Feb.14

February 14th 2018



















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SPA RESERVATIONS EXTENSION 5600

Fitness Class Schedule
Fitness Center 6 am – 9 pm daily
Each of our cardio stations is equipped with a
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the Spa offers a peaceful haven for physical, mental, and emotional renewal.
Fitness Class Schedule

Monday, February 12
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Yoga: 8:00 am-9:00 am Serenity and Prosperity Couples Ritual
Glutes, Abs and Legs: 9:30 am- 10:30 am

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Tuesday, February 13 Enjoy the time to relax and unwind with a partner in the luxurious privacy of our
Spinning: 8:00 am – 9:00 am couple’s suite. Beginning with a soak in the private Jacuzzi, the ritual involves full
body exfoliation
Reformer Pilates: 10:30 am– 11:30 am
with black and
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Wednesday, February 14 white sesame
Boot Camp Training: 8:00 am- 9:00 am seeds and sesame
Yoga: 10:00 am-11:00 am seed oil massage,
leaving the body
Thursday, February 15 nourished and entirely tension-free. The sesame seeds signify prosperity among
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Glutes, Abs and Legs: 9:00am – 10:00am local cultures, and the colors of black and white support the balance of opposing
Mat Pilates: 10:30am-11:30 am energies in nature. An aromatherapy scalp treatment concludes the experience,

head to toe!
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Friday, February 16

Functional Training: 8:00 am-9:00 am 2hrs. - $250 USD + TAX per person
Spinning: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Reformer Pilates: 11:00 am- 12:00 pm

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Saturday, February 17
*Cardio Strength Circuit: 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Yoga: 10:00 am- 11:00 am Rose Petals Couple´s Treatment

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Sunday, February 18
Boot Camp Training: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Spinning: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Nothing shows more love than a
*Mix of cardio on bike, step including relaxing and romantic time
TRX & Weights overall cardio workout together within the Aromatherapy
with added strength exercises.
of Roses by Hacienda Spa. A
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Private classes for couples.
Hacienda Spa offers personal training classes
upon request.


90 minutes - $170 USD + TAX


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Rejuvenate your Body.
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Re plenish your Soul.

QUESTRO HOTEL RATES

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December 26 , 2017 – May 15 , 2018
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Preferred Rates USD Cabo Real Campestre San José Puerto Los Cabos
Individual Rounds Public Public Public


-18 Holes $245.00 $200.00 $190.00 $150.00 $275.00 $230.00
-Early Twilight 12:00p $200.00 $160.00 $160.00 $130.00 $220.00 $185.00
-Twilight 1:30p $175.00 $140.00 $135.00 $110.00 $195.00 $165.00


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All rates and promos are valid up to 12 golfers. Group service fee will apply to all groups larger than 12.





Important news for important people
www.dedicatedpress.com Volume 3092 Wednesday February 14, 2018
International Business Sports
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Trade tensions between the world’s Tiger Woods continues his comeback Cabo San Lucas
on Tuesday lost his legal battle to two biggest economies rose again on this week at Riviera Country Club, Cloudy
overturn an English arrest warrant Tuesday as Beijing accused Wash- where he’ll be paired with Rory Mc- Sunrise: 6:53 AM
against him, and with it his hopes of ington of “excessive protectionism” Ilroy and Justin Thomas in the first Sunset: 6:15 PM
freely leaving Ecuador’s... P.2 after targeting imports of a... P.3 two rounds of the Genesis... P.5 Humidity: 57% 72-76 F

“This is an existential threat, potentially to the United States, but also to North Korea” Flagship initiative
US intel chiefs say Russia meddling threatens 2018 vote NATO chief warns EU
over defence pact
tial election. “Throughout the entire surfaced on Russian use of social me- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on
community, we have not seen any dia to influence public opinion in US Tuesday warned the EU its new de-
evidence of any significant change” public policy debates. fence cooperation pact must not un-
in Russian behavior, said Director of “The Russians utilize this tool be- dermine the alliance, as US officials
National Intelligence Dan Coats. cause it’s relatively cheap, it’s low voiced fresh concerns about the flag-
“There should be no doubt that risk, it offers what they perceive as ship initiative. The European Union
Russia perceived its past efforts as plausible deniability, and it is proven launched the scheme with great fan-
successful and sees the 2018 US mid- to be effective at sowing division,” fare in December, touting it as a way
terms elections as a potential target Coats told the Senate panel. to get member states to work more
for Russian influence operations,” he “We expect Russia to continue us- closely post-Brexit and spend more
said. ing propaganda, social media, false- effectively on defence projects.
“We have seen Russian activity flag personas, sympathetic spokes- But the plan has come under fire
and intentions to have an impact on men, and other means of influence to in recent days from US officials who
the next election cycle here,” Central try to build on its wide range of oper- fear it could draw resources away
Intelligence Agency Director Mike ations and exacerbate social and po- from NATO and even become a “pro-
Pompeo said. litical fissures in the United States,” tectionist” umbrella for European de-
“This is not going to change or he said. On North Korea, Coats said fence manufacturers.
stop,” added National Security Agen- its leader Kim Jong Un continues Stoltenberg, speaking on the eve of
cy Director Michael Rogers. to demonstrate a “provocative na- a meeting of NATO defence ministers
America’s leading intelligence ture” and “instability” that makes in Brussels, said there was “no way”
agencies concluded last year that Pyongyang’s nuclear capability more the EU could replace the transatlan-
Dan Coats (Photo AFP) Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatening. tic alliance in guaranteeing European
US intelligence chiefs said Tuesday directed a broad intelligence effort to “This is an existential threat, po- security. Efforts to boost European
that Russian attempts to meddle in influence the 2016 presidential elec- tentially to the United States, but also defence spending were welcome, he
US politics are continuing unabated tion to undermine the campaign of to North Korea,” Coats said. said, but only if they were coordinat-
-- and pose a threat to mid-term con- Democrat Hillary Clinton and boost “Kim Jong Un views this as -- ed with NATO plans. “It will be abso-
gressional elections in November. Donald Trump’s chances. any kind of a kinetic attack or effort lutely without any meaning if NATO
They also said North Korea’s nu- That effort included hacking and to force him to give up his nuclear and the EU start to compete,” the for-
clear program poses a potential “ex- releasing emails and documents from weapons -- is an existential threat to mer Norwegian premier told report-
istential threat” to the United States, the Clinton campaign, filling social his nation and to his leadership in ers. “European allies are absolutely
and that the time is nearing for Wash- media with posts and “news” items particular,” he said. aware that the defence, the protection
ington to respond to that danger. aimed at discrediting her, as well as “Our goal is a peaceful settle- of Europe is dependent on NATO.”
In a Senate Intelligence Commit- targeting voter-registration opera- ment,” he added. “We’re using maxi- The EU’s so-called permanent
tee hearing on the most urgent threats tions and election databases. mum pressure on North Korea in structured cooperation on defence
facing the country, Coats and the Trump has repeatedly dismissed various ways.” agreement, known as PESCO, has
heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA and two the idea that Moscow helped him -- On another issue, Coats stressed projects in view already to develop
other spy agencies were unanimous and all allegations of collusion -- as that the US government’s repeated new military equipment and improve
in saying that Moscow’s efforts to “fake news,” and criticized the intel- failure to craft a full-year’s budget, cooperation and decision-making.
disrupt US politics are as intense now ligence agencies for repeating it. But and the large fiscal deficits, constitute But on Sunday Katie Wheelbarger,
as they were in the 2016 presiden- a large volume of information has another important security threat. a senior official at the US Department
of Defense, said Washington was
“It’s important to reflect on what we are measuring from” concerned some of the proposed ini-
tiatives risked “pulling resources or
Tillerson downplays US State Department cuts capabilities away from NATO”.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to reject. Tillerson said we have the resources we need to ex- “Certainly we do not want this to
sought Tuesday to downplay pro- in Kuwait on Tuesday the proposal ecute against the President’s foreign be a protectionist vehicle for the EU
posed State Department budget cuts, “represents basically returning to policy objectives.” and we’re going to watch carefully,
saying Donald Trump’s administra- budgetary levels that were in place In 2017, the last year of the pre- because if that becomes the case then
tion was merely returning spending before the run-up during the last ad- vious US administration, the de- it could splinter the strong security al-
to levels seen before its predecessor. ministration”. partment spent $55.6 billion, so if liance that we have,” she told report-
Trump’s administration on Mon- “It’s important to reflect on what Congress -- which is working on a ers. “We want the Europeans to have
day requested $39.3 billion for the we are measuring from. And the per- joint budget for 2018 and 2019 -- capabilities and strength but not to
State Department and USAID, as centages that you quote are all histor- had approved the 2018 request, it fence off American products or Nor-
part of its financial plans for the ic record-high budgets for the State would have meant a more than 30 wegian products or potentially UK
2019 fiscal year which Congress Department. “We’re confident that percent cut. products.”

International
Page 2 Wednesday February 14, 2018
Sources “We are surprised. The judge went outside what the parties presented in court”
200,000 displaced by ethnic Assange loses new bid to cancel English arrest warrant
clashes in DR Congo
About 200,000 people have been dis- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ceed.” Assange voiced his shock at
placed in ethnic clashes since mid- on Tuesday lost his legal battle to the ruling.
December in the northeastern Ituri overturn an English arrest warrant “We are surprised. The judge went
province of the Democratic Repub- against him, and with it his hopes outside what the parties presented in
lic of Congo, a humanitarian source of freely leaving Ecuador’s London court. This seems to have led to the
told AFP Tuesday, as escapees spoke embassy, where he has been holed up significant factual errors in the judge-
of burnt villages and victims being since 2012. ment,” the 46-year-old Australian
hacked to death. At Westminster Magistrates Court said on Twitter.
Hema herders and Lendu farmers in the British capital, judge Emma The former computer hacker has
have been locked in violence in Ituri Arbuthnot rejected his lawyers’ argu- three months in which to appeal
for decades, with tens of thousands ment that upholding the warrant was against Arbuthnot’s finding.
killed from 1999 to 2003. no longer in the public interest. Assange says he fears his arrest
In 1999 a fight over land rights in “Arrest is a proportionate response could lead to his extradition to the
the gold-rich province drew in mi- even though Mr Assange has restrict- United States over WikiLeaks’ pub-
litias and led to 60,000 deaths and ed his own freedom for a number of lication of secret US military docu-
about 600,000 people displaced, ac- years,” she said. ments and diplomatic cables in 2010.
cording to Human Rights Watch. The Assange was awaiting extradition US Attorney General Jeff Sessions
conflict led to the deployment of a to Sweden over a 2010 investigation last year said his arrest was a “prior-
European Union peacekeeping force into claims of rape and sexual assault ity”.
in 2003. when he breached his bail conditions Arbuthnot said there was “no evi-
Another humanitarian source said to seek refuge in the embassy. dence” that he would have been ren-
“on an average 800 people are arriv- Sweden dropped its investigation (FILES) Julian Assange (Photo AFP) dered to the United States from Swe-
ing daily” in Bunia, the main city in last year, but the English warrant for and has led finally to the case being den or Britain and if his extradition
the region, due to the fighting. his arrest for jumping bail remains, dropped as it cannot be continued was sought, he would be able to argue
“Since mid-December about meaning he would be detained if he unless he returned to Sweden,” the his case in court.
200,000 people have been displaced stepped outside. judge said. Assange wrote on Twitter before
in Ituri due to the violence,” the first Arbuthnot, England’s chief mag- “Mr Assange’s failure is a deter- the hearing that his latest legal argu-
humanitarian source said. istrate, had last week rejected claims mined attempt to avoid the order of ment hinged on an alleged “cover-
The UN in Kampala meanwhile by Assange’s lawyers that the warrant the court. up” by the British government to
said over 22,000 refugees had fled for skipping bail was rendered null- “He is a man who wants to impose keep him detained.
to Uganda recently to escape vio- and-void because there was no longer his terms on the course of justice, His lawyer Gareth Peirce told re-
lence has left several dead and vil- any underlying crime. whether the course of justice is in this porters after Tuesday’s ruling that
lages torched. At least four refugees On Tuesday she dismissed broader jurisdiction or in Sweden. He appears the proceedings had raised “serious
drowned while crossing the waters of claims that continuing to seek his ar- to consider himself above the normal issues”. “The history of the case is,
Lake Albert between the two nations, rest was not in the public interest. rules of law and wants justice only if from start to finish, so extraordinary.
the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, “Mr Assange’s failure to surren- it goes in his favour. “It is certainly Each aspect of the case becomes puz-
said, expressing concern. der has impeded the course of justice not against the public interest to pro- zling and troubling,” she said.
“Last week, over 22,000 Congo-
lese crossed Lake Albert to Uganda in “I am certain this will turn out without foundation ... For us, everything is legal”
three days, bringing the total number
of people from the DRC arriving in Guatemala arrests ex-president Colom on graft charges
the country to about 34,000 since the Guatemalan authorities on Tuesday “I am confident that everything we ing scrutiny to bear on graft cases
beginning of the year,” UNHCR said arrested former president Alvaro did was correct,” he said. in the country. Colom and the other
Tuesday. Colom on corruption charges, along Colom was in power for four years suspects are accused of fraud and em-
“The refugees use small canoes with nine ministers from his 2008- from 2008. He was succeeded in 2012 bezzlement in the 2009 purchase of
or overcrowded and rickety fishing 2012 government, including the cur- by Oscar Perez who is in jail pending hundreds of buses to ply routes in the
boats, often carrying more than 250 rent chairman of scandal-hit Oxfam trial over a separate corruption scan- capital, Sandoval said. Four compa-
people and taking up to 10 hours to International, a top prosecutor told dal. Guatemala’s current president, nies were given 25-year government
cross.” AFP. Jimmy Morales, was elected in 2015 contracts to run the services. The
A UNHCR spokesman in Ge- Colom, 66, was taken into custody on his promise to clean up rampant buses were allegedly bought at in-
neva expressed serious concern say- at his home in an upmarket district graft in the Central American coun- flated prices. Also in 2009, Colom’s
ing thousands were lined up along of the capital, the head of the spe- try. But he too has come under scru- party, the center-left National Unity
the banks of the lake to flee. Babar cial anti-graft prosecution unit, Juan tiny for suspected wrongdoing. of Hope party, tried to pass a law ex-
Baloch said the refugees were flock- Francisco Sandoval, said. Last month, the country’s chief empting the transaction from taxes.
ing to the Ugandan village of Sebago- Also arrested was Juan Alberto prosecutor, Thelma Aldana, said she Colom and the nine ministers --
ro, about 270 kilometres north-west Fuentes Knight, a former finance did not see Morales “as an ally in the from a 13-member cabinet -- signed
of the capital Kampala. minister and current chairman of Ox- fight against corruption.” the deal setting up the transport sys-
“Refugees crossing to Uganda talk fam International, the British-based Morales triggered a public and tem, baptized TransUrbano.
of growing attacks against civilian charity rocked by accusations of sex- political backlash last year when he The former ministers include those
populations, as well as killings and ual misconduct and exploitation by tried to boot out the Colombian head who held the portfolios for finance,
destruction of private property,” a some staff members in Haiti, Chad of a UN-backed anti-corruption body governance, education, defense, la-
UN statement read. and South Sudan. that has been instrumental in bring- bor, health, and environment.
“UNHCR staff also received many There was no suggestion of any
reports of civilians being hacked to link between the Guatemala graft ac-
death and killed with arrows.” cusations and the scandal engulfing
Ituri is part of DRC’s deeply trou- Oxfam.
bled eastern region that includes the The allegations against Colom and
restive North and South Kivu prov- his former ministers related to graft in
inces, where militias hold sway over the public transport system.
huge areas. The ex-president told reporters
There are about four million dis- as he was brought to the main court
placed people in the sprawling cen- building in Guatemala City that he
tral African country which has been was confident of being exonerated.
racked by rebellion, civil war and “I am certain this will turn out
despotic rule since its independence without foundation ... For us, every-
from Belgium in 1960. thing is legal,” Colom said.

Business
Page 3 Wednesday February 14, 2018
Analysts say Beijing is signalling it will take action in any tit-for-tat trade war Wall Street Indexes
Beijing warns on trade tensions as it aims at US chemical Dow Jones 24,640.45 + 0.16%
+ 0.45%
Nasdaq
7,013.51
S&P 2,662.94 + 0.26%
International Stock Indexes
Trade tensions between the world’s istry said it had found dumping of panels and washing machines. Those Australia 5,855.900 + 0.60%
two biggest economies rose again styrene imports from the US, Taiwan tariffs followed a series of trade Frankfurt 12,196.50 - 0.70%
on Tuesday as Beijing accused and South Korea, in an initial ruling cases brought against China during Italy 22,034.42 - 1.35%
Washington of “excessive protec- during a continuing trade investiga- Trump’s first year in office, which London 7,168.01 - 0.13%
tionism” after targeting imports tion into the chemical. have rattled Beijing. Madrid 9,650.70 - 1.23%
of a key chemical from the United Dumping, or selling goods at un- More are expected soon. The Paris 5,109.24 - 0.60%
States. fairly low prices abroad, can under- Trump administration has major de- Tokyo 21,244.68 - 0.65%
The administration of US President cut domestic markets at the expense cisions looming on Chinese alumin- Toronto 15,216.47 - 0.17%
Donald Trump has brought a range of local industries. ium, steel and intellectual property Latin-American Stock Indexes
of commerce cases against China, “Mainland China’s styrene indus- practices. Bogota 1,514.49 + 0.90%
sparking fears of a trade war. try has suffered substantial harm,” Analysts say Beijing is signalling it Buenos Aires 30,143.44 - 2.83%
“China is concerned about the the ministry said in a statement, add- will take action in any tit-for-tat trade Lima
US’s serious trend towards trade ing that dumping was the cause of war. Mexico 47,926.73 + 0.20%
protectionism in steel products,” the this. Last week it launched an anti- Panama
Ministry of Commerce said in a state- The initial ruling called for import- dumping investigation into sorghum Santiago 5,557.07 + 0.14%
ment, and “calls on the US to restrain ers to place anti-dumping deposits of imports from the US, worth almost Sao Paulo 80,898.70 - 0.78%
itself from using trade restriction five to 10.7 percent with China’s cus- $1 billion last year. Venezuela 3,902.380 + 15.03%
measures”. toms administration. That was a sliver of the $14 billion Most Active Stocks
More than half of the US’s pro- Those deposits will be applied to in US soybean imports, which a Chi- 3M Co
tective tariffs are related to steel, it tariffs if the ministry decides in a final nese commerce ministry spokesman Alcoa
noted. ruling to levy such duties. last week hinted could also be in Bei- Amex
A director of the ministry’s trade Styrene is the building block of jing’s crosshairs. AT&T
remedy and investigation bureau many plastics. It is used to make Soybeans are America’s largest ex- B. of America
Wang Hejun was quoted as saying foam packaging and many disposable port to China. Boeing
that “repeated and excessive protec- plastics. Washington says achieving a level Caterpillar
tionism” often “brings about a vi- Last year China imported 3.2 mil- playing field in trade is near the top of Chevron
cious circle”. lion tonnes of the chemical worth its agenda in Sino-US relations. Cisco Systems
The statement followed news late more than $4 billion from the US. But in Trump’s first year as presi- Coca Cola
Monday that Beijing had taken aim at The measures come a month after dent the trade deficit swelled to a Dupont
imports of a key chemical from the the Trump administration slapped record high of $375.2 billion by the Exxon Mobil
United States. The commerce min- new tariffs on Chinese-made solar US’s counting. General Electric
H.P.
Total credit and debt jumped by $572 billion Home Depot
US household debt rises for 5th year in 2017 IBM
Total debt held by US households Total credit and debt jumped by improve for most categories, or at Intel
surged in 2017 to more than $13 tril- $572 billion, nearly all of that or worst remain steady, while foreclo- Johnson & Johnson
lion, the fifth straight annual increase, $402 billion, was due to the increase sures remained at record low levels, JPMorgan
amid a continued rise in home mort- in mortgages as buyers continue to the data showed. While total house- Kraft Heinz Co
gages and auto loans, according to come off the sidelines to purchase hold debt last year surpassed the peak McDonalds
data released Tuesday. homes and prices recover. hit in the third quarter of 2008, just Merck & Co
But nearly 10 years after the start Student loan balances, auto loans before the start of the crisis, mortgage Microsoft
of the global financial crisis, the and credit card debt all increased balances remain more than four per- Pfizer
hangover from the US housing mar- as well, while home equity lines of cent below the peak. Procter & Gamble
ket collapse is still evident in some credit were the sole category to show However, state level data show Travelers Cos
areas of the county, the New York a decline, the report said. wide differences with those areas United Tech.
Federal Reserve Bank said in its Delinquency rates for debt more hardest hit by the housing bubble still Verizon
quarterly report. than 90 days past due continued to seeing lasting effects. Wal-Mart
Walt Disney
“It would have been a wonderful tribute for the artists that they richly deserved”
US judge awards $6.75 mn in damages to graffiti artists
In a landmark ruling that graffiti art been given the opportunity to salvage “The shame of it all is that since lawyer for the artists, welcomed the
should be protected by US federal their work before the wrecking ball 5Pointz was a prominent tourist at- decision. “The decision is a clear in-
law, a New York judge has awarded destroyed what had become an in- traction the public would undoubted- dication that aerosol art is in the same
$6.75 million in damages to 21 artists ternationally acclaimed and thriving ly have thronged to say its goodbyes category as any other fine art, equally
whose work was whitewashed by a tourist attraction. during those 10 months and gaze at worthy of the protection of federal
developer in 2013. They went to trial under the Visual the formidable works of aerosol art law,” he told AFP. “Their art should
In a written decision filed Monday, Artists Rights Act that says any art- for the last time. be cherished and not destroyed,” he
Judge Frederic Block awarded the work should be protected, provided it “It would have been a wonderful added. Wolkoff’s lawyer did not im-
maximum possible amount of statu- is of recognized stature. tribute for the artists that they richly mediately respond to a request to
tory damages, $150,000 for each of The jury in Brooklyn found last deserved,” he added. Eric Baum, comment.
45 works obliterated at the 5Pointz November that the developer broke
site in Queens. the law, but their decision was non-
For 20 years developer Jerry binding, leaving Block to make the Foreign Exchange
Wolkoff had invited taggers to show- final ruling. In doing so, he raised
case their art on his industrial com- from 36 to 45 the number of works of EURO USA CAN UK AUS SWISS H.KONG JAP
plex, turning it into -- in the words art he deemed of sufficient stature to EURO - 1.23 1.54 .89 1.56 1.15 9.60 134.00
of the artists’ lawyer -- the “world’s qualify for damages. USA .81 - 1.25 .72 1.27 .93 7.81 108.70
largest outdoor open aerosol mu- “If not for Wolkoff’s insolence, CAN .65 .80 - .57 1.01 .75 6.20 87.00
seum.” But in 2013 he whitewashed these damages would not have been UK 1.12 1.39 1.75 - 1.75 1.30 10.90 151.00
the art before demolishing the site in assessed. If he did not destroy 5Pointz AUS .64 .79 .99 .57 - .75 6.20 86.00
2014, making way for a planned $400 until he received his permits and de- SWISS .87 1.07 1.33 .77 1.33 - 8.40 116.00
million luxury residential complex. molished it 10 months later, the court H.KONG .10 .13 .16 .09 .16 .12 - 13.90
The 21 artists from 5Pointz sued would not have found that he had JAP .01 .01 .01 .01 .01 .01 .07 -
for damages, saying they should have acted willfully,” the judge wrote.

Business
Page 4 Wednesday February 14, 2018
“On mobile devices, users browse lots of articles, but engage with few in-depth” Scandal-tainted
Google takes on Snapchat with its own ‘Stories’ format S. Africa’s ANC orders Zuma
Google launched its own “stories” through immersive and easily con- “AMP stories aim to make the
format Tuesday to compete with sumable visual information,” he production of stories as easy as pos- to resign as president
Snapchat and Instagram with image- added. sible from a technical perspective,” South Africa’s ruling ANC party on
driven news articles aimed at mobile “AMP stories” articles fill the Google said. Tuesday “recalled” scandal-tainted
phone and tablet users. screen and are image and video led. “The mobile web is great for President Jacob Zuma from office but
Content for its “AMP stories” ini- Users can tap on the home screen to distributing and sharing content, set no deadline for him to step down,
tially comes from outlets like CNN, read further or simply swipe to the but mastering performance can be pitching the country into further un-
The Washington Post, Conde Nast, next article. tricky,” it added. certainty.
Wired and US People magazine, and Google claims the format, which it But AMP Stories give “gives great ANC secretary-general Ace Ma-
is designed to load much faster on is opening up to software developers, editorial freedom to content cre- gashule told reporters that Zuma had
mobile devices than conventional ar- gives “novel ways to tell immersive ators,” it claimed. “agreed in principle to resign” and
ticles and videos. stories” without the “prohibitively Snapchat, Instagram and particu- had proposed leaving in three to six
“On mobile devices, users browse high start-up costs, particularly for larly Facebook have all heavily used months -- a delay that the party reject-
lots of articles, but engage with few small publishers”. their own stories formats for full- ed. Magashule said there was no date
in-depth,” said Rudy Galfi, who is It was developed with major US screen displays of content. for Zuma to stand down, and added
heading the drive at Google. media outlets and can also be read on Google said it eventually plans to that there would be “continuing in-
“Images, videos and graphics help a computer, although its promoters bring “AMP stories to more products teraction” between ANC officials and
get readers’ attention as quickly as said the immersive effect is better on across Google, and expand the ways Zuma.
possible and keep them engaged mobiles. they appear in Google Search.” “The NEC (National Executive
Committee) decided... to recall its de-
“If traffic numbers are holding up, it’s only because traffic airfares have fallen by 30 percent” ployee Jacob Zuma,” Magashule told
Ryanair drops airfares to Catalonia over secession crisis reporters, saying the move “was tak-
en only after exhaustive discussion
Ryanair said Tuesday it slashed air- prices by about 30 percent,” Michael Ryanair flies to the cities of Bar- on the impact such a recall would
fares to Catalonia to continue filling O’Leary, head of the low-cost car- celona, Girona and Reus in Catalo- have on the country”.
its planes, blaming the secession cri- rier, told reporters in Madrid. “If traf- nia. The ANC party can “recall” the
sis for keeping visitors away. fic numbers are holding up, it’s only “There’s a nervousness in passen- head of state, but the process is a
“We have managed to maintain our because traffic airfares have fallen by gers booking to Catalonia, particular- party-level instruction and Zuma is
traffic to and from our three Barce- 30 percent. “That is a real challenge ly travellers on city breaks, in the UK, under no constitutional obligation to
lona airports but only by reducing our for us going forward.” Ireland, Germany,” said O’Leary. obey.
Zuma is expected to respond to the
The only woman ever to lead the central bank in its 100-year history recall on Wednesday, and could be
ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-
Fed chief: US to maintain post-crisis regulations confidence if he clings to office.
Newly-installed US Federal Reserve bond holdings which reached more the Fed last week, replacing Janet The power struggle over Zuma’s
chief Jerome Powell pledged Tues- than $4.5 trillion. Yellen, the only woman ever to lead departure has put him at loggerheads
day to preserve the key gains made “We are in the process of gradu- the central bank in its 100-year his- with Cyril Ramaphosa, his expected
in banking regulation since the global ally normalizing both interest rate tory. successor, who is the new head of the
financial crisis and continue gradual policy and our balance sheet with a He credited Yellen and her prede- African National Congress.
interest rate increases. view to extending the recovery and cessor Ben Bernanke for conducting The ANC’s leadership committee
Powell, who took over as Fed chair sustaining the pursuit of our objec- monetary policy in a way to support met for 13 hours at a hotel outside
February 5, just as Wall Street took tives,” Powell said in remarks at a the recovery and employment while Pretoria, and decided in the early
a vertiginous dive, also said the cen- ceremonial swearing in event. He making the financial system “incom- hours of Tuesday to “recall” Zuma
tral bank would continue to reduce its was officially took over the helm of parably stronger and safer.” from his post.
A committee member confirmed
“It is equally important to show that ISIS and its violent ideology have failed” to AFP that the president had asked
for three more months in office, and
War-battered Iraq says it’s ‘open for investors’ described the request as “hogwash”.
War-battered Iraq sought Tuesday to “A government that is inclusive, rifices” in the fight against IS. Ten- “We just felt he meant three months
attract international investors to re- accountable and transparent builds sions between Baghdad and Iraq’s of looting,” the member said, speak-
build the country after defeating the a society that can counter extremist Kurds have been high following a ing on condition of anonymity.
Islamic State group, offering hun- ideologies.” controversial September referendum Local media reported that Zuma
dreds of projects and touting exten- Araji said Iraq, which has been on Kurdish independence, which was pushing for an exit deal that in-
sive legal guarantees. either at war or under international prompted the central government to cluded covering his potentially ruin-
“Iraq is open for investors,” de- sanctions since 1980, is offering seize back oil-rich Kirkuk province ous legal fees from prolonged court
clared Sami al-Araji, chairman of projects in almost every field of the from Kurdish forces. battles against multiple criminal
Iraq’s National Investment Commis- economy. Iraq said its 10-year reconstruc- charges.
sion, on the second day of a major He presented more than 200 proj- tion plan will cost $88.2 billion, of One case relates to 783 payments
reconstruction conference in Kuwait. ects open to investors, including oil which $22 billion was required im- he allegedly received linked to an
Baghdad says it needs nearly $90 refineries, massive housing and in- mediately. arms deal before he came to power.
billion to rebuild after a three-year dustrial ventures, transport projects Non-governmental organisations He is also reportedly seeking legal
war against IS which devastated and at least four power plants. on Monday pledged $330 million, but protection for his family and other
homes, schools, hospitals and eco- Investors will enjoy a high level of the main commitments are expected associates involved in controversial
nomic infrastructure, displacing mil- legal protection, Araji said, adding to be made by about 70 countries on deals. Ben Payton of the London-
lions of people. that Iraq is also planning to establish Wednesday, the last day of the con- based Maplecroft risk consultancy
World Bank officials joined Iraqi four economic zones. ference. said the recall was “a political death
government representatives on Tues- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Iraqi and World Bank officials on sentence” for the president.
day in Kuwait City to seek pledges Le Drian called for the entire country Tuesday talked up legal guarantees “If Ramaphosa had agreed to help
from more than 2,000 representatives to benefit from “reconstruction, stabi- available in post-IS Iraq, pointing to protect Zuma from prosecution in any
of international firms in attendance. lisation and national reconciliation”. an investment law that offers owner- way, his leadership would have been
US Secretary of State Rex Tiller- “Reconstruction efforts should not ship, unlimited cash transfers and tax tainted -- perhaps fatally,” he added.
son told the conference that much leave out any region or community, breaks, among other benefits. The impasse has plunged South
work was needed to rebuild Iraq and especially those who have been mar- Nizar Nasser Hussein, the head of Africa -- the continent’s most devel-
“modernise” its economy. ginalised in Iraq’s recent history,” he the legal department at the National oped economy -- into confusion over
“It is equally important to show said. Investment Commission, said the lat- who is running the country, with na-
that ISIS and its violent ideology “I am thinking in particular of est version of the law does not dis- tional events cancelled last week in-
have failed,” he said, using an alter- Kurdistan, which took more than tinguish between foreign and Iraqi cluding the annual State of the Nation
native acronym for IS. its share of the burden and the sac- investors. Address to parliament.

Sports
Page 5 Wednesday February 14, 2018
Woods was a reedy 16-year-old when he made his first PGA Tour start at Riviera Fifth attempt
Woods to play with McIlroy, Thomas in Riviera return Fifth time lucky? Olympic
gold beckons for Savchenko
Tiger Woods continues his comeback Germany’s celebrated pairs skater
this week at Riviera Country Club, Aljona Savchenko is in Pyeongchang
where he’ll be paired with Rory Mc- on a hunt for an elusive Olympic title
Ilroy and Justin Thomas in the first at her fifth attempt.
two rounds of the Genesis Open. The Ukrainian born 34-year-old
Three weeks after finishing tied for has a mantlepiece straining under the
23rd at Torrey Pines, where he made weight of awards earned from a spar-
his first US PGA Tour start in a year, kling career in the rink.
Woods returns to a Riviera course And with partner Bruno Massot
where he has plenty of history but she will start as one of the favourites
relatively little success. in the 2018 competition which gets
Woods was a reedy 16-year-old underway with the short programme
when he made his first PGA Tour start on Wednesday.
at Riviera, playing on a sponsor’s ex- But there are some sizeable obsta-
emption and missing the cut. cles blocking their path.
He went on to pile up 79 US tour China’s Sui Wenjing and Han
titles and 14 major championships, Cong have every right to believe they
but in 10 appearances at Riviera his can add this to their world champion-
best finish was second place in 1998, ship title in Helsinki last year with
which he followed with a tie for sec- Savchenko and Massot runners-up.
ond in 1999. Then there’s Meagan Duhamel
Of the professional events Woods Tiger Woods of the USA addresses a press conference (Photo AFP) and Eric Radford, the Canadian
has entered at least four times, it is injury plagued 2017, Thomas count- Woods sounded confident that his team gold medallists.
the only one he has not won, and he ed his first major title among his five game would soon having contending Radford is on a high after becom-
last played the tournament in 2006. victories last season and has already with the emerging stars, but he admit- ing the first openly gay Olympic
Woods will tee off with four-time notched one win in the 2017-18 cam- ted one conversation with Thomas champion. And two time European
major-winner Mcilroy and reigning paign, in the CJ Cup in South Korea. this week brought him up short. champions Evgenia Tarasova and
USPGA Champion Thomas on Riv- Woods said he thought 20-some- “He asked me when did I play Vladimir Morozov representing
iera’s 10th tee at 7:22 a.m. (15:22 thing players like Thomas are starting in this tournament as an amateur,” Olympic Athletes from Russia hope
GMT) on Thursday. to see him as a competitor thanks to Woods said. “i said, yeah, I was 16, to have a say in the outcome too.
While Woods was recovering from his two solid outings in the unofficial 1992. “He said that was the year be- A couple on and off the ice, they
spinal fusion surgery last April, and Hero World Challenge and at Torrey fore I was born. That really put things successfully defended their European
McIlroy battled through a season an Pines. in perspective really fast.” crown in mid-January in Moscow
before winning the pairs short pro-
“I just caught them in miscommunication. I was pretty happy with that one” gramme segment of the team event in
USA, with Statue of Liberty on helmets, blank Russians South Korea.
Skating for honour rather than
American goaltender Nicole Hensley Hensley, who helped the US political rivals. “Our equipment guys for medals, are the North Korean
kept the Statue of Liberty on her hel- women capture the past two world took care it,” she said. “I was just fo- pair Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik,
met and the Olympic Athletes from championships, has a large Statue of cused on the game.” among 22 athletes from north of the
Russia out of her net Tuesday at the Liberty image painted on the left side Together with four-time defend- boder taking part amid an inter-Kore-
Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. of her mask and reserve Alex Rigsby ing champion Canada’s 4-1 victory an reconciliation drive.
As a result, the Americans and has one on the chin of her mask. over Finland, which stretched their Savchenko and Massot turned up
four-time defending champion Can- American media reported the Stat- Olympic win streak to 22 games, the in Pyeongchang in superb shape after
ada are on their way to Monday’s ue of Liberty image might violate the Americans and Canadians clinched establishing a new pairs free skate re-
women’s hockey semi-finals. IOC’s rules against political symbols semi-final berths. Their round-robin cord en route to Grand Prix Final suc-
Hensley made 13 saves in a 5-0 and the IOC wanted it gone. meeting Thursday will decide a top cess at Nagoya in Japan in December.
victory to cap a day where the Inter- IOC guidelines on authorised seed. “We did a very good free in Japan,
national Olympic Committee blamed identification say no item can have Canada’s Meghan Agosta and but I think we still can do better than
a “misunderstanding” for reports the national anthem words or lyrics, mo- captain Marie-Phillip Poulin scored that,” said Massot.
Statue of Liberty image might have to tivation words, political messaging or in the first period and team-mates “The goal is to skate clean at first,
be removed from US goalie helmets. slogans related to national identity. Melodie Daoust and Jillian Saulnier then the result will come,” said his
“It’s just a great representation of But the IOC later said they hadn’t followed in the second. experienced partner.
our country,” Hensley said. “As far as asked for the images to be taken off. Finland’s Riikka Valila, at 44 the “We want to bring art on to the
I knew it had been approved so I put “There seems to have been a mis- oldest player in Olympic hockey his- ice and combine pair skating and ice
it on there.” understanding,” an IOC spokesper- tory, scored with 12:43 remaining to dance so that it becomes one.”
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson son said. “We have not asked for the avert a shutout. Savchenko represented her country
scored the fastest two goals in Olym- symbol to be removed.” Hensley said “I like where we’re at,” Canadian of birth in her first Olympics in Salt
pic hockey history just six seconds she was not bothered by the possible goalie Shannon Szabados said. “We Lake City in 2002.
apart in the second period, shaving need for last-minute helmet altera- have grown over the year and I think She then teamed up with Robin
two seconds off the old mark by Swe- tions as she prepared to face the US we are in a good spot.” Szolkowy to represent Germany for
den’s Carl Goran Oberg from 1960 at the last three Games, coming away
Squaw Valley. with bronze from Vancouver and So-
“I don’t think I’ve scored two chi, and the not inconsiderable feat
quick ones like that before,” said of five world titles. With Szolkowy
Lamoureux-Davidson, who charged leaving the stage she turned to French
forward and took the puck from the born Massot, who moved to Germany
feet of two defenders before netting and received German citizenship last
a backhand breakaway for the second November.
goal. With multiple world and European
“I just caught them in miscommu- podiums together this could well be
nication. I was pretty happy with that their time to strike it big.
one.” They tuned up in the team event
Kacey Bellamy, Gigi Marvin and won by Canada on Monday, with not
Hannah Brandt also found the net in everything going to plan as Savchen-
the US triumph. USA’s Nicole Hensley is seen during the women’s preliminary round ice hockey (AFP) ko took a fall.

Entertainment
Page 6 Wednesday February 14, 2018

Sudokumania
The aim of the game is to fill a 9x9 grid (81 squares) that is subdivided into 3x3 “sub-squares, with each of the numbers one through nine, besides
the ones that are already filled with numbers.
The rule is that each number appear only once per row, once per column, and only once per sub-square. It is rather easy to solve, in fact no math-
ematical knowledge is required. The solutions are indicated below.
Have fun!

Beginners Advanced
1 2 6 1 7


5 3 6 4 8 3 9

7 9 5 3 2 2 7 4

8 2 9 3 1 5


4 5 1 7 8 1 6 2
1 2 3 4 5 6
8 6 4 4 7 7 8 9 10 11 8
12 13
9 6 3 5 2 4 14 8 15 16 17 6
18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
2 8 4 7 9 1 9
26 27 28
29 30 31
9 1 6 5 4
32 33 34 35
36
Crossword www.CrosswordWeaver.com
1 2 3 4 5 6 ACROSS DOWN

2 Lovers 1 Soar through the air
7 8 9 10 11
7 War and Peace author (2 wds.) 2 Shape
12 Lazy person 3 Aluminum (abbr.)
12 13 13 By 4 Canadian prov.
14 Destroy 5 Road (abbr.)
18 Before, poetically 6 Story
14 15 16 17 20 Member of an Arizona Indian tribe 8 Mr. __ (tv horse)
21 U.S. Air Force 9 First born
24 Time zone 10 Ball holder
18 19 20
26 The other you 11 Fertile desert area
29 Popular appliance brand 15 Mythical city
21 22 23 24 25 30 Monster 16 Loudness unit (abbr.)
32 Elusion 17 What you earn
36 Association (abbr.) 19 Laws
26 27 28 22 Scottish “one”
23 Paris locale
25 Dyes
29 30 31 26 Old
27 Adam's garden
28 Precious stone
32 33 34 35
31 __ line
33 Element
36 34 Like
35 Letter afterward
Fold www.CrosswordWeaver.com Fold

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DEDICATED PRESS editorial
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2 Lovers 1 3 5 8 7 2 7 4 1 6 9 5 3 9 2 4 8 6 2 1 Soar through the air C S T U S A F (52)5555726129
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7 War and Peace author (2 wds.) 2 8 1 7 5 2 Shape 4 9 2 8 3 Z U N I E R E Information Source:
Agence France-Presse (AFP)
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Printed and distributed locally in each hotel.
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D E M O L I S H
12 Lazy person 2 1 3 5 9 7 8 6 4 3 Aluminum (abbr.) 2 A T I D L E R All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part by any printed
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13 By 8 4 6 1 3 2 5 9 7 4 Canadian prov. 3 7 M F A N S L E O T O L S T O Y G or electronic without permission of the publisher.
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14 Destroy 7 9 5 8 4 6 2 3 1 5 Road (abbr.) 4 1 5 Solution:
18 Before, poetically 6 Story
20 Member of an Arizona Indian tribe 8 Mr. __ (tv horse)
21 U.S. Air Force 9 First born
24 Time zone 10 Ball holder
26 The other you 11 Fertile desert area
29 Popular appliance brand 15 Mythical city
30 Monster 16 Loudness unit (abbr.)
32 Elusion 17 What you earn
36 Association (abbr.) 19 Laws
22 Scottish “one”
23 Paris locale
25 Dyes
26 Old
27 Adam's garden
28 Precious stone
31 __ line
33 Element
34 Like
35 Letter afterward