JAMADA ALTHANI 21, 1442 AH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021 16 Pages Max 24º Min 08º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18351 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Ousted Myanmar party Elon Musk, a new Golden Globe noms set tone Perfect start for Djokovic, 7 demands Suu Kyi release 8 Wall Street oracle? 13 for pandemic awards season 14 Nadal out with sore back PM meets speaker, MPs after deal with opposition alliance Two lawmakers call for including pro-Iran cell in general amnesty By B Izzak coordination committee. At the same time, the Assembly’s legal and leg- KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al- islative committee reviewed a number of bills calling Khaled Al-Sabah yesterday held talks with National for a general amnesty for people jailed for political Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and a num- reasons. The panel asked its technical office to pre- ber of lawmakers over the formation of the next pare a unified bill and report within a week to vote Cabinet, a day after striking a deal with opposition on it and send it to the Assembly for debate. MPs. Sheikh Sabah said last week that he will meet Rapporteur of the committee MP Muhannad Al- various blocs in the Assembly and other MPs for Sayer said the panel also reviewed a draft law call- consultation talks over the shape of the new Cabinet. ing to change the Assembly’s charter to make vot- On Monday, he met members of the so-called ing for the Assembly speaker public by calling out group of 16, consisting of opposition members, and the names of MPs. A few weeks ago, the country struck a deal with them to accept their proposed was headed into political turmoil after the Cabinet draft laws, mainly approving a general amnesty law resigned a few days after three opposition MPs covering former opposition MPs and activists who filed to grill the prime minister. The resignation was have been living in exile for over 30 months to avoid accepted by HH the Amir, who later renamed jail terms. Sheikh Sabah to form the new Cabinet. The government also pledged to approve draft MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji, who met the prime min- laws to amend the election law, the cybercrimes law ister yesterday, said on Twitter that Sheikh Sabah and others. The government also agreed to form a showed “serious willingness” to reach an agree- coordination committee with opposition MPs to ment with the Assembly over proposed draft laws. cooperate and coordinate on various issues. He said he called for the need to complete the Opposition MPs welcomed the government move national reconciliation to allow those in exile to and immediately named four lawmakers: Bader Al- return, and “the premier showed understanding to KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meets at his office HH the Prime Minister Mulla, Abdullah Al-Mudhaf, Hamad Al-Matar and settle this issue”. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday. — KUNA Mubarak Al-Mutairi as members of the agreed Continued on Page 2 in the past 24 hours, with the total number of News in brief Kuwait reports such examinations reaching 1,547,402. The pro- portion of infections compared to swab tests in Saudi bans entry from 20 countries the past 24 hours stood at 8.9 percent. He 811 new COVID appealed to the people of Kuwait to remain vigi- CAIRO: Saudi Arabia yesterday suspended lant against the virus, maintain social distancing entry to the kingdom from 20 countries, with the cases, one death and avoid crowds. exception of diplomats, Saudi citizens, medical The health ministry earlier said 510 patients recovered from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, practitioners and their families, to help curb the KUWAIT: The ministry of health yesterday taking total recoveries to 158,986. The ministry spread of the coronavirus, the state news agency announced 811 new COVID-19 cases, taking the said in a statement the proportion of recoveries reported. The temporary ban, effective from Feb total caseload of infections to 166,654 since the to total cases amounted to 95.1 percent. 3, includes people arriving from the UAE, outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The min- According to earlier reports, work is ongoing Germany, the US, Britain, South Africa, France, istry’s official spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al- to have PCR test areas at the airport ready by Egypt, Lebanon, India and Pakistan. — Reuters Sanad said in a statement to KUNA a single Feb 6, when the decision to reduce the number of death was registered in the same period, taking passengers arriving daily by 80 percent is set to total deaths to 960. He said 59 people are receiv- end. However, reports yesterday suggested civil ing treatment in intensive care units, with 6,708 aviation authorities are reviewing their plans, Customer service jobs for Saudis confirmed cases under medical care. with any final decision to come after the Cabinet Sanad added 9,140 swab tests were conducted meets tomorrow. — KUNA RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will reserve customer service center jobs for Saudi citizens, the Human Resources and Social Development Ministry announced in a statement. “This decision is Dubai shuts bars; Emirates intended to create job opportunities for Saudis, help them improve their income levels and sup- port the Saudi economy.” The edict will apply to eyes daily vaccine deliveries all client-facing roles that use telephone con- DUBAI: Dubai on Monday ordered must operate at 70 percent of capaci- tact, email, social media and other “modern bars and pubs to close until the end of ty. Restaurants and cafes are required means”, the ministerial decree said. — AFP the month to suppress a spike in to close by 1.00 am. “Penalties will be coronavirus cases, after tourists strictly imposed on anyone found flocked to the emirate over the holiday posing a risk to public health by Iran allows crew to leave period. The closures, effective from deliberately disregarding preventive yesterday, are among a raft of steps measures or not observing them “taken in response to rising violations properly,” the Crisis and Disaster TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday it has allowed of preventive measures,” authorities Management committee said. about 20 crewmembers of a South Korean tanker said in a statement. Dubai has sought to manage the seized almost a month ago for alleged pollution to Indoor venues, including cinemas pandemic without closing its doors, leave the country in a “humanitarian move”. The and sports venues, will have their and in July reopened to tourism - an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the capacity cut by half. Dubai’s vast economic mainstay which has been DUBAI: This picture taken on Monday shows a view of the Museum of the Hankuk Chemi and arrested its multinational crew shopping malls, as well as hotels, badly battered during the pandemic. Future. — AFP near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Jan 4, saying swimming pools and private beaches, Continued on Page 2 it had polluted the waters. The case of the tanker and its captain is still being reviewed. — AFP journal, suggests that the two-dose vaccination Sputnik vaccine offers more than 90 percent efficacy against symp- tomatic COVID-19. “The development of the AOC sexual assault survivor Sputnik V vaccine has been criticized for unseemly 91.6% effective haste, corner cutting, and an absence of transparen- WASHINGTON: Prominent US lawmaker PARIS: Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is 91.6 percent cy,” said a joint independent commentary by Ian Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed that she is effective against symptomatic COVID-19, accord- Jones of the University of Reading and Polly Roy of ing to results published yesterday that independent the London School of Hygiene and Tropical a survivor of sexual assault, in an emotional video experts said allayed transparency concerns over the Medicine. message Monday in which she also described jab, which Moscow is already rolling out. Sputnik V “But the outcome reported here is clear and the fearing for her life during the deadly storming of - named after the Soviet-era satellite - was scientific principle of vaccination is demonstrated, the US Capitol on Jan 6. The New York congress- approved in Russia months before results from its which means another vaccine can now join the fight woman drew parallels between the lawmakers final-stage clinical trials were published, leading to to reduce the incidence of COVID-19.” The results suggest Sputnik V is among the top performing seeking to “move on” from the Capitol riot and skepticism from experts. BUENOS AIRES: A health worker displays a vial of the vaccines, along with the Pfizer/BioNTech and the denial tactics used by abusers. — AFP But the new analysis of data from 20,000 Phase Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 yesterday. — AFP 3 trial participants, published in The Lancet medical Continued on Page 2 2 Established 1961 Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Local Chinese center wins Sabah Al-Ahmad elderly care prize Information minister oversees State award distribution KUWAIT: China’s He further pointed out that this award, under the The NCCAL said in a statement the award, the The other category of the award was launched in National Center of auspices of the WHO, which is dedicated to the best admiration category, was earned by Dr Abdulmalek 2000, granting each winner KD 20,000. Gerontology was unani- initiatives and research on health care for the elder- Al-Tamimi (sociology), Abdulredha Abdulbaqer mously awarded ‘His ly and health promotion, confirms the role of health (formative arts) and Yousef Al-Muhanna (music). ‘Entrepreneur Battle’ Highness Sheikh Sabah systems in addressing the challenges of health care The encouragement awards were given to Dr Walid In other news, the Undersecretary at the office of Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- for the elderly in recognition of their role in achiev- Srab (applied formative arts) for his painting “the Youth Minister Dr Meshaal Al-Rabeea announced Sabah Prize for ing development.