A woman in Saudi Arabia has been arrested and faces possible jail time for participating in the viral "KiKi Challenge." The woman was detained by authorities over the weekend after she posted a video of herself jumping out of her moving car and dancing to Drake's "In My Feelings," as her vehicle continued to drive forward, the United Arab Emirates-based Khaleej Times reported . In addition to being charged with breaking public traffic laws, the woman faces charges for wearing inappropriate clothing and dancing in public. She could face up to three months in jail and a potential fine of about $800, according to a lawyer who spoke to Saudi media . The KiKi Challenge began about one month ago after internet comedian Shiggy posted a video of himself dancing to the popular Drake song, The Guardian reported . Similar videos were soon posted by fans, and the challenge has since gone viral, leading police around the world to warn against participating in the internet …
Saudi arabia
Saudi Arabia may jail a “fan girl” for two years for hugging a singer on stage
A woman in Saudi Arabia may face two years in prison after she ran onstage and hugged a popular singer during a concert on Friday. Video of the incident went viral in the kingdom, with Saudis launching a hashtag on Twitter to debate the woman's actions. In the viral clips, Saudi-Iraqi singer Majid Al-Muhandis can be seen performing in the the kingdom's western city of Taif when a woman, wearing a traditional abaya and hijab, runs onto stage and wraps her arms tightly around him. A security officer quickly steps in, but struggles to remove the woman from the singer. Other security rush in and another woman can be seen running toward the stage as well. According to Saudi newspaper Arab News , the woman was detained and is currently being held by a girl's welfare institution. The singer continued his performance as planned after the incident occurred. Officials have said that the woman "committed a deed incriminated in the anti-harassment act," Emirati newspaper Gulf News …
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Saudi Arabia women’s rights: activist arrested as crown prince reaps praise for reform
Saudi Arabia has arrested another women's rights activist as the kingdom continues to gather international praise for becoming the last country in the world to permit women to drive. The UK-based ALQST rights group confirmed to Al Jazeera that Saudi women's rights activist and writer Hatoon al-Fassi has been detained by authorities in the kingdom. According to the rights group, at least 13 other human rights defenders have been detained in Saudi Arabia since mid-May. Al-Fassi is widely seen as a leader in the women's rights movement in the kingdom and the region. She has long campaigned for the rights of Saudi women, including their right to participate in municipal elections, which they were only allowed to do in 2015 . She was also among the first women to drive legally in the kingdom when the ban was officially lifted on Sunday . The activist's arrest comes as Riyadh has moved to crackdown on individuals it accuses of having suspicious contacts with "foreign enemies." In …
Saudi Arabia’s driving ban has ended—and these women are celebrating
As midnight ushered in June 24, women in Saudi Arabia got into their cars, switched on their engines and put their foot on the gas, as the country finally lifted its restrictive driving ban. Twitter exploded with videos of Saudi women driving for the very first time, highlighting their experiences with the hashtag #saudiwomendriving. "I am totally happy and ready to drive. No word can express my happiness. Also, I would like to take this tag as a chance to [thank] prince Mohammed bin Salman for making women [equal] to men," wrote Twitter user Lama Akhaldi. "Thank yous to everyone who made this possible," wrote Muna AbuSulayman "[A] new chapter is about to be written." "On the first day behind the wheel in #Saudi, I took my kids for a ride in #Jeddah and winked at my 13-year old son: "I got to do that before you," wrote Deema Farsi . Saudi woman Majodooleen Al-Ateeq expressed her joy in the video above. "I'm just so happy," she told Reuters as she drove. "No words can …
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Saudi woman driver’s car set on fire a week after ban was lifted
Saudi women might finally be allowed to drive, but not everyone in the kingdom is on board with the changes: Just a week after the ban was lifted, arsonists targeted one woman exercising her long-awaited and hard-fought right. Two men have been arrested in the holy city of Mecca after allegedly setting fire to a woman's car Monday. According to Arab News , Saudis across the country have expressed their disgust at the attack, though it suggests not everyone is on board with the kingdom's drive to become more socially liberal. Authorities in Mecca said one of the men purchased a container of gasoline and asked another to help him burn the car belonging to 33-year-old Salma al-Sharif. Saudi Arabia's ban on female drivers—in force either customarily or officially since 1957— was lifted on June 24. Thousands of women have so far applied for licenses, though the exact number granted his not been made public. The move has been lauded as a major symbol of the country's …
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Saudi women will now learn to fly after gaining the right to drive
An aviation school in Saudi Arabia will open its doors to women, following the kingdom's move to allow female drivers to legally hit the roads last month. "We are no longer living in the era where women were allowed [to work] in limited arenas. All avenues are now opened for women," applicant Dalal Yashar, who aims to work as a civil pilot, told Reuters . "If you have the appetite, you have the ability." Oxford Aviation Academy has begun accepting applications from Saudi women who wish to begin training starting in September. The branch of the school offering classes to women will open in the eastern city of Dammam. The kingdom has launched a $300 million development project in the city, aimed at training a new generation of pilots as well as aircraft maintenance technicians, Reuters reported. Executive director Othman al-Moutairy told the news agency that students will receive three years of academic and practical training at the academy. In June, Saudi Arabia became the …
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Pressure piles up on PM to ease travel restrictions and shun an amber watchlist
Boris Johnson is under growing Cabinet pressure to ease travel restrictions, amid fears an amber watchlist for European countries could wreck summer holidays. The Government is due on Thursday to update the traffic light list setting the rules for August, with threats to create a new category that could see nations moved at short notice to red, which entails 10 days’ hotel quarantine upon return to the UK. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, is understood to be pushing for the idea of an “amber watchlist” to be shelved, as well as an expansion of the green list that enables even the unvaccinated to avoid quarantine upon their return. A growing chorus of senior backbenchers voiced their frustration on Sunday night over the proposal for an amber watchlist which they fear will put off families from travelling in case the rules change suddenly and they would have to pay for hotel quarantine. It is thought Spain and Greece and their popular islands are at the highest risk of …
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Heela Najibullah: ‘The US treated Afghanistan as a project’
The security situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating amid the withdrawal of NATO troops from the country. The Afghan Taliban have intensified their attacks on government forces and have captured vast swathes of territory in the past few months. A political settlement in Afghanistan seems unlikely at this point, with both the Taliban and President Ashraf Ghani's government blaming each other for the turmoil. Heela Najibullah, the daughter of former Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah, spoke to DW about the current situation in Afghanistan in an interview with DW. Mohammad Najibullah served as the leader of Afghanistan from 1986 to 1992, after which the Mujahideen took over Kabul. The former socialist president lived in the United Nations headquarters in Kabul until the Taliban captured the capital and killed him in the UN compound in September 1996. Heela Najibullah: 'Afghanistan should be able to choose its own allies' Heela Najibullah was only 10 …
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Why are there so few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa?
This year, eight mosques in northern Ivory Coast and Ivindo National Park in Gabon have landed one of the coveted places on UNESCO's World Heritage List. In addition to the two sites in Africa, the responsible committee at its 44th session in the Chinese port city of Fuzhou named 16 candidates from Europe and another 16 from other world regions as new World Heritage Sites. The geographic imbalance in UNESCO's awarding of titles is not new. Almost half of the 1154 UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Europe, fewer than 100 in Africa. Kenyan George Abungu has a simple explanation for this: "The process is too Eurocentric." Latest additions to UNESCO World Heritage list Danube Limes, Germany, Austria, Slovakia The Danube Limes, as part of the border of the ancient Roman Empire, has also been designated as a new World Heritage Site. The Lower Germanic Limes along the Rhine had previously been included in the World Heritage list. In Germany the Danube Limes extends over …
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Covid: WHO calls for booster pause to vaccinate poorer nations
Published 48 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a suspension on booster vaccines until at least the end of September. WHO Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that it would allow for at least 10% of the population in every country to be vaccinated. A number of nations including Israel and Germany have announced plans to administer a third dose. But Dr Tedros has warned poorer nations are falling behind. According to the WHO, low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 doses for every 100 people due to a lack of supply. Dr Tedros said that there needs to be a reversal and that the majority of vaccines should go to lower income countries. "I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the Delta variant. …
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