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Saudi authorities reported 12 new MERS cases on Thursday, including two fatalities, as Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih appointed Dr. Tariq Ahmed Madani of King Abdulaziz University Hospital as his new medical adviser to combat the deadly diseases.Fakeih, who is also the Labor Minister, also ordered the transfer of coronavirus cases to King Saud Hospital in north Jeddah. According to the Health Ministry, Jeddah has recorded the largest number of infections (6) by the deadly coronavirus followed by Riyadh (five) and Makkah (one). A 68-year-old Saudi man died in Makkah, said the ministry statement. The other fatality, a 72-year-old Saudi woman, was in Riyadh. Of the new infection cases in Jeddah, a 51-year-old Syrian doctor is in the ICU of King Fahd Hospital and a 28-year-old Indonesian woman is in King Saud Hospital. Other Jeddah cases were: Two Palestinians, an Egyptian and a Saudi na...

Al-Zayani: GCC acting with unity to defeat challenges

Gulf Cooperation Council countries should be ready to defend themselves in any case of emergency, sa...

Stainless steel tanks to replace Zamzam plastic containers

Authorities at the Grand Mosque at Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque at Madinah will soon replace plas...

Prince Miteb wants women to work for National Guard

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister of the National Guard, said on Wednesday that he has always supported the notion of Saudi women working for the ministry around the country.Prince Miteb said that Saudi women nursed injured fighters during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).He made the comments during a lecture at a scientific conference organized by the Center for Gulf Studies at King Abdulaziz Univer...

Hackers threatened with 5-year jail term, SR3m fine

Hackers will face five years in prison or be fined a maximum of SR3 million or both, said Sultan Al-Malik, spokesman at the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), while delivering a lecture at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said the CITC has already approved the new punishment and warned that individuals who hack company websites and individual accounts would be penalized in accordan...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Preparations for Haj to begin early

Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar announced Wednesday that his ministry would begin allocating spaces for pilgrims at the holy sites of Mina and Arafat among the Tawafa organiza...

Expert named to combat MERS

Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih has appointed a leading Saudi expert to help tackle the dangerous Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.Fakeih said Thursday that Tariq Ahmed Madani would become a member of the Ministry of Health team working to stem infections and deaths in the country.MERS has infected 287...

Misleading info raises vegetable prices

MERS coronavirus has contributed to the increase in the prices of vegetables in the local market as a result of unofficial and misleading medical advice by health experts that has been circulated among Saudis and expats. The fear of contracting MERS has raised the prices of vegetables and food products thought to have a pos...

School alert system to protect lives

The Ministry of Education has started linking the country's 34,000 schools to an electronic safety system that would provide alerts if the lives of students are in danger.The system will be linked to senior ministry officials and Minister of Education Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.Sources said the program would enable male and fe...

MIDDLE EAST »

Air raid kills 27 at Syria market

BEIRUT: An airstrike on a market on Thursday killed at least 27 people, includin...

Egypt has ‘full control of Sinai’

CAIRO: Egypt’s military said on Thursday it had gained “complete con...

WORLD »

Island row: Obama vows to defend Japan if China attacks

TOKYO: US President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to defend Japan if China attacks...

Cornish recognized as British minority

LONDON: The Cornish people are to be recognized as a national minority under a E...

ECONOMY »

Facebook profits triple as mobile revenue soars

NEW YORK: Facebook profits tripled to $642 million in the first quarter on a 72-...

Apple's sales, profit top estimates as iPhone demand persists

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple's iPhone growth engine is showing signs of life.The Cupert...

SPORTS »

Almagro avenges Houston loss in Barcelona

MADRID: World No. 20 Nicolas Almagro overcame fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3 to move into the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday, avenging his de...

Fireberks, Jamjoom and Yummy Yummy set...

Fireberks tasted their third victory against Pattaya team in a very exciting game 77-76 in the OFBL (Overseas Filipino Basketball League) 5th Conference at the Timeout gymnasium on Television St., Ghulail District on the outskirts of Jeddah.The tournament is played Thursdays and Fridays with REDTAG the Friday Morning Lea...

Al-Attiyah and Abu Issa retain leads,...

SEALINE, Qatar: Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Mohammed Abu Issa retained their leads in the car and quad categories and Marc Coma regained a slender motorcycle advantage after a tricky navigational 404.18km fourth selective section of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally on Thursday.Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Matthieu...

Lucky Strike bags award, Paradise Brand...

Lucky Strike struck for its first Team of the Week award but Paradise Brand stole some of the thunder after it wrested the No. 1 spot from Boleros during the 10th session in the FTBJ-ICBL 33rd Conference bowling tournament at Jeddah Lanes here.Curiously, the battle for honors was a toss-up between Lucky Strike and Paradise...

OPINION »

Aijaz Zaka Syed

The year that will change India forever

After a lonely day in the City and passing through Fleet Street, a homesick WB Y...

Bikram Vohra

Eurolish: Kaos in the klasrum

You have no idea what it means. So, if you want to educate yourself and get a gr...

Nicolas Miletitch

Kiev has no answer to separatists in east

On April 6, pro-Russian separatists first attacked public buildings in the east...

Mohamed A. El-Erian

The democratic disruption of finance

There seems to be no limit to the exciting possibilities that come from combinin...

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ART & CULTURE »

Noha Al-Sharif — an expert in Islamic sc...

Saudi sculptress Noha Al-Sharif is known for her Islamic inspired sculptures that reflect both, religion and lifestyle. The concept of modern art attracted her to this medium where she majored in Porcelain and Textile. She is interested in Islamic Art and she loves to read about Asian Art" Indian Chinese and Egyptian Art.
Al-Sharif h...

Fiesta 1000: A treat for Jedda...

Egyptian artist gives voice to...

Alkhobar’s Al-Rashid Qaisariya...

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

Russia’s Putin calls the Internet a ‘CIA...

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has mocked the Internet as a CIA project and pledged to protect Russia’s interests online.
The Kremlin has been anxious to exert greater control over the Internet, which opposition activists — barred from national television — have used to promote their ideas and organize protests.
Russia’s parliament t...

Cellphones ‘can improve litera...

Increase your productivity wit...

NASA’s space station Robonaut...

FASHION »

Samah Khashoggi: For simple, sophisticat...

Walk into Samah Abaya’s boutique and you cannot help but notice the wooden floors with traditional carpets that are exactly like her abayas, a beautiful blend between the modern and the cultural.
The boutique is very feminine and the interiors are a mixture of wood and steel, where the abayas hang under romantic lighting. Many shopp...

Fashion Forward attracts GCC f...

Skirt trunk show attracts Jedd...

Shopaholism: Is it a disease?

TRAVEL »

Explore stunning Islamic architecture in...

The historic Bidar in the federal state of Karnataka in India now finds itself on the world map of heritage tourism as it figures in the 2014 World Monuments Watch list released by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), a New York-based NGO working for the protection of monuments. I was in Bidar last year especially to feel what a premier madrasa (reli...

Media convoy to capture Taif...

Visitors throng Taif for mild...

New surprises, more fun &...

FOOD & HEALTH »

Dine like a ‘Maharaja’ at Alkhobar’s Movenpick

Having been to countless Indian restaurants in the region earlier, I confess to having had preconceived notions before I went to Maharaja by Vineet, an Indian specialty restaurant located in the Movenpick Hotel, Alkhobar. I assumed it would be like the others I have tried but was willing to give it a chance owing largely to all the rave reviews and praise it had gotten from my friends and colleagues over recent months. Now, coming out of the experience, I admit I could not have been more wrong! The first thing that hits you as you enter the fine dining culinary eatery, even before the wafting aroma of Indian spices, is its sheer ability to transport you to a different era and culture...

When grief becomes overwhelming (Part 5)

In the last four weeks, I have been discussing different types of grief, especially when it gets complicated and turns destructive. The person becomes uncooperative and self-negligent, alienating loved ones. You saw how Chris saved herself and her family by becoming self-assertive just in time to regain her husband and their two children back after shutting herself in her own circle of sorrow and desperation and neglecting her health. Salim and Najla tackled their grief differently with acceptance of fate and prayer, which helped them pull through their loss in a healthy manner. Last week, I went through some of Dr. Daniel Amen’s recommendations like healthy nutrient-dense foods,...

Face mask can reduce coronavirus risk by 80%

Wearing a face mask can reduce the risk of being infected by the coronavirus by more than 80 percent, Dr. Hana Bakhash, a consultant in infectious diseases and viruses at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) in Jeddah, told Arab News.“Residents are advised to maintain personal hygiene and wash their hands regularly, as well as avoid large crowds, especially at hospitals, commercial centers, malls and markets,” she said.Pharmacy owners have reported a boom in mask sales, with a 300-percent increase in a single week, indicating fear among locals that has only been exacerbated by rampant rumors on social networking sites.“I hardly used to sell any face masks in the past, but have sold more than...

OFFBEAT »

It’s a boy for Olivia Wilde, Jason Sudeikis!

NEW PARENTS: Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis. (AP)

LOS ANGELES: It’s a boy for Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis.A spokeswoman for the “Tron: Legacy” actress confirms the co...

‘Stomp’ show kicks off IIFA in Tampa

TAMPA: Bollywood’s invasion of Tampa officially kicked off Wednesday night in downtown Tampa.The International Indian Film Academy hosted Stomp Bollywood at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. The festival featured traditional Bollywood music and dancing and was highlighted by the playing of IIFA’s official song, Do Da Tampa, sure to be stuck in many heads tonight.Fans arrived early, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite stars. Dozens of female fans swarmed actor Anil Kapoor as he arrived, taking photos and asking for autographs.Teresita Alonso had never watched an Indian film until she browsed...

Oprah Winfrey a controlling racist?

LOS ANGELES: Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has been accused of being a controlling racist by her former stepmother.Barbara, ex-wife of Oprah’s dad Vernon Winfrey, said on a talk show that Oprah isn’t comfortable in her own skin, reports showbizspy.comIn a new interview, Barbara shared an incident about her visit to Oprah’s Chicago condo.“Oprah got on to the intercom and announced, ‘Negroes in the house. Negroes in the house.’ She thought it was funny. I thought it was insulting. I’m older than her. I know what it means. She was reminding us of our low class,” she said.Barbara even took shots...