Unabashedly brutal “Grand Theft Auto V” hit the streets Tuesday in a sequel that promises to enthrall fans of the blockbuster video game franchise.
Rockstar Games spent five years crafting the title and the time has paid off for gamers, according to a slew of reviews giving it top marks.
“GTA V has been worth the five-year wait,” said computerandvideogames.com digital manager John Houlihan.
“You can really see the maturity in this version, the graphics look sensational — it really is like being in a virtual copy of LA.” GTA V is set in a fictional city of Los Santos based on real-world Los Angeles and its nearby hills and beaches.
The videogame franchise has won legions of fans and cadres of critics with game play in which triumph depends on acts such as carjacking, gambling and killing.
“GTA is essentially the ‘Sopranos’ of videogames,” Tech Savvy analyst Scott Steinberg said, making a reference to a hugely popular US cable television series centered on Mafia characters.
“Everyone talks about the series as violent, but compared to what you are seeing in the movies and on television GTA is relatively tame. Certainly, it is a mature game for mature audiences .” GTA V is billed by the New York City-based video game publisher as the “largest and most ambitious” title in a franchise that has sold more than 114 million copies since its debut in 1997.
“Grand Theft Auto V builds on everything we’ve learned about open world gaming,” said Rockstar founder Sam Houser.
Versions of “GTA V” for play on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 video game consoles or personal computers powered by Windows software launched worldwide Tuesday in respective time zones.
Midnight release events were planned at shops in an array of countries to let GTA lovers snap up the game the instant Tuesday arrives.
EB Games held a midnight launch party in Sydney’s World Square, featuring DJs and free burritos.
Torrential rain put a dampener on the night but didn’t stop GTA zealots.
“If a storm stops you from getting your hands on gta you ain’t a die-hard fan,” Ryan Nero said in a message fired off at Twitter.
“I just rode through a hardcore thunderstorm to get my copy.” GTA V was released in 320 stores across the country Australia.
“There has been a huge buzz about the game,” Rashaan Walker said as the clock ticked down on a midnight launch event at the San Francisco area Best Buy shop where he is a sales supervisor.
“We’ve had tons of people asking about it.” Walker, a 26-year-old GTA fan, had in mind to stick around after the end of his shift to pick up a copy of the game.
“It’s exciting,” Walker said. “In this one you can go online and bring together a clique of friends and go terrorizing and do whatever you want.” He was also keen to see how the overarching storyline of the series progresses. In a new approach used in GTA 5, gamers take on the roles of three different main characters whose paths eventually merge.
“This really is a blockbuster that almost dwarfs the movies in some way,” Houlihan said. “GTA V is really a cultural phenomenon.” Houlihan said it was rumored that the production budget for the game was in the vicinity of $270 million.
The franchise’s appeal is fueled by captivating story lines and an open-world format that lets players go wherever they wish in game worlds.
“You can rob banks or you can do a yoga lesson or you can fly a plane or you can play tennis or you can do what I sometimes do, which is just wander round the world in a really flashy car and listen to some of the hilarious radio stations — so there really is everything for you to explore, it’s a world of possibility,” Houlihan said.
The game will also let people play with or against one another online.
Rockstar, which is owned by Take-Two Interactive, said that GTA V “focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar” in a re-imagined Southern California.
Grand Theft Auto IV blew away video game and Hollywood records by raking in an unprecedented $500 million in the week after its release in 2008.
“GTA is the 10-ton gorilla of video game franchises,” Steinberg said. “Obviously, this is going to help kick-start the holiday season for the videogame industry, which has taken a beating.” While console video games have faced mounting pressure from free-to-play titles tailored for smartphones or tablets, there is “still room for blockbuster Hollywood-style games,” according to the analyst.
’Grand Theft Auto V’ hits streets in brash debut
’Grand Theft Auto V’ hits streets in brash debut
Lebanese football star awakes from coma she went into after Israeli airstrike
- Celine Haidar’s father says she ‘wants to go back to football once her medical situation allows her’
- Coach Samer Barbary tells Arab News: ‘When I asked if she still wants to play football, she pressed on my hand and moved her right leg’
BEIRUT: Lebanese football star Celine Haidar has awakened from a coma nearly two months after suffering a critical head injury during an Israeli airstrike, her father and coach told Arab News on Wednesday.
“By the grace of Allah she has awakened from coma but she remains in ICU as she cannot speak and still requires a ventilator to help her breathe properly,” said Abbas Haidar, the father of the 19-year-old international footballer.
In mid-November, Haidar, who is a youth international and captains her club, Beirut Football Academy, was injured while fleeing her home in Al-Chiyyah in Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli warning of an imminent attack on their building.
Speaking from Saint Georges Hospital where his daughter is being treated, her father confirmed that Celine awoke a few days ago (without giving a date), saying “she still cannot talk easily, and remains under extensive treatment.”
He expressed his joy “because she has recognized us (her family members),” adding that whenever they want to chat with her, she writes down her replies.
Her coach at BFA, Samer Barbary, revealed to Arab News that he visited her two days ago. “She is still on a ventilator, however, she extended her right arm to shake hands with me … when I asked if she still wants to play football, she pressed on my hand and moved her right leg in an obvious sign of wanting to do so,” Barbary said.
Abbas explained that his daughter’s situation still requires further medical assessment and follow-up. He hopes that she improves soon and starts rehabilitation.
“She still realizes that she is a footballer and wants to go back to football once her medical situation allows her.”
Meanwhile, her coach said: “Her medical treatment and follow-up still requires time and effort … and based on how her medical situation progresses, we hope that she could be back on the green pitch.”
Barbary told Arab News previously: “She is Lebanon’s Sergio Busquets and has got remarkable skills in her position as a central midfielder.”
Her father said in November that their neighborhood had been subject to ongoing threats and bombardment before the family moved to a safer location outside Beirut.
“Celine is a very vibrant and sociable person. She found us the house in Baakline.”
Haidar stayed in Baakline for two days and returned to Al-Chiyyah to attend school and her football training. Her father was notified by phone that she had been injured and admitted to hospital.
Rising star Haidar represented her country as a member of the under-19 women’s national team who won the 2022 West Asia Cup, hosted by Lebanon, and had been selected to play for the senior national team before her injury.
“Celine is one of the best football midfielders in Lebanon … she is consistent, stable and a leader. She played a major role in us winning the 2024 league unbeaten,” Barbary said.
Before joining BFA in 2021, she played for Safa Club and with them won the Lebanese National League.
Saudi Arabia’s Hafr Al-Batin forum seals $4.5bn in investments
RIYADH: The Hafr Al-Batin Investment Forum 2025, held in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, concluded with the signing of seven agreements totaling SR17 billion ($4.5 billion) across key sectors, underscoring the region’s growing economic potential.
The event, organized by the Hafr Al-Batin Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Federation of Saudi Chambers and hosted at the University of Hafr Al-Batin, aimed to position the province as a competitive hub for both local and international investors, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The forum was inaugurated by Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Nayef Al-Saud, who emphasized the province’s strategic advantages for investors.
He highlighted Hafr Al-Batin’s competitive investment landscape, noting its diversified economic opportunities and advantageous location, making it an ideal destination for investors looking to capitalize on sustainable growth prospects.
He also underscored the region’s infrastructure developments, which are critical for attracting investment and creating job opportunities for Saudi nationals.
The agreements signed during the forum marked a significant milestone in Hafr Al-Batin’s economic development, with the forum serving as an important platform for showcasing the region’s investment opportunities.
These agreements are expected to contribute to the province’s growing role in the Kingdom’s economic agenda, aligning with Vision 2030’s objectives of economic diversification and job creation. The event also highlighted Hafr Al-Batin’s efforts to attract foreign capital and foster local content within its industries.
In conjunction with the forum, the Eastern Province Development Authority launched a master plan for Hafr Al-Batin aimed at attracting SR47 billion in private sector investments. This plan is projected to contribute SR11 billion to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product and create more than 60,000 job opportunities for local residents.
One of the key announcements at the forum was the unveiling of the Middle East’s largest livestock city, a SR9 billion project designed to support Saudi Arabia’s goals of achieving self-sufficiency in livestock production and enhancing food security.
The city, backed by the Hafr Al-Batin Livestock and Marketing Association, will be developed on an expansive 11 million sq. meter site. Once operational, the project is expected to meet 30 percent of Saudi Arabia’s demand for red meat while generating over 13,000 jobs.
It will include state-of-the-art livestock farms, fodder production plants, a veterinary hospital, and advanced meat processing facilities. Sustainability will be a core feature, with the city powered by renewable energy, generating 15 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, producing 140,000 liters of milk per day, and 100 tonnes of fodder per hour. The facility will also feature an automated abattoir spanning 170,000 sq. meters, contributing 1.5 million sq. meters of leather production each year.
The forum drew a wide range of participants, including Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdullah bin Faisal, governor of Hafr Al-Batin, as well as high-ranking officials, business leaders, and investors from across the globe. The event was designed to showcase the province’s investment potential in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, healthcare, logistics, and infrastructure—critical areas for the region’s economic transformation.
Hassan Al-Huwaizi, chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, emphasized the forum’s importance in advancing the Kingdom’s economic goals.
He pointed to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s trade and commerce ecosystem, driven in large part by Vision 2030’s transformative strategies, and highlighted the role of the Hafr Al-Batin Investment Forum as a vital platform for introducing the region’s opportunities to both national and international investors.
Sulaiman Al-Aqil, chairman of the Hafr Al-Batin Chamber of Commerce, described the forum as a pivotal moment in the province’s economic evolution.
The event featured participation from 24 government and private entities from 12 countries, four panel discussions with 19 speakers, and the release of a comprehensive economic study on Hafr Al-Batin’s investment potential.
With these agreements and initiatives, the forum not only highlighted the region’s expanding role in Saudi Arabia’s economic future but also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to becoming a leading global investment hub in line with Vision 2030’s objectives.
Poland shuts consulate in Saint Petersburg on Russian order
- Russia ordered the closure in December after Poland said in October it was closing Russia’s consulate in the Polish city of Poznan
- “The Polish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg was shut down upon Russia’s withdrawal of its consent to the activity of the Polish post,” Poland’s foreign ministry said
WARSAW: Poland announced Wednesday it had shut its consulate in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, after Russia ordered the closure in a tit-for-tat move.
Russia ordered the closure in December after Poland said in October it was closing Russia’s consulate in the Polish city of Poznan, accusing Moscow of “sabotage” attempts in the country and its allies.
“The Polish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg was shut down upon Russia’s withdrawal of its consent to the activity of the Polish post,” Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
“It is in retaliation for a decision of the Polish foreign minister to close down Russia’s Consulate General in Poznan in the aftermath of acts of sabotage committed on Polish territory and linked to Russian authorities.”
After Russia ordered the closure, Poland responded that it would close all the Russian consulates on its soil if “terrorism” it blamed on Moscow carried on.
Tensions between Russia and NATO member Poland have escalated since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with both sides expelling dozens of diplomats.
Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv and has been a key transit point for Western arms heading to the embattled country since the conflict began.
In one of the largest espionage trials, Poland in 2023 convicted 14 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine of preparing sabotage on behalf of Moscow as part of a spy ring.
They were found guilty of preparing to derail trains carrying aid to Ukraine, and monitoring military facilities and critical infrastructure in the country.
2 Russian firefighters died in blaze caused by Ukraine drone: governor
- “As a result of the liquidation (of the fire), there are two dead,” said the governor of Saratov region
MOSCOW: Two Russian firefighters died on Wednesday fighting a blaze caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, the local governor said, after Kyiv said it hit an oil depot that supplies Russia’s air force.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the liquidation (of the fire), there are two dead — employees of the emergency situations ministry’s fire department,” Roman Busagrin, governor of the Saratov region where the strike happened, said on Telegram.
Saudi FM discusses Middle East issues with Spanish, British counterparts, UNRWA chief
- Prince Faisal meets Philippe Lazzarini in Riyadh
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received separate phone calls from Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday.
He discussed recent developments in the Middle East with his Spanish and British counterparts, and efforts to address them.
The Saudi foreign minister also met the chief of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Philippe Lazzarini, in Riyadh. They discussed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to cooperate with UNRWA on projects benefiting the Palestinian people.
