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Hamas leader Meshaal demands end to occupation

WASHINGTON: The leader of Hamas is demanding anew that Israel end its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.Khaled Meshaal said in an interview broadcast Monday that he believes the world hasn’t taken an even-handed view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.“Unfortunately the world doesn’t blame the Israelis,” said Meshaal, interviewed by CBS news anchor Charlie Rose from Cairo.Meshaal complained that Palestinians too frequently have to hear pleas for the security of the Jewish state, asking “why don’t you give it to Palestinians?“Asked if Hamas believes there’s only a military solution to the longstanding regional conflict, he said, “As a Palestinian, I want to be liberalized. I want to live without occupation.”“Did you not kick the British out,” he asked Rose, speaking through a translator. He called occupation “the worst thing you can imagine.”Asked point-blank if he would recognize Isr...

Israeli strikes kill 2 in Gaza, break lull

JERUSALEM: Israeli jets struck three sites in Gaza on Monday after a rocket was launched at Israel,...

15 execution victims found in Baghdad as Eid holiday begins

BAGHDAD: Iraqi police on Monday found the corpses of 15 people, including three women shot in the he...

Downing of flight MH17 ‘may amount to a war crime’: UN

KIEV, Ukraine: The downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 “may amount to a war crime,” the UN said Monday, adding that fighting in east Ukraine has claimed over 1,100 lives with both government and rebel forces using heavy weaponry in built-up areas.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned the “horrendous shooting down” of the Malaysian passenger jet in rebel-held territory that killed all 298 people...

Aquino urges support as scandal threatens to hurt Philippine...

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino called on the nation on Monday to support his reforms as he faced the biggest political crisis in his four years in power, a spending scandal that could damage his anti-graft image and undermine reforms.The Supreme Court this month declared partly illegal a 145 billion pesos ($3.34 billion) economic stimulus fund that Aquino created in 2011 from budget savings, sparking a storm...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Makkah hotel room rates break records

Several tourism and commercial firms are taking advantage of high demand by leasing hotel rooms with views overlooking the Grand Mosque for up to SR70,000 (or in some cases, SR100,000) a night, operators in the hospitality sector recently revealed.“These firms act as brokers by sub-leasing accommoda...

July 28 is the first day of Eid Al-Fitr

The Supreme Court declared Sunday as the last day of the holy month of Ramadan 2014 and Monday, July 28, as the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.A statement by the Royal Court, carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), said that the highest court made the decision in a meeting at its headquarters in the city of Taif after having ver...

SRO sets new policies on safety and environmental protection

The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) has come up with new policies to achieve the benefits of rail transportation for the national economy as well as to provide a work environment that enables upgrading behavioral practices by contributing in increasing the productivity, reduce costs and raise the level of quality.The apex...

King Abdullah meets with Palestinian president

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah received at his palace in Jeddah yesterday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.During the meeting, they discussed the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza Strip, as well as the sufferings of the Palestinian people as a result o...

Residents urged to avoid Grand Mosque for Eid prayers amid congestion

Civil Defense authorities issued an advisory via SMS to the Kingdom’s residents on Saturday urging them to avoid going to the Haram Masjid (Grand Mosque) in Makkah at this time and give way to Umrah pilgrims.With construction work still going on, Islam's holiest mosque was a scene of congestion on Saturday and Sunday with t...

Skyrocketing prices don’t deter pilgrims

Pilgrims from around the globe continue to flock to Makkah despite the extortionate prices of performing Umrah, which can reach SR50,000 a head.Yet many of these pilgrims, on low incomes, save up for years before being able to travel.Abu Mohammad Somali, a 60-year-old pilgrim, is one such example. Abu Mohammad was unable to...

Jubail firms to take part in festivities

Several major industrial and petrochemical companies will participate in supporting the Eid Al-Fitr celebrations at Jubail downtown and Jubail Industrial City, according to the celebrations Commission in Jubail mayoralty.The commission, composed of several authorities, is geared up for the Eid Al-Fitr events and celebration...

Zamzam water, prayer mats form bulk of souvenir items being bought by pilgrims

Pilgrims like to take souvenirs when they go back to their countries. Stores surrounding the Grand Mosque are filled with pilgrims who look for gifts even before they complete the rituals.The value of the gift is not of much consideration, the important thing is to take back something from the holy city of Makkah.A local v...

Truck driver washed away by floodwaters

A truck driver who attempted to cross a flooded river in the Al-Jouf valley in Qunfudah was washed away along with the truck, said Col. Saeed Sarhan, Makkah Civil Defense spokesman, in a statement.“The Al-Jouf valley was declared a no-go zone in a statement issued on Saturday since it had been flooded with water coming from...

Grand Mosque lightning photograph goes viral

The iconic photo of the flash of lightning over the Grand Mosque on Saturday evening created a new record of sorts on the Arab News Facebook page.The picture, taken at 7 p.m. by Arab News photographer Ahmad Hashad, was uploaded on the newspaper’s Facebook page at around 8 p.m., and within minutes it went viral. The title sa...

Workshops jack up tailoring charges by as much as 50% during Ramadan

The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) has noticed some variations in the prices of services provided by women’s workshops during Ramadan.“A rise of more than 50 percent was recorded at tailoring workshops for dresses,” Nasser Al-Toam, chief executive of CPA, stated.“The association has noticed some disparity as well in...

10,000 rounds of fireworks to illuminate EP skies during Eid

The Eastern Province will witness the largest fireworks show in the Kingdom to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, in which 10,000 rounds of fireworks will be launched.The Asharqia Chamber will launch seven new and different firework types to mark the beginning of the festivities, which will be held under the patronage of Eastern Provin...

Eradicate hatred to gain spiritual success, scholar urges Muslims

An eminent Islamic scholar and consultant urged Muslims to rid themselves of hatred and ill-feelings to achieve spiritual success during an educational evening on the importance of spiritual consciousness.During the event, Muhammad Al-Duhaim, a Shoura Council member, alluded to the fact that mankind is heading for a new rea...

» Riyadh residents looking forward to...

» Pakistani mission lowers flag in...

» 4-day Eid festival planned

» Zakat Al-Fitr: Beggars cook rice fraud

» Riyadh gets into festive mood

» Middle income families turn into...

» 3,118 Filipinos register for absentee...

» Customs winning battle against drugs...

» 900 freed from EP prisons

» Car rental firms gear up for high...

» Ethiopian maid hangs herself

» Car thieves arrested in Tabuk

MIDDLE EAST »

Abbas to head ‘joint team’ for Gaza cease-fire talks

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is to head...

15 execution victims found in Baghdad as Eid holiday begins

BAGHDAD: Iraqi police on Monday found the corpses of 15 people, including three...

Relative lull in Gaza as UN calls for cease-fire

ERUSALEM: A relative lull descended on the war-torn Gaza Strip on Monday, as int...

More than 50 killed in Benghazi, Tripoli clashes

BENGHAZI/TRIPOLI, July 27 : At least 36 people were killed in Libya’s eastern ci...

Global solidarity with Gazans growing

THE HAGUE: Protesters in several cities around the world are joining protests ag...

WORLD »

19 Filipinos on way to celebrate Eid killed in ambush

MANILA, Philippines: Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked Filipino civilians traveling to...

Downing of flight MH17 ‘may amount to a war crime’: UN

KIEV, Ukraine: The downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 “may amount to a war...

Aquino urges support as scandal threatens to hurt Philippine economy

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino called on the nation on Monday to su...

Pakistan mob kills woman, girls, over “blasphemous” Facebook post

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani mob killed a woman member of a religious sect and two of...

Philippines welcomes its 100 millionth citizen

MANILA: Philippine officials welcomed the birth Sunday of their country’s 100 mi...

SPORTS »

Nibali in glorious ride to Tour de France victory

PARIS: Vincenzo Nibali became the first Italian to win the Tour de France since...

Ricciardo upstages Mercedes to grab thrilling victory

BUDAPEST: Australian Daniel Ricciardo upstaged the stars again Sunday when he wo...

Horsey edges McGrane in Russian Open playoff

MOSCOW: Englishman David Horsey won his third European Tour event, but only his...

Furyk shoots 65 to line up Canadian Open treble

MONTREAL: Jim Furyk moved into position for his third Canadian Open victory, sho...

Cook, Balance put England on top

SOUTHAMPTON: England captain Alastair Cook fell agonizingly short of ending his...

ECONOMY »

Japan to step up sanctions against Russia

TOKYO: Japan is imposing more sanctions against Russia over its support for pro-Moscow rebels in Ukraine who are accused of shooting down a Malaysian jet, the chief gover...

SAMA net foreign assets reach SR2.737 trillion

The Kingdom’s M3 money supply growth edged up to 12.3 percent year-on-year in June from a five-month low of 12.1 percent in the previous month, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) data showed.Bank lending growth to the private sector was also slightly up at 12.3 percent in June from 12.0 percent in May, Reuters reported.Th...

Dollar’s prominence and the BRICS challenge

NEW YORK: It is symbolic that the recent BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, took place exactly seven decades after the Bretton Woods Conference that created the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The upshot of the BRICS meeting was the announcement of the New Development Bank, which will mobilize resources for...

Arabtec Q2 net profit rises 11% to $28.1 million

DUBAI: Arabtec, the construction company at the center of Dubai’s stock market turmoil, has reported an 11 percent rise in second-quarter profit, missing analysts’ estimates.Net profit climbed to AED103 million ($28.1 million) in the three months to June 30 from AED92 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement....

Investors pin growth hopes on US

FRANKFURT: With the prospect of stiffer sanctions against Russia rattling confidence in Europe, investors will be looking to the United States and China to underpin the global economy.Wednesday’s US gross domestic product (GDP) reading and jobs data on Friday will help markets to judge the strength of the economy’s rebound...

Qatar state spending up 13%, slowest in 11 years

DUBAI: Qatar’s state spending increased 12.7 percent last fiscal year, the lowest rate in 11 years, as slow growth in current expenditure offset a sharp rise in funds spent on infrastructure projects, data showed.Expenditure rose to a record high of 231.7 billion riyals ($63.6 billion) in the year that ended in March, from...

Top one percent control a third of China’s wealth

BEIJING: The top one percent of households in Communist-ruled China control more than one third of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 25 percent control just one hundredth, official media said, citing an academic report.The 2012 figures contained in a Peking University report reveal the massive breadth of China’s social...

iPhones ‘allow extraction of deep personal data’

SAN FRANCISCO: Personal data including text messages, contact lists and photos can be extracted from iPhones through previously unpublicized techniques by Apple Inc. employees, the company has acknowledged.The same techniques to circumvent backup encryption could be used by law enforcement or others with access to the “trus...

Koreans modify their vehicles to create a $4 billion industry

SEOUL — Yoon Kyung Sik watches for police whenever he drives his souped-up Kia Picanto from his leafy neighborhood in Seoul’s Songpa district to work at a nearby gym. He checks an Internet group that posts warnings if patrols are out in force.Yoon’s offense: unauthorized modification of a motor vehicle. He installed a non-s...

KSA to grow as 7th largest emerging market by 2030

Credit Suisse forecasts Saudi Arabia to emerge as the seventh largest emerging capital market by the year 2030 (with the equity market growing to be the sixth largest emerging market from the current 10th position). According to Credit Suisse estimates cited in a new report, Saudi Arabia would account for the second largest...

Indonesia: Reformist president could generate investment opportunities

Indonesian economy presents a major opportunity for foreign companies and the victory Joko Widodo in presidential elections could enhance that opportunity, QNB Group says in a report.Joko Widodo (better known as Jokowi) and his vice-presidential candidate, Jusuf Kalla, won Indonesia’s presidential elections on July 22. The...

Shale boom: Exxon eyes major refinery expansion in Texas

HOUSTON: Exxon Mobil Corp. is considering a multibillion-dollar plan to expand its Beaumont, Texas, refinery into the country’s largest, the first major refining investment of the US shale oil boom, people with knowledge of the deliberations said.The expansion of the 344,600 barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont refinery, if carrie...

US manufacturing: The onshoring myth

CAMBRIDGE: The decade that preceded the 2008 financial crisis was marked by massive global trade imbalances, as the US ran large bilateral deficits, especially with China. Since the crisis reached its nadir, these imbalances have been partly reversed, with America’s trade deficit, as a share of GDP, declining from its 2006...

OPINION »

Hassan Barari

Cease-fire: The day after

A 12-hour cease-fire entered into force between Israel and Hamas. Of course, the...

Seema Sengupta

Gaza crisis: Time for India’s intervention

Has India’s official stand on Palestine undergone a drastic change under the Nar...

Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Fortress Britain retreats into splendid isolation

Recent Cabinet shuffle in Britain may be the latest sign of UK growing isolation...

Jim Heintz

Putin stays on offense in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin might be expected to hunker down into defense m...

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Video shows smiling American bomber in Syria

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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...

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...

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...

TRAVEL »

4-day Eid festival planned

The Jeddah Municipality, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) will organize an entertainment festival for four days during Eid Al-Fitr following the success of the Ramadan festival in old Jeddah, which attracted 800,000 visitors throughout the holy month, said Yasser Madda...

Balad takes on a festive mood...

Naxos island: A glimmer among...

Mobile zoo attracts Baha visit...

FOOD & HEALTH »

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, especially to those under the age of 18.Sultan Ayoub Meo, a professor at the KSU’s College of Medicine, told Arab News on Friday that e-cigarette smoking should be regulated in the same way as traditional cigarettes. “Retail outlets, including pharmacies, must not be allowed to sell it to children and adolescents,” he said.E-cigarettes, which generate a vapor containing nicotine as a tobacco substitute, were initially released as a device to help smokers quit, but Meo fears “the huge rise in users could normalize smoking, and undo decades of anti-smoking education and campaigning.”He...

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...

OFFBEAT »

Julia Boutros sings in support of Gaza

BEIRUT: Lebanese singer Julia Boutros has once again raised her voice to the cause of the resistance, this time releasin...

Renowned Italian tenor Bergonzi dies age...

Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi, renowned for his virtuosity in Verdi operas, has died in Milan, the ANSA news agency reported Saturday. He was 90.During a career spanning 40 years, Bergonzi performed a string of stage roles, making his debut as a tenor at Milan’s La Scala in 1953.His voice was captured on numerous recordings, including one of every major Verdi operatic aria, which was made in 1976.After his retirement, he continued to work as a teacher.He also ran a Verdi singing competition and managed a hotel.He was regularly performing well into his 60s, and at the age of 75 undertook the...

‘Avengers’ unleash ‘Ultron’ footage at Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO: Several members of “The Avengers” descended on Comic-Con to debut the first footage from the upcoming superhero sequel.Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner were on hand with other cast members from “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” including Samuel L. Jackson and Colbie Smolders.The footage kicked off with the superhero team attempting to pick up Thor’s mighty hammer before launching into a barrage of action-packed imagery, including Hulk battling a giant Iron Man robot and a close up of Captain America’s split shield.“If I lift it, do I get...