Saudi Arabia said Saturday it had executed a record 81 people in one day for terrorism-related offences, exceeding the total number killed last year and sparking criticism from rights activists.

Forty-seven children were “killed or maimed” in Yemen’s civil war in January and February following a surge in violence, the United Nations children’s fund said yesterday.

Saudi Arabia yesterday confirmed a 10-year travel ban for freed blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed 81 people convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant groups, the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed the formation of a nuclear energy holding company that will aid in the development of nuclear facilities in the kingdom, the Saudi Gazette reports quoting Saudi Arabia's governor to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid (IAEA).

Islamic State confirmed on Thursday the death of its leader Abu Ibrahim Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi and its spokesperson Abu Hamza Al-Quraishi, and announced Abu Al-Hassan Al-hashemi Al-Quraishi as its new chief.

Iran yesterday accused the United States of working to “complicate” efforts to restore a 2015 nuclear deal, after new Russian demands linked to its invasion of Ukraine raised concerns of further delays.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he believed his Israeli counterpart's visit will be a turning point in long-strained relations between the regional powers, and that Ankara was ready for cooperate in the energy sector.

Israel’s president landed in Ankara yesterday to meet Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the first visit by an Israeli head of state since 2007, as the countries seek to mend fractured ties.

India’s representative to Palestine, Mukul Arya -- a foreign service officer in his 30s -- died in his office premises in Ramallah on Sunday, according to India’s External Affairs Ministry.

The Palestinian health ministry said a 16-year-old, Yamen Jafal, was shot dead “by the occupation forces” on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it was lifting most Covid restrictions including social distancing in public spaces and quarantine for vaccinated arrivals, moves that could facilitate the arrival of Muslim pilgrims.

Israel can become "a potential ally" of Saudi Arabia if the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved, the Saudi state-news agency SPA cited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as saying on Thursday.

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians Tuesday in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Turkey is calling on all sides in the Ukraine crisis to respect an international pact on passage through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was cited as saying yesterday after Ankara closed access.

Seven people died and dozens more were injured when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Sumatra island yesterday, with residents shuttling loved ones to safety as buildings crumbled around them.

Archaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old stone age site in a remote desert in Jordan, with structures which show humans were rounding up and hunting gazelles much earlier than previously thought.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi yesterday told gas exporters to avoid any “cruel” sanctions such as those imposed by the United States on Tehran, and his government said any revival of Iran’s 2015 nuclear accord with world powers must lift such curbs.

Israel on Monday named Khaled Kabub as its first Muslim judge to gain a permanent seat on the Supreme Court, the Jewish state's highest judicial authority, court authorities said.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday the kingdom was looking to schedule a fifth round of direct talks with rival Iran despite a “lack of substantive progress” so far, and urged Tehran to change its behaviour in the region.