Kuwaiti premier defeats bid to oust him

Kuwait\'s premier on Thursday comfortably survived a parliament vote called by the opposition in a bid to oust him over allegations he boosted ties with Iran rather than Gulf Arab states, the parliament speaker announced. Only 18 MPs voted for the motion, seven votes short of the required number to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said after a secret session. Twenty-five MPs voted in support of the prime minister and six lawmakers abstained. The vote came after a grilling on May 15 when the opposition accused the prime minister of undermining national security by developing ties with Shiite Iran at the expense of Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab states.