SHAABAN 10, 1442 AH TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021 16 Pages Max 34º Min 16º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18390 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Political crisis brews over Turkish lira, stocks sink Time stands still at Olympics overseas fan 3 Dahoum’s membership 8 after top banker fired 13 Cairo watch shop 16 ban hits Japan tourism Restaurants can deliver till 10 pm; curfew eased slightly Walking allowed till 8 pm • Vaccinated arrivals exempt from hotel quarantine By B Izzak remain in their areas and do not use vehicles. The from hotel quarantine, the Cabinet said. Expats who vide loans at reduced interest to businessmen Cabinet also replaced hotel quarantine with home have valid residencies in Kuwait continue to be harmed by the pandemic, provided the loans are KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday slightly eased quarantine for travelers who have been vaccinated. barred from entering the country since a ban was used to support the companies’ operations like pay- the nightly curfew to 11 hours and exempted vacci- Travelers who have taken two doses of the vaccine placed on Feb 7. Only foreign diplomats and med- ment of salaries. nated travelers from institutional quarantine. In a at least two weeks ago or those who took just one ical staff and their families are exempted from the The loans must be repaid in easy installments statement following its weekly meeting, the Cabinet dose five weeks ago will be asked to spend only seven ban. MP Khaled Al-Otaibi called on the government over seven years for small businesses and four years said the nightly curfew imposed two weeks ago to days in home quarantine. The same applies to people to abolish hotel quarantine altogether and accused for big merchants, while the government will bear curb a spike in coronavirus cases will now extend who have recovered from COVID-19 and have taken authorities of introducing it to benefit merchants at part of the interest on the loans. The Assembly’s from 6 pm to 5 am the next day, instead of 12 hours. one vaccine dose two weeks ago. All the three cate- the cost of people. legal and legislative committee meanwhile approved The new decision is effective from today. gories must undergo a coronavirus test on the seventh Meanwhile, the government yesterday sent a a draft law to delay the repayment of loans for six The Cabinet also allowed deliveries by restau- day of the quarantine and produce a negative result. draft law proposing financial support for small and months, while the financial and economic affairs rants and cafes to continue until 10 pm and allowed Students studying abroad only need to produce big businessmen affected by the coronavirus pan- panel approved a series of bills calling to aid small walking from 6 pm to 8 pm daily, provided people a certificate from their universities to be exempted demic. The bill stipulates that local banks will pro- and medium businesses harmed by the coronavirus. Yemeni government’s last northern Saudi offers stronghold, in an escalation of the Jordan makes country’s six-year conflict. The initia- tive includes “a comprehensive cease- US defense ceasefire to fire across the country under the supervision of the United Nations”, a Houthi rebels Saudi government statement said. pact public Riyadh also proposed reopening RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday the airport in Sanaa, the rebel-held AMMAN: Jordan on Sunday made public a offered Yemen’s Houthi rebels a “com- capital, and restarting political negoti- defense agreement with the United States that prehensive” UN-supervised ceasefire, ations between the Yemeni government allows free entry of US forces, aircraft and vehi- as part of a series of new initiatives and the Houthis, the statement added. cles onto the kingdom’s territory. Foreign Minister aimed at ending a catastrophic six- “We want the guns to fall completely Ayman Safadi told parliament that the defense year conflict. But the Iran-backed silent,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince accord was “the fruit of long negotiations”. The Houthis, who have recently stepped up Faisal bin Farhan told reporters in agreement was signed in January and the govern- attacks on the kingdom, including its Riyadh. “The initiative will take effect ment approved it last month, but in an exceptional oil facilities, dismissed Riyadh’s initia- as soon as the Houthis agree to it.” move it bypassed parliament. The royal decree tives as “nothing new”. The Houthis dismissed the Riyadh was published in the official journal this week. The insurgents have also been initiatives as “nothing new” RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan speaks during a Continued on Page 2 pushing to seize the Saudi-backed Continued on Page 2 press conference yesterday. — AFP country to manufacture its own satel- News in brief Tunisia reaches lite and see it reach space. “It’s a source of pride to have taken part in Israel seizes travel pass this project,” said Khalil Chiha, 27, for stars with who trained at Tunisia’s National Engineering School in the central city RAMALLAH: The Palestinian government yes- satellite launch of Sfax. “Working in the aeronautical terday said Israel had stripped its foreign minis- or aerospace sector is a dream.” ter Riyad Al-Maliki of a travel permit after he TUNIS: Tunisia celebrated the launch Video published by Russian space met with the International Criminal Court chief yesterday of its first domestically agency Roscosmos showed the Soyuz prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Thursday. On his made satellite, hoping it would inspire blaster launching against grey and return to the occupied West Bank on Sunday, young engineers to reach for the stars cloudy skies at 0607 GMT. Later yes- Maliki had his “VIP card” withdrawn, Palestinian at home rather than join those emi- terday, Roscosmos said in a statement officials said. The Hague-based ICC tribunal this grating overseas. Challenge-1, built by that the rocket had successfully month opened a formal investigation into alleged a team from telecommunications placed into orbit the 38 satellites from war crimes in the Palestinian territories. —AFP giant TelNet, blasted off along with 37 more than a dozen countries, includ- other satellites aboard a Russian ing South Korea, Japan, Canada, Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cos- Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Mauritania restores Qatar ties modrome in Kazakhstan yesterday. Brazil. TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied and Telnet CEO Mohamed Frikha That made Tunisia the sixth African Continued on Page 2 attend the launch of Tunisia’s first satellite Challenge-1 yesterday. — AFP NOUAKCHOTT: Mauritania re-established diplomatic relations with Qatar, its foreign min- istry announced Sunday, almost four years after breaking them off in the midst of a Saudi-led Scores flock to freeze on ties with Doha. “After intensive con- tacts over the past week and with much appreci- Iceland volcano ated support from the Sultanate of Oman, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Qatar decid- FAGRADALSFJALL, Iceland: Thousands of curious ed to resume diplomatic ties,” the ministry said onlookers have flocked to an erupting volcano in Iceland to marvel at the hypnotic display of glowing in a statement. — AFP red lava, the bravest of them grilling hot dogs and marshmallows over the smoldering embers. The erup- Trump to launch own platform tion of a fissure near Mount Fagradalsfjall, which began late Friday, was the first in the same volcanic system in about 900 years. WASHINGTON: Donald Trump plans to return The volcano is located only about 40 km from the to social media soon, using “his own platform” capital Reykjavik and can be reached after a 90- after being banned from Twitter and other out- minute hike from the nearest road. The incandescent lets, a former advisor said Sunday. “I do think lava bubbles and spurts from a small cone in the that we’re going to see president Trump return- Geldingadalur valley, piling up in the basin and slowly ing to social media in probably about two or turning a thick black as it cools. Some 300,000 cu m three months,” Jason Miller told Fox News. of lava have poured out of the ground so far, according “This new platform is going to be big, and to experts, although the eruption is considered rela- everyone wants him. He’s going to bring millions tively small and controlled. Access to the site was and millions - tens of millions of people to this blocked in the first hours after the eruption. Authorities new platform,” Miller said. — AFP then lifted the roadblocks but discouraged visits, but by Saturday afternoon visitors were allowed - under GRINDAVIK, Iceland: Hikers look at lava flowing from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano on Sunday. — AFP strict guidelines. — AFP (See Page 5) 2 Established 1961 Tuesday, March 23, 2021 Local Kuwait Amir, Chinese President exchange greetings on diplomatic ties’ 50th anniversary Ties with Beijing moving forward constantly: Ambassador KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh the leaderships of the two countries has lining that there are other potentials for Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah been established, and senior officials coordination between both sides to cre- sent a congratulatory cable yesterday to have exchanged many official visits, ate opportunities in different fields. Hayat Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the which culminated in many vital results appreciated the efforts of the Chinese 50th anniversary of the establishment of and achievements in the areas of bilater- leaders and officials aimed at promoting diplomatic relations between Kuwait and al cooperation, he pointed out. In the those ties and making the bilateral dia- China. His Highness the Deputy Amir and past four years, Kuwaiti-Chinese bilater- logue between both sides smoother.