World / Middle East

First Omicron case detected in Gaza, Palestinians say 26 Dec 2021 - 01:38 pm

GAZA: The Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday it had identified the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the Gaza...

Turkey starts mass production of locally made Covid-19 vaccine 22 Dec 2021 - 07:25 pm

Turkey approved its locally-made Turkovac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use and said the first supplies of the shot will be delivered to public...

Libya parliament says 'impossible' to hold presidential vote 22 Dec 2021 - 01:37 pm

A Libyan parliamentary committee said Wednesday that it has become "impossible” to hold a long-awaited presidential election in two days as scheduled, in...

UN chief lays wreath at Beirut port, urges accountability for blast 20 Dec 2021 - 01:52 pm

BEIRUT: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on MondayLebanonneeded proper accountability for the August 2020 Beirut port explosion on the second day of a...

Mass anti-coup protests in Sudan mark uprising anniversary 19 Dec 2021 - 03:17 pm

Cairo: Sudanese took to the streets in the capital of Khartoum and elsewhere across the country for mass protests Sunday against an October...

Egypt announces its first cases of omicron variant 18 Dec 2021 - 02:59 pm

CAIRO:Egyptian health authorities said they have identified the country’s first cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. Three people were...

Floods kill at least eight in northern Iraq 17 Dec 2021 - 01:49 pm

SULAIMANIYA, Iraq- Flash floods in northern Iraq killed at least eight people on Friday, Iraqi Kurdish authorities said. Another three people were missing...

Oman reports first two cases of Omicron 13 Dec 2021 - 08:51 pm

The State of Oman has announced the registration of first two cases of the new COVID-19variant “Omicron” forcitizens coming from abroad. The health...

Iran critical of European countries' stance on nuclear deal 12 Dec 2021 - 08:30 pm

Dubai: Iran said on Sunday that European countries had failed to offer constructive proposals to help to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, after...

Some 400,000 Palestinians vote in rare municipal elections 11 Dec 2021 - 05:34 pm

Ramallah: Palestinians took part in rare municipal elections across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, following months of simmering anger towards their government...

Hamas says oxygen bottles not arms exploded in Lebanon camp 11 Dec 2021 - 03:38 pm

BEIRUT:The Palestinian Hamas group said Saturday that explosions that shook a refugee camp in southern Lebanon were caused by an electrical short-circuit in...

Looted Gilgamesh tablet returns to Iraq in formal ceremony 08 Dec 2021 - 03:38 pm

BAGHDAD:A small clay tablet dating back 3,500 years and bearing a portion of the Epic ofGilgameshthat was looted from an Iraqi museum 30...

Explosion kills four, wounds 20 in Iraq's Basra: Police, hospital sources 07 Dec 2021 - 01:06 pm

Basra:At least four people were killed and 20 wounded in an explosion inIraq's southern city of Basra, police and hospital sources told Reuters...

Tunisia records its first case of the Omicron variant 05 Dec 2021 - 09:22 pm

TUNIS, Tunisia- Tunisia recorded its first case of the Omicron variant Sunday after health authorities in the North African country said a man...

Bomb defused under Turkish officer's car ahead of Erdogan event: Media 05 Dec 2021 - 07:44 am

Istanbul: Turkish police found a bomb under the car of a riot police officer assigned to work at an event attended by President...

France working with other Europeans to open mission in Afghanistan 04 Dec 2021 - 09:29 pm

DOHA: Several European countries are working on opening up a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan that would enable their ambassadors to return to...

Macron announces Saudi-French initiative to solve crisis with Lebanon 04 Dec 2021 - 07:55 pm

Cairo: French President Emmanuel Macron announced today a Saudi-French initiative to solve a diplomatic row between several Gulf states and lebanon, Saudi television...