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Man with stolen passport on Malaysian jet was asylum seeker

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A man traveling with a stolen passport on a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner was an Iranian teenager trying to migrate to Germany, and is not believed to have any terrorist links, police said Tuesday. The announcement is likely to dampen, at least for now, speculation that the disappearance of the Boeing 777 was linked to terrorism. Police said a second passenger also traveling with a stolen passport has not been identified. Both bought their tickets in Thailand and entered Malaysia together. No debris from the plane has been found. On Tuesday, baffled authorities expanded their search to the opposite side of Malaysia from where it disappeared more than three days ago with 239 people on board. The airline says the pilots did not send any distress signals, suggesting a sudden and possibly catastrophic incident. Speculation has ranged widely about possible caus...

Commission set up to settle labor disputes

The Council of Ministers on Monday set up a 21-member commission to settle labor disputes in the Kin...

‘Sectarian’ Iraqi govt must first put its house in order

Saudi Arabia has rejected a claim by Iraq that the Kingdom supports terrorists in that country. The...

Feminization of shops to blame for SR800m loss

Businesses have lost an estimated SR800 million because of the government’s feminization program, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) claimed on Monday. The claim comes as the Ministry of Labor launched the third phase of its feminization program covering shops selling women’s bags, shoes, perfume and clothing; and said it would punish those failing to employ Saudi women. Mohammad...

Crown prince set to begin strategic China visit Thursday

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, will begin a four-day state visit to China from Thursday as the guest of Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, said Chinese Ambassador Li Chengwen on Monday. It will be the first visit of the crown prince to China, where he will hold wide-ranging talks with high-ranking Chinese officials on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues. “The two...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Over SR6 billion spent on energy drinks a year in KSA

The Kingdom spends more than SR6 billion a year on energy drinks, investors and businessmen at the Council of Saudi Chambers have said. The Council of Ministers banned l...

Half million expatriate workers...

More than half a million foreign workers were reported as runaways across the Kingdom last year, equivalent to 7 percent of the more than 7 million expat workers Kingdom-wide, according to statistics reported by regional labor offices. Reports of runaway workers were most prevalent in major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah an...

Tiny apartments with high rents bug...

The soaring rents of four-room apartments are becoming a financial problem for many Saudi families who don’t own homes. Their problems are compounded by landlords who are building smaller flats of two rooms that cannot accommodate large families. The annual rent for a two-room apartment can exceed SR35,000. Foreigner...

IOU stresses Islamic learning

The Islamic Online University (IOU) in Riyadh recently organized an awareness day to discuss the need for Muslim experts in various fields, including finance, education, psychology and missionary work (dawah). Guest speaker Bilal Philips and IOU students highlighted to the attendees the importance of education and congratu...

MIDDLE EAST »

Syria deal: 150 women freed for nuns’ release

DAMASCUS, Syria: Greek Orthodox nuns freed after being held hostage by Al-Qaeda-...

Libya Army ordered to ‘liberate’ ports held by rebels

TRIPOLI: Libya’s Parliament has ordered a special force be sent within one week...

WORLD »

Search for Malaysia jet widens as frustrations grow

KUALA LUMPUR: The desperate search for a Malaysian jet that vanished with 239 pe...

Child death toll rises to 62 in southern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: At least 62 kids have died in a district of southern Pakistan where t...

ECONOMY »

Saudi stocks: Tadawul index retreats in high turnover

The Saudi stock market turned red Monday, reversing after a four-day surge and d...

Indian rupee hits 7-month high

MUMBAI: The Indian rupee rallied to its highest level in seven months as foreign...

SPORTS »

Hofland rules Paris-Nice second stage

SAINT-GEORGES-SUR-BAULCHE, France: Dutch rider Moreno Hofland won a sprint finish for the 205km second stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race to Saint-Georges-sur-Baulche i...

Reed wraps up title in Cadillac...

DORAL, Florida: He wore black pants and a red shirt, his Sunday colors. He took a lead into the final round, quickly expanded it with a pair of birdies and then relied on his short game to keep everyone chasing him. He even played it safe off the 18th tee, caring more about the trophy than the final score.That script for ye...

Pele says Neymar can handle World Cup...

PARIS: Pele is counting on Neymar to lead Brazil to World Cup victory and erase the painful memory of the last time the football-mad country hosted the tournament.Considered by many to be world's best player, Pele was only 9 years old when Brazil lost to Uruguay in the final match of the 1950 World Cup. Pele then led Brazi...

Keselowski edges Earnhardt on last lap...

LAS VEGAS: Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew he probably didn’t have enough fuel to finish. Being in Vegas, he decided to gamble. And when Earnhardt’s tank went bust on the final lap, Brad Keselowski was right there to clean up.Keselowski surged ahead when Earnhardt ran out of fuel, claiming a dramatic victory Sunday in the NASCAR ra...

OPINION »

Saad Al-Dosari

Social media can never replace books

The Riyadh book fair is opening its doors to visitors these days. And along the...

Susan Ople

Art of ‘errorism’

A world-class performer cannot help but wince when someone sings out of tune. At...

Linda S. Heard

A pariah that should be shunned by all

Saudi Arabia’s decision to call a spade a spade by branding the Muslim Brotherho...

Ramzy Baroud

The danger lurking beneath Al-Aqsa

Something sinister is brewing around and below Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East J...

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Bizarre scenes as North Korea goes to the...

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ART & CULTURE »

In Mona Lisa’s smile, US historian sees...

WASHINGTON: It’s taken him 12 years, but an amateur art historian from Texas reckons he’s solved the mystery of the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, five centuries after it was immortalized by Leonardo da Vinci.
In a just-published book, “The Lady Speaks: Uncovering the Secrets of the Mona Lisa,” William Varvel argues that La Gioconda was a 16t...

Exhibit studies impact of ligh...

Best of Arab artworks to go un...

ALJCI lauded for restoring scu...

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

Social media can never replace books

The Riyadh book fair is opening its doors to visitors these days. And along the piles of books, news publications and crowds of visitors, social media too goes ablaze during the event.
Tweets and photos about the bought books, discussions about the most famous releases, and talks about the most famous banned releases usually take place....

Boost your career through mean...

Candy Crush sweetens gaming fo...

Video-gaming industry breaks c...

FASHION »

Shoes that speak luxury and a language

Women are crazy about shoes because the right pair can take an outfit to another level. Wearing comfortable, stylish shoes is the secret to self-confidence, which is surefire head turner.
And there is someone who thinks along the same lines and has taken shoe design to a whole new level. That person is none other than Anas Younes Shanaah,...

Najla Zainy: Good skin is key...

Fantasy, furs draw Milan week...

French revolution inspires ris...

TRAVEL »

Jubail: Fishing village to an industrial...

It was until 1975 that Jubail was a small fishing village. Commuting from Dammam to Jubail was time consuming and tiring.
That small fishing village had very few inhabitants living in small houses dotted along the Arabian Gulf’s shoreline.
Few know that its history dates back to at least 7,000 years. According to historians,...

Statue of pharaonic princess f...

Dubai food festival: A flavor...

Tourism sector to create 1.8m...

FOOD & HEALTH »

Alarm bells ring for rising obesity and diabetes

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major risk factor among the local population, according to the results of a study conducted by the Ministry of Health.The findings state that obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risk factors among the local population.Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that the study was conducted on people above 15.Al-Rabeeah said that NCDs are a major health problem worldwide and would continue to increase unless action is taken to prevent their occurrence at a national level. He said that the ministry is carrying out an intensive campaign for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.Diabetes is accelerating at a rate...

Potent new painkiller stokes alarm in US

WASHINGTON: A potent new painkiller hit the US market this week, despite warnings from top experts that the drug may deliver a deadly setback in America’s battle with opioid addiction.Zohydro ER can contain 10 times the amount of hydrocodone as the most popular prescription painkiller, Vicodin, and is easily crushable so it could be snorted, bearing none of the recent safeguards added to pills like OxyContin (oxycodone).In a nation where some 15,000 people die annually from prescription painkiller use, the drug’s approval has raised alarm among doctors, lawmakers and relatives of those lost to overdose.Two senators have launched an investigation into practices by the US Food and Drug...

Be proud to sleep on the job

Some forward-thinking companies such as Nike and Google offer places for their employees to nap. But for most workers, napping in the office is frowned upon. This is a shame given the long list of benefits from an afternoon nap. Here are eight reasons why we should embrace and encourage naps during the workday:1. Napping makes you more productive: Research has shown that naps refresh our bodies, make us more attentive and improve our moods. It’s in the best interest of employers and employees for everyone to be functioning at their best. Fatigue contributes to $18 billion a year in lost productivity. And when tired employees go home, they’re at an increased risk of being in a car crash.2....

OFFBEAT »

Al-Harbi brothers beat the odds by selling tea at Jeddah Cor...

ROARING BUSINESS: Customers line up for the Al-Harbi brother’s aromatic tea on Jeddah’s Corniche. (A...

With the specter of unemployment hanging over many Saudis at present to the extent that it casts its shadow over many ec...

Shahrukh Khan a ‘big Rajinikanth fan’

MUMBAI: Bollywood supestar Shahrukh Khan Sunday said he is such a big fan of Rajinikanth that he decided to attend the audio launch of his film “Kochadaiiyaan.” “I came here for three reasons. Firstly, like all of you, I am a big Rajinikanth fan,” Khan told reporters at the launch. Reminiscing his earlier days, Khan said that many years ago when he landed in Mumbai, he went to see the shooting of a Hindi film starring Rajinikanth and learned an important lesson after observing the southern superstar. “I saw from far away that he was standing in front of a big mirror and practising throwing...

Pakistani actor Babar Khan still critical

KARACHI: The friends and family of Babar and Sana Khan are still in shock after the untimely demise of the Pakistani actress and model. Babar, her husband, who was in the car with her at the time of the accident continued to be critical, according to various Pakistani media sites.“Her friends and family are still at shock and hoping for Babar’s speedy recovery. However, doctors at Liaquat University Hospital are still saying that he continues to be in critical condition,” the Eastern Tribune reported. Sana was known for acting in serials such as ‘Parchaiyan’.The duo had got married in...