GCC condemns Hezbollah action in Syria

Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) strongly condemned the blatant interference of Lebanese Hezbollah in Syria, considering it a “partner in crimes” of the overwhelming killings of innocent Syrians.

The GCC said in a statement that involvement of Hezbollah reveals its true nature and real goals which go beyond Lebanese borders and Arab world. The GCC countries added that Hezbollah interference is illegitimate and heinous practices by its militias in Syria will damage their interests in GCC countries, noting that the GCC council has decided to take measures against Hezbollah’s members in GCC countries, whether it was their living status, financial or commerce conditions inside GCC countries.

The GCC also called on the Lebanese government to bear responsibility for Hezbollah’s “unlawful and inhuman” practices in Syria and in the region. Meanwhile, the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jabr Al Thani and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal reviewed yesterday bilateral relations. According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), they also discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly the situation in Syria during a telephone conversation.

Whatsapp could be banned in Saudi Arabia

Dubai: Whatsapp, an application that allows users to send unlimited text messages over 3G telecom networks or WiFi, could be banned in Saudi Arabia within weeks, a Saudi daily has said.

Al Eqtisadiya on Tuesday reported that the US company operating the application was most likely to reject Saudi demands to comply with local rules.

According to the daily, initial correspondence between the Saudi telecommunication authorities and the company were positive, but later indicated that the Saudi “regulatory requests” might not be met, which would result in the blocking of the application.

Last week, Saudi authorities banned Viber, the popular internet messenger application, for allegedly failing to comply with the country’s regulations.

However, on Monday, Sabq, citing technical sources, said that the application was restored and that users were able to send and receive calls and messages.

The report did not specify whether the application company complied with the requirements imposed by Saudi Arabia or if it found “other ways”.

Viber is hugely popular among the millions of expatriates living in the country and among the thousands of Saudis studying abroad and their families.