baseball basketball THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Page 14 Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com Page 16 FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 7-8, 2021 / RAMADAN 25-26, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17683 16 PAGES 150 FILS Key talks with Iran, Saudi ongoing Saudi Crown Prince holds talks with Abu Dhabi counterpart BAGHDAD, May 6, (AP): Iraq’s president said on though Iranian officials have alluded to them and welcomed the discus- sions. Wednesday that his country recently hosted direct Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been regional rivals. Relations wors- Opinion talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran ened considerably in 2016, when Riyadh removed its diplomats after pro- on more than one occasion, the first public recogni- testers attacked its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad in retali- tion of Baghdad’s role as mediator. ation for the kingdom executing a prominent Shiite cleric, Nimr al-Nimr. The first round of talks between Riyadh and Tehran took place early last Also: month, Iraq’s President Barham Salih said during an interview broadcast Field day for the corrupt … live by the Beirut Institute, a think tank. He said talks have since occurred JEDDAH: The Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister “more than once,” describing the discussions as ongoing, “important and of Defense Prince Mohammad bin Salman held talks on Wednesday with significant.” the visiting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, the UAE Deputy Supreme Com- blowing into a torn bagpipe It marked the first time that an Iraqi official publicly confirmed the talks mander of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, had occurred. Salih did not comment when asked what the fruits of the on relations between the two brotherly countries. talks had been. Official saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Prince Mohammad welcomed Saudi Arabia has sought talks with Iran as the kingdom tries to end the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation, adding By Ahmed Al-Jarallah gravity of the crisis in which the country its years-long war in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Tehran, that Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed relayed greetings of the UAE President Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times is submerging into last? Why do those in meanwhile, appears to have calculated that a gradual detente with Riyadh, a Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan addressed to King Salman bin Ab- charge allow the corrupt to have a field long-time US ally, will work in its favor during renewed nuclear talks with dulaziz. In turn, the saudi Crown Prince Mohammad requested convey of he measures taken by the govern- day? salutes from King Salman to the UAE president. ment to combat the COVID-19 Washington and world powers. T Could there be someone dreaming of For Iraq, hosting the talks is seen as a significant step for Baghdad, which The news agency added that the two sides during the meeting examined pandemic have exceeded the scope of ushering Kuwait into the Guinness Book has consistently sought to play the role of a regional mediator. Salih echoed the cooperation in various sectors in addition to various regional and inter- confusion and have landed on the circle for the errors and conflicting decisions that, saying that “for Iraq to be able to play that convenient role between national affairs. of disaster. that have been made so far? these regional actors is important.” Senior officials from the two sides attended the meeting, which was held Last year, the government introduced It is as if we are not in the midst of this Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia have confirmed that the talks took place, shortly after the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince arrived in Jeddah, earlier today. pandemic that the whole world is endur- the “Kuwait Traveler’’ (Mosafer) app to ing without exception … It is as if we are carry out transactions to facilitate travel in a race between those benefiting from into and out of the country. Even though the status quo and those looting the pub- people got fed up with it after they were lic fund, while restraining the general left stranded in the world’s airports, an- public with more failed, or rather futile, other scandal occurred through the gov- measures. ernment’s recent decision which is a clear Various countries have taken gradual indication of the absence of a proper plan, and realistic precautions that helped in and of the confusion, as if the executive overcoming the crisis and mitigating the authority lacks constitutional and legal damages it left on their economies. As it experts. appears, Kuwait is the only country that is The decision prevented citizens from going through a series of successive scan- entering the country without fulfilling dals, which have put us in an unenviable certain conditions which lack constitu- situation and rendered us into becoming a tional merit. The decision also prevented laughing stock among countries. citizens from traveling outside the coun- For more clarity about the confusion try except after completing the vaccina- we are facing, it is enough to peruse the tion procedures, and this also lacks con- reports of the State Audit Bureau which stitutional merit. exposed the squandering of the public This begs us to wonder if our govern- funds and the corruption in terms of the ment is protecting other countries that purchase of face masks or sanitizers and opened its doors to all Kuwaitis, from the other medical supplies. assumption held by the concerned min- Furthermore, the most embarrassing ister that all of them are infected … Or scandal is the one related to the rewards is Kuwait alone suffering from this pan- allocated for the front-liners. The list of demic? those who deserve such perks includes al- Frankly speaking, these decisions do most everyone who had no active role in not protect or preserve lives, but instead fighting the pandemic. increase their suffering, and put more In fact, it appears like there is a race to financial, sociological and even psycho- gain from the public funds, be it the MPs logical burden on people. or the ministers who are supposed to, by This is due to the fact that these mea- default, be keen about preserving the na- sures lack scientific merits and wisdom tional wealth, instead of exploiting any to preserve lives and public money. They loophole to achieve more forbidden gains also deviate from the sound measures tak- that continue to push the economy to the en by other countries in this regard. edge. The fact is that the economy contin- Unfortunately, the government is not ues to weaken as a result of the negative hearing or rather heeding to the agonizing impacts imposed by the pandemic glob- voices on the streets. It seems as if what ally, rendering the economy to shrink is being published, written and said in further. Various scandals and violations have regard to criticisms and advice are being blown into a torn bagpipe. In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, medical staff treat a girl who was injured in an Israeli missile strike, at a been exposed and are continued to be ex- hospital in the coastal province of Latakia, Syria, May 5. Syria’s state media said Israeli missiles struck locations in northwestern towns early posed daily through the press and social Is it to this extent that you take light Wednesday, killing one person and wounding six. (AP) media. In fact, journalists, activists and of the destinies of people? We appeal to experts expound on clarifying and refut- the compassionate political leadership to ing them, but as it appears, one ear of the settle this matter because the government executive authority is filled with clay and is apparently deaf, blind and dumb. KFH QI profi t surges 12.9% to KD 50mn the other with dough. Email: [email protected] The series of confusion and violations continue, as if someone is in a contest Follow me on: — Details Page 9 — with himself. The scope of the scandals continues to expand to involve all state institutions. This leads us to the question – How long will such unawareness of the [email protected] Queries on bank accounts Newswatch MP questions suspicious remittances By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh tions or individuals, date of opening the Arab Times Staff bank accounts, who is managing these ac- KUWAIT CITY: Kuwaiti astronomer Dr of 100. The scale ranks countries between counts, and if these accounts are subject Saleh Al-Ujairi said yesterday according zero, which is “highly corrupt,” and 100, KUWAIT CITY, May 6: MP Hassan to the rules of monitoring institutions. New virus cases to astronomical scientifi c standards, the for “very clean.” (AP) Jawhar asked Minister of Defense Sheikh National Assembly Speaker Marzouq fi rst days of Shawwal and Eid Al-Fitr this ❑ ❑ ❑ Hamad Jaber Al-Ali and to Minister of Al-Ghanim praised the speech of His year will be – God willing – Thursday, CAIRO: The US envoy for the Horn of Justice and Minister of State for Nazaha Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ah- May 13, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Africa on Wednesday met with the Egyp- Enhancement Abdullah Al-Rumi about mad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the occasion consistently high Al-Ujairi stated according to the as- tian president as part of Washington’s the rumors spread on social media and of the last 10 days of the holy month of tronomical calculations in Kuwait time new push to fi nd a resolution to a regional other media platforms that the Amiri Ramadan. the crescent on Tuesday, May 11, will be decade-long dispute over Ethiopia’s mas- Diwan sent a letter to the Judicial Com- Al-Ghanim said His Highness the KUWAIT CITY, May 6, (Agencies): Kuwait’s Ministry of born at 10:01 pm and the sun will set on sive dam on the Nile River’s main tribu- mittee at the Ministries Court stating HH Amir highlighted the most difficult chal- Health has announced recording 1,451 new coronavirus in- Wednesday, May 12 at 6.31 pm, while the tary.