RIYADH: Saudi Arabia-listed banks reported a 14 percent rise in aggregate net profit before Zakat and tax to the tune of SR 4.02 billion in March 2021 as against SR 3.53 billion a year earlier, according to data from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). The data covers 11 listed banks and some foreign banks operating in the Kingdom. Banks aggregate assets grew by over 11 percent year on year (YoY) to SR 3.035 trillion in March, combined deposits increased by 9 percent YoY to SR 1.980 trillion in the same month, whereas loans to the private sector saw an increase of 15 percent YoY to around SR 1.871 trillion by the end of March, financial news portal Argaam reported.
LONDON: Thanks to a scarcity of official records, the story of Yasuke – an African samurai who fought for Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga – remains something of a mystery. While the documented history of this mysterious warrior runs to little more than a few entries in the history of feudal Japan, a new anime from Netflix opts for an enthusiastically … liberal … use of artistic
LONDON: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to amend the UK’s treason laws to prosecute citizens who travel abroad to join terrorist groups such as Daesh. The laws, which have been in place since 1351 and were last used to prosecute Nazi sympathizer William Joyce in 1946, have been described as currently “unworkable” by MPs with regard to jihadists returning to the UK
Crowds gather for Holy Fire ceremony at Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre
The Holy Fire ceremony, symbolising Jesus’s resurrection, is one of the most colorful spectacles of the Orthodox Easter season
Israel is mourning the death of 45 Jewish worshippers killed in a stampede overnight between Thursday and Friday
Updated 01 May 2021
May 01, 2021 09:37
JERUSALEM: Orthodox Christians flocked to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony, gathering in far greater numbers than last year because coronavirus restrictions have eased.
The Holy Fire ceremony, symbolising Jesus’s resurrection, is one of the most colorful spectacles of the Orthodox Easter season, usually attended by many pilgrims.
MAKKAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance’s Makkah branch has so far distributed 11,520 umbrellas at its Kudai, Jamarat and Prince MutaIb Road centers, as part of its Ramadan-long “Shade and Protection” initiative. As temperatures rise throughout the holy month, the umbrellas will help to protect visitors and pilgrims from the sun during Tawaf. The ministry