Thailand massage likely to get UNESCO status

Bangkok: The practitioners of 2,000-year-old skill — body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage — are a happy lot as it may be added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list. The meeting on UNESCO’s list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ is set to take place in the Colombian capital of Bogota from December 9 to 14. The art is said to have originated in India thousands of years ago. AFP

Now, no gender-segregated entrance for eateries in Saudi

Riyadh: Restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia are no longer required to have gender-segregated entrances, officials said, in a further easing of social restrictions in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom. The ministry of municipalities and rural affairs announced it on Twitter on Sunday. It was unclear whether a restriction on seating inside restaurants will also be removed. AFP