Middle East

Riyadh, Feb 6: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed support for a “comprehensive political solution” in Yemen, state media reported on Friday, after President Joe Biden delivered his key foreign policy speech. “The kingdom has affirmed its firm position in support of a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, and welcomes the US emphasis on the importance of supporting diplomatic efforts to

Dubai, Feb 5: The Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that 158,786 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours on Friday. The total number of doses dolled out until Friday stood at 4,008,160 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 40.53 doses per 100 people. This is in line with the Ministry's plan to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society and

Doha, Feb 5: Qatar has re-imposed a raft of restrictions on education, leisure and business activities, including closing indoor swimming pools and theme parks and restricting restaurant capacities. It is the latest Gulf state to tighten restrictions in recent days in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus as infections have risen. Qatari markets should now operate at 50 per cent capacity

Kuwait City, Feb 4: A minor earthquake was registered in Al-Manaqeesh area in the southwest of Kuwait today. The intensity was 3.0-magnitude. Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN) confirmed the earthquake report. In a statement, KNSN Chief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Enzi, said that the earthquake occurred at 9:27 a.m. Kuwait time at a depth of 14 kilometers underground.

Beirut, Jan 31: Protests in Lebanon's second-largest city, Tripoli, have led to the injury of at least 70 children over the course of one week, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). "Clashes between police and demonstrators in Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, have resulted in unacceptable injuries among people. At least 70 children were injured over the

Dubai, Jan 30: The UAE has adopted law amendments that allow granting Emirati citizenship to investors, specialised talents and professionals. The professionals include scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the new law on Saturday. "The new

Duabi, Jan 29: Israel has reportedly extended an apology to the UAE for a comment made by a senior official, who blamed a surge in virus cases in the country on people returning from Dubai. According to an Israeli channel, Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, chief of Public Health in the Health Ministry, allegedly said that "more people died in two weeks of peace with Dubai than in 70 years of war with them"

Dubai, Jan 27: People may need to get Covid-19 vaccine every year, said Dr Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector. Al Hosani made the remarks on Monday during a virtual panel discussion organised by the Maitha Bint Ahmed Al Nahyan Foundation for Community and Cultural Initiatives (MBAF), in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC). New variants of

Jeddah, Jan 24: The Saudi city of Madinah has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as among the world’s healthiest cities. The holy city gained the accreditation after a visiting WHO team said that it met all the global standards required to be a healthy city. Madinah is believed to be the first city with a population of more than 2 million to be recognized under the

Tehran, Jan 20: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged US President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday to return to a 2015 nuclear deal and lift crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Biden, who takes office on Wednesday, has said the United States will rejoin the pact that includes restrictions on Iran's nuclear work if Tehran resumes strict compliance. "The ball is in the US court now. If