KUWAIT CITY // Kuwait’s public prosecution has demanded the death penalty for 11 of 29 suspects charged over last month’s suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Two of the suspects are currently fighting with ISIL which claimed the attack, Al Qabas said, adding that a source said that "the public prosecutor demanded the execution by hanging for 11 defendants".
The June 26 bombing, carried out by a Saudi, was the bloodiest in Kuwait's history, killing 26 people and wounding more than 200 others.
The 29 suspects facing trial include seven Kuwaitis, five Saudis, three Pakistanis, 13 “illegal residents” – a reference to Kuwait’s “bidoon” community that is made up largely of desert nomads considered stateless by the government. Another person whose identity is not known is still at large, the prosecution said on Tuesday.
The suspects face a range of charges such as illegally possessing explosives, incitement to violence and joining an extremist group.
Twenty-four of them have been detained in Kuwait while the other five will be tried in absentia, including two Saudi brothers who allegedly transported the explosives and are being held in Saudi Arabia.
Kuwaiti officials have identified the suicide bomber in the attack as Fahd Suleiman Abdulmohsen Al Qaba’a, a Saudi man in his early twenties who landed in the country just hours before the attack.
Al Qabas said some of the suspects were also charged with joining a terrorist organisation fighting against the state.
Two of the suspects have been charged with premeditated murder and attempted murder.
Two others were charged with training in the use of explosives, nine with assisting in the crime and the rest with knowing of the attack without informing the authorities.
An ISIL-affiliated group calling itself Najd Province claimed the bombing and also said it carried out suicide attacks on two Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in May.
On Monday, the Kuwait government decided to set up a permanent committee to fight terrorism and extremism.
At its weekly meeting, the cabinet “decided to form a permanent committee to coordinate between various bodies to ensure security and fight against all forms of terrorism ... and extremism,” the cabinet said.
The statement also said the new committee will work to drain sources of “terror” funding and intensify awareness programmes.
The interior minister said this month the country was at war with hardline militants and officials have said the bombing was aimed at stoking sectarian strife in the majority Sunni state, where the two sects have traditionally coexisted in peace.
* Agence France-Presse and Reuters
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.