Kuwait just executed a member of its royal family

The last known executions to be carried out in Kuwait took place in 2013.
Sheikh Faisal Abdullah Al Sabah (L), murdered his nephew Sheikh Basil (R) Source: Twitter

A member of the royal family was executed in Kuwait on Wednesday, a rare occurrence in the Gulf country.

Faisal Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah – the royal – was convicted of murdering his nephew Basil Al Sabah back in 2010. Six others were also executed, including a Kuwaiti woman who was convicted of killing 58 women and children by setting fire to a wedding tent.

In total, Kuwait executed seven people by hanging, including two Kuwaitis, two Egyptians, a Bangladeshi, a Filipina and an Ethiopian. All were convicted of murder with the exception of the Bangladeshi man, who was convicted of rape, kidnapping and theft.

The last known executions to be carried out in Kuwait took place in 2013, according to Al Jazeera

While it is rare for a Gulf country to execute a royal, it's not unprecedented.

Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a prince for murder, believed to be the first execution of a royal in the kingdom since the 1970s.

The Saudi prince, Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer, was convicted of shooting another Saudi citizen and was executed in Riyadh. He was from one of the most prominent branches of the royal family after that of the direct descendants of King Abdulaziz, according to another member of the royal family.

Many Saudi's praised their king for passing equal justice on members of the royal family following the execution.

Justice is the basis of governance. May God protect our ruler and keep people walking in the correct path. #Salman_the_resolute_orders_the_punishment_of_the_prince

Prostitution ring busted in Dubai thanks to WhatsApp message

After one woman sent her brother a call for help on the messaging platform.

Social apps are usually seen as a great waste of time. We spend hours on end going through tons of messages, photos and videos. 

But, what we sometimes fail to remember is that these apps are powerful communication tools – with the ability to save lives. 

How so? Here’s the most recent example. 

A human trafficking prostitution ring involving a 27-year-old Bangladeshi security guard and other unknown persons was busted after one woman sent her brother a WhatsApp message. 

The woman, who was identified as a Kyrgyz national, is one of two who were lured to Dubai after the security guard offered them jobs as domestic helpers, and forced into prostitution shortly after being picked up from the airport. 

They were only able to escape after the police busted the ring thanks to the message one of the women was able to send to her brother in her home country, KhaleejTimes reported. 

The case was reported to Al Barsha police on July 19, last year, but news of it was released to the public today. 

The trial has been adjourned to February 7.

"I sent a WhatsApp message to my brother in my home country seeking help. He contacted the consulate here," the victim said. 

According to reports, a police corporal told the public prosecution investigation that when they went to the flat the day the complaint was filed, they found a man and a woman at the door who told them they were working for the Kyrgyzstan consulate.

"The two consulate employees told us that they were contacted by relatives of two Kyrgyz women who had arrived in Dubai a few days earlier and were held up against their will in a flat and forced to work as prostitutes."

The corporal and other police officers then entered the apartment where they found the guard and the women. The flat was divided into partitions by curtains which suggested prostitution.