Word: ruler
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...weekend in Saudi Arabia. crown prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud has rounded up a few brothers, sons and friends for a royal game of lawn bowls. Wearing a Bedouin robe and an incongruous pair of striped Adidas running shoes, the de facto ruler of the world's richest oil sheikdom is ready to play. He stands up to the pitch and hurls a weighty ball down the grassy turf with impressive precision. Throughout the afternoon, he is constantly up and down from his chair, despite his considerable girth and advanced age (78). In between throws and sips...
Saudis nonetheless regard Abdullah as a dedicated, in-touch ruler. Each day he rises around noon, greets visiting dignitaries, emissaries and ordinary citizens until his 7 p.m. lunch, naps until midnight and then puts in another day's work at the office until dawn prayers. Though devout, if he's a zealot about anything it's TV news: his office has a bank of 33 television sets so he can monitor all available satellite channels at once. In contrast to more remote royals, Abdullah has become a populist prince, touring the country and even munching burgers in fast-food restaurants...
Hobbling Abdullah's efforts is the fact that, as Crown Prince, he lacks the full authority of a king to act. Fears of a power struggle in the royal family have proved unfounded, with Abdullah serving as day-to-day ruler with the consensus of other powerful princes. Insiders say that tensions on issues like the pace of reform and cleaning up corruption simmer between Abdullah and other ranking princes, notably influential Defense Minister Prince Sultan, the next in line to the throne after Abdullah. "The Crown Prince is in an unenviable position," says a prominent Jidda businessman close...
...every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. An Administration whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free student body...
Decorating rules: Her rules probably include seeking perfect symmetry and balance. A ruler is necessary to get the pictures as well-lined up as she has on her one wall. That takes more time and effort than I would bother spending decorating, but I like the effect. Also, she sticks in as many cute posters and Disney dolls as possible—she’s probably a really sweet girl...