SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, MAY 5, 2014 RAJAB 6, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net New “plastic” Iraq attacks, Tunisia boosts Norwich leave banknotes due bombings tourism with Chelsea’s title in Ramadan5 kill over8 30 “Star40 Wars” bid20 in tatters No plan to dissolve Max 39º Min 25º High Tide National Assembly 04:38 & 14:48 Low Tide MPs’ resignation part of ‘conspiracy plot’ 10:18 & 22:25 40 PAGES NO: 16156 150 FILS KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Sabah reaffirmed his total support for the National Assembly and insisted that there is no inten- tion to dissolve the house, according to Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem following his weekly pro- tocol meeting with the Amir. The comments came after MPs Ali Al-Rashed and Safa Al-Hashem carried out their threat to quit and officially submitted their resignations from the National Assembly in protest against the Assembly’s decision to scrap a request to grill the Prime Minister. That brings to five the number of MPs who have already quit their seats officially amid reports that other MPs were on their way to resign. Last week, MPs Abdulkarim Al-Kandari, Riyadh Al-Adasani and Hussein Quwaiaan submitted their resignations after their grilling request was rejected. Ghanem told reporters outside the National Assembly that during the meeting, the Amir “reaffirmed his total support and unlimited trust in the role of the National Assembly in legislation and supervision over ministers and holding them accountable in case of any shortcomings”. The Amir added that “there is no intention to dissolve the National Assembly and this issue is ruled out and the talk about it is baseless. The decision to dissolve the Assembly is in the hands of the Amir” Ghanem said. The statements represent a letter of assurance from the Amir to MPs that the ongoing resignations will not impact a decision to dissolve the Assembly prematurely. KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah holds talks with the Speaker of National Assembly Marzouk Al-Ghanem yesterday at the Bayan The Assembly was elected in July following the scrap- Palace. (Right) MPs Safa Al-Hashem and Ali Al-Rashed walk out of the National Assembly building after they officially submittedheir t resignations in protest ping of the previous house by the Constitutional Court. against the Assembly’s decision to scrap a request to grill the Prime Minister. — Photos by KUNA, Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 11 Young Bahrain Shiites Kuwait issues MERS alert risk radicalization KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health has set up ministries. She explained that the educa- plans to spread awareness and education tional materials are made in both Arabic MANAMA: Dozens of black-clad, Janabiya. about the MERS Coronavirus disease in an and English, indicating that the ministry masked men parade through Bahrain’s “Many of us have lost a member of attempt to prevent its spread and reduce sought assistance from embassies in Shiite Muslim villages, some holding the family; that has became a norm. But infection. Middle East Respiratory Kuwait to translate these materials into petrol bombs and others denouncing Al we are fighting back and will kill whoev- Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness many languages to ensure they reach Khalifa, the Sunni Muslim monarchy that er is killing us.” The strategically vital king- first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is everyone. has ruled the Gulf Arab island since the dom, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, has caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. She said that the Ministry of Education 18th century. A few masked men jump wrestled with low-level but persistent Most people who have been confirmed to has been notified to start an educational through a ring of fire and crawl under civil unrest since a Shiite-led uprising have MERS-CoV infection program about the disease barbed wire in what looks like a desert was put down in 2011, becoming a front developed severe respiratory to students, school workers training zone. Hands work at what looks line in a region-wide tussle for influence illness. They had fever, and staff. She added that the like a home-made bomb. between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite cough, and shortness of Ministry of Awqaf in particu- Scenes like these, broadcast in online Iran across the Gulf. breath. About 30 percent of lar has also been notified to videos in recent months, might once Polarization those infected with the virus work on the dissemination of have been dismissed as a cry for atten- Many of the youth in the videos hold have died. educational materials on tion by groups from Bahrain’s big Shiite the flag of the February 14th Youth Director of the Technical mosques and to Umrah and community seeking to shore up a flag- Coalition, an internet-based group that Department at the Ministry Haj trips. ging cause for democratic reform. But has been organizing anti-government of Health, Dr Magda Al- Photo shows a colorized On May 2, the US Centers they have coincided with a spread in protests since security forces quelled Qattan, said in a statement transmission of the for Disease Control and sometimes lethal home-made bomb mass demonstrations of February-March that the plan aims to reach MERS coronavirus. — AP Prevention (CDC) identified attacks, suggesting a growing radicaliza- 2011, inspired by the “Arab Spring” wave all segments of society in 401 confirmed cases of tion among Shiite youth. To be sure, the of popular revolts against autocracy. order to make them aware of the disease. MERS-CoV infection in 12 countries, with parades do not match either in size or February 14th, named after the launch She explained that the plan was devel- all reported cases originating in the armed might those of paramilitary Shiite date of the 2011 uprising, has been oped during a meeting between Arabian Peninsula. Most patients devel- militias elsewhere in the Middle East declared a terrorist organization by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, oped severe acute respiratory illness, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah or Iraq’s authorities along with two little-known Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi with heads of primary with fever, cough, and shortness of Mehdi Army. Nor do the bombs disturb groups: Saraya Al-Ashtar (Ashtar Brigade) health care units in the presence of mem- breath, and 93 patients have died. everyday life in most of Bahrain, where and Saraya Al-Muqawama (Resistance bers of the Higher Committee for the Countries with lab-confirmed cases of explosions tend to target security forces Brigade), compounding the atmosphere Coronavirus disease awareness center. MERS includes: Saudi Arabia, the United in the mainly Shiite villages, far away of confrontation. Demonstrators drawn RIYADH: A Saudi man covers his mouth and nose She added that scientific and educa- Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, from the capital. mainly from the Shiite community have while he walks down a main street in the Saudi capi- tional materials about the disease, its Kuwait, UK, France, Tunisia, Italy, Malaysia But there are fears that a deadlock in kept up small protests almost daily, tal as the death toll from the newly emerged and symptoms and how it is transmitted and and the United States. Nearly 400 people political efforts to solve a three-year-old demanding the Sunni ruling family cre- often fatal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) prevention have been given out to special- in Saudi Arabia have been infected, with standoff is deepening frustration among ate a constitutional monarchy. disease topped 111 in the desert kingdom. — AFP ists prior to their distribution to all state 111 deaths reported. — (See Page 6) young Shiites, with the more hotheaded Some of the protests turn violent, of them seeming beyond the control of with police firing tear gas, stun grenade PAGE PAGE the mainstream Al Wefaq opposition and birdshot at youth burning tyres and 30 firms charged 20 men beat up movement. “We are fighting for our throwing rocks, metal rods and petrol rights and nobody can stop us. The bombs at security forces. The violence is with ‘trafficking’ fake policeman youngsters will continue what their mainly in Shiite villages well away from fathers, brothers and uncles started,” a Manama where businesses and expatri- 21-year-old man who gave his name ates are hardly affected. only as S A said in the Shiite village of Continued on Page 11 37 militants, six Kuwait joins FATCA Yemen troops die KUWAIT: The Ministry of Finance said that Revenue Service (IRS) website which will Kuwait has joined the list of countries be due today as announced by the ADEN: Yemen said at least 37 Al-Qaeda militants were which have agreed ‘initially in substance’ Treasury Department on December 31st killed in the southern province of Shabwa yesterday as on the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax 2014. the army intensified an offensive to root out foreign and Compliance Act). The Ministry of Finance The Ministry of Finance took a step fur- local Islamist fighters holed up in some of the country’s announced that it has agreed in sub- ther towards maintaining the integrity of most impenetrable areas. The report by state news stance regarding the FATCA Agreement the financial institutions of Kuwait which agency Saba came shortly after a military source said a with the US Treasury Department in accor- could be subject to any financial penalties. suicide bomber killed six soldiers by their outpost in dance with the Intergovernmental As a result, the banks and financial institu- Shabwa, one of two provinces where the army has been Agreement Model 1 IGA and initialed on tions including the Foreign Financial fighting Al-Qaeda and its allies.