KAKAMMPI News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Denmark’s charge d’affaires to the Kingdom and handed her a protest note calling to stop these disgraceful acts, which violate all religious teachings, and international laws and norms. The ministry expressed through a statement the Kingdom’s absolute rejection of these acts that feed interreligious hatred. Saudi Arabia on Saturday expressed its “strong condemnation and dissatisfaction” with a failure to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of violations against Islamic sanctities. The ministry said an “extremist group in Denmark burned a copy of the Holy Qur’an, and raised slogans of hatred and racism against Islam and Muslims, in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the capital, Copenhagen.” The incidents have prompted Middle Eastern nations to summon their Swedish and Danish diplomats in protest.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned what it described as the “provocative act” of “extremist” Israeli minister in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and a group of settlers had earlier visited Al-Aqsa Mosque amid rising tensions between the Israeli army and Palestinians in the West Bank. In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the visit was a “flagrant violation” of international law and “provocation” to Muslims across the world. “The Kingdom holds the Israeli army accountable for the consequences of such repeated violations,” the foreign ministry said. It urged the international community to interfere in ending the Israeli army’s escalation and providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians. Jordan has also condemned the minister’s visit, warning that breaches on holy sites could lead to further escalation. In a statement, Jordan “warned of the serious consequences of allowing extrem...

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Jeddah on Thursday. During the meeting, Prince Mohammed and Sullivan reviewed the strategic relations between their countries and ways of enhancing them in various fields. They also discussed regional and international developments of common interest. The meeting was attended by several officials including the Kingdom’s ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar.

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN: As Sudan’s conflict heads toward its fifth month, a dire humanitarian crisis looms with thousands of people, many of them residents of the capital Khartoum, facing the prospect of death by starvation and malnutrition. The tragic passing of Khaled Senhouri, a well-known violinist, who recently succumbed to hunger in Omdurman, highlighted the predicament of civilians for whom lack of food and water can be just as deadly as bullets. With intermittent electricity, dwindling food supplies, and limited access to essential resources, Sudanese in Khartoum and other violence-torn towns and cities are locked in a desperate fight for survival. In a heart-wrenching online post shortly before his death, Senhouri described the reality of life under siege. Unable to leave home to procure food because of the fighting, his was a despair now shared by countless others. “Obtaining even meager supplies is a challenge, compounded by the constant threat of bullets and the scarcity of ...

PARIS: UN and EU monitors said Thursday that July is set to be the hottest month in recorded history and likely “unprecedented” for thousands of years, warning that this was a taste of the world’s climate future. Searing heat intensified by global warming has baked parts of Europe, Asia and North America this month, combining with wildfires that have scorched across Canada and parts of southern Europe. “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived,” UN chief Antonio Guterres told reporters in New York. Kuwait Meteorology Department said on Thursday the weather is forecast to be very hot during the weekend and relatively humid in coastal regions. Yasser Al-Bloushi, the Head of the Marine Forecast division at KMD, told KUNA the country remains gripped with the Indian seasonal depression, coupled with very hot winds, northwesterly winds and light to moderate southeasterly winds, with sporadic dust. Heat on Thursday was forecast at 47-49C maximum, dropping to...

SAPPORO - A Sapporo doctor and his daughter were arrested Monday on suspicion of beheading a man and carrying the severed head out of a hotel in the northern Japan city earlier this month, local police said. Police are trying to determine a motive, as well as the relationship between Osamu Tamura, 59, his daughter Runa, 29, and the victim, identified as 62-year-old Hitoshi Ura, who was found naked and headless in a hotel room bathroom on July 2. The police believe Runa and Ura were acquainted but have declined to say whether the two suspects have pleaded guilty to the allegations. Ura and another individual believed to be Runa checked into the hotel around 10:50 p.m. on July 1, with the other person leaving alone at about 2 a.m. the following day, according to the police. Osamu, a psychiatrist at a hospital in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is suspected to have dropped off and picked up the daughter at the hotel. The police believe that he did not enter the building. An autopsy...

KUWAIT: Kuwait put to death five people on Thursday, including a man convicted of involvement in a 2015 Islamic State group suicide bombing that killed 26 people, the public prosecution said. The multiple executions in the state are the first since seven people were put to death in November last year, ending a five-year moratorium. In a statement, the public prosecution said it oversaw the “implementation of the death sentence in Kuwait’s Central Prison” against five people, most of them convicted of murder. They included Abdulrahman Sabah Saud — the main convict in the 2015 bombing that struck a Shiite mosque in the capital during Friday prayers. It was the bloodiest attack in Kuwait’s history. Saud, a bedoon, was convicted of driving the bomber to the mosque and bringing the explosives belt he used from near the Saudi border. At his initial trial, Saud pleaded guilty to most charges but, in the appeals and supreme courts, he denied them all. The other men executed on Thursday inclu...

By Noor Abdulaziz The sponsorship system, also known as the ‘kafala’ system, has been around since the 1950s. It was initially created to control migration into Arab countries. The kafala system usually defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsors, making them their employers. Under this system, states typically give these employers enough funding permits to bring in said workers, which then binds them to their employers and allows them to be easily exploited. Across the countries, domestic workers have reported grim instances where employers have been withholding their pay, forcing them to work overtime with little-to-no breaks, failing to provide them proper living conditions, and sometimes having to endure verbal as well as physical abuse. In the last few years, Kuwait introduced a new contract that would protect and honor their basic human rights. The official contract reads workers should not work for more than 12 hours, followed by 5 hours of rest, ...

Filipino-American activists took to the streets across 10 U.S. cities as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address. FULL TEXT: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 2023 SONA In Los Angeles, over a hundred activists gathered in Koreatown and marched to the Philippine consulate, bringing with them a six-foot tall effigy of the President. Groups held what they called a "People's SONA" where they called for increased awareness on issues overseas Filipinos face. They also called for an end to the economic suffering of Filipinos. The activists said that the economic conditions at home continue to force many to migrate to other countries. This, they added, subject Filipinos abroad to poor working conditions, as well as anti-Asian hate crimes, just to provide for their families. "Up until now, the separation of families continues," said Diane Mediano of Migrante South Bay. "The answer to [the problem] of jobs i...

SINGAPORE — Singapore on Friday hanged a 45-year-old citizen for drug trafficking, the city-state's first execution of a woman in nearly 20 years, officials said. The execution was carried out despite appeals from rights groups, who argue capital punishment has no proven deterrent effect on crime. "The capital sentence of death imposed on Saridewi Binte Djamani was carried out on 28 July 2023," the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement. She was convicted of trafficking "not less than 30.72 grams" of heroin, more than twice the volume that merits the death penalty in Singapore. Djamani, who was sentenced in 2018, "was accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process," the bureau said. "She appealed against her conviction and sentence, and the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal on 6 October 2022," the bureau said, adding that her plea for presidential clemency was also rejected. ...

The settlement of the unpaid salaries of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who lost their jobs after several companies declared bankruptcy in Saudi Arabia is “just a matter of time”, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople said Tuesday. Ople made the remarks a day after the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. where he touted the processing of the unpaid claims amounting to around 2 billion riyals. “His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman committed his government's settlement of claims owed to Filipino construction workers dating back to 2015 to 2016," Ople said in a statement. "As far as the DMW is concerned, based on our talks with the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development the resolution of claims is just a matter of time,” she added. “We need to defer to and respect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's own internal processes in handling such claims,” Op...

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday said PhilHealth should provide better healthcare services for Filipinos. "We are working towards a more direct and efficient delivery of services, through integrated primary care providers and networks, in partnership with the LGUs and private sector. These shall of course be supported by what is now a better and more efficient PhilHealth," Marcos said in his second State of the Nation Address. The President said all Filipinos would soon be provided with healthcare services given that more than 93 percent of Filipinos are already members of the state insurer. "Palapit nang palapit na tayo sa hangarin na ang lahat ng Pilipino ay makakakuha ng serbisyong-pangkalusugan. Sa ngayon, mahigit 93 percent na ang kasapi sa PhilHealth," Marcos said. Marcos said that under the Konsulta Package of PhilHealth, at least 21 medicines and 13 laboratory services are being provided for patients for free. He added that ...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the Philippine government is engaging with the international community to create a safe working environment for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “We are engaging with our partners in the international community to ensure a safe working environment for our country,” Marcos said in his second State of the Nation Address. He said the government is also putting in place responsive mechanisms for the repatriation and reintegration of returning OFWs. According to Marcos, the deployment of OFWs increased by 62% in 2022. He said OFWs also contributed $32.5 billion or roughly P1.8 trillion to the country’s economy in the same year. “It is our wish that one day, foreign employment will be driven by choice, not by necessity. It remains a noble calling that our OFWs have answered, requiring great sacrifice from them, their families, and their communities,” the president said. Meanwhile, he said several countries have expressed interest in explori...

The Philippines jumped up four places higher in the latest Henley Passport Index, now ranking 74th most powerful passport in the world. Citing data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley Passport Index on the 3rd quarter of 2023 showed that the Philippines, along with Armenia and Cape Verde Islands, has visa-free access to 66 destinations.The Philippines was previously in 78th place with visa-free access to 67 countries, based on the Henley Passport Index in January 2023. The Singapore passport, meanwhile, is now the most powerful in the world, replacing Japan in the top spot for the first time in five years. Singaporean citizens are able to visit 192 out of 227 destinations around the world visa-free. Japan’s ranking dropped to 3rd spot, joining Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden that have access to 189 destinations without a prior visa. The United Kingdom improved two places higher after a six-year decline, now ranking 4th worldwi...

The Department of Migrant Workers has confirmed the case of Filipino who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. According to JP Soriano's report on "24 Oras," the victim's family is reportedly asking for "blood money" worth 30 million Saudi riyals. "We're talking to the DFA about this particular case," DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said. "Yes, we're aware of this case. We're talking,coordinating with DFA on this matter and we are reaching out to the family as well," he added. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs indicate that there are 83 Filipinos on death row abroad. Pardoned Meanwhile, four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were granted pardon after years of detention over incurred debts in Saudi Arabia have safely returned to the Philippines, the DMW said. Cacdac said that prior to their detention, the migrant workers were employed as a printing press technician, an airconditioner technician, a trailer drive...

Fr. Shay Cullen 22 July 2023 Hundreds of sexually abused and traumatized Filipino children have been rescued and saved by the social workers of the Preda Foundation working closely with the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd). As a result, dozens of sexually abused and trafficked children are referred to the Preda Victoria Children’s Home every year by the government social workers. Preda social workers welcome the many children and with international partners provide the children with all their personal needs, therapy, care, affirmation, healing, emotional empowerment and legal assistance to bring complaints against their abusers. The Preda home is in a beautiful location surrounded by forest in the Subic countryside. At present, at least 34 local government units refer children to the Preda Victoria Children's Home as they have no child care facilities of their own. They depend on Preda Foundation. Preda main...

The Philippines jumped up four places higher in the latest Henley Passport Index, now ranking 74th most powerful passport in the world. Citing data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley Passport Index on the 3rd quarter of 2023 showed that the Philippines, along with Armenia and Cape Verde Islands, has visa-free access to 66 destinations. The Philippines was previously in 78th place with visa-free access to 67 countries, based on the Henley Passport Index in January 2023. The Singapore passport, meanwhile, is now the most powerful in the world, replacing Japan in the top spot for the first time in five years. Singaporean citizens are able to visit 192 out of 227 destinations around the world visa-free. Japan’s ranking dropped to 3rd spot, joining Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden that have access to 189 destinations without a prior visa. The United Kingdom improved two places higher after a six-year decline, now ranking 4th wo...

Four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were granted pardon after years of detention over incurred debts in Saudi Arabia have safely returned to the Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday. DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said that prior to their detention, the migrant workers were employed as a printing press technician, an airconditioner technician, a trailer driver, and as a merchandiser in Saudi Arabia. They were jailed in a deportation facility for three to five years. “They incurred debts and very unfortunate na tumagal sila sa kulungan. Eventually, and that’s why were thankful to the Saudi government, nakita rin nila ‘yung panahon na kailangan na silang i-release,” Cacdac told reporters in a briefing. (They incurred debts and it is very unfortunate they were detained for that long. Eventually, and that’s why we're thankful to the Saudi government, they saw that they should be released.) The DMW had extended financial and reintegration assi...

MANILA, Philippines — “As far as the state is concerned, our engagement in any form with the ICC has come to an end with the rendition of judgment (3-2) by the ICC Appeals Chamber,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra told The STAR in a text message yesterday. “I called President Marcos up from Washington, D.C. I advised him about the full disengagement and he agreed,” Guevarra added. The Philippines’ appeal against the resumption of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s probe was the country’s last involvement with the court, according to Guevarra. Marcos broached the idea of disengaging from the ICC as early as March this year. He said the Philippine government would not cooperate with the ICC investigation due to “very serious questions” on the court’s jurisdiction, interference and “attacks on the sovereignty” of the Philippines. In its appeal, the Philippine government argued that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since it withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019. The ICC ...

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has revealed that a rider question in the most recent Pulse Asia survey shows that Filipinos are overwhelmingly in support of partnering with the US in order to confront territorial disputes with China over the West Philippine Sea. Respondents came out 75 percent in favor and 14 percent not in favor, to the question: “Are you in favor or not in favor of strengthening the military ties between the United States and the Philippines amid security tensions in the West Philippine Sea?” The rest of the respondents marked themselves as not having enough knowledge to form an opinion (two percent) or “can’t say” (eight percent). Amid criticisms regarding the participation of the US military in the West Philippine Sea, which has translated to training and regular flights within Philippine territory, this proves that a majority of Filipinos are in fact welcome to receiving support from the US military. “There’s a huge disparity,” said ...

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will assist the family of the Filipina household service worker who was found lifeless near a pier in Hong Kong. At a press conference on Wednesday, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said livelihood assistance and school support will be provided to the OFW’s family. Cacdac added that the migrant workers office is working closely with Hong Kong authorities in their investigation. The DMW will also help in the repatriation of the Filipina worker’s remains, according to Cacdac.

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos wants more focus on handling the country’s problems with China in the West Philippine Sea, which is why outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Andres Centino has been appointed as presidential adviser on WPS. “There was a need to bring focus on the matters in that part of the country. We have actually mechanisms as to how these issues should be addressed. We have the National Task Force on the WPS, but our leadership has deemed it important (that) we address the issues there in a bigger scale,” Centino told reporters in an interview yesterday. He said with geopolitical issues needing to be addressed more appropriately, Marcos has decided to create a new office and position, which will entail some reorganization. Centino, who will officially vacate his post today as AFP chief, said one of the goals is to address the problem of reported incursions and near collisions by Philippine and Chinese vessels in the WPS, which could...

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has warned overseas jobseekers against the illegal student visa scheme by recruitment agencies. “I think dumadami ngayon ang ganyan klase ng modus operandi. When I say modus, that’s the illegitimate form because there are also honest-to-goodness student visa arrangements,” DMW Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. The DMW has included immigration consultancy firms offering student visas in the crackdown on illegal recruitment. Cacdac said there are recruitment companies that are offering overseas jobs and require exorbitant processing fees, but only provide student visa instead of a working visa. “Deployment of workers abroad in the guise of student visa processing is considered an illegal recruitment,” he said. The government was able to shut down a number of immigration consultancy firms found engaging in such scheme, according to Cacdac. “The number one indicator is if you are applying for work and don’t have plans to stu...

LLORET DE MAR, Spain — There are no longer showers on the beach in Lloret de Mar which, like many popular tourist resorts in drought-hit Spain, is seeking ways to conserve its increasingly sparse water supplies. With Spain at the forefront of the climate crisis in Europe, its key tourism sector is facing growing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and become more sustainable. "It's a shame because it was nice to shower off," said Jonas Johanson, a 28-year-old tourist from Denmark as he took a stroll in the blazing sun along the popular northeastern resort's promenade. Rainfall in Spain has been very low for the past year, leaving reservoirs in Catalonia, where Lloret is located, at just 29 percent of their capacity. Since March, large swathes of this northeastern region of 7.7 million residents, including its capital Barcelona, have limited water usage for agriculture and industry to ensure that homes remained supplied. But not everyone has welcomed such m...

MANILA, Philippines — Health workers from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) staged a protest on Tuesday urging the current administration to increase medical employees’ salaries and opposing the government’s plan to abolish their hospital in the guise of forming the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). Members of the RITM Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers’ (AHW) protest was in response to the National Capital Region wage board’s approval of a wage hike amounting to P40, which according to the group, is far from its request for a P33,000 salary increase to both public and private health workers nationwide. Members of the alliance were likewise alarmed by the creation of the Philippine CDC, saying that this could also mean losing their jobs. “Right now, it is not just the infectious diseases that threaten us, nor low salaries and unpaid allowances and bonuses but the imminent abolition of our hospital and the effect of losing our...

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday only had two words to say about the continuation of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to continue the probe on the alleged human rights violations during her father, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. “No comment,” she said in a short statement to reporters. The ICC had earlier decided against the Philippines’ appeal to stop the probe. In 2021, the ICC Prosecutor had suspended its probe upon the request of the Philippine government. Duterte’s crackdown on drugs saw the deaths of thousands of people, with official numbers from authorities tallying to 6,248 in 2022. Human rights groups however, believe that the number reaches up to the tens of thousands. During an interview with reporters, Duterte also said “no comment” when asked about her father’s visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Duterte patriarch stirred controversy after it was revealed that he had spoken to the Chinese President, sh...

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday released its traffic management plan, including alternative routes, for the second State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 24. MMDA acting chair Don Artes said that 1,354 personnel would be assigned to manage vehicular and pedestrian traffic; assist in emergency response; conduct road and sidewalk clearing operations; assist in crowd control; traffic monitoring; and support the operations of the Task Force in ensuring a peaceful and orderly Sona. “Preparations are in full swing for us to ensure that traffic will be orderly along Commonwealth Avenue, IBP Road, and all other thoroughfares surrounding the House of Representatives. Sona-related activities as well as transport strikes will be monitored at the newly inaugurated MMDA Communications and Command Center,” he said in a statement. A “no day off, no absent” policy among MMDA personnel will also be enforced...

The League of Filipino Students vehemently denounces the signing of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Bill into law today, July 18. Amid the country's economic woes, the Marcos Jr. administration prioritized the passage of the MIF Bill under the pretense of investment for joint ventures, digitalization, real estate, and infrastructure projects. The MIF will take P500B initial worth of shares from public funds—10% of the national budget. According to Marcos Jr., the government has available and surplus budget to fund MIF. The Marcos Jr. administration desperately conceals the government's budget deficits to rationalize the true nature of MIF—corruption, cronyism, and the peak of bureaucrat capitalism. "Unang una, puro birthday parties at foreign trips ang inatupag mo sa unang taon mo. Pangalawa, lubog sa utang ang gobyerno mo. Pangatlo, binawasan mo ng pondo ang batayang karapatan ng mga mamamayan tulad ng edukasyon. Nasa'n ngayon ang sinasabi mong 'availabl...

Arresting Vladimir Putin would amount to a declaration of war on Russia, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in court papers released on Tuesday as the country wrangles over hosting the Russian leader. Putin has been invited to a BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month but is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant — a provision that Pretoria as an ICC member would be expected to implement were he to attend. South Africa's diplomatic dilemma is playing out in court, where the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government's hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held and handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country. But in a responding affidavit, Ramaphosa described the DA's application as "irresponsible" and said national security was at stake. "Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war," he said. "It would be i...

Saudi Arabia and Turkey are hoping to broker a deal to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing several anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Russia and Ukraine have refused to engage directly on the issue — over which the International Criminal Court indicted President Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner — because of its contentious nature. “It is not a question of exchange of prisoners of war, these are civilians, these are children,” said the Ukrainian children’s rights commissioner, Daria Herasymchuk. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who has previously mediated negotiations as Putin’s unofficial emissary to Ukraine, is also reportedly involved in the talks. Discussions have been ongoing for several months as Kyiv and Moscow are compiling lists of children held by Russia in the absence of centralized records, according to FT. “This is too sensitive, no one trusts anyone,...

KUWAIT/ROME: Temperatures reached new highs on Monday as heatwaves scorched parts of the Northern Hemisphere, triggering health warnings and fanning wildfires in the latest stark reminder of the effects of global warming. From North America to Europe and Asia, people gulped water and sought shelter from the sweltering heat, with the mercury expected to reach new highs in several places in the next few days. The maximum power consumption load in Kuwait reached 16,370 MW on Monday, the highest in the country’s history, breaking last year’s record of 16,180 MW as temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius. Informed sources said the ministry of electricity and water expects the load to continue rising in the coming days as the country is witnessing a rise in temperatures. The ministry also recorded a parallel increase in water usage, as consumption reached 501 million gallons out of a production rate of 508 million gallons. Near Athens, a forest fire flared in strong winds by the popular bea...

RIYADH: A Turkish firm will provide drones to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh said Tuesday following a visit by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that aims to attract foreign investment. Several contracts, including the drone deal with the privately-owned Baykar, were signed during a meeting between Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on Monday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of the drone manufacturer which is co-run by one of Erdogan’s sons-in-laws, in a tweet called the deal “the biggest defense and aviation export contract in the history of the Turkish Republic”. The value of the deal has not been made public. Erdogan, who in May elections won another five-year term, was in Saudi Arabia to kick off a Gulf tour seeking to drum up support for Turkey’s faltering economy. The Turkish leader is expected in neighboring Qatar later on Tuesday. After attending a Saudi-Turkish business forum in Jeddah on Monday, Erdog...

DOHA: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday to wrap up a Gulf tour centered on energy security and cooperation with Tokyo’s main suppliers. He was making the first visit to Doha by a Japanese premier in 10 years. Kishida arrived in Qatar from the United Arab Emirates after starting his tour in Saudi Arabia where he met the de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. During his tour, Kishida and Gulf leaders discussed “how to deal with energy challenges” in the face of unstable supply due to Russia’s Ukraine invasion, the prime minister told a Doha press conference. Japan relies almost entirely on imports for its crude oil, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar accounting for the bulk of its supplies. But as the oil-producing Gulf states move towards cleaner energy sources, Japan said it is hoping to offer its greener and renewable energy technologies to assist their decarbonisation efforts. “By combining respective strengths of Gulf states and J...

KUWAIT: A lawmaker on Tuesday called on the government to deport 1.8 million expats, some 55 percent of all foreigners in the country, in a bid to amend the population structure currently tilting heavily in favor of expats. “Stray (foreign) laborers have entered private homes … and the government is silent toward amending the population structure” MP Fares Al-Oteibi said during a special debate on the government’s four-year program. “We must deport 1.8 million of these laborers” the lawmaker called. Based on official figures, the number of expats remained almost unchanged at 3.3 million, about 69 percent of Kuwait’s total population of 4.8 million. The government has repeatedly pledged to take measures to cut the number of expats in Kuwait but the number has not dropped, but at the same time stopped to grow as it did in the past years. The government has been adopting a stricter policy towards issuing new visas for expats, restricting the issuance of dependent visas or visit visas. T...

NEW YORK CITY: An unusual find in China suggests that some early mammals may have hunted dinosaur for dinner. The fossil shows a badgerlike creature chomping down on a small, beaked dinosaur, their skeletons intertwined. The find comes from a site known as "China's Pompeii," where mud and debris from long-ago volcanoes buried creatures in their tracks. "It does seem like this is a prehistoric hunt, captured in stone, like a freeze frame," University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte, who was not involved with the study, said in an email. The fossil, described in the journal "Scientific Reports" on Tuesday, shows two creatures from around 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. Even though the mammal is much smaller, researchers think it was attacking the dinosaur when they both got caught in the volcanic flow, said study author Jordan Mallon, a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The mammal is perched on the dinos...