- Middle East
Saudi Arabia deports Indian fugitive wanted in cheating case
New Delhi: Saudi Arabian authorities have deported an Indian national, Manakandathil Thekkethi, also known as Sheela Kallyani, who was wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case of criminal…
- Middle East
Greta Thunberg, 170 other Gaza aid flotilla activists deported from Israel
Tel Aviv: Israel on Monday, October 6, deported 171 members of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, to Greece and Slovakia after intercepting a convoy of 44…
- Middle East
Qiblatain Mosque in Madinah to remain open 24 hours
Madinah: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Monday, October 6, ordered that the historic Qiblatain Mosque in Madinah remain open 24 hours a day, allowing…
- Middle East
UAE set to apply new sugar drink excise tax from January 2026
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will introduce a new tiered excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages from January 1, 2026, following the completion of legislative amendments by the Ministry of Finance.…
- Middle East
First Emirati woman to represent UAE at Miss Universe 2025
Mariam Mohamed has been crowned Miss Universe UAE 2025, becoming the first Emirati woman to represent the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the world-renowned Miss Universe competition. The 26-year-old fashion student from…
- Middle East
Umrah allowed on all visa types, confirms Saudi Ministry
Riyadh: The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has confirmed that holders of all visa types, including tourist visas, are permitted to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia. The ministry said the move is…
- World
Watch: Mass protest in Amsterdam calls for end to Gaza war
Hundreds of thousands of people marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, October 5, calling on the Dutch government to impose sanctions on Israel and push for an end to the war in Gaza.…
- World
Gaza-bound aid flotilla 294 nautical miles from enclave
A humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, comprised of 11 vessels, has appealed for international protection as it nears the Israel-blockaded enclave, with organisers confirming the convoy is currently about 294 nautical miles…
- World
Flotilla’s Italian captain embraces Islam in Israeli detention
Istanbul: Italian activist Tommaso Bortolazzi, captain of the Maria Cristin vessel in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), embraced Islam while being held by Israeli forces after the flotilla was intercepted in international…
- World
Two blind men among hundreds arrested at Palestine Action protest in London
London: Two blind men were among hundreds of protesters arrested in Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday, October 4, during a peaceful demonstration opposing genocide and defying the government’s ban on supporting…
- Middle East
Greta Thunberg ‘dragged by hair and beaten’ in Israeli detention, Gaza flotilla activists say
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was allegedly assaulted and forced to wear an Israeli flag while in detention, according to activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) who were deported to Turkey…
- Middle East
Saudi Arabia launches new licensing system for Haj accommodation
Makkah: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has launched a new licensing system to regulate accommodation for pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah ahead of the Haj 2026-1447 AH season, as part of…
- Middle East
Watch: Gazans haul net of fish as Israeli navy blocks flotilla
Gaza City: A video widely shared on social media has captured fishermen in Gaza casting their nets and pulling in a rare haul of fish, after Israel’s navy became preoccupied intercepting the…
- Middle East
Israel forces Gaza aid Flotilla activists to kneel, zip-tied for hours after attack: Legal center
Tel Aviv: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Adalah, has accused Israeli authorities of unlawfully detaining participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), who were intercepted in international waters…
- World
At least 11 more flotilla ships sailing for Gaza to break Israeli blockade
Eleven more flotilla vessels carrying humanitarian aid are currently sailing off the coast of the Greek island of Crete towards the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break Israel’s “illegal blockade.” The…
