Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah has appointed a new finance minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle that left other major roles unchanged, state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday.

The crown prince in March reappointed Sheikh Ahmad as prime minister, more than a month after the government resigned in response to friction with an opposition-controlled parliament.

Of the main portfolios, Manaf Abdulaziz Al Hajri was made minister for finance and minister of state for economic and investment affairs, while Bader Al Mulla, the incumbent oil minister, stays on in the role.

"The biggest challenge for the government is to regain the trust of the people," said Ahmad al-Din, member of the political bureau of the Kuwaiti Progressive Movement (left).

"The removal of Abd al-Wahhab al-Rasheed (former finance minister), who was an element of tension with the 2022 parliament, indicates that the current government is betting on the return of the 2022 parliament," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kuwaits-national-assembly-women-candidates-make-a-comeback-521620">WATCH |&nbsp;Kuwait's national assembly: Women candidates make a comeback</a>

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Kuwait holds some of the world's largest oil reserves and has strong fiscal and external balance sheets, but political bickering and institutional gridlock have hampered investment and reforms aimed at reducing its heavy reliance on oil revenues.

Relations have been particularly tense between the prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly, elected in 2020, since the Constitutional Court in March annulled last September's election results.

Finance Minister Al Hajri was CEO of asset management and banking institution Kuwait Financial Center for 16 years before resigning in 2020 and is well-known in business and finance circles in Kuwait.

Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah was re-appointed as minister of interior and acting minister of defence, and Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah remains the foreign minister.

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Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah has appointed a new finance minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle that left other major roles unchanged, state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday.

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah has appointed a new finance minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle that left other major roles unchanged, state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday. The crown prince in March reappointed Sheikh Ahmad as prime minister, more than a month after the government resigned in response to friction with an opposition-controlled parliament. Of the main portfolios, Manaf Abdulaziz Al Hajri was made minister for finance and minister of state for economic and investment affairs, while Bader Al Mulla, the incumbent oil minister, stays on in the role. "The biggest challenge for the government is to regain the trust of the people," said Ahmad al-Din, member of the political bureau of the Kuwaiti Progressive Movement (left). "The removal of Abd al-Wahhab al-Rasheed (former finance minister), who was an element of tension with the 2022 parliament, indicates that the current government is betting on the return of the 2022 parliament," he added. WATCH | Kuwait's national assembly: Women candidates make a comeback × Kuwait holds some of the world's largest oil reserves and has strong fiscal and external balance sheets, but political bickering and institutional gridlock have hampered investment and reforms aimed at reducing its heavy reliance on oil revenues. Relations have been particularly tense between the prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly, elected in 2020, since the Constitutional Court in March annulled last September's election results. Finance Minister Al Hajri was CEO of asset management and banking institution Kuwait Financial Center for 16 years before resigning in 2020 and is well-known in business and finance circles in Kuwait. Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah was re-appointed as minister of interior and acting minister of defence, and Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah remains the foreign minister. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Kuwait cabinet reshuffle: PM Sheikh Ahmad appoints new finance minister

In a series of public statements, on Sunday (April 2), Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members announced that they would further reduce oil production amounting to around 1.16 million barrels per day. The move, according to the countries, is aimed at market stability. The announcement comes a day before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel is to convene, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

The unexpected cuts announced by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Algeria, and Oman will begin in May and will last till the end of the year with more than one million barrels per day it will be the biggest reduction since the last one when the oil producers slashed two million barrels per day in October.&nbsp;

The move also comes after oil prices dropped last month to $70 per barrel which was the lowest in 15 months and following concerns that a global banking crisis would affect demand. However, following the pledges on Sunday, the oil prices are expected to surge by at least $10 per barrel, said the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners, as per Reuters. &nbsp;

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia made the announcement in a series of public statements by different countries and called the move a “precautionary measure”. The statements came a day before OPEC+ is due to hold its&nbsp;Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting virtually, on Monday.&nbsp;

Similarly, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, said that Moscow will extend its voluntary oil production reduction by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of this year. This also comes after Moscow had previously announced production cuts unilaterally in February following Western price caps on Russian oil.&nbsp;

“As responsible and preemptive actions, Russia will extend its voluntary oil production reduction by 500,000 barrels a day until the end of 2023 from the average production level in February established in conformity with independent sources,” said Novak.&nbsp;The Russian minister also talked about how the global oil market is going through a period of high volatility and unpredictability due to the recent banking crisis in the United States and Europe.

Notably, not all OPEC+ members were joining the cuts as many are already extracting much less than the levels agreed upon due to limited production capacity.&nbsp;OPEC+ consists of 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and 11 non-OPEC allied countries.

Production cuts announced by OPEC+ members, as per their official statements:&nbsp;

Russia: 500,000 bpd 
Saudi Arabia: 500,000 bpd 
UAE: 144,000 bpd 
Kuwait: 128,000 bpd 
Kazakhstan: 78,000 bpd 
Algeria: 48,000 bpd 
Oman: 40,000 bpd 
 
According to Reuters calculations, the total volume of cuts by the OPEC+ members would be 3.66 million bpd which amounts to 3.7 per cent of the global demand. This also comes months after OPEC+ had agreed to slash output by two million bdp from the following month, a move which was criticised by the United States as lower supply increased the price of oil.&nbsp;

Washington has also argued that the world needs lower prices to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from earning revenue and funding what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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In a series of public statements, on Sunday (April 2), Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members announced that they would further reduce oil production amounting to around 1.

In a series of public statements, on Sunday (April 2), Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members announced that they would further reduce oil production amounting to around 1.16 million barrels per day. The move, according to the countries, is aimed at market stability. The announcement comes a day before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel is to convene, reported Reuters. The unexpected cuts announced by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Algeria, and Oman will begin in May and will last till the end of the year with more than one million barrels per day it will be the biggest reduction since the last one when the oil producers slashed two million barrels per day in October. The move also comes after oil prices dropped last month to $70 per barrel which was the lowest in 15 months and following concerns that a global banking crisis would affect demand. However, following the pledges on Sunday, the oil prices are expected to surge by at least $10 per barrel, said the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners, as per Reuters. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia made the announcement in a series of public statements by different countries and called the move a “precautionary measure”. The statements came a day before OPEC+ is due to hold its Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting virtually, on Monday. Similarly, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, said that Moscow will extend its voluntary oil production reduction by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of this year. This also comes after Moscow had previously announced production cuts unilaterally in February following Western price caps on Russian oil. “As responsible and preemptive actions, Russia will extend its voluntary oil production reduction by 500,000 barrels a day until the end of 2023 from the average production level in February established in conformity with independent sources,” said Novak. The Russian minister also talked about how the global oil market is going through a period of high volatility and unpredictability due to the recent banking crisis in the United States and Europe. Notably, not all OPEC+ members were joining the cuts as many are already extracting much less than the levels agreed upon due to limited production capacity. OPEC+ consists of 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and 11 non-OPEC allied countries. Production cuts announced by OPEC+ members, as per their official statements: Russia: 500,000 bpd Saudi Arabia: 500,000 bpd UAE: 144,000 bpd Kuwait: 128,000 bpd Kazakhstan: 78,000 bpd Algeria: 48,000 bpd Oman: 40,000 bpd According to Reuters calculations, the total volume of cuts by the OPEC+ members would be 3.66 million bpd which amounts to 3.7 per cent of the global demand. This also comes months after OPEC+ had agreed to slash output by two million bdp from the following month, a move which was criticised by the United States as lower supply increased the price of oil. Washington has also argued that the world needs lower prices to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from earning revenue and funding what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC+ members announce oil production cuts by over a million bpd

Saudi Arabia will reportedly not be giving interest-free loans to Pakistan, and now Kuwait too has asked Pakistan to clear its diesel bill. Is the Arab world turning its back on debt-stricken Pakistan? Listen in to Vikram Chandra.

This World | Pakistan Economic Crisis: Is the Arab world turning its back on Islamabad?

Is the Islamic world abandoning Pakistan? After Saudi Arabia refused to bailout Pakistan, Kuwait is making Islamabad pay its dues for diesel purchase. Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: Kuwait forces Pakistan to pay its dues | Saudi Arabia refuses to bailout Pakistan

Pakistan on Tuesday (March 21) approved a supplementary grant of around&nbsp;$330K&nbsp;to prevent an impending default on account of diesel purchase payments to Kuwait, owing to the nation's efforts to keep total spending within the limits agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The cabinet's Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), which also approved the supplementary grant to pay for the diesel, granted an additional $35K&nbsp;to&nbsp;partly offset the wheat shortage in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.&nbsp;

The two decisions made by the cabinet body highlight the severe fiscal challenges the administration is facing in trying to avert a default in one area without jeopardising others, reported Express Tribune.&nbsp;

Sources in the finance ministry told the Express Tribune&nbsp;that the accountant general of Pakistan revenue (AGPR)&nbsp;was verbally told to postpone the clearance of some non-salary invoices for a few weeks&nbsp;in order to free up some cash flow.&nbsp;

In a handout from the finance ministry, it was stated that the Petroleum Division had provided a summary of the credit facility provided by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) against the supply of diesel under a contract with the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) since 2000 to the ECC.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-imran-khan-gets-protective-bail-in-two-terrorism-related-cases-574532">Pakistan: Imran Khan gets protective bail in two terrorism-related cases</a>

It was also said that the term contract had an annual extension and that the deal had already expired in December.&nbsp;

“In the current situation, this account has witnessed huge exchange losses due to upheaval in the rupee-dollar parity during the last 12 months,” the finance ministry’s statement read.

“Considering the above situation, the ECC approved an immediate technical supplementary grant of Rs 27 billion (US$330K) for [the] Kuwait Petroleum Company,” it added.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Pakistan's parliament meets for special session amid crisis over ex-PM Imran Khan

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As part of an agreement with the IMF, Pakistan is required to reduce spending by the same amount as a supplemental grant or impose additional taxes equal to that amount.&nbsp;

A committee was formed by the ECC to make suggestions for resolving claims for foreign exchange losses incurred as a result of the KPC credit facility, the FE-25 loan guarantee, and Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) funding that the PSO had used to finance imports. 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
 
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Pakistan on Tuesday (March 21) approved a supplementary grant of around $330K to prevent an impending default on account of diesel purchase payments to Kuwait, owing to the nation's efforts to keep total spending within the limits agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Pakistan on Tuesday (March 21) approved a supplementary grant of around $330K to prevent an impending default on account of diesel purchase payments to Kuwait, owing to the nation's efforts to keep total spending within the limits agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The cabinet's Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), which also approved the supplementary grant to pay for the diesel, granted an additional $35K to partly offset the wheat shortage in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The two decisions made by the cabinet body highlight the severe fiscal challenges the administration is facing in trying to avert a default in one area without jeopardising others, reported Express Tribune. Sources in the finance ministry told the Express Tribune that the accountant general of Pakistan revenue (AGPR) was verbally told to postpone the clearance of some non-salary invoices for a few weeks in order to free up some cash flow. In a handout from the finance ministry, it was stated that the Petroleum Division had provided a summary of the credit facility provided by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) against the supply of diesel under a contract with the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) since 2000 to the ECC. ALSO READ | Pakistan: Imran Khan gets protective bail in two terrorism-related cases It was also said that the term contract had an annual extension and that the deal had already expired in December. “In the current situation, this account has witnessed huge exchange losses due to upheaval in the rupee-dollar parity during the last 12 months,” the finance ministry’s statement read. “Considering the above situation, the ECC approved an immediate technical supplementary grant of Rs 27 billion (US$330K) for [the] Kuwait Petroleum Company,” it added. ALSO WATCH | Pakistan's parliament meets for special session amid crisis over ex-PM Imran Khan As part of an agreement with the IMF, Pakistan is required to reduce spending by the same amount as a supplemental grant or impose additional taxes equal to that amount. A committee was formed by the ECC to make suggestions for resolving claims for foreign exchange losses incurred as a result of the KPC credit facility, the FE-25 loan guarantee, and Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) funding that the PSO had used to finance imports. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Pakistan averts default on diesel payments to Kuwait, ECC approves additional grant to foot the bill

Pakistan on Tuesday approved a supplementary grant of around US$330K to prevent an impending default on account of diesel purchase payments to Kuwait, owing to the nation's efforts to keep total spending within the limits agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Pakistan averts falling behind on payments to Kuwait, ECC approves additional grant to foot the bill

The Kuwaiti constitutional court, on Sunday (March 19), nullified the parliamentary elections held in September 2022 and ruled in favour of reinstating the previous parliament, said the state media. Last year’s legislative elections are said to be the most inclusive one in the past decade or so. The elections were marked by the opposition making significant gains and clinching the parliamentary majority.

“The Kuwaiti Constitutional Court issued a verdict on Sunday, annulling the results of the 2022 National Assembly elections,”&nbsp;reported the official KUNA news agency, as per AFP. The verdict was given while citing discrepancies in the decree dissolving the previous parliament, said the state media report.&nbsp;

The court also ruled to reinstate the parliament that was elected in 2020 but had to be dissolved following orders by the crown prince in June.

“The constitutional authority of the dissolved parliament shall be restored as of the date of this ruling,” said Justice Mohammad bin Naji on Sunday. The country, which is also an OPEC oil producer and one of the world's biggest oil exporters, has banned political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies.

Kuwait’s crown prince had dissolved the parliament last year and called for an early election in a bid to end the prolonged domestic political feuding which was hindering fiscal reforms in the oil-rich Gulf state.&nbsp; 
 
Among all the Gulf Arab states, Kuwait has the freest and most active assembly but political power is largely concentrated in the hands of the ruling Al Sabah family, which appoints the prime minister and cabinet, and can dissolve the assembly at any time. 
 
The most inclusive voting last year also led to the opposition members, many of whom had previously opted out of polls for a decade or so over alleged meddling by the executive authorities over parliament, getting elected. Out of the 50 seats in the Kuwaiti parliament, 28 were won by opposition members in the election as&nbsp;voters sent conservative Islamist figures and two women to the assembly. The election results were seen as a mandate for change amid a prolonged period of gridlock between the Cabinet and the 50-member assembly. 
 
Notably, while Kuwait is the only Gulf Arab state with a fully elected parliament, political stability in the country has typically depended on cooperation between the government and parliament. However, the country has also witnessed repeated political crises which have led to the paralysing of the state and disputes with the cabinet.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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The Kuwaiti constitutional court, on Sunday (March 19), nullified the parliamentary elections held in September 2022 and ruled in favour of reinstating the previous parliament, said the state media.

The Kuwaiti constitutional court, on Sunday (March 19), nullified the parliamentary elections held in September 2022 and ruled in favour of reinstating the previous parliament, said the state media. Last year’s legislative elections are said to be the most inclusive one in the past decade or so. The elections were marked by the opposition making significant gains and clinching the parliamentary majority. “The Kuwaiti Constitutional Court issued a verdict on Sunday, annulling the results of the 2022 National Assembly elections,” reported the official KUNA news agency, as per AFP. The verdict was given while citing discrepancies in the decree dissolving the previous parliament, said the state media report. The court also ruled to reinstate the parliament that was elected in 2020 but had to be dissolved following orders by the crown prince in June. “The constitutional authority of the dissolved parliament shall be restored as of the date of this ruling,” said Justice Mohammad bin Naji on Sunday. The country, which is also an OPEC oil producer and one of the world's biggest oil exporters, has banned political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies. Kuwait’s crown prince had dissolved the parliament last year and called for an early election in a bid to end the prolonged domestic political feuding which was hindering fiscal reforms in the oil-rich Gulf state. Among all the Gulf Arab states, Kuwait has the freest and most active assembly but political power is largely concentrated in the hands of the ruling Al Sabah family, which appoints the prime minister and cabinet, and can dissolve the assembly at any time. The most inclusive voting last year also led to the opposition members, many of whom had previously opted out of polls for a decade or so over alleged meddling by the executive authorities over parliament, getting elected. Out of the 50 seats in the Kuwaiti parliament, 28 were won by opposition members in the election as voters sent conservative Islamist figures and two women to the assembly. The election results were seen as a mandate for change amid a prolonged period of gridlock between the Cabinet and the 50-member assembly. Notably, while Kuwait is the only Gulf Arab state with a fully elected parliament, political stability in the country has typically depended on cooperation between the government and parliament. However, the country has also witnessed repeated political crises which have led to the paralysing of the state and disputes with the cabinet. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kuwait court nullifies 2022 elections, reinstates previous parliament

Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday (March 5) that Kuwait's crown prince reappointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as prime minister. Crown prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has asked the latter to nominate a cabinet. The development has come more than month after the government resigned as a result of friction with parliament.

A long-running standoff between the government and the elected parliament has hampered efforts by the wealthy Gulf Arab oil producer to push through fiscal reforms, including a debt law allowing Kuwait to tap international markets.

The crown prince, &nbsp;who has taken over most of the ruling emir's duties, moved last year to end feuding by naming Sheikh Ahmad as premier, the parliament was dissolved and early polls were called. Opposition members made gains.&nbsp;

Tensions resurfaced when lawmakers pressed the government sworn in last October for a debt relief bill, under which the state would buy Kuwaiti citizens' personal loans, and sought to question two ministers, prompting the government to resign in January.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait but its legislature has more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf countries ruled by monarchies.

While Kuwait has strong fiscal and external balance sheets, frequent political bickering and institutional gridlock have hampered investment and reforms aimed at reducing its heavy reliance on oil revenues.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday (March 5) that Kuwait's crown prince reappointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as prime minister. Crown prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has asked the latter to nominate a cabinet.

Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported on Sunday (March 5) that Kuwait's crown prince reappointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as prime minister. Crown prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has asked the latter to nominate a cabinet. The development has come more than month after the government resigned as a result of friction with parliament. A long-running standoff between the government and the elected parliament has hampered efforts by the wealthy Gulf Arab oil producer to push through fiscal reforms, including a debt law allowing Kuwait to tap international markets. The crown prince, who has taken over most of the ruling emir's duties, moved last year to end feuding by naming Sheikh Ahmad as premier, the parliament was dissolved and early polls were called. Opposition members made gains. Tensions resurfaced when lawmakers pressed the government sworn in last October for a debt relief bill, under which the state would buy Kuwaiti citizens' personal loans, and sought to question two ministers, prompting the government to resign in January. Political parties are banned in Kuwait but its legislature has more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf countries ruled by monarchies. While Kuwait has strong fiscal and external balance sheets, frequent political bickering and institutional gridlock have hampered investment and reforms aimed at reducing its heavy reliance on oil revenues. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Sheikh Ahmad al-Sabah reappointed as PM of Kuwait: Report

Kuwait witnessed rare rains and hailstorm, bringing smiles on the faces of people and expats in the country. Some parts saw heavy rainfall with the southern part of the country even receiving hailstones.

WION Climate Tracker: Kuwaitis surprised by heavy rainfall, even much rare hailstorm

On Wednesday, Kuwait executed seven people convicted of murder and other crimes for the first time since 2017 amid widespread criticism from the international community over its plans to do so. The European Commission summoned the country’s envoy to the EU in Brussels and the issue would reportedly be raised.

The seven inmates convicted of premeditated murder and other charges were four Kuwaitis (three men and one woman), a Syrian man, a Pakistani man and an Ethiopian woman. They were executed at the Gulf Arab state's Central Prison, said the state-run KUNA news agency. However, they have not specified the method used to carry out the executions.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kuwait-to-deport-expatriates-for-protesting-against-nupur-sharmas-remarks-on-prophet-muhammad-report-487722">Kuwait to deport expatriates for protesting against Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Muhammad: Report</a> 
 
“They deprived the victims of their most sacred rights in this world, which is the right to life,” said Kuwait’s public prosecution in a statement. The country hasn’t carried out a mass execution since it had sentenced seven prisoners, including a ruling family member, five years ago.&nbsp;

Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Amna Guellali, called for the authorities to “immediately halt these executions”. She added, “death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment”.&nbsp;

The European Union also immediately criticised the executions which coincided with the European Commission official Margaritis Schinas’ visit to Kuwait. In a statement, the EU called for a “halt to executions and for a complete de facto moratorium on carrying out death penalty, as a first step towards a formal and full abolition of the death penalty in Kuwait”.

It called the death penalty as a “cruel and inhumane punishment.”

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kuwaits-national-assembly-women-candidates-make-a-comeback-521620">Kuwait's national assembly: Women candidates make a comeback</a>

In a separate statement, Schinas said that they “will draw the consequences that this will have on the discussions on the Commission’s proposal to put Kuwait on the visa-free list.”

The European Parliament has been scheduled to vote on the proposal to waive visa requirements for Kuwait nationals and Qatar in the EU. This issue will also be discussed in the context of human rights over the next week between the EU and Kuwait, said a European commission official.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

 
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On Wednesday, Kuwait executed seven people convicted of murder and other crimes for the first time since 2017 amid widespread criticism from the international community over its plans to do so.

On Wednesday, Kuwait executed seven people convicted of murder and other crimes for the first time since 2017 amid widespread criticism from the international community over its plans to do so. The European Commission summoned the country’s envoy to the EU in Brussels and the issue would reportedly be raised. The seven inmates convicted of premeditated murder and other charges were four Kuwaitis (three men and one woman), a Syrian man, a Pakistani man and an Ethiopian woman. They were executed at the Gulf Arab state's Central Prison, said the state-run KUNA news agency. However, they have not specified the method used to carry out the executions. ALSO READ: Kuwait to deport expatriates for protesting against Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Muhammad: Report “They deprived the victims of their most sacred rights in this world, which is the right to life,” said Kuwait’s public prosecution in a statement. The country hasn’t carried out a mass execution since it had sentenced seven prisoners, including a ruling family member, five years ago. Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Amna Guellali, called for the authorities to “immediately halt these executions”. She added, “death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment”. The European Union also immediately criticised the executions which coincided with the European Commission official Margaritis Schinas’ visit to Kuwait. In a statement, the EU called for a “halt to executions and for a complete de facto moratorium on carrying out death penalty, as a first step towards a formal and full abolition of the death penalty in Kuwait”. It called the death penalty as a “cruel and inhumane punishment.” ALSO WATCH: Kuwait's national assembly: Women candidates make a comeback In a separate statement, Schinas said that they “will draw the consequences that this will have on the discussions on the Commission’s proposal to put Kuwait on the visa-free list.” The European Parliament has been scheduled to vote on the proposal to waive visa requirements for Kuwait nationals and Qatar in the EU. This issue will also be discussed in the context of human rights over the next week between the EU and Kuwait, said a European commission official. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kuwait sentences seven convicted inmates to death in first mass executions since 2017

Marvel's tryst with stringent censorship in the middle east continues. A scene from the latest release 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' was reportedly cut from the film in order to release it in Kuwait. 
 
A report in The Hollywood Reporter stated that the scene which a tender moment between two female characters played by Michaela Coel and Florence Kasumba. The LGBTQ+ moment is reportedly only 10 seconds long and has Coel kissing Kasumba's forehead but was cut at the request of the censors. Not just this scene but another featuring childbirth and the following line "A god to his people" was also cut from the 2-hour 41-minute long film. 
 
Interestingly, while Kuwait has implemented the cuts, the film, according to reports, will screen unedited in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, which usually censor LGBTQ+ scenes. Similar&nbsp;themed scenes from 'The Eternals' led to no show for the film in Saudi Arabia last year.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-doctor-strange-2-saudi-arabia-demands-cut-in-lgbtq-scenes-disney-refuses-473925">Doctor Strange 2: Saudi Arabia demands cut in LGBTQ scenes, Disney refuses</a> 
 
Kuwait is not just strict with same-sex intimacy but it had also had problem when in 2018 'Black Panther' T'Challa and Nakia shared a kiss. That scene, a kiss between a heterosexual couple, was also removed from the film for the Kuwait audience. 
&nbsp; 
A sequel of the 2018 film, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' has opened to good numbers worldwide. The sequel earned $28 million in Thursday previews in the US alone.&nbsp;

&lt;

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Marvel's tryst with stringent censorship in the middle east continues. A scene from the latest release 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' was reportedly cut from the film in order to release it in Kuwait.

Marvel's tryst with stringent censorship in the middle east continues. A scene from the latest release 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' was reportedly cut from the film in order to release it in Kuwait. A report in The Hollywood Reporter stated that the scene which a tender moment between two female characters played by Michaela Coel and Florence Kasumba. The LGBTQ+ moment is reportedly only 10 seconds long and has Coel kissing Kasumba's forehead but was cut at the request of the censors. Not just this scene but another featuring childbirth and the following line "A god to his people" was also cut from the 2-hour 41-minute long film. Interestingly, while Kuwait has implemented the cuts, the film, according to reports, will screen unedited in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, which usually censor LGBTQ+ scenes. Similar themed scenes from 'The Eternals' led to no show for the film in Saudi Arabia last year. Doctor Strange 2: Saudi Arabia demands cut in LGBTQ scenes, Disney refuses Kuwait is not just strict with same-sex intimacy but it had also had problem when in 2018 'Black Panther' T'Challa and Nakia shared a kiss. That scene, a kiss between a heterosexual couple, was also removed from the film for the Kuwait audience. A sequel of the 2018 film, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' has opened to good numbers worldwide. The sequel earned $28 million in Thursday previews in the US alone. <

LGBTQ scene from 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' removed for Kuwait

Kuwait held its parliamentary elections to elect 50 members of the National Assembly. After months of political gridlock, the opposition has won a majority. Meanwhile Women returned to Kuwait national assembly.

Kuwait's national assembly: Women candidates make a comeback

In Kuwait's second election in less than two years, voters decided to shake up the assembly, electing two women, two conservative Islamists, and other candidates, according to results announced on Friday.

The outcome of the vote on Thursday, which will add 27 new members to the 50-member assembly, was viewed as a call for change in the midst of a protracted stalemate between the Cabinet, which is chosen by the royal family, and the 50-member assembly, which is democratically elected and more independent than similar bodies in the region.

Growing accusations about government <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-ex-pm-nawaz-sharifs-daughter-maryam-acquitted-in-corruption-case-521082/amp">corruption</a> appear to have influenced voters' decisions. Kuwait's Islamist opposition routinely questions ministers about their role in the improper use of public funds while accusing the government of corruption and poor management.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/opec-to-meet-in-vienna-for-the-first-time-since-2020-covid-curbs-521493">OPEC+ to meet in Vienna for the first time since 2020 Covid curbs</a>

But experts say such candidates could push back on social reforms and protections of women’s rights and freedoms.

“If those candidates come forth with conservative social positions it will divide those who are pushing for reforms,” said Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

She mentioned that a "values pledge" that asks for gender segregation in Kuwaiti schools and a prohibition on mixed dance parties was signed by 17 elected MPs, which has drawn considerable criticism. Candidates who were prepared to make this a sharply divisive topic fared well.

After the single female representative in the assembly lost her seat in the most recent elections in 2020, two other women were also elected.

Kuwaiti women are becoming more and more irate that the conservative society's laws protecting women from assault and so-called honour killings have not been passed by the government.

The new assembly will include 27 new members, around a dozen of whom served in previous assemblies, local media reported.

Although Kuwait boasts the most open and engaged assembly in the Persian Gulf, political power is still largely held by the Al Sabah family, who also have the authority to dissolve the assembly at any moment and pick the prime minister and Cabinet.

The sick 85-year-old emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has been replaced by the 82-year-old crown prince Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmed Al Jaber, who called Thursday's elections earlier this year when he dissolved parliament.

The long-standing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iranian-forces-arrest-woman-for-eating-at-restaurant-without-hijab-says-family-521414">political</a> impasse in Kuwait has gotten worse since the passing of the former emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, two years ago. Ministers have quit out of frustration after being grilled by lawmakers over alleged wrongdoing.

This could refer to the dissolution of the legislature by royal or constitutional order.

The threat is constant, according to Diwan. "These two branches of government must cooperate for the benefit of Kuwaitis."

Despite having enormous oil resources, the parliament has been unable to implement fundamental economic changes, such as a public debt law that would allow borrowing by the government, which has resulted in the depletion of its general reserve fund.

Kuwait is home to 13,500 American service members and has the sixth-largest known oil reserves in the world.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In Kuwait's second election in less than two years, voters decided to shake up the assembly, electing two women, two conservative Islamists, and other candidates, according to results announced on Friday.

In Kuwait's second election in less than two years, voters decided to shake up the assembly, electing two women, two conservative Islamists, and other candidates, according to results announced on Friday. The outcome of the vote on Thursday, which will add 27 new members to the 50-member assembly, was viewed as a call for change in the midst of a protracted stalemate between the Cabinet, which is chosen by the royal family, and the 50-member assembly, which is democratically elected and more independent than similar bodies in the region. Growing accusations about government corruption appear to have influenced voters' decisions. Kuwait's Islamist opposition routinely questions ministers about their role in the improper use of public funds while accusing the government of corruption and poor management. Also read | OPEC+ to meet in Vienna for the first time since 2020 Covid curbs But experts say such candidates could push back on social reforms and protections of women’s rights and freedoms. “If those candidates come forth with conservative social positions it will divide those who are pushing for reforms,” said Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. She mentioned that a "values pledge" that asks for gender segregation in Kuwaiti schools and a prohibition on mixed dance parties was signed by 17 elected MPs, which has drawn considerable criticism. Candidates who were prepared to make this a sharply divisive topic fared well. After the single female representative in the assembly lost her seat in the most recent elections in 2020, two other women were also elected. Kuwaiti women are becoming more and more irate that the conservative society's laws protecting women from assault and so-called honour killings have not been passed by the government. The new assembly will include 27 new members, around a dozen of whom served in previous assemblies, local media reported. Although Kuwait boasts the most open and engaged assembly in the Persian Gulf, political power is still largely held by the Al Sabah family, who also have the authority to dissolve the assembly at any moment and pick the prime minister and Cabinet. The sick 85-year-old emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has been replaced by the 82-year-old crown prince Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmed Al Jaber, who called Thursday's elections earlier this year when he dissolved parliament. The long-standing political impasse in Kuwait has gotten worse since the passing of the former emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, two years ago. Ministers have quit out of frustration after being grilled by lawmakers over alleged wrongdoing. This could refer to the dissolution of the legislature by royal or constitutional order. The threat is constant, according to Diwan. "These two branches of government must cooperate for the benefit of Kuwaitis." Despite having enormous oil resources, the parliament has been unable to implement fundamental economic changes, such as a public debt law that would allow borrowing by the government, which has resulted in the depletion of its general reserve fund. Kuwait is home to 13,500 American service members and has the sixth-largest known oil reserves in the world. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Kuwait vote outcome shakes up national assembly; two women, two conservative Islamists elected

It has been revealed that former Labour&nbsp;UK Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded Kuwait to buy the latest British artillery equipment in the late 90s, particularly the&nbsp;AS90 howitzer, to compensate for receiving support from the European nation during the Gulf War.&nbsp;

Reportedly, from 1998 to 1999, the British PM made several overtures in front of&nbsp;Kuwait’s Sheikh Sa’ad to sell the weapons. Such was Blair's attempt to seek a deal that during a return journey to Britain from South Africa, he used the layover to call the Sheikh and further the talks.&nbsp;

The Labour leader even wrote letters to the crown prince where he claimed AS90 as 'the best 155mm gun in the world today'. Blair's aggressive sales tactics came in the backdrop of the US offering its much cheaper M109 howitzer to Kuwait. Blair did not want the deal to go through and thus played the emotional card. However, Sheikh&nbsp;Sa’ad made it clear that the price of AS90 was too high.&nbsp;

“The prime minister raised the AS90. It was an effective weapon, although he knew the US had offered the M109. He hoped very much that all the support we had given Kuwait would be remembered." private Secretary Philip Barton at 10, Downing Street wrote in a letter.

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-kingdom-how-much-will-former-uk-pm-boris-johnson-earn-after-office-498679">United Kingdom: How much will former UK PM Boris Johnson earn after office?</a>

According to internal briefing notes released by UK's National Archives, Blair was put under pressure after he was told that the government was 'frankly disappointed' to have 'won so little Kuwaiti defence business since the end of Gulf war'.&nbsp;

Despite Blair's best lobbying efforts, Kuwait could not be persuaded and two months after his meeting with the Sheikh, the West Asian country signed with the US to acquire the M109 howitzers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

 
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It has been revealed that former Labour UK Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded Kuwait to buy the latest British artillery equipment in the late 90s, particularly the AS90 howitzer, to compensate for receiving support from the European nation during the Gulf War.

It has been revealed that former Labour UK Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded Kuwait to buy the latest British artillery equipment in the late 90s, particularly the AS90 howitzer, to compensate for receiving support from the European nation during the Gulf War. Reportedly, from 1998 to 1999, the British PM made several overtures in front of Kuwait’s Sheikh Sa’ad to sell the weapons. Such was Blair's attempt to seek a deal that during a return journey to Britain from South Africa, he used the layover to call the Sheikh and further the talks. The Labour leader even wrote letters to the crown prince where he claimed AS90 as 'the best 155mm gun in the world today'. Blair's aggressive sales tactics came in the backdrop of the US offering its much cheaper M109 howitzer to Kuwait. Blair did not want the deal to go through and thus played the emotional card. However, Sheikh Sa’ad made it clear that the price of AS90 was too high. “The prime minister raised the AS90. It was an effective weapon, although he knew the US had offered the M109. He hoped very much that all the support we had given Kuwait would be remembered." private Secretary Philip Barton at 10, Downing Street wrote in a letter. Read More: United Kingdom: How much will former UK PM Boris Johnson earn after office? According to internal briefing notes released by UK's National Archives, Blair was put under pressure after he was told that the government was 'frankly disappointed' to have 'won so little Kuwaiti defence business since the end of Gulf war'. Despite Blair's best lobbying efforts, Kuwait could not be persuaded and two months after his meeting with the Sheikh, the West Asian country signed with the US to acquire the M109 howitzers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

The time when Tony Blair became an arms salesman; wanted a favour from Kuwait for support in the Gulf war

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the United States Embassy's top diplomat over tweets the embassy published that "support homosexuality", the ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait tweeted earlier Thursday: "All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love."

The US embassy in Kuwait had published a picture of an LGBTQI+ flag on its Instagram and Twitter accounts to mark the start of Pride Month on June 1.

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“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.” <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is a champion for the human rights of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBTQI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBTQI</a> persons. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pride2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pride2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouAreIncluded?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouAreIncluded</a> <a href="https://t.co/gdPPBDlHZH">pic.twitter.com/gdPPBDlHZH</a>
— U.S. Embassy Kuwait (@USEmbassyQ8) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyQ8/status/1532282068830507008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Many in Kuwait took to social media to express their discontent over the posts, saying they went against the country's Muslim beliefs.

Kuwait said it handed the charge d'affaires a memorandum stating its rejection of what was published and stressing the need for the embassy to respect the laws and regulations in force in the State of Kuwait and the obligation not to publish such tweets.

Homosexuality is punishable by law in a number of majority Muslim countries, includingKuwait.&nbsp;

But in February Kuwait's constitutional court overturned a law that criminalises "imitation of the opposite sex" in a move Amnesty International said was a breakthrough for transgender rights in the region.

The US embassies in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also shared similar posts marking Pride Month.

The U.S Embassy in Saudi Arabia published on June 1 a tweet that included support for the LGBTQI+ community, saying: "During #Pride2022, @StateDept celebrates the contributions members of the LGBTQI+ community make to our nation. We are committed to ending violence, discrimination, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons worldwide".

[With inputs from agencies] 
&nbsp;

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Kuwait's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the United States Embassy's top diplomat over tweets the embassy published that "support homosexuality", the ministry said in a statement.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the United States Embassy's top diplomat over tweets the embassy published that "support homosexuality", the ministry said in a statement. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait tweeted earlier Thursday: "All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love." The US embassy in Kuwait had published a picture of an LGBTQI+ flag on its Instagram and Twitter accounts to mark the start of Pride Month on June 1. “All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.” @POTUS is a champion for the human rights of #LGBTQI persons. #Pride2022 #YouAreIncluded pic.twitter.com/gdPPBDlHZH — U.S. Embassy Kuwait (@USEmbassyQ8) June 2, 2022 × Many in Kuwait took to social media to express their discontent over the posts, saying they went against the country's Muslim beliefs. Kuwait said it handed the charge d'affaires a memorandum stating its rejection of what was published and stressing the need for the embassy to respect the laws and regulations in force in the State of Kuwait and the obligation not to publish such tweets. Homosexuality is punishable by law in a number of majority Muslim countries, includingKuwait. But in February Kuwait's constitutional court overturned a law that criminalises "imitation of the opposite sex" in a move Amnesty International said was a breakthrough for transgender rights in the region. The US embassies in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also shared similar posts marking Pride Month. The U.S Embassy in Saudi Arabia published on June 1 a tweet that included support for the LGBTQI+ community, saying: "During #Pride2022, @StateDept celebrates the contributions members of the LGBTQI+ community make to our nation. We are committed to ending violence, discrimination, and stigma against LGBTQI+ persons worldwide". [With inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kuwait summons US Embassy over pro-homosexuality tweets

Tamil superstar Vijay's new film 'Beast' is all set for April 13 release. &nbsp;The highly anticipated film though will not be releasing in Kuwait, as cited by various media outlets.&nbsp; 
 
'Beast' has been directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and is a hostage drama with Vijay playing the lead role. The film reportedly depicts Muslim&nbsp;characters as terrorists - which has been objected by the Kuwait government.&nbsp; 
 
The film, therefore, has been banned in the country. Earlier Dulquer Salmaan's 'Kurup' and Vishnu Vishal's 'FIR' too had been banned for similar reasons.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beast</a> is banned by the Ministry of Information in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kuwait?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kuwait</a> 
 
Reason could be Portrayal of Pak, Terrorists or Violence 
 
Recently Indian Movies <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kurup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kurup</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIR</a> were banned in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kuwait?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kuwait</a> 
 
Of late, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kuwait?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kuwait</a> Censor is becoming very strict in GCC compared to other countries in the region
— Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) <a href="https://twitter.com/rameshlaus/status/1511164954304737282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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While 'Kurup' showed a conman taking shelter in Kuwait,'FIR' had similar Muslim terrorist in the story. Usually, films that show Arab countries as homes to terrorists do not get clearance in Kuwait.

Vijay enjoys a huge fan following in the middle -east and the latest ban on 'Beast' could affect the box office collection of the film outside of India. Interestingly, while the film has been banned in Kuwait, it has gotten clearance in the UAE and other Arab countries.&nbsp;

Tamil superstar Vijay's new film 'Beast' is all set for April 13 release. The highly anticipated film though will not be releasing in Kuwait, as cited by various media outlets.

Tamil superstar Vijay's new film 'Beast' is all set for April 13 release. The highly anticipated film though will not be releasing in Kuwait, as cited by various media outlets. 'Beast' has been directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and is a hostage drama with Vijay playing the lead role. The film reportedly depicts Muslim characters as terrorists - which has been objected by the Kuwait government. The film, therefore, has been banned in the country. Earlier Dulquer Salmaan's 'Kurup' and Vishnu Vishal's 'FIR' too had been banned for similar reasons. #Beast is banned by the Ministry of Information in #Kuwait Reason could be Portrayal of Pak, Terrorists or Violence Recently Indian Movies #Kurup and #FIR were banned in #Kuwait Of late, #Kuwait Censor is becoming very strict in GCC compared to other countries in the region — Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) April 5, 2022 × While 'Kurup' showed a conman taking shelter in Kuwait,'FIR' had similar Muslim terrorist in the story. Usually, films that show Arab countries as homes to terrorists do not get clearance in Kuwait. Vijay enjoys a huge fan following in the middle -east and the latest ban on 'Beast' could affect the box office collection of the film outside of India. Interestingly, while the film has been banned in Kuwait, it has gotten clearance in the UAE and other Arab countries.

Tamil star Vijay's film 'Beast' banned in Kuwait. Here's why

It was so hot in Kuwait last summer that birds dropped dead from the sky. Kuwait is among the world’s hottest places. But it remains among the world’s top oil producers and exporters. On The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis takes a look at why Kuwait is lagging on climate action.

The West Asia Post: Kuwait is fast becoming unliveable

The Kuwait army has finally decided to allow women in combat roles. However, without guns, drawing criticism and backlash.

In a first, the Kuwait army allows women in combat roles, but without guns

Kuwaiti&nbsp;women&nbsp;are angry after the military, having allowed female soldiers in&nbsp;combat&nbsp;roles, decided they need the permission of a male guardian and banned them from carrying weapons.

Activists have decried the policy as "one step forward, two steps back" after the defence ministry also decided that&nbsp;women&nbsp;in the armed forces, unlike civilians, must wear head coverings.

The moves have sparked an online backlash in&nbsp;Kuwait, usually regarded as one of the most open societies in the Gulf.

"I don't know why there are these restrictions to join the&nbsp;army," Ghadeer al-Khashti, a sports teacher and member of&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;Football Association's&nbsp;women&nbsp;committee, told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-first-kuwaiti-women-can-now-serve-military-in-combat-roles-420270">In a first, Kuwaiti women can now serve military in combat roles</a>

"We have all kinds of&nbsp;women&nbsp;working in all fields, including the police force."

She said her mother had helped the resistance when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 1990 invaded&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;and occupied it for seven months before being pushed out by a US-led international coalition.

"My mum during the Iraqi invasion used to hide weapons under her abaya and transport them to members of&nbsp;Kuwait's resistance, and my father encouraged it," said Khashti.

"I don't understand on what basis they see&nbsp;women&nbsp;as weak."

The ministry decided in October to allow&nbsp;women&nbsp;in&nbsp;combat&nbsp;roles&nbsp;but then imposed the restrictions after the defence minister was questioned by conservative lawmaker Hamdan al-Azmi.

Azmi, emboldened by an Islamic religious edict, or fatwa, had argued that having&nbsp;women&nbsp;in&nbsp;combat&nbsp;roles&nbsp;"does not fit with a woman's nature".

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/arab-states-stress-womens-rights-to-taliban-in-aid-talks-453328">&nbsp;Arab states stress women's rights to Taliban in aid talks</a>

&nbsp;'Women&nbsp;martyrs'&nbsp;

Lulwa Saleh al-Mulla, head of the Kuwaiti&nbsp;Women's Cultural and Social Society, said the ministry's restrictions are discriminatory and unconstitutional and vowed legal action by the organisation.

"We have&nbsp;women&nbsp;martyrs who defended their country of their own volition," she told AFP. "No one ordered them to do that but the love for their country.

"We are a Muslim country, that is true, but we demand the laws not be subject to fatwas. Personal freedom is guaranteed in the constitution, on which the country's laws are based."

Kuwaiti&nbsp;women&nbsp;earned the right to vote in 2005 and have been active both in cabinet and parliament, though they are poorly represented in both.

Unlike most Gulf countries,&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;is known to have an active political scene, with MPs regularly challenging the authorities.

Earlier this month, dozens of Kuwaiti&nbsp;women&nbsp;staged a protest against the suspension of a&nbsp;women's yoga retreat deemed "indecent" by conservatives.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Kuwait: No women in women's committee

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One of them was Azmi who, in Twitter posts, denounced the retreat as "dangerous" and "alien to our conservative society".

Women&nbsp;protesters carried placards denouncing the "exploitation of&nbsp;women's issues" in politics, as well as the "regime of fatwas" and "guardianship of&nbsp;women".

The debate about the&nbsp;army's new rules for&nbsp;women&nbsp;has taken an irrational turn, said Ibtihal al-Khatib, an English-language professor&nbsp;at&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;University.

"The&nbsp;army&nbsp;needs to integrate both&nbsp;women&nbsp;and men&nbsp;without&nbsp;discrimination," the feminist academic told AFP.

"Danger does not differentiate between men and&nbsp;women, and neither does death during&nbsp;battle."

Kuwaiti women are angry after the military, having allowed female soldiers in combat roles, decided they need the permission of a male guardian and banned them from carrying weapons.

Kuwaiti women are angry after the military, having allowed female soldiers in combat roles, decided they need the permission of a male guardian and banned them from carrying weapons. Activists have decried the policy as "one step forward, two steps back" after the defence ministry also decided that women in the armed forces, unlike civilians, must wear head coverings. The moves have sparked an online backlash in Kuwait, usually regarded as one of the most open societies in the Gulf. "I don't know why there are these restrictions to join the army," Ghadeer al-Khashti, a sports teacher and member of Kuwait Football Association's women committee, told AFP. Also read | In a first, Kuwaiti women can now serve military in combat roles "We have all kinds of women working in all fields, including the police force." She said her mother had helped the resistance when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 1990 invaded Kuwait and occupied it for seven months before being pushed out by a US-led international coalition. "My mum during the Iraqi invasion used to hide weapons under her abaya and transport them to members of Kuwait's resistance, and my father encouraged it," said Khashti. "I don't understand on what basis they see women as weak." The ministry decided in October to allow women in combat roles but then imposed the restrictions after the defence minister was questioned by conservative lawmaker Hamdan al-Azmi. Azmi, emboldened by an Islamic religious edict, or fatwa, had argued that having women in combat roles "does not fit with a woman's nature". Also read | Arab states stress women's rights to Taliban in aid talks 'Women martyrs' Lulwa Saleh al-Mulla, head of the Kuwaiti Women's Cultural and Social Society, said the ministry's restrictions are discriminatory and unconstitutional and vowed legal action by the organisation. "We have women martyrs who defended their country of their own volition," she told AFP. "No one ordered them to do that but the love for their country. "We are a Muslim country, that is true, but we demand the laws not be subject to fatwas. Personal freedom is guaranteed in the constitution, on which the country's laws are based." Kuwaiti women earned the right to vote in 2005 and have been active both in cabinet and parliament, though they are poorly represented in both. Unlike most Gulf countries, Kuwait is known to have an active political scene, with MPs regularly challenging the authorities. Earlier this month, dozens of Kuwaiti women staged a protest against the suspension of a women's yoga retreat deemed "indecent" by conservatives. Watch | Gravitas: Kuwait: No women in women's committee One of them was Azmi who, in Twitter posts, denounced the retreat as "dangerous" and "alien to our conservative society". Women protesters carried placards denouncing the "exploitation of women's issues" in politics, as well as the "regime of fatwas" and "guardianship of women". The debate about the army's new rules for women has taken an irrational turn, said Ibtihal al-Khatib, an English-language professor at Kuwait University. "The army needs to integrate both women and men without discrimination," the feminist academic told AFP. "Danger does not differentiate between men and women, and neither does death during battle."

'One step forward, two steps back': Kuwait army allows women in combat roles, but without guns

Kuwait will ban a new film adaptation of Agatha Christie's whodunnit "Death on the Nile" with a cast of Hollywood stars including Israeli actress Gal Gadot, authorities said Sunday.

The film, directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is due for release this month in the United States. The story is one of the most famous works of British author Christie, dubbed the "Queen of Crime".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/chris-noths-final-scenes-removed-from-and-just-like-that-amid-sexual-assault-allegations-450698" hreflang="en">Chris Noth’s final scenes removed from 'And Just Like That' last episode</a> 
 
But cinemagoers in Kuwait will not be able to watch it, information ministry spokeswoman Anouar Mourad told AFP, confirming press reports. According to Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper, the decision was taken following demands on social media for the film to be banned.

Social media users pointed to Gadot's praise of the Israeli army and her criticism of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas during the 2014 war in Gaza. The war left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, the majority civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, most of them soldiers.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-jamie-dornan-cast-opposite-gal-gadot-in-heart-of-stone-449933" hreflang="en">Jamie Dornan cast opposite Gal Gadot in 'Heart of Stone'</a>

Gadot is best known for the lead role in the 2017 Hollywood blockbuster&nbsp;"Wonder Woman" which was banned in some Arab countries. She has frequently come under criticism on social media because she did her mandatory service in the Israeli army.

Kuwait is staunchly opposed to normalising ties with Israel -- unlike its Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have signed peace deals with the Jewish state -- and has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Kuwait will ban a new film adaptation of Agatha Christie's whodunnit "Death on the Nile" with a cast of Hollywood stars including Israeli actress Gal Gadot, authorities said Sunday.

Kuwait will ban a new film adaptation of Agatha Christie's whodunnit "Death on the Nile" with a cast of Hollywood stars including Israeli actress Gal Gadot, authorities said Sunday. The film, directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is due for release this month in the United States. The story is one of the most famous works of British author Christie, dubbed the "Queen of Crime". Chris Noth’s final scenes removed from 'And Just Like That' last episode But cinemagoers in Kuwait will not be able to watch it, information ministry spokeswoman Anouar Mourad told AFP, confirming press reports. According to Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper, the decision was taken following demands on social media for the film to be banned. Social media users pointed to Gadot's praise of the Israeli army and her criticism of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas during the 2014 war in Gaza. The war left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, the majority civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, most of them soldiers. Jamie Dornan cast opposite Gal Gadot in 'Heart of Stone' Gadot is best known for the lead role in the 2017 Hollywood blockbuster "Wonder Woman" which was banned in some Arab countries. She has frequently come under criticism on social media because she did her mandatory service in the Israeli army. Kuwait is staunchly opposed to normalising ties with Israel -- unlike its Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have signed peace deals with the Jewish state -- and has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Kuwait bans 'Death on the Nile' film with Israeli actress Gal Gadot

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

“I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview.

His life certainly changed: It got much worse.

The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground.

Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic.

About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors.

The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader.

Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.”

Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.”

Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe.

But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.”

It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project.

Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation.

Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth.

But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.”

Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.”

The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want.

A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say.

A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China.

The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors.

“They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment.

Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents.

“We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said.

Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said.

Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company.

Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest.

The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal.

Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said.

One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired.

“This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said.

Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens.

The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders.

One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said.

He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia.

“It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary. “I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview. His life certainly changed: It got much worse. The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground. Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic. About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors. The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader. Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.” Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.” Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe. But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.” It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project. Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation. Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth. But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.” Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.” The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want. A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say. A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China. The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors. “They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment. Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents. “We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said. Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said. Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company. Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest. The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal. Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said. One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired. “This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said. Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens. The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders. One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said. He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia. “It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

'Miserable and dangerous': A failed Chinese promise in Serbia

Nepal Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in New York and both sides agreed to expedite pending agreements and work closely further for more cooperation and collaboration. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Leading the Nepali delegation to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Khadka is on a visit to New York and is scheduled to address the UN on September 27. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;&nbsp;

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“The two sides discussed various matters of common concern, ranging from migrant workers to promotion of trade, tourism and investment. The two ministers agreed to expedite pending agreements and further work closely for more cooperation and collaboration, including through exchange in high-level visits,” Nepal foreign ministry said in a statement. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the foreign minister also had a meeting with UN USG for Department of Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and exchanged views to further strengthen the existing cooperation between Nepal and the United Nations in UN peacekeeping operations. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nobel-peace-prize-winner-malala-yousafzai-asks-world-to-secure-afghan-womens-rights-415775" hreflang="en">Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai asks world to secure Afghan women's rights</a>

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister Khadka reiterated Nepal’s call to increase the number of Nepali peacekeepers and ensure its presence at the higher posts in the field and UN headquarters. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier on Thursday, the foreign minister and his delegation were welcomed at the John F Kennedy International Airport by Amrit Bahadur Rai, ambassador or permanent representative of Nepal to the UN, and other officials of the permanent mission and consulate general of Nepal in New York. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-can-be-partners-in-peace-for-us-pakistan-says-prime-minister-imran-khan-415746" hreflang="en">Taliban can be partners in peace for US, Pakistan, says Prime Minister Imran Khan</a>

On the same day, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had appointed Khadka as the country’s foreign minister on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.&nbsp;

Nepal Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in New York and both sides agreed to expedite pending agreements and work closely further for more cooperation and collaboration.

Nepal Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in New York and both sides agreed to expedite pending agreements and work closely further for more cooperation and collaboration. Leading the Nepali delegation to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Khadka is on a visit to New York and is scheduled to address the UN on September 27. Watch: × “The two sides discussed various matters of common concern, ranging from migrant workers to promotion of trade, tourism and investment. The two ministers agreed to expedite pending agreements and further work closely for more cooperation and collaboration, including through exchange in high-level visits,” Nepal foreign ministry said in a statement. On the sidelines of the UNGA, the foreign minister also had a meeting with UN USG for Department of Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and exchanged views to further strengthen the existing cooperation between Nepal and the United Nations in UN peacekeeping operations. Also Read: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai asks world to secure Afghan women's rights During the meeting, the Foreign Minister Khadka reiterated Nepal’s call to increase the number of Nepali peacekeepers and ensure its presence at the higher posts in the field and UN headquarters. Earlier on Thursday, the foreign minister and his delegation were welcomed at the John F Kennedy International Airport by Amrit Bahadur Rai, ambassador or permanent representative of Nepal to the UN, and other officials of the permanent mission and consulate general of Nepal in New York. Also Read: Taliban can be partners in peace for US, Pakistan, says Prime Minister Imran Khan On the same day, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had appointed Khadka as the country’s foreign minister on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Nepal foreign minister holds bilateral talks with Kuwaiti counterpart, others on sidelines of UNGA 2021

Kuwait has started transforming the 'tyre graveyard' into a new residential city due to mounting pollution concerns. The country will transform 40 million tyres. The government plans to recycle another lot of tyres in case of more need of land.

Kuwait started transforming 'tyre graveyard ' into residential city

Kuwait&nbsp;on Tuesday said only&nbsp;citizens&nbsp;who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus will be allowed to travel&nbsp;abroad&nbsp;starting on August&nbsp;1.

A government statement said the rule excepted children under age of 16, those with a health ministry certificate saying they cannot be vaccinated, and pregnant women who have a pregnancy proof certificate&nbsp;from&nbsp;authorities.

Also on Tuesday, the civil aviation authority said that all arrivals in&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test before they board their flights and must not be showing any symptoms.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/following-a-rise-in-indias-covid-numbers-kuwait-suspends-commercial-flights-from-india-379716">Also read |&nbsp;Following a rise in India's Covid numbers, Kuwait suspends commercial flights from India</a>

All arrivals will have to be home quarantined for seven days unless they take a COVID-19 PCR test inside&nbsp;Kuwait&nbsp;that comes out negative.

The&nbsp;Kuwaiti government on Monday eased some coronavirus related restrictions and resumed all activities except for gatherings which include conferences, weddings, and social events.

Kuwait on Tuesday said only citizens who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus will be allowed to travel abroad starting on August 1. A government statement said the rule excepted children under age of 16, those with a health ministry certificate saying they cannot be vaccinated, and pregnant women who have a pregnancy proof certificate from authorities.

Kuwait on Tuesday said only citizens who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus will be allowed to travel abroad starting on August 1. A government statement said the rule excepted children under age of 16, those with a health ministry certificate saying they cannot be vaccinated, and pregnant women who have a pregnancy proof certificate from authorities. Also on Tuesday, the civil aviation authority said that all arrivals in Kuwait must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test before they board their flights and must not be showing any symptoms. Also read | Following a rise in India's Covid numbers, Kuwait suspends commercial flights from India All arrivals will have to be home quarantined for seven days unless they take a COVID-19 PCR test inside Kuwait that comes out negative. The Kuwaiti government on Monday eased some coronavirus related restrictions and resumed all activities except for gatherings which include conferences, weddings, and social events.

Kuwait bans unvaccinated citizens from travelling abroad

In a significant move, India and Kuwait have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that will protect the rights of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait by introducing employment contracts that provides them with the protection of Law.&nbsp;

The pact, on the anvil for a long time, was signed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to the country. It streamlines the recruitment process for Indian workers. The MoU focusses on the signing of contracts that ensure the rights and obligations of both Kuwaiti employers and Indian domestic workers.&nbsp;

EAM speaking to the Indian Diaspora in Kuwait said that the MoU, "streamlines and strengthens the position of our workers in Kuwait" and it is "an important step which would encourage greater Indian presence" in the country.

The MoU was signed by India's Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George and Kuwait's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Majdi Ahmad Al–Dhafiri. Under the MoU, a 24-hour mechanism will be established to assist domestic workers. Also, a joint committee will be established for periodic review and assessment and a follow-up to the implementation of MoU.

Kuwait hosts, over one million Indian community members. They form the largest expatriate community in the West Asian country. The Indian embassy has an Indian Workers’ Welfare Centre which provides a toll-free 24x7 telephonic helpline for Indian domestic workers, a labour complaint redressal mechanism and accommodation for domestic workers in distress and other services.

India's External Affairs Minister was on a 3-day visit to the country as part of increased political engagement between the 2 countries. During the meeting, he called on Kuwait's PM Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and held delegation-level talks with FM Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.

Indian foreign minister during the talks conveyed to Kuwaiti leadership the country's efforts and role amid the 2nd wave of Covid pandemic in India. Kuwait and India had established an air and sea bridge under which the West Asian country had sent Liquid Medical Oxygen and Oxygen containers to deal with the crisis.

Later this year, India and Kuwait will hold the first meeting of the Kuwait-India joint commission and will also plan early meeting of joint working groups on health, hydrocarbon and manpower. This year both sides celebrate the 60th year of diplomatic ties, one that will continue through the year 2021-2022.

In a significant move, India and Kuwait have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that will protect the rights of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait by introducing employment contracts that provides them with the protection of Law.

In a significant move, India and Kuwait have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that will protect the rights of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait by introducing employment contracts that provides them with the protection of Law. The pact, on the anvil for a long time, was signed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to the country. It streamlines the recruitment process for Indian workers. The MoU focusses on the signing of contracts that ensure the rights and obligations of both Kuwaiti employers and Indian domestic workers. EAM speaking to the Indian Diaspora in Kuwait said that the MoU, "streamlines and strengthens the position of our workers in Kuwait" and it is "an important step which would encourage greater Indian presence" in the country. The MoU was signed by India's Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George and Kuwait's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Majdi Ahmad Al–Dhafiri. Under the MoU, a 24-hour mechanism will be established to assist domestic workers. Also, a joint committee will be established for periodic review and assessment and a follow-up to the implementation of MoU. Kuwait hosts, over one million Indian community members. They form the largest expatriate community in the West Asian country. The Indian embassy has an Indian Workers’ Welfare Centre which provides a toll-free 24x7 telephonic helpline for Indian domestic workers, a labour complaint redressal mechanism and accommodation for domestic workers in distress and other services. India's External Affairs Minister was on a 3-day visit to the country as part of increased political engagement between the 2 countries. During the meeting, he called on Kuwait's PM Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and held delegation-level talks with FM Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah. Indian foreign minister during the talks conveyed to Kuwaiti leadership the country's efforts and role amid the 2nd wave of Covid pandemic in India. Kuwait and India had established an air and sea bridge under which the West Asian country had sent Liquid Medical Oxygen and Oxygen containers to deal with the crisis. Later this year, India and Kuwait will hold the first meeting of the Kuwait-India joint commission and will also plan early meeting of joint working groups on health, hydrocarbon and manpower. This year both sides celebrate the 60th year of diplomatic ties, one that will continue through the year 2021-2022.

India, Kuwait sign pacts to protect rights of Indian domestic workers

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held a meeting with India's envoys to the Gulf nations. They discussed issues like resuming flights to the region and reuniting families separated by COVID-19.

EAM Jaishankar meets Indian envoys to Gulf nations in Kuwait

Lauding India, Kuwait ties, Kuwait's Ambassador's to India Jasem Ibrahem Al Najem has said that it’s a "great story to be told for generations" with relations on the "right track" even as both countries work together with each other amid the Covid pandemic.&nbsp;

Highlighting how India helped his country last year, Alnajem speaking to WION said, “during the pandemic last year, India played a key role by sending a medical team from the army in the first month of the pandemic in April 2020..we received first vaccine amount of 200,000 doses of covishield. What Kuwait did this year or during pandemic by sending liquid medical oxygen, it’s the same, we are together".

An Air and sea bridge has been established between the 2 countries. Earlier this week, Indian Navy ship Tarkash arrived in Mumbai from Kuwait bringing with it 785 Oxygen cylinders in the 3rd phase of medical supplies. SO far 425 MT of liquid Medical Oxygen and 3800 Oxygen cylinders have arrived in Indian ports during the first and second phase of medical supply. 
&nbsp; 
His comments come even as External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is in Kuwait during which he will meet the political leadership and the significant Indian community members.

Envoy Al Najem said, “Recently Kuwaiti minister of foreign affairs was in Delhi, it’s a healthy thing. Two ministers exchanged 3 calls in 40 days. We are on the right track for this relation". Adding, “pandemic offer opportunity and we have to take it and use this chances to strengthen the relation bilaterally"

He called for cooperation on vaccines. Kuwait gave $40 million to COVAX, with the envoy saying "each country has to play its role in the global fight”.

Lauding India, Kuwait ties, Kuwait's Ambassador's to India Jasem Ibrahem Al Najem has said that it’s a "great story to be told for generations" with relations on the "right track" even as both countries work together with each other amid the Covid pandemic.

Lauding India, Kuwait ties, Kuwait's Ambassador's to India Jasem Ibrahem Al Najem has said that it’s a "great story to be told for generations" with relations on the "right track" even as both countries work together with each other amid the Covid pandemic. Highlighting how India helped his country last year, Alnajem speaking to WION said, “during the pandemic last year, India played a key role by sending a medical team from the army in the first month of the pandemic in April 2020..we received first vaccine amount of 200,000 doses of covishield. What Kuwait did this year or during pandemic by sending liquid medical oxygen, it’s the same, we are together". An Air and sea bridge has been established between the 2 countries. Earlier this week, Indian Navy ship Tarkash arrived in Mumbai from Kuwait bringing with it 785 Oxygen cylinders in the 3rd phase of medical supplies. SO far 425 MT of liquid Medical Oxygen and 3800 Oxygen cylinders have arrived in Indian ports during the first and second phase of medical supply. His comments come even as External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is in Kuwait during which he will meet the political leadership and the significant Indian community members. Envoy Al Najem said, “Recently Kuwaiti minister of foreign affairs was in Delhi, it’s a healthy thing. Two ministers exchanged 3 calls in 40 days. We are on the right track for this relation". Adding, “pandemic offer opportunity and we have to take it and use this chances to strengthen the relation bilaterally" He called for cooperation on vaccines. Kuwait gave $40 million to COVAX, with the envoy saying "each country has to play its role in the global fight”.

India-Kuwait relation is a great story to be told for generations: Kuwait's envoy to India

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to visit Kuwait on Wednesday to explore steps to further deepen India's ties with the oil-rich Gulf nation, diplomatic sources said.

The visit comes nearly three months after the two countries decided to establish a joint ministerial commission to formulate a framework to strengthen ties in sectors like energy, trade, investment, manpower and labour and information technology.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah visited India in March during which both sides decided to set up of the joint commission.

Jaishankar is likely to carry a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah on ways to enhance bilateral ties, the sources said.

During his visit to India, Al-Sabah said that the 'catalogue of cooperation' between India and Kuwait is vast and that there were lots of avenues to explore further.

It was announced during Al-Sabah's visit to India that the joint commission at the level of foreign ministers will steer the relationship and will act as an umbrella body for all bilateral institutional engagements.

Kuwait has been supporting India in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic by supplying relief material as well as medical oxygen. Indian Navy ships have brought large quantity of medical oxygen from Kuwait in the last few weeks.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to visit Kuwait on Wednesday to explore steps to further deepen India's ties with the oil-rich Gulf nation, diplomatic sources said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to visit Kuwait on Wednesday to explore steps to further deepen India's ties with the oil-rich Gulf nation, diplomatic sources said. The visit comes nearly three months after the two countries decided to establish a joint ministerial commission to formulate a framework to strengthen ties in sectors like energy, trade, investment, manpower and labour and information technology. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah visited India in March during which both sides decided to set up of the joint commission. Jaishankar is likely to carry a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah on ways to enhance bilateral ties, the sources said. During his visit to India, Al-Sabah said that the 'catalogue of cooperation' between India and Kuwait is vast and that there were lots of avenues to explore further. It was announced during Al-Sabah's visit to India that the joint commission at the level of foreign ministers will steer the relationship and will act as an umbrella body for all bilateral institutional engagements. Kuwait has been supporting India in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic by supplying relief material as well as medical oxygen. Indian Navy ships have brought large quantity of medical oxygen from Kuwait in the last few weeks.

EAM Jaishankar likely to visit Kuwait on Wednesday

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar will visit Kuwait next week, as the country steps in to&nbsp;help India amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Infact, India and Kuwait established a maritime bridge for the transportion&nbsp;of medical oxygen and oxygen carrying equipment. The bridge saw Indian Navy ships bringing key supplies under its Operation Samudra Setu II.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chennai-indias-detroit-rolls-out-cars-despite-the-covid-19-risk-and-ongoing-lockdown-389457" hreflang="en">Chennai: India’s Detroit rolls out cars despite the COVID-19 risk and ongoing lockdown</a>

On May 12, India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Kuwait FM Dr Ahmed Nasser Mohammed AlSabah had spoken to each other during which the former thanked the latter for assistance.

EAM had tweeted, "A warm call today with FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Conveyed our appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that is enabling smooth oxygen flow."

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A warm call today with FM <a href="https://twitter.com/anmas71?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anmas71</a> of Kuwait. Conveyed our appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that is enabling smooth oxygen flow.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1392473437692596224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On May 27, Indian Navy Ship INS Shardul had reached Kochi with 270 Metric Tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen from Kuwait and UAE including 11 International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) containers, two semi-trailers and 1200 Oxygen cylinders. Kuwait had sent 185 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in seven ISO Tanks of 20 MT capacity and three&nbsp;semi-trailers of 25 MT capacity each, around 1,000 oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators.

As part of solidarity for India, the iconic Kuwait Towers were lit in Indian flag's colours amid the covid crisis with a message in Hindi&nbsp;'कुवैत आपके साथ है' (Kuwait stands with you).

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Last year, India had reached out to Kuwait and had sent rapid response teams to deal with the country's coronavirus crisis.&nbsp;

Indians form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, with the presence of nearly one million Indian community members. This adds to the important people-to-people dimension to India Kuwait ties.

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar will visit Kuwait next week, as the country steps in to help India amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar will visit Kuwait next week, as the country steps in to help India amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Infact, India and Kuwait established a maritime bridge for the transportion of medical oxygen and oxygen carrying equipment. The bridge saw Indian Navy ships bringing key supplies under its Operation Samudra Setu II. Also read | Chennai: India’s Detroit rolls out cars despite the COVID-19 risk and ongoing lockdown On May 12, India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Kuwait FM Dr Ahmed Nasser Mohammed AlSabah had spoken to each other during which the former thanked the latter for assistance. EAM had tweeted, "A warm call today with FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Conveyed our appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that is enabling smooth oxygen flow." A warm call today with FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Conveyed our appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that is enabling smooth oxygen flow. — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 12, 2021 × On May 27, Indian Navy Ship INS Shardul had reached Kochi with 270 Metric Tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen from Kuwait and UAE including 11 International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) containers, two semi-trailers and 1200 Oxygen cylinders. Kuwait had sent 185 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in seven ISO Tanks of 20 MT capacity and three semi-trailers of 25 MT capacity each, around 1,000 oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators. As part of solidarity for India, the iconic Kuwait Towers were lit in Indian flag's colours amid the covid crisis with a message in Hindi 'कुवैत आपके साथ है' (Kuwait stands with you). Last year, India had reached out to Kuwait and had sent rapid response teams to deal with the country's coronavirus crisis. Indians form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, with the presence of nearly one million Indian community members. This adds to the important people-to-people dimension to India Kuwait ties.

India's EAM Jaishankar to visit Kuwait next week

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens.&nbsp;

In a small, dark room outside Kuwait City, Buabbas places the worm-like larvae of the darkling beetle, famed for their high protein content, into a transparent box on a bed of bran and cornflour.&nbsp;

In another, he puts the mature beetles for mating.&nbsp;

"My ambition is for worms to be a successful food alternative for humans," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Insects are widely eaten around the globe, with an estimated 1,000 species appearing on the dinner plates of some two billion people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.&nbsp;

But apart from traditional diets, cricket pasta and mealworm smoothies have become the latest food trend in some world capitals, with edible insects being promoted as a sustainable alternative to regular protein sources.&nbsp;

Some Gulf states have a tradition of eating dried and baked locusts, which can appear in plague proportions. They are considered a delicacy by some, although consumption has fallen out of favour in modern times.&nbsp;

While superworms, in high demand among owners of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, have not yet been approved for human consumption in Kuwait, Buabbas is hopeful that people will be willing to try them.&nbsp;

He aims to expand his business beyond the pet trade and get the invertebrates onto dinner plates, in what would be the first such restaurant in the Gulf.&nbsp;

He is now experimenting with recipes before seeking permission from the Kuwaiti authorities.&nbsp;

"I have so far created three types of sauces... and colleagues of mine have tried and liked them," said Buabbas, who apart from breeding superworms works in the government sector.&nbsp;

Regulation is catching up with the food trend in May, the European Commission approved dried mealworms for human consumption after the 27-nation bloc's food watchdog said they were safe to eat.&nbsp;

The decision was good news for the burgeoning insect farming industry in Europe.&nbsp;

Buabbas said a fascination with the secrets of superworms prompted him to travel to Thailand in 2018 to learn more about the animals, which are a popular snack there.&nbsp;

"At first, I was disgusted by them, but... then I got used to the worms, understanding their behaviour and what poses a danger to them," he told AFP.&nbsp;

He spends two hours with the creatures every day, feeding them oats, bran, potatoes and carrots, as well as tweaking humidity and temperature levels.&nbsp;

He usually produces between 3,000 and 6,000 worms every three months, and at times up to 10,000.&nbsp;

The superworms take about 90 days to mature enough to be ready for sale, each weighing approximately a gram at six centimetres (two inches) long. They fetch $3 for 25 larvae.&nbsp;

Buabbas said the superworm business has been lucrative, with bird-breeder customers buying thousands of dollars worth at a time to feed their cardinals and nightingales.&nbsp;

Before borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would transport boxes of worms to other Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

Buabbas markets his business on social media, while he works on superworm recipes that he says will incorporate elements of local cuisine.&nbsp;

But when asked how they tasted, he said he didn't know. He's never tried them.&nbsp;

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens.

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens. In a small, dark room outside Kuwait City, Buabbas places the worm-like larvae of the darkling beetle, famed for their high protein content, into a transparent box on a bed of bran and cornflour. In another, he puts the mature beetles for mating. "My ambition is for worms to be a successful food alternative for humans," he told AFP. Insects are widely eaten around the globe, with an estimated 1,000 species appearing on the dinner plates of some two billion people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. But apart from traditional diets, cricket pasta and mealworm smoothies have become the latest food trend in some world capitals, with edible insects being promoted as a sustainable alternative to regular protein sources. Some Gulf states have a tradition of eating dried and baked locusts, which can appear in plague proportions. They are considered a delicacy by some, although consumption has fallen out of favour in modern times. While superworms, in high demand among owners of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, have not yet been approved for human consumption in Kuwait, Buabbas is hopeful that people will be willing to try them. He aims to expand his business beyond the pet trade and get the invertebrates onto dinner plates, in what would be the first such restaurant in the Gulf. He is now experimenting with recipes before seeking permission from the Kuwaiti authorities. "I have so far created three types of sauces... and colleagues of mine have tried and liked them," said Buabbas, who apart from breeding superworms works in the government sector. Regulation is catching up with the food trend in May, the European Commission approved dried mealworms for human consumption after the 27-nation bloc's food watchdog said they were safe to eat. The decision was good news for the burgeoning insect farming industry in Europe. Buabbas said a fascination with the secrets of superworms prompted him to travel to Thailand in 2018 to learn more about the animals, which are a popular snack there. "At first, I was disgusted by them, but... then I got used to the worms, understanding their behaviour and what poses a danger to them," he told AFP. He spends two hours with the creatures every day, feeding them oats, bran, potatoes and carrots, as well as tweaking humidity and temperature levels. He usually produces between 3,000 and 6,000 worms every three months, and at times up to 10,000. The superworms take about 90 days to mature enough to be ready for sale, each weighing approximately a gram at six centimetres (two inches) long. They fetch $3 for 25 larvae. Buabbas said the superworm business has been lucrative, with bird-breeder customers buying thousands of dollars worth at a time to feed their cardinals and nightingales. Before borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would transport boxes of worms to other Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Buabbas markets his business on social media, while he works on superworm recipes that he says will incorporate elements of local cuisine. But when asked how they tasted, he said he didn't know. He's never tried them.

Kuwaiti breeder hopes superworms will become new superfood 

Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation said early on Saturday in a tweet that it had suspended all direct commercial flights coming from India, effective April 24 and until further notice.

The move was on the instructions of health authorities after an evaluation of the global coronavirus status. All passengers arriving from India either directly or via another country will be banned from entering unless they have spent at least 14 days out of India, the statement said.

Kuwaiti citizens, their first-degree relatives and their domestic workers will be allowed to enter. Cargo is unaffected.

Kuwait is not the first country to impose travel restrictions on India. This past week Singapore health ministry also said that it will not allow entry to long-term visa holders and short-term visitors with recent&nbsp;travel&nbsp;history to&nbsp;India, which is battling a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

The government said&nbsp;travel&nbsp;restrictions&nbsp;with&nbsp;India&nbsp;will help curb potential cases in the dormitories because many of the labourers arrive from the South Asian nation.

On April 22, Australia has also announced that it will reduce the number of its citizens able to return from&nbsp;India&nbsp;and other red zone countries to contain the risk of more virulent strains of COVID-19, the government. These changes will affect direct flights from&nbsp;India&nbsp;to Sydney and chartered flights that land in the Northern Territory.

Indonesia has also stated that it will stop issuing visas for foreigners who have been in&nbsp;India&nbsp;in the past 14 days to prevent the spread of different coronavirus strains. Indonesians arriving from&nbsp;India&nbsp;will be allowed to enter, however, but must follow stricter health protocols and quarantine.

Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation said early on Saturday in a tweet that it had suspended all direct commercial flights coming from India, effective April 24 and until further notice.

Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation said early on Saturday in a tweet that it had suspended all direct commercial flights coming from India, effective April 24 and until further notice. The move was on the instructions of health authorities after an evaluation of the global coronavirus status. All passengers arriving from India either directly or via another country will be banned from entering unless they have spent at least 14 days out of India, the statement said. Kuwaiti citizens, their first-degree relatives and their domestic workers will be allowed to enter. Cargo is unaffected. Kuwait is not the first country to impose travel restrictions on India. This past week Singapore health ministry also said that it will not allow entry to long-term visa holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to India, which is battling a second wave of COVID-19 infections. The government said travel restrictions with India will help curb potential cases in the dormitories because many of the labourers arrive from the South Asian nation. On April 22, Australia has also announced that it will reduce the number of its citizens able to return from India and other red zone countries to contain the risk of more virulent strains of COVID-19, the government. These changes will affect direct flights from India to Sydney and chartered flights that land in the Northern Territory. Indonesia has also stated that it will stop issuing visas for foreigners who have been in India in the past 14 days to prevent the spread of different coronavirus strains. Indonesians arriving from India will be allowed to enter, however, but must follow stricter health protocols and quarantine.

Following a rise in India's Covid numbers, Kuwait suspends commercial flights from India

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