Articles by Kuwait Times

Politics

Gaza killings, West Bank land grab as GHF ends mission | Kuwait Times Newspaper

GAZA: Zionist forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza near the line demarcating areas of Zionist control on Monday, underlining the struggle to broaden a fragile ceasefire deal approved over six weeks ago to global acclaim. Palestinian medics said Monday’s incidents involved a Zionist drone firing a missile at a group of people east of Khan Yunis, killing two and wounding another, and a tank shell killing a person on the eastern side of Gaza City. The Gaza health ministry said on Monday that at least 342 Palestinians had been killed by Zionist fire since the start of the truce. Last week, the United Nations Security Council gave formal backing to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which calls for an interim technocratic Palestinian government in Gaza, overseen by an international “board of peace” and backed by an international security force. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who helped the US develop the plan and who Trump has said may join the board of peace, met the Palestinian Authority’s deputy leader Hussein Al-Sheikh in the West Bank on Sunday. Sheikh said in a social media post they had discussed developments following the Security Council resolution and requirements for Palestinian self-determination. Meanwhile a Hamas delegation in Cairo, led by its exiled chief Khalil Al-Hayya, held talks with Egyptian officials on exploring the next phase of the ceasefire, according to Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza. Qassem acknowledged that the path to the second phase of the ceasefire was complex and said the Islamist group had told Egypt, a mediator in the conflict, that Zionist violations were undermining the agreement. Agreeing on the make-up and mandate of the international security force has been particularly challenging. Meanwhile, cultural watchdog Emek Shaveh denounced Monday a decision to expropriate nearly 500 acres of private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank near the ancient archaeological site of Sebastia. “Residents reported that the expropriation will severely restrict access to agricultural lands and could lead to the loss of roughly 3,000 olive trees, some of them centuries old,” the watchdog specializing in cultural heritage rights said in a statement. On Nov 12, the Zionist body that runs civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, COGAT, published a notice of intent for the expropriation of several plots, mostly belonging to the Palestinian village of Sebastia. The stated purpose of the expropriation is the “preservation and development of the site”. Sebastia is an archaeological site dating back to the Iron Age, which the Zionist entity began taking interest in in 2023, first with a plan for the site itself, and then the seizure of the top of the mound that constitutes the site, Emek Shaveh said. The site itself sits in Area C, the roughly 66 percent of the West Bank placed under Zionist administration after the Oslo Accords of the 1990s. The adjacent village of Sebastia had developed a tourism industry around the site, which will be threatened by the new development plans which include a separate Zionist road, a fence around the site, and an entry fee. Peace Now, another Zionist settlement watchdog, pointed out that the latest land seizure was the largest ever carried out for an archaeological purpose. It added that land expropriations for antiquities development have occurred five times since the Zionist entity occupied the West Bank in 1967. “In all cases, the expropriations were formally defined as serving a public purpose, but in practice, they led to the exclusion of Palestinians from the sites,” Peace Now said in a statement. It said the plan for Sebastia would be no different, mostly easing access for Israelis while cutting access for local Palestinians. Also, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US- and Zionist-backed private organization that provided aid for Palestinians in Gaza but was criticized by the UN, said on Monday it was ending its mission. “The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today announced the successful completion of its emergency mission in Gaza after delivering more than 187 million free meals directly to civilians living in Gaza,” the group said in a statement. GHF was tasked with managing aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip in May, effectively supplanting the UN after the Zionist entity placed tight restrictions on international aid agencies. Those agencies were highly critical of the GHF, which managed four distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, while the UN system it replaced had 400. In August, a UN-mandated expert panel alleged that under the GHF aid was “exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas” and United Nations special rapporteurs called for it to be disbanded. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Zionist fire while seeking aid from GHF distribution sites. The foundation said in its statement on Monday that it had been in talks with other international humanitarian organizations and with the Civil-Military Coordination Centre, a task force set up by the US and its allies in the Zionist entity to monitor the truce in Gaza. “It’s clear they will be adopting and expanding the model GHF piloted,” the group’s executive director John Acree said, according to the statement. The US State Department thanked GHF for its humanitarian work and its contribution to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza. In reaction to the announcement of GHF’s closure, a spokesman for Hamas said the organization should be held accountable for the harm it caused to Palestinians. “We call upon all international human rights organizations to ensure that it does not escape accountability after causing the death and injury of thousands of Gazans and covering up the starvation policy practiced by the (Zionist) government,” Qassem wrote on his Telegram channel. – Agencies

13 hours ago

World

Christians in Lebanon’s south pray papal visit brings peace | Kuwait Times Newspaper

RMEICH, Lebanon: After decades of conflict, residents of the Christian town of Rmeich in Lebanon’s war-battered south hope Pope Leo’s upcoming trip to their country will bring peace - and the strength to stay as the region’s Christian communities dwindle. Nestled on Lebanon’s southern border, Rmeich has been home to Catholics for more than 300 years. Today, the village is hemmed in by Zionist entity military posts to the south, while Zionist entity air strikes continue to pummel the surrounding villages. On a recent morning, hymns sung by around 30 congregants echoed against the stone walls of St George Church, a Maronite Catholic parish founded in 1740 that still serves Rmeich’s 6,000 residents. Rev Najib Amil said Leo’s visit to Lebanon, which has the region’s highest proportion of Christians, could encourage the Lebanon’s Catholics to remain in the country. “The first visit (Leo) decided to make as pope was to Lebanon. That’s proof he cares very much about Lebanon and especially the Christians here,” Amil told Reuters. Christianity has declined in its Middle Eastern birthplace from around 20 percent of the region’s population a century ago to about five percent today, and falling. Christians are still believed to make up roughly a third of Lebanon’s five million people, though there has been no official census for nearly a century due to religious and political sensitivities. Rmeich surprisingly emerged unscathed from the last two turbulent years in Lebanon. The Zionist entity’s bombardment of southern Lebanon left most Shi’ite towns there in South Lebanon in ruins and emptied of people. To spare Rmeich from the Zionist entity’s strikes, residents asked Hezbollah fighters not to launch missiles from the town, Amil said. While many in Rmeich fled to the capital, hundreds stayed on, fearing militants would occupy the town if they left. Leo’s three-day trip to Lebanon will skip the south. Despite a ceasefire agreement, the Zionist entity’s military still occupies hilltop posts in the south and bombs Lebanon parts of the country, claiming to target Hezbollah members or infrastructure. On Sunday it killed Hezbollah’s top military official in a strike on the outskirts of Beirut. There was no immediate response from the Vatican on whether that strike would prompt amendments to the papal visit. Lebanon’s presidency told Reuters no changes were planned as of Monday. “We hope the pope’s visit to Lebanon will be a message to put a limit to these wars,” said Rmeich Mayor Hanna Amil. He said around 200 Rmeich residents would attend Leo’s main Mass in Beirut. “We would have loved... him to visit us in the south too, especially as our Lord the Messiah passed through these lands – then the Pope would have walked the path of Jesus.” Jesus’s first miracle - turning water into wine at Cana of Galilee, according to St John’s Gospel - is thought to have taken place in the southern Lebanese town of Qana, where Zionist entity strikes in 1996 and 2006 killed dozens. Praying for patience Rmeich is struggling to restore normal life as the Zionist entity continues its attacks on Lebanon. Its schools once counted hundreds of students from nearby Muslim villages as pupils. But with those villages in ruins, few families have returned and Rmeich’s schools have seen tuition revenues shrink, Mayor Amil said. The Zionist entity’s military is also enforcing no-go zones on swathes of land where Rmeich residents own olive groves and tobacco fields, meaning farmers need permission from the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to go there. Three years of harvests have gone mostly unpicked. Further north in the town of Dardaghiya, 22 km (13 miles) from the border, Rev Elia Kamel winced as he surveyed the gutted ruins of the St George Melkite Catholic Church. On October 9, 2024, a Zionist entity warplane struck the adjacent parish hall, sending its concrete columns crashing into the church roof and spilling rubble across the aisles and up to the altar. The church has yet to be repaired due to a lack of funds. “Since the (hall) was hit... we haven’t had a single Mass in this church,” Kamel said. “This is our life. The Messiah tells us that you have to be patient and that always, after your patience, comes relief. But when?” — Agencies

13 hours ago

Health

Sudan’s exhausted doctors treat fellow El-Fasher survivors | Kuwait Times Newspaper

AL-DABBAH, Sudan: Health workers rushed from patient to patient in makeshift tents in Sudan, trying to help even though they too had barely escaped the fall of El-Fasher to paramilitary forces. “We’re not in good shape,” said Ikhlas Abdallah, a general practitioner who arrived from the western Darfur city now in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces, which have been battling the Sudanese army since April 2023. “But we have to be okay to provide care to those who need it,” she told AFP. She spoke from Al-Dabbah camp, located in army-held territory about 770 kilometers (480 miles) northeast of El-Fasher, which endured an 18-month siege before falling to the RSF last month. “Psychologically, what can we do? Like all those displaced from El-Fasher, our feelings are indescribable.” At the camp, which is funded by a Sudanese businessman, hundreds of families sleep in nylon tents or on plastic mats laid across the sand. In one patch of blue canvas shelters, some 60 doctors, nurses and pharmacists have assembled what passes for a clinic: a makeshift pharmacy, a rudimentary laboratory and tents used as short-stay wards. Plastic chairs serve as examination tables. Ambulances borrowed from the nearby town of Al-Dabbah function as mobile clinics. Men carry buckets of water for the communal kitchens and improvised latrines while women stir massive pots over open flames. They serve the traditional Sudanese dish assida to families for free. “We all come from the same place,” said Elham Mohamed, a pharmacist who also fled El-Fasher. “We understand them and they understand us,” she told AFP. ‘Death, captivity or ransom’ Every day, dozens of people arrive with respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, skin conditions and eye infections — ailments that spread quickly in crowded conditions with little clean water. “We are doing everything we can, but resources are scarce,” said Ahmed Al-Tegani, a volunteer doctor with the International Organization for Migration. Some patients “require specialized care” that is not available in the camp, he told AFP. Abdallah fled the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El-Fasher after the RSF overran the army’s last stronghold in Darfur on October 26. She said she arrived safely in Al-Dabbah “only because they (the RSF) did not know we were doctors”. To the paramilitary group, she said, identifying as medical personnel meant “death, captivity or ransom”. While escaping, she and her colleagues treated the wounded secretly, often without bandages. “If the RSF discovered someone had received medical care, they beat them again,” she said. Throughout the two-year conflict, both warring sides have repeatedly and deliberately targeted doctors and hospitals. The World Health Organization has documented 285 attacks on healthcare since the war began. They have killed at least 1,204 health workers and patients and wounded more than 400. ‘No one left to save’ Before fleeing, Abdallah spent weeks working around the clock in the maternity hospital. It was the last functioning medical facility in El-Fasher and suffered repeated attacks during the siege. In October alone, the WHO reported four attacks on the hospital. Abdallah remembers one night in October when a drone struck the building. “I went home early that evening,” she recalled, “and later I heard the sound of a drone. It fell on the hospital. “When we rushed there, there was no one left to save.” “Bodies were unrecognizable. People were torn into pieces,” she said. “It didn’t feel real. Horror like in the movies.” Two days after El-Fasher fell, an attack on the hospital killed 460 patients and staff, according to the WHO. The city remains cut off from communications, with the RSF controlling access to Starlink satellite services. For Abdallah, the journey to Al-Dabbah — which involved checkpoints, arbitrary killings and rampant looting and sexual violence — was “worse than inside El-Fasher”. Most people “were beaten” and “more people died on the road than” in the city itself. Sudan’s conflict has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 12 million, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises. On a recent visit to displacement camps in Sudan, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the country faced enormous needs and highlighted the need to develop a stronger health system. — AFP

13 hours ago

World

Trump touts ‘very good’ call with Xi | Kuwait Times Newspaper

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he held a “very good” phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday during which the leaders discussed the war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking and a deal for farmers. “We have done a good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers — and it will only get better. Our relationship with China is extremely strong!,” he said in a Truth Social post. Trump also said he had accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China in April and that Xi would visit the US later in the year. Earlier on Monday, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported that the two leaders spoke. The agency described Taiwan as being prominent during the call, but Trump’s statement did not refer to the issue. “Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday clarified China’s principled position on the Taiwan issue in a telephone call with his US counterpart, Donald Trump,” the agency said. “Xi stressed that Taiwan’s return to China is an important part of the post-war international order.” China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it, though the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. China is locked in its biggest diplomatic crisis for years with Japan, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. Xi and Trump met in South Korea on October 30 following months of trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariff policies. China has since resumed purchases of US soybeans and halted its expanded curbs on rare earths exports, while the US lowered tariffs on China by 10 percent. Xi said that China-US ties have stabilized and improved since their meeting. “The facts again show that cooperation benefits both sides while confrontation hurts both,” Reuters reported Xi as saying. He urged the two countries to maintain positive momentum and expand cooperation. The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, with Xi reiterating that China supports all efforts conducive to peace while calling on all parties to narrow their differences. — Agencies

13 hours ago

Technology

Suicide bombers kill 3 at Pakistan paramilitary HQ | Kuwait Times Newspaper

PESHAWAR: A suicide bombing killed three Pakistani paramilitary personnel on Monday at a security headquarters in Peshawar city, officials said, the latest deadly violence in the province bordering Afghanistan. Witness Bilal Ahmed, a hospital employee, said he was on his way to work when he heard a “large blast” from the border force facility, located on one of the city’s busiest routes and across the street from a shopping mall. Rescue workers made their way through the scene, which was peppered with shattered glass from a vehicle. One assailant detonated explosives at around 8:10 am (0310 GMT), just before rush hour, killing “three FC (Federal Constabulary) personnel deployed at the gate”, said Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed. Security forces shot dead two other suspected attackers, Saeed said. Four people were wounded in the attack, he added. Security personnel in high-visibility jackets cordoned off the road, while armed forces in camouflage began combing the area, AFP correspondents saw. “The attack has concluded, and a clearance operation is under way to determine whether any unexploded ordnance is present,” Zulfiqar Hameed, the police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told AFP. The province, whose capital is Peshawar, borders Afghanistan and has seen repeated bouts of militant violence which has intensified since the Taleban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Monday’s attack and said that “the perpetrators of this incident should be identified as soon as possible and brought to justice.” He also praised the “timely action” of security forces for averting greater loss of life. “We will thwart the evil designs of terrorists who attack Pakistan’s integrity,” said Sharif. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Border tensions Pakistan has blamed previous attacks on militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims operate from Afghan soil. Kabul denies the charge, saying Islamabad must address its own security failings. On November 11, a suicide bomber killed 12 people outside a court building in the capital Islamabad, an attack Pakistan said was planned from Afghanistan. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed that assault. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply deteriorated in recent months. Deadly cross-border clashes last month killed more than 70 people on both sides, in the South Asian neighbors’ worst fighting in years. The two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire but failed to finalize its terms after several rounds of talks, each blaming the other for the impasse. — AFP

13 hours ago

Politics

US, Ukraine seeking to narrow differences over peace framework | Kuwait Times Newspaper

KYIV/GENEVA: US and Ukrainian officials sought on Monday to narrow the gaps between them over a plan to end the war in Ukraine, after agreeing to modify a US proposal that Kyiv and its European allies saw as a Kremlin wish list. In a joint statement, Washington and Kyiv said they had drafted a “refined peace framework” after talks in Geneva on Sunday. Though there were no specifics, the dialogue received a cautious welcome from some of Ukraine’s allies. Ukraine’s delegation to the talks with US officials in Switzerland was returning home on Monday to report back, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. US President Donald Trump hinted at new progress. “Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Kyiv blindsided The US blindsided Kyiv and European countries with its 28-point peace plan last week, giving Ukraine until Thursday to agree to a framework to end Europe’s deadliest war since World War Two. The plan would require Kyiv to cede more territory, accept curbs on its military and bar it from ever joining NATO, conditions Kyiv has long rejected as tantamount to surrender. Ukraine’s European allies drew up a counter-proposal which, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters, would halt fighting at present front lines, leaving discussions of territory for later, and include a NATO-style US security guarantee for Ukraine. Moscow, which has described the initial reported US plan as a potential basis for a peace agreement, rejected the European version. “The European plan, at first glance... is completely unconstructive and does not work for us,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow. The sudden US push raises the pressure on Ukraine and Zelensky, who is now at his most vulnerable since the start of the war after a corruption scandal saw two of his ministers dismissed and as Russia makes battlefield gains. Zelensky could struggle to get Ukrainians to swallow a deal viewed as selling out their interests. “Trump’s special plan is, in general, a capitulation for Ukraine,” said Anzhelika Yurkevych, a 62-year-old civil servant in Kyiv. “I think the Ukrainian people will not agree. Even if they sign, it needs to be implemented, the Ukrainian people will be the ones to do it. And they do not agree with this.” After Sunday’s talks, no public statement was released on how the revised plan would handle contentious issues such as how to guarantee Ukraine’s security against future Russian threats, or how to fund the rebuilding of Ukraine. Zelensky said negotiations were ongoing. Search for compromises “We all continue working with partners, especially the United States, to look for compromises that will strengthen but not weaken us,” Zelensky said via video link from a separate meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Sweden. Trump, who returned to office this year pledging to quickly end the war, has reoriented US policy away from staunch support for Kyiv towards accepting some of Russia’s justifications for its 2022 invasion. Zelensky could travel to the United States as soon as this week to discuss the most sensitive aspects of the plan with Trump, according to sources familiar with the matter. Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv was hit by what officials said was a massive drone attack that killed four people on Sunday. With smoke rising from the rubble, one man was seen crouched and holding the hand of a dead body. “There was a family, there were children,” said Ihor Klymenko, Red Cross Commander of the emergency-response team in Kharkiv. “I can’t tell you how, but the children are alive, thank God, the man is alive. The woman died, unfortunately.” Across the border, Russian air defenses downed Ukrainian drones en route to Moscow, forcing three airports serving the capital to pause flights. A reported Ukrainian drone strike on Sunday knocked power out for thousands of residents near Moscow, a rare reversal of Russian attacks on energy targets that regularly cause power blackouts for millions of Ukrainians. Some EU leaders met to discuss Ukraine on the sidelines of an EU-African Union summit in Luanda on Monday, with others dialing in via video conference. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump had expressed an openness to a jointly developed peace plan. “And that is precisely what the representatives of Ukraine, the United States of America and the European member states achieved yesterday in Geneva,” Merz said in Luanda, describing the outcome of the talks as an “interim result”. “But we also know: Peace in Ukraine won’t happen overnight.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said more work needed to be done. “Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said any agreement must not weaken Ukraine or Europe. “This is a delicate matter because no one wants to discourage Americans and President Trump from having the United States on our side in this process.” — Reuters

13 hours ago

Business

Australia’s teen social media ban pushes influencers abroad | Kuwait Times Newspaper

SYDNEY: Australia is home for YouTube star Jordan Barclay, the place where he was born, went to school and built a company worth $50 million by age 23 that produces gaming content for 23 million subscribers. Now, with a world-first social media ban on Australian children younger than 16 set to take effect on December 10, he is thinking of leaving his Melbourne studio and moving abroad. “We’re going to move overseas because that’s where the money is going to be,” said Barclay, whose seven YouTube channels include EYstreem, Chip and Milo, and Firelight. “We can’t afford to keep doing business if advertisers leave Australia.” Nine participants interviewed by Reuters in Australia’s social media industry, estimated to generate annual revenue of A$9 billion ($5.82 billion), did not put a dollar figure on the ban’s impact but agreed it could lead to a drop in advertisers and views. YouTubers, who get paid 55 percent of ad revenue and up to 18 Australian cents per 1,000 views, could be hit hardest, said social media researcher Susan Grantham at Griffith University. “If it is one clean sweep and all these accounts disappear, then instantaneously, it’s going to be detrimental to the influencer economy.” The law requires companies to block the accounts of more than a million people under the cut-off age, punishing “systemic breaches” with penalties of up to A$49.5 million. While teenagers can still watch YouTube without an account, the site’s algorithm will fail to drive traffic to popular posts, reducing views. Equally, creators on YouTube, TikTok and Meta’s Instagram stand to lose earnings through promotions if the number of their followers fall, Grantham said. Advertisers are also on edge about campaigns targeting younger audiences, said Stephanie Scicchitano, general manager at Sydney-based talent agency Born Bred Talent. Fewer sponsorships Barclay’s company Spawnpoint Media sells advertising to companies such as Lego and Microsoft, but clients’ interest in sponsorship deals has declined as the ban approaches, he said. “They’re worried about what the ban could mean later,” he said. “If it expands, if it grows ... it makes sense for us to invest overseas and not here.” The United States could be among his options, he said, pointing to more favorable laws and government support in such markets. Some creators are already leaving to avoid the curbs, such as influencers the Empire Family, who told followers in October they were relocating to Britain. The careers of those creating content featuring children younger than 16, such as family vloggers and child influencers, were particularly at risk, said Crystal Abidin, the director of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab. “They agree that in order to continue, it’s an easy decision to immigrate,” she said. Children’s musicians Tina and Mark Harris, whose Lah-Lah YouTube channel has 1.4 million subscribers, said, “Any negative impact on income is going to hurt.” Reputational damage But their main concern was lasting reputational damage from the government’s description of YouTube’s harm to children. “Parents will get the jitters and stay away from YouTube in droves,” Mark Harris said. “Maybe that’s hyperbole, we just don’t know.” Initially exempted from the ban, Alphabet-owned YouTube was added later at the urging of Australia’s internet regulator, which said 37 percent of minors reported seeing harmful content on YouTube, the worst showing for a platform. The ban “does a disservice” to creators of high-quality content for children, said Shannon Jones, who runs Australia’s largest YouTube channel, Bounce Patrol, with more than 33 million subscribers. Byron Bay creator Junpei Zaki, 28, whose output is mostly drawn from interactions with 22 million followers across TikTok and YouTube, expects the ban to cause a “guaranteed drop” in likes and comments from Australia. “It ... does feel like I’m ignoring my Australian audience that helped get me here, because they can’t interact. Zaki estimates he will lose 100,000 followers to the ban, a blip in his global reach, but warned that smaller creators with domestic audiences would be hit harder. At the House of Lim food stall in Sydney’s west, 15-year-old owner Dimi Heryxlim has built a following by posting vlogs of his routine running the kitchen after school. Losing access to his TikTok and Instagram accounts “will be a bad thing”, he said, as some customers recognize him from his videos, but he plans to return as soon as he turns 16. “If I can’t get my account back, I’ll just get a new account and start everything from scratch,” said Heryxlim. — Reuters

13 hours ago

Technology

NBAQ launches upgraded version of academic platform | Kuwait Times Newspaper

KUWAIT: The National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (NBAQ) launched on Monday an updated version of its platform for searching recommended universities and academic programs, aimed at enhancing electronic academic services and ensuring accurate access to information for users. Acting Director General of NBAQ, Dr Jassim Al-Ali, said in a press statement that the upgraded platform features an advanced interface designed to improve the user experience, making it easier and more efficient to access information about universities and academic programs. He added that the development aligns with NBAQ’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of digital services and ensure data accuracy, providing students and parents with a unified, reliable database to guide educational choices. The new platform serves as an accredited reference for all users within the education quality and academic accreditation system, enhancing transparency and facilitating access to academic information. In another development, the Kuwait University (KU) Council, chaired by University Director Dr Dina Al-Maim, held a meeting on Monday at Sabah Al-Salem University City and approved the College of Graduate Studies’ announcement of admission requirements for the 2026/2027 academic year. Acting Secretary General and official spokesperson Dr Noura Al-Suwaih told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the Council approved details regarding application requirements, the expected number of accepted students, and the number of graduate scholarships for the upcoming academic year. The Council also approved a cooperation agreement between Kuwait University and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, as well as a memorandum of understanding with the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It reviewed Kuwait University’s annual report for the 2024/2025 academic year and approved several other agenda items. Dr Al-Suwaih added that the Council approved the promotion of 42 faculty members to the ranks of Professor and Associate Professor across the applied sciences, humanities and social sciences colleges. — KUNA

14 hours ago

Technology

Art Creativity Exhibition fosters cultural dialogue and exchange | Kuwait Times Newspaper

KUWAIT: Emphasizing its commitment to cultural dialogue and human connection, Kuwait is hosting the Kuwait Art Creativity Exhibition in Al-Ahmadi Governorate, serving as a bridge to enhance understanding and exchange among peoples. Held under the patronage of the Governor of Al-Ahmadi, Sheikh Hamoud Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and in celebration of Kuwait’s designation as the Capital of Arab Culture and Media 2025, the exhibition features 165 artists from Kuwait, GCC countries, and other sister and friendly nations. It provides a prominent platform for cultural convergence and showcases a wide spectrum of artistic talent. Organized by the Kuwaiti Artists Association in collaboration with the Kuwait Oil Company, the exhibition runs until next Thursday and presents works spanning multiple artistic styles, from realism to abstraction, and from fine arts to installation art. The event reinforces the notion that art is a universal language capable of uniting people, promoting cultural communication, and building bridges of understanding and respect among societies. — KUNA

14 hours ago

Sports

Messi magic as Miami thrash Cincinnati | Kuwait Times Newspaper

LOS ANGELES: Lionel Messi produced a vintage performance as Inter Miami stayed on course for their first MLS Cup final appearance with a 4-0 rout of FC Cincinnati on Sunday. Argentine superstar Messi scored once and provided the assists for all of Inter’s other goals, with Tadeo Allende scoring twice and Mateo Silvetti adding the other to send Miami into next Saturday’s Eastern Conference championship. Inter Miami will play host to New York City FC to decide a berth in the MLS Cup final after visiting City upset top seed Philadelphia 1-0 in the night’s other match. Argentine forward Maxi Moralez scored the only goal in the 27th minute to advance New York City, the 2021 MLS Cup champions. Third-seeded Miami will head into next weekend’s fixture brimming with confidence after laying on a performance of pace and precision to dispatch second seeds Cincinnati. Miami coach Javier Mascherano lavished praise on Messi and his teammates after a performance he described as near-perfection. “I’m proud of how the team played on a very difficult pitch against a very difficult opponent,” Mascherano said. “The players showed incredible character and played a practically perfect match. “It’s an honor and a privilege not only to manage Leo but this group of players. We know what Leo is capable of; he proves it every weekend. Today, he did another incredible job off the ball, because we already know what he’s capable of with it.” A sold-out crowd of just over 26,000 had packed Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium hoping to see the home side score an upset over Mascherano’s star-studded Inter team. But Cincinnati were made to pay for failing to take their chances in a bright opening, with striker Kevin Denkey forcing a good save from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo after 15 minutes. Miami took the lead moments later when Messi picked out Argentine teenager Silvetti — who had started instead of veteran Luis Suarez — with an incisive pass down the left flank. Silvetti duly returned the favor with a pinpoint cross into the area that Messi coolly nodded home to make it 1-0. Cincinnati squandered a chance to draw level in the 22nd minute when Venezuelan forward Ender Echenique burst into space but dragged his shot wide. Thereafter it was all Miami, and Messi might have made it 2-0 on 27 minutes, advancing into space but hooking his shot wide of the post. Inter’s more incisive attacking play got its reward, though, on 57 minutes, when Messi found Silvetti on the edge of the area, where the Argentina under-20 international curled home to make it 2-0. As an increasingly desperate Cincinnati chased the game, more space opened up, and with Messi pulling the strings it was only a matter of time before Miami increased their lead. Messi threaded a pass to Allende to make it 3-0 on 62 minutes, and then sprang the offside trap once more on 74 minutes to set up Allende for the fourth. The winners of next Saturday’s Eastern and Western Conference finals meet in the MLS Cup championship game on December 6. Vancouver will play in the West final against the winner of Monday’s matchup between top-seed San Diego and Minnesota United. — AFP

14 hours ago

Sports

40-yr-old Ronaldo scores spectacular bicycle kick | Kuwait Times Newspaper

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo rolled back the years with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick for Saudi side Al Nassr in a 4-1 win. “Best caption wins!” the 40-year-old Portuguese international wrote on X after his 96th-minute wonder strike on Sunday home to Al Khaleej. The emphatic victory in Riyadh left Ronaldo’s side four points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League after nine matches. Fellow former Premier League stars Joao Felix and Sadio Mane were also on the scoresheet. Former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Ronaldo has yet to win a title since moving to the Saudi club nearly three years ago. — AFP

14 hours ago

Sports

Pulisic fires AC Milan to glory, Roma move top | Kuwait Times Newspaper

MILAN: Christian Pulisic fired AC Milan to derby victory with the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan, moving his side up to second in Serie A and within two points of new leaders Roma. USA forward Pulisic pounced for his fifth goal of the season in the 54th minute after Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer weakly palmed away Alexis Saelemaekers’ low shot, Milan’s only true opportunity of a tense encounter at a boisterous San Siro. Pulisic has been excellent this season, with two assists to go with his joint league-leading goal tally for Milan, who have a great record against the top teams but have dropped points to the lesser lights. “Often you’re more on it for a big match, and we need to understand that we’re vulnerable when we let the intensity drop,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri. But Milan also had Mike Maignan to thank for the three points as the France goalkeeper kept out Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty in the 74th minute and tipped a Lautaro Martinez volley onto the post eight minutes before half-time. Francesco Acerbi thumped a header onto the woodwork 10 minutes before as Inter dominated the play but couldn’t find their way past Maignan. Inter sit fourth, a point behind Milan and champions Napoli, and narrowly above high-flying Bologna. Cristian Chivu’s team now turn their attentions to Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Atletico Madrid, where they can take another step towards direct qualification for the last 16 after winning all four of their previous matches. “We’re on the right track. We believe in the coach and the project, and we can’t change our minds about that because of one defeat,” said Marcus Thuram. “We’ve got things we need to improve, but we can’t throw everything out the window.” Milan meanwhile have a whole week to bask in a second straight derby win, with the red and black half of the city not having tasted defeat to their local rivals since Inter sealed their 20th league title against them in April 2024. Earlier, Matias Soule, Evan Ferguson and Wesley scored the goals which gave Roma a 3-1 win at Cremonese and continued their strong start to life under Gian Piero Gasperini. Roma lead the way Roma had only scored 12 times in their previous 11 league fixtures but were clinical in front of goal at the Stadio Giovanni Zini and are in the discussion for a first league title since 2001. “I said yesterday that it’s only right to dream in these positions, even though in the end dreams rarely come true,” said Gasperini. “We’re trying to keep the dream going for a little while longer.” Soule fizzed in Roma’s opener in the 17th minute, just after Cremonese forward Federico Bonazzoli had forced a fine save from Mile Svilar. And what had been a tight match was then decided by two quick strikes from Brighton loanee Ferguson, who scored his first club goal in over a year, and Wesley. Ferguson calmly stroked home in the 64th minute after the ball rattled around the Cremonese area, and moments later Brazilian full-back Wesley finished off a lightning counter-attack by dinking a brilliant finish over Emil Audero. Prior to Roma making the game safe, centre-back Gianluca Mancini was spared from conceding a penalty near half-time after a VAR check chalked off his penalisation for handball. And Gasperini, who was livid with the initial awarding of a penalty against Mancini, was sent off for more dissent shortly before Ferguson doubled Roma’s lead. That means Gasperini will miss Roma’s huge clash with champions Napoli in the Italian capital next weekend. Gasperini was seen going berserk with joy in the stands after Ferguson broke a club goal duck which stretched back to October last year. The 21-year-old was only fit for the bench and with Paulo Dybala and Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk both sidelined with injury the Ireland international’s goal is great news for Roma. Francesco Folino netted a consolation goal in stoppage time for promoted Cremonese, who sit 12th after their fourth defeat of the season. – AFP

14 hours ago

Sports

Abdulrahman wins second place in surfski race | Kuwait Times Newspaper

HONG KONG: Kuwaiti player Abdulrahman Al-Babtain from the Kuwaiti Maritime Sports Club won second place and the silver medal in the 25 km surfski race at the Asian Kayak Cup 2025 held in Hong Kong. Mohammed Al-Awadhi, kayaking supervisor at the Kuwaiti Maritime Sports Club, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Monday that the championship featured exciting competitions that lasted two hours and 20 minutes between Asian champions, with a large audience and extensive media coverage. He added that the championship began on November 18 with the participation of Asian teams representing Hong Kong, Macau, India, China, Japan, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Kuwait. Al-Awadi explained that after the conclusion of the championship competitions on Monday, the winners were crowned in the presence of the President of the International Canoe Federation, Thomas Konitzko. Al-Awadi expressed his pride in the results achieved by Al-Babtain in the championship and in raising the Kuwaiti flag at this sporting event. He noted that this achievement complements the achievements of Kuwait and the Maritime Club in general, and Kuwaiti kayaking in particular, in sporting events, and is the result of the support and encouragement he received from the Public Authority for Sports and the club’s board of directors. — KUNA

14 hours ago

World

Boursa Kuwait reinforces efforts to advance investor relations in Kuwait capital market | Kuwait Times Newspaper

KUWAIT: In line with its ongoing efforts to strengthen investor relations practices and promote transparency across the Kuwaiti capital market, Boursa Kuwait hosted specialized workshops on targeting and engaging with investors during the Kuwait Chapter meeting of the Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) November 19. The event brought together distinguished investor relations professionals and capital market experts from Kuwait and the wider region to discuss the latest developments in investor targeting and engagement, as well as the importance of transparency in fostering investor confidence and attracting sustainable capital inflows. The meeting started with remarks from Fahad Al-Bisher, Director of Investor Relations at Boursa Kuwait, Reza Eftekhari, CEO of MEIRA and Mohammed Abdal, Head of the MEIRA Kuwait Chapter. Workshops were delivered by Farah Ezzo, Head of Issuer Services at S&P Global Market Intelligence, and John Gulliver, Chief Executive Officer of the GCC Board Directors Institute, who explored emerging global trends in investor targeting and communication and presented practical tools to foster effective and sustainable engagement with the international investment community. They also emphasized the vital role of clarity and consistency in disclosure and governance to enhance market credibility and long-term sustainability. “Boursa Kuwait continues to promote a culture of transparency and disclosure among listed companies, driven by its firm belief that investor relations form a fundamental pillar in developing capital markets and attracting quality long-term investments. The Exchange takes pride in its strategic partnership with the Middle East Investor Relations Association, which has resulted in a plethora of educational and professional initiatives to enhance market efficiency and strengthen the confidence of both local and international investors,” said Fahad Al-Bisher, Director of Investor Relations at Boursa Kuwait. “Boursa Kuwait believes that enhancing investor relations practices is an investment in the long-term sustainability of companies and the overall development of the Kuwaiti capital market,” he added. “This approach aligns with Boursa Kuwait’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of governance and disclosure.” As part of its ongoing efforts to promote international best practices and enhance transparency in the Kuwaiti capital market, Boursa Kuwait recently issued the Investor Relations Best Practice Guide, which aims to equip listed companies with essential knowledge, strategies and tools to strengthen effective communication, improve governance and enhance engagement with key stakeholders, including investors, analysts, and regulatory authorities. Commenting on MEIRA’s partnership with the exchange, CEO Reza Eftekhari said: “We are pleased to continue our strategic partnership with Boursa Kuwait, which serves as an outstanding model in fostering investor relations excellence and reinforcing a culture of transparency and disclosure across the region. This meeting reflects our shared commitment to exchanging knowledge and expertise, empowering professionals to adopt more advanced approaches to engage with the investment community and strengthen their presence in capital markets.” The meeting forms part of the long-standing strategic partnership between Boursa Kuwait and MEIRA. Established in 2017, the partnership aims to promote the highest standards and best practices in investor relations across the globe, empowering listed companies to develop robust and proactive investor engagement frameworks that support the continued growth of the Kuwaiti capital market and reinforce its position regionally and internationally. Mohammed Abdal, Head of the MEIRA Kuwait Chapter, added: “Through these regular informative and best practice workshops, MEIRA and its Kuwait Chapter remain committed to strengthening engagement with the investor relations community in Kuwait and the wider region, keeping pace with the latest global market trends. Our goal is to enhance the competitiveness of listed companies in the Kuwaiti capital market and reinforce its position as a trusted and dynamic investment destination.” Organizing enlightening workshops and other educational initiatives form an integral part of Boursa Kuwait’s Corporate Sustainability strategy, which aims to create a lasting and meaningful impact on the communities where it operates. These programs also reinforce the exchange’s unwavering commitment and continuous efforts to equip all market participants with an in-depth understanding of the functioning of capital markets and various tools and techniques required to make informed investment decisions and effectively meet investors’ needs. It also aligns with Goal 4 - Quality Education - and Goal 17 - Partnership for the Goals - of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

1 days ago

Entertainment

Singapore deports Australian man over Ariana Grande incident | Kuwait Times Newspaper

Singapore deported on Sunday an Australian man at the end of a nine-day jail term for rushing film star Ariana Grande during the Asian premier of “Wicked: For Good”, local media reported. The man, Johnson Wen, was sent back to Australia “and has been barred from re-entering Singapore”, the city-state’s immigration authority said in a statement quoted by broadcaster CNA. On the opening night of the much-hyped “Wicked” sequel on November 13, Wen jumped a barricade and put his arm around Grande. He was arrested hours later and subsequently charged with “being a public nuisance”. Last week, a court sentenced Wen to nine days in jail. Video clips, which have gone viral online, show Wen wrapping his arm around the shocked star before jumping up and down and smilingly waving to the crowd. Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo then rushes to her defense and the man is grabbed by security guards and dumped back over the barricade. Singapore District Judge Christopher Goh, who issued the jail sentence, called the Australian “attention seeking”. Wen, who is alleged to have disrupted other global sports events and concerts, “showed a pattern of behavior” which suggested that he will do it again, the judge had said before last week’s ruling. The jail term was far below the maximum penalty afforded by law: three months in jail, a fine of $1,500, or both. Wen has told the court he was “wrong” to think his actions would bear no consequences and promised not to repeat the act. The incident did not stop the premiere from going ahead, with the cast huddling around Grande before continuing down the yellow carpet. Grande, 32, began her career as a teen on Broadway before embarking on a hugely successful pop career. — AFP

1 days ago