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February 08, 2025

Staff

Indian astrologer serves delicious dishes to 250 stray dogs every day

August 22, 2021

Ranjeet Nath, 58, is feeding about 250 stray dogs every day in the western Indian city of Nagpur, 844 kilometers (524 miles) east of the country’s commercial capital Mumbai.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on eve of International Homeless Animals Day, which is being observed on Saturday, Nath, an astrologer by profession, said he treats stray animals as his children.

“I treat them like my children. I am a spiritual person and believe that if I feed these stray animals then they will pray for me,” he said.

Nath, who has earned the nickname "dog man" said that he has reserved a part of his income to buy 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of rice for feeding cows and 900 kg (1,984 lbs.) of rice to feed dogs along with meat, every month. Every day, Nath can be seen moving around the city with several plates of food to feed dogs.

Nath said that it all began when he saw a dog starving and fed him with biscuits. “After that, I fell in love with dogs and started preparing food for them every day,” he said.

While he gets donations from some people, but a large part of the money is drawn from his income, which he earns by practicing fortune-telling through the study of the palms of people.

“The basic food of a dog is meat as it is a carnivorous animal. But many people are unable to feed dogs a non-vegetarian diet due to different reasons, although they wish to do so. So they give us money, and we use it to feed them,” said Nath.

He begins the day to attend to his customers and then visits chicken and mutton shops to buy leftovers, bones, and other material for 40 rupees ($0.60) a kilo. He mixes it with rice and prepares dishes for the dogs. He has two refrigerators in his home where he stores the food before feeding it to the dogs.

This May, people sent him donations to feed dogs during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Nath's wife Jayshree said that she supports her husband in this work. “Whatever he is doing is religious and humanitarian work. But sometimes people tell Ranjeet not to feed dogs in their areas,” she told Anadolu Agency.

Nath said he does not argue with people, who oppose his work but instead leaves the place quietly.

“It's my daily work and I want to do it peacefully. I can't continue if I start arguing with people,” he said./aa

Environment

Wildfire scorched an area in California roughly half the size of Chicago in less than a week as thousands more evacuate

August 22, 2021

California’s fast-moving Caldor Fire has spread so quickly that it burned an area roughly half the size of Chicago in less than a week, forcing thousands to abandon their homes.

An average of more than 10,000 acres was burned per day in El Dorado County since the fire was sparked Saturday. The blaze has so far charred more than 73,400 acres and remains 0% contained, according to a Friday morning update by Cal Fire.

“With historic drought conditions there is heavy dead and down fuels through the fire area,” Cal Fire said. “Northern California remains under fuels and fire behavior advisory.”

The fire had grown 24 times its size from Monday to Wednesday, but its pace slowed Thursday when it swelled by about 5,000 acres.

Many areas in El Dorado County remain under either evacuation orders or warnings. The number of people evacuated jumped to about 23,000 from 16,380 the previous day, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Evacuations were ordered in Lake County, California, where the Cache Fire burned through 75 acres, according to Cal Fire. Some of those orders were lifted as crews contained the fire by 40%.

The fire, about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, destroyed more than 150 vehicles and 137 structures, of which 81 are outbuildings, local officials said during a news conference Thursday.

Devastating wildfire season

California’s wildfire season has been devastating this year. The state’s 12 active wildfires swept through more than 1 million acres so far, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The rapid spread of the fires prompted the US Forest Service to temporarily shutter nine national forests in Northern California from August 23 until September 6.

“Fires are running very quickly due to the drought conditions, dry fuels, and winds. This makes initial attack and containment very difficult and is even more challenging with strained resources who are battling more than 100 large fires across the country,” Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien said Thursday in a news release. “These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts.”

And in drought-stricken Northern California, an already dire situation is only getting more ominous.

The US Drought Monitor reported that areas under either extreme or exceptional dry conditions, the most severe drought categories, have recently expanded.

Three months ago, roughly 16% of the state was under exceptional drought. Now, nearly 50% is experiencing that, according to the monitor, which is produced by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the US Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Areas under extreme drought also swelled to about 88% of the state, up from 73% three months ago.

But there is some temporary reprieve.

“As of right now, there is actually no areas of elevated fire risk throughout the West for Friday, but drought conditions will not improve for the West Coast any time soon. These areas are still seeing rapid worsening drought conditions,” CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said.

Dozens of fires continue to burn, but rain to bring some relief

Overall, thousands of firefighters are battling 104 large fires in the US. But there’s a glimmer of hope in some regions.

“With all this bad news, there is great news for the Southwest,” Shackelford noted. “Arizona started the year with 72% of the state in exceptional drought, and this week is down to 5.36%. And New Mexico started the year with 53% of the state in exceptional drought, and now is down to 1.68%!”

The states saw improvements as heavy monsoonal rains returned this week, the drought monitor said, bringing cooler temperatures.

“Most of the remaining drought in these states, while still extreme or exceptional in some locales, is confined to long-term impacts, as conditions are wet in many places on the short-term,” according to the monitor’s report. “While heavy monsoonal rain occurred in Arizona and New Mexico, moderate to heavy amounts were mostly confined to these two states.”

Meanwhile, wildfires have scorched more than 2.5 million acres nationally, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

California is home to the nation’s largest active wildfire – the Dixie Fire – which has destroyed more than 1,200 structures, including 651 single residences, Cal Fire said. More than 16,000 are threatened.

The fire has seared roughly 700,000 acres as of Friday with 35% containment, according to Cal Fire. The cause remains under investigation.

“The Dixie Fire remained active overnight, with the dry air over the fire,” Cal Fire said Friday. “Humidity values rose enough to limit fire progression in the early morning hours. Fuel moistures are historically low. Crews continue to strengthen control lines and mop up hot spots. Damage assessment is ongoing.”/ CNN

Muslims Around The World

'Rohingya desert remote Bangladeshi island for want of living'

August 22, 2021

At least 11 bodies of Rohingya refugees were recovered with 30 others still missing after their boat capsized last week when they were trying to escape from the remote Bangladeshi Bhasan Char Island.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mohammad Arafat, a Rohingya, said nearly 100 refugees leave the island almost every night in search of a better life, despite assurances by the Bangladeshi government to build infrastructure and provide a source of living on the island.

“We are as if confined in concrete structures. People in different cluster houses are not allowed to meet each other,” said a refugee on the condition of anonymity. He had recently left the island and returned to mainland camp located in Cox’s Bazar, a town on the southeast coast of Bangladesh.

He claimed that nearly half of around 20,000 Rohingya, who were relocated on the island, have returned to Cox’s Bazar braving risks to their lives.

As part of the resettlement plan, the Bangladesh government constructed 1,440 buildings, including 120 cyclone shelters, to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees from the mainland camps.

"I had a small grocery shop while I was living in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar and somehow leading a modest life with all my other relatives. I shifted to Bhasan Char hearing that I can do my business and for a better life. But I am very frustrated now as my business has stopped and even can't visit freely to my relatives here in different cluster houses," Ansar Hossain, a refugee, told Anadolu Agency.

He alleged that a local Bangladeshi syndicate is controlling all businesses on the island and making huge profits.

"The price of daily commodities is also extremely high on this island beyond the reach of refugees,” he said.

Earning livelihood a challenge

Most of the refugees, who have relocated said earning a living was a big challenge on the remote island.

"We are human beings and it is tougher for us to live on relief goods sent by Bangladesh government and some local NGOs for a long time. For our dignity and pleasure, we need means to earn livelihoods," Hossain said.

He said his community wants to return to Bangladeshi mainland camps and live there till repatriation to their homes in Myanmar.

Formed by Himalayan silt in 2006 the Bhasan Char Island located in the Bay of Bengal is 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Bangladesh mainland.

In April Human Rights Watch, in a statement accused Bangladeshi security forces of beating and arbitrarily detaining dozens of Rohingya refugees who had tried to leave the island.

The UNHRC also expressed concern at reports that Rohingya protesters were allegedly injured after they were beaten by security forces.

Md. Delwar Hossain, director-general at Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry, however, denied these charges.

“The stateless Rohingya fled from a brutal killing operation in their homes. For their better and secured life, we have even developed concrete houses on our island,” he said.

He said if some people think that Rohingya living on Bangladesh's island is not in good condition, they can take them to their own countries.

UN to mobilize international services

Hossain said instead of assessing facilities in Bangladesh, Rohingya should work for their peaceful return to their own country.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said his country was negotiating a deal with the UN to mobilize international services for Rohingya in the island.

According to UNHCR sources, the deal is almost in the final stage. UN offices concerned and officials of Bangladesh’s Foreign and Disaster Management Ministry are working on it, the UN source said without disclosing the details.

Bangladesh is hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees. Most of them fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August 2017./aa

Environment

How climate change helped strengthen the Taliban!

August 22, 2021

Rural Afghanistan has been rocked by climate change. The past three decades have brought floods and drought that have destroyed crops and left people hungry. And the Taliban — likely without knowing climate change was the cause — has taken advantage of that pain.

While agriculture is a source of income for more than 60% of Afghans, more than 80% of conflicts in the country are linked to natural resources, according to a joint study by the World Food Programme, the United Nations Environment Program and Afghanistan's National Environmental Protection Agency. In 2019, Afghanistan ranked sixth in the world for countries most impacted by climate change, according to the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index.

Over the last 20 years, agriculture has ranged from 20 to 40% of Afghanistan's GDP, according to the World Bank. The country is famous for its pomegranates, pine nuts, raisins and more. However, climate change has made farming increasingly difficult.

Whether from drought or flood-ravaged soil, farmers in the region struggle to maintain productive crops and livestock. When they cannot profitably farm, they're forced to borrow funds to survive. When Afghans can't pay off lenders, the Taliban often steps in to sow government resentment.

"If you've lost your crop and land or the Afghan government hasn't paid enough attention [to you] then of course, the Taliban can come and exploit it," said Kamal Alam, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center.

The Taliban has capitalized on the agricultural stress and distrust in government to recruit supporters. Alam said the group has the means to pay fighters more, $5-$10 per day, than what they can make farming.

"[Farmers] fall into choices. That's when they become prey to people who would tell them, 'Look, the government is screwing you over and this land should be productive. They're not helping you. Come and join us; let's topple this government,'" said Nadim Farajalla, director of the climate change and environment program at the American University of Beirut.

In the mountainous north, snow and glaciers have melted more quickly and earlier than ever before, at times flooding fields and irrigation systems, but also leading to snowmelt-related drought in the winter. In the south and west, some areas have seen heavy precipitation events increase by 10 to 25% over the past 30 years.

Those regions are often left reeling, without adequate aid from the former government.

"With poverty and war and everything else, climate change is the last thing on anyone's mind," said Alam.

Today, one-third of Afghans are in "crisis" or "emergency" levels of food insecurity due to drought, a danger potentially more threatening than the historic 2018 drought that left thousands dead.

Farajalla said even Afghans who move into the urban areas in order to leave the stress of farming behind still cannot escape the pressures of "people of ill repute."

"They become destitute enough to be given a few dollars to join this party or that group."

The ripples of these climate-spurned Afghans can last for years. Farajalla said farmers who abandon their land often leave their families behind, arguably making those children easier recruiting targets for extremism.

Climate change has fueled terrorism and civil unrest elsewhere in the world. Boko Haram gripped water-scarce central Africa in 2017 as they gained footholds along the Lake Chad Basin. ISIS has taken advantage of agrarian communities suffering from extreme drought in Iraq and Syria. Farajalla said arid or semi-arid areas in impoverished countries with low levels of education and poor infrastructure are all ripe for extremism.

The Taliban has not only used farmers and rural communities to fortify their ranks, but also to help fund their efforts by taxing farmers on their territory. Most crucially, they have controlled the uber-lucrative poppy trade in Afghanistan.

The country is the world's leading supplier of opium poppies. Not only has the Taliban made billions from their illicit drug trade, but poppies require less water than other crops, providing more stable means to struggling farming communities. Poppy cultivation is most abundant in the south of the country, where drought in part fueled by climate change has been the most severe and the Taliban is most popular.

These partnerships have helped the Taliban's popularity. But since taking control of the country, the group has vowed to make the nation poppy-free — a tenuous political decision that would not be popular with the rural communities that rely on the crop, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"If they went to go for the ban quickly, they would cause themselves a huge economic downturn. They would set off massive miseration of the population. And they would have real problems with maintaining stability," she said.

"Their own fighters often harvest poppy. For many of the fighters, poppy was the principal source to help them fund their family and themselves. They could do jihad for months but would have to disengage to harvest so the family had food."/CBS

Human Rights

PKK’s abductions of children take heavy toll on families

August 22, 2021

When one utters “terrorism,” what comes to mind for many is an incident or an act by a group.

But the word has a much deeper meaning for others whose lives have been directly affected by terrorism.

“I used to believe that death was the worst thing but the disappearance of my beloved boy Emircan has taught me there are things worse than death,” said Nihal Ciftci. Her underage son was abducted by the PKK terror group in 2014 and has never been heard from again.

The tearful mother recalled on the day Emircan disappeared she prepared dinner for her family so they could enjoy their favorite dishes while having conversations about the day.

But hours went by and Emircan did not show up, prompting the family to inform authorities about his disappearance.

When she was told that five families also complained about the disappearances of their children, she thought it could not be a mere coincide and rushed to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) office in Hakkari, where she learned that Emircan was taken to join the ranks of the PKK group.

“I found myself running amok trying to do my best to find him,” she said. Her search even took her abroad but PKK affiliates battered her to discourage her search.

Although years passed, her wounds remain fresh.

“I have sold everything I had including my house, furniture and every other possession. The peace has left our house. The whole family has been devastated. We are not the same happy nuclear family. Our dreams have been shattered,” she said. “Had I learned that he was dead, I would at least go to his grave and pray for him. But not knowing his fate, it feels like I am in limbo and dying every single day.”

The whole process took a heavy toll on Ciftci and she attempted suicide multiple times.

The only solace she now finds is joining the sit-in protest outside the HDP office in Diyarbakir province, launched by mothers demanding the PKK return their children.

Another soul whose life was turned upside-down because of PKK terrorism is Sevket Bingol. His son Tuncay was abducted in 2014 at the age of 14.

“Ever since my son was drugged first and then abducted to make him join PKK ranks, the joy of our family, the colorful feature I had dreamt of were gone. It is like a whole family lost part of its soul for we do not even know if my boy is alive or not,” said Bingol.

“My wife is about to lose her mental health. It is declining day by day since Tuncay disappeared,” he said. “This state at home reflects on our other children.”

Tuncay's siblings have lost interest in school and have been severely affected by the never-ending emotional discussions, or occasional breakdowns, according to the Bingol, who said his psychology was also not stable because he could not help think of other children who would be somehow abducted, or tricked into joining the terror group.

The UN General Assembly established Aug. 21 as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism in a bid to honor and support victims, survivors of terrorism and to promote, protect the fulfillment of their human rights along with fundamental rights.

Although one of the main goals of the PKK is to divide Turkey society, its forced recruitment and abduction methods have greatly backfired as a growing number of families have joined the sit-in in Diyarbakir since Sept. 3, 2019, next to the HDP building.

Families are in full solidarity and look forward to seeing the return of their children.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants./aa

Kuwait

Kuwait’s ‘MoE’s Plan To Burden Private Arab Schools’ – Student Density High

August 22, 2021

The largest burden of the Ministry of Education’s plan for the 2021/2022 school year fell on private Arab schools with high student densities, reports Al- Rai daily. An educational source explained that before the start of the school year, many of these schools started developing plans and proposals to adhere to the required health requirements, the most important of which was to arrange for additional classes required in some private schools to adhere to the maximum number of students in each class, which is 20 students only.

The private education sector includes 179 Arab schools – 79 schools for boys, 52 for girls, and 48 mixed schools. The number of students of both genders affiliated with this system is 90,021, of which 18,718 are Kuwaitis and 71,303 are non- Kuwaitis. The number of students in some classrooms ranges between 38 to 44 students. By dividing the class into two groups “A” and “B”, an additional number of students will be produced. It is necessary to open special classes for them in the educational stages of high student density. The plan to divide the semester into two groups and dividing the school day into two morning shifts is a proposal presented by the General Department for Private Education in April to solve the problem of student density in Arab schools.

However, it was met with the rejection of some parents regarding the mechanism of sending their children to schools in two periods, especially since most of them are employees of government agencies. Arab schools, and other private schools are working from now on to prepare for the next school year. They have been creating the appropriate educational environment for a safe return, after the long months of closure. The department circulated bulletins in this regard to all schools, including following up on the school building in terms of installing air conditioners, doors, windows, lighting and furniture, as well as educational facilities, including scientific laboratories, halls, computer laboratories, libraries, prayer rooms, and physical education halls.

The source stressed that the General Department for Private Education will not tolerate any school that violates health requirements. He said the department will conduct inspection visits immediately after the start of the school year to ensure compliance with what has been stated in the ministerial bulletins, especially with regard to the cleanliness of the school buildings, and the application of physical distancing among students both in the classrooms or during entry and exit. Regarding the increase of school fees, the source denied any increase in Arab school fees for the next academic year, but that these schools canceled the discount rate of 25 percent that was applied exceptionally during the distance learning period. He affirmed that the fees will return to their previous rate prior to the issuance of the decision to regulate it./ ARABTIMES

Kuwait

US thanks partners, including Kuwait, for relocation efforts from Afghanistan

August 22, 2021

The US extended, Friday, "special thanks" to a number of countries, including Kuwait, for transiting Americans and allies from Kabul, Afghanistan "through their territories to safety".

"Over the past several days, we have mobilized a global effort through diplomatic channels to evacuate US citizens, personnel from partner nations, and, of course, at-risk Afghans from Kabul," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.
Price said during the briefing "we extend special thanks to our partners around the globe who have been instrumental in this operation in all of its many parts."
"Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Tajikistan, Turkey, the UAE, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan have been or will soon be transiting Americans, or in some circumstances, others, through their territories to safety," he noted.
He also listed other countries who "have also made generous offers regarding the relocation efforts for at-risk Afghans."
"We deeply appreciate the support they have offered, and we are proud to partner with them in our shared support for the Afghan people," he affirmed.
"We are very encouraged that other countries are also considering providing additional support, and this is something on which we will continue to be focused." /Kuna

Kuwait

Kuwait registers record-low COVID-19 tests to infections ratio

August 22, 2021

Kuwait registered a record-low 1.89 percent tests to infections ratio as health authorities reassured that the country’s health system is stable, while at the same time urging the public to stay vigilant in order to avoid another COVID-19 wave. Kuwait had announced on Friday 226 new cases registered over the previous 24 hours compared to 11,934 swab tests taken on the same day. Total cases reached 407,878 as of Friday, while deaths climbed to 2,401 with two cases reported on the same day.

Meanwhile, the recovery rate reached 98.1 percent as 618 fresh recoveries were reported on Friday, raising total recoveries to 400,148. The number of people hospitalized with the virus stood at 340 as of Friday, with 173 of them in intensive care units, Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said, noting that another 5,329 patients were receiving regular treatment.

In the meantime, Dr Khaled Al-Jarallah, head of the COVID-19 supreme committee, said that following health protocols remains necessary especially with the impending return to school in campus starting October 3, in order to avoid a new wave of the virus. Despite the improvements Kuwait has seen in its fight against the virus, vaccination, health precautions and epidemiological surveillance remain necessary at this point, he noted yesterday.

Dr Abdullah Al-Mutairi, a consultant at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Jaber Hospital, said recently that three COVID-19 ICU wards have closed as patient occupancy decreases, while Dr Dana Al-Haqan, a pediatric consultant at the hospital, had announced last week that the last child was discharged from the hospital. Health authorities have recently announced opening new vaccination center as the country nears vaccinating 70 percent of the population against COVID-19./KT

Kuwait

Kuwait Sets Conditions For Entry To Kuwait As Covid-19 Infections Decline

August 22, 2021

The Council of Ministers is following up the health situation in the country, in light of the noticeable decline in the Covid-19 infections and the recovery rate which has increased to nearly 97.8%, Arabic daily Al Rai reported.

The Council is said to have discussed the recommendations submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Corona Emergencies, and decided the following:

— Re-operating the commercial flights with to India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal while adhering to the controls set by the Committee.

— Adopting the mechanism — controls and conditions — proposed by the Ministry of Health for inbound passengers entering Kuwait.

The mechanism includes allowing passengers to enter Kuwait even if they are vaccinated with vaccines not approved by Kuwait on condition they receive a third dose of one of the approved vaccines. Those passengers who are not vaccinated have to abide by seven conditions:
and also allowing unvaccinated visitors to enter with 7 conditions.

1- Get one of the locally approved vaccines, which are “Pfizer” (two doses), “Oxford-AstraZeneca” (two doses), “Moderna” (two doses) and “Johnson & Johnson” (one dose).

2 – For those who have received two doses of vaccines that are not locally approved (Sinopharma, Sinovac and Sputnik V), the recipient is to receive at least one additional dose of the approved vaccines in Kuwait.

3- The one who is vaccinated inside Kuwait must prove this upon arrival, through one of the two applications (immunity) or (my identity).

4- A person who is vaccinated outside Kuwait can prove immunization by presenting the vaccination certificate issued abroad, including the name corresponding to the passport, the type of vaccine, the date the doses were taken, the name of the vaccination agency, and an electronically verifiable QR code, bearing in mind that in the absence of this code the vaccination certificate can be downloaded via the Ministry of Health website link.

Entry procedures for the vaccinated

Those citizens and residents who are immunized must submit:

— Negative PCR test done within 72 hours prior to arrival.

— Register in the Shlonak application.

— Subject to home quarantine for seven days from the date of arrival, and in the event that the immune recipient wishes to end the quarantine, he can perform a single (PCR) examination inside the State of Kuwait during this period, and terminate it if it is proven that he is free of the virus.

Six conditions for entry to non-vaccinated citizens and residents

Citizens and residents who are not immunized and can enter must the country must:

1 – Produce a negative PCR test performed 72 hours prior to arrival.

2 – Register in the (Shlonak) application.

3- Subject to institutional quarantine for a period of 7 days.

4- Subjecting to a home quarantine for another 7 days after the institutional quarantine.

5- Conducting a PCR examination on the first day of arrival.

6- Conducting a PCR examination on the sixth day of institutional quarantine.

They must also pay the value of the two tests before arriving through the “Kuwait Musafer” platform.

Four conditions for immunized visitors who dont hold a Civil ID holders. They must:

1 – Submit a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours prior to arrival.

2 – Register in the (Shlonak) application.

3 – Sign a pledge upon arrival regarding registration in the application through a local phone number.

4- Commitment to a home quarantine for a period of 7 days from the date of arrival.

Conditions for visitors

The new controls set 7 conditions for entry to non-vaccinated visitors, which are:

The visitors must submit a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arriving in the country.

Must be subjected to institutional quarantine for a period of 7 days and another seven days home quarantine after the institutional quarantine.

Conduct a PCR examination on the first day of arrival.

Conduct another examination on the sixth day of institutional quarantine.

The passenger must pay the cost of the two tests before arriving through the “Kuwait Musafer” platform.

For domestic workers it is possible to recruit them if they have received vaccines approved in Kuwait (“Pfizer” – “Oxford/AstraZeneca” – “Moderna” – “Johnson & Johnson”) or even vaccines not approved in (“Sinopharma”, “Sinovac” and “Sputnik V”). The way to register is on the “Bal Salamah” platform.

Kuwait

Kuwait, Iraq restore diplomatic ties

August 21, 2021

Kuwait and Iraq restored diplomatic relations on Monday, exactly 14 years after ties were severed when then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein sent his forces to occupy the small Gulf country.

Kuwait and Iraq restored diplomatic relations on Monday, exactly 14 years after ties were severed when then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein sent his forces to occupy the small Gulf country.

"The two sides discussed ways of boosting cooperation between the two countries in all fields and agreed to resume full diplomatic relations," said a joint statement issued after a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah said that ambassadors would be appointed in due course "because there are formalities" which must first be carried out.

But while many in the country's lively press hailed Allawi's visit, some Kuwaitis remained sceptical.

"The basis of building confidence between our neighbourly people is for the Iraqi government not to bring up the border issue and to admit to the mistakes committed in the past."

Memories of the Iraqi invasion have been hard to shake, especially for families of missing Kuwaitis. The remains of some of those Kuwaitis have been found in mass graves in Iraq.

Relief worker Farid Al Awadi said Kuwaitis are well aware many Iraqis still believe Kuwait should be annexed.

"This is a product of years of brainwashing," he said. "We know we are brothers, but we still feel hostility when it comes to our sovereignty."

Kuwaiti firms are enjoying huge business pickings from reconstruction contracts in Iraq now that the threat of Saddam that had overshadowed political and economic reforms is gone.

But some Kuwaitis say Iraq's new government must offer more guarantees that past disputes will not resurface.

"We should not easily forget the past when considering the future. Although the economic environment is now positive, we have to be careful and vigilant to protect it," said Thunayan Al Ghanim, treasurer at Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East.

Kuwait has begun a crackdown on suspected Al Qaida supporters accused of enlisting Kuwaiti youths to fight U.S.-led forces in Iraq and in Kuwait, which was a launch pad for last year's war against Saddam.

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