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Kuwait promises "firm response" after protest
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Thursday rioting and violence would be met with a firm response after it made several arrests at a protest over the conviction of an opposition politician for insulting the country's ruler. Witnesses said police fired teargas on Wednesday to disperse thousands demonstrating against the conviction of former member of parliament Musallam al-Barrak, who was sentenced to five years in jail for the comments last year. Despite Kuwait saying it was a fair hearing, Monday's trial has rekindled tension after a period of relative calm following a parliamentary election in December, with supporters staging nightly protests in the OPEC member state #India #Business #Japan #Brazil #Technology #NewsTracker #Russia #markets #North Korea #Kuwait
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Kuwait must end jailings over offences to ruler: Human Rights Watch
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait cannot claim to be a beacon of freedom in the Gulf if it sends people to jail for remarks deemed offensive towards the ruling emir, and it must amend its penal code, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. Since October, prosecutors have charged nearly 25 people with offending Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, sentencing at least six of them to jail terms, the U.S.-based body said. "Sending politicians to prison for criticizing the ruler is at odds with official claims that Kuwait is a beacon of freedom in the Gulf," Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said #Politics #United States #India #Japan #Brazil #Technology #markets #Argentina #United Kingdom #Latin America #Kuwait #lifestyle
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Kuwait jails former MPs for criticising emir
KUWAIT (Reuters) - A Kuwaiti court sentenced three former opposition lawmakers to three years in jail on Tuesday for comments deemed offensive toward the ruling emir, the second such conviction in three days. The three ex-lawmakers - Islamists Falah al-Sawwagh and Bader al-Dahum, and populist Khaled al-Tahus - were arrested in October after an opposition-led protest where riot police used teargas and stun grenades. Tens of thousands joined similar protests in October over changes to an electoral law passed by the emir, who is described as "immune and inviolable" in the constitution #facebook #China #Business #Japan #Arabic #Argentina #Latin America #Entertainment #Kuwait #Mexico
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Kuwait man gets five years in prison for insulting ruler
In recent months Kuwait has penalised several Twitter users for criticising the emir, who is described as "immune and inviolable" in the constitution. #NewsTracker #Kuwait #Freedom of Expression #emir #Kuwait courts
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U.N.'s Ban decries "horrors" in Syria, urges end to war
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Denouncing "unrelenting horrors" in Syria's war, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed on Wednesday for an end to the violence and more aid to address a situation he said was catastrophic and worsening by the day. "How many more people will be killed if the current situation continues?" Ban said, addressing a donors conference in Kuwait aimed at raising money for U.N. #facebook #China #Business #Technology #Arabic #markets #Argentina #United Kingdom #Violence #Kuwait #opinion #lifestyle
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Syrian rebels, army clash in Damascus during U.N visit
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels clashed with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in southwest Damascus on Sunday, forcing the closure of the main highway to the southern town of Deraa, activists said. The fighting came as United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos visited Syria ahead of a U.N. aid conference which aims to raise $1.5 billion for millions of people made homeless, hungry and vulnerable by the 22-month-old conflict #Politics #India #Technology #Arabic #NewsTracker #United Kingdom #Latin America #Kuwait #opinion #lifestyle
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Hundreds of Kuwaitis protest parliamentary election
Hundreds of young Kuwaitis chanting protest slogans gathered at a roundabout outside the Gulf Arab state's capital on Wednesday in the latest snap demonstration since a parliamentary election on Saturday. #NewsTracker #Kuwait #Parliamentary protests
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Kuwaitis hold "largest ever" march to urge voter boycott
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people marched in Kuwait on Friday calling for a voter boycott, a day before a parliamentary election that looks unlikely to defuse tensions in the U.S.-allied, oil-producing Gulf country. Organisers said the march was the largest ever in Kuwaiti history and a message to the authorities of deep discontent with changes to the voting system ordered by the ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, six weeks before the election. #facebook #India #Arabic #markets #Argentina #United Kingdom #Kuwait #Election #lifestyle
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Kuwait launches programme to take textbooks online
Kuwait has launched a programme to replace textbooks with e-books in order to make reading exciting, fun and appealing to students. #NewsTracker #Education #e-books #Kuwait #online learning