SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017 THULQADA 8, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Crown Prince No room Jazeera Pique lifts completes at the inn unveils new Barcelona as medical for ‘sacred’ brand Clasico lives tests in US2 bovines8 identity17 up16 to hype Internationalization of hajj Min 36º declaration of war: Riyadh Max 49º High Tide 05:20 & 17:48 Iran pilgrims return Embassy attackers’ jail upheld Sadr in Saudi Arabia Low Tide • • 11:59 & 23:45 32 PAGES NO: 17293 150 FILS RIYADH/TEHRAN: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister called Qatar’s demands for an internationalization of the Kuwaitis can Muslim hajj pilgrimage a declaration of war against the kingdom, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said yes- visit Turkey terday, although it was unclear whether Qatar had actu- ally made any such demand. “Qatar’s demands to inter- nationalize the holy sites is aggressive and a declaration without visa of war against the kingdom,” Adel Al-Jubeir was quoted saying on Al Arabiya’s website. “We reserve the right to ANKARA: Kuwaitis will no longer need an entry visa respond to anyone who is working on the international- to visit Turkey, it was announced in Ankara. A reso- ization of the holy sites,” he said. lution by the Turkish cabinet came into effect yes- However, it was unclear whether Qatar made the terday, after being published in the official gazette, demand. It did accuse the Saudis of politicizing hajj and providing for the exemption of Kuwaiti citizens addressed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on from visas to enter Turkey, the Anadolu news freedom of religion on Saturday, expressing concern agency said. A Kuwaiti visitor can then enter Turkey about obstacles facing Qataris who want to attend hajj visa-free for 90 days. this year. No one from the Qatari government was Up to 180,000 Kuwaitis visited Turkey in 2016, immediately available for comment. Saudi Arabia and and 30,000 during the first three months of 2017. its allies yesterday accused Qatar of complicating hajj More than 6,000 Kuwaitis own real estate in the for its citizens, who cannot take direct flights from Doha country. Bilateral trade hit $152 million during the to Saudi Arabia under the sanctions. first quarter of 2017, marking a rise of 17 percent Meanwhile, Nearly 90,000 Iranians are expected to compared to the corresponding period last year. attend the hajj this year, and were due to start arriving For the entire year in 2016, trade exchange yesterday, after Tehran boycotted the pilgrimage last between the two countries reached $1.287 billion - year amid tensions with Saudi Arabia. Around 800 pil- Turkish exports to Kuwait totaled $431 million, grims were due to leave Iran on three flights to Madinah while imports hit $856 million. Kuwait’s direct yesterday, the director of the hajj at Iran’s Hajj and investments in Turkey have reached $1.7 billion, Pilgrimage Organization, Nasrollah Farahmand told and up to 280 Kuwaiti companies have trade activi- JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) receives prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al- state media. ties there. — KUNA Sadr yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 11 Quartet open to Qatar dialogue Bloc maintains boycott, slaps no new sanctions Telegram denies Tehran’s claim it installed servers TEHRAN: Iran’s communications and information technology minister was quoted yesterday as saying the widely used Telegram messenger service has transferred some of its servers into the country, but the encrypted application’s founder swiftly denied the claim. The report from Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Mahmoud Vaezi as saying: “As a result of meetings with Telegram managers, some MANAMA: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt pose for a SYDNEY: Police collect evidence outside a house in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry of its servers have been moved to the country.” group photo yesterday. — KUNA Hills yesterday after it was raided in a major joint counter-terrorism operation. — AFP But Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said that’s not so, reiterating the company’s previous position in a DUBAI: The four Arab countries which have announces its sincere willingness to stop Twitter message to AP yesterday. “No Telegram cut ties with Qatar said yesterday they were funding terrorism and extremism and its Australia foils ‘terror servers will be moved to Iran,” he wrote, while pro- ready for talks to tackle the dispute if Doha commitment to not interfere in other viding a link to an earlier post. Vaezi said Telegram showed willingness to deal with their countries’ foreign affairs and respond to plot’ to down airplane planned to use third-party systems known as con- demands. The foreign ministers of Bahrain, the 13 demands,” Bahrain’s foreign minister, tent delivery networks, or CDNs, in Iran. But Durov Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, told a said CDNs, which Internet-based services like Emirates (UAE) met in the Bahraini capital joint news conference after the meeting. CANBERRA: Police disrupted the first Barton said. “But if it’s mixed well, it can be Telegram use to make data available faster, “have Manama to discuss the crisis that has raised They announced no new economic sanc- alleged plot in Australia to bring down an very potent and a small amount can be nothing to do with relocating Telegram servers or tensions across the region. Diplomatic tions on the Gulf state. The foreign minis- airplane and arrested four men in raids on enough to bring an aircraft down if it’s complying with unreasonable local laws”. efforts led by Kuwait and backed by ters also lauded the role of HH the Amir of Sydney homes, officials said yesterday. done very, very expertly.” Durov later released a statement saying the claim Western powers have failed to end the dis- Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that The plan most likely was to take the about servers in Iran was “probably another piece of pute, in which the four states have severed Al-Sabah to resolve the crisis with Qatar security has been increased at Sydney explosive on board in carry-on luggage fake news or incorrect translation” and may have travel and communications with Qatar. within an Arab framework. Airport since Thursday because of the plot. unless there was a baggage handler Continued on Page 11 “The four countries are ready for dia- The increased security measures also were involved who could ensure that a logue with Qatar with the condition that it Continued on Page 11 extended to all major international and stowed bomb exploded near the fuse- domestic terminals around Australia lage where it would be most damaging. overnight. “I can report last night that “The speculation is that the bombers Aqsa showdown rare win for Palestinians there has been a major joint counterter- would like to put it in carry-on luggage rorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot so they can be sure of getting it placed JERUSALEM: Though it was well past midnight, as to bring down an airplane,” Turnbull told near the fuselage skin,” Barton said, news filtered through that Israeli police were removing reporters. “The operation is continuing.” adding however that putting something the remaining new security barriers from the Al-Aqsa Australian Federal Police Commissioner in a suitcase is “a lottery whether it ends mosque compound hundreds of Palestinians flooded Andrew Colvin said details were scant on up near the outside of the luggage hold the streets. When one youth started to taunt Israeli the specifics of the attack, the location and or packed near the middle”. police warily watching the gathering crowds early on timing. “In recent days, law enforcement There was no evidence that airport Thursday, others angrily remonstrated with him. This has been become aware of information security had been compromised, Colvin that suggested some people in Sydney said. “We believe it’s Islamic-inspired ter- was a night for celebrating what the Palestinians saw as were planning to commit a terrorist attack rorism,” Colvin said when asked if the a rare victory. using an improvised devise,” Colvin said. Islamic State group was behind the plot. For Israelis, the situation grew out of a horrible Deakin University security expert Greg Seven Network television reported that attack on July 14 that killed two policemen. But many Barton said the first plot to target aircraft 40 riot squad officers wearing gas masks of them also viewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin in Australia, which is the highest aspiration stormed an inner-Sydney house before Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis as inadequate. While of many extremists, was a “pretty big an explosives team found a suspicious Palestinians’ joy at the removal of the security meas- threshold moment”. The plotters were device. Colvin declined to say whether a ures was somewhat tarnished by clashes inside the apparently making a peroxide-based fully equipped improvised explosive mosque compound later Thursday, Palestinians that explosive device rather than using nitrate- device had been found at that address. night chanted and hugged each other, as car horns based chemicals that can be detected by A woman led from a raid by police sounded incessantly. airport security swab tests, Barton said. with her head covered told Nine Network A huge Palestinian flag was carried by young men Manchester Arena bomber Salman Television: “I love Australia.” None of the onto one of the Old City’s walls - an extremely rare act Abedi used such a peroxide-based explo- four suspects arrested in five raids had in a city that Israel considers its undivided capital.