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JAMADA ALTHANI 27, 1439 AH THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018 Max 33º 32 Pages Min 16º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17481 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Ghanem, Abe discuss ties, Duterte moves to quit Google guru Page tests Barca, Bayern crush Chelsea, 2 global issues in meeting 9 Int’l Criminal Court 22 flying taxis in N Zealand 16 Besiktas to reach quarterfinals Assembly committee says taxes not a priority issue Expats blamed for rampant graft • Move to stiffen Israel boycott law By B Izzak for rife corruption in the country. Hashem was commenting on statements by the KUWAIT: The National Assembly com- prime minister acknowledging that cor- mittee responsible for setting priorities ruption is widespread in the country and for the Assembly yesterday said it has not is undermining the image of Kuwait placed a government-sponsored draft law abroad. The lawmaker reminded the pre- for imposing taxes among its priority mier that the population imbalance and issues. Head of the committee MP Ahmad the appointment of “strangers” are a Al-Fadhl said the committee believes that major cause of corruption in the country. the draft law on taxation, part of the Gulf She called for the need to draw a unified taxation system, shouldn’t be roadmap for the employment of Kuwaitis placed on the committee’s agenda. over the next several decades. There are The government wants to impose the 3.1 million expatriates in Kuwait against five percent value-added tax (VAT) as 1.4 million citizens. Hashem has made a part of the GCC framework agreement. number of proposals to tax expatriates for Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates all public services, including for “walking have already started imposing the tax on the street”, making it difficult for them from the start of this year. A majority of to obtain a driving license, preventing lawmakers oppose any form of austerity them from receiving medical treatment at measures that the government wants to public hospitals and many others. impose to raise non-oil revenues to Separately, five lawmakers yesterday finance the budget deficit resulting from submitted amendments to the Israel boy- low oil prices. cott law in which it bars any contacts or KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is presented with a memento during the graduation ceremony of the MP Safa Al-Hashem yesterday said the visits to Israel and the occupied 44th batch of police officers of the Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 3) imbalance in the demographic structure Palestinian territories. in favor of expatriates is the main reason Continued on Page 11 day morning. A university source told World mourns AFP that his health deteriorated around Christmas time. “We are deeply sad- dened that our beloved father passed Saudi Arabia turns scientist, cultural away today,” Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim said in a statement. “He to nuclear power; icon Hawking was a great scientist and an extraordi- nary man whose work and legacy will LONDON: World dignitaries, celebri- live on for many years.” Qatar focuses ties and academics yesterday mourned Queen Elizabeth II sent a message of Stephen Hawking, the British physicist condolence to Hawking’s family, on self-reliance who died aged 76 after a cosmic career Buckingham Palace said. Prime Minister in which his mental genius transcended Theresa May praised the scientist as “a DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is fast-tracking an atomic his physical disability to probe the brilliant and extraordinary mind” on energy program to reduce its dependence on oil, secrets of the universe. Propelled to Twitter. Tearful well-wishers lined up at but concerns over nuclear proliferation in the stardom by his 1988 book “A Brief the University of Cambridge’s Gonville Middle East could put a damper on its ambitious History of Time”, an unlikely worldwide and Caius College, where Hawking was a plans. The atomic policy, which limits nuclear activi- bestseller, Hawking’s genius and wit won fellow for more than five decades, to sign ties to peaceful purposes, was approved by the over fans from far beyond the rarefied a book of condolence. “So many people cabinet on Tuesday just days before powerful world of astrophysics. As a scientist, he have come to pay tribute to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits earned comparisons with Albert Einstein #StephenHawking we’ve increased the Washington. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest and Isaac Newton. books of condolence to four. Many exporter of oil, has framed its nuclear project as Hawking died peacefully at his home beautiful and moving messages,” the col- in the British university city of BEIJING: This file picture taken on Aug 18, 2002 shows world-renowned physicist driven purely by economics. lege wrote on Twitter. Stephen Hawking delivering a lecture. —AFP (See Pages 9, 23 & 31) The kingdom is struggling to meet fast-rising Cambridge in the early hours of yester- Continued on Page 11 energy demand and crude prices remain far below their peaks reached before the 2014 market crash. Saudi Energy Minister Khaled Al-Faleh said in October that the nuclear program would start by Merkel elected to building two reactors, each producing between 1.2 and 1.6 gigawatts of electricity. But the atomic ambi- tions of the key US ally and regional power are fourth term; Amir coming under scrutiny in Washington at a time of growing tensions between the US and Iran over sends best wishes Tehran’s nuclear program. The Saudi cabinet says its nuclear program will BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela vote margin above a simple majority that be in “full compliance with the principle of trans- Merkel, bruised by half a year of post- opposition parties were quick to label a parency” and meet nuclear safety standards “in election coalition haggling, was yester- “rocky start” for a spent and joyless gov- accordance with an independent regulatory and day narrowly confirmed by parliament to erning alliance. “There were more dis- supervisory framework”. The country has accelerat- her fourth and likely final term at the helm senting voices than I expected,” said ed plans to build 16 nuclear reactors over the next of Europe’s biggest economy. Lawmakers Andrea Nahles, the designated head of two decades, according to officials and analysts, at a in Berlin’s glass-domed Reichstag voted the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which cost of around $80 billion. The reactors are expect- 364-315 with nine abstentions for long struggled with whether to once ed to generate 17.6 gigawatts of electricity - 10 per- Merkel, who was then formally appointed more govern in Merkel’s shadow. cent of the country’s power needs - by 2040. by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Riyadh is expected to shortlist next month two to before taking the oath of office. Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is sworn in by the President of the three international firms out of five bidders from The secret ballot suggested 35 MPs congratulated Merkel on being elected Bundestag Wolfgang Schaeuble during the government’s swearing-in ceremony China, South Korea, Russia, France and the United of her new right-left coalition bloc voted for a fourth consecutive term. In a cable at the Bundestag yesterday. — AFP States, according to Abdulmalik al-Sabery, a con- against Merkel, giving her a thin nine- Continued on Page 11 sultant in the business development department at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE). In December, one firm will be Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement and Sergei Lavrov to visit but said she did not want to selected to build the first two nuclear reactors, Britain expels 23 its London embassy warned that May’s response was break off relations entirely. Sabery told Bloomberg News in January. “totally unacceptable and shortsighted”. May told par- May also confirmed that neither members of the roy- Construction of the reactors will start next year liament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand al family or ministers would attend the football World although they are not expected to begin operating Russian diplomats for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Cup in Russia later this year. And she outlined fresh before 2027, Sabery said. Novichok, was used in the English city of Salisbury. measures against people travelling to or living in Britain Energy consumption in Saudi Arabia has been over spy poisoning “There is no alternative conclusion other than that the who were responsible for violations of human rights or rising at more than five percent per year although Russian State was culpable for the attempted murder of planned “hostile activities”. NATO allies, including the growth slowed in 2017 after the government cut LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May yester- Mr Skripal and his daughter,” she said. “This represents United States, have expressed their support for Britain subsidies and hiked prices. day expelled 23 diplomats and suspended high-level an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against following the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Electricity consumption is expected to double contacts with Russia including for the World Cup, say- the United Kingdom.” Europe since World War II. over the next 15 years, reaching 120 gigawatts by ing her government found Moscow “culpable” of a In measures drawn up at a meeting of her national Along with the UN Security Council meeting in New 2032, Abdullah Al-Shehri, governor of Saudi nerve agent attack on a former spy. May said she would security council earlier Wednesday, May announced York, EU Council President Donald Tusk indicated that Arabia’s Electricity and Co-generation Regulatory be pushing for a “robust international response” when that 23 Russian diplomats believed to be undeclared the issue would be on the agenda of next week’s sum- Authority, told AFP.