THULQADA 21, 1442 AH THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021 16 Pages Max 52º Min 30º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18474 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Humidity in Kuwait forecast Deadly heatwave Pandemic lifts sales England end Germany curse 3 to subside in three days 6 slams Canada, US 8 of wearable gadgets 16 to keep Euro 2020 dream alive MPs criticize decision to deport resident for expressing opinion Assembly special session cancelled due to govt no-show By B Izzak constitution” and this should not be applied based on nationality. Several other members of parliament KUWAIT: Opposition lawmakers and local and social media activists also rejected the interior activists yesterday strongly criticized a decision by ministry’s decision and called for subjecting depor- the interior ministry to deport a 25-year-old tations to the rule of the law. Jordanian resident for taking part in a gathering to But MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji supported the deci- protest against banning unvaccinated people from sion, saying what Jebara did was not an act of free- entering malls. dom of expression but a violation of the law. He During the gathering held a few days ago at called on authorities to strike hard. Also, former MP Irada Square, Abdullah Jebara spoke to local TV Safa Al-Hashem backed the interior minister in his stations and gently criticized the decision barring decision and said that allowing residents to express unvaccinated people from entering malls. MP opinions publicly should be rejected. Thamer Al-Suwait described the decision as “unac- Earlier in the week, another resident, an Egyptian ceptable racist practices” and called for subjecting national, was arrested and deported by security the deportation of legal residents to courts instead forces for insulting Kuwait in a social media post on of leaving it to the discretion of security authorities. dust-storms in Kuwait. MP Obaid Al-Wasmi said that “deporting a for- In other news, National Assembly Speaker eigner for merely expressing opinion related to his Marzouq Al-Ghanem yesterday cancelled the natural right as a human is illegal and inhuman.” Assembly’s special session due to a no-show by KUWAIT: MPs gather in the National Assembly hall after Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem cancelled the spe- MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari warned that “freedom government ministers. cial session due to a no-show by government ministers yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat of expression is guaranteed under the Kuwaiti Continued on Page 2 tations with political parties and civil society to form difficult conditions”, par- News in brief Algeria finance a government as soon as possible,” the presidency ticularly the novel coron- said in a statement. Benabderrahmane, 60, replaces avirus pandemic. Lebanon approves ration card minister named Abdelaziz Djerad, who had held the post since late Also yesterday, 2019 and presented his government’s resignation last Algeria’s main Islamist BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament yesterday week, following early parliamentary elections held party the Movement of approved ration cards for the poorest to cushion new premier on June 12. Djerad’s government had been unable to Society for Peace (MSP), the gradual collapse of subsidies due to the eco- redress the country’s economic crisis. which came third in the nomic crisis, though officials still need to secure Africa’s fourth-largest economy is heavily vote with 65 seats in the funding for the scheme. The decision came one day ALGIERS: Algerian Finance Minister Aimene dependent on oil revenues, which have slumped in 407-seat legislature, said after authorities hiked the price of subsidized fuel Benabderrahmane was named prime minister yes- the face of the global economic slowdown. it would not be part of a Aimene Benabderrahmane to shore up dwindling foreign currency reserves at terday, the presidency said, following legislative Unemployment stands at more than 12 percent, new government. The the central bank. The government, which subsidizes elections earlier this month and as the country according to World Bank figures. President country’s incumbent National Liberation Front key commodities including flour and medicine, has seeks to curb a deep socio-economic crisis. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who had previously (FLN) won the most seats in the June 12 vote that also started to gradually reduce support on other “Aimene Benabderrahmane has been appointed expressed dissatisfaction with Djerad and his cabi- saw just 23 percent voter participation. key items, after months of deliberations and with- prime minister and charged with carrying on consul- net, thanked him for leading the government “during Continued on Page 2 out any official announcement. — AFP TikTok removes 7m underage users long-running hostage crisis at the Will US-Iran American embassy in Tehran and Washington’s support for Iraq in its gruel- WASHINGTON: TikTok removed more than sev- ing eight-year war with Iran cemented en million accounts of users suspected of being tensions flare their rivalry. The United States fears Iran under age 13 in the first three months of 2021, the popular social media operator said yesterday in a could seek to build a nuclear weapon, a transparency report. The Chinese-owned app again in Iraq? charge Tehran denies. which is wildly popular with young smartphone The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, users, also said it took down nearly 62 million BAGHDAD: This week’s deadly US air which toppled Sunni dictator Saddam videos in the first quarter for violating community strikes on pro-Iranian armed groups in Hussein, led to massive Iranian influ- standards — including for “hateful” content, nudity, Iraq and Syria sparked fears of a new ence in Iraqi politics via Shiite parties harassment or safety for minors. In its first disclo- escalation between the rivals. Even as and armed groups. The invasion also sure on underage users, TikTok said it uses a vari- they hope to revive a 2015 deal over sparked years of sectarian violence in ety of methods, including a safety moderation Iran’s nuclear program scuppered by the country, culminating with the rise of team, that monitors accounts where users are sus- former US president Donald Trump, are the Islamic State group in 2014. pected of being untruthful about their age. — AFP Washington and Tehran risking an IS was defeated by a US-led coali- explosive new confrontation? tion working with Iraqi forces including BAGHDAD: Members of Iraq’s Hashed Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) paramili- Iran has bitterly opposed American the Hashed Al-Shaabi, a paramilitary tary forces ride in vehicles driving in a symbolic funerary parade in the capital influence in the region since its 1979 revo- Syrian teen sentenced in Norway coalition dominated by pro-Iran Baghdad Tuesday in remembrance of those killed in a US raid against one of the lution, which toppled the US-backed groups. But their uneasy alliance ended Hashed’s brigades. — AFP OSLO: A Norwegian court has sentenced a 16- Shah and installed an Islamic republic. A Continued on Page 2 year-old Syrian to five years in prison for plotting an attack in the Scandinavian country and pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group. Three of the government said in a statement. The years would be suspended, the Oslo district court Swiss to buy decision will now be put to the Swiss said in the verdict handed down late Tuesday. The parliament-and also risks being chal- court said in its judgment that the suspect “despite lenged at the ballot box, with left- his young age, had made a deliberate decision to F-35A fighter wingers and anti-militarists seeking to carry out a terrorist act even if the plans had not trigger a public vote. materialized into a concrete project”. — AFP jets from US The F-35A combat aircraft is already used by the US Air Force and GENEVA: Switzerland’s government several European countries. It was cho- Florida death toll rises to 16 yesterday backed the purchase of 36 sen ahead of the Airbus Eurofighter; Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets to the F/A-18 Super Hornet by Boeing; SURFSIDE, Florida: Four more bodies were dis- replace its fleet and five Patriot air and French firm Dassault’s Rafale. For covered overnight in the rubble of a collapsed defense units from fellow US manufac- the ground-based air defense (GBAD) apartment building in Florida, authorities said yes- turer Raytheon. Switzerland’s current system, Patriot saw off competition terday as the search for more than 140 people air defense set-up will reach the end of from SAMP/T by France’s Eurosam. unaccounted for entered its seventh day. The offi- its service life in 2030 and the search “An evaluation has revealed that cial death toll now stands at 16 after most of a for a replacement fleet has been long these two systems offer the highest building in the Miami-area town of Surfside sud- and hotly contested. overall benefit at the lowest overall denly pancaked early last Thursday, but hopes are “The Federal Council is confident cost,” the government said. Switzerland dwindling that the hundreds of rescuers combing that these two systems are the most the oceanfront site will find anyone alive. “We’ve is famously neutral. However, its long- suitable for protecting the Swiss popu- now recovered four additional victims. — AFP standing position is one of armed Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jet lation from air threats in the future,” the Continued on Page 2 2 Established 1961 Thursday, July 1, 2021 Local Deputy Amir, Crown Prince receives senior officials KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace yesterday National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem.