Why the killing of a Lebanese party official has raised the specter of new sectarian strife BEIRUT: Almost five decades since the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990 began, reactions to the kidnap and subsequent murder this week of Pascal Suleiman, an official of the Lebanese Forces, show the country’s fragile peace remains on a knife … Read more
PwC Middle East in Saudi Arabia and Microsoft have announced the launch of an artificial intelligence center of excellence in Riyadh that will upskill and scale the AI capabilities of Saudi engineers and researchers. The launch of the AI Center of Excellence, announced during LEAP 2024, supports the Kingdom’s community development and nationalization agenda by … Read more
Gulf Cooperation Council chief discusses war in Gaza, other topics with EU officials LONDON: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Albudaiwi, held a series of meetings with EU officials in Belgium on Tuesday about ways to strengthen Gulf-European relations and cooperation in efforts to address regional issues. During a session at the EU … Read more
Pakistan Cabinet sworn in, taking control of nation deeply divided with looming economic crisis ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s new Cabinet with 19 members took oath on Monday, tasked with running the South Asian country of 241 million people facing profound economic, political and security challenges. Cash-strapped Pakistan grappled with the Feb. 8 general election … Read more
BANGKOK: Thailand has long been a favorite destination for travelers from across the world, thanks to its beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, vibrant cultural heritage, and always-on-the-go cities. But another facet of Thailand is now attracting numerous visitors to the Southeast Asian nation every year: it’s cutting-edge healthcare. An increasing number of visitors are drawn to … Read more
MIAMI: An inexperienced US team lost 1-0 at home to a second-string Slovenia in an international friendly match in San Antonio on Saturday but head coach Gregg Berhalter was pleased with the showing from his young team. Berhalter had his MLS-based squad in a training camp for a week and the friendly, outside the international … Read more
RIYADH: Smart city initiatives in the Kingdom will be boosted following a partnership deal by the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Co. and the Saudi Co. for Artificial Intelligence. The collaboration aims to implement a new project to enhance the district’s future operations and serve as a model for similar programs in the … Read more
Qvest, a global leader in media-focused practices and services, and SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, have agreed to establish a joint venture aimed at enhancing media, production and technology services in Saudi Arabia. The JV encompasses foresight and innovation, change management, cloud adoption, data and analytics, media supply chain technologies … Read more
Year in review: Too many crises to keep count of in Africa’s Sahel belt as 2023 comes to a close NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania: With world attention riveted on the war raging in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, conflicts elsewhere, particularly the violence in Sudan and instability across the Sahel, are in danger … Read more