logo
Watch: Baboons roam freely in Riyadh; Saudi authority addresses situation

Watch: Baboons roam freely in Riyadh; Saudi authority addresses situation

Khaleej Times3 days ago
Saudi authorities have released a statement after a social media video showed baboons roaming freely in some areas of Riyadh.
The National Centre for Wildlife said it had visited the areas in question after the issue was flagged and most of the problem had been handled, with some more left to finish the process.
The authority revealed that the appearance may have resulted from individuals illegally possessing the animals and then releasing them as the number of baboons recorded was not within the natural range of distribution.
The video circulated online shows baboons in one of the valleys of Riyadh, as residents witness the unusual sight.
It urged the public to report any similar cases via the unified hotline number (19914), while emphasising the dangers of possessing wild animals.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

SCA refers licensed company to Public Prosecution, imposes fine of $1.36mln for misleading clients
SCA refers licensed company to Public Prosecution, imposes fine of $1.36mln for misleading clients

Zawya

time20 hours ago

  • Zawya

SCA refers licensed company to Public Prosecution, imposes fine of $1.36mln for misleading clients

The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has imposed a record fine of AED5 million on a licensed company and referred the matter to the Public Prosecution, in a decisive move to safeguard market integrity and enforce regulatory compliance. The action follows confirmed violations of anti-money laundering (AML) laws, counter-terrorism financing regulations, and measures related to the funding of illicit organisations. An in-depth investigation revealed that the entity in question, in collaboration with an overseas company, engaged in deceptive practices targeting investors within the UAE by falsely suggesting that the foreign company was licensed by the Authority, with the intent of misappropriating client funds. The referral of the case to the competent judicial authorities underscores the Authority's unwavering commitment to transparency and to upholding the highest standards of regulatory compliance. By escalating the case to judicial authorities, the SCA reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, deterrence, and regulatory compliance, in line with international best practices. The SCA reiterated its strategic focus on proactive oversight, risk-based supervision, and strict compliance enforcement, all of which support the UAE's positioning as a trusted and competitive global financial hub.

Acronis uncovers sophisticated malware campaign targeting gamers; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye among most impacted
Acronis uncovers sophisticated malware campaign targeting gamers; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye among most impacted

Zawya

timea day ago

  • Zawya

Acronis uncovers sophisticated malware campaign targeting gamers; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye among most impacted

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Acronis Threat Research Unit (TRU) has uncovered details of a sophisticated, consumer-focused malware campaign exploiting the global popularity of online gaming—an industry valued at over US$7 billion in the Middle East alone and projected to grow rapidly as young, digitally native audiences fuel demand. The researchers identified that among the most impacted countries globally are three Middle East nations — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye. This underscores the urgent need for awareness among regional gamers who are particularly active on platforms like Discord, where much of the malicious content is distributed. The campaign targets consumers, particularly gamers aged 18–35. Victims are lured with what appear to be beta versions of indie games such as Baruda Quest, Warstorm Fire, and Dire Talon, but instead what ends up being downloaded is infostealer malware like Leet Stealer, RMC Stealer, and Sniffer Stealer. This malicious software steals sensitive information including login credentials, payment details, and crypto wallets and can result in account takeovers, financial loss, and extortion. Unlike most malware that focuses on corporate networks, this campaign exploits the enthusiasm of the gaming community, particularly those eager to access unreleased or early-access content. 'This campaign is notable for its sophistication and its focus on what could be considered a highly tech-savvy demograhic,' said Jozsef Gegeny, Senior Researcher at Acronis TRU. 'Our team uncovered the threat by analysing a wave of suspicious files and websites masquerading as legitimate game content, which were spreading largely undetected by major antivirus tools. While enterprises are often protected by managed service providers and robust defences, consumers remain highly exposed to such risks. That's why it's important for the cybersecurity community to shine a light on threats that target individuals and not just corporations.' The attackers use stolen branding, fake promotional websites, and even dedicated YouTube channels to make the games appear authentic. Popular platforms like Discord are used to share links to fake installers, taking advantage of the trust gamers place in these communities. Acronis found malware disguised as downloaders which displayed convincing errors during installation to mask their true intent. The campaign, first observed spreading in Brazil and the United States, has now been seen globally, with the Middle East emerging as a key hotspot given its young and highly engaged gaming population. 'We strongly urge gamers to remain vigilant, only download games and beta content from official stores or verified developer websites, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible,' added Gegeny. 'This campaign shows that even well-informed users can be tricked, especially when malware evades detection by mainstream antivirus tools. Extra caution and awareness are the best defences against such complex and convincing threats.' About Acronis Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. Acronis solutions are highly efficient and designed to identify, prevent, detect, respond, remediate, and recover from modern cyberthreats with minimal downtime, ensuring data integrity and business continuity. Acronis offers the most comprehensive security solution on the market for MSPs with its unique ability to meet the needs of diverse and distributed IT environments. A Swiss company founded in Singapore in 2003, Acronis has 15 offices worldwide and employees in 50+ countries. Acronis Cyber Protect is available in 26 languages in 150 countries and is used by over 21,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses.

India's financial crime agency probes Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, source says
India's financial crime agency probes Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, source says

Zawya

timea day ago

  • Zawya

India's financial crime agency probes Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, source says

India's financial crime-fighting agency searched 35 locations linked to Reliance Anil Ambani Group as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and siphoning of public funds, a government source said on Thursday. The Enforcement Directorate alleges the group orchestrated a 'well-planned' scheme to siphon off bank loans from YES Bank worth 30 billion rupees ($350 million) between 2017 and 2019 to many shell companies, the source said on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media. Anil Ambani's Reliance group entities are accused of paying bribes to YES Bank officials before loans were disbursed, the source said, adding that loan approvals violated the bank's processes. Reliance and YES Bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Several group firms of Anil Ambani, the younger brother of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, have gone into bankruptcy since 2017. YES Bank, from which Anil Ambani group firms had borrowed heavily, was declared insolvent in 2020 and rescued by a group of Indian lenders in a plan approved by the central bank. Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp is seeking a 20% stake in a deal that has yet to get regulatory approval. The probe also found gross violations in YES Bank's loan approval process, such as lending to companies with weak financials, backdating credit memos, "evergreening" loans - issuing fresh loans to avoid labelling assets as nonperforming - and misrepresenting financials. YES Bank's former promoter, Rana Kapoor, was charged with bank fraud by the financial crime agency in 2020 and later arrested. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in 2024 by a special court in India's financial capital of Mumbai, according to local media reports. Anil Ambani's group entities have been subject to several regulatory actions in recent years. In August 2024, the markets regulator SEBI barred Anil Ambani and 24 others from securities markets for five years, citing fund diversion from Reliance Home Finance. Shares of Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Power fell as much as 5% on Thursday after the news of the latest probe circulated. ($1 = 86.3300 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Nikunj Ohri in New Delhi, writing by Shubham Batra; Editing by William Mallard)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store