LOCAL
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Friday, March 5, 2010
MOI advises public to be alert during dusty weather Dust will subside gradually, says meteorologist
KUWAIT: The city was shrouded in a veil of dust yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) advised citizens and expatriates yesterday to take precautions during dusty weather which the country is experiencing. It cautioned motorists not to overload their vehicles to avoid unexpected motor malfunctions, urged all to abide by traffic regulations, and also urged them to call the ministry’s hotline, 112, when faced with any traffic problem. Meteorologist Issa Ramadan said yesterday that dust would gradually subside into the night, but fine dust would be back in the morning before clearing altogether late today. He told KUNA a cold dry wind front carried tons of minute dust particles and resulted in visibility below 200 meters. Some parts of the country experienced wind at more than 70 km/h and wave height was above 6 feet, he also said. The region is going through a transitional phase, and northern wind will be replaced by a northwestern wind at 20-45 km/h during the night, he said. The second part of spring starts early this year,
Bias against women needs to be eliminated BEIJING: Kuwait has said that it was eager to eliminate all kinds of discrimination practiced against women and approve laws that protect them against violence. This stance was emphasized in Kuwait’s speech at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of WomenFollow-up to Beijing and Beijing + 15 which was presented by member of the Union of Kuwaiti Women Associations, Dr Dhoha AlShaqath. Al-Shaqath stressed that Kuwait was also keen on implementing Beijing’s principles and development goals according to the Islamic Sharia. Listing the many areas in which women receive care in Kuwait, she said that Kuwait has made elementary education compulsory for both females and males and provided free education at all levels. The state also provides free health care to its citizens in addition to preventative programs, and recently approved a law on medical examination for those seeking marriage to protect women and children, she added. It was keen on providing decent living for its people and providing financial aid to female divorcees and widows and unemployed, unmarried women who are more than 35 years of age. Still on economic support, men and women in the same job positions get equal salaries, she stressed. Kuwait established Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) many years before the Beijing Conference, she also noted. She added that the fund provides loans to many countries in an attempt to
BEIJING: Members of the Kuwaiti delegation are seen at the conference. — KUNA curb poverty. She recalled the suggestion of the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on debt write off and interest in helping poor countries’ economies. Al-Shaqath said that Kuwaiti Constitution states that all citizens are equal in rights and duties regardless of their color or gender. However, Kuwaiti women were granted political rights in 2006, she added. There are four female parliament members in the Kuwait National Assembly at present, she said, adding that the Education Ministry is led by a female member of Cabinet. She said that a committee was established for Women’s affairs at the Cabinet and was headed by Sheikha L atifa Fahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah. Kuwaiti women have full
financial independence, as stated upon in Islamic Sharia, and as guaranteed by Kuwaiti law, she reiterated Head of the media committee in the Union of Kuwaiti Women Associations, Fatma Al-Bakir, highlighted that Kuwaiti women have claimed many of their social, economic, and political rights, but still seek more. In statements to KUNA on the occasion of the approaching International Women’s Day on March 8, she pointed out that Kuwaiti women have claimed some but not all their rights, citing the right to serve as judge as an example of things still to be sought. Al-Bakir and two members of the Union of Kuwaiti Women Association, Dr Dhoha Al-Shaqath and Shaikha Al-Mithin, are attending a meeting on the
occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, and the 54th session of the women’s committee. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the implementation of the Fourth World Conference on Women resolutions. World leaders who attended the conference in the Chinese capital had announced that women should participate in all aspects of social activity, including decision-making and leadership. Al-Bakir said that participants in the 54th session of the women’s committee referred to the Beijing conference resolutions which had many positive outcomes, stressing that Kuwait was one of the countries that had witnessed great development in the field of improving women’s conditions. — KUNA
on March 11, after the country experienced an abnormally warm winter, he said. Although this year witnessed heavy rain, it also saw severe sandstorms, Ramadan said, adding that cracked soil surface was to blame. He called on motorists and people with asthma to be cautious under these conditions and only go out when necessary. Sandstorms could freeze aviation traffic, navigation, and could damage some gadgets as well. Meanwhile, operations at Kuwait International Airport are still going on normally despite poor weather conditions across the country at present, head of the airport’s operations department Esam Al-Zamil told KUNA yesterday. Al-Zamil said departures and arrivals are still normal and on schedule, with visibility currently at 700 meters. The official assured the public operations are not affected in anyway. The state currently seems shrouded in a blanket of yellow dust, despite very clear and cool weather in the early morning. — KUNA
Kuwait is elected as Arab side rapporteur by panel CAIRO: Permanent committee of the Arab-African cooperation elected the foreign minister of Egypt Ahmed Abul Gheit as the committee’s African side and a Libyan official as the head of the Arab side. Kuwait was elected as the Arab side rapporteur and Ghana as the African side rapporteur yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah led the delegation of the state of Kuwait at the meeting of the permanent committee of the ArabAfrican co-operation. At the start of this meeting, Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa said that preparations for holding the Second ArabAfrican summit due in Libya are going ahead as normal. He also said that the summit’s agenda will be set by the preparatory committee that held two meetings in Cairo and Addis Ababa and it includes a number of issues on the economic, social, cultural and development co-operation without overlooking the emergency items on the agenda such as climate change, environ-
ment, besides political and security cooperation. Moussa said in his address that world events pointed out that interests are the same whether they are African or Arab and that the challenges of developing human resources and society in Africa and the Arab world are intertwined on many details, stressing the necessity of strengthening cooperation in order to tackle the challenges, especially as the African regional security is related to the Arab world security. Meanwhile, the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Gheit called on the head of the African side in permanent committee of the ArabAfrican co-operation to activate the bilateral ArabAfrican cooperation at the economic, social and cultural levels. He concluded by saying that cooperation projects include setting up a preferential trade zone, following up the implementation of the decisions on establishing the joint Arab-African chamber of commerce and reaching a final agreement on holding the first Arab-African development forum in Baghdad this year. — KUNA
Vietnamese official says Kuwait key partner in ME KUALA LUMPUR: A Vietnamese official hailed the Kuwaiti economic and social achievements and said that that Gulf state was an important partner in the Middle East. A release issued by the Kuwaiti Consulate yesterday quoted the senior official of Ho Chi Minh City as saying that Kuwait played a significant role internationally, both on government and public level. The official’s statement came during a ceremony held recently by the consulate to celebrate Kuwait’s National Day. The official said that his country and Kuwait made great efforts to strengthen relations. Kuwait was the first Middle Eastern country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and to establish an embassy in Hanoi and a general consulate in Ho Chi Minh, he stressed. Ties were bolstered through the exchange of visits by the two country’s officials, he said. In 2009, Vietnam’s Prime Minister visited Kuwait and in 2007, His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah visited Vietnam, he pointed out. The two countries signed joint agreements on investment, avoiding double taxation, agricultural cooperation, energy, culture, and education, he noted.