Wed, Feb 05 - 2020
News Summary Report
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Kuwait Cabinet Stresses Commitment to Support of Palestinians
Kuwait, Feb 03 (KUNA) – Kuwait’s Cabinet underlined its commitment to supporting Palestinian affairs and global efforts, including the US, aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the matter.
This came in a statement issued by the Cabinet after its weekly session, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah.
Ministers underlined Kuwait’s commitment to backing the Palestinian people at international arenas in their efforts to obtain legitimate rights in line with international legitimacy and relevant references, approved by international community, predominantly for the establishment of a sovereign and independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as a capital.
KUNA
Arab and International Relations Council Denounces the Century’s Deal Arab and International Relations Council categorically denounces the Century’s Deal announced by the US President Donald Trump as it doesn’t meet the minimum rights of the Palestinian people, undermines international legitimacy and human rights, and represents an aggression on the international law and UNSC resolutions.
“This deal represents a challenge for the International Court of Justice ( the ICJ), which confirmed non-legitimacy of settlements, or attachment of the occupied Jerusalem or the apartheid wall”, the Council added in its statement issued by its board of trustees after meeting yesterday in Kuwait.
Further, the Council urged all Arab and friendly countries to reject normalization with the occupying state.
Moreover, it supports the decision of the Arab League Council and the Islamic
After the meeting, Mr. Mohammad Al-Saqer, the Chairman of Arab and International Relations Council stated that there is a consensus inside the council of denouncing this deal. Meanwhile, the Council took several decisions relevant to some Arab countries, including Lebanon and Iraq and the foreign interference in those countries, and it indicated that the Council supports the establishment of a government that has the ability to manage issues there.
Mr. Iyad Alawi, the ex-prime minister of Iraq emphasized that while settlement of the Iraqi crisis as well as problems of the region are dependent upon Iraq being a positive player in the region without hegemony, the Century’s Deal undermines the Palestinian cause altogether and will harm Arabs later on.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mostafa Al-Barghothi, the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative Movement urged the Sudanese people to denounce the meeting of Mr. Abdulfattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan Sovereign Council and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister.
Further, Al-Barghothi expressed his pride from Kuwait’s attitude from the deal and its constant, serious and preliminary support to the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights.
Al-Jareeda
ECONOMY
Kuwait Oil Price Down to $ 56.93 pb – KPC
Kuwait, Feb 04 (KUNA) --- Kuwait crude oil price shed $ 2.77 to settle at $ 56.93 pb Monday compared to $ 59.70 pb last Friday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said Tuesday.
Outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, the world’s second largest oil consumer, caused the overall price drop.
Price of the Brent Blend contracts went down 3.83%, settling at $ 54.45 pb, the same case with the West Texas Intermediate contracts, which went down 2.8% to settle at $ 50.12 pb.
KUNA
Kuwait-Italy Trade Surges to $ 1.6 bln
Kuwait, Feb (KUNA) – Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday that total two-day trade with Italy hit $ 1.6 billion in 2018, adding that the lofty figure is a testament to the progress bilateral ties have made.
Kuwait considers Italy as a trusted partner, Chamber member Fahad Al-Jouaad said as he met with a sizable trade delegation from Rome, disclosing that Italy was among the top eight exporters to Kuwait in the same year.
Kuwait’s relations with Italy have made palpable progress, especially on the economic front, said Rome’s ambassador to Kuwait, Carlo Baldocci, who expressed his country’s eagerness to take bilateral ties to even greater levels.
Kuwait now enjoys alluring business environment that will allow it to lure a great deal of foreign investment, according to Mohammad Yaqoub, the assistant director general of the country’s investment promotion authority, promising foreign investors with bountiful opportunities.
KUNA
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
Kuwait Reports No Infections of Deadly Coronavirus – Minister
Kuwait, Feb 04 (KUNA) – No cases of infection with a novel strain of Coronavirus have been reported in Kuwait, the country’s health minister, Dr.
Basel Al-Sabah said on Tuesday, allaying concerns that the disease may have found its way into Kuwait.
Underlining Kuwait’s preparedness to deal with an epidemic the World Health Organization has constituted a public emergency, the minister told parliament that a slew of precautionary measures has been put in place to keep the illness at bay.
The measures include screening and testing passengers at Kuwait International Airport to determine if they showed signs of fever and respiratory illness, or if they have been in contact with a sick person, explained the minister.
Hospitals nationwide have been placed on “maximum alert” to prevent the spread of the disease, added the minister, in addition to proper hygiene procedures to help keep the Coronavirus outbreak in check.
On strategies to treat possible cases of Coronavirus, the minister revealed that special emergency teams have been assembled to assist physicians, assuring patients that medical facilities have been equipped with proper tools to support prevention and treatment efforts.
He went on to say that a plethora of seminars and workshops have taken place in Kuwait and the Gulf region as of late, in an effort to raise awareness about the pneumonia-causing virus, ahead of a pan-Gulf emergency meeting Kuwait has requested on a ministerial level.
While no cure has thus far been found for the deadly coronavirus, existing antiviral medications can prove effective in fighting the disease, added the minister.
With the death toll now at 426, the virus originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, spreading to other cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, in addition to the USA, Thailand, South Korea and Japan, amongst other countries.
KUNA
Kuwait Food Authority: No Global Recommendations to Ban Foods from China
Kuwait, Feb 4 (KUNA) --- Kuwait’s Public Authority for Food and Nutrition said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not issued any recommendations for nations to ban the import of foods from China neither has any country done so.
Based on scientific evidence from global organizations such as the WHO and other food safety bodies, food has not been identified as likely source of transmission of the novel Coronavirus, deputy director Reem Al-Felaij said.
The Kuwaiti body said it is closely monitoring food safety reports issued by the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAI), a body jointly established by the WHO and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.
It is also aware of the necessary precautions to be taken, if need be, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council regional alert system on the novel Coronavirus.
The Kuwaiti public was urged to abide by health and hygiene standards during the consumption of food, including the need to ensure that meats are cooked thoroughly before eating.
KUNA
Feb 18 Session is on the Same Date
Speaker of the National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanem said that the coming session on February 18 and 19 are scheduled on the same dates since requests to hold them earlier were rejected.
He remarked that March 3 session was delayed to March 10. “ As for the session dates, I said it clearly in the session. Previously there was a request to hold the session scheduled on February 18 on February 11, however, this request was rejected due to some circumstances of the MPs and the government”, said Al- Ghanem in a press statement after the session.
“February 18th session will be held on the same date. This means that in February the two sessions on February 18 and 19 are still existing”, he added, remarking
that the session scheduled to be held on March 03 was postponed to be held on March 10.
Al-Rai
Sources:
KUNA: http://www.kuna.net.kw/Default.aspx?language=en
Al Rai: http://www.alraimedia.com/
Kuwait Times: http://www.news.kuwaittimes.net/website/
Arab Times: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/
MEED: http://www.meed.com/
Al Anbaa: http://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper
Al-Seyassa : http://al-seyassah.com/
Al-Anbaa: https://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper/
Al-Jareeda: http://www.aljarida.com/
