ALGIERS:  (DNA) – Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s campaign manager has formally submitted official papers on Sunday confirming that he will seek re-election. He said he had offered to step down after a year if re-elected. Abdelghani Zaalane submitted the papers at the constitutional council in Algiers responsible for collecting the papers of candidates for the April 18 presidential election. The president also wrote a letter that was read out on state television by Zaalane on his behalf. The ailing leader vowed in the 11th-hour letter to organize a “national conference” that would set a date for earlyRead More

JEDDAH: (DNA) –  A US study has ranked Saudi Arabia as the ninth most powerful country in the world  in terms of political and financial influence. Saudi Arabia was described as a “Middle East giant” and the Kingdom has very large oil reserves and exports to many countries around the world, and millions of Muslims visit Makkah throughout the year for pilgrimage. The study published by the Business Insider magazine listed the US at the top of the list, followed by Russia, China, Germany and Britain. The study considered theRead More

Beijing, (DNA) – China says it is working to develop a solar energy plant in space that could one day beam enough power back to Earth to light up an entire city. If scientists can overcome the formidable technical challenges, the project would represent a monumental leap in combating the Earth’s addiction to dirty power sources which worsen air pollution and global warming. A space-based solar power station could also provide an alternative to the current generation of earthbound and relatively ineffective renewable energy sources. Scientists had previously thought space solarRead More