COVID affecting more children
KUWAIT: A senior pediatric consultant said in a TV interview sponsored by the health ministry that a number of children have died in Kuwait from the coronavirus, adding the number of infected children admitted to intensive care units has increased recently. Younger, unvaccinated populations are enduring the effects of the rapidly spreading Delta variant of COVID-19, with children representing a higher percentage of positive cases than in the past, according to health officials in the US.
MP asks about spyware
KUWAIT: MP Osama Al-Shaheen yesterday sent a series of questions to the interior minister asking if Kuwait or Kuwaiti officials had been targeted by the Pegasus spyware built by the Zionist NSO Group. Shaheen alleged the program was used by some countries to spy on activists and opposition figures, and asked if any Kuwaiti personality had been targeted. The malware is at the center of a storm after a list of about 50,000 potential surveillance targets was leaked to rights groups.
Heatwave to continue
KUWAIT: Temperatures in Kuwait are expected to hover around 50 degrees Celsius this week as the mercury touched 52 degrees Celsius in Kuwait City yesterday. According to the meteorological department, no immediate respite is likely from the ongoing heatwave conditions. Abdaly and Kuwait Airport recorded a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, while Jahra recorded 51 degrees Celsius. Other areas of the country also witnessed above-average temperatures.
Actor to be deported
KUWAIT: The interior ministry has decided to deport Pakistani actor Farhan Al-Ali, charged with violating public decency on social media, Al-Qabas Arabic daily reported yesterday. A security source said the deportation order is effective despite the court of cassation’s verdict overturning a two-year jail sentence handed to Ali by the criminal court. “The administration of the deportation prison will determine the date of his deportation for his homeland within 48 hours,” the source told Al-Qabas.
Iraqi activist’s son killed
BAGHDAD: The son of a prominent Iraqi rights activist was found shot dead in the country’s south after he went missing a day earlier. The body of 26-year-old Ali Karim, who was “kidnapped” by unidentified assailants on Friday, was found 24 hours later west of the city of Basra. His mother, Fatima Al-Bahadly, founded the Al-Firdaws Society, which focuses on the protection and education of women and campaigns against the recruitment of young people into armed groups. – AFP
Jordan to inoculate 12-yr-olds
AMMAN: Jordan’s health ministry announced Saturday that COVID-19 vaccines will now be available for children aged 12 and above. The ministry “has decided to lower the COVID-19 vaccination age to 12 years, starting from Sunday July 25” and without requiring an appointment, the ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page on Saturday. “Vaccination will be optional, and those under 18 will be able to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with the consent of their guardian,” the statement added. – AFP
Algeria to produce Sinovac jabs
ALGIERS: Algeria will manufacture the Chinese coronavirus vaccine Sinovac locally, the government announced Saturday, in a country hit by rising cases and constrained by a patchy inoculation rollout. Chinese experts arrived Friday to inspect equipment destined for a factory in Constantine, in eastern Algeria, a statement from the pharmaceutical industry ministry said. Sinovac will be the second coronavirus vaccine to be produced in Algeria, with the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to be produced locally from September, according to authorities. – AFP
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