Kuwaiti woman minister survives

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Kuwait's only female cabinet minister, Nouria Sbeih, has survived a no-confidence vote in parliament.

The education minister was accused of ignoring a sex segregation law at universities and presiding over a drop in educational standards.

She denied the allegations and won the confidence vote by 27 to 19.

Ms Sbeih has been criticised by conservative and Islamist MPs for refusing to wear a headscarf when she was sworn into the cabinet.

The vote split Islamists in parliament, with the main Islamist bloc voting in favour of Ms Sbeih.

"We are all loyal to Kuwait and I will take all the observations into consideration in developing education," she said after the vote.

Women won the right to vote and run for office in Kuwait in 2005.

Maasouma Mubarak, who became the first female minister in Kuwait, resigned last year after Islamist MPs summoned her to appear before parliament.