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THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 / RAMADAN 11-12, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17671 16 PAGES 150 FILS US outlines Iran sanctions lift offer Progress seen Other Voices WASHINGTON, April 22, Pontifi cal Council for Interreligious Dialogue (AP): A senior US official said Wednesday that the Message for the month of Ramadan and ‘Id Al-Fitr 1442 A.H. / 2021 A.D. Biden administration has laid out examples of the kinds of sanctions on Iran it’s willing Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope to lift in exchange for Iran’s return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. Newswatch The offi cial said the US through intermediaries has presented Iran Opinion with three baskets of sanctions: those KUWAIT CITY: The case regard- it’s prepared to lift, those it’s not ing the abduction and murder of prepared to lift and those that will a Kuwaiti woman has drawn a require further study to determine if This is how States range of parliamentary responses. they are in fact appropriate for relief It has been reported that a Ku- under the nuclear deal. The offi cial waiti man kidnapped and stabbed the woman – sister of a female briefed reporters on condition of ano- lawyer. The suspect previously nymity because of the confi dential are run and live on threatened to kill the lawyer or nature of the discussions. her sister if the lawyer does not The official declined to specify which cancel the lawsuits fi led against sanctions fall into which baskets but said him. The lawyer then fi led a the third group is the most problematic. By Ahmed Al-Jarallah complaint against the suspect at That’s because it includes measures that Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times the Public Prosecution and re- current officials believe may have been quested for protection but she imposed by the previous administration THE fi rst rule of sound governance is that the ruler should was told to wait until the suspect communicate with his people. The ruler should not confi ne simply to complicate any potential return does something wrong. She was to the deal that former president Donald himself in an ivory tower and be satisfi ed with what his advised to fi le a lawsuit against him, but she wanted the authori- Trump withdrew from in 2018. advisors present to him about the conditions of his people. Any sanctions relief offered by the In such conditions, the advisors usually portray things ties to arrest him to prevent him from attacking her. She requested administration will be strongly opposed as though everything is perfect because they believe that by Republicans in Congress, who on the ruler does not want to hear negative matters so that his for the protection of police but the suspect was not arrested until Wednesday unveiled draft legislation to mood will not be spoiled, and that he prefers spending time he committed the crime. The sus- codify the Trump-era sanctions in law. in pursuing affairs that are far from what his people are pect was released shortly before Relief will also likely be opposed by Is- facing in terms of the challenges and problems, which ul- committing the crime as he was rael, which regards Iran as an existential timately leads to the disintegration of his power, or creates under remand. threat, as well as Gulf Arab states wary chaos or even uprising. MP Muhammad Al-Mutair of Iran’s increasing aggressiveness in the Also, there is no doubt that the collapse of states lies in called on His Highness the Prime region. responsibilities being assumed by those who are neither fi t Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- nor concerned about handling them and catering to the in- Khalid to conduct investigations, Sanctions terests of the people. They are not concerned about what along with senior offi cials at the The 2015 deal gave Iran billions of Ministry of Interior and prosecu- dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for the society faces in terms of the daily challenges, but they tion, to determine how a criminal rather seek to exploit such challenges to achieve the highest curbs on its nuclear program. But that re- was released without taking secu- lief largely evaporated after Trump pulled possible number of personal benefi ts for them, regardless rity measures although the victim of the internal crises that this method may lead to. already informed the securitymen out of the deal and began a self-styled This is clear from the Arab kingdoms in Spain. Their and prosecution about the threat. “maximum pressure” campaign against leaders became detached from reality, and all that they did MP Hesham Al-Saleh for- Tehran by re-imposing the earlier sanc- warded queries to Minister of tions and adding new ones. was entertain themselves. This led to the rise of a revolu- While the agreement allowed countries tion against them, which made it easier for the Franks to Interior Sheikh Thamer Ali Al-Sabah about the number of to continue to impose sanctions on Iran take control of their kingdom and ravish their people. calls that the victim and her sister for non-nuclear reasons, such as support Contrary to such self destructive rule, there are rulers made and the procedures taken for terrorism and human rights abuses, who are keen to listen to the voices of their people, and fol- by the ministry. some of the additional US sanctions low up on the challenges and problems they have in a bid He wants to know why the would have to be removed if Washington to facilitate ways to solutions. Such leaderships continue to ministry did not provide protec- is to return to the deal, according to the survive and evolve in governance to this day. tion to the victim and her sister official. To affi rm the negative role played by those who do not despite the fact that they in- The official said the Trump administra- want the goodness of government and the power of the formed the securitymen that the tion had designated some nuclear sanc- suspect threatened to kidnap and tions as terrorism sanctions. That makes state, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – the kill them, number of recorded Vice-President of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai – wrote calls about kidnapping and kill- it more difficult for a future president to in his book titled My Story, “I hate rumor mongers. They ing threats that the ministry re- return to the deal. ruin your heart. They destroy institutions. They focus only ceived in 2019 and 2020, how Many of the sanctions that Trump im- on the negative. They never tell you about the positive … many of these threats were car- posed on Iran were clearly related to the and the good side of people.” A Kashmiri man wearing a mask as precaution against the coronavirus prays inside the ried out, plan of the ministry to nuclear program, including those that tar- For this reason, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Sheikh shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani during the holy month of Ramadan in prevent the recurrence of such geted companies and officials working on Mohammed bin Zayed, and other leaders of the Emirates Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, April 21. (AP) crimes, date of the last execution atomic matters, and would have to be re- go out to people to listen to their problems and follow eve- carried out by the ministry, total moved if the US returned to the deal. But rything being published in the press and social media. They number of execution verdicts is- others, ostensibly imposed on terrorism Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters, sued by the Court of Cassation, and human rights grounds, are less clear do not confi ne themselves in ivory towers because, in their how many of these verdicts were cut, including those on Iran’s financial, conviction, the rule is based on the wisdom that leaders e at the Pontifical Council for Interre- our fellow men and women, for the quick implemented, and reasons for not shipping, manufacturing and energy sec- obtain from their people, due to which their decisions are Wligious Dialogue are glad to offer you response and generous solidarity shown by implementing some of such ver- tors. The official said the Biden adminis- clear and unambiguous. our fraternal good wishes for a month rich in believers and also persons of good will with dicts. tration is still determining which of those The clarity of such decisions spares the state from a lot divine blessings and spiritual advancement. no religious affiliation in times of disaster, See Also Page 5 were legitimately related to terrorism and of negative effects, and prevents misinterpretations made human rights. Fasting, along with prayer, almsgiving and whether natural or man-made, like conflicts KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s Min- by those who get affected by them. other pious practices, brings us closer to and wars. All these persons and their good- The official said there is not yet any In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for example, we see istry of Health has announced God our Creator and to all those with whom ness remind us believers that the spirit of recording 1,439 new coronavirus sanctions relief agreement between Iran, royal decrees that do not accept misinterpretations, and no we live and work, and helps us to continue fraternity is universal, and that it transcends infections and 14 related deaths the US or other parties in the indirect ne- one would dare to alter or circumvent such decrees. walking together on the path of fraternity. all boundaries: ethnic, religious, social and in the past 24 hours. gotiations taking place in Vienna on re- This also applies to the most democratic countries in the The new fi gures take the total viving the nuclear deal. Those talks are During these long months of suffering, economic. In adopting this spirit, we imi- in recess but are expected to resume next world, where the top concern of the ruler is to stay close to anguish and sorrow, especially during the tate God, who looks benevolently upon the cases in the country up to 261,307 the people. He therefore chooses competent advisors who and deaths to 1,482 respectively, week. The official would not give a time- lockdown periods, we sensed our need for humanity he created, upon all other crea- noted the ministry’s spokesman frame on when the talks might conclude. present the facts to him without sugarcoating. divine assistance, but also for expressions tures and upon the entire universe. This is Such advisors know that their interest is the national Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad in state- and gestures of fraternal solidarity: a tele- why the growing care and concern for the ments to KUNA on Wednesday. Removal interest and not the other way around. Any defect in the phone call, a message of support and com- decision means undermining the state internally, or even planet, our “common home”, is, according He pointed out that some 1,354 Iran is demanding the removal of all causing a popular uprising. In order to avoid this, they work fort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope. more people had been cured of sanctions that the Trump administra- food, advice, and, to put it simply, the se- We are also aware that hope has its en- the virus over the past day, rais- tion imposed on it following its with- with sincerity because it is the basis of loyalty to the home- ing the total of those who have land. That is why their countries develop and their democ- curity of knowing that someone is always emies: lack of faith in God’s love and care; drawal from the agreement known as the there for us in times of necessity. loss of trust in our brothers and sisters; pes- overcome the disease to 244,410. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or racies continue in strength. He added that the number of JCPOA. The Biden administration has The divine assistance that we need and simism; despair and its opposite, unfounded people hospitalized with the vi- Email: [email protected] seek, especially in circumstances like those presumption; unfair generalizations based said it will only lift sanctions if Iran re- rus currently stands at 15,415, turns to compliance with the restrictions Follow me on: of the current pandemic, is manifold: God’s on one’s own negative experiences, and so with 233 of them in intensive mercy, pardon, providence and other spiri- forth. These harmful thoughts, attitudes and care units. the agreement placed on its nuclear ac- tual and material gifts. Yet, what we need reactions must be effectively countered, so Al-Sanad revealed that some tivities. most in these times, is hope. At this time, as to strengthen hope in God and trust in all 9,563 swab tests were conducted The official said no decision had been over the last day, bringing the to- made on the sequencing of either side’s [email protected] then, we think it fitting to share with you our brothers and sisters. moves but stressed that a situation in some reflections on this virtue. In his recent Encyclical Letter Fratelli tal to 2,246,134. (KUNA) ❑ ❑ ❑ which the US removes its sanctions be- As we are aware, hope, while certainly tutti, Pope Francis speaks frequently of fore Iran takes any action to resume its including optimism, goes beyond it. While hope. There he tells us: “I invite everyone KUWAIT CITY: What is seen as compliance would be “unacceptable.” Authorities raise scrutiny optimism is a human attitude, hope has its to renewed hope, ‘for hope speaks to us of a unique achievement and a new State Department spokesman Ned Price basis in something religious: God loves something deeply rooted in every human precedent, a specialist in Endodon- said earlier Wednesday that the talks had us, and therefore cares for us through his heart, independently of our circumstances tic at the Farwaniya Specialized produced “some signs of progress.” But, providence. He does this in his own myste- and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to Center, Dr Muhammad Al-Anzi, has obtained a patent for a tool for he cautioned that “we probably have a Red-flag accounts eyed rious ways, which are not always compre- us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a treating dental nerve and roots from longer road ahead of us than we do in the hensible to us. In these situations, we are life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great the United States Patent Offi ce. rearview mirror at this point. And that is KUWAIT CITY, April 22: According to informed sources, the con- like children who are certain of the loving things, things that fill our heart and lift our Dr Al-Enazi is the fi rst dentist because of the inherent challenges in this cerned authorities in the country have been monitoring and follow- care of their parents, but are not yet able to spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness specializing in nerve treatment to process. And many of those challenges, at ing up the bank accounts of citizens and residents that have been red comprehend its full extent. and beauty, justice and love... and it can obtain this achievement, as no doc- least, are not going away.” flagged for violating the controls and requirements regulating the fun- Hope arises from our belief that all our open us up to grand ideals that make life tor specializing in nerve treatment The talks in Vienna broke on Tuesday draising process, in order to ensure donation funds are not received, problems and trials have a meaning, a value more beautiful and worthwhile’ (cf. Gaud- in Kuwait has obtained a patent with delegates from Russia and Iran re- reports Aljarida daily. and a purpose, however difficult or impos- ium et spes, 1). Let us continue, then, to from the United States of America. porting limited progress. They explained that necessary legal measures will be taken in case sible it may be for us to understand the rea- advance along the paths of hope” (No. 55). It is worth noting that the in- Russia’s representative Mikhail Uly- vention that the tool is a precise anov said after a meeting of the deal’s it is proven that these accounts receive donation funds in violation of son for them or to find a way out of them. We, Christians and Muslims, are called machine that avoids the problem article 1 of law No. 59/1959, issued in connection with collection of so-called Joint Commission of senior Hope also carries with it belief in the to be bearers of hope, for the present life which the dentists faced in some officials from France, Germany, Britain, money for public purposes. goodness present in the heart of every per- and for the life to come, and to be witness- root canal treatments, since the The aim of this procedure is to protect donations from violating col- China and Iran that they had noted “with son. Many tunes, in situations of difficulty es, restorers and builders of this hope, es- treatment was done through a satisfaction the progress in negotiations lection operations, and to ensure they are disbursed to those who are and despair, help, and the hope it brings, can pecially for those experiencing difficulties primitive manner for treating entitled through their legitimate banks, through Sharia methods, and to restore the nuclear deal.” come from those whom we least expect. and despair. some complex cases. Meanwhile, Iran’s delegate, Deputy the legal frameworks that regulate it. Human fraternity, in its numerous mani- As a sign of our spiritual fraternity, we In other news, member of the The aforementioned article stipulates that “Individuals or groups Board of the Directors and the Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, also festations, thus becomes a source of hope assure you of our prayer, and we send best sounded a positive note, telling Iran’s of- may not collect donations from the public by any means for the purpose Executive Committee of the Na- for all, especially for those in any kind of wishes for a peaceful and fruitful Ramadan, tional Cancer Awareness Cam- ficial IRNA news agency that the talks of spending them in any aspect related to charity or public benefit or for were “moving forward despite difficulties helping the afflicted in Kuwait or in the sisterly Arab countries or any need. Thanks be to God our Creator, and to and for a joyful ‘Id al-Fitr. paign, Dr. Hessa Al-Shaheen, spoke on the continuity of coop- and challenges.” other civil works, except after obtaining a license in advance from the From the Vatican, 29 March 2021 Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs at least one month before the eration with Kuwait TV during Miguel Angel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ Ramadan by presenting the pro- start of the collection process. The duration, method and purpose of the gram ‘It is possible in Ramadan’ Ramadan Timings collection must be specified”. President for the tenth consecutive year. According to the decisions and regulations governing charitable This year it is shown on the ‘Stay Iftar ...... Friday...... 18:20 work, any expatriate involved in violating the collection process will Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage at home’ program daily at 10:50 Imsak ...... Saturday ...... 03:39 be deported. If the offender is a citizen, he must sign a declaration and pm, presented by Wajd Al-Oth- Iftar ...... Saturday ...... 18:20 pledge not to repeat the violation. Secretary man. (AP) Imsak ...... Sunday ...... 03:37 ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 2

Satellite image of a forced labor camp in Xinjiang, China. (Source: International Cyber Policy Centre, Australian Strategic Policy Institute) Beijing keen to reorient global economy Dealing with China can be complicated

By Charles Burton

n the Middle East and North Africa, there is increasing interest in interest of the PRC as determined by the Chinese Communist of forced labour there. Immediately, all of China’s on-line retailers Icollaborating with Chinese enterprises in investment and devel- Party’s plans for the PRC’s expansion of its national power at removed H&M outlets from its websites, all Chinese cell phones opment of infrastructure. China is also keen to reorient the global home and abroad. The PRC regime is an integrated Party-state- removed the H&M app from its app store and H&M outlets in Chi- economy to place China at the centre of world commerce through military-security-industrial complex in which, as founding Chair- na disappeared from on-line maps, search results for H&M return its Belt and Road Initiative. The “Belt” is short for the “Silk Road man Mao Zedong put it, “Party, government, military, civilian, a “not found” message. H&M was denounced for “eating China’s Economic Belt,” the proposed network of overland routes for road and academic; east, west, south, north, and centre, the Party leads food while smashing its bowls.” The message was obvious that un- and rail transportation. The “Road” is the “21st Century Maritime everything.” This principle has been explicitly re-emphasized by less H&M renounced its rejection of Xinjiang cotton, it would be Silk Road” a network of ports and related installations throughout current Party General Secretary Xi Jinping and codifi ed in the forever banned from the large and lucrative Chinese market. the world even including the polar Arctic (“the Polar Silk Road”). Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party. Similarly, China is applying diplomatic and economic coer- These belts and roads all ultimately lead to and end in China. So, a Chinese enterprise like Huawei receives generous Chinese cion in an attempt to force Canada to choose between the con- In recent years China has signed documents on Belt and Road state subsidies which allows Huawei to underbid its competitors to fl icting demands of the United States and of China on Canada. Cooperation with 19 Middle Eastern countries. Besides establish- install telecommunications software and equipment in most of the In August 2018, the United States issued a warrant for the arrest ing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with authorized capi- countries of the world. But in return, the Chinese state gains the ca- of the Chief Financial Offi cer of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou. Ms. tal of $100 billion, 75% of which comes from Asia and Oceania, pability to the purloin data passing through the Huawei kit to serve Meng is charged with committing bank fraud by providing false China has become the largest bilateral lender in the world. The intelligence purposes and the capability to do software updates to information to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. Despite being terms of the bilateral loans are negotiated in secret, often secured install kill switches in networks controlling key infrastructure. In fully aware that there is a highly active extradition treaty between by assets including infrastructure, such as rights to a mine or port. return, Huawei can benefi t from Chinese military intelligence ca- Canada and the United State, she travelled to Canada anyway. On The terms of China’s state lending have less pability to get critical information on competi- arrival in Canada, Ms. Meng was onerous safeguards against offi cial corrup- tors’ research and development and on project detained at the Vancouver Air- tion than loans from the World Bank. While bids. port in response to the inevitable too often the projects prove to lack economic The effi ciency of the integrated Party-state- US extradition request. The PRC feasibility, they do enable development of military-security-industrial complex to coordi- Embassy in Ottawa immediately prestigious showplaces for autocratic regimes. nate its response to assert and defend China’s issued a strong protest to the Typically, the cash input ends up enriching the economic and political interests is impressive. Government of Canada over this. families and cronies of non-democratic strong When the EU, UK, US and Canada sanctioned The Chinese Government was man leaders. four PRC offi cials complicit in genocidal poli- shocked that Canada would dare This has led to accusations that China is cies toward China’s Uyghur Muslim ethnic to arrest a senior member of the engaging in “debt trap diplomacy” by inten- Charles Burton minority, the EU and the 3 allied countries also Chinese Communist “red nobil- tionally extending excessive credit to a debtor jointly sanctioned the Xinjiang Production and ity.” Their expectation was that country with the intention of extracting economic or political con- Construction Corps. The reason for this was that the Xinjiang Pro- Canada’s close engagement with the PRC would take priority over cessions from the debtor country when it becomes unable to honor duction and Construction Corps, a quasi-military Chinese State in- a treaty obligation to the US. its debt obligations. For example, Sri Lanka’s President from 2005 stitution, uses Uyghur forced labour to pick cotton in its massive Subsequently, the PRC engaged in diplomatic and economic co- to 2015, Mahinda Rajapaksa, obtained major loans and extensive farms. Shortly thereafter, the PRC authorities retaliated against ercion to force Ms. Meng’s release. A Canadian diplomat on leave assistance for an ambitious port project from his Chinese allies, Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M), a Swedish multinational clothing- in China was taken away by the Chinese Ministry of State Security even though feasibility studies said that the massive port project retail company, because H&M in March 2020 posted a statement to a secret detention facility in Beijing and a Canadian entrepreneur would not work. The project was undertaken by the China Har- on its website that it would stop buying cotton grown in Xinjiang. travelling from Pyongyang to Seoul was detained while in transit bor Engineering Company, one of Beijing’s largest state-owned The Swedish retailer said it was “deeply concerned” about reports through Dandong on the Korean border with China and sent to a enterprises. The Hambantota Port Development Project failed, as Cases of coercive diplomacy used by the CCP against foreign similar detention facility there. Both have been held in Chinese predicted. With tens of thousands of ships passing by along one governments, by category custody ever since. China has mostly denied Canadian diplomats of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the port drew only 34 ships consular access to the two men in gross violation of consular con- in 2012. After Mr. Rajapaksa was voted out of offi ce in 2015, Sri ventions. Lanka’s new government struggled to make payments on the enor- Then, China banned import of Canadian canola seeds and other mous Chinese debt Rajapaksa had taken on. Under heavy pressure Canadian agricultural commodities on spurious false grounds that and after months of negotiations, the Sri Lankan government es- the Canadian shipments were contaminated. The canola seeds were sentially had no choice but to lease over the port and 15,000 acres a $3 billion dollar annual trade. Finally, the PRC refused to release of land around it to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for 99 to Canada the Canada-China jointly developed CanSino vaccine years from December 2018. The transfer gave China control of that was proven effective against COVID-19, with no explanation. territory just a few hundred miles off the shores of its geostrategic This withholding of the key serum resulted in Canada having to rival, India, and China now has a tactical foothold along a critical cancel construction of a $44 million facility to manufacture this commercial and military waterway. vaccine in Canada. This Chinese retaliatory action over the matter But for even nations that are not beholden to China through of the Huawei CFO’s detention has led to unnecessary tragic loss debt, the integrated nature of the Chinese régime can lead to ex- of life, particularly of elderly seniors in Canada. posure of forms of political and economic coercion as part and So it is evident that the People’s Republic of China is not a parcel of engagement with any PRC enterprise. Whether a Chi- trustworthy business partner. China’s promise of win-win strate- nese business partner is identifi ed as a state or non-state enter- gic partnerships has proven to be unsustainable in the longer term. prise, they all have Chinese Communist Party branches at the Larger PRC state agendas always trump reciprocal and fair con- top of their corporate structure. The Communist Party leaders of Documented cases of the Chinese government’s use of coercive tractual arrangements. There is no independent justice in China each enterprise ensure that the enterprise prioritizes Party direc- diplomacy against other countries. (Source Australian Strategic that a wronged foreign partner can turn to for legal recourse. tion from Beijing over profi t. All enterprises serve the overall Policy Institute, 2020) Dealing with China can be complicated and hazardous.

editor’s choice ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 3

Weather Expected weather for next 24 hrs: light to moderate south easterly Abdaly 41 20 Prayer Timings By Day: Hot with light variable wind to light variable wind with Jahra 42 22 Fajr ...... 03:51 Asr ...... 15:22 wind to light to moderate south speeds of 06-30 km/h and some Salmiyah 33 24 Sunrise .. 05:15 Maghrib .. 18:20 easterly wind with speeds of 08- scattered clouds will appear. Ahmadi 32 24 Zohr ...... 11:47 Isha ...... 19:40 32 km/h and some scattered Station Max Exp Min Rec Nuwaisib 42 20 clouds will appear. Kuwait City 36 24 Wafra 42 20 By Night: Rather hot to fair with Kuwait Airport 40 21 Salmy 41 21

VACCINE REGISTRATION WEBSITE: https://cov19vaccine.moh.gov.kw/SPCMS/CVD_19_Vaccine_Registration.aspx

Boubyan Bank scales 9 fils, Humansoft Holding dips Kuwait wraps up week with modest gains, volume shrinks By John Mathews in 2 fils with a volume of over 10 million half way into the session. It bounced back into was flat at 114 fils. International Financial whereas KIPCO dialed down 2 fils to settle green in choppy trade and a buying spurt in fi - Advisors was unchanged at 106 fils and ▲ UUS$/KDS$/KD 0.30105/150.30105/15 Arab Times Staff at 163 fils. Kuwait Investment Co paced 10 nal minutes helped it close with modest gains. KMEFIC too did not budge from its ear- KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Kuwait stocks crept fils on back of 5.7 million shares and Noor Top gainer of the day, UPAC rallied 11.97 lier close of 144 fils. Coast Investment was ▲ Euro/KD 0.3628 higher on Thursday to wind up the week on a Financial Investment Co was up 6 fils at 249 pct to 262 fi ls and Asiya sprinted 11.50 per- up 3.7 fils at 49.1 fils and Arzan Financial positive note. The All Shares Index rose 10.34 fils. cent to stand close behind. Al Aqaria skidded Group added 2 fils. ▲ Yen/KD 0.0028 pts in choppy trade to 6028.97 points following Zain dialed up 2 fi ls on back of 1.3 million 4.8 percent, the steepest decliner of the day and Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) edged 0.3 last session’s tame fi nish. shares and Ooredoo followed suit to end at 646 Al Tijaria topped the volume with 20.5 million fi l up to 92.4 fi ls on back of 5.4 million shares ▼ British £/KD 0.4188 The Premier Market climbed 6.16 points to fi ls. stc climbed 5 fi ls to 900 fi ls whereas logis- shares. and Gulf Investment House paced 8 fi ls after 6,590.26 pts pushing the month’s gains to 266 tics major Agility skidded 10 fi ls 767 fi ls. Hu- Mirroring the day’s gains, the winners out- pushing 6.3 million shares. Bayan Investment ▲ Indian Rs/KD 0.0040 points while Main Market scaled 20.45 points. mansoft Holding dropped 14 fi ls to KD 3.820 numbered the losers. 67 stocks advanced and trimmed 0.3 fi l whereas Osoul Investment and The BK Main 50 climbed 18.42 pts to 5103.38 and Mezzan Holding ticked 1 fi l up. Boursa 49 closed lower. Of the 138 counters active on Unicap dialed up 1 fi l each. KFIC and Al Deera ■ Philippines Peso/KD 0.0062 points. The volume turnover meanwhile slipped Kuwait Securities tripped 1 fi ls and Integrated Thursday, 22 closed fl at. 12.742 deals worth Holding paused at 100 fi ls and 195 fi ls respec- below the 400 million mark. Over 351 million Holding gave up 2 fi ls to close at 423 fi ls. Ma- KD 45.5 million were transacted during the tively. shares changed hands – down 13 pct from the banee Co slipped 5 fi ls. session. Al Ahleia Insurance slipped 4 fi ls to 510 fi ls ▲ FTSE +13.06 pts at 13:20 hr, April 22 day before. National Industries Group eased 1 fi l to 213 In the banking sector, Kuwait Finance House whereas Warba Insurance was unchanged at The sectors closed mostly in green turf. Con- fi ls after moving 1.3 million shares whereas eased 1 fi l to 729 fi ls after pushing 5.4 million 118 fi ls. United Real Estate climbed 4.9 fi ls to ▲ Nikkei sumer Discretionary outperformed the rest with Gulf Cable darted 6 fi ls north. Boubyan Pet- shares and Kuwait International Bank followed 56 fi ls whereas NREC gave up 4 fi ls. Salhia +679.62 pts at closing April 22 0.83 pct gain whereas Technology shed 2.96 rochemical Co stood pat at 950 fi ls while Al suit to close at 210 fi ls with brisk trading. Bur- Real Estate stalled at 530 fi ls. percent, the biggest loser of the day. Volume Qurain Petrochemical Co scaled 8 fi ls on back gan Bank took 1 fi l. Kuwait Cement Co clipped 2 fi ls and Kuwait ▲ Gold 1781.05 per oz (London) wise, Financial Services continued to top the of over 1 million shares. Jazeera Airways took Warba Bank added 2 fi ls and Ahli United Portland Cement tripped 1 fi l to close at 892 volume with 127 million shares and Banking in 1 fi ls and ALAFCO was up 5 fi ls at 217 Bank BSC held ground at 214 fi ls after push- fi ls. Metal and Recycling Co erased 1 fi l and sector dominated in value with KD 15.6 mil- fi ls after pushing over 3 million shares. Aznour ing 13.5 million shares. Commercial Bank and Educational Holding skidded 17 fi ls. ▼ NYMEX crude $61.03 per barrel lion. paused at 267 fi ls. Al Ahli Bank paused at 500 fi ls and 201 fi ls The market was largely during the week. In the individual shares, sector bellwether The market opened steady and edged higher respectively whereas Ahli United Bank Kuwait The main index closed higher in three of the ▼ Brent crude $64.98 per barrel National Bank of Kuwait was unchanged at in early trade. The main index seesawed be- dialed up 2 fi ls. fi ve sessions scaling 75 pts in last four ses- 828 fils after pushing 2.6 million shares and tween small gains and losses before plumbing National Investment Co inched 1 fil high- sions. It has rallied 252 points from start of the LIBOR rate 0.18375% Boubyan Bank scaled 9 fils. Gulf Bank took the day’s lowest level of 6017 points almost er to 192 fils whereas Al Imtiaz Investment month and is up 482 points year-to-date. Thousands vaccinated, no ‘side effects’ so far IMVU caters to staff, workers

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi nate workers in hospitals and the Al-Sabah health area on February 21 until now. Al-Seyassah Staff She explained the daily capacity for vac- KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The cination in the unit reaches 500 people, but it ranges between 100 and 400 people de- Public Health Services Depart- pending on the availability of the vaccina- ment in the Al-Sabah Special- tions. ized Health District is racing She revealed the Director of Al-Sabah Specialized Medical District, Dr. Ahmed against time and has vaccinat- Al-Shatti and the Department of Public ed more than 18,000 medical Health Services in the region have writ- and administrative staff affili- ten to the Ministry of Health to increase the number of vaccinations allocated to ated to the region, representing the Islamic Medicine Vaccination Unit, a third of the medical and tech- as it serves the largest number of medi- nical personnel in all health cal and nursing staff in all health districts, equivalent to one-third of the number districts. of employees in the health districts as a The Al-Seyassah daily visited the whole, and hopes the Ministry will meet vaccination unit for doctors, nurses, and the needs of the unit. workers at the Islamic Medicine Center Regarding the mechanism of work within in the region, and met with the head of the unit, Al-Qabandi said registration on the KUNA photo the Public Health Services Department electronic platform is the first step, and as His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah visits the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) command. soon as the nurses or employees and work- in the region, Dr. Samira al-Qabandi, ers wishing to be vaccinated arrive at the who ushered in the visitors so that they center, the specialized team in the ‘Ask Me’ can closely examine the mechanism of program records the data electronically, then HH the PM lauds KNG’s role in pandemic work and to learn more about the im- transfers them to the preventive health doc- munization movement of medical and tors to know the medical history and other technical personnel. data and health inquiries, and after complet- Infections not linked to phenomenon Fire Dept commended At the outset of the meeting, Al-Qabandi in- ing this step, the person is transferred to the dicated that the Islamic Medicine Vaccination vaccination room. Unit (IMVU) provided services to more than She added that after receiving the vaccine, KUWAIT CITY, April 22, (KUNA): His Highness the 18,000 medical and administrative staff, since the vaccinated person has to remains put at Virus continues to mutate despite Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- the region includes 30 specialized centers and the center for 15 minutes in the observation Sabah has commended the National Guard’s high effi- hospitals, in addition to many service compa- room in anticipation of any emergency side ciency and capabilities which were clear in its contri- nies such as cleaning and catering companies effects as a result of receiving the vaccina- increase in vaccination campaign butions to the government response to the coronavirus and those working on the construction projects tion, and after the expiration of the period pandemic. in the health district who are estimated to be in and ensuring the person’s safety, the person KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Campaigns are India showed an increase in the E484Q and The current health crisis has proven the huge and di- thousands. leaves the unit. ongoing to vaccinate the target population L452R mutations in a section of these sam- verse potential of the National Guard forces who were of a She explained the unit also serves more She indicated the unit includes five vacci- against coronavirus, but the virus continues ples, compared to the rate of increase in De- great help to the government from day one, His Highness than 19 central departments, in addition to nation rooms, staffed by more than 15 male to mutate causing concern in various coun- cember last year. It also clarifi ed that there is the Premier said in a speech during a visit to the General the Ministry of Health employees, which and female nurses, in addition to preventive tries that have been taking additional mea- no relationship between the new mutations means that the Islamic Medicine Unit serves and internal health doctors and paramedics sures to curb its spread, reports Al-Rai daily. and the high rate of infections in India. Command of the National Guard on Wednesday. He spoke highly about the National Guard’s backing the largest number of visitors at the level of as well, as there is an ambulance near the After discovering a number of covid vari- In a related development, the British all health districts. Islamic Medicine Center to transport emer- ants -- most notably the UK, South African health authorities issued a statement on to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense in enforcing the coronavirus lockdowns and curfews and in Dr Al-Qabandi indicated about 5 thou- gency cases to the Al-Sabah Hospital, and and Brazilian variants, researchers recently Thursday announcing the discovery of doz- sand people have been vaccinated since confirmed the unit has not registered any announced a new strain called ‘double mu- ens of infections with the new strain of the isolating coronavirus hotspots in the country. the beginning of the campaign to vacci- emergency cases until now. tant’ which emerged in India. It is a combi- virus which emerged for the fi rst time in He also lauded the National Guard role in helping set- nation of two variants and believed to have India. ting up fi eld hospitals and quarantine camps as well as played a signifi cant role in the remarkable Professor at New York Medical Univer- securing the important state facilities. increase in the number of corona cases in sity and President of St. Joseph University His Highness the Premier also expressed pride of the Over 1.5mn people use ‘My Identity’ India in the last few weeks. Hospital Dr Bob Lahita said that coronavi- National Guard march of building and development under its general commander Sheikh Salam Al-Ali Al-Salam By Muhammad Ghanem government agencies with My Identity reaps While many researchers and scientists in rus mutations have been expected since the its fruits of this application because it has India are conducting studies and investiga- beginning of the outbreak. He explained that Al-Sabah. Al-Seyassah Staff He also conveyed greetings of His Highness the Amir proved its effectiveness which proves the tions to monitor the effect of coronavirus some viruses “mutate several times a year, KUWAIT CITY, April 22: In conjunction Authority’s success in fi nding a digital al- including the infl uenza virus; and multiple Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His vaccines, particularly their effectiveness with the issuance of Law No. 3 of 2021 ternative to the civil ID that is safe and certi- in eradicating the new strain, the Indian mutations may change covid-19 for it is one Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad to defer loan payments for six months for fi ed and can be used in all government and government announced that analysis of of the endemic diseases, which means it will Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the National Guard forces. private agencies. samples collected from Maharashtra, West require a new vaccine every year.” those who opt to, the Director-General of His Highness the Prime Minister has also commended the Public Authority for Civil Information He added that, after one year of issuing the Kuwait Fire Force’s professionalism, quick response (PACI), Musaed Al-Asousi, announced the My Identity application, the number of Decision to cut engineers salary rapped to emergencies and contribution to the government re- more than 40,000 people used the ‘My users has reached more than 1.5 million, as sponse to coronavirus pandemic. Identity’ facility within two days to re- it greatly contributes to facilitate the imple- The KFF is reaping the fruit of its well-studied plans By Fares Al-Abdan He said this happens when the CSC ap- quest postponement of the payment. mentation and use of many services provid- provesg allowances for other professions at the and continued training of personnel, said High Highness Al-Asousi said the electronic linking of ed by government and private institutions. Al-Seyassah Staff same work sites. the Premier in a speech during a visit to the KFF com- KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The head of the He pointed out that the Bureau’s violation is mand on Wednesday. Kuwaiti Society of Engineers, Engineer Faisal not only against the Cabinet’s decision not to He expressed pride of the KFF’s rapid response to Al-Atal, criticized the Civil Service Com- touch the salaries and allowances of employ- emergencies as well as the steady improvement in the mission’s decision to cut citizens’ salaries ees, but rather it contradicts its own decision it efficiency of its personnel and the capabilities of its and allowances during the corona pandemic, issued vide a circular mandating gradual return equipment. especially when the engineers are committed to work under the current circumstances. His Highness the Premier thanked the KFF for their to respect the government instructions and de- He added such decisions infl ict great harm support to the government since the start of the pandemic. cisions and called on HH the Prime Minister on the engineers and their families and their In this regard, he highlighted the KFF’s role in help- Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled to stop the CSC’s obligations that increase day after day in light ing the health ministry deliver drugs to patients during the tampering with the livelihood of Kuwaiti en- curfew time. gineers. of the living conditions. He said, “We are fully confi dent that HH the His Highness the Prime Minister conveyed greetings of Al-Atl said in a press statement the last thing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Ja- that the CSC has done is to request the minis- Prime Minister and the government will refuse tries to stop the site allowance for engineers to infl ict fi nancial harm on all citizens, and par- ber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh who perform their work to the fullest and abide ticularly the engineers who are an important Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the KFF leaders by all the administrative decisions that direct segment in terms of people called ‘frontline and personnel on the occasion of the holy fasting month them to their various government work sites. workers’. of Ramadan. Kuwait jumps four notches in press freedom index KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Kuwait climbed four It shows that journalism faces huge obstacles On the other hand, Norway ranked first interna- notches in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index in 73 countries while it is under restrictions in tionally for the fifth year in a row despite the fact released by Reporters Without Borders recently, 59 countries out of 73 percent of the countries that the media in this country faced some diffi- ranking 105th among 180 countries, reports Al- evaluated. culties in accessing public information due to the Rai daily. In the Arab world, Tunisia ranked first covid-19 pandemic. In the Gulf, Kuwait came first, followed by and 73rd internationally, followed by Co- Finland maintained its position in second place Qatar which ranked 128th in the world, the moros which ranked 84th, Mauritania at 94th, and Sweden regained the third place, which it lost United Arab Emirates (UAE) which ranked Lebanon at 107th, Jordan at 129th, Palestine last year to Denmark. 131st, Oman which ranked 133rd, Bahrain at 132nd, Morocco at 136th, South Sudan at The 2021 version of the classification shows which ranked 168th and Saudi Arabia which 139th, Algeria at 146th, Sudan at 159th, Iraq dominance of northern European countries in ranked 170th. at 163rd, Libya at 165th, Egypt at 166th, Ye- terms of press freedom, where the practice of the The World Press Freedom Index is an assess- men at 169th, Syria at 173rd and Djibouti at profession is considered ideal or at least very sat- ment of the media situation in 180 countries. 176th. isfactory. ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 LOCAL 4

Finance Minister Hamadah participates in GCC talks Foreign minister receives call from his Moroccan counterpart KUWAIT CITY, April 22, (KUNA): Kuwait’s al issues and challenges, latest developments on lated to the mechanism of handling inquiries, Foreign Minister, Minister of State for Cabinet the regional and international arenas. observations, complaints and suggestions of Affairs, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Moham- Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Minister of Finance the common Gulf market, which will help in mad Al-Sabah, received on Wednesday a call and Minister of State for Economic Affairs developing the work of the market committee via the audio-visual technology from his Moroc- and Investment Khalifa Hamadah participated in the future. can counterpart, Nasser Bourita. Wednesday online in the GCC 113th meeting of Finance ministers stressed during the meet- The ministers, in the telephone contact, ad- Financial and Economic Cooperation Commit- ing on increasing coordination, cooperation and dressed the historic bonds between the two tee at ministerial level. strengthening ties between GCC member states brotherly countries and peoples and means of In a statement, Ministry of Finance said in all fi elds, especially the economic and devel- cementing these ties further. topics related to Gulf work were discussed in opmental aspects, in addition to achieving eco- The conversation also tackled various region- addition to launching electronic window re- nomic integration by 2025.

KUNA photo Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser during the audio-visual call from his Moroccan coun- Corona costs State KD 538m a year in terpart. supporting nationals in private sector

‘Two out of every hundred Covid cases need hospitalization’

KUWAIT CITY, April Dr Al-Dhafiri examines premature triplets 22: A government study about the impli- Retinopathy Program for Premature Babies launched cations of the corona crisis on the labor mar- By Marwa Al-Bahrawi ket revealed that the Al-Seyassah Staff MoC issues commemorative stamp annual cost of support- KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Consultant ing nationals working Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Head of the By Muhammad Ghanem returning to the homeland. The ministry added the stamp in the private sector is Retinopathy Screening Program for Pre- Al-Seyassah Staff mature Babies at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hos- also includes a picture of the gate about KD 538 million – Indian ambassador speaking at the event. of the third Kuwaiti wall, which pital, Dr Yusef Al-Dhafi ri, inaugurated KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The approximately KD 44.8 the Retinopathy Program for Premature expresses the protection of Ku- Ministry of Communications has wait and its people from external million per month, re- Covid-19 pandemic and ICWF assistance Babies at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital by issued a postal stamp under the examining premature triplets born to a danger, and pictures of National ports Al-Rai daily. title ‘Kuwait Fights Coronavirus Guard personnel, the police, the mother who was infected with the Co- Pandemic’ in cooperation with According to the study, rona virus in a stable condition. army, medical and health person- the Ministry’s Postal Sector and nel, and the Kuwaiti Red Crescent a total of 71,800 nationals Indian Embassy organizes The inauguration ceremony was at- the Kuwaiti Philatelic Society for tended by Dr Ahmed Al-Foudary, head to document their great role during are employed in the pri- Stamps and Currency to document the confrontation of this pandemic. of the Ophthalmology Department, this important global and historical vate sector or 4.1 percent and Dr Fawaz Al-Baghli, head of the The ministry stated the stamp Open House at auditorium event in human life. was designed by a member of of the total workforce in Premature Babies Department The ministry said in a press KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The In- lost their jobs and those who did not The head of the nursing staff in the de- the Kuwaiti Society of Stamps this sector. statement the stamp has a picture and Currency Hobbyists, Jaber The study showed that 79.4 dian Embassy in Kuwait held a virtual get their indemnities; preparation of partment, Professor Amora Abu Haykal, of the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- and the retinopathy survey team of pre- Abdel-Ali Al-Hendal, during this percent of the total cost men- Open House at the Embassy audito- an updated database of Indians who Ahmad, may God have mercy on month and has become available tioned above – KD 35.6 mil- rium under the central themes ‘Cov- are stranded in India and are facing mature infants, ophthalmologists, Dr him, and a picture of a Kuwait Air- Amr Bakr and Dr Walaa Abdel Momen to everyone. The 50,000 stamps lion per month – is spent on id-19 pandemic’ and Indian Commu- difficulties due to lost jobs, expiry ways aircraft, showing Kuwaitis that have been printed are in the nity Welfare Fund (ICWF) assistance. of residencies, inability to pay rent, also attended the ceremony. being evacuated from abroad and denomination of 150 fi ls. registered national workers Dr Al-Dhafi ri said the retinopathy dis- under Chapter Three, while In his opening remarks, the Indian close family members stranded in ease affects premature infants to varying about KD 9.2 million per Ambassador to Kuwait said one of India, non-payment of indemnities degrees, and there is a small percentage side of the eye and enables us to see, the eye, as well as special tools to ex- month or 20.6 percent is spent the themes of the Open House is Co- and other benefits etc. The database of them who need therapeutic interven- and premature retinopathy – a disease amine the retina. on those under Chapter Five. vid-19 pandemic because “it is the will be shared with the Kuwaiti au- tion, but the seriousness of the disease that affects the blood vessels in the Head of the Department of Ophthal- single most important issue that all of thorities with a request for interven- lies in the fact that the child does not retina and may cause bleeding or de- mology, Dr Ahmed Al-Foudary, ex- As for the wage categories, majority of the workers un- us including our Indian community tion. show any symptoms except at a late stage tachment of the retina and optic nerve plained the administration of Jaber Al- face today”. of the disease, so the initiative to examine atrophy in the eyes. Ahmad Hospital has requested the latest der Chapter Three belong to Tele consultations the KD 480 wage category – “The Covid-19 situation continues the premature child at an early stage and He stated the retina is examined for device for retinal imaging, RetCam, to be worrisome everywhere includ- This is in addition to Free Tele con- periodically is very necessary to avoid premature babies while the premature which documents the condition of the around 27,500 or 48 percent sultations by our Medical Doctors; Food any complications. baby is in the hospital, after about 4 to eye digitally and helps to follow it more of the total number of work- ing in India and Kuwait. We need to remain cautious and in spite of all this Distribution at the Indian Community In turn, the head of the premature 6 weeks after birth. accurately, and by the end of the exami- ers under this chapter; while Support Group (ICSG) that the Embassy babies department at the hospital, Dr The examination is done by an oph- nation, the degree of morbidity is deter- 26,500 or 46.2 percent belong we continue to monitor the situation, continue to take all precautions and set up last year; Special Counters at the Fawaz Al-Baghli, stated that the retina thalmologist in the intensive, using mined. Children with advanced disease to the less than KD 359 wage Embassy for Registration for Vaccina- is the sensitive tissue that lines the in- drops to dilate the pupil, anesthetize need ‘laser’ treatment, he said. category. continue the public service. “Our effort is to ensure that we tion and Vaccine Registration Campaign On the distribution of na- should not close down or slow down by various associations even for those tional workers according to the work of the Embassy, its com- who do not have the civil IDs; Legal the sectors of the main oc- munity welfare activities, its consular Assistance for those in need; Medical cupations and registration in services both at the Embassy and at Assistance for those in need; Covid 19 the Public Institution for So- the three centers in Sharq, Fahaheel Awareness campaign in coordination cial Insurance, the available and Abbasiya.” with Indian Doctors Forum and various data indicate that the num- associations. ber of national workers reg- Feedback The Embassy continues to extend istered under Chapter Three The ambassador called on Indians assistance to those who need medi- is about 57,300 or 79.8 per- to continue to use the multi-lingual cal support. Many are availing these cent of the total number of feedback forms which are found at services. The ambassador called on nationals working in the pri- the embassy premises and at the three the Indian community in Kuwait to vate sector; while those reg- passport centers, saying, “These feed- come forward and avail this support istered under Chapter Five back forms make a difference for us and all other facilities provided by the reached 14,500. to help monitor the quality of ser- embassy. Employed vices. We acknowledge the receipt of On the CBSE examinations and all feedback responses received in the other examinations like JEE, NEET Around 39.3 percent of Ku- mission.” etc. “We will continue to follow up waitis employed in the private Speaking of the second topic with authorities on each of these ex- sector are in wholesale and -- the Indian Community Welfare aminations, depending on the evolv- retail trade, restaurants, and Fund (ICWF), the ambassador said, ing Covid-19 situation,” the ambas- hotels; while 24.3 are in the “We continue to use the ICWF ef- sador said. fi nance, insurance, real estate fectively as per the guidelines. We The ambassador went on to say, and business services sectors; are now setting up ICWF assistance “We will also continue to hold busi- and 12.6 percent are in social boxes at various supermarkets to ness events and interaction to build and personal services. collect applications from those who our relationship with Kuwait” and Meanwhile, Director of need assistance. The idea is to help called on the community members Al-Sabah Specialized Medi- people in need to reach directly to to continue to share their suggestions cal District Dr Ahmed Al- the Mission, bringing ICWF closer and ideas with the embassy. Shatti said the latest statis- to you. These boxes will be collect- The ambassador requested all asso- tics and figures indicate 2 ed daily and the embassy will get in ciations to remain in touch with him out of every 100 cases of touch with the applicants.” and informed a Google sheet has been “COVID-19” disease need- Given the Covid-19 situation in issued for updating information on all ed hospitalization, report India, the ambassador said, it is un- associations registered with the Em- Al-Jarida daily. likely that those stranded in India bassy. Al-Shatti told the daily, would be able to return to Kuwait At the end of the Open House the pointed to a significant de- anytime soon. In view of this and ambassador replied to queries from crease in the number of in- in view of the continuing difficult Indians living in Kuwait and even fections in countries that situation in Kuwait, the embassy those in India who took part virtually have increase the pace of has taken a few new steps to ad- and promised to do his best to solve vaccination targeting large dress some of the major issues being their problems. areas of segments and soci- faced by the community now. The Open House was moderated etal groups. He listed the steps updating data- by Fahad Suri, First Secretary and He stressed the importance base of stranded Indians, those who spokesman of the Embassy. of vaccination in reducing infections and reducing hos- ‘Don’t fall prey to anonymous calls’ pitalization. He noted people who receive the vaccination and were exposed to the vi- rus had symptoms less severe Most banks complete about 50 pc of and in most cases did not need hospitalization in inten- registration for loans’ postponement sive care units and that there KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Following rent month is deducted. were no deaths among these the banks facing a massive backlash According to informed sources, people. from their customers for the delay in He pointed out the cor- the value of citizens’ personal and implementing the order for the post- consumer loans is estimated at KD nerstone of controlling the ponement of loan installments after ‘coronavirus’ is vaccina- 14.75 billion, which constitutes about it was offi cially gazetted, most of the 85 percent of the total loan portfolio tion, and called on all those banks have completed the registra- who have not received the of Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis. tion of about 50 percent of their cus- In addition, they have warned all vaccination to register im- tomers who seek the postponement of mediately and receive the customers against falling prey to their loans, reports Al-Rai daily. anonymous calls that request for vaccine, to protect them- The increase in the numbers re- selves, their families and fl ects the collective desire of borrow- information about bank accounts society in general. ers among the citizens, who are about under the pretext of postponing He called on everyone not 471,000 in number, to benefi t from loan installments in an effort to de- to esitate to receive the vac- the decision to postpone payment of fraud them. cine, as health is a trust and their loan installments for a period of The sources stressed that banks everyone is excited to return six months. will not call or send messages to their to normal life. Since the April’s salary will soon clients asking them for data about He stressed that those who be deposited into their accounts, they their accounts, and that clients wish- have received the vaccine are keen to complete the postpone- ing to ask such information must ei- must also adhere to the health ment process before the deposit is ther visit the offi cial websites of the instructions. made and the installment for the cur- banks or call the banks’ call centers. ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 LOCAL 5 REMEMBER WHEN

The People of Old Kuwait

About the men in this photograph, Alan join them for a meal. The peoples’ nat- Photograph courtesy Villiers wrote in 1939, ‘In the cool of the ural good manners would prevent them of The Center for Re- evening, a group of merchants recline in from displaying any curiosity about the shade to discuss the doings of dhows him. When he asked about their city, search and Studies on and the news of the world. Sandals dis- only the eldest and most knowledge- Kuwait and the work carded, headcloths turned back to catch able of them would answer; the rest the hot breaths of air set up by their small would quietly listen to him, ready to of Dr Yacoub Al- hand fans, they squat on mats. This group help him if he expressed a need. Hijji in the book Old- includes several nokhades (captains) In the afternoons, they would sit dig- from the East Africa trade.’ nifi ed in the shade of a house on a mat, Kuwait: Memories The people of old Kuwait, both men talking to one another until the evening in Photographs fi rst and women, were characterized by prayers were called. After performing published in 1996. their modesty, honesty and deep faith their prayers in a nearby mosque, they in God and His prophets. They spoke visited friends in diwaniya and enjoyed little and listened carefully to others. a few cups of well-brewed coffee. They avoided gossip and talked about They went home afterwards, had their ships, pearl markets and such far places dinner and slept peacefully. (From the as Calicut and Zanzibar. If a stranger book ‘Old Kuwait: Memories in Pho- visited them, he would be invited to tographs’) Courtesy of The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait

© N.M.M. diwaniya A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION ‘True, wise citizens can only help bring back glory to nation’ “EVERYONE in Kuwait seeks reform, and everyone in Kuwait is concerned “Today the society pays the price of having a wrong person in the wrong government will restrain and destroy that group before our country is destroyed, about what is happening these days. Everyone in Kuwait also knows that the place who knows nothing about what he has been entrusted to do. and we are certain of the government’s ability to do that. path to reform requires national unity among all, but unfortunately we forget “Most of us have persistently forgotten the principles of dialogue, discourse “The government is aware of the group’s secrets, its weaknesses and its all of this and we only live with differences and that pushes us towards more and disagreement, the principles of acceptance and rejection and to be objec- strengths until that group turned into a ghoul who wanted to swallow the state.” divisions and fragmentation,” columnist Iqbal Al-Ahmad wrote for Al-Qabas tive in our judgments and opinions. We easily drift behind the big mouths and ❑ ❑ ❑ daily. the ceiling of transgressions. “The difference in viewpoints is unhealthy and we cannot in any way deny “We need to pause and assess and correct the distortion that has afflicted the “In light of the virtues of this month, we awaken the consciences of some extremism in revenge neither can we deny its motives and repercussions on the nation so that it can once again stand tall with head held high and this will only who have committed violations in terms of the salaries of school security stability, security and safety of our homeland. It is also not possible in any way be with the true wise men and lovers of the homeland, far from all the faces of guards either by suspending them completely or delaying them for several to deny that the door for corruption is wide open that has brought us into the the current political arena, a number of whom have unfortunately committed a months. They have been sitting in their rooms inside the schools with no one cycle of instability and the state of hustle and bustle and turmoil until we got crime against the homeland and the people of the homeland.” to hear their plight,” columnist Hamoud Nasser Al-Amer wrote for Al-Rai tired, we lost our sleep and confidence in each other and dragged on the verge daily. of fear and anxiety, so we ask, ‘What is next?’ Also: “School guards have great responsibilities in terms of maintaining and secur- “Corruption began with the embezzlement of state “Enough is enough. We are fed up with every session of the National ing school facilities on a 24/7 basis. They also have social responsibilities and funds and infringement of the law, whether by a senior Assembly. We witness altercations between MPs and an exchange of insults family obligations in their countries which they have to meet with their very official or at the hands of a simple employee who with obscene words, and we see scenes that we did not familiarize with previ- low salaries. How are they expected to fulfill these noble obligations when they obstructs a transaction and only passes it with for a ously, and we see a deputy carrying a loudspeaker with which he enters the are not being paid for what they earn from their sweat? small sum of money such as a mobile recharge card, a parliament and speaks at the top of his voice to cause a kind of chaos, and “We address the conscience of the owners of the companies that employ make-up kit, or a gift hidden in a bag or cash in an enve- another deputy holding a doctorate in law sitting with five deputies while them and urge them to take the initiative in this blessed month to give this low- lope that changes hands in complete secrecy, or a per- knocking on their tables to cause chaos in the hall of the National Assembly,” earning group their salaries. These people turn to God with their grievances, centage of the value of a contract that has only passed columnist Dr Abdulmohsen Hamadeh wrote for Al-Jarida daily. while those of you who are in charge of these companies are sleeping sound in with a conditional signature. “What is this political decline and moral decay that you brought us to? You the night. Fear the divine wrath in these people and pay their salaries on time. Remember that the Day of Reckoning is no joke; it is the day that would render “All this has taken us to this frightening point in desecrated your forefathers who from their graves see the democratic system even the young to have grey hair. Kuwait, and everyone believes and also realizes that the that they built on several years ago has been destroyed by a generation that followed. “How wonderful was the response of the delivery guy to a customer who reason for this corruption is underestimating the law and Iqbal Al-Ahmad was asked to pay! The customer had said, “Payment is for the Day of its application. We all know that abiding by the law, “By creating chaos members hope the government or the rational people in Reckoning’, and this prompted the delivery guy to say in response, “Payment respecting it and fear of not applying it on the corrupt people in state institu- the parliament will lose their composure and then they will respond to abuses is cheaper today here on earth, whereas tomorrow on the Day of Reckoning, it tions is our all primary concern. Corruption is not related to the name of a with abuses, and then they can be used to distort the image, reputation of the will be difficult”. specific person, institution, office, or ministry. It is an integrated system, a government but the government cold-shouldered all attempts and this increased “Indeed, on the Day of Resurrection, the reckoning will be difficult. O peo- work that takes place in an institutional sphere. the anger of the trouble makers. ple of conscience, the owners of these companies, pay the salaries of your “The first and last indication of corruption is choosing an incompetent per- “It is possible to tell these people you will not attain anything, the state will employees. They do not ask for charity, but the returns they earned from their son in an important and sensitive place. Corruption is to allow you to enjoy win over you, God willing, for Kuwait is greater than you and your deceit and sweat as agreed upon between you. It is a cry of truth that will bear witness to something that is the right of others, and to legalize for yourself what is forbid- delusions and among these delusions is someone claiming that he will hold a you on the Day of Resurrection. den by law. referendum on the Internet and will ask 100,000 citizens for his opinion about “Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Education should officially address “A message to the government and all employers in the homeland: ‘If you the government, and of course the results will come according to his whims, the owners of these companies and force them to pay the salaries of the secu- want to support a candidate, and this is your right, as is the right of any group- especially that there is no control over his alleged referendum, then he will rity guards or just sign contracts with the guards in a bid to end their unneces- ing, party, tribe, sect, or ideology, the support must be for the educated who is claim 100 thousand citizens support his orientations claiming that the govern- sary sufferings. Always remember - Injustice is darkness on the Day of knowledgeable, understands and knows what he wants and what he says and ment is weak, and that he and his group alone are able to bring about reform. Resurrection.” how to ask and demand not to support the obedient who is directed by a remote “Our beloved country is under a fierce attack, led by an evil and malicious control. group that is trained to destroy states and societies. It is our great hope that the — Compiled by Ahmad Al-Shazli ABCK-AmCham webinar focus on Woman slain in public growth with ‘Microsoft for Startups’ ‘Suspect had 40 cases against him’ KUWAIT CITY, April 22: ABCK-AmCham Kuwait in col- laboration with Microsoft hosted a regional webinar on ‘Achieving Growth with Microsoft for Startups’. The virtual By Munif Nayef webinar was organized with the support of AmCham Abu Al-Seyassah Staff and Agencies Dhabi, AmCham Bahrain, AmCham Oman, and AmCham CAPT meetings on hold Qatar. KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The webinar started off with opening remarks by Frank Belonus, the Chairman of the Board of ABCK-AmCham The Sabah Al-Salem dis- Awarding tenders to slow down Kuwait, as he welcomed the participants and introduced trict witnessed a horrific Roberto Croci – Managing Director of Microsoft for murder in which a 32-year- KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The government agencies. About 18 to Startups, Middle East & Africa. Grievance Committee at the 20 complaints filed by companies Croci opened the discussion by talking about what start- old Kuwaiti woman was Central Agency for Public Tenders against the decisions of the Board ups need to succeed in the market and the Middle East stabbed to death by a (CAPT) stopped meeting after Jan of Directors of CAPT have yet to startup ecosystem. “For us, there are 2 main things, the first 29 due to the expiry of the decree be addressed and this could mar Frank Belonus, Chairman of the Board of ABCK- 30-year-old compatriot being technology - as we are a technology-based company, AmCham Kuwait. on the appointment of its mem- the procedure for awarding ten- we can help and support startups to build on the cloud and male in front of her sister bers, reports Al-Rai daily quoting ders in the future, sources revealed. leverage other solutions and products that Microsoft has. and daughter and ‘threw’ reliable sources. Sources pointed out the com- We help startups build products that can scale with solid and her in front of the Adan Sources said the committee mittee’s role is vital, considering it reliable architecture. Second: Startups need access to cos- plays an important documentary has amended many decisions tumers to close deals and be visible. This area connects with Hospital and fled. role in the bidding procedures for issued by the agency. value, as we also help startups connect with investors and The woman was stabbed with a access to talent”. kitchen knife and the culprit was Croci then spoke about how to build a “connected eco- arrested at his residence in the spot and discovered that the sus- and cases against him, but he was system”, starting with Incubators and Accelerators: where Al-Riqqa within two hours of pect had left with the victim in her released on bail despite the warning there are startups that are working with these players for committing the crime. He is said to vehicle leaving his vanette in the mid- that he would kill us, but this time he access to technology and markets Funders and Venture have confessed to killing the vic- dle of the road. was released on bail. Capitals: in order to go through the startup’s portfolio and The source added the descriptions She pointed out she went to the focus on the targets where they can add value as this will tim and has been referred to the of the vehicle was circulated until Zahra Police Station and filed a case work to increase the valuation of the startups Microsoft Public Prosecution Office and they received a report from the Adan against him but he was released on bail Partners (MSP, GSI, (i) CSPs) which can provide scale and Roberto Croci, Managing Director of Microsoft for charged with premeditated mur- Hospital saying a Kuwaiti woman even though he had collided with my provide access to different markets for startups Government Startups, MEA. der. was dumped in front of the hospital sister and aunt’s vehicle. and Public Sector: the ecosystem is mainly government led A security source said the alleged with stab wounds and soaked in The social networking sites are when it comes to startups, as they have seen that the econo- which companies have access to opportunities to grow. killer went to Sabah Al-Salem and blood. abuzz with reaction and denunciation my in the GCC is turning from being oil based to knowledge Microsoft for Startups’ focus is on Business-to-Business confronted the victim who had her The source indicated the suspect of the heinous crime, especially in the based, which means that governments are building policies (B2B) startups that have “traction”, as they are launching a daughter with her near one of the traf- admitted that he stabbed the victim presence of a child who was screaming to support startups Microsoft (MSfs, OCP, SMC): which program in August 2021,in which they will work with 15 fic lights. due to previous differences between while the killer threatened them, provides the startups with knowledge solutions Technology startups in corporate engagement for 3 months with work- He got out of his vehicle and headed them, and there were also cases instilling fear, which led to the murder and Business upskilling (Cloud Society and MS Learn): shops, mentorships, and investor demo day. World-class towards her. In an attempt to escape between them, including kidnapping of her mother. there are regional initiatives that have been launched, and mentors and experts will work with these 15 startups to from him, she got out of the car and and attempted murder, and the accused ❑ ❑ ❑ there will be more initiatives for Microsoft for startups when make them more sellable to corporates and “market-ready”. started running until her sister arrived was detained in connection with the it comes to training and skilling around entrepreneurship For the long term they will have an initiative that will start in another vehicle in the same area and premeditated murder case and referred Project delayed: The project, which and focusing on youth. with youth’s entrepreneurship, as the program will come the suspect collided with her sister’s to the Public Prosecution. includes the construction, furnishing One major asset that Microsoft offers is their worldwide with a layer of certifications provided by Microsoft; this will vehicle closing the road on her when The source indicated the suspect has and maintenance of the new passenger scale, as this offers global support for companies that wish support the youth with employability and will help them the victim was in her vehicle. He then 40 cases registered against him, terminal at Kuwait International to emerge into new regions/markets, they also offer cus- learn different entrepreneurial skills. went to the victim’s vehicle and forced including criminal cases and some Airport, has been delayed by 11 per- tomer sales/support which aid startups from being market- Croci finalized the discussion by informing participants her into her vehicle. cases are pending before the court, cent, reports Al-Rai quoting reliable ready to be enterprise-ready. Mr. Croci spoke about that during June 2021, Microsoft for Startups will launch a When the Operations Room of the which the court will look into in May, sources from the Ministry of Public Microsoft’s technical expertise that is offered to startups, competition that will be done through ‘Growth X’. With Ministry of Interior received a report as he was released on bail. Works. which start with infrastructure and cloud, including advanced these programs, there is added vision and real programs that on the incident police from the vic- The sister of the victim in a record- Sources cited a report released in services like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. can cover the different stages and cycles across startups to tim’s sister saying her sister has been ing published on social media, said for February, indicating that the actual Microsoft helps startups to build solid architectures and have a global impact in the local ecosystem. The program kidnapped by a person because of dif- a whole year she and her sister were completion rate reached 45.16 percent optimizing the cost to integrate them with other solutions. schedule for Microsoft Startups Global has the mission to ferences with him and other issues subjected to death threats by the killer but the plan states it should have been He also mentioned that Microsoft’s program can introduce help B2B Startups scale their business via technology between them, police patrols went to and had previously filed complaints 56.8 percent. startups to venture capitals and mentorship programs in enablement and access to the market. ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021

6

70 pct of the population is financially illiterate: Dr Wafaa AUK associate professor hosts webinar on fi nancial education for youth

KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Dr Wafaa “I recommend you take responsibility Sbeiti, Associate Professor of Finance and educate yourself. Take full respon- at the American University of Kuwait sibility for your life.” She reassured (AUK), hosted a webinar in collabora- everyone listening that they are not tion with Kuwait Banking Association alone, “Start having a conversation and to discuss the importance of financial get support. Connect with your bank. education for youth, including the Attend workshops and try to benefit as challenges posed by financial illiteracy much as you can.” and its solutions. Through her lecture, the audience Dr Wafaa started the webinar by thoroughly understood the importance introducing herself and sharing statis- of organizing spendings and savings, tics with the audience that highlight having financial goals and being con- the severity of the issue at hand, “Sev- sistent. Most importantly, Dr.Wafaa enty percent of the population is finan- Sbeiti made sure everyone in the au- cially illiterate,” she stated. Examples dience—which included students and of famous and prominent figures who bank employees alike—understood were great at making money but not at that financial literacy is not impossible managing it were also given. “It is not because, after all, “you do not have to enough to have money, it is about how be a genius to take part in this process, to protect this money, how to keep it, you have to be ready, take action, and how to manage it, and how to grow it,” AUK associate professor of finance, be willing to learn.” she explained. Dr Wafaa Sbeiti The American University of Ku- She discussed how the two main wait (AUK) is an independent, private, driving forces behind this worldwide to financial literacy and personal equal opportunity, and coeducational financial illiteracy are the “lack of finance.” She also talks about how liberal arts institution of higher edu- financial education in our educa- “most young people rely on their par- cation. The educational, cultural and tional system” and “lack of financial ents to teach them money skills” and administrative structure, methods and literacy in families.” Drawing upon very few parents discuss money with standards of AUK are based on the her 20 years of experience in the fi- their children. American model of higher learning. nancial field, she commented on how The webinar concluded by Dr. Wa- The language of instruction is English. GUSteps Challenge activity summary. alarming this lack of education is, faa encouraging the audience to be More information on the American “I can say with confidence there is active members of society by seeking University of Kuwait can be found at no formal education when it comes to become more financially literate. www.auk.edu.kw Weekly prizes of Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone GUST launches GUSteps challenge KUWAIT CITY, April 22: GUST’s Athletics Department launched the GUSteps challenge, a walking compe- tition aimed at encouraging everyone to exercise during the holy month of Ramadan. The competition also aims to promote an overall healthy lifestyle in the midst of the COVID-19 pan- demic and government curfew restric- tions. The competition is tracked through the use of the “Movespring” app, where users interested in participating download the application and enter their credentials including GUST as their affiliate institution. From there, users link their own personal fitness trackers to the app so that each indi- viduals steps date is collected and ag- gregated to show the daily and weekly results of all participants. A flyer of the event. To further encourage the com- munity in competing the Athletics 6 schools in Kuwait participate Department has set a target goal for participants to hit weekly, start- ing at 60 thousand steps for the first A photo from the event. week which a gradual increase of 30 GUST hosts 1st edition of virtual thousand steps each week, ending at 150 thousand steps on the final Over 155 people donate blood week of Ramadan. Each week the High School Math Competition participants who have reached the weekly qualify to enter a raffle to KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The Math to get the most questions right, taking win an iPhone. With a major prize and Natural Sciences Department place via Kahoot, a game-based learn- allocated to this who complete 420 at GUST held the 7th annual High ing platform that uses multiple choice KKB, KCYL organize blood donation camp thousand steps by entering a raffle School Mathematics Competition on quizzes accessed via web-browser. for an iPad. April 3. The competition had six high Awards for the top three teams were KUWAIT CITY, April 22: KKB Head of Athletics, Ms. Bibi Ab- schools represented from Kuwait, the a Huawei smartwatch for first place, Sports Club (KKB) and the Ku- dulkareem said “I am proud to be a American school of Kuwait (ASK), JBL headphones for second place, and wait Knanaya Youth League part of this project and proud to see the Canadian bilingual school (CBS), Bluetooth speakers for third place. In (KCYL) had jointly organized the the amount of GUST students, facul- the British School of Kuwait (BSK), first place was ASK, while in second Ramadan Special Blood Donation ty, staff, and even alumni, sign up and Ajial bilingual school (ABS) submit- and third place were BSK and BBS Camp in collaboration with Blood participate. This competition is criti- ted two teams, Kuwait National Eng- respectively. The individual rankings Donors Kerala (BDK) — Kuwait cal is promoting a healthy lifestyle but lish School (KNES), and Al-Bayan were Moheb Eskaross of BSK in first also in encouraging others to maintain bilingual school (BBS). Due to the place, Hessa Al-Kharafi of BBS in sec- Chapter. The camp was organized their physical and mental wellbeing. current global pandemic, the compe- ond place, and Hind Al-Nisf of BBS in on the special request of the Cen- With the use of technology, we have tition was held virtually for the first third place. tral Blood Bank to combat pos- been able to do this all from a distance time as students joined on Microsoft Associate Dean of the College of sible blood shortages, especially without having any physical sign ups. Teams, and the whole competition Arts and Sciences, Dr. Harun Aydilek during the Holy Month of Rama- I am grateful for everyone who has lasted three hours from 11:30 am to “The Mathematics & Science Depart- dan. had a helping hand in making this 3:30 pm. ment, and the Mathematics Foundation The camp, organized at Adan competition a success.” There were three parts to the compe- Unit hosted the first-ever virtual com- Blood Bank, was attended by The challenge is a testament tition. Each school had five minutes to petition, which brought together over to the Athletics Department goal present any mathematical topic of their seven teams from private and public 174 blood donors and 155 peo- to further engage the community choice, followed by a short Q&A ses- schools. Promoting the importance of ple who successfully donated through events such as GUSteps sion. The presentations were assessed mathematics among youth across the blood. and the “Live Workout Series” on by five judges from GUSTs Mathemat- country through a friendly competition Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board Zoom, with Mr. Ahmad Al-Sham- ics Department, based on five criteria: that utilizes their skills.” Member N Ajith Kumar formally mari, which also is ongoing during creativity, mathematical concepts, Previous editions of the competition inaugurated the camp. The func- this holy month. mathematical communication and rep- saw students participate and compete tion was presided over by program To participate and join the resentation, responding to questions, in person. The consistency to hold GUSteps challenge, download the and presentation structure. Also, each the event annually is a testament to convener Mejith Kuruppanthara. Movespring application on your team worked together to complete a GUSTs staff and faculty’s determina- Social activist Babuji Bathery, smartphone, input your credentials set of 10 challenging math problems. tion to maintain community outreach BDK patron Manoj Mavelikkara, and required data to register, then Lastly, an individual speed round took and relationship not just in GUST but KKCA President Joby Chamak- use the code “GUSteps”. place where every student competed also in Kuwait. andayil, KKB President Jismon and KCYL president Tony of- fered their congratulations at the Club meets every 2nd, 4th Wednesdays function. The memento for the success- ful organization of the camp was handed over to KKB, KCYL Open Mic Toastmasters mark 50th meeting incumbents, by BDK Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, April 22: Open Mic filiated to Toastmasters International, a or over the weekends, although some Advisory Board Member Ra- Toastmasters club, chartered on Feb US headquartered nonprofit educational corporate clubs meet in the morning or jan Thottathil. Reghubal BDK 24, 2016, is celebrated its fiftieth meet- organization that operates clubs world- afternoon.Every meeting is based around welcomed the gathering, and ing at 7 pm Kuwait time on Wednes- wide with nominal fees for the purpose of a set of organized speeches. Speakers are KKB General Secretary Bin- day, the 14th of April 2021. promoting communication, public speak- given feedback, often by a more experi- ish thanked the participants and The 50th meeting of Open Mic club ing and leadership skills. The organiza- enced member, who then gives an im- blood donors. comprised of information regarding tion grew out of a single club founded by promptu speech with constructive feed- Performing blood donation Toastmasters and also an interactive im- Ralph C. Smedley on October 22, 1924, back based on their performance.Part of during the Holy Month of Ra- Photos from the event. promptu speaking session, where guests at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, the meetings is devoted to Table Topics, also got an opportunity to speak. The United States. Throughout its history, which are off-the-cuff speeches assigned madan inculcates the message highlight of this milestone meeting was Toastmasters has served over four million on the spot by a Topicmaster. The goal of mutual love and exhibits our School prayer premiered an interactive workshop on compelling people, and today the organization serves of this is to think and speak on one’s feet social and moral obligation to- storytelling by World Champion of Pub- over 364,000 members in 145 countries, with minimal preparation. wards society. lic Speaking 2013, Pres Vasilev, where through its 16,200 member clubs. The current education system of The camp was conducted under select attendees also had a chance to con- Each club has around 20-40 members. Toastmasters International consists the strict control of the Ministry ISE Kuwait organizes fi rst nect personally with the champion. Meetings are held every week or every of eleven different paths suited to the of Health adhering to COVID Open Mic Toastmasters club is af- other week and usually in the evening needs and requirements of the mem- protocol. The camp, which was bers, based around Public Speaking, supposed to end at 1 o’clock in the assembly ‘Umang’ virtually Interpersonal Communication, Man- agement, Strategic Leadership, and afternoon, extended to 3 o’clock KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The first lor attended the session. She spoke to the due to the unexpected turnout of Confidence. Each path consists of 14 assembly for Indian School of Excel- students and gave them a short checklist. projects. Content consists of online blood donors. lence Kuwait, ISEK Umang, was held This checklist highlighted how a healthy Camp Joint Convenors Thom- virtually on April 11. True to its very mind and body is most important to be and/ or print materials. essence the assembly generated great able to multi-task and handle new chal- Open Mic Toastmasters Club is as Arikkara and Lijo Matakkara known in the Toastmasters fraternity along with BDK volunteers Jayan, happiness in hearts and minds of all lenges with a positive attitude. She urged the attendees. The Assembly marked both the parents and the children to for some unique features of organizing Thomas John Adoor, Ajith, Jithin the beginning of new aspirations, new spend quality family time. impromptu JAM sessions and provid- Jose, Nimish, Jolly and Rajeesh- hopes and new will to learn. On this The students of Class 6 presented a ing exclusive feedback in the form of Lal led the camp. occasion, Principal of ISEK, Mrs Sher- foot-tapping dance number as well as delivery evaluation. New members are Those interested in participat- ly Dennis expressed her best wishes two very melodious snippets of music always welcome to attend the Open ing in blood donation activities for an amazing academic year to the played on the keyboard. The students Mic club meetings. Anyone interested such as blood donation camps and students. She acknowledged the sup- and teachers put together an assembly in improving their communication and awareness classes in collaboration port and trust the parents have shown that has etched its mark in our hearts leadership skills can Whatsapp call or in Team ISEK. The assembly also pre- and set a pedestal high for the class message at 60745021 or 51513999. with the Central Blood Bank or miered the school prayer for which the that will be coming next. The club meets every 2nd and 4th who need free blood donor ser- lyrics are written, music composed and The difference between ordinary Wednesday from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm vices can contact BDK Kuwait directed by Team of ISEK. and extra-ordinary is that little extra … Registration link for 50th meet- helpline numbers 6999 7588/5151 The guest speaker, Dr Navniit Gan- That little extra is right in our hearts ing is given below. https://forms. 0076. dhi, renowned author, poet and counsel- and minds. A flyer of the event. gle/9WbNy4citfBTKLv87 ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 INTERNATIONAL 7

America

Verdict notwithstanding Grim ‘list’ of deaths at hands of police grows WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): Just as the guilty verdict was about to be read in the trial of former Minneapolis po- lice offi cer Derek Chauvin, police in Ohio shot and killed a Black teenager in broad daylight during a confrontation. The shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, who was swinging a knife during a fi ght with another person in Columbus, is in some ways more representative of how Black and other people of color are killed during police encounters than the death of George Floyd, pinned to the ground by Chauvin and captured on video for all the world to see. Unlike Chauvin’s case, many killings by police involve a decision to shoot in a heated moment and are notoriously diffi cult to prosecute even when they spark grief and out- rage. Juries have tended to give offi cers the benefi t of the doubt when they claim to have acted in a life-or-death situation. While Tuesday’s conviction was hailed as a sign of progress in the fi ght for equal justice, it still leaves unanswered diffi cult questions about law enforcement’s use of force and systemic racism in policing. The ver- dict in the Chauvin case might not be quickly repeated, even as the list of those killed at the hands of police grows. Chauvin “This was something unique. The world saw what happened,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, who has examined over 100 use-of-force cases there. To have video, witness- es, forensic evidence and multiple police offi cers testify Demonstrators chant ‘Ma’Khia Bryant’ during a community vigil for the 16-year-old, on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at Douglas Elementary School in Columbus, against one of their own is unique and “demonstrates how Ohio. Body camera video released Wednesday shows a Columbus offi cer fatally shoot Bryant, who swung at two other people with a knife. (AP) high the bar has to be in order to actually have that kind of accountability,” he said. Convictions America Convictions like Chauvin’s are extraordinarily rare. Out of the thousands of deadly police shootings in the U.S. since 2005, about 140 offi cers have been charged with murder or manslaughter and just seven were convicted of murder, ac- cording to data maintained by Phil Stinson, a criminologist 52% cut in fossil fuel emissions by 2030 at Bowling Green State University. “This is a success, but there are so many more unjust murders that still need reckoning, that we still need to ad- dress,” said Princess Blanding, a Virginia gubernatorial US to make new climate pledge candidate whose brother was killed by a Richmond police offi cer. Marcus-David Peters, who was Black, was fatally WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): made no direct mention of politically it’s really about the U.S. bringing their shot by a Black offi cer during a mental health crisis after President Joe Biden will open a global tricky moves to wean the U.S. from target to the world,” said Joanna Lew- he ran naked onto an interstate highway and charged at the climate summit with a pledge to cut oil, natural gas and coal. They empha- is, an expert in China energy and en- offi cer. at least in half the climate-wrecking sized the role of technology, including vironment at Georgetown University. In Columbus, Bryant had been swinging a knife wildly coal and petroleum fumes that the U.S. carbon capture and hydrogen power, It’s an urgent but hardly perfect time pumps out, a commitment he hopes which have yet to be affordably devel- for the U.S. to try to spur action. at another girl or woman pinned against a car when the of- will spur China and other big polluters oped to scale. The world’s top two climate offend- fi cer fi red after shouting at the girl to get down, according to speed up efforts of their own. Biden and Vice President Kamala ers, China and the United States, are to police and body camera video released within hours of Biden is offering Americans and the Harris were scheduled to open the feuding over non-climate issues. Chi- the shooting. The mayor mourned the teen’s death but said world a vision of a prosperous, clean- Earth Day summit from the White nese President Xi Jinping waited until the offi cer had acted to protect someone else. US President Joe Biden speaks in energy United States where factories House East Room before world lead- Wednesday to confi rm he would even Kimberly Shepherd, who lives in the neighborhood the East Room of the White House churn out cutting-edge batteries for ers, including the heads of China, Rus- take part. where Bryant was killed, had been celebrating the guilty in Washington. No nation offers asy- export, line workers re-lay an effi cient sia, India, Gulf oil states, European India, the world’s third-biggest verdict in Floyd’s killing when she heard the news about lum or other protections to people national electrical grid and crews cap and Asian allies and island and coastal emitter of fossil fuel fumes, is pressing the teenager. displaced because of climate change. Biden’s administration is studying the abandoned oil and gas rigs and coal nations already struggling against the the United States and other wealthier “We were happy about the verdict. But you couldn’t idea, and climate migration is expect- mines. effects of climate change. Pope Francis nations to come through on billions of even enjoy that,” Shepherd said. “Because as you’re get- ed to be discussed at his fi rst climate His commitment to cut U.S. fos- will also take part. dollars they’ve promised to help poorer ting one phone call that he was guilty, I’m getting the next summit. (AP) sil fuel emissions up to 52% by 2030 Biden planned to join a second ses- nations build alternatives to coal plants phone call that this is happening in my neighborhood.” - similar to pledges from allies - will sion of the livestreamed summit later and energy-sucking power grids. In Chauvin’s case, by contrast, cellphone video seen come at the launch Thursday of an all- in the morning on fi nancing poorer “Where is this money? There is no around the world showed the white offi cer pressing his virtual climate summit for 40 world countries’ efforts to remake and pro- money in sight,” Environment Minis- knee to the Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes leaders, marking a return by the U.S. to tect their economies against global ter Prakash Javadekar said earlier this as Floyd gasped for air. It sparked protests across the U.S., global climate efforts after four years warming. month, after a visit from Biden climate of withdrawal under President Donald envoy John Kerry. and Chauvin’s fellow offi cers took the extraordinary step of Summit testifying against him. Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Biden administration’s pledge Due to the coronavirus pandemic, whose nation by some assessments is “As we look to future prosecution, the question is going would require by far the most ambi- the summit will play out as a climate the world’s fourth-worst climate pol- to be: Is this perhaps the beginning of a new era, where tious U.S. climate effort ever under- telethon-style livestream, limiting op- luter, also accepted the U.S. invitation those walls of silence are not impenetrable?” said Miriam taken, nearly doubling the reductions portunities for spontaneous interaction but is fuming over Biden calling him a Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor and executive direc- that the Obama administration had and negotiation. “killer,” as part of high tensions over tor of the reform-minded group Fair and Just Prosecution. committed to in the landmark 2015 With the pledge from the United Putin’s aggressiveness abroad and Chauvin’s case could also make future juries more skepti- Paris climate accord. States and other emissions-cutting U.S. sanctions. cal of police, she said. Elizabeth II Philip The new urgency comes as scien- announcements from Japan, Canada, And at home, political divisions The day after Bryant was fatally shot, at least two other tists say that climate change caused by the European Union and the United exposed by Trump’s presidency have people were also killed by police in the United States. coal plants, car engines and other fossil Kingdom, countries representing more left the United States weaker than it On Wednesday morning, a deputy fatally shot and killed News in Brief fuel use is already worsening droughts, than half the world’s economy will was at the 2015 Paris accord. Unable a Black man while serving a search warrant in eastern fl oods, hurricanes, wildfi res and other have now committed to cutting fossil to guarantee that a different president North Carolina. Authorities wouldn’t provide details of the disasters and that humans are running fuel fumes enough to keep the earth’s in 2024 won’t undo Biden’s climate shooting but an eyewitness said that Andrew Brown Jr. was Queen thankful for ‘support: Queen out of time to stave off most cata- climate from warming, disastrously, work, the Biden administration has ar- shot while trying to drive away, and that deputies fi red at Elizabeth II has expressed her thanks for strophic extremes of global warming. more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 gued that market forces - with a boost him multiple times. And in the San Diego suburb of Es- all the “support and kindness” shown fol- “The United States is not waiting, degrees Celsius), the Biden adminis- to get started - will soon make cleaner condido, police said an offi cer fatally shot a man who was lowing the death of her husband, Prince the costs of delay are too great, and tration said. fuels and energy effi ciency too cheap apparently striking cars with a metal pole. Philip. our nation is resolved to act now,” the Biden, a Democrat, campaigned and consumer-friendly to trash. In a statement Wednesday posted on her Biden administration said in a state- partly on a pledge to confront climate Having the United States, with its Unfolded Twitter account on her 95th birthday and ment. “Climate change poses an ex- change. He has sketched out some infl uence and status, back in the cli- On Thursday, a funeral will be held for Daunte Wright, which she personally signed off as Eliza- istential threat, but responding to this elements of his $2 trillion approach mate game is important, said Lauri a 20-year-old Black motorist who was shot during a traffi c beth R, the monarch said it has been “a threat offers an opportunity to support for transforming U.S. transportation Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre comfort” to “see and to hear all the tributes good-paying, union jobs, strengthen systems and electrical grids in his for Research on Energy and Clean Air stop this month in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, just a few to my husband” from within the U.K., the miles from the courthouse as the Chauvin trial unfolded. In America’s working communities, pro- campaign climate plan and in his infra- in Helsinki. But hoping the world will Commonwealth and around the world. tect public health, and advance envi- structure proposals for Congress. forget about the last four years seems Chicago last month, 13-year-old Adam Toledo was fatally Philip, also known as the Duke of Ed- ronmental justice.” His administration insists the trans- like wishful thinking, he said. shot less than a second after he tossed a gun and began rais- inburgh, died on April 9 at age 99. Family But Biden administration offi cials, formation will mean millions of well- “There is too much of an impulse ing his hands as an offi cer had commanded. and friends gathered for his funeral at St. in previewing the new target, disclosed paying jobs. Republicans say the effort in the U.S. to just wish away Trump’s Police offi cer Kim Potter, who is white, has been charged George’s Chapel in Windsor on Saturday aspirations and vignettes rather than will throw oil, gas and coal workers legacy and the fact that every election with second-degree murder in Wright’s shooting. The for- to say their fi nal farewells. specifi c plans, budget lines or legisla- off the job. They call his infrastruc- is now basically a coin toss between mer police chief said Potter mistakenly fi red her handgun “My family and I would like to thank tive proposals for getting there. Ad- ture proposal too costly. “The summit complete climate denial and whatever when she meant to use her Taser. She resigned from the you all for the support and kindness shown ministration offi cials briefi ng reporters is not necessarily about everyone else actions the Democrats can bring to the police force afterward and was charged with second-degree to us in recent days,” she said in her fi rst in advance of Biden’s announcement bringing something new to the table - table,” he said. manslaughter. Wright’s family has called for more serious remarks since Philip’s funeral on Saturday, charges, comparing her case to the murder charge brought which was limited to only 30 guests be- against a Black offi cer who killed a white woman in nearby cause of coronavirus restrictions. member of Parliament from the opposition attack in the parking lot of the Serena ho- Seven injured in stabbing: Seven peo- Because of the limits on gatherings, the Labour Party. (AP) tel, in the southwestern city of Quetta. Four ple were injured, two of them seriously, Minneapolis in 2017. funeral wasn’t accompanied by throngs of The Cook County state’s attorney’s offi ce will decide ❑ ❑ ❑ deaths had been initially reported. in a stabbing at an asylum-seekers’ center people arriving in Windsor to pay their re- Pakistani Taliban have claimed respon- in the Netherlands late Wednesday night, whether to charge Eric Stillman, the white offi cer who shot spects to Philip. Car bombing toll rises: An attack at sibility for the suicide bombing. police said. A 24-year-old resident of the Toledo on March 29 in Little Village, a predominantly His- However, the public have found other a luxury hotel in Pakistan has been con- Prime Minister Imran Khan described center was arrested. panic neighborhood of Chicago’s southwest side. The boy, ways of getting their messages of support fi rmed as a suicide car bombing, and the the bombing as “a cowardly terrorist at- The motive for the stabbing in the town who was Latino, appeared to drop a handgun moments be- to the royal family. Floral tributes with death toll has risen to fi ve, police said tack.” In a tweet, Khan said his nation had of Echt, located 180 kilometers (110 miles) fore the offi cer shot him. The graphic video of the boy’s cards and letters have been left at royal Thursday. “made great sacrifi ces in defeating terror- south of Amsterdam, was not immediately death sparked outrage, but some legal experts have said palaces, and an online book of condolences In a statement, the counter-terrorism de- ism & we will not to allow this scourge to clear. they don’t believe Stillman could or should be charged un- has been opened offering people across the rise again.” (AP) Police said in a statement on Thursday globe the opportunity to share their memo- partment said fi ve people were killed and der criteria established by a landmark 1989 Supreme Court about a dozen wounded in Wednesday’s ❑ ❑ ❑ that offi cers were called to the asylum- ruling on the use of force by police. ries of Philip. seekers’ center around 10:15 p.m. (2015 Instead of just prosecuting offi cers after shootings hap- “We have been deeply touched, and con- GMT) and arrested the suspect 10 minutes tinue to be reminded that Philip had such later. pen, more must be done to prevent such encounters from an extraordinary impact on countless peo- happening in the fi rst place, said Eugene Collins, who was a The wounded were all taken to a hospi- ple throughout his life,” she added. (AP) tal for treatment. Residents of the building local organizer for the NAACP’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ❑ ❑ ❑ where the stabbings happened were moved branch when Alton Sterling, a Black man selling CDs in to other buildings in the center while police front of a convenience store, was shot and killed by a white Panel acknowledges racism: The investigated. (AP) police offi cer in July 2016. The two offi cers involved in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ❑ ❑ ❑ encounter weren’t charged in his death. has apologized after an investigation found “We’re pulled over more, stopped and frisked more,” that at least 161,000 mostly Africans and German woman convicted: A German said Collins, now head of the NAACP branch. “It’s about Indians who died fi ghting for the British woman accused of joining the Islamic State putting responsibility on the policymakers.” Empire during World War I weren’t prop- group in Syria after traveling there with her erly honored due to “pervasive racism.” young daughter was convicted on Wednes- Activists say the fi ght for police reform and a more just The investigation found that at least day of participating in a terrorist organiza- legal system is far from over. 116,000 people - and possibly as many as tion and other offenses. Rachael Rollins, the fi rst woman of color to become dis- 350,000 - were either not commemorated The state court in Duesseldorf sentenced trict attorney in Massachusetts, said it must start in part by by name or weren’t commemorated at all, the 35-year-old, whom prosecutors have breaking down the misconception that questioning the po- according to fi ndings released Thursday. In identifi ed only as Nurten J. in line with lice or suggesting ways they can improve means “you don’t addition, between 45,000 and 54,000 casu- German privacy rules, to four years and back the blue.” alties were “commemorated unequally.” three months in prison. “The police have an incredibly hard job, and believe me, “We apologize unreservedly for the The court said that she moved to Syria I know there are violent people that harm community and historical wrongs found in this report and in February 2015 with her daughter, then police but that’s not all of us. So we have to acknowledge for failing to live up to founding principle, aged 3, and joined IS, marrying a high- that it’s not working and we have to sit together to come of `equality of treatment in death,’” the ranking member of the extremist group and commission said after the fi ndings were living in several apartments whose inhabit- up with solutions, but it’s urgent,” said Rollins, the district released. Zion Davis, 16, (right), comforts her friend Aaliyah Tucker, 16, (center), as ants had been driven out by IS. attorney for Suffolk County, which includes Boston. “I’m The commission appointed a committee she begins to cry after speaking about their friend Ma’Khia Bryant at a vigil, The defendant had a Yazidi woman, afraid, I’m exhausted and I’m the chief law enforcement to investigate claims of unequal treatment on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at Douglas Elementary School in Columbus, who was kept by another woman as a slave, offi cer so imagine what other people feel like,” she said. of war dead following a 2019 TV docu- Ohio. Body camera video released Wednesday shows a Columbus offi cer fatally work for her when the latter visited, the mentary presented by David Lammy, a shoot Bryant, who swung at two other people with a knife. (AP) court said. (AP) new enrollments push Anthem beyond expectations in Q1

Anthem delivered a better- tomers and is the nation’s Indianapolis-based An- enue by 9%, to $32.1 billion than-expected first quarter and second-largest health insurer, them covers people in sev- in the quarter. The figure ex- pushed its 2021 forecast past trailing only UnitedHealthcare. eral states, including big cludes investment gains. In this file photo a flag flies expectations as enrollment Anthem said Wednesday it markets like New York and Wall Street had been look- outside the corporate head- growth lifted the health insurer. has about 9.2 million Medicaid California. It also runs a phar- ing for revenue of $32.97 bil- quarters building of health A 20% jump in membership customers, up from 7.6 million macy benefits management lion. insurance company Anthem for state and federally funded last year. Growth was helped business called IngenioRx. Net income climbed 9% to in Indianapolis. (AP) Medicaid plans that Anthem by a temporary suspension The insurer also booked $1.66 billion even though the manages spurred a 3% overall during the COVID-19 pan- 15% enrollment growth in its company’s business took a enrollment gain compared to demic of state requirements smaller Medicare Advantage hit from costs tied to the COV- last year’s opening quarter. that Medicaid customers certify business. Those gains and ID-19 pandemic, with Anthem The Blue Cross-Blue Shield they are still eligible to receive growth from IngenioRx helped covering the administration of insurer has 43.5 million cus- the benefits. boost company operating rev- tests and vaccinations. (AP)

Market Movements 22-04-2021 Change Closing pts Change Closing pts AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries +53.08 7,311.97 PHILIPPINES - PSEi -23.86 6,415.53 JAPAN - Nikkei +679.62 29,188.17 PAKISTAN - KSE 100 -376.93 44,929.61 S. KOREA - KRX 100 +3.29 6,767.08 CHINA - Shanghai SE -7.82 3,465.11 INDIA - Sensex +374.87 48,080.67 Business Businesses scramble for help as US job openings go unfilled

Owners struggle to keep up with demand

NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): It looks like some- thing to celebrate: small A United Airlines jetliner lifts off from a runway at Denver International Air- businesses posting “Help port on June 10, 2020, in Denver. (AP) Wanted” signs as the econ- Business travel remains weak omy edges toward normal- cy. Instead, businesses are having trouble filling the United loses $1.36 billion jobs, which in turn hurts NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): United Leisure travel within the U.S. is ap- their ability to keep up with Airlines posted a $1.36 billion loss proaching pre-pandemic traffi c, but demand for their products in the fi rst quarter and will need a business and international travel re- rebound in lucrative business and in- main deeply depressed. or services. ternational travel before it returns to United said in a news release that Owners say that some would-be profi tability. it turned cash-fl ow positive in March, workers are worried about catch- The loss reported Monday would excluding certain costs, but it won’t ing COVID-19 or prefer to live off have been even wider without federal be profi table on a normal accounting unemployment benefits that are sig- payroll aid, but it was still slightly basis until business and long-haul in- nificantly higher amid the pandemic. worse than expected. However, in- ternational travel return to 65% of their Child care is another issue - parents vestors are far more interested in how 2019 levels. It did not offer a forecast quickly United and other airlines can for when that might happen. aren’t able to work when they need recover from their pandemic-caused Kirby said this month that business to tend to or home-school their chil- fi nancial crisis. travel is only 20% of normal. United’s dren. For some people, a combina- United executives have said re- revenue from fi rst-quarter international tion of factors go into their decision cently that bookings are rising ahead fl ights was down just 18% of the total not to seek work. of the peak summer vacation season, in 2019, and that fi gure is propped up When Steve Klatt and Brandon and they expect that trend to grow by stronger traffi c to Mexico and the Lapp set up interviews for their restau- stronger as more Americans get vac- Caribbean. rant and food truck business, they’re cinated against COVID-19. The airline United Airlines will be smaller when lucky if one out of 10 or 15 applicants This photo provided by Hannah Albert on Sept 23, 2020 shows Steve Klatt (left), and Brandon Lapp, owners of predicted that a number of fi nancial it emerges from the pandemic. Like other comes in. Braised in the South, a Johns Island, SC, restaurant and food truck business that is having trouble finding workers measures will improve from the fi rst US carriers, United convinced thousands “The people who do show up, all during the pandemic. (AP) quarter into the second. of employees to leave voluntarily - the assume their unemployment is run- Still, United and rivals American terms of federal aid prohibited furloughs ning out,” says Klatt, whose business, stances surrounding this shortage are John the Plumber, he’s often disap- people, upended by the pandemic, are Airlines and Delta Air Lines depend - and it aims to cut permanent costs by $2 Braised in the South, is located in Johns entirely different,” says Jill Chapman, pointed. just looking for new lines of work, she on high-fare business and international billion a year. Island, South Carolina. The maximum a consultant with Insperity, a human “We had a really good applicant, says. travelers for an outsized share of rev- Chicago-based United’s fi rst-quar- weekly unemployment benefits in the resources provider. who I found on Facebook. He agreed “All of it is just a hot mess,” she enue, and nobody knows exactly when ter loss was narrower than a year ago, state are $626 including $300 in fed- The National Federation of Indepen- to come onboard, everything was look- says. those customers will come back. when it lost $1.70 billion. The airline eral coronavirus relief payments; in dent Business found in a March survey ing good. I was excited, he was excit- Child care is one reason why the pool United announced separately on earned a profi t of $292 million in the some states, maximum unemployment of its own members that 42% had job ed. Then, bam! He changed his mind,” of available workers has shrunk dra- Monday that it plans to operate new same quarter of 2019. is over $700 a week. openings they couldn’t fill. Owners says Romano, who’s looking for two matically at Let Mommy Sleep, which fl ights to Greece, Croatia and Iceland Without payroll relief from taxpay- Klatt and Lapp need 20 people to cited higher unemployment benefits as licensed plumbers to add to his current hires nurses and health aides to provide in July. The airline is betting that travel ers and other temporary items, United run the business well but have only five one factor. And a study released last staff of 10. in-home care for babies and give new restrictions will ease, allowing vacci- would have lost $2.45 billion, or $7.50 staffers. Former chefs, the owners and month by the National Bureau of Eco- Economist Joe Brusuelas says child mothers a respite. Founder Denise Stern nated vacationers to visit more places. per share. Analysts surveyed by Fact- their wives are working in the kitchen nomic Research found that a 10% in- care is another issue that may extend says some of her caregivers want to work However, also on Monday the State Set expected a loss of $7.08 per share. and on the truck to keep things run- crease in unemployment benefits dur- owners’ struggles to find workers. overnight and sleep during the day, but if Department urged Americans to recon- United previously disclosed revenue ning. Klatt and Lapp recently decided ing the pandemic led to a 3.6% drop in “Until the schools are reopened they have their own children to care for, sider foreign travel and said it will la- of $3.22 billion, a 60% drop from a to curtail their Sunday hours and close job applications. and avenues of child care normalized, that’s not possible. bel about 80% of the world’s countries year earlier and 66% lower than two Mondays to give everyone a break. “Unemployment benefits allow small firms in general, as well as food, Stern also is being hamstrung by as “do not travel” destinations because years ago. “The hit to the bottom line will be workers to be able to wait longer be- beverage, leisure and hospitality, in concerns about the virus. of COVID-19 risk. Cargo was a bright spot, nearly dou- noticeable, but it’s not worth burning fore they take a job, which can make particular, are going to face staffing “We can’t hire candidates with sec- United executives declined to com- bling from a year ago. Like other carri- out the few awesome people we do hiring harder,” said Ioana Marinescu, challenges until later this fall at the ond jobs where exposure might hap- ment until talking to analysts on Tues- ers, United took advantage of space in have working for us,” Klatt says. a University of Pennsylvania professor earliest,” says Brusuelas, chief econo- pen, and honestly, a lot of candidates day. CEO Scott Kirby said in a state- the bellies of its planes to carry more Businesses of all sizes are struggling who co-authored the study. mist with the consulting firm RSM. don’t want to work in a closed envi- ment that executives “now see a clear goods. Still, cargo accounted for only with hiring even with millions of Ameri- Companies whose work is done Jillian Melton was laid off from ronment where we know transmission path to profi tability. We’re encouraged 15% of United’s revenue, a share that cans unemployed and as increasing num- inside homes – including plumbers, a Seasons 52 restaurant in Mem- happens,” Stern says. by the strong evidence of pent-up de- is likely to gradually decline over the bers of people get vaccinated and look contractors and pest control busi- phis, Tennessee, last spring when the Stern has had to turn business away, mand for air travel” and can match it next several quarters as air freight is forward to a more normal life. A census nesses – find many prospective hires pandemic shut the restaurant down. and so have the owners of seven Let to meet targets for a fi nancial recovery. replaced by passenger bags. survey taken in late March shows that 6.3 are afraid of contracting the virus on a Melton, who had worked at the restau- Mommy Sleep franchises around million didn’t seek work because they job. Meanwhile, demand for their ser- rant for seven years, can’t work a regu- the country. Stern, who works in the had to care for a child, and 4.1 million vices is up because there’s more wear lar schedule; she has three children at Washington, D.C., area, says her rev- Co schedules privacy crackdown said they feared contracting or spreading and tear on houses and apartments as home from school and she’s caring for enue is down by half. the virus. people spend more time at home. her 93-year-old grandmother. Babysit- Revenue is down 30% at Filter King, But smaller companies that often At Jake Romano’s Ottawa, Ontario, ters and nurses are in short supply. based in Miami. Demand for air filters can’t offer pay and benefits as gener- plumbing business, job candidates are Melton says employers need to is jumping as people work from home Apple unveils new products ous as larger companies have a tougher gravitating toward commercial plumb- understand that many workers have and run their air conditioners more, but SAN RAMON, California, April 22, the ant-tracking feature last Septem- time. ing rather than having to visit five to compromised immune systems or owners Mike Jacob and Rick Hoskins (AP): Apple spruced up its product ber, but delayed it to give apps that “A shortage of talent is nothing new 10 homes a day. Even when Romano limited availability because schools need to double their staff of 20 to keep line at an event Tuesday while slip- ad-dependent “free” apps to adjust to for small businesses, but the circum- finds a good prospect for his company, and day care centers are closed. Some up with orders. ping in quiet notice of a software up- the changes. Facebook spent part of date, now due next week, designed to the delay blasting Apple for a change enhance the privacy of iPhone users at that it says could make it diffi cult for ‘We live in a culture where our money is our worth’ the expense of digital advertisers such smaller apps to survive without charg- as Facebook. ing consumers. At the same time, Timing for the software upgrade Facebook has acknowledged to inves- trickled out during a series of an- tors that its own ad revenue could also nouncements for new iPads, iMac be hurt. The high price of money shame computers and more during a pre- On the product front, Apple is roll- recorded event that sometimes ing out new iMacs with better cameras seemed like a one-hour infomercial and speakers for improved video meet- By Liz Weston say Bryan-Podvin, a fi nancial therapist a 2020 study for the American Journal ings and sound and new iMac key- in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Plus, there of Epidemiology found that fi nancial for Apple. NerdWallet Apple also unveiled a new subscrip- boards with the same fi ngerprint ID are many factors beyond our control, strain is a signifi cant risk factor for tion option for podcasts and a gadget sensor that unlocks iPhones and iPads. he US suicide rate has risen dra- such as the economy, industry trends suicide attempts. called AirTags - coin-sized devices The latest iPad Pros will work on ultra- Tmatically in recent years, and and unemployment rates. But in the past couple of decades, that can be attached to keys, back- fast 5G wireless networks that are still certified money coach Tammy Lally Too often, though, people feel suicide rates have increased in good packs, purses and other items to help being built out. of Washington, D.C., is convinced there’s something deeply wrong with economic times and bad. The suicide people track them down via iPhone if Apple’s new paid podcast option money shame is a contributing factor. them if they struggle with their fi - rate rose 35% from 1999 through they’re misplaced. will join an increasingly crowded Lally’s brother died by suicide in nances. They may feel they’re stupid, 2018, according to the Centers for Dis- The AirTags, due in stores April 30, field of digital antertainment and 2007 after receiving a foreclosure notice. immoral, lazy or “bad with money,” ease Control and Prevention, before will require the iPhone software up- information subscription services. Shortly afterward, Lally’s mortgage busi- or ruminate on what they should have dropping in 2019 from 14.2 suicides date called iOS 14.5. That update will Those already include several from ness collapsed in the Great Recession. done differently. per 100,000 people to 13.9. Statistics also include a new feature requiring Apple, including music and video She says she went from driving a Mer- “When we make mistakes with for 2020 are not yet available. apps to obtain explicit permission from streaming options that feed off the cedes and living in an oceanfront house money or things happen to us, we tend Lindsay speculates that income stag- users before tracking their activity and nearly 1.6 billion devices currently to fi ling for bankruptcy. to internalize it and make it really per- nation and increased economic insecurity whereabouts. Apple said in a footnote in use by the company’s mostly af- “It blew me away, the level of pain sonal,” says Bryan-Podvin, author of could be contributing factors. Coambs to its AirTags announcement that the fluent customers. and sadness that I was experiencing,” “The Financial Anxiety Solution. ” notes that the suicide rate for men in the update will be released at some point The popularity of those products Lally says. “I didn’t tell anybody. I was “If you’re beating yourself up, that’s a U.S. is more than three times higher than next week. and services have turned Apple into pretending like nothing was going on.” good sign that there is money shame.” that for women, which could be in part Apple had previously only said that one of the world’s most profi table She eventually realized she was ex- Money shame can lead us to over- due to internal pressure to be “providers the update would be available in the companies with a market value of $2.2 periencing shame - a deep sense that spend to “keep up with the Joneses,” and performers.” spring. A similar software update is trillion, twice where it stood when the she was fundamentally fl awed and un- avoid our fi nances or criticize others “Men struggle more with their men- coming out for iPads as well. pandemic began. worthy because of her fi nancial prob- who are struggling, says certifi ed fi - This undated fi le photo provided tal health (after fi nancial setbacks), The new privacy tool could drain lems. When she switched careers to nancial planner Edward Coambs , a by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, because they tend to associate their billions of dollars of revenue from become a fi nancial advisor, she began marriage and family therapist in Char- a columnist for personal fi nance self-worth to their income or their net apps such as Facebook, which rely on to notice how pervasive those feel- lotte, North Carolina. website NerdWallet.com. (AP) worth,” Coambs says. following people around on iPhones to ings were. Some clients were ashamed “Shame induces us to be judgmen- What you can do about money collect personal information that helps of their debts, or their wealth. Others tal,” Coambs says. “Because when we of suicide. shame them sell targeted ads. lived beyond their means or “played see other people struggling with some- “Shame really is about loss of rela- All this is scary stuff. But suicide That feature, called App Tracking the big shot,” picking up the tab at res- thing, it creates discomfort for us.” tionship,” Coambs says. “It’s commu- is preventable (the National Suicide Transparency, will force apps to ob- taurants or constantly rescuing others. Many therapists and researchers say nicating to you that I’m not worthy or Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255), tain permission before collecting such “I’m seeing every one of my clients that shame differs from guilt: We feel valuable of being in relationship either and money shame can be tamed, fi nan- surveillance data, even those that are having shame around their money,” guilt when we’ve done something bad, with myself or with another person.” cial therapists say. The fi rst step is ac- already installed on the device. To In this illustration photographed in she says. “We live in a culture where but feel shame when we believe we are Shame and suicide knowledging what you’re feeling. date, such apps have been free to track La Habra, California, the new iMac our money is our worth.” bad or deeply fl awed. People may be- Suicides rarely have a single cause, “The fi rst and most pragmatic piece iPhone users automatically unless peo- computers are introduced during a The origins of money shame lieve they’re so defective that they are and researchers can only speculate is being able to name it,” Coambs says. ple take the time and trouble to prevent virtual event held to announce new We aren’t born knowing how to unworthy of ever being loved or con- about why the suicide rate rises and “Having language to describe experi- the snooping. Apple products, Tuesday, April 20, manage money, and everyone makes nected to others, Coambs says. In ex- falls. Studies show that suicides tend to ences does help to start to alleviate the Apple originally planned to released 2021. (AP) mistakes with their fi nances, says Lind- treme cases, that could lead to thoughts rise with the unemployment rate, and distress.” (AP) ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 BUSINESS 9

Canadian judge grants Huawei CFO request to delay hearings In this fi le photo, Chief Financial Offi cer of A Canadian judge has granted Huawei executive violations of sanctions against Iran. Her lawyers asked Holmes on Monday to ad- Huawei, Meng Wan- Meng Wanzhou’s request to delay the fi nal leg in The US accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong journ proceedings until Aug 3, a delay they argued zhou, returns to British her extradition hearings, days before they were set shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to would also allow time for a third wave of COVID-19 Columbia Supreme to begin. Iran in violation of US sanctions. It says Meng com- to subside in British Columbia. Court after a break British Columbia Supreme Court Associate Chief mitted fraud by misleading HSBC about the com- Lawyers for Canada’s attorney general had ar- from her extradition Justice Heather Holmes said Wednesday she will pany’s business dealings in Iran. gued there’s no justifi cation to delay proceedings hearing, in Vancou- deliver reasons for her decision in writing in the The hearings were scheduled to begin Monday in the high-profi le case, especially given the public ver, British Columbia. next week or so and a date to resume proceedings but Meng’s lawyers said they needed more time interest. A Canadian judge has will be determined later. to review documents related to the case obtained Meng was arrested at Vancouver’s airport in granted Wanzhou’s Meng, who was detained in Canada in 2018 at through a Hong Kong court. Huawei said this week 2018 at the request of the United States to face request to delay the the behest of US authorities, has been fi ghting a that it has reached an agreement with HSBC in fraud charges related to America’s sanctions fi nal leg in her extradi- legal battle over the last two years as the US seeks Hong Kong to obtain documents Meng hopes will against Iran, which both she and Huawei deny. tion hearings. (AP) to extradite her over allegations of bank fraud and help prevent her extradition to the US. (AP) Equities mostly up after advance on Wall St

Market focus on quarterly results over next two weeks Daily Mail ‘owner’

BANGKOK, April 22, sues Google in US (AP): World shares rose NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): The owner of the Daily Mail website, As- Thursday after a broad sociated Newspapers, is suing Google, advance on Wall Street as saying the tech company’s dominance corporate earnings sug- in online advertising has harmed its business. gested the economy was The suit, fi led Monday in federal on the mend from the pan- court in New York, says Google pun- demic. ishes publishers’ search results if they Benchmarks rose in Paris, Lon- don’t sell enough ad space through Google and that its control over the ad don, Tokyo and Hong Kong but market depresses prices for publishers. fell in Shanghai. U.S. futures “Google wields its monopoly edged lower. search engine to entrench its ad-tech Shares in Credit Suisse declined 3% dominance,” the suit alleges, citing in- after the bank reported “signifi cant stances when Daily Mail’s traffi c from losses” linked to a U.S.-based hedge search fell unexpectedly. fund and the Swiss fi nancial regulator The company says that since the be- said it was looking into possible penal- ginning of 2021, its U.S. search traffi c ties. to its website, known for celebrity pho- Two weeks ago, markets were rat- tos and tabloid stories, has dropped by tled when the bank announced it was more than 50%. taking a 4.4 billion Swiss franc ($4.7 Google said in an emailed state- billion) charge linked to a default on ment that the Daily Mail’s claims are margin calls by U.S.-based Archegos inaccurate and that use of its ad tech Capital. Credit Suisse did not identify tools “has no bearing” on a publisher’s what it called only a “US-based hedge search results in Google. The company fund” - but the authority did. said it will defend against the claims. Germany’s DAX climbed 0.5% to Google commands about 29% of the 15,265.40 and the CAC 40 in Paris U.S. digital ad market, according to picked up 0.8% to 6,258.27. Britain’s eMarketer. Facebook takes 25% of it FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 6,917.44. The and Amazon, 10%. future for the S&P 500 fell less than Federal and state antitrust authori- 0.1%, as did the future contract for the ties have sued Google. The Justice Dow industrials. Department alleges that Google abuses In Asian trading, Japan’s Nikkei 225 In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, traders work on the fl oor, Wednesday April 21, 2021. World shares rose Thursday after a broad its dominance in online search and ad- index added 2.4% to 29,188.17. Toshi- advance on Wall Street as corporate earnings suggested the economy was on the mend from the pandemic. (AP) vertising. It’s also not the fi rst time ba Corp. jumped 3.5% amid reports Google has faced an antitrust suit from that Bain Capital may be considering Industrial Average gained 0.9% to counting for a big share of the gains. double down on their riskier bets, and a year earlier, according to FactSet. a publisher. A West Virginia newspa- an acquisition proposal as an earlier 34,137.31. Both the S&P 500 and Tesla, Amazon and other companies this is pushing the European and the Investors are looking to justify the per company, HD Media, sued Google takeover bid by CVC Capital appears Dow hit all-time highs on Friday. The that rely directly on consumer spend- US stocks higher,” Naeem Aslam of market’s advance this year, despite the and Facebook in January. to have stalled. technology-heavy Nasdaq added 1.2% ing also rose. Communication and avatrade.com said in a commentary. lingering pandemic and higher-than- The newspaper industry has been on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose to 13,950.22. utilities stocks fell. Much of the market’s focus over the normal unemployment. There are also a long decline with the advent of the 0.5% to 28,755.34. In Seoul, the Ko- The Russell 2000 index of smaller Investors are weighing company next two weeks will be on individual signs of COVID infections increasing internet, and online ad revenues have spi picked up 0.2% to 3,177.52. Syd- company stocks, which has been out- earnings reports while keeping an eye companies and the outcome of their outside the U.S. in major economies not offset print-ad losses. That’s led to ney’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.8% to pacing the broader market all year, on bond yields, which eased lower. quarterly results. About 80 members of such as India and Brazil once again. newsroom cuts and publications thin- 7,055.40. The Shanghai Composite led the way higher, climbing 2.3%, to The yield on the 10-year Treasury the S&P 500 are due to report results In other trading, U.S. benchmark ning out and shutting down. Newer, index fell 0.2% to 3,465.11. 2,239.63. slipped to 1.54% from 1.56%. this week, as well as one out of every crude oil shed 56 cents to $60.79 per online-only news sites like BuzzFeed On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose Most of the companies in the bench- “It seems like traders are taking three members of the Dow. On aver- barrel in electronic trading on the New and Vox have also faced pressure, and 0.9%, snapping a two-day slide, to mark index rose, with technology, every retracement in the stock market age, analysts expect quarterly profi ts York Mercantile Exchange. It lost $1.32 companies have been merging in re- close at 4,173.42. The Dow Jones fi nancial, and health care stocks ac- as an opportunity to jump back in or across the S&P 500 to climb 24% from to $61.35 per barrel on Wednesday. cent years. Industry’s biggest marketing event eclipsed by pandemic Move enrages Beijing Australia ends deals with New SUV models star at China auto show SHANGHAI, April 22, (AP): Volkswa- Sedan, among 13 new and refreshed China citing nat’l interest gen, Ford and Chinese brands unveiled models planned this year in China. Ear- new SUVs for China on Monday at the lier this month, GM’s Wuling joint ven- CANBERRA, Australia, April 22, Victoria’s center-left Labor Par- Shanghai auto show, the industry’s big- ture released the electric Macaron, part (AP): Australia has cancelled two ty government said the Foreign Re- gest marketing event in a year overshad- of its fast-selling, lower-priced Hong Chinese “Belt and Road” infra- lations Act, under which the deals owed by the coronavirus pandemic. Guang line. structure building initiative deals were cancelled, was a matter for Automakers are looking to China, the Peugeot, part of the Stellantis group with a state government, provoking the federal government. The law biggest auto market by sales volume and created through the merger of Fiat an angry response from Beijing. came into effect in December. the fi rst major economy to rebound from Chrysler and PSA Group in January, The bilateral deals with Victoria “The Victorian government will the pandemic, to propel a revival in de- showcased a new range of SUVs – the state were among four vetoed under continue to work hard to deliver mand and reverse multibillion-dollar 4008, the plug-in electric hybrid 4008 new laws that give the federal gov- jobs, trade and economic opportu- losses. and the 5008. ernment power to overrule interna- nities for our state,” the statement Auto Shanghai 2021 takes place un- China’s fi rst-quarter sales of SUVs, tional agreements by lower-level said. der anti-virus controls that included sedans and minivans in China jumped administrations that violate the Victoria’s opposition leader Mi- holding some news conferences by 75.6% over a year earlier, when the national interest, Foreign Minister chael O’Brien, who vowed to scrap video link. Few executives from abroad ruling Communist Party shut down the Marise Payne said late Wednesday. the deals if he won elections next are attending. Reporters were required economy to fi ght the virus, according to The “Belt and Road” deals struck year, welcomed the federal govern- to undergo virus tests. the China Association of Auto Manu- The latest models refl ect accelerating facturers. By contrast, Edmunds.com with Beijing in 2018 and 2019 trig- ment’s decision. momentum toward electrifi cation and gered the legislative response. Inc. forecasts quarterly US sales should Infrastructure designing models for Chinese tastes. Victoria Education Department Automakers rely increasingly on re- A visitor tries out a concept vehicle at the Mercedes Benz booth during the rise 8.9% over a year earlier but would pacts signed with Syria in 1999 and O’Brien, who belongs to the search and design centers in China to Shanghai Auto Show in Shanghai on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Automak- be off 8.6% from the fi nal quarter of Iran in 2004 were also canceled. same conservative Liberal Party as create models for global sale. ers are looking to China, the biggest auto market by sales volume and the 2020. “I consider these four arrange- the foreign minister, said the Victo- Ford Motor Co. presented a midsize fi rst major economy to rebound from the pandemic, to propel a revival in Sales of electric vehicles in China, ments to be inconsistent with Aus- rian government had “given away SUV, the EVOS, the fi rst vehicle cre- demand and reverse multibillion-dollar losses. (AP) which accounts for about half of global tralia’s foreign policy or adverse to major infrastructure contracts to ated largely by a China-based team purchases of the technology, nearly tri- our foreign relations,” Payne said. Chinese-owned companies” under tally connected environment.” will release globally by 2025. pled in the fi rst three months of 2021 under a 2-year-old strategy to integrate Volkswagen AG said its all-electric The show also highlights the growing The Chinese Embassy in Aus- one deal. Ford’s Chinese operations into global over a year earlier to 515,000 units, ac- tralia said in a statement the deci- “In return, the Chinese govern- product development. The automaker ID.6, available in six- and seven-seat technology and design skills of China’s cording to CAAC. sion “further shows that the Aus- ment has smashed our farmers also exhibited a plug-in hybrid SUV, models, aims to create a “lounge on young but ambitious domestic brands. Honda Motor Co unveiled a proto- tralian government has no sincerity with tariffs on barley. They have the Escape, and an all-electric Mustang wheels” with semi-automated driving Geely Auto, part of the Geely Hold- type SUV that will be its fi rst electric in improving China-Australia rela- smashed our wine exporters with Mach-E. and other technology. The German auto ing group of brands that includes Swe- vehicle sold in China and the Breeze, tions.” trade sanctions,” O’Brien said. “We’re moving away from just look- giant’s Audi unit displayed a concept den’s Volvo Cars, debuted a new fl ag- the fi rst plug-in hybrid from its joint “It is bound to bring further Observers have described the ing at list of features, but much more version of its A6 e-tron sedan, the fi rst ship SUV, the Xingyue L. The company venture with state-owned GAC. Honda damage to bilateral relations, and Victorian deals as vague and non- focused on how how does that all come of a family of electric cars due out next says self-driving technology enables the plans to release 10 electric models with- will only end up hurting itself,” the binding. Some suspect their value together in terms of the experience for year. Xingyue L to park itself and return to in fi ve years. embassy said on Thursday, refer- to the Chinese Communist Party the customer,” said Tim Slatter, vice Toyota Motor Co introduced its bZ4X pick up its driver. Nissan Motor Co displayed its X- ring to the Australian government. was to exploit differences in opin- president of Ford China. “And that can Concept battery-electric SUV, one of 70 General Motors Co debuted the Envi- Trail crossover for the China market and The Global Times, a mouthpiece ion in Australia over “Belt and all be enabled with this very rich, digi- electrifi ed vehicles the automaker says it sion Plus midsize SUV and the Verano its e-POWER electrifi ed power train. of the Chinese Communist Party, Road” deals, which critics argue said in a headline: “Australia faces can create debt traps for poor coun- serious consequences for unreason- tries. able provocation against China.” Australian Defense Minister Myanmar refugee crisis brewing as turmoil hits economy Peter Dutton said his government Escalation BANGKOK, April 22, (AP): Aid dead, according to the Assistance As- She estimated that about 7,000 peo- coronavirus pandemic, which raises would not allow the Chinese Com- workers and activists are warning sociation for Political Prisoners, which ple were camped along the Salween risks of spreading outbreaks and also The move “marks a signifi cant munist Party to use such deals with Myanmar’s political upheavals risk tracks the casualties since the military River on the border with Thailand, forced some migrant workers back to escalation that could push icy bi- Australian states as “propaganda.” causing a regional refugee crisis as takeover. with more than 1,000 hiding in Thai Myanmar from Thailand and other lateral relations into an abyss,” the “Our problem is with the values or the strife following a February coup ASEAN’s stance of non-interfer- forests. That is only one area along countries. “The economy in Myanmar newspaper added. the virtues or the outlook of the Chi- displaces growing numbers of people ence in each others’ internal matters, borders that stretch from India to the is collapsing. Salaries are no longer be- Australia’s bilateral relations nese Communist Party,” Dutton said. who have lost their livelihoods. and the relatively undemocratic nature west to China and Thailand to the ing paid. People’s livelihoods are dis- with its most important trading The party had militarized ports in the Tom Andrews, the U.N. special rap- of many of the members own govern- north and east. appearing as they are in hiding for their partner are at their lowest point Asia-Pacifi c region and Australian porteur for Myanmar, said violence has ments, has left Myanmar’s neighbors So far, most of those displaced are own safety,” Thompson said. “The en- in decades. Chinese government security agencies had reported an in- left nearly 250,000 people displaced. wary of imposing any sanctions against still within Myanmar, adding to those tire country is headed for a humanitar- ministers refuse to take phone calls creased level of foreign interference As Myanmar’s neighbors prepare for a the regime that seized power from the already having to fl ee due to long-run- ian crisis.” from their Australian counterparts, across the region, he said. summit this week to discuss the coup, elected civilian government of Aung ning ethnic insurgencies. But fi ghting So far, most of the sanctions taken and trade disruptions are widely “We’re worried about cyberat- he and other rights advocates are warn- San Suu Kyi. She has been imprisoned has disrupted their access to food and to try to compel Myanmar’s military seen as China imposing economic tacks and we’re worried obviously ing that the situation could spiral out along with more than 3,000 others. other necessities. leaders to reverse the coup and restore punishment. about state governments that enter of control. The growing number of people fl ee- “People have been fi nding areas of the elected government have been But Payne said Thursday she did into compacts with the Communist “The world must act immediately ing bombings and other violence by solace inside Myanmar still, but if this adopted by Western governments. not expect China to retaliate. Party against our national inter- to address this humanitarian catastro- Myanmar forces “is something they confl ict broadens into the ethnic states That includes banning business with “Australia is operating in our na- ests,” Dutton said. phe,” Andrews said in a Twitter post (ASEAN) want to remain in control of. along the border areas, you will see refu- major military-affi liated companies tional interests. We are very care- “We can’t allow these sort of on Wednesday. Refugees spilling over the borders are gee fl ows,” James Rodehaver, Bangkok- that dominate many industries, includ- ful and very considered in that ap- compacts, these sort of arrange- A mass civil disobedience move- not internal, it becomes a regional is- based chief of the Myanmar team of the ing the lucrative gems and jade trade. proach.” Payne said. ments and friendships to pop up be- ment and efforts by security forces to sue,” said Sally Thompson, executive Offi ce of the High Commissioner for It’s unclear whether such moves “It’s about ensuring that we cause they’re used for propaganda crush it have left many out of work. director of The Border Consortium, the Human Rights, said at a recent seminar. have had much impact, just weeks af- have a consistent approach to for- reasons and we’re just not going to Disruptions of internet service by au- main provider of food, shelter and oth- The mass civil disobedience move- ter the coup. It takes time for fl ows of eign policy across all levels of allow that to happen,” he added. thorities are also wrecking the means er support to refugees from Myanmar ment has left many Myanmar business- revenues to taper off, and so far com- government, and it isn’t about any China imposed formal and in- many in the impoverished country rely for more than three decades. es, from banks to hospitals to garment panies paying revenues for oil and gas, one country,” she said. “It is most formal trade restrictions on some on to make a living. “It is the ASEAN countries that can factories, shuttered. That has prompted the country’s biggest export, are most- certainly not intended to harm Australian exports last year includ- The 10-member Association of put pressure on Myanmar because they people to fl ee from cities back to their ly staying put saying they hold a re- Australia’s relationships with any ing coal, barley, beef, wine, cotton, Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are a trading bloc,” Thompson said in a home villages, burdening families that sponsibility to keep the energy-scarce countries.” lobsters and wood. called a meeting Saturday on the crisis briefi ng at the Foreign Correspondents had relied on them for support. country’s lights on and to protect their that has left more than 700 civilians Club of Thailand. The troubles are amplifi ed by the own employees. Meituan raises $10 bln for self-driving cars, drone delivery

In this fi le Chinese food delivery giant Meituan raised additional $400 million by selling more shares In community group-buying, consumers liv- photo, food de- nearly $10 billion in a sale of convertible bonds to Tencent Holdings, its largest shareholder, it ing in the same neighborhood can band to- livery workers and additional shares and plans to invest those said. gether to buy groceries or other items in bulk to from Meituan, funds in developing and expanding delivery Over the past year Meituan has invested obtain a discount. The model is especially pop- an E-com- technologies. aggressively in grocery retail and community ular in smaller Chinese cities and is attractive merce compa- The Beijing-based fi rm, China’s largest food group-buying as it competes with rivals like Ali- to e-commerce companies as they can save ny, prepare to delivery platform, said in a fi ling to the Hong baba and Pinduoduo in these hotly-contested on delivery and storage costs when it comes to deliver orders Kong stock exchange that it sold 187 million sectors. bulk purchases. placed online additional shares in a top-up placement at Meituan has a market valuation of about Aggressive investments to gain market from a center 273.80 Hong Kong dollars each, raising about $217 billion. It said it plans to spend the mon- share in these new sectors of e-commerce in Beijing. (AP) $6.6 billion. ey it raised on research and development of have come at a cost. Meituan’s fourth-quarter The company also raised nearly $3 billion self-driving vehicles, drones delivery and other profi ts last year sank 250%, with a net loss of in two tranches of convertible bonds, and an technology. 2.2 billion yuan ($330 million). (AP)

Swiss authority looking into possible penalties Demand grows Credit Suisse probed over trading losses Restaurants, delivery GENEVA, April 22, (AP): Switzerland’s fi nan- worth less. ago. apps ‘remain’ at odds cial markets authority said Thursday it is looking FINMA also confi rmed it opened in March pro- In its outlook, Credit Suisse said it expects mar- NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): Diners got used to delivery into possible penalties against Credit Suisse after ceedings against the bank in connection with its ket volumes to return to “lower, and more normal, during the pandemic, and the habit may stick long after din- ing rooms reopen. But restaurants and delivery companies the top-drawer bank announced “signifi cant loss- so-called “supply chain fi nance funds,” a fi nancial levels in the coming quarters” — and expects a es” linked to a U.S.-based hedge fund. instrument that is reserved for select clients. remain uneasy partners, haggling over fees and struggling residual charge of about 600 million francs ($655 to make the service profi table for themselves and each other. The authority, FINMA, said it will require The bank announced a suspension in redemp- Companies like DoorDash and UberEats helped many “various risk-reducing measures” and investigate tions and subscriptions in the funds on March 1 million) in the second quarter due to the hedge restaurants stay in business during lockdowns, allowing din- “possible shortcomings in risk management” at over insolvency issues linked to partner Greensill fund troubles. ers to stay in and still order out. But that convenience came Credit Suisse. The authority said it is appointing Capital. It said it has now exited 97 percent of related at a price: Delivery companies can charge commission fees of 30% or more per order, hurting restaurants’ already mea- an outside agent to look into the issue. FINMA’s announcement came shortly after positions linked to the hedge fund matter. ger profi ts. Two weeks ago, the bank announced it was tak- Credit Suisse reported a net loss of 252 million Some restaurants, fed up with the fees, have since started ing a 4.4 billion Swiss franc ($4.7 billion) charge francs ($275 million) in the fi rst quarter, largely their own delivery or dropped off the platforms altogether. linked to a default on margin calls by U.S.-based due to the one-time charge. Delivery companies are trying to keep them in the fold with lower-priced services and relief funds. But they’re not mak- Archegos Capital. Credit Suisse did not identify CEO Thomas Gottstein said: “The loss we ing money either. what it called only a “US-based hedge fund” — report in this quarter, because of this matter, is “The relationship was bad, and it didn’t get better with but the authority did. unacceptable.” He noted steps including an inde- the pandemic,” said Karan Girotra, a professor at Cornell The authority said such “enforcement proceed- pendent probe ordered by the bank. The bank has University’s Johnson College of Business. ings” against fi nancial institutions typically take also said two top executives had left in the wake Girotra said delivery can be profi table in dense neighbor- hoods, where multiple orders can be delivered quickly and months, depending on the complexity of the mat- of the troubles. cheaply. But in sprawling suburbs, the cost of shuttling food ter. FINMA does not have the power to impose The bank, in its quarterly report, said the one- gets too high. fi nes, but can order changes within fi nancial insti- time charge offset “positive performance across “The economics don’t work out, so the delivery com- tutions and set limits on them. wealth management and investment banking.” panies have to squeeze someone,” he said. “They have to squeeze the restaurants, the customers or the people working A margin call is triggered when investors bor- Net revenues jumped 31 percent to 7.57 billion on these platforms.” row using their stock portfolio as collateral and francs ($8.3 billion), while the pre-tax loss came In this fi le photo, Thomas Gottstein, the CEO of the Figuring out how to make delivery profi table could be have to make up the balance required by banks in at 757 million francs ($826 million)- compared Swiss bank Credit Suisse, prior the press conference of crucial in the coming years. Delivery was already growing when the share prices fall and the collateral is to a 1.2 billion franc net gain in the quarter a year the full-year results of 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland. (AP) before the pandemic, but it surged worldwide during lock- downs. Online orders for home delivery more than doubled in the U.S., Russia and Canada last year, and jumped around 30% in France, Germany and Spain, according to NPD Fed policymakers agree Group, a market research company. In a recent survey, the National Restaurant Association found that 60% of U.S. adults — and 71% of millennials — said they’re more likely to get delivery now than they were before the pandemic. But it’s unclear how many people will Economics has a racial-disparity problem stick to delivery once the pandemic is over and they can dine in again. nomics, calculate that from 1990 Robbin Swaney, a retiree in Walker, Michigan, said she through 2018 the top fi ve econom- and her husband started getting delivery about once a week ics journals published only 29 papers from Uber Eats early in the pandemic. At the time, they that explicitly addressed race and wanted to help local restaurants, but they have also come to like the convenience. ethnicity. That was fewer than 0.5% “We’ll keep doing it,” Swaney said. of all papers published during that Some restaurant owners still welcome delivery companies time. as partners. Corey Kaplan, who owns Corey’s NYC Bagel Lisa Cook, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, The relationship was bad, and suggested that the lack of representa- tion is diffi cult to overcome without it didn’t get better with the pan- more role models in the profession. She praised a summer program run demic by the American Economics Asso- ciation for helping address that ob- Deli in downtown Chicago, said DoorDash expanded his reach when his usual traffi c of offi ce workers dried up. The stacle. company lowered his commission fees and even provided Young students who participate in bags. the program often say, “This is the “DoorDash singlehandedly saved this store,” said Kaplan, fi rst time I’ve ever had ... a black whose delivery orders now make up 70% of his sales, up woman as a professor in an econom- from 20% before the pandemic. Chocolate maker Jeffray Gardner says he probably loses ics class,” Cook said. “We’re not money on the one or two delivery orders he gets each day developing, promoting, or tenuring at Marsatta Chocolate in Torrance, California. But he’s still black women ... and that’s true for happy to work with delivery companies because they help underrepresented minorities more him reach a wider audience. Last year, he even drove for generally.” DoorDash and UberEats to make extra cash and meet other Participants in the webinar noted local restaurant owners who might stock his chocolates. But many restaurant owners say they can’t make the math that academic economists have often work. been dismissive of racism as a factor Evelyn Shelton, the chef-owner of Evelyn’s Food Love in in incomes, employment and other Chicago, says the food she makes in her 40-seat restaurant, economic barometers. A result is like fried lobster, is expensive, so her margins are already that young minority students who are slim. She only briefl y tried third-party delivery before decid- ing to focus on catering to survive the pandemic. seeking solutions to racial inequali- “Doing a revenue share with someone who hasn’t bought ties might be discouraged from pur- any food or paid any labor doesn’t make sense to me,” she suing a career in economics. said. “We’re too tiny to give away all the profi ts.” “There appears to be no evidence Many U.S. and Canadian lawmakers agree, and temporar- that will get economists to admit, ily capped the fees delivery companies can charge to restau- This fi le photo shows a sign advertising a restaurant opening, in Santa Monica, California. Top Federal Reserve policymakers yes, there is discrimination, and yes it rants during the pandemic. DoorDash said it lost $36 million underscored their concern that Black and Hispanic people are sharply underrepresented in the economics fi eld, which lessens in the fourth quarter alone because of fee caps in 73 cities, the perspectives that economists can bring to key policy issues. (AP) matters,” said William Spriggs, chief counties and states like Washington and Oregon. economist at the AFL-CIO. Kevin Huang, vice president of merchant operations at Spriggs and Cook have been men- San Francisco-based DoorDash, said he understands the im- By Christopher Rugaber slow to address racism as a source its policymaking. pulse to protect restaurants. But if DoorDash charges diners of economic inequality. tioned as potential Biden administra- op Federal Reserve policymak- “If you cut off the recovery be- tion choices for the Fed’s Board of more to make up for the lost revenue, then fewer people will “Race is a variable that economists cause of fears of inflation, even order. That hurts restaurants and the gig workers who drive Ters underscored their concern Governors, which has one vacancy. for DoorDash, he said. Huang says the relationship between that Black and Hispanic people are are lazy about,” said Raphael Bostic, when you haven’t seen it, you’re If either were nominated and con- the president of the Atlanta Fed and restaurants and delivery companies is frayed partly because sharply underrepresented in the eco- preventing groups of people from fi rmed by the Senate, he or she would delivery grew so quickly during the pandemic. nomics fi eld, which lessens the per- the fi rst Black president of a regional really fully participating in the become just the fourth Black person “Overnight they were forced to rely on delivery in order spectives that economists can bring Fed bank in the system’s 108-year economy,” Bostic said. “And when to serve as a Fed governor. to stay open,” he said. “There were probably things lost in to key policy issues. history. “That means we’re drawing you look at those groups, they tend The report Tuesday from the terms of how our business works and how our pricing struc- conclusions that are often not refl ec- to be lower-income people, and ture works.” Huang said the company is trying to build trust. “If we don’t have a diverse group Brookings Institution pointed out that It’s making more in-person visits to restaurants to educate of people in the fi eld, we won’t have tive of reality.” they tend to be minorities that are the directors of the 12 regional Fed- them about their options, like building their own websites so the right topics to focus on,” said Eric the last ones to benefit.” eral Reserve banks, who select the they can bypass some DoorDash fees. Rosengren, president of the Federal It’s not about solely Ebonya Washington, an economist banks’ presidents, are mostly white Uber Eats said it’s experimenting with new pricing tiers. Reserve Bank of Boston. at Yale University, said during the men with business backgrounds. It has a light plan — with a 5% commission fee — that lets changing the student webinar that just 2.8% of econom- restaurants use their own drivers, for example. A premium At a webinar sponsored by the The bank directors “are over- plan, with a 20% commission fee, gives restaurants more 12 regional Fed banks, the officials ics Ph.D.’s in 2019 were granted to whelmingly white, overwhelm- visibility on the app and access to Uber Eats drivers. and many outside economists ad- to fi t into the fl awed Black students and 5.8% to Latinos. ingly male and overwhelmingly But delivery costs money, and the companies are under dressed the problem on the same profession, but let’s African-Americans earned more drawn from the business communi- pressure to start showing profi ts. DoorDash and Uber Eats day that a study from the Brook- Ph.D.’s in mathematics and other ties within their districts, with lit- both lost money last year, even though their sales more than scientifi c fi elds, she said. tripled. European rivals Deliveroo and Just Eat Takeaway. ings Institution reported that the change the fl awed pro- tle participation from minorities, com — which recently acquired U.S. delivery company top ranks of the Federal Reserve That suggests, she said, that the women, or from areas of the econ- Grubhub — also lost money last year. system remain disproportionately fession problem isn’t just a question of omy — labor, nonprofits, the acad- white, particularly on the boards of building a bigger “pipeline” of emy — with important contribu- the regional banks. In an interview, Bostic noted the young students but of making eco- tions to make to Fed governance,” The viral pandemic and last sum- Fed’s adoption last summer of a new nomics more welcoming to African the report’s authors, led by Peter mer’s racial justice protests have policy framework that calls for the Americans. Conti-Brown, a financial historian thrown a national spotlight on long- central bank to wait for actual in- “It’s not about solely changing the at the University of Pennsylvania’s standing racial and gender dispari- creases in infl ation before potentially student to fi t into the fl awed profes- Wharton School, wrote. ties within the U.S. economy, with raising its benchmark interest rate. sion, but let’s change the fl awed pro- Bostic suggested, though, that the unemployment rates chronically Previously, the Fed would raise rates fession,” Washington said. Fed has made progress in the past higher for African Americans and on the expectation that infl ation was The lack of diversity results in a two decades on board representation. Hispanics and levels of wealth, in- poised to accelerate, even though narrower range of research. Dania “We do a lot of analytics to make come and homeownership sharply those forecasts didn’t always prove Francis, an economist at the Uni- sure we understand what the nature lower. Yet even in that context, accurate. versity of Massachusetts, and Anna of the diversity of our boards are,” economics trails other fields in This new framework, Bostic sug- Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, co-founder he said. “That is something that we Jeffray Gardner, the owner of Marsatta Chocolate holds measures of diversity, the officials gested, refl ects the Fed’s broadening of the Sadie Collective, a non-profi t really give a lot of attention to.” cacao fruit pods outside his fl agship store in Torrance, said, and the profession has been recognition of the consequences of that supports Black women in eco- (AP) Calif., Sunday, March 28, 2021. (AP) ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 SCIENCE 11

Coronavirus

Adds global high 314K cases Why India shattering global ‘virus’ records NEW DELHI, April 22, (AP): The world’s fastest pace of spreading infections and the highest daily increase in corona- virus cases are pushing India further into a deepening and deadly health care crisis. India is massive - it’s the world’s second-most populous country with nearly 1.4 billion people - and its size presents extraordinary challenges to fighting COVID-19. Some 2.7 million vaccine doses are given daily, but that’s still less than 10% of its people who’ve gotten their first shot. Overall, India has confirmed 15.9 million cases of infection, the second highest after the United States, and 184,657 deaths. The latest surge has driven India’s fragile health systems to the breaking point: Understaffed hospitals are overflowing with patients. Medical oxygen is in short supply. Intensive care units are full. Nearly all ventilators are in use, and the dead are piling up at crematori- ums and graveyards. How Did We Get Here? Authorities were lulled into believ- ing the worst was behind them when cases started to recede in September. Cases dipped for 30 consecutive weeks before starting to rise in mid- February, and experts say the country Vardhan failed to seize the opportunity to aug- Health workers attend to a patient at the Jumbo COVID-19 field hospital in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 22. New infections are rising faster in India than any ment healthcare infrastructure and other place in the world, stunning authorities and capsizing its fragile health system. (AP) aggressively vaccinate. “We were so close to success,” said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan who has been tracking India’s pandemic. Coronavirus Despite warnings and advice that precautions were needed, authorities were unprepared for the magnitude of the surge, said K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. Elections How long does protection from virus vaccines last? Critics have pointed to the government deciding to not pause Hindu religious festivals or elections, and experts say that these may have exacerbated the surge. “Authorities across India, without exception, put public ‘COVID jab in pregnancy is safe’ health priorities on the back burner,” Reddy said. Consequently, India’s 7-day rolling average of confirmed NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): One of daily new cases has risen over the past two weeks from 6.75 the largest reports on COVID-19 vac- new cases per 100,000 people on April 6 to 18.04 new cases cination in pregnancy bolsters evidence FDA inspection found problems at per 100,000 people on April 20, possibly driven by new vari- that it is safe although the authors say ants of the virus, including one that was first detected in India, more comprehensive research is need- factory making J&J COVID vaccine experts say. ed. India’s top health official Rajesh Bhushan would not specu- The preliminary results are based on NEW YORK, April 22, (AP): The late last month, J&J took control of late Wednesday why authorities could have been better pre- reports from over 35,000 US women Baltimore factory hired to help the factory. The Biden administra- pared, saying: “Today is not the time to go into why did we who received either the Moderna or make Johnson & Johnson’s tion now is working to move miss, or did we miss, did we prepare?” Pfizer shots while pregnant. Their rates COVID-19 vaccine was dirty, AstraZeneca vaccine manufactur- Why Is India’s Health System Collapsing? of miscarriage, premature births and didn’t follow proper manufacturing ing to another factory. AstraZeneca India only spends a fraction of its gross domestic product on other complications were comparable procedures and had poorly trained has yet to seek emergency autho- its health system, lower than most major economies. Acting NASA Administrator Steve to those observed in published reports staff, resulting in contamination of rization for use of its vaccine in the Jurczyk, (left), gestures as he stands on pregnant women before the pan- material going into a batch of U.S. As the virus took hold last year, India imposed a harsh, shots, US regulators said The Baltimore factory halted all nationwide lockdown for months to prevent hospitals from with Kennedy Space Center Director demic. Robert Cabana near a mockup of a The new evidence from researchers Wednesday. production late last week at the being overwhelmed. The Food and Drug FDA’s request. The agency hasn’t This brought terrible hardship to millions, but also bought Crew Dragon capsule during a news at the federal Centers for Disease conference Wednesday, April 21, at Control and Prevention was published Administration released a state- given emergency approval to the time to implement measures to plug critical gaps, like hiring the Kennedy Space Center in Cape ment and a 13-page report detail- factory, which is needed before additional health care workers on short-term contracts, estab- Wednesday in the New England ing findings from its just-completed any vaccine material made there Canaveral, Fla. Four astronauts will Journal of Medicine. lishing field hospitals and installing hospital beds in banquet fly on the SpaceX Crew-2 mission to inspection of the idled Emergent can be distributed. halls. the International Space Station None of the women involved BioSciences factory. All the bulk vaccine substance But authorities didn’t take a long-term view of the pan- scheduled for launch on April 23. (AP) received Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Agency inspectors said a batch inside Emergent’s factory, plus demic, said Dr. Vineeta Bal, who studies immune systems at vaccine, which became available after of bulk drug substance for J&J’s early batches made there and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune the study, and is now in limbo as US single-shot vaccine was contami- then put in vials and packaged by city. authorities examine reports of blood nated with material used to make other J&J contractors, are being Suggestions for permanent improvements like adding Discovery clots in a handful of women. COVID-19 vaccines for another stored and will undergo additional capacity to existing hospitals or hiring more epidemiologists Separately, the American Society for Emergent client, AstraZeneca. The testing by the FDA, the agency to help track the virus were widely ignored, she said. Now Reproductive Medicine on Tuesday batch, reportedly enough to make said. authorities are scrambling to resuscitate many emergency Volcano lava threatens towns: Res- endorsed vaccination in pregnancy, about 15 million J&J vaccine “We are doing everything we can measures that had been ended once the numbers fell. idents of small communities living around based on evidence it has been evaluat- doses, had to be thrown out. to ensure that the COVID-19 vac- A year ago, India was able to avoid the shortages of medical Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano wake each day ing for over a year. Other problems cited in the cines that are given to the people oxygen that plagued Latin America and Africa after it con- wondering if the lava will reach their inspection report included peeling of this nation have met the agen- verted industrial oxygen manufacturing systems into a medi- homes. Effective paint, black and brown residue on cy’s high standards for quality, cal-grade network. A lava flow descending the volcano has ‘’Everyone, including pregnant factory floors and walls, inade- safety and effectiveness,” the FDA advanced between El Patrocinio and San women and those seeking to become quate cleaning and employees not said. But many facilities went back to supplying oxygen to indus- following procedures to prevent At the moment, use of the J&J tries and now several Indian states face such shortages that the José el Rodeo. In the case of the latter, the pregnant, should get a COVID-19 vac- lava has advanced to within two and half contamination between vaccine vaccine is on hold in the U.S. as Health Ministry has urged hospitals to implement rationing. cine. The vaccines are safe and effec- batches and ingredients. government health officials investi- The government in October began building new plants to blocks of the outermost homes. tive,’’ the society said in a statement. Emma Quezada, a 38-year-old home- Nothing made at the factory for gate its possible connection to very produce medical oxygen, but now, some six months later, it A society representative said the J&J has been distributed, the FDA rare blood clots. Their decision on remains unclear whether any have come on line, with the maker in one of those houses, has lived group has not evaluated the latest evi- there her entire life and said she’s used to noted. The nearly 8 million doses whether to allow its use to resume Health Ministry saying they were being “closely reviewed for dence on Johnson & Johnson’s vac- of J&J vaccine given in the U.S. could come Friday. the volcanic activity. Still, this time she’s cine. early completion.” afraid. came from Europe. On Tuesday, the European Tanks of oxygen are being shuttled across the country to “These last three days the lava stopped; An American College of Both Emergent and Johnson & Medicines Agency’s safety com- hotspots to keep up with the demand, and several state govern- we hope it stays there,” Quezada said. Obstetricians and Gynecologists repre- Johnson said Wednesday that they mittee concluded the blood clots ments have alleged that many have been intercepted by other Local authorities had spoken to residents sentative said the CDC report is prom- are working to fix the problems as are a very rare side effect but that states en route to be used to meet local needs. about moving the community to another ising but that longer-term follow-up is quickly as possible. the vaccine’s benefits outweigh What Comes Next? location some 62 miles (100 kilometers) needed. That group has said previously After quality problems surfaced that risk. India is faced with the massive challenge of trying to pre- away, but without the space they have now, that COVID-19 vaccination should be vent its health care system from further collapse until enough she said. available to pregnant women and to vaccinated in the third trimester. Antibodies also don’t tell the whole those who are breastfeeding, and many people can be vaccinated to significantly reduce the flow of “As if you’re going to go from here to a Most women in the surveillance story. To fight off intruders like virus- patients. little piece of land!” she said. “Maybe we pregnant U.S. women have chosen to don’t have a great thing here, but we live in group reported injection site pain but es, our immune systems also have be vaccinated. more serious reactions were less com- Vaccines blessed peace, we don’t face any other dan- Although pregnant women were another line of defense called B and T mon. Pregnant women seemed more cells, some of which can hang around The good news is that India is a major vaccine producer, but ger, not even thieves... The options they excluded from studies that led to emer- give you don’t compare with what we have prone to injection site pain with both long after antibody levels dwindle. If even after halting large exports of vaccines in March to divert gency authorization for the vaccines, vaccines but less likely to experience them to domestic use, there are still questions of whether here.” evidence showed no harms in women they encounter the same virus in the The Pacaya volcano rises some 8,372 other reactions than non-pregnant future, those battle-tested cells could manufactures can produce enough fast enough. who were unknowingly pregnant when women. “Vaccination is one way to slow down the spread - but this feet (2,552 meters) between the depart- they enrolled. potentially spring into action more ments of Guatemala and Escuintla south of In the vaccine registry, about 13% quickly. really depends on the speed and availability of the shots,” said the capital. It’s a popular tourist destination Dr. Laura Riley, ob-gyn chair at of pregnant women reported miscar- Reddy of the Public Health Foundation. New York’s Weill Cornell Medicine, Even if they don’t prevent illness and 21 communities surround it. riages, less than 1% stillbirths, 9% entirely, they could help blunt its Already several states have said they have shortages in vac- In early February, a chasm opened in one said the new results are reassuring. premature births and 2% birth defects. cines - although the federal government denies it. ‘’It is great to have data to share with severity. But exactly what role such of the volcano’s flanks and lava began to Those rates are all within the same “memory” cells might play with the India said last week it would allow the use of all COVID- flow, now stretching at least three miles (5 our patients who continue to weigh the range observed in reports in pregnant 19 shots that have been greenlit by the World Health kilometers). Meanwhile ash and gases risks and benefits of vaccination,” she coronavirus -- and for how long -- women before the pandemic. isn’t yet known. Organization or regulators in the United States, Europe, spewed from its crater. (AP) said. “They know the potential compli- ❑ ❑ ❑ Britain or Japan. ❑ ❑ ❑ cations of COVID infection in preg- While the current COVID-19 vac- On Monday, it said it would soon expand its vaccination nancy and now there is some safety How long does protection from cines will likely last for at least about program from people aged 45 to include all adults, some 900 Habitat set aside for rare bird: US data in human pregnancies.’’ COVID-19 vaccines last? a year, they probably won’t offer life- million people - well more than the entire population of the wildlife managers have set aside vast areas Pregnant women who become Experts don’t know yet because long protection, as with measles shots, entire European Union and United States combined. across several states as habitat critical to the infected with the coronavirus face ele- said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a vaccine survival of a rare songbird that migrates they’re still studying vaccinated peo- Meanwhile, Reddy said some states have had to implement vated risks for complications including ple to see when protection might wear expert at the University of Maryland. each year from Central and South America “It’s going to be somewhere in the new lockdowns but long-term, it was up to individuals as well to breeding grounds in Mexico and the intensive-care hospitalization, prema- off. How well the vaccines work to do their part. ture births and death. against emerging variants will also middle of that very wide range,” she United States. said. “As a society, it’s crucial that we maintain public health The US Fish and Wildlife Service The study authors, led by the CDC’s determine if, when and how often measures like masking, physical distancing and avoiding announced the final habitat designation for Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, said continued additional shots might be needed. Variants are another reason we crowds,” he said. the western yellow-billed cuckoo on monitoring and more evidence is need- “We only have information for as might need an additional shot. India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new Tuesday. It covers about 467 square miles ed including on women who get long as the vaccines have been stud- The current vaccines are designed infections Thursday as a grim coronavirus surge in the world’s (1,210 square kilometers) along hundreds of COVID-19 vaccinations in the early ied,” said Deborah Fuller, a vaccine to work against a particular spike pro- second-most populous country sends more and more sick miles of rivers and streams in the western stages of pregnancy. researcher at the University of tein on the coronavirus, said Mehul people into a fragile health care system critically short of hos- states. Their study included information on Washington. “We have to study the Suthar of the Emory Vaccine Center. pital beds and oxygen. Most breeding in the US occurs in 35,691 pregnant US women who par- vaccinated population and start to see, If the virus mutates enough over time, The 314,835 infections added in the past 24 hours raise Arizona and New Mexico, but the habitat ticipated in a voluntary smartphone- at what point do people become vul- vaccines might need to be updated to India’s total past 15.9 million cases since the pandemic began. designation also includes areas in California, based vaccination surveillance system nerable again to the virus?” boost their effectiveness. It’s the second-highest total in the world next to the United Colorado, Utah, Texas and Idaho. and who received Moderna or Pfizer So far, Pfizer’s ongoing trial indi- So far, the vaccines appear protective States. India has nearly 1.4 billion people. The designation isn’t as big as initially vaccines between mid-December 2020 cates the company’s two-dose vaccine against the notable variants that have Fatalities rose by 2,104 in the past 24 hours, raising India’s proposed. Wildlife managers opted to and late February. remains highly effective for at least emerged, though somewhat less so on overall death toll to 184,657, the Health Ministry said. exclude more than 300 square miles (777 the one first detected in South Africa. square kilometers) of potential habitat after It also included reports on pregnancy six months, and likely longer. People A large number of hospitals are reporting acute shortages of considering updated information about complications from almost 4,000 who got Moderna’s vaccine also still If it turns out we need another shot, beds and medicine and are running on dangerously low levels ongoing conservation activities, the lack of women enrolled in a U.S. vaccine safe- had notable levels of virus-fighting a single dose could extend protection of oxygen. suitable habitat in some areas and potential ty registry. Of these, 86% or 712 result- antibodies six months after the second of the current shots or contain vacci- The New Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the interference with critical infrastructure. ed in a live birth, mostly among women required shot. nation for one or more variants. government to divert oxygen from industrial use to hospitals “This designation identifies important to save people’s lives. “You can’t have people die because feeding and breeding grounds for the cuck- there is no oxygen. Beg, borrow or steal, it is a national emer- oo to support the species’ recovery while gency,” the judges said responding to a petition by a New also balancing the need in finding solutions Delhi hospital seeking its intervention. that support current and future land-use The government is rushing oxygen tankers to replenish sup- plans,” Michael Fris, field supervisor for “This failure reflects the real need for the ously high waves and wind offshore. plies to hospitals. the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, Biden administration to bring in new leader- Liftoff is now scheduled for early Friday India’s Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Thursday said in a statement. ship and reform the agency,” said Brian morning from NASA’s Kennedy Space that “demand and supply is being monitored round the clock.” A habitat plan that spanned more than Segee, a senior attorney at the Center for Center, when better weather is expected. He said in a tweet that to address the exponential spike in 850 square miles (2,200 square kilometers) Biological Diversity, a group that works to The SpaceX Dragon capsule has the abil- demand, the government has increased the quota of oxygen for was first floated in 2014 but never approved. protect endangered species.(AP) ity to abort the launch all the way to orbit in the worst-hit seven states. The Trump administration proposed a ❑ ❑ ❑ case of an emergency. That’s why good weather is needed not only at the Florida Lockdowns and strict curbs have brought pain, fear and smaller area in 2020, prompting the latest round of public comments. As a result, the SpaceX crew launch delayed: Spa- launch site, but all the way up the East agony to many lives in New Delhi and other cities. designation issued this week by the Biden ceX on Wednesday bumped its next astro- Coast and across the North Atlantic to administration was further reduced. naut launch by a day because of danger- Fris Biden Ireland. (AP) Film FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 FFeatureseatures mementos astributestothe late shoes andleftfl wore customPrince clothesand side hiscreativesanctuary. Some anniversary ofhisdeathfromin- fans Wednesdaytomarkthefi worked, welcomedbackselect Park dent at leastfi to March2020,andthehighestin miles) offorest,up12%compared square kilometers(138 March haddecimatedover360 on Tuesdaythatdeforestationin US fi outspoken abouthisdesirefor environment ministerhasbeen since February,andBolsonaro’s have beenholdingbilateraltalks held online.TheUSandBrazil the climatecrisis,whichwillbe ers ataUS-ledsummittotackle joins dozensofotherforeignlead- artists comesjustdaysBolsonaro level since2008. forest, hassurgedtowarditsworst Amazon, theworld’slargestrain- Meanwhile, deforestationinthe Bolsonaro his Braziliancounterpart, any environmentalagreementwith Joe Biden Tuesday calledon attacks onhumanrights.” including deforestation,fi by theBolsonaroAdministration, est anditsIndigenousguardians increasing threatstotherainfor- is nearingatippingpointdueto integrity ofthiscriticalecosystem this time,”theletterread.“The to anyagreementswithBrazilat to heartheircallandnotcommit zonWatch. non-profi letter wassupportedbyseveral Brazil concern aboutapossibledealwith society groupsthathaveexpressed Indigenous peoplesandcivil preservation. former president and alignedforeignpolicywith attacked environmentalactivists powerful agribusinessinterests, 2019, Bolsonarohassidedwith Fonda Leonardo DiCaprio,Jane of celebritiesincludingactors CHANHASSEN, Minn.: RIO DEJANEIRO: the chemistryofocean. to experiencehowcarbondioxideemissionsfromshipshavealtered even sailsacrosstheNorthAtlanticduringocean’sbusiestseason digenous SamiherdersinSwedenwherereindeerfacestarvation.She Athabasca Glacier,atowninCaliforniaburnedbywildfi been distinctlyaffectedbytheheatingofEarth,suchasCanada’s spearhead awarenessaboutclimatechange. year fromschoolin2019tomeetwithscientistsaroundtheworldand Thursday onEarthDay,followsthethen-16-year-oldasshetookagap part series,aco-productionbetweenPBSandBBCStudiospremiering series, “GretaThunberg:AYeartoChangetheWorld.”Thethree- as thereisaneedforpeopletodothis.” for quitesometime,”shesaid.“IthinkIwillbedoingthisaslong unfortunately, therewillprobablystillbeaneedforclimateactivists mission. high schoolstudentsaysclimatechangeactivismwillbeherlife’s students willchangetheirconcentrationsmultipletimes,theSwedish but she’salreadymadepeacewithherfuture:Whilemostcollege NEW YORK,April22,(AP):GretaThunbergturned18inJanuary, Greta Thunbergdocuseriesamplifi The openlettersignedbythe The pressoffi Since takingoffi “We urgeyourAdministration Artists saidtheysidedwith “A YeartoChangetheWorld”alsogivesabehind-the-sceneslook The docuseriesshowshervisitingpeopleandplacesthathave Thunberg’s activismandmessageisbroughttolifeinanewdocu- “In aperfectworld,therewouldn’tneedtobeclimateactivist,but nancial supportfor Hamilton Mourão , where ’s conservativeleader.The and ve years. (AP) t groups,includingAma- ❑ torefrainfromsigning . Joaquin Phoenix Prince owers andother ce of VicePresi- Donald Trump ce inJanuary US livedand Dozens This imagereleasedbyNetfl President confi Amazon res and Paisley Jair rmed fth on .

Prince’s symbol ontopwas shaped likePaisley Parkwith famous purpleLove Symbol. the frontdoorsinshapeofhis in frontofastatueerectedoutside while otherfanspaidtheirrespects able tosnagfreereservations, opened to1,400peoplewhowere superstar. A custom-madeceramic urn The sprawlingstudio’satrium all. They were just going through some growing pains. all. Theywerejustgoingthroughsomegrowingpains. may bethatvideogameadaptationsaren’tcursed,after ries thatfoundfameasapopularvideogame. Henry Cavill-ledseriesisbasedonafantasynovelse- swer to“GameofThrones”—in“TheWitcher.”The has foundoneofitsbiggesthits—thestreamer’san- day suggesteditmayinvestmoredeeplyingaming, quel isalreadyunderway.Netfl Hedgehog” becamethegenre’shighestgrosser;ase- lion worldwideforWarnerBros.Lastyear,“Sonicthe on theNintendogame,grossedmorethan$400mil- derided genres.In2019,“DetectivePikachu,”based level hasbeenunlockedforoneofthemovies’most of misfi a newcycleforvideogameadaptations.Afteryears 13” wastheNo.2fi by Marvel’ssuccessmorethanadecadelater.“Apollo Damme. ThiswaswellbeforetheIPlandrushstarted Dragon” and“StreetFighter,”withJean-ClaudeVan video gamemovie,comingontheheelsof“Double of themartialartsfi ed “MortalKombat”26yearsafterthefi be justpressing“Start.” unabated. of worldwidebox-offi the kindofIPthathasfueledanoverwhelmingshare fi property outsideofcomicbooks.Evenasmuchthe games asoneoftheripest,richestveinsintellectual by chantsof“Finishhim!”—onitslastlegs. like ateeteringfi larly mockedthatyoumightthinkthegenrewas— per MarioBros.,”theseadaptationshavebeensoregu- In the27yearssincefi Payne,” “WingCommander”and“Assassin’sCreed.” I Is itgameonforvideomovies? lm businessslowedoverthelastyear,huntfor eo gameadaptation?Thisisthepantheonof“Max s thereamorewoebegonemoviegenrethanthevid- “Comic-book IPisthebiggestinworldright No oneisengravingOscarsorEmmysyet.Butit Now, abloodier,R-rated“MortalKombat”signals On Friday,WarnerBros.willreleaseanew,reboot- The videogamemovieisn’tfi And yet,Hollywoodisincreasinglyviewingvideo Variety res andfl ix showsHenryCavilleinascenefromtheseries‘TheWitcher,’basedonfantasynovelthatfoundfameasvideoga ghter in“MortalKombat”surrounded res andthein- ops, it’slatelyseemedlikeanew By JakeCoyle lm attheboxoffi ghter. Itwasthenjustthefourth ce ticketsaleshascontinued rst videogamemovie,“Su- Warner Bros torelease new, rebootedKombat’ ‘Mortal Film is reachingfarandwide. government offi Chill, Greta,Chill!” ment problem,thengotoagoodoldfashionedmoviewithfriend! He evenfamouslytweeted,“GretamustworkonherAngerManage- ald Trumpmentionedheratrallies,whichresultedincascadesofboos. stand thatthe“modernworldiscomplex,”andformerpresidentDon- a “brat,”RussianPresidentVladimirPutinhassaidshedoesn’tunder- profi Greta asapoliticallightingrodandinadvertentlyraisedherglobal ix, whichonWednes- nished. Itmighteven Thunberg saidshedoesn’tfullyunderstandwhyshe’sontheradarof And it’smanyofthoseheadsgovernmentthathavepositioned iaroPrince DiCaprio leaders whoarelesseagertochange.” long astheywerenotleftbehind,”saidThunberg.“I’vemetwithworld ing tochange.Theywantedliveinamoresustainableworld…as that surprisedher,likemeetingwithPolishcoalminers. even moreknowledgeableaboutclimatechange,thereweremoments Thunberg, a2020NobelPeacePrizenominee,saidwhileshegrew tum wassignifi at herspeakingmassiverallies,andalsorevealshowmomen- le. Brazil’sconservativepresidentJairBolsonarohascalledher ce in1995. ‘Saving theworldisvoluntary’ “I hadexpectedthemtonotbewillingchange,buttheywerewill- rst adaptation cials, butitshowsthatthemessageofclimatechange cantly slowedbytheworldwidecoronaviruspandemic. video gamemovie.IntheyearssinceEbertwrotethat ture, whichrequiresauthorialcontrol.” is theoppositeofstrategyseriousfi art and“bytheirnaturerequireplayerchoices,which distinct. RogerEbertmaintainedvideogamesaren’t ranked from“leastbadtoabsoluteworst.” fans. Therearereasonsthatvideogamemoviesget design itsanimatedprotagonistafteranoutcryfrom Infamously, “SonictheHedgehog”wasforcedtore- “Mortal Kombat”wasindevelopmentforadecade. try isstillfi or eventorturousdevelopments,suggestingtheindus- forward andbeingalittlemainstreamwiththings.” “Halo.” “IgetthefeelingpeopleareOKpushingthat worked onadcampaignsforSony’sPlayStationand demand directorofcommercialswho’spreviously “Mortal Kombat”fi might haveseemedmorenicheatsomepoint,”says music byawidemargin. — isplayingvideogames,rankingovermoviesor entertainment activityofGenZ—thoseaged14-24 week byconsultingfi ing thesizeoffi $200 billion,JuniperResearchhasforecast,exceed- more than$150billion.By2023,revenuewillreach and growth.Lastyear,thegamingindustrywasworth than newdirections.Butgamingisuniqueinitsscope bases hasfoundmoredeadendsoverthelastdecade But someone,eventually,maycrackthecodeof Some havesuggestedthemediumsareinherently Many videogameadaptationshavehadprolonged “There’s anappetiteanddesiretomakethingsthat Hollywood’s huntforIPwithbuilt-inglobalfan- the yearcomingfromvideogames.” curring basisoneofthebiggestfi future, Iwouldbeshockedifwedidn’thaveonare- learning —they’retraining.Atsomepointinthenear early ’90sbutweseealotofevidencethatpeopleare “Video gameadaptionshavebeenhappeningsincethe mer headofstrategicplanningforAmazonStudios. thing,” saysMatthewBall,aventurecapitalistandfor- spotlight andittook50yearstobecomethebiggest now andyetittook40yearstoreallygetintothe Political guring outhowtotackletheseproperties. superstar’s legionsoffans. public view,disappointing the eventually removed entirelyfrom prominent spotin the atriumand the ashesweremovedtoaless At therequestofPrince’sfamily, as amuseuminOctober2016. suburban Minneapolisfi 65,000-square-foot studioin the atriumwhenpoplegend’s originally placedinthemiddleof es herclimatechangefi lmmaker SimonMcQuoid,anin- lmindustry.Astudyreleasedthis Directions rm Deloittefoundthat thetop lms andTVseriesof rst opened lm andlitera- is voluntary.” that’s uptoyou.I’mnottellingyoudosomething-savingtheworld life thatyouhavegottentoenjoy,thenshouldcare.Butofcourse, prosperous worldandinawheretheycanenjoyallthethings yourself andyourchildrengrandchildrentobeableliveina how theirdailyactionscanaffectfuturegenerations. will nothappenovernight,butshewantseveryonetobeawareabout getting herfellowglobalcitizenstocareabouthow’sit’schanging- subsidies. virtually totheUSCongress,alongwithscientists,aboutfossilfuel in-person classestoonedayaweek.She’llalsouseEarthDaytestify Thursday, ThunbergwillbeatherschoolinSweden,whichre-opened lot aboutthem.” all refusedconsistently.Andthat,Ithinkisveryinteresting-itsaysa like Shellandairlinessoonthatweaskedforinterviews,butthey companies likeH&M,carVolkswagen,oil series iswhatdidn’tgetintotheseries.Idon’tknowhowmanyfashion new projectiswhatthefi “I thinkmaybethemostinterestingthingaboutdocumentary But Thunbergsaysshebelieveswhat’smostintriguingaboutthe “I’m nottellinganyonetocare,”saidThunberg.“Butifyouwant Thunberg sayssheunderstandsthatchangingtheworld-oreven While USPBSstationsandBBCEarthinCanadaairthedocuseries birth toone ofherdaughters on back tearsthatshe triedtogive Iowa Raquel Ponce them withtheloveofPrince,”said everything. Mydaughters,Iraised music andthroughhiswords for displaytothepublic. the urnhasreturnedtoatrium “He reachedmethroughhis Wednesday wasthefi . Shenotedwhile fi a game’sspirit. ested inplumbingvirtualworldswhilestayingtrueto fi rative andcharacter.Theyaremorecinematic.More in 2015,gameshavedevelopedatmosphere,nar- with TomHollandandMarkWahlberg. director RubenFleischer(“Venom,”“Zombieland”), long-awaited adaptationofthegame“Uncharted”by from SonyPictures,whichnextFebruarywillunveila game moviefranchise.It’ssetforreleaseinNovember run withit.” important thing,thatyoucan’tjusttakethenameand and loveinit.Ithinkstudioexecsgetthat,thatitisan defi Evil” reboot,“WelcometoRacoonCity.”“There’s Meters Down”),directoroftheupcoming“Resident about. Theynoddedatit,”saysJohannesRoberts(“47 something that20yearsagopeopledidn’treallycare director ChadStahelski. popular game“GhostofTsushima”with“JohnWick” said theywouldproduceanadaptationofthehugely works. Lastmonth,SonyandPlayStationProductions streamer alsohasan“Assassin’sCreed”seriesinthe will premierea“ResidentEvil”seriesinJune;the planned forearlynextyearonParamount+.Netfl opment, StevenSpielberg-produced“Halo”seriesis six “ResidentEvil”fi game adaptations. for manyobserversasignofrisingstaturevideo project attracted“Chernobyl”creatorCraigMazinis person post-apocalypticadventuregame.Thatthe HBO seriesofthe“TheLastUs,”acelebratedthird- games. Theproductioncompanyisalsomakingan is uniquelypoisedbetweenmoviemakingandvideo it. It’safascinatingtimeforsure.”(AP) “I’m interestedtoseehowalltheothermoviestackle dent Evil”thewayhewouldaStephenKingnovel. be,” saysRoberts,whohe’sapproaching“Resi- teresting andnotasmineditshouldbe,orcould ness thatthey’resittingonsomethingisquitein- lmmakers aregamers,themselves,andthey’reinter- “The importanceofthesourcematerialhasbecome Pipelines aregettingcrowded.Along-in-devel- Roberts’ fi Launched in2019,Sony’sPlayStationProductions “I’ve noticedinthelastyearthatthereisthisaware- nitely arealunderstandingthatyouneedtobelieve of Mason City lm,currentlyinpost-production,follows lmmakers weren’tabletoinclude. rst time ghting , lms, thelongest-runningvideo me. (AP) mark the fi were shutdownfor thedayto paid tourswerecreated. Tours was turnedintoamuseum and world. Sincethen,PaisleyPark off wavesofgriefaroundthe age 57,shockingfansandsetting an accidentalfentanyloverdoseat that markbyaday. the singer’sbirthday,butmissed Prince diedApril21,2016,of fth anniversary. (AP) ght ix ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Film

‘Cartoon Saloon’ How Irish town became animation powerhouse By Jake Coyle he medieval town of Kilkenny in the southeast of TIreland is an unlikely home for a perennial Oscar contender. But there, among cathedral spires and cas- tle parapets, the animation studio Cartoon Saloon has carved out a factory of hand-drawn artistry and local folklore that has persisted and flourished well beyond its creators’ expectations. When Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, directors of the enchanting Oscar-nominee “Wolfwalkers,” met growing up in Kilkenny — or even after they fi nished college and were setting out as animators — any suc- cess seemed sure to be found in typical entertainment epicenters like London, New York or Los Angeles. Instead, they decided to stay in Kilkenny with the mission of making a single fi lm. (It turned out to be 2009’s Oscar-nominated “The Secret of Kells”.) Their beginning staff of 12 worked out of an old orphanage. Twelves years lat- er, there are nearly 400 work- ing for Cartoon Saloon and their sister studio, Lighthouse Studios, in the heart of Kilken- ny. The Lighthouse offi ces are housed in the secondary school Stewart Moore and Stewart once at- tended — a very sports-centric school, the directors recall. “Our teenage selves would be glowing with pride,” Stewart says. “Revenge of the nerds, I’ve always said,” adds Moore. Formed when much of the animation world was This image released by PBS shows Jessie Buckley, (left), and Josh O’Connor in a scene from Great Performances’ ‘Romeo & Juliet,’ premiering, April 23. (AP) following Pixar into computer generated animation, Cartoon Saloon is an underdog no more. “Wolfwalk- ers,” their most ambitious fi lm — one that completes Moore’s trilogy of Irish folklore begun with “The Se- cret of Kells” and continued with 2014s “Song of the Television Sea” — is expected to give Pixar’s “Soul” a run for its money at the Academy Awards later this month. “Wolfwalkers” marks the studio’s fi fth Oscar nod. The independent studio now has some very deep-pocketed backers in Apple, which released 16th century love story gets cinematic touches “Wolfwalkers” along with theatrical distributor GKIDS. Cartoon Saloon’s next fi lm, an adaptation of “My Father’s Dragon” by Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey, is for Netfl ix. ‘Romeo & Juliet’ marks theatrical roots Founded in 1999 by Moore, Twomey and produc- er Paul Young, Cartoon Saloon has arrived at these By Mark Kennedy quite helpful,” says O’Connor, who re- are often whispered by the pair. heights by doing everything they weren’t supposed cently won a Golden Globe for playing “There were moments where Jessie he cast appears at first chatting Prince Charles in “The Crown.” and I were able to be totally intimate to — making uncompromising, authentically Irish, amiably as they enter a theater. hand-drawn animation in Moore and Stewart’s home- T The paths O’Connor and Buckley with the words. And they take a whole They’re in street clothes - hoodies, took to the play were quite different. new life,” said O’Connor. town. No one is more surprised than they are about sneakers and backpacks. They seem how it’s all turned out. He grew up going to the Royal Shake- Other changes to the play have blissfully unaware that not all will sur- speare Festival and did a few Shake- been made, including having ghosts Drawings vive the next hour or so. speare scenes in drama school but had and fl ash-forwards and giving Tamsin So begins the National Theatre’s never tackled an entire play before. Greig’s Lady Capulet some of the lines “People just told us we were mad,” says Moore, latest take on “Romeo and Juliet,” a chuckling. Dev Patel arrives at the Oscars on She was more attracted to musicals traditionally spoken by her husband. Feb 26, 2017, in Los Angeles. Patel fi lmed production that adds cinematic until taking a four-week Shakespeare There’s even a same-sex attraction be- “Once you put down even the tiniest little root in a touches to the tragic 16th century Ital- place, it’s very hard to move,” says Stewart. “There turns 31 on April 23. (AP) course that she says changed her ca- tween Mercutio and Benvolio, a brave ian love story. reer. She has since done a few of The step. was talk along the way to have an LA studio or even Starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Bard’s plays, including “The Tem- “It’s a story about love - whatever a Dublin offi ce. Instead, it just grew and grew and Buckley as the star-crossed lovers, you love, whoever you love, what- grew.” the play was originally intended for a pest.” “Wolfwalkers” is a fi tting pinnacle for Cartoon stage run in 2020 before being adapted “It’s the most muscular work out in ever you don’t let yourself love,” says Saloon because it’s set right in Kilkenny. The fi lm, for the screen because of the pandem- the world,” the Irish actor says. “You Buckley. “It’s love from every point of streaming on Apple TV+ and recently brought back ic. Yet it keeps its theatrical roots. just feel completely charged every view. I don’t think it’s brave. I think into theaters, is about Robyn, the daughter of a Brit- The play opens backstage with the time you go into it and you always feel it’s life.” ish soldier in 17th-century Ireland, who comes upon lovers fl irting beside a prop cage and like you don’t know anything as well, Speaking of love, O’Connor and a “wolfwalker” — a human who can take the form of the knives are wooden - until they which is always a good place to go into Buckley knew they also had to show a wolf. That, naturally, comes from mythology, but become steel. As the play continues, something.” passion and do so in an intimate scene. the historical backdrop of “Wolfwalkers” is true; this “Romeo and Juliet” is, after all, the tale it opens up with costumes and set de- Streamlined is the time of Oliver Cromwell’s brutal invasion of signs appearing effortlessly. of two young people whose powerful Ireland. To get “Romeo and Juliet” down love transcends rival clans. Burton Barrett “It was going to be impossible and Set between the woodcut-styled drawings of the maybe not that interesting to try and to 90 minutes, cuts had to be made. “This is hot, raw intense life and British-controlled castle and incredibly lush, swirling create cinematic realism because we Scenes were sliced, characters were love. And it needs everything,” says forests, “Wolfwalkers” is — like Cartoon Saloon, it- can’t shoot outdoors and we only have streamlined. Juliet’s beauty no longer Buckley. Adds O’Connor: “It’s a story self — a tale of reclamation. Variety one location really and it’s a stage,” can “teach the torches to burn bright” about love. It has to be sexy.” “I defi nitely felt these three movies that I directed said O’Connor. “So initially it was and Mercutio skips the part about his The pair join an impressive list of and co-directed were about speaking back to the next like, ‘Well, let’s not shy away from fatal stab wound being “not so deep as actors who have tackled the famous generation stuff that I was afraid was going to be com- the fact that we are on a stage. Let’s a well, nor so wide as a church door.” work, one that includes Leonardo pletely lost,” Moore says by Zoom from Kilkenny, LOS ANGELES: The 200,000-plus LeVar Burton boosters who signed a celebrate that.’” Buckley, best known for “Wild DiCaprio and Claire Danes, Orlando alongside Stewart. “I had grown up being completely petition calling for him to be the new The retelling is directed by Simon Rose” and “Judy,” calls them “consid- Bloom and Condola Rashad, and immersed in Batman comics and Japanese and Ameri- “Jeopardy!” host will get to see him try Godwin and reconceived by writer erate cuts,” ones that could be made Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. can cartoons and didn’t realize this was all around the job on for size. Emily Burns for the screen. It was shot because the camera was catching tiny “Josh is one of my best mates and I me.” Burton is among the fi nal group of over 17 days in December at the Na- emotions and thoughts usually impos- love him with all my heart, and the rea- Often, their surroundings play directly into the guest hosts for the quiz show, which lost tional’s Lyttelton theater. PBS’ “Great sible on a traditional stage. son that I wanted to do this is because fi lms. On a recent day, a stroll in Kilkenny’s Millen- its longtime host Alex Trebek to cancer Performances” will air it Friday. “When you’re on fi lm, you have the he’s the only person I would want to nium Forest — planted 20 years ago with native trees last November and has put off announc- To get into character during the liberty of saying so much without say- do this with, because I know we can — had Moore, contemplating the layers of sediment ing his successor. start-and-stop nature of fi lmmaking, ing anything at all,” she says. “What- jump off the edge of the cliff,” says and history beneath him, musing about a possible Burton’s supporters seized the op- O’Connor and Buckley created a se- ever we chose to do was to enrich the Buckley. “Wolfwalkers” spinoff. portunity to launch an online petition cret playlist and shared AirPods. Be- intensity of the love and capture the “We couldn’t replicate what’s come Increasingly, they’re fi nding a fl ock of animators for the actor, who starred on “Star Trek: fore the famous balcony scene, the pair tiny, small things without having to before us, but when you have some- from across Europe eager to follow in their footsteps, The Next Generation” and “Roots,” and listened to Sigur Rós’ “Hoppipolla.” say it to the back of the stalls.” body who you utterly trust, it’s very as Ireland’s answer to Japan’s Studio Ghibli. For was the host of “Reading Rainbow,” the “The staccato nature of fi lmmaking One thing the pair noticed was that easy to just be there with them and let “Wolfwalkers,” Moore showed the storyboard art- children’s educational program. means that we had to fi nd like differ- not having to project the lines made the language and let the relationship of ists the intensely period-appropriate horror fi lm “The In his career, Burton has “inspired and shaped the minds of several generations ent ways of fi nding the swell, fi nding them somehow more direct and per- Romeo and Juliet and our friendship Witch” for inspiration. One artist got so into capturing the rhythm. And so I think music was sonal. Onscreen, Shakespeare’s words do the work.” (AP) the era that she drew constellations as they were in of trivia-loving nerds,” according to the 1650 sky. the petition that, as of Wednesday, had “When people come here, they’re taking a risk,” 246,000 and counting signers. says Young. “They’re coming to live in your small In an email, a spokeswoman for Bur- reaching for a younger demographic. “Everyone Shares (Except Cat)” and for the Soul Kids and Babies series,” town. You better have work for the when they get ton said he believes the petition drive and Chicken Soup for the Soul has reached “Everyone Says Please (Except Cat)” Amy Newmark, editor-in-chief and his social media interactions with fans a partnership with the children’s pub- and the picture books “The Sunshine publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul, here.” were factors in the invitation for him to lisher Charlesbridge for two new series Squad: Discovering What Makes You said in a statement. “They impart values With a now teeming staff, the earlier, scrappier days be a guest host. of books, the two publishers announced Special” and “Sophie and the Tiny in such a delightful way. How great is it of Cartoon Saloon are still vivid to the founders. When There was no immediate reply to a Tuesday. Chicken Soup for the Soul Dognapping: A Book About Doing the that kids will be amused and entertained their fi rst Oscar nomination was announced, for “The request for comment from producer Sony Babies will be for babies and toddlers, up Right Thing,” while they absorb the life lessons their Secret of Kells,” they were in a meeting working out Pictures Television. (AP) to age 3, and Chicken Soup for the Soul “When we decided it was time to work parents and grandparents want to share how to stay fi nancial afl oat for the next two months. ❑ ❑ ❑ Kids will be for ages 4-7. with a children’s publisher, Charles- with them!” Freedom The new project launches Sept. bridge was my fi rst choice. I’m thrilled Charlesbridge publisher Yolanda COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Kate Schnei- 21 with four books: the board books with the fi rst books in the Chicken Soup Scott said the two companies share com- “We survived, but it was tough times,” recalls der from Ireland has been named the mon goals. (AP) Young. “At the early stage, the mistake we made was new Mrs. World after the reigning title- ❑ ❑ ❑ thinking: If we’ve got money, we’re hiring artists. I holder resigned following an on-stage think what we needed was a few more account-types.” fracas in which she pulled the crown off NEW YORK: Supreme Court Justice Twomey, who directed the studio’s Afghanistan-set the head of the winner of the Mrs. Sri Amy Coney Barrett has a book deal 2017 feature “The Breadwinner,” disagrees. “But if Lanka beauty pageant, organizers said. with a Penguin Random House imprint, Mrs. World Inc. said it has received The Associated Press has learned. we did, they would have defi nitely told us that there’s Adrian Zackheim, who heads the no money in independent fi lm. It doesn’t make any the resignation of Caroline Jurie and that the fi rst runner-up, Mrs. Ireland conservative Sentinel imprint, con- sense. You should try to be like the big studios. And Kate Schneider, therefore will be the fi rmed Monday that he has an agree- we would have lost all our freedom,” she says. “I’m new Mrs. World 2020. ment with Barrett. Zackheim declined glad our hearts were in the right place, and our hands The website of Mrs. World, a beauty to provide any additional details be- were in the right place.” pageant for married women, published yond saying that the book would not be Stewart, art director on “Kells,” a concept artist for a photo of Schneider with the title Mrs. out this year. Coney Barrett, 49, was Laika’s “ParaNorman” and a painter, always believed World. approved last fall by the Republican- hand-drawn animation had more potential. Unlike Jurie relinquished her title earlier this led Senate just weeks after the death digital technology, it doesn’t age. In “Wolfwalkers,” month, while defending her decision of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. you can often see pencil lines have deliberately been to remove the crown from the head of She was the third justice selected by left in. Moore wanted to be even more experimental this year’s Mrs. Sri Lanka title holder, then-President Donald Trump and she on “Wolfwalkers,” playing with aspect ratios and per- Pushpika De Silva, who she claimed replaced Ginsburg, the court’s most spectives. was unqualifi ed to take part in the April 4 prominent liberal, gave the court a 6-3 “We kind of decided we didn’t want to do more af- contest because she was divorced. conservative majority. ter this. We wanted to take a break and refl ect. Defi - De Silva said she is separated, but not Politico reported earlier Monday that nitely for me, anyway,” he says. “So I said, ‘Let’s try divorced, from her husband. Barrett had a deal for a book about how “Being apart is one. Divorce is some- judges should avoid letting their deci- everything that we said we were going to do and either sions be shaped by personal feelings, couldn’t afford to do, didn’t know how to pull it off or thing else,” she said on Facebook. (AP) ❑ ❑ ❑ This image released by PBS shows Greta Thunberg, the subject of the docu- but did not identify the publisher. Other were wary of.’ And I don’t think we even scratched series ‘Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World.’ The three-part se- Supreme Court justices who have re- the surface. There’s still so much more.” (AP) NEW YORK: The multimillion-selling ries, a co-production between PBS and BBC Studios premieres Thursday. (AP) leased books in recent years include Neil Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise is — Details on Page 12 Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor. (AP) ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 SPORTS 14

Wolfsburg stay on track Athletics rally to beat Twins, Dortmund down Berlin to keep CL hopes alive extend winning streak to 11 BERLIN, April 22, (AP): Raphaël Guerreiro scored late for Borussia Dortmund to seal a hard-fought 2-0 Bundesliga win over Union Berlin and Anderson dominant as Braves top Yanks 4-1 maintain its Champions League quali- fication hopes. Marco Reus’ first-half goal set OAKLAND, California, Dortmund on its way to a win that keeps it four points behind Eintracht April 22, (AP): The Frankfurt in the last qualification place Oakland Athletics extend- for the Champions League with four ed their winning streak to games of the season remaining. But Union left the result in doubt 11, rallying from a two-run until the 88th minute, when Julian deficit and beating the Brandt set up Guerreiro to score on a Twins 13-12 when Luis counterattack. Arraez threw away Ramón Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna, (left), Laureano’s grounder for SOCCER Union’s Christopher Lenz chal- Minnesota’s second error lenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between of the 10th inning. Union forward Markus Ingvartsen Borussia Dortmund and Union Nelson Cruz had two home runs struck the crossbar in the first minute Berlin in Dortmund, Germany, on and four RBIs for the Twins, and and the visitors maintained their early April 21. (AP) Byron Buxton hit a two-run homer pressure. against Lou Trivino for a 12-10 Dortmund’s breakthrough in the foiled by Luthe again in the 86th, before lead in the 10th. 25th minute had more than a touch of he hit the side netting in injury time. Alex Colomé (1-2) got the first two fortune. Third-place Wolfsburg stayed on outs in the bottom half with the auto- Union goalkeeper Andrea Luthe track for Champions League qualifica- matic runner on second, then walked was penalized for bringing down Reus, tion with a 3-1 win at Stuttgart. Seth Brown and Elvis Andrus, loading though replays suggested it was a dive. Wolfsburg is five points ahead of the bases. Still, the penalty was given after a Dortmund. Mark Canha hit what should have VAR check. Mainz defeated relegation rival been a game-ending grounder to sec- Luthe reacted by saving Erling Werder Bremen 1-0 away to overtake ond baseman Travis Blankehorn, who Haaland’s penalty, and his effort from the home side and move five points clear entered as a pinch runner for Josh the rebound, before defender Robin of Hertha Berlin in the relegation zone. Donaldson in the 10th, but Blankenhorn Knoch’s attempted clearance off the Hertha has played two games less. allowed the ball to bounce off his line went in off the inrushing Reus. Hertha was supposed to host Freiburg glove for a run-scoring error. Luthe made another good save to earlier Wednesday, but three of its Laureano hit a one-hopper to Arraez deny Haaland again shortly afterward. games were called off as the team is in for what again should have been the Union struck the goal-frame again quarantine for two weeks following a final out. Arraez, who had moved to midway through the second half, when coronavirus outbreak at the club. third from second base to third for the Marwin Hitz got his fingertips to Max Also, Hoffenheim came from two 10th, sailed his throw over first base- Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (22) hits the ball during the 10th inning of the team’s baseball game against Kruse’s free kick. goals down at half time to beat man Willians Astudillo as the tying the Minnesota Twins on April 21, in Oakland, California. (AP) Haaland endured a frustrating game, Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2. and winning runs scored. Braves 4, Yankees 1 MLB Results/Standings In New York, Ian Anderson took a Cagliari inch closer to safety after winning at Udinese shutout into the seventh inning, Austin Riley homered and Atlanta scraped by with just four hits to beat New York. WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): Results and standings from the MLB games on Wednesday. Inter draw at Spezia but extend Serie A lead Corey Kluber (0-2) kept New York Miami 3 Baltimore 0 Toronto 6 Boston 3 in it with his best start yet in pinstripes, Pittsburgh 3 Detroit 2 Philadelphia 6 San Francisco 5 MILAN, April 22, (AP): Inter Milan but the Yankees lost for the sixth time Colorado 6 Houston 3 Washington 1 St Louis 0 was held to a 1-1 draw at relegation- in seven games. Texas 7 LA Angels 4 Milwaukee 4 San Diego 2 Osasuna beat Valencia 3-1 Oakland 13 Minnesota 12 Arizona 5 Cincinnati 4 threatened Spezia but still extended its Anderson (1-0) limited the Yankees Detroit 5 Pittsburgh 2 Arizona 8 Cincinnati 5 lead at the top of the Serie A table. to four hits and four walks in 6 2/3 Atlanta 4 NY Yankees 1 Chicago Cubs 16 NY Mets 4 Ivan Perišić canceled out Diego innings. The 22-year-old right-hander Kansas City 9 Tampa Bay 8 Farias’ opener for Spezia as Inter Benzema scores twice, Madrid threw 97 pitches as temperatures American League National League moved 10 points above second-place East Division East Division dipped into the low 40s in the late W L Pct GB AC Milan after the Rossoneri lost 2-1 innings. Boston 12 7 .632 _ W L Pct GB at home to Sassuolo. ‘blank’ Cádiz in Spanish league New York loaded the bases against Tampa Bay 10 9 .526 2 New York 7 6 .538 _ Juventus came from behind to win Baltimore 8 10 .444 3-1/2 Philadelphia 9 9 .500 -1/2 MADRID, April 22, (AP): Karim Anderson with two outs in the seventh, Miami 8 9 .471 1 3-1 against Parma to move into third but reliever A.J. Minter got DJ Toronto 8 10 .444 3-1/2 Benzema scored two goals and set up New York 6 11 .353 5 Atlanta 8 10 .444 1-1/2 ahead of Atalanta’s match at Roma on another to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 LeMahieu to hit an inning-ending Washington 7 9 .438 1-1/2 Thursday. Central Division win over Cádiz in the Spanish league grounder to third. Will Smith allowed Central Division Spezia remained five points above a run in the ninth but closed out the W L Pct GB W L Pct GB in the team’s first game since the Kansas City 10 7 .588 _ the relegation zone. implosion of the proposed Super five-hitter. Milwaukee 11 7 .611 _ Inter was one of the three Italian Chicago 9 9 .500 1-1/2 Cincinnati 9 8 .529 1-1/2 League. Cubs 16, Mets 4 Cleveland 8 8 .500 1-1/2 Chicago 8 9 .471 2-1/2 clubs involved in the attempt to launch The Cádiz players wore T-shirts Detroit 7 11 .389 3-1/2 Pittsburgh 8 10 .444 3 a Super League. Along with Juventus In Chicago, Javier Báez hit a grand Minnesota 6 11 .353 4 St Louis 8 10 .444 3 before the game condemning the slam and Chicago took advantage of a and Milan, the Nerazzurri abandoned Super League, which was proposed West Division West Division the project on Wednesday. season-high four errors by New York W L Pct GB by some of Europe’s top clubs but in a romp on a chilly night at Wrigley W L Pct GB Inter had seen its 11-match winning essentially folded within days. Oakland 12 7 .632 _ Los Angeles 14 4 .778 _ run come to an end with a draw at Field. Seattle 11 7 .611 -1/2 San Francisco 11 7 .611 3 Madrid president Florentino Pérez Los Angeles 9 7 .563 1-1/2 San Diego 10 10 .500 5 Napoli on Sunday but knew it could had been one of the key figures Texas 9 10 .474 3 Arizona 8 10 .444 6 move 12 points clear after Milan’s Houston 7 10 .412 4 Colorado 6 12 .333 8 behind the proposal. BASEBALL loss. Álvaro Odriozola also scored as But it was Spezia which took a sur- Madrid pulled even with Atlético prise lead in the 12th minute when with his 109th and final pitch. The Marlins 3, Orioles 0 Madrid, which has a game against Báez, who struck out four times Farias’ snapshot went under Inter goal- Huesca on Thursday. Madrid, which righty’s strikeout of Justin Williams to In Miami, rookie Trevor Rogers keeper Samir Handanović. It was anoth- Tuesday, scored three runs in this one end the fourth gave Scherzer 2,814 for Real Madrid’s Alvaro Odriozola, is ahead of Atlético on the head-to- and hit his sixth career slam off reliev- didn’t allow a runner past second base er howler from the veteran, just three (left), vies for the ball with Cadiz’s head tiebreaker, had lost ground last his career, moving him one ahead of while pitching a career-high seven days after an own goal against Napoli. er Trevor Hildenberger in the sixth Hall of Famer Mike Mussina. Next up: Jairo Izquierdo during the Spanish weekend after being held to draw at inning. The flashy shortstop became innings in his 11th major league start, La Liga soccer match between Getafe. Mickey Lolich, whose 2,832 strike- and Miami split the two-game series Cadiz and Real Madrid at the the first player to go 0 for 4 with four outs rank 20th in MLB history. strikeouts in one game and then hit a with Baltimore. SOCCER Ramon Carranza Stadium in Cadiz, grand slam in the next since Gorman Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 3 Jesús Aguilar broke a 0-0 tie with a Spain, on April 21. (AP) SOCCER Thomas did it for Milwaukee in the In Boston, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit two-out, two-run double in the fifth. first two games of the 1978 season, an RBI single in the first inning and Rogers (2-1) allowed four hits and Inter piled on the pressure and it according to STATS. Toronto scored three more runs in the one walk while striking out eight, low- paid off six minutes from halftime Benzema opened the scoring in David Bote drove in four runs as the second in its victory over Boston. ering his ERA to 1.64 as he gained his when Achraf Hakimi rolled a ball the 30th minute by converting a pen- Cubs won their second straight after Trent Thornton started and went third career win. The other two came across from the right and Perišić poked alty awarded by video review. The losing six of eight. Matt Duffy added two innings in a bullpen game for the against two-time Cy Young Award it in at the far post. French striker then set up Odriozola’s three RBIs and Willson Contreras had Blue Jays. Six relievers followed and winner Jacob deGrom. Inter forward Lautaro Martínez hit close-range header with a well- two hits and scored twice. held down Boston’s potent offense. Brewers 4, Padres 2 the post twice in the second half while placed cross in the 33rd, and added the Nerazzurri also had two goals Phillies 6, Giants 5 Ryan Borucki (2-1) pitched two In San Diego, Omar Narvaez hit a the third with a header in the 40th for scoreless innings for the win. Garrett ruled out for offside late on. his 21st league goal, moving two In Philadelphia, Andrew Knapp hit two-run homer, Jace Peterson added a Richards (0-2) was the loser. solo shot and Milwaukee beat San Substitute Giacomo Raspadori behind scoring leader Lionel Messi the winning single in the ninth inning, scored twice in the final 14 minutes for of Barcelona. Bryce Harper had a tying solo homer Rockies 6, Astros 3 Diego to complete a three-game sweep. San Diego right-hander Dinelson Sassuolo to damage Milan’s chances of Madrid was without several players in the seventh and Philadelphia beat In Denver, Austin Gomber got his holding onto a Champions League spot. because of injuries and suspensions, San Francisco. first victory for Colorado, allowing Lamet left his season debut after two scoreless innings due to right forearm Second-place Milan was firmly in including captain Sergio Ramos and Harper walked off Wandy Peralta two hits over six innings on a wintry the title race at the start of the year but midfielder Federico Valverde, who (2-1) to open the ninth, and Brad afternoon to send Houston to its ninth tightness. The Padres closed out a 1-5 homes- is now looking nervously over its have tested positive for the coronavirus. Miller’s fourth hit of the game put two loss in 10 games. shoulder. Earlier, Sevilla beat Levante 1-0 to runners. Knapp hit a one-out single to It was 34 degrees at first pitch and tand with their seventh loss in nine Spezia’s Ardian Ismajli, (left), and games overall. Atalanta could move a point above move to third place and keep alive its left, and Harper beat Alex Dickerson’s light snow fell throughout the game, Milan if it beats Roma. Fifth-place Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, compete for the ball during the title chances. throw him, scoring standing up and gaining in intensity. Royals 9, Rays 8 Napoli also plays Thursday and can Youssef En-Nesyri scored early in touching the plate with his fingertips Gomber (1-2) allowed Yuli Italian Serie A soccer match In Kansas City, Mo., Salvador Perez close the gap to three points with a win between Spezia and Inter Milan at the second half to give Sevilla its to help the Phillies avert a three-game Gurriel’s two-run homer in the second hit a game-ending RBI single and at home to Lazio. fourth straight victory - and sixth in its but just one hit and a walk after. the Alberto Picco Stadium in La sweep against their former manager Kansas City beat Tampa Bay to avoid- Zlatan Ibrahimović was out injured Spezia, on April 21. (AP) last seven league matches. Gabe Kapler and the Giants. Houston starter José Urquidy (0-2) ed a series sweep. but Milan scored the opener in the Julen Lopetegui’s team reached 67 Nationals 1, Cardinals 0 gave up four runs and six hits in five Jorge Soler, Hunter Dozier and 30th minute when Hakan Çalhanoğlu Alex Sandro put Juventus in front points, three behind Atlético and innings,. curled into the top right corner. In Washington, Max Scherzer Carlos Santana homered for Kansas with a goal either side of the interval Madrid. Fourth-place Barcelona, struck out nine in six innings to move Rangers 7, Angels 4 City, which trailed 6-3 heading to the Both teams had chances before and Matthijs de Ligt sealed the result which hosts Getafe on Thursday, was up to No. 21 on the career list, and In Anaheim, California, Adolis bottom of the seventh inning. Scott Sassuolo turned the match on its head. in the 68th. two points behind. Sevilla is unbeaten Alex Avila drove in the lone run with García hit a go-ahead, three-run homer Barlow (1-0) allowed Joey Wendle’s Raspadori passed to Jeremy Toljan on Cagliari inched closer to safety after in seven matches since being elimi- tiebreaking RBI double in the ninth, the right side of the area and his shot was one of his two doubles, helping in the eighth inning in Texas’ victory winning 1-0 at Udinese. nated by Borussia Dortmund in the but got the win when the Royals ral- deflected back into the path of his team- round of 16 of the Champions League Washington edge St. Louis. over Los Angeles. The Sardinian side moved to within Scherzer (1-1) retired 12 of his last Nate Lowe also homered immedi- lied. mate, who turned it in at full stretch. in March. Pirates 3, Tigers 2, 1st Game Raspadori doubled his tally seven three points of 17th-place Benevento, It was the second loss in a row for 13 batters, working in short sleeves in ately after García’s drive for the which drew 2-2 at fellow struggler gusts of 30 mph on a 50-degree late Rangers. Tigers 5, Pirates 2, 2nd Game minutes later with a low, angled shot Levante, which stayed 12th in the In Detroit, Tyler Anderson pitched which went in off the left post. Genoa. standings. afternoon. They have won six of nine after Torino also slipped to just three The three-time Cy Young Award jumping on Los Angeles’ bullpen for five solid innings and Pittsburgh beat Juventus moved just a point behind Osasuna beat Valencia 3-1 for its Detroit in the first game of a double- Milan but was forced to come from points above the drop after a 1-1 draw third win in a row, moving to eighth winner struck out Dylan Carlson six late runs to take two of three at at Bologna. swinging through a 93 mph fastball Angel Stadium. header. behind after Gastón Brugman’s sub- place. Valencia, winless in four match- Detroit rallied to win the second lime free-kick gave relegation-threat- Bottom club Crotone lost 1-0 at es, remained 14th, seven points from game, with Jonathan Schoop hitting a ened Parma the lead in the 25th. home to Sampdoria. the relegation zone. go-ahead home run in a three-run fifth inning. In the opener, Pittsburgh scored all of its runs in the fourth inning after Chennai and Hyderabad win in IPL matches Michael Fulmer (1-1) retired the Pirates in order through the first three. MUMBAI, India, April 22, (AP): century this season. clean bowled Russell around the legs Pittsburgh has won five of its last Chennai Super Kings overcame Pat Fast bowler Deepak Chahar’s sec- as the West Indies power-hitter tried to seven to pull within a game of .500. Cummins’ onslaught with the bat to ond four-wicket haul in three games leave the ball in the 12th over. Diamonbacks 5, Reds 4, earn an 18-run victory over Kolkata had left Kolkata reeling at 31-5 inside But Cummins, who returned with Knight Riders, and Sunrisers the batting powerplay before Andre expensive figures of 58-0 in Chennai’s Completion of suspended game Hyderabad finally got their first Russell (54) and Cummins led a stun- innings, gave Kolkata a sniff when he Diamonbacks 8, Reds 5, 10 points in the Indian Premier League ning run-chase. hit four sixes and a four in Curran’s Innings by beating Punjab Kings by nine 16th over. In Cincinnati, Josh VanMeter hit a wickets. However, Cummins ran out partners tying three-run homer in the ninth Cummins, batting at No. 8, made an CRICKET in an attempt to keep the strike in the inning against his former team and unbeaten 66 off just 34 balls before last three overs as Chennai recorded Arizona beat Cincinnati for the second Kolkata were bowled out for 202 with their third successive win in the tourna- time Wednesday. five balls to spare in a high-scoring Russell blazed six sixes and three ment. In the conclusion of Tuesday’s thriller at Mumbai. fours in a whirlwind 81-run stand with Earlier at Chennai, Sunrisers night’s suspended game, Arizona held Chennai had posted an imposing Dinesh Karthik (40) before Sam Curran Hyderabad finally got across the line Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson throws during the first inning on for the victory. Stefan Crichton 220-3 with Faf du Plessis smashing 95 (1-58) provided the much-needed after three unsuccessful chases in the of the team’s baseball game against the New York Yankees, on April 21, pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his not out off 60 balls and Ruturaj breakthrough. tournament when they recorded a at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP) second save. Gaikwad (64) making his first half The left-arm England fast bowler resounding win against Punjab. ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 SPORTS 15

Olympic bodies launch competitive series in virtual sports Tokyo Olympics torch relay has fi rst positive COVID-19 case TOKYO, April 22, (AP): Tokyo Olympics organizers said Thursday that a policeman tested positive for COVID-19 a day after his assignment US women to face Sweden in group stage in Olympic soccer last week at the Olympic torch relay. It is the fi rst positive test connected to ZURICH, April 22, (AP): The United Defending champion Germany medalist Germany in Group D on the relay since it began March 25 from States will open the women’s Olym- did not qualify. July 22, one day before the opening northeastern Fukushima prefecture. pic soccer tournament on July 21 Host nation Japan was put into ceremony. The group also includes Organizers say the policeman, who against Sweden, the team that beat Group E with 2016 bronze medal- Ivory Coast and Saudi Arabia. is in his 30s, was assigned to control the World Cup champion Ameri- ist Canada, Britain and Chile. The Japan’s men’s team was drawn traffi c on the April 17 leg in south- cans in the quarterfi nals at the 2016 into Group A with South Africa, western Kagawa prefecture. They said Rio de Janeiro Games. Mexico and France, while Spain the offi cer developed symptoms and The two teams were drawn into SOCCER will face Argentina, Australia and tested positive the next day. Local Group G on Wednesday and will Egypt in Group C. South Korea will health authorities are investigating. also play Australia and New Zea- Netherlands, which reached the take on New Zealand, Romania and Offi cials say the policeman was land at the Tokyo Games. The Oce- 2019 World Cup fi nal, will face Bra- Honduras in Group B. wearing a mask and taking social-dis- ania neighbors will also play on July zil, China and Zambia in Group F. The men’s tournament is for un- tancing precautions and other measures. 21, two days before the Olympics In the men’s tournament, Olym- der-23 players, but teams can se- offi cially open. pic champion Brazil will face silver lect three overage players. OLYMPICS ing, but a “proportionate” range of low athletes to wear apparel showing Also: punishments will be drafted before the phrases such as “Black Lives Matter,” LAUSANNE, Switzerland: A competi- The report comes as Japan is pre- games, said Kirsty Coventry, who rep- the language is more limited in the IOC paring to declare a third state of tive virtual sports event was launched emergency in western metropolitan resents athletes on the IOC executive guidance published Wednesday. Thursday by the International Olympic areas around Osaka, and in Tokyo. It board. Approved words on T-shirts and Committee. is expected on Friday and is being re- Smith and Carlos were both expelled elsewhere in Tokyo are “peace, re- The Olympic Virtual Series will from the 1968 Olympics after their sa- spect, solidarity, inclusion and equal- instated after current measures failed Organizers hold signs to spectators that read: ‘Avoid crowding! Wear include fi ve sports - baseball, cycling, to slow the latest resurgence fueled by lute. ity,” the IOC said. auto racing, rowing and sailing - and masks’ during the Tokyo Olympic torch relay in Tobe, Ehime prefecture, Upholding Rule 50 of the Olympic Coventry, a former Olympic swim- a new, more contagious variant of the southwestern Japan, on April 22. (AP) runs from May 13 to June 23. The To- virus detected earlier in Britain. Charter, which prohibits any “demon- ming champion who is now sports kyo Olympics open on July 23. Japan had 541,496 cases and 9,710 the scheduled opening ceremony. Smith and John Carlos famously did stration or political, religious or racial minister in Zimbabwe, said the survey Gaming brands involved in the pro- deaths as of Tuesday. These results For precautions, legs last week at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics - or propaganda” at the games, puts the and research conducted by the IOC ject include Gran Turismo, Zwift and IOC at odds with Olympic offi cials in Athletes’ Commission was guided by are good by global standard but poor were run in a city park in Osaka and taking a knee would still risk punish- eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020. the United States. independent experts on human rights in Asia. Without compulsory lock- taken off the public streets. Something ment at the Tokyo Games this year. “(The series) will mobilize virtual downs, people in Japan have become The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic and social sciences. sport, esports and gaming enthusiasts similar is expected for some legs on The IOC said it surveyed more than Committee said in December it will not The IOC research consulted offi - less cooperative with preventive May 1-2 on the southern island of Ok- 3,500 athletes over the past year and all around the world in order to reach take action if athletes raise their fi sts cially recognized athlete panels from new Olympic audiences,” the IOC said measures. inawa. that 70% said it was “not appropriate The organizers said all participants or kneel during the national anthem at national Olympic committees and in a statement. and offi cials are taking the best pre- Meanwhile, Athlete protests and po- to demonstrate or express their views” their event trials before Tokyo. sports governing bodies - a process Details of prizes offered in some cautions and that the case will not af- litical messages will remain banned at on the fi eld of play or at the opening or The American Olympic body, which that restricted input from activist ath- events are being fi nalized, the IOC said. fect the subsequent legs of the torch the Olympics, the IOC said Wednes- closing ceremony. inducted Smith and Carlos into its Hall letes. The Olympic body is hoping to reach events. day, after a survey found that a ma- The survey also showed 67% of of Fame in 2019, eased its stance after Other concessions agreed Wednes- more young people with a strategy for The torch relay involves 10,000 jority of competitors were in favor of respondents disapproved of podium athletes asked for the right to express day include adding references to “in- virtual sports and gaming and said the runners crisscrossing Japan for four keeping the ban in place. demonstrations. themselves on racial and social justice clusion and equality” in the Olympic series “allows participants around the month, ending at the arrival at the Na- That means raising a fi st on the podi- The IOC has not said what conse- issues. Oath read at the opening ceremony in world to compete from home or their tional Stadium on July 23 to kick off um - like American sprinters Tommie quences athletes may face for protest- While the USOPC guidelines al- Tokyo on July 23. training facilities.” Golden Knights clinch playoff spot with 8th straight victory Kripizov, Talbot lead Wild past Coyotes for 5th win in a row

LAS VEGAS, April 22, (AP): Jonathan Marches- sault scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights de- Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) tries to control the puck as Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) defends during the third pe- feated the San Jose Sharks riod of an NHL hockey game, on April 21, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP) 5-2 for their eighth straight win. Vegas, which leads the NHL with 33 wins and 68 points, be- came the fi rst team in the NHL to clinch a playoff berth. The Golden Knights improved to 15- 1-3 all-time against the Sharks in regu- lar-season meetings - including a perfect 7-0-0 this season. Vegas also improved to 18-4-2 at home this season. Mark Stone Alex Tuch, and Mattias Janmark also scored for Vegas. Marc- Andre Fleury made 31 saves to im- prove to 5-0-0 against the Sharks this season and 7-0-1 in his last eight. Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl scored for San Jose, which is now mired in a 0-6-1 slide. Josef Korenar made 35 saves. Two nights after Patrick Marleau appeared in his record-breaking 1,768th France’s Julian Alaphilippe of the Deceuninck Quick-Step team sprints to career NHL game to pass Gordie Howe for all-time games played, he skated in the fi nish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Vegas Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) attempts a shot on San Jose Sharks goaltender Josef Korenar Fleche Wallonne, in Huy, Belgium, on April 21. (AP) his 900th consecutive game, becoming the fourth player ever to do so. (32) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, on April 21, in Las Vegas. (AP) Van der Breggen wins women’s race ICE HOCKEY NHL Results/Standings The Sharks took a 2-1 lead just past Alaphilippe earns his third midway through the second period be- fore the Golden Knights scored four WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): Results and standings from the NHL games on Wednesday. unanswered goals. Chicago 5 Nashville OT 4 Vegas 5 San Jose 2 victory in Flèche Wallonne On the power play, Pacioretty fed Minnesota 4 Arizona 1 Montreal 4 Edmonton 3 Stone, who wrapped the puck around East Division West Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA GP W L OT Pts GF GA HUY, Belgium, April 22, (AP): Julian Korenar to knot the score 2-all with Washington 46 29 13 4 62 163 141 x-Vegas 46 33 11 2 68 155 102 Alaphilippe earned his third victory in 7:08 left in the period. It was Stone’s NY Islanders 46 29 13 4 62 133 106 Colorado 43 30 9 4 64 154 101 the Flèche Wallonne one-day classic, Pakistan hold on team-leading sixth power-play goal of Pittsburgh 46 29 14 3 61 159 132 Minnesota 45 29 13 3 61 141 118 Boston 44 26 12 6 58 127 110 Arizona 47 20 22 5 45 124 150 overtaking Spanish Vuelta champion the season, while Pacioretty became NY Rangers 46 23 17 6 52 152 124 the 10th active U.S.-born player to col- St Louis 43 19 18 6 44 124 135 Primoz Roglic on the fi nal ascent to to win Twenty20 Philadelphia 45 20 18 7 47 128 162 San Jose 46 18 23 5 41 122 157 the fi nish line. lect 600 career points. New Jersey 45 14 25 6 34 115 157 Los Angeles 43 17 20 6 40 118 128 Buffalo 46 12 27 7 31 111 156 Tuch blasted home the go-ahead Anaheim 47 14 26 7 35 104 151 Roglic, the Tour de France runner- HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 22, Central Division up, attacked up the grueling Mur de (AP): Pakistan held on to win the goal with 50 seconds left in the second, GP W L OT Pts GF GA North Division Huy about 350 meters out but couldn’t first T20 against Zimbabwe by giving Vegas its fi rst lead of the game. Carolina 45 30 10 5 65 146 108 GP W L OT Pts GF GA Florida 47 30 12 5 65 152 126 Toronto 46 28 13 5 61 150 126 hold off the 28-year-old Frenchman, managing to defend a modest to- Marchessault netted his second Winnipeg 45 27 15 3 57 144 120 goal and third point of the night when Tampa Bay 46 30 14 2 62 153 121 who also won in 2018 and ‘19. tal of 149-7. Nashville 48 25 21 2 52 130 137 Edmonton 45 27 16 2 56 144 125 The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Zimbabwe only got 138-7 in he beat Korenar short side, extending Dallas 45 19 14 12 50 130 113 Montreal 44 20 15 9 49 130 126 Vegas’ lead to 4-2 with 6:42 left in the Chicago 47 22 20 5 49 134 148 Calgary 45 19 23 3 41 118 133 fi nished the 194-kilometer (120-mile) reply after Usman Qadir’s 3-29 Detroit 48 16 25 7 39 107 153 Vancouver 39 18 18 3 39 109 125 course in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 25 sec- game. Janmark, who was acquired from Columbus 48 15 24 9 39 117 163 Ottawa 46 16 26 4 36 126 166 onds. Roglic was credited with the Note: Two points for a win one point for overtime loss. The top four teams in each division will qualify for playoffs under this Chicago at the trade deadline, scored same time and fi ve-time winner Ale- CRICKET season’s temporary realignment. jandro Valverde of Spain was third, an empty-netter for his fi rst as a Golden x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division z-clinched conference Knight with 56 seconds to go. six seconds back. thwarted the home team at Harare Wild 4, Coyotes 1 Alaphilippe, the world champion, Sports Club and gave Pakistan an In Glendale, Arizona, Kirill Krip- bot stopped 39 shots and the Wild beat The Wild withstood a big initial The Blackhawks trailed 4-1 after Luke wagged his fi nger and smiled after 11-run victory. izov scored a dazzling goal to break Arizona to stretch their winning streak fl urry by Arizona and an early goal by Kunin scored 58 seconds into the third. edging the Slovenian at the fi nish of Opener Mohammad Rizwan Minnesota’s rookie record, Cam Tal- to fi ve games. Christian Dvorak in a tight-checking Mikael Granlund had a goal and an the 85th edition of the race. Other batted through the Pakistan in- game. Kevin Fiala and Marcus Foligno assist for the Predators, Eeli Tolvanen three-time winners include Belgian nings for his 82 not out from 61 each scored to put the Wild up, then and Colton Sissons also scored, and great Eddy Merckx. balls. The next best score was 15 Kiprizov deked goalie Darcy Kuem- Juuse Saros made 25 saves. from Danish Aziz on his T20 de- per out of the crease and scored on a The teams meet again in Chicago on CYCLING but. wraparound. Friday night. It was Kiprizov’s 19th goal, breaking Canadiens 4, Oilers 3 of a breakaway group with only 1.5 Marian Gaborik’s rookie record. In Edmonton, Alberta, Josh Ander- “It’s the legs that make the dif- kilometers left when French rider Talbot made some big saves down son had two goals, and the Canadiens ference on this hard climb,” said Maurits Lammertink was caught at the the stretch, and Nico Sturm added an beat the Oilers to split a two-game se- Alaphilippe, who will now prepare bottom of the Mur de Huy. empty-net goal to give Minnesota a ries. for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race on Before the race, Tour de France 16-point cushion over the Coyotes for Tyler Toffoli and Artturi Lehkonen Sunday. “It wasn’t easy with Roglic champion Tadej Pogacar and defend- third in the West Division. also scored for Montreal (20-15-9). out front and Valverde on my wheel. ing champion Marc Hirschi were last- The Coyotes dominated early, but Jake Allen made 22 saves as the Cana- Both were very strong but I managed minute withdrawals after their UAE couldn’t get anything else past Talbot diens picked up just their third win in to pull it off.” Team Emirates team had two positive in losing for the seventh time in eight nine games. Roglic, making his Flèche Wal- coronavirus tests, even though the games. Montreal moved eight points clear of lonne debut, defl ected questions about team was previously vaccinated. Blackhawks 5, Predators 4, OT Calgary for the North Division’s fourth whether he attacked too early. In the women’s race, world champi- In Chicago, Brandon Hagel scored and fi nal playoff spot. “Too early or too late - at the end on Anna van der Breggen won for the three minutes into overtime to lift Chi- Connor McDavid had a goal and two I was not strong enough. Julian was seventh straight time by outclimbing cago past Nashville. assists for Edmonton (27-16-2). Ryan stronger today,” he said. “I did my Kasia Niewiadoma on the fi nal ascent. Hagel also had two assists to help Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi best. He was strongest and deserves to “I think it was the most diffi cult one. First place, Netherland’s Anna Van der Breggen of the SD Worx team, Chicago beat Nashville for the fi rst also scored, and Mike Smith made 27 win.” I’m really happy to fi nish it off like center, celebrates on the podium with second place, Poland’s Katarzyna time in seven games this season. Pius saves. Valverde, who turns 41 on Sunday, that,” the 31-year-old Dutch rider said. Niewiadoma of the Canyon SRAM racing team, and third place, Italy’s Elisa Suter and Vinnie Hinostroza each had The Oilers, who beat Montreal 4-1 said he was “happy to have fi nished on Last year’s Flèche Wallonne was Longo Longo Borghini of the Trek Segafredo team during the Women’s a goal and an assist, Wyatt Kalynuk on Monday and had won eight straight the podium.” pushed back to September because of Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Fleche Wallonne, in Huy, and Dominik Kubalik added goals, at home, missed a chance to pass Win- The peloton swallowed up the last the coronavirus pandemic. Belgium, on April 21. (AP) and Malcolm Subban made 35 saves. nipeg for second in the standings. ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 23-24, 2021 16

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards (right), reaches for the ball as Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox defends during the fi rst quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacra- mento, California. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Suns improve road record to 19-7

Jazz rout Rockets NBA Results/Standings

PHILADELPHIA, April WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): NBA 22, (AP): Chris Paul scored results and standings on Wednesday. Toronto 114 Brooklyn 103 28 points, Devin Booker Cleveland 121 Chicago 105 had 19 and Mikal Bridges Indiana 122 Oklahoma City 116 Phoenix 116 Philadelphia 113 18 to lead the Phoenix Suns Washington 118 Golden State 114 Utah 112 Houston 89 to a 116-113 victory over New York 137 Atlanta OT 127 the Philadelphia 76ers on Miami 107 San Antonio 87 Dallas 127 Detroit 117 Wednesday night. Denver 106 Portland 105 Joel Embiid, who had 38 points LA Clippers 117 Memphis 105 Sacramento 128 Minnesota 125 and 17 rebounds, heaved a full- Eastern Conference court shot at the horn that rattled Atlantic Division W L Pct GB around the rim and put the All-Star Philadelphia 39 19 .672 - center on his back in disbelief over Brooklyn 39 20 .661 -1/2 the near-make. New York 33 27 .550 7 Boston 31 27 .534 8 No matter, the Suns walked off win- Toronto 25 34 .424 14-1/2 ners on the road for the second time Southeast Division this week against one of the top teams W L Pct GB in the East. They are an NBA-best 19-7 Atlanta 32 27 .542 - Miami 31 28 .525 1 on the road and second overall behind Charlotte 28 29 .491 3 Utah at 42-16. Washington 25 33 .431 6-1/2 Paul hit fi ve 3s and Bridges, a former Orlando 18 40 .310 13-1/2 Villanova standout, continued to haunt Central Division W L Pct GB the Sixers three years after an ill-fated Milwaukee 35 22 .614 - draft-night deal. The Sixers selected Indiana 27 31 .466 8-1/2 Bridges with the 10th overall pick in Chicago 24 34 .414 11-1/2 2018 - a feel-good story because of Cleveland 21 37 .362 14-1/2 Detroit 18 41 .305 18 the Nova connection and his mother Western Conference worked for the 76ers’ parent company. Southwest Division Zhaire played only 13 NBA games W L Pct GB and is out of the league while Bridges Dallas 31 26 .544 - Memphis 29 28 .509 2 turned into a breakout star for the blos- San Antonio 28 29 .491 3 soming Suns. New Orleans 25 33 .431 6-1/2 The Sixers again played without Houston 15 44 .254 17 Northwest Division W L Pct GB BASKETBALL Utah 44 15 .746 - Memphis Grizzlies guard Grayson Allen (3) reaches for a loose ball under Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac during the fi rst half of an NBA basket- Denver 38 20 .655 5-1/2 starters Ben Simmons (unspecifi ed ill- Portland 32 26 .552 11-1/2 ness) and Tobias Harris (right knee). ball game in Los Angeles. (AP) Oklahoma City 20 39 .339 24 Minnesota 16 44 .267 28-1/2 Seth Curry also missed the game with a The Jazz have won four of their last cus and missing the fi rst 56 games. gets won their fourth straight. The Thunder have lost 12 in a row. Pacifi c Division left hip fl exor. fi ve games. The 23-point margin was Wizards 118, Warriors 114 Damian Lillard scored 22 points for Mavericks 127, Pistons 117 W L Pct GB The Suns were coming off an over- Utah’s most-lopsided victory over In Washington, Stephen Curry had Portland. The Trail Blazers lost their In Dallas, Luka Doncic had 30 points Phoenix 42 16 .724 - time win in Milwaukee to open their LA Clippers 42 19 .689 1-1/2 Houston since a 118-91 blowout Dec. his fi rst rough night for Golden State third straight. and 10 rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis LA Lakers 35 23 .603 7 fi ve-game trip. 6, 2018. in a month, and Bradley Beal rallied Raptors 114, Nets 103 added 19 points and seven boards and Golden State 29 30 .492 13-1/2 Knicks 137, Hawks 127, OT Rudy Gobert had 19 points, 18 re- Washington in the fourth quarter for its In Tampa, Fla., Pascal Siakam had Dallas beat Detroit to stop a four-game Sacramento 24 35 .407 18-1/2 In New York, Julius Randle had 40 bounds and two blocks for Utah. season-best sixth straight victory. 27 points and nine rebounds, OG Anu- home losing streak. points and 10 rebounds and New York John Wall led Houston with 21 Coming off a historic 11-game stretch noby scored 25 points and Toronto Doncic fi nished with nine assists, In Sacramento, Calif., Buddy Hield beat Atlanta in overtime for its eighth points and six assists. The Rockets in which he made 78 3-pointers and sur- beat Brooklyn for its fourth straight just missing his 10th triple-double of hit a 3-pointer with 8.8 seconds re- straight victory. passed Beal as maining and scored 29 points in Sacra- Randle’s driving layup with eight have lost seven of their last eight and victory. the season. Jalen Brunson scored 18 of 12 of their last 14. Houston is 4-33 the NBA’s scor- Kyrie Irving had 28 points, 11 re- his 20 points in the fi rst half of a game mento’s victory over Minnesota. seconds left in regulation gave New ing leader, Curry Moments after Minnesota’s York a 122-119 lead, but Bogdan since Feb. 4. bounds and eight assists for the Nets, that was supposed to be played Feb. 17 Clippers 117, Grizzlies 105 scored 18 points and Bruce Brown added 21 points and but was postponed because of severe D’Angelo Russell missed from above Bogdanovic hit a 3-pointer with 6.2 on 7-of-25 the arc, Hield came back the other way seconds left to send the game into In Los Angeles, Luke Kennard 14 rebounds. winter weather in Texas. overtime. scored a season-high 28 points and shooting, includ- Nets forward F Kevin Durant missed Jerami Grant scored 26 points and and hit his seventh 3 of the game to The Knicks scored the fi rst 10 points short-handed Los Angeles overcame ing 2 of 14 on 3s. his second game after aggravating a Cory Joseph added 24 for the Pistons. help Sacramento avoid being swept in of the extra session. an 18-point, fi rst-quarter defi cit to beat Beal scored thigh injury Sunday at Miami. Cavaliers 121, Bulls 105 the three-game season series. Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quick- Memphis. 29 points in he Pacers 122, Thunder 116 In Cleveland, Collin Sexton scored De’Aaron Fox had 30 points, seven ley each scored 20 points for New York. Marcus Morris added 25 points and Wizards’ fi rst In Indianapolis, Malcolm Brogdon 30 points, Darius Garland added 25 and assists and fi ve rebounds for the Kings. Trae Young had 20 points and 14 as- Terance Mann had 19 points in help- home game with had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven Cleveland beat Chicago to snap a fi ve- Harrison Barnes added 22 points and ing the Clippers win their third in a row fans in more assists, and Caris LeVert scored 28 game home losing streak. seven assists. Karl-Anthony Towns sists for the Hawks, but left the game Siakam with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter and 10th in 11 games despite being than a year. points and severely short-handed Indi- Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff scored 26 points for Minnesota. after suffering an ankle injury. He did without starters Kawhi Leonard (sore Former Wiz- ana beat Oklahoma City. was not at the game for personal rea- Heat 107, Spurs 87 not return. foot), Paul George and Reggie Jackson, ard Kelly Oubre Jr. led Golden State Indiana snapped a three-game losing sons, but is expected to return to the In San Antonio, Bam Adebayo Chris Capela had 25 points and 22 who both rested. with 24 points. streak despite playing without anyone bench Friday. Assistant coach Greg scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler had 18 rebounds for Atlanta. Ja Morant led Memphis with 22 Nuggets 106, Trail Blazers 105 taller than 6-foot-7. Indiana was miss- Buckner fi lled in for his longtime points and 11 assists and Miami Heat Jazz 112, Rockets 89 points. In Portland, Ore., Nikola Jokic ing three starters - two-time All-Star friend and colleague. beat San Antonio. In Houston, Jordan Clarkson scored Jaren Jackson Jr. made his season de- scored 25 points and made three key forward Domantas Sabonis, center Kevin Love added 15 points and Tyler Herro added 22 points. The 22 points, Joe Ingles had 21 and the but for the Grizzlies, with 15 points and free throws down the stretch to help Myles Turner and forward T.J. Warren nine rebounds for Cleveland. Lauri Heat have won three in a row and nine NBA-leading Utah Jazz beat the Hou- eight rebounds to go with fi ve fouls off Denver beat Portland. - and four backups. Markkanen scored 14 of his 16 points of 13. ston Rockets 112-89 on Wednesday the bench. He’d been out since August Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points, Darius Bazley matched his career in the second half for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with night. after having surgery on his left menis- all in the opening quarter, and the Nug- high with 26 points for Oklahoma City. Kings 128, Timberwolves 124 15 points. Protesters gain access to Man United training ground After SL ‘climbdown’, SL backer says breakaway competition is on standby MADRID, April 22, (AP): The Super “They haven’t left,” the Madrid dropped out on Wednesday admitted spoken captain Gerard Piqué made his City, Spurs win in EPL League is far from dead and its clubs president said. “We are all still togeth- defeat but tried to show they still be- view clear. have not given up on the idea of the er, thinking of ways of making this lieve in the project. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman LONDON, April 22, (AP): A tough breakaway competition despite having happen.” AC Milan said the “voices and the avoided the subject but said he “agreed week for Manchester City and Tot- to shelve the project just a few days Pérez admitted that they should concerns of fans around the world have with” Piqué’s tweet. tenham, two of the rebel clubs in the after it was announced, Real Madrid have explained the project better, and clearly been expressed,” but the club There were protests against the aborted Super League project, got even president Florentino Pérez said on said he was “sad and disappointed” “will continue to work hard to deliver Super League during Wednesday’s more diffi cult when they fell behind on Thursday. with the “avalanche of aggressive” and a sustainable model” for soccer. Spanish league matches, with players their return to Premier League action . Pérez, who would have been the “orchestrated” criticism that surfaced Inter Milan said it was committed entering the fi eld wearing T-shirts con- Both teams recovered to register vi- new league’s founding chairman, said everywhere. to delivering the best soccer experi- demning the new competition. tal wins and leave them in good spir- the clubs behind the Super League will He said one of the English clubs was ence for fans because “innovation and On Monday, UEFA threatened to ban its for their next match - their meeting continue working on a way to make not really interested in the project from inclusion have been part of our DNA players from the participating teams at Wembley Stadium for the English the competition work, even if changes the start and that was “contagious” for since our foundation.” from playing in this year’s European League Cup fi nal on Sunday. have to be made to its format. the rest of the Premier League own- Atlético Madrid coach Diego Sime- Championship and next year’s World City fought back from conceding a He said the Super League is on ers who were afraid of the criticism one said the whole controversy would Cup. A Madrid court later issued a pre- goal after just 20 seconds to beat Aston “standby” and the group is open to at home. The English clubs initially eventually help soccer. liminary ruling stopping UEFA, FIFA Villa 2-1 and move 11 points clear in discussing ideas with European soc- involved in the project were Arsenal, Barcelona was the only team yet to and its members from acting against the their march to a third league title in four cer’s governing body and other entities Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, comment, though its presence was al- creation of the new league. years. A maximum of eight points are to help the game amid the coronavi- Manchester United and Tottenham. ways dependent on a vote by its gen- The Super League was intended needed by Pep Guardiola’s team from rus pandemic. Pérez said he was cer- While some Premier League clubs eral assembly. to be a 20-team competition with 15 their fi nal fi ve games. tain that a “very similar” competition apologized to their fans while pull- There was some internal pressure on founding members guaranteed a spot would soon be created. ing back on Tuesday, the teams which the Catalan club, however, after out- every season and fi ve other teams ro- tating in and out. The lack of relega- SOCCER Manchester City’s Rodrigo celebrates tion for the founding members raised after scoring his side’s second goal SOCCER concerns about the consequences for Each side had a man sent off at Villa during the English Premier League smaller clubs in the domestic leagues Park, with City defender John Stones’ soccer match between Aston Villa and “We are going to keep working,” around the continent. straight red card for a reckless lunge late Manchester City at Villa Park Stadium Pérez told Spanish radio network SER Meanwhile, a group of Manchester in the fi rst half ruling him out for three in Birmingham, England. (AP) in an interview after midnight local United fans unhappy with the club’s matches - starting with the cup fi nal. sured into withdrawing from a breaka- time. “We are looking for ways of get- involvement in the abandoned Super Tottenham needed a 90th-minute way Super League which they had ting this done. It would be a shame not League plan gained access to its train- penalty from Son Heung-min to clinch formed with 10 of Europe’s other elite to get it done.” ing ground on Thursday and spoke to a 2-1 victory over Southampton and clubs. The Super League was announced manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and close to within two points of fourth- A small band of supporters protested on Sunday but essentially folded after some members of staff. place Chelsea in the race for Champi- outside Tottenham’s stadium ahead of the English clubs involved in the pro- The protesters carried banners with ons League qualifi cation. match against Southampton, calling for ject pulled out Tuesday amid escalat- messages including “Glazers out,” It was a great way for Ryan Mason the removal of chairman Daniel Levy ing backlash from their supporters and in reference to the Glazer family that to start his interim tenure as manager, and the club’s owners, the ENIC Group. warnings from the British government owns United, and “We decide when as the replacement for the fi red Jose With City losing to Leeds in their that legislation could be introduced to you play.” Mourinho. At 29 years, 312 days, Ma- last league game and second-place thwart them. The protest, reportedly involving son became the youngest person to Manchester United winning its last fi ve On Wednesday, Atlético Madrid around 20 people, started around 9 manage a team in a Premier League league games, the gap between the lo- and the three Italian clubs in the pro- a.m. local time at United’s Carrington game, a proud moment for the former cal rivals was down to eight points. ject - Juventus, AC Milan and Inter training complex. British broadcaster Tottenham midfi elder who was forced Phil Foden stood out, the 20-year-old Milan - also opted out. That left Real Sky Sports reported Solskjaer’s as- to retire in 2018 after failing to fully re- England forward canceling out John Madrid and Barcelona as the only Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, (left) gets past Southampton’s Kyle Walker- sistants, Michael Carrick and Darren cover from a fractured skull sustained McGinn’s very early opener for Villa clubs still offi cially in the new league. Peters, (front right) and Theo Walcott during an English Premier League Fletcher, and midfi elder Nemanja Mat- during an FA Cup match. by scoring the equalizer with a volley at Pérez said no one was really leav- soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at the Tot- ic were among those who also spoke to They were the fi rst games for City the end of a fl owing team move involv- ing, though. tenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (AP) the group. and Tottenham since they were pres- ing Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva.

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