POPE URGES Syria Peace at Start of Mideast Tour
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SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014 RAJAB 26, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Going ‘vertical’ Seven dead in Turkish drama Real fight back feasible solution ‘mass murder’ ‘Winter Sleep’ to beat Atletico for housing shooting at US wins Cannes and win 10th demands5 college9 town top15 prize European20 crown Pope urges Syria peace Max 43º Min 29º at start of Mideast tour High Tide 09:03 & 2:03 Francis calls for religious freedom • Vatican refers to ‘State of Palestine’ Low Tide 02:44 & 15:42 40 PAGES NO: 16176 150 FILS AMMAN: Pope Francis made an urgent plea yesterday Motorists can use for peace in war-torn Syria as he kicked off a three-day pilgrimage to the Middle East. And he called for reli- emergency lanes gious freedom to be upheld throughout a region rav- KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry said in a statement aged by war and bloodshed, where a dwindling yesterday that the emergency lane can be used by Christian population faces daily persecution. As he motorists during rush hours in a bid to ease traffic walked off the plane onto a red carpet at Amman air- jams, although these lanes are designated for port, his white robes flapping in the hot desert wind, he ambulance, fire, police and civil defence vehicles. was greeted by officials and two children dressed in tra- Driving will be allowed on the left emergency lane ditional costume who handed him bouquets of irises, only at a maximum speed of 45 km/h. The roads the national flower of Jordan. where driving on emergency lanes is allowed are On a trip which continues today in the Palestinian King Faisal Road and King Abdulaziz Road from the territories and Israel, Francis reserved his biggest public Sixth Ring Road to the First Ring Road in order to event for Jordan, an open-air mass at Amman’s main increase their capacity from 6 am to 9 am and 12:30 international stadium where he was joyously welcomed pm to 3:30 pm. by 40,000 pilgrims. Entering the stadium in an open- topped white jeep, he smiled and waved at the crowds, his white skullcap flying off in the breeze. Babies and Iran executes toddlers were passed through the crowd to be held by him for a moment and blessed, as thousands of bal- billionaire for loons were released into the air. “Peace is not something which can be bought, it is a $2.6bn fraud gift to be sought patiently and to be crafted through TEHRAN: A billionaire businessman at the heart of a the actions, great and small, of our everyday lives,” he $2.6 billion state bank scam in Iran, the largest fraud told the crowd packed into a sea of blue and red chairs case since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, was on a sweltering May afternoon. A Muslim call to prayer executed yesterday, state television reported. sounded out nearby as the pope concluded his homily, Authorities put Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as in which he stressed the need to work together to over- Amir Mansour Aria, to death at Evin prison, just north of come divisions. “Diversity of ideas and persons should the capital, Tehran, the TV reported. AMMAN: Pope Francis shares a light moment with Jordan’s King Abdullah II yesterday during a welcome cer- not trigger rejection or prove an obstacle,” he said. Continued on Page 15 emony. — AFP Continued on Page 15 SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014 LOCAL Abdulaziz Al-Sulaiman Abdullah Al-Enezi Ahmad Al-Qdhaibi Haidar Ghadanfari 8 more candidates submit nominations KUWAIT: Eight more candidates have submitted their nomination papers on the fifth day of candidacy for the National Assembly by-election, due on June 26, the Ministry of Interior’s Elections Affairs Department announced yesterday. In a press statement, the Department said that three candidates came from the second constituency, two from the third constituency; and three from the fourth constituency. These new nominations take the number of candi- dates for the five vacant seats up to 52 including three women. By-elections will be held in the three constituencies over five vacant parliamentary seats after the resigna- tions early this month of the five MPs. — KUNA Mohammed Al-Masri Mohammed Al-Mutairi Mohammed Al-Rashidi No plans to ban deployment of domestic helpers to Kuwait Filipino overseas employment officials in town By Ben Garcia imposed by the government but this is not what interior and social affairs ministries, so there are dif- the workers want, so they’ll do it their own way. So ficulties. But rest assured that talks are continuing KUWAIT: The Philippines will not ban or temporari- from our side, we want them to be protected and and hopefully by the end of this year, we’ll be able ly suspend deployment of household service work- be documented when they are planning to work or to sign the domestic labor MoU with Kuwait,” he ers (HSWs) to Kuwait. This was disclosed by two vis- go out of the Philippines,” Cacdac said. added. iting overseas employment heads - Overseas He said according to the law in the Philippines, Early this year, a group of Filipino community Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) the POEA and the Department of Foreign Affairs leaders led by Sandigan Kuwait President Ann Administrator Carmelita Dimzon and Philippine should collaborate on OFW concerns on the coun- Abunda turned over about 10,000 signatures gath- Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) try certification system in terms of giving protec- ered from Filipinos in Kuwait favoring a call for an Administrator Hans Cacdac. The two officials are tion to their nationals. “In the case of Kuwait, they immediate suspension of sending domestic helpers to Kuwait. The signature campaign for the moratorium was called in response to the rising number of maltreatment, abuse and rape cases against Filipinas in Kuwait. The signatures were then turned over to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Labor and Employment in Manila by Philippine Consul General to Kuwait Raul Dado. Although there are some within the Filipino community who do not want this moratorium to be imposed, a majority of Filipinos here favor the move. “We shall continue to call for a moratorium for our domestic helpers. This will not end our cam- paign - we want to know the truth behind dump- ing our call for a moratorium. Why did they do that? Besides, Kuwait hasn’t signed the so-called domestic labor MoU, so we are firm on our call for a moratorium since there are abuses and maltreat- ment among our housemaids,” Abunda mentioned. For her part, Dimzon reminds recruitment agen- cies to always consider the value of human lives and well-being of housemaids they deploy. “I KUWAIT:OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimson (second left) and POEA Administrator Hans always remind recruitment agencies to select the Cacdac (center) with Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait Atty Cesar Chavez, Assistant Labor best employers for our workers. Take an extra mile Attache Ching Ardivilla and Welfare Officer Norlita Lugtu after meeting Filipino local to help them get the best since they’ll be working reporters. far away from their families. Be mindful of the con- ditions of our workers and not be too concerned of currently in the country for senior official-level come up recommendations (from the DFA) where what they can get (money) from them,” she men- meetings under the so-called Abu-Dhabi Dialogue they advised both countries to engage in bilateral tioned. (ADD). negotiations to improve the conditions of our The two officials also visited the Philippine The ADD is an agglomeration of all labor- workers. That is exactly what we are doing right Embassy shelter where they spoke to some of the exporting and labor-receiving states that seek to now,” he pointed out. Cacdac was asked if a memo- runaway housemaids. “When I visited the shelter standardize and implement protocols as well as randum of understanding (MoU) for domestic yesterday, I cried, because I saw about 100 of them policies beneficial for both workers and employers. helpers between Kuwait and Philippines will be at the ‘Bahay Kalinga’ (shelter). They are supposed The Philippines is the current chairman of the ADD finally signed this year. “The Amir of Kuwait visited to be working but they ended up in the shelter. and the chairmanship will be turned over to the the Philippines in 2012, and during his visit, the They want to work, but they have problems with Kuwaiti side this November. Under the chairman- two countries signed a general MoU for the protec- their employers. I think it’s a matter of luck when KUWAIT: The ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ural Rzayer held on ship of the Philippines, according to Cacdac, the tion of our workers in Kuwait. An MoU for domestic you reach an employer. But how do you choose Wednesday a reception on the occasion of the National Day of his country in Crowne ADD was able to come up with a complete frame- workers was specifically mentioned too and the your employer? These are the real challenges,” Plaza Hotel. It was attended by a number of dioplomats and other dignitaries. work for regional collaboration on the protection provisions of the MoU are still being discussed,” he Dimzon admitted. “I feel the pain every time I see — Photos by Joseph Shagra and assistance of migrant workers. “We don’t want noted. workers going home without anything and some to engage in drastic measures like banning our Cacdac admitted though that there are some of them are already disoriented because of the workers or temporarily suspending the deploy- complications being tackled from the Kuwaiti side.