Thu, May 22 2025
Breaking News
Breaking News
16 hours ago
A university student in Kuwait has been sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour after the country’s top court upheld her conviction for insulting the Emir and inciting the overthrow of the regime through posts made on the social media platform X. The Court of Cassation on Monday affirmed earlier rulings by the Criminal Court and the Court of Appeal, which found the student guilty of publishing politically sensitive content using a fake account. Prosecutors argued that the student had posted a series of articles and comments deemed offensive to the Emir and critical of Kuwait’s political system. Authorities described the content as a clear violation of national laws protecting the dignity of the head of state and preserving public order. During the trial, the student denied all charges, claiming that her account had been compromised by an expatriate residing outside the country. She told the court that the individual had threatened her and warned her against removing the posts published under her name. Despite her defense, the court found her responsible for the account and the content shared through it, citing digital evidence presented by prosecutors.
17 hours ago
Kuwait is expected to experience a rise in dust storms this summer, driven by a combination of drought, delayed rainfall, and increased wind activity, according to a leading meteorologist. Issa Ramadan told Al Qabas newspaper that the lack of rainfall during the past winter and spring has prevented surface soil from binding properly, making it more prone to being lifted by winds. Additionally, vegetation growth in the desert has declined, further contributing to soil instability. “These conditions are intensifying the frequency and severity of sandstorms, particularly during the spring and the transitional period into summer,” he said. Kuwait, known for its extreme heat, is expected to face a hot and dry summer, with winds playing a major role in stirring up desert dust. Ramadan noted that even moderate wind conditions could now trigger dust events due to the loose soil. Health authorities are advising people with asthma and allergies to wear face masks when venturing outdoors, as a precaution against worsening air quality.
17 hours ago
Eid Al Adha, one of Islam’s holiest festivals, will be observed in Kuwait on Friday, June 6, according to astronomical projections by the Al Ojairi Scientific Center. In a statement, the center confirmed that the crescent marking the start of Dhu Al Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, will be born at dawn on May 27, corresponding to the 29th of Dhu Al Qi’dah. The crescent is expected to be visible over Kuwait’s horizon for 43 minutes after sunset on May 28, signifying the beginning of the new month. Based on these calculations, the Day of Arafah, the key day of pilgrimage in Mecca, will fall on Thursday, June 5, followed by Eid Al Adha on Friday. The center added that the crescent will also be observable across Arab and Islamic capitals for periods ranging between 40 and 58 minutes, affirming widespread visibility and alignment with astronomical forecasts. In light of the holiday, Kuwait’s Cabinet has already announced a suspension of work across all government agencies and public institutions from June 5 through June 9. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, June 10. Institutions with nonstandard operations will determine their holiday schedules independently. Eid Al Adha, also […]
3 days ago
Kuwait’s top appeals court has handed down a four-year jail term to a defendant convicted of posing as an employee at the royal court and defrauding a woman of money, according to a media report. The Court of Cassation also ordered the convict pay a fine of KD263,000 (around $855,520), equivalent to the money he had seized from the Kuwaiti woman after he had duped her into believing he would provide her with a house and chalet as a gift from the royal court. The defendant later spent the money on wild parties outside Kuwait, while also promising the victim of marriage, added the Media court, a Kuwaiti news portal reporting about legal affairs. The court’s ruling is final. In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up anti-corruption efforts and issued varying jail sentences to defendants in high-profile cases. Last week, three former advisors at Kuwait’s royal court and a business agent were sentenced to three years in prison each on charges of squandering $180 million in a separate case. The Misdeamour Court also ordered each defendant pay a fine of KD10,000. They were convicted of causing significant damage to the royal court funds in an aircraft deal. The court also ordered their dismissal […]
3 days ago
Amid rising temperatures, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) is stepping up enforcement of a regulation that prohibits outdoor work from 11am to 4pm during the months of June through August. The measure, detailed in Administrative Resolution No. 535/2015, is aimed at protecting workers from the severe health risks posed by Kuwait’s extreme summer temperatures. Starting in early May, PAM will also roll out a multilingual social media awareness campaign under the slogan “Their Safety is Most Important”, designed to educate both employers and workers about the importance of the midday work ban. PAM’s inspection teams will carry out unannounced visits to construction sites and other outdoor workplaces to ensure compliance. Employers who violate the rule will face legal penalties. The authority emphasized that the regulation is designed to protect workers’ health and safety, not to reduce total working hours. It also reassured that measures will be taken to keep ongoing projects on track despite the timing restrictions. PAM sources said the policy has enjoyed broad compliance in previous years, and urged business owners to continue cooperating to avoid violations.
4 days ago
An expatriate has been arrested in Kuwait for attempting to smuggle drug narcotics into the country, allegedly to present them as gifts to friends. Customs officers at Kuwait International Airport became suspicious of the man after observing his nervous behavior—he appeared confused and was constantly looking left and right, according to a security source cited by Al Anba newspaper. The expatriate, believed to be in his 30s, was taken to a security room for a thorough physical inspection, and his luggage was searched in detail. During the inspection, officers discovered pieces of hashish hidden among his personal clothing. In preliminary questioning, the man claimed the drugs were so-called “holiday hashish,” implying that small amounts are sometimes brought in to be shared with friends as gifts. In a separate incident, customs authorities at Kuwait’s Shuwaikh Port intercepted a shipment containing 110kg of hashish concealed inside marble slabs. Two suspects—a Syrian national and an illegal resident of Eritrean origin—were arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt. According to the Interior Ministry, the operation was coordinated with a third individual, a Gulf national residing outside Kuwait. Efforts are underway to apprehend him in cooperation with authorities in his country. Further investigations led to the discovery […]
4 days ago
An expatriate passenger triggered a security alert at Kuwait International Airport after she missed her flight and went missing, according to a media report. Security personnel launched a search for the Filipina domestic worker after her sudden disappearance before boarding a scheduled flight to Manila, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba reported. “The worker suddenly disappeared minutes before the departure gate closed. She was later found in an airport restroom,” a security source said. The passenger did not provide a reason for refusing to board the flight or for her disappearance. The source added that airport security personnel handled the situation in accordance with standard procedures. After confirming the passenger’s safety, travel arrangements were finalized for her to board another flight, and the incident was recorded for administrative follow-up.
6 days ago
Two teenagers have been arrested in Kuwait in connection with a failed robbery attempt at a local shopping centre, a security source has said. Both suspects, aged 16 and 17 years respectively, were later referred to the juvenile prosecution after they had been caught in Al Jahra area north west of Kuwait. Attached to the case file is a machete that one of the offenders had brandished in the face of sellers at the targeted mall to intimidate and force them to hand over the revenue of their sales, reported Al Anba newspaper. The incident was reported to the Ministry of Interior Operations Room, prompting the dispatch of a police patrol to the site, the paper quoted the source as saying. Upon arrival, police found the two teen suspects held by security guards of the mall, added the source. The mall workers stated in an ensuing inquiry that they were surprised to see the two juveniles enter the centre, with one of them holding a machete, attempting to rob the place. The workers were able to overpower them. The motive for the robbery attempt is not clear yet.
1 week ago
Kuwait has rounded up more than 400 expatriates for violating the country’s residency and labour laws as part of an inexorable nationwide clampdown on illegal foreigners. The arrests were made by the Kuwaiti residency affairs police during a massive security crackdown across the country’s six governorates conducted in coordination with relevant authorities over nine days resulting in detaining 440 violators. The raids covered residential areas, farms, and engineering companies operating in uninhabited areas across the country, a security source has disclosed. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior said the April 30-May 9 campaigns were part of an integrated security plan aimed at controlling irregular workers and exposing illegal residents. The ministry renewed a warning that its crackdown on illegals is ongoing across the country, and emphasized that violators and their employers will be held accountable. Kuwait, a country of an overall population of 4.9 million people mostly foreigners, is seeking to redress its demographic imbalance and regulate the labour market. Authorities there have recently mounted a nationwide crackdown on illegal foreign residents, who failed to take advantage of a three-month grace period to rectify their status. Thousands have since been rounded up. The amnesty, which commenced in March last year, allowed illegal expatriates to readjust […]
1 week ago
A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced three individuals to three years in prison with hard labor for involuntary manslaughter following a devastating fire last year that killed nearly 50 migrant workers in a residential building housing laborers. According to Al Rai, a local Kuwaiti newspaper, the Court of Misdemeanors handed down its ruling this week, convicting the defendants for their role in one of the deadliest labor housing incidents in the country’s recent history. The court also sentenced two defendants to one year in prison for perjury, and four others to one year with hard labor for harboring a person wanted by authorities. The identities and nationalities of the nine convicted individuals have not been publicly disclosed, though the majority are reported to be foreign nationals. The fire tore through a seven-story building in Kuwait’s Mangaf area, which was home to approximately 200 workers, most of them migrants. The blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning and is believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, which later ignited gas cylinders stored on the lower floor, accelerating the spread of the flames. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 49 workers though some media reports place the death toll at 50 […]
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