Saudi Arabia Participates in GCC Celebration of International Women’s Day

Saudi Arabia participates in GCC celebration of International Women’s Day. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia participates in GCC celebration of International Women’s Day. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Participates in GCC Celebration of International Women’s Day

Saudi Arabia participates in GCC celebration of International Women’s Day. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia participates in GCC celebration of International Women’s Day. (SPA)

On behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Vice Foreign Minister, Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, participated in the GCC member countries’ celebration in International Women’s Day at the headquarters of the GCC General Secretariat in Riyadh, SPA said Saturday.
El-Khereiji delivered a speech on Friday in which he stressed Saudi Arabia's keenness on promoting women empowerment among the goals of its Vision 2030, citing the role of women as an important element of society.
The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Kingdom’s keenness to protect women’s rights, eliminate discrimination against them, and support them at all levels. Saudi women have become an essential partner in the transformation, development, and growth in various fields, he said.
He added that International Women’s Day comes amid difficult circumstances the Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip are experiencing, due to the ongoing Israeli violations of international laws and humanitarian principles.
He renewed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of Israel’s illegal practices and crimes against humanity and against Palestinian women and the people of Palestine in general.
El-Khereiji emphasized the need to end the war in Gaza, reach an immediate ceasefire, and ensure the safety of civilians, women and children in accordance with international humanitarian law.



Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Erupts for 2nd Time in a Week

Schoolchildren run during the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, as seen from Lewolaga village in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara on November 7, 2024. (Photo by ARNOLD WELIANTO / AFP)
Schoolchildren run during the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, as seen from Lewolaga village in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara on November 7, 2024. (Photo by ARNOLD WELIANTO / AFP)
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Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Erupts for 2nd Time in a Week

Schoolchildren run during the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, as seen from Lewolaga village in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara on November 7, 2024. (Photo by ARNOLD WELIANTO / AFP)
Schoolchildren run during the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, as seen from Lewolaga village in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara on November 7, 2024. (Photo by ARNOLD WELIANTO / AFP)

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in eastern Indonesia’s erupted again Thursday, spewing a column of hot clouds that rose 2,500 meters from its peak, three days after a midnight eruption killed nine people and injured dozens of others.

There was no immediate report of casualties from the latest eruption, which some described as the biggest they had ever seen from Lewotobi Laki-Laki..

The 1,584-meter volcano on Indonesia’s remote island of Flores unleashed clouds of gray hot ash Thursday. The mixture of rock, lava and gas was thrown up to 1 kilometer from its crater, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation said in a statement.

The volcano lulled in activity since Monday’s deadly eruption killed nine people and injured 64 others.

Monday's eruption affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages. About 4,400 villagers moved into makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption, which destroyed seven schools, nearly two dozen houses and a convent on the majority-Catholic island.

The country’s volcano monitoring agency increased Lewotobi Laki Laki's alert status to the highest level and more than doubled the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer radius since then, prohibiting any activity in that area.

Authorities warned the thousands of people who fled not to return home, as the government planned to move about 16,000 residents out of the danger zone, said National Disaster Management Agency head Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

“Permanent relocation is considered as a long-term mitigation measure to anticipate eruption in the future,” Suharyanto told reporters after visiting the devastated areas Thursday.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, known locally as the husband-and-wife mountains. “Laki laki” means man, while its mate is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman.