Who is Prince Mohammed bin Salman and why is he at the centre of Saudi purge?

Described as being "Mr Everything", a "hothead", and "young and brash", Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is back in the news as the supposed driving force behind a wide-sweeping purge in the desert kingdom that started on Sunday.

Tthe Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel said late Saturday that 11 Saudi princes and dozens of the kingdom's former ministers had been detained in a new anti-corruption probe headed by the crown prince, who was also named to oversee the newly created anti-corruption committee.

Further, Saudi Arabia's King Salman ousted one of the country's highest-level royals from power, removing Prince Miteb bin Abdullah as head of the National Guard. He was replaced by Prince Khalid bin Ayyaf al-Muqrin, who had held a senior post with the guard. The monarch also replaced Minister of Economy and Planning Adel Fakeih with his deputy, Mohammad al-Tuwaijri

A Reuters report described the developments as Saudi Arabia's future king tightening his grip on power through an anti-corruption purge by arresting royals, ministers, and investors, including billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal who is one of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen.
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Military strikes not first choice, but won't put up with North Korea: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that military action was not the "first choice" of his administration on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

On his way to participate in a tax reform event, Trump told reporters that military action against North Korea was "not the first choice, but we will see what happens", Xinhua news agency reported.

His latest comments were less harsh than ones he made last month where he threatened "fire and fury" against the Pyongyang regime.

The US has urged China, which is the North's main trading partner, to put more pressure on the reclusive nation to limit his controversial missile programme.

Trump said he has had a "strong" and "frank" conversation with Xi Jinping about North Korea.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 per cent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either," Trump told reporters.

"President Xi would like to do something. We'll see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with what's happening in North Korea," Trump said.
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