Revenge for bad parking Job

I've wanted to do this to people in Kuwait who think they own the parking lot, especially to the Kuwaiti girl who blocked my car for 3 hours.

Facebook stops messaging from Phones

Over the next few days, Facebook will stop allowing messaging in its main iPhone and Android apps, and force all their users around the world to download its standalone Messenger app. Facebook first started requiring users in Europe to use Messenger back in April, but after seeing “positive results” in terms of engagement, its rolling out the plan to the everyone. Facebook tells me people on Messenger reply about 20% faster, and not supporting multiple version of mobile chat will help it make both its main apps and Messenger better.

Mobile web, iPad, feature phone, Windows Phone, Paper, and desktop users can still message in their main Facebook apps or sites like before, and will be spared from this forced migration for now.
Previously, people could chat from a Messages tab in Facebook’s smartphone apps. They also had the option to download Messenger, which would turn the Messages tab into a notifications hub and shortcut that would fast-switch users into Messenger when tapped.link

Supra Proto Type

Is this the new Toyota Supra?? We will wait and see......

Eid Mubarak 2014

Eid Mubarak!

Bubble and Balloon Show

Enjoy magic bubbles.

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar - IMAX Kuwait

The Scientific Center presents their new IMAX 3D film 'Island of the Lemurs'.

 

This what I think of when someone mentions lemurs.

 



Love it!

Two women to be lashed for WhatsApp Cussing

A Saudi court sentenced two local women to 10 days in prison and ordered them lashed 10 times each after they were found guilty of swearing at each other on WhatsApp.

The judge at the court in the western Red Sea port of Jeddah tried to reconcile the two but they refused and insisted on charging each other.

“The judge had no choice but to sentence the two and make them write a statement not to abuse each other again,” Arar daily said, adding that it was the first verdict of its kind in Saudi Arabia.-Emirates 24/7

Everyone should always be careful what they send out, especially in this area of the world. A man can divorce his wife via text message and regular cussing can also be used to have someone arrested.

Kuwait Riders - Friday Ride

Coca-Cola Open Up Story -- Ascia - Kuwaiti-American Blogger

One of Kuwait's bloggers has told her story via the 'Coca-Cola open up story' campaign held this Ramadan. Ascia is a Kuwaiti-American fashion blogger married to a Latino/Kuwaiti fashion blogger. They have a sweet little boy named Adam. You can follow them on IG @ascia_akf and @ahmad_asb

 

 Such a cute couple!

Random Funny

Here's a video for all of the sensitive bikers upset at my post, lighten up people!

Loss of Kuwait Nationality

KUWAIT CITY, July 21, (Agencies): Kuwait on Monday revoked the citizenship of the owner of a pro-opposition television station and a newspaper, along with several other people, in an apparent crackdown on dissent.In a statement issued after a cabinet meeting, the government said it was revoking the citizenship of Ahmad Jabr al-Shemmari, owner of Al-Youm satellite television and Alam Al-Youm newspaper, and all members of his family.

It took the same action against former Islamist opposition MP Abdullah al-Barghash, two of his brothers and his sister.The measures come a week after the Kuwaiti government ordered a review of the citizenship of people who posed a threat to national security.Monday’s statement gave no specific reasons for the action against Shemmari, a naturalised citizen.

But it noted that it was based on a provision in the nationality law that allows the authorities to revoke the citizenship of people who threaten the state.Al-Youm and Alam Al-Youm have covered the activities of the opposition which has staged mass protests in the past two years, demanding fundamental reforms including an elected government.Alam Al-Youm reported on Monday that the police had questioned its non-Kuwaiti staff and seized their passports.

The cabinet said the citizenships of Barghash and his relatives were revoked because they had been granted on the basis of false information.link

 

When some people finally get the citizenship they still don't appreciate it. The whole family lost their citizenship, that has he to be an awful feeling.

 

Kuwait in a 1000 Words

My name is Tim Carr. I am a Filmmaker. I meet a lot of interesting people through my work. I figure why not introduce them to the rest of the world!

 

Ever been out and about here in Kuwait and seen someone who makes you think "I wonder where they are from" or "I wish I knew what they were thinking"? Well my goal is to talk to people I run into be it through my film work or just around the country and answers those questions and more! Hope you enjoy!

 

This is a new campaign by Tim of TJC Films, he's putting together a documentary about people in Kuwait. If anyone would like to tell their story or find out more information about his project you can view his YouTube and Facebook pages.

 

Facebook YouTube

Fail

 

Duh!

 



Ladies bike Club

I don't think they make Louis Vuitton motorcycle boots? Does riding on the back of your man's bike make you eligible for membership?

For more information check out this Bazaar Magazine article about their club.

Avenues talent Show

Update: This is what was under the black box? Uh, not really anything to do with talent?

 

You may have already seen the mysterious installation between phases 2 and 3, well today at 10.30pm it'll finally be revealed!

It's going to be pretty spectacular, and if you're a fan of 'Britain's got Talent', you definitely don't want to miss out.

Sounds like fun (minus the traffic, crowds and trying to get out when it's finished)!

Absconding means Deportation

KUWAIT: Expatriates will no longer be able to transfer their residence to a company of their choice and face immediate deportation if they are charged with an absconding case by their previous or original employers. Brig Gen Adel Al-Hashash, Head of Public Relations and Moral Guidance at the Ministry of Interior, told Kuwait Times the decision was made by the immigration department and will be applied to all expatriate workers. “When they are reported by their employers as absconding, they will be summoned, and we will investigate why they absconded. We are not going to do anything about it because they are already bound for deportation – absconding now means deportation and we will apply it. But we will make sure that all indemnities and benefits will be accorded to these workers,” he said.

 

The decision was made recently by Maj Gen Talal Marafi, the General Director of the Immigration General Department and circulated at immigration administrations in Kuwait’s six governorates. The decision mentioned that an expatriate in such a case would not be allowed to transfer his residence even if he has the approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor or reaches a settlement with his original employer. The Ministry of Social Affairs in Labor usually resolved absconding cases, but now they will be settled at the Ministry of Interior.

 

Hajjaj Abu Khudoor, a Kuwaiti economist said, the decision was fair if the same department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) is established at the Ministry of Interior, since it is Kuwait’s rights to do what is necessary for the good of all. “The labor law in Kuwait is clear on the matter – both parties must be heard. There must be reasons for absconding and if they find reasonable grounds, then they must reconsider. The solution is to listen to both parties, then study and solve it. If the ministry of interior can do the work done by the MSAL, why not? It’s their prerogative,” he said. “I think disciplining workers is one reason why they have decided to shift absconding cases to the ministry of interior. It’s a state affair after all but it must be done properly and in accordance with the law of the land,” he added.

 

With the decision, expatriate workers will no longer have the right to settle their disputes, and would be required to leave the country immediately. The Interior Ministry says that the measure will prevent workers from leaving the company that hired them and sign contracts with other employers by obtaining approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to transfer their visas without the original employer’s approval.

 

Expatriates in Kuwait are unsure how the new law will be implemented. “Loopholes in the new decision are clear. What if for any reason the employer files an absconding case only because he doesn’t like you, and without any investigation the worker will be deported. This is a very one-sided decision, and I hope it will be reversed,” said one expat.

 

The labor relations department (Shuoon) at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor used to handle investigations in cases filed by employers who claimed that their employees went missing and failed to report to work without valid reasons. The process allowed the department to reveal when employers made false accusations against workers to deny their rights, or negotiate a settlement between the two parties after the absconding employee was summoned.

 

The Ministry of Interior’s immigration law states that expatriates – even if they have valid visas – can be deported if the following situations are present:

(1) If a judgment was issued from the court for the deportation of the expatriate,

(2) if the expatriate has no means of living and

(3) deportation can be issued in case of violation of public order, public security or public morality.-Kuwait Times

 

It's getting tougher to live in Kuwait!

Killer Clown Returns Scare Prank!

 

What would you do?

Girgian Kuwait

KUWAIT: Kuwaitis still celebrate the ancient tradition of Girgian, which is a celebration for children held on the 13th, 14th and 15th of the holy month of Ramadan. Similar traditions are also observed in some other GCC countries, but with different names. With rapid modernization, this tradition has changed very much. During these three days, kids used to go roaming in their neighborhood, knocking on doors of the houses and singing songs with the name of the son living in the house, and parents gave these kids sweets and sometimes coins.

The kids used to collect it in a bag hanging on their neck, and always wore special costumes for this occasion. In the present time, Girgian has become an occasion for showing off, as parents buy expensive packs of sweets of popular brands, and some of them even put gold inside the pack. So now when kids knock the door, they will receive a packet instead of few candies, nuts or lollypops. Parents have also expanded this tradition to distribute Girgian packages to friends and relatives with the name of their son or daughter. Some parents even distribute it at their workplaces to their colleagues. Some families organize celebrations at their homes and print invitation cards to invite guests.

 

In the past, the mother or grandmother used to make the costume for the kids to wear during Girgian, but currently, these costumes are sold at various markets and exhibitions. Hundreds of designs from different materials are available in the market, especially Souq Mubarakiya in Kuwait City. Some Kuwaiti historians have mentioned that due to poverty in Kuwait during the pre-oil era, people didn’t have enough resources, so Girgian was celebrated only on one night – the 15th of Ramadan. Children roamed between the houses banging on drums or empty boxes to make some noise accompanying their songs. Nowadays, various authorities and organizations hold Girgian celebrations for children, which usually includes entertainment activities, competitions, prizes and other activities. By Nawara Fattahova

 

This is the first year since I've lived in Kuwait that I heard the pounding of drums and the kids singing. If you live in a Kuwaiti neighborhood you will know what I'm talking about, I've always lived in apartment buildings in the Fintas area with mainly expats so I never saw them singing. It was nice to see some traditions still be followed in a modern way.

Life in Qatar

It has grown since I visited many years ago but the one thing I notice even back then was how clean the country was and I love the Villagio Mall which had just opened when I was there.

Ramadan Info

Some info.

I would like to remind readers that it is Ramadan which means the city is shut down during the day for the most part and it's very hot which limits movement. If anyone dares to go out at night it is one big traffic jam up into the wee hours of the morning which means there isn't a lot of time to find new things to bring to readers. We as bloggers have lives outside of this domain and we cannot always come up with new and interesting topics. So instead of making sarcastic remarks at what we post how about 'say something nice or don't say anything at all'.

Not all of us make big money by blogging, of course those who are making money will have a totally different approach and will make it their goal to post something that will grab attention. For us who do it as a hobby we might not have that kind of dedication but we try our best to bring something interesting to our readers after all we are human and we have families and jobs as well so bare with us if we go through a dry spell. Thanks.

Leftover food Donation

Many people in Kuwait are used to buying and cooking more food than what they really need. They then throw away the rest, while there are hundreds of poor people in need who could benefit from it. The Al Bir Charity Foundation is now collecting leftover food and any excess food that people don’t need or will not consume soon, and distribute it to families in need.

 

Al Bir was founded in 1988 by Dr Ahmad Al-Muzaini, who saw similar scheme applied in Saudi Arabia and brought it to Kuwait. It started first with food only, and was called the surplus food committee, but today they also accept other items that people would like to donate to poor families. “Our goal is to provide help to families in need living in Kuwait, no matter their nationality or in which area they live.

 

Our sociologist will research their case and check all official documents about their debt, health condition, death certificate for orphans, and other documents depending on the case,” Mohammed Al-Muzaini, Chairman of Al Bir, told Kuwait Times. The majority of the recipients are non-Kuwaitis. “We focus on the expats as they live in worse situations.

 

Kuwaitis usually receive support and allowances from the government, while expats don’t. We realize the great increase in cost of living including rent, commodities and everything else. I don’t think there are other charities helping expats apart from the Patients Help Fund, which can’t cover all cases. We focus to make people aware to make good deeds by donating extra food or things they have to others who will benefit from them,” added Muzaini. “There are many things people don’t need anymore and can donate to others. For instance, some people used crutches and have recovered, so they don’t need them anymore and can donate them.

 

Also, women can give their wedding dresses to poor girls who will get married soon and don’t have money to buy one. Or people can give away furniture that they don’t need, or electronics. We also have donors who donate new electronics – they buy the item and tell us to take it from the shop and deliver it to the poor,” he explained. The foundation is working during the whole year, but is more active during the holy month of Ramadan. “Throughout the year, we deliver 450 meals daily to laborers.

 

During Ramadan, we deliver 2,000 meals in markets and mosques where laborers usually gather in Jleeb, Amghara, Rai and others,” stressed Muzaini.

 

Al Bir also cooperates with companies in the food industry. “Companies supplying supermarkets have to follow regulations by removing foodstuff two months before expiry.This food is not expired yet, and other people can benefit from it. So we advise them to donate this food to poor families,” he noted. People who would like to donate leftover food or any food that may expire before they consume it can contact Al Bir on 24830050/40, and their driver will come to the house and collect it.link

Danger in Iraq

‘Danger in Iraq a real threat for all neighboring countries’

KUWAIT CITY, July 9: The Islamic Alliance Bloc held its Ramadan Ghabqa on Tuesday, July 8 at the headquarters of the Social Culture Society in the presence of the Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim, former speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi and HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad. Large number of political figures, members of the diplomatic corps and lawmakers had also attended the event, reports Al- Seyassah daily.

They unanimously agreed that the Arab nations are ignoring the adverse events taking place in Gaza at a time when the Muslims in the Arab world are busy killing each other. They indicated that the danger in Iraq is a real threat for all neighboring countries, affirming that they are against the idea of dividing Iraq because it will not serve any group or sect in Iraq.

They stressed that the Iraqi nation must collaborate to fight terrorism, adding that they hope security and stability will prevail in all Arab countries particularly Iraq and Palestine. MP Ahmad Lari said the demonstrations that were held recently should be conducted within a constitutional and legal framework, adding the parliament is responsible for fixing any defect committed by the government. He stressed that Kuwait needs its people to exert more devoted efforts to serve the good of the nation, adding that both authorities must collaborate to serve citizens.

MP Lari indicated that the parliament discussed several important draft laws including the one on indemnity, adding that many more draft laws will be discussed for improving the standard of living of the citizens and achieving development in the country. He revealed that a budget of KD 23 billion has been approved, adding that he hopes a clearer vision and plan to meet developmental goals will be implemented in the coming years. Meanwhile, regarding the incidents occurring in Gaza, MP Adnan Abdulsamad said the entire Arab region is in a state of turmoil, indicating the fear that the incidents occurring in Iraq may reflect on the entire region including Kuwait. He stressed that the stability of Iraq is essential for achieving stability for the entire region. He said the Zionists’ attack on the innocent people in Palestine reflects the fake promises of peace made by the Zionist entity, adding, “Those who follow the incidents in Iraq will realize that the Zionists’ hands are behind it”. In addition, the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Ali Redha Enaity said diwaniyas and social events in Kuwait have special mood of festivity particularly during Ramadan, adding, “We want to congratulate all Kuwaitis on the holy month of Ramadan.”

Indians beat Egyptians

Indians top expats in Kuwait - Bangladeshis 3rd at 181,265

KUWAIT CITY, July 8: Statistics issued by the General Immigration Department shows 245,313 work permits were issued this year between Jan 5 and June 28, reports Alam Alyawm daily. The statistics also show 341,143 visit visas were issued during the same period - 58,315 commercial, 11,640 government and 23,927 tourist visits.

According to the statistics the total number of residents has reached 2,413,081; 762,471 of them Indians which represent the biggest percentage in the country followed by the Egyptians with 517,973 and Bangladeshis with 181,265 come in third position.
 
The statistics show 627,137 people work as domestics in the country and most of them are from India, Philippines and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Director of Manpower Public Authority Jamal Al-Dosari has issued a circular aimed at easing procedures for employers who employ more than 25 people by saying these employers can use the electronic website www.mosal.gov.kw.

9-day Eid Holiday!

Kuwait will shut its government offices for nine days towards the end of this month to mark Eid Al Fitr at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, a newspaper in the oil-rich Gulf emirate reported on Tuesday.

The Arabic language daily Al Anba said the holiday would begin on July 24 and ends on August 2 whether Eid starts on July 28 or 29.

“The Eid holiday in Kuwait is normally three days but since it will come in the middle of two weekends this month, the holiday will be nine days,” the paper said.

Last week, Saudi Arabia said its civil servant would have a 12-day break for Eid.

9 Days!

Kuwait News

Proposal to end expats health subsidization

KUWAIT: A top government committee recommended canceling health insurance for expatriates, saying that it ‘widens the gap between expatriate and national manpower’ and causes pressure on public health services.A foreigner is required to pay KD 50 in health insurance for every year of their visa’s duration, in addition to fees at hospitals and polyclinics, while the majority of health services there are offered free of charge.

 

Kuwait has in recent years identified demographic imbalance as a serious problem that disturbs the state’s ability to provide services with sustainable quality to citizens, and puts overwhelming pressure on public services including the health sector.The general policies committee at the Supreme Council for Planning and Development called in its latest report to ‘transform’ expatriates’ health insurance to be handled by insurance companies and private hospitals. The reason for this is to “show the real cost of expatriate manpower, and reduce the gap between it and the national manpower”, Al-Rai daily reported yesterday quoting the report.

 

The mechanism to end health subsidization could be similar to Kuwait’s decision during the 1980s to stop allowing expatriate students to enroll in public schools, where education is free of charge. That decision helped create a surplus in school buildings that the Education Ministry either rented to private schools or turned into public facilities, the committee explained.

 

‘Doomed to fail’
Meanwhile, the committee also warned that the health insurance company, a firm that will build hospitals that provides healthcare for expatriates under insurance, is doomed to fail and ultimately seek a government bailout. The government established a shareholding company with exclusive authority to build three large hospitals in different places around Kuwait. The hospitals will provide full medical services to the country’s expatriate community, allowing the Ministry of Health to allocate public medical facilities to Kuwaiti citizens exclusively. Putting the project into effect, presumably before the end of the decade, would require increasing the annual health insurance charges that expatriates pay up to KD 150, according to early estimations. But the committee warned that the monopoly shows all indications that it will end up facing the same fate as Kuwait Airways, which suffered multimillion-dinar losses, forcing the government to repossess it. The committee said that the government should instead open the door for competition between multiple medical insurance companies.

 

Subsidization policies The committee also called for reconsidering the state’s subsidization policies for services and commodities, and recommended turning social subsidization into cash support. It did not recommend removing subsidization of electricity, water and food products, but demanded restructuring it. The Finance Ministry has already finished a study for ways to readjust the state’s subsidization program. The study contains proposals to organize energy consumers into categories, while increasing the charge rate gradually the more electricity or water is consumed. It does not include recommendations to alter the subsidization rate for petrol and cooking gas. Kuwait ended diesel subsidization last month as a cost-cutting measure and to prevent systematic smuggling of subsidized diesel outside the country.

 

Security Issues

KUWAIT CITY, July 7: The Interior Ministry has called for strengthening security measures around guards towers on the perimeter of the Central Prison, reports Al-Shahed daily. The Ministry has also put the guards on full alert after one of the participants in the demonstration hurled a Molotov cocktail at the wall of the Central Prison in Sabah Al-Nasser.

According to security sources, following the incident the Interior Ministry held an emergency meeting because throwing Molotov cocktail at security forces sets a dangerous precedent and is a threat to securitymen and endangers the lives of passers-by — citizens and residents.

The same sources said the Interior Ministry had issued orders to all security personnel to monitor the situation during demonstrations and arrest anyone who may use hazardous substance. The Ministry had also given orders to ‘shoot on sight’ demonstrators involved in endangering the lives of securitymen or using violence.

Security Threat
KUWAIT CITY, July 7: The Gulf States have become a direct target of the Muslim Brotherhood and their terrorist and sabotage acts, especially after they carried out three attacks in three countries — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, at the same time and in different ways, taking advantage of the spiritual atmosphere of the holy month of Ramadan, reports Al-Shahed daily.
According to intelligence reports the Gulf countries, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the prime targets of the leaders of the international Muslim Brotherhood organization which recently met in Istanbul, capital of Turkey and chose to exploit the month of Ramadan to carry out sabotage operations.

The sources pointed there are plans to begin operations in Kuwait, for instance, direct confrontation with the securitymen, questioning the authority of the judiciary. To set the plan rolling, they began with confronting the securitymen and promote instability.

In Saudi Arabia, the situation was different and plans were drawn to bomb government and vital facilities. The sources explained July 3, the day President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt was ousted from office, was chosen to begin the operations and a special operations room was established to destabilize security in the Gulf states.

The sources said the Muslim Brotherhood carried out the drawn plans perfectly in Kuwait, where they pushed their trained members to block roads, burn tires, as happened in the suburb of Sabah Al-Nasser

 

Getting crazy!

Doss - Falling to Pieces

A great video featuring Doss Al-eidani (@dossy2), a real nice guy and a great dancer who was on Arabs Got Talent s2. Tim of  TJCFilms (@tjcfilms) produced it, they were only given 15 minutes to film but I think it's great, it was obviously filmed at the Kuwait National Museum. I met them at the bloggers paintball event, I was glad Doss was on my team. He teaches pop lock and other dance moves to youngsters as well.

Beach scenes in Kuwait

The beach close to Messila, nice little area with little to no garbage.

The old Kuwaiti way of catching fish.

Kuwait military moves to Iraq Border

Plan ready to mobilize military on border
    

KUWAIT: The demilitarized zone between Kuwait and Iraq is considered nonexistent in light of the current developments in Iraq, which requires Kuwaiti authorities to deploy military units on the country’s border, a security official said. Kuwait and Iraq are separated by a 217-kmlong demilitarized zone along the border between the two countries, extending 10 km into Iraq and 5 km into Kuwait. Military services in Kuwait already have a plan to replace around 800 border security personnel with military forces when necessary, said the source who spoke to Al- Anba daily on the condition of anonymity.

 

The source denied meanwhile rumors that Iraqi authorities have withdrawn their forces from the joint border. Meanwhile, the sources warned that thermographic cameras used to monitor the Kuwaiti border have not been subjected to maintenance for a long term, suggesting that many of them are currently out of order.

 

It's probably a good idea to make sure everyone's passports are valid and have an escape plan just in case because it can all change in an instant. I would also suggest the military dust off their thermo cameras and get serious about the situation as Kuwait is the closest bordering country and it won't take much to over power the border.

Samsung Galaxy F

Samsung is reportedly readying its Galaxy F / S5 Prime for a September launch to battle Apple's 4.7-inch iPhone 6. A new image of the smartphone has leaked showing off its metal case and QHD display.

Sales of Samsung's current flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5 has not given Samsung the kind of sales the company has become accustomed to when in introduces its latest and greatest device.  To try and drum up sales and be a formidable competitor to Apple's highly anticipated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, the company will reportedly introduce a new Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone in September with the Galaxy F / S5 Prime and its Galaxy Note 4 phablet.

Samsung plans on trying to outshine Apple by using a very high resolution 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED in the Galaxy F / S5 Prime. Apple's 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is expected to use a lower higher resolution display than previous iPhone but will fall short with its rumored 1704 x 960 resolution.link

I still have my S2, every time I want to get a new one an upgraded version comes up!

Houses in Kuwait

There are so many amazing houses around Kuwait all you have to do is take a trip to the wealthy areas and you can find all types of houses from old to new.

 A turquoise blue house will definitely catch attention

 

 At least this owner takes pride in recycling, with color coordination

 This project has been going on for over 5 years

Everyone tries to outdo their neighbor and the architects are the ones making the money!

Smart Car Pops A Wheelie And Smokes Mustang

So funny!

KSA moves 30,000 soldiers to Iraqi Border

Saudi Arabia has deployed 30,000 soldiers to its border with Iraq after Iraqi soldiers withdrew from the area, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Thursday.

The world's top oil exporter shares an 800km border with Iraq, where Islamic State insurgents and other Sunni Muslim militant groups seized towns and cities in a lightning advance last month.
King Abdullah has ordered all necessary measures to protect the kingdom against potential "terrorist threats", state news agency SPA reported on Thursday.

The Dubai-based Al Arabiya said on its website that Saudi troops fanned into the border region after Iraqi government forces abandoned positions, leaving the Saudi and Syrian frontiers unprotected.

The satellite channel said it had obtained a video showing some 2,500 Iraqi soldiers in the desert area east of the Iraqi city of Karbala after pulling back from the border.

An officer in the video aired by Al Arabiya said that the soldiers had been ordered to quit their posts without justification. The authenticity of the recording could not immediately be verified.-Arabian Business

 

Should we start worrying?

Co-op prices higher than other Stores

KUWAIT CITY, July 2: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor intends to privatize the cooperative societies, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Planning and Development Affairs Hend Al-Subaih. Al-Subaih disclosed the ministry is conducting a study to look into all aspects of privatizing the cooperative societies.
She said the ministry has started collecting previous studies in this regard. She added a specialized team consisting of economic experts to lay down the mechanism for the project. In a related development, sources from the ministry revealed some people have expressed objection to the privatization of cooperative societies.

These people inquired if the cooperative societies are performing their role properly, if they control the prices of commodities and if they carry out social activities. They claimed the prices of goods in parallel markets are lower than those sold in cooperative societies, while their social activities is limited to the organization of ‘Umrah’ (minor hajj) and distribution of fresh water in various occasions. They went on to say most cooperative societies have become political entities and bridges for those who want to occupy seats in the National Assembly.

They claimed the cooperative societies are being used to serve tribal and sectarian interests. On the other hand, Head of Cooperative Societies Union Ali Hussein pointed out the process of privatizing the cooperative societies is part of the four-year development plan. He said the ministry is the concerned authority in this domain and the union did not yet receive the project.

Furthermore, board member of Al-Qadsiya Cooperative Society Abdulaziz Al-Othman explained the process of privatizing the cooperative societies is against the constitutional stipulation on protecting properties and capital, particularly since this money is not public fund. He stressed there is no legal principle allows the ministry to manage private funds.

I rarely shop at co-ops because the prices are so much higher than private grocery stores. I had to pick up a couple things quickly so I passed by the co-op, I got a bag of potatoes for 1.650 KD although I only pay 990 fils at LuLu. The co-ops are another money making scheme, I've heard that when they have the promotions where people win prizes the winners are already chosen from the pool of people connected to the board members.

The Steps Campaign for Hayatt Breast Cancer Foundation

Boubyan Bank is supporting Hayatt Breast Cancer Foundation with "The Steps" campaign being held in Al Hamra Mall. Follow @thesteps_kw and walk in Al Hamra Mall Sunday thru Thursday during Ramadan from 4:00-5:30 pm. For every five laps walked by you a 1 KD donation will be made by @bankboubyan to @hayattbcf (Hayatt Breast Cancer Foundation). Get all of your friends together and walk to save lives, for more information about HBCF visit their website www.hayatt.org.

Disaster zone by Messila

There must have been some huge event that took place across from Messila beach because the garbage left behind is just unbelievable. I black and white checkered floor which held some kinds of fake trees and flowers along with wood structures of some sort.

 A couple of tiled stages were abandoned

 Fancy walkway leading to some kind of room once decorated with trees, flowers and astro turf

 A huge area of garbage left behind

 

This was obviously a huge event that must have cost a lot to build, only to be destroyed when they were finished and didn't even have to clean up, typical outcome.

OoRedoO requires your photo when doing business with Them

I was looking into getting internet for the house and I was told this is one of their new requirements along with CID and bank card. I still hate the new name.