Kuwait Celebrates 60th National Day, 30th Liberation Day

Kuwaitis miss National Day celebrations canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | KUNA
Kuwaitis miss National Day celebrations canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | KUNA
TT

Kuwait Celebrates 60th National Day, 30th Liberation Day

Kuwaitis miss National Day celebrations canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | KUNA
Kuwaitis miss National Day celebrations canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | KUNA

Today, Kuwait is celebrating its 60th National Day and the 30th anniversary of its liberation amid political and social developments. The most prominent of these changes is Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah succeeding the late Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Seeking to calm political disputes between the Gulf country’s legislative and executive authorities, Emir Nawaf issued a decree on Wednesday to postpone parliament meetings for a month starting from Thursday.

Based on Article 106 of the constitution, the decree aims to both quell rising tensions and give the prime minister an opportunity to form the cabinet.

On Jan. 24 the emir reappointed Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah to nominate a new cabinet and the premier had been holding consultations with MPs ahead of doing so.

More so, Kuwait’s Constitutional Court rejected all lawsuits contesting the annulment of the National Assembly’s elections that were held in 2020.

This year’s National Day falls amid renewed discussions on the economy, corruption, enhancing transparency, and the general amnesty law.

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Kuwait was forced, for the second year in a row, to cancel public events celebrating its National Day.

Popular celebrations, parades, and artistic evenings were canceled.

A rise in the rate of coronavirus infections forced Kuwait to close its land and sea border crossings with certain exceptions made for shipping workers and returning citizens and their immediate family members and companions.

The shutdown was decided by the country’s Council of Ministers.

The government also warned it might resort to stricter measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Kuwait reported on Tuesday 1,015 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 186,004.

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry also announced eight more deaths, taking the death toll to 1,057.

It is noteworthy that Kuwaiti diplomacy succeeded in helping end the Gulf crisis between Arab Quartet countries (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt) and Qatar.



Saudi-Iraqi Cooperation Thwarts Drug Smuggling Operation

 The drug shipment was intercepted with the assistance of "important information" provided by Saudi's drug enforcement agency. SPA
The drug shipment was intercepted with the assistance of "important information" provided by Saudi's drug enforcement agency. SPA
TT

Saudi-Iraqi Cooperation Thwarts Drug Smuggling Operation

 The drug shipment was intercepted with the assistance of "important information" provided by Saudi's drug enforcement agency. SPA
The drug shipment was intercepted with the assistance of "important information" provided by Saudi's drug enforcement agency. SPA

Iraq's security forces have seized an estimated 1.1 ton of captagon pills hidden inside a truck that entered Iraq from Syria via Türkiye, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

The drug shipment, the largest ever seized in Iraq, was tracked and intercepted with the assistance of "important information" provided by Saudi's drug enforcement agency, the Interior Ministry spokesperson Brigadier Muqdad Meri said in a televised statement.

Saudi Arabia said it contributed to thwarting an attempt to smuggle seven million amphetamine pills into Iraq, according to a statement by ministry security spokesman Colonel Talal bin Abdul Mohsen bin Shalhoub.
Through proactive security monitoring of criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, the General Directorate of Narcotics Control provided intelligence to its Iraqi counterpart, leading to the interception of the illicit shipment. The drugs were concealed within a consignment of children's toys and ironing boards.
Shalhoub praised the close cooperation between Saudi and Iraqi authorities in combating drug smuggling.

He reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to tracking and dismantling criminal operations involved in narcotics production and trafficking, in collaboration with counterpart agencies in brotherly and friendly countries.