dChan
Anonymous ID: 949dcc Sept. 29, 2020, 7:17 a.m. No.10834322   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>4563 >>4900 >>4970

>>10834265 (Notables)

>>>10834150 BREAKING: Kuwait's ruler, Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has died

^^^^^^

Sauceless

 

Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, has died at the age of 91, state media report.

He was expected to be succeeded by his 83-year-old half-brother and crown prince, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed.

In July, Sheikh Sabah was flown to the United States for medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait.

He had ruled the oil-rich Gulf Arab state since 2006 and had overseen its foreign policy for more than 50 years.

He was dubbed the "dean of Arab diplomacy" for his efforts to restore relations with states that backed Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, when Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces.

The emir also often acted as a mediator in regional disputes, including the ongoing diplomatic stand-off between Saudi Arabia, its allies and Qatar.

Kuwait also refrained from intervening in Syria's civil war, instead hosting several donor conferences for humanitarian aid.

 

Sheikh Sabah came to power in January 2006, after Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah stepped down just nine days into his rule as parliament moved to depose him on health grounds.

He had been prime minister under the previous Emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and for several years had been seen as the de facto ruler.

Before then, he served as foreign minister from 1963 to 1991 and from 1992 to 2003.

Kuwait - which has a population of 4.8 million, including 3.4 million foreigners - has the world's sixth-largest known oil reserves and is a major US ally.

It has been ruled by the Sabah family for the past 260 years.

The emir has the last say in political matters. He has the power to override or dissolve parliament, and call elections.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54340988

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kuwait-emir/kuwaits-ruler-emir-sheikh-sabah-dies-state-tv-idUSKBN26K2FH

Anonymous ID: 949dcc Sept. 29, 2020, 7:45 a.m. No.10834604   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>4900 >>4970

Britain imposes sanctions on Belarus leader (Lukashenko) and aides

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - Britain has imposed sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and seven other officials over election fraud and violence against protesters, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Reuters on Tuesday.

 

Lukashenko’s national security adviser and chief of staff are also among the sanctioned officials, Raab said in an interview during a visit to the South Korean capital of Seoul.

“There is a vanishing window to influence what is playing out in Belarus and we believe the time to take action is now,” he said. “First and foremost there must be a cost, there must be a price with the kind of human rights abuses that we’ve seen and the fraudulent approach to that election.”

Belarus has seen mass demonstrations since Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, was named the landslide winner of an Aug 9 presidential election his opponents say was rigged.

 

Lukashenko denies electoral fraud. All major opposition figures are now in jail or have fled.

Raab told parliament last week that Britain was preparing sanctions on Minsk in coordination with the United States and Canada.

The European Union, which Britain left in January, has also announced plans for sanctions on Belarusian officials, although it has yet to finalise them.

 

Western countries have so far been cautious in responding the events in Belarus, balancing sympathy for the pro-democracy movement with concern about provoking Russia, which has made clear it still supports Lukashenko, its close ally.

Raab said he had spoken with Britain’s international partners, and Britain had decided to move forward.

“We expect others will follow but I think time is of the essence because of that narrow window of opportunity to influence what is playing out,” he said.

 

“We can’t just have a situation where the likes of Alexander Lukashenko and frankly Vladimir Putin think that the human rights abuses and the rigging of that election can just pass without them being held to account.”

 

Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Peter Graff

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-elections-sanctions-britain/britain-imposes-sanctions-on-belarus-leader-and-aides-idUSKBN26K2HD