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

GAZA/JERUSALEM: Gaza fighting raged on Wednesday, displacing thousands more Palestinians in the battered territory as US Secretary of State John Kerry said efforts to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas had made some progress.In a blow to Israel’s economy and image, American aviation authorities extended a ban on US flights to Tel Aviv for a second day, spooked by rocket salvoes out of the Gaza Strip, with many other global airlines also avoiding the Jewish state.Adding to the pressure on Israel, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said there was “a strong possibility” that it was committing war crimes in Gaza, where 687 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting.She also condemned indiscriminate Islamist rocket fire out of Gaza and the United Nations Human Rights Council said it would launch an international inquiry into alleged violations.Israel denied...

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 A...

KSA flays Israeli savagery in Gaza Strip

Saudi Arabia has denounced the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the Jewish state’s wa...

Uproar after India MP force-feeds fasting Muslim worker

NEW DELHI: India’s parliament erupted in anger on Wednesday after television footage showed a hard-line Hindu nationalist lawmaker apparently trying to force-feed a Muslim man during the fasting month of Ramadan.Opposition Congress MPs launched raucous protests in the parliament, saying the lawmaker had violated the man’s religious beliefs by aggressively trying to shove a chapati or piece of bread in his mouth.“It is abs...

UN rights chief: Strong possibility of Gaza crimes

GENEVA: The UN’s top human rights official warned all sides in the two-week war in the Gaza Strip to not indiscriminately attack civilians, and that violations may amount to war crimes.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Wednesday that around three-quarters of the 650 Palestinians and around 30 Israelis killed in the conflict were civilians, and thousands more have been injured. The toll, she said, incl...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Women to take part in municipal polls

The Council of Ministers has approved legislation that would allow Saudi women to vote and stand as candidates in upcoming municipal council elections.Women were not allowed to participate in the 2011 elections but Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques had ordered shortly before the polls that they shou...

Road crashes kill 11 in 24 hours

At least 11 people died in different parts of the Kingdom in road accidents during the past 24 hours, informed sources said. Five of them including four Pakistanis died as they were traveling from Jeddah to Al-Laith as their pick up vehicle hit a huge truck.In another crash in Jeddah, two Saudi sisters died. A 40-year-old P...

KAFD projects left hanging due to manpower shortage

Contractors working on the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), worth an estimated SR29 billion ($7.8 billion), will not be able to complete their projects on time due to a lack of manpower and logistics, according to one source.“Some contractors do not have enough manpower and cannot afford to hire as many people as th...

National initiative program for Saudi youth launched

Prince Fahd bin Muqrin launched a national initiative program for Saudi youth on Sunday under the banner “Sons of the homeland”. The program aims to honor young men and women who have served the country and instil a sense of duty toward the country among Saudi youth. Media adviser Abdul Aziz Alandidjani said the initiative...

Food vouchers of great help to poor families in Ramadan

A local charity and supermarket chain distributed food coupons to several widows, families of prisoners and orphans during the holy month of Ramadan.The Azizia Panda United Company and the International Islamic Relief Organization Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) organized the campaign. The coupons allowed the people to buy food of th...

SR2m worth of clothes, goodies distributed

The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) distributed almost 50,000 items of clothing and toys to children in need ahead of the Eid holidays, which begins Monday. The campaign was launched as part of the chamber’s social responsibility program.Kholoud Al-Fadeel, campaign director and organizer, said that SR2 millio...

SCTA launches tourism complaint service

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has launched a mobile phone complaint service to allow citizens and expatriates to inform it about any lack of proper facilities.Prince Sultan bin Salman, the SCTA president, launched the “Mobile Phone Complaint Service” and “Customer Relationship Management” (CRM) pro...

Fewer people going for itikaf at Holy Mosques

Authorities at Makkah and Madinah have reported a lower-than-expected turnout of worshippers who have registered for “itikaf” (total seclusion) at the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque. Thousands of Muslims confine themselves to mosques across the Kingdom during the last ten days of Ramadan.“A total of 5,400 people have reg...

Umrah packages soar on Ramadan’s last ten days

The cost of Umrah packages are soaring during the latter part of Ramadan, whether for basic transportation and lodging or for high-end, five-star luxury hotels.Umrah travel operators in the capital, for instance, have increased pilgrim packages by 150 percent.Indeed, Umrah packages cost SR90 outside the peak season, but a r...

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...

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...

11m pills seized in massive drug haul

Customs officers at Dhuba Port in Tabuk have foiled an attempt to smuggle nearly 11 million amphetamine drug pills, Ali Al-Atwi, director of customs at the port, said in a statement on Monday.He said the pills were hidden inside 14 heavy equipment, adding that the consignment came from a neighboring country by ship.“Our off...

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...

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» Stranded Indian family finally gets...

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MIDDLE EAST »

UN: No safe place for Gaza civilians

GENEVA: Palestinian civilians in densely-populated Gaza have no place to hide fr...

Hamas rocket strike halts airline flights to Israel

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: A rocket fired from Gaza on Tuesday led airl...

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...

WORLD »

At least 42 killed in Taiwan plane crash: officials

TAIPEI: At least 42 people were killed in a plane crash in Taiwan on Wednesday,...

Philippine army warned against “meddling” as coup rumors swirl

MANILA: Philippine soldiers should keep clear of politics, the military’s new ch...

MH17 airline crew recalls happy voyagers boarding flight

THE HAGUE: An airline ground crew member who checked passengers in for doomed fl...

Sri Lankan monk rejects Dalai Lama as leader of Buddhists

COLOMBO: A firebrand Sri Lankan monk on Tuesday criticized the Dalai Lama for ur...

Sri Lanka investigates navy over gang-rape of girl

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police were Tuesday investigating the gang-rape of an 11-yea...

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 »

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 fo...

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...

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...

Apple asks suppliers to produce up to 80m large-screen iPhones

NEW YORK: Apple Inc. has asked suppliers to manufacture between 70 million and 80 million of its two forthcoming large-screen iPhones by the end of the year, its largest initial production run of iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Its forecast for the iPhones with 4.7-inch (11....

Credit Suisse posts heavy loss after US tax fine

ZURICH: Credit Suisse posted an unexpectedly big net second-quarter loss on Tuesday as a huge US tax evasion fine sent it deep into the red.The bank revealed a negative figure of 700 million Swiss francs (576 million euros, $778 million)The Swiss banking giant paid a $2.6 billion settlement to US authorities in May over tax...

Shale plays reduce political risk

LONDON: Shale plays are ideal for oil and gas companies that need to limit risk in countries with a history of political and economic instability and poor respect for private property.The ability to manage political risk, coupled with a world-class resource, explains why international oil firms are showing strong interest i...

Aluminum market in ‘strongest shape since 2008-2009 crisis’

OSLO: The global aluminum market is in its strongest shape since the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the price of the lightweight metal could move higher this quarter, Norsk Hydro, a top global producer, said.The company, one of Norway’s biggest industrial companies and also a big producer of hydro-electric power, has rid...

Saudi Arabia to open $530bn bourse to foreigners in early 2015

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...

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...

OPINION »

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi

Reviving the Arab world’s anemic political systems

Many Arab countries have sickly, anemic political systems that are sorely in nee...

Aijaz Zaka Syed

Who will stop these child killers?

Editors face this dilemma in the newsroom almost on a daily basis. Every time th...

Osama Al Sharif

Gaza assault faces failure

As the assault on Gaza enters its third week, the Israeli army is no closer to a...

Abdulateef Al-Mulhim

MH17: Terror in the sky

First of all, I would like to express my deep sympathy to the families and frien...

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Fatal rock slide on a busy highway in China

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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 »

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...

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...

FOOD & HEALTH »

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...

Toward a healthier Ramadan

Ramadan is a month dedicated especially for your body and soul; it is an opportunity for you to look at things from a different perspective. Fasting is a part of many religions and many of the prophets have been known to fast.During this month, Muslims from all around the world come together to abstain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset. This year, Ramadan falls in the middle of July, so the heat makes it extremely important to care for one’s health, as a healthy body will carry you through the month. The foods you choose to eat have a real impact on your health, energy and mood.According to recent studies and experiments, the mere act of fasting stimulates the...

OFFBEAT »

British royals thank world as Prince George turns one

LONDON: Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine on Monday thanked well-wishers around the world as they prepared...

Ranbir, Alia pair up for film

MUMBAI: ‘Rockstar’ star Ranbir Kapoor will star opposite actress Alia Bhatt in director Ayan Mukherjee’s next film.Karan Johar, who will be producing the film, took to Twitter to share the news. The movie is expected to release on Dec. 23, 2016.“Ayan Mukherjee’s next for Dharma productions is slated to begin mid next year and release December 23rd, 2016. Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt..,” the director-producer tweeted.Alia has always been vocal about her desire to work with the star.Ranbir had apparently suggested Alia’s name to Imtiaz Ali for their upcoming film, but the director felt Deepika...

Johansson to marry next month?

NEW YORK:: Actress Scarlett Johansson, who is dating French journalist Romain Dauriacis, has reportedly finalized a wedding date for next month.The 29-year-old was recently overheard telling fellow guests at a dinner that she and Dauriac – with whom she is expecting her first child — will tie the knot in four weeks, reports New York Post newspaper. It is expected the “Lucy” star will either marry in her fiance’s native Paris, or in the Hamptons, where they have been spending most of the summer.“It is (easier to be with someone who isn’t famous), but it’s more than that. We do different things...