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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 shoulders,” the crown prince told a large gathering of officials, academics and students.He said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah instructed top government officials to provide maximum care to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.“I am here on behalf of the king to launch this forum,” the crown prince said, while reiterating the Kingdom’s efforts to provide the quality services to pilgrims by implementing massive development projects in Makkah, Madinah and the holy...

MERS cases rise amid vaccine hope

The Ministry of Health has discovered 11 more people infected with the potentially deadly Middle Eas...

Oil derivatives choking Gulf’s marine life

The average Gulf resident produces eight times more environmentally hazardous waste than the average...

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 neighbors,” he sai...

Debate over licenses for YouTube channels

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 Najem, the organization’s president. He said his organization is tasked with monitoring audio...

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...

‘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...

100,000 contractors forced to quit...

Chairman of the National Committee for Contractors at the Council of Saudi Chambers Fahd Al-Hammadi said that more than 100,000 contractors quit the business in the past one year.“The number of registered contractors at the chambers in the Kingdom fell to 140,000 from 240,000 in a year. They just disappeared from the market...

Riyadh road revamp confusing motorists

Riyadh is currently undergoing massive transformation, with detours giving way to new roads and underpasses. The skyline is also changing, with more high-rise buildings being built. “If you have not been driving around the city, you’ll be lost at the rerouted traffic. There are detours to give way for the cons...

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 »

6th Phase: India polls for 117 seats today

The 6th phase of the 9-phase Lok Sabha election goes to polls on Thursday that w...

Camilla's brother dies in US after head injury

LONDON: Royal officials in Britain say that the brother of Camilla, Duchess of C...

ECONOMY »

Spacious new Heathrow Terminal 2 set for opening

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

Toyota sells record 10 million vehicles in year to March

TOKYO: Japan's Toyota, the world's biggest auto maker, sold more than 10...

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 »

Cellphones ‘can improve literacy’

PARIS: A study by the UN education agency says cellphones are getting more and more people to read in countries where books are rare and illiteracy is high.
Paris-based UNESCO says 774 million people worldwide cannot read, and most people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t own any books but cellphones are increasingly widespread.
The report...

Increase your productivity wit...

NASA’s space station Robonaut...

Tracking posts on social media...

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...