Abbas to head new unity Palestinian government

RAMALLAH, West Bank: Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed at a meeting in Qatar on Monday to form a unified Palestinian government for the West Bank and Gaza headed by Palestinian President and Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinian official said.

Arab League warns of slide to Syria civil war

CAIRO: The head of the Arab League said on Monday the Syrian army’s use of heavy weapons against civilians was an escalation that edged the country toward civil war.

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Angry Syrians hurl rocks at China embassy in Libya

China defends Syria veto, doubts West’s intentions

Moscow slams Western 'hysteria' over its Syria stance

France, Germany want account for Greek debt funds

PARIS: France and Germany called Monday for the creation of a special account to ensure that billions of euros in bailout money for Greece goes directly to paying down debt, just as Greek politicians struggle to agree a fresh austerity plan that is being pushed for by international creditors.

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Opinion: Toilets for ladies, please

International media reported last week that Rep. Diane Black got an up-close look at gender segregation in Saudi Arabia. The Congresswoman came to Riyadh on an official visit with eight other House members, including three other women. When the lady lawmakers asked to use the bathroom after a lengthy discussion, they ran into an unexpected challenge: No women's restroom! "It was kind of like, hmm, OK, I've heard about oppression, but really there are just some things that are natural and biological," Black said with a laugh in an interview last week.

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Opinion: 'To cast the first stone'

Focusing on others' negative qualities brings out the worst in us

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Opinion: Haj represents change and constancy of human history

Opinion: Turkey and phantoms of its past

E-health certificates streamline procedure

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the General Directorate of Passports (DGP) have announced the launch of an electronic health certificate system.

Sponsors use Hafiz to their advantage

TABUK: Col. Mansour Al-Nasir, spokesman at the Passport Department in Tabuk, said there has been a tremendous increase in the number of complaints lodged by Saudi sponsors against runaway workers over the past few months.

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Literature conference set to counter terrorism

RIYADH: Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University will organize a conference on literature to counter terrorism on Tuesday.

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Hundreds go without pay for 11 months

JEDDAH: Two hundred and fifty-five employees have been working without pay for 11 months. For the past 14 years, the company has repeatedly delayed paying their salaries. Some of the workers are in the Kingdom illegally because the company did not renew their iqamas.

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BRJ created 19,771 jobs in four countries in 2011

JEDDAH: Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives (ALJCI), created 19,771 jobs through its international branches in Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Morocco in 2011.

Court asked to reject retractions

JEDDAH: A special criminal court in Riyadh continued the trial on Sunday of the seven-member terror cell allegedly formed by a Saudi academic, who was also a well-known preacher.

Murder in Riyadh over financial dispute

RIYADH: An African expatriate is alleged to have murdered a Saudi man over a financial dispute, Riyadh police said Saturday.

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Defiant Gingrich vows to stay in Republican race

LAS VEGAS: A defiant Newt Gingrich vowed on Saturday to continue in the 2012 Republican primary race and predicted that he could pull even with Mitt Romney in the delegate count within two months.

Snow traps thousands in Bosnian villages

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Bosnian authorities have started using helicopters to evacuate sick people and deliver food to thousands of people who have been cut off by the heaviest snow the country has ever recorded.

Tadawul up; turnover at SR8.2bn

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia's Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) managed to extend gains made in Saturday's session after a sluggish start of trading. The benchmark rose 0.4 percent to 6,759 points.

Kingdom to produce over 3m tons of steel next year

JEDDAH: Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) Secretary-General Adnan bin Hussain Mandourah Sunday said the steel factories in the Kingdom were currently being expanded to produce more than three tons of steel annually from next year.

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Tear gas fired at Tahrir Square protesters

CAIRO: Volleys of tear gas left a white cloud over Cairo's Tahrir Square and surrounding streets in the vicinity of the Interior Ministry, on the fourth day of clashes between security forces and rock-throwing youth protesting a deadly soccer riot.

Iran says will attack any country used to strike its soil

TEHRAN: Iran will attack any country whose territory is used by “enemies” of the Islamic state to launch a military strike against its soil, the deputy head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards told the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday.

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Attack on Iran 'would be disaster,' must talk-Turkey

MUNICH: Turkey and Qatar urged the West on Sunday not to attack Iran to solve a nuclear row, but to make greater efforts to negotiate an end to the dispute.

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Morocco arrests 3 accused of plotting attacks

RABAT, Morocco: Moroccan police have arrested three suspects accused of planning to carry out attacks on the security of the state.

Top Hamas member leaves Syria because of uprising

JERUSALEM: Hamas officials say a senior member of the Palestinian militant group has left Syria because of the government’s crackdown on an uprising there.

Clinton calls UN Syria vote a 'travesty'

SOFIA: Russia and China’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria was a travesty, the United States said on Saturday, saying it would work with other nations to support democratic change in the Arab nation.

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Magnitude-6.8 quake in Philippines kills 13, buries homes

MANILA: A strong earthquake in the central Philippines killed at least 13 people Monday as it destroyed buildings and triggered landslides that buried dozens of houses, trapping residents. At least 29 people were missing.

Syrian troops bombard Homs, govt blames 'terrorists'

BEIRUT: Government forces shelled the central Syrian city of Homs on Monday, striking a makeshift medical clinic and residential areas and killing at least 17 people in the third day of a new assault on the epicenter of the country’s uprising, activists said.

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Pakistan factory collapses in gas blast; 3 dead, dozens trapped

LAHORE, Pakistan: A three-story factory collapsed on Monday in the Pakistani city of Lahore after a gas explosion, killing at least three people and trapping dozens, emergency officials said.

‘Late King Abdul Aziz a source of inspiration’

RIYADH: Prince Salman, minister of defense, said in Riyadh Saturday night that the late King Abdul Aziz, a great visionary leader of Saudi Arabia, has been a source of inspiration for citizens and rulers of this country. He said King Abdul Aziz was a leader of masses and a great statesman, who knew well about the complexities of politics, economy, foreign relations and how to exploit the natural resources of the country for the benefit of people.

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Expel Syrian diplomats!

AMMAN/MUNICH/WASHINGTON: Jordanian Islamists on Sunday called on Muslims and Arabs to boycott Russian and Chinese products after the two countries vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria's regime over bloodshed.

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Volunteer doctors assured govt help

RIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said Saturday his ministry would provide required facilities and services for those doctors who like to offer voluntary services to the needy. The minister was speaking during an open house dialogue sponsored by Enaya, a social service organization, in cooperation with the Health Services Council of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh.

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Picture of the Day

Huts are covered with snow on Maiensaess Lafet mountain above Castiel, Switzerland, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. Europe was hit by a cold spell with temperatures plummeting far below the freezing point. (AP Photo/Keystone/Arno Balzarini)

Role of professional PR highlighted

JEDDAH: The public relation departments in the government sector were under attack at an event entitled "Building Public Relations in Saudi Arabia."

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Saudi ministers embrace Twitter

JEDDAH: Saudi minsters and officials are slowly embracing new media platforms. The move aims to better communicate with the younger audience who are normally associated with the medium.

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Childhood obesity on the rise

Obesity is on the rise in Saudi Arabia and it is pretty alarming for a country where strict dietary norms have been observed for several centuries. In the year 2007, Saudi Arabia ranked 29th on the Forbes’ list of the fattest countries with over two-thirds of all Saudi Arabians considered obese for having exceeded the Body Mass Index (BMI) threshold of 25.

Borini helps Roma crushes Inter; Juve and Milan held

ROME: Fabio Borini struck twice to help AS Roma to a 4-0 home thrashing of Inter Milan and former coach Claudio Ranieri on Sunday as Serie A leaders Juventus and second-placed AC Milan could only manage goalless draws.

Australia dominate India in first one-day match

MELBOURNE: A half-century by debutant Matt Wade and some middle-order slogging by the Hussey brothers propelled Australia to a 65-run thrashing of hapless India in the rain-shortened first one-day international on Sunday.

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Giants edge Patriots to win Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS: The New York Giants battled back to beat the New England Patriots 21-17 and win the Super Bowl with heart-stopping fourth quarter comeback capped by a six-yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw with 57 seconds left.

Effect of physical activity on health and well-being

I am a physical therapist who advocates physical education to be an integral part in every school curriculum. During my childhood, I was fond of going to the gym and even playing soccer. Physical education was a subject taught in my school, so I was given a chance to participate in different kinds of sports. And in my present daily work routine, exercise is an important part of treatment in rehabilitating patients. Physically, emotionally and mentally I can see the benefits from exercise.

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Ghana, Mali scrape through to African Cup semis

FRANCEVILLE, Gabon: Ghana and Mali scraped through to the African Cup of Nations semifinals on Sunday, as Tunisia and Gabon fell in agonizing fashion. Ghana beat Tunisia 2-1 in extra time after goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi’s blunder gifted the Black Stars a 101st-minute winner in a tense, bad tempered quarterfinal at Stade de Franceville that the Tunisians had controlled before Mathlouthi’s decisive error.