On our "Virtual Route 66" This Week (Special Edition): An Update Courtesy the National & RealTime with Bill Maher

People arrive in Jeddah after being evacuated from Sudan. SPA

SUDAN

Sudan experienced a near-total collapse of internet and phone services yesterday as continued fighting pushed the country deeper into a humanitarian crisis. Embassies in Sudan are evacuating their staff, as violence in Khartoum enters its second week. Clashes between two warring factions - the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces - have killed more than 420 people and injured thousands. Heavy fighting in Sudan has also raised fears for a wildlife reserve. Follow the latest news here.

UAE

Organisations that contribute to the welfare of society will be eligible for exemptions under the UAE's corporate tax law, the Ministry of Finance said.

This week is set to be the busiest yet in the UAE's space programme, with the Rashid rover expected to land on the lunar surface and an Emirati astronaut embarking on a spacewalk.

IRAN

Saudi Arabia and Iran's foreign ministers have discussed the next steps to restoring diplomatic relations during a phone call to exchange Eid greetings, Saudi and Iranian state media reported.

The family of Emad Shargi, an Iranian-American businessman who has spent the past five years jailed in Iran on espionage charges, have expressed their “utter disbelief” over the failure of the US government to bring him home.

YEMEN

An online donor conference will be held on May 4 to try to fill a $29 million gap in funding needed to safely remove oil from an abandoned tanker off Yemen's coast, the UN said.

LEBANON

French prosecutors have informed Lebanon's embattled banker Riad Salameh of their intention to bring preliminary charges of fraud and money laundering against him, according to judicial documents.

Lebanon has deported dozens of Syrians back to Syria after a clampdown on undocumented refugees from the war-torn country, security officials said.

ISRAEL

Protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to reform Israel's judicial system regained strength on Saturday, with tens of thousands on the streets.

JORDAN

Israel has arrested a member of Jordan's parliament on suspicion of smuggling weapons and 100kg of gold as he crossed by car into the occupied West Bank, Jordanian officials and media said on Sunday.