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[1/2] Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are covered with a white sheet as they arrive to appear at the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin RazaISLAMABAD, May 16 (Reuters) - Bushra Khan, the wife of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is facing corruption charges in the same case that led to his arrest on May 9. It was not clear when or how Khan met Bushra, but former aide Aun Chaudhry said Khan was very impressed with her spirituality. Khan and Bushra married in 2018, seven months before he was elected prime minister, in a secret ceremony. While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events, and the couple are the sole trustees, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

☆ I quit Goldman Sachs after only a year. Here's how I knew leaving for a tech startup was the right career move.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chris Hladczuk | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Chris Hladczuk leads growth at Meow, a fintech startup, after quitting Goldman Sachs. I picked a weird day to quit — it was my 24th birthday and I called my boss to tell her I was leaving Goldman Sachs. The power of Goldman SachsI love Goldman because it taught me how to win. With my future career in mind, is my pace of learning higher at Goldman in investment banking or at an early-stage startup? Chris Hladczuk currently leads growth at fintech startup Meow.

☆ Israel says it is discussing possible direct Haj flights to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Netanyahu's centrist predecessor, Yair Lapid, said on March 10 that, as prime minister last year, he secured Saudi consent for what would be the first direct Haj flights from Israel, some 18% of whose population are Muslim. Asked whether the direct flights would happen for next month's pilgrimage to the holy Saudi city of Mecca, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said a request had been submitted. "But with that, I am optimistic that we can advance peace with Saudi Arabia." The Biden administration last June predicted there would be direct charter flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia for the Haj. Saudi Arabia has been allowing Israeli airlines to overfly it to UAE and Bahrain since 2020, a corridor that it and next-door Oman have since expanded to include other destinations.

☆ Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“And that can only reflect well on the Kingdom.”This new diplomacy comes as Saudi Arabia prioritizes economic growth at home, which requires regional stability to succeed. Saudi efforts at revamping its image as a peace-broker may face credibility challenges, however, given its near decade-long combative foreign policy and the bad press it attracted. That group is party to the Sudan conflict that Saudi Arabia is trying to help end. Despite its controversial past, Saudi Arabia may still carry enough influence to bring quarreling parties to the negotiating table, analysts say. “Saudi (Arabia) does not pretend to be an impartial mediator but its voice carries weight with many parties in the region,” Shihabi said, adding that where it can, Saudi Arabia wants to use that influence to reduce tensions.

☆ Al-Balad: Where Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry began
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the beating heart of this city, Al-Balad, is more than a thousand years old, and it has been immaculately preserved as a reminder of Saudi Arabia’s history – specifically, Jeddah’s role as a key point of entry for religious pilgrims. He devoted city resources to the remaining Al Balad buildings and prevented some from being torn down, Parry says. The Al-Balad area was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014 as Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Mecca. This pale-blue color is one of the most popular for doors and windows in the old city. Over two nights, Al-Balad’s old buildings were lit up while acts like Busta Rhymes, Xzibit and Lupe Fiasco performed alongside some of the Arab world’s biggest musicians.

☆ Fact Check-2019 image of Nigeria's Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque mistakenly linked to 2023 trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo from 2019 of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque is being falsely attributed online to his 2023 trip to the kingdom. April posts on Facebook show Buhari wearing a white garment and praying next to his wife, Aisha (here and here). Captions suggest the image was captured at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. While he did pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in the city (here), the photo shared by social media users is from a different occasion. He said it showed Buhari at the Grand Mosque in Mecca while the president was undertaking the Umrah pilgrimage.

☆ Inside Nike: Sources share claims of sexism, cheating, abuse at the world's wokest brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joshua Hunt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +51 min

The conservative blowback came as no surprise to Parker, who told Nike's board of directors to expect some short-term backlash. In late 2014, the BBC sent a film crew to Portland to interview several former Oregon Project employees. "He would be at the side of the track calling out runners' splits but wouldn't call Kara's out," Adam Goucher told me. When people asked why she left the Oregon Project, she said it was a "personal decision." "I don't think it has anything to do with who the CEO is," Goucher told me.

☆ Factbox: Where is Al Aqsa mosque and why is it so important in Islam?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 5 (Reuters) - A Israeli police raid on Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday has triggered a furious reaction from Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and the wider Arab and Muslim world. WHERE AND WHAT IS THE AL-AQSA MOSQUE? The Al-Aqsa compound has long been a flashpoint for deadly violence over matters of sovereignty and religion in Jerusalem. Under the longstanding "status quo" arrangement governing the area, which Israel says it maintains, non-Muslims can visit but only Muslims are allowed to worship in the mosque compound. Palestinians protested, and there were violent clashes that quickly escalated into the second Palestinian uprising, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

☆ The high-speed train in Saudi Arabia that connects Mecca and Medina
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia CNN —In the distant past, Muslim pilgrims came to the holy city of Mecca on foot. Haramain means “two sanctuaries” in Arabic, named for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina that sit on the line’s opposite ends. Business class passengers on the train can watch seat-back TVs. Even on a short journey like the one from Jeddah to KAEC, business class passengers are entitled to a full meal service. When it comes to high-speed railway, it seems as though the Haramain line is only the beginning in Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Tawfiq Al Rabiah, ” Al Rabiah, King Abdullah, King, Saudi riyals, Lilit Marcus, Foster, they’re, KAEC, isn’t, it’s, Umrah, Khalid al, Falih Organizations: CNN, Saudi Arabia CNN —, King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi, CNN Station, Foster + Partners, du Nord, Getty, Saudi Gazette, Bandar, Saudi Railway Polytechnic, Saudi Arabia’s Investment Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Hajj, Medina, Jeddah’s, Jeddah Al, New York, Paris, du, Sulimaniyah, Bandar Aldandani, AFP, KAEC, umrah, Islam, Riyadh

☆ Saudi sculptor steps into limelight as religious curbs ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Mohammed Benmansour | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Awatif Al-Keneibit, a Saudi artist, shows her art in her studio, an art-form previously frowned upon in the country but now gaining more acceptance, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 9, 2023. Her exposition includes ceramic faces, some with hollow eyes, others wearing eye glasses, and figurines of Saudi Arabian women, displayed on red bricks and coloured to reflect traditional desert dresses. "Who could have imagined that one day, this exhibition, which was in a basement, could be displayed in Olaya (downtown Riyadh)?" said Keneibit, 60, who is blazing a trail for women in the arts in Saudi Arabia's conservative male-dominated society. U.S.-educated Keneibit said she resorted to creating a private gallery at the bottom of her house for friends and guests after a public exhibition was banned in 2009.

☆ Defying odds: A story of survival under Turkey's earthquake rubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Berber was speaking from a bed at Mersin City Hospital, some 250 km from the 15-storey building that collapsed in the city of Antakya in southern Hatay province, where half the buildings were either destroyed or heavily damaged. I looked around, my son turned on a light, took a flashlight and said 'Father, it's an earthquake!' "I shouted, shouted and shouted. Deniz Gezer, internal medicine specialist at Mersin City Hospital, said one of the biggest problems for survival was the cold. Caglar Aksoy Colak, a doctor at Mersin City Hospital, said doctors only provided "supportive treatment" for Berber.

☆ Here are 7 fun details that you might miss in the trailer for 'Air,' the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon movie about Nike signing Michael Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The movie stars Ben Affleck as Nike cofounder Phil Knight and Matt Damon as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. In the trailer, Knight's character, played by Ben Affleck, responds to hearing the "Air Jordan" name for Michael Jordan's line of footwear and apparel. Knight's office is filled with booksIn the trailer, there are numerous books on the shelves in Knight's office. Phil Knight's 'rumpled' clothesIn three scenes in the trailer, Knight's character wears a wrinkled suit with the necktie pulled loose. He had a garage full of raw rubber, got some and put it on his wife's waffle iron," Knight said.

☆ Fact Check-Video of Jeddah building demolition falsely linked to Turkey earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of a building demolition in the Saudi city of Jeddah has been mistaken on social media for a building collapsing during an earthquake in Turkey. In the brief clip, a building is seen collapsing next to a busy road. But the video can be traced back on social media to at least January 2023, weeks before the earthquake (here). Its exact location can also be pinpointed to Old Mecca Road in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (see bit.ly/3I8Vz2c and the same location on YouTube here ). The video can be traced back to at least January 2023 in Saudi Arabia.

☆ HSBC embarks on Saudi Arabia hiring spree amid deals boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) is hiring dealmakers as "fast as it can" in Saudi Arabia to capitalise on a wave of financing activity in the country, the global head of its investment bank told Reuters. The lender aims to increase headcount in its global banking and markets business in Saudi Arabia by 10-15% this year, Greg Guyett, the division's chief executive, told Reuters. HSBC declined to comment on how many such bankers it already employs in Saudi Arabia. HSBC's investment banking business made $65 million in profit in Saudi Arabia in 2021, according to company filings, the smallest such contribution among named countries aside from loss-making France. Saudi Arabia also sold $5 billion in bonds last October, its first international debt sale in almost a year.

HONG KONG, Jan 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China’s first big vacation of 2023 offers shallow relief to investors. Passenger car sales dropped 21% from the same festive period last year, per Nomura analysts, and real estate keeps plunging. Central bankers terrified that China’s reopening will fuel more global inflation will be relieved. Chinese consumers enjoyed their holiday but there was little sign of dramatic “revenge consumption.” Scarred consumers have too many reasons to avoid splurging for the foreseeable future. The opinions expressed are her own)Follow @ywchen1 on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSMainland China’s Lunar New Year holiday runs from Jan. 21 to Jan. 27 in 2023.

☆ King Abdullah meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in surprise Jordan visit, royal court says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMMAN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, who the royal court said underlined the need for Israel to respect the status quo of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which Jews revere as the Temple Mount, under heavy security this month. It is hopeful that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will pressure Israel to preserve the status quo in the Al-Aqsa mosque, whose upkeep is paid for by Jordan. Officials told Reuters that King Abdullah is expected to visit Washington at the end of January. Blinken underscored the importance of preserving the historic status quo at the site, according to a statement by the State Department.

☆ King Abdullah meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in surprise Jordan visit -royal court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Jordan truckers' strike exposes woes of impoverished south
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Diesel is my lifeline," said 54-year-old Abu al-Zait, who has seen his livelihood thrown into jeopardy by high fuel price rises since Russia invaded Ukraine. The month-long sit-in cost Jordan tens of millions of dollars in losses when it paralysed unloading at the Red Sea port of Aqaba, according to officials and industrialists. It was the latest bout of unrest in Maan, a poor tribal stronghold about 250 km (156 miles) south of the capital. Fuel price rises, combined with high taxes and spiralling food costs in a nation that imports most goods, has made life unaffordable for many. Like many Arab states, Jordan has in the last decade seen widespread unrest as it reduced food and fuel subsidies.

$395 Apply now On Chase's website Apply now On Citi's website Apply now On Capital One's websiteHere are the best credit cards for Costco shopping. You'd be surprised to know that Costco credit cards aren't the best option. Annual Fee $0 Intro offer N/A Recommended Credit Excellent Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 19.49% (Variable) Editor's Rating 4 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings are primarily based on 3 things: simplicity, affordability, and value. Read our review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing rightThe best Costco credit card reviewsCiti Costco Anywhere VisaWhy the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa is worth it: As far as personal credit cards go, Costco has one — that's it. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card offers an equal or greater earning rate for Costco purchases than the above cobranded Costco cards in just about every category except gas stations.

☆ Fact Check-Video of snow falling near the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque of Mecca is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video showing snow falling at the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia’s Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque of Mecca, has been digitally altered, according to the kingdom’s National Center for Meteorology. Similar versions can be seen on Facebook (here and here) and Twitter (here), where it has amassed hundreds of thousands of interactions. However, the video has been manipulated, according to Hussain Al-Qahtani, the official spokesperson of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM). “The rolling video of snow falling on #SacredMosque is not correct and has been processed with additional effects,” he wrote on Twitter (here). Snow did not fall near the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque on Jan. 1, 2023.

☆ Brazil prepares to bury Pelé in the city he made a soccer mecca
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Forty-five years after Pelé played his last game, it’s hard to imagine modern soccer, or Brazil, without him. Pelé will be buried Tuesday in the city where he grew up, became famous, and helped make into a global capital of soccer. The coffin of Brazilian soccer great Pelé is carried Monday to the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil. He made soccer important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said. Pelé led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals.

☆ How Saudi Arabia's crown prince snubbed Biden repeatedly to forge ties with authoritarian China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2022, Saudi Arabia sought closer ties with Russia and China. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. Analysts say that US criticism of Saudi Arabia's human-rights record and its suppression of domestic dissent infuriate Riyadh. Crown Prince Mohammed has more affinity with the ideology of fellow strongmen Xi or Putin than with the US, said Alterman. "Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia all believe in the model of 'authoritarian stability'.

☆ Former pope Benedict, his papacy and retirement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Former pope Benedict, who Pope Francis said on Wednesday was "very sick", resigned in 2013, the first pontiff in 600 years to take such a step rather than rule for life. Days later, Benedict says he was "deeply sorry" about Muslim reaction to his speech, which he says was misunderstood. Former Pope Benedict traveled to his native Germany last week to visit his ailing older brother. Benedict later pardoned Gabriele and the Vatican later found him a job in a hospital. Benedict pope later acknowledges errors occurred and asks for forgiveness.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried finds sympathy from Bahamians after the FTX implosion - but local rules make it very unlikely they were ever invested in crypto
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Bankman-Fried has found sympathy from Bahamians after his crypto empire imploded, according to a New York Times report. One reason Bahamians may express sympathy towards SBF is because of local laws that make it difficult for them to invest in crypto. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. His presence in the Bahamas attracted well-to-do investors to the island via crypto conferences. That's because local rules make it difficult for Bahamians to buy cryptocurrencies, as there are various hurdles they need to navigate.

☆ There’s a Reason the Homeless Flock to San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Members of the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team, Dec. 13, 2022. Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated PressMany advocates claim that providing a welcoming environment for camping and drugs doesn’t attract the homeless, and that only more subsidized housing can solve homelessness. San Francisco shows the folly of those arguments (“Why San Francisco Is a Homeless Mecca,” Review & Outlook, Aug. 7). According to the city’s own statistics, almost 30% of the homeless moved there after they had already lost housing. As Mayor London Breed admits, one reason people are coming is easy access to drugs.

Persons: London Breed Organizations: San Francisco Homeless Outreach, Associated Press, San Francisco, ” Locations: San, Francisco

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