SHAWWAL 21, 1442 AH WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 16 Pages Max 49º Min 34º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18449 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Decade of Syria war has Fire on ship off Sri Lanka Traumatized Palestinians tend Osaka crisis throws light on stars’ 5 killed nearly 500K people 8 extinguished after 13 days 12 to shell-shocked pets in Gaza 15 mental health, media ‘voyeurism’ Amir: Kuwait’s support of just Palestinian cause ‘unwavering’ Speaker: Assembly’s position on Palestine ‘extension’ of official stance KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- tary stance toward the Palestinian cause is an Jaber Al-Sabah said yesterday that Kuwait remains extension of Kuwait’s principled official stand” unwavering in its stance and support of the just regarding the issue. Palestinian cause. HH the Amir’s statement came during Al-Dustour news network quoted Ghanem as his reception at Bayan Palace of HH the Prime Minister affirming this stance during a reception of Shtayyeh. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, who Ghanem has also affirmed that Kuwait maintains its was accompanied by his visiting Palestinian counter- solid support of the steadfastness and struggle of the part Mohammad Shtayyeh and his delegation. Palestinian people and their just cause, noting that HH the Amir reiterated that Kuwait will also be their solidarity and steadfastness “have contributed to steadfast in its support of the Palestinian people until divulging practices of the occupation to the world”. they achieve their dream of an independent state The Palestinian prime minister lauded Kuwait’s with East Jerusalem as its capital, saying that such backing at the official and popular levels toward the lawful aspirations are in line with international reso- Palestinian people’s cause. Talks between the two lutions on this matter and the Arab peace initiative. sides, held at Ghanem’s office, touched on latest He affirmed that the Palestinian cause was, and still developments in the Palestinian territories in the is, the central issue for Kuwait as well as the Arab aftermath of the recent “criminal attacks” carried by and Muslim worlds, wishing the Palestinian govern- the occupation forces. ment and people security, peace and triumph. Shtayyeh also held talks with HH the Prime Minister Shtayyeh expressed deep gratitude and appreci- Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The two ation to the efforts of Kuwait and its leadership and exchanged views on regional issues, noting the mutual people in the support of Palestinians’ aspirations. desire for boosting continuous consultations and KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets Palestinian Prime Minister Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq coordination in support of diplomatic efforts for Mohammad Shtayyeh at Bayan Palace yesterday. — KUNA Al-Ghanem yesterday said the “popular parliamen- achieving peace and stability in the region.— KUNA Saud, also highlighted bilateral rela- News in brief Amir invites tions and ways to bolster them, along with a number of issues of UK reports zero COVID deaths Saudi King to mutual concern in the regional and international arenas. LONDON: Britain yesterday reported zero HH Sheikh Mishal earlier held a daily deaths from COVID-19 for the first time visit Kuwait meeting with Prince Mohammed at since last July, despite a recent rise in cases the Yamama Palace in Riyadh. They linked to the Delta variant. Yesterday’s zero dai- RIYADH: HH the Crown Prince discussed long-standing historical ly deaths came after the government reported Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber and fraternal relations between the just one COVID death across the UK on Al-Sabah yesterday delivered a writ- two countries and the two brotherly Monday, a public holiday. — AFP ten letter from HH the Amir Sheikh peoples and ways to strengthen and Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah develop them in various fields and at to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz all levels, issues of common concern Ancelotti named Real Madrid coach Al-Saud. The letter included an offi- and the latest developments in the cial invitation by HH the Amir to the regional and international arenas. MADRID: Carlo Ancelotti will return to Real Saudi King to visit Kuwait. Prince Mohammed later hosted a Madrid as coach for the next three seasons, the The letter, which was received by dinner banquet in honor of HH the RIYADH: HH the Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Spanish club said yesterday following last week’s Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal and his Sabah delivers a letter — from HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al- resignation of Zinedine Zidane. The 61-year-old Minister and Defense Minister accompanying delegation before Jaber Al-Sabah addressed to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz — to Saudi Crown Italian, who won the Champions League for Real Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al- they departed for Kuwait. — KUNA Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Yamama Palace yesterday. — KUNA Madrid during his first spell at the club between 2013 and 2015, will sign his new deal and be pre- sented to the media today. — AFP cartel has started implementing more generous pro- OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia supporting a much OPEC+ agrees to duction increases as oil prices have recovered and more cautious approach. However, ahead of yester- Human case of bird flu strain the health situation improves in developed day’s meeting even Saudi Energy Minister Prince economies. Abdulaziz bin Salman pointed out that though there BEIJING: China reported the world’s first continue crude At the end of a short meeting yesterday which were “still clouds on the horizon”, “demand has human infection of the H10N3 bird flu strain yes- lasted barely half an hour, the group agreed to con- improved in some of the world’s bigger markets, like terday but said the risk of it spreading widely output increases tinue rises up until July adding up to 1.2 million bar- the USA and China” and praised the global vaccine among people was low. A 41-year-old man was rels per day (bpd), to which will be added a further rollout. For his part Russian Deputy Prime Minister admitted to hospital with fever symptoms in the LONDON: The OPEC group of oil-producing million bpd which had been voluntarily withdrawn Alexander Novak said: “We see that demand has eastern city of Zhenjiang on April 28 and was countries and its allies agreed yesterday to maintain by Saudi Arabia. However, the alliance took no deci- increased, that prices have stabilized,” and spoke of diagnosed with H10N3 a month later. — AFP planned production increases, as pandemic-hit sion on what policy to follow from August onwards, a “normalization” of the global economy. OPEC has demand for crude recovers. The 23-nation OPEC+ and did not discuss the possibility of Iranian oil remained optimistic in its predictions for 2021, alliance implemented sharp output cuts to support returning to the market in the coming months. expecting demand to reach 96.5 million bpd, an Saudi defends azan volume limit prices after the coronavirus pandemic crushed the Among OPEC’s allies, Russia has in recent times increase of six million on 2020 levels. global economy last year. But since early May the pushed for faster rises in output with traditional Continued on Page 2 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Islamic affairs minister on Monday defended an order restricting the volume of mosque loudspeakers to no more than tating a country once seen as a bea- one-third of their maximum volume and limiting Lebanon crisis con of prosperity in the region. “The them mainly to issue the call to prayer rather than economic and financial crisis is likely broadcasting full sermons. Abdullatif Al-Sheikh to rank in the top 10, possibly top 3, said the order was in response to citizens’ com- world’s worst most severe crisis episodes globally plaints that the loud volume was causing distur- since the mid-nineteenth century,” the bance to children as well as the elderly. — AFP since 1850s report said. The latest World Bank Lebanon BEIRUT: Lebanon’s economic col- Economic Monitor report, entitled WHO approves Sinovac jab lapse is likely to rank among the world’s “Lebanon Sinking: To the Top 3”, said worst financial crises since the mid- such brutal economic collapses are GENEVA: The World Health Organization yes- 19th century, the World Bank said in a usually the result of war. The complete terday approved the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine damning report released yesterday. The meltdown of Lebanon’s economy dur- for emergency use - the second Chinese jab to report predicts that Lebanon’s econo- ing the past 18 months is widely blamed receive the WHO’s green light after Sinopharm. my will shrink by close to 10 percent in on corruption and mismanagement by The UN health agency signed off on the Beijing- 2021 and stresses there is “no clear the country’s hereditary political elite. based firm Sinovac’s two-dose vaccine turning point in the horizon”. “Policy responses by Lebanon’s lead- CoronaVac, which is already being deployed in Lebanon defaulted on its debt last ership to these challenges have been BEIRUT: An aerial view shows Beirut port on May 27, 2021, damaged in a massive several countries around the world. — AFP year, the currency lost around 85 per- highly inadequate,” the report says. explosion on Aug 4 last year, which killed more than 200 people and injured cent of its value and poverty is devas- Continued on Page 2 scores of others. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Local Kuwaiti, Saudi officials’ reciprocal visits prove pivotal for strengthening ties This archive photo shows His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah leaving Saudi KUWAIT: The late Saudi king Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud is seen during a visit to Kuwait in 1910 in Arabia after he presided over the Kuwaiti delegation at the 41st Gulf Summit in January 2021.