Violence in Kuwait is out of Control

Four juveniles acquitted of assault, theft

 KUWAIT CITY, April 9: The Court of Appeals presided over by Judge Anwar Al-Enezi has overturned the verdict issued by the Court of First Instance, which sentenced four juveniles to one-year imprisonment with hard labor for attacking one of their friends and robbing him of his possessions in the parking lot of a commercial complex. The court instead acquitted them of all charges. According to the case files, the victim met the suspects in the parking lot, where they punched and kicked him and used knives against him. After subduing him, they took his mobile phone, credit cards and drivers’ license, after which they ran away. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he received a medical report, indicating the injuries he incurred due to the assault. According to the testimony of the in-charge officer, covert investigations revealed that the suspects assaulted the victim and injured him. The suspects confessed to the crime after they were arrested and interrogated. Lawyer In’am Haydar, who was representing one of the defendants, affirmed that the case lacked substantial evidences to support the allegations the victim made against her clients. She indicated that the victim refused to disclose the identity of the passerby who reported the incident in order to obtain the full account of the incident. She also revealed that none of the reported stolen items was found with the suspects.

Wife assaulted: The Misdemeanor Court acquitted a man of beating his wife and causing her injuries. According to the case file, the wife filed a report against the husband whom she accused of coming to their house in Al-Qurain area and asking for the civil ID and passport of their daughter, and when she declined to answer the husband, he punched her seven times and kicked her with the leg. He is also alleged to have pushed the woman to the floor and she lost consciousness as a result. Medical report confirmed bruises the woman sustained in different parts of the body with additional scratches on the left arm. However, the suspect denied the accusation in the presence of his attorney Mohammed Al-Qattan, and said the wife wanted to sue him for divorce, but he loves her and does not want to divorce her. Al-Qattan implored the court to acquit his client of all accusations against him, because the man has conflict with his wife and the woman wants divorce, but his client wants to keep the family together. The court regarded the accusation as not enough to indict the defendant, and ruled out the medical report.

Let's see here, the husband beat the hell out of his wife and he gets acquitted because "he loves her and doesn't want a divorce?" WTH is going on?

Throwback Thursday - Childhood Cartoons

My favorite was Captain Caveman, I've got my little ones watching the old cartoons on the Boomerang channel.

US tax rules in Kuwait getting Close!

Kuwait to sign US tax compliance act FATCA to be enforced 
 

 KUWAIT CITY, April 8, (KUNA): The Kuwaiti government announced Tuesday its desire to sign the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Agreement with the US administration. In a press statement, the Finance Ministry here stated the agreement stipulates the collection and submission of financial accounts of US institutions and citizens. It pointed out that the FATCA act obliges all financial institutions whether they practice their business in or outside US territories to submit annual reports to the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) on any US Holding Accounts that exceed $50,000. It unveiled that the Ministry of Finance has formed a committee including representatives of the Ministry’s Tax Department, Foreign Ministry, Central Bank of Kuwait, and Kuwait Banks Association to prepare for signing the FATCA agreement.

The committee has already notified relevant financial institutions to submit data of American clients to see whether they comply with the Provisions of the FATCA Agreement. Non-compliant Americans will be asked to register on the website of the Internal Revenue Services before 5th of May 2014. FATCA was enacted in 2010 by the Congress to target noncompliance by US taxpayers using foreign accounts. FATCA requires foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to report to the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) information about financial accounts held by US taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which US taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest. The financial institutions that do not both register and agree to report face a 30 percent withholding tax on certain US-source payments made to them.

Nearly 26 European countries have already signed the FATCA agreement and 19 others are in the final negotiation stage. Almost all Gulf Cooperation Council states have started taking serious step towards signing the FATCA Agreement before the set deadline, 1st of July 2014, to prevent any US penalties imposed on their financial institutions.link

It's time for those dual citizens to think about the future and if it's worth having that US citizenship.

Old Kuwaiti Buildings - Salmiya

I'm in love with the colors of this old mosque.

 

A spelling error on the sign for the Modern Art Museum, it should say 'Thursday' without an 'e'.