Saudi Arabia's stunning transformation from global pariah to diplomatic power

Saudi Arabia's stunning transformation from global pariah to diplomatic power

• Feb 18, 2025, 11:33 AM

1 min de lecture

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 18: Saudi Arabia emerges as a key diplomatic power as it hosts Russian and US officials for talks on Ukraine this Tuesday and a Gaza summit on Friday. How did Riyadh go from global pariah to key partner? Also: France's 2030 Winter Games preparation kicks off, actress Julianne Moore's children's book on a girl with freckles risks being banned by the Trump administration and a Belgian couple set a record for the longest marriage in Europe – 82 years!

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Who are the Gaza hostages whose bodies have been returned to Israel?

Hamas handed over the bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, the two youngest captives taken by Hamas in their October 7, 2023 attack and among the most potent symbols of the trauma inflicted that day. Story by David Gil

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Israel receives the bodies of four hostages: 'These deaths could have been prevented'

Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include a mother and her two children who have long been feared dead and had come to embody the nation’s agony following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Analysis by Dr. Ori Goldberg, Israeli political

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Hamas returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children

Hamas on Thursday released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include a mother and her two children who have long been feared dead and had come to embody the nation's agony following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Story by Delano D'Souza.

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Unveiling Iran's resistance: Meet those taking a stand against the regime

More than two years have gone by since mass "Woman, Life, Freedom" demonstrations erupted in Iran following the death of Kurdish student Mahsa Amini. She was killed by the Iranian morality police for a few strands of hair escaping from her veil. Recently

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Hamas hands over bodies of youngest Gaza hostages taken from Israel

Hamas handed over the bodies of Israeli infant Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel, the two youngest captives taken by Hamas in their October 7, 2023 attack and among the most potent symbols of the trauma inflicted that day. Analysis by FRANCE

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Hamas hands over remains of dead hostages: ‘Very strange and morbid ceremony’

FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Jerusalem Noga Tarnopolsky describes Hamas’s handover ceremony in Gaza as “very strange and very morbid”. “One of the Red Cross officials simply refused to take part, signing a document and walking off stage,” she said, addin

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Families angered as Israeli authorities release names of dead hostages before being identified

Noga Tarnopolsky, FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Jerusalem, said there has been a lot of anger in Israel after authorities released the names of the dead hostages that would be released today – despite the fact that the family had urged them to wait until

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Iran executed 975 people in 2024, says human rights groups

At least 975 people were executed in Iran in 2024, with human rights groups saying the government is using capital punishment to spread fear throughout the population, notably to crack down on nationwide protests which have persisted since 2022.

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Israel braces for 'heartbreaking' day as bodies of four Gaza hostages set to be returned

Hamas will return the bodies of four Israelis that were taken hostage on the October 7, 2023 attacks on Thursday, setting up what Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called a "heartbreaking" day for Israel. Among the four hostages are Ariel and Kfi

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Live: UN denounces Hamas’s ‘abhorrent and cruel’ display of hostages’ coffins

The UN human rights group denounced Thursday what it described as the "abhorrent and cruel" manner in which Hamas staged the handover of the bodies of four hostages for repatriation in Israel. The militants displayed the black coffins on a stage in the G

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