Saudi Arabia

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After 2 Mysterious Weeks, Lebanese PM Now in France

Saad Hariri says it's a 'lie' he was being held captive in Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - The (potentially) former prime minister of Lebanon's mysterious two-week stay in Saudi Arabia has come to an end, as Saad Hariri arrived in France on Saturday morning and met with French President Emmanuel Macron, the New York Times reports. Hariri was in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 4 when he...

Lebanon President: Saudis Are Holding Our PM Hostage

It's Michel Aoun's strongest statement since Saad al-Hariri resigned

(Newser) - Lebanon President Michel Aoun said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is holding Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and his family hostage. It's the first time since al-Hariri's sudden resignation earlier this month that Aoun has explicitly accused Saudi Arabia of holding him, Reuters reports. Al-Hariri resigned during a trip...

Lebanon's Prime Minister Is Missing; Some Fear War Nears

Saad Hariri resigned suddenly while in Saudi Arabia last week, has yet to return to Lebanon

(Newser) - In the week since he suddenly and unexpectedly resigned as Lebanon's prime minister during a trip to Saudi Arabia, Saad Hariri has yet to return to his country—or make any sort of public statement at all, Reuters reports. According to the New York Times , on Friday Hezbollah, which...

What Just Happened in Saudi Arabia?
What Just Happened
in Saudi Arabia?
the rundown
Nov 6, 2017 8:51 AM CST

What Just Happened in Saudi Arabia?

Crown prince 'MBS' makes a risky move in an apparent bid to consolidate power

(Newser) - The heir to the throne in Saudi Arabia ordered a series of stunning, high-profile arrests over the weekend. The upshot? Only what appears to be "the most sweeping transformation in the kingdom’s governance for more than eight decades," writes David Kirkpatrick in the New York Times . Crown...

Saudis Bust Dozens of Princes, Bigwigs in Corruption Sweep

Dramatic move seen as power play by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of princes and former officials, including a well-known billionaire with extensive holdings in Western companies, as part of a sweeping anti-corruption probe that further cements control in its young crown prince. A high-level employee at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Co. told the...

Saudi Prince to Open Sports Stadiums to Women

'What’s next? Night clubs?' one critic tweeted

(Newser) - First came driving , now Saudi women will be allowed in sports stadiums. Saudi authorities on Sunday tweeted that stadiums in three cities—Riyadh, Jeddah, and Damman—"will be ready to accommodate families from early 2018," AFP reports. The move was the latest effort by 32-year-old Crown Prince...

Google Earth Reveals Ancient Mystery in Saudi Arabia
Google Earth Reveals Ancient
Mystery in Saudi Arabia
in case you missed it
Oct 28, 2017 11:24 AM CDT

Google Earth Reveals Ancient Mystery in Saudi Arabia

Hundreds of unexplained stone 'gates' are spotted from above

(Newser) - Google Earth has revealed an archaeological mystery from on high. Satellite images show the existence of ancient stone structures built thousands of years ago in what is now an inhospitable part of Saudi Arabia, reports LiveScience . Archaeologists led by David Kennedy of the University of Western Australia call them "...

Crown Prince to Open Saudi Arabia 'to the World'

He says move to 'moderate Islam' will better the country

(Newser) - Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to Saudi Arabia's throne, wants to move the hardline kingdom toward "a moderate Islam open to the world and all religions." In an interview with the Guardian , Prince Mohammed says past leaders instituted strict rules on behavior and dress in response to...

Rebel Behind the Wheel: Saudi Woman Flouts Driving Ban

She was summoned, though reportedly not arrested, for cruising in advance of ban being lifted

(Newser) - A Saudi woman who appeared in a video driving a car in Riyadh was briefly detained for violating the country's ban on women driving, which is set to be lifted in June , per the AP . The state-linked Sabq news website reported on Monday that the woman in the video,...

Women Will Be Allowed to Drive in Saudi Arabia Next Year

Ultra-conservative kingdom announced move Tuesday

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom next summer, fulfilling a key demand of women's rights activists who faced detention for defying the ban. The kingdom was the only country in the world to bar women...

Saudi Textbook Shows Yoda at UN Charter Signing

Several officials fired over photo error

(Newser) - Royally messed up, they did. A senior education official and others in Saudi Arabia have been fired after a government textbook included a photo of King Faisal seated next to Yoda, everyone's favorite Jedi Master from Star Wars. The doctored black-and-white photo showing Yoda on King Faisal's right...

Concern Grows as Saudi Arabia Arrests Dozens

Authorities say they're preventing coup; activists say they're crushing dissent

(Newser) - Activists say authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested at least 40 people—including clerics, scholars, and political commentators—in the past week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Saudi authorities, who won't name or quantify the arrested, say they were working against the government on behalf of foreign powers, according...

Don't Discount Kushner's Mideast Peace Push Just Yet

David Ignatius writes that the prospects for Israeli-Arab cooperation aren't so bad

(Newser) - Jared Kushner continued his long-shot quest for Mideast peace on Thursday in meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but as the AP account of the sessions notes, expectations are low and skepticism high. As they probably should be, writes David Ignatius in the Washington Post . Still, he finds a kernel...

Saudi Kid Arrested After Dancing to an Old Hit

It was the 'Macarena,' and he did it on a public street

(Newser) - Doing the "Macarena" in traffic is a no-no in Saudi Arabia. That's what one hip-swirling teen learned after being caught on a video since gone viral, jamming to the hit tune from the mid-'90s. Saudi police said they arrested the 14-year-old on Tuesday for "improper public...

Would You Take a Luxury Vacation to Saudi Arabia?

Keep in mind: It bans alcohol, requires women to wear full-length robes

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia is making a play to put itself on the "international tourism map," the Telegraph reports. According to Bloomberg , the country has announced plans to build luxury resorts on more than 13,000 square miles of Red Sea coastline, including "50 untouched natural islands." The...

Inside the Saudi Shakeup: Pain Pills, a Young Prince's Plot

Sources tell 'New York Times,' Reuters that the ouster is more than it seems

(Newser) - Late June brought a shocker in the Middle East: a shake-up in Saudi Arabia's line of succession , with King Salman's nephew stripped of his next-in-line status and the title of crown prince handed to Salman's 31-year-old son, Mohammed bin Salman . Now, a second jolt via a New ...

Saudi Arabia Closes Case Over Miniskirt Video

It's a rare win for women's rights advocates in the country

(Newser) - A woman detained in Saudi Arabia for wearing a miniskirt and crop top in a video that went viral has been released without charge, reports the AP . Police in Saudi Arabia had arrested the young Saudi woman for wearing "immodest clothes" after an outcry from people who say she...

Saudi Woman Wears Miniskirt on Snapchat; Brouhaha Erupts
Saudi Police Arrest
Woman in Miniskirt Video
UPDATED
Jul 18, 2017 11:22 AM CDT

Saudi Police Arrest Woman in Miniskirt Video

She ignited a debate on Twitter after her post

(Newser) - Police in Saudi Arabia have arrested a young woman who wore a miniskirt in public and who had posted the video online, sparking an outcry from people who say she flagrantly violated the kingdom's conservative Islamic dress code. Saudi Arabia's state-run TV reported Tuesday that police in the...

Qatar Warns Neighbors as Deadline Is Extended

'We stand ready to defend our country'

(Newser) - Arab nations extended a deadline early Monday for Qatar to respond to their list of demands in a diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf, saying Kuwait's emir requested the delay as part of his efforts to mediate the dispute. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain cut off...

Saudi's Former Crown Prince Rumored to Be on Lockdown

Per a 'NYT' report on Mohammed bin Nayef, which a Saudi official calls 'baseless'

(Newser) - Last week's commotion in Saudi Arabia over the line of succession seems to have quieted down, but that may be because the deposed crown prince has been hidden away so he can't cause trouble for the new one. Per the New York Times , four sources noted to be...

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