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Salma, a 40-year-old mother of three, travels abroad regularly with authorization from her legal guardian - formerly her then-husband and now her father. But those rules were canceled this month, so when she went to Riyadh airport on Thursday, she crossed passport control on her own authority. “You just feel like you're human, you're a complete human,” she told Reuters from the gate. “Not half, not part of, but you're a complete human.” Saudi Arabia has long endured Western censure over guardianship, which assigns each woman a male relative - a father, brother, husband or son - whose approval is needed for various big decisions throughout a woman's life. While some significant controls remain,

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has inducted a locally built air-defence system into the country's missile defence network at an unveiling ceremony in the capital, Tehran. The display of the new system, Bavar-373, on Tuesday came amid heightened tensions with the United States, which last year unilaterally withdrew from a multinational nuclear deal signed between world powers and Iran and reimposed crippling sanctions on it. Iranian officials have previously called Bavar, which means "believe" in Farsi, the country's first domestically produced long-range missile defence system. Iran began production after the purchase of Russia's S-300 system was suspended in 2010 due to international sanctions

DUBAI: It would be difficult to guestimate just how many hotels have opened since the London Hilton on Park Lane. But given that the property debuted in the 1960s and is still going strong, it has certainly demonstrated that it has lasting appeal for customers. And it continues to attract a large percentage of travellers from the GCC. Let's do the math: It's a stone's throw away from a multitude of tourist attractions, West End theatres, beautiful green parks, and many a Mayfair establishment - including the trusty Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants that seem to get away with charging $35 for shisha (because, London). The views have no doubt contributed to the Hilton on Park Lane's longevity.

A Saudi woman was reportedly kidnapped in Istanbul while on holiday in the Turkish city with her family, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday, citing her husband's appeal to authorities. The woman, known as Abeer, was sprayed in the face with a substance that knocked her unconscious and was taken away by a man, said the report, citing a source describing footage from a security camera. Abeer, her husband, and her children were staying in a hotel in the Asian part of Istanbul, next to which the attack took place, according to the report. There has been no communication with her since she was kidnapped “a few days ago,” the report says, and neither the Saudi consulate nor Turkish police were able to determine her whereabouts.

Canada does not intend to repatriate the man dubbed “Jihadi Jack,” who is being held in northern Syria after joining ISIS, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed Tuesday. Jack Letts, 24, who was a dual UK-Canadian national, was captured by Kurdish forces in Syria in 2017 and is languishing in jail there. Goodale's statement comes a day after Britain stripped Letts of his citizenship, placing his fate in Canada's hands.

(CNN) - Regular nonstop flights between the east coast of Australia and London or New York could soon become a reality. In preparation, Australian airline Qantas has announced three test flights, with 40 people traveling directly from London or New York to Sydney, to see how the human body copes with 19 solid hours in the air. Qantas previously announced its goal of operating direct flights between London, New York, and three Australian cities -- Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne -- by 2023. The test flights scheduled for October, November and December will move the airline closer to that target and enable Qantas, alongside medical experts, to test the health and wellbeing impacts on passengers