17/08/2025

theSun on Sunday AUG 17, 2025

WORLD 8

Davos founder, wife cleared of misconduct

Putin, Trump end summit without Ukraine deal ANCHORAGE: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump made no breakthrough on Ukraine at their summit on Friday, pointing to areas of agreement and rekindling a friendship but offering no news on a ceasefire. After an abrupt ending to three hours of talks with aides, Putin and Trump offered warm words but took no questions from reporters. “We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said. He called the meeting “extremely productive” with “many points” agreed, although he did not offer specifics. “There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,” Trump said. Putin also spoke in general terms of cooperation in a joint press appearance. “We hope that the understanding we have reached will ... paves the way for peace in Ukraine,” Putin said. As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: “Next time in Moscow.” The former KGB agent quickly tried to flatter Trump. Putin told Trump he agreed with him that the Ukraine war would not have happened if Trump were president instead of Joe Biden. – AFP Most Americans think alcohol bad for health WASHINGTON: A narrow majority of Americans now believe even moderate consumption of alcohol negatively affects health. A Gallup survey found 54% of Americans reported they drank alcohol either occasionally or regularly, down from at least 60% recorded between 1997 and 2023. Those who did say they drank alcohol reported it was in smaller amounts, with the average number of drinks consumed in the last week being 2.8, “the lowest figure Gallup has recorded since 1996”, the pollster said. Attitudes towards alcohol, which Gallup has been tracking since 2001, saw the most significant difference in the poll. The number of people who consider moderate consumption of alcohol – up to one or two drinks per day – to be bad for personal health rose to 53% this year. For comparison, the figure was 27% in the early 2000s. In January, then-US surgeon general Vivek Murthy called for alcohol to be sold with a cancer warning label. “Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer, responsible for about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States,” he said. – AFP

‘No evidence of material wrongdoing’

The sources, who have knowledge of the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity, said no agreement had been reached. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. A US State Department spokesperson said: “We do not speak to private diplomatic conversations,” when asked about the plan. Netanyahu said earlier this month he intends to extend military control in Gaza, and this week repeated suggestions that Palestinians should leave the territory voluntarily. Arab and world leaders have rejected the idea of moving Gaza’s population. Palestinians say that would be like another “Nakba” (catastrophe) when hundreds of thousands fled or were forced out GENEVA: An investigation by the World Economic Forum’s board cleared on Friday the body’s founder Klaus Schwab and his wife of wrongdoing, after a probe into whistleblower complaints. “Following a thorough review of all facts, the board has concluded that ... there is no evidence of material wrongdoing by Klaus Schwab,” the board announced. In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that an anonymous letter sent to the institution’s board of directors accused Schwab and his wife Hilde of mixing their personal affairs with forum resources without proper oversight. A spokesperson for Schwab had immediately denied all these accusations, but the 87 year-old said he would step down as head of the WEF. The board of the WEF, best known for its annual summit for political and business elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, asked a law firm to carry out an independent probe. “Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct,” the statement said.

“The board has taken action to address all issues identified throughout the investigation, including strengthening the governance in general.” Also on Friday, the WEF said it will be replacing former Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck Letmathe as interim chairman of the board. He is being replaced by Larry Finck, co-founder of the investment fund Blackrock, and Andre Hoffmann, vice chairman of Roche pharmaceutical group. The letter alleged Schwab had asked junior employees to withdraw “thousands of dollars” from ATMs for him and used organisation funds to pay for massages. But the probe found nothing improper in his conduct. Schwab was born in Ravensburg, Germany, on March 30, 1938. He is married with two children. He was a professor of business management at the University of Geneva, where he taught until 2003, when in the early 1970s he launched the European Management Forum, the precursor to the current forum. He expanded it by inviting American business leaders, successfully building a huge network of the world’s

Schwab and his wife Hilde. – AFPPIC

economic and political elite, transforming the event into a high-level gathering dedicated to business relations and the exchange of ideas. The forum’s success has led to the satirical concept of “Davos Man”, the supposed avatar of a globalised elite of the stateless ultra-rich

committed to free trade and high-minded seminars on corporate social responsibility. The WEF has spurred theories alleging that it was seeking to establish a “new world order”. Elon Musk accused Schwab on X of wanting to “be the emperor of the Earth”. – AFP

Talks to resettle Palestinians in South Sudan NAIROBI: South Sudan and Israel are discussing a deal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, three sources told Reuters – a plan quickly dismissed as unacceptable by Palestinian leaders. during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The sources said the prospect of resettling Palestinians in South Sudan was raised during meetings between Israeli officials and South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba when he visited the country last month.

Their account appeared to contradict South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry which on Wednesday dismissed earlier reports on the plan as “baseless”. The ministry was not available to respond to the sources’ assertions on Friday. News of the discussions was first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, citing six sources. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said its leadership and people “reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place”. His statement echoed a statement from the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who visited the

A peace activist attending a vigil in New York on Friday for Al Jazeera reporters killed in Gaza City. – REUTERSPIC

Netanyahu, who met Kumba last month, has said Israel is in touch with a few countries to find a destination for Palestinians who want to leave Gaza. He has consistently declined to provide further details. – Reuters

South Sudanese capital Juba this week, said those discussions had not focused on relocation. “The discussions were about foreign policy, multilateral organisations, the humanitarian crisis and about the war,” she said, referring to talks in Juba.