Old Heritage Mosque to Be Relocated, Not Demolished
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SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 SHAWWAL 15, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Kuwait, EU Afghan Erdogan foe IOC mulls sign MoU Germany train Gulen dismisses ‘options’ as to boost axe attacker Turkey Russia made to cooperation2 ‘left IS video’7 extradition8 bid wait20 on Rio fate Old heritage mosque to be Min 35º relocated, not demolished Max 49º High Tide 00:52 & 11: 22 PAM deplores Deqbasi resignation • IS cell trial begins Low Tide 05:53 & 19:03 40 PAGES NO: 16937 150 FILS By B Izzak and Agencies IMF raises Mideast KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State growth forecast for National Assembly Affairs Ali Al-Omair said yesterday that the historical Shamlan Al-Roumi Mosque in Sharq DUBAI: The International Monetary Fund yesterday will be moved to a new location. Speaking at a news raised its 2016 growth forecast for the Middle East conference, the minister indicated that the mosque, a and North Africa after a rebound in oil prices, but national heritage landmark, would not be demolished - maintained its cautious outlook for Saudi Arabia. rather it will be dismantled and reconstructed at anoth- The region, along with Afghanistan and Pakistan, is er location, stating that the expansion of the First Ring set to see economic growth of 3.4 percent this year, Road requires that the mosque be relocated. A proto- better than a previous projection of 3.1 percent, the type structure of the old mosque would be installed at IMF said. At the same time it cut the growth forecast its original location. Omair affirmed keenness on taking for 2017 to 3.3 percent, down from 3.5 percent in into consideration legal and social issues when execut- April, citing fallouts from “terrorism” and geopolitical ing development projects. tensions in its World Economic Outlook Update. Omair said that the National Assembly’s 14th legisla- The region includes major oil exporters like the tive term boosted cooperation with the executive Gulf Arab states, Iraq, Iran and Algeria, as well as oil authority. The parliament accomplished 441 legislations importers such as Egypt, Morocco and others. concerning laws, decrees for accords, and budgets and Following the lifting of international sanctions in final accounts, said the minister. He lauded the legisla- January, Iran’s oil exports have reached more than tors for issuing laws that secure privileges for Kuwaiti two million barrels per day, close to their pre-sanc- families, employees, retirees, security personnel and tion levels. “In the Middle East, oil exporters are ben- youth, bolstering social security and the state’s role at efiting from the recent modest recovery in oil prices the level of social care. while continuing fiscal consolidation in response to Omair singled out, among the best approved laws, structurally lower oil revenues,” the IMF said. ones that allow citizens to appeal to the constitutional “Geopolitical tensions, domestic armed strife, and court, those concerning transport and communication, terrorism are also taking a heavy toll on the outlook health insurance for retirees, the family court, and chil- in several economies, especially in the dren and juvenile rights. Continued on Page 15 KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Ali Al-Omair holds a press conference yesterday. — KUNA Continued on Page 15 Plagiarism row plagues Trump CLEVELAND: Donald Trump’s presidential always has been, an amazing leader,” said campaign came under withering scrutiny the 46-year-old. “Now, he will go to work UAE employers yesterday, after a nightmare start to the for you.” But there were unmistakable sim- Republican convention capped by an ilarities between her remarks and a ordered to house embarrassing plagiarism scandal that tar- speech given by Michelle Obama at the nished his wife Melania’s prime-time 2008 Democratic convention. low-paid workers speech. After an opening day in Cleveland While the controversy burned for 12 that was marred by a vocal and very pub- hours and social media erupted with ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has ordered lic rank-and-file revolt by anti-Trump dele- mocking commentary, the Trump cam- employers to offer free accommodation to workers gates, Melania’s address was meant to get paign appeared paralyzed. Denials of paid $540 or less per month, in the latest move in the show back on track. The conventions wrongdoing, followed by tacit admis- the Gulf to address alleged abuses of migrant labor. are designed to champion the party can- sions, followed by attempts to insulate South Asians, who make up a large proportion of didate, rally the grassroots and propel the Melania only added to the picture of a the UAE’s foreign workforce, will be the main bene- party toward November’s election. campaign in chaos. Campaign chair Paul ficiaries. But the decision, which enters force in With millions watching on television, Manafort described the whole kerfuffle as December, will only apply to companies that the Slovenia-born former model delivered “absurd”, and Trump’s supporters seemed employ more than 50 workers, the human an eloquent and seemingly heartfelt unperturbed. resources and Emiratisation ministry said on defense of her husband. “Donald is, and Continued on Page 15 ISTANBUL: Pro-Erdogan supporters react during a protest at Sarchane Park yester- Monday. day. — AFP The UAE and other oil-rich Gulf states are often criticized by human rights groups for their treat- ment of expatriate laborers. “Experts spent several Turkey targets media months studying the living conditions of those workers, who have been listed in the ministry’s clas- sifications system as low-skilled laborers,” Human and schools in purge Resources Minister Saqr Ghobash. The ministry will carry out regular inspections of the housing that ISTANBUL: Turkey widened its massive Western ally against Islamic State. companies provide to their workers to ensure that post-coup purge to the media and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said health and safety standards are met, Ghobash said. schools after vowing to root out support- Turkey had sent dossiers to the United Legal action will be taken against companies that ers of an exiled Islamic cleric it accuses of States to back up its demand for the violate the regulations, he said. orchestrating the attempted power grab. extradition of reclusive preacher Last year, the UAE announced labor reforms Global alarm is mounting over the retal- Fethullah Gulen, President Recep Tayyip aimed at curbing abuses and protecting the rights iatory action since Friday’s failed putsch, Erdogan’s sworn enemy who lives in exile of millions of foreign workers, including allowing which has already seen a massive crack- in Pennsylvania. “We will pull them them to terminate their contract and change down in the military, police and judiciary (Gulen supporters) out by the roots like a employer. Emiratis, who account for barely 10 per- and thousands detained. Around 50,000 razor blade,” he said. And the authorities cent of the UAE’s population of nine million, are a soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and acted swiftly - cancelling licenses for small proportion of the workforce compared to teachers have been suspended or radio and television stations said to be Asians. Kuwait last week set a minimum wage for its detained since the coup attempt, stirring linked to the so-called Gulenists. The hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian domestic CLEVELAND: Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stands on tensions across the country of 80 million government also suspended more than workers and granted them other rights. — AFP stage with his wife Melania Trump following her address to delegates on the first day which borders Syria’s chaos and is a Continued on Page 15 of the Republican National Convention on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena. — AFP June hottest on record Binladin pulls back from financial brink RIYADH: Saudi Binladin Group, the kingdom’s ments to the group. business empires face as cheap oil forces the biggest construction conglomerate, appears This has helped the firm pay salaries to kingdom to restructure its economy. to have pulled back from the brink of a finan- some 10,000 workers, secure a 2.5 billion riyal “Binladin has enjoyed for a long time a very cial crisis that risked damaging the wider ($667 million) loan from local banks, repay privileged position that will probably go and economy. SBG was hard hit last year as low oil bondholders and resume work at some never come back,” said a senior banker in the prices forced the government - its chief cus- stalled projects. An SBG spokesman declined region, declining to be named because of tomer - to cancel or suspend projects and to discuss details of the conglomerate’s commercial sensitivities. David Butter, a busi- delay payments. It was then barred from finances or the status of its projects. Riyadh ness analyst at the Chatham House think-tank receiving new state contracts altogether after has a strong incentive to keep SBG afloat. The in London, said: “The whole system has gotten one of its cranes toppled into Makkah’s Grand group’s health matters to the Saudi banking a bit sloppy and complacent over the past 10 Mosque during a storm, killing 107 people. system and wider economy because of its to 15 years in an environment where there Facing a severe cash squeeze, it has been large debt - it is estimated to owe local and have been no constraints on spending. forced to halt work at a string of projects and foreign banks a total of about $30 billion - and “You’ve had companies able to count on a lay off thousands of staff. Many of its foreign its involvement in many of the kingdom’s sweetheart system whereby contracts were workers in Jeddah, Makkah and Riyadh did most important projects.