In a proposal submitted by MP Osama Al-Manawer, residents would have to pay off all fines before leaving the country.
The MP requested to add a provision to the residence law stating that the residents should pay everything they owe to the government prior to leaving the country through any border crossing, such as fees for services, financial fines, and traffic violations fines.
Among the people excluded from this proposal are residents of GCC countries, diplomats from embassies, and Kuwaiti nationals.
Depending on the public interest of the country, other categories may be excluded, he said in his proposal.
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More than 100 cases of monkeypox, a viral virus more frequent in the west and central Africa, have been confirmed in Europe, with German officials calling it the region's greatest epidemic ever.
In nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, the United States, and Australia, cases have now been verified.
The illness, which was first discovered in monkeys, spreads by intimate contact and has only rarely travelled outside of Africa, so this cluster of cases has caused alarm.
However, because the virus does not spread as quickly as SARS-COV-2, experts do not expect the epidemic to turn into a pandemic like COVID-19.
Monkeypox is often a minor viral infection characterized by fever and a unique bumpy rash.
"With numerous confirmed cases in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal, this is the greatest and most extensive outbreak of monkeypox ever seen in Europe," Germany's armed forces medical staff said on Friday, after the country's first case was discovered.
The outbreak was defined as an epidemic by Fabian Leendertz of the Robert Koch Institute.
"However, this outbreak is unlikely to endure for long." "Contact tracing can help isolate the instances, and there are also medications and vaccinations that can be administered if necessary," he added.
Although there is no particular vaccination for monkeypox, research suggests that vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85% effective against monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Thursday, British officials said that certain healthcare professionals and others who may have been exposed to monkeypox had been provided with smallpox vaccination.
UNIQUE CASES
Monkeypox incidences have been documented in 11 African countries since 1970. Nigeria has been experiencing a significant epidemic since 2017; according to the WHO, there have been 46 suspected cases this year, with 15 confirmed.
On May 7, the first European case was verified in a person who had returned to England from Nigeria.
According to a tracker maintained by a University of Oxford scholar, more than 100 cases have been confirmed outside of Africa since then.
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A follow-up service (case progress) will be launched starting today, Thursday, by the General Department of Information Systems, which will be integrated with the General Department of Investigations. Case progress inquiries will be posted on the ministry's website, www.moi.gov.kw.
As stated in a press release from the Ministry's Public Relations and Security Media Department today, the new service fits into the security establishment's strategy of advancing the performance of services, improving accuracy, and enhancing citizen and resident services, as well as complementing what has already been accomplished through the mechanization of services.
The ministry explained that in order to access this application, users must enter the Ministry of Interior reference 9 digits number, the nationality number (for Kuwaitis) or the residence number (for residents) in the appropriate areas, as well as enter their residence number in them.
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Read more: Another dusty weekend; ‘severe duststorm’ on Monday in Kuwait
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Fahd Al-Shrai’an, said everything in Kuwait is available for privatization, and the role of the government should be limited to regulation only, and all matters should be left in the hands of the private sector, reports Al-Rai daily. In a speech, he delivered during the second economic forum, said “privatization is the main goal that helps us diversify the state’s income and not depend on fluctuations in oil prices, and we hope that there will be a contribution from the private sector, as it is the ideal solution to increase income and diversify its sources in the state.” He stated the economic reform programs are not without initiatives to allocate a number of sectors and public services to the state in line with the laws in force.
Therefore, these programs are extremely important to enhance competition and provide the best for the country and citizens, thus reducing the burden on the state treasury and at the same time create new job opportunities. He pointed out achieving the state’s vision of encouraging investment and transforming Kuwait into a regional commercial financial center requires a number of steps and legislation that are in line with international requirements, based on the roles required in the future by public and private sector institutions in order to achieve the sustainability of the economy and the application of standards of transparency and good governance that establish the principles of justice and equality.
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Osama Al-Shaheen asked Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Muhammad Al-Fares if the Council of Ministers has determined the minister in charge of the lopsided demographic structure issue as per Article One of law number 74/2020 on demographic imbalance.
He wants to know if the Council of Ministers issued the executive regulations to address the demographic imbalance issue as stated in Article Three of the law, which has been in effect since Nov 28, 2020. He also inquired why the executive decree on the law has yet to be issued, taking into consideration that Article Five of the same law stipulates one year grace period for the Council of Ministers to issue the decree.
Meanwhile the Public Authority for Manpower has decided to postpone the amendment of the percentages of national labor in the private sector, which was to be increased according to directions to support national labor in the sector and in coordination with the Civil Service Council. The decision to postpone was to make further study in setting appropriate ratios and perceptions. PAM is keen on recruiting Kuwaiti youth in various sectors and institutions especially in the banking sector with more Kuwaiti employees.
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According to Youssef Kazem, a spokesperson for the unified government application for electronic services (Sahel), the public authority for civil information has released an update to the application that seeks to simplify the procedures for renewing civil identification cards for family members via the application.
Kazem explained that, through the Public Authority for Civil Information in (Sahel), it is now possible to use the civil ID renewal service for family members in a more simple and faster manner, as the head of the household can use a list of their civil numbers directly to renew the civil cards of their children and workers on their sponsorship.
In his remarks, he explained that the users will be able to benefit from this software update by selecting the (Services) menu, choosing the Public Authority for Civil Information, and then selecting (Card Services) and (Card Renewal Service). Those individuals whose cards can be renewed directly through the Sahel program will then be shown their civil numbers.
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Most foreign exchange companies in Kuwait have been witnessing an unusual remittance rush over the last few days as Indian expats seem to be cashing in on a weakening Indian rupee, which hit an all-time low on Monday. One Kuwaiti dinar fetched 249.4388 Indian rupees on Tuesday, after it marginally recovered from Monday’s closing rate of 250.0145.
The rupee remained volatile against the US dollar on Tuesday, although it edged higher to Rs 77.23 against the greenback. The rupee had dropped to its all-time low against the US dollar to close at 77.50 on May 9. “We are seeing a significant spike in the volume of remittances to India, although the counts have not increased proportionately,” said an executive at a leading money exchange company on Tuesday.
The rupee continued to trade at record lows on Tuesday at local currency exchange houses, encouraging Indian expats, both high net-worth residents and people from low-income segments, to transfer money to India. Tom Fernandes, a currency specialist at a local exchange company in downtown Kuwait, said the Indian currency has been on a rollercoaster ride for the last few months. “The rupee touched an all-time low yesterday, making it more conducive for Indian expats to send money home. Not only volume, but the number of transactions is also increasing considerably,” he said.
According to forex market experts, the Indian rupee could depreciate further amid risk aversion in global markets due to multiple reasons, including persistent outflows of foreign funds and a firm dollar. A broader selloff in the global markets triggered by the hike in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve also contributed to the volatility of the rupee. The raging war on Ukraine and persistent growth concerns in China due to the resurgence of COVID have also led to the currency plunge, the experts point out.
Interestingly, some Indians are betting on a further plunge in the value of the rupee. “I am not in a hurry to send money home now. I will rather wait and see. The exchange rate may get even better in the coming days,” said Indian national Zainudeen Ahmad, who works at a restaurant in Maliya.
The depreciation of the rupee may be beneficial for Indians living abroad, but its impact on the Indian economy is not very positive, as imports become costlier, the experts said. The falling value of the rupee could also fuel domestic inflation, but at the same time a weaker rupee could attract more foreign investors into the country in the medium term, they added. “I sent 10,000 rupees to my father in Kannur for just KD 40.200 yesterday. This is a good time for people like us,” said Kunjahamad, summing up the general view of the average Indian expat.
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Adel Al-Saadoun, an astronomer, has said that the Thuraya season will begin tomorrow, Thursday, coinciding with the start of summer, a season marked by high temperatures.
KUNA quotes Saadoun as saying that Al-Thuraya has three phases of the moon, with each stage lasting thirteen days.
During the third stage (the Pleiades), he mentioned, the rising of the star of the Pleiades begins on the 7th of next June until the 19th of the same month.
Several stars are located in Aries and Taurus for the first two phases, and the Pleiades star is located in Taurus for the third phase.
The average midday temperature during the Thuraya season is around 38 to 41 degrees Celsius, while the lowest recorded temperature ranges between 24 to 30 degrees Celsius.
He described the country as being characterized by northwesterly winds of moderate speeds, which occasionally grow to over 40 kilometers per hour, creating dust storms known as Al-Bareh Al-Saghir winds.
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The price of the Terra (LUNA) cryptocurrency has collapsed by almost 99%, wiping away crypto speculators' riches. Terra, one of the top ten most valued cryptocurrencies, fell to 0.20 on Thursday after reaching a high of almost $120 last month.
The brunt of the losses occurred overnight, with a price drop of 98 % in only 24 hours. Its market worth dropped from almost $40 billion to roughly $500 million as a result of the rapid collapse, resulting in historic losses for investors in a significant cryptocurrency.
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Vehicles violating the allocated parking place designated for those with special needs have been targeted by the traffic authorities.
Authorities reported many violations against automobiles occupying allocated parking areas during a campaign held in front of a number of hospitals.
They were punished with the necessary sanctions.
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Passport services have resumed at BLS International, the outsourcing center for the Indian Embassy, after technical problems affected the online passport application.
There has been a return to normal operations at all three BLS outsourcing centers in Kuwait.
However, the centers are expecting a large influx of applications due to the large backlog.
The Embassy informed BLS centers that extra hours will be added on May 13th, in an effort to ease the rush. During your visit, you will be able to obtain passport, PCC, and EC services between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, and Visa and Attestation services between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Tokens will be available until 7:30 pm.
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Resumption of Passport services
We wish to inform that the technical issues which affected Embassy’s online Passport filling portal temporarily, has now been resolved and normal operations have been resumed at our three BLS Outsourcing Centers.
However, owing to the large number of backlog applications, we expect heavy rush and resultant delays in the next few days. As a measure to minimize inconvenience to applicants, all the three BLS Centers will be operating extra hours this Friday, May 13, 2022, as per the following schedule:
(i) Passport/PCC/EC Services - 8 A.M to 8 P.M.
(ii) Visa/Attestation Services - 4 PM to 8 P.M. only (Last token will be issued upto 7.30 P.M. for all Services)
If any further information is required, please contact the BLS Outsourcing Center Call Centre (Phone No.22211228; Whatsapp Number – 6550 6360 – Text and Audio message only; Website: info.indkwi@blsinternational.net).
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The insects emitted light synchronously, starting from one tree, and the relay was carried across the Anamalai Tiger Reserve forests
The pristine forests around Top Slip in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) resembled James Cameron’s fictional bioluminescent universe Pandora in the movie Avatar, for a few nights recently.
Officials of ATR were awestruck as several lakhs of fireflies perched on every plant and tree and illuminated the forests, turning them into a magical world of yellowish green light. The insects emitted light synchronously, starting from one tree, and the relay was carried across the forest. The cyclic phenomenon continued throughout the night for a few days.
Though the mass congregation of fireflies has been recorded a few times in ATR, synchronised lighting by several lakhs of fireflies was reported this year. S. Ramasubramanian, ATR Field Director, witnessed the phenomenon with M.G. Ganesan, ATR Deputy Director, and Sriram Murali, a software engineer and an expert in light pollution and fireflies. “It will not be an exaggeration if I call the phenomenon a world wonder. The insects emitted light in a synchronised pattern, the reasons for which are beyond our understanding,” he said.
According to Mr. Murali, male fireflies normally emit light to attract females. “Researchers have observed that males emit light together in trees to attract females. When a mating pair was observed in ATR, we found that only the male was flashing. There are around 2,000 species of fireflies, and there can be differences in the lighting pattern,” he said.
Through communications with firefly scientists in the U.S., Mr. Murali found that a visiting researcher had noted the synchronous behaviour in ATR in 1999, but no research paper was published. A team of researchers from the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, who visited ATR in 2012, had also chanced upon the phenomenon.
Mr. Ganesan said the ATR team, scientists and conservationists were working towards understanding the ecology and life cycle of fireflies, their selection of trees and their relationship with other forms of wildlife. The mass congregation of fireflies in ATR could be an indicator of a pristine ecosystem, he said.
Lack of lights, night tourism, habitation and vehicle movement could be reasons for the large population of fireflies in ATR, Mr. Murali said, adding that synchronous flashing of fireflies had been observed in neighbouring Parambikulam and Nelliyampathy, and in Maharashtra, too.
Mr. Murali said fireflies spend most of their lives as larvae - about a year or more living in soil and feeding on soft-bodied insects. The adults, as beetles, live for two to four weeks, and feed on nectar and pollen.
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Ladakh marathon is back after two years, the event will be held from September 7 to 11
There are marathons, and then there is the Ladakh Marathon. Touted by the organisers to be the highest and amongst the toughest marathons comprising two ultra races – the 72-km Khardung La Challenge (5370 m) — the world’s highest ultra marathon — and the 122-km Silk Route Ultra — the ‘epitome of high-altitude running testing the limits of human endurance.
Back after two years, the marathon will be held from September 7 to 11. Marathon runners in Bengaluru are training hard for the event.
Asif Ahmed, 37, an IT professional, said acclimatising to the climate and altitude is a necessity. He is focusing on training in the hills and is travelling to Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, and increasing the mileage gradually. “If someone is a seasoned runner or ultra distance runner, six months training is enough,” he said, but added that ‘Ladakh is more difficult because of the altitude, temperature, and harsh weather’.
“We need extra preparation. The mental aspect is very important in ultra-running and the Khardung La Challenge. Mental preparation is the decisive factor between being a finisher or ending up as DNF (did not finish). The main factor is acclimatisation of altitude slowly,” said Asif, who participated in the 2017 Ladakh Marathon and is preparing for this year’s event.
The organisers, on their website, have pointed out that unlike other marathons, the Ladakh Marathon requires participants to arrive in Leh at least a week in advance to acclimatise for race day. “You are running at 3500 m above sea level. So, it is imperative that you get acclimatised to the high altitude,” they add.
Participants must have finished two full marathons under five hours in the past three years, or two ultra marathons over 70 km in the past three years prior to the race day, which is the basic eligibility criteria to participate in the Khardung La Challenge.
Darshan Jain, founder of running group ODUBA, which provides training for beginners and intermediate runners, said approximately 40 participants from Bengaluru are going to participate in this year’s Ladakh marathon. “The marathon date is usually declared one year before so that participants can prepare with several training sessions. Unlike other marathons, Ladakh marathon participants also need to arrive in Ladakh a week in advance to acclimatise for race day, easy run and get used to the weather,” he explained.
Dharmendra Kumar, 43, founder and coach of Protons Sports, Bengaluru, who participated in the Ladakh marathon seven times in a row from 2013 to 2019, is going to participate this year too. He is also coaching people to run ultra marathons. “The main challenge in Ladakh is that the environment is not friendly and unpredictable. For Khardung La marathon, we are up at more than 8000 feet from the base; it is a hilly and rocky area, also cold. In Bengaluru, there is no similar place to practise. Everything in Ladakh is at a high altitude, oxygen levels are less. We cannot train for weather; the only thing we can train is for mileage,” he said.
Ashwini Bhatt, 36, who is a professional running coach, had participated in the ultra marathon in 2018 and 2019. She said earlier, most people would be scared to participate in the Ladakh marathon.
“I had been to Ladakh before participating in the marathon. Mindset is important. It’s true that running in Ladakh requires 30% more effort than in other cities. Whoever is going there to run, give yourself enough time to adjust with the weather and ensure you are hydrated. As a woman, I never faced any kind of differentiation there. I finished second in the 2019 Khardung La Challenge,” she said.
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The COVID-19 pandemic killed 13.3 to 16.6 million people in 2020 and 2021, the WHO estimated Thursday – up to triple the number of deaths attributed directly to the disease. The World Health Organization’s long-awaited estimate of the total number of deaths caused by the pandemic – including lives lost to its knock-on effects – finally puts a number on the broader impact of the crisis.
“New estimates from the World Health Organization show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million),” the UN health agency said in a statement.
The figure calculates what is termed as excess mortality due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has upended much of the planet for more than two years. “These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Deaths due to impact
Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic, based on data from earlier years. Excess mortality includes deaths associated with COVID-19 directly, due to the disease, and indirectly due to the pandemic’s impact on health systems and society.
The WHO declared COVID an international public health emergency on January 30, 2020, after cases of the new coronavirus spread beyond China.
Countries around the world reported 5.42 million COVID -19 deaths to the WHO in 2020 and 2021 – a figure that today stands at 6.24 million, including deaths in 2022. The Geneva-based organisation has long said the true number of deaths would be far higher than just the recorded fatalities put down to COVID infections.
Deaths linked indirectly to the pandemic are attributable to other conditions for which people were unable to access treatment because health systems were overburdened by the crisis. The WHO said that most of the excess deaths – 84 percent – were concentrated in southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Indeed, 10 countries alone accounted for 68 percent of all excess deaths. High-income countries accounted for 15 percent of the excess deaths; upper-middle-income nations 28 percent; lower-middle-income states 53 percent; and low-income countries four percent. The global death toll was higher for men than for women — 57 percent male, 43 percent female – and higher among older adults.
Understanding the crisis
“Measurement of excess mortality is an essential component to understand the impact of the pandemic,” said Samira Asma, the WHO’s assistant director-general for data, analytics and delivery. She said changes in mortality trends give decision-makers the information needed to guide practices that can reduce death rates and prevent future crises. “These new estimates use the best available data and have been produced using a robust methodology and a completely transparent approach.”
The WHO said the 14.9-million figure was produced by leading world experts who developed a methodology to generate estimates where data is lacking. Many countries do not have the capacity for reliable mortality surveillance and therefore do not generate the data needed to work out excess mortality rates – but can do so using the publicly available methodology. – AFP
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The Ministry of Interior arrested 62 expats who violated residence law.
The security campaign was conducted in Friday Market, Shuwaikh. Those arrested were referred to the competent authority to take legal measures against them.
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According to a number of real estate developers, the Corona crisis reversed the increasing trend in rentals that had been in place since the 2008 crisis, driven by high demand for housing units from expatriates, countered by restricted availability.
According to the Real Estate Union, there were 381 thousand units in 2018, 396.5 thousand units in 2019, 397.7 thousand units in 2020, and 396.1 thousand units in April 2021, before declining to 396.1 thousand in April 2021, while vacant units increased by about 20% between 2017 and 2021, meaning the rate in Kuwait was about 48.9 thousand apartments, which increased to 61,000 last year, at a rate of approximately 24.5 percent, and this increased in 2021 compared to 46,000 vacant apartments.
Due to the enormous increase in the number of unoccupied units in Kuwait, many real estate owners were obliged to lower rates in order to retain their tenants, which resulted in the loss of the rental momentum that had existed in previous years.
In response to a market in which the tenant has the upper hand and his alternatives are wider and cheaper, some landlords have decreased rates by 10% to 30%, while others have resorted to granting exemptions to court tenants in order to keep them from moving out to other apartments.
According to the Real Estate Union, the average rent price per square metre in Kuwait's various regions fell to 4.47 dinars in April 2021 and is expected to rise to 4.34 dinars this year, while the occupancy rate in the investment sector will fall to 82 percent in 2022 and rise to 85 percent in 2024.
Changing the demographic structure, liberating the land, involving the private sector in real estate development operations, and building investment cities, according to real estate agents, are factors that will have a significant impact on deepening the decline in rents in the future, except in cases of high rates of vacant units, as happened during the Corona crisis.
Many individuals, on the other hand, ask what elements determine the rental value of investment flats in Kuwait in the absence of a law that imposes a certain value on the lessor or establishes the reasons that enable the lessor to demand a specific value without the other.
Despite the fact that Kuwaiti tenancy law allows landlords to demand a rent increase after five years, many landlords did not do so in the last two years, instead of flirting with tenants with discounts and reductions in the wake of a wave of large evictions that hit the sector as a result of large numbers of expatriates losing their jobs and leaving the country.
The concept of supply and demand, according to realtors, is the criteria in this, since apartment rentals vary from one place to another, in addition to the size and quality of finishes and services, which makes it more appealing than any other region.
They stated that, because Kuwait is a capitalist country, the setting of apartment rentals is left to the free market and the agreement between the two parties to the contract, stressing that there are no rules requiring property owners to adhere to specified rental rates or a certain ceiling.
They noted that the increase in vacancies over the last two years, as well as the departure of thousands of expatriates, reflected the rise in the rent index, which has been on the rise since the 2008 crisis, due to the country's small size and the large number of expatriates, which outweighed demand oversupply.
According to the current Real Estate Union figures, there are 61 thousand unoccupied flats in Kuwait, with 335.1 thousand occupied apartments accounting for 84.6 percent of total units.
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Animals are loved by children. So, why not treat them to a fun day in the Little Jungle, where they may play and feed the animals? The Little Jungle, in Sulaibiya , is a tiny private zoo where children may pet animals. Ponies and camels are among the animals that children can ride. They may even feed the animals directly from their hands. The cost of entry to the Little Jungle is negligible when compared to the unforgettable experience your children will enjoy. They are open from Open 3:00pm-10:00pm Animals exhibits close after sunset.
There are sections for petting and hand-feeding camels and horses, as well as camel and pony rides. You may either hold a party there or have the animals brought to you! There is also a café on the premises. Little Jungle is a smaller zoo than Kuwait Zoo, and it is designed for younger children who can pet a pony, hold a goat, and imagine themselves among caterpillars while their parents have some alone time.
Entry -The cost of admission is 2.5 KWD per person, plus the cost of rides and clover for the animals.
Location- Sulabiya Jahra
Google Maps Pin - https://goo.gl/maps/4F1MsBmj8y5yzqxk9
Instagram Link -https://www.instagram.com/littlejunglekw/
Important Points to Know ·
- Food truck is available in little Jungle, you have to direct message to them using you phone number and Instagram account, and they will contact you as soon as possible.
- Giraffe and Zebra Hand feeding starts at 4.30 P.M daily.
- Animal exits close after sunset
- Restaurants , café area, pony and camel riding, tuktuk, bicycles, and kids games remains open.
Incase if we miss anything or any wrong information provided please send us an email on info@kuwaitlocal.com
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A local newspaper reports that a man is on the hunt for the person who sped away in his car after stealing a pizza dish without paying for it, seized it and fled without paying, the paper reports.
When the man in the vehicle had just been handed the meal by an employee of a restaurant in the Hawalli governorate south of Kuwait City, he sped away, posing a threat to pedestrians and workers, Al Anba said.
Legal representatives of the food company that owns the restaurant told police they had received a phone order from a person ordering a pizza meal and the person said he was going to show up for the meal, according to a security source.
Later on, the alleged customer came back to claim the pizza, but did not pay the KD7.2 bill.
Documents associated with both the order and the phone number used to place it have been included in the report, which stated the case was registered as a food theft.
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