Middle East

Ramallah, Apr 27: Palestinians have condemned repeated Israeli attacks on the Bab Al-Rahma Chapel in Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying the site has been vandalized, while worshippers face daily threats and abuse. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Bab Al-Rahma was an integral part of Al-Aqsa and only Muslims had the right to control its affairs. Removal of items from the chapel and its

Jeddah, Apr 21: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended Eid Al-Fitr prayers on Friday, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. King Salman performed the prayers with dignitaries at Jeddah’s Al-Salam Palace, while the crown prince joined worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Earlier, the king conveyed Eid wishes to Arab and Muslim nations around the world on Twitter

Dubai, Apr 17: An Indian couple who was killed in the Dubai apartment fire on Saturday was preparing an iftar meal for their neighbours, according to multiple media reports. Rijesh Kalangadan, 38, his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath, 32, and their neighbours, Imam Kasim, 43, and S Mohammed Rafeeq, were among the 16 people who died in the blaze. Several others were injured. Rijesh, who worked as a

Dubai: Eid Al Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, could fall on Saturday, April 22, 2023, according to the International Astronomy Centre. The exact date will only be confirmed based on the moon sighting, with countries across the Islamic world set to investigate the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Thursday, April 20. The International Astronomy Centre said in a Twitter post

Dubai, Apr 16: At least four Indians, including a couple from Kerala, were among the 16 people dead after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in Dubai that also injured nine people. A fire broke out on the building where Talal Supermarket is located at 12 noon on Saturday. Rijesh (38), a native of Vengara Kalangadan in Malappuram, and his wife Jeshi (32) of Kandamangam are the

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has launched four special economic zones that will offer companies financial and non-financial incentives as it seeks to attract more foreign investment and position itself as a global business centre. The aim of the new zones, which will be located in Riyadh, Jazan, Ras Al-Khair and King Abdullah Economic City, is to open up new opportunities for international investors, the

A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.8 was recorded off the Arabian Sea coast of Oman on Thursday morning, UAE's National Center of Meteorology (NCM) reported. The epicentre of the tremor was around 500km from the port city of Sur in Oman at a depth of 10 km below the seabed, it added. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the quake at 5.4 magnitude in the Owen Fracture Zone region

Ramallah, Apr 12: Amidst escalating tensions in Palestine, Israel has banned visits by non-Muslims to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem until the end of Ramadan. The move followed outrage after Israeli security forces permitted about 800 settlers to pray in the compound on Tuesday morning, the sixth day of the Passover holiday, in breach of a longstanding agreement that prohibits

Reacting to a threat-riddled speech by the Israeli prime minister, Hamas resistance movement says Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks will not weaken Palestinians' resolve to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque against the occupying regime's aggression. "Netanyahu’s speech cannot frighten our Palestinian people," the movement's spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Monday, adding that Palestinians "will continue the

The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has strongly condemned the Israeli raids on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where the regime’s forces fired stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian worshipers observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan. GCC Secretary General Jassim Muhammed al-Budaiwi said in a statement that the incessant incursions by Israeli forces into al-Aqsa