S Korean Court Throws President out of Office
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SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017 JAMADA ALTHANI 13, 1438 AH No: 17164 27 planes hit Resistance Russia’s Mutko Kuwait sky with weakening as ‘barred from aerobatic3 shows Iraq battles8 IS FIFA48 post’ S Korean court throws president out of office Min 14º 150 Fils Ruling triggers snap election to elect new leader Max 30º SEOUL: South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed President Park Geun-hye from office yesterday over a graft scandal involving the country’s conglomerates at a time of rising tensions with North Korea and China. The ruling sparked protests from hundreds of her supporters, two of whom were killed in clashes with police outside the court, and a festive rally by those who had demanded her ouster who celebrated justice being served. “We did it. We the citizens, the sovereign of this country, opened a new chapter in history,” Lee Tae-ho, who leads a movement to oust Park that has held mostly peaceful rallies in downtown involving mil- lions, told a large gathering in Seoul. Park becomes South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office, capping months of paralysis and turmoil over the cor- ruption scandal that also landed the head of the Samsung conglomerate in detention and on trial. A snap presidential election will be held within 60 days. She did not appear in court and a spokesman said she would not be making any com- ment. Nor would she leave the presi- dential Blue House residence yester- The ousted South Korean day. “Park is not leaving the Blue President Park Geun-hye House today,” Blue House spokesman Kim Dong Jo told Reuters. Park was stripped of her powers after parliament voted to RIYADH: Saudis attend a music concert by Rashed Al-Majed (inset) in Riyadh on impeach her but has remained in the president’s official compound. Thursday night. — AFP The court’s acting chief judge, Lee Jung-mi, said Park had violated the constitution and law “throughout her term”, and despite the objections of parliament and the media, she had concealed the truth Slowly but surely, music and cracked down on critics. Park has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. The ruling to uphold parliament’s Dec. 9 vote to impeach her marks a dramatic fall from grace of South Korea’s first woman president and daughter of coming back to Saudi Cold War military dictator Park Chung-hee. — Reuters (See Page 7) RIYADH: Legendary Arab singer Rashed Al-Majed gave his before the energy peaked, pushing the singer to his three encores. fans three encores in the Saudi capital on Thursday night. They swayed in time to the music. Some even stood up to dance. Terror suspect killed in Why not? They had waited about three decades for such a After more than 90 minutes, it was time to do it all again show. Majed opened for Mohammed Abdu as part of what when Abdu took the stage at around midnight. Less pop- Saudi police shootout one music lover called a “paradigm shift” in the conservative influenced than Majed, the elder man sings patriotic and tra- DUBAI: A wanted man has been killed in Saudi Arabia’s oil-pro- Islamic kingdom, which has cautiously begun introducing ditionally romantic songs. “I have feelings of happiness and ducing Eastern province after an exchange of gunfire while entertainment despite opposition from Muslim hardliners. joy and pleasure,” he told reporters before ending his long police were searching a neighborhood where he was hiding, Both singers have Saudi roots and are popular throughout absence from a Riyadh stage. Abdu gained fame long before state news agency SPA reported yesterday. the Arab world but fans said Abdu had not sung in the Saudi Abdulaziz al-Shudayyid was born, but the 21-year-old student The man, Mustafa Ali Abdullah Al-Madad, was wanted by capital since 1988. Local media reported there had been no said the veteran artist “sings for my generation.” security forces for his involvement in “a number of terror crimes other concerts in Riyadh since the early 1990s, after which they “I know by heart all his songs,” Shudayyid said. Although against the citizens and security personnel”. He was killed in the were effectively banned although private musical events did conservatism still runs deep, there is pressure for change in a governorate of Qatif. SPA said Madad refused to comply with occur. “We missed them a lot,” Jamal Al-Onzi, a 31-year-old country where more than half of the population is younger security forces when asked to hand himself over, and opened bank worker, said of the singers. He was among the audience of than 25 and people are connected to the wider world through fire at the police. Police fired back, resulting in the man’s death. 2,000 — all men-who paid between 500 and 2,500 riyals ($133- the internet. They have a champion at the highest levels of The official SPA news agency reported that one officer was $667) for the performances at King Fahad Cultural Centre hall. power in Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, wounded and hospitalized after the exchange of fire. “We sold out in 30 minutes,” Habib Rahal, of the organizers who is pushing economic diversification and social reform of The Eastern Province city of Qatif has been the focal point Rotana Music, said. Dressed almost exclusively in traditional the oil-dependent kingdom. of unrest among Saudi Arabia’s protests in early 2011 calling white thobes and chequered headgear, the crowd was initial- One of the most visible aspects has been entertainment, for an end to discrimination against the minority sect and for ly sedate despite the infectious drum beats and melodious partly out of an economic motive to get Saudis spending at democratic reforms in the kingdom. At least nine police strings that accompanied Majed. home rather than elsewhere in the Gulf. The kingdom still have been shot dead since 2014 in and around Qatif, the In the shadows, one spectator mouthed the words and moved bans alcohol, public cinemas and theatres. It usually segre- scene of sporadic protests by residents who complain of his arms in time to the music. Another tapped his left hand on his gates unrelated men and women in restaurants and other marginalization. — Agencies thobe. There was lots of enthusiastic shouting and calls of “Rashed” public places. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017 Sea Heritage Festival patronized by Amir KUWAIT: Final ceremony of the sea heritage festival, patronized by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was held at the seaside fish- ermen’s diwaniah in the capital district, Al-Watiya, late on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, who was greeted upon arrival by the head of the sea heritage committee, Sheikh Salem Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Salem Nawaf addressed a statement welcoming the attendees, including Hawally Governor Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah and Al-Assima Governor Thabet Al-Muhanna. Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah is pictured with other top officials during the Final ceremony of the Sea Heritage Festival. He expressed deep gratitude to His Highness the Amir for patronizing the event, reflecting his keenness on pre- serving the heritage of the sea, from where the ances- tors had made their living. “We say from the bottom of our heart to Your Highness, thank you humanitarian leader,” he said. The activity included competitions among fishermen representing several diwaniahs. Sheikh Salem Nawaf also expressed gratitude to His Highness the Crown Prince KUWAIT: Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah “for his father- Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah attends the Final ceremony of the Sea ly sponsorships of this ever-living heritage.” The activity Heritage Festival. — KUNA photos concluded with awards’ distribution to winners of the competitions. — KUNA CBK heritage booth the Grand Avenues KUWAIT: Within its sixth ‘Yazein Torathna’ campaign, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait yesterday launched its two-day booth at the Grand Avenues mall to exhibit some aspects of Kuwait’s heritage and traditions. Commenting on the activity, CBK’s Deputy General Manager for publicity and PR Amani Al-Wer’a said that the campaign aims at educating current generations about the heritage of their ancestors and the lifestyles of Kuwaitis in the past. Al-Wer’a added that CBK teams would be present at the Grand Avenues today also, where CBK’s booth was built according to traditional construction designs similar to those included in CBK’s calendar. LOCAL SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017 27 planes hit Kuwait sky with aerobatic displays KUWAIT: Around 27 planes from all Gulf countries dis- played remarkable aerobatic shows over Kuwaitís sky yesterday as part of the Kuwait Frist Flying Gathering event, which kicked off earlier. The planes displayed beautiful rhythmic segments that were highlighted by each planeís distinctive color. The two-day eventís shows were held at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Airport. The event- considered as one of a kind in Kuwaitís his- tory, is under the auspices of the Minister of State for Youth Affairs. — KUNA Five Asians arrested for running liquor factory By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s security media and PR department yesterday announced yesterday that Mubarak Al-Kabeer detectives raided a home-made liquor fac- tory in Al-Qurain. They found 183 barrels full of liquor from the spot along with brewing gear. Five Asians running the place were arrested who were found without any identifica- tion documents with them.