.922 m in the previous year, a decrease of 14pc.

Earnings per share was 26 fils compared to 31 fils in last year.

Total comprehensive income was BD 8.070 m, compared to BD 7.432 m in the previous year,

with an increase of 8.6pc. The total assets for the YTD

reached BD 136.727 m compared to BD 141.645 m in the previ-ous year, with a decrease of 3.5 pc.

Gross profit from hotel oper-ations achieved in the year is BD 17.191 m, compared to BD 15.048 m last year, with an increase of 14.24pc.

The company achieved reve-nue of BD 38.570 m, compared to BD 35.111 m last year, an increase of 9.9pc. The Group total reve-nue had increased by BD 4.459M compared to the previous year.

Net profit resulted from a full year of operation of Gulf Court Hotel Business Bay Dubai in 2019 compared to only 5 months in 2018.

There was a decrease in prof-

its from associates and share investments down to BD 160K.

Commenting, Chairman, Fa-rouk Almoayyed, said that the newly added business with ini-tial years’ load, had affected the Group bottom line; nevertheless, those businesses will mature and make a positive contribution in the future.

Almoayyed shed the light on numerous challenges impact-ing the hospitality industry in Bahrain and the region, which continues to face declining room rates from an oversupply of rooms.

CEO Garfield Jones added that a JV ( joint venture) was signed with Gulf Air Group to develop and manage the Bahrain Airport Hotel. Which has 84 rooms and scheduled to open in 2020.Chairman, Farouk Almoayyed

Global markets climb higher on hopes virus impact will be short-livedLondon

World stock markets rose yesterday, buoyed by in-

vestors’ hopes that the deadly coronavirus will have only a short-term impact on corpo-rate earnings and economic growth.

Stock prices on Wall Street were firmer across the board, providing additional momen-tum to gains already notched up by Europe’s main markets earlier in the session.

The Dow Jones in New York was showing a gain of around 0.5 per cent, while London stocks were up by more than 1.0 pc at the close of trade, Frank-furt added 0.8 pc and Paris rose by 0.9 pc.

“A small decline in the num-ber of coronavirus cases com-bined with a determination on behalf of the Chinese govern-ment to ward off the econom-ic damage is seeing an uplift in market mood,” said London Capital Group analyst Jasper Lawler.

“We aren’t putting too much stock in the official China fig-ures, which appear to paint a picture rather than reflect real-ity. But if Beijing ups stimulus measures then those economic effects are real.”

Oanda Europe analyst, Craig Erlam, agreed.

“Investors still appear en-couraged by the apparent de-

celeration in the number of new coronavirus cases, despite the death toll in China having surpassed 2,000,” he wrote in a note to investors.

“I guess the damage is less im-portant than the knowledge that the central banks stand ready to throw money at the problem. In such an environment, it’s no wonder everything is a dip-buy-ing opportunity.”

The positive sentiment con-trasted with the losses seen on Tuesday, when US and European indices had dropped after Apple warned that it would miss its quarterly revenue forecast due to the epidemic.

But Asian bourses turned higher Wednesday as inves-

tors bet on policymakers do-ing what is needed to mini-mise the fallout from the virus outbreak.

The illness, which has killed more than 2,000 people and infected over 74,000, has dis-rupted supply chains and forced the cancellation of high-profile sporting and cultural events.

After four straight sessions in the red, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.9 pc.

Hong Kong won 0.5 pc but mainland China’s key Shanghai Composite Index sagged 0.3 pc.

The more sanguine mood came as Chinese officials re-leased a study showing most patients have mild cases of the coronavirus, and World Health Organization officials said the mortality rate was relatively low.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgie-va has said there could be a cut of around 0.1 - 0.2 pcage points to global growth but stressed there was much uncertainty about the virus’s economic im-pact.

World oil prices meanwhile rebounded on hopes over solid energy demand in China.

The Asian powerhouse is the world’s biggest importer and consumer of oil -- and prices have been particularly sensitive to the epidemic that has spread to nearly 30 countries and ter-ritories.

Key figures around 1640 GMTLondon - FTSE 100: 1.0 pc at 7,457.02 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: 0.8 pc at 13,789.00 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: 0.9 pc at 6,111.24 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: 0.7 pc at 3,865.18

New York - Dow: 0.5 pc at 29,373.63

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: 0.9 pc at 23,400.70 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: 0.3 pc at 2,975.40 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: 0.5 pc at 27,655.81 (close)

Euro/dollar: at $1.0792 from $1.0803

Pound/dollar: at $1.2935 from $1.2998

Euro/pound: at 83.43 pence from 83.03 pence

Dollar/yen: at 111.20 from 110.22

Brent Crude: 2.5 pc at $59.20 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: 2.3 pc at $53.50

Investors are hoping the economic impact of the deadly coronavirus will be short-lived

Rosneft profit jumps despite pipeline setback, OPEC cuts

Moscow

Russian oil giant Rosneft yesterday announced a

sharp increase in net profit last year despite a polluted oil incident involving a key pipe-line and OPEC’s production re-duction agreement.

The state-controlled com-pany posted a net profit of 708 billion rubles last year ($11 bil-lion), up 29 per cent compared to 2018.

Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, who is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said the com-pany’s financial performance was successful last year de-spite “a series of negative fac-tors and market uncertainties.”

In April, a key pipeline to Europe named Druzhba, or Friendship, was shut down due to contamination with chlorine compounds.

The pipeline takes oil to a number of countries including Poland, Germany and Slovakia.

“The restriction of oil intake

to the Transneft main pipeline system did not allow the com-pany to fully realize the poten-tial of its production capacity,” Sechin said in a statement.

“The OPEC+ agreement had an additional impact in terms of production volumes and the timing of new projects,” he added.

OPEC and its allies in Decem-ber agreed a deal to curb crude oil production to prop up pric-es, and Saudi Arabia and others have called for additional rapid cuts to support the oil price.

The world’s biggest listed oil company suffered a new set-back on Tuesday when Wash-ington imposed sanctions against its subsidiary over its role in Venezuela, stepping up international pressure to break leftist President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power.

Rosneft Trading SA, which has helped sell Venezuelan oil despite unilateral US sanctions, and Rosneft vice president Di-dier Casimiro were targeted by the US Treasury Department.

Profits flowed despite everything

EU to target stolen artefacts in post-Brexit talksBrussels

Europeans could include the issue of stolen cultural

artefacts, especially Greek or Roman antiquities, in negoti-ations on their future relation-ship with Britain.

The mandate, seen by AFP, sets out the EU’s objectives and red lines and now includes a call on the parties to “return unlawfully removed cultural objects to their countries of

origin”.Early reports, denied by of-

ficials on Wednesday, said the mention pertained to the Par-thenon marbles, the ancient sculptures commonly known as the Elgin marbles that are on display in the British Mu-seum in London.

EU diplomats insisted that this was not the case, but aimed to ensure stolen artefacts that arrived into post-Brexit Brit-ain could not be sold legally.


Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan | Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 38444680, Email: [email protected] & circulation: Tel: 36458394 | Email:[email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing

KAREEM SHAHEEN

In the end, Aleppo fell with a whimper. On Sunday and Mon-day, forces loyal to Syrian Pres-

ident Bashar Al Assad secured the whole perimeter of the city, seizing towns and villages that had with-stood nearly a decade of assaults. The battle for Syria’s greatest city and its once industrial capital is officially over.

Aleppo came to symbolise the uprising’s fortunes. From near-vic-tory in 2012 and 2013, when rebels swept in from a long-impoverished countryside and laid claim to half the city to the crushing siege, des-titution and forced displacement in 2016, and the opposition defeat that heralded the beginning of the end for the armed insurrection against Mr Al Assad.

The Syrian dictator emerged to proclaim victory. While the war was not yet over, he said, the progress in the campaign would “rub their noses in the dirt.”

‘Them’ of course encompassing the rebel fighters who suddenly withdrew and abandoned their strongholds, as well as the 40,000 civilians that the United Nations said had picked up their belongings and fled the advancing Assadist shock troops.

There is also little left besides dirt, the relentless aerial bombard-ment leaving the ghost towns in ruins. Scorched earth is too mild a descriptor, as the president’s forces and their allies raze hospital after another, house after another.

And it is a victory. Mr Al Assad’s conquest of the countryside around Aleppo is symbolic of the general collapse of the rebellion, divided and bereft of international allies, dominated by jihadists who elim-inated all their rivals and soldiers

loyal to Turkey rather than the rev-olution. But it is also a practical, strategic victory.

Mr Al Assad now controls the road linking Damascus and Aleppo for the first time in years, and Alep-po’s international airport will likely open in due course.

It adds to the sense of inevitability of the regime’s ultimate triumph, which it hopes will accelerate its return to the community of nations as well as access to badly needed reconstruction funds.

The rapid fall of Aleppo will com-plicate talks this week between Tur-

key and Russia, which it is hoped will lead to a stanching of the blood-shed in nearby Idlib. More than 800,000 have fled the fighting there since the beginning of December, taking refuge near the Turkish bor-der in the war’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.

The prospect of a massive new influx of refugees into Turkey has alarmed Ankara, which also lost 13 soldiers to Syrian regime shelling, and could destabilise the govern-ment. It responded with a mas-sive military build-up that has seen Turkish armor and soldiers enter

Syria, threatening a wider confron-tation with the regime and its Rus-sian backers.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to prevent the regime’s takeover of Idlib. Mr Al Assad’s victory in Aleppo weakens his hand and pours more fuel onto an unstable tinderbox.

Nobody knows quite what will happen in Idlib. The geopolitical interests are too intertwined, the military situation too volatile. The only thing one can be sure of is that Syrian civilians will pay the price.

AGAINST THE ASSAULT OF LAUGHTER, NOTHING CAN STAND.MARK TWAIN

QUOTE OF THE DAY


The Syrian President now controls the road linking

Damascus and Aleppo for the first time in years

SULAIMAN HAKEMY

From the very earliest days of US attempts to negotiate with the Taliban, there was

much fear in Kabul that the Afghan government would be cut out of the process. The Taliban refused to rec-ognise – let alone speak to – Afghan officials. “Intra-Afghan dialogue”, as prospective bilateral talks be-tween Kabul and the Taliban are called, looked to be a distant dream.

There was also much scepticism in those early days from the US’s in-ternational partners – particularly around the question of who exactly the Americans thought they were dealing with. Was the Taliban a cohesive entity, capable of speaking about deals with a single voice and signing them with a single mind?

In recent weeks, the Taliban has made clear – unambiguously – its intention to come to the negotiating table, and it looks as though a bilat-eral deal between the US and the militant group will be signed at the end of the month. The signatures will be followed by a week-long pe-riod of “reduced violence” and then – assuming no missteps or betrayals – a formal, face-to-face negotiation, for the first time, between Kabul and the Taliban.

But the questions once posed about the Taliban must now be asked about Kabul. Who exactly will the Taliban be talking to follow-ing this reduced-violence period? Is Kabul a single voice speaking with a single mind?

Yesterday, the results of Afghan-

istan’s election, which took place five months ago, were finally an-nounced. The incumbent president, Ashraf Ghani, was declared the winner. But as with every presiden-tial election in Afghan history,the results are being heavily disputed and there are widespread allega-tions of fraud.

Mere hours passed before Abdul-lah Abdullah, the president’s main challenger, dismissed the results as a sham and promised to form a parallel government.

Mr Ghani won the election, according to Afghanistan’s inde-pendent election commission, with 50.64 per cent of the vote against Mr Abdullah’s 39.5 per cent. The 0.64 per cent with which Mr Ghani passed the 50 per cent mark matters – without it, he would have had to face a run-off.

Getting to these figures required months of ordeal, with the commis-sion putting 15 per cent of the votes under audit before clearing them as valid. The commission itself was accused by Mr Abdullah’s side of being under the president’s thumb.

Mr Abdullah’s suspicions of im-propriety are not without merit. Incidences of voter intimidation, ballot-box stuffing, and identity fraud are frequently reported by observers in Afghan elections, in-cluding this most recent one. These events cannot always be connected to the candidates themselves. Even if the candidates are unwilling to en-gage in unethical behaviour directly, there are always allies and support-ers willing to do it on their behalf,

perhaps without their knowledge.Furthermore, Mr Ghani’s admin-

istration has gone to great lengths to strengthen the presidential palace’s grip on ministries in Afghanistan’s already heavily centralised system of governance. Mr Abdullah, who was given the hollow title of “Chief Executive Officer” of the country in a deal brokered by the US after he disputed the last presidential elections five years ago, has spent his time in that position largely cut out of any real decision-making.

But the bitter political fight be-tween the president and his chal-lenger belies a much deeper flaw in Afghanistan’s election. Barely 20 per cent of Afghanistan’s registered voters – who number around 10 million – turned out to vote. This is unsurprising, given that in the run-up to the election the Taliban had threatened waves of attacks at poll-ing stations. In the end, their bark was worse than their bite, but it was enough to scupper any chance at a truly democratic outcome.

Mr Ghani’s 50.64 per cent victory translates to a little over 900,000 actual votes – assuming that the nearly 300,000 of these audited by the election commission were all legitimate. That is a measure of popular support more appropriate for the mayor of Kabul – a city of 4 million – than the president of Afghanistan.

It is important to remember, how-ever, what the low turnout means for Mr Abdullah’s claims of victory. Had the commission given him all

Kabul’s squabbles are

diminishing its negotiating

position with the

Taliban and endangering

Afghan stability

Afghanistan’s election results are finally released, but leadership remains overdue



KAREEM SHAHEEN

In the end, Aleppo fell with a whimper. On Sunday and Mon-day, forces loyal to Syrian Pres-

ident Bashar Al Assad secured the whole perimeter of the city, seizing towns and villages that had with-stood nearly a decade of assaults. The battle for Syria’s greatest city and its once industrial capital is officially over.

Aleppo came to symbolise the uprising’s fortunes. From near-vic-tory in 2012 and 2013, when rebels swept in from a long-impoverished countryside and laid claim to half the city to the crushing siege, des-titution and forced displacement in 2016, and the opposition defeat that heralded the beginning of the end for the armed insurrection against Mr Al Assad.

The Syrian dictator emerged to proclaim victory. While the war was not yet over, he said, the progress in the campaign would “rub their noses in the dirt.”

‘Them’ of course encompassing the rebel fighters who suddenly withdrew and abandoned their strongholds, as well as the 40,000 civilians that the United Nations said had picked up their belongings and fled the advancing Assadist shock troops.

There is also little left besides dirt, the relentless aerial bombard-ment leaving the ghost towns in ruins. Scorched earth is too mild a descriptor, as the president’s forces and their allies raze hospital after another, house after another.

And it is a victory. Mr Al Assad’s conquest of the countryside around Aleppo is symbolic of the general collapse of the rebellion, divided and bereft of international allies, dominated by jihadists who elim-inated all their rivals and soldiers

loyal to Turkey rather than the rev-olution. But it is also a practical, strategic victory.

Mr Al Assad now controls the road linking Damascus and Aleppo for the first time in years, and Alep-po’s international airport will likely open in due course.

It adds to the sense of inevitability of the regime’s ultimate triumph, which it hopes will accelerate its return to the community of nations as well as access to badly needed reconstruction funds.

The rapid fall of Aleppo will com-plicate talks this week between Tur-

key and Russia, which it is hoped will lead to a stanching of the blood-shed in nearby Idlib. More than 800,000 have fled the fighting there since the beginning of December, taking refuge near the Turkish bor-der in the war’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.

The prospect of a massive new influx of refugees into Turkey has alarmed Ankara, which also lost 13 soldiers to Syrian regime shelling, and could destabilise the govern-ment. It responded with a mas-sive military build-up that has seen Turkish armor and soldiers enter




AGAINST THE ASSAULT OF LAUGHTER, NOTHING CAN STAND.MARK TWAIN

QUOTE OF THE DAY


The Syrian President now controls the road linking

Damascus and Aleppo for the first time in years

SULAIMAN HAKEMY

From the very earliest days of US attempts to negotiate with the Taliban, there was

much fear in Kabul that the Afghan government would be cut out of the process. The Taliban refused to rec-ognise – let alone speak to – Afghan officials. “Intra-Afghan dialogue”, as prospective bilateral talks be-tween Kabul and the Taliban are called, looked to be a distant dream.

There was also much scepticism in those early days from the US’s in-ternational partners – particularly around the question of who exactly the Americans thought they were dealing with. Was the Taliban a cohesive entity, capable of speaking about deals with a single voice and signing them with a single mind?

In recent weeks, the Taliban has made clear – unambiguously – its intention to come to the negotiating table, and it looks as though a bilat-eral deal between the US and the militant group will be signed at the end of the month. The signatures will be followed by a week-long pe-riod of “reduced violence” and then – assuming no missteps or betrayals – a formal, face-to-face negotiation, for the first time, between Kabul and the Taliban.

But the questions once posed about the Taliban must now be asked about Kabul. Who exactly will the Taliban be talking to follow-ing this reduced-violence period? Is Kabul a single voice speaking with a single mind?

Yesterday, the results of Afghan-

istan’s election, which took place five months ago, were finally an-nounced. The incumbent president, Ashraf Ghani, was declared the winner. But as with every presiden-tial election in Afghan history,the results are being heavily disputed and there are widespread allega-tions of fraud.

Mere hours passed before Abdul-lah Abdullah, the president’s main challenger, dismissed the results as a sham and promised to form a parallel government.

Mr Ghani won the election, according to Afghanistan’s inde-pendent election commission, with 50.64 per cent of the vote against Mr Abdullah’s 39.5 per cent. The 0.64 per cent with which Mr Ghani passed the 50 per cent mark matters – without it, he would have had to face a run-off.

Getting to these figures required months of ordeal, with the commis-sion putting 15 per cent of the votes under audit before clearing them as valid. The commission itself was accused by Mr Abdullah’s side of being under the president’s thumb.

Mr Abdullah’s suspicions of im-propriety are not without merit. Incidences of voter intimidation, ballot-box stuffing, and identity fraud are frequently reported by observers in Afghan elections, in-cluding this most recent one. These events cannot always be connected to the candidates themselves. Even if the candidates are unwilling to en-gage in unethical behaviour directly, there are always allies and support-ers willing to do it on their behalf,

perhaps without their knowledge.Furthermore, Mr Ghani’s admin-

istration has gone to great lengths to strengthen the presidential palace’s grip on ministries in Afghanistan’s already heavily centralised system of governance. Mr Abdullah, who was given the hollow title of “Chief Executive Officer” of the country in a deal brokered by the US after he disputed the last presidential elections five years ago, has spent his time in that position largely cut out of any real decision-making.

But the bitter political fight be-tween the president and his chal-lenger belies a much deeper flaw in Afghanistan’s election. Barely 20 per cent of Afghanistan’s registered voters – who number around 10 million – turned out to vote. This is unsurprising, given that in the run-up to the election the Taliban had threatened waves of attacks at poll-ing stations. In the end, their bark was worse than their bite, but it was enough to scupper any chance at a truly democratic outcome.



Kabul’s squabbles are

diminishing its negotiating

position with the

Taliban and endangering

Afghan stability

Afghanistan’s election results are finally released, but leadership remains overdue


TOP

4TWEETS

02

03

01

Chhatrapati Shivaji Ma-haraj made a mark as

a valorous warrior and an outstanding administra-tor. From building a strong navy to ushering several pro-people policies, he was outstanding in all spheres. He will always be remem-bered for his opposition to injustice and intimidation.

@narendramodi

China is highly con-cerned about the

serious plague of locusts in Pakistan. Even at the critical moment of fight-ing COVID-19, China will send a locust control team composed of authorita-tive experts this week to help Pakistan formulate targeted plans & address this challenge.

@zlj517

A study has found that the novel coronavirus

is more contagious than the related viruses which cause SARS and MERS. While Covid-19, is not as fatal on a case-by-case basis, its greater spread has already led to more deaths than its related coronaviruses.

@CNN

04

Bernie’s my 2nd choice after Warren - his pro-

gressive ideas could turn the country around. But ending the Trump night-mare means expecting honesty and transparency from our leaders. All can-didates - including Bernie (and Trump) - need to re-lease full medical records, tax returns

@Will_Bunch

Disclaimer: (Views expressed by columnists are personal and need not necessarily reflect our

editorial stances)




I was reminded of this while reading the reactions to the fall of Aleppo by Syrians on social me-dia – outpourings that were raw and heartbroken on one end, and jubilant on the other. Videos and images from the city showed people celebrating the ouster of what they described as jihadists and terror-ists, relieved that they would no longer have to contend with ran-dom shelling. Some had suffered under thugs claiming revolutionary legitimacy to become war profi-teers.

Civilians living in dire poverty,

subject to the whims and tortures of Mr Al Assad’s security apparatus, their fortunes so desperate, cheer-ing his victory against supposed terrorists who were themselves living under the relentless terror of airstrikes and barrel bombs.

Those on the other side mourned what they saw as a marker on the end of the road. To those who op-posed the regime’s brutal rule, the defeat in Aleppo appeared to seal an equally brutal reality – that Mr Al Assad’s Syria would endure, that their city no longer was, that they could never again live with those who dispossessed them and cele-brated their mass murder.

There are no words of consola-tion to offer them. What happened in Aleppo, and Syria more broadly, is what happens when the whole world turns its back against the aspirations of a people. It is what happens when injustice reigns. The tragedy to supersede all tragedies is that the humiliation can only sow the seeds of future conflict, not en-during peace.

Perhaps one day foes in Syria can learn to live together. For now, it is broken in too many places.

1872The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.

1877Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake receives its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

1901The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.

1909Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro.

TODAY DAY IN

HISTORY

Need to promote technology for ecology

In today’s era of worsening climate change conditions, it is becoming imperative to upgrade the arsenal in order to fight climate change better and gain the upper hand.

In this regard technology is increasingly becoming the pre-ferred choice in this pursuit to make the world a better place. Bahrain can change the narrative in the conservation of en-vironment and preservation of various ecological species of flora and fauna by adopting the latest emerging technological tools such as tracking sensors for animals, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, 3D printing and so on. The effective usage of these marvels of scientific research can help Bah-rain set international benchmark in the field of ecological conservation.

Tiny tracking sensors in the form of accelerometers, gyro-scopes, barometers and magnetometers are extremely helpful in not only keeping tab on long distance migratory animals but also help in predicting their behavior, all of which help in preserving these species from becoming extinct. This equip-ping of the animals with the miniature sensors also called as bio-logging is becoming extremely popular in other parts of the world and is helping in getting the numbers up of various wildlife species. Bahrain too can equip its wildlife species with trackers such as these to conserve their numbers and help understand the specie dynamics better.

Similarly, remotely controlled vehicles such as drones and UAV’s are being widely used across the world for a plethora of purposes. Bahrain can initiate wildlife and environment map-ping with the help of these eyes in the skies. Drones can help in understanding the changes in the topography of a region due to impact of climate change, the changes can be related soil degradation and water bodies depletion. Moreover, drones can also help in the creation of plans and strategies on how

to redevelop certain geographical areas that have suffered the most on the account of climate change.

The pursuits of ensuring ecological conservation can also benefit very much from the technology of 3D printing. Pioneered in 1980, 3D printing has revolutionized ecological and environmental conservation. Bahrain can use this technology to create highly affordable tracking devices for wildlife besides creation of precision 3D models of animal and plant species to help in their behavioral studies. Additionally, 3D printing can also be used to repli-cate certain compromised ecological zones as scale models which can help researchers understand the problems plaguing these areas and thereby help find

solutions. This can help in scripting a turnaround for these areas and restore ecological prosperity to them.

To keep these technologies going and operating at full pow-er without interruption, it is critical that Bahrain relies on renewable green and clean power and this is where bio-bat-teries come into the picture. Conventional batteries have toxic chemical and are hence not environment friendly, besides this they also cannot be relied upon for sustained power supply. Bio batteries change all this as they convert naturally occurring sources of chemical energy such as starch into electricity by using enzymes. This can enable the researchers and environ-mental conservationists to have access to clean power on a long-term basis.

Technology is mostly associated with having a negative im-pact on the environment due to its polluting aspect, but off late the global scientific community has made progress in leaps and bounds in the area of clean and green technology and this is poised to make a huge difference in how the role of technology is perceived in environmental conservation. The correct use of technology can propel Bahrain into becoming a tech-savvy nation that is adept in its use for ecological purposes. Bahrain can use the new age green technologies to prevent dumping of pollutants in the water bodies besides reducing emission levels.

Bahrain can also use targeted technological tools to achieve full compliance on recycling of waste besides discouraging the use of plastic which is still a worrisome problem for the island nation. The use of technology can also increase the role of renewable energy sources thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels and bringing down the quantum of emissions. Bahrain must also ensure that the integration of green technol-ogy is made simple, easy to use and uncomplicated, this alone will guarantee that it survives for a longer period and pays the expected dividends.

Technology for conserving ecology is an exciting part of environmental conservation and Bahrain can set an amazing example for the world to follow by introducing technology in every aspect of fight against climate change.

KOTA SRIRAJ

The correct use of technology can

propel Bahrain into becoming a

tech-savvy nation that is adept in its use for ecological

purposes.

Civilians living in dire poverty, subject to the

whims and tortures of Mr Al Assad’s security apparatus, their fortunes so desperate, cheering his victory against

supposed terrorists who were themselves living

under the relentless terror of airstrikes and barrel

bombs.



he wanted out of the results, his vote count would not have broken 1 million either.

This is hardly a good basis on which to form a parallel govern-ment and deepen the cracks in Af-ghanistan’s negotiating position with the Taliban further. Moreover, such moves contradict Mr Abdul-lah’s statement in December that he wants to “replace (Mr Ghani) through circumstances in which the country is not lost”.

Mr Abdullah is proving to be more representative of Afghanistan’s ruthless politics than his polished look lets on. Perpetually snubbed and permanently embittered by his multiple failures to take power, he has become more practiced at the art of contesting election results than he is at contesting elections themselves. His modus operandi is to exploit divisions and hold the country hostage until he is accorded

what he feels is a worthy title.Mr Ghani called the election re-

sults yesterday “a victory for the people’s wishes”. They are more like a victory for the people’s ex-pectations – which, in Afghanistan, tend to be braced for power games and disappointment.

Elections in Afghanistan will not truly reflect the will of the people until the day the Taliban’s reign of terror comes to an end and Afghan leaders demonstrate a genuine de-sire to put the country first. To get to that point, and to negotiate with the Taliban from a position of true strength, Mr Ghani must unite Ka-bul’s factions and broker a deal with his challenger that does not require American hand-holding.

Mr Abdullah, for his part, should live up to his word that he can act with leadership in a way in which Afghanistan is not lost.

Through their cynical opportun-ism, the president, his challenger, and the rest of the Afghan political class have created a situation where the country continues to be run by strongmen, rather than popularly elected democrats. But as old as that model is in the country’s history, it will never be enough to bring peace, prosperity and democratic account-ability to 21st century Afghanistan.

Mr Ghani and Mr Abdullah’s quarrel is the real first stage of in-tra-Afghan dialogue. When they sit across the table from the Taliban next month, they will need to be more than strongmen. They will have to show – together – a strong mind.

Afghanistan’s election results are finally released, but leadership remains overdueMr Abdullah’s suspicions of impropriety are not without

merit. Incidences of voter intimidation, ballot-box

stuffing, and identity fraud are frequently reported by observers in Afghan elections, including this most recent one. These events cannot always be connected to the

candidates themselves.

10

world


Trump sir, you are my god. Welcome to India. I am so happy

BUSSA KRISHNA

We’re doing a very big trade deal with India. We’ll have it. I don’t know if it’ll be done before the election, but we’ll

have a very big deal with India,

DONALD TRUMP

Superfan prays to US Prez idol ahead of Trump’s visit• Trump and his wife Melania are due to visit India and hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Agencies | Jangaon, India

Die-hard Donald Trump fan Bussa Krishna is cel-ebrating the visit of his

hero to India next week the only way he knows how -- offering prayers to a life-sized idol of the US President in his home.

The 33-year-old has built the statue -- where he performs the Hindu prayer ritual “pooja” usu-ally meant for deities -- in the backyard of his house in Jan-gaon district in India’s southern state of Telangana.

“Trump sir, you are my god,” the devotee said after perform-ing the pooja.

“Welcome to India. I am so happy.”

Trump and his wife Melania are due to visit India and hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a high-profile two-day trip from February 24.

On his Facebook and Insta-gram accounts, Krishna posts images of himself wearing a blue or red T-shirt with the name Trump emblazoned on its front and back and carrying a framed photo of the American leader.

“I am praying to God to see that I meet my ‘god’ at least once,” Krishna told local news-paper Telangana Today last year.

Trump has built up a fan base in India.

He is expected to be fet-ed by some 110,000 people

i n

Modi’s home state

of Gujarat when he i n - augurates the Sardar

Vallabhbhai Patel sta-dium, the world’s biggest

cricket venue, in a “Namaste Trump” rally.

Very big trade deal with IndiaMeanwhile, President Donald

Trump said the United States and India were working on a major trade deal, but he was not sure if it would be completed be-fore the US presidential election in November.

“We can have a trade deal with India, but I’m really saving the big deal for later on,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, out-side Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

“We’re doing a very big trade deal with India. We’ll have it. I don’t know if it’ll be done before

the election, but we’ll have a very big deal with India,” he said, in a transcript of remarks released by the White House.

The United States is India’s second largest trade part-ner after China, with their goods and services trade hit-ting a record $142.6 billion in 2018.

Last year, the United States had a $23.2 billion goods trade deficit in 2019 with India, its 9th largest trading partner in goods.

Since Trump took office in 2017, long-standing trade dif-ferences between the world’s biggest democracies have come to the fore, with Trump calling India the tariff king.

The two have warred over everything from tariffs on farm goods to Harley Davidson mo-torbikes and price caps on medi-cal devices and India’s new rules on local data storage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has tried to build a

personal rapport with Trump, is pulling out all the stops for his visit, hosting him next week in Gujarat for a reception in a cricket stadium.

“We’re not treated very well by India, but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot. And he told me we’ll have 7 million people between the airport and the event,” Trump said, referring to a roadshow ahead of a “Hello Trump” rally in Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat where he will begin the trip.

India and the United States have built close political and se-curity ties in recent years, with New Delhi turning to Wash-ington as a top arms supplier, edging out traditional partner Russia.

Modi’s cabinet was meeting on Wednesday to give formal clear-ance for a $2.6-billion deal for two dozen military helicopters from U.S. defence firm Lockheed Martin

Bussa Krishna has built a statue of Trump, where he performs the Hindu prayer ritual “pooja” usually meant for deities

India clears accord on intellectual property rights with USReuters | New Delhi

India’s cabinet yesterday approved a plan to sign an initial pact on intellectual property rights with the United States, a

government minister said, days ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump.

The United States has long urged India to strengthen pro-tection for intellectual property and that has been a cause of friction on top of trade disputes between the two countries.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said approval for an MoU with the United States was secured at a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Every child under ‘immediate threat’ from climate, poor diet: UNAFP | Paris

The world is failing to protect children from the health

dangers posed by climate change and poor diet, a landmark UN report said Wednesday, warning that every child is under “imme-diate threat”.

According to more than 40 of the world’s pre-eminent child and adolescent health experts, not one country on Earth is adequately protecting the next generation from the impacts of carbon emissions, the destruc-tion of nature and high-calorie and processed foods.

They said that excessive car-bon emissions, produced over-whelmingly by wealthier na-tions, “threaten the future of all children” and will burden them

with additional health dangers, from deadly heatwaves to the increased spread of tropical dis-eases.

The report, commissioned by the World Health Organiza-tion and UNICEF, also highlights the threat children face from harmful marketing of fat- and sugar-laden foods, alcohol and tobacco.

“The big message is that no single country is protecting chil-dren’s health today and for their future,” said Anthony Costello, professor of International Child Health and Director of the Insti-tute for Global Health at Univer-sity College London.

“When you look at the damage being done to children’s lungs by air pollution, we’ve got a very

limited time to sort this out,” he told AFP.

“We have the solutions, what we don’t have is the political leadership and will to make it happen.”

The report, published in The Lancet medical journal, ranks the performance of 180 coun-tries when it comes to child sur-vival, education and nutrition rates.

Under these criteria, less-de-veloped nations such as Central African Republic and Chad per-form particularly poorly com-pared to rich countries such as Norway and the Netherlands.

However the rankings are largely reversed when the im-pacts of air pollution from per capita carbon emissions were

assessed.“The world’s decision makers

are failing today’s children and youth: failing to protect their

health, failing to protect their rights, and failing to protect their planet,” said WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghe-

breyesus.

11-fold obesity surgeAround 250 million un-

der-fives in low- and middle-in-come countries risk being stunt-ed due to malnutrition and other impacts of poverty, the authors said.

At the same time, the number of obese children worldwide has surged 11-fold since 1975 to stand at 124 million.

Children in some countries see as many as 30,000 adverts on television in a single year. And despite industry self-reg-ulation, one study showed that children in Australia were ex-posed 51 million times to alcohol adverts in just one year of tele-vised sport.

No single country is protecting the next generation from the impacts of carbon emissions, the destruction of nature and high-calorie and processed foods, the report found


KNOW WHAT

UAE loads fuel rods at Arab world’s first nuclear plant• Saudi Arabia has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors

AFP | Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates has started loading fuel rods into the first reac-

tor at its Barakah nuclear plant, operators said Wednesday, two days after regulators gave the green light.

On Monday, the national nu-clear regulator announced it has issued the operating license for the first of the plant’s four reactors, opening the way for

commercial operations to begin.The plant, the first in the Arab

world, had been due to go online

in late 2017 but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory require-

ments.“The Nawah Energy Company

has commenced loading the first nuclear fuel assemblies as the in-itial step in the process towards safely and gradually commenc-ing operations and subsequent generation of clean electricity,” Nawah said in a statement.

The statement added that Unit 1 will begin commercial oper-ations after a “series of tests”

leading to the start-up process.During the process, the unit

will be synchronised with the power grid and the first electric-ity produced.

“Our teams are trained, certified and ready to safe-ly commence the testing and start-up processes for Unit 1 ,” said Nawah CEO Mark Reddemann.

Abu Dhabi authorities said in

January that the plant, on the Gulf coast west of the capital, would start operating within a few months.

The plant is a regional first -- Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors, but the project has yet to mate-rialise.

It is being built by a consor-tium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation at a cost of some $24.4 billion.

When fully operational, the four reactors have the capacity to generate 5,600 megawatts of electricity, around 25 percent of the nation’s needs. The oth-er three reactors are almost ready.

The UAE has substantial oil and gas reserves, but with a power-hungry population of

10 million it has made huge in-vestments in developing clean

alternatives, including solar energy.

The Arab world’s first nuclear power plant is being built by a South Korean-led consortium at a cost of around $24 billion

Afghan artist brushes aside disability to open arts centre

AFP | Kabul

Unable to use her hands, arms, or legs, Afghan artist Robaba Moham-

madi has defied unlikely odds in a country that routinely dis-criminates against women and disabled people.

Denied access to school, as a child she taught herself to paint by holding a brush in her mouth, clenching it between her teeth to create elaborate and colourful portraits.

Today, the 19-year-old’s works sell and exhibit internationally, and she is so accomplished that she has launched a dedicated centre to help train other disa-bled artists.

“I do paintings mostly about Afghan women, women’s power, the beauty of women, the beauty of paintings, love, and the chal-lenges women face,” Moham-

madi said.Some 50 students attend class-

es at her centre in Kabul, which she opened last year and funds herself with money from selling her paintings.

According to a 2015 national survey, about 1.5 million of Af-ghanistan’s approximately 35 million population has some form of disability, including tens of thousands of people suffering from landmine injuries.

But despite this, the impover-ished country still stigmatises those that are not able-bodied.

Mohammadi was born with a permanent physical disability that means she cannot use her limbs, and now suffers from a degenerative condition called arthrosis.

“Because of my disability, I was never even able to go to school,” Mohammadi said, add-ing that she had looked on envi-

ously as her siblings went to get an education.

But with the help of her fami-

ly, she eventually taught herself to read and write, and can now use social media on her mobile phone as adeptly as any other teenager -- by typing with her tongue.

“We are so proud of Robaba, she is an inspiration for other disabled people,” said her broth-er, 24-year-old Ali Mohammadi, who hopes to create a literacy course for people with disabili-ties who have been unable to go to school.

Double prejudiceUltra-conservative Afghan-

istan, long considered one of the world’s worst places to be a woman, still often forces dis-a b l e d women to stay h i d -d e n

away, even in the comparatively progressive capital Kabul.

“I was feeling tired and sick of not being able to leave home,” Mohammadi said.

“I felt really upset. When our relatives would visit, they would whisper that my parents com-mitted some kind of sin that they delivered a disabled girl.”

Benafsha Yaqoobi, commis-sioner at the Afghan Independ-ent Human Rights Commission, said such treatment was because there was often double the prej-udice, “due to womanhood and due to disabilities”.

“All these are the results of discrimination, caused by nega-tive attitudes towards females as so-called, ‘second sex’, and disa-

bility, looked (at) not as a di-versity, but as a shame

a n d

stigma,” Yaqoobi said.Noor Ahmad Azizi, a 22-year-

old disabled student at Moham-madi’s painting centre, said he had been unable to attend school because of his disability.

“I love to do painting,” Azizi said. “I would love to learn to paint professionally, and I also want to become famous like Robaba.”

Ziaul Haq Fazli, a spokesman for the Afghan ministry for mar-tyrs and disabled people, said more than 320,000 disabled people and relatives of those killed in the war were registered with the ministry, which helps provide jobs and educational opportunities.

For Mohammadi, art was a way to release her frustration.

She first started drawing by holding a pencil loosely in her

mouth, but then realised she could improve details in her

sketches by clenching the pencil between her teeth.

“It was very difficult and I cried several

times,” she ex-plained as she

c o l o u r e d a vibrant s c e n e featuring

a large tree.

Robaba Mohammadi works sell and exhibit internationally, and she is so accomplished that she has launched a dedicated centre to help train other disabled artists in Afghanistan

Unable to use her hands, arms, or legs, Afghan artist Robaba Mohammadi has defied unlikely odds in a country that routinely discriminates against women and disabled people

Harry and Meghan face possible loss of ‘royal’ brandReuters | London

The British royal family is in discussions with Prince

Harry and Meghan over the use of the word “royal” in their branding after the couple abruptly gave up royal duties to start a new life in Canada.

Harry, Queen Elizabeth grandson, and Meghan, duch-ess of Sussex, agreed with the queen last month that they would no longer work as royals after their surprise announce-ment that they wanted to carve out “a progressive new role” which they hope to finance themselves.

“As the Duke and Duchess of

Sussex are stepping back as sen-ior members of the royal family and will work towards financial independence, use of the word ‘royal’, in this context, needed to be reviewed,” a royal source said.

“Discussions are still ongo-ing,” the source said.

Harry and Meghan use the “Sussex Royal” brand extensive-ly. Their website is named sus-sexroyal.com and they applied to trademark the phrases Sussex Royal and Sussex Royal Founda-tion for use on books, stationery, clothing such as pyjamas and socks, charity campaigns and the provision of training, sport and social care.

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie, meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu (not pictured) at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa

G e r m a n g r a n d m a b u i l d s w h e e l c h a i r

r a m p s f r o m L e g o

Rita Ebel, nicknamed “Lego grandma”, tests one of her wheelchair ramps built from donated lego bricks in Hanau, Germany. Ebel started to build the ramps almost one year ago to raise awareness for handicapped people in her hometown of Hanau. Meanwhile, dozens of stores use the ramps to ease entry for wheelchair users.

12THURSDAY, FEBRURAY 20, 2020

The common denominators seem

to be really hot conditions with lots of sunlight and unusually

calm waters for an extended period.

This leads to a combination of

heat stress and the animals running out

of oxygen because the water’s so still. They

eventually succumb... they’re effectively

cooked alivePROFESSOR CHRIS BATTERSHILL,

A MARINE ECOLOGIST AT WAIKATO UNIVERSITY

My very clear understanding from the very top levels of the Malaysian

government is that from very, very

early on here, they thought it was

murder-suicide by the pilot

TONY ABBOTTFORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

Mussels ‘cooked alive’ in balmy New Zealand ocean• The dead molluscs were found by Auckland man Brandon Ferguson

AFP | Wellington

Up to half a million mussels were effectively cooked in

the wild in unusually balmy wa-ters on the New Zealand coast in a massive “die-off” that marine experts have linked to climate change.

The dead molluscs were found by Auckland man Brandon Fer-guson earlier this month at Maunganui Bluff Beach, near the northern tip of the North Island.

Footage posted to social media shows a stunned Ferguson wad-ing through rockpools choked almost knee-deep with mussel shells remarking “they’re all dead... there’s nothing left”.

Professor Chris Battershill, a marine ecologist at Waikato University, said there had been similar die-off in recent years

involving tuatua cockles and clams.

“The common denominators seem to be really hot conditions

with lots of sunlight and unusu-ally calm waters for an extended

period,” he said. “This leads to a combination

of heat stress and the animals running out of oxygen because

the water’s so still. They even-tually succumb... they’re effec-tively cooked alive.”

Battershill the extreme condi-tions were unusual.

“Is it related to climate change, I think it is,” he said.

“Mussels are hardy little an-imals -- you think about when they’re harvested they survive in the supermarket with just a little water on them.

“So it’s taken extreme con-ditions to kill them. And when you have a number of die-offs in recent years involving a number of species then you really need to sit up and take notice.”

University of Auckland ma-rine scientist Andrew Jeffs said more mass die-offs were likely to occur as a result of climate change.

He said mussel populations would eventually move to cooler waters as temperatures rose.

“I am expecting that it is likely to ultimately result in the dis-placement of mussel beds from shores in northern parts of the country with them continuing to be found further south,” he said.

Mussels are sensitive to pollution and temperature change

Malaysia suspected MH370 downed in murder-suicide

AFP | Sydney

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has claimed “very top” lev-

el Malaysian officials believed vanished Flight MH370 was de-liberately downed by the cap-tain in a mass murder-suicide.

The Malaysia Airlines jet van-ished on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 people -- mostly from China -- en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000-square kilo-metre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led search, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January 2017.

A U S ex p l o r a t i o n f i r m launched a private hunt in 2018 but it ended after several months of scouring the seabed without success.

The disappearance of the plane has long been the subject of a host of theories -- ranging from the credible to outlandish -- including that veteran pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had gone rogue.

In an excerpt from a Sky News documentary airing Wednesday, Abbott claims he was told with-in a week of it vanishing that Malaysia believed the captain

had intentionally downed the jet.

“My very clear understanding from the very top levels of the Malaysian government is that from very, very early on here, they thought it was murder-su-icide by the pilot,” he said.

“I’m not going to say who said

what to whom but let me reiter-ate, I want to be absolutely crys-tal clear, it was understood at the highest levels that this was almost certainly murder-suicide by the pilot -- mass murder-sui-cide by the pilot.”

Zaharie’s family and friends have long strongly rejected such

claims as baseless.Malaysia’s former premier

Najib Razak, who was in power during the tragedy, said suspi-cions over the disappearance weren’t made public and there was no proof that the pilot was responsible.

“It would have been deemed unfair and legally irresponsible since the black boxes and cock-pit voice recorders had not been found,” he told online portal Free Malaysia Today.

“There was no conclusive proof whether the pilot was solely or jointly responsible.”

Najib said the scenario involv-ing the pilot was “never ruled out” during the search for the plane.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the former head of Malaysia’s civil aviation regulator, criti-cised Abbott’s remarks and said there was not sufficient proof to support the idea.

“It is only a theory,” Azharud-din, who led the regulator when Flight MH370 disappeared, told AFP.

“You do this speculation and it will hurt the next of kin. The family of the pilot will also feel very bad because you are mak-ing an accusation without any proof.”

In 2016, Malaysian officials revealed the pilot had plotted a path over the Indian Ocean on a home flight simulator but stressed this did not prove he deliberately crashed the plane.

A final report into the trage-dy released in 2018 pointed to failings by air traffic control and said the course of the plane was changed manually.

But they failed to come up with any firm conclusions, leav-ing relatives angry and disap-pointed.

Six passengers were Australi-an, including four from Queens-land state, where Premier An-nastacia Palaszczuk this week suggested authorities may pur-sue an inquest into their deaths.

Courtesy of the sun

Epidemic under control, says China foreign minister

Beijing

The health authorities have brought the coronavirus

situation under control, said China Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“This sudden outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP, or COVID-19) is a severe challenge to China and the world at large. Under the lead-ership of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people have withstood the test and won the respect and rec-ognition of the international community with their efforts and even sacrifice.

“After the outbreak, the Chi-nese government immediately set up a nationwide mecha-nism to mobilize resources from across the country. We have taken the most compre-hensive, stringent and thor-ough prevention and control measures, many of which are well beyond what is required by the International Health Regulations and the recom-mendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“With the Chinese speed, we are working day and night to save the life of every patient. With the Chinese strength,

we are united as one to con-tain the further spread of the epidemic. Through these ar-duous efforts, the epidemic is generally under control. For example, outside Hubei, the number of confirmed cases has been declining for 11 consecu-tive days across China. That is a cumulative drop of over 50 per cent. There is a rapid increase in the cure rate, and nearly 7,000 people have re-covered and been discharged from hospital. The case fatal-ity rate is about 2.2 per cent nationwide and just 0.49 per cent outside Hubei.”

These facts and data show that China’s decisive response is both right and effective and that by and large, the out-break is controllable and the disease curable. As President Xi Jinping points out, we have the confidence, capabil-ity and determination to pre-vail over the virus at an early date.

As a responsible major coun-try, China has from the start acted openly and transparently in releasing relevant informa-tion to the world and seeking international cooperation to prevent the spread of the ep-idemic worldwide, he added.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people have withstood the test and won the respect and recognition of the international community with their efforts and even sacrifice.

BRAHMS: THE BOY II (15+)(HORROR/THRILLER) OASIS JUFFAIR: 11.45 AM + 1.45 + 3.45 + 5.45 + 7.45 + 9.45 + 11.45 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (VIP): 2.15 + 6.30 + 10.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 12.00 + 2.00 + 4.00 + 6.00 + 8.00 + 10.00 + 12.00 MN + (1.00 AM THURS/FRI.)CITY CENTRE (VIP II) : 10.30 AM + 2.45 + 7.00 + 11.15 PMSEEF (I): 11.00 AM + 1.00 + 3.00 + 5.00 + 7.00 + 9.00 + 11.00 PM + (1.00 AM THURS/FRI.)WADI AL SAIL: 11.45 AM + 1.45 + 3.45 + 5.45 + 7.45 + 9.45 + 11.45 PM

KATIE HOLMES, RALPH INESON, OWAIN YEOMAN

THE CALL OF THE WILD (PG)OASIS JUFFAIR: 12.30 + 5.00 + 9.30 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (VIP): 12.00 + 4.15 + 8.30 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (KIDS CINEMA): 2.45 +7.15 + 11.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 12.45 + 3.00 + 5.15 + 7.30 + 9.45 + 12.00 MN CITY CENTRE (VIP II) : 12.30 + 4.45 + 9.00 PMSEEF (II): 12.15 + 2.30 + 4.45 + 7.00 + 9.15 + 11.30 PMWADI AL SAIL: 10.30 AM + 12.30 + 2.45 + 5.00 + 7.15 + 9.30 + 11.45 PM

HARRISON FORD, DAN STEVENS, OMAR SY

BHOOT: PART ONE -THE HAUNTED SHIPFROM THURSDAY 20th 3.00 PM ONWARDSOASIS JUFFAIR: 11.15 AM + 1.45 + 4.15 + 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 6.30 + 9.00 + 11.30 PMSEEF (I): 11.30 AM + 2.00 + 4.30 + 7.00 + 9.30 + 12.00 MN + (12.45MN THURS/FRI.)WADI AL SAIL: 12.30 + 5.45 + 11.00 PM

VICKY KAUSHAL, BHUMI PEDNEKAR, ASHUTOSH RANA

COLOR OUT OF SPACE (15+)(THRILLER/HORROR)SEEF (II):7.30 + 9.45 + 12.00 MNWADI AL SAIL: 11.15 AM + 4.00 + 8.45 PM

NICOLAS CAGE, JOELY RICHARDSON, MADELEINE ARTHUR

EMMA (PG-13)(DRAMA/COMEDY/ROMANTIC) SEEF (II): 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.30 + 6.00 + 8.30 + 11.00 PMWADI AL SAIL: 1.30 + 6.15 + 11.00 PM

ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, JOHNNY FLYNN, BILL NIGHY

ELCANO & MAGALLAN: FIRST TRIP AROUND THE WORLDCITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 12.30 + 2.30 + 4.30 PMSEEF (II): 11.00 AM + 1.00 + 3.00 PM

HERNAN ‘RIO’ CHAVARRO, CHRIS JAHN, BETSY DURKIN

VIC THE VIKING AND THE MAGIC SWORD (PG)SEEF (II): 11.00 AM + 12.45 + 2.30 + 4.15 PMWADI AL SAIL: 10.45 AM + 12.30 + 2.15 + 6.45 PM

ROLAND BEARNE, TIM BENTINCK, KONRAD BÖSHERZ

AFTER MIDNIGHT (15+)(DRAMA/HORROR)SEEF (I):10.45 AM + 2.45 + 6.45 + 10.45 PM

JEREMY GARDNER, BREA GRANT, JUSTIN BENSON

SANDOOQ AL DUNYA (15+)(ARABIC/DRAMA) CITY CENTRE: 12.15 + 5.00 + 9.45 + 11.45 PMSEEF (II): 5.00 + 7.00 + 9.00 + 11.00 PM

EMAD AL BAHAT, KHALID AL SAWEE, RANAYOUSIF

AZMA MALIYAH (PG)(ARABIC/COMEDY) SEEF (I): 12.45 + 4.45 + 8.45 PM

KHALID AL-KHALDI, EID AL-DHAHERI, MAITHA MUHAMMAD

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (PG-15)(ACTION/COMEDY/CRIME) OASIS JUFFAIR:12.00 + 2.45 + 5.30 + 8.15 + 11.00 PMCITY CENTRE: (1.00 AM THURS/FRI)CITY CENTRE:(ATMOS): 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.45 + 6.30 + 9.15 + 12.00 MNCITY CENTRE (IMAX 2D): 12.00 + 2.45 + 5.30 + 8.15 + 11.00 PMCITY CENTRE (VIP I) : 12.30 + 3.15 + 6.00 + 8.45 + 11.30 PMSEEF (I): 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.45 + 6.30 + 9.15 + 12.00 MNWADI AL SAIL: 4.00 + 8.30 + 11.15 PM

WILL SMITH, MARTIN LAWRENCE, VANESSA HUDGENS

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (PG)OASIS JUFFAIR:2.45 + 7.15 + 11.45 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (KIDS CINEMA): 12.30 + 5.00 + 9.30 PMCITY CENTRE: 12.30 + 2.45 + 5.00 + 7.15 + 9.30 + 11.45 PM SEEF (II):10.30 AM + 12.45 + 3.00 + 5.15 + 7.30 + 9.45 + 12.00 MNWADI AL SAIL: 12.00 + 2.15 + 4.30 + 6.45 + 9.00 + 11.15 PM

JIM CARREY, BEN SCHWARTZ, JAMES MARSDEN

FANTASY ISLAND (15+)(THRILLER/HORROR) CITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 2.00 + 4.30 + 7.00 + 9.30 + 12.00 MN

LUCY HALE, MAGGIE Q, PORTIA DOUBLEDAY

1917 (PG-15)(WAR/ACTION/DRAMA) 1917 Winner of 3 Oscar AwardsCITY CENTRE:10.45 AM + 1.15 + 3.45 + 6.15 + 8.45 + 11.15 PMSEEF (II):11.15 AM + 1.45 + 4.15 + 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PM

GEORGE MACKAY, DEAN-CHARLES CHAPMAN, MARK STRONG

BIRD OF PREY (15+)(ACTION/ADVENTURE/CRIME) CITY CENTRE : 11.15 AM + 1.45 + 4.15 + 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PM SEEF (II):8.45 + 11.15 PM

MARGOT ROBBIE, MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, EWAN MCGREGOR

DOLITTLE (PG)(ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILYCITY CENTRE:11.30 AM + 1.45 + 4.00 + 6.15 + 8.30 + 10.45 PMSEEF (II): 11.45 AM + 2.00 + 4.15 + 6.30 PM

ROBERT DOWNEY JR., ANTONIO BANDERAS, MICHAEL SHEEN

JUMANJI THE NEXT LEVEL (PG-15)CITY CENTRE: 12.30 + 3.15 + 6.00 + 8.45 + 11.30 PMSEEF (II): 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.30 + 6.00 + 8.30 + 11.00 PM

DWAYNE JOHNSON, JACK BLACK, KEVIN HART

THE GENTLEMEN (15+)(CRIME/ACTION) CITY CENTRE: 11.00 AM + 1.30 + 4.00 + 6.30 + 9.00 + 11.30 PM

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, CHARLIE HUNNAM, HENRY GOLDING

AL FELOUS (THE MONEY) (PG-15)(ARABIC)CITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.30 + 6.00 + 8.30 + 11.00 PM

TAMER HOSNY, ZEINA, KHALID EL-SAWI

THIEF OF BAGHDAD (PG-13)CITY CENTRE:2.00 + 6.45 + 11.30 PM

MOHAMMED EMAM, YASMINE RAEIS, AMINA KHALIL

FROZEN 2 (PG)(ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY) SEEF (II):10.30 AM + 12.45 + 3.00 + 5.15 PM

KRISTEN BELL, IDINA MENZEL, JOSH GAD

MALANG (PG-15)OASIS JUFFAIR:11.45 AM + 2.30 + 5.15 + 8.00 + 10.45 PMSEEF (II): 6.00 + 8.45 + 11.30 PM

ADITYA ROY KAPOOR, ANIL KAPOOR, DISHA PATANI

SPIES IN DISGUISE (PG)CITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 4.00 + 8.30 PM

WILL SMITH, TOM HOLLAND, KAREN GILLAN

MIRACLE IN CELL NO . 7 (PG-15)(TURKISH/DRAMA) CITY CENTRE:2.15 + 7.00 PM

ARAS BULUT İYNEMLİ, NİSA SOFİYA AKSONGUR, İLKER AKSUM

LITTLE WOMEN (PG)(DRAMA/ROMANTIC) Winner of 1 Oscar AwardCITY CENTRE: 2.30 + 8.15 PM

SAOIRSE RONAN, EMMA WATSON, FLORENCE PUGH

LE MANS ‘66 (PG-13)(DRAMA/SPORT/BIOGRAPHY)Winner of 2 Oscar AwardCITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 5.15 + 11.00 PM

MATT DAMON, CHRISTIAN BALE, JON BERNTHAL

JOKER (15+)(THRILLER/CRIME/DRAMA) Winner of 2 Oscar AwardCITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 4.15 + 9.00 PM

JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ZAZIE BEETZ, ROBERT DE NIRO

PARASITE (15+)(KOREAN/COMEDY/DRAMA/THRILLERWinner of 4 Oscar AwardCITY CENTRE:(DISTRACTION FREE SCREEN): 12.15 + 3.00 + 5.45 + 8.30 + 11.15 PMSEEF (II): 12.00 + 2.45 + 5.30 + 8.15 + 11.00 PMWADI AL SAIL: 3.00 + 8.15 PM

SONG KANG HO, LEE SUN KYUN , MARIA SIMON

VARANE AVASHYAMUND (PG-13)(MALAYALAM) OASIS JUFFAIR: 12.30 + 3.15 + 6.00 + 8.45 + 11.30 PM

SURESH GOPI, SHOBANA, DULQUER SALMAAN, KALYANI PRIYADARSHAN, URVASHI

AYYAPPANUM KOSHIYUM (PG-15)(MALAYALAM) OASIS JUFFAIR:1.00 + 4.15 + 7.30 + 10.45 PMSEEF (I):10.30 AM + 1.45 + 5.00 + 8.15 + 11.30 PMAL HAMRA : 5.30 + 8.45 + (12.00 MN THURS./FRI)

PRITHVIRAJ, BIJU MENON, RENJITH, SABUMON

MAFIA (PG-13)(TAMIL) From Friday 21st Feb. OASIS JUFFAIR: 1.30 + 6.30 + 11.30 PMSEEF (I):10.45 AM + 3.45 + 8.45 PMAL HAMRA : 3.00 PM

ARUN VIJAY, PRASANNA, PRIYA BHAVANI SHANKAR

AL MALLU (PG-15)(MALAYALAM) OASIS JUFFAIR:12.45 + 6.00 + 11.15 PMSEEF (I): 10.45 AM + 3.45 + 8.45 PMAL HAMRA : 12.00 NOON.

NAMITHA PRAMOD, ANOOP MAJEED, SIDDIQUE

13 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 202014 TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

C R O S S W O R DAcross1- Exclamation to express sorrow; 5- Bear up there; 9- Western Native Americans; 13- “Goldberg Variations” composer; 14- Freedom from war; 16- Swabbies; 17- Reflected sound; 18- Appropriate; 19- Split; 20- Antlered animal; 21- Single unit; 22- Brings out; 24- Furniture wood; 26- Faucet problem; 27- Like some bears and icecaps; 29- Unselfish; 33- Lustful deity; 34- “David Copperfield” wife; 35- Neighbor of Sask.; 36- Singer Garfunkel; 37- Experiment; 38- Skid row woe; 39- Will of “The Waltons”; 41- ___ She Sweet; 42- Weeps; 44- Incoming; 46- Less outgoing; 47- Tyler’s successor; 48- Pass the breaking point; 49- Ring combo; 52- Loss leader?; 53- Portfolio; 57- Actress Moore; 58- Summarize; 60- Minerals; 61- “Ars Amatoria” poet; 62- Brazilian ballroom dance; 63- Tears; 64- Network of nerves; 65- Exam used to measure aptitude or intelligence; 66- Go out with;Down1- In the sack; 2- Ornamental fabric; 3- Dull pain, often in the head or back; 4- Soon; 5- Turmoil; 6- Freshen, as a stamp pad; 7- Saltimbocca seasoning; 8- Essen exclamation; 9- As above; 10- Baby powder; 11- HOMES part; 12- Fast fliers; 15- Endless; 23- Decease; 25- Musical ability; 26- Clear of vermin; 27- Kitchen gadget; 28- Sleek swimmer; 29- Departing; 30- Blast from the past; 31- Say; 32- Cheek; 33- Narrative of heroic exploits; 34- Imbibe; 37- Suit makers; 40- Swimmer’s fear; 42- Chinese tea; 43- It opens your parachute; 45- Pledge; 46- Be short with; 48- Runs through; 49- Scent; 50- Campbell of “Scream”; 51- Send forth; 52- Pinnacle; 54- La Scala solo; 55- Equinox mo.; 56- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto); 59- Absorb, as a cost;

Yesterday’s solution

How to playPlace a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Yesterday’s solution

S U D O K UAcross1- Burdened; 6- Ascends; 11- Very skilled person; 14- Designer Simpson; 15- ___ nous; 16- Mauna ___; 17- Boat often made of birchbark, canvas, or fiberglass; 18- Flies high; 19- Basic cable channel; 20- Like some arts; 22- Without ___ in the world; 24- Durable yellow fabric; 28- Ethically neutral; 29- To-do list; 30- Tops; 32- Minister to; 33- Lover of Juliet; 35- Spar; 39- Shelter for honeybees; 40- Oysters ___ season; 41- Sea eagle; 42- Like a line, briefly; 43- Sensation provided by buds on the tongue; 45- Wedding cake feature; 46- 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.; 48- Sounds; 50- Throughout this document; 53- Genuine; 54- Blow; 55- Eat away; 57- McKellen or Holm; 58- Wing it; 60- Indian millet; 65- Nine-digit ID; 66- Hosiery thread; 67- Chalice; 68- Mystery writer Josephine; 69- Nuremberg trial defendant; 70- Fragrant resin;

Down 1- Varnish ingredient; 2- Vladimir Nabokov novel; 3- Lair; 4- “Hold On Tight” band; 5- Required; 6- Pine sap; 7- Get ___ the ground floor; 8- All-male; 9- Make a faux pas; 10- Opening word; 11- Hitching post?; 12- Snake charmer’s snake; 13- Backing for an exhibit; 21- Planetary revolution; 23- Skin preparation; 24- Acapulco appetizer; 25- From the top; 26- Impertinence; 27- Submerged to the mid-leg; 28- Latin 101 word; 30- Off-track; 31- 1/100 of a monetary unit; 34- Algerian seaport; 36- Surface; 37- Twisted expression?; 38- Concise; 43- Sawbuck; 44- Geraint’s be-loved; 47- Essential parts; 49- Jumpy; 50- Robbery; 51- Clear the boards; 52- Like soft-boiled eggs; 53- Clear-headed; 55- Otherwise; 56- Make angry; 59- Immerse; 61- Modern address; 62- Actress Charlotte; 63- Canyon edge; 64- Clay today;

The Photograph: an unabashedly old-school love story• A sweet movie with the right mix of humor and realism

The Photograph centres on Mae Morton (Issa Rae), a young woman whose es-

tranged, famous mother, Chris-tina, dies suddenly, leaving Mae curious about Christina’s life and the choices that she made.

When journalist Michael Block (LaKeith Stanfield) de-cides to do a story about Chris-

tina’s photography, he becomes curious about Mae and her own life, too. In flashbacks set in Lou-isiana, Christina’s (Chanté Ad-ams) life is revealed, including the backstory of her relationship with the love of her life. As Mae and Michael look to the past for answers, they just might stumble upon a love of their own that could affect their future forever.

Stella Meghie’s romantic dra-ma offers a perspective that’s rarely seen on-screen: that of two beautiful, dark-skinned middle-class Black profession-als who love each other in a soft,

positive manner. In many films with Black actors, the female lead has a lighter complexion; Meghie’s choice to cast many ac-tors of a medium-brown to dark-er complexion is deliberate, and welcome. And there’s no trauma, violence, or abuse complicating the warm affection between Mae and Michael -- just genuine, or-ganic human interaction, and it’s beautiful to see.

What’s more, the Black ex-perience isn’t presented mon-olithically in The Photograph, since it weaves together two sto-ries. Viewers see what life is like

for two generations of people who’ve experienced love, both in present-day New York City and in Louisiana in the past (which also ties into a secondary nar-rative about Black people who migrated North in pursuit of a better life).

The movie clearly conveys the importance of archiving the past. Mae’s profession as an art curator, Christina’s passion for photography, and Michael’s journalistic desire to find the truth of a story all lend them-selves to the idea of preserving a moment in time.

M O V I E R E V I E W

LaKeith Stanfield and Issa Rae in ‘The Photograph’

14 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020

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Ashley Tisdale shares secret to her clear skin

complexionLos Angeles

Actress Ashley Tis-dale has shared her secret to get a flaw-

less skin.She revealed the secret

on Instagram that she has cut off dairy products in her life since five years ago and it helped her a lot to get a clearer skin, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“I’ve been dairy free for 5 years,” Ashley wrote along with a video of her show-ing off her clear skin.

She then explained that ever since she stopped consuming dairy prod-ucts, her skin has become better.

“And I swear i t changed everything with

my skin,” she said.She said that giving

up dairy is hard to do, but if someone keeps doing it, he/she will get used to it.

“I know it’s hard to give up some-

thing but when you do after awhile you

barely crave it,” she said, adding that she feels even healthier after she becomes a dairy-free person.

Britney Spears gets injured while dancing

Los Angeles

Singer Britney Spears was hos-pitalised after a dance move went wrong.

The 38-year-old was left with a fractured metatarsal bone and her foot in plaster. Her boy-friend, Sam Ashghari, shared photos of the star in a hospital on his Instagram page, reports mirror.co.uk.

He revealed that the sing-er had fractured one of a “group of five long bones in the foot, located be-tween the tarsal bones of the hind – and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes”.

Posting several photos and videos of themselves in hospital, Sam showed that Britney was laid up in the emergency room with a cast on her foot, on which the word “stronger” had been written.

Captioning the photos on Instagram, Sam wrote: “When you break some-thing it tends to heal strong-er specially when you’re my Girl. My lioness broke her metatarsal bone on her foot doing what she loves which

is dancing.”

Jenna Dewan is engaged to Steve KazeeLos Angeles

Dancer-actress Jenna Dewan and actor Steve Kazee have taken their relationship to the next level. They have an-nounced that they are now engaged.

The couple made the announcement on Tuesday evening with a romantic portrait and heartwarming social media captions, reports eonline.com.

“A lifetime to love and grow with you…you have my heart,” Dewan shared, alongside a photo that showed off

her diamond ring.Kazee took to Instagram to also an-

nounce the news. “When you wake in the morning I will kiss your face

with a smile no one has ever seen. When you wake in the

morning I will kiss your eyes and say it’s you I have loved all these years.”

Their engagement comes less than a month after they re-vealed that they are expecting their first child together.

The actress is already mother to 6-year-old Ev-erly Tatum with former

husband and actor Channing Tatum. While the actor hasn’t addressed the development publicly, sources told eonline.com that he is very “happy” for his ex-wife.

Mumbai

Actor Deepika Padukone on Wednesday shared her first look as Romi Dev,

wife of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, from the upcoming film “’83”.

In the photo, which Deepika shared on so-cial media, she is seen sporting a bob haircut and flaunting a black polo-neck top with cream bottom.

Also in the picture is actor Ranveer Singh, who plays Kapil Dev in

the sports drama, in the official Team India blazer.Deepika said, for her, “’83” is an ode

to every woman who prioritises her husband’s dreams over hers.

“To be able to play a small part in a film that captures one of the most iconic moments in sport-ing history has been an absolute

honour.“I’ve seen very closely the role

a wife plays in the success of her husband’s professional and per-sonal aspirations in my mother and ‘’83’ for me in many ways is an ode to every woman who puts her husband’s dream before her own,” the actor wrote on Instagram.

Al Pacino’s girlfriend dumps him because he’s ‘old, stingy’

Los Angeles

Hollywood veteran Al Pacino was dumped

by his Israeli actress girl-friend Meital Dohan over their 39-year age gap.

It was reported that Pacino had split from Do-han when he went solo on the red carpet at the Os-cars earlier this month. And the pair’s break-up has now been confirmed by t h e 4 0 -ye a r- o l d beauty, who told Isra-el’s LaIsha magazine that she called time on the romance because

79-year-old was too old for her, reports aceshow-biz.com.

“It’s hard to be with a man so old, even Al Pacino. The age gap is difficult, yes. I tried to deny it, but now he is already an elderly man, to be honest. So even with all my love, it didn’t last,” she is quoted as saying.

Dohan also had few com-pliments to give her former beau when asked what gifts he’d given her during their two-year relationship.

“He only bought me flow-ers. How can I say politely that he didn’t like to spend money?” she said.

Dohan is hoping that she can stay friends with the actor even though they’re no longer together.

When Harry Styles calmly handled knife-point robberyLondon

One Direction band star Harry Styles was report-

edly robbed while he was in the Hampstead area in London.

The incident took place on February 14, reports ace-showbiz.com.

According to the Mir-ror Online, Styles was h e l d a t knife-point by a man who d e m a n d e d money from him.

“He actually played it pret-ty cool, quickly giving the as-sailant cash, keeping himself and the guy calm and getting the situation over with,” a source of the singer said.

Despite handling the inci-dent calmly, Styles was pretty shaken following the ordeal.

“Understandably though it left him very shaken up afterwards,” the source con-tinued.

Ben Affleck regrets

Jennifer Garner divorceLos Angeles

Ben Affleck’s “biggest regret” in life is his divorce from Jennifer Garner.

The 47-year-old actor split from Jen-nifer in June 2015 and settled their divorce

in October 2018, but Ben has now con-fessed splitting from the ‘Peppermint’

star - with whom he has Violet, 14, and Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, seven - came at a dark time in his life which he now regrets.

He said: “The biggest regret of my life is this divorce.”

The ‘Justice League’ star split from Jennifer following his battle with alcohol addiction, and says that whilst his drinking was under control when he was married to Jennifer, it became a problem when their “marriage was fall-

ing apart”.He explained: “Shame is really toxic. There is no pos-

itive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic,

hideous feeling of low self-worth and

self-loath-ing.

Al Pacino and Meital Dohan

Harry Styles

Ashley Tisdale Billie Eilish breaks down

at 2020 BRIT AwardsLondon

Singer Billie Eilish broke down at the 2020 BRIT Awards after admitting social media trolls had made her “feel hated”.

The American singer got the award on Tuesday evening for Best International Female Artist from Spice Girl Mel C, after performing new James Bond theme “No Time To Die live” for the first time, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Billie told the star-studded audience at London’s O2 Arena: “I wanted to say something that I was thinking like two seconds ago… I’ve felt very hated recently.”

Struggling to compose herself, she added: “And when I was on the stage and I saw you guys smiling at me, it genuinely made me want to cry, and I want to cry right now, so thank you.”

The award comes after she discussed her recent decision to take a step back from social media, and specifically stop reading the comments on her Instagram posts.

She had told BBC Breakfast: “I stopped like two days ago. I’ve stopped reading comments fully. It was ruining my life. It’s weird. The cooler the things you get to do, the more people hate you.”

Brave set to find out first Flyweight championBRAVE CF puts huge tournament together to crown its first Flyweight world championTDT | Manama

BRAVE Combat Federation will finally crown a Fly-

weight world champion, as the fastest-growing MMA promotion in the globe will put together a year-long tournament to find out who’s the best in the divi-sion.

The organization has an-nounced that several of its signed athletes will have an equal chance to become the di-vision’s inaugural titleholder.

BRAVE CF has put the Fly-weight championship on the line at BRAVE CF 18, in November of 2018, in a bout between Bra-zil’s Marcel Adur and Russia’s Velimurad Alkhasov.

The latter won the fight but didn’t get to be the champ since he missed weight, and the belt will now be contested through

a tournament, designed to give the Flyweight stars equal chanc-es to earn the world title.

“We have the deepest fly-

weight division in the world of mixed martial arts. BRAVE CF has some of the best fighters that deserve the chance to be

the best in the world.This tournament does just

that. The MMA fans are going to see the best Flyweights de-cide their own future to reach the top. If you want to be the best than beat the best as they say”, claimed an excited Mo-hammed Shahid, president of BRAVE CF.

No bouts or participants have been announced, but a teaser video posted on BRAVE CF’s social media profiles will give fans a taste of what’s to come in the next months. Fights for the tournament will take place in different events, and the final match-up will be contested later in the year.

The format and participants, as well as the initial match-ups, will be announced by the organization in the coming days.

15

sports


Sousa calls up 35 players for local national team trainingTDT | Manama

Bahrain national foot-ball team head coach Helio Sousa has named

a 35-player squad that will be gathering from tomorrow for four days of local training.

The Bahrainis will be prepar-ing for their joint-qualifier next month against Cambodia for the Fifa World Cup 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup 2023, as well as for a pair of international friend-ly matches.

The practices are scheduled to be held at the BFA pitches in Riffa until Monday.

Many of the players selected by Sousa are new call-ups, as the Portuguese tactician aims to give them a chance and to see their capabilities. His list includes players from Muhar-raq Club, Al Najma, Al Hidd, East Riffa, Al Ahli, Al Shabab, Al Malkiya, Qalali, Al Hala, Bahrain Club, Busaiteen and Budaiya.

There are currently no players called up from Bahrain league champions Riffa and Manama, as both teams are set to play in the AFC Cup club competition next week.

Bahrain are scheduled to take on their Cambodian counter-parts on March 26 in the first of their last three games in this qualification stage. Their friend-ly matches are against Malaysia on March 21 and against New Zealand on March 30.

The friendly against the Kiwis is a part of their preparations for their penultimate qualifier against Iran on June 4. They then wrap up this phase against Hong Kong on June 9.

Bahrain are currently in sec-

ond place in qualifying Group C with nine points from five matches. Iraq are currently atop the table with 11 points. Iran are third with six points but have a game in hand, while Hong Kong are fourth on five points and Cambodia fifth with one.

In this phase of the joint-qual-ifiers, there are eight groups in all, with five nations in each group. Teams play home and

away matches. At the end, the eight group winners and the four best runners-up advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and also book their berths in the Asian Cup.

Bahrain are currently amongst the four best runners-up.

The next best 24 teams will compete in a separate competi-tion for 12 remaining slots in the Asian Cup.

Sousa reacts during a match (file photo)

B a h r a i n S q u a d

Muharraq: Omar Salem, Hamza Alchuban, Waleed Al Hayam, Ahmed Juma, Mohammed Al Hardan, Abdulrahman AhmadiAl Najma: Ali Madan, Hassan Jameel, Ahmed Abdulla, Ali Muneer, Anwar Ahmed Al Hidd: Ahmed Merza, Talal Saad, Ahmed Bughammar, Rashed Alhooti, Mohammed Abdulwahab, Abdulwahab Al MaloodEast Riffa: Omar Duaij, Mohammed Duaij, Abdulla Alhazza, Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Sami Al Hussaini Al Ahli: Jassim Al Shaikh, Sayed Mohammed Ameen, Mahmood Al Ojaimi Al Shabab: Abbas Alasfood, Ali Hassan Al Malkiya: Yousif Habib, Mohammed JameelQalali: Abdulaziz Khalid, Ebrahim Al KhattalAl Hala: Jassim KhulaifBahrain Club: Jaffar Hassan Busaiteen: Abdulla Al HashashBudaiya: Mahboub Al Dossary

Rolling Drag set for tonight at BIC

TDT | Manama

The action is back on the strip today at Bahrain In-

ternational Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir for the Kanoo Motors Rolling Drag Nights.

Similar to BIC’s Ebrahim K Kanoo Drag and Drift Nights, Rolling Drag offers partic-ipants the chance to power their very own cars or motor-bikes down the circuit’s world-class quarter-mile drag strip, which is a member of the US-based National Hot Rod As-sociation (NHRA) Worldwide Network.

The major difference in Rolling Drag is that those who take part do not start from a standstill, but from a rolling speed of 80kph.

Rolling Drag is therefore the perfect activity to invite a friend or more for a chal-

lenging series of head-to-head battles within a safe and con-trolled environment.

Thursday ’s Kanoo Mo -tors Rolling Drag Nights is scheduled to take place be-tween 7pm and midnight. Registration will be held at BIC’s car park no. two, and it will be open from 5pm until 9pm.

The cost to participate is BD20 for each driver or rider. There is an additional fee of BD5 for a service car and BD7 for an accompanying passen-ger. Spectators can watch all the action for a nominal entry fee of BD2. Tickets are sold at Car Parks 4 and 2.

Just as in every BIC activity, safety standards of the highest level are followed at all times during the evening’s events for both drivers and spectators alike.

Cars in action at BIC

Indian men’s national basketball team members are received by Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) officials on their arrival to the Kingdom. Bahrain are set to face the visitors in a qualifying game tomorrow for the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup. The Indian squad, who arrived yesterday morning, have travelled with a 12-player team. They are coached by renowned Serbian tactician Veselin Matic, while the delegation is being headed by team manager B Dayananda. Tomorrow’s qualifier is scheduled for a 7pm tip-off and it will be played at the Khalifa Sports City arena in Isa Town. Entrance will be free for fans wishing to attend.

Students control their cars during the ‘Remote Controlled Toy Car Race’ organized by New Millennium School. 25 enthusiastic racers from Grades VII and VIII participated in the preliminary round displaying their great mental agility and alertness. The top five students were selected to participate in the final yesterday. Principal, Arun Kuumar Sharma felicitated the top three winners, Steve Arun Philip, Devansh V Sharma and Ezra Clyde Philip

BDS storm into ETS FinalTDT | Manama

BD S B a s s a l i d e f e a t e d AbuSaad Climax by 4 wick-

ets in the Semifinal of the ETS Div A T40 league organized by Cricket Bahrain Association. Batting first AbuSaad Climax posted 253 runs. Malik Hassan top scored with 64 runs. Imran Javed and Junaid Aziz claimed 3 wickets each for BDS Bassali. In reply BDS Bassali chased target for the loss of 6 wickets. Yousuf Wali and Junaid Aziz top scored with 57 runs each for BDS Bassali.

BCC defeated BCC A by 5 wickets in the second semifi-nal. Batting first BCC A posted 238 runs. Haider Ali top scored with 72 runs. Majid Abbasi claimed 4 wickets for BCC. In reply BCC chased target for the loss of 5 wickets. Umer Toor top scored with 79 runs for BCC.

Junaid

Umer Toor

a unique honour...02 thursday, february 20, 2020 his royal highness prime minister prince khalifa...

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