A bomb killed four people in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Tuesday, the first such attack in years in a part of the country that has enjoyed relative stability, and a senior official said Islamic State militants were suspected of carrying it out.

The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it would shift to a four and half-day working week with a Saturday-Sunday weekend from next year to better align its economy with global markets.

Indirect US-Iranian talks on salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear deal teetered on the brink of crisis yesterday as they broke off until next week with European officials expressing dismay at the demands of Iran’s new administration.

Saudi Arabia confirmed its first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant coming from a north African country, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.

The Sultanate of Oman decided today to suspend entry for arrivals from seven African countries in light of reports received about the spread of a new variant of Coronavirus (Covid 19).

Kuwait's crown prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah issued an Amiri decree on Tuesday reinstating Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah as prime minister.

A cyber attack against Iranian private airline Mahan Air has been foiled, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, adding that the airliner's flight schedule was not affected by the attack.

Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok have reached a deal for his return and the release the civilian leadership detained since last month's military coup, mediators said Sunday.

Sudanese anti-coup activists called for mass protests on Sunday, as medics said the number of people killed since last month's military takeover had risen to at least 40.

Oman will today (Thursday) mark the 51st National Day of the Renaissance. The event comes around at a time when Omanis ponder about the achievements made so far and brace for further accomplishments, with firm resolve, under the astute leadership of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik who pledged to hold high

The UN nuclear watchdog yesterday reported that Iran has again boosted its stock of highly enriched uranium, just days before talks are set to resume seeking to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking is visiting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to co-ordinate on regional security and over Iran, and for talks on UN-led peace efforts for Yemen, the State Department said yesterday.