RABI ALAWWAL 12, 1439 AH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 Max 21º 32 Pages 150 Fils Established 1961 Min 14º

ISSUE NO: 17395 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net

Amir attends Sheikh Salem N Korea ‘breakthrough’ puts US Bubble or brave new world? 2 Al-Ali Informatics Award 8 within range of nuclear weapons 20 Bitcoin breaks $11,000 barrier NOTICE TO OUR READERS On the occasion of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) today, Friday Times will not be published tomorrow (Dec 1, 2017). The next issue of Kuwait Times will hit the news- stands on Sunday (Dec 3, 2017). GCC summit in Kuwait to go ahead despite row: Officials Ghanem invites govt to ‘special session’ over sports law

KUWAIT: An annual summit of Gulf Arab heads of The crisis, which began in June, revolves around alle- FIFA-approved sports law will be drafted. In a press sion. “The government will do everything possible to state will convene in Kuwait on Dec 5 and 6, Gulf offi- gations by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt conference yesterday, Ghanem cited time constraints as ensure that the new sports law is enacted,” the minister cials said yesterday, despite an ongoing dispute that Qatar supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies. the reason for the “immediate invitation”, revealing that told the press. between some members of the group. A rift between the Qatar says the four countries are trying to force Doha the new law should take effect no later than Sunday. Underlining the enormity of the issue, Minister of Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, to fall in line with their own foreign policy views. The “I have made it clear to the government that atten- Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan said the Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on one US-allied council was founded in 1980 as a bulwark dance in this session is compulsory given the urgent new sports law represents a significant step towards side, and Qatar on the other has put this year’s annual against bigger neighbors Iran and Iraq. Bahrain said last nature of the issue,” the chief lawmaker said. While rendering the FIFA suspension null and void. Once the meeting in doubt. A senior Kuwaiti official confirmed month it will not attend the summit if Qatar does not Ghanem refused to divulge further details, he commend- new sports law is drafted, Roudhan, who is also yesterday that the meeting would take place on Dec 5 change its policies and Qatar should have its member- ed the government’s “outstanding efforts” to ensure that Minister of State for Youth Affairs, maintained that and 6, but said the level of representation was not clear ship in the six-nation group suspended. the ban on Kuwaiti sports federations is ultimately lifted. “substantial work remains to be done to make sure that yet. Two Gulf diplomats also said Kuwait, which had led Separately, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- In separate remarks, Minister of Justice and Minister the sports ban on Kuwait is lifted,” saying that things unsuccessful mediation efforts between the two sides, Ghanem has invited lawmakers and the government to a of State for Cabinet Affairs Faleh Al-Azab confirmed are headed in the right direction after some “positive would try again to use the meeting to resolve the rift. special parliamentary session on Sunday in which a new the government’s attendance in Sunday’s special ses- feedback” from FIFA. — Agencies

Bosnian war NBC fires star criminal dies after anchor Lauer drinking poison in over sexual UN court drama

THE HAGUE: In shocking scenes, a Bosnian misconduct Croat war criminal took his own life yester- day in front of UN war crimes judges, appar- NEW YORK: NBC News fired popu- ently drinking poison just after they upheld lar “Today” show host Matt Lauer after his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed receiving what it called a detailed com- during the Balkans conflict. Slobodan Praljak, plaint from a colleague about inappro- 72, died in hospital, after drinking from a priate sexual behavior in the work- small brown glass bottle in full glare of the place, the network said yesterday. NBC cameras at the International Criminal Tribunal News chairman Andrew Lack said that, Matt Lauer for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). after serious review, the complaint As the judges handed down their very last received on Monday night represented just learned this moments ago just this verdict at the court, Praljak, a former military “a clear violation” of the company’s morning,” Guthrie said, visibly shaken. commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat standards. “As a result, we’ve decided “As I’m sure you can imagine we are statelet, shouted out angrily: “Praljak is not a to terminate his employment,” Lack devastated.” Lack’s statement did not criminal. I reject your verdict.” He then raised said in a statement. “While it is the first say who made the accusation. Lauer, a small brown bottle to his lips, and tipped it complaint about his behavior in the 59, is married. “We are deeply sad- into his mouth. “I just drank poison,” he said. over twenty years he’s been at NBC dened by this turn of events,” the state- “I am not a war criminal. I oppose this con- THE HAGUE: Video-grabs taken from live footage show Croatian former general Slobodan News, we were also presented with ment said. “But we will face it together viction.” The hearing was quickly suspended Praljak swallowing what is believed to be poison during his judgement at the UN war reason to believe this may not have as a news organization - and do it in as as Praljak’s lawyer shouted out: “My client crimes court yesterday. — AFP been an isolated incident.” transparent a manner as we can.” says he has taken poison.” Lauer’s agent Ken Lindner did not The New York Times quoted Ari Immediately after sentence was passed on Resuming the hearing a few hours later, presid- courtroom. Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej respond to a request for comment. The Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer with Praljak “he drank a liquid while in court and ing judge Carmel Agius revealed Dutch authori- Plenkovic slammed the “injustice” of the UN tri- news was announced by “Today” co- the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen & quickly fell ill”, court spokesman Nenad ties had already launched an investigation, bunal and expressed his condolences. “His act, anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Atkinson in Washington, who said he Golcevski told reporters. He could not confirm adding “courtroom one is now a crime scene”. which we all unfortunately witnessed today, Kotb at the start of the talk show, a sta- represented the woman who made the what was in the bottle. Efforts were made to Hearings at the ICTY are held amid tight secu- speaks mostly about the deep moral injustice ple of US morning television for more complaint to NBC but declined to give the former film director some medical rity, with all defendants and visitors undergoing towards six Croats from Bosnia and the than six decades that, NBC says, aver- publicly identify her. treatment and he was “transported to the hospi- strict searches. So it was not clear how Praljak Croatian people,” he told reporters. ages more than 4 million viewers. “We Continued on Page 11 tal where he passed,” Golcevski added. had managed to get the bottle of liquid into the Continued on Page 11

ists. While the global fight against terrorism is often Militants go to associated with drone strikes and torture, the philoso- Trump pilloried phy that underpins the center’s approach is that extrem- ism requires not coercion but an ideological cure. rehab at ‘5-star’ Overseen by clerics and psychologists, it works to for retweeting prevent convicts who have served their sentences from Saudi center returning to jihad, through what it calls religious coun- anti-Muslim videos seling and ideological detoxification. “Our focus is on RIYADH: With its indoor swimming pool, sun-splashed correcting their thoughts, their misconceptions, their WASHINGTON: US President drew patios and liveried staff, the Saudi complex has the trap- deviation from Islam,” Yahya Abu Maghayed, a director fierce condemnation yesterday after he retweeted pings of a five-star resort, but it is actually a rehab cen- at the center, said while giving AFP a golf cart tour of three anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head ter - for violent militants. Riyadh’s Mohammed bin the sprawling, palm tree-lined complex. of a British far-right group who has been convicted Nayef Counseling and Care Center, a cushy halfway The convicts are housed in a series of low-slung of a hate crime. Trump’s actions drew criticism from house between prison and freedom, spotlights a contro- buildings, outfitted with large-screen televisions and many quarters, including the British government at 10 Donald Trump Jayda Fransen versial Saudi strategy for tackling homegrown extrem- Continued on Page 11 Downing Street, which said Trump was “wrong” to promote the group’s “hateful narratives”. , which was formed in 2011 and is known for The White House scrambled to limit the fallout, say- picketing outside mosques, has run and lost in several ing even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, British and European parliament elections. Brendan Trump was pointing out a real problem. “The threat is Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a real, and that’s what the president is talking about,” rightwing extremist last year, said: “Trump has legit- said Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. One of the imized the far right in his own country, now he’s trying videos claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutch to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & boy on crutches. Another is described as showing an the president should be ashamed of himself.” Islamist mob pushing a teenager of a rooftop. The David Lammy, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, veracity of both is in doubt. The third allegedly depicts said: “The president of the United States is promoting a a Muslim throwing down and smashing a statue of the fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have Virgin Mary. been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of The footage was originally posted by Jayda Fransen, ours.” Stephen Doughty, another Labour MP, called the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, which videos “highly inflammatory” and his colleague Yvette hailed Trump for his support. “THE PRESIDENT OF Cooper said Trump had given Fransen a “huge platform”. THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the retweets were RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA “abhorrent, dangerous and a threat.” FRANSEN’S VIDEOS!” the group tweeted Fransen and Britain First leader were due in triumph. “DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS to appear in court yesterday for a pre-trial review on RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND charges of “threatening, abusive or insulting words or 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU behavior” over a speech she made in . Trump’s TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!” interventions in British politics and controversial foreign RIYADH: The swimming pool of the Mohammed bin Nayef Center for Counseling and Advice, a rehab center for Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crime policy have strained the so-called “special relationship”. militants, is seen on Oct 4, 2017. — AFP after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Continued on Page 11