Drinking /Eating during Ramadan will land you in Jail Kuwait

The first day of Ramadan also witnessed the first case of drinking in public during the day time, said security sources. Case papers indicate that a police patrol saw an Asian drinking water from a bottle during the day. On asking him why he was not fasting, he said that his sect had not yet started fasting, an excuse which police had not accepted and the man was arrested. Notably, according to Kuwaiti laws, anybody caught drinking or eating in public during fasting hours is detained until after the Eid.

360 Mall’s Ramadan Timings Kuwait

“Gergean” With The Korean Embassy N The Korean Cultural Diwaniya

Ramadan Swim n Soccer Camp Kuwait

Saloon Al Anshad For Ladies Kuwait

Whenever I have a haircut, I am showered with praise, be it from my Assamese friends or Non- Assamese friends. I change my hair style in every 6-7 months. They all want to know about the parlour I visit. So I have decided to dedicate this post on “Saloon Al Anshad For Ladies”. 

Visiting a salon/parlour is a "MUST" in Kuwait. Dust, harsh wind, harsh sun and the water cause  lot of damage to our skin and hair. I regard it as a perfect salon as it is a one stop destination for grooming and personal care.The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, experienced and they keep up with the latest trends and techniques, high end and natural products that don't harm the skin and hair, first rate tools, comfortable chairs, laxative and clean environment and prices that match the services.They make it sure that when you walk out of their salon, you don’t just look beautiful and healthy, but feel it as well. You will know how famous it is among the ladies (expats or Kuwaitis) as you will find lot of customers whenever you visit them. I feel this is because they strive to build enduring relationships by providing exceptional talent and extraordinary guest experiences in a unique setting.

Now, let’s meet the lady behind this noted parlour… Neroshini  Senawerathna.

Known to her friends as Nero, she is Sri Lankan by birth but married an Indian Basab Sarma. Blessed with a cute daughter Sweety, she is the main force behind the parlour. She came to Kuwait decades ago, and due to her hard work and magical hands, she is now owner of a big salon.

I call her a lady with magic hands as she can do magic with your hair. You will be satisfied after she gives you a hair cut and you will feel like visiting her parlour again and again.

Address  of her parlour is

'Saloon Al Ansaad' Mangaf Block:3, Street:1, Building No#154, 1st floor.

Opposite Fahaheel English School.

Nero with her lovely family

Best Summer Trips 2012 by National Geographic

Just in time for summer, the travel editors of National Geographic present ten trips for nature lovers and urban explorers ...

1) Isla del Sol, Bolivia

2) Argyll and the Isles, Scotland

3) Baltimore, Maryland

4) Barcelona, Spain

5) Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

6) St. Petersburg, Russia

7) Traverse City, Michigan

8) Spencer Glacier, Alaska

9) Channel Islands, California

10) Pawleys Island, South Carolina

The best tourist destinations for 2012 by Lonely Planet

Anyone who’s into international travel will automatically recognize the tour guidebook company “Lonely Planet” .

They voted the following cities as the best tourist destinations for 2012:

1. London
2. Muscat, Oman
3. Bengaluru (Bangalore), India
4. Cadiz, Spain
5. Stockholm
6. Guimaraes, Portugal
7. Santiago, Chile
8. Hong Kong
9. Orlando, Florida, USA
10. Darwin, Australia

Ramadan @ The Regency Hotel

Annual Squash Tournament Kuwait

The annual Ramadan Stars squash tournament is back & registration has now begun! The tournament is open to all individuals (males, females, hobbyist and professionals). Registration for the tournament is being held at the GO SPORT store in The Avenues now until August 1st (any person who registers will receive a 10% discount on the spot from GO SPORT. Prizes for the winners will range from a Samsung SIII to gift vouchers. Every participant will receive a customized tournament polo-shirt, goodie bag & a participation certificate.


VIA : www.grapevinekuwait

Ramadan Discounts At The Scientific Center Kuwait

Take advantage of the Ramadan discounts at The Scientific Center Kuwait! The discounted rates will begin the 2nd day of Ramadan, and they will end on the last working day of the holy month. Normal ticket prices will resume on the first day of Eid. The discounted ticket prices as follow:

Aquarium: 1.750 KD

Discovery Place: 1 KD

IMAX: 1.750 KD

Happy Ramadan to All

Ramadan Tips (Do’s & Don’ts)

 How should I greet Muslims on the occasion of Ramadan? How should I reply if they greet me? Should my public behavior change in Ramadan? When and where can I eat during daylight hours? How should I handle food gifts from neighbors or colleagues? What should I expect if I accept an invitation to break the fast? What will happen on the roads? When is the best time to shop? Will my paperwork get done? And how should I look at non-productivity and excessiveness? 

In his 20-minute presentation, Dr. Ibrahim will answer all these questions and many more.

WHERE : AWARE Center (Surra, Block 3, Surra Street, Villa 84)

WHEN : July 17, 2012 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

An Evening Of Soulful Ghazals in Kuwait

Kindly book your passes today by contacting the numbers below
M3 Events
9971-0242, 6676-3786, 6969-6060

Household utensils, food exhibition opens in Mishref,Kuwait

Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammed Al-Kenderi opened on Monday household items and food exhibition, organized by Kuwait international Fair Company and due till 21st of this month, at the International Fair Ground in Mishref.

Al-Kenderi said to KUNA this exhibition offers consumers an opportunity to deal directly with production companies which offer much cheaper prices than those on the market .

He also added participation of the national companies, Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company, serves interests of the consumers which could find all needed Ramadan supplies in one place with reasonable prices.
Exhibition director Emad Al-Haroun said this event, launched 30 years ago, is attached to Ramadan, the holy month, and gives all the participating companies a chance to show newest products in competitive atmosphere.

He futher that this year exhibition is unique because it gathers household and food products in one hall.

IKEA 1st Thursday Offer

Kuwait Emir asks outgoing PM Jaber to form cabinet

New legislative polls in Kuwait expected

Kuwait City: Kuwait Emir on Thursday asked outgoing Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah to form a new cabinet, the official Kuna news agency reported citing a decree.

Shaikh Jaber, a senior member of the ruling Al Sabah family, resigned last week days after the constitutional court nullified February legislative polls, scrapping the opposition-controlled parliament.

The court also reinstated the previous pro-government parliament which was dissolved last December following youth-led protests over allegations of two major corruption scandals involving former MPs and officials.

The unprecedented court ruling sparked protests by thousands of Kuwaitis who called for a constitutional monarchy and a full parliamentary system.

The new cabinet is expected to recommend to Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah to dissolve the reinstated parliament and call for fresh polls in an attempt to resolve the political crisis.

The outgoing cabinet was formed just over four months ago after February’s parliamentary election, which saw the Islamist-led opposition score an impressive victory and secure a majority.

Shaikh Jaber, 69, had replaced Shaikh Nasser Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, another senior member of the ruling family, who stepped down in November following street protests over corruption allegations.It was the ninth cabinet to resign in Kuwait since February 2006. Two of the cabinet’s 16 ministers had been forced to quit under pressure from MPs, while a third minister resigned.

Kuwait, Opec’s fourth largest crude producer, has been rocked by a series of political crises over the past six years, which have seen nine cabinets resign and parliament dissolved five times.

The emirate, which says it sits on around 10 per cent of global oil reserves, pumps around three million barrels per day of oil. It has a native population of 1.2 million in addition to 2.5 million foreign residents.

gulfnews

Lawyer urges halt to Kuwait Airways flights

gulfnews

Kuwait City :A lawyer has urged in a lawsuit the suspension of all Kuwait Airways Corp flights for safety reasons, a day after the government grounded five aircraft.

Hawra Al Habeeb called on the court to assign an expert team to examine the 17-strong fleet of the flag carrier to establish if the aircraft are fit to fly after a string of incidents, the most recent of which was last week.

“The malfunctions at Kuwait Airways planes pose a serious danger to passengers’ lives while the government has failed to take any measure,” Habeeb said in a statement after filing the suit.

The court has not set a date for the case but is expected to do so in the coming days.

KAC chief and communications minister Salem Al Othaina said on Sunday that the government has decided to ground three to five ageing aircraft for repeated malfunctions. A decision to ground more planes was expected later, he said.

The state-owned carrier has a fleet of 15 Airbus and two Boeing aircraft that were acquired about 20 years ago, and which have had many technical problems over the past few years.

The lawsuit and the minister’s comments came as a KAC flight from Kuwait to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia narrowly escaped disaster on Wednesday because of engine problems.

The Airbus A300 with 186 passengers on board made an emergency landing in the city of Medina, the latest of a series of reported breakdowns in the KAC fleet.

Kuwait has delayed plans to privatise the loss-making carrier and decided instead to restructure the airline after private buyers offered a low price.

Kuwait Airways has posted a loss in all but one of the past 21 years, amounting to more than $2.7 billion (Dh9.91 billion). Losses are covered by the state because the carrier is entirely government-owned.

The Grandmothers Sang ‘Come On and Dance!’ and a Village Got New Life

nytimes.com BURANOVO, Russia — For years, Buranovo was a dying village, one of many in the Russian countryside left behind by an oil-driven boom that revitalized drab Soviet cities and drew the young away from the farms that had sustained their parents.

In places like this, collective farms routinely go bankrupt, log houses tilt and sink into the soil, roads become muddy ravines and village stores make much of their money selling vodka. Breaking the cycle of decline is considered difficult, if not impossible.

But 300-year-old Buranovo is proving to be an exception, for the unlikeliest of reasons: a troupe of eight local women, many of them old and stooped, known as the Buranovskiye Babushki (or Grandmothers of Buranovo), who sang their way to instant fame in May during the pop music contest called Eurovision.

The babushki, the oldest of whom is 86, came in second in the annual contest, which pits performers from European countries against one another and holds the Continent in thrall each spring.

The little ladies in traditional dresses and kerchiefs put on a rock ’n’ roll performance that invited the world to laugh at them, smiling slyly as they shuffled across the stage and belted out their version of a hard-partying anthem, complete with a chorus in English:

“Party for everybody — dance! Come on and dance! Come on and dance! Come on and boom boom!”

A video of the performance became a hit on the Web, adding to the more than 100 million television viewers who saw their act.

Now, the women’s good fortune is transforming not only their lives, but also Buranovo. In appreciation of the group’s near victory, the local government is building a water pipeline, installing streetlights and high-speed Internet for the village’s sole school and laying new gravel on the main roads.

“God forgot this place before the grannies sang,” Aleksandr Malkov said in his front yard as he watched flatbed trucks roll down the street with pipe for the new waterworks.

It is difficult to overstate the impact of such improvements.

Like so much of the Russian countryside, Buranovo is at once picturesque and a scene of rural penury. Residents subsist on dairy farming, garden plots and food gathered in the forest, like honey and mushrooms. On a recent visit, the wind blew waves in a sea of green rye, and the front yards held gigantic stacks of split birch firewood.

Olga Tyurikova, a neighbor who fed one of the grandmothers’ chickens during the Eurovision contest, said the group saved the village. “If it weren’t for the babushki, nobody would ever have noticed there was no water in Buranovo,” she said. Most of the village never had running water.

It all began with a miracle, said Olga N. Tuktareva, the leader of the singing group, who is 43 and in fact is not a grandmother yet.

 

Ms. Tuktareva recalled strolling about the village with a friend in 2008 and lamenting a sad episode in local history: the destruction of the Church of the Trinity, taken down like countless other churches in Stalin’s Russia.

Built in 1901, it had three altars, devoted to the Trinity, Archangel Michael and the Prophet Elijah. Party commissars closed it in 1937; 12 years later, a crew drilling for oil in the upper Volga River basin knocked down the church and carted off the bricks to build barracks for workers.

During that walk, Ms. Tuktareva recalled, her cellphone rang. It was a music producer in Moscow who had heard of the singing babushki — they performed locally — and had a proposition: if the troupe sang the Queen song “We Are the Champions” in their native language, Udmurt, to an audience of oil executives in Moscow, the producer would make it worth her time.

“I thought, ‘This is strange,’ ” Ms. Tuktareva said. “I just said it is impossible to rebuild the church, and then my phone rang. This is not an accident.” After that, the group won minor fame performing songs by the Beatles, Deep Purple and the Eagles in Udmurt as a novelty act. The members — all deeply pious women who had to hide their beliefs in the Soviet era — set up a fund to rebuild the church.

The babushki competed to represent Russia at Eurovision in 2010 but, not yet fully transformed into a rock act, were not selected. They entered with a song called “How to Make Birch Bark Into a Hat.”

After that song fell flat, they realized that they needed more histrionics and more English. They performed “Party for Everybody,” a song with lyrics by Ms. Tuktareva in Udmurt and by Mary Susan Applegate, a lyricist for Modern Talking and other pop acts, in English.

While the women were in Baku, Azerbaijan, for this year’s Eurovision contest, the laying of a church foundation was begun with the money already in their growing fund. When they returned — escorted from a regional airport by a police motorcade — the jumble of steel and concrete awaited them.

“We prayed and we cried,” Ms. Tuktareva said.

Natalia Y. Pugachyova, one of two group members baptized in the original Trinity Church in the 1930s, worked at a pig farm for decades before finding fame. “Life was that way,” she said.

The members made no money directly from Eurovision, for their church fund or for themselves. But they do earn handsomely from concerts and pay themselves bonuses. Back in the village, fame is changing their lives — after Eurovision, schools from miles around have taken to sending classes on field trips to visit their homes.

The grandmothers say they remained secretly religious all their lives, but never expected the church to be rebuilt.

“I had a vision that something would change in our village,” one of the singers, Alevtina Begisheva, 60, said. “But I never imagined we would return our church in this way.”

Holy month of Ramadan begin on July 20

The Kuwait Scientific Club has released a press statement stating that the holy crescent will be sighted on July 19. Based on calculations, the month of Ramadan in Arab and Muslim countries will begin on July 20 and will last for a period of 30 days, with the last day falling on Aug 18.

No service tax on Indian NRI remittances: Finance Ministry

The government on Tuesday said remittances from abroad will not attract service tax, putting to rest the concerns raised in view of new tax norms.

"The matter has been examined and it is clarified that there is no service tax per se on the amount of foreign currency remitted to India from overseas," the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) said.

The clarification follows concerns over reports that there was a move to levy 12 per cent tax on money sent back home by Indians abroad under the changed service tax regime from July 1.

Emerging as the top recipient among developing nations, India received remittances of USD 64 billion in 2011, according to the World Bank data.

Chief Ministers of Punjab and Kerala, which are among the states receiving the largest remittances from expatriates, had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

CBEC said, "Concerns have been expressed in various fora regarding the leviability of service tax on the remittance of foreign currency in India from overseas."

It added, "remittance comprises money, the activity does not comprise a 'service' and thus not subjected to service tax."

In case any fee or conversion charges are levied for sending such money, they are also not liable to service tax as the person sending the money and the company conducting the remittance are located outside India, the circular issued by the Board said.

The CBEC further clarified that Indian bank or financial institution which charge the foreign bank for the services provided at the receiving end, is not liable to service tax.

Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have maximum number of emigrants mostly in the Gulf.

Saloon Al Anshad For Ladies Kuwait

Whenever I have a haircut, I am showered with praise, be it from my Assamese friends or Non- Assamese friends. I change my hair style in every 6-7 months. They all want to know about the parlour I visit. So I have decided to dedicate this post on “Saloon Al Anshad For Ladies”. 

Visiting a salon/parlour is a "MUST" in Kuwait. Dust, harsh wind, harsh sun and the water cause  lot of damage to our skin and hair. I regard it as a perfect salon as it is a one stop destination for grooming and personal care.The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, experienced and they keep up with the latest trends and techniques, high end and natural products that don't harm the skin and hair, first rate tools, comfortable chairs, laxative and clean environment and prices that match the services.They make it sure that when you walk out of their salon, you don’t just look beautiful and healthy, but feel it as well. You will know how famous it is among the ladies (expats or Kuwaitis) as you will find lot of customers whenever you visit them. I feel this is because they strive to build enduring relationships by providing exceptional talent and extraordinary guest experiences in a unique setting.

Now, let’s meet the lady behind this noted parlour… Neroshini  Senawerathna.

Known to her friends as Nero, she is Sri Lankan by birth but married an Indian Basab Sarma. Blessed with a cute daughter Sweety, she is the main force behind the parlour. She came to Kuwait decades ago, and due to her hard work and magical hands, she is now owner of a big salon.

I call her a lady with magic hands as she can do magic with your hair. You will be satisfied after she gives you a hair cut and you will feel like visiting her parlour again and again.

Address  of her parlour is

'Saloon Al Ansaad' Mangaf Block:3, Street:1, Building No#154, 1st floor.

Opposite Fahaheel English School.

Nero with her lovely family

National Gaming Union Tournament Starts 27 July,Kuwait

Kuwait’s biggest gaming competition is happening this Ramadan 2012 at Live Theater! Be a part of this first-ever event in Kuwait by registering today!
Kindly contact  60607800, 50683852 for full event details. 
Don’t miss it!

Tickets will be sold at the following locations:

-Discovery Mall (next to the entrance)

-Al Rehab Complex

-GUST Campus

Childrens Photography Sessions At Sadu House With Erin Ahmad

Learn Salsa,Kuwait

IIK-American Tourister Contest 2012

It was a pleasant surprise for me when I got the call and mail from IIK informing me that I am one of the winners of IIK- American Tourister Contest 2012 . To be selected among 100's of other participants  I feel very happy to be among  the 5 winners.

The lucky winners of Share Your IIK Experience contest conducted by IndiansinKuwait.com in association with American Tourister received a smart and trendy looking American Tourister travel bags in an elegant function held at American Tourister showroom, Souk al Kabir, Kuwait on 7th July.

Here are some pictures........

Think of All Homeless Friends This Holy Month of Ramadan…

Joyalukkas Bonanza

Buy jewellery and get up to 5% in cash back vouchers.*This summer, buy jewellery at any Joyalukkas showroom and get cash back vouchers and more.
Offer valid in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, KSA.

Promotion period: 13 JUNE - 28 JULY, 2012

Centrepoint Summer Discount,Q8

I thought the SALE at Centrepoint and Home Centre is over. But I got a sms from them yesterday that Heavy Discount / Summer Savers  has started....

Centerpoint -Hawaly, Fintas and Al Rai branches- announced discounts on many international brands such as Junior, Splash, Show Mart, Life Style and much more. Centerpoint has a wide selection of shoes, bags, clothes, cosmetics, home furniture and accessories. You can check out their website at: www.centerpointstores.com. Store Locations: Al Rai 24734160 Salmiya 25711957 Hawali 22610234/5 Fahaheel 23912485 Kuwait 22472856/7/8 Jahraa 24582103

IKEA 1st Thursday Offer,Q8

Kuwait MP barred from parliament for spitting

telegraph.co.uk :  

A Kuwaiti MP was on Thursday barred from entering parliament for two weeks for spitting on a colleague inside the chamber amid allegations he was drunk.

MPs unanimously agreed to apply the internal charter on Mohammad al-Juwaihel to bar him from entering the parliament building or attending meetings of committees for two weeks.

Several MPs testified during the debate that they saw Juwaihel spit on opposition Islamist MP Hamad Matar and then make "immoral" gestures during the session.

A proposal to ask police to arrest Juwaihel to examine him for alcohol, totally banned in the conservative Muslim state, was referred to parliament's legal panel to see if the request was in line with the law.

MPs in Kuwait enjoy immunity and protection against arrest or interrogation by the judiciary while parliament is in session.

Several opposition MPs said that Juwaihel was coming to parliament while drunk and MP Mussallam al-Barrak alleged that he was being backed by a number of ruling family members.

Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah categorically denied the allegation.

Juwaihel, who was elected to parliament for the first time in February, caused an uproar in the Gulf state when he launched a campaign against Bedouin tribes.

Ahead of the February 2 election, tribesmen burned down his election tent after he allegedly insulted a major tribe.

Gulf countries cracking down on 'offensive' tweets

Gulf states crack down on alleged politically and religiously offensive messages on Twitter, in a move that is alarming rights campaigners and highlights the surging regional popularity of the site.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the detention of activists in Bahrain and Kuwait, as social media offer a new outlet for criticism in conservative societies where rulers have traditionally enjoyed near-absolute power in exchange for delivering high living standards.

“ 

Recently pro and anti-government elements have ... taken advantage of this anonymity to criticise each other — and go as far as making threats

 

”

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Gulf News columnist

While Twitter has carved out a niche in Gulf countries as a tool for organising protest, it has also emerged as a means of religious enforcement; an alternative to physical demonstrations in societies where such confrontations are taboo.

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, a UAE columnist who writes for Gulf News and the Gulf’s best known tweeter in English, says the site offers for the first time a “window into the minds and thoughts” of groups ranging from previously remote top officials to hitherto “unrecognised political movements”, often operating under aliases.

“Recently pro and anti-government elements have ... taken advantage of this anonymity to criticise each other — and go as far as making threats,” Qassemi says.

Human Rights Watch recently called for the release of Nabeel Rajab, a rights activist in Bahrain, where the government has put down protests led by members of the country’s Shiite majority. The campaign group said Rajab, who was previously held for more than three weeks in May, had been detained again this month after he tweeted a call for the prime minister to step down. He was released on Wednesday and his case was set for July 9

Human Rights Watch also criticised the Kuwaiti government over a 10-year jail sentence handed down in early June to Hamad Al Naqi over tweeted messages that allegedly criticised the kings of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and insulted Prophet Mohammad [PBUH]. Naqi’s lawyer says his client was convicted under a law forbidding “intentionally broadcasting news, statements, or false or malicious rumours ... that harm the national interests of the state”.

The arrests reflect a migration of Gulf nationals of all political persuasions to Twitter. In a recently released infographic, Amman-based social media consultant Khaled Al Ahmad showed users from the region making up more than two-thirds of the estimated 1.3m Twitter accounts active across the Arab world.

In politically active Kuwait, almost 8 per cent of the population uses the service; the 235,000 Kuwaiti accounts eclipse the number of users in nearby Egypt, Ahmad’s graphic showed, citing numbers from the Dubai School of Government.

The boom has sent the popularity of leading users in the Gulf surging at a staggering rate. Many of the top tweeters are clerics, led by Mohammad Al Arefe, a telegenic, conservative Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar, who has this year leapt from just under 650,000 followers to more than 1.8m.

Arefe’s rapid rise shows how — among some sizeable Gulf constituencies — the reach of religious figures is far greater than that of the revolutionaries, media personalities and entertainers comprising the site’s elite in other Arab states. This power was demonstrated in February, when Hamza Kashgari, a young Saudi writer, addressed Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] in a series of tweets that many declared blasphemous.

After fleeing the country amid a storm of calls for his arrest and execution, Kashgari was extradited from Malaysia and, according to local media reports, is now in detention awaiting trial.

In the UAE, both representatives and opponents of the status quo have embraced Twitter enthusiastically since a ban on it was lifted in 2008. The country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority — which once oversaw the curb on the site — is now an active user, while Dhahi Khalfan, Dubai’s outspoken police chief, attracts attention and headlines for his lively tweets denouncing Islamists and others he deems to be working against the UAE’s national interests.

The ability of online campaigns by Emirati citizens to reach the halls of power quickly was demonstrated in June with an impromptu Twitter campaign encouraging the UAE’s expatriate majority to wear culturally appropriate dress in public spaces. The call, which resonated widely in the community, quickly made it to local newspaper headlines, international newswires and the country’s Federal National Council, where elected and appointed representatives debated the need for a federal law regulating dress codes.

It is part of a wider embrace of Twitter in the Gulf that has been as messy — and sometimes ugly — as might be expected in a region suddenly offered a mighty platform for long repressed public discourse.

“Twitter has contributed to an expansion of freedom of expression,” says Dima Khatib, a correspondent for Qatar’s Al Jazeera, who has emerged as one of the region’s biggest Twitter stars since the start of the Arab uprisings. “But things have cracked wide open — we still don’t know how to respect other points of view yet.”

  

Kuwaiti activist laid to rest amid tributes

Jasem Al Qutami



He was a national icon who devoted himself and his life to serving country and people



gulfnews : One of Kuwait’s most prominent political and parliamentary activists was laid to rest on Sunday amid tributes, eulogies and tears.

Hundreds of Kuwaitis gathered at the Sulaibikhiya Mosque to take part in prayers and attend the funeral of Jasem Al Qitami, 83, who died on Friday at the Amiri Hospital.

“He was not in any way an ordinary person,” local Arabic daily Al Jareeda said.

“He was a national icon who devoted himself and his life to serving Kuwait and its people. He invariably sided with people, democracy and freedom.”

Al Qitami was born in 1929 and was educated in Quranic and in formal schools. In 1948, he left for Egypt where he submitted separate applications to study medicine and to join the police academy. He eventually went to the academy. Upon graduation, he went back to Kuwait and was appointed the first police chief in 1954.

However, when he was asked in 1956 to disperse demonstrators who were protesting the attack on Egypt, he refused and resigned.

He also made his mark in sports. He was named the first head of the football association in 1957. In 1962, he became an undersecretary at the ministry of foreign affairs.

One year later, he ran in the parliamentary elections and took a seat in the Fifth Constituency. He later gave up his seat to press for reforms in the nascent nation.

In 1975, he ran again in the parliamentary elections and took a seat in the Second Constituency. In 1985, he won a seat in the Third Constituency.

Following the dissolution of parliament, he hosted the first of two meetings by lawmakers pushing for a resumption of the constitutional activities, Al Jareedareported.

Al Qitami was well-known for his pan-Arab activism and was in 1983 a co-founder of the Arab Organisation of Human Rights, offering financial support and deploying outstanding efforts. He also helped found the Kuwaiti Orgnisation of Human Rights.

The Arab organisation named him honourary president for life in appreciation of his remarkable achievements and contributions.

Al Qitami again made history in Kuwait by becoming the first lawmaker to draft a bill to empower women politically.

He was a co-founder of the Kuwaiti Democratic Tribune alongside Ahmad Al Khateeb, Sami Al Munayyas and Abdullah Al Nibari.

Kuwait Emir accepts cabinet resignation

Kuwait Emir asks PM and ministers to continue as caretaker government until new cabinet is formed



Shaikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah, Kuwait Prime Minister

gulfnews : Kuwait’s Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Sunday issued a decree accepting the resignation of the state’s cabinet, the official Kuna news agency reported.

The ruler also asked outgoing Prime Minister Shaikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah and other ministers to continue as a caretaker government until a new cabinet is formed.

The cabinet resigned last week days after the constitutional court nullified the February legislative election, scrapping the opposition-dominated parliament, and reinstated the previous house.

The court ruling, which was based on the finding that two decrees dissolving the previous parliament and calling for fresh elections were flawed, sparked protests by thousands of Kuwaitis calling for a constitutional monarchy and a full parliamentary system.

Information Minister Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Sabah had said that the cabinet quit in order to give way to a new government to “take the necessary legal and constitutional procedures to implement the... court ruling.”

The outgoing cabinet was formed just over four months ago after February parliamentary poll, in which the opposition scored an impressive victory, achieving a majority.

It was the ninth cabinet to resign in the Opec member since February 2006. Two of the cabinet’s 16 ministers had been forced to quit over the past few weeks under pressure from MPs, while a third minister resigned.

The emir is due to start consultations on Monday, asking Shaikh Jaber or another dignitary to form a new cabinet, with the former widely expected to be his first choice.

Shaikh Jaber had replaced Shaikh Nasser Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, another senior member of the ruling family, who stepped down in November following youth-led street protests over corruption allegations.

Kuwait has been rocked by a series of political crises over the past six years, which have seen nine cabinets resign and parliament dissolved five times.

Burglars strike newly married Indian couple in Dubai

I thought Dubai is a safe place, that there is no robbers/ burglars like India there. But I was wrong.......



gulfnews DUBAI : A young couple’s Dubai home has been burgled a day after the husband moved here from India to start a new life with his wife who had told him Dubai is a safe place.

About Dh60,000-Dh70,000 in cash and jewellery was stolen from former telecom worker Puneet Singh and his HR executive wife’s one-bedroom apartment in Karama area on Saturday.

The newly married couple had gone to the beach and found the flat ransacked when they returned.

Singh, 28, had quit his public relations job in a leading Indian phone company to join his Dubai-based wife on Friday.

He said: “I unpacked Saturday morning and was wondering where to put the cash and jewellery as there was no safe in the house. My wife said, ‘Just put it in the closet, Dubai’s a safe place’. I put it under some clothes on the shelves.

“We went to the beach later on and when we got back the front door wasn’t opening. I struggled with it and pushed it a bit - it almost came off.

Singh said the suspects had apparently gone straight for the stash, leaving behind fake gold items and electronics.“We stepped inside and I asked my wife: ‘Had we left the lights on?’ There were open drawers and clothes everywhere - we knew we had been burglarised.”

He added: “They had made themselves comfortable and left the AC on. It’s like they knew where everything was, as if they had been observing us.

“They had opened all drawers, even checked inside our shoes, but didn’t touch the built-in closet which has nothing special in it.

“It wouldn’t have felt so bad if this had happened two or three years after I moved here – but on the second day?”

Police are investigating the incident, Singh said.