Kuwaittimes 23-1-2018.Qxp Layout 1

JAMADA ALAWWAL 6, 1439 AH TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 Max 22º 32 Pages Min 06º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17438 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Lebanese president to visit NBK reports net profits ‘Three Billboards’ wins big at Struggling Djokovic out 2 Kuwait, hails Amir’s stances 17 of KD 322.4m for FY 2017 31 female friendly SAG awards 16 but Federer into quarters Cabinet discusses Duterte’s ‘sudden’ Filipino worker ban FM: Kuwait has ‘clean’ human rights record • Divisions over Sabeeh grilling By B Izzak and Agencies KUWAIT: Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah briefed the Cabinet yesterday about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “sudden” suspension of sending workers to Kuwait, which runs counter to mutual interests. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said Duterte’s “sudden statement” prompted relevant authorities in Kuwait to contact authorities in the Philippines to clari- fy the president’s statement. He said the president mentioned individual cases which did not apply to the majority, and those cases were KUWAIT: The Cabinet holds its weekly meeting yesterday. — KUNA subjected to legal procedures. Kuwait, said the top diplomat, has a clean human rights record due to which expatriates Majed Al-Mutairi carried out a rehearsal in the filed a complaint at the International enjoy full rights. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said Assembly yesterday. The grilling is likely to take Parliamentarians Union against several people the laws in Kuwait organize relations between several hours and will take place at the start of over the jailing of MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabaei employees and employers, which has encour- the weekly session today. and Jamaan Al-Harbash. He called on all law- aged many nationalities to come work in MPs however appeared divided over the makers to vote on a letter sent by the two MPs Kuwait. The foreign ministry summoned grilling, with several lawmakers expressing total calling for allowing them to attend the grilling Ambassador of the Philippines Renato Pedro support and others saying they will first listen of the minister. Villa on Sunday and expressed regret and to the minister’s replies to the allegations before About 20 MPs have signed a motion calling bewilderment towards Duterte’s decision. declaring their opinion. MP Riyadh Al-Adasani to debate two draft laws relating to domestic In another development, the National said that he is not inclined to sign any no-confi- helpers today after the grilling of the minister. Assembly session today is expected to witness dence motion against the minister, as he con- The lawmakers said in their request that the the grilling of Minister of Social Affairs and siders that she has convinced him so far. cost of recruiting domestic helpers remains BAGHDAD: Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times Abd Al-Rahman Al- Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh over a variety of allega- Opposition MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said very high despite establishing a special govern- Alyan (left) meets Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Salim Al- tions, including her alleged failure to fix the that he does not want to hear the minister’s ment company, and the issue needs to be Jubouri on Sunday. Jubouri praised the “great” positions adopt- demographic structure which is massively in defense because she has not fulfilled her prom- debated. They said that the problem has ed by Kuwait during a meeting with a Kuwaiti media delegation favor of expatriates. The minister may ask for a ises after another grilling last year. He said that become more complicated because the compa- currently visiting Baghdad. — KUNA (See Page 2) two-week delay, but the three grillers MPs Al- he will support any no-confidence motion ny has so far failed to perform the duties it was Humaidi Al-Subaei, Khaled Al-Otaibi and against the minister. Muwaizri also said he has established for. News in brief Pence vows US UAE house fire kills 7 children embassy move by DUBAI: A house fire killed seven siblings yesterday near the eastern city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the education ministry said in a statement. 2019; Abbas seeks The victims from the Rabia family ranged from kindergarten age to the eighth grade, the ministry EU recognition added on its official Twitter page. A UAE newspaper quoted a local police and civil defense officials saying JERUSALEM/BRUSSELS: US Vice President Mike that their mother reported the fire at dawn and Pence pledged to move the American embassy in Israel though the cause of the blaze remained unknown, a to Jerusalem by the end of 2019 yesterday in a speech short-circuit was suspected. “We have today to Israel’s parliament that saw Arab lawmakers expelled instructed the state’s civil defense to ensure immedi- after they shouted in protest. As Pence spoke, ately that all necessary fire protection systems are in Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas arrived to meet place in all citizens’ homes”, Sheikh Mohammed bin European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, urging Rashid Al-Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice- them to “swiftly” recognize the state of Palestine. President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Pence’s speech, filled with biblical references and Dubai, said in a tweet. praise of Israel, was greeted with loud applause by Israeli Jewish lawmakers, including Prime Minister JERUSALEM: Israel’s Arab parliamentary bloc and Knesset members scuffle with security after Benjamin Netanyahu. Referring to the 1948 founding of they held signs in protest during the speech of US Vice President Mike Pence in Israel’s parlia- Louvre Abu Dhabi replaces map Israel, he said US President Donald Trump’s decision to ment yesterday. — AFP recognize Jerusalem as the country’s capital last month ABU DHABI: The Louvre Abu Dhabi said yester- “righted a 70-year wrong”. The decision has drawn around a dozen Arab Israeli lawmakers shouted in being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has day it has replaced a map of the Arabian Peninsula near global condemnation and deeply angered the protest, with some holding signs saying Jerusalem is the included talks in Egypt and Jordan as well as a stop at a that omitted Qatar, embroiled in a months-long Palestinians, who have refused to meet with Pence on capital of Palestine. They were escorted out by security US military facility near the Syrian border. Arab out- diplomatic dispute with its Gulf neighbors. The his visit. “In the weeks ahead, our administration will agents as Netanyahu and others stood and applauded rage over Trump’s Jerusalem decision on Dec 6 had museum said the map was an “oversight” that had advance its plan to open the United States embassy in their expulsion. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings been rectified. The map, one of several aiming at Jerusalem,” Pence said. “And that United States Palestine Liberation Organization, denounced Pence’s ahead of Pence’s tour. Abbas and other Palestinian placing exhibits in their geographical context, was embassy will open before the end of next year.” speech as “messianic” and a “gift to extremists”. leaders refused to meet Pence, making his visit a rare located in the children’s section of the museum. The As Pence was set to begin his speech, a group of Pence’s visit, initially scheduled for December before Continued on Page 11 error was pointed out on Jan 19 by Qatar’s muse- ums head, Al Mayassa Al-Thani, who retweeted a picture of the map showing Bahrain and the Gulf coast with blank sea in the place of Qatar. The UAE Turkey steps up and Qatar have long had sour relations, but they worsened last year when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in June cut all ties with Doha, assault on Kurd including land, sea and air links. militia in Syria New curbs on Mideast airports HASSA, Turkey: Turkey yesterday intensified its offensive against Kurdish militia targets in Syria as WASHINGTON: The US Transportation Security President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed there would be Administration said yesterday it is requiring six no stepping back in a campaign that has stoked con- Middle Eastern carriers to participate in an cern among Ankara’s allies and neighbors. The Turkish enhanced cargo screening program as part of an military on Saturday launched operation “Olive effort to raise global aviation security. The emer- Branch”, its second major incursion into Syrian territory gency amendment covers Egypt Air operating out during the seven-year civil war. The operation, where of Cairo International Airport, Royal Jordanian Turkish war planes and artillery are backing a major operating out of Queen Alia International Airport, ground incursion launched with Ankara-backed Syrian Saudia operating out of King Abdul-Aziz rebels and Turkish tanks, aims to oust the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia from its enclave of Afrin. International Airport and King Khalid International HASSA, Turkey: Syrian opposition fighters and Turkish troops are seen near the Syria border Turkey considers the YPG to be a terror group and Airport, Qatar Airways operating out of Doha yesterday. — AFP the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party International Airport and Emirates and Etihad oper- (PKK) which has waged a bloody three-decade insur- ating out of Dubai International Airport and Abu the YPG to oust Islamic State (IS) militants from their their advance into Syria. Meanwhile, Turkish artillery gency against the Turkish state. “We are determined. Syrian strongholds and the Kurdish militia now holds fired shells on YPG targets inside Syria and ground Dhabi International Airport. The TSA said most of Afrin will be sorted out.

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