The United States of America 's defense and military officials have admitted that nearly one dozen American troops were wounded in Iran’s January 8 missile attack on Iraq’s al-Asad air base. This week, they were medically evacuated to US military hospitals in Kuwait and Landstuhl, Germany, to be treated for traumatic brain injury and to undergo further evaluation.

Fineprint: US admits Iran injured its nearly dozen soldiers

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-china-ink-3-agreements-during-chinese-fms-visit-248757">Nepal</a> Foreign Affairs on Sunday alerted its missions overlooking Iran and Iraq as tensions in the region heightened following the killing of Iran's top military general <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-killing-of-qasem-soleimani-will-lead-to-the-strengthening-of-iranian-hardliners-272109">Qasem Soleimani</a> in a US-led drone strike.

The foreign office has ordered its mission in Kuwait and Pakistan to remain vigilant in the wake of rising in tensions in the Middle East and send a timely update about the situation and condition regarding the prevailing situation.

"We have ordered them to maintain vigilance and establish a proper communication channel with Nepali nationals there. They are also asked to submit timely reports on-ground situation as both the nations come under them," the spokesperson of Nepal's Foreign Affairs Ministry Bharatraj Poudyal told ANI.

Soleimani was killed last week in the drone strike authorised by US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-media-challenges-vice-president-mike-pences-claims-of-soleimani-assisting-911-terrorists-272199">Donald Trump</a> which further increased tensions in the Middle East.

The US has also asked its citizens to leave in the wake of Soleimani's killing. Iran has also declared three days of mourning following the development.

Earlier today, Trump warned Iran saying that if it strikes any Americans or American assets, the US has "targeted 52 Iranian sites" and it "will be hit very fast and very hard".

Trump on Saturday had said that the killing of Soleimani was aimed 'to stop a war, not to start a war.' He also said that Soleimani was plotting attacks on US diplomats and military personnel before he was killed.

The attack came just days after Hashd members and supporters attempted to storm the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/an-attack-in-the-homeland-may-come-with-little-or-no-warning-us-department-of-homeland-security-272207">US Embassy in Baghdad</a>, in response to the air attacks against Kataib Hezbollah a member of the umbrella organisation that operates in Iraq and Syria.

The Nepal Foreign Affairs on Sunday alerted its missions overlooking Iran and Iraq as tensions in the region heightened following the killing of Iran's top military general Qasem Soleimani in a US-led drone strike.

The Nepal Foreign Affairs on Sunday alerted its missions overlooking Iran and Iraq as tensions in the region heightened following the killing of Iran's top military general Qasem Soleimani in a US-led drone strike. The foreign office has ordered its mission in Kuwait and Pakistan to remain vigilant in the wake of rising in tensions in the Middle East and send a timely update about the situation and condition regarding the prevailing situation. "We have ordered them to maintain vigilance and establish a proper communication channel with Nepali nationals there. They are also asked to submit timely reports on-ground situation as both the nations come under them," the spokesperson of Nepal's Foreign Affairs Ministry Bharatraj Poudyal told ANI. Soleimani was killed last week in the drone strike authorised by US President Donald Trump which further increased tensions in the Middle East. The US has also asked its citizens to leave in the wake of Soleimani's killing. Iran has also declared three days of mourning following the development. Earlier today, Trump warned Iran saying that if it strikes any Americans or American assets, the US has "targeted 52 Iranian sites" and it "will be hit very fast and very hard". Trump on Saturday had said that the killing of Soleimani was aimed 'to stop a war, not to start a war.' He also said that Soleimani was plotting attacks on US diplomats and military personnel before he was killed. The attack came just days after Hashd members and supporters attempted to storm the US Embassy in Baghdad, in response to the air attacks against Kataib Hezbollah a member of the umbrella organisation that operates in Iraq and Syria.

Nepal's foreign ministry alerts embassies amid rising tensions in Middle East

Solar Eclipse 2019: World witnesses last celestial wonder of the decade

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement Tuesday to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone shut for five years due to a bilateral disagreement, officials said.

Kuwait's oil minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-falls-more-than-2-on-us-china-trade-deal-doubts-stronger-dollar-256002">Khaled al-Fadhel</a> said on Twitter that the memorandum of understanding signed with Saudi Arabia included "the resumption of production in the divided zone."

The state-run KUNA news agency reported that the two countries also signed an agreement on the demarcation of land and maritime borders in the neutral zone.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kuwait-announces-new-government-kuna-268683">KUNA</a> did not give details on the contents of the deal which likely revolves around amending previous border agreements between the two Arab nations.

The two fields were pumping some 500,000 barrels per day before production was halted, first at Khafji in October 2014 and then at Wafra seven months later, over a dispute between the neighbours.

Riyadh said at the time that the decision was due to environmental issues.&nbsp;

The oil produced in the neutral zone in the border area is shared equally between the two nations.

Khafji, an offshore field, was jointly operated by Kuwait Gulf Oil Co&nbsp;and Saudi Aramco Gulf Operations, while the onshore Wafra field was operated by KGOC and Saudi Arabian Chevron.&nbsp;

Kuwait had blamed Saudi Arabia for unilaterally halting output at Khafji, noting it was entitled to five years' notice under a joint agreement signed in 1965.

The two countries have been negotiating to resolve the row and resume production since June 2015.

The talks involved Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah visiting Riyadh and Saudi Crown Prince <a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/cash-strapped-pakistan-to-host-saudi-crown-prince-197175">Mohammed bin Salman</a> visiting Kuwait City.

Tuesday's agreement comes as oil prices are under pressure due to abundant reserves and weak global economic growth.&nbsp;

Continued soft pricing has prompted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/opec-gearing-up-for-deeper-oil-cuts-russia-yet-to-agree-266198">OPEC</a> and its allies to make deeper production cuts starting next month.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia pumps just under 10 million barrels per day (bpd), while Kuwait produces around 2.7 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement Tuesday to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone shut for five years due to a bilateral disagreement, officials said.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement Tuesday to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone shut for five years due to a bilateral disagreement, officials said. Kuwait's oil minister Khaled al-Fadhel said on Twitter that the memorandum of understanding signed with Saudi Arabia included "the resumption of production in the divided zone." The state-run KUNA news agency reported that the two countries also signed an agreement on the demarcation of land and maritime borders in the neutral zone. KUNA did not give details on the contents of the deal which likely revolves around amending previous border agreements between the two Arab nations. The two fields were pumping some 500,000 barrels per day before production was halted, first at Khafji in October 2014 and then at Wafra seven months later, over a dispute between the neighbours. Riyadh said at the time that the decision was due to environmental issues. The oil produced in the neutral zone in the border area is shared equally between the two nations. Khafji, an offshore field, was jointly operated by Kuwait Gulf Oil Co and Saudi Aramco Gulf Operations, while the onshore Wafra field was operated by KGOC and Saudi Arabian Chevron. Kuwait had blamed Saudi Arabia for unilaterally halting output at Khafji, noting it was entitled to five years' notice under a joint agreement signed in 1965. The two countries have been negotiating to resolve the row and resume production since June 2015. The talks involved Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah visiting Riyadh and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visiting Kuwait City. Tuesday's agreement comes as oil prices are under pressure due to abundant reserves and weak global economic growth. Continued soft pricing has prompted OPEC and its allies to make deeper production cuts starting next month. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia pumps just under 10 million barrels per day (bpd), while Kuwait produces around 2.7 million bpd.

Saudi, Kuwait signed an agreement to resume joint oil output

Kuwait formed a new government on Tuesday, state news agency KUNA reported, a month after the previous one resigned due to a row between ruling family members and parliament.

Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah will be prime minister. Previously foreign minister, he was appointed by Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kuwaits-emir-sheikh-al-sabah-dissolves-parliament-7536">al-Sabah </a>days after the government resigned.

The resignation came after lawmakers sought a no-confidence vote against the interior minister and as a dispute between senior officials, including the interior and defence ministers, over alleged mishandling of public funds went public.

Caretaker premier Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah had initially been nominated to form the new cabinet but he turned down the offer, citing a media campaign against him.

Kuwait, an ally of the United States, has the most open political system in the Gulf Arab region, with a parliament wielding power to pass legislation and question ministers.

Kuwait formed a new government on Tuesday, state news agency KUNA reported, a month after the previous one resigned due to a row between ruling family members and parliament.

Kuwait formed a new government on Tuesday, state news agency KUNA reported, a month after the previous one resigned due to a row between ruling family members and parliament. Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah will be prime minister. Previously foreign minister, he was appointed by Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah days after the government resigned. The resignation came after lawmakers sought a no-confidence vote against the interior minister and as a dispute between senior officials, including the interior and defence ministers, over alleged mishandling of public funds went public. Caretaker premier Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah had initially been nominated to form the new cabinet but he turned down the offer, citing a media campaign against him. Kuwait, an ally of the United States, has the most open political system in the Gulf Arab region, with a parliament wielding power to pass legislation and question ministers.

Kuwait announces new government: Report

Kuwait has raised the security alert level at all of its ports, including the oil terminals, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Friday, citing a decision by Trade and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan.

"The decision emphasises that all measures have to be taken to protect the vessels and the ports facilities," it said.

The announcement comes after two important oil production facilities in neighboring <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-says-abundantly-clear-iran-was-behind-saudi-oil-attacks-250674">Saudi Arabia were hit by drones</a> and missiles on September 14, curtailing the crude output of the world's top oil exporter.

Yemen's Houthi group claimed the attacks but a US&nbsp;official said they originated from southwestern Iran. Tehran, which support the Houthis, denied any involvement in the attacks.

Kuwait has raised the security alert level at all of its ports, including the oil terminals, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Friday, citing a decision by Trade and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan.

Kuwait has raised the security alert level at all of its ports, including the oil terminals, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Friday, citing a decision by Trade and Industry Minister Khaled Al-Roudhan. "The decision emphasises that all measures have to be taken to protect the vessels and the ports facilities," it said. The announcement comes after two important oil production facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia were hit by drones and missiles on September 14, curtailing the crude output of the world's top oil exporter. Yemen's Houthi group claimed the attacks but a US official said they originated from southwestern Iran. Tehran, which support the Houthis, denied any involvement in the attacks.

Kuwait raises security alert level at oil and commercial ports: State media

Little suggests that fabulously wealthy Gulf states and their Middle Eastern and North African beneficiaries have recognised what is perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan and the 2011 Arab revolts: All that glitters is not gold.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and to a lesser extent Kuwait have in the last decade invested billions of dollars in either reversing or hollowing out the revolts’ achievements in a bid to ensure that political change elsewhere in the region does not come to haunt them.

Qatar, in a counterintuitive strategy that has earned it the ire of the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has sought to achieve the same goal by attempting to be on the right side of the region’s forces of change.

The irony is that both approaches, despite also involving huge investments at home in economic diversification, education and healthcare, could produce the very result Gulf states seek to avoid: A region that has many of the trappings of 21st century knowledge states but that is incapable of catering to the aspirations of a youth bulge expected to annually increase the workforce by a million people over the next 12 years.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, concluded earlier this year, that the region’s youth bulge was a double-edged sword. It could either pose a threat to regional stability or be an asset for development.

Turning the youth bulge into an asset “Requires urgent and significant investment to create opportunities for meaningful learning, social engagement and work, all of which are currently limited, particularly for young women and the most vulnerable,” the UN agency said in a report entitled MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Generation 2030.

UNICEF arrived at its conclusion even though Gulf states have adopted grandiose plans that envision them becoming within a matter of a decade or two diversified, knowledge-driven economies that enact the social reforms needed to create an opportunity for all segments of society.

The group’s conclusion applies as much to the wealthy Gulf states as it does to the Arab beneficiaries of their politically motivated financial largesse.

The problems with the flexing of the Gulf states’ financial muscle as well as the implementation of reform plans are multi-fold.

They relate as much to quality of the upgrading of services such as education as they are about how political intent shapes development efforts and how high domestic debt in countries like Egypt, where 27 per cent of government expenditure goes to interest payments, and Lebanon, which spends 38 per cent of its budget on debt servicing, benefits Gulf banks and stymies social and economic development.

Credit rating agency Fitch recently downgraded Lebanon’s credit rating to CCC from B- because of "intensifying pressure on Lebanon's financing model and increasing risks to the government's debt-servicing capacity."

Gulf scholar Rohan Advani notes that Gulf institutions account for most of the financial sector investment in countries like Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

“In Lebanon, just over 50 per cent of the country’s bank assets are held by GCC-related banks, in Palestine this figure is 63 per cent, and in Jordan it is as high as 86 per cent,” Advani wrote in a review of political economist Adam Hanieh’s study of Gulf finance, Money, Markets, and Monarchies.

Hanieh argues that the bulk of the debt payments are to financial establishments whose major shareholders include Gulf institutions in a process in which “the Arab state…increasingly mediates the transfer of national wealth to large Gulf-related banks.”

Advani warned that “Indebted governments are compelled to intensify a politics of austerity, further trapping these societies in cycles of debt. Investments in social programs or infrastructural developments are often stalled. Popular movements are unable to realise their demands at the state level due to the requirements of foreign creditors and domestic capitalists. The ensuing scenario is one where alternative politics are asphyxiated and increasingly circumscribed by an atrophied status quo.”

That may well be the purpose of the exercise with economic diversification efforts in the Gulf being driven more by the need of autocracies to upgrade their autocratic style and create an opportunity for a restive youth in a bid to ensure regime survival rather than by the acknowledgement of a government’s responsibility to serve the people.

The result is a flawed approach to all aspects of reform.

In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic and social reform plan that calls for greater private sector involvement has turned into a top-down effort that emphasises state control with the government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the key player.

A combination of depressed oil prices and the recent replacement of energy minister Khalid al-Falih as chairman of the board of Aramco by PIF head Yasir al-Rumayyan, a close associate of Prince Mohammed, raises questions about the state oil company’s positioning in advance of a much-touted initial public offering.

Ellen Wald, an energy analyst and author of a history of Aramco, the kingdom’s main source of revenue, noted that at PIF Al-Rumayyan had overseen investments more geared towards speculative gains than the sustainable growth of Saudi wealth.

Wald said that raised the question of whether Al-Rumayyan’s objective with Aramco would be to serve the company’s long-term interests or those of the PIF.

Aramco this year bought a 70 per cent stake in petrochemicals maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp for $69 billion in an effort to raise funds for PIF and delay the Aramco IPO that had originally been scheduled for 2018 but has since been delayed until 2020 or 2021. The megadeal is expected to boost the oil company’s downstream growth plans.

Nonetheless, Wald cautions that Al-Rumayyan’s appointment “Doesn't necessarily bode well for Aramco, which is a different kind of company. It has to make stable decisions for the long term," she said.

By the same token, UNICEF warned that poverty, violent conflict, restrictive social norms, patriarchy, rights violations and lack of safe spaces for expression and recreation were limiting opportunities as well as civic adolescent and youth engagement.

Gulf emphasis on geopolitical dominance, regime survival and return on financial investment produces short term solutions that often exacerbate conflict, produce little trickle-down effect and few prospects for long-term stability.

“As a result, adolescents and youth in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) feel disillusioned, with girls and young women, refugees, those with disabilities and the poor being particularly marginalised and underrepresented,” the UNICEF report said.

“Youth unemployment in the region is currently the highest in the world. Education systems are failing to prepare adolescents and youth for the workplace, and markets are not generating urgently needed jobs,” the report warned.

Gulf wealth glitters but if the UNICEF report is anything to go by, it has yet to demonstrate that it can produce the gold of a development that is sustainable and benefits not only all segments of Gulf societies but also of those across the region that have become dependent on it. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Little suggests that fabulously wealthy Gulf states and their Middle Eastern and North African beneficiaries have recognised what is perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan and the 2011 Arab revolts: All that glitters is not gold.

Little suggests that fabulously wealthy Gulf states and their Middle Eastern and North African beneficiaries have recognised what is perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan and the 2011 Arab revolts: All that glitters is not gold. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and to a lesser extent Kuwait have in the last decade invested billions of dollars in either reversing or hollowing out the revolts’ achievements in a bid to ensure that political change elsewhere in the region does not come to haunt them. Qatar, in a counterintuitive strategy that has earned it the ire of the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has sought to achieve the same goal by attempting to be on the right side of the region’s forces of change. The irony is that both approaches, despite also involving huge investments at home in economic diversification, education and healthcare, could produce the very result Gulf states seek to avoid: A region that has many of the trappings of 21st century knowledge states but that is incapable of catering to the aspirations of a youth bulge expected to annually increase the workforce by a million people over the next 12 years. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, concluded earlier this year, that the region’s youth bulge was a double-edged sword. It could either pose a threat to regional stability or be an asset for development. Turning the youth bulge into an asset “Requires urgent and significant investment to create opportunities for meaningful learning, social engagement and work, all of which are currently limited, particularly for young women and the most vulnerable,” the UN agency said in a report entitled MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Generation 2030. UNICEF arrived at its conclusion even though Gulf states have adopted grandiose plans that envision them becoming within a matter of a decade or two diversified, knowledge-driven economies that enact the social reforms needed to create an opportunity for all segments of society. The group’s conclusion applies as much to the wealthy Gulf states as it does to the Arab beneficiaries of their politically motivated financial largesse. The problems with the flexing of the Gulf states’ financial muscle as well as the implementation of reform plans are multi-fold. They relate as much to quality of the upgrading of services such as education as they are about how political intent shapes development efforts and how high domestic debt in countries like Egypt, where 27 per cent of government expenditure goes to interest payments, and Lebanon, which spends 38 per cent of its budget on debt servicing, benefits Gulf banks and stymies social and economic development. Credit rating agency Fitch recently downgraded Lebanon’s credit rating to CCC from B- because of "intensifying pressure on Lebanon's financing model and increasing risks to the government's debt-servicing capacity." Gulf scholar Rohan Advani notes that Gulf institutions account for most of the financial sector investment in countries like Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. “In Lebanon, just over 50 per cent of the country’s bank assets are held by GCC-related banks, in Palestine this figure is 63 per cent, and in Jordan it is as high as 86 per cent,” Advani wrote in a review of political economist Adam Hanieh’s study of Gulf finance, Money, Markets, and Monarchies. Hanieh argues that the bulk of the debt payments are to financial establishments whose major shareholders include Gulf institutions in a process in which “the Arab state…increasingly mediates the transfer of national wealth to large Gulf-related banks.” Advani warned that “Indebted governments are compelled to intensify a politics of austerity, further trapping these societies in cycles of debt. Investments in social programs or infrastructural developments are often stalled. Popular movements are unable to realise their demands at the state level due to the requirements of foreign creditors and domestic capitalists. The ensuing scenario is one where alternative politics are asphyxiated and increasingly circumscribed by an atrophied status quo.” That may well be the purpose of the exercise with economic diversification efforts in the Gulf being driven more by the need of autocracies to upgrade their autocratic style and create an opportunity for a restive youth in a bid to ensure regime survival rather than by the acknowledgement of a government’s responsibility to serve the people. The result is a flawed approach to all aspects of reform. In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic and social reform plan that calls for greater private sector involvement has turned into a top-down effort that emphasises state control with the government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the key player. A combination of depressed oil prices and the recent replacement of energy minister Khalid al-Falih as chairman of the board of Aramco by PIF head Yasir al-Rumayyan, a close associate of Prince Mohammed, raises questions about the state oil company’s positioning in advance of a much-touted initial public offering. Ellen Wald, an energy analyst and author of a history of Aramco, the kingdom’s main source of revenue, noted that at PIF Al-Rumayyan had overseen investments more geared towards speculative gains than the sustainable growth of Saudi wealth. Wald said that raised the question of whether Al-Rumayyan’s objective with Aramco would be to serve the company’s long-term interests or those of the PIF. Aramco this year bought a 70 per cent stake in petrochemicals maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp for $69 billion in an effort to raise funds for PIF and delay the Aramco IPO that had originally been scheduled for 2018 but has since been delayed until 2020 or 2021. The megadeal is expected to boost the oil company’s downstream growth plans. Nonetheless, Wald cautions that Al-Rumayyan’s appointment “Doesn't necessarily bode well for Aramco, which is a different kind of company. It has to make stable decisions for the long term," she said. By the same token, UNICEF warned that poverty, violent conflict, restrictive social norms, patriarchy, rights violations and lack of safe spaces for expression and recreation were limiting opportunities as well as civic adolescent and youth engagement. Gulf emphasis on geopolitical dominance, regime survival and return on financial investment produces short term solutions that often exacerbate conflict, produce little trickle-down effect and few prospects for long-term stability. “As a result, adolescents and youth in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) feel disillusioned, with girls and young women, refugees, those with disabilities and the poor being particularly marginalised and underrepresented,” the UNICEF report said. “Youth unemployment in the region is currently the highest in the world. Education systems are failing to prepare adolescents and youth for the workplace, and markets are not generating urgently needed jobs,” the report warned. Gulf wealth glitters but if the UNICEF report is anything to go by, it has yet to demonstrate that it can produce the gold of a development that is sustainable and benefits not only all segments of Gulf societies but also of those across the region that have become dependent on it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Gulf economies: All that glitters is not gold

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/kuwait-to-tap-foreign-debt-markets-to-finance-deficit-1708">The Kuwait Investment Authority</a> (KIA) began increasing its exposure to bonds and cash two years ago to boost liquidity in its portfolio as the global economy showed signs of weakness, Kuwaiti newspaper Alqabas reported on Sunday, citing sources.

The report provided rare insight into the strategy of one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds, though it did not give a breakdown of KIA's investments in various asset classes.&nbsp;

KIA, in which the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute estimates manage $592 billion of assets, does not publicly disclose its investments or detailed strategy.

The newspaper report said KIA made "calculated exits" from investments it felt were vulnerable to a downturn in global financial markets as the world economy began to show signs of faltering two years ago.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July cut its forecast for global growth this year and next, warning that further tariffs in the US-China trade dispute or a disorderly British exit from the European Union could slow growth further, weaken investment and disrupt supply chains.

The IMF said that downside risks had intensified and it expected global economic growth of 3.2 per cent&nbsp;in 2019 and 3.5 per cent&nbsp;in 2020, both down by 0.1 percentage points from its April forecast and its fourth downgrade since October.

Despite recent volatility in equity markets, KIA has achieved a 10 per cent&nbsp;return on its investments in US stock markets since the beginning of this year, the report said.

KIA officials were not immediately available to comment.

Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported in late 2017 that KIA had more than $300 billion of investments in the United States, diversified among stocks, bonds, real estate, and technology.

The fund's investments are spread across more than 120 economies globally.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) began increasing its exposure to bonds and cash two years ago to boost liquidity in its portfolio as the global economy showed signs of weakness, Kuwaiti newspaper Alqabas reported on Sunday, citing sources.

The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) began increasing its exposure to bonds and cash two years ago to boost liquidity in its portfolio as the global economy showed signs of weakness, Kuwaiti newspaper Alqabas reported on Sunday, citing sources. The report provided rare insight into the strategy of one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds, though it did not give a breakdown of KIA's investments in various asset classes. KIA, in which the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute estimates manage $592 billion of assets, does not publicly disclose its investments or detailed strategy. The newspaper report said KIA made "calculated exits" from investments it felt were vulnerable to a downturn in global financial markets as the world economy began to show signs of faltering two years ago. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July cut its forecast for global growth this year and next, warning that further tariffs in the US-China trade dispute or a disorderly British exit from the European Union could slow growth further, weaken investment and disrupt supply chains. The IMF said that downside risks had intensified and it expected global economic growth of 3.2 per cent in 2019 and 3.5 per cent in 2020, both down by 0.1 percentage points from its April forecast and its fourth downgrade since October. Despite recent volatility in equity markets, KIA has achieved a 10 per cent return on its investments in US stock markets since the beginning of this year, the report said. KIA officials were not immediately available to comment. Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported in late 2017 that KIA had more than $300 billion of investments in the United States, diversified among stocks, bonds, real estate, and technology. The fund's investments are spread across more than 120 economies globally.

Kuwait sovereign fund in portfolio shift on signs of global economic weakness: Report

The&nbsp;US maritime agency has told&nbsp;US flagged&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;vessels&nbsp;they should&nbsp;send&nbsp;transit&nbsp;plans&nbsp;in&nbsp;advance&nbsp;to American and British naval authorities if they intend to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/flags-of-inconvenience-noose-tightens-around-iranian-shipping-238568">sail in&nbsp;Gulf&nbsp;waters following several incidents over tankers involving Iran.</a>

The seizure of&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;vessels&nbsp;and attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz have&nbsp;unsettled shipping lanes that link Middle Eastern oil producers to global markets.

The United States, which has increased its military forces in the region, has blamed Iran for blasts on several tankers near the Strait, a charge Tehran denies.

Britain said on Monday it was joining the United States in a maritime security mission in the&nbsp;Gulf&nbsp;to protect&nbsp;vessels&nbsp;after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-put-your-life-in-danger-iran-publishes-exchange-with-british-warship-during-tanker-seizure-239211">Iran seized a British-flagged tanker</a>.

"Heightened military activity and increased political tensions in this region continue to pose serious threats to&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;vessels," the&nbsp;US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said in an advisory on Wednesday.

"Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions," it added.

Ships should also alert the&nbsp;US Navy's Fifth Fleet and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations in the event of any incident or suspicious activity. It warned they could face interference with their global positioning systems (GPS).

MARAD said in at least two incidents involving&nbsp;commercial&nbsp;vessels&nbsp;and Iran since May 2019 ships had reported interference with their GPS and "spoofed" communications from unknown entities falsely claiming to be&nbsp;US or other warships.

It advised crews to decline Iranian forces permission to board if the safety of the ship and crew would not be at risk but said they should not forcibly resist any boarding party.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-guards-say-confiscated-british-tanker-in-strait-of-hormuz-237205">Traffic through the Strait</a>, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, has become the focus for a standoff between Iran and the United States after President Donald Trump quit a 2015 nuclear pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Iran says the responsibility of securing these waters lies with Tehran and other countries in the region.

"The maritime coalition that&nbsp;US is trying to form will create more instability and insecurity," Iran's Defence Minister Amir Hatami was quoted as saying by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday during phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

Washington is lobbying other nations to join the coalition along with Britain, which has the largest naval presence in the area after the United States.

Britain's P&amp;O Cruises said it had cancelled cruises around Dubai and the&nbsp;Gulf&nbsp;because of the increased tensions.

The US maritime agency has told US flagged commercial vessels they should send transit plans in advance to American and British naval authorities if they intend to sail in Gulf waters following several incidents over tankers involving Iran.

The US maritime agency has told US flagged commercial vessels they should send transit plans in advance to American and British naval authorities if they intend to sail in Gulf waters following several incidents over tankers involving Iran. The seizure of commercial vessels and attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz have unsettled shipping lanes that link Middle Eastern oil producers to global markets. The United States, which has increased its military forces in the region, has blamed Iran for blasts on several tankers near the Strait, a charge Tehran denies. Britain said on Monday it was joining the United States in a maritime security mission in the Gulf to protect vessels after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker. "Heightened military activity and increased political tensions in this region continue to pose serious threats to commercial vessels," the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said in an advisory on Wednesday. "Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions," it added. Ships should also alert the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations in the event of any incident or suspicious activity. It warned they could face interference with their global positioning systems (GPS). MARAD said in at least two incidents involving commercial vessels and Iran since May 2019 ships had reported interference with their GPS and "spoofed" communications from unknown entities falsely claiming to be US or other warships. It advised crews to decline Iranian forces permission to board if the safety of the ship and crew would not be at risk but said they should not forcibly resist any boarding party. Traffic through the Strait, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, has become the focus for a standoff between Iran and the United States after President Donald Trump quit a 2015 nuclear pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Iran says the responsibility of securing these waters lies with Tehran and other countries in the region. "The maritime coalition that US is trying to form will create more instability and insecurity," Iran's Defence Minister Amir Hatami was quoted as saying by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday during phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. Washington is lobbying other nations to join the coalition along with Britain, which has the largest naval presence in the area after the United States. Britain's P&O Cruises said it had cancelled cruises around Dubai and the Gulf because of the increased tensions.

US tells commercial vessels to send Gulf transit plans in advance

Eleven-year-old Jerry's crime was breaking curfew laws after fleeing violence at home. His punishment? Being sent to a youth detention centre, where he says he endured sexual abuse.&nbsp;

Officially called "Houses of Hope", proponents in the Philippines say such facilities are places for reformation and education, but critics slam many of them as "hellholes" where children are treated like caged animals.

Rights' groups say Jerry should never have been detained under current laws, but warn a proposed bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12, will mean thousands of more children will be sent to overcrowded and underfunded centres - leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment.

"I felt so dirty. That was the first time it happened to me," Jerry told AFP as he recalled the night he was pulled from his bed, forced to the bathroom and attacked by older boys also held at a decaying centre in Manila.

"I cannot forget the sexual abuse," he explained, adding that he left home to escape beatings from his father and ended up sleeping on the streets. His mother works in Kuwait.

Under existing law, Houses of Hope is primarily to hold young offenders aged 15 to 18. But charities say younger vulnerable children from troubled homes, like Jerry, are sometimes swept up in the dragnet even for minor misdemeanours and struggle to recover from the experience.

Watchdogs and former wards warn planned legislation to criminalise children as young as 12 and then detain them with older teens and in some cases, adults will put those least able to defend themselves at risk.

"There is a higher potential for abuse because the government is not prepared," said Melanie Ramos-Llana of Child Rights Network Philippines.

"You put more children into Houses of Hope which are not equipped, lack personnel and programmes, you will have problems. Jails or detention centres are not places for children," she added.&nbsp;

Youth advocate Louise Suamen warns mixing youngsters who have committed minor infringements with older criminals could create a "school of crime".

"If you are a child subjected to this environment, you can learn violence or abusive behaviour. If they want to change something... treat detention as the last resort," explained Suamen of Bahay Tuluyan Foundation.&nbsp;

'Hellholes of subhuman conditions' 
A bill to give authorities the power to prosecute younger children stalled in the session of the legislature that wrapped up last month.&nbsp;

But it is a key plank of President Rodrigo Duterte's tough-on-crime stance, which includes restoring the death penalty and his internationally condemned drug crackdown that has killed thousands since 2016.

After sweeping May's midterm polls, Duterte allies dominate Congress and have vowed to advance his agenda when the session opens on Monday.

But critics insist conditions in many of the facilities are identical to or worse than the jails adults are sent to.

"Children are detained in these so-called House of Hope like animals in cages," said Father Shay Cullen, president of PREDA Foundation which helps boys like Jerry.&nbsp;

"These are really hellholes of subhuman conditions," he added.&nbsp;

Five children previously held in the system, including Jerry, told AFP they suffered abuse in youth centres.&nbsp;

All the boys are identified using a pseudonym because they are minors or were when held.&nbsp;

Justin, who was 17 when he was brought to a youth centre in the capital in 2017, said other boys beat him on the pretext he had broken house rules. &nbsp;

"They would punch us in the chest, stomach and sometimes the chin. It was so painful. I learned to be callous there because of what they did to me and I wanted revenge," he said. &nbsp;

There are 55 government-run Houses of Hope nationwide, but this is well short of the 114 the Philippines has estimated it needs to properly house troubled juveniles.

According to official data only eight comply with social welfare rules.

These guidelines include having one social worker for every 25 children, providing one bed per resident along with nutritious meals, clothing, toiletries and rehabilitation programmes.

"Some of the Houses of Hope we saw was worse than prisons. They have no programmes," Tricia Oco, executive director of the government's Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, told a senate inquiry in January.

'We are like flowers' 
Tristan, 15, was relieved when he was transferred to a House of Hope in Manila after being held in an adult jail on a drug trafficking charge he said police fabricated. &nbsp;

"I thought it would be a lovely home. But it was also a prison, a prison for children," he told AFP. &nbsp;

The facilities where Jerry, Justin, and Tristan stayed denied AFP's requests for a visit.&nbsp;

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it did not monitor peer abuse in centres, but institutions that failed to meet standards should be "held responsible". &nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/you-must-be-stupid-president-rodrigo-duterte-says-he-wont-be-tried-by-international-court-236653&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj22L6zucjjAhXLqY8KHYWiAtcQFjAEegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2WAYk8KvSpqwPQB33PzGO9">Philippines</a> raised the age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 15 in 2006, a move hailed as a step toward humane treatment.&nbsp;

However, Duterte has repeatedly attacked the change as hampering police efforts to crack down on underage couriers for drug syndicates.&nbsp;

The gaps in the system stem from insufficient funding, weak congressional oversight and authorities' preference for detention over community-based programmes, advocates say. &nbsp;

"In reality, detention becomes the first resort," said Rowena Legaspi, executive director of the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center.

The current law tasks provinces and cities with building and operating the centres but the national government monitors compliance.&nbsp;

Many Houses of Hope struggle with inadequate resources, said Jay Mark Chico, centre head in northern Bulacan province.&nbsp;

His facility was built to accommodate 60 children but now houses 144 -&nbsp;squashed into rooms behind metal bars where some must sleep on the floor.

Chico told AFP the province had a daily food budget of 33 pesos (0.65 US cents) per child but was pushing to increase this while building a bigger centre to address overcrowding. &nbsp;

Still, some say their time in the centres helped them. &nbsp;

"I am so grateful because I never imagined I could still pursue my studies," said 21-year-old Nathan Andres, who was detained as a juvenile for rape but has been allowed to serve out his sentence in the Bulacan youth facility. &nbsp;&nbsp;

However, Andres, who wants to become a teacher, says targeting 12-year-olds is not the answer.

He mused, "We are like the flowers we craft from old papers. People think we are garbage, useless. But actually, we still have value."

Eleven-year-old Jerry's crime was breaking curfew laws after fleeing violence at home. His punishment? Being sent to a youth detention centre, where he says he endured sexual abuse.

Eleven-year-old Jerry's crime was breaking curfew laws after fleeing violence at home. His punishment? Being sent to a youth detention centre, where he says he endured sexual abuse. Officially called "Houses of Hope", proponents in the Philippines say such facilities are places for reformation and education, but critics slam many of them as "hellholes" where children are treated like caged animals. Rights' groups say Jerry should never have been detained under current laws, but warn a proposed bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12, will mean thousands of more children will be sent to overcrowded and underfunded centres - leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment. "I felt so dirty. That was the first time it happened to me," Jerry told AFP as he recalled the night he was pulled from his bed, forced to the bathroom and attacked by older boys also held at a decaying centre in Manila. "I cannot forget the sexual abuse," he explained, adding that he left home to escape beatings from his father and ended up sleeping on the streets. His mother works in Kuwait. Under existing law, Houses of Hope is primarily to hold young offenders aged 15 to 18. But charities say younger vulnerable children from troubled homes, like Jerry, are sometimes swept up in the dragnet even for minor misdemeanours and struggle to recover from the experience. Watchdogs and former wards warn planned legislation to criminalise children as young as 12 and then detain them with older teens and in some cases, adults will put those least able to defend themselves at risk. "There is a higher potential for abuse because the government is not prepared," said Melanie Ramos-Llana of Child Rights Network Philippines. "You put more children into Houses of Hope which are not equipped, lack personnel and programmes, you will have problems. Jails or detention centres are not places for children," she added. Youth advocate Louise Suamen warns mixing youngsters who have committed minor infringements with older criminals could create a "school of crime". "If you are a child subjected to this environment, you can learn violence or abusive behaviour. If they want to change something... treat detention as the last resort," explained Suamen of Bahay Tuluyan Foundation. 'Hellholes of subhuman conditions' A bill to give authorities the power to prosecute younger children stalled in the session of the legislature that wrapped up last month. But it is a key plank of President Rodrigo Duterte's tough-on-crime stance, which includes restoring the death penalty and his internationally condemned drug crackdown that has killed thousands since 2016. After sweeping May's midterm polls, Duterte allies dominate Congress and have vowed to advance his agenda when the session opens on Monday. But critics insist conditions in many of the facilities are identical to or worse than the jails adults are sent to. "Children are detained in these so-called House of Hope like animals in cages," said Father Shay Cullen, president of PREDA Foundation which helps boys like Jerry. "These are really hellholes of subhuman conditions," he added. Five children previously held in the system, including Jerry, told AFP they suffered abuse in youth centres. All the boys are identified using a pseudonym because they are minors or were when held. Justin, who was 17 when he was brought to a youth centre in the capital in 2017, said other boys beat him on the pretext he had broken house rules. "They would punch us in the chest, stomach and sometimes the chin. It was so painful. I learned to be callous there because of what they did to me and I wanted revenge," he said. There are 55 government-run Houses of Hope nationwide, but this is well short of the 114 the Philippines has estimated it needs to properly house troubled juveniles. According to official data only eight comply with social welfare rules. These guidelines include having one social worker for every 25 children, providing one bed per resident along with nutritious meals, clothing, toiletries and rehabilitation programmes. "Some of the Houses of Hope we saw was worse than prisons. They have no programmes," Tricia Oco, executive director of the government's Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, told a senate inquiry in January. 'We are like flowers' Tristan, 15, was relieved when he was transferred to a House of Hope in Manila after being held in an adult jail on a drug trafficking charge he said police fabricated. "I thought it would be a lovely home. But it was also a prison, a prison for children," he told AFP. The facilities where Jerry, Justin, and Tristan stayed denied AFP's requests for a visit. The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it did not monitor peer abuse in centres, but institutions that failed to meet standards should be "held responsible". The Philippines raised the age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 15 in 2006, a move hailed as a step toward humane treatment. However, Duterte has repeatedly attacked the change as hampering police efforts to crack down on underage couriers for drug syndicates. The gaps in the system stem from insufficient funding, weak congressional oversight and authorities' preference for detention over community-based programmes, advocates say. "In reality, detention becomes the first resort," said Rowena Legaspi, executive director of the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center. The current law tasks provinces and cities with building and operating the centres but the national government monitors compliance. Many Houses of Hope struggle with inadequate resources, said Jay Mark Chico, centre head in northern Bulacan province. His facility was built to accommodate 60 children but now houses 144 - squashed into rooms behind metal bars where some must sleep on the floor. Chico told AFP the province had a daily food budget of 33 pesos (0.65 US cents) per child but was pushing to increase this while building a bigger centre to address overcrowding. Still, some say their time in the centres helped them. "I am so grateful because I never imagined I could still pursue my studies," said 21-year-old Nathan Andres, who was detained as a juvenile for rape but has been allowed to serve out his sentence in the Bulacan youth facility. However, Andres, who wants to become a teacher, says targeting 12-year-olds is not the answer. He mused, "We are like the flowers we craft from old papers. People think we are garbage, useless. But actually, we still have value."

Children in Philippine youth homes face abuses 'worse than prison'

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief.

The question drew some 10,000 replies since it was posted late last week -- many of which were anonymous or included details that could not be independently confirmed, but which paint a harrowing picture of the toll America's wars have taken on those who fought them.

"OEF, OIF PTSD with chronic pain," one Twitter user wrote, using the US military's acronyms for the wars in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-ied-blast-targets-bus-in-kabul-at-least-10-wounded-221867">Afghanistan </a>and Iraq, and the abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The US launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. The conflicts left thousands of American service members dead and many more wounded. US troops are still deployed in both countries to this day.

"My dad came back from fighting in Iraq and was abusive, constantly angry, paranoid, and following that went through a lot of therapy but his mental and physical health is still off and he was definitely changed through all he had been through," another user wrote.

"My son served and did one tour of OEF, he made it back, re-enlisted, and shot himself in the head," said another.

"The 'Combat Cocktail',&nbsp;PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage. It cost me my relationship with my eldest son and my grandson. It cost some of my men so much more," another Twitter user wrote.

"How did serving impact me? Ask my family." Not all the replies were about the toll taken by combat.

"I was forced to resign my commission while serving in Kuwait during the first Gulf War because I am gay. I received another than honourable discharge despite excellent performance reviews," one man wrote.

Another than honourable discharge is the most severe military administrative dismissal. It can follow a former soldier well into civilian life, leaving them ineligible for benefits and making it difficult to find work.

The Army thanked those who replied to its official account, saying,&nbsp;"Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations."

"As we honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of the fact that we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see."

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief.

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief. The question drew some 10,000 replies since it was posted late last week -- many of which were anonymous or included details that could not be independently confirmed, but which paint a harrowing picture of the toll America's wars have taken on those who fought them. "OEF, OIF PTSD with chronic pain," one Twitter user wrote, using the US military's acronyms for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The US launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. The conflicts left thousands of American service members dead and many more wounded. US troops are still deployed in both countries to this day. "My dad came back from fighting in Iraq and was abusive, constantly angry, paranoid, and following that went through a lot of therapy but his mental and physical health is still off and he was definitely changed through all he had been through," another user wrote. "My son served and did one tour of OEF, he made it back, re-enlisted, and shot himself in the head," said another. "The 'Combat Cocktail', PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage. It cost me my relationship with my eldest son and my grandson. It cost some of my men so much more," another Twitter user wrote. "How did serving impact me? Ask my family." Not all the replies were about the toll taken by combat. "I was forced to resign my commission while serving in Kuwait during the first Gulf War because I am gay. I received another than honourable discharge despite excellent performance reviews," one man wrote. Another than honourable discharge is the most severe military administrative dismissal. It can follow a former soldier well into civilian life, leaving them ineligible for benefits and making it difficult to find work. The Army thanked those who replied to its official account, saying, "Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations." "As we honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of the fact that we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see."

US Army Twitter question highlights toll of America's wars

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother.

Mohd. Sardar, son of Mehraj Begum, told that last year an agent by the name of Mohd Aleem had approached his mother and offered her the job of a beautician in Kuwait with a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000.&nbsp;

He also assured that her good food and accommodation in Kuwait, after which his mother left for Kuwait on 24 September 2018.

He added, she was received by the employer and employed as a housemaid. "My mother adjusted and worked there as a housemaid.&nbsp;

They did not pay her the promised salary but she received 28,000. Her employers are making her work in four to five houses as domestic help. My mother fell unconscious due to extreme pain, despite which her employers are not taking to hospital and asking her to work by giving her a tablet.

Mohd. Sardar claimed that his mother`s employer had demanded Rs two lakh for sending her back to India."Where can we pay the two lakhs to him? My mother is being tortured by her employers continuously. They are not even providing adequate food to eat. I also approached the local police station and lodged a complaint against the agent who sent my mother to Kuwait."

Police said action will be initiated after he comes back to India. As she was fed up with the torture she ran away and reached the Indian Embassy in Kuwait two days ago. Her passport is also with her employer. I request EAM Sushma Swaraj to rescue and see that my mother reaches back home soon," he said.&nbsp;

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother.

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother. Mohd. Sardar, son of Mehraj Begum, told that last year an agent by the name of Mohd Aleem had approached his mother and offered her the job of a beautician in Kuwait with a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000. He also assured that her good food and accommodation in Kuwait, after which his mother left for Kuwait on 24 September 2018. He added, she was received by the employer and employed as a housemaid. "My mother adjusted and worked there as a housemaid. They did not pay her the promised salary but she received 28,000. Her employers are making her work in four to five houses as domestic help. My mother fell unconscious due to extreme pain, despite which her employers are not taking to hospital and asking her to work by giving her a tablet. Mohd. Sardar claimed that his mother`s employer had demanded Rs two lakh for sending her back to India."Where can we pay the two lakhs to him? My mother is being tortured by her employers continuously. They are not even providing adequate food to eat. I also approached the local police station and lodged a complaint against the agent who sent my mother to Kuwait." Police said action will be initiated after he comes back to India. As she was fed up with the torture she ran away and reached the Indian Embassy in Kuwait two days ago. Her passport is also with her employer. I request EAM Sushma Swaraj to rescue and see that my mother reaches back home soon," he said.

Man seeks Swaraj's help to rescue mother trafficked to Kuwait

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-denounces-israels-decision-over-hebron-monitoring-194610">West Bank city of Hebron</a>, diplomats said.

Kuwait and Indonesia had circulated the draft statement following a closed-door council meeting during which many countries expressed concern about the Israeli move.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he would not renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), accusing the mission led by Norway of bias.

The 64-member team of unarmed observers was established in Hebron following a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.

The proposed statement was to express the Security Council's "regret" about Israel's "unilateral decision" and call for "calm and restraint" in Hebron, according to the text seen by AFP.&nbsp;

It stressed "the importance of the mandate of the TIPH and its efforts to foster calm in a highly sensitive area and the fragile situation on the ground, which risks further deteriorating, as reflected in the escalating cycle of violence."

The text warned Israel that it has an obligation under international law "to protect the Palestinian civilian population in Hebron" as well as the rest of the occupied territories.&nbsp;

The United States, which has firmly defended Israel's policies at the United Nations, moved quickly to block the proposed response, diplomats said.

Council statements require unanimous approval.

Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the council would discuss a proposed visit to the Israeli occupied territories for a close-up look at the situation on the ground.

The Hebron mission is tasked with promoting a sense of security for Palestinians in Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank.

Hebron is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At least 600 Jewish settlers live under heavy military guard in the city, which is home to around 200,000 Palestinians.

Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron, diplomats said.

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron, diplomats said. Kuwait and Indonesia had circulated the draft statement following a closed-door council meeting during which many countries expressed concern about the Israeli move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he would not renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), accusing the mission led by Norway of bias. The 64-member team of unarmed observers was established in Hebron following a massacre of Palestinians in 1994. The proposed statement was to express the Security Council's "regret" about Israel's "unilateral decision" and call for "calm and restraint" in Hebron, according to the text seen by AFP. It stressed "the importance of the mandate of the TIPH and its efforts to foster calm in a highly sensitive area and the fragile situation on the ground, which risks further deteriorating, as reflected in the escalating cycle of violence." The text warned Israel that it has an obligation under international law "to protect the Palestinian civilian population in Hebron" as well as the rest of the occupied territories. The United States, which has firmly defended Israel's policies at the United Nations, moved quickly to block the proposed response, diplomats said. Council statements require unanimous approval. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the council would discuss a proposed visit to the Israeli occupied territories for a close-up look at the situation on the ground. The Hebron mission is tasked with promoting a sense of security for Palestinians in Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank. Hebron is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At least 600 Jewish settlers live under heavy military guard in the city, which is home to around 200,000 Palestinians. Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

US blocks UN move to defend Hebron mission

Kuwait reiterated its request to Dubai to release $496 million in frozen funds held for over a year and belonging to Port Fund, part of a Kuwaiti private equity, Port Fund said on Sunday.

The funds are at the heart of a money-laundering probe which is straining relations between the two Gulf allies.&nbsp;

The $496 million have been frozen at Dubai`s state-owned Noor Bank since late 2017, when the emirate’s public prosecutor, in collaboration with Kuwaiti prosecutors, started probing the lawfulness of their transfer to Dubai from the Philippines.

Kuwait`s Attorney General asked his counterpart in Dubai to help release the funds in October, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Port Fund said in a statement on Sunday that Kuwait`s Attorney General reiterated, in a letter dated December 30, his request to his counterpart in Dubai "to remove the hold [on the funds].. and enable the account holder company to transfer and distribute the mentioned amount."

Kuwaiti prosecutors have charged two Port Fund directors with embezzling funds that the Kuwait Port Authority and the Public Institution for Social Security had invested in Port Fund. The executives deny this.

A spokeswoman for the Dubai government said last month that judicial authorities in the United Arab Emirates were awaiting a final judgment from Kuwaiti courts on the funds to transfer them back to Kuwait "based on international standard laws and procedures".

Kuwait reiterated its request to Dubai to release $496 million in frozen funds held for over a year and belonging to Port Fund, part of a Kuwaiti private equity, Port Fund said on Sunday.

Kuwait reiterated its request to Dubai to release $496 million in frozen funds held for over a year and belonging to Port Fund, part of a Kuwaiti private equity, Port Fund said on Sunday. The funds are at the heart of a money-laundering probe which is straining relations between the two Gulf allies. The $496 million have been frozen at Dubai`s state-owned Noor Bank since late 2017, when the emirate’s public prosecutor, in collaboration with Kuwaiti prosecutors, started probing the lawfulness of their transfer to Dubai from the Philippines. Kuwait`s Attorney General asked his counterpart in Dubai to help release the funds in October, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Port Fund said in a statement on Sunday that Kuwait`s Attorney General reiterated, in a letter dated December 30, his request to his counterpart in Dubai "to remove the hold [on the funds].. and enable the account holder company to transfer and distribute the mentioned amount." Kuwaiti prosecutors have charged two Port Fund directors with embezzling funds that the Kuwait Port Authority and the Public Institution for Social Security had invested in Port Fund. The executives deny this. A spokeswoman for the Dubai government said last month that judicial authorities in the United Arab Emirates were awaiting a final judgment from Kuwaiti courts on the funds to transfer them back to Kuwait "based on international standard laws and procedures".

Kuwait reiterates request to Dubai to release $496 million frozen funds

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver. That puts on course the fructification of efforts which commenced many summers ago but got an impetus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016, leading to the signing of the trilateral tripartite agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan.

The US provided an “exception” from certain sanctions, to the Iranian port of Chabahar that India has developed and used for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This exemption is in addition to temporary freedom from sanctions that the US announced for India and seven major importers of Iranian crude oil.

Why is Chabahar strategically important, for India, the US, Iran and Afghanistan? That will answer many questions. It starts with the fact that its geostrategic location, outside the Persian Gulf and yet on the Iranian coastline, puts it slightly out of harm’s way in the event of the Straits of Hormuz being forcibly closed; although, it is well appreciated that such a closure will no doubt presuppose an adverse effect on all of Iran’s port facilities.

To access Central Asia, often referred to as the heart of Asia, and Afghanistan, there are only two routes from the Indian Ocean. The first is from Pakistan’s Gwadar or Karachi ports and the second is from Chabahar which lies on the southeastern coast of Iran in the Sistan-Baluchistan province. Why the US agreed to waive sanctions for activities connected with the development of the port is simply because India is the nation providing alternatives for establishing communication arteries to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.

For 17 years, the US has fought in Afghanistan and depended on a single artery for its logistics; through Karachi and Pakistan-Baluchistan into Afghan territory. Due to its animosity with Iran, the clearly viable alternative via Chabahar through Iranian territory, to West Afghanistan could not be exploited. The lack of development of Chabahar placed Afghanistan in a predicament because of its reliance on Karachi with all strings in the hands of none-too-friendly Pakistan.

India’s stakes in Afghanistan being high, the realization perhaps came late that Chabahar had serious transformational strategic potential to bypass Pakistan. Once India demonstrated its deep interest and the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan was signed in mid-2016, the movement of a consignment of wheat from Kandla port in Gujarat to Kabul via Chabahar went through smoothly; that experiment spurred further movement on Chabahar.

With portents of conflict termination in Afghanistan, the US too realised the important role India could play at this stage, such that all eggs were not in Pakistan’s basket. Otherwise all Pakistan needed to do in order to bring down the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) was to establish a blockade from Karachi and the landlocked state of Afghanistan would have few options.

The tripartite agreement resolved that problem and increased India’s significance in Afghanistan. With India’s access via Chabahar, the viability of maintaining Afghanistan as a state under current dispensation, with minimal US presence, exponentially increases and there is considerable risk reduction. The joint Indian and US strategic interests in Afghanistan aim at the dilution of Pakistani influence and capability.

For the US the option of India in control is far more positive than leaving this to the stranglehold of China, Russia and Pakistan with the latter continuing to improve relations with Iran. For the Afghan NUG, this is as blissful a situation as it can expect with reduction of dependence on Pakistan and an avenue open to trade and assistance from India.

The Indian firm India Ports Global Limited has formally taken over operations at the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. The routes for trade and transit corridors between the three countries have been finalised but this will remain work in progress as subsequent infrastructure caters for railway connectivity and eventual linkage to the INSTC.

While India has successfully completed a major geostrategic venture on one flank of the Persian Gulf, it needs to be mindful of the fact that its interests are divided on both sides of the Gulf. That is where the last few years of straddling diplomacy, which the Ministry of External Affairs has done with a fair degree of aplomb, will hopefully pay a dividend. India remains one of those unique countries which the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran visited within two weeks of each other.

India has long and extremely important relationships with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait which are as strategic as any of its relationships. The world of multilateralism is a sphere in which India is getting increasingly competent. That is why it needs to believe that Chabahar is the opening to the long-awaited strategic and civilisational relationship with Iran which need not be at the cost of the same which must be pursued with the Arab Gulf countries with equal vigour. 2018 was a good year for this, 2019 promises to be better.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-iran-a-port-of-call-for-india-2704295">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver.

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver. That puts on course the fructification of efforts which commenced many summers ago but got an impetus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016, leading to the signing of the trilateral tripartite agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan. The US provided an “exception” from certain sanctions, to the Iranian port of Chabahar that India has developed and used for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This exemption is in addition to temporary freedom from sanctions that the US announced for India and seven major importers of Iranian crude oil. Why is Chabahar strategically important, for India, the US, Iran and Afghanistan? That will answer many questions. It starts with the fact that its geostrategic location, outside the Persian Gulf and yet on the Iranian coastline, puts it slightly out of harm’s way in the event of the Straits of Hormuz being forcibly closed; although, it is well appreciated that such a closure will no doubt presuppose an adverse effect on all of Iran’s port facilities. To access Central Asia, often referred to as the heart of Asia, and Afghanistan, there are only two routes from the Indian Ocean. The first is from Pakistan’s Gwadar or Karachi ports and the second is from Chabahar which lies on the southeastern coast of Iran in the Sistan-Baluchistan province. Why the US agreed to waive sanctions for activities connected with the development of the port is simply because India is the nation providing alternatives for establishing communication arteries to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. For 17 years, the US has fought in Afghanistan and depended on a single artery for its logistics; through Karachi and Pakistan-Baluchistan into Afghan territory. Due to its animosity with Iran, the clearly viable alternative via Chabahar through Iranian territory, to West Afghanistan could not be exploited. The lack of development of Chabahar placed Afghanistan in a predicament because of its reliance on Karachi with all strings in the hands of none-too-friendly Pakistan. India’s stakes in Afghanistan being high, the realization perhaps came late that Chabahar had serious transformational strategic potential to bypass Pakistan. Once India demonstrated its deep interest and the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan was signed in mid-2016, the movement of a consignment of wheat from Kandla port in Gujarat to Kabul via Chabahar went through smoothly; that experiment spurred further movement on Chabahar. With portents of conflict termination in Afghanistan, the US too realised the important role India could play at this stage, such that all eggs were not in Pakistan’s basket. Otherwise all Pakistan needed to do in order to bring down the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) was to establish a blockade from Karachi and the landlocked state of Afghanistan would have few options. The tripartite agreement resolved that problem and increased India’s significance in Afghanistan. With India’s access via Chabahar, the viability of maintaining Afghanistan as a state under current dispensation, with minimal US presence, exponentially increases and there is considerable risk reduction. The joint Indian and US strategic interests in Afghanistan aim at the dilution of Pakistani influence and capability. For the US the option of India in control is far more positive than leaving this to the stranglehold of China, Russia and Pakistan with the latter continuing to improve relations with Iran. For the Afghan NUG, this is as blissful a situation as it can expect with reduction of dependence on Pakistan and an avenue open to trade and assistance from India. The Indian firm India Ports Global Limited has formally taken over operations at the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. The routes for trade and transit corridors between the three countries have been finalised but this will remain work in progress as subsequent infrastructure caters for railway connectivity and eventual linkage to the INSTC. While India has successfully completed a major geostrategic venture on one flank of the Persian Gulf, it needs to be mindful of the fact that its interests are divided on both sides of the Gulf. That is where the last few years of straddling diplomacy, which the Ministry of External Affairs has done with a fair degree of aplomb, will hopefully pay a dividend. India remains one of those unique countries which the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran visited within two weeks of each other. India has long and extremely important relationships with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait which are as strategic as any of its relationships. The world of multilateralism is a sphere in which India is getting increasingly competent. That is why it needs to believe that Chabahar is the opening to the long-awaited strategic and civilisational relationship with Iran which need not be at the cost of the same which must be pursued with the Arab Gulf countries with equal vigour. 2018 was a good year for this, 2019 promises to be better. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iran: A port of call for India

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip but there was no agreement on how to address the crisis, diplomats said.

Kuwait, which represents Arab countries at the council, and Bolivia requested the meeting following the worst flareup in Gaza since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.&nbsp;

Addressing reporters after the 50-minute meeting, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the council was "paralyzed" and had "failed to shoulder its responsibility" to take action to end the violence.

"There is one country that is not allowing discussion at the council," Mansour told reporters, in a reference to the United States, which has taken a pro-Israeli stance under President Donald Trump.

There was no statement from the council on the crisis. Such statements are agreed by consensus by all 15 council members.

Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the majority of council members were of the view that the top UN body "should do something" and some suggested a visit to the region, but no decision was taken.

Palestinian militant groups including Hamas, which rules Gaza, issued a joint statement earlier announcing an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel.

The groups said they would abide by the truce as long as Israel did the same, but there was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon earlier said "we will not accept a call for both sides to exercise restraint" and laid the blame for the violence squarely on the Palestinians.

Seven Palestinians were killed in Gaza as Israeli strikes targeted militants and flattened buildings in the worst escalation of violence since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.

The latest round of violence began on Sunday with a botched Israeli special forces operation inside the Gaza Strip that turned deadly and prompted Hamas to vow revenge.

Palestinian militants responded with rocket and mortar fire. An anti-tank missile hit a bus that Hamas says was being used by Israeli soldiers. A soldier was severely wounded in the attack.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and protests and clashes along the Gaza border since March 30 have repeatedly raised fears of a fourth.

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip but there was no agreement on how to address the crisis, diplomats said.

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip but there was no agreement on how to address the crisis, diplomats said. Kuwait, which represents Arab countries at the council, and Bolivia requested the meeting following the worst flareup in Gaza since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel. Addressing reporters after the 50-minute meeting, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the council was "paralyzed" and had "failed to shoulder its responsibility" to take action to end the violence. "There is one country that is not allowing discussion at the council," Mansour told reporters, in a reference to the United States, which has taken a pro-Israeli stance under President Donald Trump. There was no statement from the council on the crisis. Such statements are agreed by consensus by all 15 council members. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the majority of council members were of the view that the top UN body "should do something" and some suggested a visit to the region, but no decision was taken. Palestinian militant groups including Hamas, which rules Gaza, issued a joint statement earlier announcing an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel. The groups said they would abide by the truce as long as Israel did the same, but there was no immediate comment from the Israeli side. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon earlier said "we will not accept a call for both sides to exercise restraint" and laid the blame for the violence squarely on the Palestinians. Seven Palestinians were killed in Gaza as Israeli strikes targeted militants and flattened buildings in the worst escalation of violence since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. The latest round of violence began on Sunday with a botched Israeli special forces operation inside the Gaza Strip that turned deadly and prompted Hamas to vow revenge. Palestinian militants responded with rocket and mortar fire. An anti-tank missile hit a bus that Hamas says was being used by Israeli soldiers. A soldier was severely wounded in the attack. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and protests and clashes along the Gaza border since March 30 have repeatedly raised fears of a fourth.

UN Security Council meets to discuss escalation of violence in Gaza Strip

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday departed for a four-day visit to the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "For an enhanced engagement with India`s extended neighbourhood. EAM @SushmaSwaraj emplanes for the first leg of a four day visit to the Gulf region. EAM will visit Qatar &amp; Kuwait to take forward discussions &amp; decisions for strengthing the bilateral relationships."

Swaraj will have engagements in Qatar on October 28-29 and in Kuwait on October 30-31.

This will be her first visit to both the countries.

In Qatar, Swaraj will interact with her counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar.

She will also call on His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.

During her visit, the External Affairs Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Doha.

Qatar hosts about seven lakh Indians who form the largest expatriate community there.

The tiny Gulf nation is a reliable energy partner, supplying more than 50 per cent of India`s natural gas imports.

The bilateral trade between the two countries was USD 9.9 billion in 2017-18.

In Kuwait, Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her counterpart, His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait.

She will also call on His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and interact with the Indian community.

Kuwait is a reliable energy supplier to India and hosts about ten lakh Indians forming the largest expatriate community.

India`s bilateral trade with Kuwait was USD 8.5 billion in 2017-18.

The two-nation visit is in pursuit of India`s objective of enhanced engagement with the Gulf region which is in India`s extended neighbourhood, the MEA said in a statement.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday departed for a four-day visit to the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "For an enhanced engagement with India`s extended neighbourhood.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday departed for a four-day visit to the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "For an enhanced engagement with India`s extended neighbourhood. EAM @SushmaSwaraj emplanes for the first leg of a four day visit to the Gulf region. EAM will visit Qatar & Kuwait to take forward discussions & decisions for strengthing the bilateral relationships." Swaraj will have engagements in Qatar on October 28-29 and in Kuwait on October 30-31. This will be her first visit to both the countries. In Qatar, Swaraj will interact with her counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. She will also call on His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. During her visit, the External Affairs Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Doha. Qatar hosts about seven lakh Indians who form the largest expatriate community there. The tiny Gulf nation is a reliable energy partner, supplying more than 50 per cent of India`s natural gas imports. The bilateral trade between the two countries was USD 9.9 billion in 2017-18. In Kuwait, Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her counterpart, His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait. She will also call on His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and interact with the Indian community. Kuwait is a reliable energy supplier to India and hosts about ten lakh Indians forming the largest expatriate community. India`s bilateral trade with Kuwait was USD 8.5 billion in 2017-18. The two-nation visit is in pursuit of India`s objective of enhanced engagement with the Gulf region which is in India`s extended neighbourhood, the MEA said in a statement.

Sushma Swaraj leaves for four-day visit to Qatar, Kuwait

A video showing a senior Pakistani bureaucrat stealing the wallet of a visiting Kuwaiti dignitary has gone viral on social media, prompting authorities to suspend the high-ranking official, according to media reports.

The dignitary was part of a high-level delegation which was in the country to discuss bilateral trade.

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Grade 20 GoP officer stealing a Kuwaiti official's wallet - the official was part of a visiting delegation which had come to meet the PM <a href="https://t.co/axODYL3SaZ">pic.twitter.com/axODYL3SaZ</a>
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) <a href="https://twitter.com/omar_quraishi/status/1045761625888882689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Zarrar Haider Khan, joint secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production and a BS-20 officer of the state bureaucracy's elite Pakistan Administrative Service, was caught on CCTV cameras while pocketing the wallet which had a significant sum of Kuwaiti dinars, Dawn news reported.

In the six-second video clip, the bureaucrat could be seen lifting the wallet from the table and putting it into his pocket at a time when the Kuwaiti delegates and officials of the ministry had left the hall of the Economic Affairs Division after their meeting.

The guilty joint secretary has been suspended from service on disciplinary grounds after he was caught stealing. But so far, no complaint has been registered with the police.

The issue came to light when a member of the Kuwaiti delegation lodged a complaint with Pakistani officials regarding his missing wallet.

A search was conducted in the ministry and all rooms and offices were combed. Even lower grade employees of the ministry were quizzed and physically searched but nothing was initially found.

The footage captured by a CCTV camera installed in the hall was examined later, which revealed that the theft was committed by the senior officer.

When the officer was approached, he first denied his involvement. However, when the CCTV footage was shown to him, he produced the wallet, the sources stated.

When the Kuwaiti officials were informed of the recovery of his wallet, the delegation asked the authorities to provide them with the identification of the culprit.

The Pakistani officials initially showed reluctance and assured the guests that legal action would be taken against the person.

However, the sources said, it was on the insistence of the delegates&nbsp;who were extremely angry over the incident&nbsp;that Pakistani officials divulged the individual's identity and shared the CCTV footage.

Sources said that an internal inquiry was in progress against the bureaucrat and further action will be taken.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, when asked about the incident, said that most of the present bureaucrats had received their "moral training" by the previous governments.&nbsp;

A video showing a senior Pakistani bureaucrat stealing the wallet of a visiting Kuwaiti dignitary has gone viral on social media, prompting authorities to suspend the high-ranking official, according to media reports.

A video showing a senior Pakistani bureaucrat stealing the wallet of a visiting Kuwaiti dignitary has gone viral on social media, prompting authorities to suspend the high-ranking official, according to media reports. The dignitary was part of a high-level delegation which was in the country to discuss bilateral trade. Grade 20 GoP officer stealing a Kuwaiti official's wallet - the official was part of a visiting delegation which had come to meet the PM pic.twitter.com/axODYL3SaZ — omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) September 28, 2018 × Zarrar Haider Khan, joint secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production and a BS-20 officer of the state bureaucracy's elite Pakistan Administrative Service, was caught on CCTV cameras while pocketing the wallet which had a significant sum of Kuwaiti dinars, Dawn news reported. In the six-second video clip, the bureaucrat could be seen lifting the wallet from the table and putting it into his pocket at a time when the Kuwaiti delegates and officials of the ministry had left the hall of the Economic Affairs Division after their meeting. The guilty joint secretary has been suspended from service on disciplinary grounds after he was caught stealing. But so far, no complaint has been registered with the police. The issue came to light when a member of the Kuwaiti delegation lodged a complaint with Pakistani officials regarding his missing wallet. A search was conducted in the ministry and all rooms and offices were combed. Even lower grade employees of the ministry were quizzed and physically searched but nothing was initially found. The footage captured by a CCTV camera installed in the hall was examined later, which revealed that the theft was committed by the senior officer. When the officer was approached, he first denied his involvement. However, when the CCTV footage was shown to him, he produced the wallet, the sources stated. When the Kuwaiti officials were informed of the recovery of his wallet, the delegation asked the authorities to provide them with the identification of the culprit. The Pakistani officials initially showed reluctance and assured the guests that legal action would be taken against the person. However, the sources said, it was on the insistence of the delegates who were extremely angry over the incident that Pakistani officials divulged the individual's identity and shared the CCTV footage. Sources said that an internal inquiry was in progress against the bureaucrat and further action will be taken. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, when asked about the incident, said that most of the present bureaucrats had received their "moral training" by the previous governments.

Watch: Pak bureaucrat caught stealing Kuwaiti delegate's wallet, suspended

Three Gulf Arab states pledged $2.5 billion in aid to Jordan today in an effort to stabilize the U.S.-allied kingdom as it faces its worst protests in years over government austerity plans that include tax increases.

The money from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will go toward a deposit in Jordan's Central Bank, cover World Bank guarantees for the kingdom, offer budget support and finance other development projects.

The hope is the five-year aid package, which mirrors a similar aid package offered by Gulf states in 2011, will help Jordan come up with a new, more-palatable austerity plan to satisfy international lenders and its public.

The money came after an early morning meeting in Mecca attended by Jordan's King Abdullah II, Saudi King Salman, Kuwait's ruling emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's vice president and prime minister.&nbsp;

Also on hand was Saudi Arabia's assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though he sat off to the side of a circular table that hosted the leaders.

The statement quoted King Abdullah II as saying he hoped the aid would help his country overcome its fiscal crisis.

In December 2011, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council that is headquartered in Saudi Arabia pledged to give $2.5 billion in aid each to Jordan and Morocco, both of which had been invited to join the regional group that year.

The pledge from the GCC was to last five years. It expired last year and so far the six-member GCC has yet to offer any additional funding as the bloc remains split by a diplomatic crisis with Qatar. Jordan receives over $1 billion a year from the US, as well as aid from Europe and elsewhere.

Jordan's protests have led to the firing of its prime minister. While peaceful, the protests threaten the stability of a kingdom strained by hosting those who fled the wars in Iraq and Syria. Jordan also is one of only two Arab nations to have full diplomatic relations with Israel and plays an instrumental role in the region and in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

The money from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will go toward a deposit in Jordan's Central Bank, cover World Bank guarantees for the kingdom, offer budget support and finance other development projects

Three Gulf Arab states pledged $2.5 billion in aid to Jordan today in an effort to stabilize the U.S.-allied kingdom as it faces its worst protests in years over government austerity plans that include tax increases. The money from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will go toward a deposit in Jordan's Central Bank, cover World Bank guarantees for the kingdom, offer budget support and finance other development projects. The hope is the five-year aid package, which mirrors a similar aid package offered by Gulf states in 2011, will help Jordan come up with a new, more-palatable austerity plan to satisfy international lenders and its public. The money came after an early morning meeting in Mecca attended by Jordan's King Abdullah II, Saudi King Salman, Kuwait's ruling emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's vice president and prime minister. Also on hand was Saudi Arabia's assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though he sat off to the side of a circular table that hosted the leaders. The statement quoted King Abdullah II as saying he hoped the aid would help his country overcome its fiscal crisis. In December 2011, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council that is headquartered in Saudi Arabia pledged to give $2.5 billion in aid each to Jordan and Morocco, both of which had been invited to join the regional group that year. The pledge from the GCC was to last five years. It expired last year and so far the six-member GCC has yet to offer any additional funding as the bloc remains split by a diplomatic crisis with Qatar. Jordan receives over $1 billion a year from the US, as well as aid from Europe and elsewhere. Jordan's protests have led to the firing of its prime minister. While peaceful, the protests threaten the stability of a kingdom strained by hosting those who fled the wars in Iraq and Syria. Jordan also is one of only two Arab nations to have full diplomatic relations with Israel and plays an instrumental role in the region and in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

3 Gulf Arab states pledge $2.5 billion to Jordan after protests

Bollywood singer Adnan Sami faced a rather strange welcome in Kuwait where the immigration staff at the airport were allegedly caught misbehaving, calling him and his staff "Indian dogs."

Sami took to twitter and said "“We came 2 ur city wt luv & our Indian brethren embraced us with it. U gave no support. Kuwaiti airport immigration mistreated my staff 4 no reason & called thm ‘Indian Dogs’! Wn u wr contacted u did nothing!! How dare d Kuwaitis behave like this with arrogance?!” hr wrote to Indian Embassy in Kuwait as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp

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<a href="https://twitter.com/indembkwt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@indembkwt</a> We came 2 ur city wt luv & our Indian brethren embraced us with it. U gave no support. Kuwaiti airport immigration mistreated my staff 4 no reason & called thm ‘Indian Dogs’! Wn u wr contacted u did nothing!! How dare d Kuwaitis behave like this with arrogance?! <a href="https://t.co/9OPfuPiTW1">pic.twitter.com/9OPfuPiTW1</a>
— Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdnanSamiLive/status/993147114426380288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Soon after the Foreign Minister came to the rescue and asked him to call her. MoS Home Kiren Rijiju wrote: “Sorry to learn that @AdnanSamiLive. Our most dynamic EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji has acknowledged your matter. Pls speak to her now.”

Sami replied Adnan Sami also thanked Kiren Rijiju: “Thank you so much for your concern my dear. @SushmaSwaraj is a lady full of heart & she is in touch with me & is looking after our people.. I’m so proud that she is our foreign minister & looks after us all over the world.”

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Thank you so much for your concern my dear. <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> is a lady full of heart & she is in touch with me & is looking after our people.. I’m so proud that she is our foreign minister & looks after us all over the world. <a href="https://t.co/2KjCIyRG6f">https://t.co/2KjCIyRG6f</a>
— Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdnanSamiLive/status/993186164180963328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The singer had previously expressed his excitement to perform for the first time there. Sami was in Kuwait for his first ever live performance organised by Indian Cultural Society at American International School, Maidan Hawalli.&nbsp

The singer had previously expressed his excitement to perform for the first time there. Sami was in Kuwait for his first ever live performance organised by Indian Cultural Society at American International School, Maidan Hawalli

Bollywood singer Adnan Sami faced a rather strange welcome in Kuwait where the immigration staff at the airport were allegedly caught misbehaving, calling him and his staff "Indian dogs." Sami took to twitter and said "“We came 2 ur city wt luv & our Indian brethren embraced us with it. U gave no support. Kuwaiti airport immigration mistreated my staff 4 no reason & called thm ‘Indian Dogs’! Wn u wr contacted u did nothing!! How dare d Kuwaitis behave like this with arrogance?!” hr wrote to Indian Embassy in Kuwait as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. @indembkwt We came 2 ur city wt luv & our Indian brethren embraced us with it. U gave no support. Kuwaiti airport immigration mistreated my staff 4 no reason & called thm ‘Indian Dogs’! Wn u wr contacted u did nothing!! How dare d Kuwaitis behave like this with arrogance?! pic.twitter.com/9OPfuPiTW1 — Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) May 6, 2018 × Soon after the Foreign Minister came to the rescue and asked him to call her. MoS Home Kiren Rijiju wrote: “Sorry to learn that @AdnanSamiLive. Our most dynamic EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji has acknowledged your matter. Pls speak to her now.” Sami replied Adnan Sami also thanked Kiren Rijiju: “Thank you so much for your concern my dear. @SushmaSwaraj is a lady full of heart & she is in touch with me & is looking after our people.. I’m so proud that she is our foreign minister & looks after us all over the world.” Thank you so much for your concern my dear. @SushmaSwaraj is a lady full of heart & she is in touch with me & is looking after our people.. I’m so proud that she is our foreign minister & looks after us all over the world. https://t.co/2KjCIyRG6f — Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) May 6, 2018 × The singer had previously expressed his excitement to perform for the first time there. Sami was in Kuwait for his first ever live performance organised by Indian Cultural Society at American International School, Maidan Hawalli.

Bollywood singer Adnan Sami, staff harassed at Kuwait airport, called 'Indian dogs'

A dispute between Kuwait and the Philippines over reports of abuse of Philippine workers took a turn for the worse on Thursday with the Philippines expressing "great displeasure" about Kuwait's expulsion of its ambassador.

The conflict has been simmering for three months, sparked by reports that several Filipinos had been driven to suicide by the abuse of Kuwaiti employers.

The two countries have been working on a pact to protect expatriate workers after the Philippines banned its workers from going to Kuwait.

But on Wednesday, Kuwait ordered the Philippine ambassador to leave within a week and recalled its own envoy for consultations after embassy staff tried on the weekend to "rescue" domestic workers.

The Philippine foreign ministry on Thursday summoned the Kuwaiti ambassador to demand an explanation for Kuwait's action but was told the envoy, Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh, had left the country late on Wednesday.

"The department served a diplomatic note to the Embassy of Kuwait conveying its strong surprise and great displeasure over the declaration of Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa as persona non grata," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"These acts are inconsistent with the assurances and representations made by the Kuwaiti ambassador on the various concerns that were brought to his attention".

Officials at Kuwait's embassy in Manila were not available for comment.

Domestic helpers account for more than 65 percent of the more than 260,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, according to the Philippine foreign secretary.

In February, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called on workers in Kuwait to return home after the discovery of a domestic worker's body in a freezer in an abandoned home.

The Philippines says it has protested about the detention of four of its nationals who were hired by its embassy in Kuwait to help with the "rescue" operation last Saturday, and the issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel.

Kuwait has not commented on that publicly.

Kuwait's ambassador met Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday to resolve the dispute and they had agreed on measures to prevent a repeat of the incidents, the Philippines has said.

Cayetano issued an apology to Kuwait at the time for what Kuwait viewed as a violation of its sovereignty but he maintained the embassy was forced to "assist" Filipino domestic workers who sought help because some situations were a matter of life and death.

Foreign workers in many Gulf states are employed under a sponsorship system that gives employers the right to keep their passports and exercise full control over their stay.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have long complained that Gulf states do not properly regulate working conditions for low-income domestic workers and labourers.

The two countries have been working on a pact to protect expatriate workers after the Philippines banned its workers from going to Kuwait.

A dispute between Kuwait and the Philippines over reports of abuse of Philippine workers took a turn for the worse on Thursday with the Philippines expressing "great displeasure" about Kuwait's expulsion of its ambassador. The conflict has been simmering for three months, sparked by reports that several Filipinos had been driven to suicide by the abuse of Kuwaiti employers. The two countries have been working on a pact to protect expatriate workers after the Philippines banned its workers from going to Kuwait. But on Wednesday, Kuwait ordered the Philippine ambassador to leave within a week and recalled its own envoy for consultations after embassy staff tried on the weekend to "rescue" domestic workers. The Philippine foreign ministry on Thursday summoned the Kuwaiti ambassador to demand an explanation for Kuwait's action but was told the envoy, Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh, had left the country late on Wednesday. "The department served a diplomatic note to the Embassy of Kuwait conveying its strong surprise and great displeasure over the declaration of Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa as persona non grata," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "These acts are inconsistent with the assurances and representations made by the Kuwaiti ambassador on the various concerns that were brought to his attention". Officials at Kuwait's embassy in Manila were not available for comment. Domestic helpers account for more than 65 percent of the more than 260,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, according to the Philippine foreign secretary. In February, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called on workers in Kuwait to return home after the discovery of a domestic worker's body in a freezer in an abandoned home. The Philippines says it has protested about the detention of four of its nationals who were hired by its embassy in Kuwait to help with the "rescue" operation last Saturday, and the issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel. Kuwait has not commented on that publicly. Kuwait's ambassador met Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday to resolve the dispute and they had agreed on measures to prevent a repeat of the incidents, the Philippines has said. Cayetano issued an apology to Kuwait at the time for what Kuwait viewed as a violation of its sovereignty but he maintained the embassy was forced to "assist" Filipino domestic workers who sought help because some situations were a matter of life and death. Foreign workers in many Gulf states are employed under a sponsorship system that gives employers the right to keep their passports and exercise full control over their stay. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have long complained that Gulf states do not properly regulate working conditions for low-income domestic workers and labourers.

Philippines expresses 'great displeasure' as row with Kuwait deepens

Kuwait and the Philippines have signed an agreement regulating some working conditions for domestic workers in the Gulf State, Kuwait`s state news agency KUNA reported on Saturday.

The deal may end a two-month crisis sparked by reports that abuse by employers in Kuwait had driven several Filipinos to suicide.

The Philippines stopped sending workers to Kuwait in January after a Filipino migrant worker was found dead in a freezer, the latest incident in what Manila called a pattern of abuse in the Gulf state.

KUNA said a deal was signed in Manila on Friday after a meeting between a visiting Kuwaiti delegation and Filipino authorities.

&quot;The deal will ensure the rights of both employers and employees,&quot; KUNA quoted Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Consulate Affairs Sami Al-Hamad as saying.

Al-Hamad said the two sides agreed that domestic workers from the Philippines will have the right to retain their passports as well as the right to refuse being transferred to other employers.

There was no immediate comment from the Philippines government.

Workers in many Gulf states are employed under the Kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives employers the right to keep their passports and full control over their stay in the country.

Rights groups say this system leaves millions of workers in the Gulf region open to exploitation.

The delegation asked that hiring domestic Filipino workers resume at Kuwaiti agencies, KUNA said.

There are more than 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, the Philippine foreign ministry estimates, with most working as domestic helpers. There are also large numbers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. 
&nbsp;

There was no immediate comment from the Philippines government

Kuwait and the Philippines have signed an agreement regulating some working conditions for domestic workers in the Gulf State, Kuwait`s state news agency KUNA reported on Saturday. The deal may end a two-month crisis sparked by reports that abuse by employers in Kuwait had driven several Filipinos to suicide. The Philippines stopped sending workers to Kuwait in January after a Filipino migrant worker was found dead in a freezer, the latest incident in what Manila called a pattern of abuse in the Gulf state. KUNA said a deal was signed in Manila on Friday after a meeting between a visiting Kuwaiti delegation and Filipino authorities. "The deal will ensure the rights of both employers and employees," KUNA quoted Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Consulate Affairs Sami Al-Hamad as saying. Al-Hamad said the two sides agreed that domestic workers from the Philippines will have the right to retain their passports as well as the right to refuse being transferred to other employers. There was no immediate comment from the Philippines government. Workers in many Gulf states are employed under the Kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives employers the right to keep their passports and full control over their stay in the country. Rights groups say this system leaves millions of workers in the Gulf region open to exploitation. The delegation asked that hiring domestic Filipino workers resume at Kuwaiti agencies, KUNA said. There are more than 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, the Philippine foreign ministry estimates, with most working as domestic helpers. There are also large numbers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Kuwait reaches deal with Philippines on domestic workers

Kuwait&#39;s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced that the country may allocate close to $2 billion to Iraq to facilitate the country&#39;s reconstruction process.&nbsp;

According to reports Kuwait is likely to allocate $1 billion as loan and another $ 1 billion as an investment in Iraq.

The Emir identified the magnitude of destruction inflicted on Iraq perpetrated by terrorists stating that the same cannot be overlooked. He also stated that the international community must shoulder its responsibility and help Iraq.

The Emir made his announcement at the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) on Wednesday. He also congratulated the country for the successfully defeating the Islamic State (IS) in the country.

The three-day meeting began this Monday in Kuwait City and witnessed several economic powers as well as regional and international organisations in attendance.&nbsp;

The participants in the conference seek to contribute in the rebuilding process of Iraq -- the country was torn after many years of war and conflict.

According to reports Kuwait is likely to allocate $1 billion as loan and another $ 1 billion as an investment in Iraq

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced that the country may allocate close to $2 billion to Iraq to facilitate the country's reconstruction process. According to reports Kuwait is likely to allocate $1 billion as loan and another $ 1 billion as an investment in Iraq. The Emir identified the magnitude of destruction inflicted on Iraq perpetrated by terrorists stating that the same cannot be overlooked. He also stated that the international community must shoulder its responsibility and help Iraq. The Emir made his announcement at the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) on Wednesday. He also congratulated the country for the successfully defeating the Islamic State (IS) in the country. The three-day meeting began this Monday in Kuwait City and witnessed several economic powers as well as regional and international organisations in attendance. The participants in the conference seek to contribute in the rebuilding process of Iraq -- the country was torn after many years of war and conflict.

Kuwait pledges $2 billion aid to facilitate reconstruction in Iraq

The Kuwait&nbsp;government has announced an amnesty for Indian workers who overstayed without a valid visa due to non-payment&nbsp;of their salaries.

The amnesty has been granted from January 29 to February 22 and provides an opportunity for the workers to leave the country and return to take up employment later.

It1 came as a sigh of relief to workers living in Kuwait illegally. Their passports were taken away while the visas expired as well.

Union Minister of State of External Affairs VK Singh also met the unpaid workers during his visit to Kuwait.

Singh assured workers that the imposed penalty will be removed&nbsp;however, he wasn&#39;t sure about the workers getting their full salary.

Earlier this month media reported close to 4000 Indian workers stranded in Kuwait after a company refuse to pay their wages.

The workers were hired by a construction company which refused to pay them owing to insufficient funds.

&nbsp;

The amnesty has been granted from January 29 to February 22

The Kuwait government has announced an amnesty for Indian workers who overstayed without a valid visa due to non-payment of their salaries. The amnesty has been granted from January 29 to February 22 and provides an opportunity for the workers to leave the country and return to take up employment later. It1 came as a sigh of relief to workers living in Kuwait illegally. Their passports were taken away while the visas expired as well. Union Minister of State of External Affairs VK Singh also met the unpaid workers during his visit to Kuwait. Singh assured workers that the imposed penalty will be removed however, he wasn't sure about the workers getting their full salary. Earlier this month media reported close to 4000 Indian workers stranded in Kuwait after a company refuse to pay their wages. The workers were hired by a construction company which refused to pay them owing to insufficient funds.

Kuwait announces amnesty for stranded Indian workers

At least 4,000 Indian workers are stranded in Kuwait after a company they were working for failed to pay them wages, the Indians do not have enough money to come back home and to compound their misery the visas have expired and the company has kept their passports.

The construction company said it doesn&#39;t have funds to pay salaries to the Indians as&nbsp;projects have dried up.

Social activist Shaheen Sayyed who is closely associated with the workers said: &quot;Kuwait government is aware of the situation, it has said that the workers&#39; bank accounts have been frozen.&quot;

In fact, reports say the Indian workers haven&#39;t been paid for nearly a year, with some unable to afford to go to the hospital for treatment. The workers are reportedly afraid of being caught without valid visas.

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11th Night KN head office 
Stranded Indian Workers In Kuwait <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/indembkwt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@indembkwt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtectorGenGOI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProtectorGenGOI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vijaypdwivedi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vijaypdwivedi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KTRTRS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KTRTRS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/humanrightindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@humanrightindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Gen_VKSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gen_VKSingh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjakbar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjakbar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/meaMADAD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@meaMADAD</a><a href="https://twitter.com/MEAQuery?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAQuery</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianGov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sushilrTOI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sushilrTOI</a> <a href="https://t.co/HL5hkaPczZ">pic.twitter.com/HL5hkaPczZ</a>
&mdash; Shaheen Sayyed (@nihahs24) <a href="https://twitter.com/nihahs24/status/948404102995828739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The company has kept the Indian workers in a camp on the outskirts of the city. The workers have reportedly also demonstrated outside the company&#39;s office but most of them have stayed put at the camp as they don&#39;t have enough money to travel outside.

Shaheen said the Indian embassy is aware of the situation and has urged the government to set up a welfare fund to solve the financial crisis faced by the Indian workers.

&nbsp;&quot;We are trying to highlight this issue to the Indian government through social media,&quot; Shaheen added.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/indembkwt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@indembkwt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtectorGenGOI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProtectorGenGOI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vijaypdwivedi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vijaypdwivedi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KTRTRS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KTRTRS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/humanrightindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@humanrightindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Gen_VKSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gen_VKSingh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mjakbar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjakbar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/meaMADAD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@meaMADAD</a><a href="https://twitter.com/MEAQuery?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAQuery</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianGov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sushilrTOI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sushilrTOI</a> <a href="https://t.co/shGIB2xWop">pic.twitter.com/shGIB2xWop</a>
&mdash; Shaheen Sayyed (@nihahs24) <a href="https://twitter.com/nihahs24/status/948103398179688449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The construction company said it doesn't have funds to pay salaries to the Indians as?projects have dried up.

At least 4,000 Indian workers are stranded in Kuwait after a company they were working for failed to pay them wages, the Indians do not have enough money to come back home and to compound their misery the visas have expired and the company has kept their passports. The construction company said it doesn't have funds to pay salaries to the Indians as projects have dried up. Social activist Shaheen Sayyed who is closely associated with the workers said: "Kuwait government is aware of the situation, it has said that the workers' bank accounts have been frozen." In fact, reports say the Indian workers haven't been paid for nearly a year, with some unable to afford to go to the hospital for treatment. The workers are reportedly afraid of being caught without valid visas. 11th Night KN head office Stranded Indian Workers In Kuwait @PMOIndia @SushmaSwaraj @indembkwt @ProtectorGenGOI @vijaypdwivedi @KTRTRS @humanrightindia @Gen_VKSingh @mjakbar @meaMADAD@MEAQuery @MEAIndia @IndianGov @sushilrTOI pic.twitter.com/HL5hkaPczZ — Shaheen Sayyed (@nihahs24) January 3, 2018 × The company has kept the Indian workers in a camp on the outskirts of the city. The workers have reportedly also demonstrated outside the company's office but most of them have stayed put at the camp as they don't have enough money to travel outside. Shaheen said the Indian embassy is aware of the situation and has urged the government to set up a welfare fund to solve the financial crisis faced by the Indian workers. "We are trying to highlight this issue to the Indian government through social media," Shaheen added. @PMOIndia @SushmaSwaraj @indembkwt @ProtectorGenGOI @vijaypdwivedi @KTRTRS @humanrightindia @Gen_VKSingh @mjakbar @meaMADAD@MEAQuery @MEAIndia @IndianGov @sushilrTOI pic.twitter.com/shGIB2xWop — Shaheen Sayyed (@nihahs24) January 2, 2018 ×

4,000 Indian workers stranded in Kuwait as company fails to pay wages

Oil prices fell on Monday as last week&#39;s rise in the US rig count pointed to a further increase in American production that could undermine OPEC-led efforts to tighten markets.&nbsp;A statement by Kuwait&#39;s oil minister that OPEC and other oil producers will study before June next year the possibility of exiting their global oil supply-cut agreement also weighed on prices, traders said.&nbsp;

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.14 a barrel at 0418 GMT, down 22 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last settlement.&nbsp;Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were down 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $63.15 a barrel.

&quot;The largest concern for investors currently remains the rise in the US rig count, which could potentially jeopardise the OPEC and Russian agreement when they meet for a review in June 2018&quot;, said Shane Chanel, equities and derivatives adviser at ASR Wealth Advisers.&nbsp;

The number of rigs drilling for new oil output in the United States rose by two in the week to December 8, to 751, the highest level since September, General Electric Co&#39;s Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday.&nbsp;A higher rig count points to a further rise in US crude production, which is already up by more than 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.71 million barrels per day (bpd).&nbsp;

That&#39;s the highest level since the early 1970s, and close to levels from top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;Rising US output threatens to undermine efforts led by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-slip-as-us-drilling-undermines-opec-led-production-cut-16196">Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries</a> (OPEC) and a group of non-OPEC producers, including Russia, to support prices by withholding supplies.&nbsp;

OPEC and its allies started withholding supplies last January and currently plan to continue doing so throughout 2018.&nbsp;Kuwait&#39;s oil minister Essam al-Marzouq said on Sunday, however, OPEC and other oil producers will study before June possibly ending the global oil supply cuts earlier.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-dive-after-britain-votes-to-leave-eu-1097">Oil prices dive after Britain votes to leave EU</a>

United State's rig count rose to 751 with 2 more adding in last week alone. The number points to rise in crude production in U.S. leading to price drops of crude oil

Oil prices fell on Monday as last week's rise in the US rig count pointed to a further increase in American production that could undermine OPEC-led efforts to tighten markets. A statement by Kuwait's oil minister that OPEC and other oil producers will study before June next year the possibility of exiting their global oil supply-cut agreement also weighed on prices, traders said. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.14 a barrel at 0418 GMT, down 22 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last settlement. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were down 25 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $63.15 a barrel. "The largest concern for investors currently remains the rise in the US rig count, which could potentially jeopardise the OPEC and Russian agreement when they meet for a review in June 2018", said Shane Chanel, equities and derivatives adviser at ASR Wealth Advisers. The number of rigs drilling for new oil output in the United States rose by two in the week to December 8, to 751, the highest level since September, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday. A higher rig count points to a further rise in US crude production, which is already up by more than 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.71 million barrels per day (bpd). That's the highest level since the early 1970s, and close to levels from top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia. Rising US output threatens to undermine efforts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a group of non-OPEC producers, including Russia, to support prices by withholding supplies. OPEC and its allies started withholding supplies last January and currently plan to continue doing so throughout 2018. Kuwait's oil minister Essam al-Marzouq said on Sunday, however, OPEC and other oil producers will study before June possibly ending the global oil supply cuts earlier. Also Read: Oil prices dive after Britain votes to leave EU

Oil prices drop on increased US drilling activity

Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia snubbed its former regional ally Qatar at the annual summit Tuesday of regional monarchies as King Salman stayed away despite the presence of the Qatari emir.

The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit was going ahead in Kuwait City but amid uncertainty over which leaders from among Riyadh and its allies would join their Qatari rival for the talks.

The future of the six-nation GCC -- formed 36 years ago to bring together energy-rich Sunni Arab Gulf states -- appeared to be hanging in the balance.

This year&#39;s meeting comes with Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a bitter dispute with fellow GCC member Qatar, in the worst crisis ever to hit the bloc.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accepted an invitation to attend, but with only hours before talks were due to begin, Saudi King Salman sent his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in his stead.

Bahrain sent its deputy prime minister and Emirati media said the state minister for foreign affairs would represent Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

Those three Gulf states, together with Egypt, cut all ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing the gas-rich emirate of supporting Islamist extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh&#39;s arch-rival.&nbsp;

Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite a change of regime in Doha.

Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts within the GCC to resolve the crisis, but so far with little success.

Casting further doubt on the group&#39;s future, the UAE said Tuesday it was forming a new military and economic committee with Saudi Arabia separate from the GCC.&nbsp;

The committee &quot;will coordinate between the two countries in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields,&quot; according to a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic union grouping Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as well as Oman and Kuwait.

Dominated by Riyadh, it has been a regional counterweight to Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia&#39;s Shiite rival across the Gulf.&nbsp;

On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attended round-table talks ahead of the gathering, in their first such encounter since the diplomatic crisis erupted in June.

Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yussef bin Alawi sat between them at the meeting which the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait also attended.

After cutting off all ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands to have it lifted.

Bahrain in October called for Qatar&#39;s membership of the GCC to be suspended until it accepted the demands.

Experts warn that the crisis could lead to the demise of the once-powerful GCC.

&quot;The justifications for the existence of the GCC bloc amidst the continued crisis are no longer present like before,&quot; said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. &quot;As long as our enemy has changed from Iran to Qatar, the GCC will not continue.&quot;

The failure of the GCC members to solidify long-delayed plans for economic unity may also threaten its future.

The Gulf states have approved a customs union, a common market, a single currency and a single central bank, but most of these have yet to be implemented.

Speaking at Monday`s meeting, Kuwait&#39;s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the determination of member states to preserve the GCC.

&quot;The GCC is a continuous project in which the will of member states meets to build a unified Gulf body,&quot; he said.

The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit which was going ahead in Kuwait City witnessed the absence of the Saudi King

Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia snubbed its former regional ally Qatar at the annual summit Tuesday of regional monarchies as King Salman stayed away despite the presence of the Qatari emir. The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit was going ahead in Kuwait City but amid uncertainty over which leaders from among Riyadh and its allies would join their Qatari rival for the talks. The future of the six-nation GCC -- formed 36 years ago to bring together energy-rich Sunni Arab Gulf states -- appeared to be hanging in the balance. This year's meeting comes with Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a bitter dispute with fellow GCC member Qatar, in the worst crisis ever to hit the bloc. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accepted an invitation to attend, but with only hours before talks were due to begin, Saudi King Salman sent his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in his stead. Bahrain sent its deputy prime minister and Emirati media said the state minister for foreign affairs would represent Abu Dhabi. Those three Gulf states, together with Egypt, cut all ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing the gas-rich emirate of supporting Islamist extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh's arch-rival. Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite a change of regime in Doha. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts within the GCC to resolve the crisis, but so far with little success. Casting further doubt on the group's future, the UAE said Tuesday it was forming a new military and economic committee with Saudi Arabia separate from the GCC. The committee "will coordinate between the two countries in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields," according to a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic union grouping Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as well as Oman and Kuwait. Dominated by Riyadh, it has been a regional counterweight to Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's Shiite rival across the Gulf. On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attended round-table talks ahead of the gathering, in their first such encounter since the diplomatic crisis erupted in June. Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yussef bin Alawi sat between them at the meeting which the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait also attended. After cutting off all ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands to have it lifted. Bahrain in October called for Qatar's membership of the GCC to be suspended until it accepted the demands. Experts warn that the crisis could lead to the demise of the once-powerful GCC. "The justifications for the existence of the GCC bloc amidst the continued crisis are no longer present like before," said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. "As long as our enemy has changed from Iran to Qatar, the GCC will not continue." The failure of the GCC members to solidify long-delayed plans for economic unity may also threaten its future. The Gulf states have approved a customs union, a common market, a single currency and a single central bank, but most of these have yet to be implemented. Speaking at Monday`s meeting, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the determination of member states to preserve the GCC. "The GCC is a continuous project in which the will of member states meets to build a unified Gulf body," he said.

Saudi, allies snub Qatar at crisis-hit Gulf summit

The death sentence of 15 Indians, incarcerated in Kuwaiti jails, have been commuted to life imprisonment by the emir of Kuwait, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said Saturday.

Swaraj said the emir had also ordered that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.

The minister thanked the emir of Kuwait for his &quot;kind&quot; gesture.

In a series of tweets, she said &quot;the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment&quot;.

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HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. /1
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/914044605443670016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals. /2
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/914044707377889280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture./3
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/914044768941785089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she tweeted.

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Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison. /4
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/914044829461385218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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However, it was not clear that under what charges these Indians were put behind bars.&nbsp;

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said the emir of Kuwait had also ordered that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced

The death sentence of 15 Indians, incarcerated in Kuwaiti jails, have been commuted to life imprisonment by the emir of Kuwait, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said Saturday. Swaraj said the emir had also ordered that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced. The minister thanked the emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture. In a series of tweets, she said "the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment". HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. /1 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017 × HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals. /2 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017 × We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture./3 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017 × Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she tweeted. Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison. /4 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017 × However, it was not clear that under what charges these Indians were put behind bars.

Death sentences of 15 Indians commuted to life terms in Kuwait: Swaraj

Kuwait has expelled Iranian diplomats and closed some embassy missions after the emirate&#39;s top court convicted a &quot;terror&quot; cell of links to the Islamic republic, the foreign ministry said.

Kuwait had convicted 23 men last year including one Iranian of spying for Iran. The group was known as the &quot;Abdali cell&quot;.

&quot;The government of the state of Kuwait decided to take actions in accordance with diplomatic norms and in abidance with the Vienna conventions with regards to its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran,&quot; acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said.

Reuters reported Kuwait&#39;s foreign ministry summoned Tehran&rsquo;s ambassador and ordered the number of diplomats to be cut from 19 to four and the closure of the cultural and military missions.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave.

Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the&nbsp;terror link claim as &nbsp;&quot;baseless&quot; and threatened to hit back at Kuwait&#39;s decision to expel its diplomats.

&quot;Iran&#39;s strong objection has been communicated to Kuwait&#39;s charge d&#39;affaires. It was reiterated that Iran reserves the right to a reciprocal measure,&quot; said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in a statement.&nbsp; 
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A senior government official said around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave

Kuwait has expelled Iranian diplomats and closed some embassy missions after the emirate's top court convicted a "terror" cell of links to the Islamic republic, the foreign ministry said. Kuwait had convicted 23 men last year including one Iranian of spying for Iran. The group was known as the "Abdali cell". "The government of the state of Kuwait decided to take actions in accordance with diplomatic norms and in abidance with the Vienna conventions with regards to its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran," acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said. Reuters reported Kuwait's foreign ministry summoned Tehran’s ambassador and ordered the number of diplomats to be cut from 19 to four and the closure of the cultural and military missions. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave. Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the terror link claim as "baseless" and threatened to hit back at Kuwait's decision to expel its diplomats. "Iran's strong objection has been communicated to Kuwait's charge d'affaires. It was reiterated that Iran reserves the right to a reciprocal measure," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in a statement.

Kuwait expels Iranian diplomats over 'terror cell' links

Four Arab states currently boycotting Qatar for allegedly supporting terorrism have sent the country a lot of 13 demands, according to one of the countres&#39; officials who spoke to Reuters.

The&nbsp;boycott, launched on June 5, entails each of the&nbsp;countries&nbsp;cutting economic, diplomatic and travel ties with Doha The four nations who made the list of demands include&nbsp;Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahain.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The list of demands

Reuters reports that the four nations demand that Qatar:

Close the TV station&nbsp;Al Jazeera.&nbsp;

Reduce&nbsp;their ties with Iran.

Close&nbsp;a Turkish military base in Qatar.&nbsp;

Declare that it is cutting off ties with terrorist, sectarian and ideological organisations like the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Jabhat Fateh al Sham.&nbsp;

Must also surrender anybody designated as a terorrist on its territory.

Must stop interfering in the four countries&#39; domestic and foreign affairs&nbsp;

Stop&nbsp;giving Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries

Pay reparations to these countries for any damage or costs incurred over the past few years because of Qatari policies, he added

More, if Qatar does agree to meet this list of demands, the four countries will monitor compliance with monthly reports in the first year, then&nbsp;three-month reports in the following year, then annual reports in the next decade, said an official to Reuters without offering further clarification.

&nbsp;

Qatar&#39;s response

Qatar has denied that they are guilty of what the four Arab nations accuse them of: Funding terorrism, creating regional instability &nbsp;and warming up to revolutionary theocracy Iran.

Earlier this week the foreign minister said Qatar would not negotiate with the four states unless they first lifted their measures. Reuters was not able to reach him for comment.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What if Qatar says no?

The countries give Doha 10 days to comply, failing which the list becomes &quot;void&quot;, the official said without elaborating. This suggests that the&nbsp;offer to end the dispute in return for meeting the thirteen demands may&nbsp;no longer be on the table.

&nbsp;

How are others responding?

Donald Trump has called Qatar a &quot;high level sponsor of terrorism&quot;, but also offered to mediate to help these parties resolve their differences. Days after Trump plainly said&nbsp;Qatar sponsors terrorism, the US sold them $12 billion in weapons.

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The US accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism and then turns around and sells F-15 fighters, and continues to use the Al Udeid Air Base. Clearly politics is all very well but nothing can halt the business of America. WION brings you this report (WION)
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Turkey has so far taken Qatar&#39;s side. It has launched ships carrying aid in the form of food to Qatar, and yesterday sent a small a small group soldiers and even armoured vehicles. Turkey&#39;s president Tayyip Erdogan met with Saudi Arabia&#39;s leaders in an effort to calm the regional tension.&nbsp;

The concessions are not just numerous but large, and if Qatar agrees their compliance will be monitored closely for ten years

Four Arab states currently boycotting Qatar for allegedly supporting terorrism have sent the country a lot of 13 demands, according to one of the countres' officials who spoke to Reuters. The boycott, launched on June 5, entails each of the countries cutting economic, diplomatic and travel ties with Doha The four nations who made the list of demands include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahain. The list of demands Reuters reports that the four nations demand that Qatar: Close the TV station Al Jazeera. Reduce their ties with Iran. Close a Turkish military base in Qatar. Declare that it is cutting off ties with terrorist, sectarian and ideological organisations like the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Jabhat Fateh al Sham. Must also surrender anybody designated as a terorrist on its territory. Must stop interfering in the four countries' domestic and foreign affairs Stop giving Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries Pay reparations to these countries for any damage or costs incurred over the past few years because of Qatari policies, he added More, if Qatar does agree to meet this list of demands, the four countries will monitor compliance with monthly reports in the first year, then three-month reports in the following year, then annual reports in the next decade, said an official to Reuters without offering further clarification. Qatar's response Qatar has denied that they are guilty of what the four Arab nations accuse them of: Funding terorrism, creating regional instability and warming up to revolutionary theocracy Iran. Earlier this week the foreign minister said Qatar would not negotiate with the four states unless they first lifted their measures. Reuters was not able to reach him for comment. What if Qatar says no? The countries give Doha 10 days to comply, failing which the list becomes "void", the official said without elaborating. This suggests that the offer to end the dispute in return for meeting the thirteen demands may no longer be on the table. How are others responding? Donald Trump has called Qatar a "high level sponsor of terrorism", but also offered to mediate to help these parties resolve their differences. Days after Trump plainly said Qatar sponsors terrorism, the US sold them $12 billion in weapons. The US accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism and then turns around and sells F-15 fighters, and continues to use the Al Udeid Air Base. Clearly politics is all very well but nothing can halt the business of America. WION brings you this report (WION) × Turkey has so far taken Qatar's side. It has launched ships carrying aid in the form of food to Qatar, and yesterday sent a small a small group soldiers and even armoured vehicles. Turkey's president Tayyip Erdogan met with Saudi Arabia's leaders in an effort to calm the regional tension.

Arab states send Qatar 13 demands to end crisis, official says

In a first for the oil-rich Gulf nation, Kuwait has decided to put foreign bonds worth billions of dollars on sale in the international markets to finance a budget shortfall, a report said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Breaking a 16-year run of surpluses, the emirate recorded a budget deficit of $15 billion last fiscal year resulting from low oil prices. It is projecting a bigger budget shortfall of $29 billion this year.&nbsp;

Oil income had contributed around 95 per cent of public revenues for the nation. But with oil having lost around 60 per cent of its value in the last two years, Kuwait has been forced to launch the sale of its foreign bonds.&nbsp;

Finance minister Anas al-Saleh said Kuwait will issue US dollar-denominated sovereign bonds of up to $9.6 billion during the 2016/2017 fiscal year which ends March 31, Al-Qabas newspaper reported. This comes on top of a $6.6 billion domestic debt programme which is already underway.

Like its Gulf peers, Kuwait has taken some austerity measures that include liberalising prices of diesel and kerosene and hiking petrol prices. Parliament a few months ago approved a law to raise heavily subsidised power and water fees but exempted citizens.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and United Arab Emirates have also sold bonds or took syndicated loans to plug their deficits.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
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The global oil slump has put pressure on Gulf nations that have projected budget shortfalls worth billions of dollars

In a first for the oil-rich Gulf nation, Kuwait has decided to put foreign bonds worth billions of dollars on sale in the international markets to finance a budget shortfall, a report said on Saturday. Breaking a 16-year run of surpluses, the emirate recorded a budget deficit of $15 billion last fiscal year resulting from low oil prices. It is projecting a bigger budget shortfall of $29 billion this year. Oil income had contributed around 95 per cent of public revenues for the nation. But with oil having lost around 60 per cent of its value in the last two years, Kuwait has been forced to launch the sale of its foreign bonds. Finance minister Anas al-Saleh said Kuwait will issue US dollar-denominated sovereign bonds of up to $9.6 billion during the 2016/2017 fiscal year which ends March 31, Al-Qabas newspaper reported. This comes on top of a $6.6 billion domestic debt programme which is already underway. Like its Gulf peers, Kuwait has taken some austerity measures that include liberalising prices of diesel and kerosene and hiking petrol prices. Parliament a few months ago approved a law to raise heavily subsidised power and water fees but exempted citizens. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and United Arab Emirates have also sold bonds or took syndicated loans to plug their deficits. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Kuwait launches foreign bond sale to finance budget deficit

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