Turkey lowers interest rate to 47.5% as it battles double-digit inflation
The bank's monetary policy committee decided to reduce the policy rate from 50 percent to 47.5 percent, with a statement...
Economy
Musk’s AI startup raises $6bn more, Saudi and Qatari funds among investors
Paris, France -- Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it had raised $6 billion from investors in its latest...
Business
Business
SIB approves 10% cash dividend
The bank appointed Dr Al Saadi as Sharia Supervisory Committee member.
- Al Owais said SIB posted a net profit of AED851.5 million, an increase of 31 percent compared to AED650.9 million in 2022.
- He added that net operating profits saw an increase of 29 percent to reach AED1.3 billion, compared to AED1.0 billion for the previous year.
Geostrategy
Palestinians accuse Israel of ‘apartheid’ at UN top court
"The Palestinians have endured colonialism and apartheid... There are those who are enraged by these words. They should be enraged...
- Nations including the United States, Russia, and China will address judges at the Peace Palace in The Hague, seat of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- The minister urged the court to declare the occupation illegal and order it to stop "immediately, totally and unconditionally."
Geostrategy
UAE seeks maximum penalty in ‘terror’ trial against 84 people
The United Arab Emirates has accused the defendants of forming a "terrorist" organization called the "Committee for Justice and Dignity"...
- Most of the defendants were previously convicted more than a decade ago on similar charges and had completed or were about to complete their sentences.
- Public prosecutors concluded their arguments and confirmed that the case was distinct from that in 2012 and "not about re-trying the accused," reported WAM.
Arts & Culture
‘Addicted to winning’: Sabalenka returns to action in Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- World number two Aryna Sabalenka said on Sunday she was "addicted to winning" and hungry for...
- The Belarusian returns to action this week at the WTA 1000 in Dubai to contest her first tournament since her second Grand Slam triumph at Melbourne Park.
- Meanwhile, top-seeded Iga Swiatek has touched down in Dubai, a day after pulling off an impressive threepeat in Doha.
Geostrategy
Zoo lion’s Muslim name riles Hindu nationalists
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu organization, went to court after reports a lioness named Sita had been put...
- "Sita cannot stay with the Mughal emperor Akbar," VHP official Anup Mondal said Sunday, saying it hurt religious sentiments in the Hindu-majority nation.
- "Such act amounts to blasphemy and is a direct assault on the religious belief of all Hindus," the VHP said in its petition to the court.
Arts & Culture
AI-Operated robots assist visitors to the Grand Mosque in Makkah
Makkah, Saudi Arabia -- The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has deployed AI-operated...
- The robots provide information and guidance on a variety of topics, including how to perform the Hajj and Umrah rituals, Islamic rulings and fatwas.
- They also provide directions to different locations within the mosque, and translations in multiple languages.
Geostrategy
UN court to weigh consequences of Israel occupation
The UN's top court will hold hearings on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, with...
- While any ICJ opinion would be non-binding, it comes amid mounting international legal pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza sparked by the brutal October 7 Hamas attacks.
- The hearings are separate from a high-profile case brought by South Africa alleging that Israel is committing genocidal acts during the current Gaza offensive.
Arts & Culture
London hosts showcase for world’s biggest grand opera in Arabic
London, United Kingdom -- The production operations of Zarqa al-Yamamah Opera, the first grand opera to be produced by Saudi Arabia...
- The Zarqa al-Yamamah Opera is set to begin in Riyadh in mid-April and extend to multiple local and international performances.
- Zarqa Al-Yamamah is a legendary character in Arab history during the pre-Islamic era.
Geostrategy
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison
Western governments immediately attacked the Kremlin over the death of the most outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny lost...
- The 47-year-old was Russia's most prominent opposition leader and won a huge following with his criticism of corruption in Vladimir Putin's Russia.
- Navalny's exposes, posted on his YouTube channel racked up millions of views and brought tens of thousands of Russians to the streets, despite Russia's harsh anti-protests laws..
Geostrategy
5 die in Israeli-raided hospital after oxygen cut: Gaza ministry
Palestinian Territories -- The health ministry in Gaza said five patients died Friday due to lack of oxygen at one...
- A witness, who declined to be named out of fear for their safety, said army snipers shot "at anyone who moved inside the hospital".
- Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday that shelling of the hospital had forced its staff to flee, leaving patients behind.
Turkey lowers interest rate to 47.5% as it battles double-digit inflation
The bank's monetary policy committee decided to reduce the policy rate from 50 percent to 47.5 percent, with a statement...
Economy
Company News
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Lebanon urges DNA tests to identify missing in Israel strikes
Families should head to centers affiliated with the Judicial Police "to conduct DNA tests", the police said in a statement....
Geostrategy
Saudi leisure tourism surges by 656% in 2024: Tourism Ministry
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's tourism sector, particularly the leisure and holiday segments, witnessed substantial growth in 2024.In a...
Business
Lebanon may be seeing ‘largest displacement’ ever: PM
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that "the estimated number is very high and may reach one million" -- which would...
Business
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Saudi Arabia announces coalition to push for Palestinian state
Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the "International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution" included Arab and Islamic countries, as well...
- Saudi Arabia paused US-brokered talks on recognizing Israel after the Hamas attack on Israel and the genocidal Israeli assault on Gaza.
- The hard-right Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains implacably opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Geostrategy
World’s first CO2 storage service soon ready in Norway
Øygarden, Norway -- Norway inaugurated Thursday the gateway to a massive undersea vault for carbon dioxide, a crucial step before opening...
- The Northern Lights project plans to take CO2 emissions captured at factory smokestacks in Europe and inject them into geological reservoirs under the seabed.
- The aim is to prevent the emissions from being released into the atmosphere, and thereby help halt climate change.
Business
UAE captures 30% of Middle East cinema market share in 8 months
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE cinema sector achieved revenues of AED 517 million during the first eight months of...
- UAE cinemas attracted about 11 million visits to cinemas, the Emirates Media Council revealed.
- The country's cinema sector includes 702 screens spread across 72 locations and caters to more than 200 nationalities.