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Iran says it ‘unintentionally’ shot down Ukrainian jetlinerTehran

Iran announced yesterday that its military “unin-tentionally” shot down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 aboard, after

the government had repeatedly denied Western accusa-tions that it was responsible.

The plane was shot down early Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bas-

es housing US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. No one was wounded in the attack on the bases.

A military statement carried by state media said the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned towards a “sensitive military centre” of the Revolutionary Guard. The military was at its “highest level of readiness,” it said, amid the heightened tensions with the United States.

02Bahraini cities, best models of ‘balanced urban development’

03Eight firms vying for contract to ‘construct Hamad Town Market’

04

Hundreds of strays being ‘neutered every week’ after menace complaint

8

India blows up high-rises over violations 5WORLD

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Bahrain Olympic team held by Iraq in AFC U23 football Bahrain’s Olympic foot-ball team missed out ona much-needed victory yesterday after conceding a late goal in a 2-2 draw with Iraq in the 2020 AFC U23 Champion- ship in Thailand. P16

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Iran should swallow its pride and resume talks with the US

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Sultan Qaboos

dies Three days of official mourning after the longest ruling leader in the Middle East passes away

• Qaboos had no children and had not publicly appointed a successor.

• Qaboos had been unwell for years and had recently spent a week in Belgium for treatment.

Muscat

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said died on Friday evening, state media said

early on Saturday without men-tioning a cause of death, and a three-day period of national mourning was declared.

Qaboos, 79, had ruled the Gulf Arab state since he took over in 1970.

Qaboos had no children and had not publicly appointed a suc-cessor. A 1996 statute says the ruling family will choose a suc-cessor within three days of the throne becoming vacant.

If they fail to agree, a council

of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs and heads of the two consultative assem-blies will put in power the person whose name has been secretly written by the sultan in a sealed letter.

However, Omani newspapers

claimed that Oman’s new ruler will be Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said. He reportedly took the oath of allegiance as sultan to succeed his cousin Qaboos bin Said.

A three-day period of official mourning for the public and pri-vate sectors has been declared, and flags are to be flown at half mast for 40 days, state media said.

Oman state news agency ONA said Qaboos died after “a wise and triumphant march rich with generosity that embraced Oman and extended to the Arab, Muslim and entire world and achieved a balanced policy that the whole world respected.”

Qaboos had been unwell for years and had spent a week in Belgium undergoing medical treatment in early December.

The Royal court of Oman put out a statement this morning say-ing: “To the people of the beloved homeland in all its districts, to

the Arab and Islamic nations and to the world at large.

“It is with hearts filled with faith in Allah and his Providence, and with great sorrow and deep sadness – yet with complete sat-isfaction and absolute submis-sion to the will of the Almighty Allah, that the Diwan of Royal Court mourns His Majesty Sul-tan Qaboos Bin Said, who passed away on Friday, the 14th of Ju-mada Al-Ula, the 10th of Janu-ary 2020.”

Oman’s newly sworn-in Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said carries the coffin of his cousin, the late Sultan Qaboos, during the funeral in Muscat.

New Sultan swears in

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, 65, has been sworn in

after Oman’s Defence Council announced he would succeed the late Sultan Qaboos as rul-er of Oman. A tweet from an Omani Government account said that he had been sworn in “after a meeting of the family” and that the decision to ap-point him reflected the wish-es of Sultan Qaboos.

Sultan Haitham’s message to Omanis and the world was clear: Oman would continue down the path laid by Sultan Qaboos as a facilitator of peace.

He vowed to “continue the journey” his predecessor had started. He also said Oman would continue the foreign policy approach adopted by the late Sultan, one based on “peaceful coexistence be-tween nations” and on non-in-terference.

“We will follow the same line as the late sultan, and the principles that he asserted for the foreign policy of our coun-try, of peaceful coexistence among nations and people, and good neighbourly behav-iour of non-interference in the affairs of others,” he said in his first public remarks as sultan.

Sultan Haitham

Condolences offered

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa

bin Salman Al Khalifa yester-day sent a cable of condolences to HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman, following the sad demise of HM Sultan Qa-boos bin Said of Oman.

HRH the Premier extended deepest condolences to HM Sul-tan Haitham, as well as the Roy-al Family and Omani people.

He paid homage to the de-ceased for his dedicated efforts to serve the Arab and Islam-

ic nations, achieve Oman’s wide-ranging development and bolster the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) march, as well as his noble stances in support of Arab and Islamic issues.

He prayed to Allah the Al-mighty to bless the deceased with mercy, guide HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on the path of success in carrying on the de-velopment march in his country and give HM, the Royal Family and the people of Oman solace and fortitude.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said ruled Oman for nearly 50 years.

Funeral prayer

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has is-

sued an order to perform the Salat Al Ghaib (Absentee fu-neral prayer) for the soul of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, who passed away yester-day, at the Kingdom’s various mosques.

A mourner cries while speaking at a vigil held in honour of a plane crash victim at the University of Toronto.

Talks over royal couple future ‘progressing’ London

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hope talks over

their future roles in the Roy-al Family can be concluded “sooner rather than later”, a source has told PA news agency.

Meetings are said to be “progressing well”, with the UK and Canadian govern-ments consulted.

The couple have said they plan to step back as senior royals and split their time between the UK and North America.

Meghan has returned to Canada to join her son Ar-chie amid the ongoing talks.

The family spent Christ-mas there, before returning to the UK on Tuesday after a six-week break from royal duties.

UAE schools closed after flooding Dubai

Many schools in the UAE have decided to stay

shut today due to damages caused by the heavy rains over the weekend. Some schools also postponed ex-ams because of the unstable weather.

GEMS Our Own Indian School Al Quoz said in a circular to parents: “The CASE examination for Grade 10 Mathematics (Basic and Standard) scheduled to be held on January 12 will now be postponed to January 19.”

02SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

Bahraini cities, best models of ‘balanced urban development’

BACA holds special ceremony over Revitalisation of Muharraq Area project winning Aga Khan Award

• The Revitalisation of Muharraq project was first Initiated as a series of restoration and adaptive reuse of a number of edifices under the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research.

• The deputy premier expressed thanks to BACA President and all those who contributed to Muharraq’s winning of the prestigious award.

Manama

Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Ministe-rial Committee for Devel-

opment and Infrastructure Pro-jects, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, has stressed that Bah-raini cities boast distinguished urban features and a rich histo-ry of cultural and civilisational achievements.

This, he said, requires everyone to cooperate in order to preserve the Bahraini cities’ achievements and to use them in making an infrastructure that would con-tribute to achieving sustainable development goals and enhanc-ing the kingdom’s civilisational status at the regional and inter-national levels.

The deputy premier made the statements as he patronised a celebration held by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and An-tiquities (BACA) at the Pearl Path Visitor Centre in Muharraq on the winning of the Revitalisation of Muharraq Area project of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Archi-tecture.

BACA President, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, min-isters and ambassadors of broth-erly and friendly countries, in ad-dition to the Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Farrokh Derakhshani, and jury members, attended the ceremony.

Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla af-firmed that BACA had attained many achievements that contrib-uted to enhancing the kingdom’s regional and international status thanks to the constant support enjoyed by the cultural sector from His Majesty King Ham-ad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, praising the role played by the cultural sector in promot-ing Bahrain’s national achieve-

ments and image at various inter-national gatherings.

The deputy premier expressed thanks to BACA President and all those who contributed to Muhar-raq’s winning of the prestigious award, noting that the exploit embodies the dedicated efforts made to establish the status of Bahrain as one of the most im-portant centres that attract in-vestment, economic, tourism and cultural activities.

The Revitalisation of Muharraq project was first Initiated as a series of restoration and adap-tive reuse of a number of edi-fices under the Shaikh Ebrahim

Centre for Culture and Research since 2002. It then evolved into a comprehensive programme en-titled Pearling Path, Testimony of an Island Economy involving various architects, planners and researchers. The project both highlights the town’s pearling history and aims to re-balance its demographic makeup, enticing local families back through im-provements to the environment and provision of community and cultural venues.

BACA President, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said that the Pearl Path site embod-ies an important historical phase

in Bahrain’s history, noting that the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture adds to Muharraq’s achievements.

She affirmed that the prestig-ious award was attained thanks to HM King Hamad’s unwavering support for the cultural sector.

She also asserted that the win crowns long years of fruitful work to revitalise Bahrain’s old towns, and project to the world Bahrain’s rich historical heritage.

She expressed sincere thanks and gratitude to Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla for patronising the ceremony, and support for BACA’s projects and programmes.

Farrokh Derakhshani, in his statement, lauded the Revitalisa-tion of Muharraq project, hailing the role played by Shaikha Mai and BACA’s work team in reviving Bahrain’s heritage.

Member of the steering com-mittee of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Dr Mohammed Al Assad, congratulated the project’s work team, expressing pride in the project.

On the sidelines of the event, the Deputy Premier toured the Pearl Path, and visited the Nuzul Al Salam heritage house which was reopened as a hotel in the old town of Muharraq, Bahrain.

The renovation is a joint pro-ject between the UAE and Sheikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research in Bahrain, as part of wider collaborative efforts be-tween the cultural authorities of the two Gulf nations.

Shaikh Khalid tours the Pearl Path in the presence of Shaikha Mai and other BACA officials. Shaikha Mai speaks at the event.

Solid Bahraini-Thai relations stressed Manama

Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khali-

fa, yesterday received Thai For-eign Affairs Minister Don Pra-mudwinai, who is on an official visit to Bahrain.

The minister expressed his pride in this visit, which reflects the distinguished friendship be-tween the two Kingdoms and their constant aspiration and great interest in developing all frameworks of bilateral co-op-eration as well as carrying them further in various fields.

They exchanged views on the most important developments on the regional and internation-al arenas.

Shaikh Khalid noted the keenness of the two countries to continue consultation and mutual co-ordination on vari-ous issues and in international forums.

Shaikh Khalid also affirmed Bahrain’s keenness to consoli-date relations with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), espe-cially after its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooper-ation in Southeast Asia, to the benefit of all.

Minister Pramudwinai com-mended the advanced level of close bilateral relations and the

continuous development wit-nessed at all levels.

He hailed Bahrain’s efforts and its tangible role in activat-ing collective action in order to promote security, stability, development and progress in the region, wishing the King-dom further development and prosperity.

On behalf of His Royal High-ness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Adviser to HRH Premier, HH Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, received here the Thai Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Pramudwinai, and his accom-panying delegation.

HH Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa conveyed greetings from HRH Premier to the delegation, and wishes of further progress and prosperity to friendly Thailand.

HRH Premier’s advisor laud-ed the advanced level reached by the Bahraini-Thai relations, reflecting the two Kingdoms’ distinguished co-operation and co-ordination on many regional and global issues.

He underlined Bahrain’s keenness to bolster cooperation with Thailand so as to reach the levels that would meet the two countries’ aspirations and benefit their friendly peoples.

The Thai Foreign Minister

lauded the efforts exerted by HRH the Prime Minister to strengthen relations between the two countries, stressing that HRH Premier’s efforts have resulted in building a distin-guished model for bilateral re-lations.

He affirmed that HRH Premier enjoys respect and appreciation at the official and popular levels in Thailand.

He pointed out that Thai-land is keen on enhancing its co-operation with Bahrain to achieve common goals, lauding the progress boom witnessed by Bahrain across various fields.

Southern Yemen reconciliation plan enters second stage

Aden

Yemen’s government and southern leaders have be-gun the second stage of a

Saudi-brokered reconciliation plan that ended clashes between their forces last year.

An agreement to start imple-menting key points of the Riyadh Agreement from January 10 was signed by the government and the Southern Transitional Coun-cil a day earlier, a source in the STC-affiliated forces was quoted by media.

“The procedures related to the implementation of the second phase of the Riyadh Agreement are supposed to be carried out within a 15-day period starting from Friday,“ the source said.

“We agreed to start imple-menting the troop withdrawals from the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa. Before that, the [pro-government] forces which moved from the northern prov-inces of Marib and Jawf on April 19 last year must return to their camps in their provinces, with all their personnel and weapons. These forces will be replaced by the local security forces in each province, including the Elite Forces and the Security Belt Forces, in line with the Riyadh Agreement,“ Nazar Haiytham, an STC spokesman, said.

“President Abdrabu Mansur

Hadi will appoint a new gov-ernor and security director for Aden after consultations with the STC; this will be implemented in parallel with the troop with-drawal. Moreover we agreed that the heavy and medium weap-ons in Aden will be collected in camps under the Arab Coalition supervision,“ Mr Haiytham said.

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition supports Yemeni troops and pro-government militias against Houthi rebels who seized the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014 and still control much of northern Yemen. Although allies in the fight against the Houthis, dif-ferences between the govern-ment and STC sparked clashes between their forces last year. The STC forces seized much of Aden, the temporary capital, be-fore Saudi Arabia intervened to broker a power-sharing agree-ment signed in November.

Mr Haiytham said the STC was committed to complying with all conditions of the Riyadh Agree-ment as further disputes would only benefit the Iran-backed rebels.

“To prove our desire for peace, we have handed over to the Arab Coalition prisoners from the pro-government forces who were detained during the clashes in August and we are waiting for the other side to hand over our prisoners to the Coalition to be swapped soon,“ he said.

Shaikh Khalid receives Minister Pramudwinai.


Eight firms vying for contract to ‘construct Hamad Town Market’

Works Ministry has already launched the tender for the project

• The Works Ministry stated that it intends to improve joint co-operation with the private sector.

• Authorities revealed that the work towards revamping the Jidhafs Central Market is progressing well.

TDT | Manama

Eight firms are vying for the contract to construct Ham-ad Town Central Market,

it is learnt. The Works, Municipalities Af-

fairs and Urban Planning Min-istry is expected to construct the market soon and the tender for the project has already been launched.

Although a tender was ac-cepted previously, it had to be dropped after the company in question violated the terms and conditions for the tender.

Subsequently, a new tender has been launched and eight bids have been received.

The ministry stated that it intends to improve joint co-op-eration with the private sector, stating that there has been many successful projects managed by investors under the umbrella and supervision of the ministry.

Meanwhile, work to revamp the Manama Central Market is gaining pace.

According to the ministry offi-cials, the work is expected to be completed by mid-2020.

According to the officials, 300 stores in the souq will be re-vamped.

Officials said that the project is divided into five stages. So far phase one has been completed, which means four stages remain

to be completed. The details were recently re-

vealed after the seventh meeting of the Manama Souq Develop-ment Committee, chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibi-tions Authority (BTEA), Nader Al Moayyed.

During the meeting, members of the committee discussed the latest developments of the Mana-ma Souq project. They also visited the souq to inspect and view the progress of the project including the improved storefronts and sig-nage as well as the renovation of the old buildings facade.

In another development it was revealed that 85 shops will be located in the revamped Jidhafs Central Market.

Authorities have revealed that the work towards revamping the Jidhafs Central Market is pro-gressing well.

The total number of shops in the market, which is one of the

largest in the Kingdom, will be as high as 85, authorities revealed.

The Ministry of Works, Munic-ipalities Affairs and Urban Plan-ning and capital municipal are working hard to develop the mar-ket to meet the demands made by the citizens.

The development is at an early design stage and a consultancy firm is working hand in hand with the authorities.

The officials are currently de-termining the estimated cost of the project, it is learnt.

The development of Sitra mar-ket has been highly requested by citizens as the historic market faced many limitations which irked the public.

Works are expected to take place in a 1660-square meter area.

“Twenty shops of the market will be dedicated to fish section while meat and poultry section will have 17 stores while remain-ing will be for vegetable stores and others.”

The authorities also revealed that Sitra market will undergo a revamp and the project is now in feasibility study.

Meanwhile, it was recently an-nounced that the government is studying the possibility of estab-lishing a new livestock market.

Officials from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities and Ur-ban Planning are mulling over the possibility of introducing a livestock market.

According to government sources, the ministry is conduct-

ing a study to see its viability and usefulness.

“The Agriculture and Marine Wealth Agency is looking at the possibility of establishing a live-stock market,” a ministry official said.

The sources added that Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Esam Khalaf has asked for a detailed study.

The minister added that the proposed livestock market is planned to be built in Sitra area near Bandar Al Dar.

The northern municipal coun-cil had requested the government to allocate land for livestock auc-tion. The ministry hopes that the market would be close to the of-ficial slaughterhouse of Bahrain.

Once built, the market would be under strict supervision from the government to ensure no vi-olations are committed, given the health and hygiene sensitivity of such a market, the authorities added.

Hamad Town Central Market will be constructed in co-operation with the private sector. A view of Jidhafs Central Market.

300stores in Manama Souq will be revamped as part

of the facelift project.

Bahrain Fintech bay to host ‘OpenX 2020’ open banking conference

TDT | Manama

Bahrain FinTech Bay will host “OpenX 2020” an Open Banking confer-

ence held under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain.

The conference will take place at the Four Seasons Ho-tel, Bahrain Bay on Thursday, February 27th from 8:00am-3:30pm.

The conference will host 25 plus speakers and aims to at-tract over 300 delegates and will cover pertinent topics such as regulations, monetization of open banking, APIs and data protection.

The platform will bring to-gether leaders and innovators from top banks, payments, Fin-Tech and big Tech companies to discuss the latest insights in Open Banking technologies and trends.

Attendees will have an op-portunity to meet potential cli-ents, partners and suppliers. In addition, the platform will host

networking sessions creating an environment to connect with peers and discuss crucial topics.

The agenda includes keynote speeches and various panels highlighting the emergence of a new regulatory banking land-scape, the global perspective and adoption of open banking, Open Banking in Practice, and more.

The panels will address several points such as how to maximise the strategic oppor-tunities of open banking: new products, business models, and services, differentiating in an increasingly competitive market, with new, non-finan-cial players, mitigating against

the potential vulnerabilities of opening up access, and more.

Additionally, successful case studies on building and using APIs at scale will be shared.

According to Economic De-velopment Board, Bahrain is still the largest financial centre in the GCC and it continues to expand with increased levels of employment and investment.

“Perhaps most importantly, we are a country defined by am-bitious digital transformation. Transformation that includes the disruption of traditional financial services. For example, the development of Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem has been a top priority and this builds upon Bahrain’s position as a leading and established finan-cial services hub,” says a top EDB executive.

Bahrain FinTech Bay, the re-gion’s largest and first fintech accelerator was launched to boost the advancement of the fintech activities in the King-dom.

Work opportunities for jobseekers discussed

Manama

Labour and Social Devel-opment Minister Jameel Humaidan held a meeting

with Transportation and Tele-communications Minister Kamal Ahmed and discussed ways of benefiting from the opportunities in this sector to provide jobs for citizens.

The meeting followed the di-rectives of His Royal Highness

Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Depu-ty Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to support the business environment in all productive sectors and integrate jobseekers in the private sector.

Mr Humaidan stressed the im-portance of stepping all efforts to support different economic and development sectors and remov-ing all obstacles hindering them

so as to attract investments and woo more companies that gener-ate jobs for citizens.

The Minister of Transporta-tion and Telecommunications stressed the vital importance of the steadily-growing sector, hail-ing the Government’s support to upgrade infrastructure and pro-vide opportunities for business towards generating opportunities for citizens.

The conference will host 25 plus speakers

and aims to attract over 300 delegates.

ORGANISERS

Mr Humaidan with Mr Ahmed.


Hundreds of strays being ‘neutered every week’ after menace complaint

Private veterinary clinic appointed to carry out CNR programme

• The ministry’s effort comes as the number of strays in Bahrain grew greatly in recent decades.

• There are more than 25,000 stray dogs in Bahrain and the number was only one third three years ago.

TDT | Manama

Over a thousand stray dogs were neutered in the King-dom last year, it emerged.

According to the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, hundreds of dogs are being neutered every week as part of efforts to contain the stray menace.

The ministry stated that the problem is being taken very se-riously and that the safety of the public is being taken into consid-eration.

The ministry also confirmed that the drive is in co-operation

with BSPCA and that the process is done without harming dogs in any way.

The ministry’s effort comes as the number of strays in Bahrain grew greatly in recent decades.

There are more than 25,000 stray dogs in Bahrain and the number was only one third three years ago.

Municipal councils have ex-pressed concern over the rapid rise in the number of stray dogs.

They even discussed ways to solve the issue.

The municipalities then began catching stray dogs and transport-ing them to Askar to release them to open fields.

Efforts were also made in recent months to neuter the stray dogs.

A private veterinary clinic was appointed to implement the Catch Neuter and Release (CNR) pro-gramme.

“I call for a radical solution to

the stray dogs phenomena by the responsible authorities,” Presi-dent of the Southern Municipal Council, Bader Al Tamimi, had said in a circular issued by the municipality.

He pointed out that the attacks by stray dogs is spreading panic among citizens, residents, parents and school students.

The councillor reportedly stressed that animal rights should not remain an obstacle to the most

basic rights of citizens and resi-dents which, he noted, are their safety and security.

Many children were injured in stray dog attack last year.

Speaking to Tribune, animal rights activist Fathiya Al Basta-ki, who runs Bahrain Stray’s, said that there should be efforts to change the misconception about stray dogs in the minds of many.

“The fear in the minds of many must vanish to enhance the image and affection towards stray dogs.”

“There won’t be any stray men-ace if people think of strays posi-tively. They can easily handle the stray dogs roaming around in their neighbourhoods.

“I would like to suggest that the authorities allow us to give lectures to schoolboys in primary and intermediate and to teach them how to handle these situ-ations.

“It is not practically possible to trap all stray dogs and take them away. And it is inhuman to kill or poison innocent dogs. But we can teach these schoolboys and even elders as to how to be happy and without fear while dogs are around,” Ms Al Bastaki added.

A boy who was injured in stray dog attack. The number of strays has tripled in the past three years.

It is not practically possible to trap all stray dogs and take them away. And it is inhuman to kill

or poison innocent dogs.

MS AL BASTAKI

‘Over 2.7 million Umrah visas issued so far’

• The numbers also showed that 2,272,163 pilgrims arrived by air, 133,110 arrived by land and 7,299 arrived by sea.

Jeddah

The official statistics of the Umrah indicator have shown that 2,716,858

Umrah visas have been issued since the beginning of this year’s Umrah season.

According to these statistics, 2,412,572 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, while 2,037,631 have already left Saudi Arabia after performing their Umrah.

The numbers also showed that 2,272,163 pilgrims arrived by air, 133,110 arrived by land and 7,299 arrived by sea. Those who arrived included 568,536 Pakistanis, 505,217 Indone-

sians, 292,822 Indians, 137,834 Egyptians, 124,951 Malaysians, 94,854 Turks, 90,894 Bangla-deshis and 89,006 Algerians.

The Ministry of Hajj and Um-rah recently won first place for the best agency implementing big data in the management of operations at the 17th Interna-tional Operations and Mainte-nance Conference in the Arab countries being held in Dubai.

The award was received by the General Supervisor of the Transport Sector at the Minis-try of Hajj and Umrah Dr Bas-sam Ghulman, amid the global participation of leaders and experts in government insti-tutions, agencies, internation-al organisations and business sectors.

Dr Ghulman said that the award was a result of the de-velopment work carried out by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the efforts of Minister Dr. Mohammed Saleh bin Taher

Benten and the follow-up of his deputy Dr Abdulfattah Mashat. This contributed to enhancing the services provided to guests as one of the strategic objectives of the technical transformation of the Ministry of Hajj and Um-rah.

Big data processing aims not only to take advantage of ad-vanced digital infrastructure, but link it to operational pro-cesses to achieve the highest degree of transparency. It also aims to control the quality of services and measure the effi-ciency of operations, one of the key objectives of Vision 2030.

The ministry has developed the Hajj and Umrah Informa-tion Centre, which is based on data collection and analysis linked to the system of transport operations, housing and subsist-ence, in addition to joining the agencies working with the sys-tem of Hajj and Umrah services through a unified platform.

UAE backs UN call for de-escalation in Middle EastNew York

The UAE has supported the call made by UN Sec-retary-General Antonio

Guterres to stop escalation in the Middle East and renew in-ternational cooperation, reiter-ating its commitment to seeking political solutions, playing a me-diation role, and promoting the values of tolerance in the region and beyond, UAE News Agency (WAM) reported.

During the UN Security Council Open Debate on the upholding of the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security, Ghasaq Shaheen, Charge d’Affaires of the Perma-nent Mission of the UAE to the UN, said, “Our meeting comes at a time when the Middle East is going through a critical time and troubling tensions, under-scoring the need to ease these tensions, and to use diplomatic means to spare the region fur-ther escalation.”

She added, “The provisions of the Charter were drafted amid World War Two and its first sentence emphasised the de-termination to save succeeding

generations from the scourge of war. However, ratification of the Charter alone is not enough to achieve its purposes and princi-ples; instead, this requires con-tinuous commitment and efforts by all States to achieve its lofty goals.”

One of the fundamental pillars of the UN Charter is the peaceful settlement of disputes, to which end Shaheen highlighted the UAE’s approach to addressing the dispute over the three Emi-rati islands: Greater Tunb, Less-er Tunb, and Abu Musa. In this regard, she expressed support

to UN-led political processes for the peaceful settlement of dis-putes in the region.

Ms. Shaheen stated that the Security Council must consult and coordinate with the con-cerned Member States in order to effectively address the situa-tions on its agenda. She under-scored the vital role regional and sub-regional organisations can play in addressing tensions and achieving security and stability.

Additionally, she emphasised that the international commu-nity must not lose sight of the human cost of conflict exacer-bated by the inconsistent im-plementation of the Charter, underlining that the UAE will continue to lead in supporting humanitarian and development projects across the world.

Furthermore, the Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Permanent Mission to the UN highlighted how the upcoming Expo Du-bai 2020 – which aims to build partnerships and present inno-vative solutions that will forge the world of tomorrow – will foster friendly relations between countries, a key principle of the UN Charter.

Our meeting comes at a time when the Middle East is going through a

critical time and troubling tensions, underscoring the need to ease these

tensions, and to use diplomatic means to

spare the region further escalation. GHASAQ SHAHEEN

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) participated in the 26th edition of South Asia’s leading travel show, SATTE 2020. Supported by the Indian Ministry of Tourism and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the event is currently taking place at India Expo Mart, in Greater Noida, New Delhi, until the 10th of January 2020. Bahrain’s delegation is headed by Acting Director of Marketing and Tourism Promotion Directorate at BTEA, Dr Ali Follad, and includes representatives from the BTEA, the national carrier Gulf Air, Best of Bahrain, The Ritz-Carlton, Al Areen Palace and Spa, Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea and Spa, Mathias Tours, Farhat International Tours and Travels.

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world

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

India blows up high-rises over violations

• The 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats was the first to go down

AFP | Kochi

Two lu x ury waterfront high-rises in southern In-

dia were reduced to rubble in controlled explosions yesterday in a rare example of authori-ties getting tough on builders who break environmental r ules.

The 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats – overlook-ing Kerala state’s famous lush

backwaters – was the first to go down, collapsing in just a matter of few seconds.

A thick grey cloud of dust and debris cascaded down af-ter officials detonated explo-sives drilled into the walls of the building, which had been occupied for several years until the Supreme Court ruled last May that it was constructed in violation of coastal regulations.

Minutes later, the twin towers of Alfa Serene – separated by a narrow stretch of backwaters – tumbled down with an ear-split-ting noise. The remaining two complexes will be razed today.

A crowd of onlookers who flocked to nearby terraces and roads watched the demolition,

after officials onboard helicop-ters conducted aerial surveys.

India has seen a construction boom in recent years but devel-opers have often ridden rough-shod over safety and other regu-lations, and with the connivance of local officials.

The inhabitants of the razed apartment blocks in the well-off Maradu district of Kochi city had bought their 343 flats in good faith and now face a lengthy le-gal fight to recoup their money.

Some had invested their life savings.

Sirens went off yesterday warning people gathered for the demolition to remain at a safe distance while ambulances and fire engines stood on standby.

Ahead of the work, nearby res-idents said they were worried about the impact of the demoli-tion on their homes.

“When they were demolishing the swimming pool, some of the houses in our neighbourhood developed cracks, we are really worried,” said Divya, who has moved into temporary accom-modation.

Over 2,000 residents living in the neighbourhood were evacu-ated as a part of safety measures.

Scenic and fragileThe demolition capped a saga

that began in 2006 when a local governing body granted permis-sion to private builders to erect the high-rises. But last year, the

Supreme Court ruled that the builders were in breach of rules about construction in an eco-logically sensitive coastal zone, calling it a “colossal loss” to the environment.

“It’s a high-tide area and hun-dreds of illegal structures have come up in the coastal zone,” the court ruled as it ordered the buildings razed.

Kerala is famed for its backwa-ters, brackish lagoons and lakes that run parallel to the Arabian Sea – creating an environmen-tally fragile region.

In 2018, the state was battered by its worst floods in almost a century that killed more than 400 people.

Experts blamed the disaster

on the government’s eagerness to build houses, hotels and re-sorts with little regard for coast-al planning regulations.

The residents of the Maradu apartments initially refused to vacate but moved out after local authorities cut water and power supplies.

They have been given inter-im partial compensation by the state government while the builders are in the process of providing a refund.

Shamshudeen Karunagapally, who bought a flat for US$145,000, said his wife and children did not watch the buildings go down as it was “too painful for them to see their dreams shatter before their eyes”.

Holy Faith H2O Explosion sequence by Augustus Binu, CC BY-SA 3.0, wikimedia commons

H2O Holy Faith - Maradu, Kerala - Demolition

Alfa Serene Tower 1 - Maradu, kerala - Demolition

Alfa Serene 2 - Maradu, kerala - DemolitionA file photo of some of the apartments in Kochi’s Maradu area, kerala, that are marked for demolition. | PTI

Boy kills teacher, self in Mexico school shootingTorreón | Mexico

An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his teacher Friday at

a school in northern Mexico and wounded six other people, then killed himself, authorities said.

The wounded -- five pupils and a physical education teacher -- were taken to a local hospital, where they were in stable con-dition, said Governor Miguel Angel Riquelme of the state of Coahuila, which borders the United States.

Panicked parents rushed to the private elementary school, the Colegio Cervantes, as offi-cials evacuated the trim brick building and police and soldiers

put it on lockdown.Riquelme said the student had

asked for permission to go to the bathroom shortly after the school day began. When he did not return after about 15 min-

utes, his teacher, a 50-year-old woman, went to see if anything was wrong.

He emerged from the bath-room with two guns and opened fire, killing his teacher and

wounding the group of six, who were passing through the hall-way, before shooting himself, Riquelme said.

“We deeply regret this inci-dent... which is shocking for us all,” the governor told a news conference. “I want to reiterate that this sort of thing is not the norm in our schools.”

Mexico is more used to seeing school shootings in the neigh-boring United States than up close.

However, the incident was not without precedent. In 2014, a 15-year-old shot and killed a schoolmate in central Mexico State, and in 2017 a 15-year-old

shot and wounded four class-mates at a high school in the northern city of Monterrey.

Video game? Columbine?Riquelme said the boy had not

shown behavioral problems, but had told classmates that “to-day was the today,” and talked to them about the first-person shooter video game “Natural Selection.”

In the bathroom, he changed into a T-shirt with “Natural Se-lection” written on it before car-rying out the shooting, said state prosecutor Gerardo Marquez.

“Natural Selection” was also written on a T-shirt worn by one

of the shooters at Columbine High School in 1999, when two students killed 13 schoolmates and then themselves.

The video game, whose first edition was released in 2002, has no direct link with the Col-umbine shooting.

“There appears to have been some sort of influence from vid-eo games,” said the prosecutor.

As for a possible link with Col-umbine, he said: “We have to fol-low every possible line of inves-tigation, and that is one of them.” The student, who was in his final year of elementary school, lived with his grandparents and made good grades, officials said.

Parents gather outside of elementary school after shooting


We have been deceived by the

United States, being caught in the dialogue

with it for over one year and a half, and

that was the lost time for us

KIM KYE GWAN, AN ADVISER TO THE NORTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

Vietnamese women strive to clear war-era mines

Quang Tri | Vietnam

Inching across a field lit-tered with Vietnam war-era bombs, Ngoc leads an

all-women demining team clear-ing unexploded ordnance that has killed tens of thousands of people -- including her uncle.

“He died in an explosion. I was haunted by memories of him,” Le Thi Bich Ngoc says as she oversees the controlled detona-tion of a cluster bomb found in a sealed-off site in central Quang Tri province.

More than 6.1 million hectares of land in Vietnam remain blan-keted by unexploded munitions

-- mainly dropped by US bomb-ers -- decades after the war end-ed in 1975.

At least 40,000 Vietnamese have since died in related acci-dents. Victims are often farmers who accidentally trigger explo-sions, people salvaging scrap metal, or children who mistake bomblets for toys.

Part of the demilitarised zone that once divided the North and South, Quang Tri is among the worst-affected provinces.

Ngoc remembers the burnt flesh of her uncle’s body when he was killed by a bomb that detonated while he scavenged for scrap metal.

For the past 20 years, Ngoc has worked as a deminer with Mines Advisory Group (MAG), funded by the United States, Britain and Japan.

To d a y t h e 4 2 -y e a r- o l d criss-crosses her home province to excavate up to a dozen pieces of unexploded ordnance daily -- and she is not alone.

Deminer Tran Thi Hanh told AFP her husband was injured by a landmine blast while going to work, and she does not want the same thing to happen to others.

“This is what motivates me to do this job,” she said.

100 years to clearOnce a site has been cleared

the land can be used for agri-culture.

“Demine, replant, rebuild -- we are in the business of peace,

the economy of peace,” says Hei-di Kuhn, founder of NGO Roots of Peace, which has helped 3,000 people to farm pepper on former mine fields.

Vietnam is the world’s leading producer of black pepper.

Double amputee and former soldier Phan Van Ty says grow-ing the crop has given him a new lease on life.

He lost a leg fighting for the southern regime, but after the war lost the other one when he detonated a bomb while search-ing for scrap metal in a former US weapons warehouse.

That explosion is seared in his memory.

“I have nightmares of my flesh being scattered in a blast -- and then waking to find myself still in one piece but just without

legs,” he says, pushing his wheel-chair past towering columns of pepper vines.

Up to three million pieces of unexploded ordnance and clus-ter munitions are still buried in Vietnam’s soil.

Just last month, Ty says he found a grenade in his backyard.

Clearing the entire country could take up to 100 years and cost billions of dollars, according to officials.

But that has not deterred Ngoc from pressing on with the dangerous work, which is typically undertaken by men in Quang Tri, where women are usually garment workers or farmers.

“This job is not about money, it is about making a better place and ensuring a safer land.”

Up to three million pieces of unexploded ordnance and cluster munitions are still buried in Vietnam’s soil

Once a site has been cleared the land can be used for farming -- often black pepper

More than 6.1 million hectares of land in Vietnam remain blanketed by unexploded munitions -- mainly dropped by US bombers -- decades after the war ended in 1975

Death toll in Pakistan mosque suicide bombing rises to 15

Reuters | Quetta

The death toll from a sui-cide bombing at a mosque

in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta rose to 15 yester-day, officials said.

The blast during Friday evening prayers wounded at least 20 other people, police said.

“Two of the wounded people died overnight in the hospital,” said provincial home minister Zia Langove, adding that six people were still in a critical condition.

Islamic State claimed its su-icide bomber carried out the attack to target an Afghan Tal-iban seminary.

“The US condemns this hei-nous terrorist attack in a place of worship,” Paul Jones, the US ambassador to Pakistan, said in a statement. “I extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.”

Mineral and gas-rich Bal-uchistan, of which Quetta is the capital, is at the centre of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of China’s Belt and Road project.

But violence in the province

has fuelled concerns about the security of projects such as a planned energy link from western China to Pakistan’s southern port of Gwadar.

The attack was the second in the city this week, while police said they had foiled another by killing a suicide attacker in Rawalpindi city near Islam-abad after he shot and killed two policemen.

The Taliban denied in a statement that some of its members, including a senior commander, were killed.

Local officials in Quetta’s police and district administra-tion would not confirm wheth-er the Dar-ul-Aloom Shariah seminary belonged to the Af-ghan Taliban under a state pol-icy which denies the presence of the group on its soil.

However, two officials said on condition of anonymity that the seminary was part of the Afghan Taliban.

Baluchistan has faced an insurgency by separatist and nationalist groups who want a greater share in revenues earned from the local resourc-es.

A police officer stands amidst the damages as he is surveying and collecting evidence from the site of a bomb blast in a mosque in Quetta, Pakistan

North Korea says leaders’ relations not enough after Trump sends birthday wishes to Kim

• The comments come against the backdrop of stalled denuclearisation talks

• The North will not give up its nuclear facilities for partial sanctions relief

• The North Korean adviser also cautioned South Korea to steer clear of ties between the North and the United States

Reuters | Seoul

North Korea has received birthday greetings to its

leader Kim Jong Un from US President Donald Trump, but their personal relationship is not enough for a return to talks, according to a statement pub-lished on Saturday by state news agency KCNA.

The comments come against the backdrop of stalled denu-clearisation talks following a flurry of diplomacy between the United States and North Korea in 2018 and early 2019.

While Kim could personally like Trump, he would not lead his country on the basis of per-sonal feelings, Kim Kye Gwan, an adviser to the North Kore-an foreign ministry, said in the statement.

“Although Chairman Kim Jong Un has good personal feel-ings about President Trump, they are, in the true sense of the word, ‘personal’,” he said.

“We have been deceived by the United States, being caught in the dialogue with it for over one year and a half, and that was the lost time for us.”

North Korea will not discuss proposals such as those Trump made at his last summit with

Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in Feb-ruary 2019, the foreign ministry adviser said.

The North will not give up its nuclear facilities for partial sanctions relief, and will only return to talks when the United States makes concessions, he added.

“The reopening of dialogue between the DPRK and the US may be possible only under the condition of the latter’s absolute agreement on the issues raised by the former, but we know well that the US is neither ready nor able to do so,” he said.

The abbreviation DPRK refers to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Saturday’s comments show how ties between leaders are sometimes only marginally use-ful for diplomacy, said Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

“At least one member of the US-North Korea diplomatic ‘bromance’ is mature enough to admit that personal feelings are just that,” Richey added.

“Kim Kye Gwan’s statement doesn’t close the door on diplo-macy any more than it already was, but he underlined how the US and North Korea have fun-damentally different strategic interests with almost no mean-ingful overlap.”

Warning to South Korea The North Korean adviser

also cautioned South Korea to steer clear of ties between the North and the United States, saying it should not seek “to play a mediator role”.

On Friday, a South Korean of-ficial said Trump had asked the South Koreans to pass on birth-day greetings to North Korea.

For South Korea to meddle in personal relations between Kim and Trump was “presumptu-ous”, the North Korean adviser said, adding that the North had already directly received from Trump a letter with the greet-ings.

“But they seem not to know that there is a special liaison channel between the top lead-ers of the DPRK and the United States.”

South Korea’s presidential Blue House declined to com-ment.

The North’s comments come after South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s administration signalled it wanted to renew “independent” economic en-gagement with the North, Richey added.

“This is another slap in the face, which Moon seems deter-mined to accept ad infinitum.”

On Friday, a South Korean official said Trump had asked the South Koreans to pass on birthday greetings to North Korea.


I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. He was a visionary leader and statesman

who transformed Oman into a modern and prosperous nation. He was a beacon of peace for

our region and the world NARENDRA MODI

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER

AFP, Reuters | Dubai

Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died late on Friday, transformed Oman during

his 49-year reign from a pover-ty-stricken country torn by dis-sent into a prosperous state and an internationally trusted me-diator for some of the region’s thorniest issues.

He became sultan in July 1970 ended the country’s isolation and used its oil revenue for mod-ernisation and development.

Qaboos, 79, never publicly named a successor but secretly recorded his choice in a sealed letter should the royal family disagree on the succession line. “I have already written down two names, in descending order, and put them in sealed enve-lopes in two different regions,” he said in a 1997 interview.

State television said his cousin Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was named sultan on Saturday after the high military council called on the ruling family council to choose a successor. The family had followed Qaboos’ written recommendation, believing in “his wisdom and vision”, a mili-tary coun-

cil statement said.State media did not disclose

the cause of death. Qaboos had been ailing for years and was in Belgium in December for treat-ment.

Longest-serving leader Qaboos, who died on Friday at

the age of 79 as the longest-serv-ing leader of the modern Arab world, came to power in 1970. He had been ill for some time and was believed to be suffering from colon cancer.

The late sultan, who was un-married and had no children, left no apparent heir. Under the constitution, his successor was to be selected in a meeting of the royal family.

Under the Omani constitu-tion, they had three days to make a decision and if they failed to agree, the person chosen by the late sultan in a sealed letter would succeed him.

State TV said during a live broadcast of the funeral that the letter had been opened, without elaborating as to why.

“Haitham bin Tariq was sworn in as the new sultan of the country... after a meeting of the family which decided to appoint the one who was chosen by the sultan,” the government said in a tweet.

‘Switzerland’ of MideastQaboos transformed the Ara-

bian Peninsula nation from a backwater into a modern state with a thriving tourism industry, thanks to the country’s crystal waters, scenic desert and moun-tain ranges.

But it was the sultan’s poli-cy of neutrality and non-inter-ference that elevated Oman’s standing as a “Switzerland of the Middle East” and made him an important mediator.

Many Western and Arab dip-lomats see the sultanate, with its moderate but active foreign policy that includes healthy re-lations with the United States as well as with regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia, as a mod-el of balance.

As the Gulf ’s discreet go-be-tween, Oman played a role in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers while preserving its membership in the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council

(GCC).“He was a stable force in the

Middle East and a strong US ally. His Majesty had a vision for a modern, prosperous, and peaceful Oman, and he willed that vision into reality,” former US president George W. Bush said in a message of condolence.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mo-hammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said Saturday that Oman and the Arab world have lost a “wise leader and a (figure) of great historical stature”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also recalled a meet-ing with Qaboos where he was “struck by his commitment to peace and understanding be-tween nations and between faiths.”

“He leaves a profound legacy, not only in Oman but across the region too,” Johnson said.

Discreet mediator During the sultan’s reign,

Western nations repeatedly turned to Muscat to act as a mediator in resolving thorny regional issues -- from the kid-napping of Americans and Eu-ropeans to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

“It’s almost impossible to imagine Oman without Sultan Qaboos at the helm,” said Kris-tian Ulrichsen, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute in the US.

“His wise leadership and re-gional statesmanship is never more urgently needed than at the present time,” Ulrichsen said on Twitter.

Qaboos was born on Novem-ber 18, 1940, into the centu-ries-old Al-Said dynasty in the southern provincial capital of Salalah, in an isolated country on the margins of the modern world.

Older Omanis recall the capital Muscat had no electricity or running water and the gates of the medieval city were locked at dusk.

The young Qaboos was sent abroad for his education to Britain, attending the elite Sandhurst Royal Mil-itary Academy from where he

graduated in

1962.He went on to join a British

infantry battalion in Germany, returning home to bide his time under the close watch of his fa-ther, Sultan Said bin Taymur.

On July 23, 1970, Qaboos de-posed his father in a palace coup, pledging “a new era” for the na-tion.

“In the early years, he went village to village and he had a weekly radio address -- that was the only way to reach the entire population at the time,” said Muscat-based public policy analyst Ahmed al-Mukhaini.

Qaboos channelled revenues from fledgeling oil exports into infrastructure, taking the coun-try from having just a handful of primary schools and some eight kilometres (six miles) of paved roads to a modern state with well over 1,000 schools and a massive highway network.

The sultan also commissioned an opera house for Muscat, its packed calendar a testament to his support for the arts.

But Qaboos was no ceremoni-al monarch. He held every top post, from the commander of the armed forces to finance minister.

In 1991, he offered a modicum of democracy, creating a Con-sultative Council -- with elected members -- to complement the State Council -- whose members he appointed.

During nearly five decades in power, Qaboos chose never to remarry after a brief union in 1976.

In his final years, he was be-lieved to be suffering from colon cancer and rarely appeared in public following medical treat-ment in Germany in March 2015.

When he did , the gaunt, bronzed sultan still cut a refined fig-ure in sumptuous robes and colourful turbans.

Qaboos is seen as a child sitting on his father’s lap

Qaboos transformed the Arabian Peninsula nation from a backwater into a modern state while pursuing a moderate but active foreign policy

Qaboos, the sultan who

transformed Oman

“Oman and the Arab world have lost a wise leader and a (figure) of great historical stature.”

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

“A brother, friend and a leader who dedicated his life to the causes of Arab and Islamic countries.”

Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

“Saudis share the sorrows of the Sultanate of Oman and its people.”

Saudi Arabia

“We have lost a wise leader in my brother His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman

King Abdullah II of Jordan


The wise option would be for Tehran to return to

negotiations. Washington will not agree to negoti-ations on conditions set by the regime of lifting

or suspending sanctions first. Iran has to agree to

new negotiations for a new deal, especially given that

Europe has inched closer to the American position.

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

RAGHIDHA DERGHAM

No decision has yet been made by Iran to de-esca-late and rein in its bellig-

erent policies despite signs that a direct military standoff with the US – following the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani and the Iranian reprisal through missile strikes on US bas-es in Iraq – has been contained. The divide in the ranks of Iran’s leadership follows the reform-ist-hardliner fault line. One camp, represented by foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, declared that the response to Suleimani’s killing is over. The other faction has pledged a massive operation against US forces throughout the Middle East, which experts reck-on would take the form of a series of simultaneous attacks on several targets in several countries.

One driver of a potential round of attacks is US President Donald Trump’s decision to step up sanc-tions against the country’s leaders and on Iran’s industries beyond the oil sector. On the other hand, leaders of the Islamic Revolu-tionary Guard Corps and its ex-peditionary arm, the Quds Force, has vowed to exact “a tougher revenge on the enemy”. Speaking at a news conference in front of the banners of Iran’s multi-na-tional proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s aero-space force, said plans are under way to launch major operations aiming to “expel US forces from the region”.

US officials take the Irani-an threats very seriously. They have developed military plans alongside fresh sanctions that sources say will target the core of Iran’s nuclear programme. This is especially since Tehran has announced its intention to double its uranium enrichment levels and hinted at withdraw-ing from the nuclear deal with world’s major powers – as well as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT. The decision taken

in Washington is to prevent Iran and its proxies from achieving their goal of driving out US forces from the region and destroying those threatening to “return US troops in coffins”, as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said.

The Trump administration is focused on protecting US embas-sies in the region, especially Iraq and Lebanon. This comes after reports indicating that the Quds Force intends to mobilise its prox-ies to stage unrest outside of dip-lomatic missions and repeat what happened at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, when the building was overrun by mobs and its staff held hostage for 444 days.

In short, US military planning is not waiting for events to happen. It is pre-empting them as part of a new policy of anticipation and deterrence. According to in-formed sources, however, part of the US military preparations is being conducted together with Israel, in anticipation of Iranian escalation in Lebanon, but also in preparation for joint US-Is-raeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. This would take place in the event of Iranian attacks on key US bases in Bahrain and Ku-wait, or Iranian escalation on the nuclear level. For this reason, it is still too early to conclude that the standoff is over, or that nego-tiations are around the corner, or that Iranian divisions have been settled in favour of reform instead of adventurism.

Some hope that it was a wise calculation that led Iran to launch ballistic missiles at US bases in a way that avoided inflicting casu-alties and preclude a crushing US response. Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, sug-gested the Iranian strike on bases housing US soldiers “intended to kill”, while other officials said casualties were avoided thanks to intelligence and early warn-ings. Either way, the death of US soldiers would have escalated the standoff, given that this is the red line Mr Trump declared from the beginning and did not back away from after he was accused

of weakness for failing to respond to a previous Iranian downing of a US drone and the unprecedented attack on Saudi Aramco facilities last year.

The situation looks different now. Military mobilisation con-tinues despite the end of the first round of confrontations. US mil-itary preparations must be taken seriously, as the it deploys air, land and sea assets, as if to re-mind everyone that it is still the world’s sole superpower and that it is not going to allow its pres-tige to be challenged. Meanwhile, Mr Trump is feeling increasing-ly self-assured after taking out Iran’s second-most important leader. Indeed, Suleimani’s elim-ination has meant taking down the strategic and executive head of Iran’s expansionism in the

region. Suleimani was not only an extraordinary general but an extraordinary politician as well, widely seen as part of the future succession tapestry of Ayatollah

FIND ECSTASY IN LIFE; THE MERE SENSE OF LIVING IS JOY ENOUGH.EMILY DICKINSON

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Iran should swallow its

pride and resume talks with the US

There is no hint of rapprochement yet from the

regime but it has few reasons to keep stirring the pot

AYA ISKANDARANI

In the days since Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Nissan and Renault, arrived in Beirut, he

has been greeted by many of his compatriots as if he were a na-tional hero. He has, in his words, evaded Japanese “injustice”, only to come back to the homeland of his forefathers and be met with applause. His arrival in Lebanon on December 30, was the latest turn in this dramatic story.

At his press conference last week, he declared in Arabic to a room-full of Lebanese and for-eign journalists, who cheered him on: “I am proud to be Leb-anese”. Meanwhile, Japanese media were left to wait outside in the rain. During the two-hour event, Ghosn provided what he called “evidence” to salvage his sullied image. Ghosn had a repu-tation for being the saviour of the Japanese car industry, a moniker that once earned him the respect of the global business communi-ty. But unanimous global admi-ration for Ghosn’s life and work

came to a grinding halt in 2018 when news of his arrest broke and photographs appeared of him in handcuffs.

Ghosn had been charged on four counts of financial miscon-duct, including under-report-ing his earnings, using Nissan’s funds for personal ends and pay-ing family members for fictitious jobs.

In the turn of events that led to his fall from grace, the chief executive-turned-fugitive has lost much of his credibility across the world – except in Lebanon.

His escape to Beirut comes at a troubled time for the country. Lebanon has witnessed an up-rising against a corrupt political elite, which has led the nation into an economic crisis of un-precedented proportions. Yet the corruption allegations brought forth against Ghosn do not seem to hinder his popularity among his compatriots, many of whom have taken to the streets to pro-test against endemic corruption in the country.

Lebanese public opinion

is in favour of Ghosn, with many supporting his claim of a “plot” against him fomented by high-ranking employees at Nis-san. Such narratives are com-mon in a country where conspir-acy theories have been known to abound. It is unlikely that the public will ever find out the truth as Ghosn escaped from Japan before his trial. Some have even speculated that Ghosn could be handed a ministerial position in the next government, which pro-testers have demanded be head-ed by unaffiliated, transparent experts.

For many Lebanese, Ghosn is more than just a business-man. His success story as a Bra-zilian-Lebanese who went on to become the chief executive of not one but three major car companies embodies the aspira-tions of a whole country where the diaspora plays an essential role.

More than twice as many Leb-anese live outside than inside the country, many of whom, much like Ghosn’s grandfather, migrat-

ed to the Americas early in the 19th century. Today, many see migration as their only hope to live a decent life and provide for their loved ones. Remittances in 2018 contributed to more than

12 per cent of Lebanon’s gross domestic product, the second highest in the Arab world after Palestine.

“Making it” abroad has become a dream that is all the more sig-

Lebanese people

have been protesting

against corruption for

months and despite his

popularity, it is imperative

that Ghosn answer for his

four counts of financial misconduct

Ghosn may embody the Lebanese dream but he must be held accountable


The wise option would be for Tehran to return to

negotiations. Washington will not agree to negoti-ations on conditions set by the regime of lifting

or suspending sanctions first. Iran has to agree to

new negotiations for a new deal, especially given that

Europe has inched closer to the American position.


RAGHIDHA DERGHAM

No decision has yet been made by Iran to de-esca-late and rein in its bellig-

erent policies despite signs that a direct military standoff with the US – following the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani and the Iranian reprisal through missile strikes on US bas-es in Iraq – has been contained. The divide in the ranks of Iran’s leadership follows the reform-ist-hardliner fault line. One camp, represented by foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, declared that the response to Suleimani’s killing is over. The other faction has pledged a massive operation against US forces throughout the Middle East, which experts reck-on would take the form of a series of simultaneous attacks on several targets in several countries.

One driver of a potential round of attacks is US President Donald Trump’s decision to step up sanc-tions against the country’s leaders and on Iran’s industries beyond the oil sector. On the other hand, leaders of the Islamic Revolu-tionary Guard Corps and its ex-peditionary arm, the Quds Force, has vowed to exact “a tougher revenge on the enemy”. Speaking at a news conference in front of the banners of Iran’s multi-na-tional proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s aero-space force, said plans are under way to launch major operations aiming to “expel US forces from the region”.

US officials take the Irani-an threats very seriously. They have developed military plans alongside fresh sanctions that sources say will target the core of Iran’s nuclear programme. This is especially since Tehran has announced its intention to double its uranium enrichment levels and hinted at withdraw-ing from the nuclear deal with world’s major powers – as well as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT. The decision taken

in Washington is to prevent Iran and its proxies from achieving their goal of driving out US forces from the region and destroying those threatening to “return US troops in coffins”, as Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said.

The Trump administration is focused on protecting US embas-sies in the region, especially Iraq and Lebanon. This comes after reports indicating that the Quds Force intends to mobilise its prox-ies to stage unrest outside of dip-lomatic missions and repeat what happened at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, when the building was overrun by mobs and its staff held hostage for 444 days.

In short, US military planning is not waiting for events to happen. It is pre-empting them as part of a new policy of anticipation and deterrence. According to in-formed sources, however, part of the US military preparations is being conducted together with Israel, in anticipation of Iranian escalation in Lebanon, but also in preparation for joint US-Is-raeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. This would take place in the event of Iranian attacks on key US bases in Bahrain and Ku-wait, or Iranian escalation on the nuclear level. For this reason, it is still too early to conclude that the standoff is over, or that nego-tiations are around the corner, or that Iranian divisions have been settled in favour of reform instead of adventurism.

Some hope that it was a wise calculation that led Iran to launch ballistic missiles at US bases in a way that avoided inflicting casu-alties and preclude a crushing US response. Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, sug-gested the Iranian strike on bases housing US soldiers “intended to kill”, while other officials said casualties were avoided thanks to intelligence and early warn-ings. Either way, the death of US soldiers would have escalated the standoff, given that this is the red line Mr Trump declared from the beginning and did not back away from after he was accused

of weakness for failing to respond to a previous Iranian downing of a US drone and the unprecedented attack on Saudi Aramco facilities last year.

The situation looks different now. Military mobilisation con-tinues despite the end of the first round of confrontations. US mil-itary preparations must be taken seriously, as the it deploys air, land and sea assets, as if to re-mind everyone that it is still the world’s sole superpower and that it is not going to allow its pres-tige to be challenged. Meanwhile, Mr Trump is feeling increasing-ly self-assured after taking out Iran’s second-most important leader. Indeed, Suleimani’s elim-ination has meant taking down the strategic and executive head of Iran’s expansionism in the

region. Suleimani was not only an extraordinary general but an extraordinary politician as well, widely seen as part of the future succession tapestry of Ayatollah

FIND ECSTASY IN LIFE; THE MERE SENSE OF LIVING IS JOY ENOUGH.EMILY DICKINSON

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Iran should swallow its

pride and resume talks with the US

There is no hint of rapprochement yet from the

regime but it has few reasons to keep stirring the pot

AYA ISKANDARANI

In the days since Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Nissan and Renault, arrived in Beirut, he

has been greeted by many of his compatriots as if he were a na-tional hero. He has, in his words, evaded Japanese “injustice”, only to come back to the homeland of his forefathers and be met with applause. His arrival in Lebanon on December 30, was the latest turn in this dramatic story.

At his press conference last week, he declared in Arabic to a room-full of Lebanese and for-eign journalists, who cheered him on: “I am proud to be Leb-anese”. Meanwhile, Japanese media were left to wait outside in the rain. During the two-hour event, Ghosn provided what he called “evidence” to salvage his sullied image. Ghosn had a repu-tation for being the saviour of the Japanese car industry, a moniker that once earned him the respect of the global business communi-ty. But unanimous global admi-ration for Ghosn’s life and work

came to a grinding halt in 2018 when news of his arrest broke and photographs appeared of him in handcuffs.

Ghosn had been charged on four counts of financial miscon-duct, including under-report-ing his earnings, using Nissan’s funds for personal ends and pay-ing family members for fictitious jobs.

In the turn of events that led to his fall from grace, the chief executive-turned-fugitive has lost much of his credibility across the world – except in Lebanon.

His escape to Beirut comes at a troubled time for the country. Lebanon has witnessed an up-rising against a corrupt political elite, which has led the nation into an economic crisis of un-precedented proportions. Yet the corruption allegations brought forth against Ghosn do not seem to hinder his popularity among his compatriots, many of whom have taken to the streets to pro-test against endemic corruption in the country.

Lebanese public opinion

is in favour of Ghosn, with many supporting his claim of a “plot” against him fomented by high-ranking employees at Nis-san. Such narratives are com-mon in a country where conspir-acy theories have been known to abound. It is unlikely that the public will ever find out the truth as Ghosn escaped from Japan before his trial. Some have even speculated that Ghosn could be handed a ministerial position in the next government, which pro-testers have demanded be head-ed by unaffiliated, transparent experts.

For many Lebanese, Ghosn is more than just a business-man. His success story as a Bra-zilian-Lebanese who went on to become the chief executive of not one but three major car companies embodies the aspira-tions of a whole country where the diaspora plays an essential role.

More than twice as many Leb-anese live outside than inside the country, many of whom, much like Ghosn’s grandfather, migrat-

ed to the Americas early in the 19th century. Today, many see migration as their only hope to live a decent life and provide for their loved ones. Remittances in 2018 contributed to more than

12 per cent of Lebanon’s gross domestic product, the second highest in the Arab world after Palestine.

“Making it” abroad has become a dream that is all the more sig-

Lebanese people

have been protesting

against corruption for

months and despite his

popularity, it is imperative

that Ghosn answer for his

four counts of financial misconduct

Ghosn may embody the Lebanese dream but he must be held accountable


TOP

4TWEETS

04

02

03

01

I have never been a fan of sting journalism. Re-

gardless of the outcome. Nothing beats good old fashioned journalism where a beat reporter with ear to the ground could get you the scoops. But that requires pa-tience and time. In 24/7 news media no one has patience.

@sunandavashisht

Misbah-ul-Haq “5-Day Test cricket is

needed to preserve the beauty of Test cricket. 5-Day Tests allow for the better care of the health of cricketers especially fast-bowlers, you get max-imum possible results and the audiences also enjoy these games” #Cricket

@Saj_PakPassion

Iran admitted it acci-dentally shot down the

Ukrainian passenger jet and blamed human er-ror, saying the plane had taken a sharp, unexpect-ed turn that brought it near a sensitive military base. Ukraine’s president wants “a full admission of guilt” from Iran.

@nytimes

Acid attack victims coming to see the

film with smiles on their face, full of joy. “We will see our stories on cine-ma. My attacker is in jail,” they said. These victims for decades have hidden their face in fear and shame. #Chhapaak

@sanjukta

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

editorial stances)

Ali Khamenei, the country’s su-preme leader. Even in the foreign policy domain, Suleimani came even before President Hassan Rouhani and Mr Zarif.

The situation suggests that the Quds Force has only two options in front of it: reform or collapse. Either it realises that with the absence of the top of the pyramid, things cannot go on as they were – especially in the light of US mil-itary mobilisation – or it does the equivalent of committing suicide.

The Trump administration has decided to proceed with meas-ures that build on the assassi-nation of Suleimani, namely to eliminate Iran’s project in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen once it is structurally weakened. If Teh-ran decides to go to war with the US to preserve its regional project,

it will have to conduct its military calculations carefully. While it has the ability to inflict massive damage in Arab countries, taking on the US directly is a different matter. And if reports of US-Israe-li coordination are accurate, then logic indicates such a war would pose an existential threat to Iran.

However, there is another di-mension – related to US presi-dential elections. Iran has been watching closely, hoping Mr Trump’s impeachment attempts would lower his re-election chances. Tehran, though, must reconsider its bets because Mr Trump’s recent actions could go a long way in securing a second term, which would mean that it would have to deal with him for another four years. Wisdom requires that delusions be re-

placed with reality, such as when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the regime’s first supreme leader, declared a ceasefire following eight years of war with Iraq in the 1980s. Khomeini famously conceded having to “drink the poisoned cup” for the sake of his country. Perhaps the current leadership should also think about the interests of its people, who are paying the price of its stubbornness.

A third dimension concerns the economic situation. This is also the result of the leadership’s stubbornness, having rejected the European-backed offer from the US to negotiate on a new deal. If the stubbornness continues, sanctions will increase and cost more and Iran’s leaders could find themselves tempted by military actions that would in turn un-leash a fatal confrontation.

Finally, the current situation is the outcome of Iran’s failed attempt to cause a rift across the Atlantic over the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Accord-ing to informed sources, some Iranian leaders are still threat-ening the European capitals of ripping up the deal and walking out of the NPT unless they pres-sure the US to back down and activate the financial mechanism that would remove the sanctions. But this is dangerous thinking as it would trigger US and Israeli strikes inside Iran, according to the sources.

The wise option would be for Tehran to return to negotiations. Washington will not agree to ne-gotiations on conditions set by the regime of lifting or suspending sanctions first. Iran has to agree to new negotiations for a new deal, especially given that Europe has inched closer to the American position. It must carefully study the situation on the ground in the wake of Suleimani’s killing. It must also come to terms with the possibility that Mr Trump will remain in the White House until 2025 – along with his crippling sanctions and the mobilisation of the world’s mightiest army.

1962Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.

1964Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the ZanzibarRevolution and proclaim a republic.

1966Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay inSouth Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.

1967Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonicallypreserved with intent of future resuscitation.

TODAY DAY IN

HISTORY

Preparing for the

AI-inspired present

In these days of heightened tensions, there is no doubt that the Middle East, which has so many critical-

ly-vital hydrocarbon, energy and utility plants, will increasingly adopt artificial intelligence to raise the bar where se-curity is concerned.

AI systems can analyse massive amounts of data, which is beneficial for reviewing hours of surveillance footage.

By learning how objects move and what they look like, the AI applications can rank the data and make decisions based on it.

It is said that the regional market for commercial security through AI-in-fluenced identity and face recognition technology will reach US$8.4 billion over the next four years.

AI is a game changer and the ability of AI-managed systems to help com-panies to make quick and accurate

security decisions will save millions of dollars for the energy industry.

According to Accenture analysis, AI has the poten-tial to significantly raise economic growth rates in the region, adding $215 bil-lion and $182bn in annual gross value add (GVA) to the economies of Saudi Arabia and UAE, respectively, by 2035.

AI can also help address a wide range of economic and social challenges facing the region, ranging from vola-tility of oil prices, to rapid urbanisation, and to water scarcity and food security.

All this means that we have to prepare our next generation for a completely different and new world, equip them with knowledge that we can barely fathom

ourselves. The MENA region has, sadly,

begun a bit late on this track. However, the signs today are promising.

From a UAE university dedicated to AI study to an increasing number of AI-inspired start-ups in the GCC to the University of Bahrain’s new cloud computing courses and support for innovative projects across artificial in-telligence (AI), we are seeing the dawn of the AI age.

According to The World Economic Forum, more than one trillion sensors will be connected to the Internet by 2022.

As the demand for smart solutions grows, let our education and training systems keep pace.

We have the potential to lead the re-gion as we have done for Fintech. AI is the next frontier for Bahrain to conquer.

(Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood is the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Tribune and the President of the Arab-African Unity

Organisation for Relief, Human Rights and Counterterrorism)

CAPT. MAHMOOD AL MAHMOOD

According to Accenture

analysis, AI has the potential

to significantly raise economic

growth rates in the region,

adding $215 billion and

$182bn in annual gross value add

(GVA) to the economies of Saudi Arabia

and UAE, respectively, by

2035.

nificant, as the economic situ-ation deteriorates and job op-portunities in Lebanon become more scarce. Ghosn embodies that dream, which seems hard-er to reach with every passing

generation.He is popular with people

across different religious, po-litical and social backgrounds, despite the fact that he went to Israel in 2008, where he shook hands with Shimon Peres, the former Israeli prime minister. Lebanon is still technically at war with Israel, which it does not recognise as a state, and Lebanese citizens are forbidden from visit-ing the country, a serious offence

regarded as treason. This has not stopped ministers from meeting with Ghosn, and defending him publicly. When news broke about his arrest last year, Lebanon’s then interior minister Nouhad Machnouk compared him to “a Lebanese phoenix” that would not be “scorched by a Japanese sun.”

This wide-ranging support is, in a way, symptomatic of one of Lebanon’s deepest woes. Because divisive, sectarian leaders have largely failed their country and people, the only powerful fig-ures that can unite people and make them proud are usually successful business people from the diaspora, who are made to carry the hopes and dreams of a whole nation. When protests broke out in October last year, many saw a chance for a new era of transparency and good governance to emerge. A big part of making this project a reality will rely on whether Lebanon is able to hold its leaders, including business people and even idols, to account.

Ghosn may embody the Lebanese dream but he must be held accountableThis wide-ranging support

is, in a way, symptomatic of one of Lebanon’s deepest

woes. Because divisive, sec-tarian leaders have largely

failed their country and people, the only powerful figures that can unite peo-ple and make them proud

are usually successful business people from the

diaspora.

10

business


Four days left for NBB offer to acquire BISB

Offer closes on January 15, 2020TDT | Manama

The voluntary acquisition of Bahrain Islamic Bank

(BISB) by the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) will close on Wednesday.

With four days left, share-holders of BISB who wish to participate in the offer are re-quested to do so by visiting one of the participating branches of BISB.

Shareholders can approach BISB’s Head Office in the Dip-lomatic Area, Budaiya, Ham-ad Town, and Arad or one of NBB’s participating branches including NBB’s Head Office in Manama, Tubli, Seef Mall, Atrium Mall, and Al Istiqlal Highway.

Shareholders can also visit SICO’s receiving desk at the Bahrain Bourse.

All completed and signed acceptance and transfer forms are to be submitted by close of business on the final closing date of 15 January 2020.

BISB shareholders partici-

pating in the offer will receive their payment in cash or shares at the option and discretion of each BISB shareholder on the settlement date of January 22, 2020.

Participation in the offer is optional, and BISB share-holders opting not to par-ticipate in the offer are not re q u i re d t o s u b m i t a ny forms.

On December 31, 2019, an announcement was made that the acceptances by BISB shareholders of the NBB offer reached a total of 47.64 per cent of the issued share capital of BISB exceeding the 40.94pc minimum acquisition condi-tion and thereby rendering the offer unconditional as to acceptances by BISB share-holders.

The transaction will take place at either cash of BHD 0.117 per BISB share or a share exchange at a ratio of BHD 0.167 NBB shares per BISB share, each at the option of the BISB shareholder.

US, China agree to semi-annual talks: WSJReuters

The United States and Chi-na have agreed to hold

semi-annual talks aimed at pushing for reforms in both countries and resolving dis-putes, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

The negotiations will be announced on Jan. 15 as part of the signing of a Phase 1 trade deal between the U.S. and China, but will be sepa-rate from any second-phase trade negotiations, the Jour-nal reported, adding the effort will be lead by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

The two sides have been un-dergoing a trade war for well over a year. Treasury officials were not immediately availa-ble to confirm the report.

The talks would revive a

practice begun under former President George W. Bush as a way for the world’s two largest economic powers to discuss a wide array of topics and try to resolve disputes.

It was continued under President Barack Obama as the Strategic & Economic Dia-logue, and initially followed by President Donald Trump. The first round of what the Trump administration renamed the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue was held in July, 2017.

But the regular sessions, sprawling affairs often criti-cized as heavy on process and light on tangible outcomes, were abandoned as the Trump administration moved towards a more confrontational ap-proach to China that relied on the use of import tariffs to pressure the country into economic concessions.

GCCCAC, Omani Ministry of Transport for greater ties TDT | Manama

The GCC Commercial Arbi-tration Center (GCCCAC)

and the Omani Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions (MOTC) held a meet-ing last week seeking ways for cooperation in preparing qualified arbitrators in the field of Commercial Maritime Arbitration.

The GCCCAC’s Omani board member, Redha bin Jumaa Al-Saleh along the Administration Manager of the GCCCAC, Nas-ser AlMogahwi attended the meeting alongside members of the MOTC, including Dr Rashid

bin Mohammed AlKiomi, the General Manager of Maritime Affairs in the MOTC.

With the growing role of sea shipping, coupled with the con-tinuous development of eco-

nomic growth in the Gulf re-gion, both sides agreed on the growing need to protect the shipping industry when dis-putes arise.

Both the parties initially agreed to hold this programme jointly during the year of 2020 in Oman. The programme con-sists of 4 levels as follows: 1) The Concept of Arbitration and its Legal Nature; 2) The Principles of the Maritime Law and the International Maritime Trea-ties; 3) Insurance and Maritime Transportation for Goods and Maritime Accidents, and 4) Ar-bitration in Shipping Bills and Ship Renting Contract.

The meeting discussed ways for cooperation in preparing qualified arbitrators in the field of Commercial Maritime Arbitration

ADNOC sees economy in better shape in 2020Reuters | Abu Dhabi

The global economy is going into 2020 in better shape

than last year, Sultan al-Jaber, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (AD-NOC) said yesterday, adding that he was pleased regional tension had dissipated in the past few days.

“The UAE will be the first country in the region to oper-ate a safe commercial, peaceful nuclear power station,” Jaber also told an energy event in the capital, Abu Dhabi.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Group CEO, is seen on a screen during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

France offers compromise to end transport strike

• Offered to withdraw the proposal to raise the retirement age by two years to 64

• The moderate CFDT and UNSA unions welcomed Philippe’s offer

AFP | Paris

France’s government yes-terday extended a hand to unions waging a crippling,

weeks-long transport strike against pension reform, offering to withdraw the most contested proposal that would in effect have raised the retirement age by two years to 64.

The overture came as protest-ers clashed with police in Paris on the fifth day of mass demon-strations against the overhaul since December 5.

“To demonstrate my confi-dence in the social partners... I am willing to withdraw from the bill the short-term meas-ure I had proposed” to set a so-called “pivot age” of 64 with effect from 2027, Prime Minis-ter Edouard Philippe wrote in a letter to union leaders.

It came a day after they met seeking to end the labour ac-tion that has frustrated Paris commuters, ruined December holiday travel plans, and carved away at business bottom lines.

The moderate CFDT and UNSA unions welcomed Philippe’s of-fer. The more hard-line CGT and FO unions have yet to respond.

Demonstrators in the capital, some masked and hooded, broke shop windows along their pro-test route Saturday, set fires and threw projectiles at police in riot gear, who responded with tear gas.

Several stores were ransacked as marchers brandished union flags and chanted defiantly: “We are still here!” and “Macron re-sign”. Protests were also held in Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Nantes.

In one of President Emmanuel Macron’s signature reforms, the government seeks to fuse 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system it says will be fairer and more transparent but which unions fear will see millions work longer for a smaller retirement payout.

Particularly vexing was the proposal to impose the 64 “pivot age” that people would have to work until to qualify for a full pension -- two years beyond the official retirement age.

Contribute more, or work longer

On Friday, Macron said that for the pension system to re-main viable as a growing num-ber of retirees live ever longer, “either one has to contribute more, or one has to agree to work a little longer”, while in-sisting he does not want to see pensions lowered.

The government says the “pivot age” would save five billion euros ($5.6 billion) by 2023 and some 11 billion euros by 2026.

Philippe said the concept of an “age of equilibrium” would remain part of the reform, though he did not spell out what this means.

The premier also announced there would be a conference, as demanded by union leaders, to study ways of financing the pension system, which must come up with proposals by the end of April.

If it succeeds, MPs will be able to work the resulting proposals into the draft pension reform bill the government hopes to introduce to parliament by Feb-ruary 17.

If it fails, the government will take the “measures necessary to achieve equilibrium” in the sys-tem by 2027, the prime minister warned.

On Day 38 of the strike, some were fed up.

“We have had enough,” estate agent Christophe Delvallee, 65, said at the Aulnay-sous-Bois train station outside Paris. “It has been a month and a half. These are people with many advantages and employment guaranteed for life, and who are making life difficult for the rest of us.”

His daily 75-minute com-mute to work now takes up to 2.5 hours.

Opera closedCommuting has become a

daily headache for many, with train services and Paris metro lines again curtailed Saturday, and regional and inter-city train numbers slashed.

The Paris rail operator RATP said after Philippe’s announce-ment Saturday that all metro and suburban trains will run on Sunday, though still offering only partial service. Most rail workers are aligned to the CGT.

The Paris Opera, which was to launch its official new sea-son on Saturday, cancelled its performance of The Barber of Seville due to opera workers’ continuing participation in the strike.

Like railway workers at the forefront of the strike action, opera staff enjoy early retire-ment benefits under their sec-toral pension scheme, and are reluctant to give these up. The Paris Opera says it has lost 12.3 million euros ($13.7 million).

Demonstrators in Paris, some masked and hooded, broke shop windows along their route and threw projectiles at police in riot gear, who responded with tear gas

French union leader “impatiently awaiting” French PM’s new proposals in pension overhaul standoff


Grown from necessity: vertical farming takes off in ageing JapanAFP

The nondescript building on an industrial site near Kyoto

gives little hint to the productivi-ty inside: 30,000 heads of lettuce grow here daily, under artificial light and with barely any human intervention.

This “vegetable factory”, us-ing the latest vertical farming techniques, is part of a trend born out of necessity in Japan, where traditional farming faces a double threat from the ageing population and migration to-wards the cities.

With the average age of a farmer in Japan at 67 and few candidates to replace those dy-ing out, the country has been forced to become a pioneer in so-called vertical farming.

Globally renowned firms such as Panasonic, Toshiba and Fujitsu have tried their hand -- converting old semi-conductor production lines with varying levels of success.

One of the few companies to turn a quick profit, Spread pro-duces 11 million heads of lettuce annually from its latest factory in Kyoto, a vast sterile area where the vegetables are stacked on shelves several metres high.

Machines shift the lettuc-es around the factory to areas where the light, temperature and humidity are ideal for that stage of growth. The process works without soil or pesticide, and only a dozen or so humans are employed to collect the let-tuce at the end.

Other countries have em-

ployed vertical farming tech-niques -- notably in Denmark and the United States -- but Ja-pan’s population crisis means the farmers are dying out, with question marks over how the world’s third-biggest economy will feed itself.

“Given the lack of manpower and decline in agricultural pro-duction, I felt a new system was needed,” Shinji Inada, Spread’s boss, told AFP.

Spread has taken some time

to make the process nearly fully automated: an older factory in Kyoto still employs several doz-en humans to move the lettuce -- a “difficult task”, admits one staff member.

But the advantages are clear: “We can produce in large quan-tities and at a stable rate all year round, without being affected by temperature changes,” said Inada.

“The other benefit is that we have few losses because

our products are preserved for longer,” added the vegetable ty-coon.

Sustainable agriculture’Inada said the firm initially

experienced some difficulty in selling the lettuce, but they have now grown a good brand by pro-ducing consistent quality at a consistent price -- in a country where prices vary considerably depending on the season.

Spread’s lettuce are found on supermarket shelves in Kyoto and the capital Tokyo and Ina-da has grand expansion visions to move production closer to where the vegetables are con-sumed.

The firm is building a factory in Narita near Tokyo and is eye-ing further afield to countries where the climate is not suited for such agriculture. “We can easily export our production sys-tem to very warm or very cold climates to grow lettuce,” said Inada.

But is this system environ-mentally friendly? Inada said he hesitated before launching the concept over this very question but finally reasoned the pros outweighed the cons.

“It’s true that we use more energy compared to production using the sun, but on the other hand our productivity is higher over a similar surface area,” he said.

The system allows the firm to produce eight crops of let-tuce per year, irrespective of the season. Spread also uses signifi-

cantly less water than traditional agricultural methods.

“I believe we are contrib-uting to a sustainable agriculture f o r o u r s o c i e t y,” claims In-ada.

Japan al-r e a d y h a s around 200 lettuce fac-tories using artificial light but the major-ity of these are small-scale but a c c o rd i n g t o specialist con-sultancy group Innoplex, such factories will double in num-ber by 2025.

A n d o t h e r companies are jumping on the smart-agriculture b a n d wa g o n , with Mitsubi-shi Gas Chemical building a facto-ry in northeastern Fukushima that will produce 32,000 heads of lettuce dai-ly.

Nor is its just let-tuce: tomatoes and straw-berries grown by computer under artificial light are on their way to a table near you.

With the average age of a farmer in Japan at 67 and few candidates to replace those dying out, the country has been forced to become a pioneer in so-called vertical farming

Taiwan’s Tsai wins landslide

Taipei

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen won a land-

slide election victory on Sat-urday as voters delivered a stunning rebuke of Beijing’s campaign to isolate the self-ruled island and handed its first female leader a second term.

Tsai, 63, was greeted by thousands of jubilant flag-waving supporters out-side her party headquarters, hailing a result which looks set to infuriate China.

“Today we have defend-ed our democracy and free-dom, tomorrow let us stand united to overcome all chal-lenges and difficulties,” she told the cheering crowd.

Official results showed Tsai secured 57 percent of the popular vote with a re-cord-breaking 8.2 million ballots, 1.3 million more than her 2016 victory.

Her main rival Han Kuo-yu, from the China-friend-ly Kuomintang, racked up 39 percent and conceded defeat.

Tsai Ing-wen announced her victory as thousands of jubilant supporters cheered and waved flags outside her party headquarters

Boeing says no severance package for ousted CEO Muilenburg

New York

Former Boeing Chief Exec-utive Dennis Muilenburg,

who was criticized for his han-dling of the 737 MAX crisis, will receive no severance pack-age, the company disclosed Friday.

Muilenburg also will not garner 2019 compensation un-der an annual bonus plan, the company said in a securities filing. Muilenburg was ousted last month as the grounding of the MAX has dragged on after two deadly crashes.

“Mr. Muilenburg is not en-titled to -- and did not receive -- any severance or separation payments in connection with his retirement after more than 30 years with the company,” Boeing said in the filing.

Muilenburg, who worked at Boeing for 34 years, also forfeited $14.6 million in 2019 performance awards the com-pany said.

However, Muilenburg will still receive pension, deferred compensation benefits and

long-term incentive awards totaling $62.2 million, accord-ing to figures in the filing.

Muilenburg also holds options to purchase nearly 73,000 shares at around $76, well below Boeing’s current share price Friday of $329.92.

Boeing on December 23 an-nounced Muilenburg’s exit, replacing him with ex-General Electric executive and long-time Boeing board member David Calhoun.

Boeing said the shakeup was needed “restore confidence” and “repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders.”

Calhoun is scheduled to take over as CEO on Monday.

Calhoun will receive a base salary of $1.4 million and will be eligible for additional per-formance-based payments.

These include $7M in long-term awards based on “con-tinued employment and the achievement of several key business milestones, includ-ing full, safe return to service of the 737 MAX,” the filing said.

Former Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, who was criticized for his handling of the 737 MAX crisis, will receive no severance package, the company disclosed

British royal Meghan signed deal with DisneyReuters | London

Meghan, the wife of Britain’s Prince Har-ry, has agreed to re-

cord a voiceover for Disney in return for the company mak-ing a donation to a charity that works to protect elephants, the London-based Times reported yesterday.

Meghan and Harry blindsid-ed the royal family on Wednes-day by unexpectedly announc-ing they would be stepping back from their roles to spend more time in North America, and “work to become financially independent”.

The Times gave no details about what Meghan’s voiceover would involve, but said Disney would make a donation to the charity Elephants Without Bor-ders in return. The newspaper did not say where the informa-tion had come from.

A spokeswoman for Meghan, whose official title is the Duch-

ess of Sussex, had no immediate comment on the report.

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex react as they leave after their visit to Canada House in London, Britain

Takeaway.com wins battle for Britain’s Just EatReuters | Austin, Texas

Dutch online service Takea-way.com said Friday it had

won a battle for Britain’s Just Eat, beating a hostile bid by tech firm Prosus to create one of the world’s largest food delivery platforms.

The combination of the two firms will create a de-livery service worth around nine billion pounds ($11 bil-lion) capable of competing

against Britain-based Deliveroo and Uber Eats of the United States.

Prosus, the Dutch-listed con-sumer tech company which is owned by South African media titan Naspers, had offered 5.5 billion pounds ($7.1 billion) to buy Just Eat.

“I am thrilled,” Takeaway.com CEO Jitse Groen said, confirming that 80.4 percent of JustEat shareholders had accepted the deal, well above

the threshold of 50 percent plus one share needed for the bid to succeed.

“Just Eat Takeaway.com is a dream combination”.

He thanked Just Eat staff for their “patience in what must have been an uncertain time”.

Just Eat and Takeaway.com unveiled in July a plan to join forces to create a heavyweight in the rapidly-growing food de-livery sector.


Global box office has biggest ever year thanks to Disney mega-hitsLos Angeles

If streaming was meant to mark the demise of movie

theaters, Disney did not get the memo.

Theaters around the world took in an all-time record $42.5 billion last year, thanks largely to an unprecedented string of international mega-hits from the Mouse House such as “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King” and “Frozen II.”

Most of the growth came out-side North America, in booming markets such as China, Japan and South Korea, as well as Rus-sia, Brazil, Mexico and western Europe, industry analyst Com-score found in its annual report Friday.

But North American theaters still had their second-biggest ever year, taking more than $11 billion despite a relatively slug-gish first six months.

“ E n d g a m e ” b e c a m e t h e world’s highest-grossing film,

taking $2.798 billion to sur-pass “Avatar” (2009), although it fell short of the domes-tic box office record held by 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

In a sign of its popularity, the movie was still showing in US picture houses four months after its release.

Superhero films “Captain Marvel” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (co-produced with Sony) rounded out an all-Disney global top five.

“The stars really did align for Disney in 2019, it was just a spectacular year,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Der-garabedian.

“Having another year like 2019, I don’t know when we’ll see that from any studio in the new future,” he said, adding that Disney does have block-busters l ike “Mulan” and “Black Widow” lined up for 2020.

The overall $42.5 billion take surpassed last year’s record, which was set at $41.7 billion. Figures were not adjusted for inflation.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix have disrupted the industry by luring top talent and vastly out-spending Tin-seltown’s traditional studios in recent years, leading many to predict movie theaters would suffer.

For instance Netflix gave its prestige production, Mar-tin Scorsese crime epic “The Irishman,” a relatively minis-cule 26-day window in theat-ers before the movie launched on its small-screen streaming platform.

“Streaming is great -- it makes people more excited about con-tent in general,” said Dergar-abedian. “One does not exclude the other... They are competing platforms, but they are both fue-ling excitement.”“Avengers: Endgame” became the world’s highest-grossing film

Future of mobility: some wild rides seen ahead at tech show

Las Vegas

In the not-too-distant future you could ride one, two or

three wheels... or maybe none at all.

Tech-inspired solutions for mobility -- on land, air and wa-ter -- featured prominently at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show this week.

Some innovators played with long-established ideas like the bicycle or scooter by adding arti-ficial intelligence, electric power and other technologies.

With bold and striking de-signs, the new transportation gadgetry suggests a wild ride ahead:

Autonomous and sharedAutonomous and shared vehi-

cles intended to curb traffic and emissions were front and center.

Swiss-based group Rinspeed showed its latest “modular mo-bility” vehicle “Metrosnap,” which is built on a skate-board-like chassis and looks like a futuristic minibus. Different components can be swapped in to accommodate passengers, deliveries or even a mobile retail outlet.

Germany’s Bosch showed a similar autonomous shuttle bus-style vehicle that can offer “cus-tomized on-demand mobility.”

“If there is demand, it can transport people, and then if there is a need to move goods, it can be adapted for that as well,” said Bosch’s Andrew Yip.

Juergen Reers, a mobility ana-lyst with Accenture, said people are looking for flexible solutions.

“People want something more than (transit) where they are tied to rigid schedules and pick-up stations,” he said.

Pedal power, with extrasAdaptations of the bicycle,

infused with new tech for the connected generation, appeared at CES.

French startup Wello showed its open-sided, three-wheeled car-bike that relies on pedaling, electric power and solar panels on the roof, already in use by French postal services.

“It ’s taking the best from the bicycle and the best from the car,” said Arnaud Chereau, co-founder of the group, which is based in Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

“It’s 100 percent sustainable because it produces energy from the solar panels.”

Also seen at the show was an

off-road electric cargo bike from Sweden-based startup Cake, which riders can customize for various kinds of trips.

“You can commute to work, pick up your groceries and then grab your surfboard and head to the beach,” Cake spokes-man Garin Fons said of the two-wheeler.

Another electric-assisted tri-cycle concept from Italian start-up Measy adds another dimen-sion: a cargo bay for a small de-livery robot that can be set free to bring goods inside buildings.

“This is a concept for multi-mobility,” said Measy engineer Matta De Santis, demonstrating with a robot from fellow Italian startup Yape.

China-based Smacircle of-fered a simpler, lighter electric bicycle designed as two small, connected rings that fold up and fit a backpack or commuter case.

“If you take a train to work, you can use this for the first mile or last mile,” said Smacircle’s Darren Pike of the e-bike, which is only 53 centimeters (20 inch-es) high and weighs just over 10 kilos (24 pounds).

Breaking the moldSome models presented a

more outlandish way to get from A to B.

Ninebot Segway, which makes personal transporters and scoot-ers, unveiled its S-Pod, a self-bal-ancing armchair designed for urban streets.

“We are looking at different solutions for urban mobility,” said company spokeswoman Julie Tang.

According to Segway, the new personal transport pod can trav-el up to 24 miles (39 kilometers) an hour and is designed with intuitive controls to avoid tip-ping over.

New Zealand startup Manta5

presented its water bike, which also uses electricity.

“Our founder had a dream that he was riding a bicycle, and he saw dolphins, and that’s how this started,” said spokesman Louis Wilks.

The Manta5 hydrofoiler, with variable electric power assis-tance, is “a new category of wa-ter sport” that is quiet, environ-mentally friends and allows you “to see directly into the water,” Wilks said.

Flying above the crowdSome CES exhibitors said the

best way to cope with traffic on the ground is to rise above it.

Aeronext unveiled a scaled-down model of its “flying gon-dola” designed as a personal transporter. The gondola uses so-called “4D gravity” to keep the passenger compartment sta-ble even during turbulence.

“This is original technolo-gy. Conventional air mobility drones are not stable,” said Kei-suke Toji, chief executive of the group, which has offices in Ja-pan and China.

Toji said the company hopes to have a working prototype in the next year as it moves toward commercialization.

South Korea’s Hyundai mean-while announced it would begin mass-producing flying cars for Uber, moving the idea of aerial robo-taxis closer to reality.

Putting it all togetherThe vast array of new trans-

port options could lead to a more sustainable future, but only if coordinated, Accenture’s Reers said.

Hyundai proposed a network of hubs to connect various forms of personal and mass transit with stations for its drones.

Toyota said it would create a “woven city” in Japan, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, where it would test autonomous driving and related technologies.

At the moment, Reers said cit-ies have resisted new modes of

transport like scooters because they don’t fit into the ecosystem, highlighting the need for better planning.

“These new developments create huge opportunities to manage the system in a more sustainable way,” he said.

“Instead of looking for the next big thing, we should be thinking about making things work together.”

Rinspeed’s concept vehicle MetroSnap, seen at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, can be adapted to users’ needs

An electric cargo bike from Italian startup Measy uses a delivery robot from sister company Yape for multimodal transportation at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show

Hyundai announced it will begin mass-producing its S-A1 electric Urban Air Mobility conceptfor Uber, moving the idea of aerial robo-taxis closer to reality

The Smacircle S1 micro-mobility bike, shown at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, can fold up and fit into a backpack or commuter case

An attendee sits in the Wello solar electric tricycle during the CES Unveiled preview at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show

The Segway S-Pod, shown on opening day of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, can reach up to 39 kilometer (24 miles) per hour

UNDERWATER (PG-15)(THRILLER/HORROR)OASIS JUFFAIR : 2.00 + 6.45 + 11.30 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (VIP): 11.45 AM + 4.30 + 9.15 PMCITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 12.45 + 3.00 + 5.15 + 7.30 + 9.45 + 12.00 MN + (12.45 MN THURS/FRI)CITY CENTRE (VIP I) : 12.00 + 2.15 + 4.30 + 6.45 + 9.00 + 11.15 PMSEEF (II): 10.30 AM + 12.30 + 2.45 + 5.00 + 7.15 + 9.30 + 11.45 PM + (12.45 MN THURS/FRI) WADI AL SAIL: 12.15 + 2.30 + 4.45 + 7.00 + 9.15 + 11.30 PM

KRISTEN STEWART, T.J. MILLER, JESSICA HENWICK

1917 (PG-15)(WAR/ACTION/DRAMA) OASIS JUFFAIR : 11.30 AM + 4.15 + 9.00 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (VIP): 2.00 + 6.45 + 11.30 PMCITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 2.00 + 4.30 + 7.00 + 9.30 + 12.00 MN CITY CENTRE (IMAX 2D) : 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.30 + 6.00 + 8.30 + 11.00 PMSEEF (II): 11.00 AM + 1.30 + 4.00 + 6.30 + 9.00 + 11.30 PM + (12.30 MN THURS/FRI) WADI AL SAIL: 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PM

GEORGE MACKAY, DEAN-CHARLES CHAPMAN, MARK STRONG

LIKE A BOSS (18+)(COMEDYOASIS JUFFAIR : 2.15 + 7.00 + 11.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 11.00 AM + 1.00 + 3.00 + 5.00 + 7.00 + 9.00 + 11.00 PM + ( 1.00 AM THURS/FRI)CITY CENTRE (VIP II) : 12.00 + 2.00 + 4.00 + 6.00 + 8.00 + 10.00 + 12.00 MNSEEF (II): 12.00 + 2.00 + 4.00 + 6.00 + 8.00 + 10.00 + 12.00 MNWADI AL SAIL: 2.15 + 7.00 + 11.45 PM

TIFFANY HADDISH, ROSE BYRNE, SALMA HAYEK

RICHARD JEWELL (PG-15)(DRAMA/THRILLER)OASIS JUFFAIR : 11.30 AM + 4.15 + 9.00 PMCITY CENTRE: 2.30 + 8.15 PMSEEF (II): 11.30 AM + 5.15 + 11.00 PMWADI AL SAIL: 10.30 AM + 3.30 + 8.45 PM

SAM ROCKWELL, KATHY BATES, JON HAMM

DARBAR (PG-15)(ACTION) OASIS JUFFAIR :(TAMIL): 11.15 AM + 2.15 + 5.15 + 8.15 + 11.15 PMOASIS JUFFAIR (HINDI) : 11.30 AM + 5.30 + 11.30 PMOASIS JUFFAIR :(TELUGU) : 2.30 + 8.30 PMCITY CENTRE : (TAMIL) : 11.45 AM + 2.45 + 5.45 + 8.45 + 11.45 PMSEEF (I):(TAMIL) : 11.30 AM + 2.30 + 5.30 + 8.30 + 11.30 + ( 12.30 MN THURS/FRI)SEEF (I):(HINDI) : 12.00 + 3.00 + 6.00 + 9.00 + 12.00 MNSEEF (I):(TELUGU) : 12.30 + 3.30 + 6.30 + 9.30 PMWADI AL SAIL:(TAMIL): 11.00 AM + 2.00 + 5.00 + 8.00 + 11.00 PMALHAMRA:(TAMIL): 12.00 + 3.00 + 6.00 + 9.00 + ( 12.00 MN THURS/FRI)

RAJINIKANTH, SUNIL SHETTY, NAYANTHARA

TANHAJI:THE UNSUNG WARRIOR (PG-15)OASIS JUFFAIR : 12.15 + 3.00 + 5.45 + 8.30 + 11.15 PMCITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 3.30 + 8.45 PMSEEF (I): 12.30 + 3.15 + 6.00 + 8.45 + 11.30 PMWADI AL SAIL: 11.30 AM + 4.15 + 9.00 PM

AJAY DEVGN, SAIF ALI KHAN, KAJOL

CHHAPAAK (PG-15)(HINDI/DRAMA)OASIS JUFFAIR : 10.45 AM + 1.15 + 3.45 + 6.15 + 8.45 + 11.15 PMCITY CENTRE: 1.00 + 6.15 + 11.30 PMSEEF (II): 11.15 AM + 1.45 + 4.15 + 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PMWADI AL SAIL: 1.00 + 6.15 + 11.30 PM

DEEPIKA PADUKONE, VIKRANT MASSEY, MADHURJEET SARGHI

RED SHOES AND THE 7 DWARFS (G)OASIS JUFFAIR (KIDS CINEMA): 10.30 AM + 2.30 + 4.30 + 8.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 12.00 + 4.30 PMCITY CENTRE: (3D) : 2.15 + 6.45 PMSEEF (II): 10.30 AM + 12.30 + 2.30 + 4.30 + 6.30 PM

CHLOË GRACE MORETZ, SAM CLAFLIN, GINA GERSHON

MASAMEER: THE MOVIE (PG)(ANIMATION/COMEDY) CITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.30 + 6.00 + 8.30 + 11.00 PMSEEF (II): 10.45 AM + 1.15 + 3.45 + 6.15 PM

ABDULAZIZ AL-MUZAINI, ABDULAZIZ AL-SHEHRI, MAZROA AL-MAZROA

DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF (PG-15)(ACTION/THRILLER) SEEF (II): 11.30 AM + 3.30 + 7.30 + 11.30 PM

GINA CARANO, RICHARD DREYFUSS, BRENDAN FEHR

BALLOON (PG-13)(DRAMA/THRILLER) SEEF (II): 8.30 + 11.00 PM

FRIEDRICH MÜCKE, KAROLINE SCHUCH, ALICIA VON RITTBERG

MISSION UNSTAPABOL (PG-13)(FILIPINO/COMEDYSEEF (II): 8.45 + 11.00 PM

VIC SOTTO, MAINE MENDOZA, JAKE CUENCA

JUMANJI THE NEXT LEVEL (PG-15)CITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.45 + 6.30 + 9.15 + 12.00 MN + (12.30 MN THURS/FRI)CITY CENTRE (ATMOS) : 10.30 AM + 1.00 + 3.45 + 6.30 + 9.15 + 12.00 MN SEEF (I): 12.45 + 3.30 + 6.15 + 9.00 + 11.45 PMWADI AL SAIL: 1.00 + 6.15 + 11.30 PM

DWAYNE JOHNSON, JACK BLACK, KEVIN HART

AL FELOUS (THE MONEY) (PG-15)(ARABIC/COMEDY/CRIME) CITY CENTRE: 11.15 AM + 1.45 + 4.15 + 6.45 + 9.15 + 11.45 PM + (12.45 MN THURS/FRI)SEEF (I): 10.45 AM + 1.15 + 3.45 + 6.15 + 8.45 + 11.15 PMWADI AL SAIL: 10.30 AM + 3.45 + 9.00 PM

TAMER HOSNY, ZEINA, KHALID EL-SAWI

THE GRUDGE (15+)(HORROR/THRILLER/DRAMA)CITY CENTRE: 10.30 AM + 12.30 + 2.45 + 5.00 + 7.15 + 9.30 + 11.45 PM

ANDREA RISEBOROUGH, DEMIAN BICHIR, JOHN CHO

SPIES IN DISGUISE (PG)OASIS JUFFAIR (KIDS CINEMA): 6.30 + 10.45 PMCITY CENTRE: 11.00 AM + 1.15 + 3.30 + 5.45 + 8.00 + 10.15 PM SEEF (II): 11.15 AM + 1.30 + 3.45 + 6.00 + 8.15 + 10.30 PMWADI AL SAIL: 12.00 + 2.15 + 4.30 PM

WILL SMITH, TOM HOLLAND, KAREN GILLAN

FROZEN 2 (PG)(ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY) CITY CENTRE: 11.15 AM + 1.30 + 3.45 + 6.00 + 8.15 + 10.30 PMSEEF (II): 11.00 AM + 1.15 + 3.30 + 5.45 + 8.00 + 10.15 PM

KRISTEN BELL, IDINA MENZEL, JOSH GAD

NORM OF THE NORTH 3: KING SIZED ADVENTURE (G)OASIS JUFFAIR (KIDS CINEMA): 12.30 NOON

JENNIFER CAMERON, BRIAN DOBSON, MICHAEL DOBSON

21 BRIDGES (PG-15)(CRIME/ACTION/THRILLER) CITY CENTRE: 12.15 + 2.30 + 4.45 + 7.00 + 9.15 + 11.30 PM

CHADWICK BOSEMAN, SIENNA MILLER, STEPHAN JAMES

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (PG-13)CITY CENTRE: 11.30 AM + 5.15 + 11.00 PM

DAISY RIDLEY, MARK HAMILL, ADAM DRIVER

GOOD NEWWZ (15+)(HINDI/COMEDY/DRAMA) OASIS JUFFAIR: 2.45 + 8.30 PMSEEF (II): 2.15 + 8.00 PM

AKSHAY KUMAR, KAREENA KAPOOR, DILJIT DOSANJH

MALEFICENT 2: MISTRESS OF EVIL (PG)CITY CENTRE: 12.15 + 2.45 + 5.15 + 7.45 + 10.15 PM

ANGELINA JOLIE, TERESA MAHONEY, MICHELLE PFEIFFER

KNIVES OUT (PG-15)(CRIME/COMEDY/THRILLER)CITY CENTRE: 9.00 PM + 11.45 PM

DANIEL CRAIG, CHRIS EVANS, ANA DE ARMAS

JOKER (15+)(THRILLER/CRIME/DRAMA) CITY CENTRE: 12.00 + 5.45 + 11.30 PM

JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ZAZIE BEETZ, ROBERT DE NIRO

LE MANS ‘66 (PG-13)(DRAMA/SPORT/BIOGRAPHY)CITY CENTRE: 2.45 + 8.30 PM

MATT DAMON, CHRISTIAN BALE, JON BERNTHAL

TRAUMA CENTRE (PG-15)(THRILLER) SEEF (II): 1.30 + 5.30 + 9.30 PM

BRUCE WILLIS, NICKY WHELAN, STEVE GUTTENBERG

DRIVING LICENCE (PG-15)(MALAYALAM) OASIS JUFFAIR: 12.00 + 5.45 + 11.30 PM

PRITHVIRAJ SUKUMARAN, SURAJ VENJARANMOODU

SARILERU NEEKEVVARU ()(TELUGU) From Saturday 11thOASIS JUFFAIR: 10.30 AM + 1.45 + 5.00 + 8.15 + 11.30 PM

MAHESH BABU, VIJAYASHANTI, RASHMIKA MANDANA, PRAKASH RAJ

13 SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

‘Like a Boss’ is a laughter-free, pointless fiasco of a movieA capable cast led by Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne is stranded in a truly terrible film

It’s entirely possible that a movie that begins with one main character explicitly

recounting a sex dream about a former U.S. president could turn out to be an enjoyable, if crude, comedy.

“Like a Boss” is not that film.Instead, this laughter-free

opening sequence is an accurate harbinger of things to come, a movie in which the dead air that follows bad jokes sometimes threatens to swallow its actors whole.

You know how people have been making fun of “Cats” since it first appeared in the litter box in December? Well, “Cats” is not a good movie, but at least its nut-tiness exerts a very watchable kind of fascination. “Like a Boss” is worse in so many ways, and so lacking in distinction — nutty or otherwise — that it won’t be remembered after next week.

The film strands some capable players in its tone-deaf vacu-um. Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne play childhood friends now running a cosmetics bou-tique, where they sell their own products.

The business is in the red, so when a make-up mogul (Salma Hayek) swoops in to buy a con-trolling stake in the company, the offer is tempting. But will the

friendship be tested by the real-ities of big business, and can the women keep their ideals alive in the process?

These feeble questions are

batted around between slapstick scenes that appear to be set up so that Haddish might improvise her way toward something fun-ny. She finds a couple of nuggets,

but this is yet another movie that wastes her particular talent (even though the R rating leaves room for any and all raunchy im-provisations — including explicit dreams about an ex-president).

We also get Jennifer Coolidge as the boutique’s shop clerk, which guarantees a couple of the actress’s trademark spacey anec-dotes-from-nowhere. Someday that shtick might get old, but not just yet.

Also in support is Billy Porter, the actor-singer known for his over-the-top sense of couture. He single-handedly makes a few

scenes come to goofy life with his drop-dead camp approach, including a memorable high-di-va reaction to getting fired. This movie should do for Porter what “Girls Trip” did for Haddish.

The director is Miguel Arteta, who has displayed a comic talent in his previous films (including the deadpan and disturbing “Be-atriz at Dinner,” starring Hayek). How this movie got to be this awful is baffling.

It clocks in at 83 minutes, including end credits, so there’s probably a lot on the cutting-room floor. How bad must that material be? Does it include an explicit account of a sex dream about a non-ex-pres-ident? One shudders.

“Like a Boss” (1 star)A laughter-free movie about

partners in a cosmetics bou-tique (Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne) who sell out their busi-ness and possibly their friend-ship. The movie, which has plen-ty of raunch, keeps floundering around in search of something, and even Billy Porter’s campy theatrics can’t save it. With Sal-ma Hayek.

M O V I E R E V I E W

DON’T MISS IT

A lot of comic screen talent is wasted in

this limp, forgetful, faux-femcentric farce

From left, Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek star in ‘Like a Boss’

14 SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020

C L A S S I F I E D S

17th January, 2020

Please Call / WhatsApp: +973 38862215, 33784481, 33911860

Joaquin Phoenix arrested at climate change protest

Washington

Golden Globe winner Joaquin Phoenix of the

“Joker” fame was arrested, along with other climate change protestors.

The Hollywood star was arrested on Friday, reports variety.com.

Jane Fonda’s last Fire Drill Friday protest in Wash-ington, D.C., saw the actor march with hundreds, in-cluding the likes of Martin Sheen, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon, and give a speech about the ef-fects of the meat and dairy industries on climate change.

According to US Capitol Police, 147 protesters were arrested in total for the un-lawful demonstration.

Since October, Fonda and other actors, including Sam Waterston, Ted Dan-son, Rosanna Arquette, Sally Field and Catherine Keener, have been arrested for civil disobedience, as they advo-cated for a Green New Deal, among other demands.

Phoenix attended the pro-test, standing alongside Fonda onstage to deliver a speech.

Kit Harington to make Broadway debutLondon

John Snow of “Game of Thrones” aka Kit Haring-

ton is reportedly set to make his Broadway debut along-side actress Anne Hathaway.

According to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, the British actor will perform in the second of two plays, as part of a production called Double Feature, reports ace-showbiz.com.

The first play is reportedly about the notoriously toxic relationship between actress Tippi Hedren and late direc-tor Alfred Hitchcock, with Hathaway in talks to play Hedren.

The sec-o n d p a r t will feature Harington as a young man who idolises horror star Vin-cent Price, before learning his idol is not the man he thought he was.

The two plays have been penned by John Logan, a screenwriter who worked on the last two James Bond movies – “Skyfall” and “Spectre”.

It will be directed by Jon-athan Kent.

Harington’s “Game of Thrones” co-star Conleth Hill is reportedly in line to play Hitchcock opposite Hathaway in the production, which is set to debut in 2021.

Will Smith raps about history of his lifeLos Angeles

Actor Will Smith recently went behind the micro-

phone to rap about the histo-ry of his life.

He did the rap on “The Tonight Show Starring Jim-my Fallon”, putting his spin on the show’s fan-favourite musical bit “The History of “, reports eonline.com.

The “Bad Boys For Life” star and host Jimmy Fal-lon donned matching black hoodies and white tees as they took viewers on a trip d ow n m e m o - r y lane, starting with Will’s humble mu-sic begin-nings.

J i m m y rapped: “You seen him in billboards/ Starring in shows/ But there’s a lot about him that you might not know.”

Then, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” star took over with a verse about his early rapping career. “Back in ‘’85/ I rocked the house till it turned to rub-ble/ Every time I told y’’all girls ain’’t nothing but trou-ble/ Jeff (Allen Townes)’s the DJ, I’’m the rapper/ You can call him Jazz, you can call me dapper/ Then I was rappin’’ just to make bus fare/ Then I moved in with my Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air.”

Los Angeles

Am e r i c a n a c t o r Gwyneth Paltrow recently opened up

about the repercussions of her 1997 split from Brad Pitt, and looked back at the end of the relationship which also affected her body.

According to Us Weekly, the Avengers star reflected on her previous Harper’s Bazaar cover in a YouTube video she posted on Fri-day (local time), where she said, “This one, gosh, I was only about maybe 24 or [25], Brad Pitt and I had just broken up, and I had breakup, like, could not eat. I was really skinny. It was sort of upsetting, but it’s a nice picture.”

T h e 4 7-ye a r- o l d a c-tor was seen sporting a cropped hairstyle which appeared on the cover of the December 1997 issue.

Paltrow and Pitt met on the set of their 1995 film, Se7en. In 1994, the former couple began dating but in 1997 they called off their

engagement.In her February 2020 sto-

ry cover story for Harper’s Bazaar, the star revealed where she stands now with her ex-fiance where she quoted that she’s friend-ly with Brad Pitt and she doesn’t “ have any really bad blood.”

Last year in February, the Oscar winner actor confessed that she initially turned down her critically acclaimed role in ‘Shake-speare in Love’ due to her split from Pitt. In an inter-view to Variety, she stated, “I was in the middle of a terrible breakup, and the idea of going to England and being far from home just seemed ... I didn’t even read it, I was just like, ‘I can’t read anything right now. I’m having a really hard time.’”

In September 2018, Pal-trow married husband Brad Falchuk and the couple shares 15-year-old daugh-ter Apple, and 13-year-old son Moses with ex-hus-band Chris Martin, whom she divorced in July 2016.

Justin Timberlake spotted on dinner date with wife Jessica Beil

after hand-holding scandalLos Angeles

Nearly two months after Justin Timberlake was spotted holding hands

with his ‘Palmer’ co-star Ali-sha Wainwright, he was spot-ted with his wife Jessica Beil on a dinner date in Los An-

geles putting the recent drama behind.

According to People magazine, the couple was photographed for

the first time together since the singer was seen holding hands and min-gling closely with Alisha Wainwright, his co-star on the upcoming film Palmer, in New Orleans on November 23.

Post the holding hands incident with his co-star, the 38-year-old sing-

er-songwriter also issued a public apology on Instagram, in

which he apologised to his wife Biel. Timberlake got married to

Biel in 2012 and the couple share 4-year-old son Silas.

Earlier, Wainwright’s rep stated that there is “no validity” to the

romance rumours, the returned to work on the Palmer set along-side Timberlake shortly after the scandal.

C R O S S W O R D

Across1- Linebacker Junior; 5- Chilly powder?; 9- Nectar collector; 12- ___ Crunch; 13- Ditto; 15- Vamp Theda; 16- Busy; 17- Enhance; 18- ____, poor Yorick; 19- Zealot; 21- Editorial writer; 23- Many wapiti; 25- Architect Saarinen; 26- The Crystals’ “___ a Rebel”; 29- Graven image; 31- Colored; 35- Satisfied sound; 36- Country singer Tucker; 38- Thaw before takeoff; 39- Toronto paper; 41- Circular water container; 43- Like some orders; 44- Native American tent; 46- Lover of Juliet; 48- Squeal (on); 49- Kind of garage; 51- Obscene; 52- One ___ time; 53- Ireland; 55- Earth Day subj.; 57- Like a mandolin; 61- Projecting windows; 65- Capital of the Ukraine; 66- Seraglio; 68- Whence; 69- Monty Python’s Eric; 70- Triple; 71- Cork’s place; 72- Mystery writer Josephine; 73- Practice pugilism; 74- Actor Auberjonois;

Down1- Con; 2- I could ___ horse!; 3- Neat as ___; 4- Set free; 5- Squarely; 6- Beatty of “Deliverance”; 7- Oklahoma Native; 8- More unfavorable; 9- Indonesian resort island; 10- Periods; 11- Bridge seat; 14- Start; 15- Daggerlike weapon; 20- Settled down; 22- Dry and waterless; 24- Sub system; 26- Must; 27- Taken in; 28- Condition; 30- Disinfectant brand; 32- Ornamental coronet; 33- Dazzling display; 34- 4th letter of the Greek alphabet; 37- Actress Anouk; 40- Accept delivery of; 42- Neophyte; 45- Acquire through merit; 47- Scent; 50- Bingo!; 54- Approaches; 56- One in prison for good; 57- Parody; 58- It may turn; 59- Be dependent; 60- Faucet problem; 62- Classic railroad name; 63- Bereft; 64- “Peter Pan” pirate; 67- Bambi’s aunt;

Kit Harington

Will Smith

I was really skinny:

Gwyneth Paltrow

recalls repercussions

of break up with Brad

Pitt

Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt

Joaquin Phoenix

S U D O K U

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

15

sports


Man Utd thump Norwich• Rashford strikes twice as Man Utd crush Norwich

• Hudson-Odoi gets first Premier League goal as Chelsea cruise

• Southampton stun Leicester

Reuters | London

Ma n c h e s t e r Un i t e d roared back to form with a 4-0 demolition

of bottom club Norwich City but Chelsea maintained their grip on fourth place in the Pre-mier League with a 3-0 defeat of Burnley at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Southampton produced the biggest surprise of the day as they gained sweet revenge for a 9-0 home drubbing by Leicester City in October, coming from a goal down to win the return 2-1.

Everton shrugged off their FA Cup defeat by Liverpool as their improved league form contin-ued with a 1-0 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion to move level on points with 10th-placed Arsenal who drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Newcastle United.

Leaders Liverpool can break Manchester City’s record for the best start to a Premier League campaign if they win at Totten-ham Hotspur in the day’s late kickoff.

Making his 200th appearance for Manchester United, Marcus Rashford struck twice for the Reds in a dominant display that left them in fifth spot, five points

behind Chelsea.United were clearly smarting

from their chastening League Cup defeat by Manchester City and swarmed all over Norwich.

Rashford rewarded their dominance when he side-foot-ed in Juan Mata’s cross in the 27th minute but the hosts were unable to build on their lead before the break.

Norwich capitulated after halftime though and goalkeeper Tim Krul needlessly conceded

a penalty that Rashford tucked away.

Mata then set up Anthony Martial for the third before substitute Mason Greenwood put the icing on the cake for the home side.

Chelsea’s home form has been a thorn in their side but they put that aside to thump Burnley 3-0 with a penalty from Jorginho and goals by Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Burnley offered little as they

suffered a fourth successive league defeat.

When second-placed Leices-ter took an early lead through Dennis Praet, Southampton’s fans must have feared the worst.

But the south coast club have made a startling improvement since that dark October night and stunned the hosts with a for-tunate leveller from midfielder Stuart Armstrong.

Danny Ings, who had missed a slew of chances earlier in the match, struck the winner -- his 14th league goal of the season -- in the 81st minute after col-lecting a Che Adams pass.

Leicester thought they had levelled in the 90th minute when Jonny Evans nodded in a freekick from James Maddison, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) judged the defender to be in an offside position.

Marcus Rashford scores past Norwich’s Tim Krul to put Manchester United 1-0 up

KNOW WHAT

Marcus Rashford has played 200 games for

Manchester United

Nelofar beat rally past Fire TDT | Manama

Nelofar Events defeated Al-pha Fire by 15 runs in CBA

Division D 25 over League.Alpha Fire won the toss and

elected to bowl first. A bril-liant knock from Saeed Khan helped Nelofar Event to score 206 runs at the end of 25 overs. He scored 123 runs in 78 ball includes thirteen 4’s and five 6’s. Dilhan took three wickets for Alpha Fire. Chasing the tar-get, Alpha Fire Batsman Ku-mara (57) and Ruvind (46) gave some hope, but Nelofar bowlers pulled the match to their side. At the end of 25 overs Alpha Fire scored 191 runs and Nel-ofar won the match by 15 runs. Naeem took three wickets for Nelofar Events.

Nelofar Events 206/8 in 25 overs (Saeed 123, Ashfaq 21, Dilhan 3/25) beat Alpha Fire Bahrain 191/8 (Kumara 57, Ruvinda 46, Maeem 3/31) by 15 runs

Kerala XI 198/7 in 24.3 overs (Ranjith 42, Robin 41, Prasad 3/14) beat Bahrain Hawks 197/8 (Satinder 73, Raghav 40, Jomon 2/27) by 3 wickets

Santy Excavation 147/4 in 18.2 overs (Noman 55, Hassan 20) beat RUCT 146/10 (Faisal 39, Sal-man 5/17) by 6 wickets

United CC 149/10 (Vahid 25, Junaid 4/28) beat Salmaniya Eagles 115/10 (Subin 18, Gilani 2/19) by 34 runs

Masters CC 161/6 in 23.4 overs (Haris 45, Siddiq 32, Ravi 2/25)

beat Kothambawala 157/10 (Yusuf 49, Majeed 3/24) by 4 wickets

Brave Warriors 243/5 in 25 overs (Waqas 101, Waseem 49, Mani 47, Rakesh 3/45) beat In-dian Super Kings 113/10 (Ravi 28, Majid 3/17, Waqas 3/18) by 130 runs

Tornado A 160/9 in 24 overs (Gigin 56, Dharma 3/13) beat Hyderabad Boys 156/10 (Rajesh 47, Nitin 3/22, Jinesh 3/30) by 1 wicket

Bassali Tigers 251/10 (Wassey 92, Kashif 44, Asmar 3/50) beat RCB 174/8 (Jayasekar 68, Umar 4/25) by 77 runs

Karnataka Strikers 151/7 in 23 overs (Noor 41, Sohaib 28, Ramesh 3/29) beat Falcon CC 150/10 (Sujinthran 41, Shylu 3/39, Hari 3/28) by 3 wickets

Super Kings 179/7 (Prashant 55, Suraj 38, Sameer 3/26) beat GT Abdulaal 140/7 (Ashwin 54,

Sam 2/17) by 39 runsIndian Delights 183/9 (Shyju

44, Raj 4/44) beat Shafiq XI 149/10 (Raj 87, Vipin 3/31) by 34 runs

NDC Bahrain 92/8 in 17.2 overs (Sam 23, Abdulla 3/14) beat Jinnah CC 91/10 (Asim 36, Alex 4/26) by 2 wicket

Saeed - Nelofer Events Salman - Santy

Wassay - Bassali Tigers

Karolina Pliskova sees off Naomi Osaka in epic Brisbane semi-finalAFP | Brisbane, Australia

World number two Karo-lina Pliskova will defend

her Brisbane International title after edging Naomi Osaka in an epic three-set semi-final at Pat Rafter Arena yesterday.

Pliskova triumphed 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win in a two hour, 48 minute mara-thon and will play eighth seed American Madison Keys in the decider.

She was forced to come from a set down, then save a match point at 5-6 in the second, be-fore seeing off the reigning Aus-tralian Open champion.

The two are no strangers to long matches against each oth-er -- Osaka edged Pliskova 6-4 in the third in the Australian Open semi-finals on her way to the title.

But few could have expect-ed a match of this quality and length in the first tournament of the year.

With both players serving exceptionally well, the first set almost inevitably went to a tie-break, which Osaka clinched on her fifth set point.

The second set was a repeat of the first with few opportu-nities to break until Pliskova faltered at 5-5 to give Osaka the chance to serve for the match.

She came from 0-30 down to 40-30, but Pliskova rallied,

saved match point and then broke Osaka to send the set to a tiebreak.

Osaka then saw the third set slip away with two service breaks.

“That was one of the best matches that I’ve played on this court,” Pliskova said.

“It was a great standard, and she’s always tough to play against.

“I think I did a good job to stay in there after a tough first set, and in the second I just kept fighting and it paid off.”

In the first semi-final, Keys held firm when it counted to defeat two tie Wimbledon champion Kvitova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and make her first Brisbane fi-nal.

After losing the first set and being down an early break in the second, Keys began to serve more effectively and find her range with her groundstrokes against an increasingly nervous Kvitova.

From 0-2 down and staring a semi-final exit in the face, the eighth seeded Keys broke back to make it 2-2 and surged ahead to level the match.

Both players struggled to hold serve in the final set -- there were five service breaks in a row -- but at 5-3 Keys held her nerve and from 0-30 she won four points in a row to be-come the first American into a Brisbane final since Sere-na Williams won the title in 2014.

Karolina Pliskova in action against Naomi Osaka

Suarez to undergo another knee surgery say BarcelonaAFP | Barcelona

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez will undergo

another knee operation on Sunday, Barcelona have an-nounced.

The club issued a press release yesterday saying the surgery was for an “injury to the external meniscus of the right knee”.

It will not be his first knee operation.

Last May, Suarez missed the last two league games and the Spanish cup fi-nal, which Barcelona lost to Valencia, so he could have an operation on his right knee and recover in time to play for Uruguay in the Copa America in Brazil.

Suarez also underwent knee surgery in May 2014, returning in time to score twice against England at the end of June in the World Cup.

Suarez played on Thurs-day as Barcelona lost the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup to Atletico Ma-drid in Jeddah.

The 32-year-old has made 23 appearances for Barce-lona this season, scoring 14 goals (11 in the league and three in the Champions League). He also leads La Liga with seven assists.

Nadal’s Spain to meet Djokovic’s Serbia in ATP Cup final

AFP | Sydney

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face each

other in the final of the inaugu-ral ATP Cup after winning epic three-set matches Saturday to steer Spain and Serbia into the decider.

World number one Nad-al ground down pumped-up Australian Alex de Minaur to guide the Davis Cup champi-ons through their semi-final while Djokovic battled past Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

Under the format of the in-novative team event in Sydney, the top-ranked singles players from each country play each other, ensuring the two leg-ends clash for a 55th time since their first showdown in 2006.

World number two Djokovic leads the head-to-heads 28-26, including beating his arch-ri-val in the Australian Open final last year.

Nadal outlasted De Minaur 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after unflappable teammate Roberto Bautista Agut tamed Nick Kyrgios 6-1, 6-4.

Djokovic had an equally tough time against impressive fifth-ranked Medvedev, com-ing through a top-draw con-test 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 on the back of Dusan Lajovic beating Karen Khachanov 7-5, 7-6 (7/1).

“Alex was playing at a very high level and for me my en-ergy was a little bit lower than usual. But it has been a very emotional evening and a pleas-ure playing here,” said Nadal.

“We know it’s going to be a super tough final (against Ser-bia),” he added. “Novak likes a lot to play here, he’s had a lot of great results. So let’s see. We have a good team too.”

De Minaur had a furious start, breaking Nadal in the opening game of the match and then keeping the pressure on, restricting the Spaniard’s trademark forehand to take the first set in 46 minutes.

Full of energy, his serve was on fire and he was winning the baseline rallies, but Nadal weathered the onslaught and finally won a break point, con-verting to take the second set.

De Minaur was deflated and the fight went out of him as the 19-time Grand Slam showed him who was boss, racing through the deciding set.

Unassuming world number 10 Bautista Agut was in control and all over the groundstrokes of temperamental Kyrgios, who looked lost as he crashed 6-1 in the first set.

The Australian regained some lustre in the second set. But he was broken in the fifth game, mangling his racquet in frustration, and despite saving two match points with boom-ing aces was outplayed.

“My game plan was to put him under pressure to play every point, to make him work. That’s what I tried and it went well,” said Bautista Agut.

Exceptional Sixteen-time Grand Slam

winner Djokovic, who is tar-geting an eighth Australian Open title this month, had looked on track for a comfort-able win against Medvedev after sailing through the open-ing set and breaking in the first game of the second.

But the dogged Russian, who won their last two encounters, roared back.

He broke in the next game and then again for 3-1, with Djokovic smashing his racquet as Medvedev took the set to level the match.

A third set of long, high-qual-ity rallies went with serve until Djokovic got the crucial edge in the fifth game, converting a volley to go 3-2 in front and Medvedev had no answer.

“It was an exceptional match. Lots of rallies and very exhausting. Daniil Medvedev is one of the best players in the world and he showed today why,” said Djokovic.

“He’s difficult to break from the baseline, he’s tall and has a good serve. This was the most difficult challenge I have had so far this year.”

Lajovic, who won his first ATP title last year at Umag, took a 2-0 record into his showdown with world number 17 Khachanov and produced a performance that belied his ranking of 34, displaying composure and a fine array of shots.


Sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic is targeting an eighth Australian Open title

this month

Bahrain Olympic team heldby Iraq in AFC U23 football

TDT| Manama

Bahrain’s Olympic foot-ball team missed out on a much-needed victory

yesterday after conceding a late goal in a 2-2 draw with Iraq in the 2020 AFC U23 Champion-ship in Thailand.

The result earned the Bah-rainis their first point after two games in Group A of the tour-nament’s preliminary round. They had previous lost to the host Thais 0-5 in their opening fixture last week.

The stalemate meant they still have a chance at advancing past this stage of the competition and into the quarter-finals, but they must defeat Australia in their final divisional fixture on Tuesday.

Bahrain cannot settle for an-ything less than a victory in or-der to have any chance of going through.

The Aussies were 2-1 winners

over Thailand in yesterday’s other game.

Following both fixtures, Australia are on top with four points, Thailand follow with three, Iraq are third with two points while Bahrain are in last place with just one point.

Striker Sayed Hashim and

midfielder Mohammed Mar-hoon were both on target for the Bahrainis yesterday. They scored on either side of half-time.

Hashim opened their ac-count in the 44th minute after receiving a fine lob pass from defender Salem Adel in the box.

He then fought off his marker and slotted the ball home with a left-footed effort from close range, which was enough to give the Bahrainis the lead heading into the break.

Just 20 minutes into the sec-ond half, Iraq’s Amir Al Ammari was able to level the proceed-ings after taking advantage of some poor Bahrain defending. He was on the receiving end of a high cross, which he sent into the net with a volley right in the face of goal.

With Bahrain pressing for a winner, they were rewarded for their efforts when Marhoon brilliantly headed the ball in from close range in the 86th minute. The star talent pounced on a low cross from the right by substitute Hussain Jameel Shamsan, and that appeared to send the Bahrainis to the full three points in the game.

But their celebrations were cut short when Iraq equalised once again with a Mohammed Qassem header in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.

It was a late blow for Bahrain as they missed out on an addi-tional two points that would have had a major impact in their quest to advance to the next phase.

Bahrain must finish in the top two in their group to advance to the quarter-finals. The last eight will be played on January 18 and 19, followed by the semi-finals on January 22. The match for third place will be held Janu-ary 25 and then the gold medal game the following night.

Group B consists of Qatar, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Syr-ia; Group C features defending champions Uzbekistan, South Korea, China and Iran; and Group D comprises Vietnam, North Korea, Jordan and the UAE.

Bahrain’s Ahmed Saleh fights for the ball with Iraq’s Mohammad Mazhar

Bahrain’s Marhoon, second from left, celebrates with teammates after scoring

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return in his men’s singles match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return his men’s singles match against Alex de Minaur of Australia

Injured Del Potro withdraws from Australian Open

AFP | Melbourne

Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro on

Saturday pulled out of the Aus-tralian Open as he continues to struggle with his recovery from knee surgery.

The 31-year-old Argentini-an, who made the last eight at Melbourne Park in 2009 and 2012, has not played since slip-ping and hurting his knee on the grass in the Wimbledon tune-up at Queen’s in June.

“Our two-time quarter-fi-nalist Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from AusOpen 2020 as he continues to re-cover from a knee injury,” the Australian Open tweeted.

“Wishing you all the best with your recovery. We hope to see you back in Australia soon.”

The injury-plagued Del Potro reached a career high of third in the world but has slipped down the rankings to 120.

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in action during the BNP Paribas Open (file photo)

Russia’s Alexandrova wins maiden WTA title in ShenzhenAFP | Shenzhen

Ekaterina Alexandrova won her first WTA singles ti-

tle after the in-form Russian defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the final of the Shenzhen Open on Saturday.

The fifth seed won 6-2, 6-4 in 73 minutes to begin her sea-son and her Australian Open preparations with a bang.

The 25-year-old Alexandro-va, ranked a career-high 34th in the world, collapsed to her knees after dismissing Rybaki-na, the seventh seed from Ka-zakhstan.

“ I d i d n ’ t ex p e c t t h e first set to be so easy so I knew the sec-ond set would be so much tougher,” said Alexandrova, who is poised for the top 30 in the world.

“In the second set I think she played well but after I got the break to make it 4-4, she got a bit nervous.

“It feels amaz-ing to win my first title, I don’t know what to say.

“The first title is always spe-cial.”

Alexandrova, who triumphed in a WTA 125K

event in Limoges, France last month, defeated former world number one Garbine Muguru-za in the semi-finals in south-ern China.

Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia celebrates with her trophy

I didn’t expect the first set to be so easy so I knew the second set would be so much

tougherEKATERINA ALEXANDROVA

KNOW WHAT

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