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 Interior Ministry Highlights Successful Efforts at Countering Narcotics

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
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Saudi Interior Ministry Highlights Successful Efforts at Countering Narcotics

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood, said on Tuesday that the Kingdom implemented a comprehensive security campaign that successfully dealt with drug-related crimes.
He said the campaign entailed coordinated security plans involving all concerned parties.
Dawood, who led the Kingdom's delegation to the 2nd Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics 2024 held in Iraq on Monday, stressed the need to strengthen efforts among the participating nations to control the spread of narcotics and to discuss mechanisms to stop drug trafficking.
He emphasized that countering smuggling and drug trafficking fall in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 top priorities.
Dawood highlighted the Kingdom's commitment to dealing with the dangers posed by drugs to the security and stability of society by harnessing national capabilities to raise the society's awareness to this threat.