Kuwaiti, Iraqi Ports Halt Operations Due to Bad Weather

 Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
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Kuwaiti, Iraqi Ports Halt Operations Due to Bad Weather

 Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)

Kuwait Ports Authority suspended all maritime operations at its three ports on Monday due to bad weather, the state news agency KUNA reported.

The three ports were Shuwaikh port, Shuaiba port and Doha port, the agency added.

The General Company for Ports of Iraq on Monday halted all marine operations at its ports due to bad weather, the state news agency INA reported.

Basra ports were among those that halted operations on Monday, the agency said, adding that it was not immediately clear if oil exports were affected at the Basra oil terminal.

A heavy sandstorm in Iraq, the latest of what Iraqis say is an unprecedented number to hit the country in recent weeks, closed some state schools and offices and halted flights at Baghdad International Airport on Monday.

Authorities in Baghdad, including the Education Ministry, declared a day off for local government institutions, with the exception of health services. Hundreds of people across the capital and southern cities went to hospitals with breathing difficulties, medical officials said.

Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the climate crisis, according to the United Nations.

Drought and extreme temperatures are drying up farmland and making large parts of Iraq barely habitable during the summer months. The country posted record temperatures of at least 52 degrees Celsius in recent years.



Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its welcoming of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion on Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories and the court’s confirmation of the illegality of the Israeli presence in the territories over the past 57 years.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The government renewed the Kingdom’s position on the need for practical and credible steps to be taken to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

The cabinet was briefed on the telephone talks held between Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

The calls focused on joint relations and ways to boost and develop them.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international developments and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to end the war on Gaza and support peace in Yemen to achieve regional security and stability.

It urged the international community, particularly active and influential parties, to assume its responsibilities and stop tensions in the region.

At the domestic level, the cabinet reviewed the latest economic developments and key indicators, including the stabilization of inflation in recent months due to the robustness of the Kingdom's economy and the effective measures and policies implemented to address the ramifications of rising global prices.