politics

Trump rolls out lavish welcome for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

Washington: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a red carpet welcome from President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Trump laid on a noisy military flypast featuring F-35 stealth fighters that Washington will sell to Riyadh as Crown Prince arrived at the White House.

Cannon fire and a parade of horses also greeted the Saudi Crown Prince as Trump doubles down on Washington’s burgeoning alliance — and his own personal bond — with the key ally.

Trump has made a priority of boosting ties with the kingdom, and said on Monday he would sell coveted F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia, calling it a “great ally.”

Trump will sign a deal on a framework for civilian nuclear cooperation, a US official and a source familiar with the negotiations said.

The Saudi Crown Prince has fostered close ties with Trump and his family over the years — a relationship burnished by a lavish welcome and $600 billion in investment pledges when the president visited Saudi Arabia in May.

Saudi Arabia is also expected to announce a “multi-billion dollar investment” in AI infrastructure in the United States on Tuesday, the US official added.

Trump will meanwhile push Crown Prince Mohammed to normalise relations with Israel as he seeks a wider Middle East peace deal after the war in Gaza.

“We’re more than meeting,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday when asked about the visit. “We’re honouring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince.”

Along with the F-35 jets, Riyadh is seeking to buy advanced air and missile defense systems. It will also push hard for access to the high-tech chips it needs to fuel its AI ambitions, experts said.

But Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalisation with Israel at this stage, despite Trump’s aim for the grand prize of Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords that he launched in his first term.

Potential Saudi moves towards normalisation in return for security and energy guarantees were put on hold after the outbreak of Israel’s devastating war in Gaza in October 2023.

Riyadh appears in no mood to budge without any progress on its international push for a Palestinian state.

SOURCE GULF NEWS

world

Macron wearing shades during Davos

During his address to global bigwigs at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, French President Emmanuel Macron came rocking sunglasses like a secret agent at a ski resort — and international media lost their minds over it.

Global headlines exploded: “Macron’s mystery shades!”

From CNN to BBC to The Hill, everyone zoomed in on the eyewear enigma while he roasted protectionism.

‘Harmless’

Media reports stated that he was first spotted January 15 at a French airbase with a bloodshot eye, he downplayed it as “completely harmless” and “l’oeil du tigre” (eye of the tiger), a Rocky III nod symbolising determination.

The aviator shades were likely Louis Vuitton Pilot Attitude with blue-tinted, mirrored lenses.

Macron stayed on indoors during his WEF speech on Tuesday (January 20), amid critiques of Trump’s tariffs and Greenland threats.

In his speech, the French head of state assailed Trump’s policies, accusing the US leader of actions that “openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe.”

Meanwhile, Macron’s office confirmed the accessory necessity “for a while,” painless and vision-unaffected, resolving in 1-2 weeks. It has no impact on vision, and is common from strain/sneezing.

Business

Japan tourist arrivals hit record 42.7 million in 2025

Tourists to Japan hit a record 42.7 million in 2025, exceeding 40 million for the first time, Japan’s Tourism Minister, Yasushi Kaneko, told a press conference.

Total spending by inbound tourists reached 9.5 trillion yen ($60 billion) over the year, also ‌a record high.

WAM

People

UAE Urges Public to Improve Online Safety

The UAE Cybersecurity Council has urged the public to begin the new year by adopting smarter cybersecurity habits.

In an official post on its social media channels, the council highlighted the importance of following simple guidelines to stay safe online. These include securing home Wi-Fi networks, keeping devices and software up to date, verifying the safety of websites and applications before use, regularly reviewing app permissions, and deleting old or unused accounts.

The council also stressed the need to encrypt emails, use secure digital networks when connecting to public Wi-Fi, and back up important data.

It added that adopting these measures can help individuals better protect themselves and their information as the new year begins.

Story by Gulf News