56 mosques, 7 hospitals hit in Israeli offensive
Defying mounting calls for restraint and a UN vote to investigate its deadly offensive in Gaza, Israel pushed on with its air strikes early Thursday, killing at least 18 more mostly civilians and raising the Palestinian death toll to more than 700.Palestinian emergency services said the latest casualties include a family of six, including two young children, who were killed in an Israeli air strike in the south of the Gaza Strip. “Six members of the Al-Aftal family, including a five-year-old girl and a boy of three, were killed,” said emergency services spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra, bringing the number killed Thursday to 18.Israeli forces have also succeeded in destroying at least 475 houses and 2,644 have been partially damaged. Some 46 schools, 56 mosques and seven hospitals had also suffered varying degrees of destruction, say Palestinian officials.Israel has defended such strikes on civ...
UN chief in Kingdom to bolster regional peace
UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Jeddah late on Wednesday for talks with Saudi leaders, reiterating h...
High-tech transport systems for 11 cities
The Public Transport Authority will develop transport systems in 11 cities through advanced technolo...
Contact lost with Air Algerie plane carrying 116 people from...
ALGIERS: Authorities have lost contact with an Air Algerie flight en route from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers with 110 passengers on board, Algeria's APS state news agency and a Spanish airline company said. APS said authorities lost contact with flight AH 5017 an hour after it took off from Burkina Faso, although other officials gave other timings, adding to confusion about the fate of the flight and where it mi...
Train rams school bus in south India; 20 dead
NEW DELHI: A train slammed into a school bus in southern India, killing at least 19 children and the driver, police said.The bus crossed a railway track at an unmanned crossing in Telangana state without stopping to check if the way was clear, said Indian Railways spokesman Anil Kumar Saxena.Police said the bus was carrying 32 children, 12 of whom died on the spot. Seven more died in a nearby hospital, where others are in...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Massive housing project launched in Madinah
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman launched a massive real estate project here Tuesday, which is estimated to cost SR55 billion.The project, comprising 100 residential towers with four-star to five-star hotels, will accommodate more than 120,000 people. The state-owned Public Investment Fund is f...
PIF to set up new companies
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) aims to establish companies in areas including housing, petrochemicals and technology as it expands its investments locally and overseas, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said.His statement, quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, was a fresh sign th...
Envoy: 21m Chinese Muslims fast in Ramadan
An estimated 21 million Chinese Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramadan and are allowed under the country's constitution to freely practice other Islamic rituals, according to the Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia.Li Chengwen told Arab News here recently that these Muslims are from 10 ethnic minorities in the country...
Choppers reduce Makkah traffic congestion
The Ministry of Interior is using eight heavy duty helicopters to monitor and deal with traffic congestion in the central district and roads leading to Makkah, according to a senior official.Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Harbi, commander in chief of the ministry's Security Aviation department, said the aircraft conduct several dail...
All roads lead to Makkah ahead of Eid
More than 150 buses packed with Umrah pilgrims are set to leave for Makkah and Madinah from the capital on Thursday.A large number of pilgrims will also be leaving for the same destination from the Eastern Province, while thousands of citizens will travel to these cities to spend Eid with their relatives.Local travel operat...
Crime rate up 102%
The Ministry of Justice has released figures, which indicate that crime rates have increased 102 percent in the Kingdom; up from 10,904 cases in 2012 to 22,113 cases in 2013.In the first six months of this year, the Kingdom has seen a surge in criminal cases, compared to the same period last year. Khaled Al-Bishr, a former...
DQ’s shaded area a welcome haven for capital’s residents
An shaded area has been set up at Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter (DQ) for residents to escape the heat as they go about their daily errands.Many of Riyadh’s residents visit the area to follow up on unavoidable issues, such as passport applications.They also love driving along DQ’s concrete roads lined with ornamental plants an...
Riyadh readies up Eid preparations
Riyadh Mayor Abdullah Al-Muqbel has announced that Eid Al-Fitr celebrations will witness an impressive line-up of activities and festivities in the capital this year.Al-Muqbel made these comments in the presence of Riyadh Gov. Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, adding that a number of activities are set to take place...
Jeddah public gardens ‘lack basic services’
Some of Jeddah’s public parks are dirty, poorly maintained and lack basic services, according to irate residents here. Zain Qashqari, a Jeddah resident, told Arab News recently that he does not go to the two parks close to his home because they “both have no electricity, poor sanitation and lots of litter. The only source o...
Al-Athr showcases abstract and geometry inspired works of art
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 artis...
19 arrested in Riyadh for crimes during Ramadan
A total of 19 suspects were arrested for committing 220 crimes in Riyadh during the holy month of Ramadan. The police executed a number of successful operations, which resulted in the arrest of five gangs.Three young Saudis were apprehended for robbing cars, cash and mobile phones from workers in gas stations and shopkeeper...
Dammam market to be relocated
The Eastern Province Municipality will transfer Dammam’s public market outside the residential area in which it is located now after a fire gutted 40 percent of its shops earlier this week, according to municipality sources.“The municipality will stop at nothing to ensure that random stalls and vendors are removed from loca...
King discusses Gaza violence with Qatar emir
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah met with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Jeddah on Tuesday and discussed developments in Gaza, where 630 Palestinians have died after 15 days of violence between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) announced.The two leaders...
» KSA flays Israeli savagery in Gaza...
» Crown Prince: We consider Pakistan...
» Road crashes kill 11 in 24 hours
» KAFD projects left hanging due to...
» National initiative program for Saudi...
» Food vouchers of great help to poor...
» SR2m worth of clothes, goodies...
» SCTA launches tourism complaint...
» Fewer people going for itikaf at Holy...
» Umrah packages soar on Ramadan’s last...
» MERS virus detected in air samples...
» King Abdullah, Moroccan king review...

MIDDLE EAST »

Gaza church opens doors to war refugees
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: For the first time in years, Gaza City’s Gre...
UN rights council launches probe into Israel’s Gaza offensive

GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday launched a probe into the Gaza...

UN: Israel committing ‘war crimes’

JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State John Kerry took his truce mission to Israel Wed...

Iraqi MPs stall presidential vote

BAGHDAD: Iraqi lawmakers on Wednesday postponed choosing a new president for the...

Israel's casualties rise; pressure mounts as flight ban enter...

GAZA/JERUSALEM: Gaza fighting raged on Wednesday, displacing thousands more Pale...

WORLD »

Train rams school bus in south India; 20 dead
NEW DELHI: A train slammed into a school bus in southern India, killing at least...
Bodies of Malaysia jet victims leave Ukraine

KHARKIV, Ukraine: Two military aircraft carrying the first bodies of victims of...

Prabowo to challenge Indonesian election result in court

JAKARTA: The ex-general who lost Indonesia’s presidential election to Joko Widod...

Chief Ebola doctor contracts the virus

FREETOWN: The head doctor fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leo...

Rhino poacher gets 77 years in jail

JOHANNESBURG: A rhino poacher in South Africa has been sentenced to 77 years in...

SPORTS »

Majka reigns supreme in mountains for second stage victory
SAINT-LARY-SOULAN, France: Rafal Majka won his second stage of the 2014 Tour de...
Monaco moves into Gstaad quarterfinals

GSTAAD, Switzerland: Juan Monaco held his nerve in a tight final set to upset th...

US, Koreans favored at LPGA International Crown

BALTIMORE: South Korea and the United States will be the favorites in an eight-n...

Fineboyz Rhinos strike for Team of Week plum

Fineboyz Rhinos made sure they don’t bow out empty-handed after clinching the Te...

Beckham visits United as Van Gaal debut nears

LOS ANGELES: Former Manchester United star David Beckham visited his former Engl...

ECONOMY »

Ford Q2 profit up 6% to $1.3 billion
DEARBORN, Michigan: Ford Motor Co.'s second quarter net income rose 6 percent to $1.3 billion as the company saw record profits in North America and made money in Europe...
PIF to set up new companies
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) aims to establish companies in areas including housing, petrochemicals and technology as it expands its investments locally and overseas, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said.His statement, quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, was a fresh sign th...
SR1bn Eid boost: SAMA injects new currencies
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) has pumped new Saudi Riyal currencies worth SR1 billion to meet growing demand on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, when the Saudi central bank usually issues new currencies in different denominations.“The newly issued currencies are currently available at SAMA’s branch offices across the...
Saudi fertilizer industry set for diversification era
The Saudi fertilizer industry leads regional production and is set to usher in a period of strong growth and diversification, according to Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA). “Fertilizer production from the Kingdom accounts for 40 percent of total capacity i...
Dow plans to raise $6bn from non-core asset sales
NEW YORK: Dow Chemical Co. reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit as sales rose and margins improved due to higher prices and a tight control on costs.The company said margins improved in four of its six units, aided in part by lower costs for ethane, used in making ethylene and plastics.Dow, which makes everythin...
Women business owners face gender gap, report says
NEW YORK: Women who own small business are still far behind their male counterparts when it comes to getting loans and government contracts, a congressional report said Wednesday.The report by Democratic staffers of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee found that while businesses owned by women account...
Ultra high definition TVs boost LG Display profit
SEOUL: LG Display Co. said profit for the April-June quarter more than doubled as a stronger won reduced the value of its foreign debt and the World Cup boosted demand for ultra-high-definition TVs.The South Korean display panel maker said its net income reached 256 billion won ($250 million), compared with 105 billion won...
Jet eyes profit by 2017 with boost from Etihad
NEW DELHI: Jet Airways, India’s second-biggest carrier, has forecast a return to profit in three years through cost-cuts, route-sharing with new partner Etihad Airways and restructuring of hefty debt.The publicly traded airline, which has not posted an annual profit since 2007, has been struggling in an overcrowded market b...
Tadawul breaches 10,000 barrier after Cabinet action
The Saudi market index surpassed 10,000 points on Tuesday after the Cabinet approved a measure that will open the local stock market to direct foreign investment next year.The Tadawul All-Share Index rose 3.2 percent, its biggest rise since April 2012, to a fresh six-year high of 10,062 points in the first hour of trade, br...
Cabinet move sparks Tadawul rally; KSA set for massive funds inflow
Economists have welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to allow foreign investment in Saudi stock market.“This is doubtless a very significant development,” Jarmo T. Kotilaine, a regional analyst, told Arab News.The decision to allow direct foreign investment in the stock market comes as the Kingdom works to diversify its economy...
Savola CEO to resign for personal reasons
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian food company Savola Group said its CEO Abdulraouf Mannaa is to step down for personal reasons.Mannaa would be replaced by Abdullah Mohammed Noor Rehaimi, currently a board member at Savola, who will take up the role on January 1, 2015. Savola, a producer of cooking oil, sugar and other foodstuffs, adde...
Yahoo builds mobile muscle with purchase of Flurry
SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo continued its quest for renewed relevance with the purchase of a startup specializing in analyzing and making money from mobile applications.Yahoo did not disclose how much it paid for San Francisco-based Flurry, but online reports valued the deal in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the startup f...
MSCI studies Saudi reforms
LONDON: Index compiler MSCI will consult with investors about adding Saudi Arabia to its broader stock indices and could make a decision to include it as an emerging market in June 2015, an MSCI official said.Saudi Arabia plans to open its stock market to direct investment by foreign financial institutions in the first half...

OPINION »

Khalid Abdulla-Janahi
Mideast elite’s indifference
A few weeks ago, the US Supreme Court, the highest federal court in the United S...
Rajeev Sharma
Nothing going right for Congress
Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan. Nothing sums up the cur...
Nina L. Khrushcheva
Putin’s tipping point?
When incompetence in the Kremlin turns murderous, its incumbents can begin to tr...
MAHIR ALI
Seeking the plane truth
The least indecent course of action for whoever shot down Malaysia Airlines Flig...

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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 »

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...
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FASHION »

Eid gift ideas for the loved ones

Eid is Ramadan's sweet end. Many celebrate Eid with family and friends by hosting and attending special gatherings, dressed in trendy clothes and equipped with the latest gadgets.
Exchanging gifts is a famous tradition in the Arab world. We at Arab News came up with a list of suggestions to help you choose the best gift to give to your love...
Mishael Al-Rajhi designs for s...
Saudi women look to mesotherap...
Rashno designs for an elegant...

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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 »

US man claims African ‘kingdom’ for daughter
ABINGDON, United States: Fathers often see their daughters as royalty. But a few months ago, when Emily Heaton said she...
Paris compares herself to Einstein
LOS ANGELES: Socialite Paris Hilton has revealed that her zodiac sign, Aquarius, has some kind of cosmic link to the German physicist Albert Einstein. Einstein, according to the calendar, was a Pisces and not an Aquarian, reported Us magazine.“We are social butterflies, humanitarians, geniuses: Einstein was one,” she said. The ‘Come Alive’ singer, 33, says she has developed a thick skin over the years, with friends as well as strangers.“So many people have bad intentions, so many girls want to hang out to be someone. I weed those people out of my life. I call them hungry tigers,” she said....
Freida Pinto speaks for girls’ rights
LONDON: Actress Freida Pinto of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame has joined forces with girls’ rights campaigners in calling for an end to the practice of female genital mutilation.The Indian actress, an ambassador for an international children’s development organization, called Tuesday for more progress to abolish the practice as she addressed Britain’s inaugural “Girl Summit.”UNICEF, the United Nations’ children agency, said some progress has been made on ending female genital mutilation, most commonly practiced in Africa and the Middle East. It is still highly prevalent in Egypt, Sudan, Mali and...

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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