MOHARRAM 27, 1441 AH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 28 Pages Max 43º Min 26º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17942 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Qatari Amir appreciates Kuwaiti Slip slidin’ away: Record-breaking Salah, Egypt fall out again after 2 Amir’s mediation in Gulf crisis 22 Malaysian water chute unveiled 27 vote in FIFA awards goes astray Rocket blasts off with first Arab to International Space Station Stars in its eyes, UAE celebrates its first astronaut in space BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: A Soyuz rocket blasted off yesterday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan carrying an Emirati who is set to make his- tory as the first Arab on the International Space Station. The Russian rocket carrying the three-member crew - including Hazzaa Al-Mansoori of the United Arab Emirates - took off as scheduled at 1357 GMT. Mansoori, 35, is accompanied by Russia’s Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. They are expected to dock at the station just under six hours after launch. “Everything continues to go smoothly for this ride,” a commentator said on NASA television seven minutes after the launch. Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said on Twitter that the spacecraft had successfully reached orbit. Mansoori received support from around the world before what he described as his “dream” mission. He was seen showing his fist in the air before the launch. In Dubai, a crowd gathered at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to watch the launch, erupting in cheers and dubbing Mansoori a national hero. Some carried UAE flags. Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, lit up the moment of (Left) International Space Station (ISS) crewmember, UAE astronaut Hazzaa Al-Mansoori, waves as he boards the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft at the Russian-leased Baikonur blast-off. cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday. (Right) People wave Emirati flags as they watch screens showing the spacecraft lifting off at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Continued on Page 24 Dubai yesterday. — AFP son, that Biden stopped the prosecution Trump asked and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with Iqama renewal the attorney general would be great,” Ukraine to Trump said. Democrats, who opened for- to go online mal impeachment proceedings against probe Biden the president on Tuesday, are investigat- KUWAIT: The interior ministry is planning to ing whether he pressured a foreign gov- launch online residency renewals next month, start- WASHINGTON: A White House tran- ernment to look into a political oppo- ing with expats holding article 18 residency permits, script released yesterday confirmed that nent, and if he used a delayed $400 mil- whose number is over three million. The move allows President Donald Trump asked his lion aid package as leverage. the renewal of an expat’s residency and that of his Ukrainian counterpart to probe political As Barack Obama’s vice president, wife, children and maids online without the need to rival Joe Biden - a day after Democrats Biden and other Western leaders pres- go to residency departments. Sources said with the seized on the explosive allegation to sured Ukraine to get rid of the country’s support of the economic committee at the Council launch an impeachment process. The top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, because of Ministers, the electric link between the interior official memorandum of a July 25 phone he was seen as not tough enough on ministry, manpower authority, civil information and call with President Volodymyr Zelensky corruption. “Biden went around bragging health ministry is complete. The new system will shows Trump saying US Attorney that he stopped the prosecution so if provide expats several online services, most notably General Bill Barr and the president’s per- you can look into it... It sounds horrible residency renewal, while another service will be sonal lawyer Rudy Giuliani would be in to me,” Trump told Zelensky in the call. introduced later to issue visit visas for parents, touch about probing Biden and his son’s The transcript, which is a summary WASHINGTON: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer holds a transcript of the spouses and children online. — Al-Qabas activities related to Ukraine. rather than a word-for-word record, did phone call between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s Continued on Page 24 Zelensky, during a press conference at the US Capitol yesterday. — AFP dismissed the idea of a photo-op with Iran rules out Trump, who is fond of drama and held Mourides build biggest three made-for-television meetings with talks; US ramps North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. mosque in West Africa “Memento photos are the final stage of negotiations, not the first one,” he said. up sanctions He doubted the sincerity of the Trump administration to negotiate, pointing to UNITED NATIONS: Iran’s president officials’ boasts of applying “the harshest yesterday closed the door on meeting sanctions in history” against Iran. “How Donald Trump despite last-minute can someone believe them when the European efforts to ease tensions as the silent killing of a great nation, and pres- United States again ramped up punish- sure on the lives of 83 million Iranians, ing sanctions. French President especially women and children, are wel- Emmanuel Macron had shuttled between comed by American government offi- his US and Iranian counterparts over cials? The Iranian nation will never, ever two days at the United Nations, trying to forget and forgive these crimes and arrange a historic encounter that he these criminals,” he said. hoped could reduce the risk of all-out Trump had already ruled out easing war in the Middle East. economic pressure and, hours before But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Rouhani’s speech, his administration said addressing the UN General Assembly, it was stepping up sanctions. On Trump’s said he would refuse talks so long as the last scheduled day at the annual UN United States maintains its economic summit of world leaders, Secretary of pressure. “I would like to announce that State Mike Pompeo said the United NEW YORK: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses DAKAR: Members of the Mouride Brotherhood clean the road in front of the Great our response to any negotiation under States would punish Chinese companies the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquar- Mosque of the Mourides yesterday before its inauguration. — AFP sanctions is negative,” Rouhani said. He Continued on Page 24 ters yesterday. — AFP DAKAR: Senegal’s influential Mouride where Bamba is entombed, the move- Brotherhood will inaugurate tomorrow ment is a pillar of Senegal’s reputation attacks against minorities under Modi’s India’s government says it has built more a 30,000-capacity mosque in the capi- for religious tolerance. The Mouride tenure, while British-Asian actors Jameela than 100 million toilets under a $20 billion tal Dakar, touted as the largest in West philosophy - the name derives from the Toilet row: Modi Jamil and Riz Ahmed who had been due to initiative begun in 2014 to address the issue Africa and rivalling its opulent peers in Arabic word for “one who desires to attend dropped out. of open defecation, particularly in rural areas, Arab nations. Work on the Massalikul learn” - preaches service to humanity ignores protests The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a major public health issue in the country. Jinaan (“The Paths to Paradise”) in addition to upholding the principles said it respected the critics’ views but Under Modi’s plan, tribal households get mosque began a decade ago on a of Islam. The movement also wields defended its decision, saying sanitation is a $200 each for building latrines. swampy six-hectare site in the poor considerable economic and political to collect award neglected issue and India’s program can But ahead of the ceremony, Nobel Peace area of Bopp, on land donated by the clout, in Senegal and in neighboring NEW YORK: Indian Prime Minister serve as a model for other countries. “I dedi- Prize winners Mairead Maguire, Tawakkol government of this 90-percent Muslim Gambia. With a Carrara marble exteri- Narendra Modi on Tuesday brushed aside an cate this award to all those Indians who Abdel-Salam Karman and Shirin Ebadi said nation. The name is derived from the or and boasting five minarets - the outcry from human rights activists to receive transformed the ‘Clean India Mission’ into a that under Modi’s leadership, “India has title of a poem by Sheikh Ahmadou tallest 78 m high - the mosque has a an award from the Gates Foundation in New Bamba Mbacke, the 19th-century capacity of 15,000 worshippers inside, people’s movement and started giving cleanli- descended into dangerous and deadly chaos York for his efforts to end open defecation. founder of the Brotherhood, who is and another 15,000 on an outside ness the highest priority in their daily lives,” that has consistently undermined human The decision to honor the Indian leader pro- revered by followers as a Sufi saint. esplanade. Modi said after collecting the award from bil- rights, democracy. “This is particularly trou- voked several withering op-eds and the ire of Headquartered in the city of Touba, Continued on Page 24 lionaire philanthropist and Microsoft founder bling to us as the stated mission of your three Nobel prize winners, citing rising Bill Gates. Continued on Page 24 2 Local Thursday, September 26, 2019 Qatari Amir appreciates Kuwait Amir’s mediation in Gulf crisis Sheikh Sabah receives call from Turkish president NEW YORK: Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim Palestinian West Bank and the Syrian Golan dence in the ability of the Sudanese peo- Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- bin Hamad Al Thani renewed gratitude to Heights “in blatant defiance of the UN.” ple to overcome the challenges of the tran- Sabah received a phone call yesterday His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh “The State of Qatar will continue offer- sitional stage.