Middle East

Jeddah, April 18: Civil Defense chief said yesterday that 18 people —16 Saudis and two Sudanese — died in flash floods as a result of torrential rains in different parts of the country over the past week. Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijri urged Saudis and expatriates to keep away from valleys at times of flooding. “Crossing flooded valleys in vehicles is a dangerous act,” he said, adding that no force can

Abu Dhabi, April 18: A 10-year-old Indian boy in the United Arab Emirates ( UAE) is doing his own bit to save the environment. Every day, he makes paper bags and distributes them to supermarkets, stores and malls. Abdul Muqeet started his project when he was only eight. Abdul's father explained to him the negative impact the non-biodegradable plastic bags have on nature. This led Abdul to think

Cairo, April 18: Clashes erupted near the electoral commission here following rejection of the presidential candidature of Salafist politician Hazim Abu Ismail, officials said. Supporters of Ismail clashed last evening with Central Security Forces tasked with guarding the headquarters of the Presidential Election Commission in Heliopolis, they said. The Commission confirmed that 10 candidates have

Palestine, April 17: About 1,600 Palestinian prisoners have begun an open-ended hunger strike in the Israeli jails across the occupied territories to protest imprisonment without charge and solitary confinement exercised by the Tel Aviv regime. Palestinian prisoners began the hunger strike on Tuesday, April 17, which marks the Palestinian Prisoners Day. Meanwhile, thousands of people held

Dubai, April 17: Dubai will give visitors and residents a chance to get soaked in its history, culture and arts through a gamut of activities during the annual Heritage Week until April 21. Visitors take a look at a display at the Falcon Centre in Nad Al Sheba. Along with Dubai Culture, the Architectural Heritage Department of the Dubai Municipality is also holding different activities to mark

New Delhi, April 17: The Supreme Court on Monday favoured doing away with the practice of sending goodwill delegation to Saudi Arabia during the Haj in a phased manner, saying that the move started in 1967 was no more required in the present scenario. A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desa said that the goodwill delegation was required after partition to counter Pakistan

Riyadh, April 17: The Council of Ministers yesterday denounced as a flagrant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UAE island of Abu Musa, which is occupied by Iran. The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, said Ahmadinejad's visit also invalidated the ongoing efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute

Dubai, April 16: Concluding three days of lectures and activities, the second edition of the Dubai International Peace Convention affirmed that Islam is the key to peace much sought after these days. Altogether 150,000 people of different nationalities and religions attended the 16 lectures delivered by 12 scholars and spiritual gurus during the event. The turnout at one of the sessions of the

Abu Dhabi, April 16: Keeping a sharp eye on the welfare of overseas Indians, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Sunday instructed all Indian embassies in the Gulf to attend to emergency situations round-the-clock. Addressing Indian ambassadors posted in the Gulf countries, the Minister seemed to elaborate what has been called the “Krishna doctrine”— the mantra that demands that Indian

Baha, April 16: Baha Gov. Prince Mishari bin Saud has urged citizens, especially students, to stand united in the face of all dangers that threaten the Kingdom. “We should work together in confronting those who try to undermine the Kingdom’s security,” he said. Addressing students at Baha University yesterday, the governor said he would provide them with necessary support to meet their hopes and