LONDON: Vue International is set to open up to 30 multiplex cinemas in Saudi Arabia over the next three years after signing a deal with Riyadh-based Abdulmohsin Al-Hokair Holding Group.
The official memorandum of understanding signed on Monday follows the announcement last December that Saudi Arabia would lift the ban on commercial cinemas for the first time in 35 years.
Vue International has been in talks with Riyadh since last October, after the operator was the only cinema chain to be invited to the Future Investment Initiative event held that month.
“This is a huge moment in the history of global cinema development for the exhibition industry and we are honored to be partnering with such a well regarded and prestigious operator,” said Tim Richards, founder and chief executive, Vue International in an official statement.
“Cinema has been an exciting form of out of home entertainment for over 100 years and the opening up of the Kingdom is testament to the industry’s continuing growth and resilience.”
The first cinemas could be opened later this year, according to a Vue International release.
Al-Hokair Group is known in the region for building and operating leisure and hospitality complexes, and currently owns and operates three shopping centers, 79 entertainment centers and 45 hotels in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, and Egypt.
Lavender thrives in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders region
The plan has been observed to grow on the edge of the Nafud Desert, signaling its potential expansion throughout the region
An environmentalist said the plant could play a crucial role in increasing vegetation cover and fighting desertification
Updated 21 sec ago
SPA
ARAR: The Northern Borders region of Saudi Arabia, a vast area spanning approximately 104,000 square kilometers, boasts a richly aromatic, seasonal, and annual plant biodiversity.
These plants play a crucial role in sustainable development, combating desertification, increasing vegetation cover, stabilizing soil, and fostering ecotourism. Lavender has recently emerged as a prominent species among the region's diverse flora.
Lavender, characterized by its fragrant scent and vibrant purple hue, has been observed on the edge of the Nafud Desert, signaling its potential expansion throughout the region. This emergence highlights the region's ecological significance and capacity to support diverse plant life.
Nasser Al-Majlad, head of the Aman Environmental Association, told SPA that the lavender species is Horwoodia dicksoniae. This annual herbaceous plant features branching stems, typically reaching about 30 centimeters in height, and large, lobed leaves. Its dark lilac flowers, gathered in spike inflorescences, release a distinctive fragrance.
The plant thrives in shallow sandy loam and is valued for its ornamental qualities, making it suitable for cultivation in both homes and gardens. Its smooth brown seeds further contribute to its propagation.
Al-Majlad emphasized the positive impact of nature reserves and the Saudi Green Initiative on the region's ecology. These initiatives have facilitated afforestation, land reclamation, and the protection of wild areas, contributing to the resurgence of numerous trees and plants, including lavender, within the environmental landscape.
US imposes fresh round of sanctions against Russia ahead of Trump return to White House
Sanctions target Russia’s military industrial base and evasion schemes
Congressional approval required to lift some sanctions on critical Russian entities
China-based entities, Kyrgyzstan financial institution among targets
Updated 16 January 2025
Reuters
WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday imposed hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, seeking to increase pressure on Moscow in the Biden administration’s final days and protect some sanctions previously imposed.
The US State and Treasury departments imposed sanctions on over 250 targets, including some based in China, taking aim at Russia’s evasion of US sanctions and its military industrial base.
As part of the action, the Treasury imposed new curbs on almost 100 entities that were already under sanctions, potentially complicating any future efforts to remove the measures.
Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Treasury in a statement said Washington was imposing fresh sanctions on almost 100 critical Russian entities — including Russian banks and companies operating in Russia’s energy sector — that were previously sanctioned by the United States. It said the move increases secondary sanctions risk for them.
The new sanctions are issued under an executive order that a senior Treasury official said requires Congress to be notified before any of the actions can be reversed.
Jeremy Paner, a partner at the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, said the actions are “Trump-proofed,” preventing reversal of the additional sanctions without congressional approval.
“You can’t just with the stroke of a pen remove what’s being done,” he said.
Edward Fishman, a former US official who is now a research scholar at Columbia University, called it a “very significant action.”
“It protects these sanctions against sort of any frivolous decision to lift them,” he said. “It gives the new Trump administration more leverage with Russia.”
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was unclear how Donald Trump, who succeeds President Joe Biden on Monday, will approach the issue of sanctions on Russia. Trump has been friendly toward Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and said on Monday that he would aim to meet quickly with him to discuss Ukraine.
When asked about his strategy to end the war, Trump told Newsmax: “Well, there’s only one strategy and it’s up to Putin and I can’t imagine he’s too thrilled about the way it’s gone because it hasn’t gone exactly well for him either.”
Sanctions evasion scheme
Washington also took action against a sanctions evasion scheme established between actors in Russia and China, targeting regional clearing platforms in the two countries that it said have been working to allow cross-border payments for sensitive goods. The Treasury said several Russian banks under US sanctions were participants.
“China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’,” Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in a statement.
“The normal economic and trade exchanges between China and Russia should not be interfered with or disrupted, and should not be used as a tool to smear and contain China.”
Also hit with sanctions on Wednesday was Keremet Bank, a Kyrgyzstan-based financial institution the Treasury accused of coordinating with Russian officials and a bank identified by the United States as circumventing sanctions.
Keremet Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US State Department also imposed sanctions on Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
The plant, located in Ukraine’s south east, was captured by Russia shortly after it launched the invasion in 2022. It is shut down but needs external power to keep its nuclear material cool and prevent a meltdown.
The sanctions will not affect its operations, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing the plant’s spokeswoman.
The Biden administration has imposed rafts of punitive measures targeting Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has killed or wounded thousands and reduced cities to rubble. Washington has repeatedly sought to counter the evasion of its measures.
Less than a week ago, the administration imposed its broadest package of sanctions so far targeting Russia’s oil and gas revenues in an effort to give Kyiv and Trump’s incoming team leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine.
Key negotiators who helped get a Gaza ceasefire deal
Qatar, Egypt and the United States mediated the long-running efforts to halt the fighting in the ravaged Palestinian territory
Updated 16 January 2025
AP
DOHA: A ceasefire agreement in Gaza has been reached between Israel and Hamas after more than 15 months of war. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have mediated the long-running efforts to halt the fighting in the ravaged Palestinian territory, often coming close to a deal before a frustrating breakdown in negotiations.
The latest round of talks proved successful this week, with all sides bringing their top negotiators to the Qatari capital, Doha.
Here is a look at the key players who negotiated the deal: David Barnea
The head of Israel’s spy agency headed up Israel’s negotiation team throughout the negotiation process.
Working alongside the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency and top political and military advisers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and meeting with the Biden administration, Barnea was the highest-profile member of the Israeli negotiating team — but kept his own proclivities private during the talks. Ronen Bar
The head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency also has been involved in negotiations for months. Bar’s agency handles matters relating to Palestinian security prisoners, some of whom, under the agreed-upon deal, are set to be released by Israel in exchange for hostages.
Bar has led the agency since 2021. Just days after the devastating Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that launched the war, he took responsibility for failing to thwart the militants. He said investigations into what happened would need to come after the war. Khalil Al-Hayya
The acting head of Hamas’ political bureau and the militant group’s chief negotiator is based in Qatar but does not meet directly with Israeli or American officials, communicating instead through Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
His role increased in importance after Israeli soldiers killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, was believed to be dictating the Hamas stance in negotiations up until his death.
But even before Sinwar’s death, Al-Hayya was managing affairs for the militant group. Al-Hayya, seen as less of a hard-liner than Sinwar, had served as Sinwar’s deputy and had managed ceasefire negotiations in 2014 as well.
He is a longtime official with the group and survived an Israeli airstrike that hit his home in Gaza in 2007, killing several of his family members.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister led his country’s pivotal mediation efforts in the stop-start negotiations. He has been a key communicator with Hamas throughout the process, as Israel and Hamas have not communicated directly.
The most consequential phase of negotiations — those that have occurred over the last few weeks — took place in Doha, his country’s capital.
Al Thani said the ceasefire would take effect Sunday. Hassan Rashad
The director of Egypt’s General Intelligence Agency was also a liaison with Hamas throughout the talks.
Rashad took office in October 2024, replacing former chief intelligence official Abbas Kamel, who led the negotiations during the first ceasefire in November 2023.
Several rounds of negotiations have occurred in Cairo, and the mediators will move to the Egyptian capital Thursday for further talks on implementing the deal. Brett McGurk
President Joe Biden’s top Middle East adviser has been putting together a draft of the deal from the discussions with the two sides as the lead negotiator in the Israel-Hamas negotiations.
McGurk has been a fixture in US Mideast policy for more than two decades in the National Security Council and White House under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
He’s shuttled frequently to the Middle East for talks with senior officials about the conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah. Steve Witkoff
President-elect Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East has met separately in recent weeks with Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, another key mediator.
Witkoff, a Florida real estate investor and co-chair of Trump’s inaugural committee, has kept in contact with Biden’s foreign policy team as the incoming Trump and outgoing Biden administrations coordinated on the deal.
Trump’s outsider Cabinet picks are rapidly gaining support for confirmation
Updated 16 January 2025
AP
WASHINGTON: One by one, all the president-elect’ s men, and women, are falling into place in his Cabinet.
While Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth’s nomination was teetering toward collapse just weeks ago, he now appears on track for confirmation after a fiery Senate hearing that focused on his drinking, views of women in combat and lack of high-profile management experience for the top US military job.
President-elect Donald Trump’s other nominees pushed Wednesday through a gauntlet of confirmation hearings with the help of allied Senate Republicans carrying them toward the finish line, despite Democratic objections. One of them, potential FBI director Kash Patel, popped into a private Senate GOP lunch Wednesday to say hello.
“These nominees are bold choices,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the GOP whip, in earlier remarks.
He predicted the Senate will begin start voting on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to confirm Trump’s picks. A long haul for some of Trump’s picks
To be sure, Trump’s more controversial choices of Patel, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have yet to come before senators for public questioning. Once they do, they face a long haul ahead in winning over skeptics from both sides of the political aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike.
In a letter to Republican senators Wednesday, an organization headed by Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, said it was “deeply concerned” over Kennedy over his views on abortion, and urged senators to reject him for secretary of Health and Human Services.
Protesters with the group CodePink demonstrate at the start of the Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing for Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images via AFP)
But Hegseth’s ability to mount a political comeback, take the fight to his critics and turn his nomination into a litmus test of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement stands as a powerful example of the incoming White House’s ability to get what it wants. The Trump team’s allies, including billionaire Elon Musk and others, amplified support for Hegseth, pushing him forward.
“If anyone in the Senate GOP votes against confirming Pete Hegseth after his stellar performance today, there will be a primary challenge waiting for you,” wrote Trump ally Charlie Kirk on X. “You can take that to the bank.” Momentum for Hegseth — and some others
The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote on Hegseth’s nomination on Monday, sending it to the full Senate for consideration, with confirmation possible later that week.
With a nod of support from GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor who initially had questions for Hegseth, the former Army National Guard veteran powered past his biggest potential roadblock. Ernst faced an onslaught of personal and political attacks as she wavered on supporting Hegseth, an early signal to others.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said the criticism of Hegseth was not as powerful as the image of “a warrior with dust on his boots who’s actually done the things.”
On Wednesday, a half dozen more Trump nominees appeared before Senate committees as his team floods the zone, senators dashing between hearing rooms to participate in as many sessions as possible.
Pam Bondi, the nominee for Attorney General, was grilled by Democrats probing whether she believed Trump lost the 2020 election, she said Biden won, or would stand up to presidential pardons for those convicted of crimes in relation to Jan. 6, 2021.
“You say the right things, that you’re going to be the ‘people’s lawyer,’” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut.
“But I believe being the ‘people’s lawyer’ means you have to be able to say no to the president of the United States,” he said. “You have to be able to say Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, you dodged that question... You have to be able to say Jan. 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn’t be pardoned.”
Bondi responded: “I don’t have to say anything. I will answer the questions to the best of my ability, and honestly.”
Another Trump nominee, Russ Vought, a Project 2025 architect tapped to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, was asked if he would commit to releasing congressional approved funding for Ukraine. He vowed to “always commit to upholding the law.”
And California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla asked Trump’s Energy nominee Chris Wright if he still believes “wildfires are just hype,” in the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires that have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Wright said he stood by his past comments. He then said climate change is real before Padilla cut him off. Republicans eye quick votes after Trump’s inauguration
On Monday, Trump is expected come inside the Capitol after he is inaugurated to sign the paperwork to formally nominate his picks for top Cabinet and administrative positions, launching the confirmation process.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said the Senate will vote on nominees as soon as they are ready.
First up could be Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a former Trump rival for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, who is now the president-elect’s choice for secretary of state.
Rubio promised an “America First” foreign policy agenda during his own confirmation hearing Wednesday. As a well-known senator, he is expected to have broad support from Republicans, as well as Democrats. His confirmation vote could be as soon as Monday evening.
Other nominees, including Hegseth, are expected to face a tougher path to confirmation.
Republicans narrowly hold a majority in the Senate, 53-47, but they are down to 52 after Vice President-elect JD Vance resigned his seat last week ahead of taking office. That means Trump’s nominees need support from almost every GOP senator for majority confirmation over objections from Democrats.
Moreover, Democrats are expected to mount procedural hurdles that would require Hegseth and other nominees to go through multiple steps before final confirmation. Consideration of Hegseth and others could drag toward the end of next week.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer all but acknowledged Democrats, as the minority, are essentially powerless to prevent Trump from getting his desired team.
“It’s important to have a record of these nominees,” Schumer said Wednesday as the hearings pushed ahead. “Even if they get confirmed in the end.”
