'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a rare interview with Fox News on Wednesday that negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries "get closer" every day, but that treatment of Palestinians remains a "very important" issue to be resolved.
Saudi Arabia is discussing a major agreement with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and aid in developing its own civilian nuclear program. The Saudis have said any deal would require major progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state, which is a hard sell for the most religious and nationalist government in Israel's history.
"For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part," Saudi Arabi's de facto leader, widely known as MBS, said on "Special Report with Bret Baier" in an interview conducted in English, adding that there had been "good negotiations" so far.
"We got to see where we go," the prince said. "We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, get Israel as a player in the Middle East."
He also denied reports that the talks had been suspended, saying "every day, we get closer."
The interview aired shortly after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while both were in New York for the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. Biden raised concerns about the far-right Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians and urged Netanyahu to take steps to improve conditions in the West Bank at a time of heightened violence in the occupied territory.
Netanyahu's office said the meeting "mostly dealt with ways to establish an historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which could greatly advance an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict and facilitate the establishment of an economic corridor to link Asia, the Middle East and Europe."
Asked during the interview about working with someone as conservative as Netanyahu, bin Salman said "If we have a breakthrough, reaching a deal that gives the Palestinians their needs and (making) the region calm, we've got to work with whoever's there."
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters before the interview was shown that it was best for the leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia "to speak to how close they think they are, and where they think they are" in the process.
"Obviously, we encourage normalization. We think it's good not just for Israel and Saudi Arabia, we think it's good for the whole region," Kirby said.
Bin Salman was also questioned about the possibility of Iran eventually building a nuclear weapon and said "we are concerned of any country getting a nuclear weapon" and that that if Iran were to get one, Saudi Arabi will seek to do the same: "We will have to get one."
Bin Salman has given very few interviews to Western media outlets, particularly since the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist, in an operation by Saudi agents that U.S. intelligence says was likely approved by the prince. The prince has denied any involvement.
He said on Fox News Channel of Khashoggi's killing that "we tried to reform the security system to be sure that these kinds of mistakes doesn't happen again."
"It was a mistake. It was painful," bin Salman said, while insisting that "everyone involved" served jail time.
In the five years since, the kingdom has shed whatever pariah status it had as focus has shifted to major diplomatic initiatives and progress on Vision 2030, the prince's wide-ranging plan for overhauling the economy, providing jobs for young people and weaning the kingdom off oil revenues.
Bin Salman was also asked about Jared Kushner, an ex-White House adviser and former President Donald Trump's son-in-law who secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to jump start his new private equity firm. The prince said "we look" for global investment opportunities and that PIF keeps its commitments to investors -- planning to do so even if Trump wins another term as president next year.
Saudi Arabia has made major progress in winding down its devastating war with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, this week hosting a rebel delegation in the capital, Riyadh. It spearheaded the return of Syria to the Arab League, and in March agreed to a Chinese-brokered deal to restore diplomatic relations with Iran, its main regional rival.
The prince's far-reaching social reforms have transformed the kingdom from an ultraconservative state governed by a strict form of Islamic law to an aspiring entertainment powerhouse, investing billions of dollars in everything from top soccer stars and golf tournaments to video games.
But the prince has proven to be even less tolerant of dissent than his predecessors. Saudis who speak out against his policies can face long prison sentences or even the death penalty, and that has even extended to Saudis living on U.S. soil.
The 38-year-old bin Salman assumed day-to-day rule after the aging King Salman named him next in line to the throne in 2017.
Biden, who had vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over the Khashoggi killing while campaigning for president in 2020, has since bowed to that reality, patching up relations with the crown prince while seeking his help in controlling oil prices and managing other regional issues.
Bin Salman said during the interview that "the agenda between Saudi Arabia and America today is really interesting" and characterized his country's relationship with Biden as "really amazing."
He was also asked about critics who have accused Saudi Arabia of investing heavily in golf and other sports in attempted "sportswashing," or spending to improve the kingdom's political image abroad. The prince said he wasn't bothered by such charges and if sports investments continue to grow Saudi Arabia's Gross Domestic Product significantly, then his country would "continue to do sportswashing."
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.
The Retail Council of Canada wants to put a stop to widespread theft within the retail industry, and industry leaders are meeting this week to find solutions.
Dermatologists are sounding the alarm about misinformation from the anti-sunscreen movement, saying not wearing sunscreen can cause cancer and other problems.
A derelict property connected to a Brampton city councillor racked up $12,500 in fines in dozens of penalty notices over several months as city officials warned it was becoming a haven for rats and a homeless encampment, records obtained by CTV News show.
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
A Winnipeg pinball wizard is heading to the granddaddy of them all – the IFPA World Pinball Championship.
It’s the chance of a lifetime for a group of Ottawa athletes who are getting ready to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Ultimate championships in the United Kingdom.
Parishioners at Holy Trinity Anglican Church are praying for a monetary miracle, as their historic place of worship could collapse at any moment.
A Saskatchewan man made it to the summit of Mount Everest earlier this month.
IAMGOLD’s Cote Gold open pit mine, located off Highway 144 between Timmins and Sudbury, had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony this week as production ramps up.
When one is extended an invitation to the Royal Garden Party in London, England, there's undoubtedly no shortage of pomp and circumstance. Barrie, Ont. natives Megan Kirk Chang and her husband Brandon experienced just that as they entered the prestigious event hosted at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.