Poland pulls out of Israel meeting over comments

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, above, was scheduled to attend the meeting in Jerusalem instead of the Polish PM. (AFP)
Updated 18 February 2019
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Poland pulls out of Israel meeting over comments

  • The Israeli comments were directed at Polish actions during World War II

WARSAW: Poland’s prime minister says his country is not sending a delegation to a meeting in Jerusalem after the acting Israeli foreign minister said that Poles “collaborated with the Nazis” and “sucked anti-Semitism from their mothers’ milk.”

The developments mark a new low in a bitter conflict over how to remember and characterize Polish actions toward Jews during the German occupation of Poland in World War II.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the remarks by acting foreign minister Israel Katz “unacceptable” and “racist.”

Morawiecki had already announced Sunday that he was pulling out of the meeting in Israel on Monday and Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of four central European nations. That had followed a comment by Netanyahu last week about Polish cooperation with the Nazis.


Indonesian researchers unearth 500,000-year-old elephant fossils in Java

Updated 2 min 39 sec ago
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Indonesian researchers unearth 500,000-year-old elephant fossils in Java

  • Researchers say found elephant fossils may be almost complete 
  • Central Java is also location of archaeological site Sangiran, where ‘Java Man’ was found

Jakarta: Indonesian researchers have discovered fossils of a prehistoric elephant in Central Java, which they estimate are around 500,000 years old. 

The fossils were found in Patiayam, an archaeological site and mountainous area situated on the border of the Kudus and Pati regencies in Central Java, where, throughout the years, ancient animal fossils have been found.

In 2024, a collaborative team organized by the Center for Prehistory and Austronesian Studies, the Dharma Bakti Lestari Foundation and the National Research and Innovation Agency, known locally as BRIN, launched a research project at the site to explore fossil possibilities. 

Though the initial discovery was made then, researchers postponed the project until this year and expanded the site of excavation, which is still ongoing. 

“Based on the geological formation of the site where it was found, we estimate that the fossils are at least 500,000 years old, give or take. We have yet to conduct a direct dating of the fossils, so this is based on a relative dating of the soil layer,” Mohammad Ruly Fauzi, researcher at CPAS and BRIN, told Arab News. 

“We have been able to identify that these belong to an elephas type, but not the specific species … What’s clear is that this is a very big elephant, nothing like elephants today …. It’s prehistoric, not early historic period.”

He said the excavation has made about 50 percent progress and that the elements found so far make up the front part of an elephant. 

“It’s interesting because this is shaping up to be an almost complete fossil … They are all situated pretty closely.” 

Once the excavation is completed, the fossils will be preserved as part of a collection at the Patiayam Archaeological Museum. The discovery might help Patiayam gain recognition as a cultural heritage site, Fauzi added. 

“Every site has its own unique qualities, but Patiayam site is particularly interesting and very deserving to gain status as a national cultural heritage site in our opinion … This research can help serve as a foundation for officials to decide,” he said. 

Central Java, where Patiayam is located, is also home to the Sangiran Early Man Site, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its significant collection of Homo erectus fossils, dating from 1.1 million to 800,000 years ago, including the “Java Man.” 


Ukraine has cleared 20 percent of mined land, PM says

Updated 1 min 16 sec ago
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Ukraine has cleared 20 percent of mined land, PM says

KYIV: Ukraine has intensified efforts to clear land mines and has cut the affected area to around 137,000 square km (53,000 square miles), a 20 percent reduction from the end of 2022, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday.
Most of the remaining mined areas are farmland, Shmyhal added.
Ukraine is a global major grain grower but it reduced harvests sharply after Russia’s 2022 invasion left large areas occupied and mined.
Shmyhal said about 9,000 people from 112 specialized companies are now involved in mine clearance.
Military analysts say Ukraine needs at least 10 years to demine all territories.


Petcare and snacking help Saudi consumer spending remain resilient: NielsenIQ

Updated 26 min 21 sec ago
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Petcare and snacking help Saudi consumer spending remain resilient: NielsenIQ

RIYADH: Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia remained resilient in the year to March, with outlays on low-cost goods rising 3.3 percent, according to a new report by NielsenIQ.  

The analysis by the consumer intelligence company showed that spending on tech and durables also rose by 0.2 percent.

The findings are in line with data recently released by the Saudi Central Bank, which showed that Saudi consumer spending hit an all-time high in March, surging 17 percent to SR148 billion ($39.45 billion) — the highest monthly figure since May 2021 — before easing to SR113.9 billion in April.

The trend is further supported by the increased use of digital point-of-sale transactions and rising e-commerce activity through Mada card payments. 

In NielsenIQ’s report, Andrey Dvoychenkov, general manager at the firm, credited the strategic visions and initiatives across the region for helping to drive continued economic momentum.

“We’re seeing strong growth in both premium and value segments, and a rapid evolution in retail channels — especially online. For brands, success hinges on relevance, agility, and a deep understanding of consumer expectations,” Dvoychenkov added.  

The report also revealed that in the UAE spending on so-called fast-moving consumer goods climbed 7 percent, while tech and durables outlays reached $5.3 billion — up 2 percent year on year.

Top product trends 

In Saudi Arabia, category performance pointed to changing consumption priorities. Petcare saw the strongest growth at 10 percent, followed by snacking at 9 percent, while paper products and home care posted declines.  

The UAE’s fast-moving consumer goods growth was driven by higher spending on snacking, beverages, dairy, and frozen foods, with personal care up 6 percent. 

Growth in tech and durables was led by smartphones, media tablets, vacuum cleaners, and headsets.  

Retail formats are evolving, with traditional trade channels in the UAE posting 10 percent growth in fast-moving consumer goods — outpacing organized retail at 3.2 percent — while tech and durables growth remained evenly distributed across formats. 

E-commerce continues to expand, accounting for 30 percent of sales of tech and durables and 11 percent of fast-moving consumer goods in the UAE — up from 9 percent a year ago. 

In Saudi Arabia, tech and durables e-commerce sales rose 7.7 percent, and fast-moving consumer goods’ online share increased by 1.4 percentage points. 

More choice for consumers

NielsenIQ’s latest report showed that Saudi Arabia is now home to over 10,500 active brands, up 5 percent year over year, and nearly 100,000 stock keeping units, or SKUs.  

In the UAE, brand count rose 6 percent to 13,000, with SKUs reaching 130,000. In tech and durables, brand activity expanded 18 percent in the UAE and 21 percent in Saudi Arabia, with both markets seeing SKU growth of more than 50 percent.  

Consumer spending is increasingly polarized between value and premium segments. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE recorded double-digit growth in these areas within fast-moving consumer goods.  

In tech and durables, value-focused categories grew 6 percent in Saudi Arabia and 3 percent in the UAE, underscoring a heightened sensitivity to price and increased availability of cost-effective options.  

The NielsenIQ’s findings backup a 2024 joint report by UAE-based gifting marketplace Flowwow and partner marketing platform Admitad which showed that online order volumes rose by 9 percent in Saudi Arabia and 7 percent in the UAE, highlighting the foundational strength of digital consumer activity in both markets.  

An analysis of over 6.8 million transactions across the Middle East and North Africa placed Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait among the top contributors by gross merchandise value, reflecting high levels of consumer engagement and sustained investment in digital channels. 

Consumer confidence high 

Saudi Arabia’s growth aligns with continued positive readings in consumer sentiment. The May 2025 Primary Consumer Sentiment Index, released by Ipsos, recorded a score of 72.2, marginally down from 72.4 in April.  

The Kingdom remains among the top-performing countries globally on key economic indicators, with 64 percent of respondents rating the current economy as strong.  

Additionally, 40 percent said their personal financial situation is strong, and 77 percent felt more confident about their ability to invest in the future compared to six months ago.  

Looking ahead, 84 percent expect their local economy to strengthen over the next six months, though confidence in job security has softened slightly, particularly among resident Arab and Asian expatriates. 

The region’s growing economic appeal has intensified competition, particularly in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.  

As economic growth in the Gulf continues to outpace the global average — 3 percent for Saudi Arabia and 4 percent for the UAE in 2025, compared to 3.2 percent globally — brands face a growing need to adapt strategies to navigate a digitally connected, value-conscious, and increasingly competitive consumer environment. 


India defense minister heads to China summit

Updated 40 min 23 sec ago
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India defense minister heads to China summit

  • Rajnath Singh will join fellow regional defense ministers in China’s Qingdao city for SCO summit starting Wednesday 
  • He will call for joint, consistent efforts to eliminate “terrorism” and extremism in the region, says Indian defense ministry 

NEW DELHI: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China this week for talks with his regional counterparts, New Delhi said Tuesday.

Ties between the world’s two most populous nations have improved in recent months, after hitting a low in 2020 over a deadly clash between their troops on the Himalayan border.

Singh will join fellow defense ministers in the eastern city of Qingdao for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit starting Wednesday.

He will “outline India’s vision toward achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region,” a defense ministry statement said.

Singh will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from China and Russia, which are alliance members alongside Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

Ahead of the two-day SCO meeting, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks in Beijing with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

Doval “underscored the need to promote the overall development of the India-China bilateral relations,” New Delhi said Monday.

Wang said relations have “seen some positive developments” since the two countries’ leaders met last year, China’s foreign ministry said.

Beijing has granted permission to Indian pilgrims wishing to trek to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site holy to Hindus and Buddhists, for the first time since the deadly 2020 clash.

The rival countries have also agreed to expedite resuming direct flights.


France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

Updated 44 min 54 sec ago
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France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

PARIS: French anti-fraud authorities said on Tuesday they have ordered US electric car giant Tesla’s local subsidiary to stop “deceptive commercial practices” after an investigation found several violations harmful to consumers and contrary to law.
The fraud prevention and consumer protection agency (DGCCRF) said its agents investigated Tesla’s French subsidiary between 2023 and 2024 after reports were filed on a consumer complaint platform.
The probe revealed “deceptive commercial practices regarding the fully autonomous driving capabilities of Tesla vehicles, the availability of certain options and vehicle trade-in offers,” it said.
The agency also cited delays in refunding canceled orders, a lack of information on the location of deliveries and incomplete sales contracts, among other violations.
Tesla was given four months to comply with regulations.
It faces a daily fine of 50,000 euros ($58,000) if it fails to stop deceptive commercial practices over the fully autonomous driving option of certain Tesla models.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Tesla sales have tanked in Europe in recent months owing to an aging fleet of cars, rising competition and consumer distaste for Elon Musk’s role in US President Donald Trump’s administration.