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Fees on expatriates
THE general budget for the fiscal year 2020 targets to generate about SR65 billion in revenues annually through fees levied on expatriate workers and their dependents, according to foreign consultancy firms that formulated these plans. The imposition of the fees on dependents will start by the middle of this year and the fees imposed on every expatriate worker will go up to SR400 a month from early next year and will culminate in SR800 a month after three years. The projected revenues from these fees will begin with SR1 billion this year, will go up to SR24 billion next year and to SR44 billion in the year after and so forth. This theoretical presentation seems logical considering the current
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Trump ban on Muslim travellers entering US – live updates
• Anger and chaos as Trump decree blocks Muslim travellers around the world. Read the full story of what happened on Saturday here • Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways issued statements over the weekend • Federal judge issues emergency order temporarily barring the US from deporting people from nations subject • The seven countries affected are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia 1.55pm: Our foreign correspondent Zainab Sultan paints a picture of the protests at JFK airport last night. Read it here 1.40pm: Iraq’s foreign affairs committee on Sunday said the US travel curbs imposed on Iraqis were "unfair," and asked the government in Baghdad to "reciprocate" to the American decision.
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US blacklist strands Dubai transit flyers
“Only a few hours after the order was signed, I got to the airport, got on a plane and made it to Dubai. After waiting in the line to get my documents checked and after 40 minutes of questions and answers, I boarded the plane to Washington, only to have two TSA officers getting in and ask me to disembark the plane!!! Yes after almost seven years of living in the United States, I got deported,” the woman wrote. “No one warned me when I was leaving, no one cared what will happen to my dog or my job or my life there. No one told me what I should do with my car that is still parked at the airport parking. Or what to do with my house and all my belongings. They didn’t say it with words but with their
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'La La Land' wins PGA best film ahead of Oscars
Dreamy musical “La La Land” took home best movie at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, putting it in the box seat for the much-anticipated Oscars next month. The movie beat industry favorites and leading Academy Awards contenders including coming-of-age tale “Moonlight”, stylish alien thriller “Arrival” and visceral family drama “Manchester by the Sea.” Damien Chazelle’s whimsical tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Age of musicals has 14 nominations going into February’s Academy awards, including for best picture, best director and for its two stars, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Earlier in January it scooped seven awards at the Golden Globes, also considered a dry-run for the Oscars, the climax
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Questions arise over Assad’s disappearance amid stroke rumors
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not made any new appearances since recent rumors circulated on Friday claiming that he had recently suffered from a stroke. While many media outlets insinuated that the president was shot in the head by his own personal Iranian bodyguard Mehdi al-Yaacoubi, others reported that he was suffering from a brain tumor. While many on social media on Monday still suggested the news of Assad suffering from a stroke as true, the Syrian government was forced to deny all allegations.
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Eighty birds of prey take flight - on jet to Jeddah
A photo of 80 birds of prey on board an airliner in the Middle East has gone viral after being posted on Reddit. Ahmet Yasar, the businessman who posted the image, told the BBC it was taken within the last four weeks by a friend who works as an airline captain. Mr Yasar said the falcons were flying to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for what is thought to be a hunting trip. "The picture was taken on board an Airbus flying from an unknown origin to Saudi Arabia," Mr Yasar told the BBC. "It is quite common for airlines in the Middle East to transport birds for hunting purposes. In this case each falcon is estimated to be worth about $8,000 (£6,435)," the Turkey-based businessman said. "The picture I posted
BBC News q -
Iran fire: Tehran funeral for firemen draws thousands
Tens of thousands of Iranians have attended the funeral of 16 firemen who were killed when a high-rise building collapsed in Tehran two weeks ago. They had been battling a blaze in the 17-storey Plasco building when it came crashing down in a matter of seconds. Four civilians are also known to have died, while six more are still missing. The tragedy shocked the nation, and the firemen were laid to rest in the "martyrs'" section of a cemetery in the south of the capital. "They gave their lives for us. We see it as our duty to attend," one tearful onlooker, 27-year-old Tahereh Sheydayi, told AFP news agency. The Plasco building, which was Tehran's tallest when it was completed in 1962, contained
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Philippine police stop anti-drug crackdown amid scandal
MANILA, Philippines: The Philippine police chief stopped the use of the national police force in anti-drug operations Monday and disbanded all police anti-narcotics units after the president’s brutal crackdown was used as a cover by rogue officers to kidnap and kill a South Korean man for money. Police Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa told police officers he would use the indefinite halt of anti-drug operations to launch a massive purge of police involved in crimes. A counter-intelligence force would be formed to catch rogue officers and records of those previously implicated in crimes would be reviewed. “No more drug operations now,” Dela Rosa told police officers at the main police camp, without indicating how long the ban would last.
Arab News q -
'We are entrepreneurs, professors, scientists, artists'
Anoosheh Oskouian is having a hard time accepting President Trump's immigrant ban. Trump signed an executive order Friday temporarily banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries -- Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. The news has rattled the Iranian-American community. "It came as a shock," said Oskouian, an Iranian entrepreneur who became a U.S. citizen 26 years ago. "We're flabbergasted. There are many conversations happening in our community about it. Many of us are asking 'Why Iran?' Oskouian left Iran in 1978 at age 14 to study in the U.S. When the Iranian Revolution happened, she couldn't go back. She threw herself into academics and at one point was a high schooler
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Iranian-made drone destroyed in Yemen
AL-MOKHA: The Arab Coalition forces have destroyed an Iranian-made unmanned military aircraft before it was launched from a mobile pad in Yemeni port city of Al-Mokha.The drone had been targeting posts of the Yemeni Army and the popular resistance fighters who took part in the libertion of Al-Mokha. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted Yemeni Chief-of-the Staff Gen. Ahmad Seif Al-Yafi as saying that the Yemeni troops were on a reconnaissance mission when it detected preparations for launching the aircraft, which was immediately reported to the UAE Air Forces in Yemen. Then, the UAE forces fired a surface-to-air missile and destroyed the plane on ground. “As they became tightly besieged, the
Arab News q -
Nicole Kidman: I wish I'd had more children, 10/01/2017, Victoria Derbyshire
Nicole Kidman tells Victoria she was brought to tears by the “beautiful” depiction of an adoptive mother’s love in her latest film, Lion.The film – based on a true story – sees Kidman’s character Sue Brierley adopt a five-year-old boy, Saroo. The actress, who has two adopted children in real life, also told Victoria that she would like more children of her own, but that her husband Keith Urban has told her to "shut down" such thoughts.
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Saudi Cabinet approves VAT measure
RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet approved on Monday the Unified Agreement for Value Added Tax, which will be implemented throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) starting next year.In a session chaired by King Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, the Cabinet gave its nod to the measure after deeming that the Kingdom is ready to implement it, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. The six-nation GCC is composed of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A five-percent levy will apply to certain goods following a GCC agreement last June. The move is in line with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendation for Gulf states to impose revenue-raising
Arab News q -
Where was Sasha during Obama's farewell speech?
Where was Sasha Obama? The goodbye photo clearly only shows 18-year-old Malia Obama on stage with mum and dad, Michelle and Barack, but there's no sign of her 15-year-old sister. ***Spoiler*** The simple explanation is that she stayed in Washington because she had an exam at Sidwell Friends private school on Wednesday morning. The school has educated the children of American presidents for years, including Chelsea Clinton. So it will be used to cracking down on pupils for trying to miss class because of official presidential engagements. But that didn't stop the #WhereIsSasha fun on social media. Some people hoped she was trying to stop Donald Trump getting into the White House Some tweeters
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Kendall Jenner reveals struggle with anxiety but 'is learning to cope'
Kendall Jenner says she's been struggling with anxiety issues over the last year but is learning to cope. Writing on her own website, the reality TV star and model says she's learnt some breathing exercises which help. "Anxiety was a huge hurdle for me to deal with this past year (and security concerns didn't help), but I think I'm finally learning how to cope. "I once had a really bad attack on a plane and just had to ride it out," she writes. "I felt my heart beating a million miles an hour and I even went a little numb." She says she's now getting better at relaxing while working and travelling. "[I've] learned that it's all mental, so I try to prevent anxiety attacks by bringing my mind somewhere
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Lindsay Lohan meets Erdogan, Syrian girl blogger
ISTANBUL: US actress Lindsay Lohan on Friday met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and 7-year-old Syrian girl blogger Bana Al-Abed in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on its website.In a photo taken at the presidential palace, a smiling Lohan is standing next to Erdogan, who is embracing Bana, and his wife Emine. Bana shared a short video on Twitter, in which Lohan says: “We want to send to all of the people in Syria and Aleppo suffering, and to all the refugees, we are here supporting you and you can hang on and be strong. Just like Bana has.” Lohan had previously expressed support for Turkey’s efforts to host nearly three million Syrians fleeing their nation’s five-year war, the State-run
Arab News q -
This Female Entrepreneur Just Created an App to Fight Sexual Harassment in the Arab World
Zaineb is walking cheerily down the street in the Moroccan city of Efrane when she hears a whistle. Agitated, she pulls her hood over her head, alters her route, and army marches her way along with a poker face - but with no luck. He is still following her. His footsteps seem closer. Zaineb feels her heart pound faster as she fastens her pace and leaves the dimly-lit street. She finally reaches her destination, but she doesn’t feel safe. Across the Middle East and North Africa, thousands of women mirror Zaineb’s experience and have to walk the daunting path of everyday sexual harassment; according to research by UN Women, 93 percent of women across the MENA region have suffered it at least once
cairoscene.com q -
Two girls attacked by Ethiopian maid in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan province
Photos have emerged of two girls and their mother after they survived a brutal attack from their Ethiopian maid in the Sanbah village in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan province. According to local media reports, the mother rushed to rescue her nine and six-year old daughters after hearing their loud screams as their Ethiopian maid banged their heads savagely against the walls. The mother was also assaulted. Neighbors, prompted by the trio’s loud screams, rushed to their rescue and alerted the police. The girls suffered cuts and bruises and are recovering at the ICU at a local hospital in Jazan from serious head injuries. Last Update: Saturday, 28 January 2017 KSA 21:04 - GMT 18:04
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Some Muslim cabin crew staff have been barred from the US
A new ban on U.S. travel for nationals of seven Middle Eastern countries caught the airline industry unprepared, with flight crew from those states also barred from entering, the International Air Transport Association said on Saturday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has briefed the global trade group that passport-holders from states such as Iran and Iraq, including cabin crew, will be barred entry to the United States, IATA said in an email to its member airlines, seen by Reuters.
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Registration for Saudi ‘Citizen’s Account’ to begin on Wednesday
Registration for the ‘Citizen’s Account’ is set to begin on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Labor and Social Development has announced. Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development highlighted on Thursday the latest developments concerning the ‘Citizen’s Account’ and the family categories to benefit from the newly introduced scheme. Saudi Minister of Labor Dr. Ali bin Nassir Al Ghafis explained that the newly opened round-the-clock electronic gate will be the sole platform to register and enlist the ‘Citizen’s Account’ scheme to be launched next month, according to Saudi Press Agency.s agency.
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The debate over South Korea's 'comfort women'
Seoul, South Korea - While leaving a Seoul courtroom last Wednesday, Park Yu-ha was photographed doing something she had not done in a long time: smiling. Park had just been acquitted of criminal defamation charges stemming from the contents of her 2013 book, Comfort Women of the Empire, a work of scholarly research into the so-called "comfort women" - women and girls from Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere who worked in brothels for the Japanese military during World War II. Wednesday's acquittal was the latest phase in a long legal struggle for Park, 60, a professor of Japanese literature at Sejong University in South Korea. Last year, a civil court found Park guilty of defaming former
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