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☆ Frustrated by Gaza Coverage, Student Protesters Turn to Al Jazeera
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Nick Wilson has closely followed news on the war in Gaza since October. But Mr. Wilson, a Cornell student, is picky when it comes to his media diet: As a pro-Palestinian activist, he doesn’t trust major American outlets’ reporting on Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Instead, he turns to publications less familiar to some American audiences, like the Arab news network Al Jazeera. “Al Jazeera is the site that I go to to get an account of events that I think will be reliable,” he said. Many student protesters said in recent interviews that they were seeking on-the-ground coverage of the war in Gaza, and often, a staunchly pro-Palestinian perspective — and they are turning to alternative media for it.

Persons: Nick Wilson, Wilson, “, “ Al Jazeera Organizations: Cornell, Al Locations: Gaza, Al Jazeera, “ Al

But the cameras stopped rolling when Walid al-Omari, the network’s bureau chief in Ramallah, in the West Bank, ordered all of them to go home. Israeli authorities descended on a room used by Al Jazeera in the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem, confiscating broadcast equipment. Al Jazeera, the influential Arab news network, says it will continue reporting and broadcasting from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The shutdown order, which lasts 45 days and can be renewed, was a break long in the making. Mr. al-Omari said that soon after the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the network stopped using an office in West Jerusalem, saying that far-right Israelis had used intimidation tactics against the staff there.

Persons: Al, Walid al, Al Jazeera, Omari Organizations: West Bank, Al, Gaza, Hamas Locations: Israel, Al Jazeera, West Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Ramallah

☆ Saudi Arabia wants big spenders for the first part of its Neom megaproject
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia plans to open the first part of its Neom megaproject this year. Saudi Arabia is pushing to distinguish itself in the high-end luxury market to compete with Dubai. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia plans to open the first region of its Neom megacity by the end of the year. Neom recently ended investor roadshows in China by confirming the luxury island resort would open this year, Arab News reported. A rendering of The Line, part of the Neom project planned by Saudi Arabia.

Persons: —, Neom, roadshows, It's, Marriott Bonvoy, Chadi, MDLBEAST, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Ulrichsen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Organizations: Dubai, Service, Arab News, Marriott, United, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Saudi, Bloomberg, Business Locations: Saudi Arabia, Sindalah, China, Saudi, Vives, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Crown, Gulf Kingdom

☆ Amid anguished joy, ‘nothing is impossible’ for the Palestinian national soccer team on its Asian Cup adventure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —As the echoes of the final whistle rang out around the Abdullah bin Khalifa stadium in Doha, Qatar, Palestinian players celebrated with anguished joy last week. The historic sporting moment for Palestinians comes as Israel’s war against Hamas rages in Gaza, causing widespread destruction and initiating a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The Palestinian Football Association says that, as of December 6, 55 football players are amongst the dead, including amateur and youth members. Some Palestinian national team footballers, like Saleh, have reportedly lost family members or have relatives and friends trapped in Gaza. Palestinian national team players observe the national anthems prior to the AFC Asian Cup Group C match between Iran and Palestine at Education City Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

Persons: Abdullah, Oday, Israel, Rami Hamada, Mohamed Saleh, Mohammed Rashid, CNN’s Eleni Giokos, “, Hong Kong, ”, “ We’re, Rashid, Mohammed Saleh, Hector Retamal, Saleh, ” Rashid, there’s, “ They’ve, ” Mohammed Rashid of, Mohammad Mohebbi, Masashi Hara, Gianni Infantino, we’re, Robert Cianflone, Monday’s Organizations: CNN, Palestinian national soccer team, AFC Asian, Hong, Qatar, Iran, Palestinian, UAE, Group C, Janoub, Getty, Ministry of Health, Palestinian Football Association, West Bank, Palestinian soccer, Education City, FIFA, UEFA, Russian, Israel, Persib, “, Hamas Locations: Doha, Qatar, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Hong, Palestine, Al, AFP, “, Ramallah, Israel, Iran, Al Rayyan, Ukraine, Persib Bandung, refence, Russia

JERUSALEM (AP) — A liquor store has opened in Saudi Arabia for the first time in over 70 years, a diplomat reported Wednesday, a further socially liberalizing step in the once-ultraconservative kingdom that is home to the holiest sites in Islam. The store sits next to a supermarket in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a socially sensitive topic in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia remains one of the few nations in the world with a ban on alcohol, alongside its neighbor Kuwait and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has banned alcohol since the early 1950s. As Saudi Arabia prepares for a $500 billion futuristic city project called Neom, reports have circulated that alcohol could be served at a beach resort there.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, King Abdulaziz, Prince Mishari, Cyril Ousman Organizations: JERUSALEM, Washington Post, Workers, Saudi, Arab News, Saudi Research, Media, U.S . State Department, United Locations: Saudi Arabia, Islam, Riyadh, Saudi, haram, Islam . Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Jeddah, Mecca, Neom

☆ Qatar: How a small Arab state became indispensable in talks with Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But some have said that Qatar’s relationship with Hamas may become a liability. “(Qatar’s) relationship with Hamas has been a key component of the mediation strategy,” said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College London who focuses on Gulf states. What is the nature of Qatar’s relationship with Hamas? That relationship has made Qatar an important mediator with Hamas during its conflicts with Israel. Despite its mediation efforts, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen last week accused Qatar of financing Hamas and harboring its leaders.

Persons: ”, Andreas Krieg, “, David Barnea, –, Israel, Tzachi Hanegbi, ” Hanegbi, Biden, ” Krieg, Majed Al, Ansari, Krieg, ” Hiltermann, Eli Cohen, ” Cohen, Antony Blinken, Joost R, Hiltermann, Qatar’s coziness, Hamas’s, “ You’ll, ” Israel, Becky Anderson, Ibrahim Dahman, Hamdi Alkhshali, Aimee Look, Abu Dhabi Organizations: UAE CNN, Qatar, King’s College London, Israel, CNN, National Security, United Arab, Reuters, NATO, Doha, Al, Hamas, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US, UN, Washington Post, Qatari, “, Group Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, United States, Rafah, Al, Arish, Washington, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Doha, Western, Arab, Al Jazeera, Tehran, Afghanistan, “ Qatar, North Africa, Brussels, “, Atlanta, Abu

According to the United Nations, there are now some 5.9 million Palestinian refugees worldwide, most of them descendants of that 1948 generation of exiles. The struggle of the Palestinians is felt especially keenly in Jordan, where more than half of the population is either Palestinian or of Palestinian descent – including more than two million Palestinian refugees. But that passion for the Palestinian cause resonates across the Arab world that is home to more than 450 million people. Young people from across the Arab world have chanted the very same rallying cries their parents and grandparents chanted before them. Leon Neal/Getty Images“For much of the Arab world, the question of Palestine represents the last colonized Arab people trying to gain their freedom,” said H.A.

Persons: Hussein, Abdel, Munim Dababsheh, Israel, Hatem Moussa, Gazans, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, ”, Dababsheh, won’t, “, Mustafa Hamarneh, ” Hamarneh, CNN’s Clarissa Ward, Rahma Zein, Leon Neal, Ahmed El, Saied, Alya, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Meir Kahane, Ben Gvir’s, Ayala Nimrodi, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Hellyer, Hanya, ” CNN’s Claudia Otto, Aqeel Najim Organizations: Jordan CNN —, United Nations, Camp, West Bank, Israel, European Union, Israel Defense Forces, Press, UNRWA, Tel Aviv University, Sunday, Getty, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Royal United Services Institute, Hamas, Finance, National, CNN Locations: Amman, Jordan, Jabal Al, Jordanian, Palestine, America, ”, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Deir al, Palestinian, reoccupying Gaza, Rafah, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Iran, Young, Tel Aviv, London, Baghdad, Huwara

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took his first phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as Riyadh tries to prevent a broader surge in violence across the region. "Normalisation was already considered taboo (in the Arab world) ... this war only amplifies that," Saudi analyst Aziz Alghashian said. Asked about Raisi's call with the crown prince, a senior U.S. State Department official said Washington was in "constant contact with Saudi leaders". "The Saudis are still convinced the region, and Saudi Arabia itself, needs to shift toward regional cooperation and economic development.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel, Normalisation, Aziz Alghashian, Abraham, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Antony Blinken, Alex Vatanka, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Tom Perry, Michael Georgy, Edmund Blair Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, U.S, Hamas, normalisation, Saudi, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, U.S . National Security, White, Saudi Foreign, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Middle East Institute, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Iran RIYADH, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, Riyadh, U.S, East, Gaza, Gulf, Iranian, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanese, Tehran, Washington

[1/6] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on, as he attends a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 8, 2023. "And we’re also collaborating with countries in the region to widen and deepen the normalisation of relations with Israel." Saudi Arabia went the other way in April in restoring ties with Iran, its key regional rival and Israel's arch-enemy, in a Chinese-brokered deal. Other rows have simmered over the Saudi intervention in Yemen's devastating conflict, China ties and oil prices. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC states say the organisation is not politicised and only seeks to stabilise energy markets.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Faisal Bin Farhan, Ahmed Yosri, Jake Sullivan, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Karim Benzema, Blinken, we’re, Aziz Alghashian, Joe Biden's, Alghashian, Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, Blinken's, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Vladimir Putin, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Humeyra Pamuk, Maha El, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Saudi Foreign, Intercontinental, REUTERS, U.S, Saudi, White House, Crown, Gulf Cooperation Council, Al, Blinken, MbS, GCC, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Israel RIYADH, U.S, Iran, Washington's, Al, French, Jeddah, Al Ittihad, Yemen, Sudan, Israel, East, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Gulf, Israeli, Russia, China, Istanbul, OPEC, Ukraine

The new Netflix docudrama “Queen Cleopatra,” produced and narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, has already elicited a passionate response, though perhaps not the kind that publicists hoped for. “Queen Cleopatra” depicts the legendary monarch as Black. Many contemporary Egyptians view her as a key figure in the preservation of their history and even as a role model for contemporary Egyptian women. Scholars have long debated whether certain references in Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” suggest that the playwright believed she had dark skin. “Queen Cleopatra,” however, has touched an international nerve.

☆ Arab nations set to rehabilitate Syria’s pariah president in defiance of US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime. Arab states have argued that the status quo in Syria is untenable and has caused them a headache at home. Syria has over the past decade turned into a narco-state, exporting highly addictive amphetamines across the border to Jordan and to Saudi Arabia. It’s unclear if the US will stand in the way of Arab states’ efforts to bring Syria back into the regional fold. “The US will not impose a veto on their allies when it comes to normalization with Assad,” said Hellyer.

☆ Russia´s Lavrov in Havana on Latin America drive to shore up support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba April 20, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSHAVANA, April 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Thursday with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, the latest in a series of visits to shore up support among Russia's closest allies in Latin America. Lavrov told reporters that Russia and Cuba, both facing sanctions from the United States, understood one another. Russia´s foreign minister earlier this week visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua, meeting with the presidents and top officials in each country. Lavrov told reporters in Havana that another such deal to provide wheat to Cuba was in the works.

☆ Ancient Egyptian zodiac symbols were found in a temple after archaeologists cleared away 2,000 years' worth of grime
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ancient Egyptian star signs were found under a thick layer of soot and dust in the Temple of Esna. The colors in the full set of Egyptian zodiac symbols are vivid after being protected by the grime. The set is just one of three full sets of ancient Egyptian zodiac signs uncovered in Egyptian temples, said Dr. Daniel von Recklinghausen, a Tübingen Egyptologist who worked on the project. These zodiac symbols were uncovered in the latest series of renovations, which revealed the designs in brilliant colors. Ancient Egyptians adopted astrology late in their reignThese symbols show the decans, which are zodiac symbols representing the 12 hours of the night.

☆ A 2,000-year-old mummy was found dumped in the trash in Yemen with its insides ripped out
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A 2,000-year-old mummy was found dumped in the trash in Yemen. Local officials said the mummy was likely abandoned by grave robbers and antiquities smugglers. Yemen's General Organization of Antiquities and Museums (GOAM) on Wednesday blamed "tomb robbers and antiquities traffickers" for exhuming the artifact. Locals looking at the mummy found in the trash in Yemen. Yemen General Organization of Antiquities and MuseumsThe discovery has caused fury among locals, who have seen their rare historical artifacts threatened by the country's long-raging civil war, per the Saudi-Arabian daily Arab News.

☆ Xi Jinping: Chinese president lands in Saudi Arabia amid tensions with US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday for a multiple-day visit, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported, amid frayed ties between the two countries and the United States. A purple carpet was rolled out for the Chinese president, and canons were fired. But Saudi Arabia’s grand reception of the Chinese president is only emblematic of the magnitude of their growing relationship, specifically around oil, trade and security. Saudi Arabia has also traditionally been China’s top oil supplier, with Saudi barrels making up around 17% of total Chinese oil imports as of last year, according to the Saudi-backed Arab News. Apart from oil exports, Saudi Arabia has this year ramped up its Chinese investments, which culminated in Aramco’s whopping $10 billion dollar investment into a refinery and petrochemical complex in China’s northeast.

☆ Factbox: Saudi-China energy, trade and investment ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Below are some details about oil, trade and security relations between China and Saudi Arabia. OIL TRADEChina is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth $87.3 billion in 2021. Chinese exports to Saudi Arabia reached $30.3 billion, while China's imports from the kingdom totalled $57 billion. REFINERIESAramco in early 2022 made a final investment decision to build a $10 billion refinery, petrochemical complex in northeast China, marking its single largest investment in China. Named Huajin Aramco Petrochemical Company, the joint venture groups Aramco, Huajin Chemical Industries Group Corporation (000059.SZ) -- a unit of defence conglomerate Norinco-- and Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group.

☆ Why Saudi Arabia is hosting one of the world's biggest raves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The kingdom’s Soundstorm music festival, which began in 2019, is back again for its fourth year and will start on Thursday. “(It) is a particularly powerful example because it seeks to bring together young people and women from across Saudi Arabia and the world,” she said. By contrast, Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, considered North America’s biggest dance music festival, had an attendance of over 400,000 this year. Last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that performers should either “speak up” about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations or not attend the festival at all. Some however argue that opening up countries to international norms and values can allow for better discussion on human rights shortcomings.

☆ Japan calls off business forum after Saudis cancel trip
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Nothing has been decided regarding a visit to Japan from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed (bin Salman)," Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "Japan's relationship with Saudi Arabia is crucial given they are a significant strategic partner. It is important we hold high-level visits between Japan and Saudi Arabia in the near future," Matsuno said. Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements worth $30 billion with South Korean companies during the visit. Prince Mohammed has since arrived in Thailand for a state visit, according to state media.

☆ Saudi Arabia and Gulf neighbors threaten Netflix over content that 'violates Islamic values'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-07 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf Arab countries issued a joint statement demanding that Netflix remove content they say "violates Islamic and societal values and principles," Saudi media has reported. The content "violates Islamic and societal values and principles. As such, the platform was contacted to remove this content, including content directed at children, and to ensure adherence to the laws." The GCC, or Gulf Cooperation Council, is comprised of the largely conservative, Muslim-majority states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Netflix has not yet publicly responded to the statement and had no comment when contacted by CNBC.

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