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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved of an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018, according to a declassified US intelligence assessment. Mr Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of the crown prince's policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the crown prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh has denied any involvement by the crown prince, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. "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 US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in the report. Saudi Arabia said it "completely rejects" the US report.

Alex Salmond launched an extraordinary attack on Nicola Sturgeon today, claiming that the current SNP leadership is unfit to lead the country to independence. The former first minister described a collective failure of leadership in the civil service, the prosecuting authority and the Scottish government which was undermining his goal of an independent Scotland. “The move to independence, which I have sought all my political life … must be accompanied by institutions whose leadership is strong and robust and capable of protecting each and every citizen from arbitrary authority,” he told the inquiry examining the Scottish government’s botched investigation into complaints against him. At the end of a brutal dissection of his successor’s administration before MSPs, he added: “When you get to the stage that a government behaves unlawfully — it is a huge and heinous thing — you know some consequences should follow from unlawful conduct.”

Alex Salmond has said the leadership of the Scottish government has "failed" and claimed that there had been a "calculated and deliberate suppression of key evidence" to a parliamentary committee. Giving evidence at a Holyrood inquiry into the unlawful investigation of sexual harassment claims made against him, the former First Minister said the "failures of leadership are many and obvious". But he said nobody had "taken responsibility", adding there had been no resignations or sackings. "The government acted illegally but somehow nobody is to blame," he added. "The Scottish Civil Service hasn’t failed, it’s leadership has failed," he said. "The Crown Office hasn’t failed, it’s leadership has failed. Scotland hasn’t failed, its leadership has failed. "The importance of this inquiry is for each and everyone of us to help put this right."

Alex Salmond has claimed Scotland's "leadership has failed" and claimed there has been a "calculated and deliberate suppression of key evidence" as he made an appearance at a Scottish Parliamentary committee inquiry. Speaking in his opening statement at the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government's unlawful investigation of sexual harassment claims made against him, Scotland's former first minister accused his successor Nicola Sturgeon of using a Covid press conference to "effectively question the result of a jury".

Princess Latifa is the the 33-year-old daughter of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In February 2018 she boarded a boat and set sail for India with a plan to start a new life in America. But within days her boat was stormed by Indian commandos - she was captured and presumably returned to Dubai. No one has heard from her since. Before her capture Princess Latifa made a video in case she was caught, and entrusted it to a lawyer in America. Days later it was released on You Tube. Far from living a charmed life, she was watched and restricted by her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The princess claims she had been imprisoned and tortured for a previous attempt to leave. There’s the mystery of her older sister, Shamsa, who disappeared from the streets of Cambridge in 2000 after fleeing the family’s British mansion in Surrey. Is the image of Dubai we are sold - of winter sunshine and luxury hotels - actually hiding a brutal dictatorship of human rights abuses, where surveillance, imprisonment and torture are systematic and where tourists can easily be imprisoned for the slightest infringements of the state's ultra conservative laws?

Alex Salmond has agreed to appear before a Holyrood committee conducting an inquiry into the Scottish Government's handling of accusations against him tomorrow amid an increasingly bitter SNP civil war. The former first minister had been due to attend an evidence session yesterday but he pulled out after the Scottish Parliament redacted his written submission. He offered to attend tomorrow instead and the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints duly agreed and extended an invitation which has now been accepted.

The Faculty of Advocates has said it is “concerned” at the focus on the Crown Office and Scotland’s court services in the increasingly bitter row engulfing the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament over redacted elements of Alex Salmond’s evidence to a Holyrood committee investigating how complaints of sexual harassment against him were handled.

A mess to embarrass the architects of devolution. Heady ideals look distinctly tarnished when following every twist and turn of what has been dubbed 'The Alex Salmond Affair'. It’s an epic battle and potential implosion of the SNP. Well, I at least live in hope!

Bernard Ponsonby is a veteran reporter in Scotland, well respected. He asks about the submission being hauled back by the Crown Office and having to be redacted and then republished after it had already been published in the public domain. I have a copy of the unredacted document, I’m no lawyer, but after my third time of reading, I see no problem. And this thing about protecting who have gave evidence in a trial that is now finished and done. It is done, it can’t be re-opened! Obviously names need protected, but if the Crown are trying to hold back, there is little point. What has been in the public domain cannot be removed from the public domain. Don’t these twats know that?

The inquiry into how the Scottish government handled complaints against Alex Salmond has descended into “shameful” chaos after the former first minister withdrew from his long-awaited appearance. Salmond had been due to be questioned in front of a parliamentary committee at Holyrood today but scrapped the plans after his evidence was censored by the Crown Office. Salmond, 66, changed his mind after one of his written submissions was taken down from the parliamentary website and redacted on the instructions of the lord advocate — the chief legal officer of the Scottish government and the Crown – then republished.

The pressure is on for countries to vaccinate people against the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19: close to fifty million doses have been administered in the month since the first vaccines were approved for use. But with a global population of nearly eight billion, that’s only a small first step. Even in countries that have stocks of the vaccine, the rollout has been laggard; it is yet to begin in many others. It could take years for most of the world’s population to be immunized, especially as new strains of the virus present greater challenges.

MSP Murdo Fraser condemned the decision to redact parts of Mr Salmond’s claims. “As a member of the parliamentary committee investigating the matter, I am heartily sick of the whole affair,” said the Tory politician. “I am sick of the lies, the evasion, the deceit, the obstruction, and the obfuscation.” Mr Fraser claimed the “whole sorry story” of the inquiry had revealed the Scottish government to be a “cesspit of vipers obsessed with personal vendettas, tearing at each other and destroying public trust”. The MSP also criticised the Crown Office – the body responsible for prosecuting crimes in Scotland – for “threatening the Scottish parliament with criminal proceedings” if the evidence was not redacted.

A Scottish Conservative MSP on the committee investigating the Scottish government’s botched handling of complaints against Alex Salmond has claimed he is “heartily sick of the whole affair”. The former first minister pulled out of Wednesday’s scheduled appearance at the committee after parliamentary authorities removed, redacted and published an edited version of his written evidence. Mr Salmond is reportedly ready to accept an invitation to appear at the committee on Friday. His legal team is writing to the Lord Advocate to ask for an explanation for the Crown Office’s “unprecedented” request for the redaction.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Sunday that more than 16 million people in Yemen face a high risk of hunger in 2021, while half a million people are already living in a famine-like atmosphere. Conditions in the war-torn country. OCHA, be warned The threat of famine is widespread In the poorest country in the Arab world, “it has never been more,” adding that years-long conflict, economic decline and institutional collapse have created enormous humanitarian needs in all sectors. The stark warning comes a day before the pledging conference hosted by Sweden and Switzerland. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will request $ 3.85 billion in relief aid to Yemen this year. The response to the UN appeal is unlikely to meet expectations, given that the global COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating consequences have hit economies around the world. Rich Gulf donors such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who contributed generously to the UN appeals in 2018 and 2019, Dramatically cut aid to Yemen last year. The Yemen war began in 2014 when the Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north of the country.

The Scottish Parliament has published a revised version of submissions from Alex Salmond after the Crown Office raised "grave concerns" about it. Mr Salmond's papers named people he alleges were part of a "malicious" attempt to remove him from public life. The parliament later removed one of the documents and republished it in another form. It came after MSPs on the parliament's corporate body met to discuss a letter that was sent by the Crown Office.

The fight-to-the-death battle between Alex Salmond and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is coming to a head. He has now accused Sturgeon’s husband of attempting to have him ‘imprisoned’ as part of conspiracy at the top of the SNP. Observers now think his long-cherished political aim of Scottish independence is taking second place to destroying Sturgeon. If I was looking at a potential ten year stretch in Prison, I think it’s Justified when found Innocent of all charges, to want to know how it all came about. It’s actually human nature.

The Scottish Parliament has removed and redacted evidence from former first minister Alex Salmond to the inquiry investigating the handling of complaints made against him. Mr Salmond’s evidence was online for less than 24 hours when the Crown Office raised concerns about its contents and asked for it to be censored by Holyrood officials. There had previously been a legal wrangle over whether the evidence would be published at all.

Nicola Sturgeon has claimed there is “not a shred of evidence” that Alex Salmond can show to prove there was a conspiracy against him, as she said she hopes he turns up to a committee to be scrutinised. The former first minister is alleging his successor has misled Parliament and breached the ministerial code. A committee is probing the Scottish Government’s botched handling of harassment allegations against him – which saw Mr Salmond win a £512,000 payout following a case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Rape Crisis Scotland has demanded the Scottish Parliament convenes an “emergency” meeting to rethink the decision to publish Alex Salmond’s submission to the Holyrood Inquiry. Chief executive Sandy Brindley said it was “inexplicable” the parliament would “knowingly publish” material which the charity said risks identifying a complainer. She blasted: “I think the lack of priority given to protecting complainers by the Corporate Body is a disgrace, and makes me ashamed of the parliament.” A Holyrood committee is investigating the SNP Government’s botched handling of sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond when he was First Minister. Salmond took the government to court and it was agreed the internal probe, which destroyed his friendship with Nicola Sturgeon, had been unlawful. The former First Minister’s allies believe government and SNP figures tried to plot his downfall. He was separately acquitted of sexual offences after a trial last year. He was found Innocent, and besides all stuff is now in the public domain for good or ill, so it makes no difference to the complainers. Just an attempt to justify the Highjack of an Innocent Man!

Alex Salmond has claimed the “inescapable conclusion” is that there was a “malicious and concerted” attempt to see him removed from public life. The submission by the former first minister was published by the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints on Monday evening. Mr Salmond names people he alleges to have been part of efforts to damage his reputation – including Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell and chief of staff Liz Lloyd – as well as describing the Crown Office as “not fit for purpose” under its current leadership.

Another odd part of these proceedings is the legal approach taken by James Wolffe, the Lord Advocate. He has appeared in front of the Committee and made the assertion that for anyone to produce the documentary productions (originals or copies) from Salmond’s criminal trial would amount to a crime and they would be prosecuted for so doing. Salmond says he must have some of these documents in order to give his evidence. That’s why he has been slow to appear before the Committee. Most lawyers assert they have never heard of such a rule of law. The criminal trial is completed and can’t be reopened. What possible crime can be committed by a legitimately constituted Parliamentary inquiry seeing these documents, which on any view, not just Salmond’s, must be pertinent to the work of the Committee?

The First Minister’s assurance at the outset that her government would do all they could to assist the inquiry has proved to be an empty promise. The all-too-obvious truth is that her government has made Herculean efforts to frustrate it at every turn. To most lawyers, of course, the most absurd aspect has been the claim from Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney that it is impossible for them to afford the Committee sight of the legal advice given to the Scottish government in respect of the Salmond matters. It is confidential and so can’t be divulged, they protest. What utter nonsense. They, the Scottish government, are the client and can waive the privilege attached to the legal advice whenever they choose. In advancing such an absurd explanation for secrecy they must take the view that the Scottish public are exceptionally dense and will believe this.

In Glasgow Sheriff Court many of the witnesses would have been locked up for prevarication at best. Some might be facing perjury prosecutions. The fact that people in very senior positions are advancing at best amnesia and at worst idiocy as explanations for questionable aspects of their evidence makes one wonder if we have in Scotland a 'team of total diddies' at the top. The discovery that £50,000 of public money was spent by the Scottish Government on 'coaching' these witnesses before they appeared before the Committee is hugely suspicious. Perhaps the biggest hint that this whole inquiry was to be a farce was the arrangement whereby it only sits on Tuesday afternoons. How effective can it be if it can only sits in such a bizarre intermittent fashion? Undoubtedly this government-imposed schedule is aimed at making sure that its Report is much delayed.

February 11, 2011 was a day to remember for millions of Egyptians who managed to topple long-time autocrat Hosni Mubarak following an 18-day popular uprising. Apart from the perseverance of protesters at that time, Mubarak's downfall seemed imminent one decade earlier as people's rage and frustration grew. Mubarak's almost 30-year rule could be divided into three decades, each representing a phase. The first was relatively successful when he took over the country after the assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat at the hands of Islamists on October 6, 1981. In fact, many believe that Sadat chose an army general like Mubarak with mediocre political skills to act as the second-in-command in order for him to wield power in the country. But destiny was not in Sadat's favour; and Mubarak became, by coincidence, the president of the most influential Arab country. Mubarak eventually proved Sadat wrong, restoring diplomatic ties with the Arab countries earlier angered by the peace treaty with Israel as he carried out economic reform domestically. Mubarak also adopted a strong foreign policy strategy, becoming the most influential ally of the US in the region. For years, he played a key role being a loyal friend of Israel and the USA as he mediated peace in the Middle East. Egypt's army further took part in the Persian Gulf War, liberating Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion in 1991. Throughout the second decade of his reign, Mubarak's ego started to appear on the surface as he seemed to have been convinced by his aides that he was irrepressible and indispensable. A personality cult gradually started to evolve at the time when media outlets acted as the regime's propaganda machine, advocating for Mubarak and his short-lived economic achievements. Over Mubarak's extended rule of Egypt, he never allowed for a possible successor, refusing to appoint a vice-president under the pretext that nobody was qualified enough to help him run the country.

Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s European Affairs Minister, spoke to BBC’s Emily Maitlis about the coronavirus vaccine row and said it was a “mistake”. The European Commission temporarily triggered an article in the Brexit trade deal’s Northern Ireland Protocol on January 29 which suspended the country’s access to the EU’s single market. It was revoked the same day after outrage from Ireland and the UK.