Middle East

Saudi Gazette report BEIJING — Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah and Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli signed the executive program for holding the Saudi-China Cultural Year 2025 in a ceremony held in Beijing on Thursday. The program will lay a solid foundation for deepened …

Saudi Gazette report BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that the European Union aims to establish an economic corridor with Gulf countries to increase trade in renewable energy, data, and people-to-people exchanges. Brussels hosted a Gulf-European summit on Wednesday, attended by Gulf and European leaders, …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday the extension of the grace period for the payment of a 50 percent reduction in accumulated traffic fines for another six months. This is in implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman …

RIYADH — The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has announced the release of updated Rules for Engaging in Debt-Based Crowdfunding. This move aligns with SAMA’s responsibility to oversee and regulate debt-based crowdfunding companies and its ongoing efforts to advance the finance sector, with a particular focus on enabling the FinTech …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH —The Ministry of Interior’s electronic platform Absher carried out more than 9,017,000 electronic transactions for citizens, residents and visitors during September. Absher Individuals and Absher Business carried out 81,504 identity validation verification operations, 43,151 electronic national identity card renewal operations, 32,050 operations in My Data service, …

For the 377th day, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued committing genocide against Palestinians by relentlessly bombing Palestinians’ homes in various areas across the Gaza Strip, through nonstop airstrikes, artillery shelling and the deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians.Palestinian medical sources said that the IOF bombed a residential house in Tal …

SEOUL — A South Korean court has acquitted Seoul’s former police chief of negligence over the Halloween crowd crush that killed 159 people in 2022. Kim Kwang-ho was the highest-ranked police official to be charged over the tragedy in the Itaewon nightlife district. During Thursday’s verdict, the court said that …

BUENOS AIRES — Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to local police. Payne, who was 31, leaves behind his seven-year-old son, Bear. Police said they discovered Payne’s body after emergency …

DHAKA — A Bangladeshi court has ordered an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August after she was ousted by mass protests. Hasina is wanted by Bangladesh’s International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) for her alleged involvement in “crimes against humanity” that took place during …

TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of making a “massive mistake” that Canada could not ignore if Delhi was behind the death of a Sikh separatist leader last year on Canadian soil. Trudeau made the comments two days after Canadian officials accused India of being involved in …