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WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A SpaceX capsule carrying two Saudi astronauts docked with the International Space Station on Monday, as part of a private mission chartered by Axiom Space. Rayyanah Barnawi, a scientist who became the first Saudi woman to go into space, and Ali Al-Qarni, a trained fighter pilot, are the first two people from their country to fly to the orbital outpost. “Greetings from outer space, I’m here not only representing […]
By Gregg NEWTON with Lucie AUBOURG in Washington Agence France-Presse CAPE CANAVERAL, May 22, 2023 (AFP) — The second-ever private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), organized by Axiom Space, blasted off from the southern US state of Florida Sunday, carrying the first two Saudi astronauts to travel to the orbiting laboratory. Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher, is the first Saudi woman to voyage into space and is joined on the mission by […]
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Monday 4/17/2023 Iran said Monday it has formally invited Saudi King Salman to visit Tehran, following a reconciliation agreement reached last month between the two sides. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The two Middle East powerhouses had held several rounds of dialogue […]
by Shaun TANDON Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Few expect Chinese President Xi Jinping’s diplomacy to yield breakthroughs on the Ukraine war. But in Washington, there are fears Beijing may succeed elsewhere — in winning credibility on the world stage. Xi pushed forward positions on Ukraine during two days of talks in Moscow, a week after China announced the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where […]
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is in hot water over allegations he tried to illegally import millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry given to him and his wife by Saudi Arabia. The scandal has triggered multiple investigations, potentially complicating life for Bolsonaro — who is expected to return soon to Brazil from the United States, where the far-right ex-army captain has been living since just before his leftist successor, […]
Iran said Monday it would welcome restoring ties with Bahrain to end seven years of ruptured relations, following a recent China-brokered deal to heal rifts between Tehran and Riyadh. “The resumption of political relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia shows the effectiveness and success of the diplomatic solution to resolve misunderstandings,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani. Tehran, pleased by the rapprochement with the Saudis, believes “relations between Iran and Bahrain are no […]
by Robbie COREY-BOULET Agence France-Presse AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Andy Warhol’s iconic portraits of stars such as Marlon Brando and Dolly Parton are on display in the Saudi desert, at a show intended to reframe the kingdom’s forbidding reputation. The first exhibition in Saudi Arabia for the Pop Art giant is a tribute to the late artist’s obsession with celebrity, and his seeming ability to predict the rise of contemporary influencer culture. At […]
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP) by Robbie Corey-Boulet Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a visit that is likely to focus on energy ties but also follows months of tensions with the United States. Xi, recently reanointed as leader of the world’s second biggest economy, arrived in the capital Riyadh, Chinese and Saudi state media said, for a three-day visit that will include talks with the Saudi rulers and […]
by Robbie Corey-Boulet Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for three days of meetings with regional leaders likely focused on energy. The overseas trip is only Xi’s third since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, and his first to Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, since 2016. It will feature bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, […]
Washington, United States | AFP | The US government recommended on Thursday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was immune from legal action over the 2018 murder of a dissident journalist, according to court documents. Prince Mohammed was named prime minister by royal decree in late September, sparking suggestions he was looking to skirt exposure in cases filed in foreign courts — including a civil action brought in the United States by Hatice Cengiz, […]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | A US citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia is being punished for “mild” Twitter posts on topics including the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, his son told AFP on Wednesday. Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old of Saudi origin, was this month sentenced to 16 years in prison, the latest in a spate of what human rights groups describe as draconian sentences for social […]
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | US government officials have not been invited to a Saudi investment conference planned for later this month, its organiser told AFP Monday, saying he did not want the gathering “to become a political platform”. The decision not to invite American officials, a departure from previous years, comes as tensions rise between longtime partners Washington and Riyadh over the Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel’s recent vote to cut oil production by […]
