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SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 RAJAB 6, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Luaibi: Iraq 20 people Fake news Oxford see off to supply tortured to making Cambridge to gas to death at Pak headlines, but regain Boat Kuwait3 soon Sufi shrine7 is14 it old news? Race18 crown UN urges Gulf to do more Min 18º Max 31º to help Syrian refugees High Tide 04:53 & 15:38 Low Tide KFAED, UNHCR sign aid agreement • Kuwait’s contributions hailed 10:16 & 23:14 40 PAGES NO: 17187 150 FILS KUWAIT: A senior United Nations refugee official yes- conspiracy theories terday called on Gulf Arab states to give more to help Syrians displaced by six years of civil war, saying she saw little sign that the crisis would end any time soon. Absconding ... Speaking during a visit to Kuwait to sign a $10 million aid agreement with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) for Syrian refugees in Iraq, Kelly T Clements, deputy commissioner for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), also said the UN body lamented the “sad” fact that the num- By Badrya Darwish ber of refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war had passed the five million mark. “For us at UNHCR, we don’t celebrate these mile- stones. We in fact try not to bring a lot of attention to it because it is not a good story,” Clements told Reuters. [email protected] “It means basically that we haven’t seen a political solu- tion to make it possible for people to go home safely and in dignity and voluntarily.” l-Rai newspaper shocked all expats in Kuwait Syrians have poured across their borders into Turkey, when it reported on April 1 that article 18 Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq since anti-government Avisa holders can now be deported immedi- protests in 2011 descended into a full-blown conflict ately if their sponsors file absconding cases against between rebels, Islamist militants, government troops them. An absconder would be subject to deporta- and foreign backers. Clements said that apart from the tion without any recourse to appeal or file a coun- 5 million refugees, there were some 13.5 million people tersuit at the labor courts. What astonished me was who had been displaced inside Syria, some of them that Al-Rai made this report their lead story. For a moved on twice, three or four times. minute I thought maybe it was an April Fool’s joke. “They are not able to support their families. They But even if it was an April Fool’s prank, I find it gross are in harm’s way in terms of mortar shells ... They are and a bit insensitive to play with people’s feelings not able to put their kids through school. Statistics we and situations. have show that a million-and-a-half kids inside Syria As it is, expats in Kuwait have already been under are out of school,” Clements said. “So for us, it is a sad intense pressure for the last few years, thanks to ran- time to see the number exceeding 5 million people,” dom statements and suggestions we hear every day KUWAIT: KFAED Director General Abdulwahab Al-Bader and UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements she added. by whoever it is - be it a lawmaker, government offi- sign a $10 million aid agreement yesterday. —KUNA Continued on Page 13 cials or even people who have nothing to do with law or government. As if the expat is a low wall to jump. They have no power, nobody to help them and no defense. Everyone who wants to become a hero in Hashem: One car for expats, no licenses Kuwait will suggest something against expats. All he has to do is come up with a suggestion to deport or fine or take away their driving licenses, etc, etc, etc. Kandari: Finance ministry suspends reform package The worst part of the story is that the government did not come up with any statement to deny or By B Izzak should be given a Kuwaiti driving license if he/she does endorse the report, which I find bizarre. In my opin- not have one from their home country. ion, in a serious situation like this, a quick response KUWAIT: MP Safaa Al-Hashem, the only female member Two weeks ago, Kuwaiti lawyer Mohammad Al-Ansari News should have come out from the ministry of social in the 50-seat National Assembly, yesterday filed yet filed a lawsuit in court calling to suspend all driving in brief affairs or the ministry of interior denying or clarifying another proposal targeting the expatriate population in licenses held by expatriates and to stop issuing new the rules. the country by calling to prevent foreigners from own- ones until authorities resolve the traffic crisis. The law- Till now, it’s not clear what the full, actual rules are. ing more than one car and stop issuing driving licenses suit essentially called for keeping expatriate motorists Clouds of smoke as new I hope the ministry will take into consideration that to newcomers. Citing traffic congestions and problems off the roads to allow citizens a trouble-free drive. fire hits central Dubai this could create chaos. And some people could use it on most Kuwaiti roads, Hashem called in her proposal Hashem is known for submitting a string of propos- DUBAI: Clouds of smoke billowed over central Dubai as a weapon against someone they don’t like, or that the traffic department must stop issuing driving als against foreigners in the country. She had proposed yesterday after a fire burned for several hours in a resi- someone they don’t want to pay financial indemnity licenses to all expatriates coming to Kuwait for the first to reduce the number of expatriates in the country, stop dential tower under construction near the city’s largest to. Many people will abuse such a regulation. It will time for a period of one year until authorities have tak- giving them free medicines at public clinics and hospi- shopping mall. The blaze erupted around 6:30 am (0230 be easy for anybody to say ‘so and so is absconding, en steps to ease the traffic problem. She however wants tals despite paying annual health insurance and even GMT) at the Address Residences Fountain Views com- deport him’, regardless if it is true or partially true, or if expats holding article 20 visas, mainly private drivers taxing foreigners for walking on the road. She also pro- plex, which is near the Dubai Mall and a hotel ravaged there is wholly another intention. It could even create who work for families, to be exempted from the ban. posed to charge expatriates for money transfers to their by fire on New Year’s Eve in 2015, authorities said. Civil bad intentions in the minds of people in moments of The proposal, which must be approved by the home country. defense services evacuated four people who were anger, or lead to greed or blackmail. Because it is such Assembly and accepted by the government to be effec- In a related development, MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari trapped by the fire, including one in serious condition, a vague and easily abused idea. tive, states that expatriates holding a valid driving said he proposed the establishment of a special department Lt Col Ahmed Ateej told Dubai television. The Dubai I’m sure the people in charge in both ministries license must not be allowed to own more than one to be concerned with achieving a demographic balance government said that firefighting crews had brought are wise enough and will not be fooled over such vehicle and those who have no driving license should between expats and Kuwaitis. He said the proposed body the blaze under control. It said the building was being injustice. We, like the rest of Kuwait, are awaiting clar- not be allowed to own their own cars. Hashem’s propos- will also facilitate the replacement of expatriate employees constructed by local real estate giant Emaar. The prop- ification. al also calls for linking the driving licenses of expats to with Kuwaitis and will also be responsible for setting quotas erty has three towers, each 60 floors high, and had been Have a good day. their work permits, where the profession is stated, to and percentages of each expatriate community. due to be completed in April of next year. prevent forgery. She also wants that no expatriate Continued on Page 13 PAGE PAGE Egypt court supports TV shows test love Film on extremism wins at Saudi festival Saudi island transfer in smartphone age DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia: A short film that tackles extremism has won the top prize at the Saudi Film Festival, organizers said yesterday, in an ultracon- servative kingdom that continues to ban public Concern over retroactive Importers prosecuted cinemas. “Departures”, directed by Abdulaziz Al- Shalahei, won the golden palm award at the fourth deportation of absconders edition of the festival, which featured 58 home- for meat price-fixing grown films including 12 directed by women. “The By Meshaal Al-Enezi ing to the regulations currently in festival is growing as the level of films is improv- effect, an employer is given a grace KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and also been assigned with following up the ing,” its director Ahmed Al-Mulla said, adding that KUWAIT: Responding to a report in Al- period of 90 days after filing the report Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan yesterday customs data related to the importing several contenders this year addressed extremism. Rai daily on retroactively deporting to check with the interior ministry, and referred several livestock importers to the companies and compare them with the “Departures” features a conversation on a plane expats reported as absconding, acting is given 15 more days to receive the for- public prosecutor upon directives from HH documents they have submitted.