RABIA ALAWWAL 17, 1442 AH TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020 16 Pages Max 35º Min 16º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18273 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Drought casts shadow over From hummus to high-tech: Israel Yemen’s ancient ‘Manhattan Steelers edge Ravens to stay 5 prime Morocco farming land 9 CEOs seek ‘friends’, deals in UAE 13 of the Desert’ risks collapse 16 perfect, best start since ’78 Amir hails contributions of Kuwait’s armed forces Defense ministry on the forefront of fight against COVID-19 KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf enhance the efficiency and capabilities Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yester- of the armed forces and enable them to day expressed great appreciation of carry out their sacred duty to protect the armed forces that are in a constant the homeland, “as they will always state of willingness to sacrifice their remain at the forefront of our priorities”. lives for the sake of Kuwait, its inde- Deputy Prime Minister and Defense pendence and sovereignty. The army Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Mansour has proven over the years that it is the Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah expressed his sin- nation’s protective shield against cere thanks and gratitude to HH the invaders and aggressors, so they Amir for this visit on behalf of employ- deserve the pride and love of the nation ees of the ministry of defense. “The and citizens, HH the Amir said during a ministry’s employees will continue to visit to the defense ministry’s Lt Gen pledge loyalty to this nation and to (retired) Ahmad Khaled Al-Sabah Hall. your leadership,” the minister said. HH the Amir also praised the army’s Since the launch of government recent contributions in implementing efforts under the current health condi- precautionary measures to combat the tions, the defense ministry has been spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as working round-the-clock and with the they are always the best help and sup- efforts of its employees to offer support port despite the risks of infection. The through the formation of forces and Kuwaiti army did not delay or hesitate specialized work teams working side in carrying out its national duty, Sheikh by side with various official bodies to Nawaf said. They participated actively ensure the implementation of govern- KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is received by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh in Arab defense battles in the Sinai and ment decisions and procedures as Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday during the Amir’s visit to the defense ministry’s Lt Gen (retired) Ahmad Khaled Al- Golan, he added. required, Sheikh Ahmad added. Sabah Hall. — KUNA HH the Amir reaffirmed keenness to Continued on Page 2 has been the speaker of the house since 2013, yester- News in brief Ghanem registers; day filed his nomination papers from the second con- stituency, and will certainly bid to retain his top post. Other MPs who registered yesterday were Omar Sheetan appoints Al-Tabtabaei from the second electoral district, Abdullah Al-Kandari from the third constituency and six new officials Faraj Al-Arbeed from the fourth constituency. Registration of candidates closes on Nov 4, while By B Izzak withdrawals will continue until seven days before elec- tion day. Only one candidate has withdrawn so far. The KUWAIT: Thirty-two candidates including three ministry of interior has banned election gatherings and women registered yesterday to contest the Dec 5 erecting tents by candidates because of the coron- KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al- National Assembly elections, raising the total number avirus pandemic as the country continues to record a Ghanem files his candidacy at the election depart- ‘Baby Shark’ most-watched video of candidates with just two days left for registration to high number of new cases. ment yesterday. — KUNA 333, including 28 women. Marzouq Al-Ghanem, who Continued on Page 2 SEOUL: The wildly infectious and relentlessly repetitive children’s song “Baby Shark” became behind growing layers of fortifications since a sum- the most-watched YouTube video yesterday. The Fears of chaos, mer of anti-racism protests. While the Trump South Korea-produced “Baby Shark Dance” administration warned of leftwing extremists caus- clocked up over seven billion views on YouTube ing havoc, the president’s supporters made their at around 0400 GMT yesterday, dethroning Luis rigging on eve own show of force, driving in caravans of flag- Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” as the bedecked pick-up trucks and blocking roads most-watched video on the platform. — AFP of US election around the country. The FBI said it was investigating an incident in WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Texas where Trump supporters in trucks swarmed Democrat Joe Biden fought yesterday through the eve around a Biden campaign bus while it was on a of an election threatened by legal chaos and fears of highway. Today is formally Election Day, but in real- violence after Trump, down in the polls and with only ity it marks only the culmination of a drawn-out hours to go, pushed hard to discredit the US voting election month. With a huge expansion in mail-in Joe Biden Donald Trump process. Today, the world will witness a country more voting to safeguard against the COVID-19 pandem- divided and angry than at any time since the Vietnam ic, more than 95 million people are estimated to nationalist policies, coarse manners and alleged War era of the 1970s. have already cast ballots, highlighting the raw pas- corruption have strained the United States to All over central Washington, businesses boarded sion in what is turning into a referendum on the breaking point. And the other half - evidenced in up windows in expectation of unrest and NBC norm-shattering Republican’s first term. the raucous Trump rallies and chants of “we love News reported that a new “unscalable” fence was After four rollercoaster years, about half the you” - sees in him a unique champion battling Whale tail saves Dutch train planned around the White House, which has been Continued on Page 2 country sees Trump, 74, as a historic threat whose SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands: A runaway Dutch metro train was saved from disaster yes- terday after it smashed through a stop barrier Local media showed a video of a little but then came to rest on a giant sculpture of a Two children girl wrapped up in a foil blanket quickly whale’s tail. The driver of the train, which had taken to safety in the coastal town of no passengers on board, was unharmed in the rescued days Bayrakli - the hardest hit by the disaster fluke incident. In a twist of fate, the fortuitously - as rescue workers broke into applause. positioned artwork is called “Saved by the Hours later, Turkish state television Whale’s Tail”. — AFP after quake showed images of the girl, her right eye closed by a purple bruise, waving to the BAYRAKLI, Turkey: Rescuers pulled camera from her hospital bed, a doll COVID immunity for 6 months? two children from the rubble in a town in resting on her chest. Turkey yesterday, delivering hope nearly Muammer Celik, a fireman who found LONDON: A small but key UK study has found three days after a major earthquake hit and saved Elif, told AFP he thought the that “cellular immunity” to the pandemic SARS- the Aegean, killing 93 people and ruin- toddler was dead when he saw her lying CoV-2 virus is present after six months in people ing dozens of buildings. Three-year-old on her back, covered by white dust. “I who had mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 - sug- Elif Perincek was rescued 65 hours after asked for a body bag. I wanted to wipe gesting they might have some level of protection for the 7.0-magnitude quake left a trail of the dust from her face and put out my at least that time. Scientists presenting the findings, destruction in western Turkey and east- hand towards her - and then suddenly IZMIR, Turkey: A handout picture shows Elif Perincek, a three-year-old sur- said they were “reassuring” but did not mean people ern Greece on Friday, Turkey’s AFAD she grabbed my thumb,” he recalled. vivor, holding the thumb of a rescue worker as she is carried out of a col- cannot in rare cases be infected twice. — Reuters emergency authority said. Continued on Page 2 lapsed building yesterday. — AFP 2 Established 1961 Tuesday, November 3, 2020 Local Kuwait’s Amir visits Defense Ministry KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited yesterday the Defense Ministry’s Lt Gen (retired) Ahmad Khaled Al-Sabah Hall, where he met with top ministry officials and senior army commanders. people were injured and more than 150 were still ally is more than double that of Hillary Clinton going Two children in hospital. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca Biden leading, but into the 2016 election, when the polls were relatively tweeted that 10 of the wounded were in intensive accurate concerning the popular vote, which she won care, including three in a critical condition. Two while losing in the Electoral College. rescued days... teenagers were also killed on their way home from battlegrounds tight In Florida, Biden has a one-point lead over Trump, school on the Greek island of Samos, near the epi- according to the RCP average of state polls. A Siena Continued from Page 1 centre of the quake. WASHINGTON: Democrat Joe Biden leads in the College/New York Times poll has Biden up by three Racing against time, rescue workers were national polls and most of the battleground states points in the Sunshine State but a Washington “We froze.