Nasdaq Dubai Academy to provide courses in Kuwait on investor relations and financial public relations in association with FinanceTalking

Nasdaq Dubai Academy today announced its first Kuwait programme for investor relations and financial public relations, in association with specialist training company FinanceTalking. The aim of the programme is to promote best practices by listed companies in the region.

The courses have been organised in Kuwait in collaboration with the Union of Investment Companies.

The programme comprises three one-day introductory courses from December 13 to 15, followed by a one-day intermediate course on December 16, aimed at in-house and external investor relations and financial public relations practitioners.

Sara Kamal, Senior Manager, Business Development at Nasdaq Dubai, the region's international exchange, said: "These courses will provide valuable information about how companies can make timely and accurate announcements to the public, as well as understand regulatory obligations and identify their shareholders.

"High quality investor relations practices help to build public trust in the capital markets and enable companies to achieve fair value for their shares. Important steps have been taken in the region to improve investor relations standards, but there is room for further progress."

David Yates, a FinanceTalking associate tutor, will deliver the programme. David has over thirty years experience in the City as a corporate lawyer, investment banker and financial PR specialist

Ms. Louise Breen, a Director of FinanceTalking, said: "We are delighted to be launching this Kuwait programme, in partnership with Nasdaq Dubai, after the success of our initial Dubai programmes earlier in 2009. We are looking forward to helping develop best IR practices in the region".

Nasdaq Dubai Academy provides financial training courses for businesses and individuals in a range of topics including equity derivatives, trading, Islamic finance and risk management.

Source:ameinfo.com/

OPEC to leave output levels unchanged -Kuwait

KUWAIT - Kuwait sees consensus among fellow members of OPEC to keep the group's oil output levels unchanged in a meeting later this month, the Gulf Arab state's oil minister said on Thursday.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Abdullah al-Sabah, questioned about current inventory levels, told reporters: "Of course I am concerned."

U.S. government data showed crude stocks rose 2.1 million barrels last week, topping the forecast for a 400,000 barrel rise in a Reuters poll.

Asked about his country's position at the next meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Sheikh Ahmad said: "No change," adding that he "believed" there was consensus within the oil club on keeping current output targets.

OPEC meets to consider oil output policy on Dec. 22 in Luanda, Angola, with the world well-supplied and demand weak in key nations.

As prices have risen, OPEC members have increasingly exceeded supply curbs that were imposed when prices plummeted last autumn and early this year.

The group of countries that pump more than a third of the world's oil has kept its production target unchanged at meetings held earlier this year.

Source:maktoob.com/

Pakistan-Kuwait Takaful’s rights offer fully allocated

KARACHI: Pakistan-Kuwait Takaful’s recent rights offering to raise share capital by Rs 150 million has been allocated in full, Mr Imtiaz Bhatti, CEO said in a press statement.

Shareholders applied for 80 percent of the newly issued ordinary shares, ranked pari passu with the existing shares of the company in all respect. The remaining 20 percent shares were allocated to one of the major shareholders M/s Etiqa Overseas Investment Pte Ltd., Malaysia based on the terms of the offering memorandum. This increases the paid-up capital of the company from Rs 250 million to Rs 400 million, highest among all General Takaful operators in Pakistan.

The company intends to expand its Takaful activities across Pakistan through developing strategic plans. He added that the capital injection will support underwriting operations and business expansion, and will help in tapping new avenues for growth. staff report

Source:dailytimes.com.pk/

Tragedy as breastfeeding mother smothers baby after falling asleep on jet

The tragedy occurred on a Kuwait-bound United Airlines jet, which was diverted to London's Heathrow


A mother accidentally smothered her baby daughter to death on a flight after she fell asleep while breastfeeding.


The four-week-old girl was travelling with her Egyptian mother from Washington DC to Kuwait when the tragedy occurred on November 24.


Crew on the United Airlines jet were alerted by the 29-year-old mother's screams.

A doctor travelling on the plane tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby.


The plane, which was over the Atlantic at 33,000ft, was diverted to London's Heathrow airport just before 10am, where police boarded.

The baby girl was rushed to Hillingdon Hospital, a spokesman told the Daily Mail.

However she was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.35am.

Three days later a post-mortem was performed on her at the Great Ormond St Hospital in London.


Police are still awaiting the results of that. In the meantime, the spokesman said, the death is being treated as 'unexplained'.

No arrests have been made in the tragic incident.


A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family.


'Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'



A mother breastfeeds her baby (posed by model). Experts have countered against breastfeeding a baby in bed, where mothers can fall asleep - as the mother aboard the United flight did

It is not known if the woman was travelling with anyone other than her child.


Officers from Scotland Yard's Child Abuse Investigation Team are now dealing with the incident.


The dos and don'ts of breastfeeding, according to the National Childbirth Trust:

Do try to support his back, shoulders and neck. He should be able to tilt his head back easily. And he shouldn't have to reach out to feed.

Do make sure your baby gets a big mouthful of breast from underneath the nipple.

Don't worry if your baby pauses while breast feeding. This is normal.

Do change position slightly once your baby is attached if you are uncomfortable.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. The National Breastfeeding Helpline is 0300 100 0212.

In 2004, Briton Lisa Briggs smothered her baby as they slept less than three years after losing another child to a similar tragedy.

Miss Briggs, 23, fell asleep while feeding five-week-old Keitha and woke in the morning to find her lifeless by her side.

Miss Briggs had lost her four-week-old daughter Cerese in identical circumstances.

However the Royal College of Midwives said in 2006 there are some benefits for breastfeeding mothers to share a bed with their babies, and a blanket message advising them not to do it could be counter-productive.

Melanie Every, a regional manager for the Royal College, said: 'We know that there are many, many cultures and many, many women who will continue to share beds with their babies, even when they are advised not to do it.

'Now, knowing that, it's important to give them advice on the safest possible way of doing it, rather than just saying don't do it.'


Babies can die of suffocation when their airways are obstructed by lying against their mother - a phenomenon known as 'overlying'.


Source:dailymail.co.uk/

Egyptians allegedly attack Algerians in Kuwait

CAIRO: Egyptians are still fuming over their ousting from the World Cup. As Algerians celebrated Friday’s draw for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa, three Algerian citizens were allegedly beaten by Egyptians in the Kuwaiti capital city, local newspapers reported. Al-Shahed daily reported that three Egyptians became enraged and attacked an Algerian at a cafe in Hawalli in response to tense words spoken between the groups.

The newspaper said that the Algerian citizen was allegedly beaten severely by three Egyptians at the cafe and had to be rushed to a local hospital where he is currently in the intensive care unity of the Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital.

They reported a security source had said the Egyptians were discussing the recent match between Egypt and Algeria in Sudan – which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Algerians – and this conversation “developed into a heated debate when the Egyptians tried to make fun of the Algerian.

Egypt and Algeria have been at odds culturally and diplomatically following the match in Khartoum last month after reports of attacks against Egyptians were published after the match. Egyptian mobs in Cairo attempted to attack the Algerian embassy in Cairo two days after the match, but were pushed back by security, but not before they destroyed a number of shops in the Zamalek neighborhood of the Egyptian capital.

In Algeria, the Egypt Air office was attacked by angry Algerians, showing how football can quickly take on another meaning for the two North African nations.

One of the Egyptians allegedly grabbed a shisha pot and hit it on the head of the Algerian and his friends too pounced on the victim and beat him mercilessly.

Acting on information paramedics rushed to the spot and took the man to the hospital. The Egyptians are detained at the Hawalli Police Station for interrogation.

The incident is the first between the two people’s in more than a week.

**writing by Joseph Mayton

Source:/bikyamasr.com/

FNC Speaker arrives in Kuwait

Dec 5, 2009 - 09:15 -

Kuwait, 5 Dec. 2009 (WAM) - Speaker of the Federal National Council H.E. Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Ghurair arrived in Kuwait this evening to take part in the 3rd meeting of the GCC parliamentary speakers.

He was received upon arrival by Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi, UAE Ambassador to Kuwait Hassan Salem Obaid Al Khayyal, and a number of Kuwaiti officials.

Source:wam.org.ae/