RABI ALTHANI 5, 1440 AH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2018 Max 22º 28 Pages Min 12º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17705 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Nazaha refers two officials to Mekong women pressed India appoints Modi ally US Olympic Committee slammed 36prosecution on graft charges into marriage in China 11 as new central bank head 25 in review of Nassar abuse case MPs overwhelmingly approve amended early retirement law Bill passes after government agrees to 2% cut in pensions By B Izzak ment, which demanded some amendments to accept it. Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf Defense minister discusses KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday told the Assembly the new version does not overwhelmingly passed an amended early disrupt the retirement system and insisted that retirement law in the first reading despite retirement is optional and not mandatory. He cooperation with US envoy opposition by several MPs to the legislation said the new law does not take away any ben- that allows Kuwaiti civil servants to retire early efit from thousands of people who retired against a small reduction in pension. Forty before this law, adding that the costs of the law MPs including all Cabinet ministers present will be borne by the social security agency. voted in favor of the law, while 16 lawmakers, The minister said that the two-percent all opposition members, voted against the law reduction was introduced because the govern- which was amended through cooperation ment does not want to see many civil servants between the government and the Assembly’s seek early retirement, as the state needs their financial and economic affairs committee. expertise. Hajraf said the law allows the A number of MPs who voted for the law 350,000 government employees to reap the said their approval is conditional to changing benefits of the law, adding that 6,700 single several provisions before sending the law for women will benefit from its provisions, adding the second and final round of voting, expected that men and women are treated equally by within the next two weeks. The law allows the law. KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Kuwaiti citizens to seek early retirement five Head of the financial committee MP Salah Mubarak Al-Sabah gestures at the National years ahead of the official retirement age of 55 Khorshed said that as many as 7,600 employ- Assembly yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat years for men and 50 years for women, but ees will be able to seek early retirement with- only after accepting to reduce their pension by out having to cut their pensions. He said the KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister at the National Assembly. Sheikh two percent for each year. The government law is one of the biggest achievements of the committee to seek the assistance of the Audit and Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Nasser said in a statement that the had demanded a five percent reduction initial- Assembly. But opponents said the amend- Bureau to prepare a study on the technical, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah discussed Kuwaiti and American sides discussed ly, but agreed to the two percent cut and said ments, sponsored by the government, to the financial and legal subjects related to the rain yesterday means of mutual coopera- issues of mutual interest and means to it will pay the remaining three percent to the law have rendered the law useless and without issue. During the debate, Public Works tion with Ambassador of the United develop and enhance them. He praised social security agency. any benefit. Several MPs called for voting Minister Hossam Al-Roumi said he has ten- States Lawrence Silverman, accompa- the deep-rooted ties between both In the previous term, the Assembly over- again on the law. dered his resignation to the Cabinet and is nied by the military attache to Kuwait, friendly nations. — KUNA whelmingly approved the original early retire- At the start of the session, the Assembly awaiting its response. The minister resigned ment law, but it was rejected by the govern- accepted a request by the rain investigation after heavy rains last month. juvenile laws which criminalize the abuse of children. products. So the juvenile prosecutor will decide 18 social media Chief among the new guidelines is introducing age whether they are harmful or not,” added Khaldi. restrictions requiring social media users to be at least Any member of the public can file a case against any 13 years of age. social media account or advertisement exploiting chil- Time’s ‘Person accounts rapped Khaldi noted punishment may reach up to one year dren. “The parents, as the guardians of the child, will be of imprisonment. “Eighteen social media accounts were penalized for exploiting their child themselves or by of Year’ goes for exploiting kids referred to the prosecutor yesterday for illegally anyone else. There are two authorities in charge of exploiting children for commercial activities. The own- these crimes - the child protection center, which is ers of the accounts signed pledges to refrain from such under the Cabinet, and the minors’ care department to journalists By Nawara Fattahova activities,” he said. The new guidelines clarify child under the interior ministry,” he explained. rights law no. 21/2015, minors’ law no. 111/2015, decree Exceptions have been made. “The law allows using NEW YORK: Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, KUWAIT: After Kuwait’s attorney general issued on no. 104/1991, decree no. 26/1993, decree no. 168/2018 children in positive advertising that has educational val- who was murdered in October at his country’s Monday strict guidelines to ensure that children are and the recommendations of the higher national com- ue and for voluntary or charity activities among oth- Istanbul consulate, was named Time magazine’s adequately protected from the potential dangers asso- mittee for child protection. ers,” Khaldi said. “The guidelines also sanction all inap- “Person of the Year” yesterday, an honor he shared ciated with social media, an attorney told Kuwait Times Many terms used in this guideline are still very gen- propriate comments made under any post of children,” with other targeted journalists recognized as 18 social media accounts were referred to the prosecu- eral. “For instance, the law forbids exploiting children in he concluded. The justice ministry added that all neces- “guardians” of the truth. Among those named with tor yesterday. Lawyer Mohammed Al-Khaldi explained commercial advertising to make profit, but some com- sary measures will be taken to ensure that these guide- Khashoggi were Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, the new guidelines only expound on already existing mercials are completely related to children or their lines are strictly enforced. Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo - currently imprisoned in Myanmar - and the work- force of the Capital Gazette in the US city of Annapolis, including five staff members killed in a ‘Humbled’ Modi June shooting. “As we looked at the choices it became clear suffers biggest that the manipulation and abuse of truth is really the common thread in so many of this year’s major stories, from Russia to Riyadh to Silicon Valley,” election defeats Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said. “So we chose to highlight four individuals and one group who have taken great risks in pursuit of NEW DELHI: India’s ruling party suffered stinging greater truth, starting with Jamal Khashoggi.” election defeats in three stronghold states, results Time, which has awarded the “Person of the showed yesterday, in a big blow to Prime Minister Year” title annually since 1927, published four dif- Narendra Modi before national polls in 2019. The votes ferent magazine covers for this week’s edition, each held earlier this month and in November were seen as a one spotlighting different honorees. It is the first dress rehearsal for next year when Modi will likely go time someone has been chosen posthumously for head-to-head with a emboldened Rahul Gandhi of the the prestigious cover. Congress party for a second term. “We accept the peo- Continued on Page 24 ple’s mandate with humility,” Modi said late yesterday on Twitter. “I thank the people of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for giving us the opportunity to serve these states. The BJP governments in these states worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people.” NEW DELHI: India’s Congress party supporters celebrate outside the party’s headquarters yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 24 at night with an unidentified woman who is later seen Egypt probing taking off her top. Hvid says the video was taken in late November but it was published on YouTube on Dec 8. Guarantor a must A photograph released by Hvid appears to show the naked pyramid couple completely naked on top of each other while looking in the direction of a nearby pyramid with the at public hospitals pics; curbs sale horizon illuminated. “The public prosecution is investi- gating the incident of the Danish photographer and the KUWAIT: The health ministry has implemented a new authenticity of the photos and video of him climbing system to guarantee collection of fees it has imposed of yellow vests the pyramid,” Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of on expatriates when they are admitted to public hospi- Egypt’s supreme antiquities council, told AFP. If the tals for surgeries or receive expensive treatment, where video was actually filmed at the top of the pyramid, that a guarantor will sign a form to pay the fees in case the CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have launched an investi- would make it a “very serious crime”, Waziri said. patient does not. The form is a guarantee and under- gation into images said to show a naked couple who The nearly three-minute video has taken social media taking by the guarantor to pay for the services pre- scaled the Great Pyramid that has sparked outrage in by storm and has been the subject of late night talk sented to the non-Kuwaiti patient.