skiing soccer Page 14 Page 16 THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021 / RAJAB 4, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17614 16 PAGES 150 FILS SMART, ACCURATE ON 300 km ... IRAN LAUNCHES MISSILE TEHRAN, Feb 14, (KUNA): Iran has tested fired a 300-km-long range missile with high precision capacity, according to the official news agency, IRNA. SIX CASES ... ‘PAM IN COVID PANIC’ The missile is distinguished with high capacities with precision and intelligence, IRNA quoted the commander of the Ira- nian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari as saying on Sunday. He has affirmed that Iran is seeking to Kuwaitis top COVID-19 develop its arsenal of arms to be “smart and accurate.” Newswatch This Feb 10, 2021 image taken by the United Arab surge...no curfew yet Emirates’ ‘Amal’ or ‘Hope’ probe and released Feb 14, 2021, shows Mars. The Hope space probe KUWAIT CITY: With the continu- now circles the Red Planet. The picture, taken ous rise in the COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, shows sunlight just coming across MP session to deliberate on virus a daily basis, the Ministry of Health the surface of Mars. It shows Mars’ north pole, as has decided to suspend non-urgent well as Mars’ largest volcano, Olympus Mons.The and unimpeded surgeries in public probe swung into orbit around Mars on Tuesday in By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh The source affirmed that the Cabinet will not impose curfew in hospitals. a triumph for the Arab world’s first interplanetary Arab Times Staff and Agencies some areas now; indicating the highest percentage of corona-re- Director of Adan Hospital Dr. mission. Titled ‘EMM catches Olympus Mons at lated deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) confinement and corona in- Tariq Dashti revealed that the occu- Sunrise’, the picture was taken by the EXI digital pancy rate in the COVID-19 wards exploration camera, one of EMM’s three scientific KUWAIT CITY, Feb 14: No decision regarding fections are currently among citizens. Therefore, curfew will not has increased by more than 50 per- instruments. It is a multi-wavelength radiation tol- partial curfew will be issued this week, but it will be imposed in areas with high expatriate population, the source cent. erant camera that can take 12-megapixel images pointed out. He indicated that the previous and took the image from an altitude of around be discussed in the next Cabinet session, reports Al- The source stressed the need for everyone to strictly comply with the number of cases ranged between 25 25,000 km above the Martian surface. (AP) Qabas daily quoting a highly reliable source. health regulations and to expand the vaccination program in order to curb and 30, but it increased in the past few days to reach 50-57 cases. the spread of the virus; especially In a press statement, Dr Dashti as- after the insistence of many to sured that Kuwait is able to contain UAVs downed hold gatherings like parties and the increasing numbers of infections. weddings. He warned that the He said the clinical capacity of the PAM eyes amendments to labour law health situation is in a dangerous four COVID-19 wings is 114 beds, Battle rage in — Details Page 3 — curve and everyone must cooper- in addition to 18 intensive care beds. ate to get out of danger. Dr Dashti revealed the adoption Kuwait’s Ministry of Health of a plan to expand the wards at any central Yemen (MoH) registered on Sunday time, if the need arises. 798 additional COVID-19 cases Regarding the hospital’s medical SANAA, Feb 14, (Agencies): over a 24-hour span, increasing and technical personnel vaccination Heavy fighting between forces the total number of infections unit, Dr Dashti said, “The daily ca- of Yemen’s internationally rec- to 177,701, while five fatalities pacity of vaccination ranges from ognized government and Houthi were recorded, raising the death 100 to 150 people”. rebels raged again on Sunday, toll to 1,003. In the same context, Director of extending a week of violence in Plus, active cases amounted to Farwaniya Hospital, Dr Muham- the strategic province of Marib, 10,679 with 133 of them in inten- mad Al-Rashidi affi rmed that the Yemeni officials said. With doz- sive care units, MoH’s Spokes- occupancy rate of COVID-19 wards ens killed, the fighting has cast and intensive care units has in- man Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad told major doubt over UN-led efforts KUNA during the 104th regular creased by 30 percent during the past to restart negotiations to end ten days, which raises the alarm and press conference. years of civil war. Health authorities conducted warns of the need to take caution. The Iranian-backed rebels ear- ❑ ❑ ❑ 7,514 swab tests to a total of lier this month renewed their at- 1,667,920, which meant that 10.6 KUWAIT CITY: The total volume of tack on the oil-rich province, an percent of the swab tests per- consumer loans obtained by expatri- anti-Houthi stronghold held by formed in 24 hours were infec- ates in Kuwait amounted to about the internationally recognized tions, he revealed. KD 207 million as of December 31, government. But they faced stiff Dr. Al-Sanad urged everyone 2020, reports Al-Anba daily. resistance and have not made in kuwait to adhere to precau- According to offi cial data released progress amid heavy causalities tionary measures against the vi- by the Central Bank of Kuwait, the mostly from the Houthis, military rus and maintain social distanc- volume of resident loans represents officials from both sides said. about 13 percent of the total volume ing. Yemen’s war started in 2014, Earlier, the ministry confirmed of consumer loans granted by Ku- when the rebels seized the waiti banks, amounting to KD 1.6 765 fresh recovery cases, added capital, Sanaa, and much of the to a total of 166,019 cured people billion. It constitutes about 15 per- country’s north. A Saudi-led, cent of the total volume of consumer thus far. loans worth KD 1.4 billion granted US-backed intervened months to Kuwaiti citizens. later to dislodge the Houthis and Covid panic Thus, the volume of consumer restore the internationally recog- The rising number of corona loans granted to citizens is seven nized government. The conflict cases among employees in the times the volume of consumer loans has killed some 130,000 people Public Authority for Manpower granted to expatriates residing in Ku- and spawned the world’s worst (PAM) has become a nightmare wait. humanitarian disaster. for many of their colleagues amid It is worth mentioning that con- The rebels seek to wrestle complaints about the increase in sumer loans are medium-term per- control of Marib, closing off the number of employees and sonal loans that are provided either Saudi-Arabia’s southern border visitors in different departments to citizens or expatriates. They are and taking control of oil fields The Ottoman-era Mecidiye Mosque is backdropped by the ‘July 15th Martyrs’ Bridge,’ formerly known as Bosporus Bridge, as this raises fears of getting in- intended for the purpose of fi nancing in the province that would give fected with the virus, reports Al- personal needs of consumers and du- them leverage in possible peace over the Bosporus Strait, separating Europe, (left), and Asia, in Ortakoy Square in Istanbul, early, Feb 14. Heavy snowfalls blanketed the city, causing road accidents and halting traffic in Bosphorus. (AP) Qabas daily. rable goods or covering educational negotiations. Through its official accounts or treatment expenses. They are re- Alarmed by the Houthis’ re- paid in monthly installments within a on various social media web- newed push, the Saudi-led co- sites, PAM denied the allega- period not exceeding fi ve years. alition bombed their advancing Turnout up for vaccine ❑ ❑ ❑ tions that all of its employees convoys in the sprawling desert have resumed work and that it is ANKARA: Troops have found the around Marib. It also brought in not committed to health regula- bodies of 13 Turkish citizens abduct- ground enforcements from the tions including the exemption ed by Kurdish insurgents in a cave government-held provinces of of employees from reporting complex in northern Iraq, the Turk- Taiz and Shabwa, the officials for work if they have health or ish defense minister said Sunday. said. Here to stay ... in a zoo medical conditions. Despite the Hulusi Akar said 12 of the vic- Airstrikes denial, several employees ex- tims were shot in the head and one NEW DELHI, Feb 14, (AP): What if COVID-19 never goes by vaccines and natural infections and how long it lasts. pressed their fear of contracting died of a shoulder bullet wound. The Houthis’ media office away? “Are people going to be frequently subject to repeat infec- the virus due to the alleged in- They were discovered in the Gara re- reported Tuesday at least 10 air- Experts say it’s likely that some version of the disease will lin- tions? We don’t have enough data yet to know,” said Jeffrey crease in the number of staff re- gion near the Turkish border during strikes by the Saudi-led coalition an operation against the Kurdistan ger for years. But what it will look like in the future is less clear. Shaman, who studies viruses at Columbia University. Like many porting for work and the number in Marib, and two more airstrikes Will the coronavirus, which has already killed more than 2 researchers, he believes chances are slim that vaccines will con- of visitors.