KUWAIT CITY (AFP) – A Kuwaiti MP proposed state-aid for male citizens to take second wives, in a bid to reduce the large number of unmarried women in the oil-rich emirate.

"The proposal aims at solving the problem of unmarried women, which is a problem facing our society, and encourages widows and divorced men and women to form new families," independent Shiite MP Faisal al-Duwaisan said Wednesday.

The Gulf state already grants Kuwaiti men who wed a female citizen for the first time a "marriage aid" of 4,000 dinars ($14,000), half of which is a grant and the rest an interest-free loan with easy installments.

But Duwaisan wants the government to grant an additional aid package for men to take second wives, provided certain conditions are met.

The prospective grooms must obtain written permission from their existing wives to marry again, or they must be widowed or divorced.

The women they marry must be widows, divorced or at least 40 years of age and never married, Duwaisan said in his proposal, which was submitted to parliament.

Parliamentary panels will review the proposal, then send it to parliament for consideration. If approved, it will become law.

Kuwait, the fifth-largest producer inside the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, provides a cradle-to-grave welfare system by offering most public services at highly-subsidised rates. Education and health are free for citizens.

Californian finds condom in soup
SANTA ANA (AP) – A California man who says he ordered French onion soup and bit into a condom instead of melted cheese has settled his lawsuit against the Claim Jumper restaurant chain.

The terms of Wednesday's settlement were not disclosed. Both sides say in a statement the deal indicates no admission of liability by either party.

Zdenek Philip Hodousek of Mission Viejo sued in Superior Court last summer seeking unspecified damages.

He says he was eating Easter brunch with his family when he bit into the condom.

The company says it found no evidence of a foreign object in the soup or that there was any employee involvement or wrongdoing.

According to the chain's website, there are 46 Claim Jumper restaurants in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

Unusual penalty for curfew-breaker
SOUTHLAKE, Texas (AP) – A Texas teenager who broke curfew is headed for a reluctant adventure in baby-sitting.

Robert Rausch placed an advertisement offering his daughter's free baby-sitting services in the community newspaper in Southlake, a wealthy suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth that is home to business leaders and professional athletes.

The advertisement names Rausch's 16-year-old-daughter and says, "Want a FREE BABYSITTER for a night out?" It explains that she is in trouble for missing her curfew and offers 30 hours of free baby-sitting.

Rausch says he wanted to discipline his daughter and help others at the same time. And it appears his daughter has already learned a lesson.

She says she won't violate curfew again or throw any more late-night parties.