RABI ALTHANI 27, 1440 AH THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 28 Pages Max 24º Min 14º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17723 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Call to stop shrimp imports at NASA succeeds in historic Barbie will soon be 60: FIFA should expand 2022 WCup 415Doha Port amid shrimping ban flyby of faraway world 22 And is still going strong 28 to 48 teams if possible: Infantino Syria opposition outraged as regime cements comeback Efforts underway to bring Damascus back into Arab fold BEIRUT: Almost eight years into Syria’s to increase its influence in a large swathe devastating war, opponents of the regime of territory under Kurdish-led control, are watching in dismay as President after the shock announcement last month Bashar Al-Assad’s government looks set of a US military pullout. to secure its comeback at home and On the diplomatic front, efforts seem abroad. Holed up in the last major rebel underway to bring the Damascus regime stronghold or unable to return home back into the Arab fold after years of after fleeing abroad, they are frustrated frosty relations. The Arab League sus- to have been abandoned by the interna- pended Syria’s membership in Nov 2011 tional community. “Today, I’m looking for as the death toll mounted and several a homeland,” activist Shady Matar told regional powers bet on the demise of the AFP from exile in neighboring Turkey. “I Assad regime. But Sudan’s president last can’t go home while the regime is still in month made the first visit by an Arab power,” said the 27-year-old, whose leader to Damascus since the start of the hometown of Daraya near Damascus was conflict. The United Arab Emirates last retaken by the government in 2016. And week reopened its embassy in the Syrian “most countries whose governments say capital, and fellow Gulf state Bahrain has they support the Syrian people have followed suit. closed their borders” to us, he said. Bilal Bayush, a media activist in the Sparked by the brutal repression of last major rebel stronghold of Idlib, said anti-Assad protests in 2011, the conflict he was not surprised. “Their interests has killed more than 360,000 people and with the opposition have ended, and displaced millions at home and abroad. they now have interests with the Assad But fighting has failed to topple Assad, regime,” he said. Political opposition endless diplomatic efforts have been chief negotiator Nasr Al-Hariri was out- unable to reach a peaceful transition, and raged. “While our people are dying of the regime now appears stronger than cold in refugee camps drowning in cold ever. With backing from Russia and Iran, winter rain, some of our Arab brothers the government has expelled rebels and are racing to open up to the criminal jihadists from large parts of Syria, and who is responsible,” he said last week now controls almost two-thirds of the on Twitter. DAYR BALLUT, Syria: A Syrian boy carries firewood as he returns to a camp for the displaced northwest of Aleppo province yesterday. — AFP country. The government also looks set Continued on Page 24 He added that Trump’s actions had Romney in caused “dismay around the world” and alienated traditional allies in Europe. His Netflix drops comments seemed to suggest Romney is biting attack positioning himself to take over the role satire episode of Jeff Flake, a departing senator who was on Trump’s a vocal critic of Trump. The US leader responded the next morning in a relative- critical of Saudi ly restrained tweet. “Here we go with Mitt WASHINGTON: Netflix has character Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is removed an episode of a satirical WASHINGTON: Incoming Senator he a Flake? I hope not,” he wrote. “Would comedy show from its service in Mitt Romney has written a scathing op- much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Saudi Arabia over its criticism of ed targeting President Donald Trump, Security and so many other things where the kingdom, following a legal saying he “has not risen to the mantle of he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. request by officials in Riyadh. In the office” and his actions have alienated He should be happy for all Republicans. the episode of “Patriot Act with America’s allies. The barbed remarks Be a TEAM player & WIN.” Hasan Minhaj”, the American- from the 2012 Republican presidential It is the latest twist in a relationship born Muslim lashed out at the candidate came as he and other lawmak- that has run hot and cold for years. kingdom after the October Hasan Minhaj ers prepare to take up their seats in the Romney called presidential candidate Donald Trump Mitt Romney killing of Washington Post new Congress. “With the nation so Trump a fraud and a phony in 2016. But columnist Jamal Khashoggi in divided, resentful and angry, presidential last year he thanked Trump for his name-calling and had not. He said he this month, is evidence that the president the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was also critical of the leadership in qualities of character is endorsement as Romney ran for a senate was initially encouraged when Trump has not risen to the mantle of the office,” Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. indispensable,” Romney wrote in the op- seat from Utah. In the op-ed piece, brought into his cabinet steady-hand Romney wrote. His comments even “We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and ed piece in The Washington Post on Romney noted he had not supported figures like James Mattis as defense sec- prompted suggestions online that he removed this episode only in Saudi Arabia after we had Tuesday. “And it is in this province Trump as the Republican Party’s nomi- retary and John Kelly as chief of staff. sounds like he is considering challenging Continued on Page 24 where the incumbent’s shortfall has been nee in 2016. He said he had hoped the “But, on balance, his conduct over the Trump for the nomination in 2020. most glaring.” Trump campaign would refrain from past two years, particularly his actions Continued on Page 24 rail operator and officials said. The pas- cannon as protests and clashes between Six dead in rail senger train appeared to have struck an Clashes after rival groups erupted across the southern empty truck trailer that had blown off a Indian father, state of Kerala, local media reported, crash on Danish cargo train travelling in the opposite women enter with several officers injured. The direction, as strong winds lashed the son battle for Supreme Court in September overturned region. The passenger train braked sud- a centuries-old ban on women of men- bridge; Amir denly, survivors said. “An empty truck Indian temple struating age - deemed as those trailer on a carriage seems to have fallen textile empire between 10 and 50 - setting foot inside off. It either hit the train, or the train hit THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India: the gold-plated Sabarimala temple. expresses grief it,” accident investigator Bo Haaning told NEW DELHI: Vijaypat Protests and violence erupted in south- In recent weeks Hindu traditionalists - KNUDSHOVED, Denmark: Six people Danish public broadcaster DR. Singhania thought he was ern India yesterday after two women backed by Prime Minister Narendra were killed yesterday after debris appar- He said it was too early to know why keeping his billion-dollar defied traditionalists to enter one of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - ently from a cargo train smashed into a or how the trailer fell off. “All I can say is Indian textile empire in the Hinduism’s holiest temples for the first have prevented attempts by women to passenger train in high winds on a bridge that there is a trailer missing on the family when he gifted control time since a landmark court ruling. Police access the hilltop site, with some connecting two islands in Denmark, the Continued on Page 24 of the Raymond Group to his fired tear gas, stun grenades and water Continued on Page 24 son Gautam three years ago. But their relationship has dis- integrated spectacularly since, with the father accus- ing the son of cheating him Vijaypat Singhania out of a exclusive apartment and of unceremoniously kick- ing him out of the company offices. Vijaypat now bitterly regrets his decision, which he claims was made because of “emotional blackmail”, mark- ing the latest in a long line of high-profile family feuds to scar corporate India. The 80-year-old trans- formed a small textile busi- SABARIMALA, Kerala: An Indian priest closes the doors of the Ayyappa shrine at the ness into a household name NYBORG, Denmark: Men work at the accident site next to a passenger train standing on Gautam Singhania Sabarimala temple after performing “purification” rituals following the entry of two the rails after a railway accident yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 24 women yesterday. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Local Thursday, January 3, 2019 Crown Prince meets state officials at Bayan Palace Amir expresses grief over building collapse in Russia KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with National Assembly His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Acting Prime Minister and Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. — KUNA photos Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Deputy Prime Minister and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.