cricket THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT markets Page 14 Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com Page 9 TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2021 / JUMADA AL AWWAL 21, 1442 AH emergency number 112 NO. 17579 16 PAGES 150 FILS Saudi to lift Qatar embargo, open airspace Sisi hails Kuwait KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4, (Agen- cies): Kuwait’s foreign ministry on Monday announced that Saudi Iran ups enrichment in return Arabia will lift a years-long em- bargo on Qatar, opening its air and land borders in the first steps toward ending the Gulf crisis. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the announce- ment, saying that Saudi Arabia would open its airspace, land and to brinkmanship, seizes tanker sea borders starting Monday eve- ning. Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and four Arab states that launched an embargo in mid-2017 over Qatar’s support for Islamist groups in the region and its warm ties with Iran. The announcement comes on the eve of a summit of Gulf Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia on Tues- day that will be chaired by Saudi King Salman. Qatar’s ruler is now expected to attend the sum- mit for the first time since the embargo. The decision by the close US allies comes in the final days of the Trump administration’s time in office, and just ahead of the incoming President-elect Joe Biden. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah is scheduled to depart Kuwait tomorrow (Tuesday) to Saudi Arabia to head the State of Kuwait delegation partaking in the 41st GCC summit due in the governorate of Al-Ula. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fat- tah el-Sisi reiterated the Egyptian policy constants aiming to main- tain Arab solidarity, in response to the Kuwaiti efforts to resolve the Gulf Crisis between the Arab quartet and Qatar, egypttoday. com reports. Sisi’s remarks came as he received on Saturday Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, who carried a message from HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The message has displayed In this photo released on Jan 4, by Tasnim News Agency, a seized South Korean-flagged tanker is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats on the Arabian Gulf. Iranian state television ac- the latest developments related knowledged that Tehran seized the oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The report on Monday alleged the MT Hankuk Chemi had been stopped by Iranian authorities over alleged ‘oil pollution’ in the to the Kuwaiti efforts in unifying Arabian Gulf and the strait. (AP) the Arab ranks through achieving reconciliation between the Arab quartet, consisting of Egypt, Seoul ... silent Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE Kuwait logs 269 new cases and Qatar. Newswatch This comes more than three DUBAI, Jan 4, (AP): san Rouhani had given the order years after the quartet decided to begin the production. It came Chronics on COVID priority list to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, Iran began enriching after its parliament passed a bill, KUWAIT CITY: The Directorate General to pressurize Doha to end its al- uranium Monday to later approved by a constitutional of Public Relations and Security Media De- leged finance to terrorist groups. KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4, (Agencies): Kuwait’s levels unseen since its watchdog, aimed at increasing partment of the Interior Ministry stated as of health ministry said on Sunday that people with “Concerning the reconciliation enrichment to pressure Europe Jan 1, 2021, the renewal of residence per- efforts, Mr President (El-Sisi) 2015 nuclear deal with chronic diseases and special needs should be pri- into providing sanctions relief. mits online (https://eres.moi.gov.kw/indi- Trump told oritized as a mass inoculation campaign against has expressed appreciation and world powers and also Iran’s decision to begin en- vidual/ar/auth/login) is limited to domestic support to the Kuwaiti sincere Covid-19 continues, with health workers and the riching to 20% purity a decade workers who come under Article 20 of the efforts stemming from good in- seized a South Korean- law governing the issue of Kuwait visas and elderly already at the front of the line. tentions over the past years to ago nearly triggered an Israeli The shots would be administered on a “prior- flagged tanker near the strike targeting its nuclear fa- which operates 24/7, reports Al-Anba daily. to back off achieve the desired reconcilia- crucial Strait of Hor- The daily quoting Interior Ministry sourc- ity basis” through online pre-registration, inevi- tion,” Presidential spokesman cilities, tensions that only abated es said a counter will be allocated for the WASHINGTON, Jan 4, (AP): In tably leading to a vaccine rollout to the wider Bassam Radi said, after Sisi’s muz, a double-barreled with the 2015 atomic deal, which elderly and people with special needs inside an extraordinary rebuke of Presi- population, which is in line with the ministry’s meeting with the Kuwaiti foreign challenge to the West saw Iran limit its enrichment in the service centers. dent Donald Trump, all 10 living efforts to safeguard public health, it said in a minister. exchange for the lifting of eco- This comes as part of the security estab- former secretaries of defense are statement. that further raised nomic sanctions. lishment’s keenness to facilitate the citizens cautioning against any move to The measure also aims to protect the most ex- Initiated Mideast tensions. A resumption of 20% enrich- and in implementation of the security strat- involve the military in pursuing posed groups and those higher at risk of devel- Sisi praised the Kuwaiti efforts Both decisions appeared ment could see that brinkman- egy developed by switching to electronic claims of election fraud, arguing oping COVID-19 complications, added the state- in this regard, initiated by late aimed at increasing Tehran’s ship return. Already, a Novem- services, in order to save time and effort and that it would take the country into ment. Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad ber attack that Tehran blames on speed the completion of transactions. “dangerous, unlawful and uncon- The Ministry of Health said Sunday that 269 leverage in the waning days Israel killed an Iranian scientist ❑ ❑ ❑ Al-Jaber Al Sabah and resumed in office for President Don- stitutional territory.” coronavirus cases were confirmed over the past 24 by the current Amir, Sheikh who founded the country’s mili- KUWAIT CITY: His Highness the Amir The 10 men, both Democrats hours, raising Kuwait’s caseload to 151,343. ald Trump, whose unilateral tary nuclear program two de- and Republicans, signed on to The death toll remained unchanged at 937, the Nawaf. withdrawal from the atomic Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sa- He also hailed the role played cades earlier. bah has addressed a cable of condolences to an opinion article published Sun- Ministry’s spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad by the Saudi Arabia during the accord in 2018 began a series From Israel, which has its Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King day in The Washington Post that told KUNA. crisis on behalf of the quartet. of escalating incidents. own undeclared nuclear weapons Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on the de- implicitly questioned Trump’s The number of Covid-19 patients receiving “His excellency (the presi- Increasing enrichment at its program, Prime Minister Benja- mise of Prince Khaled bin Faisal bin Saad willingness to follow his Con- care at hospitals stands at 3,135, including 53 ICU dent) has affirmed the constants underground Fordo facility puts min Netanyahu criticized Iran’s Al-Awal bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud. stitutional duty to peacefully occupants, he said. of the Egyptian policy to achieve Tehran a technical step away from enrichment decision, saying it His Highness the Amir prayed for soul of relinquish power on Jan. 20. Fol- As many as 4,712 swab tests were conducted cooperation and development weapons-grade levels of 90%, “cannot be explained in any way the deceased and wished his family patience lowing the Nov. 3 election and over the last 24 hours, taking the overall tests and support Arab solidarity as a while also pressuring President- other than the continuation of re- and endurance. subsequent recounts in some 1266,950, Dr. Al-Sanad added. solid strategic approach,” Radi elect Joe Biden to quickly nego- alizing its goal to develop a mili- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh states, as well as unsuccessful Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Directorate General of said. tiate. Iran’s seizure of the MT tary nuclear program.” Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah court challenges, the outcome is Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to suspend the Hankuk Chemi comes as a South “Israel will not allow Iran to also sent a cable of consolation to the Saudi clear, they wrote, while not spec- flights to and from the United Kingdom as from Sisi also affirmed the impor- monarch on the death of Prince Khaled bin tance of sticking to sincere inten- Korean diplomat was due to travel manufacture a nuclear weapon,” ifying Trump in the article. 4:00 am. Wednesday, January 6, until further no- to the Islamic Republic to discuss he added. Faisal. (KUNA) “The time for questioning the tions to achieve the mutual inter- ❑ ❑ ❑ tice. est and well as solidarity to ward the release of billions of dollars in Tehran has long maintained its results has passed; the time for The decision will be revised later on in view off dangers from the rest of the Iranian assets now frozen in Seoul. nuclear program is peaceful. The BEIRUT: Elias Rahbani, a Lebanese compos- the formal counting of the elec- of the recommendations of the Kuwaiti health au- Arab nation and preserve its na- Calls to South Korea’s For- U.S.