Saudi Arabia

South Korea believes its MERS virus outbreak may have peaked, and experts say the next several days will be critical to determining whether the government's belated efforts have successfully stymied a disease that has killed nine people and infected more than 100 in the country.
     

Saudi Arabia's supreme court has upheld a sentence of 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes against blogger Raif Badawi on charges of insulting Islam, his wife said on June 7.

The judgment came despite worldwide outrage over his case and criticism from the United Nations, United States, the European Union, Canada and others.       

Yemen's dominant Houthi group and its army allies fired a Scud missile at Saudi Arabia which the kingdom says it shot down on June 6, in a major escalation of two months of war. 

Hundreds of schools closed June 4 in South Korea as officials struggled to ease growing panic over an outbreak of the MERS virus that has infected 35 people, killed two and caused thousands to cancel travel plans.

South Korea on June 2 reported its first deaths from MERS, in the largest outbreak outside the Middle East that has infected 25 people and triggered widespread public alarm.

A 58-year-old woman died of acute respiratory failure on Monday and tests later came back positive for the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus, the health ministry said.    

At least eight civilians were killed and 20 wounded June 1 in explosions sparked by Saudi-led air strikes on rebel arms depots in the Yemeni capital, a medical source said.

South Korea confirmed three more MERS cases May 29, bringing the total number of patients infected with the potentially deadly virus to 10, including a man who defied a quarantine protocol and travelled to China, health officials said.

Four people were killed when a car exploded near a Shi'ite mosque in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on May 29, but authorities said militants failed in their bid to hit the mosque itself.

The attack targetted worshippers in al-Anoud mosque during Friday prayers, a ministry spokesperson said, quoted by the Saudi state news agency SPA. 

Saudi Arabia on May 26 carried out its 88th execution so far this year, surpassing the total for all of 2014 despite activists' concerns that trials are not conducted fairly.

Turkey strongly condemned a suicide attack that killed at least 20 Shia Muslim worshippers in a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia Turkey strongly condemned May 23 a suicide attack that killed at least 20 Shia Muslim worshippers in a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia.