RIYADH — The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 208,836 amphetamine pills into Saudi Arabia through Al Hadithah border crossing. ZATCA spokesperson Hamoud Al-Harbi said the narcotics were discovered during customs inspection of a truck entering the Kingdom after officers used advanced security screening technologies and detector dogs. The amphetamine pills were concealed inside a shipment of agal cords, he said. Following the seizure, ZATCA coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, leading to the arrest of two individuals who were awaiting the shipment inside the Kingdom. Al-Harbi said ZATCA remains committed to…
Author: Editorial Team
ASIR — Authorities are investigating the cause of an amusement ride accident at a festival in Abha after emergency teams responded immediately to the incident and provided medical care to those injured. In a statement posted on X, the Asir governorate said the competent authorities began their response as soon as the incident was reported, handling the situation on site and ensuring that the injured received the necessary medical treatment. According to Saudi TV’s Al Ekhbariya channel, the incident injured 23 people. No fatalities were reported, and three of the injured have been discharged from hospital after receiving the necessary…
SpaceX is reported to have finished development on a prototype handset-like device aimed at changing how people interact with AI. The reported device was shown to investors and other stakeholders during a roadshow ahead of SpaceX’s since-completed IPO. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported the device has a sleek design slimmer than an iPhone and would run on a proprietary operating system while integrating AI technology from Elon Musk’s xAI. Sources told the WSJ the device would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. SpaceX told some investors the project remains at an early stage, with the design subject to change and…
Qassim Region continues to reinforce its position as one of the Kingdom’s leading agricultural regions, with grapes emerging as a promising crop that contributes to diversifying agricultural production and enhancing economic returns, supported by the region’s favorable natural conditions that promote the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Suitable soil and favorable climatic conditions have contributed to the successful cultivation of grapes and the production of high-quality fruit. Vineyards are concentrated across several governorates, making grapes one of the region’s leading fruit crops. Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture branch in Qassim Region Eng. Salman Al-Suwaina said…
RIYADH — The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has begun constructing three bridges as part of the Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Awwal Road Development Project at its intersection with the Northern Ring Road. RCRC said the current phase of the project will increase the road’s capacity to accommodate more than 200,000 vehicles per day, strengthening connectivity between major routes in northern Riyadh, reducing travel times, and improving the overall travel experience. The section currently under development extends more than three kilometers and includes road widening, upgraded lanes, and the implementation of advanced traffic solutions aimed at enhancing the…
TEHRAN — Official delegations from several countries arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday to attend funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian media. Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering weeks of war and escalating tensions across the region. Among the senior officials arriving in Tehran were Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and his parliamentary delegation, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Uzbek Parliament Speaker Nuriddin Ismoilov, Anadolu news agency reported citing Iran’s…
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) responded immediately to an urgent humanitarian appeal issued by dozens of displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, after the ongoing humanitarian crisis resulted in the destruction and burning of a large number of tents. Upon receiving the appeal, KSrelief dispatched a convoy of tents to the area. Field teams from the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner in the Gaza Strip, immediately began erecting and equipping the tents to provide emergency shelter for the affected families, who had spent several…
Microsoft recently announced that it is investing $2.5 billion into a new business division called Microsoft Frontier Company. This new company is aimed at helping enterprise clients implement and scale AI systems. Microsoft’s Frontier Company is deploying 6,000 engineers, consultants and industry specialists to work directly with customers on designing, launching and improving AI systems tied to measurable business outcomes. Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business, explained in a blog post companies need two items to succeed with AI: a platform where their own proprietary data, expertise and workflows accumulate and improve over time regardless of which underlying models…
NEW YORK — A man holding a Tibetan flag has died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday in an apparent protest against Chinese rule over Tibet. Law enforcement responded to a 911 call at around 6:30 p.m. and observed a 52-year-old male with severe burns across his body, a New York City Police Department spokesperson told CNN. The man was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, the spokesperson said. The government-in-exile of Tibet — and an activist in New York who knew him — named the man as Lobga Rangzen,…
DAMASCUS — An explosive device that was planted in a crowded cafe in the Syrian capital Damascus went off on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 20 others, state media reported. The interior ministry said an explosive device was planted inside the cafe, which is located only 100m (330ft) from the Palace of Justice, a major government building that houses the city’s main courthouse complex in the capital’s Hejaz district. There was no immediate claim from any group for the attack. The interior ministry said preliminary investigations showed the blast was caused by a crudely made explosive device…