Saudi Arabian king leaves France after holiday controversy

Saudi Arabian King Salman left the south of France for Morocco on Sunday, cutting short a planned three-week stay after a petition from some 150,000 residents over the closure of a public beach outside his villa. A Saudi source said King Salman had arrived in Morocco, saying this was part of his holiday program and had nothing to do with the media coverage that his visit had attracted. Philippe Castanet, a local French government official, added that about half of the king's 1,000-person entourage had left along with him. He did not specify a reason for the departures or if the monarch planned to return to France.