International

Trump administration considering legal immunity for Saudi Crown Prince

Published

3 years ago

December 23, 2020

New delhi, Dec 23: The Trump administration is considering granting legal immunity to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) from a federal lawsuit in an alleged assassination plot. The lawsuit was registered against MBS by Saad Aljabri for allegedly sending a team of agents to kill him.

Aljabri was a former top aide in the Saudi Interior Ministry and is now residing in Canada. He was fired from his position in 2015 shortly before the then crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef was ousted from his rank by MBS to become the second in line to the throne. He had fled the country in 2017.

Aljabri in August publicly accused the crown prince of sending a team of agents to Canada to kill him.

In his lawsuit to the DC district court, he said that the same team of assassins that had murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was sent to kill him as well.Granting legal immunity to MBS has dire consequences to other cases that are pending against him as well. Most notably the Khashoggi murder, a Saudi dissident who was working as a columnist for the Washington Post.

The CIA had already concluded in 2018 that MBS was involved in Khashoggi’s murder. The journalist had been very critical of the crown prince’s policies in the kingdom.

Granting immunity would mean that the crown prince would now have a legal basis to dismiss these cases against him.
The administration had sent questionnaires to Aljabri’s legal team to help high level officials there decide whether it should recommend immunity for the MBS to the Department of Justice. The questions ask for details about his allegations of the crown prince’s alleged plot to murder him.

Aljabri’s legal team had already been sent questionnaires this month by the administration. The questionnaire of which a copy was given to CNN from a source close to Aljabri says it was to ‘help high-level officials’ there decide whether to advise the Department of Justice in granting immunity to MBS.
It is uncertain if the administration would reach a decision before the end of Trump’s term, who has been publicly supportive of the crown prince, in January or even if it would grant immunity to MBS.

President-elect Joe Biden had been very critical of Saudi Arabia, and he had vowed to end support for Saudi’s war on Yemen.(Agencies)

International

Erica Robin becomes first ever Miss Universe Pakistan

Published

6 days ago

September 17, 2023

Agencies

Erica Robin, a model from Karachi has been crowned “Miss Universe Pakistan 2023”, becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win the title.

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Four other models from different parts of the country participated in the beauty pageant, including Hira Inam from Lahore, Jessical Wilson from Rawalpindi, Pakistani-American Malika Alvi from Pennsylvania, and Sabrina Wasim. Jessica Wilson, a 28-year-old cyber security engineer was named first runner-up while Hira Inam (24), Malyka Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26) were the rest of the finalists.

Award-winning actress, mental health advocate, and former Miss International Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines was one of the distinguished panel of judges who picked the winner.

Robin will be the official representative of Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to be held in El Salvador later this year. Pakistan will be sending five models to compete in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. This landmark moment marks the first time Pakistan has ever been represented in the world’s most esteemed beauty competition.

International

Morocco earthquake: Death toll surpasses 2000

Published

2 weeks ago

September 10, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

According to state TV, the number of fatalities following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000. The death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake to strike the nation of North Africa in decades.

Also Read: Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said “we are hoping for miracles from the rubble,” CNN reported.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.

The quake was the most powerful to shake the area surrounding Marrakech in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.

International

Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Published

2 weeks ago

September 9, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

More than 800 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a massive earthquake that struck Morocco. It was the deadliest tremor to hit the country in more than 60 years, and it destroyed homes in isolated mountain towns while rescue workers searched through the debris for survivors, reuters reported.

As per reuters, a magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The Interior Ministry said 820 people had been killed and another 672 injured.

Most of the fatalities are in mountainous areas outside Marrakech, the nearest city to the epicentre, its updated toll showed.