Comedy – War Watch

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Omid Djalili | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

Comedy in Riyadh is a sign of progress | Letter
ByGuardian staff October 16, 2025

Omid Djalili responds to criticism of his decision to perform at a comedy festival in Saudi ArabiaWhat the critics of the Riyadh comedy festival may have missed (Letters, 13 October) is the fact that performing comedy or any live event in Saudi Arabia …

Read More Comedy in Riyadh is a sign of progress | Letter
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Omid Djalili | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

Comedy in Riyadh is a sign of progress | Letter
ByGuardian staff October 16, 2025

Omid Djalili responds to criticism of his decision to perform at a comedy festival in Saudi ArabiaWhat the critics of the Riyadh comedy festival may have missed (Letters, 13 October) is the fact that performing comedy or any live event in Saudi Arabia …

Read More Comedy in Riyadh is a sign of progress | Letter
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Freedom of speech | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | World news

We know what the comedians got out of the Riyadh comedy festival. What about the Saudi regime? | Jonathan Liew
ByJonathan Liew October 9, 2025

The tawdry event was an ultimately doomed attempt by the Saudi government to buy the kind of authentic grassroots culture it is unwilling to countenance Continue reading…

Read More We know what the comedians got out of the Riyadh comedy festival. What about the Saudi regime? | Jonathan Liew
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Freedom of speech | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | World news

We know what the comedians got out of the Riyadh comedy festival. What about the Saudi regime? | Jonathan Liew
ByJonathan Liew October 9, 2025

The tawdry event was an ultimately doomed attempt by the Saudi government to buy the kind of authentic grassroots culture it is unwilling to countenance Continue reading…

Read More We know what the comedians got out of the Riyadh comedy festival. What about the Saudi regime? | Jonathan Liew
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Aziz Ansari | Benjamin Netanyahu | Celebrity | Comedy | Culture | Dave Chappelle | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Jack Whitehall | Jimmy Carr | Life and style | Louis CK | Middle East and north Africa | Mohammed bin Salman | Nuclear weapons | Omid Djalili | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

‘Amoral, evil’: vitriolic backlash builds against comics who played Riyadh festival
ByHannah Jane Parkinson October 9, 2025

Murder by bone-saw, lashings for rape victims, punitive amputation, jail for satirists … these are the Saudi human rights abuses fuelling the fury being directed at the likes of Louis CK, Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Carr. How have they responded?To paraph…

Read More ‘Amoral, evil’: vitriolic backlash builds against comics who played Riyadh festival
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Aziz Ansari | Benjamin Netanyahu | Celebrity | Comedy | Culture | Dave Chappelle | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Jack Whitehall | Jimmy Carr | Life and style | Louis CK | Middle East and north Africa | Mohammed bin Salman | Nuclear weapons | Omid Djalili | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

‘Amoral, evil’: vitriolic backlash builds against comics who played Riyadh festival
ByHannah Jane Parkinson October 9, 2025

Murder by bone-saw, lashings for rape victims, punitive amputation, jail for satirists … these are the Saudi human rights abuses fuelling the fury being directed at the likes of Louis CK, Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Carr. How have they responded?To paraph…

Read More ‘Amoral, evil’: vitriolic backlash builds against comics who played Riyadh festival
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Louis CK | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’
BySian Cain October 6, 2025

Comedian admits to mixed feelings but says event is a ‘positive thing’ despite human rights abuses in Saudi ArabiaLouis CK has defended his decision to perform at the Riyadh comedy festival in Saudi Arabia after fellow comedians criticised the big name…

Read More Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Louis CK | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Stage | World news

Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’
BySian Cain October 6, 2025

Comedian admits to mixed feelings but says event is a ‘positive thing’ despite human rights abuses in Saudi ArabiaLouis CK has defended his decision to perform at the Riyadh comedy festival in Saudi Arabia after fellow comedians criticised the big name…

Read More Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Censorship | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | Turki al-Sheikh | US news | World news

US comedians defend decision to play in Saudi Arabia: ‘They’re paying me enough to look the other way’
BySeth Simons September 30, 2025October 1, 2025

Usual supporters of free speech are under fire for signing on to Riyadh comedy festival despite the government’s human rights abusesBilled as “the biggest comedy festival in the world”, the inaugural Riyadh Comedy festival, which is running 26 Septembe…

Read More US comedians defend decision to play in Saudi Arabia: ‘They’re paying me enough to look the other way’
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Censorship | Comedy | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Saudi Arabia | US news | World news

US comedians defend decision to play in Saudi Arabia: ‘They’re paying me enough to look the other way’
BySeth Simons September 30, 2025

Usual supporters of free speech are under fire for signing on to Riyadh festival despite the government’s human rights abusesBilled as “the biggest comedy festival in the world”, the inaugural Riyadh Comedy festival, which is running 26 September to 9 …

Read More US comedians defend decision to play in Saudi Arabia: ‘They’re paying me enough to look the other way’