RAJAB 23, 1439 AH MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018 Max 32º 32 Pages Min 22º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17502 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Al-Kharafi Center honors Israel defense minister says Famed Istanbul modern art Vettel marks 200th F1 race 2 mothers of disabled kids 6 ‘no innocent people’ in Gaza 32 museum enters new era 16 with thrilling Bahrain win Outrage after chemical attack in Syria leaves dozens dead Trump slams ‘animal’ Assad, warns ‘big price to pay’ for ‘mindless’ attack BEIRUT: An alleged chemical attack that left dozens Trump yesterday also criticized his predecessor dead in Syria’s rebel-held town of Douma sparked inter- Barack Obama for not striking after warning that the national outrage yesterday, with US President Donald use of chemical weapons in Syria was a “red line”. “If Trump warning there would be a “big price to pay”. As President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line in international condemnation poured in, there were The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long reports that just hours after the alleged attack rebel ago! Animal Assad would have been history!” Trump forces had agreed to evacuate Douma, their last holdout said. Asked whether the US could again respond with a in the onetime opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. missile strike, White House homeland security adviser Trump’s threat came exactly a year and a day after Tom Bossert told ABC television: “I wouldn’t take any- the US fired cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in retalia- thing off the table.” tion for a deadly sarin gas attack in 2017. “Many dead, A prominent Republican senator warned Trump that including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL a failure to act now could leave him in a weakened attack in Syria,” Trump wrote on Twitter yesterday, lash- posture internationally. “It’s a defining moment in his ing out at Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russia’s presidency,” Lindsey Graham said on ABC. “He has Vladimir Putin, a key ally of the regime. “President Putin, challenged Assad in the past not to use chemical Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal weapons... If it becomes a tweet without meaning, then Assad. Big price to pay,” he said. he has hurt himself in North Korea... (and will) look The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran.” France has today afternoon over the chemical attack at the request of repeatedly said that evidence of chemical weapons use the United States and several other members, diplomats in Syria could prompt military action and said yester- said yesterday. “UK, France, US, Poland, Netherlands, day it would “do its duty” following the latest allega- Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d’Ivoire have called an tions. The regime, which denies all accusations of DOUMA, Syria: An image grab taken from a video released by the Syrian civil defense shows an unidentified vol- emergency meeting of #UNSC to discuss reports of chemical weapons use, denounced the accusations as unteer holding an oxygen mask over a child’s face at a hospital following a reported chemical attack on the chemical weapons attack in #Syria. Meeting expected on an “unconvincing broken record”. rebel-held town yesterday. — AFP Monday,” the British mission to the UN tweeted. Continued on Page 11 ing its meeting yesterday, as the government request- Clashes seen over ed two more days to give its view on the issue. The Public Institution for Social Security rejected the new proposals as too expensive to state coffers. early retirement bill; A new meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow to make a final decision after taking into account the Islamist MPs seek government’s opinion. MP Ali Al-Deqbasi said the committee is obliged to make a decision on the issue to legalize parties by April 10, and called on lawmakers to remain firm on the issue. The issue has been on the Assembly’s agenda for By B Izzak several months, and the financial committee decided a few months ago to ask a foreign company to pre- KUWAIT: The government appears to be headed on pare a study on the expected financial cost of the a collision course with the National Assembly, which scheme. The foreign company said if employees are is pressing to pass a law that allows Kuwaiti public allowed to retire early with full benefits, it will cost sector employees to seek early retirement with full the state around KD 2 billion annually for between 25 financial benefits. The Assembly’s financial and eco- and 35 years. nomic affairs committee did not make a decision dur- Continued on Page 11 MBS in Paris after meeting Bushes in US PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s crown prince arrived in France yesterday for the next leg of a global tour aimed at reshaping his kingdom’s austere image as he pursues his drive to reform the conservative petro-state. Prince Mohammed bin Salman will HOUSTON: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (second right) poses hold meetings with President for a group picture with former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg (right), Emmanuel Macron during his two- former US President George H W Bush (center) and former US President day official visit starting today - his George W Bush (second left) at the family residence on Saturday. — AFP first trip to France as the heir to the Saudi throne. prince, widely known as MBS, was tycoons and struck multimillion-dollar Macron will walk a diplomatic received at the Bourget airport near deals from defense to entertainment. tightrope with the young prince in Paris yesterday morning by French Around 18 memorandums of under- talks set to focus on cultural ties and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. standing in energy, agriculture, investments but also the war in The trip follows a coast-to-coast tourism and culture are set to be Yemen, dubbed the world’s worst tour of the United States as well as signed at an official Saudi-France humanitarian crisis, and the kingdom’s visits to Britain and Egypt, where the CEO Forum tomorrow, a source close arch-nemesis Iran. The 32-year-old prince courted a host of business Continued on Page 11 east Asia, the main centers of Islamic finance. But Crypto traders because they are products of financial engineering and objects of speculation, cryptocurrencies sit uneasily with Islam. Sharia principles, in addition to banning interest use gold to draw payments, emphasize real economic activity based on physical assets and frown on pure monetary speculation. Islamic investors That has triggered debate among Islamic scholars over whether cryptocurrencies are religiously permissi- DUBAI/SYDNEY: In Dubai’s decades-old Gold Souk, ble. Cryptocurrency companies are seeking to sway the customers from around the world haggle over bangles debate by launching instruments based on physical and necklaces. Elsewhere in the emirate, the region’s top assets and certified as valid by Islamic advisors. Each center for gold trade, bullion is playing a new role in OneGram cryptocurrency unit is backed by at least a financial engineering. A local start-up company founded gram of physical gold stored in a vault. The idea is to lim- last year, OneGram, is issuing a gold-backed cryptocur- it speculation. “Gold was among the first forms of money rency - part of efforts to convince Muslims that investing in Islamic societies so this is appropriate,” said Ibrahim in cryptocurrencies complies with their faith. Mohammed, the Briton who founded the firm with other The global surge of interest in bitcoin, ethereum and investors last year. other cryptocurrencies extends into the Gulf and south- Continued on Page 11 2 Established 1961 Local Monday, April 9, 2018 Amir receives Crown Prince, top officials KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received His Highness the Crown KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received National Assembly Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday. — KUNA Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and the parliamentary caucus. — KUNA KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday received His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Sief Palace. Separately, His Highness met Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. His Highness the Amir also received National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem, escorted by the parliamentary caucus that took part in the 138th Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva and the 27th meeting of Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) in Cairo. —KUNA KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday. —KUNA News in brief Zain - Strategic Kuwait Orphans’ Forum KUWAIT: The Kuwait Orphans’ Forum is a transla- partner of sixth Ideal tion of the philanthropic and humanitarian path adopted by His Highness the Amir, First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Mother Award Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said. Sheikh Nasser Al- Sabah addressed a ceremony held at the Army KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications com- Officers Club to honor the forum’s organizers, pany in Kuwait, announced its strategic partnership of Kuwaiti charity Zakat House, a statement by the the sixth consecutive edition of the Ideal Mother ministry said. The charity organization is set to Award. The event, organized by Al Kharafi Activity Kids organize the eighth version of the annual event Center, aimed at shedding light on the distinguished today.