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Gaza bloodbath: Five children die; toll 572

GAZA CITY: The death toll in Gaza rose to 572 on Monday. And the Israeli army said another seven soldiers had been killed in fighting in Gaza, raising the overall Israeli death toll to 27, all but two of them soldiers.Gaza emergency services spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said airstrikes and shelling killed 54 people, including five children, across the enclave on Monday, and another 68 bodies were pulled from the rubble in areas hit by heavy fighting a day earlier.The army also said its troops had killed “more than 10 militants” who had infiltrated Israel through two tunnels. Fighters killed inside Israel are not included in Qudra’s Gaza toll.The White House said Israel must do more to protect civilians caught up in the crossfire of its assault.“We would like the Israelis to take even greater steps to ensure the protection of civilians,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.UN chief Ban Ki-...

11m pills seized in massive drug haul

Customs officers at Dhuba Port in Tabuk have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 11 million amphetam...

Gaza truce efforts intensify as Ban flies in to Cairo

CAIRO: World efforts to end two weeks of deadly violence in and around Gaza stepped up a gear on Mon...

Saudi Arabia to open $530bn bourse to foreigners in early 20...

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia plans to open its stock market to direct investment by foreign financial institutions in the first half of next year, the market regulator said.The opening of the Saudi market, capitalized at about $530 billion, is one of the most keenly awaited economic reforms in the world’s biggest oil exporter. The bourse would be one of the world’s last major exchanges to begin welcoming foreign money.“The market...

King Abdullah, Moroccan king review Palestine situation

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here Monday with Morocco’s King Mohammed on major regional and international developments, including the situation in Palestine.They also discussed prospects of expanding cooperation between the two Arab countries.Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, secretary-general of the National Sec...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Saudi education system should go ‘glocal’

Saudi Arabia could inspire a renaissance in education here and abroad by creating a curriculum that combines the basic tenets of Islam with modern teaching methods and knowledge, according to a local educationist.Faiza Abdul Qayyum, who has a Ph.D. in innovative education from Washington Internation...

MERS virus detected in air samples from Saudi camel barn

LONDON: Saudi scientists have found gene fragments of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus in air from a barn housing an infected camel and say this suggests the disease may be transmitted through the air.MERS, a serious respiratory illness caused by a virus known as a coronavirus (CoV), has infected at...

New pedestrian tunnel in Makkah

A new pedestrian tunnel extending from a local Makkah neighborhood to the Grand Mosque is set for opening in two days.Umrah pilgrims will be able to walk from the Jaroul neighborhood straight into the Grand Mosque.The pedestrian tunnel is equipped with advanced air conditioning, emergency and fire systems and will have a se...

Unsafe Ukraine airspace forces many airlines to cancel flights

Several Gulf airlines, which have either suspended flights to Ukraine or reduced their frequency, have expressed serious concerns over the safety of passengers flying to destinations in and around Ukraine. “Some passengers bound for the Ukrainian capital have canceled their bookings following the shooting of the Malaysia Ai...

395,000 ran away from their employers

A total of 395,000 expatriate workers ran away from their employers in 2013, according to a report released recently by the Ministry of Labor.The report also revealed that 65,000 of the runaways were domestic workers, with males making up 51 percent and females 49 percent. Domestic workers made up 37 percent of those who ab...

Riyadh cracks down on drifters

More than 1,200 car drifters and spectators have been arrested over the past three months, local media said, quoting data released by the General Department of Traffic.“Riyadh’s traffic police formed a task force in cooperation with security patrols to monitor the drifting phenomenon,” Brig. Gen. Ali Al-Dibaikhi, director-g...

27 shops gutted in Dammam public market

Civil Defense teams put out a fire that gutted 27 shops and all the stalls at Dammam’s public market yesterday.“Although the entire scene was gutted, there were no deaths or injuries,” said Col. Ali Saeed Al-Qahtani, Eastern Province Civil Defense spokesman.“The blaze had broken out in stalls and shops made of metal sheets...

Labor raids intensify

Labor Ministry officials, accompanied by police, carried out massive raids in Riyadh and Jeddah on Sunday and arrested several residency and labor rule violators, security sources said.The raids covered mobile phone shops east of Riyadh, said Khaled Al-Shammari, director of labor inspections in the capital. “The raids were...

No casualties in fire on Al-Iskan Street

A fire was put out on a plot of empty land in Jeddah’s eastern industrial zone on Monday morning, said Col. Saeed Sarhan, Civil Defense media spokesman in Makkah.The fire, which broke out among a cluster of dumpsters, was prevented from spreading to neighboring areas, including industrial locations west of the scene, he sai...

New Lankan envoy pledges to boost ties

Mohamed Hussein Mohamed, the new Sri Lankan ambassador to the Kingdom, arrived to the Saudi capital on Wednesday, pledging to take Saudi-Lankan bilateral ties to new heights.Hussein Mohamed, former Mayor of Colombo, succeeded Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, who took over duties as ambassador to the Lankan mission in Kenya on Tuesda...

Stranded Indian family finally gets exit visas

The Saudi government has granted an Indian family of eight final exit visas so that they can go home to Hyderabad.Maj. Mohammad bin Nasir, in charge of the deportation center, said the government granted the family's request on humanitarian grounds because it is the holy month of Ramadan.The family had been living illegally...

Saudi generosity impresses envoy

*Which particular aspect of Saudi Arabia you like the most? People here have welcomed me with great friendship and politeness as well as astonishing generosity.*Can you tell us your favorite and oft-repeated Arabic word? The Arabic word for the World Cup.*Which book is now on your bedside? Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit,...

Indian expats bid farewell to senior colleague

A large number of Indian community members turned up with their families at a lavish iftar party hosted by the Riyadh chapter of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA).The AMUOBA iftar party was also a farewell evening from AMU alumnus to senior colleague Haneef Tarin, a Riyadh-based popular Indian doct...

» Al-Qassabi named adviser at Crown...

» KSA, Yemen sign pact on exchange of...

» Historic ties between KSA, India...

» Egyptian sells land to fund Umrah trip

» ISESCO inks deal to train youth

» SRO to impose penalties on non-...

» Camps for low-cost Haj to be allotted...

» Jeddah warehouses gutted

» Sharif coming for Umrah, to discuss...

» Properties of Saudis in Syria ‘safe’

» 6.3 million Umrah visas issued

» Disabled children enjoy an iftar with...

MIDDLE EAST »

Erdogan chooses anti-Israel diatribes over Gaza mediation

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sacrificed any possibility of...

Gaza truce efforts intensify as Ban flies in to Cairo

CAIRO: World efforts to end two weeks of deadly violence in and around Gaza step...

Israel shells hospital killing 5, wounding 70

GAZA CITY: Israel shelled a hospital in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, killin...

Mic reveals Kerry upset over Israeli killing spree

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry appeared to criticize Israel in can...

47 die in clashes between militias for Libya airport

CAIRO: Clashes between rival Libyan militias fighting for control of the interna...

WORLD »

IATA says governments should lead review of airspace risks

BERLIN: Governments should take the lead in reviewing how risk assessments for a...

Jakarta governor Widodo wins Indonesian election

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, who won the hearts of Indonesi...

Fighting flares in Ukraine as crash investigators arrive

DONETSK, Ukraine: Fighting flared in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Mo...

Italy rescues 1,800 migrants over weekend, five bodies recovered

ROME: Italy’s navy said it rescued nearly 1,800 migrants in overcrowded boats in...

Central Africa peace talks open in Congo

BRAZZAVILLE, Congo: Key players in the Central African conflict launched a fresh...

SPORTS »

Brazil appoints Dunga as Scolari successor

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil is bringing back Dunga to coach the national football tea...

Cook advised to step down by former England captains

LONDON: Beleaguered England captain Alastair Cook should step down and take a br...

Lydia Ko takes Marathon Classic with closing birdie

SYLVANIA, Ohio: Seventeen-year-old Lydia Ko broke free from a late tie with So Y...

Troicki makes winning return at Gstaad tilt

GSTAAD, Switzerland: Viktor Troicki made the most of his return to tennis after...

Nicklaus and Woods hail McIlroy’s Open victory

HOYLAKE, England: Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have combined to salute Rory McI...

ECONOMY »

Saudi Arabia to open $530bn bourse to foreigners in early 20...

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia plans to open its stock market to direct investment by foreign financial institutions in the first half of next year, the market regulator said.The o...

Stocks fall as Ukraine, Gaza worries grow

NEW YORK: Major global stock markets fell and bond prices ralliedas worries over conflict in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine raised uncertainty for investors and kept them away from riskier assets.The safe-haven yen also inched up and gold prices rose above $1,300 an ounce as the market focused on increased turmoil in the Middle...

Challenges of Iraqi turmoil

The Iraqi turmoil has intensified geopolitical worries as ISIS poses a major threat to any sign of normalcy in the region.The cluster of risks posed by developments such as the Palestinian conflict aside from ISIS and the stand-off between Russia and Ukraine, has the potential to test market sentiment through recurrent bout...

Mobily’s revenues rise 6% in H1 2014

Etihad Etisalat Co. (Mobily) has posted a 6 percent increase in its revenues as it announced the interim financial results for the period ending on June 30, 2014.The revenues of the first six months totaled SR12.227 billion, compared to SR11.553 billion for the same period of last year.The gross profit of the second quarter...

‘Hyundai takes you to Brazil’ contest winners rewarded

Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors (MYNM)-Hyundai has won praise from dealers and customers for successfully organizing a trip to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.Customers who won in the ‘Hyundai takes you to Brazil’ competition were joined by the company’s retail dealers, fleet customers and media personalities.The trip inclu...

Work experience ‘more important for youth than monetary gains’

Saudi Arabia’s robust economic growth and strong purchasing power are good signs for attracting foreign investment, says Anees Ahmed Moumina, CEO of SEDCO Holding Group.“Since it was founded in 1976 by the late Salem bin Mahfouz, SEDCO has become one of Saudi Arabia’s leading groups in Shariah-compliant wealth management,”...

Philips reports profit slump, setback for medical sales

THE HAGUE: Electrical appliance group Philips reported a setback in its switch to focus on health care technologies, revealing that overall net profit slumped by nearly a quarter in the last three months.But the group said that its traditional lighting business, driven increasingly by energy-efficient LED technology, was do...

Innovation index: UAE and Kingdom lead in Mideast

Regional stars such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to move up in global innovation rankings. They are also moving closer to the top innovation economies.Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Sweden were named the world’s most innovative countries of 2014 in annual rankings unveiled this week. The Global Innovation Index...

Kingdom Holding first half net profit surges 16.8%

Kingdom Holding Company, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, has announced the consolidated financial results for the second quarter and the six months ended June 30, 2014. The company announced a net income of SR211.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 compared to the net income of SR181.2 million for the same q...

Value of Saudi Arabia’s Islamic banking assets reaches $285bn

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry based on a recent study by Ernst and Young stated that global Islamic banking assets have registered cumulative annual growth rate of about 16 percent during 2008-2012, reflecting the radical shift from conventional financial system in favour of Islamic finance.The statement was ma...

Emirates calls for global airlines conference post-MH17 disaster

PARIS: The head of one of the world’s largest airlines has called for an international meeting of carriers to agree a response to the downing of a Malaysian airliner, including a potential rethink of the threats posed by regional conflicts.Tim Clark, president of Dubai’s Emirates, the world’s largest international airline b...

SABIC posts SR12.9bn net profit in H1

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has achieved net profits amounting to SR12.9 billion in the first half of the fiscal year, 2014.Speaking at a press conference, SABIC’s Chief Executive Mohamed Al-Mady pointed out that the company's dividends per share within 6 months amounted to SR4.3 in compared to SR4.2 during t...

Energy efficiency vital for KSA’s economic and social development

The Kingdom has witnessed unprecedented economic and industrial development in the last decades, which has led to an increase in the Kingdom’s domestic energy consumption. Based on the local energy consumption trends, forecasts indicate an increase in domestic energy consumption with a growth rate which could reach 4 per ce...

OPINION »

Ramzy Baroud

Gaza’s resistance will not be crushed

On the 13th day of Israel’s so-called Operation Protective Edge, stories of enti...

Abdul Aziz Aluwaisheg

The end of land grabs?

According to Saudi press reports, the Ministry of Justice has uncovered false la...

Linda S. Heard

Malaysian Airlines disaster has been politicized

When I first glimpsed the wreckage of a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 on TV, my...

Susan V. Ople

A ‘stormed’ nation in mourning

Seventy-seven Filipinos perished when Typhoon Glenda (or, Rammasun) pummeled the...

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Malaysia Airlines crash: Video shows the...

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ART & CULTURE »

Street art to serve society

Mohammed Khalid Al-Otaibi, is a 23-year-old student surgeon who found his passion in art. His mother Huda Al-Otaibi, who is a classical painter, passed on her artistic skills to her son. His art happened to be of a different kind. They call it the "street art."
Mohammed started his enthusiasm as a hobby in high school, trying then to copy t...

Dana Eshki’s emotionally inspi...

Clash of two worlds: Calligraf...

UNESCO urges Iraqis to protect...

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

Twitter’s new move threatens WhatsApp do...

SAUDIS are taking on Twitter and booming on Facebook; these are the usual news we hear about Saudis committing to social media websites, but we tend to overlook the simplest of them all, WhatsApp.
It is definitely booming, which explains Facebook's $19 billion deal to take it over. The number of messages and photos shared on the platform is...

UAE’s giant leap into space

Arab News ranked most influent...

Androids take us closer to ‘Bl...

FASHION »

Rashno designs for an elegant Ramadan

Sara Al-Abdul Razaq, Rasha Al-Aseeri and Nouf Al-Shammas are Kuwaiti/Saudi designers who are brains behind the Rashno boutique.
At the beginning, they wanted to design Ramadan clothes for themselves.
Each one of them has a passion for fashion designing. Their designs received applause and encouragement from family and friends around th...

Rycaps — Saudi designer duo’s...

Feel like a Moroccan princess...

Amal Al-Goblan: For breezy, ch...

TRAVEL »

Naxos island: A glimmer among Greek jewe...

Escape for a few days to a family-friendly, tranquil island in culturally and naturally scrumptious Greece.
Naxos island is just as famous for kids as it is for its sandy beaches along the road, not to mention the colorful flowers and trees surrounding the blue door sills of white houses.
An ideal holiday for beach lovers, this family-...

Mobile zoo attracts Baha visit...

A land of festivities and rich...

Diriyah expected to ramp up to...

FOOD & HEALTH »

France says ‘non’ to bad restaurant food... or does it?

Its elaborate culinary tradition may be on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list, but France is still having to pull out the stops to help foodies distinguish homemade dishes from industrial fare in restaurants.In a country where the mere publication of food guides triggers full-blown media storms, authorities this week launched a “homemade” label for French eateries following complaints that these were increasingly passing off boil-in-a-bag or microwaved ready meals as restaurant-quality fare.The “homemade” moniker — once casually flaunted on menus for fares such as terrine or desserts that had actually been shipped in from outside — will now be subject to checks that could land a restaurant...

‘Keep exercising in Ramadan’

The best time to exercise in Ramadan is an hour before breaking the fast or two to three hours after it for 30 minutes, says a local expert.Raida Al-Habib, a therapeutic and physical nutritionist, said that healthy eating at night and in the morning was also important.“Each meal should have a variety of small amounts of food such as cooked vegetables, the main dish and fruits. Fried food and sweets should be avoided as much as possible. People can ask a dietitian for help to organize a program for fasting.”Al-Habib stressed that people should avoid junk food, fats, sweets, sugary drinks, and sodium-rich meals. “If a fasting person is tired and sluggish during the day, it means that there...

‘Smart’ contact lens to track diabetes

ZURICH: Swiss drugmaker Novartis has struck an agreement with Google to develop “smart” contact lenses that would help diabetics to track their blood glucose levels or restore the eye’s ability to focus.The device for diabetics would measure glucose in tear fluid and send the data wirelessly to a mobile device, Novartis said. The technology is potentially life-changing for many diabetics, who prick their fingers as many as 10 times daily to check their body’s production of the sugar.Success would allow Novartis to compete in a global blood-sugar tracking market that is expected to be worth more than $12 billion by 2017, according to research firm GlobalData. Diabetes afflicts an estimated...

OFFBEAT »

Rhea Chakraborty bags ‘Bank Chor’

MUMBAI: Actress Rhea Chakraborty has been signed up as the female lead of Y-Films’ “Bank-Chor” for a “cracker of a role”...

Fawad ignores criticism over Bollywood film

MUMBAI: Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who has been facing criticism from some fans in his country for working in Bollywood film ‘Khoobsurat’, says he does not pay attention to such things.Apparently, Fawad’s fans from Pakistan have taken to social networking sites to say that he has hurt the sentiments of his country by working in a Hindi film.Fawad is making his Bollywood debut in the remake version of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s ‘Khoobsurat’ opposite Sonam Kapoor.

Smoker’s widow awarded $23bn in lawsuit against tobacco comp...

MIAMI: A Florida jury has ordered RJ Reynolds tobacco to pay $23.6 billion to the wife of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer in a verdict seen as one of the largest for a single plaintiff in state history.In addition to the punitive damages, Friday’s verdict also awarded more than $16 million in compensatory damages to the estate of Michael Johnson Sr.R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. executive J. Jeffery Raborn says the damages awarded Friday evening to widow Cynthia Robinson by a Pensacola jury are “grossly excessive” and Reynolds will appeal.Robinson attorney Christopher Chestnut says the...