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"The two leaders will highlight a half century trajectory of UAE-U.S. partnership in trade, investment and security," the Emirati ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, posted on X ahead of the visit. Growing investment tiesTrillion-dollar relationshipThe United States and the UAE have a trade and investment partnership that spans more than five decades. In 2023, bilateral trade between the UAE and the U.S. was worth around $31.4 billion, with U.S. exports to the UAE exceeding $24.8 billion, according to the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C. The UAE, which produces nearly 4% of the world's oil supply, also has investments in the United States that total $1 trillion. The UAE sovereign wealth funds including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala are major investors in American real estate, infrastructure and technology sectors.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince, Abu, Hannah McKay, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's, Anwar Gargash, Sheikh Mohammed's, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Gargash, Yousef al Organizations: Downing, Getty, United Arab Emirates, Washington , D.C, U.S, UAE, UAE Embassy, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Locations: Abu Dhabi, London, England, United States, Washington ,, Dubai, Gaza, UAE, Washington, U.S

☆ Dubai crown prince appointed UAE defense minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Modern architecture, Dubai central business district and car traffic are seen from Sky Views Observatory on Dec. 13, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The crown prince of Dubai has been appointed as minister of defense for the United Arab Emirates as part of a broader cabinet shuffle, Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum posted on X. The 41-year-old Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who has served as Dubai's crown prince since 2008, was also named as one of the UAE's deputy prime ministers. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE foreign minister, was also appointed as a deputy prime minister in the reshuffle. Other new appointments include Alia Abdulla AlMazrouei as minister of state for entrepreneurship, Sarah Al Amiri as minister of education, Abdulrahman Al Awar as acting minister of higher education and scientific research, Sheikh Mohammed's post said.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al, Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al, Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Alia Abdulla AlMazrouei, Sarah Al Amiri, Abdulrahman Al Awar, Sheikh Mohammed's Organizations: Views, United Arab Emirates, United, Dubai Locations: Dubai, United Arab, UAE, Instagram

☆ Saudi king to be treated for lung inflammation, state news agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Oliver Weiken/dpa (Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images)Saudi King Salman will undergo treatment at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah for a lung inflammation, the state news agency said on Sunday, hours after he underwent medical tests. Citing the royal court, the state news agency said the 88-year-old king would be treated with antibiotics until the inflammation subsides. Earlier on Sunday, King Salman underwent medical tests at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace due to "high temperature and joint pain", the Saudi state news agency said. King Salman, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, became ruler of the world's top oil exporter in 2015 after spending more than 2-1/2 years as the crown prince and deputy premier. Saudi Arabia's embassy in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the crown prince's cancelled trip.

Persons: Abdel Fattah el, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Jean, Claude Juncker, Oliver Weiken, Saudi King Salman, King, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, King Salman of, Prince Mohammed's, Hayashi, King Salman, Jake Sullivan, Emperor Naruhito, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Arab League, European Union, of Arab, Getty Images, Al Salam, Saudi, Al, U.S . National Locations: Egypt, Sharm El, Saudi King, Sharm, Saudi, Jeddah, Japan, Saudi Arabia, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Washington, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's

GENEVA (AP) — The near certainty that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men's World Cup unites two of the most influential men in world sports: the leader of soccer's governing body and the kingdom's crown prince. In the case of Saudi Arabia, U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was slain inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The men’s World Cup should earn Switzerland-based FIFA more than $10 billion in almost entirely tax-free revenue. “Mohammed bin Salman wants Saudi Arabia to be a hub of anything and everything,” Middle East expert James Dorsey said. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and FIFA canceled the planned June 2021 relaunch in China of its Club World Cup event.

Persons: Gianni Infantino, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Infantino, King Salman, Prince Mohammed's, “ Abraham, ”, Donald Trump, ” Infantino, Mohammed's, Cristiano Ronaldo, “ Mohammed bin Salman, James Dorsey, Greece —, —, Australia –, they’ve, James Johnson, “, Yasser Al Misehal –, – Organizations: GENEVA, FIFA, Australia, Qatar, White House, “ Abraham Accords, United Arab, Soccer, Newcastle, Russia, Saudi, ” Football Australia, ” FIFA, FIFA Council, Fox News Locations: Saudi Arabia, Persian, Saudi, U.S, Istanbul, Riyadh, Switzerland, Gulf, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Europe, Swiss, China, Qatar, United States, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, Africa, South America, Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabian, Australia

☆ Israeli settler attacks fuel the fire as Gaza war rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Davison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Ben-Gvir's office did not respond to a request for comment about whether guns had already been distributed in the West Bank. At least eight of those were since Oct 7. alone, worrying ordinary Palestinians, Israeli security experts and Western officials. Washington has condemned settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank while the European Union on Tuesday denounced "settler terrorism" that risked a "dangerous escalation of the conflict." Hamas cited Israeli actions in the West Bank, core to a would-be Palestinian state, in waging its killing spree. 'GREAT DANGER'Settler-related violence is becoming harder to stem with the ongoing Gaza war and the augmented power of far-right politicians, Israeli security experts say.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Father, QUSRA, Mourning, Mohammed Wadi, Israel hurtled, Wadi's, Shira Liebman, Itamar Ben, Mohammed's, Ahmed, Ibrahim, Abdullah Abu Rahma, Liebman, We've, Lior Akerman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben, Ariel Danino, Akerman, Den, Wadi, I'm, Emily Rose, Ali Sawafta, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Yesha, National, Twitter, Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA, European Union, Wall Resistance Commission, Hamas, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Nablus, West, Bank, Gaza, Qusra, Yesha Council, Lebanon, Washington, Israel's, Israel, Lebanese, Wadi, Abdullah, Jerusalem, Ramallah

☆ How Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went from pariah to pragmatic diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to transform the oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom. AdvertisementAdvertisementSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on a mission to transform his country. Billboards show portraits of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) and his father and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz. US President Joe Biden (L) being welcomed by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) at Alsalam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2022. President Joe Biden gives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a handshake at the G20 summit this September.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he's, —, Prince Mohammed didn't, King Salman, Fahda bint Falah, Saud, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz, AAMIR QURESHI, Muhammad bin Nayef, Prince Mohammed, Rash, Chris Doyle, GIUSEPPE CACACE, Doyle, he'd, Jamal Khashoggi, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammed a, Grant Shapps, Vladimir Putin's, Sanam Vakil, Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Vakil, Duaa, Pierre Crom, Dhainy, Prince Organizations: Service, Saudi, King Saud University, Saudi Arabian Crown, Guardian, Ritz, Carlton, Council, Arab, CIA, Royal, Anadolu Agency, Bloomberg, Washington, Chatham House, Associated Press, Fox News, European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, MBS, United Nations, Getty Images, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Riyadh, British, Istanbul, Jeddah, Ukraine, Iran, China, Israel, East, North Africa, Delhi, Neom, The Hague, Netherlands, Getty Images Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi Arabia and the UAE are battling to become the Middle East's economic superpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Saudi Arabia's crown prince is shaking up his economy in a move escalating its UAE rivalry. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled Riyadh Air , a new airline serving as an alternative to the UAE's Emirates and Etihad Airways. If you want to do business with Saudi Arabia or Saudi state-owned entities, you've got to base your regional HQ in Saudi Arabia." "Saudi Arabia sees the separation project in Yemen as a way to let the Houthis control the north and therefore have a more-threatening border at the south of Saudi Arabia." Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSHow far the rivalry between the two nations goes largely depends on Saudi Arabia's actions.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's, Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MBZ, Obama, You've, Kristian Ulrichsen, Rice, Sheikh Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, Sheikh Mohamed —, —, Leon Neal, Shaybah, Ulrichsen, Sheikh Zayed, Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Neom, Abishur Prakash, Jorg Greuel, Abdullah Alaoudh, Prakash, you've, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed, Ludovic Marin, Mohammed's, Jamal Khashoggi, Biden, Baker Institute's Ulrichsen, Alaoudh, wouldn't Organizations: United Arab Emirates, UAE, Service, Baker Institute, Saudi, UAE —, Qatar, Dubai, United, Freedom Initiative, UAE's Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle United FC, English Premier League, Manchester City, Saudi Crown, Getty, Ritz Carlton, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, East, Washington, London, UAE, Persian, Al Ain, British, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Riyadh, Manchester City . Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, Istanbul, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia's, Bandar, Ukraine

☆ Morocco's king keeps regal distance even in earthquake crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts and rights groups say the political class has been largely co-opted, while real power rests with the king and his "Makhzen", or Morocco's old political establishment. The tremor has, however, shown the unevenness of Morocco's economic development. Meanwhile, Forbes ranked the king in 2015 among Africa's richest men, with personal wealth valued at more than $5 billion. The king ordered Almada to donate 1 billion dirhams ($100 million) to an earthquake response fund. While the king has made few appearances since the earthquake, government officials have also kept a low profile.

Persons: King Mohammed VI, Hassan II, isn't, Aboubakr Jamai, Mohammed, Almada, Manar, Aidan Lewis, Edmund Blair Organizations: Royal Armed Forces, American College of, Forbes, Africa's, Thomson Locations: Rabat, Marrakech, Morocco, Africa, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Moroccan, Tangier, Casablanca, Almada, London

☆ Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to future-proof its oil-based economy. Experts say it's a huge risk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia's grand plan to transform its economy and reduce its reliance on oil. The centerpiece of Vision 2030 is Neom, which includes a $1 trillion megacity known as The Line. But time is ticking: Seven years after announcing Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has reached the midway point of its timeline, with just seven years left to the finish line. That said, much of this is being financed by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's powerful sovereign wealth fund, which manages assets worth about $700 billion. NeomA key factor that could determine this project's success involves Saudi Arabia's changing appeal to the West.

Persons: Saud, who's, Simon Mabon, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, McKinsey —, —, Gerald Feierstein, Barack Obama, Feierstein, Richard Callis, Prince Mohammed, Yasir Othman al, Mabon, Prince Mohammed's, there's, Muslimi, they're Organizations: Foreign Policy Center, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Crown, McKinsey, Middle East Institute, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, SoftBank's Vision, Newcastle United soccer, Newcastle United FC, Saudi Aramco, International Monetary Fund, Chatham House, Neom, United, Bloomberg, Amnesty International Locations: Saudi, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, London, NEOM, Bandar, Yemen, Ukraine, Riyadh, Jeddah, they're, United Arab Emirates, Neom

☆ Saudi Arabia's cold-blooded crown prince keeps winning
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The recent PGA-LIV golf merger is the latest example of growing Saudi influence on sports. Originally viewed as a deep-pocketed but unserious distraction from the PGA Tour, they effectively muscled into the picture through sheer financial willpower. The new PGA Tour might look a whole lot like the old one, except with a far wealthier outside party controlling the purse strings. And that's kind of been the Saudi strategy as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expanded his influence over multiple sports worldwide. Detailed below are the six recent high-profile examples of how the Saudi PIF keeps winning:

Persons: Mohammed bin Salman, LIV, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Mohammed's, Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi PIF Organizations: Saudi Public Investment Fund, Morning, PGA, LIV, PGA Tour, English Premier League team, Saudi, league, Prince, CIA Locations: England, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Biden is trying to lure Saudi Arabia's crown prince away from China with lucrative promises, despite once threatening to make him a 'pariah'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US has replaced its threats with lucrative contracts for the crown prince as part of a high stakes power game being waged over dominance of the region. Biden last weekend dispatched his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to Saudi Arabia, for discussions with Saudi officials. Last year, Crown Prince Mohammed and Xi agreed to deepen their cooperation across a range of economic and security issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2022. "It is important to note that Saudi Arabia is not seeking to burn its bridges with the United States.

☆ Dubai ruler appoints new second deputy - Dubai Media office
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum on Friday appointed another of his sons as a deputy ruler of the emirate, following the death of his brother and long-serving deputy ruler Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2021. Dubai now has first and second deputy rulers, the decree published by the Dubai Media Office said. The decree appointed as first deputy ruler Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, one of Sheikh Mohammed's sons who has been a deputy ruler since 2008 and is currently the United Arab Emirates' finance minister. Newly appointed to the role of second deputy ruler is Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, another of Sheikh Mohammed's sons and the chairman of the Dubai Media Council. Reporting by Yomna Ehab; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia's Neom is a $500B futuristic city being built in the desert — but it could morph into a surveillance dystopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Bill Bostock | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia is building a futuristic mega-city called Neom deep in a desert bordering the Red Sea. But critics fear that sophisticated technology could be used to surveil residents. Saudi Arabia hopes to build a futuristic mega-city 33 times the size of New York City from scratch. It's called Neom, a planned 16-borough city on the Red Sea coast in the northwestern Saudi province of Tabuk. As Insider reported, they believe that the Saudis could be preparing to use sophisticated Chinese surveillance technology to tightly monitor and control Neom's residents.

☆ The Saudi crown prince wants to build a trillion-dollar utopia in the desert. His deals with China reveal a darker vision.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernizing vision of the country. But behind the outlandish plan, developed by Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, is a much darker reality. Crown Prince Mohammed appears keen to replicate those projects on a grander scale. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announces a zero-carbon city called "The Line" to be built at NEOM in northwestern Saudi Arabia, January 10, 2021. It appeared to be the beginning of a fruitful partnership for Crown Prince Mohammed.

☆ UAE leader breaks with tradition, appoints son as crown prince
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE leader's eldest son, is now the oil-rich Middle Eastern country's crown prince, effectively next in line for its leadership. Sheikh Tahnoon was already named chair of the $790 billion Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the emirate's main sovereign wealth fund, earlier in March. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He described the decision as "formalizing the leverage Abu Dhabi has over Dubai, and how little Dubai will be allowed to say in foreign policy." Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attends the Global Women's Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 16, 2020.

☆ Matt Gaetz's legislative aide is a convicted war criminal who murdered an Afghan civilian and dumped his body in a latrine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sonam Sheth | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A legislative aide who works for GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a convicted war criminal, The Intercept reported. The aide, Derrick Miller, spent eight years in prison after murdering an Afghan civilian, the report said. Gaetz's office defended its decision to hire Miller, saying he was "wrongfully convicted." According to The Intercept, Miller shot Mohammed in September 2010. The Florida congressman also repeatedly criticized the war in Afghanistan before President Joe Biden withdrew US troops in 2021.

Sheikh Mohammed, who became president and Abu Dhabi ruler last year after running the U.S.-allied OPEC oil producer for years, named his brother Sheikh Mansour as UAE vice president, alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This appeared to further centralise power in Abu Dhabi, which is the political capital by virtue of its immense oil wealth, of the UAE federation of seven emirates. Abu Dhabi has held the presidency since the founding of the UAE federation by Sheikh Mohammed's father in 1971. Sheikh Mohammed, known as MbZ, had been grooming his son in positions of authority in security - including intelligence - economy and governance, analysts say. Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoun was named chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among the world's largest sovereign wealth funds.

☆ Two decades after Saddam's fall, Iraqis still haunted by disappearances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Charlotte Bruneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

As exhumations dragged on, more atrocities were committed in sectarian conflict and amid the rise and fall of armed groups, such as Al Qaeda and Islamic State militants, as well as Shi'ite Muslim militias. Tens of thousands of Iraqis were killed by Saddam's forces during his rule. According to Siddiq, massacres committed by Islamic State militants, who seized much of northern Iraq in 2014 and held it for three violent years, have been prioritised. In Sinjar, where Islamic State committed what U.N. investigators described as genocide against Iraq's Yazidi minority, about 600 victims have been reburied, with some 150 identified. His name was not among the hundreds of victims identified by Siddiq's team, and Mohammed remains in limbo.

☆ Nigeria asks social media giants to curb fake news ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannABUJA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Nigeria has asked Google (GOOGL.O) and Meta (META.O) to control the spread of fake news on their platforms ahead of a presidential election this month, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Friday. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has been exploring ways to regulate social media usage. The country is home to millions of internet users and platforms like YouTube, Twitter , Facebook and Tiktok are popular. Mohammed's request comes after he asked Google last year to block the use of YouTube channels and livestreams by secessionist and Islamist militant groups in the country. "These actions, if executed, will go a long way in checking the proliferation of fake news and disinformation on social media ahead of, during and after the elections," Mohammed said.

☆ Biden promised a reckoning when Saudi Arabia crossed him. 3 months later, it is clear he's backed down.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden had pledged to hold Saudi Arabia to account over cutting oil supplies. It came after Saudi Arabia and Russia cut oil supplies, sparking inflation fears. In concert with Russia, Saudi Arabia had cut oil production, an economic kick in the shin for the US just in time for the midterm elections. Three months later, Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, remain unpunished. Cafiero noted a series of other developments he said had focused minds in both the US and Saudi Arabia on common interests.

☆ How Saudi Arabia's crown prince snubbed Biden repeatedly to forge ties with authoritarian China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2022, Saudi Arabia sought closer ties with Russia and China. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. Analysts say that US criticism of Saudi Arabia's human-rights record and its suppression of domestic dissent infuriate Riyadh. Crown Prince Mohammed has more affinity with the ideology of fellow strongmen Xi or Putin than with the US, said Alterman. "Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia all believe in the model of 'authoritarian stability'.

☆ Nigerian government rejects Reuters report on abortion programme
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The Nigerian government rejects a Reuters report published last week about a secret programme of abortions run by the military in the country's northeast, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Monday. The Reuters investigation found that since 2013, a secret military programme has involved terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants. "We also hereby reject the accusation of running an abortion programme levelled at our military," he said. Mohammed's comments were the first by a Nigerian government official since the report was published last week. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the allegations, U.N spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dec 6 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the fiance of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing President Biden's grant of immunity. U.S. District Judge John Bates suggested he was reluctant to throw out the lawsuit but had no choice given the Biden administration's decision. Biden was criticized for fist-bumping the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. The White House said Biden had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi's killing. He had traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.

RIYADH, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia expects to post a second consecutive budget surplus in 2023, though down 84% from this year as an uncertain global economic outlook and lower crude prices look set to weigh on the top oil exporter's revenues. Spending is slightly lower than 1.132 trillion riyals this year. Revenues are expected at 1.13 trillion riyals, down from 1.234 trillion riyals in 2022 as oil prices are seen falling from this year's high levels. Public debt is seen falling 3.5% to 951 billion riyals next year, or 24.6% of GDP. Government reserves at the Saudi Central Bank are estimated to reach 399 billion riyals at the end of next year, the finance ministry said.

☆ Judge dismisses lawsuit over Khashoggi's murder after the Biden administration backed immunity for MBS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A judge dismissed a suit against Mohammed bin Salman in connection to Jamal Khashoggi's death. The decision came just weeks after the Biden administration contended that the Saudi ruler, often referred to as "MBS," should be granted immunity. "Accordingly, the claims against bin Salman will be dismissed based on head-of-state-immunity," Bates added. A declassified intelligence report released by the Biden administration last year explicitly implicated MBS in Khashoggi's killing. On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to make the oil-rich kingdom a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder.

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