National Celebrations Canceled As Coronavirus Reaches Kuwait
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RAJAB 1, 1441 AH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020 28 Pages Max 30º Min 18º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18070 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net NOTICE Kuwait Times will not be published from Wednesday, February 26, 2020 to Friday, February 28 due to the National Day and Liberation Day holidays. Our next issue will hit the newsstands on Sunday, March 1. However, readers can stay updated on breaking news and events on our digital media channels including our website www.kuwaittimes.net and on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. National celebrations canceled as coronavirus reaches Kuwait 3 cases detected among Iran returnees • Evacuees quarantined in hotel • MPs slam govt • MoCI sets facemask prices, bans export of medical supplies • Bahrain, Iraq and Oman also report first cases • Iran denies virus cover-up after claim of 50 deaths • WHO tells world to brace for ‘potential pandemic’ By B Izzak and A Saleh of the virus. Schools are off for three days, starting today, on the occasion of KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday reported the national holidays. its first three cases of novel coron- A large number of MPs strongly avirus among hundreds of people lashed at the government, claiming the returning from Iran, causing panic and ministry of health failed to take ade- triggering strong criticism of the gov- quate measures to combat the disease ernment. The ministry of health said a and blamed the health minister for bow- 53-year-old Kuwaiti man, a 61-year-old ing to political pressure by MPs to Saudi man, and a 21-year old bedoon allow a number of people who returned man had tested positive for the deadly from Iran to go home instead of keeping disease. They all had come from the them in quarantine. The lawmakers Shiite holy city of Mashhad. The Saudi called on the government to cancel all health ministry later announced that the celebrations and suspend schools for Saudi national will remain in Kuwait one month in a bid to prevent the dead- until he fully recovers. ly disease from spreading. The Kuwaiti Cabinet ordered the Thousands of Shiites from Kuwait cancelation of all celebrations of the and other Gulf states travel to Iran regu- National and Liberation Days today and larly to visit holy shrines. The coron- tomorrow, when thousands of Kuwaitis avirus cases could increase as hundreds and expats normally take to the Gulf of Kuwaitis who were brought back to Road every year. Ministries, companies the country aboard special flights from and even The Avenues mall all cancelled Iran are still quarantined inside a five- their planned celebrations on the occa- star hotel in Mangaf. Police with masks sion of the national and liberation days. stood guard outside the Al-Kout Hotel, KUWAIT: A picture taken yesterday shows a view of a hotel in Mangaf where Kuwaitis returning from Iran are quarantined and tested for the The government is contemplating to and no one from outside was allowed to coronavirus. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat suspend school next week as a precau- come close. tionary measure to prevent the spread Continued on Page 24 cent and the poverty rate over 15 percent, News in brief Qatar offers according to official figures. The kingdom reduced its diplomatic Calls to arrest Saudi rapper draw ire presence in Doha in June 2017 after Saudi 10,000 jobs Arabia and its allies Bahrain, the United RIYADH: Official calls to arrest a Saudi female rap- Arab Emirates and Egypt severed diplo- per who appeared in a music video have sparked an to Jordanians matic ties with Qatar, accusing it of sup- online backlash with many calling the move hypocrit- porting “terrorists” and of being too close ical as the kingdom invites Western women to per- AMMAN: Qatar’s ruler offered 10,000 to Iran. The Qatari amir, who arrived in form. In the video, the young rapper from Makkah, new jobs specifically for Jordanians dur- Jordan earlier Sunday, also pledged “$30 who identifies herself as Asayel Slay, praises what ing a two-day visit to Amman, Qatar million in assistance” to the kingdom’s she describes as bold women in Islam’s holiest city. News Agency said Sunday, a sign of military pension fund, QNA added. Wearing a headscarf and sunglasses, she describes warming relations between the two states. King Abdullah II and the amir discussed the women as “sugar candy” in the song titled Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani “regional crises and the need to find politi- “Mecca Girl”. But Makkah governor Khaled Al-Faisal announced the creation of “10,000 jobs cal solutions”, a statement from the royal has ordered the arrest of those behind the video, in Qatar for our Jordanian brothers, in palace said. The pair also discussed the saying in a statement on Twitter that it “offends the addition to the 10,000 jobs already need to support the Palestinians in obtain- customs and traditions” of local Saudis. The state- announced in August 2018”, state-run ing their rights, in particular to “a sover- ment sparked indignation on social media, with many QNA wrote on Twitter. Lacking in natural eign state... with east Jerusalem as its capi- tweeting their support under the hashtag “Mecca girl resources and reliant on foreign aid, tal”, the statement added. AMMAN: Jordanian King Abdullah II and Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani represents me”. — AFP Jordan’s unemployment rate is 18.5 per- Continued on Page 24 inspect an honor guard during a farewell ceremony yesterday. — AFP Omani cricketer banned for fixing came after months of rising tensions in his “Pact new alliance was taking shape. Turmoil in of Hope” coalition, which toppled a corruption- That coalition would reportedly have HONG KONG: Oman’s Yousuf Abdulrahim Al- mired government in 2018, and as some excluded Anwar, a former opposition icon who Balushi has been banned for seven years for match- maneuver to block the ascent of leader-in- was jailed for years on sodomy charges, dash- fixing, the International Cricket Council said yester- Malaysia as waiting Anwar Ibrahim. ing his hopes of finally becoming premier. With day. Balushi admitted the four charges against him, But there were calls for Mahathir, the world’s the fate of the government still uncertain yes- which stem from the men’s Twenty20 World Cup Mahathir quits oldest leader at 94, to stay in office from allies terday, Mahathir submitted his resignation to qualifiers held in the United Arab Emirates last year. who said he had quit in protest at a plot to form the king. The monarch accepted it, but appoint- The 29-year-old attempted to fix games and tried KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister a new government and keep Anwar from pow- ed him interim leader until a new premier is to enlist a teammate to help him, the ICC said. “This Mahathir Mohamad resigned yesterday in a er. The political drama began on Sunday when found, the chief secretary to the government is a very serious offence where a player attempted shock move as his alliance that came to power Anwar’s rivals from the ruling coalition and said. The appointment of all ministers was also but failed to get a teammate to engage in corrupt less than two years ago unraveled, but he was opposition politicians held a series of meetings revoked, he added. activity in high profile games and this is reflected in reappointed as interim leader by the king. It around Kuala Lumpur, stoking speculation a Continued on Page 24 Mahathir Mohamad the severity of the sentence,” said ICC integrity general manager Alex Marshall. “Without Mr Balushi’s admission of guilt and full cooperation In the world’s biggest cricket stadium throughout our investigation, the ban could have Trump hails in Modi’s home state of Gujarat in west- been significantly longer.” — AFP ern India, Trump heaped praise on the Indian rightwinger as an “exceptional Modi at huge leader, a great champion of India” in Weinstein convicted of rape front of a crowd of around 100,000. India rally “America loves India. America respects NEW YORK: Former movie producer Harvey India, and America will always be faithful Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape by AHMEDABAD, India: US President and loyal friends to the Indian people,” a New York jury yesterday and handcuffed in court, a Donald Trump got a rapturous and Trump told the ecstatic crowd, many in milestone verdict for the #MeToo movement that romantic welcome to India yesterday, Trump-emblazoned baseball caps. inspired women to go public with misconduct allega- addressing a huge rally and holding Name-checking Bollywood films and tions against powerful men. Once one of Hollywood’s hands with his wife at the Taj Mahal, in a Indian cricketers, Trump - with an eye on most influential producers, Weinstein, 67, was con- maiden official visit big on photo oppor- elections in November -paid tribute to the victed of sexually assaulting former production assis- tunities but short on concrete results. four-million-strong Indian-American dias- tant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a Casting a cloud over Prime Minister pora as “truly special people”. “President onetime aspiring actress, in 2013. Weinstein was Narendra Modi’s welcome however, a Trump’s visit opens a new chapter in our acquitted on the most serious charges that carried a policeman was killed in clashes in New relationship - a chapter that will document potential life sentence. Justice James Burke ordered Delhi over a contentious citizenship law the progress and prosperity of the people Weinstein to be held in custody and he was put in hours before the US president was due of America and India,” Modi said.