Saudi Arabia

By Pierce Gootee | (TeleSur) | – – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has, in recent months, tightened their blockade on the war-ravaged country of Yemen. The justification for this tightening was the launch of a long-range ballistic missile by Houthi rebels towards the capital city of Riyadh in November. Despite these heavy-handed tactics in […]

art and photography

Saudi Prince who Bought da Vinci Painting could have given Sight to 9 Million Instead

contributors

By Peter Singer | (Project Syndicate) | – – A Saudi prince has been revealed to be the buyer of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” for which he spent $450.3 million. Had he given the money to the poor, as the subject of the painting instructed another rich man, he could have restored eyesight to […]

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Blockade depriving Yemen Civilians of Food, Hospitals–UN should Sanction Riyadh (HRW)

contributors

Human rights Watch | – – The Saudi-led coalition’s broad restrictions on aid and essential goods to Yemen’s civilian population are worsening the country’s humanitarian catastrophe. (Beirut) – The Saudi-led coalition’s broad restrictions on aid and essential goods to Yemen’s civilian population are worsening the country’s humanitarian catastrophe, Human Rights Watch said today. Unless the […]

art and photography

Saudi Crown Prince splashed $450 mn on Jesus painting

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Mystery over the secret buyer of a record $450.3 million painting was solved after it was discovered that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman had used a proxy to get hold of one of the prized assets in the arts world. The power hungry de-facto ruler of the Kingdom […]

Donald Trump

Will Trump/Flynn plot to Nuclearize Saudi Arabia spur Mideast Arms Race?

contributors

By Isaac Arnsdorf | (ProPublica) | – – The Trump administration is holding talks on providing nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia — a move that critics say could upend decades of U.S. policy and lead to an arms race in the Middle East. The Saudi government wants nuclear power to free up more oil for […]

Iran

Will the Mideast’s New Power Matrix spark Iran-Saudi War?

contributors

Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) | – – Tensions often run high in the Middle East beating the drums of war and violence. This has been the case since at least 2003, the year the US invaded Iraq. The region’s post-US invasion three notorious episodes of violence are the civil war in Syria, the rise […]

Corruption

Saudi prince Miteb freed in $1 bln settlement agreement

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Senior Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once seen as a leading contender to the throne, was freed after reaching an “acceptable settlement agreement” with authorities paying more than $1 billion, a Saudi official said on Wednesday. Miteb, who was head of the elite National Guard, was among dozens of […]

censorship

Saudi Arabia makes it ‘Terrorism’ to Criticize the King

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (New York) – Saudi Arabia’s new counterterrorism law includes vague and overly broad definitions of acts of terrorism, in some cases punishable by death, Human Rights Watch said today. The law replaces a widely criticized counterterrorism law promulgated in 2014, adding definitions of specific acts of terrorism and their […]

Hizbullah

Saudi Debacle as Hariri returns to Beirut, remains PM

contributors

France 24 English | (Video News Report) | – – “Lebanon: PM Saad Hariri puts off stepping down. FRANCE24”s correspondent in Beirut Adam Pletts tells us more.” France 24 English: “Lebanon: PM Saad Hariri puts resignation on hold pending talks”