11 Saudi Princes sent to maximum-security prison

Eleven Saudi princes have been arrested after staging a protest over a royal decree that ordered the state to stop paying their utility bills, Saudi Arabian media reports.

The princes were reportedly taken into custody by the royal guard after refusing to leave the palace in Riyadh on Saturday. They were protesting against austerity measures included in a recent royal decree, which ordered the state to halt the payment of electricity and water bills for royal family members. The arrests come after dozens of royal family members and government ministers were detained at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh in November. The move was part of a purported corruption crackdown launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.