Woman Jailed 11 Years for Anti-Amir Tweets
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SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 SHAABAN 2, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Amir urges Indian Smartphone Mourinho citizens to opposition life shakes returns to be unified, leader resigns up website Chelsea as cautious party posts world ‘Happy One’ 3Woman7 jailed27 11 years19 Max 43º Min 29º for anti-Amir tweets High Tide 02:31 & 12:29 Assembly in semi-paralysis as it awaits ruling Low Tide 07:22 & 20:22 40 PAGES NO: 15836 150 FILS By B Izzak ed five years each for the first two offens- those who try to undermine this,” Sheikh The 11-year prison term is the harsh- conspiracy theories es and one year for the third. Sabah said. est term against an online activist so far KUWAIT: The criminal court yesterday HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad The court ruling said Ajmi, who since the government launched its crack- sentenced a Kuwaiti woman tweeter for Al-Jaber Al-Sabah later yesterday urged denied the charges, must start serving down against opposition online activists Open speculations 11 years in jail for insulting HH the Amir, “unity” from the people of Kuwait and for the jail term immediately even before in October last year. But the term is not calling to overthrow the regime and mis- them to be “cautious” in the face of the court of appeals begins to look into final as it will still be challenged before using her mobile phone by writing regional challenges that could affect the case. Ajmi is not a well-known politi- the court of appeals and the cassation remarks on Twitter. Huda Al-Ajmi was Kuwait. “The current regional circum- cal activist and is not known to have par- court, whose verdicts are final. During accused of committing three violations stances and recurring developments we ticipated in opposition protests, but the the clampdown, dozens of online by writing tweets to insult the Amir and are prone to require us to be cautious, public prosecution pressed the charges activists and former opposition MPs have undermine his status, calling for the wary and ready for the challenge. This against her based on tweets she had been handed prison terms or are still on overthrow of the regime and finally mis- can only come through national unity, allegedly written against the regime and trial, mainly for insulting the Amir. By Badrya Darwish using her mobile phone. She was hand- coordination and a united stand against the Amir. Continued on Page 15 [email protected] hat is happening at Shaddadiya university? The university is still under construction. WThe skeleton of the place is erected. That is the only part of the project so far. Already all of you heard about the fire which destroyed a large part of the completed construction last week. The amazing thing is that a bedoon posted online that he was responsible for the arson. He gave stupid reasons which I did not buy at all. He said that there will be more fires in Kuwait. He said that he would continue to set places ablaze until the bedoon issue is resolved or until sharia laws are applied in the coun- try. I couldn’t see what is the connection between the blaze and sharia laws? Or how could he help the bedoon issue by burning places here and there. I brushed the bedoon’s claims out of my head. To prove my theory, yesterday another fire occurred in the same place. Whoever committed the arson was not satisfied with the results. I do not know the actual reasons for the fire, but the person who first set the place on fire might have done it the second time too. We tried last week to reach the people in charge to provide the cause of the fire and to ask about the investigation. We were told that it would take time and still the cause of the fire remains unknown. Now I think they will need even more time to get back to us because of the second fire. Of course, I am not going to jump into conclusions because there could be many reasons to set that place on fire. I leave it to the authorities to decide for themselves. I am sure they are already doing that. I hope they will come back to us with a convinc- ing statement even if it takes longer. I hope we will be told who did it and why. And not leave the nation open to wide speculations. KUWAIT: Firemen battle a massive blaze at Kuwait University’s new campus in Shaddadiya yesterday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh (See Page 3) Source of US intel Nearly 3,000 Indians deported leak outs himself Kuwait to issue WASHINGTON: Reeling from the sensa- tional revelation of its secret global Internet monitoring program, new banknotes Washington stepped up its probe yester- day into the young private contractor Indian rupee in ‘freefall’ who leaked the details. Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old technology expert working KUWAIT/MUMBAI: The Central Bank of Kuwait for a private firm subcontracted to the US (CBK) announced yesterday that it will release new National Security Agency, has become an currency notes with “modern and enhanced security instant hero for transparency advocates features” to cope with latest counterfeiting chal- and libertarians around the globe. But his lenges in the printing industry. “The CBK has decid- exposure of the NSA’s worldwide moni- ed to release new Kuwaiti banknotes of all denomi- toring of private users’ web traffic and of nations to cope with the developments to improve US citizens’ phone records has infuriated hallmarks, security features and paper quality,” US intelligence officials and embarrassed Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel said in exclusive President Barack Obama’s White House. statements to KUNA yesterday. “The Cabinet, upon a Continued on Page 15 Edward Snowden recommendation of the CBK, endorsed today the new issuance and the features and design of the KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta - flanked by Deputy Chief of notes,” marking “the sixth issuance of Kuwaiti cur- Mission Vidhu P Nair (right) and Consular and Chief Welfare Officer Balram Apple unveils radio rency notes since 1961”. Kumar Upadhyay - addresses a press conference at the Indian Embassy yester- The unit of currency in Kuwait is the dinar, divided day. — Photo by Sajeev K Peter into one thousand fils, while notes are issued in service, revamps iOS denominations of quarter dinar, half dinar, one dinar, By Sajeev K Peter nationalities have been deported over five dinars, 10 dinars and 20 dinars. Hashel pointed the past two-and-a-half months. The SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc said that updated Siri voice soft- KUWAIT: Nearly 3,000 Indian workers government has made it clear that it yesterday unveiled iTunes ware used on the iPhone now out that the CBK has started preparations for the printing and circulation of the new notes, expecting have been deported so far this year fol- wants to stamp out illegal residents from Radio, a free music streaming incorporates Microsoft Corp’s lowing the crackdown on illegal resi- the country whose number stands at that they will be on the market within a year with the service that is a key part of Bing search engine. iTunes dents in Kuwait, Indian Ambassador around 100,000. overhauled mobile software Radio, which will compete current ones continuing to be circulated as they are Satish C Mehta said yesterday. The ambassador said embassy officials that the company called the against Pandora Media Inc, gradually withdrawn from the market. The CBK Addressing a press conference at the are in constant touch with Kuwaiti offi- most revolutionary re-design allows users to customize by Governor expressed confidence that the new ban- Indian Embassy, the ambassador said the cials. “In our regular interactions with the of its operating system since genre and personal taste. The knotes will be to the liking of bankers and the public. number is roughly 28 percent of the total authorities, the embassy has conveyed the iPhone was introduced in service is free with ads across There have been five issues of Kuwaiti currency number of people deported. “As of today, the growing concern of the Indian com- 2007. As Apple kicked off its Apple’s devices, including Apple notes since the introduction of a state legal tender in the embassy has issued 930 emergency munity to them over the ongoing cam- annual conference in San Francisco for TV. It is free of ads for subscribers to 1961. The fifth and current issue was released in certificates this year which is double the paign,” Mehta said. “However, the situa- its developers, executives also showed iTunes’ Match, a digital content feature. 1994. number of ECs issued in 2012,” he said. tion is not as alarming as it has been por- off a new line of Mac computers and Continued on Page 15 Continued on Page 15 According to the Kuwait government trayed,” the ambassador said. estimates, 11,800 people of different Continued on Page 15 TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 LOCAL KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurating the national campaign “Senyar 7” that aims at the preservation of the marine environment. — KUNA Amir inaugurates ‘Senyar 7’ campaign KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad was held at Bayan Palace yesterday. The Amir received the His Highness Sheikh Sabah expressed appreciation to The National Assembly Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashed, Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated the national campaign Kuwaiti Voluntary Work Center Chairperson Sheikha the efforts exerted by the team who have played major Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Mishaal Al- “Senyar 7” that aims at the preservation of the marine envi- Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and members of role in preserving local marine environment.