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Kuwait Emir Pardons Jailed Opposition Members

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah pardoned on Tuesday all those who have been sentenced to jail for insulting him.

"On the occasion of the last 10 days of (the Muslim fasting month of) Ramadan, I am pleased to issue an emiri pardon for those who have been handed jail terms on charges of insulting the emir," he announced in a televised speech.

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Kuwait Emir Asks Outgoing Premier to Form New Govt

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Monday asked the outgoing prime minister to form a new government following polls, the official KUNA news agency reported.

Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling Al-Sabah family, submitted the resignation of his eight-month-old cabinet on Sunday, as required by the constitution after weekend polls.

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Kuwait Govt Resigns after Parliamentary Polls

Kuwait's government resigned Sunday in line with the constitution after parliamentary polls, the country's second since December, and the ruling emir asked the cabinet to stay on in a caretaker role.

A day after the elections, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state, accepted the resignation but asked Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah and his ministers to stay on until a new cabinet is formed, state news agency KUNA reported.

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Shiites Main Losers in Kuwait Polls as Liberals Gain

Kuwait's Shiite minority lost more than half of their seats and liberals made slight gains in the Gulf state's second polls in eight months, in a major blow to radicals.

The final results, released early Sunday by judicial authorities, showed Shiite candidates winning just eight seats in the 50-member parliament.

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Kuwaitis Vote with Little end in Sight to Disputes

Kuwaitis vote Saturday in the Gulf emirate's second parliamentary election in eight months, with opposition groups boycotting polls that are not expected to end years of bitter political dispute.

The election -- the oil-rich state's sixth in as many years -- comes after a dull campaign that failed to jolt apathetic voters into action.

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U.N. Awards Kuwait $1 bn from Iraq Invasion Fund

A United Nations body that handles war reparations for Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait said Thursday it had handed over a further $1.07 billion (810 million euros) to the emirate.

The payment, related to damage to oil facilities and resulting financial losses, brings to $42.3 billion the total sum handed out by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC).

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Kuwait Court Acquits 3 ex-MPs of Insulting Emir

Kuwait's appeals court on Monday overturned a three-year jail term on three former opposition MPs and acquitted them from the charge of insulting the emir, a rights activist said.

In February, a lower court handed the jail terms against Falah al-Sawwagh, Bader al-Dahum and Khaled al-Tahus for making remarks at a public rally in October 2012 that were deemed offensive to Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

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Rights Group Blasts Kuwait over Jailing of Female Activist

Human Rights Watch on Sunday blasted Kuwait over a 20-month jail sentence served on a female online activist for "offending the emir" and urged the Gulf state to end such prosecutions.

The appeals court on Wednesday upheld the sentence on Sara al-Darees for making remarks on Twitter deemed insulting to the emir.

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Kuwait Jails Woman 20 Months for anti-Emir Tweets

Kuwait's appeals court on Wednesday upheld a 20-month jail term against a female opposition activist for making remarks on social networkTwitter that were deemed insulting to the Gulf state's ruler.

On May 29 the lower court issued the jail term on Sara al-Darees for using her Twitter account to write the offensive remarks, but asked her to pay $700 as a bail to suspend carrying out the sentence.

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Kuwait Offers $4 bn Aid Package to Egypt

Kuwait offered Egypt on Wednesday an aid package of $4 billion, a minister said, bringing to $12 billion the total pledges by Gulf monarchies to Cairo since the army ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi last week.

"The council of ministers has approved an urgent aid package to our brothers in Egypt following instructions from the emir," State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah al-Sabbah said, according to the official KUNA news agency.

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