SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2017 SHABAN 10, 1438 AH No: 17219 N Korea accuses China homemade Wizards hold off CIA of plot to passenger jet Celtics as Green assassinate14 Kim aces15 first flight fuels44 Warriors win Saudi step to relax male guardianship welcomed Min 26º 150 Fils Women can access govt services without male consent Max 36º BEIRUT: A move by Saudi Arabia to give women more control over their life choices by further relaxing a male guardian system was tentatively welcomed yesterday as another step for women in the conservative kingdom. Saudi Arabia is well known as one of the world’s most gender-segregated nations, where women live under the supervision of a male guardian, cannot drive, and in public must wear head-to-toe black garments. Women need approval from a man to travel, study and get some health treatments. However local media outlets reported this week that the king of Saudi Arabia has issued an order allowing women to benefit from government services such as education and healthcare without getting the consent of a male guardian. This means women could, in some circumstances, study and access hospital treatment, work in the public and private sector and represent themselves in court without consent of a male guardian, said Maha Akeel, a women’s rights campaigner and a director at Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation. “Now at least it opens the door for discussion on the guardian system,” Akeel told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Women are inde- pendent and can take care of themselves.” This comes as the latest in a series of moves in Saudi Arabia to include women more in the workforce as the kingdom moves to diversify its economy and cut reliance on oil. The system of WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, accompanied by GOP House members, speaks in the Rose Garden of the make guardianship, which requires women to obtain permission White House on Thursday after the House pushed through a healthcare bill. — AP (See Page 7) from a guardian - father, husband, or son - to travel, study or marry is an impediment to realizing women’s rights, say rights groups. “Male guardianship is un-Islamic and humiliating for Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, women,” said Akeel. “Some (men) take advantage of this male meet Gulf, Muslim leaders guardianship for their own benefit and abuse it.” — Reuters Shabaab militants WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Thursday “This historic summit is going to change the narrative in his first foreign trip as president will feature stops in Saudi the Islamic world and in the world,” he told reporters in Arabia, Israel and the Vatican, where he will meet with Pope Washington. Jubeir said Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia would kill US Navy SEAL Francis, an ambitious foray onto the world stage that will include a bilateral summit, a meeting with Arab Gulf leaders include meetings with NATO and a summit in Italy. Senior and another with leaders of Arab and Muslim countries. The in Somalia clash administration officials said Trump chose Saudi Arabia as his trip will inject Trump into the thorny quest for Middle East first stop to show his commitment to improving US relations peace, a prospect that has proven elusive for Trump’s pred- MOGADISHU: An American soldier was shot dead and two with the Muslim world. Trump will meet with Saudi Arabia’s ecessors. The announcement follows Trump’s meeting on others wounded in a night-time raid with Somali forces King Salman and other leaders where they are expected to against Shabaab militants in Somalia, the US military said yes- Wednesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and discuss efforts to defeat terrorism and discredit radical ide- terday. “On May 4, one US service member was killed during ologies, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity his optimistic pledge to mediate peace efforts between the an operation against Al-Shabaab near Barii, Somalia, approxi- to describe internal planning. Israelis and the Palestinians. mately 40 miles west of Mogadishu,” said a statement from Trump, joining religious leaders in the Rose Garden on Trump has sought to forge strong ties with Israel’s Prime the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), adding the US forces Thursday, said his first foreign trip would “begin with a truly Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of his presidency were “conducting an advise and assist mission alongside historic gathering in Saudi Arabia with leaders all across the in hopes of facilitating peace. The visit to Israel will reinforce members of the Somali National Army.” Muslim world”. “Saudi Arabia is the custodian of the two holi- that alliance, officials said. “Our task is not to dictate to oth- AFRICOM spokeswoman Robyn Mack told AFP that two US est sites in Islam and it is there that we will begin to construct ers how to live but to build a coalition of friends and part- soldiers were also wounded. “The service member was struck a new foundation of cooperation and support with our ners who share the goal of fighting terrorism and bringing by small arms fire while conducting an advise and assist mis- Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence safety, opportunity and stability to the war-ravaged Middle sion alongside members of the Somalia National Army. Two other US service members were wounded in the incident,” she and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young East,” Trump said. Muslims in their countries,” Trump said. said. Mack said the US casualty was the first US soldier killed The Palestinians want to create a state in the West Bank, “in combat action in Somalia” since 1993. In a statement, the The weeklong trip will mark the president’s first trip Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the abroad and come about six weeks after the US launched Shabaab said it had repelled the attack and claimed credit for 1967 Mideast war. Abbas noted that demand when he joined Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian air base in the aftermath killing the US soldier. Trump at the White House. But Netanyahu has rejected the of a chemical weapons attack in the war-ravaged country. A local resident, Moalim Muhidin, said two helicopters Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Trump’s visit 1967 frontier as a baseline for border talks and ruled out par- were involved in the raid, firing missiles before landing to would send a clear message that the US harbors no ill will titioning Jerusalem where Palestinians hope to establish a unload soldiers, after which a heavy firefight broke out. Abdirisak Farah, a Somali military officer, told AFP that US and toward Muslim countries, which he said was a misconception capital. Netanyahu’s government has expanded settlements Somali commandoes were involved in the overnight raid spread by Iran and extremists like the Islamic State group. despite US efforts to curb the construction. — Agencies which targeted a Shabaab unit. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2017 Kuwait participates in ‘Arab Cultural Days’ in Hungary VIENNA: Kuwait took part in the “Arab Cultural Days” in ence, arts, and humanitarian values, Kover said in his open- Budapest, Hungary for the second consecutive year along- ing speech. The Hungarian Speaker visited the Kuwaiti pavil- side 12 other Arab countries, Kuwaiti embassy in Hungary ion afterwards and met with Ambassador Hamad Burhama, said yesterday. The event was patronized by Speaker of the the embassy noted, adding that the Kuwaiti diplomat Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover and Marie informed Kover about the latest updates on the two coun- Antoinette Sedin, Dean of Arab Diplomatic Corps and tries relations. Palestinian Ambassador to Hungary, and was attended by Burhama also showed Kover around and the pavilion’s senior Hungarian officials, heads of diplomatic missions, and contents, of which the Hungarian Speaker expressed great a large crowd, the embassy said in a statement. The Kuwaiti admiration, particularly towards the various Kuwaiti tradi- Liquor dealer nabbed pavilion at the event displayed several items and collections tional handcrafts and weavings. Meanwhile, several activi- from the Kuwaiti heritage such as paintings, food, sweets, ties took place at the Arab Cultural Days, which is organized By Hanan Al-Saadoun traditional clothes and historic prints. by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Hungary, that con- It is important to hold such a cultural event regularly sisted of arts and crafts, folk music and dance, paintings and KUWAIT: A citizen was arrested for selling imported alco- each year due to its distinctive role in informing the sculpture, pottery making, traditional jewelry, and calligra- hol, said security sources. Case papers indicate that Hungarians about Arab history, art, music, and culture, in phy. There were also forums, symposiums, and lectures in detectives were tipped off concerning the suspect’s addition to highlighting the remarkable achievements of which both Arab and Hungarians discussed topics on Arab activity and he was later arrested. Bottles of alcohol were Arabs and Muslims throughout history in the fields of sci- history and culture. — KUNA found in his possession. GCC nationals arrested Two GCC nationals were arrested in Sulaibiya for setting garbage containers on fire and multiple robberies. Natural and unnatural causes trigger fish deaths: KISR study KUWAIT: A combination of natural and unnatural causes had tuated between 23.6 to 27.1 degrees, while salinity was at 43 triggered a recent rise in fish deaths, a Kuwait Institute for to 44 percent. Scientific Research (KISR) study found. In a statement issued to Meanwhile, the statement also pointed out that bacteria KUNA, KISR noted that around 1000,000 cubic meters of rancid are not one of the causes of the fish deaths and that the fish sewage has spilled into the bay of Kuwait, carrying with it high were in a state of sheer physical exhaustion, which ultimately concentrations of toxic pollutants.