Doha: In what can be touted as sharp escalation of tensions in West Asia, Iran on Monday reportedly launched six missiles targeting US military bases in Qatar, according to a report by Axios. The move comes in retaliation for American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.

Dubai: Qatar closed its airspace Monday amid threats of Iranian retaliation against the United States.

Dubai: UAE-based Indian doctor and philanthropist Dr Shamsheer Vayalil has announced Rs 6 crore in financial aid for the families of medical students and doctors affected by the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last week.

 The long-anticipated GCC unified tourist visa has reportedly been approved and will be rolled out shortly. It will allow foreign tourists to visit all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait — under a single entry permit, in a move reminiscent of the Schengen visa system in Europe.

Riyadh: A 36-year-old Indian expatriate from Kerala, who had been undergoing treatment after sustaining severe injuries in an air conditioner compressor explosion, passed away on Sunday, reports said.

 A prominent Saudi journalist who was arrested in 2018 and convicted on terrorism and treason charges has been executed, the kingdom said. Activist groups maintain that the charges against him were trumped up.

Dubai: A massive fire broke out in a 67-storey building in Marina here, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) said on Saturday.

Mecca: Saudi Arabia has stopped more than 269,000 people without permits for the annual Hajj pilgrimage from entering Mecca, officials said Sunday, as authorities crack down on illegal journeys into the city.