RAMADAN 11, 1439 AH SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

Max 45º 28 Pages Min 28º 150 Fils Established 1961

ISSUE NO: 17542 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net

Ireland ends abortion ban; ‘quiet War, displacement reshuffle revolution’ transforms country the Syrian demographic map Super Bale sinks Liverpool; 6 7 28 Madrid make it 3 in a row

IMSAK 03:08 FAJR 03:19 DHUHR 11:45 ASR 15:20 MAGHRIB 18:40 ISHA 20:10 2 killed as Cyclone Mekunu hits ; 3 Asians missing Mekunu wreaked havoc in ’s Island, killing 7

SALALAH: Cyclone Mekunu was downgraded further Ramadan Kareem to a deep depression yesterday, a day after lashing the southern coast of Oman and killing at least two people, authorities said. Civil defense officials said a man and a 3 parts of Ramadan 12-year-old girl were killed, while three Asians were missing after the cyclone hit Oman’s Dhofar and Al- Wusta provinces. Oman police earlier reported that the By Teresa Lesher man died after floods swept him away with his car near amadan is said to be split into three thirds: the , Oman’s second-largest city, while the girl died Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said, “It (Ramadan) when a gust of wind smashed her into a wall. is the month whose beginning is mercy, mid- Mekunu, which has wreaked havoc in Yemen’s R Socotra island killing at least seven people, was head- dle, forgiveness and its end emancipation from the fire” (Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol 93). Salman Al-Farisi (RA) ing northwest to , Oman’s directorate of reported that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) meteorology said. It is expected to hit parts of the Empty Quarter, one of the world’s most arid deserts, said,”...The first third of the month of Ramadan is the later today, it said. The meteorology department said time for mercy, the second third is for forgiveness, the the latest weather charts and satellite imageries indi- third is for release from Hellfire...” (IbnKhuzaymah). cate that Mekunu’s intensity has dropped to “a deep We hope to make the most of each third so that we depression”. can receive the blessing related to each. It warned however that heavy rain and strong winds For the first third of mercy, the following hadith of about 60 kilometers (37 miles) an hour would con- comes to mind: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “While tinue to pummel Dhofar and Al-Wusta provinces, while fasting remember the hunger and thirst on the Day sea conditions were rough with high tides reaching of Judgment. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay eight meters (yards). Mekunu had intensified to a cate- respect to your elders, have sympathy for your gory two cyclone as it hit Dhofar and Al-Wusta on the youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and on Friday, battering the coast with torren- kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy tial rains, strong winds and massive waves. Three words, and your eyes from scenes that are not wounded Asians were rescued and civil defense teams worth seeing and your ears from sounds that should SALALAH: Photo shows a car stuck in a flooded street in the southern city of Salalah as the country prepares for said they had saved hundreds of people including 260 landfall of Cyclone Mekunu. Cyclone Mekunu was downgraded further to a deep depression yesterday, a day after not be heard. Be kind to orphans so that if your foreign sailors trapped at sea. lashing the southern coast of Oman and killing at least two people. — AFP children may become orphans they will also be Continued on Page 24 treated with kindness.” The second third of Ramadan is characterized as a time when Allah (SWT)’s forgives. The Quran says, “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Defense Minister in Saudi Garden the extensiveness of which is the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who guard against Leaders of evil. - Quran 3:132. Will they not turn to Allah and to inspect ’s troops seek His forgiveness, and Allah is oft-forgiving, two Koreas Merciful (Quran 5:74). A prophetic tradition reported by Abu Huraira (RA) says, “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, hold surprise and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” - Bukhari 2: 37. meeting The third portion of Ramadan is considered to be a time for seeking release from the hellfire. Abu SEOUL: South Korean President Said Al Khudri (RA) said, “Allah’s Messenger Moon Jae-in held a surprise meeting (PBUH) said Allah frees some people from hellfire with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un every day and night - meaning of Ramadan - and yesterday to ensure the upcoming every Muslim has an answered supplication every high-stakes summit between Kim and day and night [of Ramadan]. (Reported by Al Bazar US President Donald Trump is a suc- and authenticated by Sheikh Albaani in cess, South Korean officials said. The PANMUNJOM: South Korea’s President SaheehTargheeb No 1002). This is also the part of unannounced meeting is the latest dra- Moon Jae-in (right) hugs North Korea’s the month that Lailat-ul-Qadr falls in. matic turn in a week of diplomatic flip- leader Kim Jong Un before their second The Quran describes this special night: “Verily! flops surrounding an unprecedented summit at the north side of the truce We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night of Al- summit between the United States and village of Panmunjom in the Qadr. And what will make you know what the night of North Korea, and the strongest sign Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). — AFP Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a yet that the two Korean leaders are KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah thousand months - Therein descend the angels and trying to keep the on-again off-again implementing the Panmunjom Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah travels to Saudi Arabia to inspect Kuwaiti troops in the Ruh (Gabriel) by Allah’s Permission with all summit on track. Declaration,” South Korea’s presiden- ‘Restoration of Hope’. — KUNA Decrees. Peace! until the appearance of dawn. Their two-hour talks at the tial spokesman said in a statement. (Quran 97:1-5) Panmunjom border village came a He did not confirm how the secret month after they held the first inter- meeting was arranged or which side It is Sunah to spend some time in seclusion (itikaf) KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister Directorate of Moral Guidance and Korean summit in more than a decade asked for it. Moon, who returned to for a spiritual retreat in the mosque during the last and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Public Relations said in a press state- at the same venue on April 27 and Seoul on Thursday morning after meet- third of Ramadan. ‘Aishah (RA) narrated that “The Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah travelled to ment. The First Deputy Prime Minister declared they would work toward a ing Trump in Washington earlier this Prophet (PBUH) used to do a retreat in the mosque Saudi Arabia yesterday to inspect the and Defense Minister is accompanied by Kuwaiti troops in operation “Restoration Chief of the General Staff of Kuwait’s nuclear-free Korean peninsula and for- week in a bid to keep the summit on during the last ten nights of Ramadan until he died. mally ending the 1950-53 Korean War. track as initially planned, for June 12 in His wives continued to observe this practice after his of Hope.” Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- Army Lieutenant-General Mohammad Ahmad congratulated the troops on the Al-Khudher and a high-ranking military “The two leaders candidly exchanged Singapore, was due to announce details death.’ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). views about making the North Korea- of the meeting with Kim early on Sunday. Continued on Page 24 advent of the Muslim holy fasting month delegation. They were seen off by senior of Ramadan, the Defense Ministry’s military commanders. — KUNA US summit a successful one and about Continued on Page 24

mence nuclear operations at Barakah Unit 1 will occur extend its influence there as the war in Yemen rages on. Start-up of Arab between the end of 2019 and early 2020,” it said in a GCC crisis threatens Although the two countries have been traditionally statement. Reuters reported in March that the start-up close, Mogadishu’s attempts to remain neutral over the had been pushed back to 2019 due to training delays. Gulf divisions have not gone down well. world first nuke “The resulting projection for the start-up of Unit 1 East African peace One of the EU’s “most important objectives” is to operations reflects the time required for the plant’s make sure that East Africa “is as well protected as it reactor delayed nuclear operators to complete operational readiness efforts, EU warns can be from what is a rapidly shifting geo-political activities and to obtain necessary regulatory environment” in the Gulf, he said on Friday following a DUBAI: The start-up of the Arab world’s first nuclear approvals,” Nawah said. ENTEBBE: Diplomatic tensions between countries in two-day seminar of EU envoys to the region. Political reactor - in the - has been The first of four reactors being built by Korea the Gulf are threatening peace efforts in East Africa, strife between Gulf states and their alliances with east delayed and should start operations between the end particularly in the , the EU’s special African players was “the biggest strategic issue Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in the UAE is of 2019 and early 2020, the plant’s operator said yes- envoy has warned. The crisis, which erupted nearly a because it could easily undermine all of the efforts to part of the Barakah power plant project that was terday. Nawah Energy Company, the operator of the year ago, has pitted Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and overcome East Africa’s own particular crises, whether originally scheduled to open last year. Barakah One is Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al-Dhafra Region Bahrain against , with Riyadh and its allies accus- it’s South Sudan or Somalia,” Rondos said. a joint venture between Emirates Nuclear Energy of Abu Dhabi, said it “has completed a comprehensive ing Doha of fostering close ties with Iran and backing “We don’t need something aggravating these Corporation (ENEC) and KEPCO. The UAE will be operational readiness review” for an updated start-up Islamic extremists. efforts,” he added, describing the geo-political chal- the first new country to acquire nuclear power in schedule for the reactor. The $24.4 billion Barakah But the fallout has had direct repercussions in the lenge as the “biggest game in town”. In Somalia, the more than two decades. Bangladesh, Turkey and power plant is the world’s largest nuclear project under Horn of Africa where it has exacerbated already-exist- conflict has raised tensions between the federal states Saudi Arabia are preparing to follow suit and the construction and will be the first in the Arab world. ing tensions, notably in Somalia, said Alexander and the central government, with many unhappy World Nuclear Association estimates that nuclear “The results of Nawah’s review forecast that the Rondos, Europe’s special envoy to the region. In partic- about President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s neu- power is planned in over 20 countries which do not ular, tensions have escalated steadily between Somalia tral stance. loading of nuclear fuel assemblies required to com- currently have it. — Reuters and the United Arab Emirates, which has sought to Continued on Page 24