Middle East Experience

BEIRUT, June 9 (Reuters) – Lebanon's banking association said on Tuesday that government figures being presented to the International Monetary Fund in talks for a reform programme do not form a..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon banking association slams govt figures being presented to IMF

The mother of imprisoned activist Hassan Mustafa reportedly passed out from exhaustion on her way back from trying to visit him in prison..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Mother of detained Egyptian activist dies after being turned back from prison visit

The number of active coronavirus cases and the virus-related death toll in Saudi Arabia is rising because several members of the public continue to ignore preventative measures, health ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said on Tueday, urging citizens and residents to follow social distancing rules and precautionary measures.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Forty percent of COVID-19 cases reported in the Kingdom so far are the result of people failing to follow rules instructed by the ministry.Dozens of young men and women who did not adhere to precautionary measures when they left their homes and then came into direct contact with members of their family, including the elderly, infected several other people, al-Abd al-Ali said.Also read: Coronavirus: Seven habits to avoid, advice from Saudi Arabia’s health ministryThe daily death rate in the Kingdom has also been rising recently due to the fact that more vulnerable people, such as the elderly or people with chronic illnesses, have been getting infected, according to al-Abd al-Ali.The spokesman advised against large gatherings and urged the public to maintain social distancing practices, wash their hands regularly, and wear masks at all times when leaving their homes.The interior ministry had on Friday warned that if cases continued to rise in the capital Riyadh, then stricter restrictions may be imposed in the city.The ministry imposed a curfew in Jeddah from the hours of 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting from June 6 until June 20.“There needs to be more adherence and more following of the rules in Riyadh and Jeddah,” al-Abd al-Ali said.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reimposes restrictions, curfew in JeddahCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s economy shows strengths despite COVID-19, say experts
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus cases, deaths in Saudi will keep rising if people ignore rules: Ministry

Saudi Arabia recorded 3,288 new coronavirus cases and 37 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom to 108,571 and the virus-related death toll to 783, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The capital Riyadh had detected the highest number of cases, where officials reported 1,099 in the city alone, health ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said.Meanwhile, Jeddah, where restrictions were imposed on Friday, confirmed 447 new infections, he added.The other new cases were reported in cities and provinces across the Kingdom.Meanwhile, a total of 76,339 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia so far.Also read: Coronavirus: Seven habits to avoid, advice from Saudi Arabia’s health ministryAl-Abd al-Ali warned on Tuesday that the number of active cases in the Kingdom was rising because hundreds of members of the public were failing to adhere to preventative measures to prevent the virus from spreading.The interior ministry had on Friday warned that if cases continued to rise in the capital Riyadh, then stricter restrictions may be imposed in the city.The ministry imposed a curfew in Jeddah from the hours of 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting from June 6 until June 20.“There needs to be more adherence and more following the rules in Riyadh and Jeddah,” al-Abd al-Ali said.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reimposes restrictions, curfew in JeddahCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s economy shows strengths despite COVID-19, say experts
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records total of 3,288 new cases, Riyadh reports over 1,000

The UAE reported 528 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday after conducting over 37,000 tests, which raises the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 39,904.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page. Two people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the country died due to complications, the ministry said. The virus-related death toll now stands at 283.Meanwhile, 22,740 people in the UAE have recovered from the virus so far.The government announced on Monday that it would be allowing residency law violators to leave the country with all related fines waived, including the ban stamp, with the grace period beginning from May 18 until August 18.Abu Dhabi also announced on Monday that it would be restricting movement in and out of the capital and between cities within the emirate for an additional week.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE allows violators of residency law to leave country, waives all finesCoronavirus: UAE schools to restart August 30, says minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE reports 528 new infections after conducting over 37,000 tests

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kuwait rose to 33,140 on Tuesday after 630 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Four people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of virus-related deaths in the country to 273.Meanwhile, the number of recoveries climbed to 22,162 after 920 people recovered from the virus.The ministry has been ramping up its efforts to conduct more testing across the country, and has issued a total of 321,502 swab tests.Some mosques in “model residential” and “sparsely-populated” areas are set to reopen in Kuwait on Wednesday following a three-month closure due to the outbreak, but Muslims must ensure they adhere to all precautionary measures during prayers.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus cases in Kuwait surpass 33,000 after 630 new cases reported

A person’s blood type can dictate how likely they are to catch the coronavirus, according to research from biotech testing company 23andMe.Using results from over 750,000 participants in a study, 23andMe found that people with O blood type appears to better protect against the coronavirus, compared to other blood types, and are between 9 and 18 percent less likely to test positive for COVID-19.B and AB blood types are the most susceptible, according to 23andMe, with A blood type in between.“Among respondents to the 23andMe COVID-19 survey, the percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 is lowest for people who are O blood type. The percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 was highest among those with the AB blood type,” 23andMe said in a post online.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe results from the study were controlled for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and ethnicity among other factors.Those with the O blood type were shown to be both less likely to acquire COVID-19, but also seem to have a lower level of hospitalization due to the virus.“In the whole population, those with the O blood group were 9-18 percent less likely to test positive compared to the other groups. When looking at only exposed individuals, those with O blood group were 13-26 percent less likely to test positive,” the post read.The study also found that there was no significant difference in infection rates when comparing a whether a person’s blood type was rhesus positive or negative (+ or -).“In 23andMe’s data we found that differences by self-reported rhesus factor (blood type + or -) were not significant, nor was the interaction between blood group and rhesus factor in statistical models predicting being a case, or being a hospitalized case,” 23andMe said.Read more:Coronavirus: Psychopaths less likely to practice social distancing, study showsBlack Americans most interested in COVID-19 coronavirus news: StudyCoronavirus: Blood pressure drugs may protect against severe COVID-19, study finds
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Blood type increases how likely you are to catch COVID-19, says report

Prime minister warns that if trend continues restrictions will be reinstated, as number of new daily cases hits 169
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Netanyahu: ‘We decided to hit the emergency brake’ as corona cases spike

In today's roundup: Egyptian actress Ragaa Al-Geddawy in a stable….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: The Middle East at war with coronavirus: Top stories from 8 June

'What about Islamic art?' critics ask as Saudi plans to open a museum to unveil the world's most expensive painting, Salvator Mundi, depicting Jesus Christ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Missing Da Vinci artwork re-emerges in Saudi Arabia with plans for its own museum