Middle East

Jerusalem, Aug 17: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel is preparing for direct flights, over Saudi Arabia, to the United Arab Emirates as part of its normalisation deal with the UAE. Israel and the UAE announced on Thursday that they will normalise diplomatic relations under a U.S.-sponsored deal whose implementation could reshape Middle East politics from the Palestinian

Manama, Aug 17: After a video clip of a woman damaging the idols of Ganesha in a shop in Bahrain went viral, the local police have charged her with intentional damage and publicly insulting a religious symbol. The police said on Sunday that the 54-year-old woman was summoned after the video on social media showed her "intentionally damaging a shop... and breaking religious idols" in the Juffair

Dubai, Aug 13: The UAE and Israel have reached a historic deal that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The agreement, brokered by US President Donald Trump, means Israel has suspended plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. A joint statement from the UAE, Israel and the US said: "This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the

The UAE on Thursday announced a holiday on Sunday, August 23, to mark the beginning of the Islamic New Year. Muharram 1, which will mark the beginning of the Hijri New Year, is expected to begin on August 23, subject to moon sighting. According to a statement issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources on social media today, Sunday, August 23 will be a holiday for the public

Dubai, Aug 12: Returning UAE residents are being advised to update their personal details on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) website in order to facilitate smooth travel back into the country. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) on Wednesday asked returning residents to visit uaeentry.ica.gov.ae and input their details - such as Emirates

Dubai/New Delhi, Aug 11: Indian nationals carrying any type of valid UAE visa can now travel from their homeland to the United Arab Emirates, according to Indian Ambassador to UAE Pavan Kapoor. "Very pleased to see the @MoCA_GoI notification this evening as per which both Indian & UAE airlines can now carry any Indian national holding any type of valid UAE visa from India to UAE! @IndembAbuDhabi

Dubai, Aug 10: In the wake of delay in resumption of international fights, UAE’s Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship has announced a month's extension of grace period on visit visas that expired after March 1. The authorities announced the extension on August 10, which was the initially announced deadline for these visit visa holders. The one month additional grace period is to start on

Dubai, Aug 10: A six-nation bloc of Gulf Arab nations torn apart by internal strife endorsed on Sunday an extension of a United Nations arms embargo on Iran, just two months before it is set to expire. The Gulf Cooperation Council said it sent a letter to the UN Security Council backing an extension of an arms embargo that’s kept Iran from purchasing foreign-made weapons like fighter jets, tanks

Beirut, Aug 7: A devastating explosion that destroyed much of Beirut might have been the result of a missile attack or bomb, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said, as the death toll from the blast rose to 154. More than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate had been sitting in a port warehouse for six years, but there have been conflicting accounts about why Lebanese authorities decided to empty the

Beirut, Aug 4: A massive explosion has shaken the Lebanese capital of Beirut, with a very high number of casualties expected. A warehouse at the Beirut Port caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a huge explosion, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported. Several smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred. Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon’s General Security