KUWAIT: Al-Rai daily reported yesterday that the Public Authority for Manpower has stopped issuing work permits to Moroccan and Tunisian women younger than 40 unless they are accompanied by a first-degree relative (father, brother or husband). This decision was taken at the request of both countries, it said. The decision applies also to Lebanese women who need security clearance. In an ambiguous response, Manpower Authority Director Ahmed Al-Moussa yesterday said the report is "inaccurate", adding the labor law bans women from working in hazardous jobs, those posing health risks and those violating public morals. - Meshaal Al-Enezi