Middle East

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

Tehran, Apr 9: Saudi officials arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and reopen their diplomatic missions in March, after China brokered a deal to restore relations between the two countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping helped

Dubai, Apr 6: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian have issued a joint statement at the end of their meeting in Beijing on Thursday. This was the first formal meeting of the countries’ most senior diplomats in more than seven years. The joint statement mentioned, among other things, the resumption of flights between

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Sunday. During the phone call, the ministers discussed issues of common interest and “the next steps in light of the recent tripartite agreement.” Last month, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies

Riyadh, May 28: At least 20 Umrah pilgrims were killed and 29 injured after a bus crashed southwest of Saudi Arabia on Monday, Dubai-based Gulf News reported. The bus hit a bridge, tipped over, and caught fire. The accident, which occurred due to a brake failure, took place on the road joining Asir province and the city of Abha, Gulf News reported. The victims were on their way to Makkah to perfom