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RIYADH: The ongoing conflcit in the Middle East could expose weaknesses in the legal structures of sukuk, particularly where the bonds are backed by physical assets that may be damaged in attacks, S&P Global Ratings
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Alix Earle Claps Back at Alex Cooper's Rant!!!🫢 Published April 13, 2026 3:52 PM PDT The Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle drama is officially popping off ... 'cause now Alix is clapping back! Alix kept
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JEDDAH: Bahrain’s economy grew 3.5 percent in 2025, driven by a 4.1 percent expansion in non-oil sectors that offset a contraction in oil output, according to official data. Non-oil activities accounted for 85.8 percent of
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'Real Housewives' Lisa Hochstein Charged for Allegedly Spying On Ex-Hubby Lenny Published April 13, 2026 2:48 PM PDT 'Real Housewives of Miami' star Lisa Hochstein is facing a felony charge down in Florida ... with
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Tuesday. (Reuters) Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan landed in Australia Tuesday for a four-day visit with engagements covering sport, mental health and veterans' affairs. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their trip at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, where they took part in an activity in the hospital's therapeutic garden spaces."It was a genuinely meaningful visit for our staff and for the young people receiving care," said Dr Peter Steer, the hospital's CEO.Harry, wearing a navy suit and white shirt, spoke to children and posed for photographs with patients in the foyer of the hospital, calling one of the handmade signs welcoming the couple "beautiful".Meghan, who wore a matching A$1,250 ($885) navy dress by Sydney-based designer Karen Gee, later helped serve food at a women's domestic violence shelter in the city.The Sussexes stepped down as working members of the British royal family and moved to the US in 2020, citing a desire to be financially independent and to escape what they characterised as media intrusion into their private lives.They last visited Australia in 2018 while still working royals, announcing Meghan's first pregnancy hours after arriving in Sydney.Their latest visit has captured public attention in Australia, where Britain's King Charles is the head of state, though a sizeable minority supports becoming a republic. But there was little sign of the ecstatic reception that greeted them on the 2018 trip. Television networks aired footage that they said showed the couple arriving in Melbourne on a commercial flight from Los Angeles, before being taken from the tarmac in a vehicle convoy.The couple's travel is being privately funded, though local media reported some policing costs associated with the visit would be paid by Australian taxpayers, sparking a protest petition signed by more than 45,000 people.The couple will travel to the capital, Canberra, Wednesday to meet military veterans, attend a mental health summit in Melbourne Thursday and round off the joint leg of their trip with sailing and rugby events in Sydney on Friday.In contrast to their previous visit, the Sussexes will also undertake commercial activities while in Australia, with Meghan remaining in the country to host a wellness retreat at a luxury beachside hotel in Sydney over the weekend.Tickets for the event, which includes yoga, manifestation and sound healing, start at A$2,699 ($1,912) per person. Related Story
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (Reuters/File photo) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz made it hard to be optimistic about the fallout from the Iran war, warning that high oil prices and supply-chain strains were likely to persist for some time.Lee told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday the government should treat prolonged disruption in global energy and raw materials markets as a given and reinforce its emergency response system."For the time being, difficulties in global energy and raw materials supply chains and high oil prices will continue," Lee said."I ask that we pursue the development of alternative supply chains, medium- to long-term industrial restructuring, and the transition to a post-plastic economy as top-priority national strategic projects." Lee also urged ministries to move quickly to deploy a supplementary budget passed in response to the war.At the meeting, ministers outlined steps to contain the economic shock from the conflict, including support for crude imports, controls against hoarding of petrochemical feedstocks and medical supplies, and expanded financial assistance for affected companies.Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were still affecting supplies and that even if the passage normalises, it could take around 20 days for Middle Eastern cargoes to reach South Korea.The government is prioritising support for the passage of seven South Korea-bound oil tankers stuck in the Gulf area, a document shown during the cabinet meeting said. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told the meeting that the ministry had sent officials to the Congo, Algeria and Libya in a bid to secure energy supplies, in addition to presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik travelling to countries such as Kazakhstan since last week."I also urge the parties to this war to take courageous steps toward the peace the world so desperately wants, based on the principles of protecting universal human rights and the lessons of history," Lee said. South Korea's energy ministry said on Tuesday it would begin rolling out a revised seasonal and time-of-use electricity pricing system to shift power demand away from evening peak hours toward midday, when solar generation is higher. The new rates take effect for large industrial users from April 16 while weekend discounts for electric-vehicle charging will begin on April 18. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern oil producers are in contact with South Korea about using the country's petroleum storage facilities as disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz continue, a South Korean industry ministry official said on Tuesday, signalling growing interest in offshore crude storage hubs.Yang Ki-wook, a senior official at the industry ministry, told a briefing that Middle Eastern countries were showing increased interest in storing oil outside the strait because a prolonged disruption in logistics would hit their economies and pre-positioning crude could reduce export risks.Yang said that in addition to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), which already has a joint stockpiling agreement with South Korea, other Middle Eastern producers were also in contact, though he did not identify them. Related Story
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Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - July 31, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen arrives ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. REUTERS Nigel Mansell said he had "total sympathy" with Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen in slamming Formula One's new rules era but expected the governing FIA to make changes to get back to "proper racing". Red Bull's Verstappen has been outspoken against the sacrifice of flat-out speed for energy management, calling the situation "fundamentally flawed" while McLaren's world champion Lando Norris has branded the racing "artificial".Mansell, the 1992 world champion with Williams who was nicknamed "Il Leone" by Ferrari fans for his raw speed and big-hearted bravery, told Reuters on Tuesday that he recognised their frustrations."I've got to echo and support the drivers 100%," he said at an appearance to publicise a Pop-Up Hotel, complete with pool and palm trees, for his home British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July."It's very disappointing to have the stallion of all racing cars, Formula One, appearing in the first races that they're not actually racing at times. That's very alien to the fans, certainly alien to a race car driver who's trying to input their special skills into it."And I have total sympathy with Max. Would I have voiced it as strong as he has? Perhaps not...but you know, what Lando says is perfect. What all the others have said is true. And I think the powers that be, they're listening."SERIES OF TECHNICAL MEETINGS BEFORE NEXT RACE Formula One's governing body held an initial meeting of technical experts last Thursday to discuss possible changes to the regulations after the first three races, with several more sessions to come before the next race in Miami on May 3.The new power units, split roughly 50-50 between electric and combustion power, have brought new challenges with drivers having to ease off the throttle early and coast into high-speed corners so the combustion engine can recharge the battery.The FIA has scheduled a Sporting Regulations meeting on Wednesday with another technical session on Thursday this week. There will then be a "high-level meeting with representation from all stakeholders" on April 20 to seek a consensus on preferred options put forward.Mansell hoped the cars would soon again be driven "as they should be" and warned it would be a huge mistake if they don't tweak it enough."Hopefully, they will tweak it enough (so) that what we've been witnessing in the first couple of races won't be carried forward into the next races," he said.The Briton also tipped seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton to come back strong after finally stepping onto the podium with Ferrari following a barren 2025 and at the age of 41."I'm sorry, I'm biased about Lewis. I think he's fantastic, what he's achieved is monumental," said the 72-year-old."If he's given the goods to do the job, I still think he can win. And I think he has all the capabilities to win another world championship, which will be epic."I think you'll see he's got fire in his belly more now than ever. I think Ferrari could do extremely well this year once everyone stops coasting all the time and we can have proper racing again."Let Formula One be Formula One as it has been. It just needs tweaking. As long as they tweak it enough, happy days." Related Story
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Iga Swiatek is hoping to benefit from new coach Francisco Roig's experience and technical expertise when the world number four begins her claycourt season at the Stuttgart Open this week after a disappointing start to the year.The Polish six-times Grand Slam champion lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before a shock second-round defeat by Magda Linette in the Miami Open last month.That prompted Swiatek to part ways with her coach Wim Fissette and hire Roig, who worked with her idol Rafa Nadal from 2005-22 and more recently with Briton Emma Raducanu."I'm really happy to start with Francis," Swiatek told a press conference in Stuttgart."I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations. I feel Francisco has lived through everything on tour."It's going really amazing ... I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, it's nice to have some security in that."Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles on her favoured clay courts, began preparations for the Grand Slam that begins on May 24 with a training block at Nadal's academy in Mallorca under the watchful eyes of the Spaniard."I asked if it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him," Swiatek said."It was a privilege to have him on court. I honestly didn't have many expectations because I know he's super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always has different projects and everything."Now I'll continue with Francisco. He'll be the person that takes care of the whole process. That's the plan for now." Related Story
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Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) takes a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second-leg football match against Sporting
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Qatar’s top beach volleyball pair, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan powered into the semi-finals of the 2026 AVC Beach Tour - 25th Samila Open in Thailand after a flawless run marked by dominant straight-sets victories. The Qatari duo, former Olympic bronze medallists, and Asia's top beach volleyball pair, topped Pool B with authority before continuing their momentum in the knockout rounds. They secured their semi-final place with a convincing 21-9, 21-7 win over China’s Li Wei and Du Hongjun, then followed it up with another clinical performance against Kazakhstan’s Bogatu Sergey and Kirill Gurin, winning 21-16, 21-18 in Round 2. Younousse and Tijan will now face Australia’s D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse in the semi-finals, as they aim to extend their unbeaten streak and push for the title. Related Story
