Middle East

Dubai, Feb 16: The Holy Month of Ramadan is expected to start on May 6, 2019 this year, while fasting hours are to go below 15 hours for the first time in four years, according to an expert in Dubai. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Astronomy and Metrology Researcher, said that the new moon of the holy month is to be 'born' on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 2:46am UAE time, and disappear 30 minutes after sunset

Riyadh, Feb 15: A mother was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for murder, Spa reported on Monday. The Saudi new agency reported that the Saudi woman, identified as Aida bint Shaman Al Rashidy, was sentenced to death after she was convicted of murdering her husband's daughter. SPA added that the perpetrator killed the 6-year-old girl, identified as Reem bint Farag Abdullah Al Rashidy, after she

Riyadh, Feb 15: The first state visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India later this month will be a historic event, India’s ambassador to the Kingdom said Thursday. Ahmed Javed told media the two countries would sign agreements across different sectors including energy, infrastructure, housing, tourism and information technology. The deals would attract potential infrastructure

Jeddah, Feb 14: Saudi Arabia has expressed its regret about the decision by the European Commission to place the Kingdom on a blacklist of 23 non-EU countries and territories accused of posing a high risk of money laundering and financing terrorism. In response, Saudi authorities highlighted the efforts being made by the Kingdom to combat such crimes. “The Kingdom finds it it regrettable that it

Washington, Feb 12: Iran’s Islamic revolution four decades ago has been a complete failure for the country, President Donald Trump said Monday. In a tweet written on the anniversary of the upheaval that was also sent out in Farsi, Trump said: “40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. “The long-suffering Iranian

Tunis, Feb 9: A Tunisian court has sentenced seven terrorists to life in prison over attacks at a museum and on a beach in 2015 that left dozens of tourists dead, prosecutors said Saturday. Two separate trials were held over the closely linked attacks which occurred just months apart in Tunis and Sousse. The court also handed down jail terms of between six and 16 years to some of the defendants

Vatican City, Feb 7: Pope Francis says his pilgrimage this week to the United Arab Emirates wrote a “new page in history of the dialogue between Christianity and Islam” and in promoting world peace based on brotherhood. Telling pilgrims at the Vatican Wednesday about making the first-ever papal trip to the Arabian Peninsula, Francis described his encounter with leaders of Islam as a counterpoint

Doha, Feb 5: Qatar is running out of time to stamp out widespread serious labour abuse for tens of thousands of migrant workers before hosting the 2022 World Cup, Amnesty International warned Tuesday. The human rights group said in a yet another critical labour report that despite well-publicised "nascent reforms", Qatar risks breaking its promise to the world to deliver meaningful change before

Abu Dhabi, Feb 5: Thousands of Catholics will take part Tuesday in the biggest worship of any non-Islamic faith in the Gulf region, when they attend a mass led by Pope Francis at Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium. The gates opened at 5 a.m. to allow for the vast numbers of faithful to arrive into the area where Pope Francis will lead the ceremony from 10:30 a.m.. A 120-strong choir selected from

Jeddah, Feb 4: The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection in Saudi Arabia has said that thunderstorms and rain are expected over the regions of Makkah, Najran and the Eastern Region. The authority warned residents in Makkah of thunder rains accompanied by dust-lifting winds in the city and its nearby areas, including Taif, Turba, Al-Khorma, Meysan, and Beni Saad. Thunder