Middle East

Jeddah, Jan 6: New personal status regulations for divorce, custody and alimony cases will come into effect Feb. 26, Al-Watan daily reported Saturday quoting Ministry of Justice sources. The regulations will be enforced by all courts in the Kingdom and will help grant families more security and independence, sources said, adding that they will also reduce the negative effects of divorce on

Jeddah, Jan 5: The massive campaign launched by the Saudi Environment Society to protect the Jeddah corniche environment was a big success with the participation of a large number of people. As part of the campaign, the Friends of Corniche held a big procession from northern corniche to Coast Guard office, covering 30 km to enlighten people who visit the corniche on the importance of protecting

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4: A study on migration of Indians to Saudi Arabia says that despite various economic advantages, there is also a social cost that migrants are forced to pay over time for staying away from their kin. "Remittances from migration potentially improve education and health outcomes for children. However, the opportunity costs of absentee parents make children less likely to

Dubai, Jan 4: An Indian man, who worked illegally for six years in the UAE, died of heart attack when he went for applying for amnesty to return home. Chakali Pentaiah died on December 16, according to his death certificate issued by the Ministry of Health. However, his family got to know about his death through a report that appeared in a Telugu newspaper in India on Thursday, 18 days after the

Jeddah, Jan 2: Saudi women expressed outrage at Chelsea Handler, the American host of the TV show “Chelsea Lately,” when she swore at Saudi men for being able to receive notification by SMS of their wives’ travels abroad. Some are tired of explaining the situation to foreigners and others say Chelsea should have done her homework before going on air.The 37-year-old American talk show host asserted

Riyadh, Jan 1: The Arab world witnessed issuance of a flurry of religious edicts (fatwas) during 2012, most of which became controversial due to their strange nature and political dimensions. These included a fatwa forbidding non-Palestinian Muslims from visiting Jerusalem, Islam’s third holiest city, and a ban on playing football. Some of these fatwas seemed to have the hallmark of the Arab

Metulla, May 1: Israel began building a wall yesterday along a 1-km-stretch of its border with Lebanon, saying the barrier was necessary to boost security for an Israeli frontier town across from a Lebanese village. An Israeli security fence already runs along the entire border but the military said defenses had to be bolstered with a 5-7 meter-high cement wall between the Israeli town of Metulla

Riyadh, May 1: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held wide-ranging talks with US Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, here at Al-Yamamah Palace yesterday. The talks between King Abdullah and the visiting US senator focused "on key bilateral and regional issues" with a keen desire to strengthen ties and forge common

Dubai, April 30: In a worrying sign, an Indian living in Oman has been found to commit suicide every sixth day, owing to financial stress or personal issues, official data shows. 23 Indians had committed suicide in different parts of the Sultanate till mid-April this year. In January and February, eight Indians committed suicide in each month, while four ended their life in March. Three people had

Jeddah, April 30: Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed highlighted the role of parents and family members in encouraging their children to memorize the Holy Qur’an as well as in conducting Qur’an competition among themselves in front of family members. “Memorization of the holy book would enable kids to develop their intellectual capacities and enhance their grasping power to a great extent. This