Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah passes away at 91
Kuwait: Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait who drew on his decades as the oil-rich nation's top diplomat to push for closer ties to Iraq after the 1990 Gulf War and solutions to other regional crises, died Tuesday. He was 91.
In a Middle East replete with elderly rulers, Sheikh Sabah stood out for his efforts at pushing for diplomacy to resolve a bitter dispute between Qatar and other Arab nations that continues to this day.
His 2006 ascension in Kuwait, a staunch U.S. ally since the American-led war that expelled occupying Iraqi troops, came after parliament voted unanimously to oust his predecessor, the ailing Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, just nine days into his rule.
Yet as Kuwait's ruling emir, he struggled with internal political disputes, the fallout of the 2011 Arab Spring protests and seesawing crude oil prices that chewed into a national budget providing cradle-to-grave subsidies.
He represents the older generation of Gulf leaders who valued discretion and moderation and the importance of personal ties amongst fellow monarchs, said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington who studies Kuwait.
No question he has suffered from the lack of deference and respect shown by the younger and more brash young princes holding power today. State television announced his death after playing Quranic prayers.
Sheikh Sabah is expected to be succeeded by his half brother, the crown prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
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Padubidri: Two held in fake gold scam; ornaments seized
Udupi: Police have arrested two persons in connection with a fake gold fraud case reported under the jurisdiction of Padubidri police station.
The accused have been identified as Kavya (32) from Buduganahalli in Tumakuru district and Venkatesh (42) from Santhebennur taluk in Davangere district. Police have seized 7.61 grams of gold ornaments and Rs 6,000 in cash from them.
According to police, the incident occurred on January 13, when Bassamma was walking near the old post office in Padubidri. A man and woman approached her and showed a gold chain with a Lakshmi pendant, claiming they were in urgent need of money.
Believing their claim, Bassamma handed over her gold ornaments worth Rs 1.50 lakh along with Rs 6,000 in cash in exchange for the chain.
However, when she later got the chain checked at a jewellery shop, she found it to be fake. By the time she returned to the spot, the accused had fled.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered, and police launched an investigation.
The arrests were made under the supervision of Udupi SP Hariram Shankar and Additional SP Sudhakar S. Naik, with a team of police officers executing the operation. Further investigation is underway.
