Somalia says 5 soldiers killed in battle with jihadists/node/2526601/world
Somalia says 5 soldiers killed in battle with jihadists
Police officers stand near the bodies of alleged Al-Shabab militants who have been killed after the siege at the Mogadishu Municipality Headquarters in Mogadishu on January 22, 2023. (AFP)
Somalia says 5 soldiers killed in battle with jihadists
Government says close to 50 fighters from the Islamist militant group were killed
The resurgent Al-Shabab claims it had taken multiple locations in the center of the country
Updated 12 August 2024
AFP
MOGADISHU: Somalia’s government said five of its soldiers died in a battle in which they killed nearly 50 fighters from the Islamist militant group Al-Shabab Saturday, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu.
Government troops and supporting militia forces got word of an attack planned by Al-Shabab in Ceeldheer, in the Galgadud region, set an ambush and “destroyed” them, said a statement.
Their forces killed at least 47 members of the militant group while losing five soldiers in the battle, said the authorities. They said airstrikes were also carried out against the Al-Shabab forces.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Ceeldheer.
Local resident Mohamed Hussein told AFP by telephone: “There was heavy fighting in Ceeldheer town this morning after Al-Shabab attacked the town from several directions.
“It was very hard to say who is in control a while ago but now we can see that the Somali government forces are in full control,” he added.
Another local man, Hassan Gutale, said: “There were at least six heavy explosions and fighting that lasted several hours.”
Elected in May, 2022, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed to wage “total war” against the Islamist group.
Al-Shabab has been waging a deadly insurgency against the fragile central government in Mogadishu for more than 16 years.
Although driven out of the capital by an African Union force in 2011, they still have a strong presence in rural Somalia.
They have carried out repeated attacks against political, security and civilian targets, mostly in Somalia but also in neighboring countries including Kenya.
Somalia’s beleaguered federal government has joined forces with local clan militia against the Islamists, retaking swathes of territory in central Somalia in an operation backed by an AU mission known as ATMIS and US air strikes.
But the offensive has suffered setbacks, with Al-Shabab earlier this year claiming it had taken multiple locations in the center of the country.
Sheikh Badr bin Muhammad Al-Turki and Sheikh Al-Waleed bin Khalid Al-Shamsan were appointed as imams at the Grand Mosque
Sheikh Muhammad bin Ahmed Barhaji and Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Qarafi were appointed as imams at the Prophet’s Mosque
Updated 20 min 21 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Two new imams have been appointed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and another two at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Sheikh Badr bin Muhammad Al-Turki and Sheikh Al-Waleed bin Khalid Al-Shamsan were appointed to the prestigious position at the Grand Mosque while Sheikh Muhammad bin Ahmed Barhaji and Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Qarafi were appointed at the Prophet’s Mosque.
The appointments were made by royal decree, SPA said.
Civilians bear brunt in ‘catastrophic’ Lebanon conflict, UN official says
Imran Riza, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said the pace of displacement since Sept. 23 had exceeded worst case scenarios
“The level of trauma, the level of fear among the population, has been extreme,” he said
Updated 42 min 31 sec ago
Reuters
BEIRUT: Civilians are bearing the brunt of a “truly catastrophic” situation in Lebanon, a senior UN official said, urging respect for the rules of war nearly two weeks since Israel launched a major offensive against the armed group Hezbollah.
With around 1 million people in Lebanon impacted, Imran Riza, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said the pace of displacement since Sept. 23 had exceeded worst case scenarios, and too much damage was being done to civilian infrastructure.
“What we saw from Sept. 23 on is truly catastrophic,” Riza said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. He was referring to the day when Israel dramatically ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing more than 500 people in a single day, according to Lebanese government figures.
“The level of trauma, the level of fear among the population, has been extreme,” he said.
Israel says its campaign against the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah aims to secure the return home of Israelis evacuated from areas near the Lebanese border as a result of nearly a year of Hezbollah fire into northern Israel.
The Lebanese government says around 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, the southern suburbs of Beirut and other parts of the country. Some have been killed in Israeli strikes after having been displaced.
“You’ve got people being displaced from one place to another, thinking they were going to a safe place, and then that being struck,” Riza said.
Riza said 97 medical and emergency workers had been killed — the majority of them in the last 10 days. There has been too much damage to civilian infrastructure, and civilians have been “bearing the great brunt of what’s been going on,” he said.
He noted that international humanitarian law requires that humanitarians be allowed to access people in need, and that civilian infrastructure and water systems be protected.
“This is what we call for when we’re saying respect the rules of war in this,” he said. “Unfortunately, we are seeing a situation where we have to go back to everybody and advocate for these basics in terms of protecting civilians.”
The conflict began a nearly a year ago when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas, at the start of the Gaza war. It marks the worst conflict since Hezbollah fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006.
Riza and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday launched a $426 million appeal to mobilize resources for civilians affected by the conflict.
Lebanon was already suffering myriad crises before this conflict began.
As a result, Riza said Lebanon was less well placed to deal with conflict now than in 2006: “People don’t have buffers the way they had in 2006, on the other hand the institutions that are there to help them are much weaker.”
How AI is transforming the banking industry and leading the fight against fraud
Banks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are adopting AI-driven programs to help improve accuracy, efficiency, and security
AI is already facilitating faster decision-making and personalized services, boosting customer satisfaction and driving innovation
Updated 32 min 51 sec ago
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is transforming the banking industry by creating seamless customer experiences, automatically detecting fraudulent activity, and completing time-consuming tasks normally performed by humans.
According to a report published this year by McKinsey, generative AI could add between $200 billion and $340 billion a year in value across the global banking sector, largely through increased productivity.
Earlier this year, Riyad Bank announced the launch of its new “Center of Intelligence,” which will introduce AI technologies and services to the Saudi banking sector.
Using machine learning and modeling, the center will offer a cutting-edge environment for AI-driven research, innovation and analysis. It will also use machine-learning techniques and solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the bank’s investments and operations.
Mazen Pharaon, chief digital officer at Riyad Bank, called AI “a strategic asset and game changer” for the industry.
“It’s also instrumental in helping us offer exceptional financial services to our customers and financial performance to our shareholders,” he told Arab News.
AI offers significant advantages over traditional, human-led methods, including enhanced efficiency, accuracy and scalability, Pharaon said.
“It enables us to process large volumes of data rapidly, delivering insights that would be challenging to obtain through conventional techniques.
“AI also facilitates accelerated decision-making and personalized services, boosting customer satisfaction and driving innovation.
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“Additionally, AI helps us identify new business opportunities, reducing costs and improving risk management by identifying potential issues before they escalate.”
Money management has not been entirely handed over to the machines, however. AI-driven automated decisions at Riyad Bank are complemented by human oversight to guarantee accountability and ethical compliance.
“While AI excels at processing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns at scale, our experts are involved in reviewing and validating key decisions and their expected impact,” Pharaon said.
“This hybrid approach allows us to leverage AI’s power while preserving the essential human supervision and oversight in banking.”
Riyad Bank’s long-term vision is to extend AI across all business areas.
“Our aspiration at Riyad is to embed the use of AI, data science and advanced analytics in the bank’s DNA and overall processes,” Pharaon said.
Mashreq Bank, a privately owned bank based in the UAE, also uses AI-backed digital solutions, which analyze customer data to provide personalized financial recommendations and insights across various platforms.
Fernando Morillo, the group head of retail banking at Mashreq, believes AI will be integral to the future of banking services.
“We utilize AI in various ways to enhance customer experience and streamline operations,” Morillo told Arab News.
DID YOU KNOW?
• AI could add up to $340 billion annually to the global banking sector through increased productivity.
• Riyad Bank’s ‘Center of Intelligence’ will introduce AI technologies to enhance research, investments and operational efficiency.
•AI-backed digital solutions at Mashreq Bank improve customer experience, offer personalized financial advice and detect fraudulent activity.
“We have launched a chatbot in the UAE, which is also being rolled out to other markets. This AI-powered chatbot can understand customer intent, translate it into actions, and provide 24/7 support.
“Our AI-backed chatbot has the ability to handle more than 80 different scenarios, anticipating customer needs and proactively offering solutions.”
Because data protection is a growing concern for every business, Mashreq offers advanced encryption techniques to ensure secure data-sharing protocols, and conducts regular security audits to safeguard customers’ information.
“Additionally, we implement rigorous testing and validation of our algorithms to ensure they meet ethical standards and regulatory requirements.”
Mashreq Bank uses AI-backed digital solutions. (Supplied)
Morillo said the ability of machine-learning models to continuously adapt to recognize new fraud tactics significantly reduces the risk of fraudulent activities and enhances overall security for customers.
“AI algorithms help us in analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activity,” he said. “This allows us to detect suspicious transactions, prevent fraudulent account openings, and reduce false positives.”
But Morillo does not believe that AI will replace humans entirely. Indeed, employees will still be needed to review AI activities and make adjustments as needed.
“While AI can provide insights, recommendations, and even decisions, ultimately humans supervise these systems to ensure decisions are fair, accurate, and compliant,” he said.
“This oversight is essential for maintaining accountability and addressing any ethical concerns that may arise.”
Netzero and Goumbook forge partnership to accelerate reforestation, carbon offset efforts
Updated 03 October 2024
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: Netzero, a Saudi Arabian environmental startup revolutionizing tree planting, signed an agreement last week with Goumbook, a UAE-based social enterprise emphasizing sustainability and environmental initiatives in the region.
Mohammed Alkhalid, founder and CEO of Netzero, said that the partnership represented a significant milestone, offering global expansion as it showcased Goumbook’s expertise and environmental networks to broaden the impact of Netzero’s creative tree-planting technique.
“This partnership represents a powerful step forward in our mission to reshape the future of our planet,” Alkhalid said. “Together, we are merging technology with nature, community with purpose, and vision with action.
“We believe that afforestation is more than planting trees — it’s about planting the right species in the right place, ensuring transparency in the process, and connecting people to the land and restoring balance to our ecosystems. We are excited to grow this vision together, with a dedicated partner,” he said.
The partnership aims to achieve environmental outcomes throughout the region, including leading large-scale projects for afforestation across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The project will emphasize biodiversity, specifically where each tree will be planted and tracked using artificial intelligence to ensure long-term growth and carbon offset accuracy.
Another objective is establishing a community engagement plan, where people will connect with the two companies through a platform, allowing schools and local communities as well as businesses to sponsor tree planting, and providing them with an opportunity to contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.
Tatiana Antonelli Abella, founder of Goumbook, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Netzero in this transformative partnership, which amplifies our shared commitment to environmental stewardship.
“At Goumbook, we believe that every tree planted is a symbol of hope and action — an investment in the future of our planet. By merging Netzero’s AI-driven technology with our deep-rooted knowledge of sustainability and regional ecosystems, we are paving the way for more impactful, data-driven reforestation and afforestation efforts.”
“Together, we are not just planting trees, we are creating resilient ecosystems, empowering communities and taking meaningful steps toward long-term environmental change,” she said.
Netzero is a part of the Sidra Initiative by the Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture, focused on using artificial intelligence to improve reforestation and land management to reduce carbon emissions worldwide.
ACWA Power joins COP29 as energy and water partner
Updated 03 October 2024
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: ACWA Power, a developer, investor, and operator of power generation and desalinated water plants, joined COP29 as an energy and water partner, highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainable practices in the renewable energy landscape.
Along with ACWA Power’s role as a partner at the summit in Azerbaijan, the company will participate in the event’s Green Zone as an innovative leader in the energy sector.
The zone will host a variety of global businesses presenting climate-friendly solutions, serving as a dedicated space for private sectors.
The objective for ACWA Power at the global conference is utilizing the opportunity to create a platform for collaborations with other global industries, potential partners, and climate advocates, thereby fostering progress in the energy transition initiatives.
As the largest private water desalination provider in the world, ACWA Power is at the head of green hydrogen development. It also plays a critical role in the global energy transition.
“We believe that tackling this global challenge demands a paradigm shift in how we provide water and energy to our world. We must act fast to continue the transition away from fossil fuels, while providing reliable, competitive and sustainable supplies,” said Marco Arcelli, CEO of ACWA Power.
“It is with this focus that we deliver solutions that contribute to Net Zero goals and long-term climate ambitions, in a just and inclusive manner. Celebrating COP29 in Azerbaijan is of particular significance.”
He concluded: “Today, the country has the potential to turn into a bridge between Central Asia and Europe for new green sources of power and green molecules, technologies where ACWA Power has reached the most competitive costs and highest reliability in the world.”
ACWA Power, established in 2004, expanded its operations to various countries in the region including in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Saudi company aligns its strategies with the UN climate change objectives.
Partners at COP 29 will have opportunities to participate in global climate policies, showcase sustainability efforts, and support climate action in their key business areas.
