Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Expels Canadian Ambassador, To Withdraw Students From Canada Over Women’s Rights Criticism

The Associated Press reports: Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze “all new business” with Ottawa over its criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom’s arrest of women’s rights activists — yet another warning to the West reflecting Riyadh’s newly assertive foreign policy. The sudden and unexpected dispute bore the hallmarks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s …

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NYC Trump Hotel Rev Surges Thanks To Saudi Prince

The Washington Post reports: The general manager of the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan had a rare bit of good news to report to investors this spring: After two years of decline, revenue from room rentals went up 13 percent in the first three months of 2018. What caused the uptick at President Trump’s flagship hotel in New York? One …

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Trump Rages After NYT Reports That Junior Secretly Met With Wealthy Pro-Trump Arab Princes At Trump Tower

Here’s what today’s rant is apparently about: Three months before the 2016 election, a small group gathered at Trump Tower to meet with Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son. One was an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation. Another was an emissary for two wealthy Arab princes. The third was a Republican donor with a controversial past in the …

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Saudi Arabia: If Iran Builds A Nuclear Bomb, So Will We

Agence France-Presse reports: Saudi Arabia will seek to develop its own nuclear weapons if Iran does, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told CNN on Wednesday, amid spiraling tension between the regional rivals. Asked whether Riyadh would “build a bomb itself” if Tehran seizes on Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran deal to resume a nuclear weapons program, Jubeir said: “If Iran …

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REPORT: Saudi Prince Privately Bragged To Multiple Parties About Having Kushner “In His Pocket” [VIDEO]

CBS News reports: Alex Emmons of The Intercept reported Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly bragged to multiple parties that Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, was “in his pocket,” citing a source who speaks often with confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. Emmons joined CBSN to discuss The Intercept’s report Thursday morning, describing Kushner and …

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Saudi Arabia To Lift Ban On Movie Theaters

USA Today reports: Saudi Arabia on Monday said it would lift the kingdom’s decades-long ban on movie theaters, part of reforms by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The government passed a resolution paving the way for licenses to be granted to commercial movie theaters for the first time in 35 years. They could open in March. The conservative kingdom shut …

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Saudi Arabia Ends Ban On Women Drivers [VIDEO]

The Associated Press reports: Saudi Arabia says it will allow women to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom. The kingdom, which announced the change on Tuesday, was the only the country in the world to bar women from driving and for years had garnered negative publicity internationally for detaining women who defied the ban. Women’s rights activists …

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Michael Flynn’s Family Sets Up Legal Defense Fund

Politico reports: The family of former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn has set up a legal defense fund for him, soliciting donations to ease the “tremendous financial burden” from the ongoing investigations into his actions and the 2016 presidential campaign. “The enormous expense of attorneys’ fees and other related expenses far exceed their ability to pay,” Flynn’s brother …

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House Dems To Mueller: Flynn Broke The Law By Failing To Disclose Trip To Broker $100B Russia/Saudi Deal

CNN reports: House Democrats sent special counsel Robert Mueller what they say is evidence that former national security adviser Michael Flynn failed to disclose a trip he took to the Middle East to explore a business deal with the Saudi government and a Russian government agency. The Democrats allege the retired Army lieutenant general broke the law by omitting the …

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Saudi Arabia’s Gifts To Trump Include Cheetah And Tiger Fur Robes, Daggers, Swords, Paintings Of Himself

The Daily Beast reports: During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump attacked Hillary Clinton for accepting money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, complaining during one of the debates, “These are people that kill women and treat women horribly and yet you take their money.” That was, of course, before he made his first foreign visit as president to Saudi Arabia—and …

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REPORT: Russian Hackers Planted “Fake News” Report About Qatar To Create Crisis With Arab Allies To US

CNN reports: US investigators believe Russian hackers breached Qatar’s state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to a crisis among the US’ closest Gulf allies, according to US officials briefed on the investigation. The FBI recently sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the alleged hacking incident, Qatari and US …

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REPORT: Trump’s $110B Saudi Arms Deal Is Fake

The Brookings Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, reports: Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news. I’ve spoken to contacts in the defense business and on the Hill, and all of them say the …

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Arab States Sever Ties To Qatar Over Terrorism

The BBC reports: A number of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region. They say Qatar backs militant groups including so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, which Qatar denies. The Saudi state news agency SPA said Riyadh had closed its borders, severing land, sea and air contact with …

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Nordic Prime Ministers Employ Soccer Ball To Troll Trump’s Glowing Orb Photo-Op With Saudi King

The Daily Dot reports: It’s official: The meme-worthy photo of President Donald Trump touching a glowing orb with Saudi Arabian King Salman is now being mocked around the world. The latest trolling came from a group of Nordic leaders. The photo, which gained attention on Twitter almost immediately, was a ceremonial gesture to mark the opening of a center dedicated …

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Wilbur Ross Cheers Lack Of Protesters In Saudi Arabia (Where Protesters Are Jailed Or Beheaded) [VIDEO]

Politico reports: Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross marveled Monday morning that there was not even “a single hint or a protester” anywhere in Saudi Arabia during President Donald Trump’s visit there over the weekend, conceding only at a CNBC anchor’s prodding that the lack of unrest could have been due to the Islamic kingdom’s lack of protections for freedom of …

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So This Happened Yesterday In Saudi Arabia…

Reuters reports: Images of U.S. President Donald Trump placing his hands on a glowing orb has set alight the internet, prompting comparisons to science fiction and fantasy villains. The pictures were taken while Trump – on a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe – along with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited …

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LIVE VIDEO: Trump Speaks At Arab Islamic Summit

CNN reports: President Donald Trump on Sunday will look to make clear that the United States is not at war with Islam in a major speech here on Sunday, instead defining the battle against terrorist groups as a “battle between good and evil.” In a departure from the Islamophobic rhetoric he sometimes deployed on the campaign trail, Trump will speak …

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SAUDI ARABIA: Trump And Team Participate In Ritual “Sword Dance” At Royal Welcome Gala [VIDEO]

CNN reports: President Donald Trump and other male White House officials bounced along to a ceremonial sword dance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday outside the Murabba Palace. Video of the dance from Host TV shows Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dancing with swords perched on their shoulders as part of a line …

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Trump Just CURTSIED Before The Saudi King [VIDEO]

John Aravosis reports at AmericaBlog: Conservative media is crowing that unlike President Obama, Donald Trump did not “bow” to the Saudi King. And they’re right. He curtsied. Mind you, Trump’s odd genuflect to the Saudi king comes after a campaign in which Trump regularly savaged the Saudis as sexist homophobes. Trump did this in an attempt to suggest that Hillary …

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Melania Declines To Wear Headscarf Despite Trump’s Attack On Michelle Obama For Doing The Same

ABC News reports: First lady Melania Trump stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport Saturday morning without a head scarf — following the example of her predecessor, Michelle Obama — and potentially creating a stir in this conservative Islamic country. Women here, including visitors and foreign dignitaries, are expected to be fully covered in public, including their …

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