SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016 JAMADA ALAWWAL 27, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Building Kuwait’s Trump reverses China aims to 4-goal Ronaldo future, one position on maintain growth silences Madrid small enterprise torture, targeting pace, fend off critics in at a time5 civilians10 unemployment21 Celta19 rout Morning OPD visits only for Min 14º Kuwaitis at Amiri Hospital Max 27º High Tide 10:48 & 21:20 400,000 diabetics in Kuwait, $2,000 spent on each of them Low Tide 04:12 & 15:38 40 PAGES NO: 16805 150 FILS By Meshaal Al-Enezi and Agencies Skies light up as Kuwait celebrates KUWAIT: Capital health zone director Dr Afrah Al-Sarraf announced commencing allocation of morning OPD visits at Amiri Hospital exclusively for citizens and receiv- ing expats only in the afternoons. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ‘Athletes’ Nutrition’ week, held under the auspices of Capital Governor Lt Gen Thabet Al-Muhanna, Sarraf said that fol- lowing the success of this segregation poli- cy at Rawda polyclinic, more Capital poly- clinics would follow suit. Notably, the OPD segregation policy was first implemented two years ago at Jahra Hospital, where OPDs only receive citizens in the mornings, when all special- ists and consultants are in office, and receive expat patients and citizens who wish to do so during the afternoons. Separately, internal medicine and dia- betes consultant at the Amiri Hospital Dr Abdul Nabi Al-Attar said that recent statis- tics showed that the number of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti diabetics amounted to about 400,000, and treatment of each of them costs about $2,000 per year. Attar said in a statement yesterday during the 7th awareness campaign for the preven- tion of diabetes organized by the hospital under the auspices of Minister of Health Dr Ali Al-Obaidi at the Avenues Mall that all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are on the list of the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of the disease. He urged citizens and residents to visit the KUWAIT: A colorful Kuwait Towers is back-dropped by a fireworks display yesterday as Kuwait celebrates its 55th National Day, 25th Liberation Day and 10th anniversary of awareness campaign for testing glucose, HH the Amir’s ascension to power. — KUNA (More pics on Page 3) blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol and carrying out a retina exam. No deal yet on new power tariffs Panel, govt to meet Amir over subsidies By B Izzak meeting that the proposed government reforms aim at convincing people to cut Sudan oppn KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s finan- consumption rather than boosting rev- cial and economic affairs committee and enues and hurting Kuwaiti citizens. the government failed to reach an agree- He said the aim of the meeting was to leader Turabi ment yesterday on new charges for elec- bridge the gap between the government tricity and water as MPs insisted the pro- and MPs on all the proposed consump- dies aged 84 posed government charges would impact tion categories based on the type of resi- Kuwaiti citizens. Minister of Electricity and dences. KHARTOUM: Veteran Sudan Islamist opposition Water Ahmad Al-Jassar said after the Continued on Page 13 leader Hassan Al-Turabi, one of the fiercest critics of President Omar Al-Bashir’s government, died of a heart attack yesterday aged 84, state television said. “The Islamist intellectual Hassan Al-Turabi has died,” the state broadcaster said. It interrupted its regular programming and JOAO PESSOA, Brazil: In this Feb 25, 2016 file photo, Caio Julio Vasconcelos, who broadcast Islamic verses was born with microcephaly, undergoes physical therapy at the Institute for the from the Holy Quran that are Blind. — AP recited for the dead. A med- ical source earlier told AFP that Turabi was taken to the Link seen between Zika intensive care unit of Khartoum’s Royal Care hospi- and fetal brain damage tal “after suffering a heart attack in the morning and PARIS: Scientists on Friday said they had brain defects caused by microcephaly. The died” there. found the first evidence of a biological link other two types of cells were stem cells and Hassan Al-Turabi In the evening, an ambu- between the Zika virus sweeping Latin neurons. As predicted, Zika virus attacked lance carrying his body left the hospital for the America and microcephaly, a severe defor- the human neural progenitor cells. Within Turabi family home in the city, an AFP correspon- mation of the brain among newborns. three days of exposure, 90 percent were dent said. A key figure in Bashir’s regime for a Laboratory tests found that the virus tar- infected, and nearly a third had died. decade after his 1989 coup, Turabi later became geted key cells involved in brain develop- Infected cells, meanwhile, had been one of its fiercest critics and led the opposition in ment and then destroyed or disabled hijacked to turn out new copies of the urging a Tunisia-style uprising. KUWAIT: Members of the National Assembly’s financial and economic them, they said. The findings are the first virus. Continued on Page 13 affairs committee, the speaker and ministers are seen during a meeting concrete evidence of a link between the Furthermore, the genes needed to fight yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat mosquito-borne virus and microcephaly, viruses failed to activate, which was a high- which until now had been circumstantial, ly unusual outcome. By comparison, the said Guo-li Ming, a professor of neurology other two types of human cells were rela- at The Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell tively unharmed. “Our results clearly Moody’s cuts Kuwait outlook Engineering, and a co-leader of the demonstrate that Zika can directly infect research. hNPCs in vitro with high efficiency,” the DUBAI: Moody’s Investors Service has cut its “But potential calls on these funds are grow- their huge financial reserves relative to small “Studies of fetuses and babies with the study concluded. “It is very telling that the outlook for the debt ratings of Kuwait and ing - emanating from the need to finance populations. It acknowledged that the UAE telltale small brains and heads of micro- cells that form the cortex are potentially three other Gulf states while lowering future current account and budget deficits, planned tax reforms and that its economy cephaly in Zika-affected areas have found susceptible to the virus,” Ming added. Bahrain’s rating to junk, citing concern over and from use in small-scale currency inter- was more diversified than most in the region, abnormalities in the cortex, and Zika virus The findings, published in the journal the impact of low oil prices on their finances. ventions to defend the currency peg amid ris- but added: “The structural shock to the oil has been found in the foetal tissue,” he said Cell Stem Cell, may help to identify drugs Saudi Arabia’s Aa3 rating was placed on market is weakening the UAE’s government in a statement. Scientist exposed three that protect these vulnerable cells or review for a possible downgrade, Moody’s balance sheet and its economy, and therefore types of human cells in a lab dish to the reduce infections after they occur. “Now said late on Friday, adding that it would study SEE PAGE 21 its credit profile.” Zika virus, a method called in-vitro experi- that we know cortical neural progenitor whether Riyadh’s efforts to expand its non-oil Moody’s cut Bahrain’s rating by one notch ment. The first - known as human neural cells are the vulnerable cells, they can likely revenues and diversify its economy were like- to Ba1, below investment grade. It kept the progenitor cells (hNPCs) - is crucial for the also be used to quickly screen potential ly to work. ing speculation.” Moody’s also put Kuwait, rating on review for a further downgrade; development of the cortex, or outer layer, new therapies,” said co-author Hongjun “At around $650 billion (or roughly 95 per- United Arab Emirates and Qatar on review for Bahrain has much smaller reserves of money of fetal brains. Damage to these cells, Song, also from the Institute for Cell cent of forecast 2016 gross domestic prod- downgrades - countries which are widely and oil than its wealthy neighbors. Central to which eventually differentiate into mature Engineering, based in Baltimore, Maryland. uct) at the end of September 2015, the coun- seen in the debt markets as more able to the agency’s analysis was its view of oil neurons, would be consistent with the Continued on Page 13 try’s foreign currency assets are large,” it said. cope with an era of low oil prices because of prices. — Agencies LOCAL SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016 ITS organizes Smart Kuwait conference OIC’s Palestine summit begins in Jakarta today under the motto ‘Life Promoting Cities’ JAKARTA: The Organization of Islamic In cooperation with NoufEXPO Cooperation’s (OIC) Fifth Extraordinary Summit on Palestine and Al-Quds Al- KUWAIT: The International Turnkey Systems Sharif will begin in the Indonesian capi- Group (ITS) will be organizing, in cooperation tal Jakarta today with the participation with NoufEXPO, the Smart Kuwait conference of various world leaders. Representative on March 8, 2016 in Aljahra Hall at JW Marriott of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Kuwait. The Conference will be under the Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al- who will be represented by the Minister of Sabah will partake in the conference.