THULQADA 22, 1440 AH THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 28 Pages Max 51º Min 35º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17891 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Plastic bag-free Kuwait: A US slaps $5bn fine, curbs on Murals commemorate Hungarian teen Milak smashes 5 noble environmental cause 11 Facebook in privacy probe 20 Sudan protest ‘martyrs’ 26 Phelps record, Peaty does double Kuwait using all resources to locate POWs, missing persons Foreign ministry says DNA tests on human remains showed a match KUWAIT: Kuwait will continue Kuwaitis and individuals from other efforts to locate its prisoners of war nationalities will be closed, to con- Boris becomes (POWs) and missing individuals in clude this humanitarian tragedy. Iraq and will use all of its resources On June 20, the ICRC-affiliated British premier to achieve this goal, said a source at tripartite commission announced the the foreign ministry yesterday. In a discovery of human remains in press release commenting on the southern Iraq with initial expecta- with Brexit vow findings of the technical committee tions pointing to the discovery of of the International Committee of bodies of Kuwaiti citizens and other LONDON: Boris Johnson took over as Britain’s new the Red Cross’ (ICRC) tripartite nationals. The discovery gave hope prime minister yesterday, vowing to prove the “gloom- commission, Assistant Foreign to the families of the missing individ- sters” wrong and get a new deal to leave the European Minister for International uals who were taken away over 28 Union on Oct 31 - or exit without one. The 55-year-old Organization Nasser Al-Hain said years ago. The commission gathers former London mayor is a divisive figure, loved by many Kuwait presented data to the com- officials from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, for his wit and optimism but criticized for populist rhet- mission and the Iraqi team involved the bodies will be revealed as soon the US, the UK, France, and Iraq. oric and exaggerated claims during the 2016 Brexit ref- in the search for the remains of as results are announced, indicated In 2005, the remains of a number erendum vote. In a speech in Downing Street, he Kuwaitis in Iraq. the official, adding that the families of Kuwaiti citizens were discovered repeated that he would prepare to leave the bloc with- LONDON: Britain’s new Prime Minister Boris The step led to the approval of of the victims will be informed as the in Iraq, while in 2011, the body rem- out an agreement with Brussels but suggested this was Johnson gestures after giving a speech outside 10 DNA testing on human remains process goes on. nants of Iraqi individuals were a “remote possibility”. Downing Street yesterday. — AFP found in Iraq recently, said Hain. He Hain commended the tripartite uncovered. The tripartite commis- But ending Britain’s 46-year membership of the bloc added that initial results had shown a commission and subcommittees for sion continues efforts to uncover the In typically upbeat fashion, Johnson insisted he will prove a huge challenge for Johnson, who has a match in the DNA samples of some their efforts to uncover the fates of remains of people missing or killed wafer-thin working majority in parliament and faces could find a way through and unite the country. “We of the remains, which promoted Kuwaiti POWs and missing persons in the 1990-1991 war to liberate significant opposition among his own Conservative par- are going to fulfill the repeated promises of parliament Kuwait to request that all discovered and thanked Iraqi authorities for Kuwait. A total of 605 persons were ty. The EU has repeatedly said it will not renegotiate the to the people and come out of the EU on October 31, no bodies be sent back to its soil for efforts to facilitate procedures in taken as prisoners or went missing divorce deal it struck with his predecessor Theresa ifs or buts,” he declared. further analysis. The tests will con- finding the remains. He hoped that during the war, according to official May, which has been rejected by MPs three times. Continued on Page 24 tinue in Kuwait and the identities of the long-awaited case of the fate of Kuwaiti figures. — KUNA referred lawmakers to the report, and said News in brief Mueller insists he would not go beyond its text in his hotly anticipated appearances before two Democrat-led House committees. But his Health insurance online only Trump was not answers made clear he took issue with Trump’s claim that the April report had KUWAIT: The health ministry said payment for exonerated exonerated him from charges of obstruc- expat health assurance will exclusively be online, tion of justice. “The finding indicates that adding that the paper-based collection system will WASHINGTON: Robert Mueller denied the president was not exculpated from stop on July 28, 2019. Meanwhile, sources said yesterday that Donald Trump had been the acts that he allegedly committed,” insurance centers operated by the party that is exonerated of obstructing his two-year Mueller told the House Judiciary implementing the health insurance scheme will investigation into Russian election med- Committee. return to the health ministry on July 28. — A Saleh dling but - in his first testimony before The former special counsel empha- Congress on the probe - he again sized that Russia did interfere with the declined to accuse the US president of a 2016 election and did so to bolster Israel foils Iran spy ring attempt crime. In high-stakes testimony, a shaky- Trump’s campaign against his rival, voiced Mueller appeared uncertain as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton - JERUSALEM: Israel’s domestic intelligence serv- Democrats and Republicans peppered contrary to Trump’s repeated denials. But ice said yesterday that the country’s security forces him with questions about the investiga- he also said that neither the president nor had uncovered Iranian intelligence efforts to recruit tion, repeatedly asking lawmakers to others of his campaign were charged over WASHINGTON: A quote from the Mueller report appears on a screen as former Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. A statement from the repeat themselves or restate their query. cooperation with Russians because the Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in Shin Bet said that the alleged Iranian-run operation The 74-year-old former FBI chief and investigation lacked sufficient support for the Rayburn House Office yesterday. — AFP was discovered “in recent months”. “The network veteran prosecutor also repeatedly conspiracy charges. — AFP (See Page 6) was based in Syria under Iranian guidance and was led by a Syrian operative nicknamed ‘Abu Jihad’,” it said. “It attempted to recruit people via preliminary speak about her experiences under a contacts based on fictitious Facebook profiles and - Spotlight on pseudonym. “I didn’t see a light at the later - messaging apps.” It said that those contacted end of the tunnel,” she told AFP. Over the were asked to gather data on sites such as military next decade, she attempted suicide more bases and police stations with a view to providing suicide pushes than 30 times, either by swallowing pills, Iran with potential Israeli targets. — AFP cutting, or trying to hang herself. Now taboos in Iraq married to an abusive husband and a mother of two young children, Nada has Rumors spark B’desh lynchings BAGHDAD: Nada never spoke about her yet to see a mental health specialist. “I suicide attempts and Ahmad hesitated never told anyone,” she said. DHAKA: Eight people have been killed in vigilante before sharing his story, but as cases rise Almost 200 people took their own lynchings in Bangladesh sparked by rumors on social in Iraq the taboo issue is being pushed lives in Iraq in the first four months of media of children being kidnapped and sacrificed as out of the shadows. Kept from school and 2019, according to the government’s offerings for the construction of a mega-bridge, police sexually abused by her brothers, 24- Human Rights Commission. This follows a BAGHDAD: An Iraqi policeman pilots a speedboat while on patrol to prevent people rise in suicides from 383 in 2016 to 519 said yesterday. The victims - which include two women year-old Nada, who first tried to take her attempting suicide from jumping in the Tigris River on May 10, 2019. — AFP - were targeted by angry mobs over the rumors, spread own life at the age of 12, only agreed to Continued on Page 24 mostly on Facebook, that said human heads were required for the massive $3 billion project, police chief Javed Patwary said. “We have analyzed every single case of these eight killings. Those who were killed by Jordan opens lynching mobs - no one was a child kidnapper,” Patwary told reporters in Dhaka. Police are so concerned about underwater the deadly fallout in rural towns that officers are trying to counter the web rumor using loudspeakers. — AFP military museum AQABA, Jordan: Sunken tanks, a troop carrier and a sub- Nike sneakers sell for $437,500 merged helicopter: Jordan yesterday opened its first under- water military museum off its Red Sea coast. The kingdom NEW YORK: A new world record for a pair of is hoping the 19 decommissioned pieces of military hard- sneakers was set at auction on Tuesday when an ware, submerged at depths up to 28 m, will attract tourists avid collector splashed out $437,500 on Nike’s to the already popular diving resort of Aqaba. The 1972 “Moon Shoe”, Sotheby’s said. The sale Underwater Military Museum Dive Site includes several smashed the previous record of $190,373 spent in tanks, an ambulance, a military crane, a troop carrier, an 2017 on a pair of signed Converse worn by anti-aircraft battery, guns and a combat helicopter, the Michael Jordan in the 1984 Olympic basketball Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) said.