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THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Established in 1977 / www.arabtimesonline.com emergency number 112
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013 / RABEE’A AL-AWWAL 30, 1434 AH
NO. 14960
52 PAGES
150 FILS
US tax rules sour life for American expats Some surrender citizenship GENEVA, Feb 10, (AFP): Scott Schmith is a patriot and a US military veteran but he is no longer a US citizen: Sick of complex tax rules making his life in Switzerland miserable he recently handed back his passport. “It was a pretty big decision and there was a bit of anxiety,” said the 50-year-old photographer who served in the 1990-91 Gulf war and has been living in Switzerland since 1993. But once he received his Swiss passport and handed back his US one last September, “it was like a load of weight off my shoulders.” Schmith is one of a growing number of American expats who are opting to give up their citizenship rather than deal with the increasing difficulties imposed on them by US tax authorities, observers say. John, a 60-year-old business strategy specialist who asked that his last name not be used, told AFP he had decided to give up his US passport after losing sleep for years over the intricate tax filing requirements Washington places on all US citizens, regardless of where they live in the world and where they make their money. When the United States recently began pushing through regulations aimed at fighting offshore tax evasion, the implications for him — a “squeakyclean” law-abiding citizen — became too overwhelming, he said. The Arab Times, continues “I just got more and more its weekly series “Insight” anxious about my ability to which appears every Monday protect myself and my family and takes a close look at from the administrative overKuwait’s society, politics, scihead of the US government,” ence and technology. In said John, who has been based today’s article, Amr Hafiz in Switzerland since 2002. (above), a certified MMA Six European countries, Conditioning Coach and including Switzerland, have owner of Warlions Academy in recently agreed to comply with Salmiya, discusses how some innocent parts of the body can the 2010 US Foreign Account turn into deadly weapons Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), when applied in the right way. requiring banks to report all
insight
— Page 12
Newswatch MANAMA: Bahrain’s key political players began a new round of talks on Sunday to try to resolve the kingdom’s two-year crisis, after opposition groups made a lastminute decision to join a national dialogue. Participants gathered at a tourist resort south of Manama, where the first session of the dialogue — which will convene three times a week — were being held behind closed doors, an AFP correspondent said. Taking part were 27 government representatives, including three ministers, eight members of the opposition, and members of progovernment Sunni political groups. “We will decide today if we will continue to take part in the dialogue based on the response to the nine points,” on which the opposition is seeking clarification from the government, said opposition representative Munira Fakhro. (AFP) ❑ ❑ ❑ CAIRO:
Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood has nominated one of its senior leaders for the influential position of grand mufti, the nation’s top cleric, defying critics who accuse the Islamist group of seeking to dominate all institutions. Islamic scholars chaired by the head of the ancient seat of learning, Al-Azhar, are due to pick a new mufti on Monday
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THE British Government is making important changes to the passport service for British nationals living overseas. From Feb 11, 2013, the application process will be centralised and British nationals in the State of Kuwait should submit their passport application to IPS in the UK. This important change follows reviews by the National Audit Office and is designed to achieve Continued on Page 10
Hearing today on Musallam Al-Barrak
Appeals court bails 3 former MPs By Nihal Sharaf Arab times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, Feb, 10: Three opposition ex-MPs were released on Sunday by the Court of Appeals on a KD 5000 bail each after they appealed a verdict that convicted them of making statements deemed
offensive to HH the Amir. The court ordered the release of Falah Al-Sawagh, Khaled Al-Tahous and Bader Al-Dahoum pending a decision on the case and set the next hearing for March 10 to question the concerned officer on the events of the seminar where the alleged offensive statements were made.
Amidst heavy security presence, the Court of Appeals reviewed the case of the former lawmakers who were convicted on Feb 5 of the state security offense and sentenced to three years in prison. The ruling was unprecedented in the history of Kuwait. Continued on Page 10
Proposal sticks state, protector with repatriation, deportation bill MP files to grill minister By Abubakar A. Ibrahim and Nihal Sharaf Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 10: MP Askar Al-Anazi has presented a proposal on requiring the State or individuals who protect absconding domestic workers to
shoulder the cost for deporting the laborers to their home countries, instead of the workers’ sponsors. In his proposal, Al-Askar also suggested that in case the workers die, the State should bear the cost for the repatriation of the body and relieve the sponsors of such responsibilities. He pointed out
most Kuwaiti families, including those with limited income, hire maids or drivers to help them in their daily tasks and this becomes a heavier financial burden once the household laborers escape to work for another sponsor or in case of death. On the other hand, MP Abdullah AlTameemi has asked the government to strictly apply the law on workers unions
and syndicates that call for civil strife, because they exploit the unions to protect the welfare of their political and sectarian affiliations at the expense of the country’s higher interest. Al-Tameemi strongly condemned unions which call for civil strife and threaten to ‘paralyze’ the government work “due to their political affiliations which aim to Continued on Page 10
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Gulf force kicks off ‘war games’ KUWAIT CITY, Feb 10, (AFP): Joint Gulf force the Peninsula Shield began a 17day exercise in Kuwait on Sunday as officials said the war games were not related to unrest in the region. “The exercise was prescheduled and agreed for years. It is unrelated to any regional or political events,” the head of Kuwaiti army public relations, Brigadier Abdulaziz Al-Rayes, was cited as saying by the KUNA news agency. It aims at “activating the concept of joint defence... and implementing the unified defence strategy of the Gulf Cooperation Council states,” he said. The main part of the exercise will take place in the Kuwaiti desert, but naval and air forces will also feature in the manoeuvres slated to end on Feb 26, coinciding with Kuwait’s national day celebrations.
Details General Rayes did not give details of troop numbers taking part, but did say the exercise would include units from Kuwait’s national guard and the interior ministry. Kuwait marks its 51st independence from Britain on Feb 25 and the 22nd anniversary of liberation from seven months of Iraqi occupation on Feb 26 in which units from the Peninsula Shield took part. The Peninsula Shield force was formed by the six GCC member states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — in 1982 as a 5,000strong force but has since expanded to more than 30,000 troops. Two years ago, Peninsula Shield troops were deployed in Sunni-ruled Bahrain to help the Continued on Page 10
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Change to British passport services
A person crosses a snow-covered street on Feb 9, in New York City. A powerful winter storm knocked out power to an estimated 650,000 and dumped more than two feet of snow on parts of the northeast. (AFP) — See Page 14
Tehran rejects Western pressure DUBAI, Feb 10, (RTRS): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Tehran would not negotiate about its disputed nuclear programme under pressure, but would talk to its adversaries if they stopped “pointing the gun”. In a speech to mark the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, he struck a more conciliatory tone than Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who on Feb 7 rebuffed a US call for direct negotiations
between the two countries. Ahmadinejad does not have the authority to authorise talks over the nuclear programme, which lies with Khamenei. Iran has already agreed to a new round of talks with world powers, but not direct US talks, in Kazakhstan on Feb 26. “You cannot point a gun at the Iranian nation and then expect them to have negotiations with you,” Ahmadinejad told a crowd gathered in the capital Tehran’s
Azadi (Freedom) Square. His speech was carried live on state television. “Talks should not be used as a lever to impose one’s opinions ... If you stop pointing the gun at the Iranian nation, I will negotiate (with you) myself,” he added. The United States and some of its allies suspect Iran may be trying to develop atomic weapons capability under the cover of a civilian nuclear energy programme, a
charge Iran has denied. Many experts believe any nuclear deal needs a US-Iranian thaw and direct talks addressing myriad sources of mutual mistrust and hostility lingering since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. Tehran wants sanctions lifted that have slashed oil exports and helped cut the value Continued on Page 10
‘Only material losses’ +28.74 pts at closing, Feb 8
Mall fire leaves no injuries
+35.51 pts at closing, Feb 8
By Joana Saba
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Arab Times Staff
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NYMEX crude $95.80 pb Brent crude $118.85 pb 3-month $ LIBOR rate 0.29%
Photos by Mesha’al Al Oklah
Left: Police and fire service vehicles parked in front of The Avenues Mall where a sportswear shop caught fire Sunday. Right: The parking lot at The Avenues.
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 10: Police sources reported a fire breaking out in The Avenues Mall in Al-Rai on Sunday evening, with no confirmed human casualties resulting. The fire broke out at 5:00 pm in The Avenues Mall on Sunday as a result of a cable catching fire in a sportswear store. No deaths or injuries have been reported as a result of the fire, stated the Continued on Page 10