Saudi Arabia

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South Park's Thanksgiving Chaos Involves Hegseth

He mistakes holiday marathon for Antifa uprising

(Newser) - South Park takes aim at both the US government and Saudi Arabia in its latest episode, a Thanksgiving special that puts the town's holiday marathon at the center of the chaos. With regular sponsors unable to foot the bill—Stan's Tegridy Weed Farms is out of business, and...

Rep. Vindman: Trump-MBS Phone Call a 'Shocking' One

Widow Hanan Elatr Khashoggi demands transcript of 2019 call be released

(Newser) - The widow of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday called for the release of the transcript of a 2019 phone call that President Trump had with Mohammed bin Salman, joining Democratic lawmakers who are raising questions about whether Trump personally benefitted from his embrace of the Saudi crown prince....

Israel Had a Condition It Didn't Get in US-Saudi Jet Deal

Country reportedly hoped deal would come only after Saudi Arabia signed the Abraham Accords

(Newser) - Israeli officials are raising alarms over the US plan to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia —a move they say risks eroding Israel's decisive edge in regional air power, largely based on its exclusive access to the aircraft. Israel's success with the F-35 is clear:...

In Hosting MBS, Trump 'Showed Nothing but Debility'

It suggests 'no real consequences' for dictators who mistreat Americans, says WaPo board

(Newser) - Hours after the Washington Post editorial board was called out for failing to mention Jamal Khashoggi ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's trip to the White House, the board let loose , blasting President Trump for rolling out the red carpet for a dictator the CIA concluded ordered...

At Trump's Saudi Dinner, Big Names, Big Money, and a New Alliance

President deems Saudi Arabia a 'major non-NATO ally,' as crown prince ups US investment to $1T

(Newser) - It was a "lavish welcome" in DC on Tuesday for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a warm greeting that extended into the evening with a black-tie state dinner at the White House—"a stunning attempt at rehabilitating the image of the prince," who US intel agencies...

Trump on Killing of Khashoggi: 'Things Happen'

President says Saudi crown prince was not involved in the journalist's murder

(Newser) - When President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began taking questions at the White House on Tuesday, one of them went straight to a sensitive topic: the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. A US intelligence report implicated the prince in the killing, but Trump dismissed the...

Trump Gives Lavish Welcome to Saudi Prince

It's a political turnaround for MBS, implicated by the US in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

(Newser) - President Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the White House on Tuesday, the prince's first visit to the US since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. US intelligence agencies blamed the murder on the prince known as MBS, and the allegations put...

Trump Says US Will Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia

Deal raises concerns about Israel's military edge, possible transfer of tech info to China

(Newser) - President Trump announced Monday that the US will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, signaling a renewed embrace of the kingdom ahead of a White House meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump offered no details about the pending arms deal, but the move is widely seen...

Trump Organization Nears Naming Rights Deal With Saudis

President plans to honor crown prince this week at White House

(Newser) - The Trump Organization is in advanced talks to put its name on a major Saudi government real estate project, according to the CEO of the Saudi company leading the development. The Trump company is said to be negotiating a deal that would bring a branded property to Diriyah, a $63...

Deep in Saudi Arabian Desert, Ancient Life-Size Etchings

Scientists find rock carvings of animals that they think are 12K years old

(Newser) - Researchers have discovered life-size rock carvings of camels, gazelles, and other animals in the Saudi Arabian desert. The carvings date back to around 12,000 years ago, and many are over 6 feet tall, reports the AP . Scientists say they were created using a wedge-shaped rock to create sharp lines....

Chappelle Claims It's 'Easier to Talk' in Riyadh

'Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you'll get canceled'

(Newser) - "It's easier to talk here than it is in America," Dave Chappelle told a cheering audience during his controversial appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. "Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you'll get canceled," he...

Big-Name Comics Face Backlash Over Saudi Fest

Critics, including other comedians, call out comics for performing in Riyadh amid rights concerns

(Newser) - A wave of criticism has hit top comedians like Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, Louis CK, and Bill Burr for joining a Saudi government-backed comedy festival , as the kingdom faces renewed scrutiny for human rights abuses, recent executions, and the killing of journalists. The event, part of Saudi Arabia's...

Tom Brady Will Take the Field Once Again—in Saudi Arabia

Rob Gronkowski, other NFL stars will join the legend for flag football in Riyadh in March

(Newser) - Tom Brady plans to play alongside current and former NFL stars in a three-team flag football tournament in Saudi Arabia next year, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Fox Sports analyst said Monday. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh also will include Saquon...

Judge: Yes, 9/11 Families Can Sue Saudi Arabia

Country's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit is rejected

(Newser) - A federal judge in New York has cleared the way for families of 9/11 victims to continue their lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, rejecting the kingdom's latest push to dismiss the case, CBS News reports. The suit alleges Saudi officials may have aided the hijackers, a claim the Saudi...

23 Injured in Horrific Theme Park Accident

Ride snapped mid-air at amusement park in Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - A nightmarish accident at a theme park in Saudi Arabia injured 23 people Thursday. Video shows the 360 Big Pendulum ride at Green Mountain Park, near Jeddah, breaking apart as riders were mid-air. The ride's central pole split, causing its carousel, with riders strapped in seats around the outside,...

Saudi Arabia's 'Sleeping Prince' Dies After 20 Years in Coma

He was critically injured in a road accident when he was 15

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia's "Sleeping Prince" never woke up. Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, 36, died Saturday after spending more than 20 years in a coma. He was a 15-year-old military cadet in London when he suffered severe brain injuries and internal bleeding in a road...

Rights Group Sees 'Horrifying' Trend in Saudi Executions

Amnesty International says hundreds of low-income foreigners executed on drug charges

(Newser) - Amnesty International is raising the alarm over what it calls a "horrifying" number of foreigners being executed in Saudi Arabia over drug charges. The human rights organization counts roughly 600 drug-related executions over the last decade, and it says most of those put to death after "grossly...

Saudi Journalist Executed After Tweets Criticizing the Kingdom

Turki al-Jasser spent 7 years in prison before he was reportedly put to death Saturday

(Newser) - A Saudi journalist who once warned that writers could be killed by their own governments has been executed for treason—raising new questions about the kingdom's crackdown on dissent in the digital age. Turki al-Jasser, believed to be in his 40s, was put to death in Riyadh on...

One of the World's Biggest Human Gatherings Begins

Saudi Arabia works to safeguard Hajj pilgrims

(Newser) - The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca begins Wednesday, and the New York Times reports it will be the last to fall during summer months until the mid-2040s. The timing has Saudi Arabia on high alert, as it's hoping to avoid a repeat of last year, when more than...

Trump Did What No President Has Done Since 2000

It was the first time American and Syrian leaders had sat down in a quarter-century

(Newser) - President Trump held a closed-door meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday with Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, marking the first encounter between US and Syrian leaders in a quarter-century. The meeting came as part of Trump's Middle East trip and coincided with an announcement that the US would...

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