Israel, Gaza militants agree to a 12-hour truce
GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed to a UN-requested 12-hour humanitarian truce to begin on Saturday morning, and efforts to secure a long-term cease-fire moved ahead.Israel’s military said it would hold fire starting at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) but would continue searching for tunnels used by militants. A spokesman for the Islamist group Hamas, which is dominant in the Gaza Strip, said all Palestinian factions would abide by the brief truce.Fighting continued overnight as US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to the region, has been spearheading international efforts to end 19 days of fighting.Gaza officials said five people were killed in Israeli air strikes, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 865, most of them civilians.Earlier, militants fired a barrage of rockets out of Gaza, triggering sirens across much of southern and central...
Online vocational test for professionals to be a must
The Labor Ministry will soon introduce an online vocational testing system for professionals working...
E-cigarette ban sought: Decades of education against smoking...
A prominent professor at King Saud University (KSU) has called for a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes...
3m in Makkah pray for besieged Muslims
Millions of pilgrims offered prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah on the last Friday of Ramadan.Addressing the congregation at the Grand Mosque, Imam Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim said: “Muslims who offered their prayers during this month are real winners. There are other Muslims who live in difficult circumstances and unable to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.”He reminded all Muslims to pay Zakat Al-F...
Saudi Arabia will always stand by Pakistan, says King Abdull...
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said Saudi Arabia would always stand by Pakistan, its leadership and people.During an hour-long meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his palace on Thursday night, King Abdullah expressed his warm feelings and heartfelt prayers for a strong, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan.He described Sharif as his brother and said Saudi-Pakistan ties go back to the days of the count...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Domestic tourists spent over SR28 billion in 2013
Domestic tourist spending reached more than SR28 billion last year, according to MAS, the statistical arm of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).More than 23,000 domestic tourism trips were made in 2013 according to MAS, said Majed Al-Sheddi, director-general of information and p...
35,000 to travel through Jeddah airport daily for a month
The number of pilgrims traveling through King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah in the last few days of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr is expected to increase to close to 35,000 travelers daily.A total of about 875,000 pilgrims are expected to travel over the next 25 days until the middle of Shawwal, according to KAIA Dir...
10,400 Thai Muslims to perform Haj
Thailand, where Muslims are the second largest religious group after Buddhists, has announced a new policy under which more than 10,000 Thai Muslims will perform Haj this year.Wijak Chittarat, charge d’affaires at the Thai Embassy, said the original Haj quota allocated to Thailand and to many other countries has been reduce...
Chief of Makkah prisons: Allow inmates to participate in festivals
Gen. Misfar Al-Sawat, director general of Makkah prisons, paid a visit to the historic district of Balad in downtown Jeddah recently.Jamaan Al-Zahrani, chairman of the festival committee, welcomed Al-Sawat and his delegation of officers and gave them a tour of the recently declared UNESCO world heritage site. Al-Sawat said...
Ministry makes Ijar system mandatory
The Ministry of Housing has made it mandatory for all real estate firms to join its electronic Ijar system that seeks to regulate the rental market with measures to protect the rights of owners and tenants, and control prices.The system was introduced in January this year but few firms signed up. This led the ministry to ma...
3 die as bus overturns near Dhuba
Three passengers died and 43 were injured when the bus in which they were traveling overturned near Dhuba in Tabuk, sabq.org reported.The electronic daily said the Indian driver lost control of the vehicle while passing through a narrow road on way to Dhuba on Thursday.More than 40 passengers on the bus were Egyptians, whil...
Al-Ahsa group seeks help for big number of disabled
Five percent of people in Al-Ahsa are disabled and need access to quality educational, health and rehabilitative services, according to a senior official from the Al-Ahsa Disabled Association.Abullatif Al-Jaafari, director of the body, said this amounts to 75,000 people out of a population of 1.5 million. “We need a serious...
Maid held for murder of child
A 19-year-old Ethiopian domestic worker has reportedly confessed to torturing and murdering a child under the age of five with a prayer mat in Tabuk. According to police sources, the child was subject to torture before being placed in a wooden box and left to die.Tabuk Gov. Fahd bin Sultan paid his condolences to Abdulrahma...
Surgeons restore expat’s severed hand and arm
Surgeons at the Ministry of Health here recently saved an expatriate carpenter’s right hand and left arm that were severely damaged by a motorized sawing machine at his company’s workshop.In a delicate operation lasting over 12 hours, doctors managed to remove the damaged parts, fix fractures and repair damaged tissue.Twent...
‘Man with sob story’ takes on expats
A Filipino expat has voiced a complaint about a man who has routinely approached expats in Rabigh, Khafji, Jeddah, Alkhobar and Riyadh in a private car asking for money.“I have already had five encounters with this man in different parts of the Kingdom and in different years,” said Tops Feliciano. “He stops in a different c...
More Saudis return from Syria
Saudi men who went to fight in Syria are still coming back to the Kingdom, confirmed the Saudi Embassy in Turkey.The embassy also confirmed that it treated a citizen in Syria before sending him back to the Kingdom.Adel Mirdad, Saudi ambassador to Turkey, said the embassy’s efforts came on directives issued by Custodian of t...
Many beggars involved in drugs, prostitution
The Ministry of Social Affairs has urged members of the public not to give money to beggars because these people are often involved in drug dealing, prostitution and other crimes.Yousif Al-Siyali, director of the anti-begging directorate at the ministry, said that people should rather give their charity and Zakat to registe...
Indian educationist calls for more efforts to uplift communities
Very few people have the vision and the will to reverse the tides of an adverse situation. When India’s radical Hindu leader, L.K. Advani, launched a “rath yatra” (Indian for “rally”) that left much death and destruction in its trail, ultimately leading to the destruction of the historic Babri Masjid in 1992, Muslims rose u...
» Indian expats slam MPs who forced...
» New Philippine Embassy annex building...
» Belt glitch strands hundreds at...
» Human development boost: KSA ranked...
» Governor orders safety measures...
» Nitaqat woes dampen Eid for some...
» Traffic rerouting irks Riyadh...
» 18 percent of Saudi students are...
» Hospital waives medical bill for...
» Last-minute travel bookings cause...
» Fireworks sold in Asir despite ban
» Indian expat worker reunites with...

MIDDLE EAST »

Islamic State could be added to Syria war crimes list: UN
UNITED NATIONS, United States: Islamic State fighters accused of atrocities in S...
Libya seeks cease-fire as south Tripoli a militia “war zone“

TRIPOLI: Black plumes of smoke marked shell blasts and bulldozed earthen barrica...

IS jihadis kill at least 50 Assad troops in ambush: monitor

BEIRUT: Jihadists from the Islamic State group killed at least 50 Syrian soldier...

Pregnant woman among those killed by Israeli strikes on Friday

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories Israeli fire on Gaza killed a pregnant woman...

WHO seeks humanitarian corridor to evacuate victims of Zionist bar...

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday for a humanitarian...

WORLD »

West Africa Ebola death toll reaches 660: WHO
GENEVA:The death toll in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak has risen to 660, with the...
EU reaches preliminary deal on Russia economic sanctions

BRUSSELS: European Union ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on Friday t...

Bad weather seen as probable cause of fatal Air Algerie crash

PARIS/OUAGADOUGOU: Poor weather was the most likely cause of the crash of an Air...

India moves to contain ‘brain fever’ as toll hits almost 570

NEW DELHI: Almost 570 people in India have died after contracting encephalitis,...

Taiwan plane survivor crawls out, calls dad

XIXI, Taiwan: The 10 survivors of Taiwan’s worst air disaster in more than a dec...

SPORTS »

Navardauskas rules 19th stage of Tour de France
BERGERAC, France: Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania led a late breakaway in a do...
Tseng gives Taiwan sweep of top seed US at Crown

BALTIMORE: Yani Tseng sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Thursday to g...

Hamilton fastest in Hungarian Grand Prix practice

BUDAPEST: Lewis Hamilton took the early initiative when he topped the times as M...

Drogba returns to Chelsea on one-year deal

LONDON: Didier Drogba completed a remarkable return to Chelsea on Friday, signin...

FIFA nixes calls to strip Russia of World Cup

GENEVA: FIFA has rejected calls to move the 2018 World Cup from Russia, saying...

ECONOMY »

Amazon loss widens despite climbing sales
SAN FRANCISCO: Internet retail titan Amazon has reported a money-losing quarter despite impressive growth in sales, sending shares plummeting by more than 10 percent.The...
Kia Motors Q2 net profit down 13.3%
SEOUL: South Korea’s Kia Motors said its second-quarter profit fell 13.3 percent year on year, as a pick-up in sales was offset by a stronger won that hurt exports.Net profit for April-June at the country’s second largest auto maker came to 1.02 trillion won ($988 million), with unit sales up 4.3 percent year on year.Operat...
Skyscraper mania grips China as ambitions trump economy
SHANGHAI: The eastern Chinese city of Suzhou isn’t even the biggest in Jiangsu province, yet it’s joining a national rush for the sky with what’s slated to become the world’s third-tallest building.By 2020, China may be home to six of the world’s 10 highest skyscrapers, including Suzhou’s 700-meter (2,297-foot) Zhongnan Cen...
RBS privatization prospects brighten after surprise profit
LONDON: Part-nationalized Royal Bank of Scotland boosted its chances of an earlier than expected return to private ownership, posting a surprise 1 billion pound ($1.7 billion) second-quarter profit as its painful restructuring begins to bear fruit.The government has already started selling off shares in its state-backed riv...
Carillion eyes Balfour in $5.1 billion merger
LONDON: British support services and construction company Carillion made a bold move to capitalize on its successes with a possible 3 billion pound ($5.1 billion) merger with infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty .Carillion and Balfour Beatty said in a statement that a merger would have the potential to create a company with m...
British economy grows to above pre-crisis level
LONDON: Britain’s economy grew strongly in the second quarter, overtaking the size it achieved before the global financial crisis, data showed in the latest sign of robust recovery.The latest figures, along with a sharp fall in unemployment to the lowest level for five years, give a boost to the government before a general...
KSA boosts renewable energy investments
The Kingdom has confirmed its commitment to allocate over $109 billion of investment to develop a strong renewable energy sector by 2032, according to energy industry sources.The Kingdom’s strategy targets renewable energy to contribute 20-23 percent of its energy needs, with the world’s most valuable company, the Saudi Ara...
Mega-cap status: Facebook now valued more than AT&T, Coke
NEW YORK: In the days after its infamously mishandled initial public offering in May 2012, it looked as if Facebook would struggle to become a must-own for fund managers.Now the company’s $190 billion market value makes it bigger than such bellwethers as Coca-Cola and AT&T. It’s not a member of the Dow industrials, but...
Statoil disappoints in Q2 as production falls
OSLO: Norwegian oil giant Statoil stood by its production target for 2014 on Friday despite a second-quarter drop in output which weighed on its results. Adjusted earnings, an indicator followed closely in financial markets, were down by 15 percent to 32.3 billion kroner (3.87 billion euros, $5.20 billion) compared to 38 bi...
Oil slips below $107 as ample supply outweighs risk premium
LONDON: Oil fell below $107 a barrel as plentiful supply outweighed concerns over conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.Brent crude for September delivery LCOc1 traded 18 cents lower at $106.89 a barrel by 1400 GMT. The contract had closed 96 cents lower on Thursday.“There is ample prompt supply of crude oil, but the geo...
Gold price trades near 5-week low
LONDON: Gold edged up on but not far off a five-week low, and was headed for a second straight week of losses, as a strong dollar after robust economic data offset a fall in equities due to rising political tensions.Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at 1,294.36 an ounce by 1409 GMT, after losing nearly 1 percent on Thursday, whe...
India stays silent on foreign investment
Two months into the tenure of India’s new and ostensibly pro-business government, what’s happening with the long, drawn-out issue of foreign direct investment in the multibrand retail sector?The answer: nothing. And that’s how it’s going to be for the near future. Like the head of a family confronting a distressing new deve...
GM and Ford hopeful of European rebound despite Ukraine, Russia
FRANKFURT: Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. said the crisis in Ukraine has exacerbated a sales slowdown in Russia, but the carmakers said they were on track to turn around their European operations after years of economic instability on the Continent.Ford said again it expected to have a full-year profit in Europe next...

OPINION »

Harun Yahya
We need the special language of peace
PEACE has its own special language, but only the virtuous deep thinkers and peop...
Muhammad Waqas
Power scenario still bleak in Pakistan
When Sharif’s government came into power last year, it prioritized all efforts t...
Lee Jong-Wha
India’s Chinese dream
In recent years, China and India have both emerged as global economic superpower...
Ishaan Tharoor
Calls grow for stripping Russia of 2018 World Cup
THE ire of much of the world is trained on the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukr...

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Events & Exhibitions

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ART & CULTURE »

Al-Athr showcases abstract and geometry...

Jeddah’s Al-Athr Gallery is hosting the abstract and geometry inspired work of 40 local and international artists until Oct. 10.
The gallery opened its door in 2009 and has already displayed the work of some leading artists.
The theme of this exhibition is entitled “The Language of Human Consciousness,” and explores how artists over th...
Street art to serve society
Dana Eshki’s emotionally inspi...
Clash of two worlds: Calligraf...
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

Earth survived near-miss from 2012 solar...

WASHINGTON: Back in 2012, the Sun erupted with a powerful solar storm that just missed the Earth but was big enough to “knock modern civilization back to the 18th century,” NASA said.
The extreme space weather that tore through Earth’s orbit on July 23, 2012, was the most powerful in 150 years, according to a statement posted on the US spac...
Twitter’s new move threatens W...
UAE’s giant leap into space
Arab News ranked most influent...
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FASHION »

Hermes names new womenswear designer

PARIS: French luxury powerhouse Hermes has named Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski as their new womenswear designer.
The low-profile, 36-year-old French designer will replace Christophe Lemaire, whose departure was announced earlier this week and who will take his final bow in October.
Though Vanhee-Cybulski is not a big name, she was previously...
Eid gift ideas for the loved o...
Mishael Al-Rajhi designs for s...
Saudi women look to mesotherap...

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TRAVEL »

Balad takes on a festive mood in Ramadan

Ramadan in most cities of the Kingdom brings with it a festive mood and Jeddah is no exception. The entire city comes alive after the Taraweeh prayer, a downside of which are jam-packed roads.
Downtown Balad, which was recently declared a historical heritage by the UNESCO has a unique charm in Ramadan. Glittering lights, especially put up d...
Naxos island: A glimmer among...
Mobile zoo attracts Baha visit...
A land of festivities and rich...
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FOOD & HEALTH »

Study: Sleeping habits affect ethics
Do you consider yourself an ethical person? Chances are you answered “yes.” But new research suggests that our ability to act honestly in a given situation depends, in part, on the time of day. A study forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science finds that early-risers, or “larks,” are more likely to act dishonestly in the late evening hours. Night owls, on the other hand, exhibit a tendency toward ethical lapses early in the morning.Most of us are hard-wired to go to sleep and wake up at certain times of day. Some of us go to bed early to wake up early, while others prefer to stay up late and wake up late. Many of us fall somewhere in between. Researchers refer to this preference for...
Inside Loulou’s Kitchen
Louloua Elazzah is an ambitious and enthusiastic Saudi chef who lives between Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Greece with 19 years of experience in the field of culinary arts.Elazzah created a cooking academy called Loulou’s Kitchen that offers special cooking classes as well as basics in kitchen management.The ability to recognize different cultures and traditions of people through cooking is what first attracted Elazzah to cooking. Even though, she has a passion for Asian cuisine, she considers herself as an international cook who gets creative with globally celebrated cuisine.Arab News met with Elazzah to talk about her cooking classes, her passion for food and future plans. You give cooking...
What is the point of fasting? (Part 4)
Last week, I discussed the latest scientific research on fasting and its effects on the body, brain, and health in general. Fasting was found to have multiple benefits such as promoting fat loss; detoxifying the organs and systems; eliminating toxins; causing the body to heal itself; repairing damaged cells and organs; generating new white blood cells; balancing hormones; producing Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and an anti-aging hormone; relieving and energizing the digestive system; boosting the immune system; enhancing insulin sensitivity; reducing blood sugar count; breaking up plaque build-up in the arteries; enhancing the memory and mental activity; intensifying spirituality; and...

OFFBEAT »

Taiwan plane survivor crawls out, calls dad
XIXI, Taiwan: The 10 survivors of Taiwan’s worst air disaster in more than a decade include a 34-year-old woman who call...
Taleban-era radio announcer rides crest of the airwaves
Once a deadpan radio announcer under the Taleban, Masood Sanjer has gained renown for being a thorn in the side of accountability-dodging Afghan officials, exemplifying hard-won media freedoms that are at stake in a pivotal year.His radio talk show “Safai Shahar” (cleaning the city) is something of a cross between a public helpline and a kangaroo court, enabling callers around Afghanistan to vent their civic grievances over the airwaves — from broken sewage drains to crime and corruption.Sanjer, 36, plays troubleshooter live on air, phoning up relevant authorities to seek redress, often...
Ex-banker turns to Bollywood
MUMBAI: An Indian investment banker turned wildly successful novelist is taking a career turn in Bollywood, with a screenplay he says will tackle social issues in the same vein as the books that made him a youth icon.Chetan Bhagat shot to fame with his coming-of-age tale “Five Point Someone” in 2004 — written at night while he kept up his financial day job — which became a huge commercial hit and spawned a raft of Indian campus novels.Another five books and ten years later, 40-year-old Bhagat has dropped the banking career to become a full-time writer and speaker, known for his casual writing...

CLASSIFIEDS »

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MATRIMONIAL
Indian Hyderabadi Sunni Muslim parents seek alliance for their son, 28 years Height 5, 8, MBA, brou...
2014-07-23 15:26
MATRIMONIAL
Sunni family from Lahore,looking for proposal for their MBA Britsih national son, in Riyadh.plz cont...
2014-07-22 16:43
MATRIMONIAL
Alliance required for a sunni muslim saudi iqama holder girl age 20 height 4ft9"inch , BA Final year...
2014-07-20 16:40
MATRIMONIAL
Hyd SM parents invite proposal for their daughter, born and brought up in KSA, 22 years, BE computer...
2014-07-17 18:51

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