SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016 SHAABAN 18, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Officials assure Refugees and Microsoft DeRozan, shelter a ‘home’ scholars: Colleges bringing the Lowry star as for distressed offer war-torn best innovations Raptors stun migrant3 workers a route to9 US with27 Office 365 Cavs20 to tie series Assembly gives final nod Min 22º Max 39º to naturalize 4,000 in 2016 High Tide 02:48 & 13:05 Low Tide MPs vote to lift Dashti’s immunity again 07:52 & 20:44 40 PAGES NO: 16884 150 FILS By B Izzak Iran delegation in KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday overwhelm- ingly passed a law in the second and final reading to allow the government to naturalize up to 4,000 foreign- Saudi for hajj talks ers in 2016. Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al- Khaled Al-Sabah said the government accepts the law TEHRAN: An Iranian delegation was region’s powers since diplomatic rela- and vowed to try to implement it in the remaining sev- travelling to Saudi Arabia yesterday for tions were severed in January. Riyadh en months of the year. The Assembly has been passing talks on the annual hajj pilgrimage cut ties with Tehran after demonstrators this law for over a decade, but the government did not despite a diplomatic crisis between the burned its embassy and a consulate implement it in the past few years. Gulf rivals, the official IRNA news agency there following the Saudi execution of a Originally, the law was introduced to help resolve the reported. “A delegation of six people will prominent cleric. Tehran says Riyadh decades-old problem of over 100,000 stateless people leave this afternoon for Saudi Arabia at insists that visas for Iranians be issued in or bedoons by naturalizing whom the government the invitation of the Saudi Minister of a third country and does not allow pil- believes deserve to be granted citizenship. But the gov- Hajj for negotiations,” it quoted Said grims to be flown in aboard Iranian air- ernment and many MPs refused this time to restrict nat- Ohadi, head of Iran’s Hajj Organization, craft, which Iran has rejected. uralization to bedoons and left it open for all foreigners. as saying. “The talks will be held on Iran and Saudi Arabia are at odds over Forty-four MPs including government ministers voted in Wednesday in Jeddah.” a raft of regional issues, notably the con- On May 12, Culture Minister Ali flicts in Syria and Yemen in which they favor of the law, while six lawmakers voted against it. Jannati, who oversees the Hajj support opposing sides. Another con- Before the vote, the Assembly rejected a proposal by Organization, said “arrangements have tentious issue has been security, after a MP Saleh Ashour to restrict the 4,000 to bedoons. MP not been put together” for Iranians to stampede at last year’s hajj killed about Saadoun Hammad said bedoons who have corrected make this year’s pilgrimage to Makkah at 2,300 foreign pilgrims including 464 their status should be considered among the 4,000 the end of the summer. He accused Iranians. On Friday, a senior Saudi reli- hopefuls for nationality. Ashour said that the govern- Riyadh of “sabotage”, but Saudi Arabia gious leader warned against those who ment admits that 32,000 bedoons qualify for considera- has denied blocking Iranian pilgrims. would “wreak havoc” under the guise of tion for citizenship, so many of the 4,000 hopefuls The two countries held an unsuccessful pilgrimage, an apparent swipe at the should be from them. Bedoons claim the right to first round of talks last month in Saudi Islamic republic. The annual hajj and the Kuwaiti citizenship, while the government says a majori- Arabia on organizing this year’s pilgrim- lesser pilgrimage known as umrah draw KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah greets Speaker ty of them are citizens of other countries and they or age for Iranians. millions of faithful to Saudi Arabia from Marzouq Al-Ghanem as he attends the opening ceremony of the new Sabah Al- their forefathers destroyed their identification docu- It was the first dialogue between the around the world each year. — AFP Ahmad building at the National Assembly yesterday, along with HH the Crown ments to get Kuwaiti nationality. Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA Continued on Page 13 Russian base in Syria damaged in IS attack LONDON: Satellite imagery appears T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was BBC quoted Stratfor analyst Sim Tack to show extensive damage to an air caused in that time. as saying that “this was not an acci- base in Syria used by Russian forces The images suggest four helicopters dental explosion”. It “would really be a following an attack by fighters from and 20 lorries were destroyed by fire marginal, almost non-existent chance the Islamic State group, US intelli- inside the base, which is strategically for this to be accidental,” he added. gence company Stratfor said yester- located in central Syria between war- Tack said there was evidence of “sev- day. The claim was immediately ravaged Palmyra and Homs. “The T4 air eral different sources of explosions denied by Russia’s defense ministry, base was severely damaged by an across the airport, and it shows that which said that the damage had been Islamic State artillery attack. In particu- the Russians took a quite a bad hit”. there for months and was due to lar, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicop- The Stratfor report said that “ord- fighting between Syrian government ters appear to have been destroyed,” nance impact points are visible” in the forces and “militants from terror Stratfor said on their website. images and that a Syrian MiG-25 groups”. Stratfor released satellite The cause of the apparent damage fighter jet also appeared to have been images dated from May 14 and May could not be determined from the damaged. 17, implying that the damage to the images obtained by Stratfor. But the Continued on Page 13 Bedouin poetry thrives in Gulf ABU DHABI: Kuwait’s Rajih Al-Hamidani celebrates after winning the final of the televised program Million’s Poet on May 17, 2016 at Al-Raha Theatre. Apart from the glory, the Kuwaiti student took home five million dirhams ($1.36 million), the top prize in a television show followed by millions of poetry lovers across the region. — AFP (See Page 40) Saudis adapt message for social media age DUBAI/RIYADH: The participation of tens of thousands social media criticism. “It’s a new focus for the govern- of young Saudis in a social media debate over plans to ment as it reaches out to a young Saudi population that reform the kingdom’s oil-reliant economy last month is more likely to use social media,” Saudi analyst and marked a shift in Riyadh’s interaction with people. Saudi commentator Mohammed Alyahya said. “That’s the leaders have historically courted public opinion only via most effective way to capture their attention.” informal councils with tribal, religious and business One recent showcase for this was the launch of 31- leaders or citizens seeking to petition them. year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s But in one of the most active countries on social Vision 2030 reform plans, which used Twitter alongside media in the Arab world, leaders have started trying to traditional media to build anticipation and introduce shape the online debate with carefully managed media hashtags - key discussion phrases. campaigns and senior officials have been sacked after Continued on Page 13 WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016 LOCAL KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, members of the Cabinet and National Assembly are pictured in a group photo at the new parliament building which was inaugurated yesterday. —Amiri Diwan photos Amir inaugurates new parliament building KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al- mony started with the national anthem, fol- Jaber Al-Sabah, just to tell next generations keen on supporting the rights of citizens, and Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah patronized and Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime lowed by the recitation of Holly Quran verses, that Sabah Al-Ahmad was one of the founding making a consensus when legislative and exec- attended the opening ceremony of the new Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad and a documentary on the new Sabah Al- fathers who, along with some men, drew up utive authorities get engaged in differences,” Sabah Al-Ahmad building at the National Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Ahmad building was aired. the country’s constitution,” Ghanem said. he noted. At the end of his speech, Ghanem Assembly yesterday. His Highness the Amir was Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al- In his speech, Ghanem expressed his grati- “The building has been named after Your wished Kuwait further progress, prosperity and received upon arrival by National Assembly Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of the Amiri tude to His Highness the Amir for sponsoring Highness to tell them, generations, that it was stability, and His Highness the Amir good Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and members of Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, and attending the inauguration ceremony of Sabah Al-Ahmad who established the princi- health. Furthermore, a documentary on His Parliament Office where he unveiled the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense the building, which includes offices for MPs ples of consultation and democracy, and of Highness the Amir was shown.