SAFAR 2, 1443 AH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 16 Pages Max 46º Min 32º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18528 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Speaker calls to form panel Russian minister dies Jordan donkey milk Age-defying Brady eyes NFL 3 to tackle social media misuse 6 trying to save filmmaker 12 soap soaks up fans 16 encore as season kicks off US reaffirms support for Kuwait’s security, stability Qatar says Taleban show ‘pragmatism’ • Washington seeks common ground KUWAIT: Visiting US Secretary of Defense Lloyd imacy from the world, after talks with allies on how Austin reaffirmed yesterday the United States’ sup- to present a united front to the hardline new gov- portive position for the security and stability of ernment in Afghanistan. “The Taleban seek interna- Kuwait. During a meeting with HH the Amir Sheikh tional legitimacy. Any legitimacy - any support - will Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Austin con- have to be earned,” Blinken told reporters at the US veyed appreciation by US President Joe Biden, air base in Ramstein, Germany, after leading a 20- expressing his country’s gratitude for Kuwait’s nation ministerial meeting on the Afghan crisis. cooperation in Washington’s evacuation process in Standing alongside him, German Foreign Minister Afghanistan while facilitating the transit of evacuees Heiko Maas said the international community expect- through its airport, KUNA said. ed the Taleban to uphold human rights, including Austin stressed the US’ firm and supportive those of women, grant access to humanitarian aid position for the security and stability of Kuwait, and allow those wishing to leave the country to do KUNA added. HH the Amir conveyed his apprecia- so. Maas said he believed yesterday’s talks were “the tion to US President Biden, wishing him everlasting starting point for international coordination” on how health and wellbeing and for his country further to deal with the Taleban. Among the countries that development and progress. During the meeting, the participated in the virtual meeting were European two sides reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral allies and historic Taleban backer Pakistan. relations and enhance cooperation in various fields. Blinken and Maas both criticized the caretaker The two sides also addressed top issues of common government announced in Afghanistan on Tuesday, interest and the latest developments in the region. which has no women or non-Taleban members and On Aug 24, Alina L Romanowski, the US includes an interior minister the United States wants ambassador to Kuwait, said the first flight of to arrest on terrorism accusations. Blinken said the Afghans evacuated from Afghanistan on their way caretaker cabinet would be judged “by its actions”, to the United States arrived in Kuwait for transit. while his German counterpart added he was “not “These Afghans at risk have been safely evacuated optimistic”. US officials have stressed that any offi- to a coalition military facility in Kuwait,” the ambas- cial recognition of a Taleban government is far off. sador had said on Twitter. Blinken’s stop in Ramstein was his second base visit KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives US Secretary of Defense Lloyd US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in as many days, after he visited Qatar on Tuesday. Austin at Bayan Palace yesterday. — AFP yesterday that the Taleban would have to earn legit- Continued on Page 2 Muhannad Al-Sayer said in the bill that TEC has ties and develop them. News in brief Five MPs call to reached a stage where it cannot perform the tasks it Meanwhile, the civil aviation authority yesterday had been established for several decades ago. called on all arriving passengers to install the Saudi security chief sacked liquidate Touristic They said TEC has been unable to cope with the Shlonik application, which is used to monitor those changes in the entertainment industry. They added who are under quarantine. The authority reminded RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has dis- Kuwait currently has a dearth of essential entertain- arrivals to carry a vaccination certificate of vaccines missed the director of public security, Khalid bin Enterprises Co ment projects although almost half of its native approved in Kuwait - Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca Qarar Al-Harbi, ordering his investigation on population is under 20 years of age, who need and Johnson & Johnson. By B Izzak entertainment the most. The certificate should have a QR code that can corruption charges. Harbi - along with 18 others The bill calls on the Kuwait Investment Authority, be read electronically. In case there is no QR Code, in both the private and public sectors - has been KUWAIT: Five lawmakers yesterday submitted a which owns TEC on behalf of the state, to dissolve the certificate must be uploaded to the ministry of accused of embezzling public money, forgery, draft law calling on the government to liquidate the the company within six months because it can no health website for verification. Kuwaiti authorities bribery and abuse of influence. The kingdom troubled state-owned Touristic Enterprises Co longer achieve its purposes. It also calls for offering have also allowed expats who have been vaccinated announced Tuesday night it has uncovered more (TEC) and replace it with various entertainment existing touristic facilities for investment under the with Chinese and Russian vaccines to enter the than dozen cases of corruption in recent months projects. MPs Hasan Jowhar, Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf, private-public partnership (PPP) system, where pri- country, provided they get a third dose of one of for sums worth 290 million riyals. — AFP Abdullah Al-Mudhaf, Hamad Rouh El-Din and vate investors can manage the entertainment facili- the four approved vaccines. 78 killed in Yemen clashes Egypt, Jordan, Syria agree DUBAI: Nearly 80 Yemen rebels and pro-gov- 2 workers killed, one rescued ernment troops have been killed as fighting intensifies for the northern city of Marib, officials energy plan for Lebanon after collapse at airport site said yesterday. Scores of rebels were killed in airstrikes after they renewed their attempt to AMMAN: Energy ministers from electricity lines during the decade of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon yes- civil war in Syria means that energy capture the strategic city, the internationally rec- terday agreed a plan to bring gas and supplies cannot start flowing before ognized government’s last outpost in the north, electricity to crisis-hit Lebanon at a repairs are carried out. In the push to according to loyalists. —AFP (See Page 5) meeting in Amman. Egypt’s Minister of help revive the stricken Lebanese Oil and Mines Tarek Al-Molla said that economy, the US has given rare Saudi lifts ban on UAE travel his country would “be ready to transfer approval for the Arab neighbors to gas (to Lebanon) as soon as possible” escape punishment under sanctions RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said yesterday it was via the transnational Arab Gas Pipeline. targeting the Syrian regime. Continued on Page 2 lifting a ban on travel to three countries after But damage to the pipeline and imposing the restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19. The kingdom will reopen its land, sea and air ports to the UAE, South Africa and Argentina. Riyadh’s decision to lift the ban came KUWAIT: Rescuers work to extract three workers buried in sand at the hours after a phone call between Saudi Crown Kuwait airport construction site yesterday. — KUNA Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. — AFP KUWAIT: Two workers were killed The committee, which includes while firefighters and rescue teams representatives from Kuwait managed to rescue a third at Kuwait University and the Kuwait Newborns switched in ‘error’ International Airport’s Terminal 2 Municipality, will look into the reasons construction site after they were behind the incident and the extent of MADRID: A 19-year-old woman is seeking mil- engulfed by sand for about four adherence to safety standards, the lions of euros in damages after it emerged that hours, according to the Kuwait Fire minister said in a statement. Fares, also she was accidentally swapped with another Force. Minister of Public Works Rana State Minister for Communications newborn at a Spanish hospital nearly two Al-Fares said a committee will con- and IT, said all the parties involved decades ago. The babies were mixed up in 2002 duct an “immediate and impartial have not been allowed to leave the after they were born five hours apart and placed AMMAN: (From left) Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek Al- investigation” after the three con- premises until the probe is complete, in incubators at the San Millan de Logrono in Molla, Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati, Lebanon’s struction workers were buried under underlining that those found culpable northern Spain, due to a “one-off human error”, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar and Syria’s Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources sand after a collapse. would face legal measures. — KUNA regional health authorities said. — AFP Bassam Tohme hold a joint press conference yesterday. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Local Thursday, September 9, 2021 Kuwait’s Amir receives Prime Minister KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday. Meanwhile, His Highness the Prime Minister met at Bayan Palace yesterday with the new Qatari Ambassador to Kuwait Ali bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud. — KUNA photos Prime Minister receives US Defense Secretary KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, in the presence of Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al- Sabah, received yesterday at Bayan Palace the visit- ing US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his accompanying delegation.