Saudi, Chinese scientists decode date-palm tree DNA
RIYADH: Scientists from Saudi Arabia and China said on Sunday they have completed mapping the genome of the date-palm tree, whose fruit is a staple food in many regions.Scientists from Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and China’s Shenzhen-based BGI have been working on the project since 2008.The sequencing could help increase productivity as well as prevent and help in the treatment of diseases affecting date palms, Saudi research institute head Mohammed Al-Suwail told reporters.The palm is widely cultivated in the Middle East and North Africa.Saudi Arabia has 450 varieties of the 2,000 species known worldwide, according to scientists.There are about 100 million date palms in the world, of which 10 percent are in Saudi Arabia, which contributes 14 percent of the world production of dates.In 2010, 20 scientists from both centers decoded the entire genetic makeup of...
Bombings kill 39 in and around Iraqi capital
SAMEER N. YACOUB | APBAGHDAD: At least 11 explosions tore through predominantly Shiite Muslim areas...
Manila signs ‘power-sharing’ accord with Muslim group
MANILA: The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Sunday signed...
Rights body: Proper steps followed in deportation of illegal...
The Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has given a clean chit to the Saudi government for the measures it had taken during the correction period which deals with undocumented expatriate workers in the Kingdom. The SHRC board, which held a meeting on Thursday with Bandar Al-Aiban presiding over the deliberations, described the steps taken as ideal. It commended the humane treatment of violators of residency and labor re...
King Abdullah unifies Arabs
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah tops the list of personalities who have succeeded in uniting the Arab people, according to a survey conducted by the Organization of Arab People and Parliaments. This is not the first time King Abdullah has topped the list of Arab political personalities.In 2013 King Abdullah was chosen the most influential personality of the year by Forbes Magazine.Lt. Gen. Abdulfattah Al-S...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Umrah visa cut to reduce congestion
Saudi Arabia announced Saturday its decision to reduce the number of foreign pilgrims arriving for Umrah during the peak Ramadan season to ensure their number would not e...
Gas station workers get two years to...
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has moved to grant fuel stations and car service centers a two-year grace period to correct their employees’ status in line with the new regulations.The ministry said in a report that six ministries will oversee the work of status correction and monitor its compliance with the rul...
Eateries at Haj Terminal reminded of...
The Jeddah Municipality has warned of stern action against food merchants located at the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport if they cause any inconvenience to pilgrims or indulge in violations.The municipality said it would have zero tolerance toward merchants who don’t comply with rules. It also advised m...
Saudis hold 70% of private GCC jobs
A recent survey conducted by the information center of GCC states has revealed that Saudis hold 70 percent of the jobs in the private sector of the Gulf states. Saudi Arabia ranked second in the list for recruiting citizens of GCC states, where 1,867 employees work in the private sector of Saudi Arabia, a growth of 162 per...

MIDDLE EAST »

Qatar demands GCC inclusion in Iran talks

MANAMA: Gulf Arab states must have a seat at nuclear talks between world powers...
Rowhani defends nuclear deal

TEHRAN: Iran’s president defended an interim nuclear deal that eases some...

WORLD »

Hagel backs NATO force in Afghanistan post-2014

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told American troops tha...
Thai crisis deepens as opposition quits Parliament

BANGKOK: Thailand’s main opposition party resigned from Parliament on Sund...

ECONOMY »

New Saudi investments in Egypt expected to reach SR8.5 billion

Abdullah bin Mahfouz, chairman of the Saudi-Egyptian Business Council (SEBC), sa...
$1 trillion WTO deal: Saudi exporters to reap benefits

Saudi Arabia has welcomed the $1 trillion WTO agreement in Bali, saying it would...

SPORTS »

George powers Pacers past Spurs 110-100
NEW YORK: Paul George had 28 points and six assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 111-100 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in a battle between the top teams in the Ea...
Aguilar stars in Ginebra’s come-from-...
If anyone had ever doubted that Japeth Aguilar is superstar material, then Sunday night’s game would have erased all that.Taking charge on both ends when Barangay Ginebra needed it the most, the 6-foot-9 forward keyed a 97-95 decision of defending champion Talk ’N Text that gave the Gin Kings solo second place in the PBA Ph...
India bows to IOC diktat to prevent...
NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association on Sunday agreed to amend its constitution and bar tainted officials from holding office, as demanded by the world body, to ensure it remains part of the Games movement.A special IOA meeting in New Delhi decided to elect new office-bearers on February 9, while keeping president Abha...
Johnson's magnificent 7 helps...
ADELAIDE: Mitchell Johnson tormented England by taking seven wickets with some fearsome fast bowling on Saturday and Australia's batsmen compounded the pressure by extending the lead to 530 runs with two days remaining in the second Ashes Test.It was a hectic third day at the Adelaide Oval, with 12 wickets tumbling after En...

OPINION »

Nawar Fakhry Ezzi
Expatriates are always welcome in Saudi Arabia
For about three decades now, there have been many debates about the expatriates’...
Arab News
Is another Gorbachev in the making?
The debate over the nuclear deal with Iran may obscure an intriguing new reality...
Abdulateef Al-Mulhim
Majlis: A confluence of the past, present and future
The word Majlis in Arabic means the sitting area or the living room of a house w...
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
Assad playing dirty to crush revolution
For the past one year the strategy of Bashar Assad’s regime pivoted on the notio...

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ART & CULTURE »

Traditional art and craft decline worrie...

The centuries-old Khan El-Khalili market is one of the few places in modernizing Cairo that retains the atmosphere of a by-gone era, but its artisans warn their crafts are slowly dying.
They blame slumping tourism and a lack of interest among young people in learning traditional trades.
Dating back to 1382, the souk in the Old Cairo...
Saudi artists display unique s...
Abu Dhabi Art celebrates creat...
Call of culture — in quest of...
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

US expert probes dark sides of cyber wor...

American researcher Garth Bruen long has investigated the seamier corners of the Internet, but even he was shocked to discover a site urging users to share videos of sexual attacks.
Bruen gradually discovered dozens of similar sites offering disturbing variations to anyone with a credit card. Some made clear that the clips were fictional,...
Men and women’s brains are wir...
First Russian smartphone, Yota...
China space launch debris wrec...
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FASHION »

Ski fashion: Rainbow of color headed dow...

NEW YORK: Bright is the new black when it comes to colors and styles for snow bunnies to look their best on the slopes.
The move to color in winter-sport outerwear follows a trend seen in clothing for other active pursuits, such as running, rock climbing and cycling.
Part of the color revolution is driven by safety since it’s easier to...
Ajrak: A symbol of Sindhi cult...
Qumar14: Chic kaftans
US-based Lebanese designer to...

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TRAVEL »

SCTA sees surge in home tourism

Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), has said that the tourism sector continues to receive the full support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman.
During the SCTA’s annual meeting at the Diplomatic Quarters in the Saudi capital recently, Prince S...
SCTA: Tourism key to Saudi gro...
Lisbon — edge of Europe
Return of Philippine Airlines...
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FOOD & HEALTH »

Early detection crucial in breast cancer screening
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar commended the efforts of Zahra Breast Cancer Association for raising awareness among Saudi women on the importance of early detection and screening of breast cancer. Addressing the participants of the campaign’s award ceremony, Princess Haifa bint Faisal, chairwoman of the association, said, “Women are a vital part of society. We targeted 20 cities within the Kingdom to reach the largest possible number of women with the help of government and private sectors in a united effort to fight cancer and support those affected by breast cancer.” Zahra Breast Cancer Association honored the sponsors who supported the campaign entitled “...
US warns of problems with Philips heart devices
WASHINGTON: US health regulators are warning the American public not to use certain defibrillators recalled by Philips Healthcare because the heart-shocking devices may fail in an emergency.Philips recalled three models of its HeartStart devices in September 2012 due to an electrical malfunction. The recall affects about 700,000 defibrillators sold between 2005 and 2012.The defibrillators are used by emergency responders and others to restore normal heart function in people suffering a heart attack. The Food and Drug Administration says the electrical problem with the devices could cause them to fail to deliver a life-saving shock.Customers who have received the devices can contact Philips...
Japan food seeks heritage gong as young spurn rice
TOKYO: Washoku, the traditional cuisine of Japan, is being considered for designation as part of the world’s priceless cultural heritage by the UN this week. But even as sushi and sake booms worldwide, purists say its finer points are candidates for the endangered list at home. The younger generation is increasingly eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts and McDonald’s, not rice.Among cuisines, only French cooking has been distinguished as a national culinary tradition. Other picks by UNESCO for its World Heritage list, such as food from Mexico and Turkey, are more specific dishes. Washoku embraces seasonal ingredients, a unique taste, time consuming preparation and a style of eating steeped in...

OFFBEAT »

American without Arab roots almost wins 'Arabs Got Tale...
Jennifer Grout, an American 23-year-old from Massachussets, performs during the final episode of the...
BEIRUT: An American singer with no Arab heritage nearly took the top prize in the “Arabs Got Talent” televis...
Fawcett portrait worth $12 million, expert tells jury
LOS ANGELES: An Andy Warhol portrait of Farrah Fawcett currently held by actor Ryan O’Neal is worth an estimated $12 million, an appraiser told a jury Friday. New York art appraiser Lee Drexler testified in a lawsuit by the University of Texas at Austin against the actor in which the school is seeking to gain possession of the Fawcett portrait for its art museum. O’Neal contends the artwork was given to him as a gift by Warhol and did not belong to Fawcett when she died in 2009. The “Charlie’s Angels” star left all her artwork to the university; her gift...
Television series are a new academic mainstay
Television series, once considered too low-brow to be worthy of academic study, have become a mainstay of university curricula and frequent fodder for critical analysis. Academics delve into TV series not only for their artistic merit but also for their sociological or historic value, often comparing them to literary standards such as Shakespeare or Dickens. “Intellectuals scorned TV series for around 40 years,” said French writer and philosopher Tristan Garcia. “And suddenly, with quality television in the United States and the emergence of cable in the 1990s, there was a...

CLASSIFIEDS »

classifieds

HOUSE COOK (MALE/...
A Saudi family urgently required family/house cook (male/female) and one housemaid. Interested candi...
2013-12-05 17:16
MATRIMONIAL
Pakistani Sunni Muslim family settled in USA, living in KSA invite alliance for their daughter,19 yr...
2013-12-05 17:15
ANNOUNCEMENT
I, Mohamed Asim Mohamed Jabir Manna, Indian national, holding Passport No. E 6607446 issued at Riyad...
2013-12-05 17:09
MATRIMONIAL
Indian sunni muslim hyderabadi parent’s in Hyderabad invite alliance for their daughter age 21 years...
2013-12-05 17:00

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