SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 JAMADA ALAWWAL 4, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net US ambassador Hidden pain: Smoking Love-less visits shelter Physical abuse costs $1.4tn Cavaliers in Jleeb for against women in healthcare, fall to expat women3 in Kuwait5 labor28 loss Mavericks20 Sheikh Salman says sports Min 06º ban caused by conspiracy Max 17º High Tide 01:53 & 15:12 Defiant minister rejects charges in marathon grilling Low Tide 08:59 & 21:08 40 PAGES NO: 17128 150 FILS Iran refuses to By A Saleh KUWAIT: Information and Youth Minister Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah yesterday brushed aside accusa- confirm testing tions that he caused the international suspension of Kuwaiti sports, and insisted that the government did ballistic missile what was needed and more to prevent the suspension. TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign minister yesterday refused to con- He was speaking during a marathon 10-hour heated firm whether his country recently conducted a missile grilling, after which 10 opposition lawmakers filed a no- test, saying the Iranian missile program is not part of a confidence motion against him. 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The White House Sheikh Salman charged the 15-month ban was a said on Monday that it is studying the details of an result of a conspiracy hatched by some Kuwaitis who Iranian ballistic missile test. During a joint news confer- occupy senior positions in international organizations. ence with visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault He also defended personal attacks against him and yesterday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was stressed that he did not allow any concessions against asked if Iran had conducted a recent missile test. Kuwait’s sovereignty. He denied the allegations made “The missile issue is not part of the nuclear deal. As all against him and said that he decided to face the grilling signatories to the nuclear deal have announced, the mis- although some of its contents are against the Kuwaiti sile issue is not a part of” the deal, he said. Iran’s missiles, constitution. he added are, “not designed for the capability of carrying The minister reiterated the suspension of Kuwaiti a nuclear warhead ... Our ballistic missile was designed to sports was the result of complaints from inside Kuwait, carry a normal warhead in the field of legitimate adding that the problem began from within Kuwait. He defense.” said international sports organizations, where Kuwaitis A US defense official said Monday that the missile test occupy senior positions, were the ones that suspended ended with a “failed” re-entry into earth’s atmosphere. Kuwaiti sports bodies, while the ones without Kuwaiti The official had no other details, including the type of officials did not suspend Kuwaiti federations. missile. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said The MPs who signed the no-confidence motion are the US was looking into whether the ballistic missile test Khaled Al-Otaibi, Nayef Al-Merdas, Mubarak Al-Hajraf, violates a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolu- Marzouq Al-Khalifa, Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri, Mohammad tion. Zarif yesterday said he hopes the issue is not used Al-Mutair, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Abdulkarim Al-Kandari, Abdullah Fahhad and Thamer Al-Suwait. The voting on as, “an excuse for some political games by the new US KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Youth Sheikh Salman Hmoud Al-Sabah smiles during a session of administration. the motion will take place on Feb 8 and requires the the National Assembly yesterday, during which he faced down a grilling filed against him over the support of 25 MPs in the 50-member house to pass. Continued on Page 13 sports ban.— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 Music comes back to Saudi Arabia RIYADH: Concerts have long been an could not appear on stage at home. Abdu underground affair in Saudi Arabia, was backed by a 60-man Egyptian orches- Canada shooter where official adherence to the Wahhabi tra and appeared with two other popular school of Sunni Islam puts music in singers: Rabeh Sager, a Saudi, and Majid rented flat near murky legal territory. But for six hours on Al-Muhandis, an Iraqi who also holds Monday night, stretching into the wee Saudi citizenship. Quebec mosque hours of yesterday morning, some 8,000 Still, not all barriers had fallen. Security men sang along to epic love songs in the checkpoints around the venue blocked QUEBEC CITY: The French- Red Sea port city of Jeddah as the king- entry to the area for anyone without a tick- Canadian student accused dom held its first large-scale concert in et and women were barred from attend- of killing six people during nearly seven years. ing entirely. The concert came only two evening prayers in a It was a grand homecoming for Saudi days after a jazz performance sold out the Quebec City mosque had superstar Mohammed Abdu, popularly 3,300-seat King Fahd Cultural Centre in the rented an apartment near- known as the “Artist of the Arabs”, who has more puritanical capital Riyadh, which has by, neighbors said yester- performed to packed houses abroad for not held public concerts in some 25 years. day, a sign he may have over a decade - often mostly Saudis - but Continued on Page 13 been targeting the house of Bissonnette worship. Alexandre ADDIS ABABA: King of Morocco Mohammed VI delivers a speech in the main ple- Bissonnette, 27, was charged on Monday with six nary of the African Union yesterday. — AFP counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder with a restricted weapon after Sunday evening’s massacre at the Centre Culturel Morocco king hails ‘return Islamique de Quebec. Police said he acted alone. The mass shooting, which was rare for Canada home’ to AU after 33 years and which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a ADDIS ABABA: “I am finally home”, King dition for its own return to the AU, howev- “terrorist attack,” prompted an outpouring of sup- Mohammed VI said yesterday as the er the country agreed to return without port for the mosque and for the country’s 1 million- African Union readmitted Morocco after a conditions. “From the moment that strong Muslim community. Authorities in Quebec 33-year absence, deferring the issue of Morocco did not impose conditions ... we have called for a spirit of inclusivity and police have Western Sahara for another day. take their word for it and accept that tightened security at all religious institutions in the Morocco’s return came a day after 39 of Morocco be admitted to the African province. the AU’s 54 member states agreed to Union,” said Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Bissonnette, who said he was a fan of US allow it back in the fold, despite stiff resist- foreign minister of the SADR, which President Donald Trump and far-right French politi- ance from countries such as South Africa claims sovereignty over the entire territo- cian Marine Le Pen, had moved into an apartment in and Algeria over the status of the disput- ry of Western Sahara. Salek said Monday the beige block near the mosque in July and drove a ed former Spanish colony. that having Morocco in the same room Mitsubishi truck, said a neighbor, who asked not to JEDDAH: Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu performs during a concert on Monday. Faced with the AU’s decision, Western would allow the SADR to pressure them be named. Sahara officials appeared to accept the into fulfilling their obligations and hold a Continued on Page 13 The portraits show King Salman bin Abdulaziz (right) and Deputy Crown Prince new reality and cast it in a positive light, long sought referendum. Mohammed bin Salman. — AFP (See Page 40) saying AU membership might help speed King Mohammed did not raise the up efforts to end a protracted conflict. “It issue of Western Sahara in his speech, is a beautiful day when one returns home choosing instead to highlight how after too long an absence,” Mohammed VI Morocco as “one of the most developed Fired: Trump dumps attorney general told the closing ceremony of the AU sum- African nations”, could be a boon to the mit in Ethiopia. “Africa is my continent and continent. “We do not ignore the fact that WASHINGTON: An embattled Donald Trump not convinced that the defense of the execu- Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Several federal my home. I am finally home and I am hap- we do not have unanimity in this noble fired his government’s chief lawyer for refus- tive order is consistent with these responsibil- judges have since filed temporary stays py to see you. I missed you all.” assembly. We do not want to create divi- ing to defend his controversial immigration ities nor am I convinced that the executive against the decree’s implementation. On His speech came after a long day of sions as some have insinuated,” he said. orders late Monday, deepening a political cri- order is lawful,” she added. “For as long as I am Sunday, attorneys general from 16 US states, feverish speculation in the halls of the AU “My vision of South-South cooperation is sis engulfing his presidency. In a caustic state- the acting attorney general, the Department including California and New York, con- headquarters over whether he would clear and constant. Morocco...will be a ment, Trump’s White House said acting attor- of Justice will not present arguments in demned Trump’s directive as “unconstitution- indeed show up, and protocol confusion motor for common economic growth. It is ney general Sally Yates “betrayed” the defense of the executive order, unless and al” and vowed to fight it.