Kuwait court rejects challenge over election law

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwait’s highest civilian court Tuesday rejected a government bid to rewrite the Gulf nation’s election rules, giving an apparent boost to the rising power of opposition groups led by Islamists.

The decision also further complicates the political showdowns in one of America’s most strategic Gulf military allies, where the Western-backed monarchy is facing mounting pressures from hardline Islamists and others seeking to impose more conservative policies.