Dubai Extends 24-Hour Curfew, Qatar Reports New Virus Cases

The deserted main stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road near Downtown Dubai. (EPA)
The deserted main stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road near Downtown Dubai. (EPA)
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Dubai Extends 24-Hour Curfew, Qatar Reports New Virus Cases

The deserted main stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road near Downtown Dubai. (EPA)
The deserted main stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road near Downtown Dubai. (EPA)

Dubai has extended a 24-hours-a-day curfew imposed as part of a sterilization drive to control the spread of the coronavirus by a week, the government said in a Twitter post on Friday.

The United Arab Emirates has imposed a nationwide nightly curfew since March 26 for the disinfection campaign, but Dubai on April 4 expanded it within the emirate to a 24-hour lockdown for two weeks.

The country on Thursday reported 460 new cases and two more deaths from the virus, taking its tally to 5,825 with 35 deaths. It does not give a breakdown for each of the seven emirates.

The Emirates Red Crescent humanitarian organization will "foster and care for" the families of those who have died in the UAE from the COVID-19 lung disease caused by the virus, the federal government said in a Twitter post on Friday.

Qatar, which has locked down part of an industrial zone where many migrant workers live and work, on Friday announced 560 new cases, mostly among expatriate workers quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19 cases. That takes the country’s total to 4,663.

The health ministry said no new fatalities have been reported, keeping the total at seven.

Forty-nine patients have recovered, taking the count to 464.



Saudi Arabia Condemns Targeting of Facilities, Infrastructure in Sudan

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Targeting of Facilities, Infrastructure in Sudan

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Sunday the targeting of vital facilities and infrastructure in Port Sudan and Kassala in Sudan, describing it as a threat to regional stability as well as to Arab and African national security.
The Kingdom called for an immediate end to the war in Sudan and urged all parties to spare the country and its people further suffering and destruction.

It also reiterated its stance that resolving the crisis requires a Sudanese-led political solution that respects Sudan’s sovereignty and unity, while supporting the country’s state institutions.
The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom's rejection of these violations, stressing the urgent need to protect civilians and ensure the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration (Commitment to Protect Civilians in Sudan), signed on May 11, 2023.