Israel, Gaza militants agree to a 12-hour truce
GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed to a UN-requested 12-hour humanitarian truce to begin on Saturday morning, and efforts to secure a long-term cease-fire moved ahead.Israel’s military said it would hold fire starting at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) but would continue searching for tunnels used by militants. A spokesman for the Islamist group Hamas, which is dominant in the Gaza Strip, said all Palestinian factions would abide by the brief truce.Fighting continued overnight as US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to the region, has been spearheading international efforts to end 19 days of fighting.Gaza officials said five people were killed in Israeli air strikes, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 865, most of them civilians.Earlier, militants fired a barrage of rockets out of Gaza, triggering sirens across much of southern and central...
Wreckage of Air Algerie plane carrying 116 people found in M...
ALGIERS/BAMAKO: Authorities said on Thursday they located the wreckage of an Air Algerie flight afte...
Last-minute travel bookings cause chaos
Last-minute bookings are causing chaos at some of the country's airports, train and bus stations as...
Belt glitch strands hundreds at Riyadh airport
Hundreds of outbound Saudia passengers were left stranded at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) for several hours on Thursday because of a faulty conveyor belt. Several passengers, who called Arab News from KKIA, claimed one of the belts at the departure terminal had broken down, causing flight delays and discomfort.The malfunction, which affected only Saudia international flights, created a chaotic scene at the che...
Human development boost: KSA ranked 34th
Saudi Arabia ranked 34th in the Human Development Index (HDI) of 2014 out of a total of 187 countries and territories.Saudi Arabia’s HDI value increased from 0.583 to 0.836, an increase of 43.3 percent, or an average annual increase of about 1.10 percent, between 1980 and 2013.The current figure is considered very high within the global indicator.According to the 2014 Human Development Report released by the United Nation...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Governor orders safety measures following Grand Mosque fire
Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah has urged the Civil Defense, as well as the contracting company responsible for the Grand Mosque expansion project, to adopt safety measures to prevent any possible fire during ongoing construction works after a fire gutted wooden scaffoldings on the northern...
Indian educationist calls for more efforts to uplift communities
Very few people have the vision and the will to reverse the tides of an adverse situation. When India’s radical Hindu leader, L.K. Advani, launched a “rath yatra” (Indian for “rally”) that left much death and destruction in its trail, ultimately leading to the destruction of the historic Babri Masjid in 1992, Muslims rose u...
Indian expats slam MPs who forced Muslim to break fast
Indian expatriates in the Kingdom have slammed parliamentarians of the Hindu nationalist Shiva Sena party for force-feeding a fasting Muslim, with some calling for them to be stripped of their positions.The bizarre incident involved 11 Shiv Sena parliamentarians led by Rajan Vichare, a member of the hard-line party, and key...
New Philippine Embassy annex building draws mixed reactions
Filipinos in the Central and Eastern regions of the Kingdom have expressed mixed reactions regarding the plan of the Philippine Embassy to construct a three-story consular annex building in its premises.The building will be constructed at the site where the basketball court is and where social functions involving the Filipi...
Nitaqat woes dampen Eid for some expats
While many expatriates are preparing to celebrate Eid by shopping, traveling domestically or to their home countries, others are not so lucky because they have not been able to renew their residence permits and had their bank accounts frozen.This has been the result of some companies failing to comply with the rules of the...
Traffic rerouting irks Riyadh residents
Riyadh’s residents have expressed dismay over many traffic rerouting moves as a result of various road projects currently being implemented by the government.“We appreciate the fact that the public will ultimately benefit from these initiatives, but rerouting traffic without making motorists aware causes problems,” said one...
18 percent of Saudi students are smokers
Some 13 percent of Saudi male students and 5 percent of female students are smokers, said an expert citing data released by the World Health Organization (WHO).“The Kingdom loses SR5 billion annually as a result of the negative effects of smoking and thanks to the fact that the price of cigarettes in the Kingdom is the lowe...
Hospital waives medical bill for Sudan refugee
A hospital in Riyadh has allowed its doctors to remove a large-sized malignant tumor from a critically ill Sudanese refugee free of charge.The tumor, almost 15 centimeters big, had obstructed the patient’s colon, posing a threat to the 60-year-old man’s life.The hospital waived the entire medical bill, worth SR20,000, which...
Fireworks sold in Asir despite ban
Some traders are still selling banned fireworks at markets in Asir despite warnings by the Civil Defense of the dangers of these products.Arab News has discovered that some people are selling these products to children at shops and shopping centers here, in an attempt to exploit the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr celebrations.Saeed A...
Indian expat worker reunites with family
The ordeal of Mohammed Abdulaziz, an Indian expatriate who was threatened with separation from his family after languishing at a deportation center for months, came to an end after his story was published in Arab News, prompting several Indian officials to intervene and get the family a final-exit visa.Mohammed’s wife and s...
Asir promised adequate water in 10 days
The Asir governorate has promised to resolve the water shortage in the region in 10 days.The governorate is working with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) to ensure there are adequate supplies to consumers in Abha, said Saad bin Abdullah Al-Thabet, spokesperson of the governorate.“Under the directions of Prince...
Henna business gets an Eid boost
Eid is not only a time for happy celebrations, but also the chance for enterprising women to boost their henna businesses.These enterprises have evolved to such an extent that various designs are on offer including Khaleeji, Arabic, Indian and traditional ones.Women have already starting making appointments at beauty salons...
Jazan’s Ramadan road toll 21
At least 21 people died and 123 were injured in 1,463 traffic accidents in Jazan during Ramadan, a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency said.Col. Ahmed Qassadi, assistant director of traffic in Jazan, said his officers had recorded more than 14,000 traffic violations in the region during the month.“We have arrested 67 p...
» Peruvian envoy lauds excellent ties...
» PIF to set up new companies
» Envoy: 21m Chinese Muslims fast in...
» Choppers reduce Makkah traffic...
» All roads lead to Makkah ahead of Eid
» Crime rate up 102%
» DQ’s shaded area a welcome haven for...
» Riyadh readies up Eid preparations
» Jeddah public gardens ‘lack basic...
» Al-Athr showcases abstract and...
» 19 arrested in Riyadh for crimes...
» Dammam market to be relocated

MIDDLE EAST »

WHO seeks humanitarian corridor to evacuate victims of Zionist bar...
GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday for a humanitarian...
Israel, Gaza militants agree to a 12-hour truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have ag...

Gaza toll tops 800, four Palestinians killed in West Bank

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: International efforts for a humanitarian cea...

IS militants destroy ancient mosque in Mosul

BAGHDAD: Islamic extremist militants blew up a revered Muslim shrine traditional...

‘Almost impossible for Gazans to shelter from Israeli strikes’

JERUSALEM: Britain is “gravely concerned” by the high number of civilian casualt...

WORLD »

West Africa Ebola death toll reaches 660: WHO
GENEVA:The death toll in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak has risen to 660, with the...
EU reaches preliminary deal on Russia economic sanctions

BRUSSELS: European Union ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on Friday t...

Bad weather seen as probable cause of fatal Air Algerie crash

PARIS/OUAGADOUGOU: Poor weather was the most likely cause of the crash of an Air...

India moves to contain ‘brain fever’ as toll hits almost 570

NEW DELHI: Almost 570 people in India have died after contracting encephalitis,...

Taiwan plane survivor crawls out, calls dad

XIXI, Taiwan: The 10 survivors of Taiwan’s worst air disaster in more than a dec...

SPORTS »

Navardauskas rules 19th stage of Tour de France
BERGERAC, France: Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania led a late breakaway in a do...
Tseng gives Taiwan sweep of top seed US at Crown

BALTIMORE: Yani Tseng sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Thursday to g...

Hamilton fastest in Hungarian Grand Prix practice

BUDAPEST: Lewis Hamilton took the early initiative when he topped the times as M...

Drogba returns to Chelsea on one-year deal

LONDON: Didier Drogba completed a remarkable return to Chelsea on Friday, signin...

FIFA nixes calls to strip Russia of World Cup

GENEVA: FIFA has rejected calls to move the 2018 World Cup from Russia, saying...

ECONOMY »

Amazon loss widens despite climbing sales
SAN FRANCISCO: Internet retail titan Amazon has reported a money-losing quarter despite impressive growth in sales, sending shares plummeting by more than 10 percent.The...
Kia Motors Q2 net profit down 13.3%
SEOUL: South Korea’s Kia Motors said its second-quarter profit fell 13.3 percent year on year, as a pick-up in sales was offset by a stronger won that hurt exports.Net profit for April-June at the country’s second largest auto maker came to 1.02 trillion won ($988 million), with unit sales up 4.3 percent year on year.Operat...
Skyscraper mania grips China as ambitions trump economy
SHANGHAI: The eastern Chinese city of Suzhou isn’t even the biggest in Jiangsu province, yet it’s joining a national rush for the sky with what’s slated to become the world’s third-tallest building.By 2020, China may be home to six of the world’s 10 highest skyscrapers, including Suzhou’s 700-meter (2,297-foot) Zhongnan Cen...
RBS privatization prospects brighten after surprise profit
LONDON: Part-nationalized Royal Bank of Scotland boosted its chances of an earlier than expected return to private ownership, posting a surprise 1 billion pound ($1.7 billion) second-quarter profit as its painful restructuring begins to bear fruit.The government has already started selling off shares in its state-backed riv...
Carillion eyes Balfour in $5.1 billion merger
LONDON: British support services and construction company Carillion made a bold move to capitalize on its successes with a possible 3 billion pound ($5.1 billion) merger with infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty .Carillion and Balfour Beatty said in a statement that a merger would have the potential to create a company with m...
British economy grows to above pre-crisis level
LONDON: Britain’s economy grew strongly in the second quarter, overtaking the size it achieved before the global financial crisis, data showed in the latest sign of robust recovery.The latest figures, along with a sharp fall in unemployment to the lowest level for five years, give a boost to the government before a general...
KSA boosts renewable energy investments
The Kingdom has confirmed its commitment to allocate over $109 billion of investment to develop a strong renewable energy sector by 2032, according to energy industry sources.The Kingdom’s strategy targets renewable energy to contribute 20-23 percent of its energy needs, with the world’s most valuable company, the Saudi Ara...
Mega-cap status: Facebook now valued more than AT&T, Coke
NEW YORK: In the days after its infamously mishandled initial public offering in May 2012, it looked as if Facebook would struggle to become a must-own for fund managers.Now the company’s $190 billion market value makes it bigger than such bellwethers as Coca-Cola and AT&T. It’s not a member of the Dow industrials, but...
Statoil disappoints in Q2 as production falls
OSLO: Norwegian oil giant Statoil stood by its production target for 2014 on Friday despite a second-quarter drop in output which weighed on its results. Adjusted earnings, an indicator followed closely in financial markets, were down by 15 percent to 32.3 billion kroner (3.87 billion euros, $5.20 billion) compared to 38 bi...
Oil slips below $107 as ample supply outweighs risk premium
LONDON: Oil fell below $107 a barrel as plentiful supply outweighed concerns over conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.Brent crude for September delivery LCOc1 traded 18 cents lower at $106.89 a barrel by 1400 GMT. The contract had closed 96 cents lower on Thursday.“There is ample prompt supply of crude oil, but the geo...
Gold price trades near 5-week low
LONDON: Gold edged up on but not far off a five-week low, and was headed for a second straight week of losses, as a strong dollar after robust economic data offset a fall in equities due to rising political tensions.Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at 1,294.36 an ounce by 1409 GMT, after losing nearly 1 percent on Thursday, whe...
India stays silent on foreign investment
Two months into the tenure of India’s new and ostensibly pro-business government, what’s happening with the long, drawn-out issue of foreign direct investment in the multibrand retail sector?The answer: nothing. And that’s how it’s going to be for the near future. Like the head of a family confronting a distressing new deve...
GM and Ford hopeful of European rebound despite Ukraine, Russia
FRANKFURT: Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. said the crisis in Ukraine has exacerbated a sales slowdown in Russia, but the carmakers said they were on track to turn around their European operations after years of economic instability on the Continent.Ford said again it expected to have a full-year profit in Europe next...

OPINION »

Harun Yahya
We need the special language of peace
PEACE has its own special language, but only the virtuous deep thinkers and peop...
Muhammad Waqas
Power scenario still bleak in Pakistan
When Sharif’s government came into power last year, it prioritized all efforts t...
Lee Jong-Wha
India’s Chinese dream
In recent years, China and India have both emerged as global economic superpower...
Ishaan Tharoor
Calls grow for stripping Russia of 2018 World Cup
THE ire of much of the world is trained on the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukr...

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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 »

Earth survived near-miss from 2012 solar...

WASHINGTON: Back in 2012, the Sun erupted with a powerful solar storm that just missed the Earth but was big enough to “knock modern civilization back to the 18th century,” NASA said.
The extreme space weather that tore through Earth’s orbit on July 23, 2012, was the most powerful in 150 years, according to a statement posted on the US spac...
Twitter’s new move threatens W...
UAE’s giant leap into space
Arab News ranked most influent...
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FASHION »

Hermes names new womenswear designer

PARIS: French luxury powerhouse Hermes has named Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski as their new womenswear designer.
The low-profile, 36-year-old French designer will replace Christophe Lemaire, whose departure was announced earlier this week and who will take his final bow in October.
Though Vanhee-Cybulski is not a big name, she was previously...
Eid gift ideas for the loved o...
Mishael Al-Rajhi designs for s...
Saudi women look to mesotherap...

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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 »

Taiwan plane survivor crawls out, calls dad
XIXI, Taiwan: The 10 survivors of Taiwan’s worst air disaster in more than a decade include a 34-year-old woman who call...
Taleban-era radio announcer rides crest of the airwaves
Once a deadpan radio announcer under the Taleban, Masood Sanjer has gained renown for being a thorn in the side of accountability-dodging Afghan officials, exemplifying hard-won media freedoms that are at stake in a pivotal year.His radio talk show “Safai Shahar” (cleaning the city) is something of a cross between a public helpline and a kangaroo court, enabling callers around Afghanistan to vent their civic grievances over the airwaves — from broken sewage drains to crime and corruption.Sanjer, 36, plays troubleshooter live on air, phoning up relevant authorities to seek redress, often...
Ex-banker turns to Bollywood
MUMBAI: An Indian investment banker turned wildly successful novelist is taking a career turn in Bollywood, with a screenplay he says will tackle social issues in the same vein as the books that made him a youth icon.Chetan Bhagat shot to fame with his coming-of-age tale “Five Point Someone” in 2004 — written at night while he kept up his financial day job — which became a huge commercial hit and spawned a raft of Indian campus novels.Another five books and ten years later, 40-year-old Bhagat has dropped the banking career to become a full-time writer and speaker, known for his casual writing...

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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