Page 15

ice hockey THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com Page 9 markets

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 / RAJAB 20, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17627 16 PAGES 150 FILS MP raps extension of grace period for expats ‘Deport them’

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Amir decrees new Cabinet Arab Times Staff KUWAIT CITY, March 2: MP Abdulka- reem Al-Kandari has criticized the deci- sion of the Interior Ministry to extend the Opinion PM expresses gratitude grace period given to expatriates, who violated the Residency Law, to legalize their status or leave the country. He em- KUWAIT CITY, March 2, (KUNA): His phasized the need to deport these expa- Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al- triates, instead of encouraging others to Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Tuesday violate the Residency Law and increase the crowd in areas where a large number issued a decree forming the new gov- of expatriates are residing. He said the de- Drop begins a storm cision of the ministry reflects its inability ernment under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sa- to enforce the law and this entails wastage of public funds. bah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Meanwhile, a number of current and By Ahmed Al-Jarallah The decree names the government lineup as fol- former MPs attended the solidarity meet- Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times lows: Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah was named ing held at the diwaniya of MP Badr Al- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Dahoum recently with the theme, “Al Da- NO ONE is above the law, as emphasized Abdullah Youssef Abdurrahman Al-Roumi, Deputy houm … You are not alone,” to express by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al- Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Minister of their support for him in dealing with an Ahmad and His Highness the Crown Prince State for Nazaha Enhancement, Issa Ahmad Mo- appeal filed at the Constitutional Court Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad on several occa- hammad Hassan Al-Kandari, Minister of Awqaf and against the ruling confirming the validity sions. Because of this, the arrest of the former of his parliamentary membership. Islamic Affairs, Mohammad Abdullatif Al-Fares, The appeal was submitted after the Court minister of Defense and minister of Interior Minister of Oil and Minister of Higher Education, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah and the former un- of Cassation issued its final ruling affirm- Bassel Humoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Health and ing that the candidacy of Al-Dahoum in the dersecretary of the Ministry of Defense Jas- Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Foreign 2020 parliamentary elections is valid and sar Al-Jassar represents a significant turn of Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs. that he met all the conditions for contesting events. The Amiri decree also named Rana Abdullah Al- the election. The Constitutional Court will These two are involved in the “Army Fund” Fares, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State rule on the appeal on March 3. case and have been referred to the State Se- for Communication and Information Technology Af- Constitutional expert Dr Muhammad curity Department by the order of the Min- fairs, Mubarak Salem Al-Harees as Minister of State Al-Muqatei explained the Constitutional isters Court. This is a huge indication of the for National Assembly Affairs, Thamer Ali Al-Salem Court is authorized to rule on appeals re- commitment of the higher leadership to fight Al-Sabah as Minister of Interior, Khalifa Musaed garding the entire election, not the parlia- corruption and render all corrupt individuals Hamada as Minister of Finance and Minister of State mentary membership of a lawmaker. A press conference followed the meet- to watch their back. Father Nazeer Dako places a poster welcoming Pope Francis at St. Jo- for Economic and Investment Affairs, Abdurrahman Baddah Al-Mutairi as Minister of Information and Cul- ing at Al-Dahoum’s diwaniya, during There is no place to hide for the corrupt, seph’s Chaldean Church in preparation for the Pope’s visit, in Baghdad, which several MPs delivered speeches whether old or young, a Sheikh or a citizen, Iraq, March 2. (AP) ture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Ali expressing support for him. They clari- a current minister or a former minister, or an Fahad Al-Mudhaf as Minister of Education. fied that they have no intention to go ordinary civil employee. Vatican defends visit In addition, Shaya Abdurrahman Ahmad Al-Shaya against the judiciary as their main aim This droplet is the beginning of a major was named as Minister of State for Municipality Af- is to ensure the latter is not dragged into storm against corruption which the Kuwaitis fairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs and political disputes. They also agreed that The Vatican defended Pope Fran- Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni Urban Development, Abdullah Issa Al-Salman as accept with great satisfaction because it con- cis’ decision to go ahead with his trip was asked how the Vatican could the target of the appeal is not Al-Dahoum, stitutes a window of hope to get out of the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Mashaan Mo- but all the pro-reform MPs. to Iraq this weekend despite rising justify exposing Iraqis to such a risk hammad Mashaan Al-Otaibi as Minister of Electricity, tunnel of corruption that continues to exhaust coronavirus infections there, saying of infection when the Vatican itself Reacted the state and deepens its financial crisis due Tuesday all health care precautions has been on a modified lockdown Water and Renewable Energy and Minister of Social have been taken and that the trip is for months, with no public audi- Affairs and Societal Development. MP Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi reacted to to the regulatory negligence that led some of- objections to the meeting under the pretext ficials to dare to violate the sanctity of public an “act of love for this land, for its ences, and why the trip couldn’t be Under the decree, His Highness the Prime Minister people and for its Christians.” postponed for even a few months. will inform the National Assembly about this decree, that it is tantamount to interfering in the funds and abuse their positions to serve their Francis is due to visit Iraq Friday- Bruni noted that Iraq has a pre- which comes into effect from the date of its issuance. It affairs of the judicial authority. He cited interests with the impression that they are Monday in his first foreign trip since dominantly young population and will be published in the official gazette. Article 173 of the Constitution to highlight above the law. the pandemic erupted last year. that the current daily caseload was Meanwhile, His Highness the Prime Minister ad- the special nature of Constitutional Court. For years, talk has been going around in Planning for the trip went into high small compared to the overall popu- dressed His Highness the Amir, expressing gratitude This article states that: “The law shall whispers, and many times at the loudest voice gear after infections fell, but cases lation. He said the trip has been determine the competent legal authority have spiked in the past month and designed to limit crowds, and that for his precious confidence, tasking him with heading about financial crimes in the Ministry of In- the council of ministers and working out the Cabinet to deal with the settlement of disputes in infectious disease experts say a all papal events would follow Iraqi respect to the constitutionality of laws terior and Ministry of Defense, which are papal trip to a country with a fragile health protocols that include lim- new line-up. supposed to be above suspicion because they and regulations and shall determine this health care system simply is not a ited participation, social distancing, His Highness the Premier said he deeply appreciated authority’s jurisdiction and the procedure form the security fence to protect the home- good idea. mask mandates and other mea- the task accorded to him, amid “this phase marked with it shall follow. The law shall guarantee to land and maintain the citizens’ security and The Vatican has taken its own sures. challenges, risks and rapid events that require serious precautions, with the 84-year-old The Pope will use a covered car both the government and those concerned rights. Because “we are all children of a vil- and fruitful action to make more accomplishments in the right to challenge the constitutionality lage and everyone knows everyone”, the cor- pope, his 20-member Vatican en- — likely armored — for all his trans- various realms for sake of attaining the Kuwaiti people tourage and the 70-plus journalists fers, which the Vatican says should of laws and regulations before that author- rupt is known and reveals himself from the on the papal plane all vaccinated. limit the formation of crowds on the aspirations.” ity. Where the aforementioned authority first moment he took office. Iraq, however, only began its vacci- street. However, he is to celebrate a His Highness the Prime Minister pledged to His rules the law or the regulation to be uncon- There was no bribery or corruption scandal nation campaign Tuesday and most Mass for an expected 10,000 peo- Highness the Amir and the people of Kuwait to spare stitutional, that law or regulation shall be without strong indications ... like there is no Iraqis who come to see the pope ple in the sports stadium in Erbil and no effort to work out, in coordination with the Parlia- deemed null and void.” smoke without fire. Unfortunately, there was won’t be inoculated. will use an open car there. (AP) ment, purposeful plans that may address society prob- In another development, the Housing no serious accountability to stop the abuse of lems and issues and in translation of “Your Highness’s Affairs Committee on Tuesday met with public funds and institutions at some point, aspirations.” representatives of the Public Authority which made the citizen almost lose his confi- His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled delivered the for Housing Welfare (PAHW). new Cabinet lineup to His Highness the Amir who en- Committee Chairman MP Fayez Al- dence in the state. Newswatch Jomhour said they discussed the recommen- This situation made everyone selfishly dorsed it and declared its proclamation. Moreover, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled assured His dation to assign a real estate developer for work for themselves, which was why corrup- South Saad Al-Abdullah residential area, KUWAIT CITY: His Highness the Amir PACI urged everyone to comply with Highness the Amir to put, along with the ministers, all tion became rampant in all the state institu- the health authorities’ requirements their capacities and expertise at disposal in service of indicating the panel unanimously rejected Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- the suggestion. Nevertheless, the commit- tions. However, the glimpse of hope came Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of con- in order to ensure everybody’s safety. Kuwait. through the Ministerial Court as an indica- dolences to Saudi King Salman bin Ab- (KUNA) tee agreed on the designation of real estate tion that the hour of accountability has run its dulaziz Al-Saud on the death of Prince ❑ ❑ ❑ developers in small residential areas on ex- course. Fahad bin Mohammad Al-Saud. $1.7b raised disappointing perimental basis followed by an evaluation His Highness the Crown Prince KUWAIT CITY: Although the dead- of the results to pave way for application of Perhaps this procedure came late. If the line for expatriates – violators of the state had taken the path that the Saudi Crown Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- the same system in big residential areas if Sabah and His Highness the Prime Min- residence law to leave the country – has the experiment succeeds, he added. Prince Mohammed bin Salman took about ister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad expired and is expected to extended fur- MP Badr Al-Mullah commented to three years ago, it would have saved a lot on Al-Sabah sent similar cables. (KUNA) ther, it does not absolve the violators a news report that Kuwait National Pe- itself. ❑ ❑ ❑ from paying the due fi nes, but allows Kuwait pledges troleum Corporation (KNPC) asked the The Saudi Crown Prince did not wait for those whose residence or visas have ex- pired on Jan 1, 2020, to correct their sta- Ministry of Finance and Public Authority a long documentary session to deal with the KUWAIT CITY: The Civil Service Com- for Industry (PAI) to pay KD 15 billion mission on Tuesday declared all govern- tus in accordance with the residence law, scourge of corruption. He summoned about ment and public departments and institu- or pay fi nes and leave with a possibility for oil exploration and production. The 360 people to the Ritz Hotel in Riyadh, and $20m to Yemen lawmaker said this news disappointed the tions would close on March 11 (Thursday) of returning again, reports Al-Rai daily. presented evidence of their corruption accu- to mark Isra and Miraj holiday. ❑ ❑ ❑ public as it shows KNPC has the upper mulated for decades, which account for ten Regular work will resume on March KUWAIT CITY, March 2, (Agencies): Foreign Min- hand over the State. 14 (Sunday). DUBAI: The Saudi Ministry of Health He stressed the need to amend the de- percent of the country’s budget since 1980 has announced that Muslims who want ister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al- that have been going into the pockets of the However, managements of some sec- Sabah announced the State of Kuwait’s pledge of $20 cree concerning KNPC, while pointing tors of special work nature are entitled to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage out that the corporation is involved in corrupt. to determine how to observe the holi- this year will need to prove that they’ve million in aid to Yemen. huge investment projects so it cannot af- In a few weeks, he was able to recover a day according to their conditions and been vaccinated against COVID-19. The announcement came as the Kuwaiti top dip- ford to hand over the retained profits to hundred billion dollars, in addition to another with consideration to public interest. The government says it will consider lomat headed his country’s delegation in a virtual the State and even tries to take money hundred billion that the relevant agencies in (KUNA) coronavirus vaccination as “the main donor conference in aid of the humanitarian situation from the State. ❑ ❑ ❑ condition for participation” in the pil- He called for re-evaluation of the per- Saudi Arabia are still collecting. grimage to Makkah that all Muslims in Yemen. Yes, the move of the Ministerial Court is KUWAIT CITY: The number of coro- who can are obliged to make once in “The United Nations was very right in describ- formance of KNPC’s Board of Directors very encouraging, but it must be followed navirus recoveries in Kuwait rose by their lives. (AP) ing the situation in Yemen when it described it as the oil sector continues to incur losses, with other steps, the first of which is to hold 964 over the past 24 hours putting ❑ ❑ ❑ as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, as while the completion of vital projects accountable those who failed and squandered whole fi gure of recuperated at 181,119, such as the environmental fuel and Zour RABAT: Morocco’s Foreign Ministry the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic made public funds during the COVID-19 pandem- the Ministry of Health (MoH) said on Refinery is delayed. Tuesday. has suspended ties with the German it worse and added new challenges such as food He asserted the request of KNPC is un- ic. MoH offi cial spokesperson Dr. Ab- Embassy because of “deep misunder- shortages, the spread of diseases and the deliberate acceptable, especially this time when oil What scandals revealed in this regard can dullah Al-Sanad said in his regular dai- standings,” notably related to the dis- obstruction of humanitarian aid, in addition to high revenues cannot cover salaries. be considered as the greatest evidence of ly press briefi ng that recovery of these puted Western Sahara. levels of violence, new waves of asylum and dis- Furthermore, MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji the fact that corrupt people are exploiting cases was verifi ed after conducting The move this week comes amid dip- forwarded queries to interim Minister lomatic tension around Western Sahara placement in light of modest Health and economic everything for their benefit, even if it was a medical tests and adhering to standard structures. of Interior Sheikh Thamer Ali Al-Sabah steps in such conditions. since the US under Donald Trump pandemic ... This is the most horrific type of “In the past years, we have witnessed a concerted about the information he received that a Proportion of the recovery cases of took the unusual move in December truck driver escaped from Shuwaikh Port corruption. the overall infections amounted to 93.7 of recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty international effort through active participation in In fact, there is legalized corruption that is over the territory. (AP) on Feb 9 after offloading suspicious cargo percent. (KUNA) donor conferences, in line with the increasing ur- and then returned after four days with the hidden, which is increasing the cost of proj- ❑ ❑ ❑ A letter leaked online from Moroc- gency of humanitarian needs of the brotherly Yem- ects by four or five times, as agreed upon by can Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita same modus operandi. KUWAIT CITY: The Public Authority to the rest of the Moroccan government eni people, as the crisis continues for its seventh He wants to know the steps taken re- the corrupt. This costs the state many mil- year. These efforts confi rm the collective interna- garding the incident, if Shuwaikh Port has lions, but no one is held accountable for it. for Civil Information (PACI) said that it orders offi cials to suspend “all contact, will not receive any transactions that can interaction and cooperation” with the tional responsibility to support the humanitarian a security unit or a police station, and if Unfortunately, kingpins of deals only leave be completed through its online services German Embassy and embassy-related plan.” yes, what action has been taken against after they become fat from eating usury. provided on its website: www.pack.gov. activities. (AP) The UN appeal for aid to Yemen to alleviate the the truck driver and anyone behind the However, the big step taken by the late Sheikh kw. ❑ ❑ ❑ world’s worst humanitarian disaster raised some $1.7 incident. He also requested for copies of In a press statement Tuesday, PACI records of similar cases if any and names Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad was on point when billion Monday – a result the UN chief called “disap- he revealed several dubious deals signed in confi rmed its commitment to the in- JERUSALEM: The United Arab Emir- of the accused if a lawsuit in this regard ates’ fi rst ambassador to Israel arrived pointing.” some ministries. This led to the opening of structions of the Council of Ministers was filed. to reduce the percentage of workers in Monday to start his posting in Tel Aviv, At a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by He forwarded similar questions to this big file, which we hope will be a start and government workplaces to 30 percent. barely half a year after the countries for- that eventually Kuwait will recover from the Sweden and Switzerland, UN Secretary-General interim Minister of Finance Khalifa The number of appointment reserva- mally established diplomatic relations. Hamada, indicating he wants to know the corruption epidemic that is almost killing it. tions will be reduced in proportion to Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja Antonio Guterres had appealed for $3.85 billion the work capacity, it added, underlin- met with Foreign Minister Gabi Ash- this year to address the impoverished Arab coun- measures that the ministry has taken re- Email: [email protected] ing that no transaction will be received kenazi in Jerusalem ahead of a meeting try’s dire needs. garding the incident, results of investiga- tions, name and nationality of the truck Follow me on: without an appointment. with President Reuven Rivlin to for- The amount raised, however, was less than what Timing for receiving people with ap- mally present his credentials. driver and the sponsor, country where the the UN received last year, and a billion dollars short truck came from, company which sent the pointments are between 9:00 a.m. to The new relations between the coun- of what was pledged in the 2019 conference, he said. 1:00 p.m. for Kuwaitis and from 2:00- tries “will remain a beacon of light and cargo, the receiving company in Kuwait, 5:30 p.m. for residents, also the Jahra hope in human history, for all of the Guterres called for countries to “consider again and customs employees who were on [email protected] branch from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., it peace-loving people,” Al Kaja said in what they can do to help stave off the worst famine duty at the port on Feb 9 and when the explained. Arabic. (AP) the world has seen in decades”. truck returned to the port four days later. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 2

Music Omar Kamal releases ‘In The Wee Small Hours’

bu Dhabi Festival continued its mis- Asion to support Arab artists on the glob- al stage with the world premiere release of “In The Wee Small Hours”, Kamal’s new single, on 21 February on Abu Dhabi Fes- tival website (https://abudhabifestival.ae/ in-the-wee-small-hours/). Kamal’s raw, emotional take on this jazz-world classic features his soulful vocals and core jazz band in a dusky and intimate setting. The release is part of his new EP, “Late Nights With Omar Kamal”, executive produced by the Festival for release later this year. Kamal’s world tour, “Show Me the Light”, continues with support from Abu Dhabi Festival later this year in New York at the famous Jazz at Lincoln Centre. H.E. Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said: “Throughout its 18 years, Abu Dhabi Festival has cultivated new artists and audi- ences and expanded the impact of Arab art- ists abroad. Omar Kamal’s World Tour is a perfect example of the invaluable cultural exchange and rich dialogue that the arts of- fer. Abu Dhabi Festival is proud to continue bringing Omar’s remarkable work to inter- national audiences live performances and world-premiere recordings.” “This is where it all started”, said Ka- mal. “The exclusive and solitary world of jazz ballads allows you to dig deep into the hidden corners of the soul and come out with expressions of that soul in the form of music and song”. About Omar Kamal: Omar Kamal is a singer/composer from Nablus, his multicultural infl uences have given him a rich taste in music ranging from Swing kings like Frank Sinatra to Pop legends such as Michael Jackson, and re- turning back to Arabic greats such as Mo- hammed Abdelwahab and Fayrouz. Omar performs a variety of genres in a number of languages, plays his own instru- ment, and composes his own music. All these components make Omar one of the most authentic and open artists to emerge from the region in years. Work on Omar’s debut album began in early 2015 with Emmy winning producer Dave Pierce (Michael Buble, The Frank Sinatra Estate) and legendary producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Jon Bon Jovi, Aero- smith) with a number of exciting interna- tional collaborations and some of the great- est session players who have worked with the likes of Michael Jackson and Sir Paul McCartney. Recording of the album took place in London, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver and the prestigious Capitol Stu- dios in Hollywood with the album – SER- ENADE – released in 2017. The huge success of Omar’s debut al- bum led to his fi rst musical tour, during which he performed in major cities such as London, Amman, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and opened one of the leading fes- tivals in the Arab world at the Beiteddine Palace in Lebanon. Omar was awarded the Artwork ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ DIAFA international award that year for the best upcoming Arab artist. In 2018 Omar began work on his second album, titled ‘Show Me The Light’ in- spired by the journey to light through mu- sic. The music on the album combined the Ally Salama empowers mental health dialogue best of international efforts through featur- ing orchestrators from LA to London, Lyr- lly Salama has many firsts to his name. be susceptible to mental distress, often de- icists from Lebanon to Chile, and session AHe was the first Egyptian male youth spite their perceived success – from an aspir- players from London to Istanbul, all pulled speaker on mental health at the United Na- ing athlete to an innovative entrepreneur. He together by the vision of Omar Kamal as tions, he has built a #1 trending podcast points out that for those in highly competitive Network joined on drug addiction executive producer. The album title track across 6 countries, and his online magazine environments — such as sports, entrepre- ‘Show Me The Light’ entered the top 10 EMPWR Mag was among Harvard’s Top 7 neurship, and leadership roles — it can be- he National Rehabilitation Center Abu ternational Office of Drug Control and Law chart positions in the UK in 2019. Most Impactful Social Initiatives, in 2019. come doubly difficult to accept and acknowl- TDhabi (NRC), a World Health Organiza- Enforcement (INL) of the U.S. Department After the album was successfully released, But Ally’s most significant achievement is edge mental health issues. tion (WHO) Collaborating Center of excel- of State, which has a mandate to reduce drug Omar embarked on an International tour empowering honest and compassionate dia- Research indicates that youth and adults lence in the field of substance abuse in the demand, and is associated through a part- starting in Amman through to London’s logue around mental health, as a spokesper- alike find qualified help difficult to access Middle East, today announced that it has nership with the International Consortium West End, Dubai Opera House, Barhain, and son and activist. in the Arab world, when it comes to mental joined the International Technology Transfer of Universities on Drug Demand Reduction New York’s Jazz At Lincoln Centre. The An ex-pro athlete, a social entrepreneur, health. Focusing on Center (ITTC) network, making it the only (ICUDDR). tour resumed after a hiatus due to the Covid and a mental-health ambassador, Ally Sala- the intersection be- entity from the region to become part of this Commenting on this announcement, His pandemic, returning to Dubai Opera with an- ma is using his own experience with clinical tween mental health, network. The Network aims to develop the Excellency Dr Hamad Al Ghafri, said: “We other sold out show in December 2020. depression to help others. With the intent to empathy in leadership, skills of professionals, organizations and sys- are proud of NRC affiliation to ITTC Net- About Abu Dhabi Festival create a cultural shift and make mental health and building emo- tems that provide substance use prevention, work. This is a remarkable milestone for Founded in 2004, Abu Dhabi Festival part of the conversation in every household tional intelligence, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery sup- our team in supporting training opportuni- was initially a small arts and culture plat- across MENA, he is creating an ecosystem Ally is particularly port services. ties, building national technical capabilities, form that soon graduated to one of the that fosters trust and hope. proactive in engaging His Excellency Dr Hamad Al Ghafri, Di- and supporting international collaboration world’s premiere annual events. Held in “My goal is to open minds and create with youth and entre- rector General of NRC, announced NRC’s through NRC’s partnership with several like- the UAE, it celebrates artistic and creative change. Although many people today un- preneurs. Ally is now affiliation to ITTC Network at a virtual minded organizations in Egypt, Sudan and excellence and promotes the role of mu- derstand that mental illness is a medical also partnering with global event held on Wednesday, 24 Febru- Seychelles”. sic and the arts in bringing nations closer. condition, there are still many stigmatizing several foundations ary, 2021. Drawing the participation of senior Al Ghafri noted that most of the research It also promotes Abu Dhabi as a leading misconceptions and stereotypes at large. But and charities, and officials from the U.S. Department of State and technologies in the field of addictions global hub for creativity and as an Emirati the only way forward is to increase aware- Ally Salama speaking at schools, and experts from the intergovernmental or- is developed in the U.S. and Europe, adding beacon for respect and tolerance. ness, empathy, and compassion for those af- institutions, and work- ganization the Colombo Plan, the agenda of that the cultural adaptation of intervention Strengthened by a growing network flicted. Which is why I created EMPWR. I places, to help kickstart the discussion around the event included a presentation by Dr Dean practices developed in the West and other of 30 international partners, the festival want everyone to know they are not alone on mental health and wellbeing. Fixsen, the Implementation Scientist and Di- countries to other countries and cultures, is brings audiences together each year to this journey, and that together, we can instill About Ally Salama rector, Active Implementation Research Net- thus vital. enjoy world premieres and exclusive com- a renewed positivity among those that have Ally Salama is a speaker, social entrepre- work, Inc. “Our specialty is one that is continuously missions in the UAE and around the world. been suffering silently. A supportive and un- neur, and the Middle East’s mental health The ITTC Network (Scientific Group) uses evolving. Therefore, it is imperative to keep Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation derstanding attitude has the power to create ambassador. Through his online platform, an advanced model for technology transfer up to date with the recent developments in the Founded in 1996, ADMAF is one of compassionate communities that remove the EMPWR Mag, and his podcast channel “Em- related to reliability and drug consumption. this rapidly growing field. The nature of this the oldest not-for-profi t cultural organi- stigma from mental illness and give hope to pathy Always Wins”, he is bringing together These centers undertake various activities field has led to the development of training sations in the Arabian Gulf. Pioneering those who need it most” explains Ally. youth leaders to create an ecosystem that is such as needs assessment, training and tech- that includes evidence-based research such as new artistic practices, it seeks to deepen In 2019, Ally took to the podium at the grounded in trust and communication. His nical assistance to modernize work mecha- the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) global cross-cultural dialogue and inspire World Health Organization (WHO), where work in the field of mental health has been nisms and capacity building, in cooperation and the Universal Prevention Curriculum a renewed interest in the creativity of the he shared his life experience, as well as his recognized globally including The United with the competent government agencies. (UPC),” Al Ghafri concluded. UAE and Arab world. Often in partnership journey to help those with mental disabili- Nations, the World Health Organisation, and The ITTC Network will contribute to im- For NRC, joining ITTC Network marks with leading national and international in- ties overcome the stigma associated with the The Canadian Mental Health Association. plementing the modules included in the train- the beginning of a new relationship that links stitutions, it delivers multidisciplinary ini- condition. “Too often, people with mental ill- With his thought-provoking keynotes and en- ing programs not just in the UAE, but also in the center with a group of universities and tiatives for people of all ages, backgrounds ness feel trapped, isolated, and discriminated gagements he shows entrepreneurs and youth the wider region. The network covers South research centers around the world, to utilize and nationalities through the Abu Dhabi against, because their condition is misunder- alike how to have simple, relatable, and ac- Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam, in addition to a variety of strategies to accelerate the imple- Festival, year-round youth platforms and stood”, says Ally. tionable conversations on mental wellness. a coordination center in the U.S. The ITTC’s mentation of science-based and culturally ap- community programmes. Ally is keen to establish that anyone can https://www.allysalama.com/ scientific group receives support from the In- propriate practices.

editor’s choice ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 3

Weather Expected weather for the next to moderate south easterly wind Bubyan - - Prayer Timings 24 hours: with speeds of 08-30 km/h and a Jahra 24 13 By Day: Warm with light vari- chance for light fog forming over Failaka Island - - Fajr ...... 04:54 Asr ...... 15:19 able wind to light to moderate some areas. Salmiyah 22 16 Sunrise .. 06:13 Maghrib .. 17:48 north westerly wind with speeds Ahmadi 20 17 Zohr ...... 12:00 Isha ...... 19:04 Station Max Exp Min Rec of 06-26 km/h. Kuwait City 23 15 Nuwaisib 23 14 By Night: Rather cold to cold Kuwait Airport 24 12 Wafra 24 12 with light variable wind to light Abdaly 25 10 Salmy 25 09

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

Jazeera Airways gains 13 fi ls, Humansoft Holding skids Kuwait’s stock market ends in red turf after volatile session By John Mathews climbed 13 fi ls to 651 fi ls. whereas Kuwait International Bank and Boubyan thin trading. Al Ahleia Insurance galloped 23 Arab Times Staff Bank took in 1 fi l each. Burgan Bank eased 1 fi l to fi ls to 474 fi ls whereas Warba Insurance Group ▲ UUS$/KDS$/KD 0.30215/250.30215/25 Zain drops 223 fi ls with a volume of 2.8 million shares. erased 6 fi ls. National Real Estate Co clipped KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Kuwait stocks sagged Zain dropped 4 fi ls to 625 fi ls with a volume Warba Bank dialed up 2 fi ls on back of 2.4 1.3 fi ls while Salhia Real Estate dialed up 1 fi l. ▼ Euro/KD 0.3643 on Tuesday, partly reversing last session’s mod- of 3.3 million shares and Ooredoo gave up 6 fi ls million shares whereas Ahli United Bank BSC Tamdeen Real Estate gained 7 fi ls. est gains. The All Shares Index fell 8.22 pts in before settling at 650 fi ls. stc too was unchanged gave up 2 fi ls before ending at 222 fi ls. Al Ahli National Industries Group fell 2 fi ls to 188 ■ Yen/KD 0.0028 a volatile session to 5,677.55 pts weighed by at 920 fi ls off early lows whereas logistics ma- Bank was down 3 fi ls at 199 fi ls and Ahli United fi ls with a volume of over 1 million and Gulf some of the counters even as the broader senti- jor Agility eased 1 fi l to 677 fi ls after moving Bank Kuwait held ground at 300 fi ls. Cable shed 7 fi ls partly reversing last session’s ■ British £/KD 0.4213 ment remained soggy. 2.3 million shares and is almost fl at year-to-date. National Investment Co fell 2 fi ls to 167 fi ls strong gains. The Premier Market slipped 7.63 points to Humansoft Holding dived 40 fi ls. with a volume of 2.6 million shares and Al Im- ■ Indian Rs/KD 0.0041 6,192.98 pts while Main Market eroded 9.94 The market opened fi rm and headed north tiaz Investment tripped 1 fi l. Kuwait Investment Integrated Holding up points. The BK Main 50 was down 6.88 pts at in early trade. The main index scaled the day’s Co and Aayan Leasing and Investment clipped Integrated Holding dialed up 2 fi ls whereas 4,846.37 points. The volume turnover mean- highest level of 5689 points and fl ipped as sen- 1 fi l each whereas International Financial Advi- Boursa Kuwait Securities skidded 45 fi ls to KD ■ Philippines Peso/KD 0.0062 while shrank after the four-day rise. Over 210 timent turned negative. It bottomed at 5671 sors added 1 fi l on back of over 8 million shares. 1.145. Aznour fell 2 fi ls to 251 fi ls and Independ- million shares changed hands – down 18 percent points ahead of the mid-session before clawing Coast Investment was unchanged at 42.6 fi ls. ent Petroleum Group shed 10 fi ls. Educational ▲ FTSE +25.22 pts at closing March 2 from the day before. back some of the losses in the fi nal hour. Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) and Holding Co was down 10 fi ls at 480 fi ls. Oula The sectors closed mixed. Insurance outshone Top gainer of the day, Al Eid spiked 19.38 KMEFIC paused at 82 fi ls and 145 fi ls respec- Fuel was unchanged at 118 fi ls whereas Soor Fuel the rest with 1.7 pct gain whereas Oil and Gas pct to 154 fi ls while Amar Finance and Leas- tively whereas Arzan Financial Group erased gave up 3 fi ls. ALAFCO stalled at 204 fi ls. ▼ Nikkei -255.33 pts at closing March 2 shed 1.23 percent, the worst performer of the day. ing Co scaled 10.47 percent to stand next. Ras Al 2.5 fi ls. Gulf Investment House scaled 7.7 fi ls on Kuwait Cement Co eased 1 fi l to 227 fi ls Volume wise Financial Services topped with 66.3 Khaima or White Cement skidded 9.65 percent, back of 5.8 million shares whereas Osoul Invest- whereas Kuwait Portland Cement Co was un- million shares while Banking sector was ahead in the steepest decliner of the day and Arzan topped ment whittled down 2 fi ls. Noor Financial Invest- changed at 888 fi ls. Kuwait Foundry Co shed ▼ Gold 1746.95 per oz (London) value with over KD 18 million shares. the volume with over 22 million shares. ment Co gained 7 fi ls. 10 fi ls with thin trading whereas Shuaiba In- In the individual shares, sector bellwether Na- Mirroring the day’s downtick, the losers out- KAMCO eased 0.3 fi l to 80.6 fi ls and Al Ma- dustrial added 2 fi ls. Metal and Recycling Co ▼ NYMEX crude $60.75 per barrel tional Bank of Kuwait dialed up 2 fi ls on back of numbered the winners. 53 stocks advanced where- dina For Finance followed suit. KFIC trimmed slipped 5 fi ls to 111 fi ls. ACICO Industries 4.8 million shares extending last session’s ro- as 59 closed lower. Of the 134 counters active 1 fi l after pushing 2.2 million shares and Bayan trimmed 0.5 fi l. ▼ Brent crude bust gains while Kuwait Finance House added on Tuesday, 22 closed fl at. 9885 deals worth KD Investment ticked 0.5 fi l into green. Tamdeen In- The market has been mixed so far during the $63.72 per barrel 3 fi ls after pushing 5.8 million shares. Mabanee 39.2 million whereas transacted during the session. vestment Co inched 1 fi l down to 229 fi ls. week gaining 28 points in last two sessions. It LIBOR rate 0.18425% Co gave up 5 fi ls to settle at 704 fi ls whereas In the banking sector, Gulf Bank was unchanged Kuwait Insurance Co took in 1 fi l while Gulf had slid 132 points during whole of February and KIPCO stood pat at 172 fi ls. Jazeera Airways at 216 fi ls after pushing over 15 million shares Insurance Group jumped 15 fi ls to 630 fi ls with is up 149 points year-to-date.

Other Voices Are these good morals?

By Ahmad alsarraf read, does not wish to read, and does not incline to those who read and four, he Egyptian doctor and novelist representatives of religious thought TAlaa Al-Aswany, author of ‘The have monopolized the truth, and Yacoubian Building’ and ‘Chicago’ demanded that reading be restricted to and other famous novels, gave a valu- religious books, and that they should able lecture entitled ‘Impoliteness in be referred to in matters of their lives, Egypt’. What thus the results of lack of literature was surprising is were disastrous for Egypt, and the rest the title is not of the countries of our Arab and related to impo- Islamic world. liteness accord- Also, one of the abhorrent phenom- ing to our under- ena in eastern societies is that their standing as it citizens do not show the virtue of could also be apologizing when committing a mis- read as lack of take against an individual, group, or literature. society as a whole, due to the well- The grave and established concept that apology is a irreparable dam- alsarraf sign of weakness, and the truth of age inflicted on course is the opposite. the nation as a Political activists, including the result of centuries of neglect of liter- academician Obaid Al-Wasmi, MPs ary reading, which is the easiest, is Hassan Jowhar, Osama Al-Shaheen compared to other types of reading. and others, have repeatedly commit- Al-Aswany says the UNESCO fig- ted fatal parliamentary and financial ures, the global institution concerned errors because of their quick belief, with culture, arts and literature indi- without research or question of any cated that the Arab per capita reading WhatsApp message that they Photo by Mohammad Morsi annually is a quarter of a page and by received, especially if it includes a Kuwaitis and residents, young and old, who have prior online appointments, continue visiting the corona vaccination center in Mishref dividing the number of pages of books financial ‘scandal’ or a serious vio- Fairgrounds. read in a year in all Arab countries by lation, then it becomes clear after- the total number. wards that the news is untrue and If we compare our situation with the has nothing to do with the truth, but United States, whose population is not their rush to publish, and their haste much less than ours, we will find that to present parliamentary questions to the American per capita share is 11 the minister concerned, caused harm Restrictions could be extended books per year. He said in Egypt, for to the reputation of parties or indi- example, between 1924 and 1954, and viduals who are not guilty. specifically before the 1952 coup, the Nevertheless, none of those who Decisions under review number of readers was greater, but the have made a mistake concerning the situation deteriorated due to four rights of others have taken the initia- things - Education, because the gov- KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The tive to apologize to those who whose ernments did not pay any attention to reputation was tarnished even with the Cases at Mubarak Hospital on rise COVID-19 Emergency Committee reading books irrespective of their word of the mouth to please them has this week been reviewing the type; two, the media, which has despite the seriousness of their accusa- decisions imposed since February become a trumpet to praise the tions. Are these good morals? achievements of the regime, or to ❑ ❑ ❑ ‘No side effects, deaths from vaccine’ 7 to limit the spread of the COV- cover up its failures; three, the system of government, as the dictator does not email: [email protected] By Marwa Al-Bahrawi ID-19 virus, which are scheduled to Al-Seyassah Staff Drugs play role end next Sunday, provided it refers KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The Ministry of its recommendations to the Cabi- Health (MoH) has reiterated that no unexpected net meeting this Thursday, reports Kuwait tops ME food security index side effects or any death related to Covid-19 vac- From death to prison Al-Nahar daily. cinations have either been recorded or monitored KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Kuwait ranked oil and chicken. A ration card is given to KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The Court of According to informed sources, the gen- fi rst in the Middle East for its food security, each Kuwaiti home and the amount differs among all people who have received the Covid-19 eral trend is to extend the application of the vaccination by registering on the ministry’s plat- Appeals commuted the death sentence according to the latest Global Food Security depending on the number of people in the forms. imposed on a citizen, who stabbed his strict measures for two more weeks or per- Index published by the Economist Intelli- household. A member of the Supreme Committee for Vac- friend to death with a knife in Mubarak haps even a month based on the Cabinet’s gence Unit. Based on the index, the prevalence of cines in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Khaled Al- Al-Kabeer while he was under the in- opinion. Out of 113 countries, Kuwait was ranked undernourishment is estimated to be around Saeed, in a statement said Covid-19 vaccinations fl uence of psychotropic substances, to On the other hand, the Ministry of Health 33rd overall and scored 70.7 points based 2.5 per cent. Programs like the ration cards currently available in the country have not shown 13 years in prison, reports Al-Seyas- affirmed that the statement circulating about on affordability, availability, quality and help struggling families get food at a low any side effects irrespective whether the recipient sah daily. the increase in COVID-19 cases in ten areas safety, followed by Oman, Qatar, Saudi cost, thus eliminating the chance of malnu- was earlier infected with the virus or not and had Sources from the Ministry of Interior inhabited by citizens, and that those areas may Arabia and the UAE respectively separated trition. not shown any symptoms at that time. revealed that offi cers assigned in the be isolated if the cases continue to increase at by a few points from Kuwait, according to a While food scarcity is not an issue in Ku- Research and Investigation Depart- Gulf News report. wait, the index revealed obesity is high. Ac- Al-Saeed added that there are no scientifi c or this rate, is incorrect. global recommendations yet to take a swab from ment in Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governo- The Ministry of Commerce and Indus- cording to a study by the frontiers in Endo- rate, in coordination with the Criminal In a press release, the ministry clarified that try provides all Kuwaitis with subsidized crinology, around eight in 10 Kuwaiti adults the person before taking the Covid-19 dose. this statement dates back to June last year. He indicated the vaccinations protect against Evidence Department, succeeded foodstuffs ranging from rice and bread to are overweight and obese. in closing the case on the killing of a It called for the need to observe accuracy in infection by a large percentage, and that the pro- conveying and publishing reports by referring tection or immunity resulting from it increases citizen, in his 50s, inside his house in Mubarak AlKabeer. The offi cers said to the official sources. gradually after a period of no less than 10 to 14 Meanwhile, the Director of Hawally Health days after receiving the vaccination. the killer – friend of the victim – has He said the recommendations of the US Center had a history of drug abuse. During in- Zone Dr. Nadia Jumaa said the recent weeks for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Or- terrogation, the defendant admitted his witnessed an increase in the number of inten- ganization (WHO) and the MoH in Kuwait have crime and guided police to the location sive care cases in Mubarak Hospital by three not initiated any changes with regard to giving of the knife he used to kill the victim. times compared to what they were in November a ‘Covid’ vaccine to pregnant or breastfeeding This came after a woman, in her 20s, and December last year. women until today. reported that her father’s body was She explained that the number of cases in the In the meantime, Director of Hawalli Health found inside the room in the family’s emergency department of Mubarak Hospital District, Dr. Nadia Jumaa, announced more than house. The body was referred to Foren- have witnessed an increase also. The frequency 2,000 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital staff have re- sics which declared that the victim died is between 80 to 100 cases per day at the emer- ceived the vaccination against Covid -19. due to stab wounds. Detectives also gency department. lifted fi ngerprints from the crime scene. Dr Juma’a said in a press statement in recent COVID-19 cases have increased since mid- weeks the number of Covid-19 patients have seen January this year. The medical teams noticed an increase at the hospital three fold compared to about 50 patients arriving daily during the the months of November and December 2020. 50 patients were admitted to the hospital but the numbers have doubled since mid-January and re- months of October, November and December The number of cases saw an increase since mid- last year but since mid-January, these numbers January 2021. cently the fi gures have shot to between 80 and 100 on a daily basis of people visiting the emergency have doubled. The Medical Center observers said in October, Furthermore, the Minister of Health Sheikh November and December 2020 on an average department. Dr. Basel Al-Sabah this week discussed with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Kuwait Leo Peters the policies and procedures 14 KU students caught cheating via Net to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the prospects for cooperation between the two KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Kuwait University the fi le of these students to the Cybercrime De- sides in various fields, particularly in the health marked more than 14 students as failed after they partment, after they were caught cheating in the field. were caught cheating via “WhatsApp” applica- College of Administrative Sciences. In addition, Kuwait Municipality has tion through groups that are managed and organ- He affi rmed that investigation is ongoing by assigned the number 1 800 048 to receive com- ized by a known individual, reports Al-Qabas the concerned authorities with the accused who plaints via WhatsApp regarding violations of daily. is responsible for organizing the cheating process health measures such as gatherings, celebra- Acting Director of the university Dr. Fayez Al- through his offi ce, in order to determine more de- tions and commercial activities, which are in Dhafi ri said the university administration referred tails. violation of the law. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 LOCAL 4

Institute of Banking Studies moving towards new era in education and training IBS accredited partner of Intuition company for e-learning courses KUWAIT CITY: March 2: Professor Yaqoub Al-Re- cooperated with Intuition in developing a common vi- velop and deploy their award-winning products and faei, Director-General of the Institute of Banking Stud- sion towards providing specialized e-learning courses to services to many of the world’s fi nancial institutions ies, stated that within the framework of the IBS moving their clients from the banks and fi nancial institutions in for over three decades. towards a new era in education and training this year Kuwait, that motivate and inspire the trainees on their Dr. Al-Refaei indicated that the our clients will be and transforming its services towards the digital space learning paths. using the Financial library for core technical bank- for learning and training, and with the aim of adapting Dr. Al-Refaei added that Intuition has developed ing, which is the largest and most current library in to the changing business environment and meeting the a unique and integrated educational solutions that the world, as it contains more than 600 electronic challenges that the world faces in light of the Covid-19 meet the needs of e-learning, and are fl exible with educational programs ended with short examinations pandemic, an agreement was made with Intuition, a lead- the changing business environment, as they have ex- that test the basic concepts in each electronic course ing global knowledge solutions company. The IBS has tensive experience and innovative technology to de- content. Ministry of Electricity and Water

collects KD 76.531m in revenues Professor Yaqoub Al-Refaei, Director-General of the Institute of Banking Studies.

Total expenditures at KD 1.497 billion 113 reports disapproved By Muhammad Ghanem Al-Seyassah Staff SAB checks 2,647 transactions KUWAIT CITY, March 2: between April 2020-Feb 2021 During the past nine months the Ministry of Electricity KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Lulwa 113 transactions with a value of and Water (MEW) collected Al-Fawzan, Auditor at Pre-Audit KD 281 million ($928 million) 76.531 million dinars in rev- for Social Affairs Department, said because they would inflict dam- in a statement 92 percent of trans- age on public funds. enues at a collection rate of 15 actions or KD 2.6 billion ($8.5 bil- Throughout the auditing pro- percent, compared to the total lion), were cess, she said, SAB also succeeded estimated due amount which related to in preventing the waste of KD 75 is put at 496 million dinars for government million ($247 million) in public budgets, and funds due to variation in prices and providing electricity water, the rest be- and the supply of electricity quantities. longed to Also: to new customers and other budgets of services in all types of hous- independent KUWAIT CITY: The Audit Bureau ing, since the beginning of the authorities as in its latest report on Kuwait Uni- disclosed by versity has made several observa- budget from last April until the audit re- tions, including notes that marred January of this year. port prepared the summer semester rewards for The latest report from the Min- Al-Fawzan between senior officials and administra- istry of Finance for January in- April 1, 2020, and February 28, tors without referring the same to 2021, reports Al-Jarida daily. the Civil Service Commission in dicated the total expenditures of According to a bureau official Ku- violation of Law No. 43 of 2019, the ministry on all items during wait State Audit Bureau (SAB) ex- reports Al-Anba daily. the same period was 1.497 billion amined 2,647 financial transactions The daily said the Kuwait Uni- dinars, with a spending ratio of between April 2020 and February versity budget for fiscal 2019-2020, 58.9 percent compared to the total 2021 with a value of KD 2.8 billion stipulates that what is allocated to the Photo courtesy of Kyodo amount approved for the minis- ($9.2 billion) and disapproved 113 summer semester bonus in Chapter A ceremony held at Miyako Station, Iwate Prefecture, on March 1, 2021, to mark the start of operations by Sanriku reports worth KD 281 million ($928 One for expenditures and compen- Railway Co of train cars adorned with decorative plates symbolizing Kuwait. try’s budget, which is estimated at 2.543 billion dinars. million), a SAB official said. sation for workers budget should be The report indicated the ministry The pre-auditing process, she spent for the purpose it is designated Japan railway runs cars symbolizing Kuwait as gratitude for aid added, did not include transactions for and cannot be used for any other spent 260 million dinars on compen- purpose. sation for its employees during the related to the sale and purchase of oil A railway company in Iwate, north- coastline devastated by the disaster, “We received a great contribution and by-products, nor investment. On the other hand, the Bureau’s same period, with a spending ratio of Al-Fawzan said 73 percent of report mentioned that there are sav- eastern Japan, has started operat- purchased eight new carriages with (from Kuwait) to help resume opera- 55.2 percent compared to the amount ing train cars adorned with decora- financial aid from the Kuwaiti govern- tions,” Ichiro Nakamura, president of transactions, or KD two billion ings in some budget items, despite tive plates symbolizing Kuwait as ment worth 2 billion yen ($19 million). Sanriku Railway, said in a ceremony 471.4 million dinars approved to ($6.6 billion), have been approved, making more and less transfers, with gratitude for the financial aid received The railway firm will run the eight held at Miyako Station on Monday. cover the salaries, allowances and of which 65 percent were condi- the total savings amounting to more from the Middle East country in the cars - which feature four different Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan bonuses for employees. tional to completing financial and than 9 million dinars. aftermath of the 2011 earthquake designs of plate, including one de- Hasan Mohammad Zaman said he The report pointed out the min- technical procedures. The report said 51.7% of the and tsunami, reports Kyodo News. picting Kuwait Towers, an iconic hopes the railway operator will con- istry has spent during the same The pre-auditing department in- money was spent for purchasing Sanriku Railway Co., which oper- symbol of the country - until the end tinue to relay messages of hope for period 1.139 billion dinars on formed SAB’s financial penalties medical equipment and laborato- ates a train service along part of the of this month. reconstruction from the disaster. goods and services, at a spending department about violations com- ries, 47.1% for the maintenance rate of 75.1 percent compared to mitted by some departments which of IT machines and related equip- 1.515 billion dinars which is the arried out transactions without ob- ment, and 45.7% for the food item approved amount to spend on the taining SAB’s approval, she said. in violation of Circular No. (2) of purchase of oil and fuel for oper- Al-Fozan added, the SAB 2016 regarding non-use of previ- ating the ministry’s power stations recommended disapproval of ously transferred funds. and water distillation plants. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 LOCAL 5 NUKS demands vaccination of Kuwaiti students in Egypt Preparations on to conduct postponed exams

KUWAIT CITY, March 2: With the opening of academic institutions in Egypt and resumption of KUNA photo HH the Amir with HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad. the fi rst semester exams that were postponed due Amir receives Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad to the corona outbreak, Kuwaitis studying in His Highness the Amir Sheikh day His Highness Sheikh Nasser Egypt are now preparing Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. received at Bayan Palace Tues- (KUNA) for the postponed exams and the start of the second semester, reports Al-Qa- Bosnia-Herzegovina congratulated bas daily. This has prompted the Na- HH Amir sends National Day greetings tional Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) in Egypt to demand for KUWAIT CITY, March 2, (KUNA): on his country’s National Day. the vaccination of Kuwaiti stu- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf His Highness the Crown Prince dents there. Head of the union Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent, Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Ahmed Al-Shammari told the Tuesday, a cable to Chairman of Bos- Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime daily that they sent an offi cial nia and Herzegovina’s Presidency Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- letter to the Cultural Attaché in Milorad Dodik, congratulating him Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables. the Embassy of Kuwait in Cairo Dr Jowhar and Al-Mudhaf with a delegation from PAAET. requesting that corona vaccine Union holds meet with Philippines should be made available to the Authority’s team meets MPs Jowhar, Al-Mudhaf Kuwaiti students, taking into con- sideration a large number of them Progress in process of restarting hiring of want to be vaccinated. “Many students could not get vac- PAAET proposes establishing university new Filipino domestic workers discussed cinated in Kuwait due to their com- mitments and exams in Egypt. There- KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The ceive the workers from the embassy fore, we asked the embassy to lay bearing name of the Amir of Humanity Union of Domestic Labor Recruit- and refer them to the domestic labor down a clear plan for the vaccination KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The Public ploma graduates’ who are benefi cial to the labor market will need, which will ment Bureaus, headed by Khaled shelter until the procedures for their of students free of charge, just like Al-Dakhnan, held a lengthy meeting deportation are completed, after mak- Authority for Applied Education and the labor market and can be prepared cause more imbalances in the demo- the diplomats and local employees at Training (PAAET) announced that in a few days, while Bachelor’s degree recently via Zoom with the leaders of ing sure that they obtain all their fi - the embassy. The plan is to vaccinate graphics. the Ministry of Labor in Manila, the nancial rights. a delegation from the authority met graduates who apply for work have The sources renewed its refusal to the diplomats and embassy employ- MPs, Dr Hassan Jowhar and Muhalhal to wait in queue on the Civil Service President of the Filipino Federation Al-Dakhnan thanked PAM for ees soon. The plan should include all violate the decree establishing that the of Labor Offi ces, and the Labor Atta- such serious cooperation that re- students who want to get vaccinated,” Al-Mudhaf to explain to them reasons Commission (CSC) roster for months Public Authority for Applied Educa- ché at the Embassy of the Philippines fl ects positively on the labor market Al-Shammari added. for refusal to separate the teaching and and years, and those on the waiting list tion and Training No. 63 of 1982, and in the country, reports Aljarida daily. and speeds up the process of resum- He affi rmed the students’ exams training sectors because of the nega- in some specialties such as mechani- thanked the two deputies, Dr Hassan During the meeting, they discussed ing the recruitment of new domestic will be conducted in the traditional tive consequences of the process. cal engineering reaches 600, which Jowhar and Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf, several matters and issues related to workers. manner as per the schedule of each PAAET said in a press statement proves the labor market’s need for because they received the delega- employment of domestic workers, Regarding the recent report about university and college. Despite the the authority proposed during the technical specialties. tion, understood the issues raised, and and the latest developments and pro- imposing a fi nancial guarantee for calls for electronic exams, the Su- meeting the idea of establishing a uni- Speaking of professionalism, sourc- promised to support what has been versity bearing the name of the Amir es pointed out that the number of stu- gress in the process of resuming the every worker brought from the Phil- preme Universities Council agreed proposed. recruitment of new domestic work- ippines, he stressed that this issue on holding the exams traditionally, of Humanity, the late His Highness dents studying in “applied” colleges Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad saying it will and institutes is 52,000, of whom During the meeting, the delegation ers. was resolved by rejection, insisting he revealed. was represented by the head of the He confi rmed that the Kuwaiti have a great impact in opening new 44,000 are in colleges and 8,000 in the In a press statement, Al-Dakhnan that there will be no fi nancial guar- Colleges Training Association, Engi- said, “The meeting, which wit- antee for the recruitment of Filipino students in Egypt are in good condi- specializations for education that are institutes, pointing out that in the event tion and that life in Egypt is normal, compatible with digital and scientifi c of dismissal, the colleges will turn into neer Wael Al-Mutawa, the President nessed a high level of attendance, domestic workers. of the Union of Applied Workers, Dr included four representatives from Al-Dakhnan said, “Regarding the taking into account the health regula- development, and paying attention to a university, and thus the number of tions aimed at curbing the spread of the teacher because it is the only way diploma graduates will decrease and Fenis Al-Ajmi, the President of the the Labor Ministry in the Philip- resumption of the recruitment of new corona. Training Association in Institutes, Dr. pines, and lasted for about five workers, no date has been set for that. to improve education and its outputs that will be a disaster for them. He added the Kuwaiti students in and ensure its quality. The future generations will suf- Muhammad Al-Briouj, and the Sec- hours. The problem of female However, the matter is imminent, Egypt celebrated the National Day at A source from the authority men- fer from widespread unemployment, retary of the Association of Members workers who are currently at the especially since obstacles are being the union’s headquarters in a symbol- tioned the labor market in Kuwait along with an increase in the number of the Training Authority in Institutes embassy was discussed, especially overcome and the problems that pre- ic manner - without gatherings, while requires the average employment, ‘di- of expatriate diploma graduates that Eng. Yusef Al-Kout. about the completion of the proce- vent this such as the problem of the wishing for the resumption of direct dures for their deportation”. presence of female workers in the fl ights between the two countries in He revealed that it was agreed to embassy are being solved”. order to reduce expenses and address set March 3 as the date for the evacu- Regarding the latest develop- a number of travel related problems. ation of about 200 domestic workers ments in the recruitment of Ethio- present in the embassy by plane that pian domestic workers, Al-Dakhnan will be provided by the Philippines explained that there is a continuous for their return to their country. follow-up by the union to fi nd out Ministry to decide Al-Dakhnan stressed that the wide the latest developments in the fi nal cooperation shown by the Public Au- signing of the memorandum of un- on stranded expat thority for Manpower (PAM), repre- derstanding for the recruitment of sented by the Department for Organ- these workers. Allowing them to be teachers: sources izing the Recruitment of Domestic brought into Kuwait will balance the KUWAIT CITY, March 2: The Min- Workers, with the demands of the un- market and solve a large part of the istry of Education intends to imple- ion accelerated the pace of dispatch- problem related to lack of domestic ment the regulations and administra- ing these workers. workers that the country is currently tive decisions concerning expatriate He said the administration will re- suffering from. teachers who will not return to the country before the second semester starts in March, reports Al-Jarida Assistance received daily quoting sources from the edu- cational sector. Sources told the daily that the min- Cancer patients fund confi rms it OK’d istry will apply regulations regarding work suspension on expatriate teachers annual report about over 100 patients who left the country for the mid-year vacation period that ends on March 1. KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Chairman corona pandemic, the fund has dis- Sources said an expatriate teacher who of the Board of Directors of Kuwait tributed in-kind assistance to patients is unable to resume work on time will Society for Smoking and Cancer Con- to prevent them from leaving their be subjected to administrative regula- trol and President of Cancer Patients homes in these diffi cult times. tions that may lead to dismissal. Fund Dr Khaled Al-Saleh confi rmed He revealed the fund began its work Sources disclosed the ministry that the fund approved the annual re- in 1997, and since then; it has provid- granted 45 days mid-year vacation to port about more than 100 patients who ed fi nancial and technical assistance to teachers this year due to the cancella- received assistance, reports Al-Jarida cancer patients in accordance with its tion of the mid-year exams, pointing daily. objectives. out the government issued a decision In a recent press statement, Al- He clarifi ed the fund’s work is not on opening the airport and allowing Saleh disclosed the assistance came in limited to providing fi nancial and in- expatriate teachers to return directly from their home countries - some of the form of material aid granted to the kind assistance to cancer patients, as which are classifi ed as high-risk, pro- patients monthly based on medical re- one of its most important tasks is to ar- vided they undergo institutional quar- ports and a case study presented to the range Umrah trips for patients annually. antine in any of the approved Kuwaiti concerned committees. He said this is He pointed out that patients eagerly wait hotels for a period of 14 days. in addition to travel tickets for patients for such trips every year as these trips Sources added the availability of di- who applied for fi nal travel to their boost their morale and have a positive rect fl ights and the fact that the Directo- home countries, indicating the fund impact on their treatment. He added the rate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also granted them a small amount to fund remains committed to arranging authorities allowed expatriate teachers start their lives in their countries until these trips regularly and it is waiting for to book tickets and hotels through the they settle with their families. the end of the Covid-19 crisis to resume online applications make it possible for He added that since the start of the the operation of these blessed journeys. them to return to Kuwait. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 LOCAL 6 WHO offi cial commends Kuwait’s support of its ‘vaccine’ campaign $75 mln support provided necessary assistance

By Nawaf Al-Deqbasi international partners for WHO in the fi eld of disease prevention. He added that the Gulf country had contributed to several campaign to battle DOHA, March 2, (KUNA): The State of Kuwait - through its illness worldwide prior to the current global pandemic. KUNA photo USD-75-million support to World Health Organization (WHO) The State of Kuwait had contributed to the WHO’s funds set to tackle the spread Dr Ahmad Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediter- - had provided necessary assistance for the organization’s cam- of COVID-19, indicated Dr Al-Mandhari, revealing that the GCC country was ranean, during the panel discussion. paign to develop, produce, and distribute coronavirus (COV- among the fi rst nations to support the organization’s campaign to speed up the process of developing, producing, and distributing coronavirus vaccines. ID-19) vaccines, said a regional health offi cial Tuesday. Thanks to Kuwait and others’ support, he added, WHO managed to set a basic TGS features Mae Al Hajjaj In a statement to KUNA post the virtual meeting “An Injection of Hope: Do strategy and budget for its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in addition to devel- Vaccines Mean an End to the Pandemic Is in Sight,” organized by the Qatar oping various treatments to prevent the spread of the virus. The Guest Show on Radio Kuwait around the world. Mae Al Hajjaj is Foundation, WHO Regional Offi ce for the Eastern Mediterranean, Director Dr Al-Mandhari said that the support helped WHO to devise a just mechanism celebrates International Women’s the dynamic president of this very Dr Ahmad Al-Mandhari affi rmed that Kuwait was among the most important to distribute the vaccines worldwide, including COVID-19 Vaccines Global Ac- Day with Mae Al Hajjaj, President active organisation. Professionally cess (COVAX), the vaccines pillar of of Soroptomist Kuwait. Soroptimist Mae is an education consultant who Kuwait, founded by Dr Stacey Al began her career as a librarian in the the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Ghawas and a bunch of like-minded, banking industry. Mae, who loves to Accelerator. strong women is a branch of Soro- inspire, guide and build awareness, The WHO offi cial also commended ptimist International, a global volun- joined the Soroptimists when it was Kuwait’s contributions through the teer movement that works at trans- fi rst chartered in 2015, and since Fund for Arab Economic Develop- forming the lives of women and girls then, it has been quite a journey. ment (KFAED), stressed that fi nances through the fund had been directed towards disease prevention and neces- sary assistance. Response Asked on Kuwait’s national COV- ID-19 response, the WHO offi cial said that the GCC country was considered as a model country in tackling the pan- demic, expressing confi dence that Ku- wait will continue to address the chal- lenge adequately. In regards to the effi ciency of vac- cines in battle the spread of the coro- navirus (COVID-19), Dr Al-Mandhari affi rmed that vaccines were an impor- KUNA photo tant tool to fend of COVID-19. Ambassador Aziz Al-Daihani receiving the framed piece of art. WHO is keen on ensuring the safety and effi cacy of vaccines to bring a sense of normalcy back and revive Kuwait envoy in Jordan gifted artwork depicting Kuwaiti emblems world economy, he said. Governments should play positive The State of Kuwait Ambassador fest her affections toward Kuwait. age in battles and warm hospitality. political and fi nancial roles in assisting to Jordan Aziz Al-Daihani received For her part, the designer told the It also refl ects drawings of Bouby- WHO as in the case of the State of Ku- a framed piece of art, made up of Kuwaiti news agency that she had an Island and Kuwait Towers. A black Kuwaiti coins and depicting Kuwaiti used Kuwaiti coins that have been background is inspired from tragic wait, which was a major contributor to national symbols. minted since proclaiming the State absence of the late Amir Sheikh COVAX, indicated Dr Al-Mandhari, The ambassador said in remarks of Kuwait. Sabah Al-Ahmad, while the phrase, adding that there will be a need for to KUNA that the artwork was craft- The Kuwaiti “boom” dhow deco- “May you be safe with glory,” refers more investments and developing of ed by the Jordanian engineer Du- rates the artwork, centered with the to a new dawn for the Kuwaiti people national, regional, and international waa Al-Rawashdeh to mark Kuwait Kuwaiti fl ag and poetic verses glori- under leadership of His Highness the capabilities to make sure that all are national days and as a way to mani- fying the Kuwaitis’ good deeds, cour- Amir Sheikh Nawaf. (KUNA) safe. The Guest Show poster ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 LOCAL 7 REMEMBER WHEN

The local souks Bamboo, ironware, ship gear, old became deserted, the shops were windows and doors, old tents, wood well-guarded. planks and many other items were To wander through the souks was Photograph courtesy offered for sale in this souk. The a pleasure for a visitor to the old city. of The Center for Re- concept of recycling was nothing He would enjoy walking through the new to the people of old Kuwait. narrow and covered markets teem- search and Studies on Kuwait’s traditional markets, or ing with activity. He would pass by Kuwait and the work souks, were an integral part of the a group of bedouins from the desert of Dr Yacoub Al- old city. Souks were colorful and sitting near an arms shop waiting pa- diverse, some being highly special- tiently for their guns to be repaired, Hijji in the book Old- ized. They were the meeting place or hear a group of women bargain- Kuwait: Memories of merchants, men, women and the ing with a textile vendor, or watch people of the desert. After a light an old man waiting calmly for his in Photographs fi rst breakfast and a cup of coffee, shop- turn to get a free cup of fresh wa- published in 1996. keepers left their homes and headed ter from an earthen jar provided for the souk. They stayed in their by a wealthy citizen. These were shops buying, selling and receiving but a few interesting sights the old friends until noon when they went souk had to offer before modernity home for lunch and the noon siesta. changed the spirit of the souk and In the afternoon they returned to hastened the disappearance of most their shops where they stayed un- of them. (From the book ‘Old Ku- til sunset. Although the souks then wait: Memories in Photographs’) Courtesy of The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait

© N.M.M. diwaniya A DIGEST OF PUBLIC OPINION ‘Walk the talk on diversifi cation ... overcome huge state defi cit’

“SINCE the 1980s, we have been hearing from time to time government state- who prepares the budget, expenditures and others without having the upper “The same applies to health facilities and services, whose capacity has de- ments about the state’s tendency to diversify sources of income and move hand in addressing a problem related to the fi nancial crisis of the state and creased with the population growth and the increase in the demand for health away from relying on oil as the only source of income without seeing any the government as a whole. services. We see the same thing in the education system, whose quality has practical application of those statements which are to a large extent for do- “The Council of Ministers is required to form a Higher Council with all declined and has become incapable of keeping pace with time, while the mestic consumption,” columnist Oweid Al-Salaili wrote for Al-Shahed daily. powers to address the issues. It should be headed by the Prime Minister, government administration has grown, its bureaucracy and routine increased, “The complete disbelief in the strategy of diversifying sources of income the ministers of Finance and Oil and other ministries and economic govern- and it has become a burden on the state, development and public spending. is because all governments and heads of political and parliamentary commit- ment bodies concerned with initiating economic solutions and diversity of “The same applies to politics. About sixty years ago, the constitutional tees have put the development and plans implementa- sources of income and taking general economic decisions the government to legislator expected that constitutional institutions would stabilize, democrat- tion at the back of their heads and were of the belief implement them, in order to ensure that those parties focus on the economic ic practice to be mature, and the political process to fl ourish, but nothing of they could depend on oil for a long time with no drop aspects and are not preoccupied with political and parliamentary aspects at that happened, and our small political problems gradually snowballed with- in prices in the foreseeable future but something dif- the expense of the supreme interest of the homeland.” out seeing effective solutions until we reached the stage of complex crisis ferent happened recently. Also: that gives us headaches. “In mid-2014, the oil prices began to collapse, “‘Where we are heading ’ is a legitimate question that is being asked by the however successive governments and ministers con- “If the Corona crisis is prolonged, then unfortunately it is not the only cri- majority, as the vision is absent, the compass is broken, proper planning is tinued to play the same stereotypes about the govern- sis. There are crises and problems lurking in our future, and the Corona pan- absent, and the treatments are only reactions. I am afraid to say that this has ment’s direction to diversify sources of income with- demic is nothing but a passing scene from which we will come out success- been ours since the emergence of modern Kuwait. out changing the reality until it started biting in the ful, God willing, but everything else will remain before us. Talking about “I am sure that the time has come to seriously ask ourselves, ‘In which general reserve and the government issued bonds and the crises and problems that confront us they are not matters of theorizing direction are we heading?’ We must seriously consider and answer. The old moved towards approving the public debt law, and issues but are problems that continue to grow because we neglected address- methods and tools are no longer useful in addressing chronic and multidi- Oweid Al-Salaili then proposing to withdraw from the Future Genera- ing them and nipping them in the bud,” columnist Eng. Adel Al-Kharafi mensional problems, and they will keep growing and become burdensome. tions Reserves, which confi rms that the government has yet to embark on the wrote for Annahar daily. “We must have a clear vision for the future and we must have realistic serious economic platform and catch the train to avoid fi nancial dilemmas “I am not going to talk about our fi nancial and economic problems that development plans to pull us out of our current situations. We must have and problems facing the state. we have left to grow with time. This is a calamity that haunts us but I will effective reform programs that correct our affairs and our situations. Stay- “The problem that the country currently suffers from is the huge state talk about others, and they are many. Infrastructure facilities, roads, bridges ing on the same course and adopting the same methods will have disastrous defi cit. Everyone believes that fi nance ministers are able to solve it through and sanitation and their current conditions are considered to be minimal and consequences. God forbid.” innovative plans to diversify sources of income, which is a misconception require many costly projects to improve, maintain and increase their absorp- because the fi nance minister’s role is quite simply that of the state accountant tive capacity. — Compiled by Ahmad Al-Shazli ‘Paradigm shift in crime battle’ Forensics get home

By Muhammad Ghanem Al-Seyassah Staff KUWAIT CITY, March 2: Eng Manal Ja’afar, who is in charge of construction of the Forensic Evidence building project said 25 percent of the project has been completed. She explained the completion date of the project is end of 2022. However, the project will accomplish and meet the desired goals of the benefi ciary. During a tour of the project Eng Ja’afar explained one of the important projects implemented by the Ministry of Public Works will open the way for Kuwait to expand the scope of forensic evidence tasks from its traditional role of collecting evidence and sending it to another organization to combat crime since the building is distinguished from the rest of the buildings. The building will have a special morgue complete with all sophisticated equipment and modern labs including the laboratory for carrying out the DNA tests. The building also refl ects the nature of the desert environment through its ar- chitectural character, façades and design, and it represents a paradigm shift in the fi eld of fi ghting crime. She indicated the Corona pandemic had an impact on the progress of the project, like other projects and sectors in the country, especially during the total and partial ban period, par- ticularly in terms of the shortage of workers. Engineer Manal says the building is divided into 6 concrete sectors – work in four of them has been completed and in the other two, work is underway. Work is also underway in fi nish- ing the electro-mechanical works for the four sectors. She went on to say, the desired objectives of the project is to be a leading scientifi c laboratory in the region to collect, examine and record forensic evidence, and it will open the way for Kuwait to expand the scope of forensic evidence tasks from its traditional role of just collecting evidence. She said, there is coordination with the benefi ciary party by organizing continuous meetings to fi nd out their requirements and provide them with the latest developments of the project. “We also suffi ce their requirements regarding medical devices and equipment, which the Ministry of Public Works is con- stantly keen on achieving. She added, the work within the project is monitored by the executive body through continuous daily on-site tours and follow-ups, daily and monthly reports, which are submitted periodically to the ministry, as well as quarterly reports pre- pared for the government performance monitoring body in the Council of Ministers. If the project is facing any challenges, Eng Manal said there is full commitment to apply all security and safety standards, adherence to specifi cations and time frame to complete the project, while maintaining the quality of business implemen- tation, but one of the most important challenges facing the project is updating the equipment and devices as per the terms of the contract prescribed 10 years ago to keep pace with the current developments and bring this edifi ce to the highest stages of technology. Target power through pandemic; sales growth explodes in 2020 In this file photo, a customer Target extended its strong Fourth quarter profits soared store sales rose 10%, while more than 500%. wearing a mask streak through the holiday quar- 66%, the retailer reported online sales spiked 155%, And it’s omnipresent store carries his pur- ter and sales grew by more than Tuesday, and sales jumped The Minneapolis retailer locations have been an advan- chases as he $15 billion in a pandemic year, 21%, both topping Wall Street picked up $9 billion in market tage. More than 95% of Target’s leaves a Target exceeding the company’s annu- expectations. share from rivals in fiscal 2020. fourth quarter sales were ful- store during the al sales growth over the past 11 Sales at stores opened at Target, which had already filled by its own stores. coronavirus pan- years combined. least a year rose 6.9% com- been expanding its delivery ser- Overall sales in 2020 rose demic, in the With the habits of millions pared with the same period last vices before the pandemic, 19.8 percent to $92.4 billion, up Brooklyn bor- altered because of the spread of year. Online sales soared 118%. pushed even harder in that area. from $77.1 billion last year. ough of New COVID-19 in 2020, online sales Customer traffic in stores rose Same-day services such as pick- Target has also announced a York. (AP) last year surged by almost $10 3.7% and average dollars spent ing up orders inside the store or at series of partnerships that billion and Target made it rose 15%. curbside, soared 212%, led by should help drive more shop- increasingly easy to shop. In the previous quarter, same- drive-up service, which increased pers to its stores. (AP)

Market Movements 02-03-2021 Change Closing pts Change Closing pts GERMANY - DAX +26.98 14,039.80 AUSTRALIA - All Ordinaries -32.81 7,009.89 FRANCE - CAC 40 +16.94 5,809.73 JAPAN - Nikkei -255.33 29,408.17 EUROPE - Euro Stoxx 50 +1.10 3,707.72 CHINA - Shanghai SE -42.81 3,508.59 S. KOREA - KRX 100 +87.86 6,592.58 PHILIPPINES - PSEi +46.57 6,919.54 INDIA - Sensex +447.05 50,296.89 PAKISTAN - KSE 100 +370.84 45,964.27 Business Country’s crises worsen Lebanon currency ‘hits’ US manufacturing activity record low against USD BEIRUT, March 2, (AP): The Lebanese blast. pound hit a record low against the dollar Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s gov- on the black market on Tuesday as the ernment resigned six days after the rises to 3-year high in Feb country’s political crisis deepens with no Aug. 4 blast, one of the largest non- prospects of new Cabinet in the near nuclear explosions in history. In future and foreign currency reserves October, former Prime Minister Saad dwindle further. Hariri was named to form a new Spending on construction projects jumps 1.7% in January The dollar was trading at 9,975 Cabinet but nearly five months later, Lebanese pounds around noon disagreements between him and Tuesday. The previous record was reg- President Michel Aoun on the shape of WASHINGTON, March 2, tory shutdowns. istered in July, when the dollar briefly the Cabinet has stood in the way of a (AP): U.S. manufacturing “The comments in the report also sold for 9,900 pounds on the black new government’s formation. make it crystal clear that these short- market. The official price remains Lebanon has also been in desperate expanded in February at ages go well beyond just semiconduc- 1,520 pounds to the dollar. need for foreign currency but interna- the fastest pace three years tors with firms in every sector report- ing shortages and problems with sup- Lebanon has been hammered by one tional donors have said they will only with the arrival of a surge pliers keeping up with demand,” crisis after another, starting with the help the country financially if major in new orders. Pearce said. outbreak of anti-government protests reforms are implemented to fight Other analysts said they believed against the country’s corrupt political widespread corruption, which has The Institute for Supply Management reported Monday manufacturing would be able to over- class in October 2019. That has been brought the nation to the brink of come the supply chain issues. compounded by the coronavirus pan- bankruptcy. that its gauge of manufacturing activity rose to a reading of 60.8% “Strong consumer demand for demic and a massive, deadly blast in The crash in the local currency will goods, increasing business investment, Beirut’s port last August. throw more people into poverty. In last month, 2.1 percentage-points a roaring housing market and global In neighboring Syria - where the Lebanon, the minimum wage is above the January level of 58.7%. economic growth are all supporting economy has been hit by the 10-year 675,000 pounds, or about $67 a month. It was the strongest performance U.S. manufacturing,” said PNC Chief conflict, corruption and Western sanc- Before the protests broke out in 2019, since February 2018. Any reading Economist Gus Faucher. tions - the dollar also hit a record on the minimum wage was about 450$. above 50 indicates expansion in the In a separate report, spending on Monday, reaching nearly 3,900 Syrian The crisis has driven nearly half the manufacturing sector. The 60.8% U.S. construction projects rose 1.7% pounds. The economies of the two population of the small country of 6 reading last month matched a similar in January as new home building con- neighboring countries are connected and million into poverty. Over 1 million reading in February 2018 and the level tinues to lift the sector.s many Syrians have had their money refugees from Syria live in Lebanon. in those months was the highest since In this file photo, machines work on a Ford vehicle assembly line at Ford’s Last month’s increase followed blocked in Lebanese banks that have In December, the World Bank a reading of 61.4% in May 2004. Chicago Assembly Plant in Chicago. American factories expanded at a small revised gains in December and implemented harsh capital controls. warned that Lebanon’s economy faces The survey found optimism increas- faster pace last month, continuing a rebound from the coronavirus reces- November. The massive blast at Beirut’s port an “arduous and prolonged depres- ing with five positive comments for sion. (AP) Spending on residential construc- last August, when nearly 3,000 tons of sion,” with real GPD projected to every cautious comment, up from a tion rose 2.5% in January, with single ammonium nitrate detonated, killed plunge by nearly 20% because its poli- 3-to-1 ratio in the January survey. ing as manufacturers find ways to deal However, manufacturers are having family home projects up 3%, the 211 people and injured more than ticians refuse to implement reforms Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM with supply-chain shortages and lin- to wrestle with lengthening delivery Commerce Department reported 6,000. Large parts of the Lebanese that would speed up the country’s manufacturing survey panel, said the gering pandemic issues such as short- times for components at many facto- Monday. capital were badly damaged in the recovery. survey shows that a recovery is ongo- term shutdowns at some plants to sani- ries. Michael Pearce, a senior econo- Despite an economy that’s been bat- tize facilities. mist at Capital Economics, said that tered for nearly a year because of the Manufacturers are also benefiting reflected in part “increasing global coronavirus pandemic, historically from a shift in spending, with shortages of electronics and in particu- low interest rates and city dwellers Americans spending money on homes lar semiconductors.” He said these seeking more space in the suburbs and and other projects rather than going shortages could hold back the recovery beyond has boosted home sales. Last out to restaurants or risking shopping in manufacturing output in coming week, the Commerce Department indoors, Fiore said. months. reported that sales of new homes “They are buying all kinds of items Last week, President Joe Biden jumped 4.3% in January, and are that the manufacturing economy signed an executive order intended to 19.3% higher than they were last year builds,” he said. “As long as parts of boost manufacturing jobs by strength- at this time. the services sector are shut down, ening U.S. supply chains for advanced In another report, the government Americans are spending on hard batteries, pharmaceuticals, critical reported that applications for building goods. minerals and semiconductors. permits, which typically signal activity The index for new orders rose to A widening global shortage of semi- ahead, spiked 10.4% in January. 64.8%, up from 61.1% in January, conductors for auto parts is forcing Spending on government projects, while the employment index stood at major auto companies to halt or slow which has been constrained by tight 54.4%, up from 52.6% in January, the vehicle production just as they were state and local budgets in the wake of report found. recovering from pandemic-related fac- the pandemic, rose 1.7%. Figure unchanged despite lockdown German unemployment steady BERLIN, March 2, (AP): German unemployment held more or less steady in February despite the impact Goodbye gas of lockdown measures, according to official data released Tuesday. Extensive use of a short-term salary support program is still keeping the CEO: Volvo to make only figures in check. The unadjusted jobless rate, the headline figure in Germany, was electric vehicles by 2030 unchanged from January at 6.3%. Just over 2.9 million people were regis- STOCKHOLM, March 2, (AP): Volvo of its global sales to be fully electric cars tered as unemployed in the nation of says it will make only electric vehicles by 2025, with the remaining half made 83 million - 4,000 more than the previ- by 2030. But if you want one, you’ll up of hybrids. ous month and 509,000 more than a have to buy it online. Automakers around the world are year earlier. The Swedish automaker said ramping up production of electric In seasonally adjusted terms, unem- Tuesday that it is phasing out the pro- vehicles as charging technology ployment remained at 6%, though duction of all cars with internal com- improves and governments impose 9,000 more people were out of work bustion engines - including hybrids. stricter pollution regulations. than in January, the Federal Labor “There is no long-term future for “We are firmly committed to Agency said. cars with an internal combustion becoming an electric-only car maker,” While that was the first increase in engine,” said Henrik Green, Volvo’s Green said. “It will allow us to meet seasonally adjusted unemployment in chief technology officer. the expectations of our customers and February since 2014, it was “probably Volvo’s announcement follows be a part of the solution when it comes more the result of the harsh winter General Motors’ pledge earlier this to fighting climate change.” weather in February than the lock- year to make only battery-powered Despite the rising number of EVs downs,” ING economist Carsten vehicles by 2035. available in the U.S., fully electric Brzeski said. Volvo also said that, while its all- vehicles accounted for less than 2% of Most stores have been closed in electric vehicles will be sold exclu- new vehicle sales last year. Americans Germany since Dec. 16. Restaurants, sively online, dealerships will “remain continue to spend record amounts on bars, sports and leisure facilities have a crucial part of the customer experi- gas-powered trucks and SUVs. been closed since Nov. 2 and hotels ence and will continue to be responsi- About 2.5 million electric vehicles are allowed only to accommodate ble for a variety of important services were sold worldwide last year and business travelers. Industry has not such as selling, preparing, delivering industry analyst IHS Markit forecasts been directly affected by lockdown and servicing cars.” that to increase by 70% in 2021. measures. As part of the announcement Tuesday, Volvo says it sold 661,713 cars in Many elementary students returned the Swedish automaker will unveil its about 100 countries cars worldwide in to school last week and hairdressers second fully electric car, a follow-up to 2020. According to Autodata Corp., reopened Monday. On Wednesday, last year’s XC40 Recharge, a compact 107,626 of those vehicles were sold in Chancellor Angela Merkel and the SUV. Volvo said its goal is to have half the U.S. country’s 16 state governors will con- fer on how to move forward. Rises in unemployment in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, and else- where on the continent have been moderate by international standards. That is because employers are making heavy use of salary support programs, often referred to as furlough schemes, which allow them to keep employees on the payroll while they await better times. In Germany, the labor agency pays at least 60% of the salary of employees who are on reduced or zero hours. The labor agency said it paid sup- port for 2.39 million people in December, the most recent month it has figures for. That was up slightly from 2.38 million in November and 2.01 million in October, but still far below a peak of nearly 6 million last Volvo cars presents the company’s new electric car model Volvo C40 April. Recharge, in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday March 2. (AP) ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 BUSINESS 9

Kohl’s reports mixed 4Q results but offers upbeat outlook

Kohl’s reported mixed results for its fi scal group’s efforts to take control of the depart- box or label, has done well. It said Tuesday fourth quarter, delivering a 30% increase in ment store chain’s board, arguing that it that the initiative has resulted in 2 million This Feb 25, profi ts but a 10% drop in sales. would derail its progress and momentum. new customers in the past fi scal year. 2021 photo, Results handily beat Wall Street es- The investor group had said it had nomi- Late last year, the department store shows a timates. Online sales growth remained nated nine members for Kohl’s board of di- chain announced that Sephora will replace woman arriv- strong, up 22% for the latest quarter, and rectors as it looks to boost the company’s all cosmetics areas at Kohl’s with 2,500 ing at a Kohl’s accounted for 42% of net sales. stock and its fi nancial performance. The square foot shops, starting with 200 loca- store in West The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, com- group owns a 9.5% stake in Kohl’s. tions in the fall. It will expand to at least 850 Des Moines, pany also issued a per-share forecast for the Kohl’s has been pushing various initia- stores by 2023. Iowa. (AP) current year whose top range beat analysts’ tives to attract shoppers including expand- Kohl’s earned $343 million, or $2.20 per expectations. It also expects solid revenue ing its activewear and home area. The share, for the quarter ended Jan 30. That growth. The earnings report comes out as department store’s program with Amazon compares with $265 million, or $1.72 per Kohl’s is fi ghting back against an investor to accept eligible Amazon items, without a share, in the year-ago period. (AP) US stocks drift lower; yields ease

European markets rise as Asian stocks mostly down

NEW YORK, March 2, (AP): Stocks are drifting ‘We have to change our approach’ lower in afternoon trading on Wall Street Tuesday, giving back some of their The ‘new’ head of WTO big gains from a day ear- lier. The S&P 500 was down 0.5% calls for vaccine access after earlier fl ipping between small GENEVA, March 2, (AP): The proposal, Okonjo-Iweala said: “I gains and losses. A day before, it new head of the World Trade propose that we ‘walk and chew leaped 2.4% for its best perfor- Organization called Monday for gum’ by also focusing on the im- a “technology transfer” when it mediate needs of dozens of poor mance since June, nearly eras- comes to COVID-19 vaccines and countries that have yet to vaccinate ing its entire loss from the week urged member nations to reach a a single person. People are dying in before. The Dow Jones Industrial deal to reduce overfi shing after poor countries.” Average was down 86 points, or years of fruitless talks as she laid She alluded to “diffi cult” targets 0.3%, at 31,451, as of 12:04 p.m. out her top priorities after taking to produce 10 billion doses, “so we Eastern time, and the Nasdaq com- offi ce. must focus on working with com- posite was 1.1% lower. Director-General Ngozi Okon- panies to open up and license more For weeks, the market’s focus has jo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist viable manufacturing sites now in been fi xed on the bond market, where and former government minister, emerging markets and develop- a swift recent rise in interest rates is donned a mask and doled out wel- ing countries. We must get them threatening one of the main reasons coming elbow bumps as she took to work with us on know-how and for the stock market’s run to records up her job at WTO headquarters technology transfer now.” through the pandemic. on the banks of Lake Geneva. Still, As for fi sheries, WTO negotia- she immediately set about trying to tors have been tasked with striking The yield on the 10-year Treasury In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, traders work on the fl oor. (AP) eased a bit more Tuesday afternoon, change the organization’s culture. a deal that could help eliminate down to 1.41% from 1.44% late Mon- “It cannot be business as usual. subsidies for illegal, unreported been driving the market for years, the government’s jobs report, which is Meanwhile, Japan reported employ- We have to change our approach and unregulated fi shing, and pro- day. It’s a reprieve following weeks thinking goes. typically the highlight economic report ment rose despite a state of emergency of relentless rising. The 10-year yield from debate and rounds of ques- hibit fi sheries subsidies that con- had crossed above 1.50% last week, up Zoom Video Communications, the of every month. It also includes num- to cope with renewed coronavirus tions to delivering results,” she tribute to overfi shing and an over- from roughly 0.90% at the start of the company whose software helps stu- bers for how much wages are rising outbreaks and South Korea reported told ambassadors and other top capacity of fi shing boats. year, and the zoom higher raised wor- dents and workers around the world across the economy, a key component higher factory output. government envoys that make up Member states of the WTO, ries that more increases would destabi- talk with each other from a distance, of infl ation. DAX in Frankfurt gained 0.19% to the 164-member body’s General which works to craft accords that can lize the market. fell 1.8% as concerns over slower Worries have been rising in recent 14,039 .80. The FTSE 100 in London Council. ensure smooth international trade, subscriber growth offset its otherwise months that infl ation could be headed rose 0.38% to 6,613.75 and the CAC “The world is leaving the WTO have struggled to reach an agreement Climbing solid quarterly fi nancial report and higher as COVID-19 vaccines get the 40 in Paris added 0.29% to 5,809.73. behind. Leaders and decision-mak- on fi sheries even after two decades Treasury yields have been climbing forecast. economy back to strong growth and In Asian trading, the Shanghai ers are impatient for change,” she of work. Okonjo-Iweala called for with expectations for economic growth The biggest gain in the S&P 500 Washington gets close to deliver- Composite Index lost 1.2% to 3,508.50 said, noting several trade ministers fi nalizing the negotiations “as soon and infl ation, and such a rise makes came from Nielsen Holdings, whose ing another $1.9 trillion in aid for the and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo declined had told her that “if things don’t as possible,” and credited Colom- borrowing more expensive for home ratings data helps companies choose economy. 0.9% to 29,408.17. The Hang Seng in change,” they would not attend the bian ambassador Santiago Wills, which television shows to advertise Hong Kong shed 1.2% to 29,095.86. WTO’s biggest event - a ministe- who chairs those talks, for his “really buyers, companies taking out loans Rose and virtually everyone else. That can on. It rose 6.5% after signing a deal The Kospi in Seoul advanced 1% rial meeting - “because it is a waste hard” work. slow economic growth. Higher rates with Roku to help measure audiences In European stock markets, Germa- to 3,043.87 after the government re- of their time.” “My presence is to try and sup- also force investors to rethink how for streaming content. ny’s DAX returned 0.2%, and France’s ported factory production increased by Okonjo-Iweala, 66, is both the port him proactively to try and much they’re willing to pay for stocks, On the losing side was First Repub- CAC 40 rose 0.3%. The FTSE 100 in a better-than-forecast 7.5% in January fi rst woman and the fi rst African to unblock the situation so he can making each $1 of profi t that compa- lic Bank, which fell 3.3% for one of London added 0.4%. over a year earlier, up from Decem- serve as the WTO’s director-gener- complete the fantastic work he has nies earn a little less valuable. the larger losses in the S&P 500 after In Asian trading, the Nikkei 225 in ber’s 2.5%. al. Her brisk comments were a de- been doing,” she said alongside Technology and internet stocks bore it said it will sell 1.75 million shares of Tokyo declined 0.9%, the Hang Seng The S&P-ASX 200 in Sydney was parture from the more cautious ap- Wills as they met with advocacy the brunt of the rethink, in large part stock to raise cash. in Hong Kong shed 1.2% and stocks off 0.4% at 6,762.30. India’s Sensex proach of her predecessor, Roberto groups outside the WTO gates. “It because their recent dominance left Target dropped 4.7% despite report- in Shanghai lost 1.2%. The Kospi in rose 0.4% to 50,059.80. New Zealand Azevedo, who resigned on Aug. 31 has been 20 years - and 20 years is them looking even pricier than the rest ing stronger profi t for the latest quarter Seoul advanced 1% after the gov- and Southeast Asian markets rose. - a year before the end of his term. enough.” of the market. than analysts expected. ernment reported factory production In energy markets, benchmark U.S. She did not take sides on an ef- Wills said it was “music to my Tech stocks were weak again on Tuesday’s modest moves may prove increased by more than expected in crude fell 58 to $60.06 per barrel in fort led by South Africa and India ears to see on the fi rst day the (di- Tuesday, with those in the S&P 500 short-lived. Several speeches and data January. electronic trading on the New York to wrest a temporary waiver of rector general) comes here and falling 1.1%. But strategists along reports this week could offer more Global markets wereTuesday after Mercantile Exchange. The contract WTO rules on intellectual prop- makes a statement on the fi sheries Wall Street remain fairly optimistic, light on the direction of interest rates, a selloff in U.S. Treasury debt eased, sank 86 cents to $60.64 on Monday. erty protections, which could help negotiations.” saying stocks in other areas of the which are the dominating force on helping to allay concern about a pos- Brent crude, used to price international expand production of COVID-19 Okonjo-Iweala’s fi rst day also market are likely to rise with expecta- Wall Street now. sible rise in interest rates. oils, retreated 68 cents to $63.01 per vaccines and expedite their rollout consisted of meeting staffers and tions for the economy’s improvement Federal Reserve Governor Lael Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong barrel in London. It declined 73 cents around the world. But she gave an attending her fi rst meeting of the later this year. Gains for banks, en- Brainard will give a speech on mon- closed lower and Frankfurt retreated in the previous session to $63.69 per bar- early shout-out to the developing General Council. The closed-door ergy producers and other companies etary policy Tuesday afternoon. The early trading. London opened higher. rel. world. council meeting was largely held by whose profi ts are closely tied to the central bank’s chair, Jerome Powell, is Also Tuesday, Australia’s central The dollar advanced to 106.85 yen While “intensifying” dialogue videoconference because of meas- economy’s strength can help offset a scheduled to speak on Thursday. bank left its policy unchanged at its from Monday’s 106.81 yen. The euro continues on the vaccine waiver ures aimed to fi ght the pandemic. pullback for tech stocks, which had At the end of the week will be the March meeting. fell to $1.2013 from $1.2047. Subscriber growth slows Zoom posts robust quarterly earnings SAN RAMON, Calif, March 2, (AP): The deceleration in subscriber Even so, Zoom is far larger, more Zoom’s astronomical growth is ta- growth, which began late last summer, profi table and better known than it was pering off along with the pandemic, is causing some investors to fret that before the pandemic upended society raising questions about whether the Zoom won’t be able to sustain its mo- and turned its videoconferencing into videoconferencing service’s immense mentum as more people get vaccinated staple. The San Jose, California, com- popularity will fade as more people and life starts to revert to pre-pandemic pany now has nearly six times more return to classrooms, offi ces and other patterns later this year. subscribers than it did a year ago while places that have been off limits for the Those concerns are the main rea- its annual revenue that has quadrupled to past year. son Zoom’s once soaring stock price $2.65 billion during the past fi scal year. The deceleration emerged in an oth- has dropped by about 30% from its In its most recent quarter, Zoom erwise impressive quarterly earnings peak reached last October. If the rally posted revenue of $882 million, more report released Monday. The stellar in Monday’s extended trading is rep- than quadrupling from the same time results capped a year in which Zoom’s licated in Tuesday’s regular session, in the previous year. The company name became synonymous with the Zoom’s stock will still be worth more turned a profi t of $260 million in the way millions of people have been than fi ve times what it was at the end last quarter compared to $15 million forced to gather in online video panels of 2019. during the same period in the prior while being corralled at home. Zoom fi nished January with 467,100 year. Although Zoom continued to enjoy customers with at least 10 employees Realizing that the demand for vide- robust gains from November through that were paying for the subscription oconferencing won’t be as great after January, its subscriber increases were version of its service. That was an in- the pandemic is over, Zoom has been signifi cantly smaller than in each of crease of 33,400 customers from the introducing other features such as an the previous three quarters that unfold- previous quarter ending in October, far internet phone service for voice-only ed during pandemic life. below the gains ranging from 63,500 calls in hopes of bringing in more Despite that widely anticipated subscribers to 183,500 subscribers in money. The company disclosed Mon- slowdown, both Zoom’s quarterly the previous three quarters of opera- day that the phone service now has earnings and revenue easily topped tion during the pandemic. 10,700 customers, most of whom also analysts’ projections, as did manage- “Zoom has had an amazing year, but subscribe to its videoconferencing ser- ment’s forecast for the February-April all good things must come to an end,” vice. period and the upcoming year. Those said Nucleus Research analyst Trevor Chief Financial Offi cer Kelly Steck- numbers helped lift Zoom’s stock price White. “The fundamental problem re- elberg said she believes videoconfer- by nearly 9% in Monday’s extended mains, however: Zoom is not going to encing will remain a key communica- trading, still leaving the shares well be able to keep up with the growth that tions tool for most people who latched below their highs reached last autumn. it has seen.” on to it during the pandemic. “As we progress to the world reo- pening, people have now integrated it into their lives in the way they work, in the way they learn, the way that they socialize,” Steckelberg told The Asso- ciated Press in an interview. “That is not just going to change.” With $4.2 billion in cash and a still- valuable stock, Zoom also now has the wherewithal to expand into other areas through acquisitions, said Third Bridge analyst Scott Kessler. Steckelberg ac- knowledged the company is “constantly looking at opportunities” to expand. Zoom also is counting on many businesses to hold on to their vide- oconferencing subscriptions even after their offi ces reopen so some employ- ees can continue to work remotely part of the time Even so, “it would seem offi ces will This April 18, 2019 fi le photo, shows a sign for Zoom Video Communica- be used more and Zoom will be used tions ahead of the company’s Nasdaq IPO in New York. (AP) less,” Kessler said. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 BUSINESS 10 Never too late: Virus pandemic propels ‘older’ shoppers online NEW YORK, March 2, (AP): In November, Paula Mont did something new: The 86-year-old, who hasn’t left her New Jersey senior living community in nearly a year, went shop- ping – online. Mont used an iPad, equipped with a stylus to help her shaky hands, to buy a toy grand piano for her great-grand- daughter. She picked it out from more than a dozen versions of the instrument on Amazon. “It is like a wow feeling. I found it!” Mont said. The internet has become a crucial link to the outside world during the pandemic, one that millions of people still don’t have access to. Among older adults, the lack of internet has even impeded their ability to get vaccinated. But the pandemic has also motivated many who have been isolated at home or unable to leave their senior communities to learn something they may have resisted until now: how to buy groceries and more online. Americans 65 and older rang up an average of nearly $187 per month online last year, up 60% from a year earlier, according to market research fi rm NPD Group’s Checkout Tracking. They still spend less than the average $238 per month by the total population, but they are the fastest-grow- ing group of online shoppers by age group. The biggest online spenders were people ages 35 to 44 who spent an average of $306 per month online last year, up 40% from the previous year, according to NPD. Shopping is one of a slew of activities that older Ameri- cans now have to do over the internet, like doctor’s appoint- ments and socializing via digital video like FaceTime. Such behavior was forced by necessity – older people face the biggest risk of infection, so it’s more dangerous for them to go out. The transition online hasn’t always been easy, and chil- dren and senior living staff often have to help, an experience that can be both gratifying and diffi cult. Barbara Moran, director of social programs for Atria Sen- ior Living where Mont lives, says one of the biggest chal- lenges residents face with their devices is that they are used to pushing, not tapping, as if they’re using a touch-tone tel- ephone. She has to repeat tips often. “I would lie if I didn’t say I was frustrated sometimes,” said Moran, who sits with Mont – masked and gloved – in the facility’s dining room for weekly shopping sessions. Internet retailers and delivery services hope people over 65 keep up the online shopping habit. Freshly, which de- livers prepared meals, is looking at adding smaller portions and low-sodium options aimed at seniors; grocery delivery service Instacart set up a phone support line; Target’s deliv- ery service, Shipt, is scrapping its $99-a-year fee for some low-income seniors. Diane Shein, 73, from Bonita Springs, Florida, turned to Instacart and Amazon-owned Whole Foods for groceries be- cause of the pandemic. “I’m not sure how much it costs, but I don’t care,” Shein said. “It’s very easy and safe.” Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran predicted that on- line groceries will be a “new normal” for older people even when the pandemic ends. Still, there are many barriers, from struggling to use new technology to high prices to access. People 65 and older are less likely than younger people to have home internet or a smartphone. Nearly 22 million, or 42% of Americans 65 and older, lack broadband at home, according to a 2021 study from nonprofi t Older Adults Tech- nology Services. Low-income and Black and Latino older adults are more likely to be left out, the study says. “We are asking them to stay at home, and yet a lot of seniors are not connected,” said Lauren Cotter of the Com- munity Tech Network, a San Francisco nonprofi t that trains low-income residents on technology and provides free tab- lets and hotspots. Those with devices and internet may wrestle with how to use an app or fear giving out personal information be- cause they worry about fraudsters. Online shopping scams cost Americans $245.9 million last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And online grocery shopping, which includes tips and delivery charges, costs more than going to stores. The pandemic has also exposed the shortcomings of the internet, which often fails to accommodate people with dis- abilities or an aging population with visual and hearing issues. Iris Berman, 93, lives in an assisted living center in San Francisco and used to buy her shoes online. As her eyesight worsened, her son Ed Berman, who works in technology, would help her by sharing her screen virtually. He took over her shopping completely during the pandemic because her vision loss was so severe. “None of these websites works well when they’re en- larged,” he said. Then there’s the simple fact that older people did not grow up with the internet so things may not come as intuitively compared with those who have. Lynnette White, 72, buys clothes and household items from Amazon and Target online on her iPhone. But she fi nds other apps, including the Safeway grocery one, too hard to navigate. When she tries to check out her shopping cart, she fi nds herself starting all over again. She says it’s frustrating that there are are too many steps. Still, she said she likes learning new skills and her grandchil- dren, who she sends Amazon gift cards as presents, approve. “They’re very impressed that at my age I am excited about technology,” White said.

Lynette White uses her tablet while interviewed in San Francisco, Feb 16, 2021. The pandemic has sparked a surge of online shopping across all ages as people stay away from physical stores. But the biggest growth has come from consumers 65 and older. (AP) Airbnb posts huge loss in fi rst time out as public co NEW YORK, March 1, (AP): Home-sharing site Airbnb posted a $3.9 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2020 as it suffered from the pandemic downturn in travel and recorded one-time costs for becoming a public company. In results released - Airbnb’s fi rst as a publicly traded en- tity - the San Francisco-based company took a charge of $2.8 billion for stock compensation related to the IPO. A year earlier, Airbnb lost $352 million. Revenue fell 22% to $859 million in the quarter that end- ed Dec. 31. Nights booked fell 39% from a year earlier. Since the start of the pandemic, Airbnb has shifted its fo- cus to beach towns and mountain destinations - outdoorsy places where the risk of contracting the coronavirus is per- ceived to be lower. The company expects rentals in big cities to come back last. It has also slashed costs and jobs to ride out the pandemic, much like airlines and others in the travel industry. Airbnb generated sky-high expectations from investors, which led to a winning debut on the stock market in Decem- ber, when its shares more than doubled the San Francisco- based company’s target price and gave it a valuation of just over $100 billion. At $3.7 billion, it was the biggest U.S. IPO in 2020, according to Renaissance Capital. Now investors are turning their attention on what the com- pany says about 2021 and beyond. In late January, Airbnb said a survey it commissioned showed that just over half of Ameri- cans have already booked a trip or plan to travel this year. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 SCIENCE 11

Coronavirus

‘Supply falling short’ Drug fi rms urged to share jab know-how

PARIS, March 2, (AP): In an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s largest city lies a factory with gleam- ing new equipment imported from Germany, its immaculate hallways lined with hermetically sealed rooms. It is operating at just a quarter of its capacity. It is one of three factories that The Associated Press found on three continents whose owners say they could start produc- ing hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines on short no- tice if only they had the blueprints and technical know-how. But that knowledge belongs to the large pharmaceutical com- panies who have produced the fi rst three vaccines authorized by countries including Britain, the European Union and the US- Pfi zer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The factories are all still awaiting responses. Across Africa and Southeast Asia, governments and aid groups, as well as the World Health Organization, are calling on pharmaceutical companies to share their patent information more broadly to meet a yawning global shortfall in a pandemic that already has claimed over 2.5 million lives. Pharma- ceutical companies that took taxpayer money from the US or Europe to devel- op inoculations at unprecedented speed say they are negotiating contracts and Fauci exclusive licensing deals with produc- ers on a case-by-case basis because they need to protect their intellectual property and ensure safety. Critics say this piecemeal approach is too slow at a time of urgent need to stop the virus before it mutates into even dead- An army doctor prepares to inject the Sinovac vaccine from China during a vaccination at Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila, Philippines on March 2. The Philippines lier forms. WHO called for vaccine manufacturers to share launched a vaccination campaign to contain one of Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks but faces supply problems and public resistance, which it hopes their know-how to “dramatically increase the global supply.” to ease by inoculating top officials. (AP) “If that can be done, then immediately overnight every con- tinent will have dozens of companies who would be able to produce these vaccines,” said Abdul Muktadir, whose Incepta plant in Bangladesh already makes vaccines against hepatitis, Coronavirus fl u, meningitis, rabies, tetanus and measles. All over the world, the supply of coronavirus vaccines is falling far short of demand, and the limited amount available is going to rich countries. Nearly 80% of the vaccines so far have been administered in just 10 countries, according to WHO. ‘Outbreak far from over’ More than 210 countries and territories with 2.5 billion people hadn’t received a single shot as of last week. Approach States ‘reopening’ despite warnings The deal-by-deal approach also means that some poorer countries end up paying more for the same vaccine than richer KANSAS CITY, Kan., March 2, (AP): countries. South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and Uganda all pay With the US vaccination drive pick- different amounts per dose for the AstraZeneca vaccine - and ing up speed and a third formula on the ‘Premature’ & ‘unrealistic’ to think more than governments in the European Union, according to way, states eager to reopen for business studies and publicly available documents. AstraZeneca said are easing coronavirus restrictions despite the price of the vaccine will differ depending on local produc- warnings from health experts that the out- COVID-19 will end soon, says WHO tion costs and how much countries order. break is far from over and that moving too “What we see today is a stampede, a survival of the fi ttest ap- quickly could prolong the misery. GENEVA, March 2, (AP): A senior controlling this pandemic.” proach, where those with the deepest pockets, with the sharp- Massachusetts on Monday made it World Health Organization official But Ryan warned against com- est elbows are grabbing what is there and leaving others to much easier to grab dinner and a show. said Monday it was “premature” placency, saying that nothing was die,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. In Missouri, where individual com- and “unrealistic” to think the pan- guaranteed in an evolving epidemic. In South Africa, home to the world’s most worrisome COV- munities get to make the rules, the two demic might be stopped by the end “Right now the virus is very much ID-19 variant, the Biovac factory has said for weeks that it’s in biggest metropolitan areas — St. Louis of the year, but that the recent ar- in control,” he said. A pharmacy technician prepares a rival of effective vaccines could at WHO’s director-general, mean- negotiations with an unnamed manufacturer with no contract shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vac- and Kansas City — are relaxing some to show for it. And in Denmark, the Bavarian Nordic factory measures. Iowa’s governor recently least help dramatically reduce hos- while, said it was “regrettable” cine at a CVS Pharmacy branch, pitalizations and death. that younger and healthier adults has capacity to spare and the ability to make more than 200 March 1, in Los Angeles. (AP) lifted mask requirements and limits million doses but is also waiting for word from the producer of on the number of people allowed in The world’s singular focus right in some rich countries are being a licensed coronavirus vaccine. bars and restaurants, while the town of now should be to keep transmis- vaccinated against the coronavirus Governments and health experts offer two potential solu- Lawrence, home to the University of sion of COVID-19 as low as possi- before at-risk health workers in de- ble, said Dr. Michael Ryan, director veloping countries. tions to the vaccine shortage: One, supported by WHO, is a Kansas, now lets establishments stay of WHO’s emergencies program. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus patent pool modeled after a platform set up for HIV, tubercu- open until midnight. “If we’re smart, we can finish with said immunizations provided by the losis and hepatitis treatments for voluntary sharing of technol- Mike Lee, who owns Trezo Mare the hospitalizations and the deaths UN-backed effort COVAX began ogy, intellectual property and data. But no company has of- Restaurant & Lounge in Kansas City, and the tragedy associated with this week in Ghana and the Ivory fered to share its data. said he hopes increased vaccine ac- this pandemic” by the end of the Coast, but lamented that this was The other, a proposal to suspend intellectual property rights cess, combined with warmer weather, year, he said at media briefing. happening only three months after during the pandemic, has been blocked in the World Trade will improve business. Ryan said WHO was reassured countries such as Britain, the US Organization by the United States and Europe, home to the by emerging data that many of the and Canada began vaccinating companies responsible for creating coronavirus vaccines. That Shipments licensed vaccines appear to be their own populations. drive has the support of at least 119 countries and the African “I think that people are excited to helping curb the virus’ explosive “Countries are not in a race with Union but is adamantly opposed by vaccine makers. put this past them and be able to start to spread. each other,” he said. “This is a com- Speirs Morrison Pharmaceutical companies say instead of lifting IP restric- get back to their ways of doing things,” “If the vaccines begin to impact mon race against the virus. We are tions, rich countries should simply give more vaccines to Lee said. not only on death and not only on not asking countries to put their poorer countries through COVAX, the public-private initiative The push to reopen comes as COV- hospitalization, but have a signifi- own people at risk. We are asking WHO helped create for more equitable vaccine distribution. Discovery ID-19 vaccine shipments to the states are cant impact on transmission dy- all countries to be part of a global ramping up. Nearly 20% of the nation’s namics and transmission risk, then effort to suppress the virus every- The organization and its partners delivered its fi rst doses last I believe we will accelerate toward where.” week in very limited quantities. adults — or over 50 million people — But rich countries are not willing to give up what they have. have received at least one dose of vac- Sinabung spews ash: Indonesia’s Ursula Von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, has cine, and 10% have been fully inoculated coronavirus variants spread. severe cases and deaths among older Mount Sinabung was erupting Tuesday, 2 1/2 months into the campaign to snuff used the phrase “global common good” to describe the vac- sending volcanic materials as high as On Monday, the head of the CDC, people, and is “quickly becoming a cines but the European Union imposed export controls on vac- out the virus, according to the Centers Dr Rochelle Walensky, urgently bigger contributor” nationally. 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky for Disease Control and Prevention. cines, giving countries the power to stop shots from leaving. and depositing ash on nearby villages. warned state offi cials and ordinary “I suspect we will see it overtake On her fi rst day as director-general of the WTO, Nigeria’s Activity at the volcano in North Suma- Johnson & Johnson shipped out Americans not to let down their guard, natural infection as the biggest driver Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the time had come to shift attention tra province increased over the past week, nearly 4 million doses of its newly au- saying she is “really worried about re- of immunity late spring earliest, more to the vaccination needs of the world’s poor. with authorities recording 13 times when thorized, one-shot COVID-19 vaccine ports that more states are rolling back likely midsummer,” Lessler said. “We must focus on working with companies to open up it released ash clouds. Sunday night to be delivered to states the exact public health measures that The Biden administration wants and license more viable manufacturing sites now in emerging There have been no fresh evacuations for use starting on Tuesday. The com- we have recommended.” to see all three vaccines distributed markets and developing countries,” she told the organization’s due to the activity and no reports of dis- pany will deliver about 16 million “I remain deeply concerned about evenly, while also acknowledging that members. “This should happen soon so we can save lives.” ruptions to fl ights in the region. more doses by the end of March and a potential shift in the trajectory of the easy-to-handle J&J vaccine will be The long-held model in the pharmaceutical industry is that The 2,600-metre (8,530-feet) Sinabung a total of 100 million by the end of the pandemic,” she said. “We stand used in pop-up mobile sites and loca- companies pour in huge amounts of money and research in re- was dormant for four centuries before June. to completely lose the hard-earned tions without freezer storage capacity. turn for the right to reap profi ts from their drugs and vaccines. erupting in 2010, killing two people. An- That adds to the supply being distrib- ground that we have gained.” States are hoping that the surging Last May, Pfi zer’s CEO Albert Bourla described the idea of other eruption in 2014 killed 17 people, uted by Pfi zer and Moderna and should Cases and hospitalizations have vaccine supply will help tamp down sharing IP rights widely as “nonsense” and even “dangerous.” while seven died in a 2016 eruption. help the nation amass enough doses by plunged since the end of January, and new infections. Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federa- The volcano, one of two currently midsummer to vaccinate all adults. The erupting in Indonesia, has sporadically deaths have also dropped sharply, but In Massachusetts, Gov Charlie tion of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, called the idea of lift- White House is encouraging Americans they are still running at dangerously Baker lifted restaurant capacity limits come to life since then. to take the fi rst dose available to them, ing patent protections “a very bad signal to the future. You Some 30,000 people have been forced high levels and have even risen slight- entirely. Theaters can open at 50% ca- signal that if you have a pandemic, your patents are not worth regardless of manufacturer. ly over the past several days. pacity, with a maximum of 500 people. to leave homes around Sinabung in the In New York City, where limited in- anything.” past few years. “We cannot be resigned to 70,000 And capacity limits across all busi- door dining has resumed, offi cials said cases a day and 2,000 daily deaths,” nesses have been raised to 50%. Develop Sinabung is among more than 120 ac- the J&J vaccine will help the city to inoc- tive volcanoes in Indonesia, which is Walensky said. Las Vegas on Monday became the Advocates of sharing vaccine blueprints argue that, unlike located on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of ulate millions more people by summer, Overall, the outbreak has killed latest of the nation’s largest school with most drugs, taxpayers paid billions to develop vaccines volcanoes and fault lines encircling the including through door-to-door vaccina- more than a half-million Americans. districts to return children to class- that could help end the world’s biggest public health emer- Pacifi c Ocean. (AP) tions of homebound senior citizens. Justin Lessler, an expert in infectious rooms. Pre-K children to third graders gency in living memory. ❑ ❑ ❑ But the efforts come with strong diseases at Johns Hopkins University, will go back two days a week, with “People are literally dying because we cannot agree on in- warnings from health offi cials against said in an email that the vaccine al- other grades to be phased in by early tellectual property rights,” said Mustaqeem De Gama, a South S. Australia bans ‘plastics’: An reopening too quickly, as worrisome ready is contributing to a decrease in April. African diplomat involved in the WTO discussions. Australian state on Monday became the fi rst in the country to ban some single- Paul Fehlner, the chief legal offi cer for biotech company used plastic items including drinking Axcella and a supporter of the WHO patent pool board, said straws, stir sticks and cutlery. use plastic shopping bags. (AP) endangered — and the second Sumatran governments that poured billions of dollars into developing the baby born early Sunday to 12-year-old The new law bans the sale, supply and ❑ ❑ ❑ orangutan born in two years at the zoo in Reese, Audubon Zoo spokeswoman An- vaccines and treatments should have demanded more from the distribution of a range of single-use items New Orleans. nie Kinler Matherne said Monday. companies they were fi nancing from the beginning. in South Australia, Environment Minister Zoo welcomes orangutan baby: It’s Veterinarians haven’t yet been able to “Reese is cuddling and being very at- “A condition of taking taxpayer money is not treating them David Speirs said. cute, cuddled, red-haired, and critically weigh, measure and determine the sex of tentive with the infant, but we cannot as dupes,” he said. More items will be added to the banned confi rm lactation and nursing just yet,” Last month, Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading pandemic expert list early next year including polystyrene Matherne said in an email. in the United States, said all options need to be on the table, in- cups, bowls and plates. Sumatran orangutans are one of three cluding improving production capacity in the developing world Queensland state will introduce a simi- species of the long-haired great apes. and working with pharmaceuticals to relax their patents. lar ban in September while the Australian Fewer than 14,000 are believed to live in “Rich countries, ourselves included, have a moral responsi- Capital Territory will begin phasing out the wild and their numbers are declining bility when you have a global outbreak like this,” Fauci said. some of the same items from July. dramatically as development, mining and “We’ve got to get the entire world vaccinated, not just our own Speirs said manufacturers of alterna- palm oil plantations fragment their forest country.” tive items had set up in South Australia habitat, according to the International Un- It’s hard to know exactly how much more vaccine could be and were ready to supply other states as ion for Conservation of Nature. made worldwide if intellectual property restrictions were lift- the bans spread across Australia. The baby is Reese’s fi rst, but she has Australia’s prime minister is Scott seen two different orangutans giving birth ed. But Suhaib Siddiqi, former director of chemistry at Mod- Morrison. “Consumers have been de- and raising babies — her own mother at erna, said with the blueprint and technical advice, a modern manding this and the market has been Albuquerque BioPark Zoo in New Mex- factory should be able to get vaccine production going in at driving alternatives, really creating jobs ico, and Audubon’s orangutan matriarch, most three to four months. in the manufacturing of alternatives,” Feliz, in 2019, the statement noted. “In my opinion, the vaccine belongs to the public,” said Sid- Speirs told Australian Broadcasting Corp. The birth just before the zoo opened diqi. “Any company which has experience synthesizing mol- Plastic straws are still available to peo- Sunday was a bit of a surprise. Veterinar- ecules should be able to do it.” ple who need them for medical reasons or ians knew Reese was pregnant but early Back in Bangladesh, the Incepta factory tried to get what because of a disability. People can also signs and physical changes indicated birth it needed to make more vaccines in two ways, by offering its use their own plastic straws. was likely in April or May, the zoo said. production lines to Moderna and by reaching out to a WHO England banned single-use plastic Although zoos often wait a week or partner. Moderna did not respond to requests for comment straws, stirrers and cotton buds in October two to ensure that a baby is healthy before about the Bangladesh plant, but its CEO, Stéphane Bancel, last year and Canada plans to introduce announcing its birth, “we wanted to be told European lawmakers the company’s engineers were fully similar bans by the end of year. transparent with guests as to why we had occupied on expanding production in Europe. All Australian states and mainland ter- the orangutan area blocked off in order to ritories except for New South Wales, the An Iraqi medical worker administers a shot of the Sinopharm coronavirus vac- give the group, mother, and infant time to most populous, have now banned single- cine to Dr Saman Mohammed, at a clinic in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2. (AP) bond,” Matherne said. (AP) Television WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 FFeatureseatures spellers intheEnglishlanguage. century-old showcaseforthetop signaling aneweraforthenearly petition asitsexecutivedirector, leader withnohistoryinthecom- Spelling Beehashiredanonprofi contestants, theScrippsNational a traditionofbeingledbyformer as beedirector.Hereplaces Durnil nounced Mondaythat Indianapolis Simon YouthFoundation,an was presidentandCEOofthe organizations. Mostrecently,he nonprofi much ofhiscareerleading speller, havingwonthebeein1981. bee’s leadershipteam,isaformer year. Kimble coaches andstudymaterials. thousands ofdollarsonpersonal top prize.Manyspellersspend kids whowanttocompeteforthe expensive ventureforfamiliesof which hasbecomeanincreasingly a newperspectivetothebee, diversity initiativescouldbring underprivileged youthandwith the Washingtonarea. petition hasbeenheldfordecadesin World incentral an ESPNcampusatWaltDisney will beheldatanewlocation— in person.Thatportionofthebee fi be mostlyvirtual,withonlythe was scrapped.Thisyear’sbeewill World WarIIthatthecompetition virus pandemic,thefi was canceledbecauseofthecorona- period oftransition.Lastyear’sbee learn aphysicalskill,”Durnilsaid. mastery, justlikeathleteswho learning anacademicsubjectto be anindividualcompetitorwhile discipline andrigorrequiredto tions inhighschool. said hetookpartinmathcompeti- a childhoodstruggle.However,he form ofdyslexiaandspellingwas Associated Pressthathehasa higher education. ate fromhighschoolandpursue aims tohelpat-riskyouthgradu- nal dozen or so spellers competing nal dozenorsospellerscompeting COPENHAGEN, Denmark: LOS ANGELES: fore fromthe“Avengers”moviefranchise. twist —broughtWandaandPaulBettany’scharacter,Vision,tothe The riffongenerationsofTVsitcoms—withtheaddedsuperhero original seriesforDisney+,hasafutureafteritsMarch5seasonfi ness,” plannedfora2022release. berbatch’s titlecharacterin“DoctorStrangetheMultiverseofMad- son two,sometimesit’llgointoafeatureandthenbackseries.” based onthestory,”Feigesaid.“Sometimes(aseries)willgointoasea- Studios chiefKevinFeigehassaidrecently. Marvel ComicsuniversehopscotchbetweenTVandmovies, Strange” sequel. en’s Wandawillmakehernextappearanceinthebig-screen“Doctor tial runnextmonthontheDisney+streamingservice,ElizabethOls- LOS ANGELES,March2,(AP):When“WandaVision”wrapsitsini- Marvel’s Wanda hasafuture, but‘WandaVision’ fateunclear and Sebastian Stan reprising their roles from “Avengers: Endgame.” and SebastianStanreprisingtheirrolesfrom“Avengers:Endgame.” Falcon andtheWinterSoldier,”debutingMarch19withAnthonyMackie said, withoutgivingawaydetails. But secondseasonsarebeingconsideredandplannedforseries,he a virtualpaneldiscussionheldbytheTelevisionCriticsAssociation. to anything,”Feigerepliedwhenaskedabouttheshow’sfutureduring Cincinnati By contrast,Durnilhasspent Kimble, likemanypeopleonthe Durnil’s historyofworkwith Durnil takesoverthebeeina “I understandtheroutine, Durnil saidinanemailtoThe “I’ve beenatMarvelfortoolongtosayadefi Feige wouldn’tsaywhether“WandaVision,”MarvelStudios’fi Wanda Maximoff,akaScarletWitch,playsoppositeBenedictCum- “All ofthecrossoverbetweenseries,fi It’s storytellingthatdetermineshowandwhencharactersfromthe There’s afl will takeoverimmediately t, educationalandmedia , whosteppeddownlast ❑ -based nonprofi -based Scrippsan- urry ofpotentialnewDisney+candidates,including“The Florida Breakingfrom rst time since rst timesince J. Michael . Thecom- Paige t that The t Prize bytheFeb.1 deadline. nated forthe2021NobelPeace organizations —thatwerenomi- dates —234individualsand95 Monday thatthereare329candi- Norwegian NobelCommitteesaid the current recordof376candi- number ofcandidates ever,adding said thatitwasthe thirdhighest The ple totellforthemselves...Arethadidthatwith tell thestoriesthatsometimesarediffi I trulybelievethatmyjobistocommunicateand playing iconson-screenandmore. Grammy winnertalkedaboutmeetingFranklin, ited forclarityandbrevity,theTony,Emmy ring JenniferHudson,willbereleasedinAugust. March 21.“Respect,”afi Queen ofSoulintheeight-episodeseriesdebuting someone’s tryingtotellmesomething.’’” continued: “Iwaslike,‘Eitheryouplannedthator ‘Am Itheonlyonethatnoticedthat?’” Dreaming’ comesonasIgotositdown.I’mlike, just moodmusic,”shesaid.“Allofasudden‘Day ers, shehadabitofanepiphany. arguably thegreatestsingerofalltime. on thelifeofFranklin,whodied2018andwas Einstein andPabloPicasso,wantedtofocus pening andI’mexcitedtoseethat,sowhatisthis?’” “In myheadI’mlike,‘Thereisanotherfi nius: Aretha.” producers oftheNationalGeographicseries“Ge- her guiltypleasuresong—shegotacallfromthe terview atthe2019Tonys—explainingthatit’s Franklin’s “Ain’tNoWay”duringaredcarpetin- T Erivo takesonQueenofSoul Erivo: AP: In aninterviewwithTheAssociatedPress,ed- Fast forwardtwoyearsandErivoisplayingthe Laughing withahugesmileonherface,she “Nothing elsewasplayinginthehotel,it When Erivo,34,wenttomeetwiththeproduc- NatGeo hadalreadycompletedseriesonAlbert “I waslike,‘Ibegyourpardon,’”shecontinued. Days aftertheBritishperformerbeltedAretha Oslo Variety another Emmy. he TonyAwardscouldbringCynthiaErivo Cynthia ErivoportraysArethaFranklininascenefromtheNationalGeographicminiseries‘Genius:Aretha.’(AP) What doesArethameantoyou? -based organization nite noordefi lms, will always vary lms, willalwaysvary She meanstheworldtome.Asasinger, By Mesfi nite yes Rebel Wilsongoestothedogsinrealityshow With prideandrespect, real-life singerportrays iconAretha n Fekadu nale. rst lm aboutFranklinstar- fi Television rst time. duces newcharacters,it“becomesharderandharder”tomeetthatgoal. knowledged thatasthestudiomakesmoreshowsandfi something that’sitsownself-containedstoryline,”Feigesaid.Heac- clean slate—forgeteverythingthat’scomebeforeandbeabletoenjoy things reverting”toMarvelaren’talwaystrue. said hebelievesitcouldhappen,butaddedthat“rumorsonlineabout studios. AskedifMarvelStudiosmightbeabletoregainthem,Feige $4 billionin2009,priordealsleftsomeofitspropertieswithother that newcomerscanenjoyittoo,hesaid. attention to,tomakesurethatfanscanfollow”thelatestchapterand LOS ANGELES: The Australianactresscomesfromafamilywithlonghistory “But itissomethingthatallofourwritersandfi “I alwayssaywhenthelightsgodownandamoviestarts,it’s When theWaltDisneyCo.acquiredMarvelEntertainmentforabout basDurnil Abrams and TVmightendupcuttingintothepotentialaudience. acter willmovetothenext“CaptainMarvel”movie,Feigesaid. on thestreamingservice(withdateyettobeannounced),char- the eventsof“Endgame,”debutsJune11.After“Ms.Marvel”arrives He wasaskedifshiftingMarvelstoriesandcharactersbetweenfi “Loki,” starringTomHiddlestonrevisitinghischaracterfollowing cult forpeo- lm hap- lm Rebel Wilson Characters through song. municating thethingsthatshehadbeenthrough, her eyesclosed.Shehadawonderfulwayofcom- ize that“Respect”wasn’thersongfi she wasabletodo.Idon’tknowthatpeoplereal- else’s. Thattome,it’sareallyspecialthingthat she takesthesongandyouforgetitwassomeone only doesshetakethesongandmakeitherown, someone else’ssongandmakeitherown. one ofakind,truly. fore. NowI’mhearingitwithhervoice.Shewas through togetthispoint,Ididn’thearbe- the experiencethatthispersonmusthavegone an olderwomansingingthissong,you’relike,all like thisbefore.”Atthatpointbecauseshewas song likethisbefore.Didn’tthinkabout in theDeep,”Iwaslike,“Huh,neverheardthis when shedidherversionof(Adele’s)“Rolling know thatthismightnotbeapopularopinionbut a wayintosongthatyoudidn’tknowexisted.I don’t knowhow,butshealwaysmanagedtofi you didn’trealizewerethereinthefi someone likethat,youdon’tthinkthey’llremem- ing forreal.”Shewaswonderful.Whenyoumeet heart backtogether.Iwaslike,“Thisishappen- back tome.ThatwasamomentIhadputmy and lovely.Shesangthelastlineof“I’mHere” my goodness.HowdoIthis?Shewasfunny just fi Aretha FranklinstandinginfrontofmeandI’ve idiot becauseIwasjustinshock.ThereisMiss know shewasthere.WhenIsawher,feltlikean to aperformanceof“TheColorPurple.”Ididn’t AP: She fi Erivo: Erivo: AP: isgoingtothedogs.Andit’snot Also: nished singingashowinherpresence,oh Did yougetachancetomeether? She hasthisthingbywhichshecantake nds messaginginsongs,musicthat Totally andit’ssuchaspecialthing.Not I metherthefi announced bytheverysecretive nomination forthe prize. Nobel Committee — cansubmita and membersofthe Norwegian stitutes, pastNobelPrizerecipients sors, directorsofforeignpolicyin- national level,universityprofes- of stateorpoliticiansservingata dates wasreachedin2016. However, thenominees aren’t A vastgroupofpeople—heads lmmakers paygreat rst timewhenshe’dcome lmsandintro- rst. rst place.I lm time opportunitytojustreallyputitoutthere.” show offthenewphysiquebecausestillsingle.Sothisismyprime- said. “Igettwolooksperepisode,andIliketoworkwithmystylist health lastyear. transformation. Shelost60poundsduringherself-proclaimedyearof and isbasedonanAustralianversion. top threeteamswillcompetefor$100,000.TheshowdebutsMarch30 — eachweek. ers andoneteamwillbesentbacktothedoghouse—oreliminated and veterinarian her inapublicplacesoshewouldn’tdoanythingtoocrazy.” business andtrytobeaninternationalmoviestar,shecried.Ihadtell sociation. “WhenItoldherwasn’tgoingtocontinueinthefamily legacy,” WilsonsaidinavirtualcallwiththeTelevisionCriticsAs- grooming productsdespitebeingallergictodogs. a child,Wilsontraveledinherfamily’syellowvantoshowsandsold in Australiaandthathermotherjudgesdogshowsinternationally.As groomers andtheirassistantscompetinginchallenges. of ABC’s“PoochPerfect,”aneight-episodeseriesfeaturing10dog of handlingandgroomingdogswillreturntoherrootsashost “I’ve beenshowingitoffonInstagramabittooshamelessly,”she “Pooch Perfect”isWilson’sfi The remainingteamssquareoffinagroomingtransformation. In theshow, “My momwasdevastatedwhenIchosenottocontinuethefamily She saidThursdaythathergreat-grandmotherbeganabeagleclub leader clude exiledBelarusian opposition reported thatthe2021nomineesin- the nomineeandproposer. it public,raisingpublicitybothfor nominating maychoosetomake board inOslo,butthosedoingthe Maria Kolesnikova activists, and twoother nd The Associated Press earlier has The AssociatedPressearlierhas Sviatlana Veronika Tsepkalo along withhereyesclosed. performance theypantoArethaandshe’ssinging recording ofit,whenitfi favorite thingaboutthatdaywaswhenIsawthe very much.”Iremembershewaswearingred.My can sing.”Iwaslike,“Yesthat’sme.Thankyou the girlwhowasinthatplay.Youcansing. I didit.Sherememberedme.said,“You’re Center Honors.Iwassingingtheveryfi ber yourface.ImetheragainattheKennedy “Cynthia doesn’treallylooklikeAretha?” but cangivemetheessence. lem. I’drathersomeonethatdoesn’tlooklikeher sing thesongs,thenthat’swhereyouhaveaprob- like Arethawhocouldn’tdothework,can’t look likeAretha.Ifyoufoundsomeonewholooks Sings theBlues.”...Idon’tthinkanyonedoes an incredible,incrediblejobwhenshedid“Lady didn’t reallylooklikeBillieHoliday,butshedid version? they deservetobetold.(AP) bringing thesestoriestotheforefrontbecause done theresearchtofi tha orawomanyoudon’tknowaboutwhoI’ve The moreIcandothatwhetheritbeHarriet,Are- chance tobetold,whosestoriesdeservetold. stories ofwomenwhosewouldn’tgetthe I wantformylifetime—tobeabletellthese screen? cited toseeit. thing shehadbeendreamingofdoing.Iamex- know thattheyhadaconversation.Thisissome- AP: Erivo: AP: Erivo: Erivo: AP: Belarus Lisa Vanderpump Callie Harris

Tsikhanouskaya How doyoufeelaboutthepeoplewhosay, Are youexcitedtoseetheJenniferHudson How’s itbeenplayingreal-lifeiconson- ; the Black ; theBlack democracy democracy I am.knowthattheywereclose,and It’s ahugehonorandit’spartofwhat No, inthesamewaythatDianaRoss and and will voteoncreationsfromdoggroom- rst projectafterundergoingherown

, doggroomer nd outabout,Iwanttokeep his deputy, House adviser rights advocate;andformerWhite who hasbecomealeadingvoting Georgia alny; StaceyAbrams, opposition leader Lives Mattermovement;Russian Accords. (AP) agreements known astheAbraham negotiated aseries of nally aired,duringmy gubernatorial candidate gubernatorialcandidate Avi Berkowitz Jorge Bendersky Jared Kushner Alexei Nav- rst time rst Middle East Middle East the former the former , who , who and and

ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Theater

‘La Vie Boheme’ ‘Rent’ musical marks its 25th anniversary

NEW YORK, March 2, (Agencies): Twenty-fi ve years ago, stage actors Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin- Vega had been cast in a new, edgy musical downtown and wondered if anyone would remember it. “Can you imagine us in 25 years talking about this show and singing these songs?” Pascal wondered to his co-star. “We laughed about it, as if like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s crazy. That’ll never happen.’” Well, it’s happening. The musical was “Rent” and it celebrated its silver anniversary this year with an online gala and a lot of gratitude from generations of fans. Jonathan Larson’s tale of free-spirited artists and street people in New York’s gritty drug- and AIDS- plagued East Village of the early 1990s was inspired by Puccini’s “La Boheme” and found a ready-made audience in young people. “It gives people hope who feel that ‘I’m different’ and ‘I don’t fi t.’ This says ‘It doesn’t matter’,” says James Nicola, artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, which nur- tured “Rent.” ”It says, ‘You can go out and make your own community.’” Pascal New York Theater Work- shop celebrated “Rent” with a gala on March 2 that will be available to stream through March 6. Original cast members will be joined by theater stars such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Neil Patrick Harris, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Ali Stro- ker, Eva Noblezada and Christopher Jackson. Tickets begin at $25. “Rent” won Tony Awards for best musical, score and book and a Pulitzer Prize. It lasted on Broad- way for 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, A model wears a creation as part of the Daniel Del Core women’s and men’s Fall Winter 2021-22 collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Feb launching the careers of Pascal, Rubin-Vega, Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Wilson Jer- maine Heredia and Anthony Rapp. There was a 2005 fi lm version, several tours, an Fashion off-Broadway revival, international productions, a Hollywood Bowl concert and a live staging on Fox in 2019, all fueled by songs such as “Take Me or Leave Me,” “Out Tonight” and the crowd-pleasing “Seasons of Love.” Creativity emerges in quieter, digital fashion week “Rent” has since been referenced in everything from “The Big Bang Theory” to “The Simpsons” to “I Am Legend.” In the fi lm “Team America: World Police,” puppets act out a show called “Lease.” Milan designers hit reset button Triumph MILAN, March 2, (AP): Fashion is The collection bears Arbesser’s love meaning men can wear lace T-shirts Larson never lived to see his triumph: He died at off the hamster wheel, taking a deep of prints, this season’s inspired by an without a second thought. age 35 of an aortic aneurysm after its fi nal dress re- breath that is allowing some freshness actual painter’s palette that he picked “It has nothing to do with sexuality,” hearsal in January 1996. to seep into the once relentless cycle. up at a fl ea market, which he mashes Gabbana said. “It is almost a euphe- The 15 original actors stay in touch and share a “It is so weird thinking about fash- up with geometrical patterns and mate- mism; it’s about pleasing themselves.” text thread. “We really kind of immediately fell into a ion, and the kind of hamster wheel rials that range from soft silk jersey to Giorgio Armani staged separate rapport and trust with each other, especially after the of fashion, and how we never had a wool to knits. digital men’s and women’s collec- tragedy,” said Heredia. “There’s nothing that bonds break and always complained about “I felt it was important to keep writ- tions in his own theater both around a people more than tragedy.” Milan-based Austrian fashion design- it,’’ Marc Jacobs said during a Milan ing this story, my little story, keep replica of a gorilla statue dubbed Uri The musical had an unpretentious start. New York er Arthur Arbesser, poses in his stu- Fashion Week video chat with Miuc- adding chapters,” Arbesser said of his that has been part of his personal home Theater Workshop had just moved into its space in the dio holding a painter’s pallet that he cia Prada and Raf Simons post-digital 8-year-old brand. “I am happy that decor for decades. This green version East Village in the summer of 1992 and was under- picked up at a flea market, and which show. “And then you get a break, and even doing something so reduced, so of Uri evoked the designer’s support going construction. Larson rode by on his bike and inspired the signature print for his Fall you complain.” little, while at the same time producing of wildlife preservation, but also ech- poked his head in. 2021 collection of 25 looks, in Milan, Instead, he said, he was taking the quality, you can still be seen, you can oed the collections’ ties to the natural “He was curious because he’d written this musical Italy, Feb 28, 2021. (AP) moment to watch others, and be in- actually sell your production.” world. Prints and designs that can be for the East Village and was looking for a home for it spired. Global masters Dolce&Gabbana interpreted as leaves, or water lilies, or that was in the East Village,” said Nicola. Milan Fashion Week of mostly wo- took a technological leap forward with simple sea creatures, provided the mo- A few days later, Larson dropped off a script and menswear previews for next fall and a no-holds-barred, youth-inspired col- tif for elegantly relaxed looks. a cassette tape of him singing all the songs. The tim- winter wrapped a nearly all-digital edi- lection featuring technical textiles in The fashion world also paid tribute ing was perfect. “We were looking for something to tion on Monday. Only one designer — to creative colleagues in the theater, do about our neighborhood in the literal sense and in bold hues intermingled with hologram walks this musical,” said Nicola. Daniel Del Core, marking his brand’s fi nishes, metallic glimmers and even which have been mostly empty in Italy It was quickly clear that Larson was steeped in debut — held a live runway show for a multi-colored Styrofoam beads, for a since the start of the pandemic. classical music, pop and everything in between, what small number of guests. feast of colorful confections. Pierpaolo Piccioli staged the Val- Pascal calls an “incredibly unique, eclectic infl uence While the bustle of live shows with The 140 looks included some rein- entino Fall/Winter 2020/21 collection soup.” Larson’s musical went to the top of the com- the parade of itinerant fashionistas de- terpretations of Domenico Dolce and live to empty seats in Milan’s Pic- pany’s list. camping from New York to London, Stefan Gabbana’s iconic pieces — in- colo Theater, while the singer Cosima “People can write music. People can write words. Milan and fi nally Paris was missed, cluding Madonna’s bejeweled bodysuit hauntingly intoned Sinead O’Conner’s Not so many people can write words and music to- designers also were stimulated by the and corsets worn by dancers in Prince’s lyrics: “It’s been so lonely without you gether,” says Nicola. “And then even fewer can un- Lady Gaga Jolie slower pace of the pandemic-era fash- “Cream” video — from the early days here.” derstand putting words and music into a dramatic ion cycle. when Dolce&Gabbana helped defi ne the The Valentino collection was a context.” Austrian designer Arthur Arbesser bold sexiness of the 1990s. somber affair, fitting the moment. shrank his collection to just 25 looks, It featured tailored jackets that have The show attracted Rubin-Vega, who usually Variety Futuristic wasn’t interested in musical theater. “This was which he presented in visits to his Mi- been reconstructed into capes, lay- talking to me,” she recalled. “I knew these people. lan studio and video calls, opting out The result was a mix of ered with pointy-collared white These are the kind of people that I hung out with.” LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga’s dog of a digital runway show. Dolce&Gabbana’s trademark tailor- shirts, skin-fitting tops with seem- It was, she adds, a musical that she herself wanted walker, who was shot last week during a For the creations, he upcycled tex- ing, often under strands of layered ingly hand-cut holes. For women, to see. robbery in Hollywood when two of the tiles from previous collections that had pearls and gold, alongside more futur- there was a movement in flouncy She would earn a Tony nomination for her Mimi, singer’s French bulldogs were stolen, been stashed in a studio cubbyhole. istic elements that bely our new pro- miniskirts peeking out of jacket an HIV-positive heroin addict and stripper. She recalls described the violence and his recovery The designer revitalized them either by tective bearing: elaborate eye shields, hems, while feminine flourishes looking out and seeing audiences singing along — “from a very close call with death” in printing a new design on the other side, plastic sneaker coverings and trans- like ruffles on shirts were employed weeks before a cast album was even available. They social media posts Monday. in the case of a pretty pleated skirt, or parent slickers. Underlining this leap with discipline. Accessories featured were repeat customers. Ryan Fischer’s posts included pic- printing over the original with a differ- forward, a humanoid robot developed studded bags and boots. “It was a supernova,” she said. tures taken from his hospital bed, where ent pattern, in the case of a black archi- by the Italian Institute of Technology Milan designer Francesca Libera- Just being in “Rent” was lifechanging for Heredia, a he says “(a) lot of healing still needs to tectural detailing over a striped cotton. acted as master of ceremonies for the tore had planned an extravagant show then-24-year-old who never thought he’d be in a musi- happen” but he looks forward to reunit- Arbesser said the enforced quiet of digital runway show. in a Milan theater with holographic cal, much less one that made the leap to Broadway. ing with the dogs. the COVID-19-era restrictions, along “The collection is a tribute to this effects, but decided against it in soli- “I never saw my face in the faces of people that Fischer was shot once as he walked with the necessity of saving money, generation that asks us about the darity with theater creatives who can’t three of Lady Gaga’s dogs on Wednes- pushed other creative forces to the 1990s,” Dolce said during an in-person occupy that space. were on Broadway,” says Heredia, who played the day night on a street just off the famed doomed drag queen Angel. fore. He and his team created a patch- presentation of the looks at the design- “I had the moral problem. How Sunset Boulevard. Video captured by the work mini-dress out of cotton, silk and ers’ showroom. could I do a show in a theater at this It was Heredia, a self-described hyperactive club doorbell camera of a nearby home cap- kid, who one day during a break in rehearsal leaped tured Fischer’s screams of “Oh my! I’ve technical nylon, and they experiment- The designers said the younger gen- moment when artists themselves can- onto a table in heels — to the astonishment of director been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m ed with Shibori hand-dying for a wool eration’s idea of sexy is much freer of not recite in this place?” Liberatore Michael Greif. That move was put in the show. bleeding out from my chest!” mini skirt. preconceived notions than in the past, said by phone. Police are seeking two men in the Cherishes attack and said Monday they are still “The trick of that whole number wasn’t the jump- investigating. Franklin D. Roosevelt planned the could show Roosevelt the city’s beauty. son after the president’s death in 1945, ing on the table. It was the jumping off of the table,” The two dogs, named Koji and Gustav, defeat of Nazi Germany. Churchill gave the painting to Roosevelt and had several owners before Jolie and Heredia says, laughing. “My back and my knees are were returned unharmed Friday evening The two leaders visited Marrakech as a memento of the trip. partner Brad Pitt bought it in 2011. (AP) paying for it now.” when a woman showed up at a Los Ange- after the conference so that Churchill The painting was sold by Roosevelt’s ❑ ❑ ❑ Heredia won a Tony for his work, but he says he les police station with them. Detectives do cherishes more the dozens of people who have ap- not believe she was involved in the robbery NICOSIA, Cyprus: A man has been proached him to say Angel helped them come out to or shooting and did not know if she would charged with uttering threats and causing a their parents, accept their son or just inspired them. receive the $500,000 reward Lady Gaga disturbance after barging onto the grounds “The impact that it’s had on the generations to me had offered for the dogs’ return. The singer of Cyprus’ public broadcaster to protest has affected me even more than the Tony,” he says. is currently in Rome to fi lm a movie. (AP) what he said was the country’s “blasphe- ❑ ❑ ❑ mous” entry into this year’s Eurovision “It’s one of the best thing that’s ever happened to my song contest, police said Sunday. life.” LONDON: A Moroccan landscape Police told The Associated Press “Rent” also helped put New York Theatre Work- painted by Winston Churchill and the man, who hasn’t been named, was shop on the map, where it has continued to nurture owned by Angelina Jolie sold at auction released after being charged with four shows like “Hadestown,” “Once” and “Slave Play.” on Monday for more than $11.5 million, counts, including being verbally abusive. “You really can look at the history of New York smashing the previous record for a work Police said witnesses to Saturday’s Theater Workshop divided neatly between before by Britain’s World War II leader. incident told investigators the man ‘Rent’ and after ‘Rent,’” said Nicola. “It’s that signifi - “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” verbally accosted employees outside the cant. It transformed the organization.” sold at Christie’s in London for Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation’s news One “Rent” fan is Miranda, the visionary behind 8,285,000 pounds ($11,590,715). The department. He was apparently upset that “Hamilton,” noted Rubin-Vega. “In no uncertain pre-sale estimate was 1.5 million pounds the broadcaster had selected the song terms, he is a legacy of Jonathan’s, just like Jonathan to 2.5 million pounds, and the previous “El Diablo” (“The Devil”) performed was a legacy of Sondheim,” she said. record price for a Churchill painting was by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou to Adds Pascal: “It’s a gift that continues to give.” just under 1.8 million pounds. represent Cyprus. “Rent” is a rock musical with music, lyrics, and The image of the 12th-century mosque Amateur video of the man confronting book by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo in Marrakech at sunset, with the Atlas CyBC staff showed him screaming at a Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a Mountains in the background, is a piece number of employees in the yard, asking how of both political and Hollywood history. they could justify supporting such a song. group of impoverished young artists struggling to sur- The only painting that Britain’s war- The title of “El Diablo” as well as it’s vive and create a life in Lower Manhattan’s East Vil- time prime minister completed during the Anthony Rapp, (left), and Adam Pascal appear during a performance of the lyrics have touched a raw nerve with lage in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, 1939-45 confl ict, it was completed after 1996 musical ‘Rent’ in New York. The New York Theater Workshop celebrated some in the east Mediterranean island under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. the January 1943 Casablanca Confer- the 25th anniversary of ‘Rent’ with a gala on March 2 that will be available to nation, who consider it to be fraught with ence, where Churchill and US President stream through March 6. (AP) Satanic connotations. (AP) ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 SPORTS 14

UEFA wants single proposal from the continent UK government offers $4m for 2030 World Cup bid with Ireland LONDON, March 2, (AP): The Brit- William lobbying executive commit- “If a decision is made to bid for the or banned. David Cameron, who was ish government will provide 2.8 mil- tee members on the eve of the decision. event, we look forward to presenting British Prime Minister at the time of lion pounds ($4 million) to pursue a England, which hosted and won the our hosting proposals to FIFA and the the 2010 vote, said “the corrupt under- fi ve-nation bid for a World Cup with 1966 World Cup, is exploring bidding wider global football community.” tones were all there.” Ireland. with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ire- FIFA is planning for its congress of During the World Cup bidding, The English Football Association land and Ireland. 211 football nations to pick the 2030 FIFA was led by Sepp Blatter who was disclosed the fi nancial assistance for a London, Glasgow and Dublin are host in 2024. later banned from football for six years potential British Isles bid on Monday being used this year among the 12 A rival bid in Europe is being pur- by the FIFA ethics committee after be- as it received fresh backing from Brit- cities across the continent staging the sued by Spain and Portugal and UEFA ing forced from offi ce in 2015. ish Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 2020 European Championship that wants a single proposal from the conti- Cameron said the corruption at FIFA “We are very, very keen to bring was rescheduled due to the coronavi- nent. There is also a coalition of South refl ected an issue “that proved to be football home in 2030. I do think it’s rus pandemic. American countries pushing ahead more prevalent than I had expected.” the right place,” Johnson said in an with a bid from Argentina, Uruguay, “Those same forces that had de- interview with “The Sun” newspaper. SOCCER Paraguay and Chile. nied Britain the World Cup,” Cam- “It’s the home of football, it’s the right China could also bid if FIFA changes eron wrote in his 2019 autobiography, time. It will be an absolutely wonder- its rules on rotation of World Cup hosts “bribery, lack of transparency, col- ful thing for the country.” “We will continue to undertake fea- with the Asian Confederation also stag- lusion, fraud were depriving people Johnson calling England the “home” sibility work to assess the viability of ing the 2022 edition in Qatar. The con- around the world of safer, healthier, of football is the language the coun- a bid before FIFA formally open the tinent’s turn on hosting is not due to wealthier lives.” try’s bid for the 2018 World Cup process in 2022,” read a joint state- come again until 2034. The 2026 World FIFA has been led since 2016 by sought to avoid so the FA didn’t give ment on Monday from the fi ve British Cup will be jointly hosted by the United Gianni Infantino. A special prosecutor the impression of seeming entitled to Isles football associations. “Staging a States, Canada and Mexico. in Switzerland last year recommend- Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Sixth Ftorm students during a host the FIFA men’s showpiece. The FIFA World Cup would provide an in- The 2018 bidding process was ed opening a criminal investigation visit to Accrington Academy in Accrington, England, on Feb 25. (AP) 2018 bid fl opped, with only two of 22 credible opportunity to deliver tangible mired in controversy with many of the against Infantino, who denies wrong- FIFA votes received, despite Prince benefi ts for our nations. voters later embroiled in investigations doing. Soccer Roundup

Everton hold off Southampton Liverpool great Ian St John dies ‘Injured’ Zlatan could miss to be on verge of EPL top four return to Man U with Milan MILAN, Mar 2, (AP): AC Milan to the under-20 level and coached forward Zlatan Ibrahimović is out Austrian champion Salzburg’s again with injury and could miss youth team. his side’s Europa League match Bielefeld, which was promoted against Manchester United. last year, is in third-to-last place in Ibrahimović had to come off the 18-team league. Hertha Berlin on Sunday in the second half of a is just ahead on goal difference, 2-1 win at Roma after injuring a and improving Mainz is only one muscle in his left thigh. The Swed- point behind in a direct relegation ish forward will be re-evaluated place. Bielefeld still has a game in 10 days - the date of the trip to in hand, however. Its next game is Old Trafford for the first leg of the against Union Berlin on Sunday. Europa League round of 16 against Bielefeld earned only one point his former club. from its last five games – a 3-3 The 39-year-old Ibrahimović draw at Bayern Munich – and the will definitely be out for the Serie 3-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund on A matches against Udinese and Saturday was the fifth in a row in Hellas Verona before then. He which the team conceded at least could also miss the league match three goals. against Napoli on March 14 and ❑ ❑ ❑ the return match against Manches- ter United four days later. Ben Gumpert said Monday he It is a fourth spell on the side- will resign as president and chief lines for Ibrahimović this season operating officer of the United after testing positive for the coro- Soccer League’s Republic, a move navirus and two other injuries to announced three days after Major his left leg. League Soccer said Ron Burkle ❑ ❑ ❑ had backed out of plans for an ex- pansion team in Sacramento. Ian St John, the former Liver- Republic chairman Kevin Nagle pool forward who scored the win- said general manager Todd Duni- ning goal to seal the club’s first FA vant will become team president of Cup title and was a key player in the second-tier club and will con- its rebuild under Bill Shankly in the tinue to oversee soccer operations. 1960s, has died. He was 82. Gumpert will assist with the St John died on Monday fol- transition and be an adviser to lowing illness, Liverpool said on Nagle. Tuesday. “I’m grateful that he will con- A Scotland international who tinue to advise me as we continue later fronted the popular British TV into this season and in our pursuit show “Saint and Greavsie” along- to MLS,” Nagle said in a statement. side another former player, Jimmy ❑ ❑ ❑ Greaves, St John played 425 games for Liverpool from 1961-71 and The US men’s soccer team will scored 118 goals. play 47th-ranked Jamaica on No goal was bigger than the one March 25 at Wiener Neustadt, he scored in extra time to clinch a Austria, the fi rst of two exhibitions Everton’s Richarlison, (left), and Southampton’s Stuart Armstrong challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton with the full player pool in Europe and Southampton at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, on March 1. (AP) 2-1 win for Liverpool over Leeds in the 1965 FA Cup final. on FIFA international fi xture dates. St. John joined for a club-record The Americans had previous- fee from Scottish team Motherwell ly scheduled a March 28 match Richarlison stars Zidane’s switching formations backfired while Liverpool was in the second against Northern Ireland in Bel- division and, alongside Ron Yeats, fast. The Jamaica game was an- LIVERPOOL, England, was part of the spine of a team which nounced Monday by the US Soccer earned promotion then won the Eng- Federation. March 2, (AP): Ever- Real Madrid held by Sociedad lish league title in 1964 and ‘66. The matches will be just the third ton ended its worst home ❑ ❑ ❑ and fourth in 16 months with the full player pool, a schedule caused run since 1958 by beating MADRID, March 2, (AP): It was its city rival, which has a game in Portu opened the scoring for the Relegation-threatened Arminia by the coronavirus pandemic. The Southampton 1-0 in the a tactical change that didn’t last hand. Madrid has the same points visitors with a header into the top Bielefeld hired Frank Kramer as 22nd-ranked US tied 0-0 at Wales English Premier League more than 15 minutes, but it was total as second-placed Barcelona corner in the 55th minute, taking coach on Tuesday, a day after fir- on Nov 12, followed four days later just long enough to cost Real Ma- but trails on goal difference. advantage of some soft defend- ing Uwe Neuhaus. by a 6-2 win over Panama at Wie- and keeping its Champions drid a chance to fight for the Span- A win would have moved Madrid ing by Madrid left back Ferland Kramer has only limited expe- ner Neustadt. League dream on track. ish league lead in the derby against within three points of Atlético en- Mendy. rience in the Bundesliga after a The US is preparing for a June 3 Richarlison scored for the third Atlético Madrid next weekend. tering the derby. “There was some disconnection two-game spell as interim coach at match against Honduras in a semi- Coach Zinedine Zidane’s attempt “We had our chances but couldn’t after the change to three defend- Hoffenheim in 2012 and relegation fi nal of the CONCACAF Nations consecutive match inside the first with Greuther Fürth a year later. In League followed by a champion- 10 minutes, and Everton held on to to push Madrid forward by switch- capitalize on them and in the end ers,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut ing formations midway through the we lost two points at home,” Zidane Courtois said. “We were a bit lost more recent years, he coached age- ship or third-place game on June 6 move within two points of fourth- group German national teams up against Mexico or Costa Rica. placed West Ham with a match in game against Real Sociedad back- said. “We can’t forget that we were and they had more space. In the hand. fired on Monday, leading to a 1-1 up against a great rival and it played end, Mendy couldn’t get to the But the pain for Saints continued home draw that kept the defend- very well.” cross in time and they scored a with one draw and eight defeats in ing champions from getting within great goal.” their last nine league matches, leaving range of the city rival going into the Zidane said he made the tactical them seven points above the bottom derby at Atlético’s Wanda Metro- SOCCER change because he wasn’t happy with three and wondering where their next politano Stadium on Sunday. how the team had been playing. win will come from. Madrid conceded after Zidane Sociedad, which had won three “It was only for about 10 or 15 changed a 4-3-3 formation to 3-5- in a row in the league, stayed in minutes and then I changed it back SOCCER 2 at halftime, leaving Madrid more fifth place, six points from fourth- to a 4-3-3 formation and we played exposed defensively. It needed an placed Sevilla in the final Champi- better,” he said. 89th-minute equalizer by Vinícius ons League place. Vinícius Júnior, in his 100th Saints would have thought they “We leave with a bad taste in our had a chance against Everton con- Júnior to salvage the draw. match with Madrid, equalized with sidering their host’s poor home “We changed to three defend- mouth,” Sociedad forward Cristian a shot from inside the area. form - three successive defeats - but ers because I didn’t like how we Portu said. “We deserved more. Madrid forward Mariano Díaz their only real opportunity fell to were pressing forward, but then we Usually an away draw against Real came close by hitting the crossbar Moussa Djenepo in the final 10 min- changed it back quickly,” Zidane Madrid is a good thing, but not with earlier in the game, and midfielder utes, and he blazed wide when well said. “Maybe it hurt us. I was try- the way that the game developed.” Casemiro also wasted a couple of placed. It was an escape for Everton, ing to change the dynamic of the Madrid, still without injured good opportunities with second- which faded after having a second game.” players such as Karim Benzema and half headers that flew wide. AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, (right) attempts to score a goal with goal ruled out for offside midway The draw halted Madrid’s four- Sergio Ramos, struggled against It was Madrid’s first draw at a back heel shot but Roma’s goalkeeper Pau Lopez saves during through the first half. game winning streak in the league Sociedad’s well-organized team at home in the league, adding to three the Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and AC Milan at the Richarlison’s angled finis in the and left the club five points from Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium. losses. Olympic Stadium, in Rome, Italy, on Feb 28. (AP) ninth minute was only his fifth in the league but, since the start of last season, Joao Pedro (30) and Paris St Federer out of Miami Open Germain’s Neymar (19) are the only Brazilians to score more goals in the top five European leagues than him. Playing in a two up front with Dom- Keys returns to tour in Doha, beats 6th seed Bencic inic Calvert-Lewin, who has 13 league DOHA, Qatar, March 2, (AP): In appointed that I couldn’t go to Aus- in their fi rst-round match. Pegula came goals, Richarlison took his chance her fi rst match since September, for- tralia, but very happy to have the fi rst through three rounds of qualifying. brilliantly. mer U.S. Open fi nalist Madison Keys match of my season like this.” The 56th-ranked Laura Siegemund Gylfi Sigurdsson, in the side for beat Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-1 at the Qa- The 2017 U.S. Open fi nalist said overcame a 33-place rankings gap to James Rodriguez who was left out as tar Open on Tuesday. that when she contracted the virus she Elena Rybakina as she won 7-6 (7), a precaution with a minor injury, capi- Keys hit 24 winners against 13 for “just had super, super mild symptoms, 7-6 (5). Siegemund meets Victoria Az- talized on the space given to him by the sixth-seeded Bencic, who was so I was really lucky.” arenka in the second round. Also, Ons Mohammed Salisu going down in an coming off a loss to Iga Swiatek in the Jabeur beat Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-2. aerial challenge with Calvert-Lewin fi nal of the Adelaide International on Meanwhile, Roger Federer is with- and teammate James Ward-Prowse. Saturday. TENNIS drawing from this month’s Miami The Iceland forward slid through a Keys was playing for the fi rst time Open so he can spend extra time pre- pass for Richarlison, who was making since her fi rst-round exit at the French Keys’ second-round opponent is paring to “work his way back out on the same centre-to-right diagonal run Open. She missed the Australian Open Maria Sakkari, who won their only tour,” his agent told The Associated which saw him score at Anfield last after testing positive for the coronavi- previous match last year. Aryna Sa- Press on Monday. time out, to round Fraser Forster. rus shortly before she was due to fl y to balenka and Garbine Muguruza are The 20-time Grand Slam champion It was the first time since since De- Real Madrid and Real Sociedad players jump for the header during the Melbourne on a charter fl ight. potential quarterfi nal opponents. has not competed in more than a year cember 2019 he has scored in three Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at “It’s amazing to be back. I’m smil- Australian Open quarterfi nalist Jessica after having two operations on his successive league matches. Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, on March 1. (AP) ing under my mask,” Keys said. “Dis- Pegula won against Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-1 right knee during last season. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 SPORTS 15 Necas lifts Canes over Panthers in OT

NHL Results/Standings

WASHINGTON, Mar 2, (AP): Results and standings from the NHL games on Monday. Ottawa 5 Calgary 1 Carolina 3 Florida OT 2 Vancouver 4 Winnipeg 0 Toronto 3 Edmonton 0 Vegas 5 Minnesota OT 4 St Louis 5 Anaheim 4 San Jose 6 Colorado 2 East Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 21 12 5 4 28 73 69 Boston 19 12 5 2 26 59 50 NY Islanders 21 11 6 4 26 56 49 Philadelphia 18 11 4 3 25 61 54 Pittsburgh 20 11 8 1 23 60 65 NY Rangers 19 7 9 3 17 50 52 New Jersey 17 7 8 2 16 45 52 Buffalo 19 6 10 3 15 44 57 Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Florida 21 13 4 4 30 67 60 Tampa Bay 19 14 4 1 29 69 39 Carolina 21 14 6 1 29 72 58 Chicago 23 12 7 4 28 73 68 Columbus 23 8 10 5 21 62 77 Nashville 21 10 11 0 20 49 64 Detroit 24 7 14 3 17 51 78 Dallas 16 6 6 4 16 46 45 West Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 18 13 4 1 27 56 40 St Louis 22 12 8 2 26 72 71 Minnesota 19 12 6 1 25 61 49 Colorado 19 11 7 1 23 57 48 Los Angeles 20 9 7 4 22 60 56 Arizona 21 9 9 3 21 56 64 San Jose 19 8 9 2 18 59 73 Anaheim 22 6 11 5 17 46 66 North Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Toronto 23 17 4 2 36 81 55 Edmonton 24 14 10 0 28 79 72 Winnipeg 21 13 7 1 27 69 57 Montreal 20 9 6 5 23 65 60 Calgary 23 10 11 2 22 59 70 Vancouver 25 9 14 2 20 72 85 Ottawa 24 8 15 1 17 66 92 Note: Two points for a win one point for overtime loss. The top four teams in each divi- sion will qualify for playoffs under this season’s temporary realign- Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) takes a shot against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) and defenseman Haydn Fleury (4) during the third period of an NHL ment. hockey game, on March 1, in Sunrise, Florida. (AP)

Virginia ends 3-game skid Batherson scores twice as Senators douse Flames

SUNRISE, Florida, March 2, (AP): Martin Necas scored career-high 44 saves. Cunningham, Oklahoma State Frank Vatrano and Eetu Loustarinen scored in the third period to give Florida 1:59 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the the lead, and Chris Driedger finished with 24 saves. The Panthers have lost three complete sweep of Oklahoma Florida Panthers 3-2. of four. Brett Pesce and Vincent Trochek also scored for the Hurricanes, who Senators 5, Flames 1 STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 2, blocks. won at Florida for the second time in three days. Alex Nedeljkovic had a In Ottawa, Ontario, Drake Batherson scored twice in Ottawa’s victory over (AP): Cade Cunningham scored 13 of Cameron Christon had 18 points and Calgary, giving him six straight games his 15 points in the fi nal 10 minutes seven rebounds for the Tigers (9-11, with a goal. to help No. 17 Oklahoma State beat 7-6). Sarion McGee added 10 points. Artem Anisimov and Evgenii Dada- No. 16 Oklahoma 79-75, completing Oregon 80, Arizona 69 nov also scored for the Senators, and a sweep of two games in three days In Eugene, Ore., Chris Duarte Colin White had an empty-net goal. against the rival Sooners. scored 22 points, Eugene Omoruyi Tim Stutzle contributed two assists Cunningham, a freshman who leads added 21 and Oregon ended Arizona’s to help Ottawa (8-15-1) win for the the Big 12 in scoring, had 40 points in season with an win. fourth time in five games. Saturday’s 94-90 overtime win. This The Wildcats self-imposed a one- The 22-year-old Batherson has time, the 6-foot-8 guard was a decoy year postseason ban, including the seven goals in his last six games. He much of the night but fi nished strong Pac-12 tournament, following a matched Jason Spezza for the longest in his fi nal home game. NCAA investigation. goal streak in franchise history. Kalib Boone had 17 points and nine Matt Murray, pulled from Satur- rebounds, and Bryce Williams scored LJ Figueroa scored 14 points and Will Richardson 12 for Oregon (17-5, day’s 6-3 loss to the Flames, stopped 14 for the Cowboys (17-6, 10-6 Big 27 shots for the win. 12), who won their fi fth straight game 12-4), which has won 10 of 12 in the overall and earned their third consecu- series. Canucks 4, Jets 0 tive win over a ranked opponent. TX Southern 68, Ala. A&M 58 In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thatcher Demko stopped 27 shots for his first Virginia 62, Miami 51 In Normal, Ala., Galen Alexander had 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead career shutout and Vancouver scored In Charlottesville, Va., Sam Hauser three times in the first period against scored 18 points and Virginia ended a Texas Southern to a win over Alabama A&M. Winnipeg. three-game skid by handing Miami its Nate Schmidt, J.T. Miller and Nils sixth loss in a row. Michael Weathers had 18 points for Texas Southern (11-8, 8-3 Southwest- Hoglander had early goals to help the Trey Murphy III added 12 points Canucks end a four-game losing streak for the Cavaliers (16-6, 12-4 Atlantic ern Athletic Conference), which won its fourth straight game. Karl Nicholas (0-3-1). Elias Pettersson added an Coast Conference), who took com- empty-netter. mand with a 14-2 run to end the fi rst added 13 points and nine rebounds. half. Yahuza Rasas had 10 rebounds. Jalen Johnson had 16 points and 13 ICE HOCKEY rebounds for the Bulldogs (6-7, 4-7), BASKETBALL who have now lost fi ve games in a row. Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves Garrett Hicks added 16 points. Jevon for the Jets, who had won four straight. Tatum had 13 points. Kameron McGusty scored 14 points Blues 5, Ducks 4 and Elijah Olaniyi had 12 for the Hur- Sam Houston St. 83, HBU 70 Baylor guard DiJonai Carrington (top), and Texas guard Kyra Lambert (15) scramble for a loose ball during the ricanes (7-16, 3-15). second half of an NCAA college basketball game, on March 1, in Austin, Texas. (AP) In Anaheim, California, Dakota In Houston, Demarkus Lampley had Joshua scored in his NHL debut and Jackson St. 64, UAPB 58, OT 19 points to lead fi ve Sam Houston Zach Sanford got two goals to lead St. In Jackson, Miss., Tristan Jarrett had players in double fi gures as the Bear- UConn ends regular season, beats Marquette 63-53 Louis past Anaheim. a season-high 32 points, making all 14 kats beat Houston Baptist. Jordan Kyrou and David Perron also of his free throws, and grabbed 13 re- Donte Powers scored 13 points, scored for the Blues, who won for the bounds as Jackson State won its ninth Tristan Ikpe chipped 12, Bryce Mon- second time in five games. Ville Husso consecutive game, topping Arkansas- roe 11 and Zach Nutall had 10 for the Baylor claims 11th straight Big 12 title made 29 saves in the same arena where he Pine Bluff in overtime. Bearkats (18-7, 12-2 Southland Con- earned his first NHL victory on Jan. 31. Jonas James had 11 points and six ference). Powers also had fi ve steals, AUSTIN, Texas, March 2, (AP): Na- Isac Lundeström scored three goals rebounds for Jackson State (9-5, 9-0 while Ikpe posted seven rebounds. Lyssa Smith scored 23 points and No. Tokyo Olympics add 12 women for the Ducks, whose winless skid Southwestern Athletic Conference). Darius Lee had 24 points and nine 6 Baylor used a dominant third quarter stretched to a season-worst seven Isaiah Williams added 9 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies (4-17, 3-10), to build a lead, then had to fi ght off a games. Ryan Getzlaf scored late, and rebounds. whose losing streak reached four late Texas rally to earn a 64-57 victory to executive board to reach 42% John Gibson stopped 30 shots. games. Za-Ontay Boothman added 20 that locked up sole possession of the Dequan Morris had 12 points for the TOKYO, March 2, (AP): The To- gender equality, we believe that it Golden Lions (3-20, 2-12), who have points. Big 12 title for the Lady Bears. Golden Knights 5, Wild 4, OT Baylor had already clinched a least kyo Olympics made a symbolic is necessary to work with a sense In Las Vegas, Max Pacioretty scored now lost 12 straight games. Terrance Lamar 66, Texas A&M-CC 47 gesture toward gender equality on of speed and produce solid results Banyard added 10 points. a share of the program’s 12th league twice, including the winner in overtime, In Beaumont, Texas, David Muo- Tuesday by appointing 12 women in order to restore the trust in the to lift Vegas over Minnesota. MBSU 67, Grambling St. 63 ka had 12 points and 13 rebounds as championship and 11th in a row, and the victory locked out any chance West to the body’s executive board. organizing committee,” Hashi- The Golden Knights erased a two- In Itta Bena, Miss., Caleb Hunter Lamar topped Texas A&M-Corpus The board will now have 19 moto said at the start of the board goal deficit in the third period and won had 21 points as Mississippi Valley Christi. Virginia had of staking a claim to the crown. women among its 45 members, or meeting. a matchup between the West Divi- State narrowly beat Grambling State. Avery Sullivan added 11 points and 42%. Hashimoto, a former Olympic Smith scored eight in the third quar- sion’s top two teams. Donalson Fanord had 15 points, 12 12 rebounds for the Cardinals (7-17, To accom- bronze-medal winner in speeds- After Alex Tuch scored the tying rebounds and three blocks for Missis- 6-10 Southland Conference). Kasen ter when Baylor broke open what had modate the kating, promised when she took a been a close but sloppy game in a goal with 42 seconds left in regulation, sippi Valley State (2-20, 2-12 South- Harrison and Davion Buster added 15 new women, over to increase female participa- it was Pacioretty punching home the western Athletic Conference), which points apiece. rematch of a 25-point Lady Bears win the size of tion in the body’s executive board. earlier this season. winner after captain Mark Stone fed broke its four-game losing streak. Simeon Fryer had nine points and the board It had stood at about 20%. him with his fifth primary assist of the Terry Collins added 11 points, 12 re- seven rebounds for the Islanders (4-18, was in- Muto also said the board will game. bounds and six assists. Leandre How- 1-12). BASKETBALL creased from now have one female vice-presi- ard had 4 points and fi ve blocks. The The Cardinals evened the season se- Sharks 6, Avalanche 2 35 to 45. dent among seven. In San Jose, California, Erik Karls- Delta Devils had a season-high 12 ries against the Islanders. Several res- Japan ranks 121st out of 153 in Baylor (20-2, 15-1) has won 10 in son scored for the first time this season ignations on the World Economic Forum’s gen- during a four-goal third period that a row over Texas and 25 of the last 26 Tuesday also der-equality ranking, and women meetings. Hashimoto helped San Jose roll past Colorado. created more are seldom found in leadership Rudolfs Balcers broke a tie early in Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 15 space. roles or in the boardroom. points to lead Texas (16-8, 10-7). the third, John Leonard scored on a The move was announced by The move is unlikely to have breakaway and Evander Kane added UConn 63, Marquette 53 CEO Toshiro Muto after an execu- long-term impact. The Tokyo an empty-netter as the Sharks pulled In Storrs, Conn., Olivia Nelson- tive board meeting. The names of Olympic organizing committee away to beat the Avalanche for the first Ododa had 19 points and 10 rebounds the new members were expected employs about 3,500 people but time in three tries this season. Timo to lead UConn past Marquette in the to be announced on Wednesday. will be dissolved after the post- Meier assisted on the first three goals regular-season fi nale for both teams. Seiko Hashimoto, the new presi- poned Olympics take place. in the third. Aaliyah Edwards added 16 points dent of the organizing committee, Hashimoto is scheduled to meet and eight rebounds for UConn (21-1, prompted the changes. She took over on Wednesday in a “fi ve-party Maple Leafs 3, Oilers 0 18-0 Big East), which ended the regu- last month after 83-year-old former meeting” with International Olym- In Edmonton, Alberta, Michael lar season without a conference loss president Yoshiro Mori was forced pic Committee President Thomas Hutchinson stopped 31 shots for his for the eighth straight year. to resign after making derogatory Bach, International Paralympic sixth career shutout as Toronto beat Camryn Taylor scored 19 points to comments about women. Committee President Andrew Edmonton. lead Marquette (17-5, 14-4), which Essentially, he said they talk too Parsons, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Morgan Rielly and William Nyland- lost for the fi rst time in six games and much. Koike and Olympic minister er each had a goal and an assist, and “Regarding the promotion of Tamayo Marukawa. Zach Hyman also scored. The Maple will be the No. 2 seed in this week- Leafs blanked the Oilers for the sec- end’s Big East Tournament. ond straight game, following a 4-0 win Lauren Van Kleunen had 12 points and Butler had its best offense game of the Butler (3-16, 3-15). Saturday. and Jordan King added 11 for the season to shock DePaul to wrap up the Deja Church and Lexi Held scored Mikko Koskinen allowed three Oklahoma State guards Cade Cunningham (2) and Keylan Boone (20) at- Golden Eagles. regular season. It was Butler’s fi rst-ever 20 points each and Church grabbed 12 goals on 10 shots before being re- tempt to block a shot by Oklahoma guard De’Vion Harmon (11) during an Butler 86, Depaul 81 win over DePaul in 21 meetings. rebounds for DePaul (14-7, 11-5), which placed by Mike Smith to start the sec- NCAA college basketball game, on March 1, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (AP) In Chicago, Upe Atosu scored 22 points Okako Adika added 17 points for lost for the third time in four games, ond period. ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 16

In this Nov 8, 2019 file photo, President of FC Barcelona Josep Bartomeu pauses dur- ing an interview with The Associated Press at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com ‘Every club has its difficult moments’ Bartomeu provisionally set free after spending night in jail MADRID, March 2, (AP): Former The club itself has not been charged who was hired by Bartomeu. “We taker board since the 58-year-old on Monday, including Bartomeu’s Barcelona president Josep Maria but Bartomeu was not cleared. Court have to wait and see what happens. Bartomeu and his board of directors house. Authorities said they were Bartomeu was provisionally set free officials lifted the case’s secrecy and All we can do is to focus on our job.” resigned in October while facing a investigating “alleged crimes related on Tuesday after appearing before a those accused will have access to the Barcelona are coming off their first no-confidence vote. He had been to property and socio-economic judge following a night in jail while evidence gathered by authorities season without a trophy since 2007- loudly criticized by Messi, whose order.” being investigated for possible irregu- before appearing in court again. 08. The team lost to Paris Saint- request to leave the club last season Barcelona had denied accusations larities during his administration. The arrests came less than a week Germain 4-1 in the first leg of the was denied by the then-president. that it hired - and overpaid - a com- Court officials said Bartomeu and before the club holds presidential Barcelona have a debt of more than pany to make negative comments his former adviser at the Spanish club, elections, and added to the turmoil 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion), in about its own players and opponents Jaume Masferrer, used their right not surrounding the team recently. SOCCER large part because of the coronavirus on social media in order to boost the to make any comments in court. “Every club has its difficult pandemic. image of senior club officials. The Bartomeu, Masferrer and two other moments,” said Barcelona coach “What worries me the most is the company was accused of using fake round of 16 of the Champions League club officials were arrested on Ronald Koeman, who took over after club’s institutional instability, not its social media accounts to discredit Everton’s Lucas Digne (top), and Monday after Catalan police raided the club’s crisis erupted following the last week, and on Wednesday will try financial difficulty,” Spanish league opposition figures, a list said to Southampton’s Moussa Djenepo Barcelona’s headquarters in a search team’s 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in to reverse a 2-0 first-leg loss to Sevilla president Javier Tebas said. “When a include Messi, Gerard Piqué and for- challenge for the ball during the and seizure operation related to last the quarterfinals of the Champions in the Copa del Rey semifinals. The new president is elected I’m certain mer coach Pep Guardiola, when they English Premier League soccer year’s “Barçagate.” In that case, the League. “It’s true that a lot has hap- Catalans are five points off the lead in that the club will overcome this situa- expressed views that went against the match between Everton and club was accused of launching a pened, but we remain motivated and the Spanish league. tion.” club. Southampton at Goodison Park in smear campaign against current and will keep fighting to win titles. Barcelona, which could also lose Members of the police’s financial The club released an independent Liverpool, England, March 1. former players who were critical of “It obvious that this is not good for Lionel Messi after his contract ends crimes department conducted the audit report showing there was no Everton won 1-0. (AP) then-president Bartomeu and others. the image of the club,” said Koeman, this season, have been led by a care- operation in five different locations wrongdoing. – See Page 14 Cavs hand Rockets 12th straight loss Nets snap 17-game losing streak in San Antonio

HOUSTON, March 2, (AP): Collin Sexton scored World Cup qualifying 39 points and the Cleveland revised in Asia again Cavaliers handed the hap- KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, less Houston Rockets their March 2, (AP): Australia’s 12th straight loss with a World Cup qualifying match against Nepal on March 30 has 101-90 victory on Monday been postponed, leaving only night. three games to be played in Asia The Cavaliers have won a sea- this month as organizers con- son-high four straight after losing sider central locations to finish their previous 10 games. the second round by mid-June. Cleveland had a 10-point lead in the The Asian Football fourth quarter before John Wall scored Confederation announced last all of Houston’s points in a 6-2 run month that all but four of the that cut the deficit to 95-89 with 3 region’s remaining second- minutes left. round qualifiers for the 2022 The Cavaliers scored the next four World Cup had been postponed points with the help of a steal by to May and June. Darius Garland to push the lead back to 10 a minute later. SOCCER BASKETBALL With AFC’s latest revision on Tuesday, it’s now down to three. It’s Houston’s longest losing streak Mongolia are set to play since dropping 15 in a row in 2001 and Tajikistan on March 25 in the first time the Rockets have lost five Group F before traveling to straight at home since March 2006. Tokyo to play Japan on March Wall’s performance was the only thing 30. Saudi Arabia is scheduled to that kept the Rockets in this one. He host Palestine in Group D, also had 23 points by halftime finished on March 30. with a season-high 32. The race is now on to finish Houston led by one early in the the round before the June 15 fourth quarter after a 3-pointer by Ben deadline. Most countries have McLemore when the Cavaliers used a played five of their scheduled 13-0 spurt to take a 90-78 lead midway eight group games. through the period. Osman had two The AFC said it has “opened 3-pointers in that stretch and Sexton the invitation” to member asso- added five points. Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell (left), and forward Maxi Kleber (42) goes after a rebound against Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, (center), ciations to host their respective Bickerstaff was impressed with and forward Chuma Okeke, (back right), during the second half of an NBA basketball game on March 1, in Orlando, Fla. (AP) groups in a centralized format. Sexton’s performance. No second-round qualifying Nets 124, Spurs 113 OT The Spurs closed the fourth quarter Playing just their second game since finished with a game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 to help matches have been played since on a 10-0 run to force overtime, with being sidelined for two weeks by for Utah (27-8), which was outscored the Nuggets come away with the win November 2019, with multiple In San Antonio, while Kevin Durant 3-pointers by Lonnie Walker IV and health and safety protocols due to 74-56 in the paint in losing for just the after blowing a 15-point lead. postponements caused by travel has to sit down, James Harden keeps Patty Mills and a driving layup by COVID-19, the Spurs got off to a slug- eighth time this season, but also the Jamal Murray scored 24. Michael restrictions amid the COVID-19 stepping up. DeMar DeRozan. gish start against the active Nets. second time in three games. Porter Jr added 17 points and 15 pandemic. Harden had 30 points, 15 assists and Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray Pelicans 129, Jazz 124 New Orleans led by as many as 17 rebounds, and the Nuggets won for the 14 rebounds and the Brooklyn Nets tied the game at 108 to close regula- in the second half and was still up 14 third time in four games. overcame a collapse in the final sec- In New Orleans, Zion Williamson tion after initially losing the ball near when Ball’s 3 made it 122-108 with All-Star Zach LaVine led Chicago Trail Blazers 123, Hornets 111 onds of regulation to beat the Spurs showed no fear of renowned Jazz rim 3:54 left. with 23 points and grabbed nine 124-113 in overtime , snapping a the 3-point line while attempting to protector Rudy Gobert and spearhead- In Portland, Ore, after Portland’s drive to the paint. Murray was able to But Utah steadily chipped away rebounds. Coby White added 20 points Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points 17-game losing streak in San Antonio. ed a relentless – and effective – assault during the next three minutes, pulling and 10 rebounds. Harden had his seventh triple-dou- gather the loose ball behind him, on the Utah basket. against Charlotte, he exchanged jer- quickly turning and rising to hit a to 125-124 on Royce O’Neale’s 3 with The Bulls performed better down seys with Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball, ble in 22 games with Brooklyn since Williamson had 26 points, 10 46.7 seconds left. Mitchell, who scored the stretch in this one after getting being traded from Houston, where he 21-footer with Harden defending as rebounds and five assists, and the New who had 30. time expired. eight of his points in the final minutes dominated late in a loss to Phoenix on Anthony had six of Portland’s fran- plays again Wednesday. Orleans Pelicans held off a late Utah to help give the Jazz a chance, missed Friday. But they dropped their second Despite recent injuries to Durant Brooklyn scored the first eight comeback bid to beat the NBA-leading chise-record 24 3-pointers and the points of overtime to regain command a driving floater with a chance to put straight after winning three in a row. Trail Blazers snapped a four-game los- and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn remains Jazz 129-124 . Utah back in the lead. Jokic also put Denver back on top second in the Eastern Conference at and went on to win a regular-season And the defenders he attacked ing streak with a 123-111 victory on game in San Antonio for the first time Gobert, who had 22 points, nine with a three-point play off a dunk with Monday night. 23-13. included the 7-foot-1 Gobert, a two- rebounds and five blocks, was called since Jan 22, 2002. two minutes remaining, and Murray At one point Ball hit a 3-pointer and Irving added 27 points and Bruce time NBA defensive player of the for a loose-ball foul trying to get the then nailed a 3-pointer to make it 112- Brown had 23 for Brooklyn, which DeRozan had 22 points and 11 year. did Anthony’s signature 3-to-the- rebound and Williamson hit two free 108. dome gesture. bounced back after a loss to Dallas on assists, while Murray and Walker each Brandon Ingram scored 26 points throws to put New Orleans up three. Saturday ended its eight-game win had 19 points. All five starters scored and Lonzo Ball added 23 points to go 76ers 130, Indiana 114 Damian Lillard had 21 points and 10 assists and Robert Covington con- streak. in double figures for San Antonio. with eight assists, seven rebounds and Nuggets 118, Bulls 112 In Philadelphia, Shake Milton shook two blocks, giving New Orleans three In Chicago, Nikola Jokic dominated tributed a season-high 21 points and off a defender with a crossover that 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who got starters with 20-plus points. with 39 points and 14 rebounds, and sent the 76ers into a frenzy, and Furkan Pelicans reserve JJ Redick scored the Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago off to a sluggish start but led by as NBA Results/Standings Korkmaz buried 3-pointers that sent many as 19 points in the final quarter. 17 points, highlighted by a pair of Bulls 118-112 . them on their way toward a romp. four-point plays on 3-pointers as he Jokic finished with nine assists, just Lillard also had six 3s. This win belonged to the bench. The Hornets have not won in was fouled. missing his 50th career triple-double. Milton scored 26 points, Korkmaz Portland since March 2008. The WASHINGTON, March 2, (AP): NBA results and standings on Monday. Bojan Bogdanovic hit seven 3s and The three-time All-Star came up huge had 19 and the reserves sparked the Blazers are 25-6 against Charlotte in Dallas 130 Orlando 124 Brooklyn 124 San Antonio OT 113 Philadelphia 76ers to 130-114 win Portland. Philadelphia 130 Indiana 114 Cleveland 101 Houston 90 over the Indiana Pacers . Denver 118 Chicago 112 Portland 123 Charlotte 111 Mavericks 130, Magic 124 New Orleans 129 Utah 124 The Sixers followed one of their In Orlando, Fla, Luka Doncic had worst losses of the season to the strug- 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine Eastern Conference Western Conference gling Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday Atlantic Division Southwest Division assists, Kristaps Porzingis played a with a smackdown of the mediocre nearly flawless second half and the W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Pacers. Joel Embiid had 24 points and Philadelphia 23 12 .657 - San Antonio 17 13 .567 - Dallas Mavericks beat the Orlando Brooklyn 23 13 .639 -1/2 Dallas 17 16 .515 1-1/2 13 rebounds on a sore left ankle. Ben Magic 130-124 on Monday night. New York 18 17 .514 5 Memphis 15 15 .500 2 Simmons had 18 points and six Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 24 Boston 17 17 .500 5-1/2 New Orleans 15 19 .441 4 rebounds. points in the second half as the Toronto 17 17 .500 5-1/2 Houston 11 22 .333 7-1/2 The All-Stars got their numbers. Mavericks broke open a close game. Southeast Division Northwest Division The reserves got their highlights. Dallas has won four of its last five and W L Pct GB W L Pct GB Milton sank three 3-pointers and nine of 12. Miami 17 17 .500 - Utah 27 8 .771 - Korkmaz hit six 3s in a game in which Charlotte 16 18 .471 1 Portland 19 14 .576 7 Doncic, who made 12 of 22 shots Atlanta 14 20 .412 3 Denver 19 15 .559 7-1/2 they got some time, turning it into a and five 3-pointers. Washington 13 19 .406 3 Oklahoma City 14 20 .412 12-1/2 rout. Nikola Vucevic had 29 points, 15 Orlando 13 22 .371 4-1/2 Minnesota 7 28 .200 20 Korkmaz and Milton blew the game rebounds and eight assists for the Central Division Pacific Division open for the Sixers in the second quar- Magic, who dropped their fourth W L Pct GB W L Pct GB ter and built a 20-point lead. Korkmaz, straight. Milwaukee 21 13 .618 - LA Lakers 24 11 .686 - averaging 7.6 points, and Milton 13.4, The Mavs shot 52.2% from the floor Indiana 15 18 .455 5-1/2 LA Clippers 24 12 .667 -1/2 Chicago 15 18 .455 5-1/2 Phoenix 22 11 .667 1 about crushed those numbers in the and made 17 of 46 3-point attempts. Cleveland 14 21 .400 7-1/2 Golden State 19 16 .543 5 Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton (2) shoots between Houston quarter. Milton was 4 of 6 for nine They improved to 13-4 when leading Detroit 9 25 .265 12 Sacramento 13 21 .382 10-1/2 Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (left), and center Justin Patton (right), dur- points; Korkmaz sank four 3-pointers at the half and 5-1 when shooting bet- ing the first half of an NBA basketball game, March 1, in Houston. (AP) and scored 13. ter than 50%.

THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office: Telephone: 24813566 & 24849144 Advertising: Tel: 55633481 Annual Subscriptions: Airport Road, Shuwaikh Fax: 24818267 Fax: 24911307 Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Offi cial Tel: 24849144 AHMED AL JARALLAH Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for Fax: 24839487 P.O. Box 2270, 13023 Safat, Kuwait E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] overseas