Tag: saudi

Pompeo vows US will guarantee passage through Strait of Hormuz

by Jim MANNION WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed Sunday that the US will guarantee free passage through the vital Strait of Hormuz, as he accused Iran of recent attacks on oil tankers and the downing of a US drone. Pompeo confirmed in an interview with CBS that a US MQ-9 “Reaper” drone was shot down June 6 with a missile fired from Yemen “that we assess had Iranian assistance.” […]

Saudi, UAE see sufficient oil supplies, rising stocks

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and key producer United Arab Emirates said Sunday oil supplies were sufficient and stockpiles were still rising despite massive output drops by Iran and Venezuela. “We see that (oil) inventories are rising and supplies are plenty,” Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters at the start of a key meeting for oil producers in Jeddah. “None of us wants to see the (oil) stocks swell again. […]

Saudi faces rising criticism after mass execution

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Saudi Arabia faced worldwide criticism Wednesday for its mass execution of a group made up mostly of people from the kingdom’s Shiite Muslim minority, some of whom the UN said were minors when charged. UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned Riyadh’s Tuesday execution of 37 Saudi nationals, saying “it was particularly abhorrent that at least three of those killed were minors at the time of their sentencing”. The EU […]

Trump vetoes bill to end US support for Saudi-led Yemen war

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday vetoed a resolution from Congress directing him to end US participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the second such move of his presidency. “This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future,” Trump said in a statement. He also claimed that US support was needed […]

US offers $1 million reward to find bin Laden son

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday offered a $1 million reward for information on a son of late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, seeing him as an emerging face of extremism. The location of Hamza bin Laden, sometimes dubbed the “crown prince of jihad,” has been the subject of speculation for years with reports of him living in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria or under house arrest in Iran. “Hamza bin Laden is […]

Saudi Arabia names first woman envoy to Washington at critical time

by Anuj Chopra Saudi Arabia on Saturday named a princess as its first woman ambassador to the United States, a key appointment as the fallout over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder tests relations between the allies. Princess Rima bint Bandar replaced Prince Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the powerful crown prince who was appointed vice defence minister in a flurry of late-night royal decrees announced on state media. The reshuffle comes as Saudi Arabia […]

Saudi crown prince meets Chinese president, bags oil deal

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday and bagged a $10-billion oil deal, pressing on with his diplomatic charm offensive in Asia following a global outcry over the Khashoggi killing. Mohammed arrived in Beijing on Thursday following visits to Pakistan and India, showing the world that his country still has allies after the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate. “China is a good […]

Patient first suspected of having MERS-Cov in Laguna tested negative, says DOH

  (Eagle News) — The Department of Health said that a patient suspected of having Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) who was first rushed to a Laguna hospital had tested negative for the disease. The 47-year old man who arrived in the Philippines last Feb. 14 from Saudi Arabia was first reportedly rushed to the emergency room of the Laguna Doctors Hospital before he was transferred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) […]

Australian minister hints Saudi teen likely to get asylum

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Australia gave its strongest hint yet on Wednesday that an 18-year-old Saudi woman in Bangkok would be granted humanitarian asylum, despite efforts by Riyadh and her family to force her return home. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun has documented her bid to flee her allegedly abusive family with minute-by-minute social media updates, intensifying the global spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s rights record. As public pressure heightened, an Australian minister appeared to go beyond Canberra’s […]

Saudi Arabia slams US Senate vote as ‘interference’

  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia on Sunday rejected as “interference” a US Senate resolution to end American military support for a Riyadh-led war in Yemen, and another holding its crown prince responsible for the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi. “The kingdom condemns the latest position of the US Senate that was built on untrue allegations and affirms a total rejection of any interference in its internal affairs,” the foreign ministry said in […]

US energy secretary meets Saudi counterpart after OPEC cuts

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s energy minister held talks Monday with US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, after the kingdom and its allies defied US pressure to cut oil production in a bid to prop up prices. They discussed the “state of the oil market” and energy cooperation between the two countries during a meeting in eastern Dhahran city, the minister, Khalid al-Falih, said on Twitter. Perry tweeted that he discussed the need for […]

‘I can’t breathe’ were Khashoggi’s final words, report says

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Jamal Khashoggi’s final words were “I can’t breathe,” CNN said Sunday, citing a source who has read the transcript of an audio tape of the final moments before the journalist’s murder. The source told the US network the transcript made clear the killing was premeditated, and suggests several phone calls were made to give briefings on the progress. CNN said Turkish officials believe those calls were made to top officials […]