BEIRUT (REUTERS) – Ms Ehsan Fayed keeps reliving the day her husband was killed in a 2005 bombing in which Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri was assassinated, waiting for justice that may never come. Ms Fayed, whose daughters were aged seven and four then, hopes the verdict on Friday (Aug 7) of a UN-backed […]

The UAE football federation protested that Sudan-born Ali was ineligible after a 4-0 defeat to Qatar in the Asian Cup. Qatar forward Almoez Ali, top scorer in last year’s Asian Cup with a record nine goals, is eligible to play for them, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Monday as it dismissed […]

DUBAI (REUTERS) – Kuwait has banned until further notice commercial flights to 31 countries it regards as high risk due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Saturday (Aug 1). The countries include India, Pakistan, Egypt, the Philippines, Lebanon and Sri Lanka, which all have large numbers of […]

SAUDI ARABIA (AFP) – Masked pilgrims scaled Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat on Thursday (July 31) to pray and repent in the climax of this year’s hajj, the smallest in modern times after massive crowds in previous years. A tight security cordon has been erected all around the foot of the rocky hill outside Mecca, also […]

The stalled peace deal was signed between the Yemeni gov’t and southern separatists in the Saudi capital last year. After months of tension that often resulted in armed conflict, Yemen’s southern separatists have announced they will abandon their aspirations for self-rule to implement a stalled peace deal with the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Though […]

CAIRO/DUBAI (REUTERS) – Saudi Arabia has presented a resolution to implement the stalled Riyadh agreement, the Saudi state news agency said in a statement, but there was no announcement of a deal to end a standoff between nominal allies under a Saudi-led coalition. Under the resolution, Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) would rescind self rule, […]

Turkey’s state news agency says air raids against al-Watiya was carried out by ‘unidentified planes’ with no casualties. Libya’s UN-recognised government on Sunday condemned overnight air raids against a recently recaptured airbase in the west of the country saying the attack was carried out by a “foreign air force”. Fighters loyal to the Government of […]

TEHERAN (AFP) – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards blasted a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier with missiles on Tuesday (July 28) during military exercises in sensitive Gulf waters, state television said. The exercises – dubbed “Prophet Mohammed 14th” – were held near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for a fifth of global oil […]

Istanbul court convicts four human rights activists, acquits seven others as Amnesty International condemns ruling. A Turkish court has convicted Amnesty International’s former Turkey chairman, Taner Kilic, of membership in a “terror organisation” and sentenced him to more than six years in prison. The court also convicted three other human rights activists – Gunal Kursun, […]

No casualties reported, officials say site operating as usual after incident at Iran’s main uranium enrichment site. A fire broke out at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Thursday but there were no casualties reported and the site is operating as usual, Iranian officials said. The Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP), Iran’s main uranium enrichment site, […]