The G20 In Speech Of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
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The G20 In Speech Of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

The speech of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week highlighted the G20 priorities, focusing on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, growth of non-oil GDP, unemployment rate, digital competitiveness and protection of the environment.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman touched on the effects of the pandemic in the G20 member-states, explaining that Saudi Arabia was one of the top 10 countries in dealing with the economic consequences of the sanitary crisis.

He also expressed optimism that growth would accelerate with the end of the pandemic and the return to normal life.

The Kingdom will be one of the fastest growing G20 countries in non-oil GDP in the coming years, he noted.

During the speech, the Crown Prince pointed out that while unemployment increased in some of the G20 countries to about 20 percent, the Kingdom maintained its efforts to reduce the rate to 7 percent before 2030.

On the shift in technical progress, the Crown Prince underlined that the Kingdom achieved the first position in digital competitiveness at the level of the G20 over the past three years.

He also highlighted the protection of the environment as one of the main axes of the Saudi presidency of the G20.

The Crown Prince also said that Saudi Arabia adopted many initiatives for the next four years to raise the percentage of vegetation, revealing that the kingdom has massive plans to protect the world's environment as part of its G20 presidency.



S. Korean Actor Yoo Ah-in Jailed for One Year for Drugs

Yoo Ah-in arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, September 3, 2024. (Yonhap via Reuters)
Yoo Ah-in arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, September 3, 2024. (Yonhap via Reuters)
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S. Korean Actor Yoo Ah-in Jailed for One Year for Drugs

Yoo Ah-in arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, September 3, 2024. (Yonhap via Reuters)
Yoo Ah-in arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, September 3, 2024. (Yonhap via Reuters)

High-profile South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in was found guilty Tuesday of illegal use of the anesthetic drug propofol and handed a one-year jail term, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoo, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was accused of using propofol on 181 occasions between 2020 and 2022. The drugs were administered at professional clinics, under the guise of having cosmetic procedures done.

The prosecution had sought a four-year sentence for the "Hellbound" actor, but the Seoul Central District Court handed the 37-year-old a one-year jail term, Yonhap reported.

"He is deemed guilty of all his purchases for habitual drug use," the court stated in its ruling, according to Yonhap News TV.

The court said Yoo had committed the offences "in disregard of relevant regulations" and displayed a "lack of caution against drug substances".

A doctor who administered propofol to Yoo without a proper prescription was fined 40 million won ($30,000) last month.

Propofol, while primarily used as a surgical anesthetic, is sometimes abused recreationally, often with the involvement of medical professionals who may be willing to provide it without a legitimate clinical need.

An overdose of the drug was cited as the cause of pop star Michael Jackson's death in 2009.

"I am sorry for having caused concern to many people," Yoo was quoted as saying in court by Yonhap.

Yoo rose to stardom in the South following his debut in 2003, starring in a range of television dramas and films across genres, and becoming one of the country's most recognizable actors.

This trial marks the latest drug scandal to hit South Korea.

In a similar incident, K-pop star G-Dragon faced allegations of drug use and was questioned by police, but the case was dropped in November due to insufficient evidence.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite", took his own life in December after being accused of illegal substance use, sparking public outrage over what many perceived as an excessive investigation by the police without substantial evidence.

Lee Jae-yong, then vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, was convicted in 2021 of illegally using propofol and was fined 70 million won. He was found guilty of repeatedly receiving the anesthetic at a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul on numerous occasions over several years.