Headline

Saudi May Allow Alcohol Sales To Non-Muslim Diplomats

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2024

Saudi Arabia may allow alcohol sales to non-Muslim diplomats for the first time, two sources familiar with the plan told AFP on Wednesday, modifying strict rules governing liquor in the conservative country.

Alcohol “will be sold to non-Muslim diplomats” who previously had to import alcohol via a diplomatic pouch, or sealed official package, one of the sources said.

Prohibition has been the law of the land in Saudi Arabia since 1952, shortly after one of King Abdulaziz’s sons got drunk and, in a rage, shot dead a British diplomat.

Rumours have swirled for years that alcohol would become available in the Gulf kingdom amid a wave of social reforms introduced as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, among them the introduction of cinemas and mixed-gender music festivals.

A Saudi government statement on Wednesday said authorities were introducing “a new regulatory framework… to counter the illicit trade of alcohol goods and products received by diplomatic missions”.

The statement added: “The new process will focus on allocating specific quantities of alcohol goods when entering the Kingdom to put an end to the previous unregulated process that caused an uncontrolled exchange of such goods in the Kingdom.”

The policy “will continue to grant and ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these products in specified quotas.”

The statement indicated that not much would change immediately for the vast majority of Saudi Arabia’s 32 million people, who have few ways to imbibe unless they are willing to travel abroad.

Beyond attending diplomatic receptions in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, they can make homemade wine or turn to the black market, where bottles of whiskey can go for hundreds of dollars ahead of holidays like New Year’s Eve.

– Sensitive subject –

Under Saudi law, penalties for consumption or possession of alcohol can include fines, jail time, public flogging and deportation for foreigners.

Last year, Saudi Arabia was granted hosting rights for Expo 2030 and the World Cup in 2034, further fuelling speculation that the alcohol ban might be lifted, or at least weakened with carve-outs in places like NEOM, a planned $500 billion futuristic megacity.

However given that alcohol is forbidden in Islam, the issue remains deeply sensitive in the country that is home to the religion’s holiest sites in the cities of Mecca and Medina.

Saudi officials had until Wednesday dismissed suggestions of any major policy change.

“The short answer is, we are going to continue with our current laws,” Deputy Tourism Minister, Princess Haifa Al Saud said when asked directly about the issue at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2022.

AFP

Headline

David Lammy Appointed UK’s Deputy PM

Published

11 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.

As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.

The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.

The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.

According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.

Key Cabinet reassignment

-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.

-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.

Other notable appointments include:

-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary

-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department

-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary

-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology

-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary

-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary

-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip

-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons

Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.

Political Fallout and Internal Tensions

Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.

Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.

Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.

Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.

Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture

Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.

The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”

This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.

Headline

Nigerian Arrested In Poland For Using Fake Residence Permit

Published

12 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 26-year-old Nigerian citizen on charges of using a counterfeit residence document.

The individual was detained by the Polish Border Guard, known as Straż Graniczna, as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and document forgery.

This information, which was obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday, was published on the Border Guard Headquarters’ news outlet on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

The BG HQs of Poland is the central unit which services the Border Guard Commander in Chief by supporting and coordinating actions of the BG units.

The report indicated that, “the Nigerian man admitted that he ordered the document online while still in the UK, received it by post, and paid €2,000 for it.

“It turned out that the Nigerian had no legal basis for staying in Poland as he had been in the country illegally for four days.”

Consequently, the Commander of the Border Guard ordered him to leave the country within 20 days and imposed a three-year ban on entry to the Schengen Area.

In addition, he was charged under Article 270 § 1 of the Penal Code – for using a counterfeit document.

The man pleaded guilty and voluntarily submitted to the penalty, but declined to provide further explanation.

According to sources specialising in immigration law, many individuals who use these fake documents are victims of elaborate scams.

As one legal expert noted in a report, “Until the situation was clarified, Ibrahim was detained in prison.”

Law enforcement agencies across Poland have been actively working to dismantle these criminal networks.

A recent, large-scale operation supported by Europol led to the arrest of dozens of suspects and the seizure of thousands of counterfeit documents, including residence permits, visas, and other identification.

Headline

US To Cut Military Aid To European Countries Near Russia — Official

Published

12 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The United States is to end long-running military assistance for European countries close to Russia, as it pushes the continent to play a greater role in its own defence, an official in one of the countries confirmed on Friday.

“Last week, the US Defense Department informed the countries that, starting from its next financial period, funding will be reduced to zero,” the defence policy director in Lithuania’s defence ministry, Vaidotas Urbelis, told reporters.

The decision comes as US President Donald Trump struggles to end Moscow’s three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine.

Urbelis confirmed reports in The Washington Post and The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials saying the move was part of Trump’s efforts to cut US expenditure abroad.

The FT said US officials had told European diplomats last week that Washington would no longer fund programmes to train and equip eastern European militaries along Russia’s border.

The Washington Post said the funding to be cut was worth several hundred million dollars.

In Lithuania’s case, the cuts would impact “the purchase of US weapons and other equipment, and training”, Urbelis said.

He added that it “will not have an impact on the US troop presence in the region”, which was funded through a separate US budget allocation.

A White House official said the move hewed to a January executive order Trump had signed that reevaluated US foreign aid.

“This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Trump has long been sceptical of both US defence spending in Europe and aid for Ukraine, pushing some of Washington’s closest allies to play a greater role on both fronts.

The Lithuanian defence ministry official said that the US funding for training and equipping its military covered between a third and 80 percent of total military aid received by the country.

Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees daily that he viewed the US move as “especially symbolic, in a negative way.

AFP