basketball golf Pages 15 & 16 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com Page 14 TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 / RAJAB 26, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17632 16 PAGES 150 FILS Riyadh foils Houthi attacks on port, Aramco unit Coalition bombs Sanaa RIYADH, March 8, (Agencies): Sau- and criminalizes such repeated acts di Arabia has derailed a drone assault of sabotage and hostility. MPs threaten grilling over on oil reservoirs at Ras Tanura Port “The Kingdom calls on nations and a ballistic missile attack on a resi- and organizations of the world to dential compound of workers of the stand together against these attacks, country’s energy giant Aramco, an- which are aimed at civilian objects nounced the Saudi Energy Ministry. and vital installations,” he said. “One of the petroleum tank areas The Saudi-led coalition fighting at the Ras Tanura Port in the Eastern Iran-backed rebels in Yemen said selective law enforcement Region, one of the largest oil shipping Sunday that it had launched a new ports in the world, was attacked this air campaign on the country’s capital morning by a drone, coming from the and other provinces, in retaliation for sea,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted a series of missile and drone strikes Chair rule at burials challenged an official spokesman of the Energy targeting key military and oil facili- Ministry as saying Sunday. ties across Saudi Arabia. The spokesman added that another “The targeting of civilians and By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh will submit a grilling motion against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah deliberate attempt was also made this civilian facilities is a red line,” Col evening to attack Saudi Aramco’s Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Arab Times Staff Al-Khalid on only one issue – selective enforcement of the law. facilities. “Shrapnel from a ballistic coalition, was quoted as saying by the A total of 15 MPs have declared support for the grilling motion so far. Al-Da- missile fell near Saudi Aramco’s res- official Saudi Press Agency. KUWAIT CITY, March 8: The decision of the Interior houm confirmed that he met Minister of Interior Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali shortly be- idential area in the city of Dhahran, It was the first time in months that Ministry to refer 140 citizens, including 16 MPs, to the fore the event and they agreed to turn the supposed expression of support gathering where thousands of the company’s Sanaa was bombed by Saudi war- into a press conference. He said the minister informed him that 18,000 individuals employees and their families from planes, an escalation that comes as Public Prosecution for participating in the press confer- were expected to attend the expression of support gathering; but the number was different nationalities live,” he stated. the kingdom grapples with a major ence held recently in the house of MP Badr Al-Dahoum reduced to almost 300 after turning it into a press conference. He added the minister He said that both attacks did not result increase in cross-border strikes on its did not appreciate the compromise and reacted negatively to it. in any injury or loss of life or property. own infrastructure, including an at- and for violating health regulations provoked the ire of On the other hand, Al-Mutair pointed out that the executive authority is using In his statement, the spokesman tack on a major offshore oil loading several MPs. laws to target politicians; similar to its stand against the opposition members who stressed that the Kingdom condemns facility late Sunday. MPs Badr Al-Dahoum and Muhammad Al-Mutair disclosed that they are currently in exile and many citizens have been the victim of such attitude. He addressed HH the Prime Minis- ter: “Is this the way you respond to the MPs’ cooperation?”. In a press statement, MP Sh- uaib Al-Muwaizri asserted that enforcing the law and referring violators to the prosecution are acceptable; but this should be the case for everyone proven to have violated the law including Sheikh Thamer. He then showed pictures of the minister conduct- ing visits and meetings without a facemask and without observing the rule on social distancing. He quoted the minister’s tweet that the latter tries to be present in every meeting and occasion to talk to the people and convey to them the greetings of His High- ness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The lawmaker also showed a picture of National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim lifted on shoulders and sur- rounded by supporters who con- gratulated him for winning in the Speaker election. He wondered why Al-Ghanim was not ques- tioned in this regard, indicating that it could be because he is an ally of the executive authority or A protester waves a Lebanese flag as they block a main highway by burning tires during a protest in the town of Jal el-Dib, north of Beirut, Lebanon, March 8. The dayslong protests intensified Monday the latter is afraid of him. He said amid a crash in the local currency, increase of consumer goods prices and political bickering between rival groups that has delayed the formation of a new government. (AP) parties are being held in chalets and no one can enforce the law there maybe because the author- Protesters paralyze Lebanon ity is weaker than those who ar- ranged such parties. Opinion Protesters closed all major roads leading to the Lebanese trances to Beirut with burning tires and by parking vehicles He pointed out that he was the capital on Monday, causing traffic jams and triggering a on the main roads. In other parts of Lebanon, army soldiers first to call for the dismissal of call by the head of the hospitals union who warned that briefly opened some roads only to have protesters close Health Minister Dr Basel Al-Sa- such moves are preventing oxygen supplies from reaching them again shortly afterward. Sleiman Haroun, President of bah for the failure to manage the medical centers treating coronavirus patients. the Syndicate of Hospitals in Lebanon, told The Associated ministry even before the corona- Government between The dayslong protests come against the backdrop of a Press that after a two-day weekend when there is no oxygen virus crisis. He asserted that HH crash in the local currency, increase of consumer goods distribution, some hospitals are running low and urgently the Prime Minister must be ques- prices and political bickering between rival groups that has need supplies, especially to treat COVID-19 patients. tioned as the latter reappointed delayed the formation of a new government. “This is not a joke. It is a matter of life and death,” Haroun the health minister. rock and a hard place Since the early morning hours, small groups of demon- said urging protesters to allow vehicles carrying supplies of Furthermore, MP Fares Al- strators blocked the southern, northern and eastern en- oxygen to pass. (AP) Otaibi submitted a proposal to ex- empt citizens under the fifth cat- By Ahmed Al-Jarallah egory of social security members ‘Check-in to boarding in one fell swoop’ – owners of private companies Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times Newswatch – from paying their contribution to the Public Institution for Social FROM today until March 17, the government will be hanging on the Security (PIFSS) for one year. He parliament’s bearings until the expiry of the decree to suspend the Na- BAGHDAD: Pope Francis on also asked PIFSS to grant them tional Assembly sessions. interest-free loan amounting to It is expected that the first session after the resumption of the parlia- Eye passport in Dubai Monday wrapped up his his- KD 5,000 which they will pay as ment will focus on sanctioning the new government in order for it to toric whirlwind tour of Iraq that sought to bring hope to the soon as their businesses return to be fully constitutional. DUBAI, March 8, (AP) : Dubai’s airport, the sengers to their flights. But Dubai’s iris scan country’s marginalized Christian normal operations. However, it seems that the path the new government is standing world’s busiest for international travel, can improves on the more commonplace auto- minority with a message of co- MP Osama Al-Shaheen also and walking on will be filled with obstacles, given that the MPs who already feel surreal, with its cavernous duty- mated gates seen elsewhere, authorities said, existence, forgiveness and peace. submitted a proposal to exempt previously supported the referral of “no-cooperation” letter against the free stores, artificial palm trees, gleaming ter- connecting the iris data to the country’s facial The pontiff and his traveling individuals above 60 years old prime minister are repeating the same thing, in addition to escalating minals, water cascades and near-Arctic levels recognition databases so the passenger needs delegation were seen off with a from the institutional quarantine and threatening them to question His Highness the Prime Minister and no identifying documents or boarding pass. farewell ceremony at the Bagh- and limit to home quarantine. a number of ministers. of air conditioning. Now, the key east-west transit hub is roll- The unusual partnership between long-haul dad airport, from where he left MP Mubarak Al-Arow pro- In light of this political escalation, the public asks a question that carrier Emirates, owned by a Dubai sovereign for Rome following a four-day posed increasing the regular bo- carries many concerns about the welfare of the country and the absence ing out another addition from the realm of science fiction – an iris-scanner that verifies wealth fund, and the Dubai immigration of- papal visit that has covered fi ve nus added to the retirees’ pension of any indications of a solution to bring an end to the worsening finan- fice integrates the data and carries travelers provinces across Iraq.