SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 SHAWWAL 15, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwait Clashes as 23 Egyptian Epic Lions, proceeds with Kashmir soldiers killed All Blacks privatization marks key in deadliest Sinai series ends in program3 anniversary6 attack in7 years sensational13 draw UK urges Arab states Min 30º Max 43º to end Qatar boycott High Tide 00:57 & 11:14 Low Tide Johnson welcomes Kuwaiti mediation in Gulf crisis 05:48 & 19:44 32 PAGES NO: 17274 150 FILS KUWAIT: British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson yesterday urged Arab states to end their Qatar boycott, downplaying 122 nations adopt the odds of a military escalation in the worst crisis to grip the Gulf in years. Johnson met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah yesterday and was sched- treaty banning uled to visit Qatar later in the day. “What people need to see is de-escalation and progress towards tackling the funding of terrorism in the region, and progress toward an end to this nuclear weapons blockade,” Johnson said, voicing support for Kuwait as a medi- ator in the crisis. Johnson, who also held talks in Saudi Arabia on Friday, said UNITED NATIONS: A global treaty ban- vote that capped three weeks of negotia- it was “highly unlikely” that the current standoff would ning nuclear weapons was adopted at tions on the text providing for a total ban descend into military conflict. “Everybody I have talked to said the United Nations on Friday despite on developing, stockpiling or threaten- the opposite. No possibility of a military confrontation,” he opposition from nuclear powers Britain, ing to use nuclear weapons. Within hours said. “The blockade is unwelcome and we hope there will be a France and the United States which said of its adoption, the United States, Britain de-escalation,” he added. it disregards the reality of dealing with and France rejected the treaty and said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain international security threats such as they have no intention of joining it. last month announced the severing of all diplomatic ties with North Korea. The treaty was adopted by “This initiative clearly disregards the Qatar over allegations the emirate bankrolled Islamist extrem- a vote of 122 in favor with one country - realities of the international security ists and had close ties to Saudi’s archrival Iran. On June 22, NATO member The Netherlands - voting environment,” said the UN ambassadors they issued a 13-point list of demands, including downgrad- against, while Singapore abstained. from the three countries. “This treaty ing ties with Iran and shutting down broadcaster Al-Jazeera, None of the nine countries that possess offers no solution to the grave threat as a prerequisite to lift the sanctions, which include the clo- nuclear weapons - the United States, posed by North Korea’s nuclear program, sure of Qatar’s only land border and suspension of all flights to Russia, Britain, China, France, India, nor does it address other security chal- and from the country. Doha has refused to comply with the Pakistan, North Korea and Israel - took lenges that make nuclear deterrence demands and denies accusations of ties to Islamist groups. part in the negotiations or the vote. necessary,” they said in a joint statement. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts to resolve the Even Japan - the only country to have North Korea marked a worrying mile- crisis that is threatening the existence of the 36-year-old Gulf suffered atomic attacks, in 1945 - boy- stone in its drive to develop nuclear Cooperation Council. Kuwaiti officials have held talks with the cotted the talks as did most NATO coun- weapons when it tested its first intercon- foreign ministers of Germany and fellow Gulf Cooperation tries. Loud applause and cheers broke tinental ballistic missile this week. Council member Oman, which has not joined the Qatar boy- KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah meets his out in a UN conference hall following the Continued on Page 11 cott. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is scheduled to arrive British counterpart Boris Johnson yesterday. — AFP in Kuwait tomorrow for talks on the Gulf crisis. — AFP Trump vs the rest at violent G20 US leader wins climate, trade concessions HAMBURG: World leaders made conces- main driver of global warming. The decla- sions on trade and climate language to ration also stated for the first time the Donald Trump yesterday at the end of the right of countries to protect their markets Trump, Putin in most fractious and riot-hit G20 summit with “legitimate trade defense instru- ever, in exchange for preserving a fragile ments” - wording that essentially gives unity of the club of major industrialized Trump wiggle room to push on with his ‘robust’ first and emerging economies. In a departure “America First” policy. from final summit declarations that tend Trump, carried to the White House on a meeting at G20 to outline consensus on issues that range wave of public fury over deindustrializa- from fighting terrorism to financial gover- tion in vast areas of the United States, had HAMBURG: US President Donald Trump and nance, the extraordinary conclusions this launched “Buy American” and “Hire Russian leader Vladimir Putin engaged in a “very year spelled out differences on core issues. American” campaigns. The nationalistic robust exchange” over claims Moscow meddled in It acknowledged Trump’s decision to go stance has set him on collision course with America’s elections, during their first face-to-face his own way on taking the United States many of America’s allies, who warned talks Friday at the G20 summit. From the outset of out of the 2015 Paris climate accord and Trump against an isolationist path and the blockbuster encounter, the US property tycoon Members of Syrian pro-government forces take selfies by Lake Assad, the enor- clearly stated Washington’s wish to contin- starting a round of trade war. fired the key question that has weighed on his pres- mous reservoir created by the Tabqa dam, at a water pumping station which they ue using and selling fossil fuels that are a Continued on Page 11 idency, pressing the ex-KGB agent “on more than captured near the village of Dibsi Faraj, at the entrance of Raqqa province and one occasion” on the vote interference claims, said adjacent to areas taken by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) yesterday. — AFP Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was in the meeting. Syria truce to allay Israel, But Tillerson’s counterpart Sergei Lavrov quickly added that Trump “accepted” Putin’s denial of Moscow’s role in propelling him to the White House, Jordan fears about Iran after hearing the Russian out. Over the course of AMMAN: A separate truce for southern by the West, in the southern Daraa two hours and 15 minutes of talks that covered not Syria, brokered by the US and Russia, is province, and from Islamic State extrem- only the damaging claims but also a slew of global meant to help allay growing concerns by ists in the southeast, near the triangle with crises including the Syrian war, the two leaders neighboring Jordan and Israel about Iraq. But Syria’s neighbors suspect that Iran clearly engaged, said Tillerson. Iranian military ambitions in the area, is pursuing a broader agenda, including “Let me characterize: The meeting was very con- including fears that Tehran plans to set up carving out a land route through Syria that structive, the two leaders I would say, connected a disruptive long-term presence there. would create a territorial continuum from very quickly,” said Tillerson, adding “there was a very Such apprehensions were stoked by Iran and Iraq to Lebanon. clear positive chemistry between the two”. “There recent movements of Shiite militias - loyal The ceasefire for southern Syria, set to are so many issues on the table... Just about every- to Iran and fighting alongside Syrian gov- start at noon today, is meant to keep all thing got touched upon... Neither one of them ernment forces - toward Jordan’s border forces pinned to their current positions, wanted to stop,” he said. “I believe they even sent in with Syria, and to another strategic area in said Jordan’s government which partici- the (US) First Lady at one point to see if she could the southeast, close to where the two pated in the talks. This would prevent get us out of there, but that didn’t work either... We countries meet Iraq. further advances by forces under Iran’s did another hour. Clearly she failed!” HAMBURG: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake The advances are part of Syrian command, including Lebanon’s Continued on Page 11 hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Friday. — AFP (See Page 8) President Bashar Al-Assad’s push to regain Hezbollah militia. territory from rebel groups, some backed Continued on Page 11 UNESCO puts Hebron on endangered list WARSAW: UNESCO on Friday declared the Old The vote drew a sharp denunciation from with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an City of Hebron a Palestinian world heritage site Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “alarming” number of violations, including van- in danger, sparking outrage from Israel which who described it as “another delusional deci- dalism and damage to property. The said the decision denied a Jewish claim to an sion by UNESCO”, while the United States Palestinian foreign ministry hailed Friday’s deci- ancient burial cave that is also sacred to announced it would review its ties with the sion a “success” for its diplomatic efforts that Muslims. The Tomb of the Patriarchs, known to agency.