Middle East & North Africa

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister apologized on Sunday for the Israeli police’s deadly shooting of an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man.

The shooting of Iyad Halak, 32, in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday, drew broad condemnations and revived complaints alleging excessive force by Israeli security forces.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Tens of thousands of mosques across Saudi Arabia reopened Sunday for the first time in more than two months, with worshipers ordered to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed to the public.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Islam’s holiest site outside of Saudi Arabia, also reopened for prayers for the first time since it was closed in mid-March.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police shot dead an unarmed autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday after saying they suspected he was carrying a weapon.

The shooting drew broad condemnations and revived complaints alleging excessive force by Israeli security forces. On social media, some compared the shooting to police violence in the U.S.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Government employees went back to work in Iran on Saturday and President Hassan Rouhani said mosques would resume daily prayers across the country, even though some areas are seeing high levels of coronavirus infections.

Rouhani also said on state television that shopping malls would be able to stay open beyond the 6 p.m. closing time imposed as part of the lockdown, a further step in the government’s plans to steadily ease the curbs.

30 May 2020; MEMO: A political researcher specialising in international relations has been arrested in the middle of the night and forcibly disappeared from his home in Giza.

His family have said they tried to send telegrams to the attorney general to locate Abdo Fayed but have heard nothing until now.

30 May 2020; MEMO: Turkish researchers have sequenced the genome of the novel coronavirus isolated from four patients, the head of the project said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Dr. Sadrettin Pence, the vice rector of Istanbul Medeniyet University, told Anadolu Agency the genomes were sequenced using the latest sequencing platforms.

MUSCAT, May 30 (NNN-ONA) – The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Friday, 811 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 9,820.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, all new cases, including 315 Omanis, are related to community contact.

The statement also said, the total recovered cases raised to 2,177 and the death toll remained 40.

The ministry called on people to observe the procedures for quarantine, avoid public places or places of worship, and ensure public hygiene.

DUBAI, May 30 (NNN-WAM) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Friday, announced 638 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 33,170.

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, said in a statement, the new cases include many nationalities. All are in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment.

It said that 412 more patients have made full recovery from the virus, taking the tally of the UAE’s recoveries to 17,097.

The ministry also confirmed two more death, pushing the country’s death toll to 260.

DOHA, May 30 (NNN-QNA) – Qatar’s health ministry, on Friday announced 1,993 new infections of the novel coronavirus, increasing the total number of the confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 52,907.

“Some 5,205 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 20,604, while three died, raising the fatalities to 36,” the official Qatar ministry statement, was quoted as saying.

RAMALLAH, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli soldiers on Friday shot at a Palestinian man after an alleged car-ramming attack northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed in a press statement the man's death.

An Israeli army spokesman wrote on Twitter that a report was received regarding an attempted car-ramming attack adjacent to the community of Halamish. The spokesman did not say if the Palestinian was killed.