Category: News

Lt Gen Ghazi Al-Omar, Ministry of Interior’s Undersecretary has released new set of instructions to grant rewards, including cash payments to civilians who help prevent a criminal act or provide valuable information to police.

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According to a report published by some Arabic dailies, the cash prize can reach up to KD 500 depending on the nature of crime and assistance provided. Both Kuwaitis and expatriates can benefit from the new regulation, said the source.

They should create an App for that. People submit pictures or tips on criminal activities and the ones with the most likes wins. [Link]

Thanks Tuan

Fehaid Aldeehani won a bronze medal earlier today at the Olympic double trap event. The only other Olympic medal Kuwait ever won was back at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and it was again because of Fehaid. Congrats! [Link]

Update: Turns out Fehaid came in 4th NOT 3rd. I misread the Yahoo article. 4th doesn’t win him any medals but it’s still a very respectable ranking that puts Kuwait on the map.

The Al-Hasawi family promised if they took over Nottingham Forest they would offer Kuwaitis a chance to play for the team. Looks like they’re sticking to their promise because Kuwaiti footballer Bader Al-Mutawa is set to begin a month-long trial with Nottingham Forest.

Arabian Business have more details [Here]

The 99 comic book has now turned into an animated series which will be broadcasted exclusively online this Ramadan on Yahoo. Firstly just to be clear I’m a huge fan of The 99 concept and a very big supporter of the creator Naif Al-Mutawa. I really love how a local idea turned into a worldwide sensation and it goes to show how success can be achieved even if you live in tiny little dusty Kuwait.

But, I’m not sure what to make of this Yahoo deal. Does anyone in our region watch TV online? Watching a one minute video on YouTube of a cute cat playing the keyboard is one thing but watching a full 30 minute animation on Yahoo is another. I would much rather have had the animated series launch on a satellite channel or even YouTube. Right now I can’t even embed The 99 trailer into this post because Yahoo doesn’t seem to have that feature. Check out the announcement and trailer on Yahoo over [Here]

Update: According to Alarabiya it’s also going to be broadcasted on MBC3. Now that makes sense, not sure why Yahoo would say they have the exclusivity when they don’t. [Link]

Agi Architects was awarded with a “A’ Design Award” for their proposed hospital design which is pictured above.

You can find out more about the Kuwait Children’s Hospital design [Here] and you can read about the award [Here]

Kuwaiti sailors fix the old Kuwaiti flag on a dhow during preparations in Kuwait City on July 11, 2012, for the upcoming annual Pearl Diving Festival, meant to honor the nation’s former trade mainstay.

Kuwait’s on the main page of cnn.com under “Daily Snapshot” [Link]

Short but interesting report. [YouTube]

Qatar has retained its position as the Middle East’s most innovative economy in the annual Global Innovation Index 2012 (GII).
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The study, commissioned by leading business school INSEAD in partnership with other firms, scored 141 countries based on the degree to which their economic environment enables innovation, as well as actual innovative outputs.
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Saudi Arabia was ranked 48th (up six places on 2011) while Kuwait was the lowest ranked GCC nation at 55th, down from 52nd last year.

Ouch! [Link]

Omarker posted a video on his blog that was taken a few days ago onboard a Kuwait Airways flight to Jeddah. The video isn’t so great but you can see that the oxygen masks were released and you could also hear some strange engine sounds. [YouTube]

According to The Buz Fairy, Al-Qabas reported that the minister of transport asked Kuwait Airways to ground three of its ailing Airbus planes due to multiple and repeat maintenance and operational issues.

It’s times like this I wish Wataniya Airways was still around.

Gizmodo has a visual showing where the majority of the world’s tweets come from and Kuwait is ranked high. Not only that but Kuwait is one of only two other countries with high ratio of tweets to interent users. That’s pretty extraordinary, you can check their post and full uncropped visualization [Here]

Thanks Naveen

Earlier today a fire engulfed the construction site of the new Ministry of Education headquarters building. A friend of mine was there with his camera and managed to snap these pictures. No information yet on what caused the fire.

Thanks Edgar

update: Here’s a video also taken by Edgar

[YouTube]

According to surgeons like Al Sanea, the bariatric boom can be traced to the buildup to the 1991 Gulf War. That was when hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops descended on the Gulf nation, bringing with them Taco Bell, Hardee’s, Baskin-Robbins, and Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, among others. “The [war] was the demarcation line,” says Dr. Abdulwahab Naser Al-Isa, at the Department of Community Medicine & Behavioral Sciences at Kuwait University. Andrew Smith, the author of the Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food, says, “The American military went in, and obviously they wanted fast food. Therefore, the number of fast-food establishments expanded exponentially.” And Kuwaitis fell in love.

An interesting take on the obesity issue in Kuwait although I’m not sure I believe the Americans are to blame. War or no war fast food chains were going to start popping up in Kuwait anyway. Check out the full article on Business Week [Here]

Thanks Kris

Heaviest 10 (for nations with more than 100,000 people):
1. United States
2. Kuwait
3. Croatia
4. Qatar
5. Egypt
6. United Arab Emirates
7. Trinidad and Tobago
8. Argentina
9. Greece
10. Bahrain

[Source]

This was in the paper around 10 days back but I just read about it on “Traveler’s Random Mental Wanderings & Contemplations”

A man was taken to the Psychiatric Hospital after coastguards plucked him out of the sea where he had been, reportedly, looking for mermaid. Coastguards reported to the scene, near the Messilah Beach, following reports of a man walking into the sea with his clothes on in what passersby thought was a suicide attempt. After the man was located and rescued, he told officers that he was simply looking for a mermaid he believes to be in the area. After failing to convince the adamant man out of his plans, the officers offered to help him go to another beach and search for mermaids there. Their ploy worked and they instead escorted the man to the mental facility.

Pretty strange and funny. Anyway check out “Traveler’s Random Mental Wanderings & Contemplations”, I just started reading it awhile ago and so far I find the guy really entertaining to read. [Link]

The source suspects the peddlers to be cultivating marijuana inside Kuwait, “as it’s not worth the risk to smuggle it in. It is not worth it unless you are smuggling the goods in very huge quantities, running into hundreds of thousands of KD.”

Describing the hemps that are grown indoors by his friends, the source said the plants are grown in earthen pots under artificial lighting; due ventilation is provided for fresh air.”

“It doesn’t take up much space and can be grown in a closet, or on a corner in the bedroom.” One of his friends grows it in the bathroom because the plant gives off a peculiar smell, which is easy to detect.”

I guess when the oil runs out this could be Plan B? [Link]