Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi Arabia has threatened to sell off $750 billion in U.S. assets it owns if Congress passes legislation holding the kingdom responsible in any way for the attacks of September 11, 2001, the N.Y. Times reported. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has tried to stop Congress from passing the bipartisan Senate legislation. Congress […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Iran, which has refused to freeze its oil output, declined to attend a crucial OPEC meeting on the oil cartel’s production levels. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on April 16 that he would not only skip the Doha talks, but would not be a signatory to any deal he said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Public outrage has spurred Saudi Arabia to strip powers from its 10,000 religious police and require them to be “kinder and gentler.” Saudi authorities have stripped the powers of pursuit and arrest from the Haia force, also known as the Mutawa and formerly the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Amid heavy criticism, Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Sisi has defended the transfer of two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. In a TV address on April 13, Sisi said Egypt did not give up the territory but rather “restored” the rights of Saudi Arabia to the islands. The islands, Sanafir and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Citing ongoing “security threats” from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and Al Qaida, the United States has issued a new warning on travel to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department issued the warning ahead of President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the kingdom on April 21. “U.S. citizens in Saudi […]
Special to WorldTribune.com A gripping commentary from a Saudi TV host is making waves in the Arab world. Nadine Al-Budair said during a broadcast on Rotana Khalijiyya TV that terrorists are “everywhere” and “they adhere to the religion of Islam.” In a rare moment for Arab TV, Al-Budair said no one should be surprised that […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Egypt has agreed to hand over ownership of two disputed Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The two countries agreed to maritime borders that give the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Riyadh, an Egyptian cabinet statement said on April 9. “This enables both countries to benefit from the exclusive economic zone […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Amnesty International says the number of confirmed executions across the world surged to its highest level in more than two decades in 2015, fueled by the rising use of capital punishment in Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. In a report released on April 6, the London-based […]
Special to WorldTribune.com While the usual blame-Israel responses cropped up in some Mideast media circles following the Brussels terrorist attacks, a new and noteworthy trend was seen in Arab media. Several media outlets put the blame squarely on Muslim and Arab culture for the attacks which killed 35 and wounded more than 300. A columnist […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Saudi King Salman’s son is said to be “ruling the kingdom” amid the king’s deteriorating health. The 80-year-old king is said to have Alzheimer’s or dementia, according to Lebanese media reports. Related: Saudi King Salman hospitalized after erratic behavior, Oct. 8, 2015 “The king is not in a stable condition and in […]
