NEW YORK: Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, held a series of high-level meetings on Monday at the Kuwait Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York with leading figures from international finance and technology sectors.

His Highness met with Wigney Johnson, CEO and President of Franklin Templeton Investments, and members of the US Chamber of Commerce, including Khush Choksy, Senior Vice President for International Development and Senior Vice President for the Middle East and Turkey; Steve Lutes, Vice President for the Middle East; Quan Coulter, Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs at State Street Corporation; and Teresa Carlson, Founding President and CEO of the General Catalyst Institute. Additional meetings included Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft, and Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google.

His Highness the Crown Prince receives members of the American Chamber of Commerce.

HH the Crown Princemeets with Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft.

HH the Crown Prince receives Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google.

His Highness the Crown Prince received on President of Slovenia Natasa Birke-Musar on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly at the headquarters of Kuwait’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.

His Highness the Crown Prince and Liberian President Joseph Boakai hold talks.

His Highness the Crown Prince receives President of Somalia Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

His Highness the Crown Prince met on Monday with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

His Highness the Crown Prince met on Monday with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Week at the UN headquarters in New York.

His Highness the Crown Prince holds talks with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

During the discussions, His Highness conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir and emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to enhancing the presence of international companies in the country. He highlighted the role of such partnerships in expanding the investment base, diversifying the national economy, and opening new avenues for cooperation. His Highness stressed the importance of leveraging the advanced expertise of these companies to develop young Kuwaiti talents through knowledge transfer and modern technology, equipping them with the practical and scientific skills needed to contribute effectively across vital sectors and shape the nation’s future.

The meetings also covered the latest developments in the work of companies in Kuwait, global economic trends, and ways to strengthen joint cooperation to advance mutual interests. The meetings were attended by His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Director General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority Sheikh Dr Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs at the Amiri Diwan Mazen Issa Al-Essa, Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikha Al-Zain Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, and Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the UN Ambassador Tariq Mohammed Al-Bannai.- KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s criminal court on Wednesday sentenced a Filipino domestic helper to death for murdering an 18-month Kuwaiti baby by placing him in a washing machine. The case will now go to the court of appeals and the court of cassation, the country’s top court whose rulings are final. The crime took place in the last week of December last year at her employer’s residence in Sabah Al-Salem.

Local media reported at the time that the maid confessed to the murder, saying the baby was “annoying” her. The parents rushed to the rescue of their son upon hearing his screams and found him in the washing machine in a bad condition. They immediately rushed him to the nearby Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival from serious injuries sustained from the washing machine.

At the time of the incident, the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) extended its sincere condolences to the child’s family and the Kuwaiti government. DMW also insisted the incident was an “isolated case”. “We humbly provide the assurance that this tragic incident is isolated and does not represent the values of Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers who are known for their caring nature, professionalism, dedication and hard work” DMW said in the statement.

Before issuing the verdict, the court ordered the maid to undergo a psychological test, which showed that her mental health was good. Over 220,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, the fifth largest foreign community, many of whom work as domestic helpers. Meanwhile, the court of appeals on Wednesday upheld a life term against a Kuwaiti and 15-year sentences against an Iranian woman and two Egyptians for attempting to smuggle 58 kg of hashish. Kuwaiti coastguards seized the boat and the suspects attempting to smuggle the drugs into Kuwait by sea from Iran.

KUWAIT: Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub on Tuesday underscored the importance of the recent wave of international recognitions of the State of Palestine, while stressing that true progress requires concrete measures to hold Zionist entity accountable. “Well, I think that this is a very important step coming from such powerful countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Portugal – and for us, all countries who recognize Palestine, even the smaller ones, mean a lot for us,” Tahboub told Kuwait Times.

“Yet, we are looking forward to much more implementations on the ground, to impose sanctions over (Zionist entity) so as to put pressure on (Zionist entity) to stop this ongoing genocide against our people, particularly in Gaza and also in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.” Tahboub emphasized that the recognitions by major Western powers carry not only symbolic but also legal weight. “The Palestinian flag is now raised high in London, Paris, Canada, and Australia. This is no longer a matter of formality – it is legal. The State of Palestine will now enjoy the rights of other states in international relations,” he said.

Palestinian Ambassador Rami Tahboub

He credited the wave of recognitions to sustained diplomatic efforts by Palestinian leadership, alongside strong support from Arab allies. “All these recognitions came out of the big efforts by Palestinian diplomacy and leadership, in addition to the great support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which led the coalition for the two-state solution together with the Republic of France,” Tahboub explained. He also praised Jordan and Egypt for their firm stance against Zionist policies, particularly attempts to displace Palestinians.

The ambassador stressed that a unified Arab position has strengthened international momentum toward a two-state solution. “I do believe that this is the first step on the track towards returning the rights of the Palestinian people in order to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. Tahboub also highlighted shifting political currents in the United States, where for the first time in modern history, a visible divide has emerged in Congress over recognition of Palestine. “There are members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate working toward US recognition of the two-state solution – something that never happened before.