RABI ALTHANI 8, 1439 AH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2017 Max 21º 32 Pages 150 Fils Established 1961 Min 10º ISSUE NO: 17416 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Amir receives ROTA Cabinet sends Caracal deal Pakistan allows Indian ‘spy’ Don’t miss your Kuwait Times 2 goodwill ambassador 3 to anti-corruption authority 9 on death row to meet family 2018 calendar with today’s issue Committee meeting on jailed MPs aborted over no-shows Opposition blasts absent pro-govt lawmakers By B Izzak Opposition MPs Al-Humaidi Al-Subaei, Mohammad speaker calling on the Assembly to allow them to attend the two MPs. He said the four members should have Al-Dallal and Mohammad Hayef came to the meeting, but the weekly session today and tomorrow, saying they are attended the meeting and expressed their viewpoints in KUWAIT: A meeting of the National Assembly’s legal MPs Ahmad Al-Fadhl, Khaled Al-Shatti, Askar Al-Enezi jailed in violation of the constitution and that their the panel deliberations and not abstain and obstruct the and legislative committee scheduled to discuss the issue and Talal Al-Jallal did not come. For the meeting to be forcible absence undermines the right of voters who committee meeting. He said that this incident will not be of the two jailed lawmakers could not be held yesterday legal, at least four of the seven members must be present. elected them. The two lawmakers also said that their allowed to pass without action. Opposition MP Adel Al- because four pro-government MPs, who are members of The committee was supposed to look into the legal issues absence from attending the session casts suspicion over Damkhi said that the arrest and imprisonment of two MPs the seven-MP committee, did not attend. Opposition law- regarding jailing Tabtabaei and Harbash although they the laws passed by the Assembly, claiming that the gov- undermines the authority of the Assembly, because they makers accused the pro-government MPs of deliberately still enjoy their parliamentary immunity, after the ernment deliberately adopted measures to arrest and were jailed before the final verdict. boycotting the meeting in a bid to prevent the panel from Assembly referred the issue to the panel following a imprison them. In a related development, Assembly Speaker discussing the issue of opposition MPs Jamaan Al- debate last week. Opposition MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari accused the Marzouq Al-Ghanem said the Assembly will continue Harbash and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, who were handed jail The jailed MPs say putting them behind bars because four pro-government lawmakers of deliberately abstain- debating the Amiri address today and will try tomorrow terms along with over 60 activists for storming the of a conviction that is not final is against the constitution. ing from the meeting with the intention to prevent the to debate and approve a number of draft laws on which Assembly building in Nov 2011. Yesterday, the two MPs sent a new letter to the Assembly meeting from being held and from discussing the case of there is consensus between MPs and the government. Guatemala to move embassy to Jerusalem GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemala is to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, President Jimmy Morales has announced, following US President Donald Trump’s contro- versial decision on the holy city. After speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Morales messaged Guatemalans on his Facebook page Sunday, saying “one of the most important topics was the return of Guatemala’s embassy to Jerusalem,” from Tel HERZLIYA: The Guatemalan flag is seen outside a building housing the offices Aviv where it is currently located. of the Central American nation’s embassy near Tel Aviv yesterday. — AFP “For this reason I am informing you that I have given instructions to the decision, saying other nations goes totally against the wishes of foreign ministry that it start the would follow Washington’s lead. church leaders in Jerusalem” and of necessary respective coordination “Other countries will recognize a non-binding UN General KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Fahd Al-Hajeri (left) vies for the ball with Oman’s Raed Ibrahim Saleh (right) during the 2017 to make this happen,” Morales Jerusalem and announce the reloca- Assembly resolution condemning Gulf Cup football match between Kuwait and Oman at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium yesterday. — AFP wrote. tion of their embassies. A second the US recognition, the ministry Guatemala’s leader made the country did it and I repeat it: there said in a statement. In all, 128 Kuwait that saw a shot at the goal narrowly missing announcement on Christmas Eve, will be others, it’s just the start and nations voted to maintain the inter- Kuwait knocked the net. three days after two-thirds of UN it’s important,” Netanyahu said in a national consensus that Jerusalem’s Oman pressed forward to start the second half, member states rejected Trump’s statement. status can only be decided through out of Gulf Cup and their pressure yielded a penalty that midfielder decision to have the United States The Palestinian foreign ministry peace negotiations between Israelis Ahmad Al-Muhaijri converted. Kuwait’s defense recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s cap- meanwhile slammed Guatemala. and Palestinians. committed a mistake a minute later that could have ital. Netanyahu yesterday hailed the “It’s a shameful and illegal act that Continued on Page 11 after second loss been very costly, but Oman could not capitalize on it. Oman were dangerous until the 70th minute mark, By Ahmad Jabr when momentum shifted to Kuwait as they searched for an equalizer. Omani players tried to slow down News in brief KUWAIT: Kuwait suffered a heartbreaking loss at the pace, and they were successful in doing so until Tunisia says UAE the hands of Oman yesterday, losing all chances to the last five minutes of the game, when Kuwait picked Dec 31, Jan 1 official holidays advance into the semifinals of the 23rd Gulf Cup. The up intensity and threatened the Omani goal with mul- attack fears behind Blues had also lost their opening match against Saudi tiple shots that were fended off by the Oman goal- Arabia on Friday. Omani Captain Ahmad Al-Muhaijri KUWAIT: The Cabinet announced yesterday that keeper and defense. next Sunday and Monday - Dec 31, 2017 and Jan 1, scored the only goal of the match 13 minutes into the Kuwait could not take advantage of five minutes of female flyer row second half. The Omanis then held on to beat Kuwait 2018 - will be official holidays. Deputy Prime injury time added by the referee, and the match end- TUNIS: Controversial security measures taken by the Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs 1-0 and keep their hopes to advance past the group ed with a second straight defeat for the host team, stage alive. United Arab Emirates against Tunisian women trying to Anas Al-Saleh told KUNA that ministries as well as which now finds itself in a very difficult position travel to the Gulf state were prompted by fears of a ter- state institutions and authorities will be off due to Kuwait piled on the pressure early in front of a heading into the final round of the group stage. With capacity crowd at Jaber Al-Ahmad International rorist attack, Tunisia said yesterday. Since Friday, New Year celebrations. During its weekly meeting, its win, Oman earned its first three points in the tour- Tunisian women and girls have been delayed for hours the Cabinet decided that work will resume on Jan 2, Stadium, but Oman stayed calm and controlled the nament, and sits in third place in Group A after Saudi pace by keeping the ball in the midfield. The two as they look to board planes for the UAE, sparking out- 2018, affirmed Saleh. Arabia in first place and the United Arab Emirates in cry in the North African nation that led to the suspen- teams traded attacks in the first 20 minutes, after second - both with four points. Meanwhile, Kuwait which play slowed down as players from both teams sion of Emirates airline flights to Tunis. remains with zero points, knocked out from the tour- “The UAE authorities have serious security informa- Saudi Shiite judge killed searched for an opening in the other team’s defense. nament that marked its return to international com- The first half ended with a dangerous opportunity for tion about the possibility of terrorist attacks,” Tunisian petition after its two-year FIFA ban was lifted. Continued on Page 11 RIYADH: Saudi police have recovered the body of a kidnapped pro-government Shiite judge after a shootout in which a policeman and a suspected militant were killed, the interior ministry said yes- The footage shows Nour and Ahed terday. The remains of Judge Mohammed Al-Jirani Israel extends approaching two Israeli soldiers before shov- were found on a farm in the town of Awamiya in the ing, kicking and slapping them while filming on kingdom’s Eastern Province, which has been a detention of mobile phones. The heavily armed soldiers do hotbed of protests among the Shiite minority for not respond in the face of what appears to be years. The raid took place last Tuesday and subse- an attempt to provoke rather than seriously quent DNA tests confirmed that a body recovered women over harm them. They then move backwards after was that of Sheikh Jirani, a ministry spokesman told Ahed’s mother Nariman becomes involved. The the official Saudi Press Agency. slap video Tamimi family are at the forefront of regular protests in Nabi Saleh, a frequent scene of demonstrations against Israel’s occupation of Bahrain convicts six to death OFER MILITARY COURT: An Israeli court the West Bank.