SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016 RABI ALTHANI 27, 1437 AH No: 16778 Ahmadi launches 37 dead after Local swimming national bus plunges into academy trains celebrations4 river in India9 future47 champions Kuwaiti man abducted in Lebanon released Min 03º 150 Fils Interior minister thanks Lebanese security forces Max 25º KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday Amir meets Queen Elizabeth expressed deep gratitude to Lebanese security authorities for their efforts that led to unconditional release of Kuwaiti citizen LONDON: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Mohsen Barrak Falah Majed. Releasing the Kuwaiti national Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday was the fruit of constructive paid a visit to Queen Elizabeth, hold- and continuing coopera- ing a meeting with her attended by tion between the Kuwaiti Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at and Lebanese security Sandringham House. The Amir had authorities, he said, stress- taken part in co-chairing the Fourth ing that he was set free International Donors Conference on without conditions. Syria, hosted by the British capital on Necessary measures are Thursday. being taken to bring him The Kuwaiti and British sides held home, said Sheikh Mohammad in a ministry cordial conversations on the deeply- statement, indicating that rooted historic friendship between the Kuwaiti authorities Kuwait and the United Kingdom. The have been involved in mak- discussions also dealt with means for ing arrangements for his strengthening these ties for service of return. Majed, born in 1967, Mohsen Majed joint interests, realizing greater was taken hostage in east- progress and prosperity for the two ern Lebanon on Jan 17. Abdulaal Al-Ginaee, Kuwait’s countries and the friendly peoples of Ambassador to Lebanon, said that he had been abducted by Kuwait and the UK. Later, Queen unidentified gunmen in the eastern Bekaa Valley. The Kuwaiti Elizabeth held a luncheon at the diplomatic mission in Beirut had been in constant contact palace on the occasion of HH the with the local authorities to try to pinpoint his whereabouts Amir’s visit to the friendly United NORFOLK: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets and free him. Official Lebanese media had reported that Kingdom. — KUNA Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip at Sandringham Majed was snatched at gunpoint from his farm in the town of House yesterday. — KUNA Qebb Elias in the Bekaa. — KUNA Assange hails ‘victory’ from embassy balcony LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hailed a Assange claimed that he was under an “illegal, UN panel opinion on his confinement yesterday as a immoral, unethical detention” after British police said “victory” in an emotional speech from the balcony of they would arrest him as soon as he sets foot outside Ecuador’s embassy in London where he has been holed the embassy onto British soil to extradite him to up since 2012. “How sweet it is! This is a victory that can- Sweden. not be denied. It is a victory of historical importance,” he In a statement, the UN panel said it had adopted an told a scrum of journalists and supporters outside. opinion that considered Assange “arbitrarily detained Referring to his children, the 44-year-old Australian by the governments of Sweden and the United campaigner said: “It’s time that they had their father Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” It back. That will happen one way or the other.” added: “The working group also considered that the It was one of only a handful of times that he has detention should be brought to an end and that Mr appeared in public in three-and-a-half years of self- Assange should be afforded the right to compensa- imposed confinement in a cramped office. Assange tion.” Assange’s legal representative Baltasar Garzon has said he fears for his personal safety if he comes out called it “one of the strongest judgements” ever issued on to the balcony, citing unspecified threats. by the body. Brandishing a hard copy of the panel’s opinion, he was But Britain and Sweden sharply condemned the dressed in a charcoal suit and tie and squinted in the panel’s findings and said they would change nothing. daylight as he spoke. Hammond called Assange “a fugitive from justice”. He paused frequently, apparently overwhelmed. “This is frankly a ridiculous finding by the working “I’m tough, I’m hardened by this process and I can take group and we reject it,” the foreign secretary added. it. However, what right does this government or the Sweden’s foreign ministry said that it “does not agree” US government or the Swedish government have to with the assessment. “Mr Assange is free to leave the LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses the media hold- deny my children their right to their father for five embassy at any point and Swedish authorities have no ing a printed report of the judgement of the UN’s Working Group on years?” he said, referring to the first time he was arrest- control over his decision to stay at the embassy,” the Arbitrary Detention on his case from the balcony of the Ecuadorian ed in 2010 due to a rape accusation in Sweden. ministry added. — Agenices embassy yesterday. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016 UN chief visits Kuwait’s pavilion at conference LONDON: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lauded Kuwait’s “unmatched” efforts in supporting those affected by the ongoing Syrian crisis. Ki-moon made those remarks on Thursday during a special visit to Kuwait’s Ministry of Information’s pavilion at an exhibition organized on the side- lines of Syria Donors Conference in London. The UN chief expressed his appreciation to Kuwaiti civil societies, NGOs, and humanitarian groups for extending a helping hand to the Syrians in their critical situation, head of the media delegation to the exhibit Sara Al-Diyein told KUNA. She added that Ban took a walk down memory lane when he looked at the photographs that formed a panoramic scene of KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Kuwait’s “successful” endeavors in helping the Syrians since Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets UN Secretary- Jaber Al-Sabah meets UN special envoy to Syria their misfortune started five years ago. —KUNA General Ban Ki-moon in London, where His Highness Staffan de Mistura. participated in the Fourth International Donors Conference on Syria. —KUNA Amir thanks British PM for hospitality LONDON: His Highness the Amir Sheikh the State of Kuwait and the friendly UK. achievements that were done in Kuwait’s Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has three donors’ conferences, he added. expressed gratitude to British Prime Positive initiatives Minister David Cameron for the elabo- Meanwhile, Norway’s Prime Minister Int’l participation rate reception of His Highness and his Erna Solberg lauded Kuwait’s “positive” Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister accompanying delegation at the Fourth initiatives carried out by His Highness and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah International Donors Conference on the Amir to alleviate the ongoing suffer- Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meanwhile Syria, hosted by the British capital on ing of the Syrian people. Solberg told lauded international participation in Thursday. KUNA on Thursday that without His raising more than $10 billion in LONDON: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits In a cable addressed to Cameron, His Highness the Amir’s support and response to Syria’s humanitarian crisis. Kuwait’s Ministry of Information’s pavilion at an Highness the Amir expressed deep admi- Kuwait’s three donors conference, giv- Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled made this exhibition organized on the sidelines of Syria ration and utmost satisfaction for the ing assistance to the Syrians would have remark on Thursday during a joint press Donors Conference in London. —KUNA generous and glamorous hospitality been difficult. conference with UK Prime Minister accorded to His Highness and his delega- She added that raising funds alone is David Cameron, UN chief Ban Ki-moon, tion of senior officials. His Highness not enough to help the Syrians; there Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, $300m pledge not out of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad also noted that should be a political solution to end this Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, he was greatly pleased for co-chairing the crisis and the bloodshed that has been Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Tammam budget: Minister Saleh conference with Prime Minister Cameron, happening for more than five years. Salam, Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Norway pledged $1.17 billion, to be paid Davutoglu and Jordan’s Foreign LONDON: Kuwait’s pledge of $300 million over the next three Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. over four years, to aid the Syrians in Minister Nasser Judeh. years to support the Syrian people will come out of independ- He appreciated the friendly UK’s hosting their plight. The Kuwaiti top diplomat praised the ent institutes, not out of the country’s general budget, Deputy of this significant conference, praising its The International Organization of success of London’s conference in pro- Prime Minister and Minister of Finance good results, namely pledged generous Migration’s (IOM) Director General viding the right to education and jobs Anas Al-Saleh said Thursday. contributions, declared for aiding the William Lacy Swing also expressed creation in Jordan and Turkey, noting Saleh, who is also Acting Oil Minister, brotherly Syrian people. appreciation to His Highness the Amir’s that this success only builds on previous told KUNA and Kuwait TV that despite Moreover, His Highness the Amir, in efforts in encouraging world leaders to achievements made in Kuwait’s three rough financial times due to continuing the cable to Cameron, expressed con- raise funding essential to provide life- donors meetings, where similar deci- fall of oil prices, Kuwait made it a top pri- tent for results of their bilateral meeting saving aid to the Syrian people affected sions were made for the benefit of ority to participate in the fourth edition on the sidelines of the event, during by the instability of their country.