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WORLD NEWSWednesday 14 October
France, Saudi Arabia deepen alliance with 10B euros in deals
ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, right, The two countries agreed agreements worth billions
AYA BATRAWY receives the Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls in Riyadh, to hold another joint ses- of dollars to buy 23 heli-
Associated Press Saudi Arabia, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2015. sion in Paris next March. copters for the Interior Min-
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) The visit to Saudi Arabia is istry, 50 Airbus jets and two
— France has signed deals (Saudi Press Agency via AP) part of a regional tour that possible nuclear reactors
worth 10 billion euros ($11.4 included stops in Jordan from France. The alliance
billion) with Saudi Arabia, vide Saudi Arabia with its lion worth of Saudi public and Egypt, where a $1.1 between France and Sau-
said French Prime Minister own communication and investment in French pri- billion deal for two French di Arabia has grown stron-
Manuel Valls on Tuesday, observation satellites — vate funds with a focus Mistral amphibious assault ger in recent years as ties
underscoring the shared something the kingdom on renewable energy and ships was signed. between Washington and
foreign policy stances that has been coveting as it signed a letter of intent for The French delegation, Riyadh cooled under Presi-
have helped deepen the expands its regional mili- cooperation in that sector. which arrived in Saudi Ara- dent Barack Obama, par-
two countries’ military and tary reach and fights a war They also signed a cooper- bia on Monday, held talks ticularly following his ad-
economic ties. against Shiite rebels in Ye- ation agreement to estab- with King Salman, Crown ministration’s strong back-
Valls, who announced the men. lish a naval research cen- Prince and Interior Minis- ing of a nuclear deal be-
deals on his official Twitter The two sides also signed ter and to increase joint ter Mohammed bin Nayef tween Iran and the world
account, is in Saudi Arabia deals in Riyadh for $2 bil- military training exercises. and Deputy Crown Prince powers. Though France
with a large delegation of and Defense Minister Mo- was a part of the nuclear
French business represen- hammed bin Salman in the negotiations, its position
tatives and top officials, capital, Riyadh. has more strongly reflected
including Foreign Minister A French official, who Saudi concerns that the
Laurent Fabius and De- spoke anonymously be- deal could bolster Iran’s
fense Minister Jean-Yves Le cause he was not autho- influence in the region if
Drian. rized to speak to the me- economic sanctions are
France’s Foreign Ministry dia, says a military helicop- not lifted gradually. Iran
said in a statement that ter deal is also expected and Saudi Arabia back op-
the deal includes the start to be signed in Riyadh. In posite sides in the civil war
of negotiations to pro- June, Saudi Arabia signed in Syria.q
Israeli leader vows ‘aggressive steps’ to halt fighting
JOSEF FEDERMAN escalated the month- a speech to parliament. ian neighborhoods in the spread across Israel and
Associated Press long unrest and raised the “We will use, and not hesi- eastern part of the city with into the West Bank and
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s pressure on Prime Minister tate to use, all means at troops, stepping up demo- Gaza Strip.
prime minister on Tuesday Benjamin Netanyahu to our disposal to restore litions of attackers’ homes, Eight Israelis have died in a
said he would take a se- take action. The govern- calm.” and stripping the families string of stabbings, shoot-
ries of “aggressive steps” ment has been unable to Netanyahu left a meeting of attackers of their resi- ings and the stoning of a
to halt a wave of violence stop the violence, carried of top security officials to dence rights. No decisions car, while 29 Palestinians
in Israeli cities after two out mostly by young Pal- deliver the speech, and were immediately made. — including 12 identified
attacks in Jerusalem left estinians unaffiliated with quickly returned. The de- The violence erupted by Israel as attackers —
three Israelis dead. Three known militant groups and liberations continued into last month over the Jew- have been killed. In new
Palestinians, including two apparently acting on their the evening. ish New Year, fueled by bloodshed, a 27-year-old
attackers, were also killed. own. Channel 2 TV said mea- rumors that Israel was Palestinian man was shot
The attacks in Jerusalem, “Today we will decide on sures under consideration plotting to take over Je- dead in a protest in the
including a deadly shoot- a series of additional ag- include a deployment of rusalem’s most sensitive West Bank town of Beth-
ing and knifing spree on a gressive steps in our war Israeli soldiers in the streets holy site. While Israel says lehem. The Israeli military
bus and a violent hacking against terrorists and in- of Jerusalem to assist po- the rumors are unfound- said he was hurling a fire-
attack caught on video, citers,” Netanyahu said in lice, surrounding Palestin- ed, clashes have quickly bomb at a car.q
