National

King Abdullah was 'strong proponent of peace' says PM Harper

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Jan, 2015 10:58 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered his condolences to the people of Saudi Arabia on the death of King Abdullah.

The monarch of the oil-rich country who sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom died Friday at the age of 90.

A royal court statement said Abdullah's 79-year-old half-brother, Prince Salman, would become the new Saudi leader.

In a statement, Harper said Abdullah was a "strong proponent of peace" in the Middle East.

Harper said the monarch also undertook a range of important economic, social, education, health, and infrastructure initiatives in his country.

Harper said he met King Abdullah in Toronto during a G-20 summit and found him to be "passionate about his country, development and the global economy.

Abdullah was selected as crown prince in 1982 on the day his half-brother Fahd ascended to the throne. He became de facto ruler in 1995 when a stroke incapacitated Fahd and became king in 2005.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Flexibility, partnerships key to modern policing, says federal panel

OTTAWA — A federally commissioned study says police must be more flexible and seek out partnerships to succeed in the 21st century.

Flexibility, partnerships key to modern policing, says federal panel

Sex offenders convicted abroad may be missing from national registry: auditor

OTTAWA — The national sex offender registry may not include some Canadians convicted of crimes abroad because the RCMP doesn't have access to Foreign Affairs information on convicts released from prisons in other countries.

Sex offenders convicted abroad may be missing from national registry: auditor

Auditor questions whether soldiers get all of their entitled moving benefits

OTTAWA — The RCMP gets a passing grade from the auditor general for the way it handles its multimillion-dollar relocation program, but National Defence is once again facing tough questions about how it moves members around the country.

Auditor questions whether soldiers get all of their entitled moving benefits

Auditor cites problems in Syria projects, military water purification

OTTAWA — Funding delays of more than a year plagued two major Canada humanitarian assistance projects in Syria, while the military's water purification system didn't measure up during last year's typhoon in the Philippines.

Auditor cites problems in Syria projects, military water purification

Government not doing enough to keep tabs on northern food-subsidy program: audit

OTTAWA — The auditor general says the federal government can't tell if northerners are reaping the full benefit of a program aimed at helping to offset the high cost of food in the North.

Government not doing enough to keep tabs on northern food-subsidy program: audit

No one-stop shop for data on government auto bailouts, auditor finds

OTTAWA — Canadians would have to sift through a stack of different reports if they wanted to piece together how their tax dollars were spent on big auto bailouts, says a new report by the federal auditor general.