Bahrain will close shopping malls, restaurants and coffee shops for two weeks as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Beauty salons, spas and barber shops will also close as part of the heightened measures that will come into effect on Thursday, May 27.
No event or conference should be held during this period, state TV reported, citing the national committee to combat the pandemic.
Bangladesh leader considered PM frontrunner returns from exile
Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday, a homecoming the party hopes will energise supporters with Rahman poised to be the top contender for prime minister in February.
Syria to start currency swap on January 1
Syria will start swapping old banknotes for new ones from January 1, 2026, Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh said on Thursday, under a plan to replace Assad-era notes to try to strengthen the currency's value.
Five killed in Nigeria mosque attack, police say
At least 5 were killed and 35 others injured when a bomber detonated an explosive inside a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, during evening prayers, police said.
Helicopter crash on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro kills five, aviation authority says
A helicopter has crashed on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, killing five people, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday, while local media reported that the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission.
UK, Canada, Germany and others condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan
Fourteen countries including Britain, Canada, and Germany have condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, saying they violated international law and risked fuelling instability.
Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has announced new rules allowing hotels and restaurants holding tourism licenses to welcome guests with their pets, like cats and dogs.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed that all imams and muezzins in mosques across the emirate be placed under the Sharjah government’s general staff system.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says its Dynamic Message Signs system has become a key tool in making travel across the emirate safer and more efficient.
