SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 JAMADA ALTHANI 24, 1437 AH No: 16832 Yemen peace Google red-faced Messi, Ronaldo talks on track after April Fools’ and Co battle to be for April 218 prank goes7 wrong La47 Liga top dog Saudi-owned Arabiya TV shuts offices in Lebanon Min 13º 150 Fils Protesters raid Saudi-owned newspaper’s offices Max 27º BEIRUT: Beirut-based employees of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya channel said the station has decided to shut down its Lebanon operation amid tensions between Riyadh and Beirut. The chan- nels’ Beirut correspondent Adnan Ghamloush said the decision to shut down “for security reasons” was communicated to the staff yesterday through a lawyer, and effectively puts 27 employees out of work. He declined to give other details and the nature of the security threat remained unclear. Also yesterday, a group of activists briefly raided the Beirut office of a Saudi-owned newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat, protesting a cartoon published in its yesterday’s edition. The cartoon depict- ed the Lebanese state as an April Fool joke, printing the Lebanese flag with the words “April’s Fool” over it. The insulting cartoon provoked a storm over social media, with many, including politi- cians, demanding an apology. The Beirut offices of Al-Arabiya and its sister channel Al- Hadath, which offers extensive coverage of political news, have been closed and they no longer have any correspondents in Lebanon, a spokesman told AFP. In a statement, the Dubai-based channel said it has “restructured” its operations in Lebanon “due to the difficult circumstances and challenges on ground, and out of Al-Arabiya’s concern for the safety of its own employees and those employed by its providers”. It said it would nonetheless “continue to closely cover Lebanese affairs.” Lebanon’s Minister of Information Ramzi Greige dismissed the BEIRUT: A journalist of the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat daily looks at the damage yesterday after the newspaper’s offices suggestion of security concerns, however. “Of course there are no were stormed following the publication of a cartoon mocking Lebanon. (Inset) Lebanese cameramen and reporters of Al- security grounds for closing the Al-Arabiya office in Beirut. There Arabiya channel stand at the entrance of their office yesterday. — AFP/AP may be political reasons for taking this step, but I don’t know until I seek clarification from them,” Greige told Reuters. In the lobby of the Al-Arabiya offices in downtown Beirut, half ‘Madmen’ would gladly a dozen security guards stood watching as employees left the building for the last time. One security guard was changing the lock on the office door. After exiting the building, several employ- use nukes, Obama warns ees stood around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. One of them said they had learned of the decision to shut the Beirut offices only yesterday morning. — Agencies WASHINGTON: More coopera- al, they most certainly would use it tion is needed to prevent the to continue to kill as many inno- Islamic State group’s “madmen” cent people as possible.” and other extremists from getting The summit - attended by Man arrested a nuclear weapon, US President dozens of world leaders and dele- Barack Obama warned yesterday gates - is focused on securing over profane as global leaders met in global stockpiles of nuclear mate- Washington. The threat of terror- rials, much of it used in the med- ists of using nuclear material in a ical and power industries. Obama online videos “dirty bomb” - or even obtaining said about 2,000 tons of nuclear an atomic weapon - has loomed materials are stored around the KUWAIT: Local authorities arrested a man known for his large over the summit, punctuat- world at civilian and military facili- profanity-filled online videos as he flew into the country ed by revelations that IS members ties, some of them not properly from London. The Interior Ministry on Thursday night tracked a Belgian nuclear scientist secured. “Just the smallest announced the arrest of Salem Abdullah Ishtail Al-Doussari, on video. amount of plutonium - about the a Kuwaiti in his early 40s. “ISIL has already used chemical size of an apple - would kill and In a statement carried by the state-run Kuwait News weapons, including mustard gas, injure hundreds of thousands of Agency, the Interior Ministry accused Doussari of making in Syria and Iraq,” Obama said, innocent people,” he said. “It “vulgar remarks” against HH the Amir and regional leaders, using an acronym for the IS group. would be a humanitarian, political, as well as “slurs targeting a religious sect”. It wasn’t imme- WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama stands diately clear yesterday if Doussari had a lawyer. He had “There is no doubt that if these economic and environmental alongside Jordanian King Abdullah (left) and other madmen ever got their hands on catastrophe with global ramifica- come to the attention of Kuwaitis via Snapchat, a mobile- world leaders during the 2016 Nuclear Security messaging application. — Agencies a nuclear bomb or nuclear materi- tions for decades.” — AFP Summit yesterday. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 UN envoy encourages Yemeni parties to ‘engage constructively’ in Kuwait talks NEW YORK: UN Envoy to Yemen handover of heavy weapons to the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the encouraged parties taking part in the State, interim security arrangements, statement added. next round of peace talks held in Kuwait, the restoration of state institutions and Within this same context, Ould to seize the opportunity to provide a the resumption of inclusive political dia- Chiekh Ahmed welcomed the encourag- mechanism for a return to a peaceful logue, in addition to the creation of a ing steps taken recently between Saudi and orderly transition. special committee for prisoners and Arabia and Ansarallah, such as the The UN Special Envoy for Yemen detainees. release of prisoners and the relative Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a As the preparations are currently calming at the borders. “These initiatives statement yesterday that the talks aim underway for Yemeni-Yemeni peace reinforced the spirit of the confidence to reach a comprehensive agreement, talks, to be held under the auspices of building measures recommended at the which will end the war and allow the the United Nations in Kuwait starting previous round of talks and there is no resumption of inclusive political dia- April 18, the UN envoy said “I am looking doubt that they can provide an impor- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah logue in line with UN Security Council forward to the active participation of rel- tant drive to the political process,” he Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah resolution 2216 as well as other relevant evant parties in the talks.” said. resolutions. The talks he added, are to Ould Cheikh Ahmed noted that the The parties to the conflict have be based on the GCC Initiative and the are planning and preparing at full agreed to a nation-wide cessation of Amir offers outcomes of the National Dialogue speed, as the UN political experts have hostilities beginning at midnight on Conference. already been deployed to Sana’a and April 10. “With political will, good faith condolence over The Special Envoy encouraged the Riyadh in order to work with the delega- and balance, they could take this oppor- parties to engage constructively in the tions gearing up for the resumption of tunity to end the conflict and pave the Turkish blast victims talks, including on the areas of the with- talks. “Another team is on its way to way towards a permanent and durable drawal of militias and armed groups, the Kuwait to finalize the preparations with end of the war,” he added. —KUNA KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable of condolence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the victims of Thursday’s bombing that left scores of people dead or injured. Palestine lauds Kuwait’s Gaza In his cable, His Highness the Amir strongly condemned the horrible terrorist act that violates all religious and human val- ues, and that targeted innocent people and the country’s reconstruction efforts security and stability. His Highness the Amir also reiterated Kuwait’s firm position rejecting all forms and manifestations of terrorism, praying to Allah the Almighty to bless the victims’ souls with mercy and GAZA: The Palestinian National those injured a swift recovery. His Highness the Crown Prince Authority (PNA) has praised Kuwait’s Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness continued support to alleviate the suffer- the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al- ing of the Palestinian people, particularly Sabah sent the Turkish president similar cables. the reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- Strip. In the name of President Mahmoud Ghanem sent a cable of condolences to Turkish Parliament Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Speaker Ismail Kahraman over the bombing that occurred in Hamdallah, the PNA expresses most Diyarbakir earlier Thursday, which killed and wounded scores gratitude to His Highness the Amir, gov- of people, including policemen. Ghanem expressed full soli- ernment, and people of Kuwait for their darity with the Turkish people against all criminal attempts to generous grant to those affected by the destabilize security, and renewed calls for the boosting region- Israeli war on Gaza, Minister of Housing al and international efforts to combat terrorism. —KUNA and Public Works Mufeed Al-Hasaynah said in a press conference. Hasaynah also valued the efforts exerted by Marwan Al- Veteran astronomer Ghanem, Arab Regional Director in the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Ojairi alive and well Development (KFAED), in light of the grant agreement, worth $200 million, KUWAIT: Renowned Kuwaiti astronomer and meteorologist signed between KFAED and the PNA to Dr Saleh Al-Ojairi is alive and well despite rumors that stated support reconstruction efforts in Gaza, that he passed away, the adding that his government will allocate Kuwait Science Club (KSC) $75 million of the Kuwait grant for the confirmed yesterday.