<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52c06be9ecad042a1d02ec5b-471-353/saudi-arabia-3.jpg" border="0" alt="saudi arabia" /><p class="source"><span>Hassan Ammar/AF</span></p><p class="caption">A Saudi policeman walks between foreign workers at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh, on September 14, 2007</p></div><p></p></div></div>Saudi Arabia's religious police has warned against celebrating the New Year's Eve in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom, the local Okaz daily said on Sunday.</p>
<p>The Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, known unofficially as Mutawaa, based its warning on a religious edict from the top committee of Saudi clerics banning such celebrations, the newspaper said.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia follows the Muslim lunar calendar, unlike all other Gulf states that use the Gregorian calendar.</p>
<p>Members of the commission enforce the kingdom's rule of strict segregation between sexes, and have traditionally forced women to cover from head to toe when in public.</p>
<p>They also go around shops to make sure they are shuttered during prayer times.</p>
<p>The religious police have been accused of abusing their powers.</p>
<p>But since January last year, the religious police have become more discreet with the appointment of their new chief, cleric Abdulatif bin Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, who banned the use of unmarked cars.</p>
<p>Mutawaa also traditionally banned the sale of red roses and gifts for Valentine's Day on February 14.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="http://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT03MzI5YmE2N2YzYjM3MzVhYTc0MGIxYzMzZWJmNDgyNSZub25jZT01YzViYTk0Ni04MjMzLTRiMzEtYjQ1Mi03ZmEzZGNmZTkzYmMmcHVibGlzaGVyPThjMDBmYmVlNjFkNWJjZjBjNjA5MmQ4YjkyZWJiY2Ex" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

Saudi Religious Police Warn Against New Year's Celebrations 

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568f5b61dd089503048b456c-2650-1987/rtx21bcv.jpg" alt="Fire" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Dado Ruvic" data-mce-caption="Bosnian Serbs carry oak and pray near burning Yule logs in front of the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah during the eve of the Orthodox Christmas in Sokolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 6, 2016. Most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar on January 7, two weeks after most western Christian churches that abide by the Gregorian calendar." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Dado Ruvic</span></p><p class="caption">Bosnian Serbs carry oak and pray near burning Yule logs in front of the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah during the eve of the Orthodox Christmas in Sokolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 6, 2016. Most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar on January 7, two weeks after most western Christian churches that abide by the Gregorian calendar.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know.</p><p><strong>Chinese stocks are up on Friday amid volatile trading.</strong> The Shanghai Composite Index is up 1.93%, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/?_ga=1.137464244.528993150.1433538411">after having fallen 2%. </a></p><p><span><strong>Big banks won a dispute over zinc prices.</strong> A US judge on Thursday dismissed a private antitrust lawsuit in which zinc purchasers accused affiliates of Goldman Sachs,</span> JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co and Glencore <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-goldman-jpmorgan-glencore-defeat-us-lawsuit-over-zinc-prices-2016-1">of conspiring to drive up the metal's price.</a></p><p><span><strong>China's circuit breaker didn't last long.</strong> China is suspending its new stock market circuit breaker as of Friday, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges said, after the mechanism failed to<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-suspends-market-circuit-breaker-mechanism-after-stock-market-rout-2016-1"> stop sharp falls in the country's volatile markets.</a></span></p><p><span><span><strong>One of Standard Chartered's old guard is leaving.</strong> Standard Chartered</span> Deputy Chief Executive Mike Rees will step down from his role on April 30. <span>Rees, who has worked at the bank for 26 years, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-standard-chartered-says-deputy-ceo-rees-to-step-down-2016-1">will officially leave at the end of the year.</a></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><strong>Shell can handle a few years of really cheap oil.</strong> Royal Dutch Shell has told investors its purchase of BG can work even if oil prices average $50 a barrel for two years, its lowest estimate to date as it seeks to secure shareholder support for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-shell-sees-bg-deal-working-with-oil-at-50-for-two-years-sources-2016-1">$51 billion deal amid plunging crude markets.</a></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><strong>Spain's political situation is getting tricky.</strong> The leader of Spain's opposition Socialist party, Pedro Sanchez, ruled out a pact with the ruling People's Party during a visit to Portugal<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-spains-socialist-leader-rules-out-pact-with-ruling-pp-2016-1"> to study its leftist coalition government's success in booting out a right-wing leader.</a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Blackstone is expanding in London.</strong> Blackstone Group </span>is planning to bring its multi-manager hedge fund platform Senfina Advisors to Britain, according to Reuters. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-blackstone-to-launch-hedge-fund-platform-senfina-in-britain-2016-1">The platform, launched in 2014 in the US, has around $2 billion under management.</a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><strong>Saudi Arabia denies targeting Iran.</strong> The Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen denied an accusation by Tehran that its warplanes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-saudi-led-coalition-denies-bombing-iran-embassy-in-yemen-2016-1">had targeted the Iranian embassy there.</a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Brazil could see a big telecoms merger.</strong> Oi SA</span>, Brazil's most indebted phone carrier, has started talks with the controlling shareholder of rival TIM Participações SA over a potential merger, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-telecom-italia-oi-in-talks-as-brazil-signals-ease-in-rules---sources-2016-1">with discussions initially focusing on governance issues.</a></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Saudi Aramco may go public.</strong> Saudi Arabia is considering issuing shares in state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's powerful deputy crown prince told The Economist. <span>The thirty-something son of King Salman chairs the Supreme Council, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-saudi-considers-ipo-for-oil-giant-aramco-2016-1">which has overseen the company since it was separated from the oil ministry last year.</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-apartment-prices-manhattan-new-york-city-high-end-record-2016-1">The median sale price of a Manhattan apartment is now $1.15 million</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="V2bGkwMDE6I3Cr3ePvXrpOUg7Rj24Nsc" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; 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10 things you need to know before European markets open

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49769549.cms" />Call it irony but India’s famous Hindu festival of love '<keyword id="469225" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhau-Beej">Bhau Beej</keyword>' also called '<keyword id="59958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhai-Dooj">Bhai Dooj</keyword>' has surprizingly coincided with Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> this year, what the West considers to be the most unlucky day of the year!<br />
<br />
Also known as Black Friday, it is more than just a date. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian (Christian) calendar falls on a Friday. The superstition around this day is thought to have come about during the middle ages. Some historians have claimed it was the day on which Eve bit the apple from the Tree of Knowledge. Others say Jesus was crucified on a Friday and ever since the day has been associated with general ill omen. Most years have just one or two Friday the 13ths. However interestingly, this year has seen three in total in the months of February, March and the last being today.<br />
<br /> Today’s <keyword id="70509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Friday-the-13th">Friday the 13th</keyword> is also the fifth and last day of festival of lights – <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword> - which falls on a new moon night and is celebrated by Hindus across the world as ‘Bhai Dooj’. The occasion sees sisters ceremonize their love by putting an auspicious <em>tilak</em> or a vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform an <em>aarti</em> by showing him the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces.<br />
<br />
It is believed that on this day, Lord Krishna went to his sister Subhadra after slaying the Narakasura demon, who welcomed him with a holy lamp, flowers and sweets and put the holy protective spot on his forehead. Yet another belief behind the origin of Bhai Dooj is that when Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, attained moksha, his brother King Nandivardhan was distressed because he missed him and was comforted by his sister Sudarshana. Since then, women have been revered during Bhai Dooj as it is called in Northern India, Bhai Pota in West Bengal, Bhai Tika in Nepal.<br />
<br />
Both the significant events are rooted in historical beliefs, the stark difference being while one is a joyous day for brothers and sisters in one part of the world, it’s a haunted day where everything is meant to go wrong for the other. Notably, yhe next February, March and November Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> year will occur 11 years later in 2026. As India wishes each other a joyous <keyword id="3135499" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhai-Dooj-2015">Bhai Dooj 2015</keyword>, here are some interesting tweets showing how our foreign brothers and sisters are cautioning each other to stay indoors on this ‘doomed’ day:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		Happy Friday the 13th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayThe13th?src=hash">#FridayThe13th</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JasonVoorhees?src=hash">#JasonVoorhees</a> Stay outta the woods... <a href="https://t.co/bI0X0e2sh2">pic.twitter.com/bI0X0e2sh2</a></p>
	— LK (@lordkayoss) <a href="https://twitter.com/lordkayoss/status/665081179440287744">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		Be lucky! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayThe13th?src=hash">#FridayThe13th</a> 😱😱😱 <a href="https://t.co/DVriVVvsFZ">pic.twitter.com/DVriVVvsFZ</a></p>
	— UKHaunted ® (@UKHaunted) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKHaunted/status/665103134033846272">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		Enjoy your Friday ... and be careful if you are gonna go outdoors this morning. It's windy outside! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayThe13th?src=hash">#FridayThe13th</a></p>
	— Joseph J. Pratt (@pghjoseph) <a href="https://twitter.com/pghjoseph/status/665126470713479168">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="und">
		Hayyyyyyy. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayThe13th?src=hash">#FridayThe13th</a> <a href="https://t.co/vgPmXW3Jy6">pic.twitter.com/vgPmXW3Jy6</a></p>
	— daniel (@onlydaddybirds) <a href="https://twitter.com/onlydaddybirds/status/665126422214676481">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		Good morning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridayThe13th?src=hash">#FridayThe13th</a> flow. Week was already fukd up. Whats the worse that cld happen? 😤😤😤 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringItOn?src=hash">#BringItOn</a></p>
	— PettyRock✌ (@iCurlBANGS) <a href="https://twitter.com/iCurlBANGS/status/665126087769198593">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



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Saudi Religious Police Warn Against New Year's Celebrations

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