Washington, United States | AFP | It’s a hard scene to imagine, a Saudi Arabian king answering before a New York court for the 9/11 attacks, but a new US law threatens to become a Pandora’s Box of diplomatic crises. Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, overcoming …
Read More »Saudi Arabia and 9/11: What we know
Washington, United States | AFP | A new US law allows survivors of terror attacks and victims’ relatives to sue foreign governments, opening the way for Saudi Arabia to be targeted for its alleged role in the 9/11 attacks. The kingdom firmly denies it had anything to do with …
Read More »US Congress rejects Obama’s veto of Saudi 9/11 bill
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Congress voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to override Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, the first such rebuke of his eight-year presidency. The Senate overrode the veto in a 97-1 vote, followed a short time later by …
Read More »Saudi king Salman cuts ministers’ salaries 20%
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Monday cut cabinet ministers’ salaries by 20 percent and reduced other state officials’ benefits in a continuing austerity drive to cope with lower oil revenues. The 160 members of the Shura Council, who include 30 women, will see a …
Read More »The hajj in numbers as the spiritual goes virtual
Mecca, Saudi Arabia | AFP | The Muslim hajj pilgrimage which begins on Saturday in western Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest annual gatherings. Here are some figures illustrating its scale, according to officials and local media: – More than 1.4 million foreign pilgrims from around the …
Read More »Rituals of the hajj
Mecca, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Muslims from across the world have gathered in Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage, which is a pillar of Islam, to take part in the following rituals: Ihram: Pilgrims wear special outfits, which for men is a two-piece white seamless garment. …
Read More »Kerry to travel to East Africa, the Gulf on counterterrorism tour
Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel next week to Kenya, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on a three-nation tour focused on counterterrorism, the State Department said Thursday. The top US diplomat arrives in Nairobi on Monday for talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta …
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