The Ministry of Interior participated in the Kuwait National Petroleum Company preparations for the celebration, at the end of this month, of the operation of the environmental fuel project, which is one of the vital and major development projects in Kuwait.

The celebration will be held under the high patronage of His Highness the Amir.

The administration explained on this occasion, the ministry has illuminated the main building of the Ministry of Interior in Sabhan with green lights as a symbol that indicates the environmental dimension of the project.

SOURCE   :   TIMES KUWAIT

Kuwait fell 12 places in the TRACE bribery risk index for 2021, compared to 95 globally after it was 83rd during 2020, while it ranked second at the level of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, after the UAE, which ranked 54th globally.

Oman ranked third in the Gulf and 114 globally, followed by Saudi Arabia ranked 121 globally and Qatar and Bahrain in 123 and 138, respectively.

According to TRACE data, Kuwait scored a weighted average score of 48 in the following areas:

■ Opportunities: bribery risks arising from the interaction between companies and the government (51 points).

■ Deterrence and Law Enforcement: The strength of formal and informal deterrence in combating bribery (55 points).

■ Transparency: the government’s transparency in implementing regulations (38 points).

■ Oversight: The strength of civil society and the press in oversight (46 points).

TRACE said that from 2020 to 2021, all Gulf countries witnessed an increase in the risk of commercial bribery.

“Over the past ten years, the environment for commercial bribery risks has worsened and exacerbated significantly in countries that have also experienced democratic decline, such as Venezuela, Turkey, Poland and Hungary,” TRACE added.

Over the past five years, the business bribery risk environment in the United States has worsened significantly, when compared to global trends.

The countries that showed the greatest trend towards improving the factors underlying the risks of commercial bribery are Uzbekistan, Gambia, Armenia, Malaysia and Angola.

According to TRACE, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Eritrea have the highest rates of commercial bribery risks, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand have the lowest rates of commercial bribery risks.

It is noteworthy to make a mention that the index measures the risks of commercial bribery in 194 countries, as the TRACE Foundation sets standards for combating bribery in the field of business and commerce.

SOURCE   :   TIMES KUWAIT

Kuwait reduced its holdings of US Treasury bonds last September by 1.07% on a monthly basis by $500 million, and with this Kuwait ranks third in the Gulf region. This decline follows the rise that occurred last August.

According to data published on the US Treasury website, the value of Kuwait’s holdings of US bonds last September was $46.3 billion, down from last August’s levels of $46.8 billion.

The Al-Anba has learned on an annual basis, Kuwait also decreased in its possession of US bonds by 0.64%, also compared to its previous levels of $46.6 billion in September 2020, and the country diversified its US bond portfolio between short-term bonds worth $12.03 billion, while the largest proportion of long-term bonds remained at a value of $12.03 billion. $34.27 billion.

In terms of the Gulf states’ holdings of US bonds, the Gulf states’ strategy towards US bonds varied during last September, as Saudi investments rose to $124.3 billion, compared to $124.1 billion last August, of which $100.44 billion were long-term bonds, and 23.85 billion billion dollar short-term bonds.

While UAE investments declined to $58.8 billion compared to $58.7 billion last August, including $32.38 billion in long-term bonds and $25.73 billion in short-term bonds.

Qatar also reduced its investments to $6.11 billion, compared to $6.37 billion in August. The past are all long-term bonds.

Oman’s investments rose in September to reach $5.36 billion, including $5.30 billion long-term and $62 million short-term, compared to $5.04 billion last August.

Bahrain’s investments also rose to $511 million, including $54 million in long-term bonds, and $457 million in short-term bonds.

At the global level, Japan maintained its first position for the twenty-eighth consecutive month by acquiring $1.22 trillion in US bonds, down from last August’s $1.32 trillion.

SOURCE   :   TIMES KUWAIT

South Africans protested Friday outside the offices of Miss South Africa beauty pageant organizers because of their insentience to participate in the Miss Universe show in December in “Israel”. 

“We are protesting due to the fact that the Miss SA organization refuses to withdraw Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane from the Miss Universe pageant and boycott it,’’ Noor Ahmad of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance Youth League (PSAYL) told Anadolu Agency.

The South African government announced it is withdrawing support for Mswane due to her decision to take part in the pageant.

South Africa opposes [Israel’s] occupation of Palestine and said it cannot in good conscience associate itself with the show on Dec. 12.

“The aim of the protest is to keep applying pressure on the Miss SA organization to boycott the pageant. Lalela hasn’t left South Africa for “Israel” yet so there is still time for her to withdraw and for the Miss SA organization to boycott the pageant,’’ said Ahamad.

She said South Africans need to support the call for a cultural, academic, art and other forms of boycotts against “Israel” as part of the international solidarity to defeat the occupation.

The protest was endorsed and supported by several civil society organizations in South Africa.

Chief Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela, a grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, reminded South Africans that international solidarity movements helped South Africa in its struggle against apartheid.

“We are calling on our government to withdraw the name of South Africa from being used at the upcoming pageant in [Israel],” Mandela, who is also an MP for the ruling African National Congress, told reporters at the demonstration. He said neither should a South Africa flag be flown at the show nor should the name of South Africa be associated with the pageant.

Mandela reminded his country of Palestinian support in all forms during their struggle against apartheid and South Africa now has a duty to stand with them as they face brutal oppression under “Israel”./agencies

Bosnia and Herzegovina opened a migrant camp on Friday near the northern city of Bihac, close to the Croatian border.

The Lipa Migrant Camp was built with the support of the EU to host 1,500 residents.

EU Special Representative for Bosnia Johann Sattler said the camp was completed in 11 months and the project was put into practice so that problems experienced by migrants last winter would not be repeated.

Security Minister Selmo Cikotic said cooperation concluded beneficially.

"I can say that with the opening of the camp, we left the migrant crisis behind and we are now dealing with the immigrant issue," he said.

Three hundred people have already moved in and 1,200 who remained in forest areas near Velika Kladusa on the Croatian border will be accommodated at the camp.

Migrants with children and in need will be placed in the camp, where living conditions have been greatly improved.

While most countries struggled with the coronavirus pandemic in the last couple of years across the globe, Bosnia and Herzegovina have experienced a migrant crisis. And the migrants fight severe conditions in Bosnia.

The country seeks help from the EU to deal with migrants stranded in its territory.

Since 2018, the EU has sent at least €13.8 million ($15.8 million) in humanitarian aid for Bosnia to host asylum-seekers.

The majority of migrants in Bosnia would prefer international protection in the EU but they cannot enter the bloc’s territory./aa

US President Joe Biden acknowledged on Friday the feelings of outrage among many Americans in the wake of Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal, but urged calmer heads to prevail. 

Biden said he is among the "many Americans" who feel "angry and concerned" by the verdict, but said "we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken."

"I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law," the president said in a statement.

"I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy," he added.

The White House and other federal officials has been in contact with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ahead of the verdict's announcement, and Biden said he spoke with the governor Friday afternoon to offer "support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety."

Rittenhouse had been charged with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and recklessly endangering safety in the shootings of three men in August of 2020, two of whom died of their wounds. Rittenhouse argued he was asked to be there by property owners looking for protection and that he only shot the men in self-defense.

Rittenhouse faced the possibility of life in prison after being charged with five counts, including first-degree intentional homicide.

Prosecutors said Rittenhouse was part of a vigilante mob, bent on intimidation and that he was not provoked into the shootings, as he claimed.

The unrest was touched off by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, days earlier. Blake's uncle, who had been demonstrating outside the courthouse since the beginning of the trial denounced the verdict afterwards and was echoed by the parents of Anthony Huber, one of the men Rittenhouse killed.

John Huber and Karen Bloom released a statement saying in part, "Today's verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son."/agencies

As the Yellow Vest protests that shook France enter their third year, protesters are preparing to take to the streets again on Saturday.

The yellow vest protests in France began on Nov. 17, 2018, in response to fuel hikes and bad economic conditions. Over time, these demonstrations turned into a revolt amid anger against the administration of President Emmanuel Macron, quickly making their way to global headlines.

Starting with nearly 300,000 people in Paris, the protests devolved into violence on a scale unprecedented in recent years. The streets of Paris and various other cities witnessed clashes between police and protesters, amid scenes of burning vehicles and various other items.

Especially in the first two years of the demonstrations, French police violence against protesters and journalists occurred on numerous occasions.

The yellow vests were not able to hold demonstrations last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, but weekly Saturday protests gathered in recent months though participation was scant despite wide use of social media.

According to a survey released on Wednesday, 40% of respondents said they felt close to the yellow vest movement. In the first months of the demonstrations, this rate was 80%.

However, it was found that the demonstrations raised awareness of economic difficulties faced by low- and middle-income people.

Christian Le Bart, researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and author of the book, The little sociology of yellow vests, emphasized that the initial reasons for the yellow vest protests were still valid.

Purchasing power has decreased further as living and economic conditions stagnate, Le Bart warned, adding that the unfulfillment of the yellow vests' demands could precipitate into a new movement.

Jerome Rodrigues, one of the yellow vests' leaders, invited French people to participate in demonstrations across the country on Saturday.

Rodrigues, who was injured in the eye due to rubber bullet fired by police, pointed out that the yellow vest movement erupted due to an increase in fuel prices, adding that prices were 20% higher today than they were in 2018.

Thus, people need to take to the streets more, he said, underlining that the economic problems faced by the French are no longer limited to fuel prices.

He noted that in three years, the government gave workers a one-time bonus in response to their demands, adding that some people could not attend Saturday's protests because of the economic difficulties they face.

Meanwhile, businessman Fabrice Grimal, teacher Clara Egger, driver Eric Drouet, and activist Jacline Mouraud, who support the yellow vests, have announced their candidacy for the 2022 presidential election.

Police violence

Security forces in France have deployed tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters in the past and have been reported to target demonstrators and journalists at the protests, often causing injury.

According to a study by the website mediapart and journalist David Dufresne, 770 people, including 127 journalists, were injured, while five people had to have one of their hands amputated and 30 people lost their eyes due to police violence.

During the demonstrations, a total of 11 people died as freedom of the press was also violated 194 times by police.

Human rights defender Europe remains silent

Initially falling silent in the face of the protests, the UN later called on French authorities to engage in dialogue and open an investigation into allegations of disproportionate force as the number of protesters injured by police violence increased.

The EU, which has reacted quickly to protests held in many other countries and issued calls for calm, also ignored the French police violence.

Having assumed the role of defender of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights Europe continues to remain silent against French police violence.

Economic damage of demonstrations

In the first year of the protests, the country's economy was also severely harmed.

Small businesses in the areas where the demonstrations reportedly lost between 20% and 30% of revenues.

Shopping malls lost €2 billion ($2.26 billion), while insurance companies that compensated damaged shops, offices, and vehicles suffered €217 million in losses, as did the food sector by about €13 billion.

The cost of the measures taken by President Macron and his administration in response to the demands of the yellow vests was calculated to be €17 billion.

In addition, the sum of wages paid to the police and gendarmerie working overtime due to the demonstrations was determined to be €46 million. Damaged road radars during the demonstrations also racked up costs of €71 million.

Due to the damage suffered by businesses during the protests, 75,000 people became unemployed.

The demonstrations negatively affected not only the economy but also tourism in the city of Paris. In the first months of the protests, international flights to the city fell by between 5% and 10 %./agencies

Nearly 10,000 rape cases and more than 6,100 murders were reported in South Africa between July and September this year, according to official data released on Friday.

The number of rape cases stood at 9,556 – an increase of 634, or 7.1%, from the third quarter of 2020 – while murders were up by 1,056, or 20.7%, to 6,163, the country’s latest crime statistics showed.

There were also 72,762 cases of assault in South Africa in the third quarter of 2021.

“This data proves again that South Africa is a very violent country,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said at a news briefing.

He termed the soaring rape figures “deeply disturbing” and a “disgrace.”

“The majority of the rape victims are women and those most vulnerable in our society. A sample of 6,144 rape cases revealed that 3,951 took place at either the home of the victim or the rapist,” he said.

On the increase in violence, Cele said a major factor was the unrest in July after former President Jacob Zuma was imprisoned.

Zuma’s incarceration sparked widespread riots and looting in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which claimed more than 200 lives.

The latest crime data showed KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of murders – 1,744 – between July and September, an increase of 536 from the corresponding period last year.

The figure was 229 for Gauteng, which is home to South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg and capital Pretoria.​​​​​​​/aa