Tag Archives: Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Lifestyle

Trump Defends Saudi Prince, Epstein Bill Passes, Trump Low Approval Rating

Maravi Post Reporter

President Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a White House visit, even as the two leaders unveil sweeping military, nuclear, and investment agreements.
Congress overwhelmingly passes a bill compelling the Justice Department to release its Epstein files, setting up a 30-day countdown that could spark new political fights over redactions.
And a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows Trump at his lowest approval rating of his second term, with voters demanding that he focus on lowering prices as Democrats gain a significant edge heading into 2026.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

<

p class=”readrate”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Kelsey Snell, Megan Pratz, Rebecca Rossman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

<

p class=”readrate”>

<

p class=”readrate”>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.

<

p class=”readrate”>

<

p class=”readrate”>We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Lifestyle

Trump in Qatar after meeting Syria’s ruler in Saudi Arabia

Maravi Post Reporter

President Donald Trump arrived Wednesday in Qatar, where he was greeted by the country’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, as he kicked off the second leg of his three-nation Middle East tour this week.

In a stunning engagement earlier in the day in Saudi Arabia, Trump met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa — who as an insurgent had spent years imprisoned by U.S. troops in Iraq. Trump said the rapprochement with Syria came at the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” said Trump, who announced he’ll move to lift sanctions on Syria to give the country “a chance at peace.”

“I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special,” Trump said.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump focused on dealmaking with the kingdom, a key Mideast ally.

Trump and Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, signed a host of economic and bilateral agreements.

Trump also touched on shared concerns about the war in Gaza and Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said he wants to avoid conflict with Tehran, urging Iran to take a ”new and a better path” as he pushes for a new nuclear deal.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/88/51/05/ED_PYR_1488515_20250514122409.mp4
Lifestyle

Trump, Saudi crown prince sign a host of agreements

Maravi Post Reporter

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as he kicked off a four-day Middle East trip with a focus on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran’s nuclear program and the war in Gaza dragged on in the background.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun belts.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said later during a brief appearance with the crown prince at the start of a bilateral meeting.

They later signed more than a dozen agreements to increase cooperation between their governments’ militaries, justice departments and cultural institutions. Additional economic agreements were expected to be inked later Tuesday at a U.S.-Saudi investment conference convened for the occasion.

Prince Mohammed has already committed to some $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S., but Trump teased $1 trillion would be even better.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/77/76/01/ED_PYR_1477761_20250513113756.mp4
Regional

Saudi crown prince ‘approved’ Khashoggi murder, US report says

Maravi Post Reporter

A US intelligence report has found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The declassified report released by the Biden administration says the prince approved a plan to either capture or kill the US-based Saudi exile.

It is the first time America has publicly named the crown prince, who denies ordering the death.

Khashoggi was murdered while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

He had been known for his criticism of the Saudi authorities.

– –

“We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the report by the office of the US director of national intelligence says.

As far back as 2018, the CIA reportedly believed that the crown prince had ordered the murder but the allegation that he was involved has never been made publicly by US officials until now.

US President Joe Biden is expected to take a firmer line than his predecessor Donald Trump on human rights and the rule of law in Saudi Arabia, a key American ally in the Middle East.

Jamal Khashoggi. Photo: EPA

– –

In a phone call on Thursday with the crown prince’s father, King Salman, the president “affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law”, the White House said.

According to sources quoted by Reuters news agency, the Biden administration is considering the cancellation of arms deals with Saudi Arabia that pose human rights concerns as well as the limiting of future military sales to “defensive” weapons.

Saudi authorities blamed his death on a “rogue operation” by a team of agents sent to return him to the kingdom, and a Saudi court tried and sentenced five individuals to 20 years in prison last September, after initially sentencing them to death.

In 2019, UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard accused the Saudi state of the “deliberate, premeditated execution” of Khashoggi and dismissed the Saudi trial as an “antithesis of justice”.

How was Khashoggi killed?
Source