Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal officially dissolved parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for general elections in the next two months, according to a royal decree.
The decree was expected as the new government led by newly-appointed Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Sabah took the oath of office also on Tuesday.
The Crown Prince said it was in the interest of national security to dissolve parliament after months of political infighting between the National Assembly and the government.
“To rectify the political scene involving a lack of harmony and co-operation, in addition to differences, conflicts, personal interests, failure to accept others, practices and behaviours that undermine national unity, it was a must to resort to the people who represent the destiny, extension, survival and existence so that they could rectify the path in a way that serves their supreme interests,” Sheikh Meshal said in the decree.
Constitutionally, general elections must be held within two months from the date of the decree dissolving the country's National Assembly.
Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad, a son of ruling Emir Sheikh Nawaf, announced a new cabinet of 12 ministers on Monday, made up of the same ministers, apart from one, who had served under the embattled government of former prime minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah.
The previous government under the former prime minister faced several months of political feuding and tension with the country's national assembly. Several members of the cabinet, including the ministers of defence and foreign affairs, survived no-confidence votes in parliament.
Sheikh Sabah was expected to face a vote of non co-operation in April 6 after members of parliament filed a motion following a grilling session but he resigned shortly before the vote could take place.
In late June, Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf and Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal announced plans to dissolve the parliament and called for early general elections, warning that “there are dangers and crises surrounding the country from every side”.
“We need to be careful and take lessons because dangers surround us from all sides. There's overlap between the legislative and executive powers, resulting in practices that threaten national unity,” Sheikh Meshal said in a televised address to the nation.
Kuwait differs from its Gulf Cooperation Council sister countries in that its political system constitutes both a royal family and an elected parliamentary body named the National Assembly. Unlike other elected parliaments in the GCC, Kuwait’s National Assembly has a significant degree of power and its members can remove ministers and override a veto by the emir with a two-thirds vote. The emir, on the other hand, has the power to dissolve parliament and has used that power on several occasions.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal was granted key constitutional powers late last year, including the ability to issue decrees like the one on Tuesday on behalf of the emir.
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
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The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
