Kidnapped Al-Arabiya reporter walks free in Philippines
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines: A reporter with the Pan-Arab Al-Arabiya news channel has walked free from the southern Philippines jungle 18 months after he was abducted by Islamist militants, Philippine police said late Wednesday.Bakr Atyani, a Jordanian, was found by a police patrol on the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo, more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Manila, police in nearby Patikul town said.“We found him walking along the road... he’s lost some weight,” Chief Inspector Chris Gutierrez told AFP in a telephone interview from the southern port of Zamboanga.He said the former hostage was taken to a government hospital in the provincial capital, also called Jolo, for a precautionary medical check-up.Gutierrez said the police patrol did not see any of Atyani’s kidnappers, and there was no firefight.Atyani and two Filipino crew members went missing in June last year in...
Hezbollah commander killed in Beirut
BEIRUT: A Hezbollah commander who fought in Syria’s civil war was shot dead outside his home i...
Over 126,000 'illegals' deported since Nov. 4
More than 126,000 illegal foreign workers have left the Kingdom so far, a month after the clampdown...
Wage protection law: Private schools next to face the music
The Ministry of Labor has stopped its electronic services to 138 big companies that have a work force of more than 3,000 for not complying with the wage protection law. “The same measures will be taken against all private schools next week regardless of the school’s size or number of its workers,” the ministry said. The second stage will cover establishments with 2,000 or more workers, and the first stage of implementatio...
Women driving on HRC agenda
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed authorities to study some 72 proposals made by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) on various social issues, including the granting of citizenship to the children of Saudi women married to foreigners, said Ibrahim Al-Sheddi, a spokesman for the HRC.“Our proposals have also covered the issue of male relatives exploiting their authority on women,” the spokesman sa...

SAUDI ARABIA »

KSA spends SR530m on Syria relief programs
Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif, supervisor of the Saudi National Campaign for Syrians, has approved several relief programs for Syrian refugees at a cost of S...
Saudis account for more than half of...
Saudis accounted for 52 percent of Bahrain’s eight million tourists during 2012, said a recent statement from the tourism department in Bahrain.“Around 73 percent of Saudi tourists entered the country across the King Fahd Causeway and 22 percent arrived by air,” said Sheikh Khalid bin Hamoud Al-Khalifa, tourism undersecreta...
Non-Arabs win Qur’an contest
The top two prizes of the King Abdul Aziz International Qur’an contest, which was held at the Grand Mosque in Makkah recently, went to non-Arabs from Nigeria and Bangladesh, an official said.Abdullah Basfar, secretary-general of the Jeddah-based International Qur’an Memorization Organization (IQMO), told Arab News: “The Kin...
Fake ‘Made in Italy’ leather product...
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has shut down a Riyadh leather factory for manufacturing counterfeit luxury leather products.Al-Ahli Leather Factory, operated by a foreign investor, was found making leather products with “Made in Italy” stamps to increase its sales, the ministry stated on its website.The Saudi Industr...

MIDDLE EAST »

Arafat death investigator to reveal names soon

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian investigator said on Tuesday he would soon name the peop...
Suicide blast kills 4 in Damascus; rebels seize 12 nuns

DAMASCUS: A suicide bomber killed at least four people and wounded 17 in central...

WORLD »

Pakistan records 72 polio cases in 2013: WHO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded 72 cases of polio this year compared to 58 for all...
3 dead as train derails in Bangladesh unrest

DHAKA: Opposition activists killed three people when they derailed a train in Ba...

ECONOMY »

OPEC agrees to renew 30 mln bpd oil cap for 6 months

VIENNA: OPEC has agreed to renew for the first half of 2014 a collective oil pro...
First Russian smartphone, YotaPhone, launched in Moscow

MOSCOW: Russia’s first domestically designed smartphone, the YotaPhone, wa...

SPORTS »

Duncan delivers game-winner for Spurs vs. Hawks
SAN ANTONIO: Tim Duncan made a jumper with 0.4 seconds left to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 102-100 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.Duncan finished with...
Taylor fights off his demons with...
DUNEDIN, New Zealand: A maiden double century to put New Zealand in firm command of the first Test against the West Indies on Wednesday proved the sweetest way Ross Taylor could find to “fight off those demons.”Taylor was unbeaten on 217 when New Zealand declared at 609 for nine in the final session at University Oval in Du...
New World Cup ball ‘Brazuca’ unveiled
RIO DE JANEIRO: The new ball for next year’s World Cup — called the “Brazuca,” in honor of Brazil, of course — was unveiled at a ceremony Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro.The word “Brazuca” has a double meaning, used as a term for Brazilians living abroad — including its many footballers — but also as slang used to describe nation...
Damaged World Cup stadium will be ready...
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil: The Sao Paulo stadium damaged when a crane collapsed on its roof last week killing two construction workers will be ready to stage the opening match of next year’s World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday. Blatter, speaking at a news conference following a meeting of the World C...

OPINION »

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
Aren’t we pinning too much hope on new media?
Has our world really changed because we have become more communicative? We boast...
Osama Al Sharif
Geneva 2 to be decided in Syria’s battlefields
The fate of Geneva 2, the proposed peace conference whose objective is to find a...
Abdulateef Al-Mulhim
Dubai: A living miracle
Dubai! I have never heard of it. Where is this country on the map? And who lives...
Susan V. Ople
OFWs face new chapters in life
Filipino worker Reynaldo Esmero Reposar, 71, walked the length of a dimly lighte...

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ART & CULTURE »

Saudi artists display unique sculptures

A dazzling array of sculptures by Saudi artists is on display at the Furniture and Decoration Exhibition in Jeddah.
Arabian Wings, known for its support of Arab artists, has organized the exhibition to introduce Saudi talent to the world. There are eight sculptures in steel, iron, plaster, marble and stone at the exhibition.
...
Abu Dhabi Art celebrates creat...
Call of culture — in quest of...
Top Saudi and Arab artists to...
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

First Russian smartphone, YotaPhone, lau...

MOSCOW: Russia’s first domestically designed smartphone, the YotaPhone, was unveiled in Moscow on Wednesday, featuring an always-on second screen as a unique feature to differentiate it from the plethora of competitors.
The phone, which used Google’s Android operating system and has a fixed price of 499 euros ($678), will be l...
China space launch debris wrec...
Saudis got talent
Beyonce is the most-searched p...
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FASHION »

Ajrak: A symbol of Sindhi culture and tr...

The best gifts come from the heart, not the store. This is what Arab and Pakistani traditions are all about; we show our respect to our esteemed guests by presenting gifts that represent our culture.
Ajrak — from the Indus Valley tradition of Sindh, Pakistan, is one such item that has rich cultural value.
Ajrak is a block pri...
Qumar14: Chic kaftans
US-based Lebanese designer to...
‘Pink Star’ sold for more than...

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TRAVEL »

Saudis account for more than half of Bah...

Saudis accounted for 52 percent of Bahrain’s eight million tourists during 2012, said a recent statement from the tourism department in Bahrain.
“Around 73 percent of Saudi tourists entered the country across the King Fahd Causeway and 22 percent arrived by air,” said Sheikh Khalid bin Hamoud Al-Khalifa, tourism undersecretary at the Bahrai...
SCTA: Tourism key to Saudi gro...
Lisbon — edge of Europe
Return of Philippine Airlines...
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FOOD & HEALTH »

US warns of problems with Philips heart devices
WASHINGTON: US health regulators are warning the American public not to use certain defibrillators recalled by Philips Healthcare because the heart-shocking devices may fail in an emergency.Philips recalled three models of its HeartStart devices in September 2012 due to an electrical malfunction. The recall affects about 700,000 defibrillators sold between 2005 and 2012.The defibrillators are used by emergency responders and others to restore normal heart function in people suffering a heart attack. The Food and Drug Administration says the electrical problem with the devices could cause them to fail to deliver a life-saving shock.Customers who have received the devices can contact Philips...
Japan food seeks heritage gong as young spurn rice
TOKYO: Washoku, the traditional cuisine of Japan, is being considered for designation as part of the world’s priceless cultural heritage by the UN this week. But even as sushi and sake booms worldwide, purists say its finer points are candidates for the endangered list at home. The younger generation is increasingly eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts and McDonald’s, not rice.Among cuisines, only French cooking has been distinguished as a national culinary tradition. Other picks by UNESCO for its World Heritage list, such as food from Mexico and Turkey, are more specific dishes. Washoku embraces seasonal ingredients, a unique taste, time consuming preparation and a style of eating steeped in...
In love with energy drinks? Danger is just a heartbeat away
nergy drinks packed with caffeine can change the way the heart beats, researchers have warned. A team from the University of Bonn in Germany imaged the hearts of 17 people in the space of one hour after they had consumed an energy drink.The study showed contractions were more forceful after consuming the drink. The team told the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America that children and adults with health conditions should avoid these drinks.Researcher Jonas Dorner said: “We don’t know exactly what effect these energy drinks have on the function of the heart up until now. The amount of caffeine contained in these beverages is up to three times higher than in other...

OFFBEAT »

US courts asked to recognize 4 chimps' rights
Sierra, right, opens a package as Kenya, left, watches during their public debut in the Onstead Foun...
NEW YORK: Walking, talking chimpanzees may be TV comedy gold but now three courts in New York are being asked to recogni...
Saudi man cycles into Japanese hearts
A 34-year-old Saudi national cycled from the northern tip of the mainland of Hokkaido in Japan to the southern tip of Kyushu island in a journey that lasted 39 days. Omar Al-Omair began his 3,152-km trek from Cape Soya on Oct. 16 arriving at Cape Sata, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Nov. 23. In an interview with Japan Times, Al-Omair said, “I love cycling and I love Japan.” He said that he had visited Japan twice before but this time he wanted to bike through “to see what I had missed.” Al-Omair spent 32 nights in a tent which he had carried with him, to rest from the...
East Asia schools win top marks in OECD’s rankings
The Chinese city of Shanghai came top for mathematics, reading and science among teenagers in a study that suggested East Asian schools were driving academic excellence by tackling tough classrooms and abandoning rote-learning. Fifteen-year-olds in the United States trailed in maths and were average for reading and science in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) triennial student survey that assessed its 34 members and 31 mostly developing countries. With a special focus on mathematics, the latest Program in International Student Assessment (PISA) tested...

CLASSIFIEDS »

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PROJECT ENGINEER
Job wanted: Indian (Tamil Nadu, 29 Yrs, Muslim), Engineering graduate, 8 years experience in Mi...
2013-12-03 17:11
MATRIMONIAL
Pakistani Sunni Muslim family settled in USA, living in KSA invite alliance for their daughter,19 yr...
2013-12-03 17:07
ANNOUNCEMENT
I, Muhammad, S/o Usman Gul, Pakistani national, holding ID Card No. 141017878048-9, hereby announce...
2013-12-03 17:06
MATRIMONIAL
Hyderabadi SM family invites alliance for their Iqama holding, 23 years daughter, beautiful, 5'...
2013-12-02 16:50

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