SHAABAN 9, 1439 AH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018 Max 33º 32 Pages Min 22º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17515 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwait submits ratified copy of Thirsty to thriving? Parched Pak Libya women footballers Liverpool hit five past 2 Paris Climate Agreement to UN 18 port aims to become new Dubai 32 struggle on and off pitch 16 Roma as Salah runs riot Philippines apologizes to Kuwait over ‘maid rescues’, envoy to stay MP claims labor row ‘cover’ for money laundering By Ben Garcia, B Izzak and Agencies responding to complaints of abuse from some of the 260,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait. “This was all MANILA: The Philippines’ top diplomat apologized done in the spirit of emergency action to protect yesterday after videos emerged of embassy staff help- Filipinos,” he said, stating that the embassy staff ing Filipinos flee from allegedly abusive employers in believed they were dealing with “life-or-death” situa- Kuwait. Kuwait had branded the rescues a violation of tions. “We respect Kuwaiti sovereignty and laws, but its sovereignty, adding fuel to a simmering diplomatic the welfare of Filipino workers is also very important,” row between the two nations sparked by the murder of Cayetano said, adding Kuwait had accepted the a Philippine maid. The first of two clips, which spread Philippines’ explanation. on social media after being released by the Philippine Some 10 million Filipinos work abroad and the mon- foreign ministry last week, shows a woman running ey they remit back is a lifeline of the Philippine econo- from a home and jumping into a waiting vehicle. my. This controversy follows the ban Duterte imposed Another depicts a person sprinting from what looks in February on Filipino workers moving to Kuwait, like a construction site and then speeding off in a black after the discovery of the corpse of Filipina maid sport utility vehicle. Joanna Demafelis in a freezer. Duterte alleged that “I apologize to my counterpart and we apologize to employers routinely rape their Filipina workers, force DAVAO CITY: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (right) the Kuwaiti government, the Kuwaiti people and the them to work 21 hours a day and feed them scraps. The KUWAIT: Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa meets Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Al- addresses a press conference at the Philippine Embassy in leaders of Kuwait if they were offended by some two countries have since been trying to work out an Thwaikh on Monday at the presidential guest house. — AFP actions taken by the Philippine embassy in Kuwait,” agreement to protect the rights of Filipino workers in Siddiq yesterday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters Kuwait, particularly the 170,000 who work as maids. the domestic helpers’ employers,” said a diplomat. The those who abused Filipino workers to justice. “The in Manila. Three Filipinos who drove vans for the Cayetano said embassy workers had been carrying employers did not hand over their passports. Some work- secretary conveyed our request for Kuwait’s kind embassy in the operations were believed to be held by out “rescues” of abused Filipinos, adding that this was ers were persuaded to leave their employers, he said. The understanding of the sworn duty of the government to Kuwaiti authorities. Cayetano added a formal apology mostly done in cooperation with Kuwaiti police but in operation was captured on video and posted on social protect Filipino nationals anywhere in the world,” letter was being sent to Kuwait, a day after Philippine some cases staff acted alone due to urgency. Cayetano media. “It was not a clandestine operation,” said Elmer Roque said in a statement. President Rodrigo Duterte met with Kuwaiti said the two countries still hoped to complete the labor Cato, assistant secretary for public diplomacy. Meanwhile, the Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ambassador Musaed Saleh Ahmad Al-Thwaikh over agreement by May. Duterte previously said he will visit There are 600 Filipino workers in embassy-run Renato Villa will stay on despite calls for him to be the issue. Kuwait to witness the signing of the accord. halfway houses in Kuwait, Cayetano said, with about expelled and declared persona non grata over allegedly Kuwait was furious after the videos emerged, say- In Saturday’s operation, the workers were taken to 120 more who have sought rescue from employers due inflammatory statements he made to the media and the ing the rescues were a violation of its sovereignty and shelters ran by the embassy and would soon be repatriat- to abuse and tough working conditions. Duterte’s “rescue” videos. “can harm relations between the two countries”. ed, diplomats in Manila said. “The workers voluntarily spokesman Harry Roque said part of an agreement Cayetano said the Philippine embassy staff were went with embassy staff who waited outside the homes of with Kuwait was to seek assurance it would to bring Continued on Page 11 News in brief Trump rips into Top US court rules for Arab Bank Iran deal, calls WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court yester- day ruled that foreign corporations cannot be sued Kim ‘honorable’ in American courts for human rights abuses over- seas, refusing to revive a lawsuit claiming Jordan- WASHINGTON: French President Emmanuel based Arab Bank Plc helped finance militant attacks Macron and his American counterpart Donald Trump in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The 5-4 called jointly yesterday for a new nuclear deal with decision left in place a lower court ruling that had Iran, after the US leader denounced the three-year- thrown out a lawsuit brought by some 6,000 plain- old accord as “insane”. “I can say that we have had tiffs, including survivors and relatives of non-US very frank discussions on that, just the two of us,” citizens killed in attacks, filed under a 1789 US law Macron told a joint press conference with Trump at called the Alien Tort Statute that accused Arab his side. “We, therefore, wish from now on to work on Bank of being the “paymaster” to militant groups. a new deal with Iran.” The court ruled along ideological lines, with its five Trump earlier launched into an angry tirade against conservatives in the majority and its four liberal jus- the three-year old nuclear accord as he hosted the tices dissenting. — Reuters French president in the Oval Office. “People know my views on the Iran deal. It was a terrible deal. It should have never ever been made,” Trump railed. “It’s insane. ‘Entertainment city’ launch delayed It’s ridiculous.” Trump’s European allies have repeated- ly tried to persuade him not to walk away from the 2015 deal, which gave Iran massive sanctions relief and the RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday said it has guarantee of a civilian nuclear program in return for delayed by three days the launch of an “entertain- WASHINGTON: (From right) US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, US First Lady curbs on programs that could be used to develop an ment city” near Riyadh, part of a series of multi-bil- Melania Trump and French First Lady Brigitte Macron salute the crowd from a balcony during a welcome cere- atomic weapon. lion dollar projects as the oil-reliant kingdom seeks Continued on Page 11 mony at the White House yesterday. — AFP to diversify. King Salman had been scheduled today to launch construction of the 334-sq-km project in Qiddiya, southwest of Riyadh, touted as the king- dom’s answer to Disneyland. “King Salman will inaugurate next Saturday the Qiddiya project, Toronto attack WhatsApp raises which is the new entertainment, sports and cultural destination in the kingdom,” the state-run Saudi driver charged minimum age in Press Agency said, without explaining the delay. Construction for the first phase of development, which would include high-end theme parks, motor with murder Europe to 16 yrs sport facilities and a safari area, is expected to be completed in 2022, officials say. — AFP TORONTO: Canada yesterday LONDON: WhatsApp, the popu- charged a man alleged to have lar messaging service owned by plowed a van onto a crowded Facebook Inc, is raising its mini- 18 killed in Nigerian church Toronto sidewalk with 10 counts of mum age from 13 to 16 in Europe murder, as Prime Minister Justin to help it comply with new data MAKURDI, Nigeria: Two priests were among at Trudeau urged a rattled nation not privacy rules coming into force least 18 people killed in a dawn attack on a church in to allow a “senseless attack” to next month. WhatsApp will ask central Nigeria, police said yesterday, in violence shake its values. Police said the sus- European users to confirm they condemned by President Muhammadu Buhari as pect, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, TORONTO: People gather to leave flowers at a memorial for victims of the are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to agree “satanic”. Around 30 suspected herdsmen attacked was not known to them before mass killing on Yonge St at Finch Ave yesterday. — AFP new terms of service and a privacy policy provided by a Mbalom community in the volatile region killing the Monday’s carnage in Canada’s most new WhatsApp Ireland Ltd entity in the next few weeks. worshippers and the two priests, said Benue state populous city, which also left 15 Toronto, several miles from the inci- most of those injured in the incident. It is not clear how or if the age limit will be checked given police commissioner Fatai Owoseni in the state capi- people injured. He was not in the dent.