Read the latest news from around the Middle East Africa region.

With widespread success in vaccination efforts and the country now seeing fewer than 20 new COVID-19 cases a day, officials in Israel have opened up "access to restaurants, sports events, cultural activities and the like to vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens," The New York Times reports.

After the elimination of the country's "Green Pass" system, the only remaining restriction within the country is a requirement that people wear masks in "closed public spaces," but the newspaper notes that officials are looking to also remove that rule.

"The main efforts to control the coronavirus are now centered on restrictions for travel in and out of Israel, based on testing and quarantine," the news outlet reports. "Strict limitations remain on the entry of people who are not Israeli citizens."

With Oil prices relatively strong, members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, collectively known as OPEC+, agreed to ease production cuts Tuesday, CNBC reports. The countries will boost production in July and will continue to follow plans set in April to return 2.1 million barrels to the market each day in May and July.

International Brent crude futures were up 2.7% Tuesday to $71.17 a barrel with oil price up more than 30% year to date after a rough 2020.

One potential complicating factor would be the lifting of sanctions on Iran and the possibility of it increasing oil exports, but analysts and OPEC leaders alike said that should ultimately be a nonfactor.

“We anticipate that the expected return of Iranian production and exports to the global market will occur in an orderly and transparent fashion,” OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said in a statement.

The battered South African economy continues to struggle, with the country's officials announcing unemployment rose to a record 32.6% in the first quarter of 2021 after reaching 32.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020, Reuters reports.

The news outlet reports the pandemic has put greater focus on some of the country's long-standing economic issues, driven by labor problems and high levels of poverty.

"Statistics South Africa said job losses in the first quarter were recorded mostly in construction, followed by trade, private households, transport and agriculture sectors," according to Reutersm.

• The 80-room Radisson Collection Hotel, Bodrum opened, marking the brand's debut in Turkey. The property was developed by Ant Yapi and is managed by Access Hotel Management Tourism Investment and Consultancy Company.
• Sandeep Walia was appointed Marriott International's chief operating officer for the Middle East.
• Jerome Briet was appointed Marriott's chief development officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
• The 80-room Days Hotel by Wyndham Istanbul Maltepe is slated to open this Summer and will be the first property in the Days Inn brand in Turkey.
• Radisson Hotel Group announced the opening of the 481-key Radisson Hotel Dubai DAMAC Hills, which represents the fourth Radisson brand in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Archipelago International announced the signing of two management agreements for properties in Saudi Arabia with Jabal Omar Development Company. The company will operate the 581-room Jabal Omar The Royal Alana Makkah and the 560-room Jabal Omar The Alana Makkah.
• Marriott International announced plans to open the 275-room Dubai Edition in late 2021 and the 200-room Doha Edition in late 2022.
• The SLS Dubai Hotel and Residences, which is the first SLS-branded hotel in the Middle East, opened on April 5.