Second Amnesty in 2020 for Illegals to Legalize Their Stay
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RABIA ALTHANI 10, 1442 AH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 16 Pages Max 24º Min 12º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18292 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net A look at Kuwaiti political Bitcoin climbs to all-time Uphill battle, but Tehran aims Rams use air assault 3 groupings contesting polls 8 high after topping $19,000 12 to become bicycle-friendly 16 to sink Buccaneers Second amnesty in 2020 for illegals to legalize their stay Appeals court jails colonel, 7 expats for human trafficking By B Izzak Kuwait to get COVID KUWAIT: The interior ministry yesterday announced a one- month amnesty for expats living illegally in the country, offering them an opportunity to legalize their stay or leave the country vaccine by end of 2020 after paying fines. The ministry also asked all expats living in the KUWAIT: The health ministry country on temporary visas, which have been automatically announced yesterday the arrival of extended until Nov 30, to legalize their stay in the country by the BNT162 COVID-19 vaccine by obtaining residency or leave Kuwait before Nov 30. the end of this year, while usage will This is the second amnesty offered by the interior ministry to be subject to approval of local regu- illegal expats, estimated at around 150,000 people. In the first latory authorities. In a statement, amnesty a few months ago, illegals were allowed to leave the Assistant Undersecretary for country without paying fines and with a free air ticket. Authorities Medicines and Medical Supplies Dr said around 30,000 expats of various nationalities benefited from Abdullah Al-Bader said an agreement the amnesty. was reached with Pfizer and agreement have not been disclosed. The latest amnesty applies to expats who have been living ille- BioNTech, which developed the vac- The ministry has taken all measures gally in the country before Jan 1, 2020. The decision by the interi- cine, to supply the vaccine to Kuwait. to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or ministry states that illegal expats desiring to legalize their stay Based on the ministry’s request, and store it at the ministry’s facilities in the country should visit the residency affairs department the vaccine will arrive by the end of at a temperature of -70 degrees between Dec 1 and 31 and pay the required fines. The residency 2020 and during 2021 after comple- Celsius, he added. This agreement will be granted based on regulations and conditions. tion of clinical tests and necessary falls under the global commitment of Illegal expats who wish to leave the country should visit the approvals from local regulatory Pfizer and BioNTech to confront the residency department and pay the required fines. They will then authorities, Bader said, pointing out global COVID-19 crisis, Bader said. be granted a certain period to leave the country and will be that the financial details of this Continued on Page 2 allowed to return to Kuwait. Continued on Page 2 vote in parliamentary elections for the first time, and former MP Bader Al-Dahoum, Salah Al-Hashem and News in brief Govt eyes overseas increase candidate registration fees from KD 50 to Hani Hussein. The interior ministry commission had KD 500. The Municipality said yesterday that it will disqualified 34 candidates and barred them from Sputnik vaccine 95% effective impose fines between KD 1,000 and KD 3,000 on contesting the election for receiving final court ver- voting, poll body; candidates violating advertising regulations. dicts on financial and political offences. A number of MOSCOW: Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus Meanwhile, the appeals court yesterday con- them challenged the decision before the court. vaccine is 95 percent effective according to a 6 hopefuls barred firmed the disqualification of six candidates from The government also settled a controversy over second interim analysis of clinical trial data, its contesting next month’s general polls but upheld a whether voters infected with coronavirus should be developers said yesterday. The two-dose vac- By B Izzak ruling to cancel the barring of three other candi- vallowed to vote or not, saying such patients have cine will be available on international markets dates. The court also overturned a ruling by the the right to vote but under strict health measures. for less than $10 per dose, they said, and will be KUWAIT: The government has sent to the National lower court to disqualify candidate Ladia Al- The government said that the legal and fatwa free for Russian citizens. It can be stored at Assembly major amendments to the election law Othman and allowed her to run in the election. department, the government’s legal body, pointed between two and eight degrees Celsius, they including an amendment calling for the establish- The court however set tomorrow’s date to issue out that exercising the right to vote is the constitu- said, instead of the temperatures below freezing ment of a National Election Commission to super- its verdict on five other candidates whose disqualifi- tional right of eligible voters, so preventive measures required for some other vaccines. — AFP vise the entire election process. The amendments cation by the interior ministry commission was con- should be taken to allow coronavirus patients to cast also stipulate to allow Kuwaitis living abroad to firmed by the lower court. These candidates include their ballots. Musk second wealthiest person The latest strike, which underscores NEW YORK: Elon Musk, the charismatic chief Houthi strike the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s oil of electric automaker Tesla, has overtaken Bill infrastructure, comes just over a year Gates to become the world’s second richest per- after aerial assaults on two other son, according to the Bloomberg list of billion- tears hole in Aramco facilities temporarily knocked aires. The South African-born Musk, 49, added out half of the kingdom’s crude produc- $7.2 billion in wealth on Monday alone following Aramco tank tion. Aramco granted foreign media rare Tesla’s latest surge. He now has an estimated access to the Jeddah distribution facility $128 billion. Now the only person he stands JEDDAH: Saudi Aramco said yesterday where damage to the storage tank was behind is Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, that a strike by Yemeni rebels on its visible a day after the attack, with the whose wealth is estimated at $182 billion. — AFP plant in Jeddah tore a hole in an oil tank, top rim fire-blackened and railings triggering an explosion and fire in above buckled from the heat. another assault on the kingdom’s ener- The roof of the tank suffered “major French users sue prayer app gy infrastructure. The Iran-backed damage”, with a hole measuring two Houthi rebels said they struck the facili- square meters, said Abdullah Al- PARIS: French users of a Muslim prayer app ty in the Red Sea city on Monday with a Ghamdi, manager of the North Jeddah accused of selling data that ended up with the Quds-2 missile, as they step up attacks Bulk Plant. “It was a big fire; it was a big US army are suing the company. Former sub- in retaliation for a five-year military explosion,” Ghamdi said, adding the JEDDAH: A manager at a Saudi Aramco oil facility gestures while standing near a scribers to the Muslim Pro app, which claims to campaign led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Continued on Page 2 damaged oil tank at the plant yesterday. — AFP have 95 million users around the world, filed the complaint after media reports accused the group of having shared its data with companies Monday that it would formally recog- connected to the US army. The lawsuit accuses Biden building nize Biden’s transition came after the company of data protection offences, abuse weeks of the president falsely claim- of trust, endangering other people’s lives and ing that the Nov 3 election had been conspiracy to commit murder. — AFP team; Trump marred by widespread voter fraud. Trump, in a post on Twitter, offered Netanyahu to visit Bahrain soon OKs transition support for the move. Critics have said the president’s refusal to accept JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin WILMINGTON, Delaware: US the results undermined US democracy Netanyahu said yesterday he will visit Bahrain President-elect Joe Biden yesterday and undercut the next administration’s “soon” at the invitation of the Gulf state’s Crown began a new phase in his transition to ability to fight the novel coronavirus. Prince Salman Al-Khalifa. “We are both excited to the White House after the Trump While Trump stopped short of con- bring the fruits of peace to our people and coun- administration gave the Democrat ceding, it was the closest he has come tries in such a short time. That’s why he invited me access to critical resources that will to acknowledging that it is time to WASHINGTON: This combination of pictures shows (from left) Linda Thomas- to come soon for a formal visit in Bahrain and I will enable him to take the reins of power hand over power to Biden, who will Greenfield, Avril Haines, Antony J Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas and John Kerry, do this happily,” Netanyahu said. — Reuters in January. The General Services take office on Jan 20. Administration’s announcement on Continued on Page 2 nominated by US President-elect Joe Biden for his cabinet. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Local Khashti: Zain Innovation Center (ZINC) one of Kuwait’s leading incubators for entrepreneurs During company’s participation at ICICEE 2020 KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider ideas or a vision to create our future, then, in this in Kuwait, took part in the International virtual case, we must contribute to spreading the culture of Conference on Innovation, Creativity, and innovation within the business world”.