SUSRIS Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
India Rolls Out Red Carpet For Prince Salman [Apr 12]
“India rolled out the red carpet for Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman on Sunday as he arrived in New Delhi on the first leg of his four-day visit. Among the senior Indian officials who received Prince Salman at New Delhi airport was E. Ahamed, the minister of state for railways. Talking to Arab News from the Indian capital, he said Saudi Arabia has a special place in the hearts of all Indians because of its fair and balanced conduct in world affairs. ‘Of particular importance is Saudi Arabia’s assurance to India on energy security and its excellent facilities for Indian pilgrims,’ said Ahamed. He said the fact that Prince Salman has come immediately after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Riyadh assumes immense significance. ‘This indicates how far our two countries have traveled in coming closer and closer to each other. The number of accords that were signed during our prime minister’s visit is testimony to our burgeoning relationship with Saudi Arabia.’..” [Complete Report]
Top Saudi Bank NCB Boosts Q1 Net Profit by 35 Percent [Apr 12]
“National Commercial Bank (NCB), Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank by assets, boosted first-quarter net profit by 35.1 percent, becoming the latest lender in the kingdom to post a big gain in profits. State-owned NCB, which is slated for privatisation, made a net profit of 1.41 billion riyals ($377 million) in the quarter after 1.06 billion in the same period a year ago, it said in a statement on Monday. Net lending income rose 3.8 percent, while banking fees ganied 3.1 percent, the bank said, without giving comparison figures. The loan book grew by 11.6 percent to 113.8 million riyals. On Sunday, Riyad Bank 1010.SE posted a lower-than-expected 55 percent rise in quarterly net profit, after a drop in lending income offset a near 23 percent fall in operating costs..” [Complete Report]
Shoura Ratifies Protocol on Child Rights [Apr 12]
“The Shoura Council adopted on Sunday a decision to join an international agreement for protecting the rights of children. The agreement, known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, guarantees the protection of children from being sold, prostituted, and used in pornography and armed conflicts. In a press statement, the Shoura’s secretary-general, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, said the majority of the council’s members voted in favor of joining the agreement. ‘The human rights committee gave a detailed description to the council on the protocol which has 17 articles and aims to protect children from sexual and economic exploitation,’ he said. ‘The protocol also makes it binding on governments to protect children from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. The articles of the protocol also express concern at the sale and exploitation of children in some countries,’..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Arabia: Calls to Criminalize Takfiri Fatwas [Apr 12]
“Saudi Arabia’s Senior Ulema Council is currently holding closed-door sessions to discuss two important issues affecting the kingdom; the financing of terrorism, and Takfiri fatwas. Last week, another closed-door session held by the Saudi Shura Council discussed calls to criminalize Takfiri fatwas that are issued from outside the official religious institute in order to put an end to the issuance of such fatwas that have been on the rise in recent years. Takfiri fatwas are fatwas or religious advisory opinions that state that a certain practice or act is haram or religiously impermissible and that anybody who takes part in such practices is not a Muslim. Sources close to one of the members of the Senior Ulema Council stated to Asharq Al-Awsat that the sessions being held by the council in Riyadh are ‘secret and extraordinary,’ while another source at the Senior Ulema Council explained that the meetings, which commenced on Saturday and will end today Monday 12 April, will discuss the criminalization of the ‘Takfiri fatwas,’ and the ‘financing of terrorism.’..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Haj Companies Urged to Start Yemen Operations [Apr 12]
“Yemeni Minister of Endowments and Guidance Hamoud Al-Hattar has called on Saudi Haj and Umrah companies to do business with his country, adding that problems that previously prevented them from entering the Yemeni market no longer exist. Al-Hattar made the comments on Sunday prior to a meeting with officials from the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives of Haj and Umrah companies. ‘We’ve been working with Haj and Umrah agents and companies with the support of the Ministry of Haj to tackle the issue of Yemeni pilgrims overstaying in the Kingdom for the last three years. Their numbers have now been reduced to less than 1 percent,’ he said. He added that the Yemeni government has set several conditions that have to be met in order for Yemeni nationals to qualify for visas and to ensure they do not overstay..” [Complete Report]
{ 1 trackback }