A Fragile Tomorrow is an American alternative/powerpop band from Charleston, South Carolina, United States, formerly from Montgomery, New York. The group formed in 2003 and included brothers Sean Kelly, Dom Kelly, and Brendan Kelly. In 2006, bassist Shaun Rhoades joined the group. The band has put out six studio albums, most recently the critically acclaimed  Make Me Over in 2015 and Generation Loss in 2019. As of 2020, they were working on their seventh record and third MPress Records release. The band has shared the stage with/opened for Indigo Girls, The Bangles, Matthew Sweet, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Garrison Starr, Antigone Rising, K's Choice, Drivin N Cryin, Continental Drifters, Blues Traveler, The Cowsills, Danielle Howle, Susan Cowsill, Amy Ray, and more.

Early years
The band was first formed by brothers Sean, Dominic, and Brendan Kelly. Sean and Dominic are two of triplets, all diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as infants, and their fraternal triplet died when they were 6. After first becoming a band in 2003, three years later, they had enough material for an  album, which led to their 2006 debut. Soon after the release, bassist Shaun Rhoades was added to the group. After ending their recording/management contract with Audem Records in early 2007, the band began work on their sophomore release Beautiful Noise, which was released independently in 2008. Touring in support of this release led to the band deciding to relocate from their hometown of Montgomery, NY to Charleston, SC.

The band began recording the follow-up to 2008's Beautiful Noise, titled Tripping Over Nothing, which was produced by South Carolina musician Danielle Howle in the summer of 2009. The album features guest appearances once again by Peter Holsapple and Susan Cowsill, as well as Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls. Consistent touring in Charleston, coupled with time spent in the area recording their third album, prompted the band to relocate to the Charleston area in late 2009, where they have since remained.

The album was released on February 23, 2010. The band put out the record on their own label, Piewillie Records. They toured heavily in support of it, opening for Indigo Girls
In December 2010, the band released a digital EP of acoustic versions of songs from Tripping Over Nothing, titled Palmetto EP.

Sean and Dom were featured vocalists on an Indigo Girls live release, titled "Staring Down the Brilliant Dream" which was released in June 2010. Additionally, they sing on the song "Closer to Fine" along with Michelle Malone and actress Jill Hennessy.

In February 2011, the band went back out on the road with Indigo Girls, opening the southeast leg of their tour.

On April 19, 2011, the band released a live record called Live at Awendaw Green that was recorded at a show in Awendaw, SC in December 2010.

In summer 2011, the band announced their plans to start work on their fourth studio record. Preproduction began in fall 2011, and recording began in January 2012.

On September 26, 2011, A Fragile Tomorrow announced via their Facebook page that they would be opening for The Bangles on the west coast leg of their November 2011 tour.

Sessions for the band's fourth studio record began in January 2012 with Mitch Easter. According to the band's Facebook page, the album feature contributions from Don Dixon, Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson of The Bangles, and Easter himself.

Lead singer/songwriter Sean Kelly recently co-produced, engineered, and mixed Danielle Howle's new release New Year Revolutions, released in December 2011.

Sean and Dom contributed vocals to three songs on Amy Ray's 2012 solo release, "Lung of Love".

On March 29, 2012, A Fragile Tomorrow released a version of "Water's Part" by Let's Active, recorded with and produced by Let's Active front man himself, Mitch Easter for free download on their official site.

The band opened dates for Matthew Sweet in June 2012.

The band's fourth studio album, titled Be Nice Be Careful and produced by Mitch Easter and Ted Comerford, was released on January 8, 2013, via the band's Piewillie Records. The album was also released in Japan on the same day as its US release via Powerpop Academy/Thistime Records. Initially, the album garnered much critical acclaim, with Audiophile Reviews saying that "be nice be careful redefines powerpop for the 21st century"  and Musoscribe claiming "If this is the state of powerpop in early 2013, things look good for the future".

The band played headlining dates in 2013 in support of "Be Nice Be Careful", as well as dates supporting both Toad the Wet Sprocket and K's Choice. It was announced that the band will again support K's Choice, under the name Bettens, in Belgium and the Netherlands in November 2013. On February 18, 2014, the band will release Belgique, an EP of songs from Be Nice Be Careful recorded live at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium.

Make Me Over
On July 8, 2014, the band announced they had signed a multi-album deal with NYC-based record label MPress Records, which also represents Rachael Sage, Melissa Ferrick, and Seth Glier.

The band's fifth studio album, Make Me Over, was released on October 16, 2015, via MPress Records, with several headlining shows surrounding the release as well as a U.S. tour supporting Indigo Girls and shows in Tel Aviv, Israel supporting K's Choice. The album features appearances from Joan Baez, Mark Hart of Crowded House, and Indigo Girls. It was produced and engineered by the band in Savannah, Georgia.

In October 2016, A Fragile Tomorrow announced they had been nominated for an Independent Music Award for their version of their cousin Richard Fariña's song "One Way Ticket" featuring Joan Baez and Indigo Girls. On November 12, they announced on social media that they had won the award for Best Cover Song. The band also announced that they had received 5 Grammy pre-nominations in various categories for Make Me Over.

Drummer Dominic Kelly released his first solo album, Everything Is Just Enough, on April 7, 2017, on MPress Records. Singer and songwriter Sean Kelly is also set to release his debut solo album, Time Bomb, Baby in October 2017.

Generation Loss
The band released their sixth studio album Generation Loss on MPress Records on February 22, 2019. The album featured a change in lineup, with Dom Kelly moving to vocals and keyboards with the addition of Josh Kean as session/touring drummer. The album was written after the loss of their mother Vicki to cancer in 2017 and was released to critical acclaim.

As of 2020, the band began working on their seventh studio record.

In May 2021, Dominic Kelly announced his departure from the band. Sean Kelly alluded on social media to the band working with Peter Holsapple on their forthcoming album, which had been previously delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discography
Wishful Thinking (2006)
Beautiful Noise (2008)
Tripping Over Nothing (2010)
The Palmetto EP (2010)
Live At Awendaw Green (2011)
Be Nice Be Careful (2013)
Belgique EP (2014)
Make Me Over (2015)
Generation Loss (2019)
It’s Better That Way (2022)

Members

Main Members
Sean Kelly - lead vocals, guitars, synth, organ, electric piano, mandolin, accordion, programming (2003–present)
Brendan Kelly - guitars, synth, keys, programming, percussion, vocals (2003–present)
Shaun Rhoades - bass, piano, organ, percussion, vocals (2006–present)
Josh Kean - drums, percussion (2017–present)

Current Touring and/or Recording Personnel
Peter Holsapple - keyboards (recording 2021–present)

Former Members
Dominic Kelly - drums, vocals (2003-2017) keyboards, vocals (2017-2021)

References

External links
Official site

American power pop groups
Jangle pop groups
Musical groups from New York (state)
Musical groups established in 2003


Fossarina is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Trochidae, the top shells.

The genus Fossarina was moved from the family Fossariidae to the newly created subfamily Fossarininae within the family Trochidae by Williams et al. in 2010.

Description
The shell is auriform, a little depressed and narrowly umbilicated. The spire is short. The oval aperture is oblique. The lips are rounded. The operculum is multispiral.

Distribution
This marine genus occurs off Australia,  Tasmania and New Zealand; in the East China Sea.

Species
Species within the genus Fossarina include:
 Fossarina legrandi Petterd, 1879
 Fossarina patula A. Adams & Angas, 1863
 Fossarina petterdi Crosse, 1870
 Fossarina picta A. Adams, 1867
 Fossarina reedi (Verco, 1907)
 Fossarina rimata (Hutton, 1884)
The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database also mentions the following species:
 Fossarina mariei (P. Fischer, 1890)
 Fossarina variegata (A. Adams, 1855)
Species brought into synonymy
 Fossarina brazieri Angas, 1871: synonym of Fossarina patula A. Adams & Angas, 1863
 Fossarina funiculata Tenison-Woods, 1880: synonym of Fossarina patula A. Adams & Angas, 1863
 Fossarina hoffmeisteri Ladd, 1966: synonym of Calliotrochus marmoreus (Pease, 1861)
 Fossarina mutabilis May W.L., 1909: synonym of Risellopsis mutabilis May, 1909
 Fossarina reedi (Verco, 1907): synonym of Minopa reedi (Verco, 1907)
 Fossarina simpsoni Tenison-Woods, 1876: synonym of Fossarina petterdi Crosse, 1870

References

 OBIS
 Suter, H., 1913. Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca. Government Printer, Wellington. xxii 1210 p.
 Cotton, B.C., 1959. South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda. South Australian Government Printer, Adelaide. 1-449
 Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F., 1962 [31/Dec/1962]. A reference list of the marine Mollusca of New South Wales. Mem. Aust. Mus., 11:0-0.
 Ladd, H.S., 1966 [31/Dec/1966].Chitons and gastropods (Haliotidae through Adeorbidae) from the western Pacific Islands. United States Geological Survey, Professional Pape, 531:0-0.

Trochidae
Gastropod genera


ModCloth is a Los Angeles based online retailer of indie and vintage-inspired women’s clothing.

History
Modcloth was founded in 2002 by Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger. Susan and Eric were students at Carnegie Mellon University and launched ModCloth as a website to sell used vintage dresses. ModCloth grossed $18,000 in revenue in 2005 and received its first round of seed funding in 2008. In 2009, ModCloth reported $15 million in revenue, allowing it to relocate its headquarters from Pittsburgh's Strip District to San Francisco. ModCloth reported $100 million in revenue in 2012 and $150 million in 2014.

In January 2015, ModCloth announced the appointment of Matthew A. Kaness as CEO replacing Eric Koger. Kaness had previously held the role of CSO at Urban Outfitters, Inc. Under Kaness’s leadership, ModCloth launched its first namesake label as part of monthly collections in August 2015. The company quickly became a multichannel retailer when it opened its first pop-up Fit Shop in Los Angeles, followed by another in San Francisco. ModCloth pop-up shops carried a curated collection of ModCloth clothing, accessories, and home décor, along with select pieces from local artists. ModCloth used these pop-up stores to promote existing online and social media services such as Fit for Me and the Style Gallery.

ModCloth opened pop-up stores in other cities as part of the 2016 “ModCloth IRL Tour”, including Washington D.C., Portland, Austin, Denver and Pittsburgh. Following these temporary store experiments, ModCloth opened its first permanent FitShop in Austin in November 2016. All IRL shops have since closed.

In March 2017, ModCloth was acquired by Jet.com, a subsidiary of Walmart. Jet.com noted ModCloth would run independently, similar to the arrangement in place for other companies they had acquired in the past. Both the website and the retail store in Austin would be retained by ModCloth. The partnership would give ModCloth more working capital, the ability to open more physical stores  and grow the business to reach more consumers. Though the financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, the deal was estimated to be between $51 million to $75 million.

In October 2019, Walmart sold ModCloth to brand investment platform Go Global Retail, in a year when Walmart was facing projected losses of $1 billion in its e-commerce division.

In May 2021, Nogin acquired Modcloth from Go Global Retail for an undisclosed sum.

Stance on body image

Truth in Advertising Act endorsement
In 2014, ModCloth became the first retailer to sign the Heroes Pledge for Advertisers. As an endorser, ModCloth committed to not using Photoshop to “change the shape, size, proportion, colour, and/or remove/enhance the physical features” of its advertising models in post-production. In June 2016, ModCloth hosted an event on Capitol Hill to support the 2016 Truth in Advertising Act. Modcloth’s Susan Gregg Koger spoke at this event alongside Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who was one of the introducers of the act.

Real people as models
In 2015, ModCloth began using staff members as models for its swimwear advertising campaigns. ModCloth’s swimsuit campaign launched in response to research that correlated low self-esteem for women with exposure to thin models.

Plus-size rebranding
In 2015, ModCloth removed the plus-size term from its site. The company’s decision was supported by a ModCloth survey, which concluded that almost two-thirds of women were embarrassed to shop in a separate section for plus-labelled clothing. The plus-size clothing was integrated into the greater site and made shoppable through size filters.

Crowdsourcing initiatives
ModCloth has developed several crowdsourcing initiatives that have impacted its product line.

Style Gallery
Style Gallery is a user-generated image gallery where customers send photos of themselves modelling in a purchased ModCloth garment. These photos are then featured on the ModCloth blog, allowing visitors to see how a certain clothing item looks when worn by a real customer rather than a professional model.

Fit for Me
Fit for Me is a feature on the ModCloth app, which allows users to see suggestions for clothing that will fit their exact body shape based on other users’ reviews. Users input their own body measurements when they leave a review for a previously purchased product. Fit for Me uses this data to generate specific clothing recommendations depending on the user’s measurements.

Be The Buyer
In 2009, ModCloth ran the Be the Buyer program, which allowed users to decide which clothing designs would be produced and sold by ModCloth. Users voted on clothing samples via an virtual tradeshow. If a certain product received a large enough quantity of votes, it would be pushed to production and available for purchase on ModCloth’s website. Using this model, ModCloth became the first retailer to supplement an existing business model with crowdsourcing efforts.

Make the Cut
ModCloth ran the Make the Cut contest in 2012, where ModCloth created products based on consumer ideas. Customers were invited to submit clothing sketches, which were voted on by other users. The contest winners had their sketches adapted into real clothing for the spring line, with each Make the Cut garment product featuring the artist’s name printed on the label.

Deva Pardue design
ModCloth received negative press for using a design by artist Deva Pardue without permission or credit.

Philanthropy
On March 5, 2012, ModCloth announced a donation of “just over 500” dresses to The Princess Project. The project was created to provide free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them. For every dress purchased from its Fancy Frocks collection that day, ModCloth said it would donate a dress to the nonprofit. Several of their employees also volunteered at the dress giveaway days.

In 2015, ModCloth began a partnership with Schoola to raise money for Malala Yousafzai’s Malala Fund, which advocates and supports education for young girls. ModCloth participated in the cause by donating clothing, which Schoola sold for a discount. The proceeds were then donated to the Malala Fund.

References

Walmart
Online clothing retailers of the United States
American companies established in 2002
Clothing companies established in 2002
Retail companies established in 2002
Internet properties established in 2002
2017 mergers and acquisitions
Companies based in San Francisco
2002 establishments in Pennsylvania


Fossarina rimata is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Description
The shell grows to a length of 4 mm, its diameter is 5 mm.

Distribution
This species occurs in New Zealand.

References

 Powell, A.W.B. 1979: New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells. Collins, Auckland 500p
 Spencer, H.G.; Marshall, B.A.; Maxwell, P.A.; Grant-Mackie, J.A.; Stilwell, J.D.; Willan, R.C.; Campbell, H.J.; Crampton, J.S.; Henderson, R.A.; Bradshaw, M.A.; Waterhouse, J.B.; Pojeta, J. Jr (2009). Phylum Mollusca: chitons, clams, tusk shells, snails, squids, and kin, in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 161–254

rimata
Gastropods described in 1884


Falsilunatia amphiala is a species of small deepwater sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Naticidae.

References

 Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979

Naticidae
Gastropods of New Zealand
Gastropods described in 1881


Kestel is a municipality and district of Bursa Province, Turkey. Its area is 396 km2, and its population is 74,109 (2022). It is located 14 km east of Bursa city center on the road to İnegöl.

Composition
There are 35 neighbourhoods in Kestel District:

 Ağlaşan
 Ahmet Vefik Paşa
 Aksu
 Alaçam
 Babasultan
 Barakfakih
 Burhaniye
 Çataltepe
 Derekızık
 Dudaklı
 Erdoğan
 Esentepe
 Gölbaşı
 Gölcük
 Gözede
 Kale
 Kayacık
 Kazancı
 Kozluören
 Lütfiye
 Narlıdere
 Nüzhetiye
 Orhaniye
 Osmaniye
 Saitabat
 Sayfiye
 Serme
 Şevketiye
 Seymen
 Soğuksu
 Turanköy
 Ümitalan
 Vanimehmet
 Yağmurlu
 Yeni

References

Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey
Districts of Bursa Province


The women of Kuwait have experienced many progressive changes since the early 20th century. Since then, women have had increased access to education, gained political and economic rights, and financial power. They can serve in the police, military, and as judges in courts. However, women in Kuwait struggle against a patriarchal culture which discriminates against them in several fields. Kuwait's Bedoon (stateless) women are at risk of significant human rights abuses and persecution, Kuwait has the largest number of Bedoon in the entire region.

History

Pre-oil Kuwait
From the 17th century until the discovery of oil in the late 1940s, the economy of Kuwait was largely dependent on maritime trade. While men were seafaring, Kuwait's women managed their homes, and controlled family affairs and finances. For those families that could afford it, houses were built with a courtyard and a harem where women spent most of their time. This structure, along with high windows and doors that faced into the house rather than the street, removed women from public vision. Upper-class women's participation in the public sphere was very limited. However, lower-class women had a much less secluded experience; they went to the suq on a daily basis, fetched drinking water, and regularly washed their families’ clothes on the beach.

Kuwaiti girls began learning scripture in 1916 when the first Quran school was established. After this many women of modest means began working as Islamic instructors. The first private school opened in 1926; it taught reading, writing, and embroidery. Public schooling began in 1937 though enrollment in it was low for some time; however, by the 1940s many young Kuwaiti women were enrolled in primary school. It was often women themselves who pushed for these educational advances and opportunities and in 1956 a group of young women burned their abaya to protest their right to go abroad to study.

Political activism and emancipation
Women's rights activism began in Kuwait in the 1950s with the establishment of many women's groups (lijân nisâ’iah). Noureya Al-Saddani established the first of these groups, the Arab Women's Renaissance Association (later, Family Renaissance Association), in 1962. The Women's Cultural and Social Society followed a year later in February 1963. In 1975, The Girls Club (Nadi Alfatat) was established, advocating for women's sports. In 1971, Al-Saddani as head of the Arab Women's Development Society, began a national campaign for women's suffrage. Her initial proposal was rejected by the National Assembly.

During the liberal nationalist era in the 1950s and 1960s, the unveiling of Kuwaiti women was viewed as a natural part of the progress of Kuwait as a new independent nation; Kuwaiti feminists like Lulwah Al-Qatami and Fatima Hussain burned their veils and abaya in public. The majority of Kuwaiti women did not wear the hijab in the 1960s and 1970s. At Kuwait University throughout the 1960s and most of the 1970s, miniskirts were more common than the hijab. This development gradually turned around due to the growing Islamization of Kuwaiti society, which made veiling the norm again by the mid-to-late 1990s. In 1978, Sheikha Latifa Al-Sabah, then-wife of Emir Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah, established the Islamic Care Association, seeking to spread Islam along with the associated lifestyle and conduct of Muslim life. However in recent decades, an increasing number of Kuwaiti women have been unveiling or choosing to not wear the hijab; including the daughter of Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood leader Tareq Al-Suwaidan.

During the Gulf War in Kuwait from 1990 to 1991, women played a significant part of resisting the Iraqi invasion, occupation, and supporting the offensive which liberated Kuwait from Iraqi control. This period of conflict also solidified Kuwaiti women from different backgrounds and raised their political awareness. After the war, demonstrations and protests for women's rights continued throughout the decade. A shift began, as more political figures supported the Kuwaiti women's rights proposals, most notably Emir Al-Sabah, whom in May 1999 attempted to institute women's suffrage by decree during a period of parliamentary dissolution; however, this decree was reversed by the newly elected National Assembly in November 1999.

Protests and activism continued and escalated into the 2000s alongside renewed proposals before the legislature, ultimately culminating in a 2004 protest inside the National Assembly building. The following year in 2005, Kuwaiti women held some of the largest demonstrations in their history, and in May 2005, the Assembly voted to give women full political rights to vote and hold office. The first elections Kuwaiti women ran for office and voted in were in June 2006. In 2009, four women were elected to parliament, Massouma A-Mubarak (the female minister appointed), Aseel Al-Awadhi, Rola Dashti, and Salwa Al-Jassar. In 2012, a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice was resolved enabling women to hold high positions in the judicial system. In 2014, twenty-two Kuwaiti women were appointed to serve as Prosecutors. In 2018, the Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs changed its policies to allow women in senior positions. In December 2019, three women were appointed to cabinet positions, including the first female Minister of Finance in the Persian Gulf region. On 30 June 2020, Kuwaiti Attorney General, Dirar Al-Asousi, approved the promotion of eight female prosecutors to become judges. On 3 September 2020, the eight judges were sworn in as the first female judges in Kuwait's history.

Demographics and statistics

International rankings
Kuwait's position in international rankings has varied over the years. In 2014, Kuwait was ranked 113 of 142 globally in the Global Gender Gap Report, the country improved its ranking due to significant increases in the overall income indicator. In 2015, Kuwait was ranked 117 of 145 globally in the Global Gender Index. In 2020, Kuwait was ranked 122 of 153 globally in the Global Gender Gap Report. Regarding the GGGR subindex, Kuwait ranked 142 of 152 on political empowerment 143 of 153 on health and survival, 120 of 153 on economic opportunity, and 57 of 153 on educational attainment. In 2021, Kuwait was ranked 143 of 156 globally in the Global Gender Gap Report. Regarding the GGGR subindex, Kuwait ranked 153 of 156 on political empowerment, 94 of 156 on health and survival, 137 of 156 on economic opportunity, and 59 of 156 on educational attainment.

Legal statutes

Citizenship
The Nationality Act (1959) grants Kuwaiti men and women equal right to retain their citizenship; however, citizenship is only automatically inherited by children if the father is a Kuwaiti citizen. Women's citizenship is not automatically inherited by children and only becomes so under exceptional circumstances, such as unknown father, divorce, or widowing. Kuwaiti women's citizenship does not transfer to non-Kuwaiti husbands, who must apply for residency, unlike non-Kuwaiti wives of Kuwaiti men who are granted automatic residency and a pathway to citizenship after 15–18 years. As a result, both a non-Kuwaiti husband and any children a Kuwaiti wife has with him experience significant disadvantage— a lack of occupational, familial, and other rights.

Family law
The Kuwaiti Personal Status Act of 1984 ( Family Law Act), based in Sunni Islam (Maliki), governs family law in the country. Sharia applies to Muslim citizens and residents, with different courts and rules for Sunni and Shi’a, a notable difference being Ja’fari applying to the latter group. Non-Muslims in Kuwait have their own secular court.

In terms of marriage, Muslim women are not permitted to marry without the permission of a wali, a male guardian, or marry non-Muslim men. Only men are allowed as legal witnesses for a marriage. Women's witnessing is either discounted or disallowed, depending on the legal context in question. The minimum age for women to marry is 15, provided approved by the wali. Polygyny is legally permissible and a man may up to four wives, of which any existing wife(s) have no say in; however, the practice is uncommon. Culturally, forced marriages (ijbar) may also occur without consent of the bride, with attempts at annulment by the bride often met with heavy coercion or threats of prosecution.

In terms of divorce, both husband and wife may seek divorce—the husband may divorce her at will (talaq), while wife may only seek legal divorce (fasakh) under specific conditions such as lack of financial support, exceptional absence, criminality, husband's deconversion from Islam, or chronic/terminal illness. With permission of her husband, women may also divorce through khul', returning her dowry or the equivalent.

In terms of child custody, the legal guardianship of Muslim children is possessed by the husband of their mother (presumed father) in most cases. In the case of divorce, legal custody remains with the father and physical custody remains with the mother until the children reach a certain age. Any women who remarry or are divorced for adultery typically lose all child custody rights of previous children. Women who are divorced, widowed, or married to a foreigner may be considered to lead the household.

Abortion is heavily restricted in Kuwait and can only be sought up to 17 weeks of pregnancy for reasons of the mother's health (physical or mental) or fetal deformity/unviability only. Sexual assault, incest, economic needs, and social needs are not valid reasons. Abortion outside of the few allowed is criminalized, carrying between 3 and 15 years incarceration.

In terms of inheritance, Muslim men are entitled to inherit twice as much as women, provided they are on similar relation level to the deceased (such as siblings). Widowed wives do not receive the same inheritance compared to widower husbands.

Employment and property rights
According to the International Monetary Fund in 2013, the share of Kuwaiti women in the workforce was 53 percent which is significantly higher than the MENA average of 21 percent and slightly higher than the world average of 51 percent. Kuwaiti women outnumber men in the workforce and Kuwait has the highest rate of female citizen workforce participation in the GCC. However, working women are at a higher risk of unemployment than men overall at a ratio of 5.11:1. Most working women are in public sector tertiary industry positions. Education and modernization policies have given Kuwaiti women more opportunities in the workforce, albeit they grapple with a patriarchal culture which primarily expects them to prioritize homemaking and child-rearing.

The Kuwait Constitution prohibits slavery and discrimination. Legally, women and men should receive equal pay for equal work, albeit there is a large gender pay gap in Kuwait. Muslim women are not typically permitted to work at night (10 p.m to 7 am), at anything considered immoral for women, or at the discretion of a husband if he feels his wife working would negatively impact "family interests". On 25 August 2019, the Ja'fari Personal Status Law was codified, preventing Shi'a husbands from forcing their wife to quit working if she worked before their marriage began. Legally, women and men can own property and exercise rights to their property equally, especially in the case of women who are divorced, widowed, or married to foreigners. Women have the legal right to banking and contract without the consent of males. However, some Muslim women may experience de facto restrictions due to their families.

The Kuwait government subsidizes certain types of finances for divorced or widowed Kuwaiti women provided they have children to care for. The Kuwait Labour Code provides maternity leave for women, who can receive 70-day of paid leave and up to four months of optional unpaid leave, during which employment termination is illegal. Additionally, employers with more than 50 female employees must provide infant childcare facilities by law. The Civil Service Committee Decree of 1993 discriminates between women married to Kuwaiti men versus non-Kuwaiti men. Those married to Kuwaiti men are given four months of paid (half typical pay) after their maternity leave; however, those married to non-Kuwaiti men are not.

Domestic violence
Until August 2020, there had been no laws specifically criminalizing domestic violence and marital rape. On 19 August 2020, Kuwait passed the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence criminalizing "physical, psychological, sexual, or financial mistreatment, whether in words or actions" between family members, going into effect the following year of 2021. The act provides for protective orders, shelters, a victim hotline, legal aid, and counseling. According to Human Rights Watch, the new law is not fully comprehensive, only setting penalties for violating victim-sought protective orders and not the actual acts of abuse or violence, and only applying to current legal family relationships, not former partners, those dating or courting, those engaged, or those in unofficial marriages (such as common-law marriage and domestic partnership). Prior to this, a husband's sexual actions with an unconsenting wife were only illegal if they were "unnatural acts".

Theoretically, the Kuwaiti Penal Code provides reduced or fine-only punishment for a man honor killing his female relative finds her committing adultery (zina), a law which conflicts with not only the Constitution of Kuwait but Shariah law as well. A 2016 survey of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf found most women were not aware of this law and 63% rejected its existence. The Code also states if a man kidnaps a woman intending to abuse, rape, pimp, murder, or extort her, he will not receive punishment if he marries the woman with her guardian's (wali) approval, the woman has no say in the matter. Additionally, age of consent does not exist, as sexual acts outside legal marriage are illegal.

It is believed that domestic violence is both common and under-reported despite the country slowly moving towards reducing the problem. A 2019 survey by Orange Kuwait, a non-governmental organization focusing on violence against women, found 82.16 percent of those surveyed believed domestic violence was a significant problem in Kuwait, and 62.91 percent had experienced abuse themselves. Those surveyed were 83.5 percent women. A 2011 study by Kuwait University found 40 percent of women reported at least one instance of physical abuse from their husband. A 2011 survey by the Kuwait Minister of Justice found 35 percent of women reported abuse.

Arts and creativity
Museums and galleries
Kuwait's long tradition of artistic expression has been spearheaded and organized by women. Women's involvement in the fine arts dates back to at least the mid 20th century. In 1969, sister and brother Najat and Ghazi Sultan established The Sultan Gallery, one of Kuwait's oldest art galleries, providing access to both public and professionals, and promoting art and secular understanding. During the Gulf War, it was closed, reopening in 2006 under the direction of Farida Sultan. Currently the Sultan Gallery focuses on a wide range of mediums, but especially photography. Contemporary Kuwaiti artists include Thuraya al Baqsami, who trained in Cairo and Moscow whose works can be found in museums worldwide;

Sheikha Hussa Al-Sabah, wife of Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, served as the director of Kuwait National Museum for three decades, establishing Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah () in 1983 focusing on antique Islamic artifacts. During the Gulf War, the museum was thoroughly looted by Iraqi forces, returning most of the valuables, though often damaged, after intervention of the United Nations. Following the war in 1992, Sheikha Hussah created the Dar al-Funoon () for contemporary art. Sheikha Lulu Al-Sabah, daughter of Sheikha Paula Al-Sabah and wife of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah (son of Emir Nawaf Al-Sabah), has continued the art advocacy into a new generation, establishing an annual art auction called JAMM in 2010 focusing on contemporary art.

Non-Kuwaiti women in Kuwait

Bedoon (stateless)

Stateless people of Kuwait are at risk of significant human rights abuses. According to Human Rights Watch, Kuwait has produced 300,000 Bedoon. Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region. The Bedoon are at risk of persecution and abuse more than the citizens and expats in Kuwait.

Foreign workers
Kuwait has a very high percentage of migrant workers. Many Egyptian, Palestinian, Filipino and Southeast Asian women live in Kuwait. Palestinian women have worked in Kuwait since the 1950s, historically as teachers in girls’ schools. Nearly 90% of Kuwaiti households employ a foreigner worker, most often a South Asian woman. These women's labor is crucial to the social reproduction of Kuwait, though they occupy a marginal status and are not granted state protection or oversight. Non-Nationals are subject to residence and labor laws, which prevent them from permanently settling in Kuwait. Under the kafala system, whereby all migrants must have a citizen who sponsors their residence in Kuwait, many migrant workers cannot leave or enter the country without their employer's permission and are often exploited. The system has long been controversial and has "been criticized as a form of bonded labor or even slavery." A United Nations expert even urged Kuwait to abolish this system.

Notable Kuwaiti women
 Noureya Al-Saddani: An author, historian, broadcaster and director, Al-Saddani started the first women's organization in Kuwait. In 1971, she proposed to the National Assembly to grant women's political rights. During the invasion she worked in charity and mobilized the diaspora; upon her return to Kuwait she put together radio biographies of all the female martyrs in the invasion.
 Loulwa Abdulwahab Essa Al-Qatami: Al-Qatami the first woman to study abroad, she left Kuwait on 12 June 1955 for a degree in education. Upon her return, she and a few other Kuwaiti women founded the Women's Cultural and Social Society in 1963. She and the group have been instrumentally active in advancements for women since the 1960s; they work on mobilizing women, raising awareness and philanthropy.
 Khadîjah al-Mahmît – Kuwaiti women's rights activist, author, and public figure of Iranian descent. Her works redefined the intellectual perspective for Kuwaiti women regarding suffrage and other human rights.
 Sara Akbar: Akbar is Kuwait's first Petroleum Engineer in the field. She is a Kuwaiti of Iranian ancestry. During the invasion, Akbar led a group of oil employees to maintain machinery and electricity and after the Iraqi troops left and set several oil fields on fire, Akbar set up a team to control and extinguish the fires, earning her the nickname "firefighter".
 Asrar Al-Qabandi: Al-Qabandi was a martyr of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. During the occupation she helped people flee to safety, smuggled weapons and money into Kuwait as well as disks from the Ministry of Civil Information to safety, cared for many wounded by the war, and destroyed monitoring devices used by the Iraqi troops. She was captured and subsequently killed by Iraqi troops in January 1991.
 Huda Ashkanani, poet
 Laila al-Othman is one of Kuwait's most famous authors and columnists. She has written a number of short stories and novels and often deals with themes that challenge traditional norms. She has faced conservative resistance to her work.
 Thuraya Al-Baqsami — internationally acclaimed printmaker, illustrator, and writer. She is a Kuwaiti of Iranian ancestry.
 Shurooq Amin — whose subversive art pieces aim to challenge perceptions of society in the Gulf
 Fatima Al-Qadiri — member of Future Brown, artist, musician and composer inspired by Gulf War experiences She is the daughter of Thuraya Al-Baqsami.
 Monira Al-Qadiri, PhD – internationally recognized mixed-media visual artist, designer, sculptor, and filmmaker; her art is experimental and subversive She is the daughter of Thuraya Al-Baqsami.

See also
Women's suffrage in Kuwait
Women in Islam
Women in Arab societies

Notes

References

External links

Kuwait
Human rights in Kuwait
History of Kuwait


Richard Coe Henders (July 6, 1853 – May 2, 1932) was a Canadian farmer, Methodist minister, and politician.

Born in Yelverton, Canada West, the son of Henry Henders and Frances Coe, Henders attended Bowmanville High School and Victoria University in Cobourg, Ontario. A Methodist minister for twenty years, he was a farmer in Winnipeg. He was President of the Manitoba Grain Growers' Association and Vice-President of the Canadian Council of Agriculture. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for Macdonald in 1917. A Unionist, he did not seek re-election in 1921.

He died in 1932 in Winnipeg.

References

External links

1853 births
1932 deaths
Canadian Methodist ministers
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba
Unionist Party (Canada) MPs


Funiscala maxwelli is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.

Distribution
This species is found in New Zealand.

References

Epitoniidae
Gastropods described in 1930
Taxa named by Harold John Finlay


Henrik Grue Bastiansen (born 1964) is a Norwegian historian who specializes in media studies.

He took the doctorate at the University of Oslo in 2006, with the thesis Da avisene møtte TV. Partipressen, politikken og fjernsynet 1960-1972. He has published several books, about topics such as freedom of speech in Norway, the Norwegian press, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, television documentaries and telephony, as well as general media history. Participated in the establishment of The University of Oslo Film Society 1989. Scholarship from The Research Council of Norway 1994. Academic degrees: Cand. Mag. (1991), Cand. Philol. (1995) and Dr. art. (2006). Member of the jury of the Norwegian Contest for Young Scientists 2001–2013. Member of the jury of the Holberg Prize School Project 2005–2011. Editor of book reviews in Norsk Medietidsskrift 2011–2015. Head of the jury of The Freedom of Expression Foundation's Competition for Young People 2013–2016. Chair on scientific conferences in Copenhagen (2015), Toronto (2016) and Tampere (2017). Leader of the Norwegian Association of Media History since 2017. Professor at Faculty of Media and Journalism at Volda University College, Norway.

Selected bibliography

 Bastiansen, Henrik G. (2017): "Finne, granske, skrive: Kort innføring i mediehistorisk metode", in Mediehistorisk Tidsskrift nr. 27/2017, page 125–141,Oslo: Norsk Mediehistorisk Forening
 Bastiansen, Henrik G. (2018): "Da Berlinmuren falt. En komparativ studie av presse, radio og TV i 1989", in Mediehistorisk Tidsskrift nr. 29/2018, page 35–90, Oslo: Norsk Mediehistorisk Forening
 Bastiansen, Henrik G., Martin A. Klimke and Rolf Werenskjold (eds., 2019): Media and the Cold War. Between Star Wars and Glasnost, New York: Palgrave MacMillan
 Bastiansen, Henrik G.: "Reporting Glasnost. The Changing Soviet News in a Norwegian Daily, 1985-1988", in Henrik G. Bastiansen, Martin A. KLimke and Rolf Werenskjold (eds. 2019): Media and the Cold War. Between Star Wars and Glasnost, New York: Palgrave MacMillan

References

List of publications in BIBSYS

1964 births
Living people
20th-century Norwegian historians
University of Oslo alumni
Media historians
21st-century Norwegian historians


Nanortut Island is an island located within Coronation Gulf, south of Victoria Island, in the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is situated at an elevation of  above sea level.

Other islands in the vicinity include Anchor Island, Douglas Island, Duke of York Archipelago, Haodlon Island, Kingak Island, Hatoayok Island, Hokagon Island, Ivonayak Island, Kabviukvik Island, Mangak Island, and Nanukton Island. The community of Kugkluktuk (formerly Coppermine) is located on the mainland,  to the south.

References

Islands of Coronation Gulf
Uninhabited islands of Kitikmeot Region


DeMaurice F. "De" Smith (born February 3, 1964) is the former executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He was elected unanimously on March 15, 2009.  He was replaced by Lloyd Howell Jr. on June 23, 2023. As executive director of the NFLPA during the 2011 NFL lockout, Smith played a major role in helping the players and NFL owners come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Education
Smith received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. degree in political science from Cedarville University, a Baptist school in Ohio.

Career
Prior to his work with the NFLPA, DeMaurice Smith was a trial lawyer and litigation partner in the Washington, D.C. offices of Latham & Watkins and Patton Boggs, serving as the chair of the firm's government investigations and white-collar practice group. Smith previously served as counsel to then-deputy attorney general Eric Holder in the U.S. Department of Justice before entering private practice. He spent nine years with the U.S. Attorney's office and one with the Department of Justice, working on issues like national security and prison construction. Smith has also represented Fortune 500 companies, and argued numerous cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

On March 15, 2009, Smith was elected unanimously by a board of active player representatives to become the executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Although Smith lacked football experience, his ties to presidential power and business experts helped give him an advantage over other potential candidates like Troy Vincent, Trace Armstrong, and sports attorney David Cornwell. He was elected to his second and third terms in 2012 and 2015, respectively. As executive director, Smith has emphasized that players need to take more control of their careers, educate themselves, and be more involved in the process. Although his main role is to fight for better player salaries and improved safety, Smith has made it clear that long-term health care and increased benefits for tomorrow are just as important.

During Smith's first term as executive director of the NFLPA, the issue that dominated dialogue was the 2011 lockout. With improved player safety, better player salaries, long-term health care, and increased benefits for retired NFL players in mind, DeMaurice Smith helped the NFLPA negotiate with the NFL owners and agree on a new collective bargaining agreement in July 2011.

Smith spoke at the commencements for the University of Virginia School of Law in May 2015 and University of Maryland in 2011.
In August 2017, he joined the Prince George's County Lacrosse Club Board of Directors.

References

External links
2013 TEDx talk
2013 speech at Convention for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

1964 births
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
African-American trade unionists
American lawyers
Cedarville University alumni
Executive Directors of the National Football League Players Association
Lawyers from Washington, D.C.
Living people
National Football League executives
People associated with Latham & Watkins
Trade unionists from Washington, D.C.
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO


Cyrtulus genticus is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails and tulip snails.

Distribution
This species occurs in the Tasman Sea off Australia.

References

 Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
 Vermeij G.J. & Snyder M.A. (2018). Proposed genus-level classification of large species of Fusininae (Gastropoda, Fasciolariidae). Basteria. 82(4-6): 57-82.

External links
 Iredale, T. (1936). Australian molluscan notes, no. 2. Records of the Australian Museum. 19(5): 267-340, pls 20-24

genticus
Gastropods of New Zealand
Gastropods of Australia
Gastropods described in 1936


Fusitriton retiolus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cymatiidae.

Distribution
This species occurs in:
 Australia
 New Zealand.

References

Cymatiidae
Gastropods described in 1914


Operator Generator was an American stoner rock band from San Jose, California. They were formed in the late 1990s and released their first self-titled EP in the winter of 1999 under 12th Records. Over a year later they released their debut album titled Polar Fleet under Man's Ruin Records.

Discography

Self-titled EP, 2000
Operator Generator (self-titled EP), 2000 (12th Records)

Track listing

 "Arctic Quest"
 "Infinite loop"
 "Equinox Planetarium"

Three of the original recordings released prior to the co-ordinated KOZIK release on Man's Ruin Records
Operator Generator "Polar Fleet" in the year 2001.
(Recorded with their original drummer Anthony Lopus.)

Polar Fleet, 2001
(Full-length album)
Polar Fleet, 2001 (Man's Ruin Records)

Track listing

 "Equinox Planetarium"
 "Polar Fleet"
 "Museum's Flight"
 "Atmospheric Insect/Launch"
 "Quaintance of Natherack"
 "Arctic Quest"
 "Infinite Loop"
 "Soil of Lavermore"

Polar Fleet, 2015 Re-Release
According to Joe Tucci, the bass player from the band, 2001's Polar Fleet will be remastered and re-released under Twin Earth Records with brand new artwork.

References

American stoner rock musical groups


The Solomon Nightengale House (or "Nightingale") was a historic house at 429 Granite Street in Quincy, Massachusetts.  The -story Cape style house was built c. 1820 by Solomon Nightengale, whose family had owned the land since the 18th century.  It had a four-bay facade, with a central chimney and a sheltered entry in the center-left bay.  The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

The house shown in the image is at the correct address (429 Granite Street) and lot, as verified by reference to the site map provided on the Massachusetts Historical Commission report precedent to its nomination to the National Register. Since it bears little resemblance to the house shown in the Quincy Historical and Architectural Survey, it appears that the 1820 house has been torn down and replaced by the house shown and its identical twin to the left.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Federal architecture in Massachusetts
Houses completed in 1820
Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
1820 establishments in Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Demolished buildings and structures in Massachusetts


Saint-Urbain-Premier is a municipality located southwest of Montreal in Beauharnois-Salaberry, in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 1,332.

History
Settlement of the area started at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1804, the first lots were granted. In 1821, the area was officially surveyed and settlers began arriving in larger numbers.

In 1848, the parish of St. Urbain Premier was formed, named after Pope Urban I, who reigned from 222 to 230AD. In 1853, its post office opened, and two years later, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Urbain-Premier was founded. In 1876, the post office was renamed to Saint-Urbain-de-Châteauguay, in order to distinguish it from Saint-Urbain in the Charlevoix region.

In 1997, the parish municipality changed statutes to became a regular municipality.

Demographics

Population

Language

Local government
List of former mayors:

 Joseph Noel Doré (1855–1860)
 Norman Finlayson (1860–1862)
 Joseph Dumont (1862–1864, 1870–1874)
 Antoine Hébert (1864–1868, 1874–1878, 1884–1886)
 Joseph Abraham Defayette (1868–1870)
 Antoine Bouthilier (1878–1880)
 Louis Césaire Sainte Marie (1880–1882)
 Louis Emery Grégoire (1882–1884, 1890–1896)
 Chrystophe Legault (1886–1890)
 Isaïe Polydore Bourdeau (1896–1900)
 Joseph Patenaude (1900–1906)
 Gilbert Mallette (1906–1907)
 Francois Urgel Goyette (1907–1913)
 Victor Ernest Ste Marie (1913–1916)
 Charles Dieudonné Emmanuël Dupras (1916–1917)
 Napoleon Doré (1917–1919)
 Joseph Artias Jodoin (1919–1921)
 Joseph Arthur Lazure (1921–1923)
 Armand Beaulieu (1923–1925)
 Joseph Adrien Ste Marie (1925–1927, 1930–1931)
 Antonio Mallette (1927–1930)
 Joseph Jean Baptiste Elzear Jodoin (1931–1933)
 Joseph Philorum Delphis Doray (1933–1937)
 Raoul Vinet (1937–1942)
 Zotique Beaulieu (1942–1945)
 Edgar Viau (1945–1949)
 Ovila Yelle (1949–1951)
 René Vincent (1951–1953)
 Roméo Gervais (1953–1955)
 Joseph, Arsène Omer Lazure (1955–1962)
 Floriant Victor Lazure (1962–1965)
 Fernand Byette (1965–1969)
 Fridolin Beaulieu (1969–1975)
 Joseph Louis Philippe Valmore Sénécal (1975–1977)
 Armand Miller (1977–1984)
 Jean Guy Brais (1984–1986)
 Jean Marie Lapointe (1986–1989)
 Réjean Beaulieu (1989–1997, 2004–2013, 2017–2021)
 Jean Pierre McKenzie (1997–2004)
 Francine Daigle (2013–2017)
 Alain Brault (2021–2022)
 Lucien Thibault (2022–present)

See also
 Chateauguay River
 List of municipalities in Quebec

References

External links

Municipalities in Quebec
Incorporated places in Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality


The Nightengale House is a historic house at 24 Quincy Street in Quincy, Massachusetts.  The -story wood-frame house was built in the 1850s, probably by Thomas Nightengale, whose son Jerimiah got the property around 1876.  It is a worker's cottage somewhat typical of many built during that time, with Greek Revival and Gothic Revival decorative elements.  Its front facade originally had pilasters at the corners, rising to a frieze, but these details have been lost by the application of siding (see photo).  Its surviving Gothic details include the steeply pitched front dormers, and pointed-arch windows in the end gables.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Houses completed in 1855
Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Greek Revival architecture in Massachusetts


The Car is a 1993 novel by Gary Paulsen.

Plot summary

Terry Anders is a fourteen-year-old boy living in Cleveland, Ohio whose parents didn't pay much attention to him. When both of his parents abandon him after an argument, he assembles his father's old Blakely Bearcat kit car. He decides to go on a cross-country adventure to find an uncle that he vaguely remembers. Along the way, he befriends two Vietnam veterans, Waylon Jackson and Wayne, with whom he enjoys life on the open road. This book is about their adventure together as they travel across the country.

References

1993 American novels
 Novels by Gary Paulsen


The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) is a United States law named after Virginia Graeme Baker, who died after sustaining a pool suction-drain injury in June 2002, when the suction from a spa drain entrapped her under the water. It is incorporated as Title 14 of the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA Title 14, Pub.L. 110-140). This act became enforceable law on December 19, 2008.

Goals
The goals of the VGBA were to enhance the safety of public and private pools and spas, to reduce child drownings, to reduce the number of suction entrapment incidents, injuries and deaths; and to educate the public on the importance of constant supervision of children in and around water.

Virginia Graeme Baker

Virginia Graeme Baker was a seven-year-old girl who drowned when she was trapped underwater by the powerful suction of a hot tub drain. She was simply called "Graeme" and was the second youngest of five daughters including a twin. She was a proficient swimmer for her age and had been able to swim on her own since the age of three. Additionally, she was a member of her community swim and dive team. Her parents are Nancy and James Baker IV. James Baker is the son of former Secretary of State James Baker III.

In June 2002, Graeme was stuck to a hot tub drain by suction. Efforts by her mother to free her were unsuccessful and when two men eventually were able to free her (postmortem), the drain broke from the force. Although Graeme drowned, her official cause of death was "suction entrapment due to a faulty drain cover". Following Graeme's death in June 2002, her mother, Nancy Baker, began work to advocate pool and spa safety. She began lobbying Congress to pass legislation to require anti-entrapment drain covers as well as other pool and spa safety devices. EISA was introduced to Congress on January 12, 2007 and signed into law on December 19, 2007 by President George W. Bush.

Death of Abigail Taylor

Abigail Rose Taylor was a young girl from Edina, Minnesota, whose accidental injury and eventual death led to federal legislation to improve the safety of swimming pools.

On June 29, 2007, six-year-old Abigail's parents took her to the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Abigail accidentally fell on the open drain of the pool and her buttocks were sucked into the aperture. The suction dislodged a large section of her small intestine, which was forcefully drawn out through the anus, a phenomenon known as transanal evisceration. Abigail lost 6.5 meters (21 feet) of her small intestine in the accident, leaving her with short bowel syndrome. Abigail was hospitalized and received a rare triple organ transplant to replace her small intestine, liver, and pancreas, all of which were damaged in the accident. She was unable to eat or drink, and she required total parenteral nutrition. Abigail died nine months after the accident because of a transplant-related cancer.

The incident was similar to a 1993 incident in North Carolina involving Valerie Lakey. The pool drains in question in both the Taylor and the Lakey cases were manufactured by Sta-Rite, a division of Minnesota-based Pentair. Lakey received a $25 million settlement with the help of lawyer (and later Senator) John Edwards.

Entrapment
Consumer Product Safety Commission staff began investigating reported incidents of swimming pool/spa suction entrapment incidents in the 1970s. Such incidents included entrapment of hair, body, limb, evisceration or disembowelment and mechanical entrapment of jewelry or bathing suits. From 1999 to 2007 for all age categories records were examined. In 2007, for all age categories, there were 74 reports of circulation entrapments. Individuals in the 5- to 9-year-old category had the highest frequency of entrapment reports.

Pool/spa accident statistics
Between January 1985 and March 2002, there were 147 confirmed, recorded suction-entrapment incidents, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission records. 51 of those were hair entanglement, 79 body or limb entrapments (including three eviscerations), four mechanical (jewelry, etc) and 13 unknown. Of the 147 incidents, 36 resulted in deaths. While the first documented case is unclear, lawyer John Edwards points to a case in 1974.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 172 children under the age of 15 drowned in pools or spas between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2010. An additional 180 children under the age of 15 were injured. The NSC is further calling for increased vigilance by parents and pool/spa owners. They suggest precautions such as four-sided fences for pool/spa areas, alarms on all doors accessing pool/spa areas, heavy duty pool covers, anti-entrapment drains and close supervision of children near pools/spas.

Drain provisions
A drain is defined as a plumbing fitting installed on the suction side of a pump in a pool, spa or hot tub. Drains are now required to be "unblockable." This term has previously been defined in the "definitions" section. Four main ways of keeping a drain from being blockable are outlined as: large aspect covers; long channels; large outlet grates; and circulation designs that do not include fully submerged suction outlets. In the United States, if a pool or spa does not employ an unblockable drain, it must include, at a minimum, one of the following safety systems: a safety vacuum-release system (SVRS) as defined in "definitions;" a suction-limiting vent system with a tamper-resistant atmospheric opening; a gravity drainage system that utilizes a collector tank; an automatic pump shut-off system; a device or system that disables the drain or any other system certified by the consumer product safety commission.

Legal status

Definitions from EISA
There are 7 definitions given under title XIV of EISA 2007.

The following definitions are directly quoted out of EISA 2007:

(1) ASME/ANSI — The term 'ASME/ANSI' as applied to a safety standard means such a standard that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

(2) Barrier — The term 'barrier' includes a natural or constructed topographical feature that prevents unpermitted access by children to a swimming pool, and, with respect to a hot tub, a lockable cover.

(3) Commission — The term 'Commission' means the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

(4) Main Drain — The term 'main drain' means a submerged suction outlet typically located at the bottom of a pool or spa to conduct water to a recirculating pump.

(5) Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) - The term 'safety vacuum release system' means a vacuum release system capable of providing vacuum release at a suction outlet caused by a high vacuum occurrence due to a suction outlet flow blockage.

(6) Swimming Pool; Spa — The term 'swimming pool' or 'spa' means any outdoor or indoor structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing, including in-ground and above-ground structures, and includes hot tubs, spas, portable spas, and non-portable wading pools.

(7) Unblockable Drain — The term 'unblockable drain' means a drain of any size and shape that a human body cannot sufficiently block to create a suction entrapment hazard.

Sponsors of the bill

House: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Senate: introduced by Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Chris Dodd, D-Conn. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., signed on as an original co-sponsor.

Federal requirements
There is a federal requirement for public pools that preempts the state or local law, as of December 19, 2008, and further regulations are in addition to it:

Sec. 1404: Top Priority for Public Pool And Spa Owners/Operators
All pool/spa drain covers manufactured, distributed or entered into commerce on or after December 19, 2008 must meet ASME/ANSI A112.19.8– 2007. All public pools and spas must be retrofitted with covers that meet the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8– 2007 standard. All public pools and spas that have a single drain other than an unblockable drain must employ one or more additional options.

State requirements
A pool contractor should verify that the pool and/or spa is in compliance with the federally mandated Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act which takes effect December 19, 2008.  If the pool is not in compliance, the necessary steps should be taken to comply with the Act, which, in essence, specifies that:
All public pools and spas, both new and existing, shall be equipped with drain covers compliant with ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 2007 standard.

In addition, all public pools and spas with a single main drain - other than an un-blockable drain - shall also employ one or more of the following devices: separated drain system per ANSI/APSP 7, safety vacuum release system (SVRS) that complies with ANSI/ASME A112.19.17 or ASTM F2387; suction-limiting vent system; gravity drainage system; automatic pump shutoff; drain disablement; equivalent system determined by the CPSC.

The definition of un-blockable drain in the Act is a "drain sump of any size or shape that a human body cannot sufficiently block to create a suction entrapment issue."

Link to the Act: Title XIV—Pool and Spa Safety Act

Compliant drain covers
The VGBA requires all drain covers to either be manufactured products or to be field fabricated outlets", in each case meeting the specific technical requirements of the act and having the necessary certification.

The PSSA requires a safe and secure connection between the cover and sump. A new, compliant cover that fits securely into a pre-existing sump is accepted under certain conditions.

SVRS devices
These are used in conjunction with an approved main drain cover and skimmer. SVRS are a type of device that are tested to respond to a full vacuum, stopping and releasing a vacuum within 4.5 seconds after a drain is fully blocked. These systems must be tested and certified to be in conformance with ANSI/PSPS/ICC-7-2013 “Manufactured Safety Vacuum Release Systems (SVRS) for Residential and Commercial Swimming Pool, Spa, Hot Tub, and Wading Pool Suction Systems” or ASTM F2387 “Standard Provisional Specification for Manufactured for Swimming Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs.” These standards establish requirements for manufactured SVRS devices: the dimensions and tolerances, materials, installation instructions, testing requirements, and markings and identification. An SVRS can be installed as an independent system or Can be incorporated as part of the pool pump.

Mechanical devices which let air into pump to ease the vacuum when entrapment or blockage is sensed by device.
Electro-mechanical devices that shut off pump when blockage/entrapment is sensed.
Pumps or motors with built-in software that shuts off pump when blockage/entrapment is sensed.

Compliance
As of December 19, 2008, it became unlawful to manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribute in commerce or import into the United States any pool/spa product that is not within conformity to the new pool/spa safety rule, 15 U.S.C. § 2068(a), or the new drain standards, ASME/ANSI A112.19.8.

Any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, distributes or imports a device of noncompliance shall face penalties up to the maximum of $1.825 million. Congress is considering raising this amount to $10 million per offense. Imprisonment is also allowed for this offense, however sentencing term guidelines are not outlined. Criminal and civil penalties could also ensue if any person knowingly does not report the practice of another manufacturing, selling, distributing or importing a noncompliance product.

Pools and spas that are not in operation on December 19, 2008 do not need to meet the new safety standards until they intend to reopen.

Sources

 CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (http://WWW.CPSC.GOV/)
 CPSC Enforcement Position
 Presentation on Drowning Prevention, Entrapment Prevention & Pool and Spa Safety Act (pdf)
 CPSC Staff's Guide to Complying with the Law, October 2008 (pdf)
 CPSC Staff Interpretation of Section 1404 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, June 18, 2008 (pdf)
 CPSC Staff Draft Technical Guidance on Section 1406 on Minimum State Requirements for Grant Program* Public Comment Period
 ANSI/APSP-7 Fact Sheet
 ANSI/APSP-7 field checklist for identifying suction entrapment hazards

References

External links
Swimming-Pool-Information.com - Web page with more information on compliant devices
Full text version of EISA 2007: EISA 2007
PoolSafety.gov
Poolsafety.gov A staff interpretation of new drain standards. poolsafety.gov Interpretation
Virginia Graeme Baker's Story. Virginia Graeme Baker
Pool & Spa safe equipment. Equipment Specifications and Pictures
Pool/Spa operation FAQs. FAQs
information on alternative bottom drain technology

Safety codes
Consumer protection law
United States federal child welfare legislation
Acts of the 110th United States Congress
United States federal legislation articles without infoboxes
Consumer protection in the United States


Newcomb Place is a historic house at 109 Putnam Street in Quincy, Massachusetts.  The -story wood-frame house was probably built in the 1850s, and is one of the city's finest side-hall Greek Revival houses.  It has a three-bay facade with fully pedimented gable, an entablature that wraps around the house, and front windows with simple projecting lintels.  The house was owned in the second half of the 19th century by Joseph Newcomb, a painter.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Houses completed in 1850
Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Greek Revival architecture in Massachusetts


The New England Telephone Building is a historic utility building at 10 Merrymount Road in Quincy, Massachusetts.  This two-story Classical Revival brick structure was built c. 1906 and doubled in size in 1924, reaching its present proportions.  It housed the telephone exchange of the New England Telephone Company until 1940, after which time it was converted to office space.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Neoclassical architecture in Massachusetts
Commercial buildings completed in 1906
Buildings and structures in Quincy, Massachusetts
Telephone exchange buildings
Telecommunications buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
1906 establishments in Massachusetts


The John R. Nelson House is a historic house located at 4 Brunswick Street in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Description and history
The -story timber-framed house was built in 1908 as a summer house by John R. Nelson, who was one of the developers of the Squantum farms. It is one of the area's best-preserved Craftsman/Bungalow homes. It has a side gable roof with broad eaves showing exposed rafter ends, which also extends over the front porch, where it is supported by stone piers.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1989.

Gallery

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Houses completed in 1908
Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
1908 establishments in Massachusetts
Bungalow architecture in Massachusetts
American Craftsman architecture in Massachusetts


Live in London is a (double) live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.  It was released on CD by Columbia/Sony March 31, 2009, is his 18th album, and his first live release since Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 in 2001. A DVD of the performance was simultaneously released by Columbia/Sony.

Background
Part of the reason Cohen, who was 73 at the time, went on tour in 2008 was to rebuild his finances after being swindled by his manager, Kelley Lynch.  Sylvie Simmons explains in her 2012 biography on Cohen that Lynch "took care of Leonard's business affairs…[and was] not simply his manager but a close friend, almost part of the family." However, Simmons notes that in late 2004, Cohen's daughter Lorca began to suspect Lynch of financial impropriety, and when Cohen checked his bank accounts, he noticed that he had unknowingly paid a credit card bill of Lynch's for $75,000 and also found that most of the money in his accounts was gone (including money from his retirement accounts and charitable trust funds). Cohen would discover that this theft had actually begun as early as 1996 when Lynch started selling Cohen's music publishing rights despite the fact that Cohen had no financial incentive to do so at the time.  Cohen, who was on a five-year retreat at the Zen center Mount Baldy near Los Angeles at the time, remained oblivious.

On 8 October 2005, Cohen sued Kelley Lynch, alleging that she had misappropriated over US$5 million from Cohen's retirement fund leaving only $150,000. Cohen was sued in turn by other former business associates. These events placed him in the public spotlight, including a cover feature on him with the headline "Devastated!" in Canada's Maclean's magazine. In March 2006, Cohen won a civil suit and was awarded US$9 million by a Los Angeles County superior court. Lynch, however, ignored the suit and did not respond to a subpoena issued for her financial records. As a result, it was widely reported that Cohen might never be able to collect the awarded amount.

In the meantime, Cohen published a book of poetry, prose and drawings called Book of Longing in 2006 and produced Anjani's 2006 album Blue Alert (he also provided lyrics for the songs).  Cohen was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  in 2008.  In his book Leonard Cohen: A Remarkable Life, biographer Anthony Reynolds observes that throughout the ordeal, Cohen remained  calm: "In public, at least, Cohen did seem remarkably sanguine about the loss.  He was never angry or accusatory, and his stock answer to the calamity was the dry one-liner, 'It's enough to put a dent in your mood' but when pushed he admitted, 'I don't know what helped me deal with it...I guess it just hasn't hit me yet.  Cohen, who had always professed to interviewers how much he enjoyed the discipline imposed by hard work, recognized the economic necessity of getting back on the road and announced a tour in January 2008.  The first show took place at the Fredericton Playhouse in New Brunswick.  Cohen played dates in Canada and Europe to enthusiastic crowds who were delighted to see him on stage again.

Live in London is Cohen's first full concert show release as well as his first released DVD.  The album was recorded July 17, 2008, at London's O2 Arena, and was released in both DVD and as a two-CD set. The album was long listed for the Polaris Music Prize.  Cohen's humility and self-deprecating sense of humor is evident in the between-song banter throughout the London performance, with him telling the audience, "It's been a long time since I stood on a stage in London.  It was about 14 or 15 years ago.  I was 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream.  Since then I've taken a lot of Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Ritalin, Focalin.  I've also studied deeply in the philosophies of the religions but cheerfulness kept breaking through."

Reception
Mark Deming of AllMusic writes, "Cohen may have a reputation as one of the most dour performers in contemporary music, but his between-song patter is charmingly droll, and he finds a passion and a humanity in his songs that sets them apart from their studio counterparts."

Track listing

Disc 1

Disc 2

Musicians
 Leonard Cohen – vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
 Bob Metzger – lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
 Javier Mas – bandurria, laud, archilaud, 12-string acoustic guitar
 Roscoe Beck – bass, backing vocals, musical director
 Sharon Robinson – vocals
 Neil Larsen – keyboards, accordion
 Dino Soldo – saxophone, clarinet, harmonica, keyboards, backing vocals
 Rafael Bernardo Gayol – drums, percussion
The Webb Sisters:
 Charley Webb – backing vocals, guitar
 Hattie Webb – backing vocals, harp

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Album certifications

DVD certifications

References

External links
[ Live in London] at Allmusic

Leonard Cohen live albums
2009 live albums
Columbia Records live albums


The Colebatch Ministry was the 14th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia and was led by Nationalist Premier Hal Colebatch. It succeeded the Lefroy Ministry on 17 April 1919 after Sir Henry Lefroy's resignation as premier. Colebatch, a member of the Legislative Council and the first (and so far only) from that chamber to ever be asked to form a ministry, had the problem of finding a conveniently-located country seat which was not held by the Country Party. Before he could consolidate his leadership, his handling of the "Battle of the Barricades" on the waterfront severely damaged his standing and he stood aside. On 17 May 1919, the First Mitchell Ministry was formed by the Minister for Lands, James Mitchell.

The following ministers served for the duration of the Ministry:

References

  (no ISBN)

Western Australian ministries
Ministries of George V


The Munroe Building is a historic commercial building at 1227-1259 Hancock Street in Quincy, Massachusetts.  Built in 1929 to a design by Shepard & Stearns, it is the best-preserved of two adjacent Colonial Revival two-story commercial blocks built on Hancock Street in the 1920s.  The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Description and history
The Munroe Building is set on the southwest side of Hancock Street in downtown Quincy, between the street and the Quincy Center MBTA station.  To its southeast is a public park, with Quincy City Hall at the far end.  It is a rectangular two-story structure, faced in brick with stone trim.  The street and park-facing facades are similar, with commercial storefronts on the ground floor that are predominantly 1980s vintage glass and aluminum.  The upper level is characterized by a series of gables, each of which has a central window topped by a blind round arch, and flanking sash windows, in a variant of the Palladian window concept.  The central window is surrounded by a garland.  Between the gable sections are smaller sections with single sash windows that have blind segmented-arch tops.

The Colonial Revival building was designed by Shepard and Stearns and built in 1929.  Then, as now, it housed retail stores on the ground floor and professional offices above.  It was built by Henry Faxon, a major real estate owner of the period.  The Dimmock Building, a block down Hancock Street, is another Colonial Revival building from 1929; it has been substantially altered.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Colonial Revival architecture in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures completed in 1929
Buildings and structures in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts


Moswetuset Hummock is a Native American site and the original name of the tribe (Mosetuset) in the region named Massachusetts after them. The wooded hummock in Squantum, Massachusetts, is formally recognized as historic by descendants of the Ponkapoag people.

The location was the seat of the ruling Moswetuset Sac'hem (Native American chief) Chickatawbut. During the warm season he conducted tribal council here. Members of the Moswetuset (Massachusett) tribe for centuries made the shore of Quincy Bay their seasonal home.

Moswetuset Hummock is understood to be the site where Chickatawbut negotiated with Plymouth Colony commander Myles Standish and Tisquantum, a Patuxet tribe guide. In 1617 an epidemic, probably an infectious disease brought by sailors on a visiting European ship, ravaged the native population here and along the New England coastline. Estimates are that 80% of the people died. By the time of King Philip's War, 1675–77, the numbers of the Moswetuset tribe had drastically declined in the town. But, descendants of these original inhabitants still live in the general area today.

In his 1747 volume A History of New-England, historian Daniel Neal described Moswetuset Hummock as the origin of the name of the indigenous Massachusett tribe. The colonists named the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after them:
The Sachem or Sagamore who governed the Indians in this part of the country when the English came hither, had his seat on a small hill, or hummock, containing perhaps an acre and a half, about two leagues to the southward of Boston, which hill or hummock lies in the shape of an Indian's arrowhead, which arrow-heads are called in their language MOS, or MONS, with O nasal, and hill in their language is WETUSET hence, this great sachem's seat was called Moswetuset, which signifies a hill in the shape of an arrow's head, and his subjects, the Moswetuset Indians, from whence with a small variation of the word, the Province received the name MASSACHUSETTS.

Moswetuset translates to 'shaped like an arrowhead'.

In 1970 Moswetuset Hummock was formally recognized and added to the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts. The historic site is also recognized by the Native American descendants known as the Ponkapoag people. Moswetuset Hummock is located on East Squantum Street, the northern end of Wollaston Beach, Quincy Bay.

A hummock is a geological term: by definition they are small and less than fifty feet in height. Earth hummocks, in contrast to ice hummocks, are also known as a small rounded knoll, mound of land, or a hillock. Hummocks are believed to be relict features that were formed under colder conditions when permafrost was likely present in the ground.

Gallery

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

External links

 The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag
 Discover Quincy: Moswetuset
 Massachusetts State Park/ Quincy Shore Reservation details
 Department of Conservation and Recreation

National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Geography of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Protected areas of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Tourist attractions in Quincy, Massachusetts
Native American history of Massachusetts


The Edward Miller House is a historic house at 36 Miller Stile Road in Quincy, Massachusetts.  This two-story wood-frame house was built in the 1830s by Edward Miller, a local veteran of the American Revolutionary War.  The house is a well-preserved Federal style structure, despite having experienced significant alterations c. 1912, when it was used as an inn, and in 1960, when it housed the offices of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

Federal architecture in Massachusetts
Houses completed in 1830
Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts
1830 establishments in Massachusetts
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts


Migrant workers in Kuwait constitute a significant proportion of the population.

Foreign nationals make up 60% of the population and 78% of the labor force in Kuwait.

Kuwait's economy is highly dependent on foreign labor. To facilitate the recruitment of migrants, the country has signed memorandum of understanding and agreements with South and Southeast Asia, as well as some African countries, among others. The sponsorship system known as Kafala is almost the only way to recruit migrant workers. It is also used to strictly monitor migrant workers, who mainly work in the construction and domestic sectors. Access to justice remains difficult for migrants in Kuwait. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased migrants' vulnerability to deportation, mistreatment, and health problems as the Kuwaiti economy has fallen into a deep recession due to the drop in oil prices. In 2020, government efforts to nationalize the labor force increased sharply, as did migrant repatriations. Another problem is statelessness. Kuwait has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not have an asylum system.

Kafeel sponsorship system

Kuwait's foreign worker sponsorship system mandates that expatriates must be sponsored by a local employer to get a work permit.  In August 2008, MP Abdullah Al-Roumi declared that he was going to draft a law to scrap Kuwait's "kafeel" foreign worker sponsorship system: "The government should be the only kafeel... We have scores of bachelors residing in Kuwait with an equal number of crimes. Many are caused due to the 'trading with humans' issue which taints the reputation of Kuwait." The government is currently planning to scrap the 'sponsorship system' in favor of a new system will be implemented to allow the expatriate workers to transfer their residence permits to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior Lt Gen Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah announced an increase in the minimum salary which is 500KD for foreign workers if they want to sponsor a member of their family.

Minimum wage
In the parliamentary debates over the Kuwaiti minimum wage, MPs Askar Al-Enezi and Sadoon Al-Otaibi have dismissed past wage increases as “too small” and not enough to meet the steep hikes in consumer prices.  On February 21, 2008, the parliament approved a 120 dinar ($440) monthly pay rise for nationals in the public and private sectors after inflation hit 7.3%, a 15-year high.  It also decided to raise by 50 dinars ($183) the pay of foreigners employed by the government.  In response, Al-Enezi said, “We reject this increase because it is well below expectations. We urge the government to review its decision."

The first Gulf Arab country to set a minimum wage for domestic servants was Kuwait. The large number of domestic workers urged the rest Gulf Arab countries to follow the approach taken by Kuwait to tackle widespread abuses. More specifically Kuwait on 2016 regulated the working conditions through legislation and rights groups. They listed the minimum salary as 60 Kuwaiti dinars ($198) a month, set out measures to implement a milestone law passed by parliament requiring employers to pay overtime for every extra hour worked. It grants maids the right to a week off, 30 days of paid annual leave, 12 hours of work with rest, and a one-month service charge allowance annually at the end of the contract.

Anti-trafficking reform
In September 2008, MP Saleh Al-Mulla demanded from Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Bader Al-Duwailah a list of companies involved in human trafficking.  Mulla also asked about the measures taken against the violating companies and other steps that would be taken in the future to prevent such violations from taking place.

In March 2013, Kuwait passed Law No. 91 of 2013 Combating Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants that prohibits sex and labor trafficking and provides for penalties of up to 15 years in prison.

In 2016, Kuwait tried to fight trafficking in persons with the collaboration of UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro who emphasized to further strengthen the assistance and support measures for domestic workers who are victims of trafficking and exploitation.

Implementation of the jobs resettlement policy
Kuwait's foreign labor consists of 4.5 million residents, working in both blue collar and white collar jobs. Although the Kuwait government proposed in March 2018 the right to own property to expatriate workers, they faced problems in adapting to Kuwaiti society. Based on the decision of the Civil Service Commission No. 11 of 2017 by 2023 all foreign employees in the government would be replaced and all graduates under 30 years of age would not be recruited. The Kuwaiti government also claims that the proportion of Kuwaiti employees in banks will increase by 80% by the end of 2018.

2018 was the first year of implementation of the jobs resettlement policy in which more than 3 thousand job contracts of foreigners in government agencies had been cancelled and approximately 13,000 expatriates have been deported from Kuwaiti Interior Ministry with accusations of poor health conditions, labor law violations and criminal charges.

Since the advent of Covid-19, oil prices have been plummeted, and local jobs have been erased, so in 2020 the Kuwaiti government was considering the possibility of deportation regardless of age and health problems, approximately 460.000 Indians and 260.000 Egyptians, the two largest communities of expatriates. More than 5000 migrants from Bangladesh left Kuwait also during this period. Another victim of the Kuwaiti government's deportation order was the Nepali migrants who faced hard times in the labor camps because of undernourishment and restriction of various social services.

Sri Lanka made an effort with its network of 67 missions, the help of the local community and religious organisations enabled the provision of food and medicine to its expatriates as well as facilitating their repatriation and the transfer of bank savings.

On January 18, 2021, the Kuwait government allowed the entry of domestic workers from countries such as the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and others, but there was no particular response especially from the Indian population as fewer and fewer were taking up such jobs. The situation in Kuwait continues to this day with the police taking strict measures against the illegal stay of expatriates in the country. Finally a major blow is the replacement of more than 38,000 expatriates working in the health sector as this industry is growing for Kuwait.

Blacklist for those who mistreat foreign workers
On October 2, 2007, Waleed Al-Tabtabaie called for the interior ministry to draw up a blacklist of employers who mistreat their domestic helpers and urged stiff penalties for physical abuse.  Al-Tabtabaie said that employers who abuse their maids "physically or morally" should be added to the blacklist and prevented from hiring new maids.  Al-Tabtabie, a member of parliament's human rights panel, argued that the phenomenon of maid abuse "has lately increased to a disturbing level and a large number of abuses are committed annually, with most cases failing to reach the court."

In September 2007, Kuwait opened a temporary shelter to house runaway maids until their disputes with employers are resolved. The Kuwaiti government plans to open two permanent centres for males and females to be housed separately.

2018 Kuwait–Philippine diplomatic crisis
In February 2018, the body of Filipino migrant worker, 28-year-old Joanna Demafelis, was located, found in an apartment her employers, married couple Nader Essam Assaf and Mona Hassoun. There was evidence she'd been tortured before she was strangled to death and forensic evidence determined it was likely she'd died more than a year before her body was discovered. When news of her murder reached the media, Assaf, a Lebanese national, and Hassoun successfully fled Kuwait but were ultimately arrested in Syria. A little over a month after their arrests, Assaf confessed he'd murdered Demafelis and both he and his wife were sentenced to death by hanging. Though Kuwaiti authorities responded quickly in apprehending the people responsible for Demafelis' murder and sentenced the both of them to death, the incident ignited outrage in the Philippines and prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to ban Filipino citizens from working Kuwait, resulting in what would become known as the 2018 Kuwait–Philippine diplomatic crisis. Because of this incident they were given to 10,000 Filipinos a free flight home from the Philippine government. The Kuwait–Philippine diplomatic crisis has caused further problems of mistreatment of Filipino migrants as some of them tried to enter Kuwait through illegal routes.

Home to more than 250,000 migrant workers from the Philippines, approximately 60% of whom work in domestic labor, and Kuwait is a top source of remittance for the Philippines. Despite the commonness of Filipino nationals traveling to Kuwait to work, the conditions of migrant workers has been of concern for human rights organisations and the Filipino government for some time, with reports of Filipinos being enslaved, sexually abused, and murdered by their employers or residents in the Persian Gulf. Not wanting to lose its Filipino workforce, the Kuwaiti government passed legislation in May 2018 requiring employers to allow Filipino migrant workers the right to possess their own passport, the right to a 12-hour work day with a one-hour break and one day off per week, an end-of-the-year bonus, and access to a working cell phone. Following the meeting between the Director General of the Kuwait Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) and the Charge d'Affaires of the Philippines in November 2022, the future for Filipino migrants working in Kuwait looks bright as Kuwait is interested in recruiting more Filipinos who form a large part of the Kuwaiti workforce.

See also
Human rights in Kuwait

References

Economy of Kuwait
Human rights abuses in Kuwait
Kuwait


Tropidophorus grayi, commonly called the spiny waterside skink, Gray's keeled skink, Gray's water skink, and the Philippine spiny stream skink is a relatively abundant but secretive skink species, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of T. grayi are forest and forest streams, at altitudes from sea level to , but it has also been found in agricultural areas adjacent to forest.T. grayi lives by rivers and lakes, which gives it the common name waterside skink. Despite the warm climate in its native habitat, it prefers relatively cool temperatures in mountainous areas..

Description
T. grayi has serrated scales (very spiky) which are grey-black in colour, but may also appear in pure black, reddish-brown or wooden-brown colours. The belly is white with or without brown blotches and is smooth and shiny. This makes this species look like a miniature crocodile.

Behaviour
T. grayi is fast and agile. Despite its looks and speed, it is harmless, but it may occasionally bite hard, if handled. When threatened by predators this reptile hides in water. If left to swim in deep water, it may appear to drown, but it actually only plays dead. When removed, it may stay motionless for a few minutes and then return to its normal state. It is also an excellent climber, equipped with claws that can grip tree trunks and other wooden structures.

Diet
T. grayi eats worms, insects, small snails, slugs, and small fishes (if it can catch one).

In captivity
In captivity, it is observed that T. grayi likes to stack itself in piles, like turtles basking in the sun, and would rather stay on dry land than in water. It is becoming quite popular as an exotic pet due to its crocodilian appearance and cheap price in the Philippines.

Tail regeneration
Like almost any species in the skink family, T. grayi can regrow its tail if severed, but the replacement tail usually is shorter and has fewer spikes than the original tail. Also, the tail of T. grayi is tougher to break than the tail of most other skinks.

Reproduction
T. grayi is ovoviviparous.

Etymology
The specific name, grayi, is in honor of British herpetologist John Edward Gray.

References

Further reading
Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Tropidophorus grayi, p. 364 + Plate XXX, figures 2, 2a).
Günther A (1861). "Second List of Siamese Reptiles". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1861: 187–189. (Tropidophorus grayi, new species, p. 189).

grayi
Reptiles of the Philippines
Reptiles described in 1861
Taxa named by Albert Günther