WASHINGTON: A former top White House official confirmed that military aid to Ukraine was held up by President Donald Trump’s demand for the ally to investigate Democrats and Joe Biden but testified that there’s nothing illegal, in his view, about the quid pro quo at the center of the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry.Tim Morrison, who stepped…
BEIRUT: The leader of Shiite group Hezbollah said on Friday a new Lebanese government must listen to the demands that fueled protests against the country’s rulers and led Saad Al-Hariri to quit as prime minister. Hariri’s resignation has left Lebanon without a government as it faces the worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.…
PALESTINE: The pile of rubble that Latifa Naji used to call home has become an unlikely symbol in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two-story cement house in the Al-Amari refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has been demolished by the Israeli army four times, most recently this month, as punishment for attacks carried out by…
‘Biggest terrorism sponsor’ Iran spends $1 billion a year on global proxies: US report WASHINGTON: Iran remained a top state sponsor of terrorism around the world in 2018, the State Department said in its annual terrorism report on Friday.A briefing by the department’s counter-terrorism spokesman Nathan Sales showed the regime funnels nearly a billion dollars…
RIYADH: Muslims across Saudi Arabia performed the Istisqa (rain-seeking) prayer in accordance with the Prophetic Sunnah during drought, praying to Allah Almighty for rainfall. King Salman urged the people throughout the Kingdom to perform the Istisqa prayer on Thursday, the Royal Court said in a statement. In Makkah, the prayer was performed in the Grand Mosque…
WWE Crown Jewel event in Riyadh wows diehard supporters, wins over new Saudi fans RIYADH: WWE’s Crown Jewel event took place in Riyadh on Thursday, and the action in the ring wowed seasoned wrestling fanatics and gave rise to a whole new set of fans in the Kingdom.Highlights included Humberto Carrillo winning the early 20-man…
I am an emerging media figure working for the Eastern Region Channel and a director of corporate communications, public relations and media in a major Saudi investment company. Born to a Saudi father and an Egyptian mother, I spent the early stages of my life in my birthplace, Cairo. I have four sisters. My parents…
RIYADH: Set in a white tent at Riyadh Front, the international team of artists and crew behind the sensational Cirque du Soleil gathered to prepare for their opening night on Nov. 1 as part of the Riyadh Season. The show’s publicist Nicolas Chabot told Arab News about Cirque du Soleil Bazzar, which will tell the…
DUBAI: Lebanon’s Roni Helou is a regular at the region’s definitive fashion platform Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD), which kicked off on Thursday. The designer is a graduate of Creative Space Beirut, and has shown at FFWD twice before. This time he is showing along with Hazem Kais at a presentation that showcases talents from his…
DUBAI: Fashion designer Lorena Alonso Molano- a graduate from the UAE-based fashion institute Esmod Dubai- was selected by the luxury fashion house Gucci as one of 11 designers worldwide to have earned a place on the Gucci Fellowship Program. Gucci’s Design Fellowship Program is part of the brand’s diversity and inclusion initiatives and has been…
RIYADH: Two more big names in the tennis world were added to the star-studded lineup of Saudi Arabia’s first-ever international tennis tournament in December. Big-serving American John Isner, with over 1000 aces this season, and five-time Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) champion Lucas Pouille of France, an Australian Open semi-finalist this year, will join the…
HOUSTON: HOUSTON: Stephen Strasburg paraded the MVP trophy for delirious fans packed behind the dugout. Max Scherzer tearfully hugged his teammates. Gerardo Parra did the Baby Shark chop, Sean Doolittle flapped snow angels next to the mound.Almost out of contention in May, champs in October.Howie Kendrick, Anthony Rendon and the Washington Nationals completed their amazing…
HOUSTON: HOUSTON: Stephen Strasburg paraded the MVP trophy for delirious fans packed behind the dugout. Max Scherzer tearfully hugged his teammates. Gerardo Parra did the Baby Shark chop, Sean Doolittle flapped snow angels next to the mound.Almost out of contention in May, champs in October.Howie Kendrick, Anthony Rendon and the Washington Nationals completed their amazing…
RIYADH: Gig economy companies are nothing new to the region — people have been using the likes of Zomato and Careem for many years.But while these companies continue to strive to be major international success stories, they are also having to focus on the communities they serve to secure long-term sustainability, jobs, and more importantly…
RIYADH: The world of eSports is evolving in Saudi Arabia, and its youthful audience means it could become an industry leader, according to the president of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronics and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS). “We are a population of youth; 70 percent of the population is under the age of 30. Everybody hears…
RIYADH: The world of eSports is evolving in Saudi Arabia, and its youthful audience means it could become an industry leader, according to the president of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronics and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS). “We are a population of youth; 70 percent of the population is under the age of 30. Everybody hears…
MUARA, Indonesia: Indonesia’s bid to lure more visitors by spreading halal tourism across the archipelago is facing a backlash, with a Christian celebration of pigs — forbidden for Muslims — the latest act of dissent.The weekend festival-cum-protest in Sumatra, featuring pig racing, chubbiest hog contests and a porcine fashion show, comes as holiday hotspot Bali…
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s highest court on Thursday upheld a death sentence against a top Islamist leader for war crimes in a move that lawyers said meant he would almost certainly be executed in the coming months.A.T.M. Azharul Islam, a stalwart of fundamentalist opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami, was sentenced to death in 2014 for rape, murder and genocide…
MULTAN, Pakistan: A massive fire caused by a cooking gas stove erupted Thursday on a train traveling in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, killing at least 74 passengers, officials said.Flames roared through the train cars as the train approached the town of Liaquatpur in Punjab, they said, the latest tragedy to hit Pakistan’s dilapidated, poorly maintained and…
JERUSALEM: Israel has approved the construction of 2,342 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, settlement watchdog Peace Now said on Thursday.It said the decision was taken on October 10 and that 59 percent of the new homes will be erected in “settlements that Israel likely may evacuate under a peace agreement” with the Palestinians.According…
