Author: Editorial Team

RIYADH — The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority announced a significant environmental achievement during the first half of 2026, recording 34 new bird species added for the first time to the reserve’s biodiversity list. This raises the total number of recorded bird species to 225—a 15 percent increase in the reserve’s documented avian diversity. The authority explained that this achievement stems from continuous improvement in field monitoring efficiency and comprehensive geographic coverage within the reserve’s boundaries, enhancing the accuracy of biodiversity documentation. Abdulaziz Al-Furaih, spokesperson of the authority, said that the new findings reflect the accelerating development of the…

Verizon recently unveiled an overhaul of its consumer offerings, scrapping activation and upgrade fees alongside launching two new plans designed to cut through complexity and friction. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman stated the industry has for too long burdened customers with complex plans and forced upgrades when announcing the new offerings and loyalty programme. “We’re fundamentally reshaping Verizon inside and out to put the customer at the centre of everything we do”, he stated. “We’re listening, designing for them, and moving faster than we ever have before”. The $40 activation fee, which Verizon raised from $35 as recently as last August,…

MIAMI — FIFA World Cup 2026 has already delivered goals, drama and a series of unexpected results after the completion of the opening round of group-stage matches. A total of 75 goals were scored across the first 24 matches, producing an average of 3.13 goals per game, the highest rate at this stage of a World Cup since 1958. The expanded 48-team format had raised concerns about competitiveness before the tournament, but the opening round has largely silenced those doubts. Nine of the 24 matches ended in draws, representing 37.5 percent of all games, the highest figure after the first…

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and seven other Islamic states strongly condemned the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye emphasized that these attacks constitute a clear violation of the sanctity of places of worship and religious sites, international law, including international humanitarian law, and relevant United Nations resolutions. They specially mentioned the recent attacks on the Grand Mosque in the village of Jiljilya and Al-Farouq Mosque in the village of Mazar’a al-Nubani, north of…

MIAMI — Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is set for an emotional reunion with his mother ahead of his country’s next FIFA World Cup match after his heroic display against Spain turned him into one of the tournament’s breakout stars. The 40-year-old goalkeeper revealed after Cape Verde’s stunning 0-0 draw with Spain that his mother had been unable to travel to the United States because of visa-related costs and logistical challenges. Days later, that situation has changed. Vozinha’s mother, Ana Candida Evora, confirmed she will travel to Miami in time for Cape Verde’s Group H clash against Uruguay on Sunday. “I’m…

ABIDJAN — Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada ahead of his country’s crucial FIFA World Cup match against Germany, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Nice striker will miss Saturday’s Group E clash in Toronto after failing to obtain the necessary authorization to enter Canadian territory. The development comes amid an ongoing investigation in France related to allegations of spot-fixing during a Ligue 1 match last season. French authorities confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was arrested last month as part of an investigation into alleged organized fraud, sports corruption,…

TEXAS — England manager Thomas Tuchel has called on FIFA to reconsider the positioning of photographers during pre-match ceremonies after saying they blocked his view of his players during the national anthem ahead of England’s World Cup opener against Croatia. Tuchel made the comments after England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday, a match that marked his World Cup debut as England coach. The German said he had been looking forward to watching his team during the playing of “God Save the King” but was unable to do so because photographers were stationed directly in front of the England bench.…

The specialized medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP) achieved a new medical milestone today with the successful separation of Filipino conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna. The operation was performed at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH) at King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.  Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and head of the surgical team for the SCTP Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah said: “Thanks to Allah Almighty and the efforts of my colleagues on the medical and surgical…

LinkShadow, a leading AI-powered cybersecurity company, recently announced a strategic pan-African distribution partnership with Redington, a leading technology aggregator and innovation catalyst. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in LinkShadow’s global growth strategy and will enable enterprises across Africa to strengthen cyber resilience through advanced threat detection, data security, and identity protection capabilities. As organisations across Africa rapidly embrace cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital banking, smart infrastructure, and connected services, cyber risk has emerged as one of the most critical business challenges facing enterprises today. The increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, coupled with expanding digital footprints and evolving regulatory requirements, is…

RIYADH — The surgical separation of Filipino conjoined twins—Olivia and Gianna—has been successful, adding another golden feather in the cap of the success stories of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program (SCTP). The specialized medical and surgical team of SCTP carried out the operation at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH) in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh on Sunday. Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and head of the surgical team Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that the surgical separation procedure was carried out…