SHAABAN 23, 1439 AH WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 Max 36º 32 Pages Min 26º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17527 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net China’s Xi, North Korea’s Kim Celebrations as Armenian protest Scandal, protesting stars and Kuwait SC lift Amir Cup 7 meet ahead of Trump summit 8 leader Pashinyan elected premier 28 bans as Cannes festival opens 16 for 13th time in history Trump pulls US from ‘defective’ Iran nuclear deal, slaps sanctions Rouhani slams ‘psychological warfare’ • Pompeo in N Korea, date set for summit WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump defied the pleas of his European allies Planning council discusses and pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal yesterday, vowing to re-impose education, financial reform crippling sanctions on Tehran and warning that Iranians deserve a better government. His decision itself came as little surprise - the US leader has long scorned what he called the “disastrous” 2015 accord - but his suggestion that the regime must change underlined the risks of a dangerous new escalation in the Middle East. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised that Washington will work with its friends to build a new agreement to curtail Iran’s alleged quest for nuclear weapons - but there was no disguising that Trump’s decision marked a stark diplomatic defeat for Europe, whose leaders had begged him to think again. “I am announcing today that the United WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump signs a document reinstating sanctions against States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear Iran after announcing the US’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic deal,” Trump declared in a White House Reception Room of the White House yesterday. — AFP address, branding the landmark 2015 accord that was endorsed by Britain, China, Germany, nuclear blackmail,” Trump vowed. “We will sanctions relief in return for it scaling back its Russia and Barack Obama’s previous US not allow American cities to be threatened enrichment program and placing its nuclear administration “defective at its core”. with destruction and we will not allow a industry under international inspection. KUWAIT: First Deputy Premier, Defense Minister and Chairman of the Trump - who enjoys close ties with Iran’s regime that chants ‘Death to America’ to gain But there was no disguising the dismay in Supreme Development and Planning Council Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad foes Saudi Arabia and Israel - said he had access to the most deadly weapons on Earth.” European capitals, whose diplomats see the Al-Sabah yesterday chaired the 10th meeting of the first term of the council. consulted America’s friends in the Middle Trump’s hawkish National Security Advisor deal as the best way of keeping tabs on Iran’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh said East and concluded “that we cannot prevent John Bolton said that European firms would ambitions while heading off the risk of a the meeting discusses various topics on the agenda including developing educa- an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying have a “wind down” period to cancel any destabilizing new arms race in the Middle tion and the challenges of economic and financial reforms. — KUNA and rotten structure of the current agree- investments made in Iran under the terms of the East, where tensions are already soaring ment”. “America will not be held hostage to accord, after the world agreed to give Tehran Continued on Page 11 the charity. Last week, Ashour said he will Ashour, Sabeeh quit his Assembly seat if the minister can prove that the society took the loan. Breakthrough with The minister said yesterday that she did spar over closed not say in the grilling that the charity took Manila near; state any bank loan and reiterated that what she charity society said was that the society gave loans from donors’ money to individuals, which is a values Filipinos By B Izzak violation of the law. The minister told reporters that the head of the society was KUWAIT: MP Saleh Ashour claimed cautioned not to give such loans and he yesterday that Minister of Social Affairs pledged to respect the law. But he later and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh misinformed continued with such violations, she said. the National Assembly in a grilling last Sabeeh wondered why there has been week, but the minister immediately such an emphasis on the alleged loan issue denied the claims. The lawmaker chal- while other flagrant violations supported lenged the minister to prove that a Shiite by documented evidence have been side- charity society - Al-Thaqalain Charity - lined. These violations include transferring has received any loan as she claimed dur- Saleh Ashour Hind Al-Sabeeh funds through money exchange companies ing the debate of the grilling filed against and not through banks as required and her by Ashour himself. minister for committing financial and receiving a loan worth KD 100,000, hiding the sources of donations and ways The charity, which has close links to administrative violations. Ashour had said which constitutes a breach of the law. The of spending it, the minister said. KUWAIT: Information Minister Mohammed Al-Jabri Ashour, was recently dissolved by the that the minister accused the charity of loan was one of the reasons for dissolving Continued on Page 11 meets former Philippine minister of information Francisco Tatad yesterday. — KUNA dent Nicolas Sarkozy and former prime minister Manuel KUWAIT: Philippines Minister of Labor and Erdogan blasts Valls as well as intellectuals and other public figures. Employment Silvestre Bello will be in Kuwait today for “Who are you to attack our scriptures? We know how talks with senior officials to discuss means of solving French call over vile you are,” Erdogan retorted. “Have they ever read Filipino workers’ problems and a relevant workforce their books, the Bible? Or the Torah?” Erdogan asked, agreement, the deputy foreign minister said yesterday. referring to the Christian and Jewish holy books, adding: “The standoff with the Philippines is heading to a Quran passages “If they had read them, they probably would want to ban breakthrough,” Khaled Al-Jarallah told reporters on the Bible.” The signatories in the letter said “Islamist radi- sidelines of a reception by the Italian Embassy to mark ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calization” was to blame for what it described as a “quiet the European country’s national day. yesterday hit out at a French manifesto calling for cer- ethnic purging” in the Paris region, with abuse forcing Asked if a new Filipino ambassador to Kuwait has tain passages of the Holy Quran to be removed in Jewish families to move out. A third of France’s record been nominated, Jarallah said the foreign ministry is response to rising anti-Semitism. An open letter, pub- hate crimes target Jews, despite the community making awaiting such a nomination. Kuwait declared the up only 0.7 percent of the population. lished on April 22 in Le Parisien newspaper and signed Philippines ambassador persona non grata after acts But Erdogan also pointed to Islamophobia in the West, by nearly 300, argued that verses of the Quran calling committed by Filipino nationals in violation of Kuwait’s for the “murder and punishment of Jews, Christians and saying Ankara had warned its partners of “Islamophobia, sovereignty were deemed as interference in its internal disbelievers” should be removed because they are anti-Turkish feeling, xenophobia, racism”. affairs and even as violating relevant international “obsolete”. Signatories included former French presi- Continued on Page 11 Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreements and treaties, especially Article 41 of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Earlier yesterday, Minister of Information and launched multiple legal challenges against the Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammed Al- NY attorney Republican administration. Jabri said Filipinos form the third largest community in “Gotcha,” tweeted White House counselor to the Kuwait and are very well cared for by the state. He general latest president, Kellyanne Conway, although there was no made the remark yesterday after a meeting with visit- immediate response from Trump. “While these allega- ing former Philippine minister of information Francisco tions are unrelated to my professional conduct or the Tatad and an accompanying delegation. According to #MeToo scalp operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me a statement by the Kuwaiti information ministry, Jabri from leading the office’s work at this critical time,” he recalled during the meeting the initial stance by NEW YORK: New York state’s top prosecutor, a pub- said. “I therefore resign my office, effective at the close Philippines in the aftermath of the 1990 Iraqi brutal lic defender of the #MeToo movement and antagonist of business on May 8.” invasion of Kuwait. He highly appreciated Philippines’ of Donald Trump, has become the latest public figure to Two of the women spoke to The New Yorker on the resign over allegations of sexual misconduct. Eric record, alleging that Schneiderman repeatedly hit them, support of just causes. Schneiderman, a 63-year-old progressive Democrat often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with Jabri noted that it is integral to the ministry’s policy serving a second elected term as state attorney general, their consent. Both say they sought medical attention to build bridges of communication between the rele- resigned late Monday hours after being accused of after having been slapped hard across the ear and face, vant state bodies and expats in Kuwait. This is obvious physically assaulting four women. It was a swift fall and also choked, the magazine said. The article was co- in the allocation of hours for Tagalog programs on from power for the chief law enforcement official in the written by Ronan Farrow, who last month shared Radio Kuwait.