Saudi Arabia news stories on Newser

Saudi King Fires Adviser After Remarks on Women

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:34:15 CDT

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has dismissed an ultraconservative adviser after he publicly criticized reforms aimed at easing restrictions on women. Sheik Abdul-Mohsen al-Obeikan had told a local radio station that officials were working to Westernize and secularize the country's laws by "legalizing taboos." The "situation is a very dangerous one...

Bomb-Plot Busting Double-Agent Is British

Kevin Spak — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:19:20 CDT

Another tantalizing—and potentially damaging—tidbit has leaked about the double-agent who foiled an al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula underwear bomb plot. The agent is of Saudi descent but lived for years in Britain, where he spent some time with jihadist sympathizers and acquired a British passport, sources tell CNN...

Pakistan Boots Out bin Ladens

Rob Quinn — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:41:00 CDT

With the anniversary of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden just days away, Pakistan has gotten rid of the remaining members of his family. Three widows and two adult daughters were taken from the house in Islamabad where they had served a 45-day sentence for being in the country...

Pakistan Will Boot bin Laden Widows Next Week

Kevin Spak — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:51:57 CDT

Pakistan will deport the imprisoned members of Osama bin Laden's family next week, once they've finished serving their 45-day sentences for illegally living there, their lawyer announced today. All three of bin Laden's widows and his two daughters, aged 17 and 21, will board a plane to Saudi Arabia on...

US World's No. 5 Executioner: Amnesty

Kevin Spak — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:11:02 CDT

Fewer countries than ever are executing people, but those countries are doing so with gusto, according to a new report from Amnesty International. Just 20 nations still use the death penalty. The US executed 43 people last year, making it 5th globally, and the only Western democracy on the list,...

3 Nations to Send First Female Athletes to Olympics

John Johnson — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:24:22 CDT

This summer's Olympics in London may be the first in which every nation will send at least one female athlete, reports the New York Times . That's because three Muslim holdouts—Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar—are expected to grudgingly make the concession. Don't expect full teams: Saudi Arabia may send...

Best, Worst Places to Be Female

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:48:00 CST

With International Women's Day coming up Thursday, should we weep or rejoice? While British women will likely face 14 more elections before women equal men in Parliament, women in Qatar are far more likely to attend university than men. That said, the Independent picked its best and worse nations for...

Arab Nations Poised to Arm Syrian Rebels

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:34:06 CST

Members of the Arab League signaled this week that they're about to arm Syrian rebels. But American officials fear that strategy will thwart their more cautious approach, and could fuel a bloody, protracted civil war. Saudi Arabia and Qatar aim to aid the opposition "as soon as they can," said...

Olympic Ban Urged for Sexist Saudi Arabia

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:10:00 CST

Saudi Arabia should be banned from participating in the London Olympics unless it includes a female athlete, says a scathing new report from Human Rights Watch. The nation is one of three that regularly participate in the games that has yet to send a women to the Olympics. Saudi Arabia's...