Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended Umrah pilgrimage for citizens and residents living in the Kingdom.
This comes following concerns over COVID-19.
According to Saudi's Ministry of Interior, the preventative decision is part of the country's efforts to limit the spread of the virus.
72 killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon as it warns residents to leave south
Israel has warned residents to immediately leave a swathe of south Lebanon on Wednesday, ordering them to move north of the Litani River on the third day of full-blown hostilities with Hezbollah, with the death toll rising to 72 people.
Landslide kills over 200 people at Congo's Rubaya mine
More than 200 people have died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country's mines ministry said on Wednesday.
80 people killed after US sinks Iranian warship
The US–Iran war widened sharply on Wednesday after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 people, and NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.
Emergency GCC-EU meeting to discuss Iranian aggression
An emergency GCC-EU ministerial meeting is set for Thursday, March 5, bringing together foreign ministers from GCC states and the European Union.
Omani navy rescues cargo ship crew after missile strike
The Royal Navy of Oman has rescued all 24 crew members of a cargo ship after the Malta-flagged vessel was reportedly struck by two missiles near the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE is exempting fines for travellers unable to depart due to recent flight suspensions and airspace closures.
Flydubai has announced that it will resume scheduled flights to several destinations on Thursday, March 5, with some operations impacted "where airspace restrictions remain in place".
The UAE has strongly condemned the attempted targeting of Turkey through an Iranian ballistic missile, which was destroyed before reaching its territory by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Wednesday.
