Harbi Urged to Cancel New Health Charges for Expats
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SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017 THULQADA 30, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwait City UAE nuclear Comedy Brilliant beaches program legend Neymar ‘free of oil’ edges towards Jerry Lewis dazzles again after spill2 201811 launch dies29 at 91 in16 PSG romp Harbi urged to cancel new Min 33º Max 46º health charges for expats High Tide 00:35 & 11:40 Low Tide Lawyer submits appeal • MPs slam Sabeeh for hiring expats 06:03 & 19:01 32 PAGES NO: 17312 150 FILS Police shoot dead By A Saleh KUWAIT: Lawyer Hashem Ahmad Al-Rifae submitted a Barcelona attacker grievance and an appeal to Health Minister Dr Jamal Al- Harbi to cancel the new health fees to be imposed on SUBIRATS, Spain: Spanish police yesterday shot dead expats. He said in his letter that the decision will have neg- Younes Abouyaaqoub, the suspected driver of a van that ative repercussions and will harm citizens too, in addition mowed down pedestrians in Barcelona, after a massive to harming Kuwait’s reputation. “Kuwait is a humanitarian manhunt for the Moroccan country of peace, and Kuwait gives aid to victims of natural national who was wearing catastrophes and wars regardless of their religion, origin or what appeared to be a suicide language,” he said. belt when he was killed. “We Rifae said the decision contradicts Kuwait’s constitution confirm that the person shot as well as laws and rules that regulate services. He added down in the incident in law 1/1999 doesn’t permit the health ministry to impose Subirats (near Barcelona) is new fees on those included in the health assurance Younes Abouyaaqoub, the per- scheme or increase any fees. petrator of the terrorist attack Earlier this month, Harbi issued two ministerial decrees to in Barcelona,” police in increase health fees paid by expatriates and visitors for using Catalonia tweeted. services at public hospitals and polyclinics. The new fee Four days after his van ram- The sun’s corona is visible as the moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse at Big Summit Prairie structure will go into effect on Oct 1. Kuwait has also imple- Abouyaaqoub page on the tourist-packed Las ranch in Oregon’s Ochoco National Forest near the city of Mitchell yesterday. — AFP mented other anti-expat measures in recent months, includ- Ramblas boulevard, police ing significantly hiking the fees for parents’ residency visas took down the 22-year-old in the village about 60 km and raising electricity and water charges for apartment west of Barcelona. Police said their operation on a wind- Total solar eclipse enthralls US buildings that are mostly inhabited by expats, among others. ing road between two vineyards was ongoing as they The moves come amid a campaign by some MPs were trying to determine if there were other suspects SHERIDAN, Oregon: Americans gazed in wonder It promised to be the most observed and pho- against expatriates and their numbers. Foreigners make up involved in the devastating twin attacks that claimed 15 through telescopes, cameras and disposable protec- tographed eclipse in history, with millions staking out around 70 percent of Kuwait’s population of 4.2 million. lives last week. They had removed the apparent suicide tive glasses yesterday as the moon blotted out the prime viewing spots and settling into lawn chairs to Yesterday, MPs continued their assault on Social Affairs belt from Abouyaaqoub’s body but had yet to confirm if midday sun in the first full-blown solar eclipse to watch, especially along the path of totality - the line Minister Hind Al-Sabeeh over papers and documents it was real or fake. — AFP (See Page 6) sweep the US from coast to coast in nearly a century. Continued on Page 11 Continued on Page 11 LOCAL TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017 KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman walks past a sign reading in Arabic: “for your safety swimming and fishing are temporarily banned” at a beach in Kuwait City yesterday. An oil spill was discovered recently off the Kuwaiti coast, and pollution was also detected at some beaches in the country. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat Kuwait City beaches ‘free of oil’ By Nawara Fattahova day announced. Ras Al-Zour is where the spill. Authorities have yet to defini- Kuwait National Petroleum Company tively identify the source of the leak, KUWAIT: Investigations by Kuwait (KNPC) is building the Middle East’s though they initially suspected it came Times reveal that social media rumors of largest oil refinery with a capacity of from a tanker. According to Khaled Al- a recent oil spill reaching the shores of 615,000 per day and $11.5 billion worth Hajri, Environmental activist and the Kuwait City are baseless. Kuwait Times of contracts. Head of the Green Line Environmental visited six different beaches in and The extent of the spill or its source Group the situation is mysterious. around Kuwait: Messilah, Shuwaikh, was not revealed. But an analysis of “Almost two weeks past of the first Anjafa and several spots in Salmiya and satellite imagery by a US-based non- oil spill in Ras Al Zour and the official found no evidence of crude oil. Signs profit organization suggests at least authorities didn’t unveil the source of posted at several of the beaches, includ- 34,000 gallons of oil have leaked out this spill. This is really strange. Unofficial ing one at Anjafa beach, warned visitors during a spill off the coast of Kuwait. news claimed that the company in against swimming in the water, as a West Virginia-based SkyTruth says satel- charge of investigating the reason of temporary precaution. lite photos from the day of the spill off the oil spill knows the source but is On August 12, Kuwait Petroleum southern Kuwait show it spread over a keeping it secret. This area is monitored Corporation announced that it was distance covering 131 square kilome- by satellite 24 hours a day, so I believe working to clean up an oil spill - esti- ters (50.5 square miles). In the United they can easily find the cause,” he told mated at around 34,000 gallons accord- States and throughout the oil industry the Kuwait Times. A second oil slick was ing to a US-based NGO - that took place world-wide, an oil barrel is defined as 42 reported off the coast of Abu Fatira two near Ras Al Zour off the southern coast US gallons, which is about 159 liters or days after the Zour spill, estimated at of Kuwait. “Nearby beaches will be 35 imperial gallons. one nautical mile long according to an cleaned once power and water plants In a blog post last week, SkyTruth Environmental Public Authority state- are secured and the oil spill is put under also noted a pipe-laying ship was tran- ment. No source was revealed for the full control,” a KPC statement from the siting through the area at the time of second spill either. AAVS and 360 MALL representatives Tamdeen Group is Golden Sponsor for UK AAVS 2017 KUWAIT: Tamdeen Group is the Golden The installation incorporated local Sponsor for the UK Architectural Association Kuwaiti cultural specificities through the Visiting School Program (AAVS) 2017 in interplay between the information gathered Kuwait, which brings together architecture before the construction and the new students, academics and practicing profes- implied facilities for movement, views, seat- sionals to explore the latest in architecture ing and social interaction embedded within and design ideas and methodologies from the designed structure. The project brought around the world. Founded in 1890, the together around 20 Kuwaiti participants Architectural Association (AA) is the UK’s from Kuwait University, College of oldest and only remaining private school of Architecture and from architecture and architecture with world renowned gradu- design firms in Kuwait, in addition to one ates such as Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers, professional participant from Australia. Rem Koolhaas, Steven Holl and many more. “As part of our community engagement Headquartered in London, where stu- and social responsibility, Tamdeen Group dents attend full-time courses, the AA also has always been committed to the encour- runs a global initiative ‘AA Visiting School’, agement and nurturing of local Kuwaiti tal- which delivers short courses open to aca- ents, and helping them push the bound- demics and professionals alike in more aries of their creative and intellectual out- than 50 countries around the world every put and ideas,” said Muath Al Roumi, GM- year, including Kuwait. AAVS Kuwait 2017 Group Corporate Marketing. “Today, we are commenced on 7th August 2017 and ran proud to be the Golden Sponsor for the until 19th August 2017 at Masaha13, a non- AAVS program, which offers a unique profit art and cultural space in Shuwaikh opportunity for Kuwait’s architecture and Industrial Area. design community to engage with their Over 12 days, a series of workshops were peers from across the world.” held, which focused on the theme of “The AAVS is honored to receive the sup- ‘Emergent Constructions.’ These workshops port of Tamdeen Group for their contribu- revolved around investigative information- tion to advancing the education of architec- based design and digital fabrication tech- ture in Kuwait by helping to bring the latest niques and incorporated them in a project innovative methodologies for digital design to construct a 1:1 scale architectural pavil- and fabrication with respect to social, cultur- ion. The display will be present at 360 MALL al and environmental contexts of Kuwait,” till September 2nd in The Main Atrium. said Sulaiman Al Othman. LOCAL TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017 News in brief Crown Prince Cup KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Football Association interim committee held a draw Sunday for His Highness the Crown Prince Football Cup competition for the 2017-18 season, which included with 15 local clubs.