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RIYADH: Two more patients who had been infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus have died, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. The ministry said the new cases from the SARS-related coronavirus were reported in Riyadh, Jeddah and the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. The deaths bring to 83 the number of people who have died in the kingdom since contracting the virus in September 2012. The kingdom has recorded a total of 285 confirmed cases. On Monday, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah removed the country’s health minister following a recent spike in MERS cases. Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah was relieved of his post on Tuesday and replaced by Labor Minister Adel Fakeih in a concurrent capacity. Saudi Arabia has seen a jump in MERS infections in recent weeks, with many of the new cases recorded in Jeddah. Nonetheless, officials ar...

Clashes in east Ukraine leave at least 2 dead

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine: Ukrainian troops moved against pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine on Thursday,...

Afghan hospital guard kills 3 American doctors

KABUL, Afghanistan: An Afghan security guard opened fire on a group of doctors at a Kabul hospital o...

Haj management is a huge responsibility: Crown prince

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, launched a major Haj Research Forum at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah on Wednesday and reminded Saudi Haj managers of their responsibility in taking care of millions of pilgrims who come from around the world. “It is a great honor for Saudi Arabia and its people to host the guests of God, while at the same time being a big responsibility on our shoulder...

Prince Turki: Gulf states ‘must balance threat from Iran’

MANAMA: Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a former intelligence chief, said Gulf states should work on acquiring nuclear knowhow to balance any threat from Iran. He also told a security conference in Manama that the Gulf states should be prepared for any possible outcome from Iran’s nuclear talks with world powers. “We do not hold any hostility to Iran and do not wish any harm to it or to its people, who are Muslim ne...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Umrah cancellation rumors scotched

The Haj Ministry has not received cancellations for Umrah reservations in the wake of the coronavirus, said Abdullah Marghalani, undersecretary at the Haj Ministry and ge...

Oil derivatives choking Gulf’s marine...

The average Gulf resident produces eight times more environmentally hazardous waste than the average American, a Gulf researcher has found. An estimated 1.2 million barrels of liquid waste from oil derivatives are poured into the sea yearly, said Abdulnabi Al-Ghadban, a researcher at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Res...

Debate over licenses for YouTube...

Plans are under way by the government’s new media watchdog to regulate content on YouTube posted by Saudi-based entertainment companies and individuals, according to the head of the body. The General Authority for Audiovisual Media would require local production houses to have government-issued licenses, said Riyadh...

‘No MERS in Jeddah schools’

There are no Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infections at Jeddah schools, a senior city health official said here recently.Sami Badawood, Jeddah health director, said students could stay safe by maintaining proper hygiene and keeping away from crowded areas. He said health facilities in Jeddah are fully...

MIDDLE EAST »

No victor in Lebanon presidential elections

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Parliament failed to elect a new president on Wednesday,...

Bomb kills police general in Cairo

CAIRO: A police brigadier general was killed when a bomb exploded under his car...

WORLD »

Clashes in east Ukraine leave at least 2 dead

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine: Ukrainian troops moved against pro-Russia forces in eastern...

Cornish recognized as British minority

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

ECONOMY »

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

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

Spacious new Heathrow Terminal 2 set for opening

LONDON: The rundown, overcrowded Terminal 2 at London’s sprawling Heathrow Airpo...

SPORTS »

Al-Attiyah, Abu Issa pull clear as Barreda regains motorcy...

SEALINE, Qatar: Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, Spaniard Joan Barreda and the host nation’s Mohammed Abu Issa stole the limelight by setting the fastest times in the thi...

Canadiens complete sweep of Lightning

MONTREAL: Montreal became the first team to book a place in the second round of the NHL playoffs as Max Pacioretty scored with 43 seconds left to secure a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday and complete a 4-0 series sweep.San Jose looks likely to be the next team into the second round after edging Los Angeles in overtime to...

Rangers edge A's 5-4 to close AL...

OAKLAND, California: Texas' Michael Choice singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning against his old team to lift the Rangers to a 5-4 win over Oakland on Tuesday, cutting the gap to the American League West leader to half a game.Among the day's other games, San Diego won a 12-inning struggle at majors-leading Milwau...

F1 boss Ecclestone goes on trial in...

MUNICH: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone goes on trial in Munich on Thursday on bribery charges that could lead to a prison term of up to 10 years if he is convicted.The trial could spell the end of the 83-year-old Ecclestone’s career running F1, which he turned into a billion dollar business.Here are five things to know...

OPINION »

Mohamed A. El-Erian

The democratic disruption of finance

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

John Tirman

America’s grim legacy in Iraq

The Iraq war is now 11 years old and still tearing up the country, but no longer...

Jeffrey D. Sachs

Putin’s perilous course

The dangers of the crisis in Ukraine cannot be exaggerated. Russian President Vl...

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi

Libya and Tunisia — a tale of two revolutions

Three years after the revolutions in various Arab countries, many observers are...

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After Fukushima, Japan Eyes Solar Power

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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 »

Young royals turn DJs in Queen’s Aussie namesake

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (C), gestures to her husband, Britain's Prince William (L),...

ADELAIDE, Australia: Britain’s Prince William on Wednesday visited the South Australian town named after his grand...

Meryl Streep: Too ugly to be an actress?

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actress Meryl Streep says that at the start of her career, she thought her looks weren’t good enough to make her a success in the industry. Apart from winning three Academy awards, Meryl, 64, is also the most Oscar nominated actor in Hollywood with 18 nominations to her credit. “I was always in plays, but I thought it was vain to be an actress. Plus, I thought I was too ugly to be an actress. Glasses weren’t fabulous then. Many of my friends woke up at 3 years of age and said, ‘I have to be on stage’,” Streep told E!Online. “...

Bieber sorry after Japan war shrine trip

TOKYO: Justin Bieber said sorry and insisted he loved Japan and China after he stepped into a bitter fight over history by visiting a controversial war shrine in Tokyo. The troubled Canadian pop prince posted a snap of him at Yasakuni shrine on his Instagram account — tweeting the link to his 51 million Twitter followers — with the message “Thank you for your blessings.” The shrine is seen across Asia as a symbol of Japan’s perceived lack of penitence for its imperialist past. An attached museum peddles a view of World War II deemed unpalatable by most...