• Afghanistan bus-oil tanker collision kills 21, injures 38

    Kabul, Afghanistan--Twenty-one people were killed and 38 injured on Sunday in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province when a bus collided with an oil tanker and a motorbike, provincial officials said. Deadly traffic accidents are common in the country, due in part to poor roads, dangerous driving on highways and a lack of...
  • UN warns of ‘hellish scenario’ as aid to Gaza stalls

    According to Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, the conditions required to deliver aid to "the people of Gaza do not exist." He said that since the end of truce, Israeli forces have pushed into southern Gaza, "forcing tens of thousands... into compressed spaces, desperate to find...
  • UAE marks 52nd National Day with parades, shows

    Across the country, the festivities will be characterized by performances of Emirati folk arts, cultural shows, police parades, display of flags and musical candlelights.
  • Israeli strike on hospital kills 12 people, says Gaza health ministry

    Dubai, UAE--The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Monday 12 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a hospital in the north of the Palestinian territory. The 12, including wounded patients and their companions, "were killed and dozens wounded as a result of the Israeli occupation targeting...
  • Volunteers search for Afghan quake survivors as aid trickles in

    Kashkak, Afghanistan--Afghan villagers and volunteers on Monday helped dig for survivors of a series of earthquakes that killed more than 2,000 people, as aid began trickling into the devastated region. Volunteers in trucks packed with food, tents and blankets flocked to hard-to-reach areas 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Herat city,...
  • Aid groups warn of outbreak of disease in Libya after floods

    Several aid organizations have warned of the outbreak of disease in the port city of Derna, after Sunday's flood submerged it, washing thousands of people and homes out to sea. The flooding left behind a trail of devastation after two upstream dams burst under the pressure of torrential rains triggered...
  • Situation in Morocco in the aftermath of quake

    PARIS, FRANCE - Rescuers in Morocco were scrambling on Sunday to reach people trapped under the rubble after a powerful earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and decimated entire villages. Here's what we know so far:   Strongest-ever in Morocco A 6.8-magnitude quake, according to the US Geological Survey -...
  • Protests mark Beirut blast anniversary as justice eludes victims’ families

    Hundreds of protestors marched alongside victims' families demanding long-awaited justice as the country marked three years since one of history's biggest non-nuclear explosions rocked Beirut. So far nobody has been held to account for the tragedy as political political and legal pressures hamper the investigation.
  • UAE’s digital platform, U.AE, attracts 9.1m visitors in H1

    Dubai, UAE-- Around 9.1 million people visited the UAE’s Government Unified Digital Platform, U.AE, from the start of 2023 until the end of June. According to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), the jump in the average number of pages viewed was 3.52%, compared to the same period...
  • Global body to fund 26 FAO projects worth $174.7m

    ROME, ITALY - Building on growing momentum to tackle environmental problems by addressing the ways in which our food and fiber are produced, the Global Environment Facility has approved 26 projects led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). "To achieve the 2030 Agenda we need...
  • UAE-India partnership a driver for economic growth: Al Marri

    Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy, said that the partnership between the UAE and India creates trade and investment opportunities for over 3.8 billion people and the solid economic alliance contributes to the vitality of trade and investment flows...
  • Anger among people in Turkey, voters divided on election eve

    Widespread public anger at the state's slow response to the tragedy leads many believe that Hatay's electors will vote differently.
  • Thousands flee homes in western Canada as wildfires spread

    Fanned by strong winds wildfires flared across Alberta in the Canadian province, forcing 25,000 people to flee their homes as the province declared a state of emergency on Saturday to protect the "safety, health and welfare of Albertans." Thousands more have been told by the authorities to be prepared to...
  • Over 430,000 people have fled homes in Sudan, says UN

    The fighting in Sudan has caused over 330,000 people to flee their homes within the country, with over 100,000 others escaping over the borders, the United Nations said. UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, is estimating that over 800,000 people could potentially flee to neighboring countries as the conflict continues in...
  • UNHCR urges more support for Turkey, Syria earthquake survivors

    ISTANBUL, TURKEY - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) president Filippo Grandi concluded a five-day visit to earthquake-devastated areas of Syria and Turkey. He visited survivors, affected people and humanitarian staff working at the ground. The earthquake has claimed 54,000 lives in the two countries and caused massive destruction...
  • WHO seeks $2.5bn for health emergency responses in 2023

    The World Health Organization appealed for US$2.54 billion for its work in 2023 to help millions of people facing health emergencies around the world. WHO said that it was currently responding to an unprecedented number of intersecting health emergencies. It pointed to the health impacts of conflicts in Ukraine, Yemen,...
  • Jordan arrests 44 after deadly fuel protests

    AMMAN, JORDAN - Jordan has arrested dozens of people accused of involvement in protests against rising fuel prices in which a senior police officer was gunned down, the country's security agency said Saturday. Colonel Abdul Razzaq Dalabeh, the deputy police chief of Maan province, died of a gunshot to the head...
  • All regions experienced water extremes in 2021, says UN

    GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - All regions of the world saw water extremes last year - both floods and droughts - and billions of people had insufficient freshwater, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Large areas of the planet recorded drier than normal conditions in 2021, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said...
  • UN says half of world’s health facilities lack basic hygiene

    Sketching a dire picture of the world’s healthcare facilities, the United Nations has said that nearly four billion people are at greater risk of infection because of poor hygiene services where patients receive care. According to WHO and the UNICEF nearly 688 million people are treated at places with no...
  • WEF calls for new partnerships to save fragile communities

    The World Economic Forum has pleaded for a new partnership between various stakeholders in order to make a difference to people living in fragile zones of the world. In a paper released by the WEF, it calls for a new collaboration between humanitarian and development organizations, businesses, investors and entrepreneurs...
  • Demolitions in Jeddah cause anguish in residents

    The Saudi doctor still had 15 years left on the loan he used to build his family's "dream" home in Jeddah when bulldozers razed it to the ground, turning his life into "hell".
  • Courts in Iraq sentence eight to death

    Eight people have been sentenced to death in Iraq, half of them over a 2020 car bombing in the city of Ramadi, the judiciary said on Thursday. The men who carried out the September 2020 attack that wounded six people had been "working with the terrorist gangs" of the Islamic...
  • Six dead, 29 missing after migrant boat capsizes off Libya

    Six people were found dead and 29 are missing and presumed dead after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Saturday. "A small wooden boat carrying around 35 migrants capsized off Sabratha, #Libya yesterday," the IOM tweeted.
  • Saudi Arabia executes 81 in a single day over terrorism

    Saudi Arabia said Saturday it executed 81 people in one day on a variety of terrorism-related offenses, exceeding the total number of executions in the kingdom in the whole of last year. Of the 81 people, 73 were Saudi citizens, seven were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national.
  • Saudi forces shoot down Houthi drone, falling debris hurts 16

    Sixteen people including foreigners were injured in Saudi Arabia when the kingdom destroyed a drone launched against an airport by Yemeni rebels, the Saudi-led coalition said Monday.
  • Dubai provides more safeguards for people with special needs or disabilities

    Dubai has issued a law that seeks to include the people with special needs or disabilities---known as the people of determination---in the process of drafting and legislation that concern them or may affect their quality of life. The law is aligned with the efforts of the Dubai Government to develop...
  • Saudi Arabia approves entry of tourists jabbed with Sputnik

    Saudi Arabia has granted approval for people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik jab to enter the country in a move that will enable Muslims to take part in religious pilgrimages, the vaccine's developers said Sunday.
  • Lebanon stops 82 people attempting sea crossing to Europe

    Lebanese security forces on Friday said they thwarted an attempt by more than 80 people to illegally cross by sea into Europe from Lebanon. In a statement, the Internal Security Forces said they raided a "tourist resort" in the Qalamoun area of north Lebanon on Thursday after being tipped off....
  • UAE provides $10m in aid to Turkey

    The United Arab Emirates has announced the provision of $10 million to contribute to the reconstruction of some Turkish regions that were affected by wildfires and floods that swept through these areas.
  • Iraqis ask for jabs as Covid tears through the country

    Covid has resurfaced in Iraq with a vehemence that people are now frantically looking for jabs as their reluctance to take the vaccine ebbs away.
  • Gulf nations pledge to provide quality education

    The Arab countries have vowed to continue to work for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.
  • Oman eases Eid lockdown, some curbs to remain to halt Covid

    The night-time closure of businesses and curbs on movement of people and vehicles will remain in place
  • White House frets anxious about high oil prices

    Jen Psaki says there is enough production capacity globally US crude production peaked in Jan 2020 at nearly 13m bpd The White House is worried about the impact of rising oil prices on US consumers but believes producers have ample ability to pump enough crude. “Currently we believe that there...