No bird flu cases detected

KUWAIT: Commenting on fears concerning rumors about people infected with bird flu, Ministry of Health (MoH) Undersecretary Dr Majeda Al-Qattan denied any such cases and stressed that all poultry products and birds in the local market had been examined and that none of them pose any threat. Qattan also explained that eight cases had been thoroughly examined over suspicions of being infected with bird flu but all diagnosis results came negative.

General assembly meeting

Kuwait Teachers Society (KTS) Chairman Mutee AlAjmi announced that the administrative court issued an expedited ruling on the validity and legality of the measures followed by KTS to call for a general assembly meeting, according to correspondence with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Speaking at a press conference held yesterday, Ajmi said the ruling emphasizes the legality of the measures KTS followed to hold a general assembly meeting on February 19. “However, the ministry’s representatives acted strangely and left the meeting for no reason,” he remarked, explaining that due to a lack of quorum at the time set to start the meeting (4 pm), a legal measure was taken to postpone the meeting for half an hour and then hold it with whoever was present, which had been used for years. “This raises a huge exclamation about such an unjustified action by the ministry”, he said.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Social Affairs’ acting undersecretary Hana Al-Hajeri said the ministry requested postponing the KTS general assembly meeting to finalize the measures stipulated in article 25 of its law and to protect members’ rights. Hajeri added that the ministry’s representatives were present, but found only a few of KTS’ 10,578 members had shown up to attend the meeting, and thus the meeting was postponed for two weeks in accordance to the law for lack of quorum.

Outstanding women

A total of 112 women from 20 countries are nominated to take part in the Kuwait International Award for Outstanding Women, including 70 Kuwaitis and 42 others from the US, Europe, Asia and Africa, Security General of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development Khaled Mahdi announced yesterday. Mahdi explained that Kuwaiti nominees include 41 working in the government sector, 28 working in the private sector and 43 from various NGOs, noting that the nominees will be interviewed and the winners will be honored in a special ceremony on March 6, 2019.