Middle East Experience

The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq is seeking to interrogate a number of members of parliament on charges of corruption and defamation.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iraqi judiciary initiates procedures to hold MPs accountable on corruption charges

Kuwait reported 838 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 21,302 on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.The increase is slightly less than the previous day's rise of 900, but continues the recent increase in cases in the country.The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health also confirmed eight new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's death toll to 156.According to a statement by the ministry on Twitter, 6,117 people have recovered from the virus, leaving 15,029 active cases.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.UAE, Oman coronavirus updatesOn the same day, the UAE announced over half of its total cases had recovered.A total of 15,056 people have recovered in the country so far after 561 new recoveries were recorded out of a total 29,485 cases detected.Neighboring Oman recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus cases, with an increase of 513 cases bringing the total in the country to 7,770 on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.Read more:Coronavirus: More than half of UAE cases have recovered despite 781 new casesCoronavirus patients not infectious after 11 days even if they test positive: StudyCoronavirus in UAE: $2,723 fine for violators among people required to use Alhosn appFor all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Kuwait continues steady rise with 838 new cases, total 21,302

A nine-year old Dubai girl has walked the height of the Burj Khalifa up her home staircase to raise money for charity and combatting the coronavirus pandemic.Saarah Khan, nine, posted about her challenge online and put out the call to raise money for the Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontiéres – MSF) UAE COVID-19 Relief Fund by climbing 828 meters, the height of the tallest building in the world, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.“In these unusual times, I believe that we can still make a difference from home by raising money to help charities who are supporting people suffering due to the coronavirus,” said Saarah.“I was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore who raised over 30 millions pounds in the UK to support the UK NHS. At the age of 100 he completed 100 laps of his garden to raise this incredible sum,” she added.Saarah went on to complete the challenge in 63 minutes, and thanked her supporters in an update to her charity page. As of Sunday, the campaign has raised over 13,000 dirhams ($3,500) with six days remaining on her YallaGive page.Saarah indicated the challenge was harder than she expected, noting she “may have slightly underestimated my level of fitness!”“I usually play a lot of netball, but having been at home for the last few months, I have not been able to do as much exercise as I would have hoped. So I was running out of breath and getting stomach cramps during the challenge,” she added.Saarah’s efforts to raise money for MSF, which is working to support those most vulnerable to the coronavirus, follow her sister, Aaminah, 11.With Saarah climbing the Burj Khalifa, Aaminah has taken to reviewing children’s books online and teaching viewers how to bake or make objects related to the story under review.“Throughout lockdown many children will be feeling worried and anxious about the current situation and I hope that my blog will provide a welcome distraction to them from the crisis … For me, frequently posting on my blog has been one of my favorite activities whilst stuck indoors. It has been very rewarding to see how many people have enjoyed reading the content I have created,” Aaminah said.Coronavirus charityIn April, another Dubai youngster, 12-year-old Chloe Andrews, swam the length of the English Channel in her swimming pool to raise money for MSF. Andrews told Al Arabiya English her efforts were also inspired by UK army veteran Captain Moore.“It was definitely difficult. It was probably more difficult than I thought it was going to be,” said Andrews, whose father had to construct a cover of umbrellas and sheets to avoid her being burned by the Dubai sun.The Burj Khalifa featured recently in a large charity drive to raise money for food for UAE residents earlier this month.The tower become a glowing charity box, with each of the building’s 1.2 million external lights sold for 10 dirhams, enough to buy one meal. As donations came in, the tower ‘filled up,’ and people could also bid to claim the light at the very top.As the region’s tourism and business hub with the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai’s economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Many people have lost jobs or had incomes reduced. Tens of thousands of migrant workers have registered to be repatriated.With ReutersRead more:Dubai turns world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa into coronavirus charity boxCoronavirus: 12-year-old swims 7,700 laps in Dubai pool to raise money for MSF
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Nine-year old Dubai girl climbs Burj Khalifa at home for charity

Abu Dhabi has issued guidelines for the reopening of hotels and their beaches, bars, restaurants, pools and gyms, which were previously shut under temporary measures aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.Hotels will be required to comply with the guidelines to reopen, said the statement from the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT). However, it did not say when they would be able to reopen.“Having closed due to health and safety precautionary measures imposed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, hotels will now be able to reopen their facilities and resume trading as soon as approval is granted from DCT Abu Dhabi,” wrote the UAE’s official WAM news agency.The rules included limited operating hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hotels will also be required to have an isolation room to isolate any potential cases and a medical team on standby while open.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app“The guidelines set out stringent criteria for the hotels to follow, which our inspectors will confirm with on-site visits. Once these high standards of health and safety are met, DCT Abu Dhabi will approve the reopening, and trading can resume,” said Ali Hassan al-Shaiba, the executive director of tourism and market at DCT Abu Dhabi.Hotels will only be able to operate at 30 percent capacity, in measures similar to the current regulations at malls in the UAE. Staff will also be tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to return to work.“We are adamant that both hotel staff and visitors should be 100 per cent confident in their own safety, as we start the resumption of ‘normal’ activities since the pandemic situation arose,” he added.Read more:Coronavirus: More than half of UAE cases have recovered despite 781 new casesIran-backed leaders in Iraq call for terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia: StatementsCoronavirus: Nine-year old Dubai girl climbs Burj Khalifa at home for charity Dubai reopens hotel beachesThe neighboring emirate of Dubai has already reopened hotel beaches ahead of Eid al-Fitr.Hotel beaches in the city are now taking groups of less than five people, having previously shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.In line with the Abu Dhabi capacity, hotel beaches are only allowed to open at a lower capacity of 30 percent to allow for social distancing, with access restricted to hotel guests and the sale of beach access tickets is prohibited.Public beaches in both emirates remain closed.Media outlets across the world have reported on crowds at beaches as a reflection of whether various governments' social distancing regulations are being followed.In Australia, large crowds gathered to greet the reopening of beaches.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi issues rules for hotel beaches, bars to reopen

Saudi Arabia reported 2,399 new coronavirus cases on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, bringing the total to 72,560.Riyadh remained the area with the highest daily increase, but Mecca had a higher increase than recent days, with 611 new cases in the province.Jeddah reported the third highest number of new cases, with 474.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe Ministry of Health also reported 2,284 recoveries from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 43,520.The death toll from COVID-19 in the Kingdom is 390, after 11 new deaths.In line with recent trends, 79 percent of the new cases were men. Thirty-four percent were Saudi Arabian citizens, with the remaining 66 percent foreign nationals.Read more:Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi issues rules for hotel beaches, bars to reopenIran-backed leaders in Iraq call for terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia: StatementsCoronavirus: Nine-year old Dubai girl climbs Burj Khalifa at home for charity COVID-19 roundup: UAE, Oman, KuwaitOn Sunday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr in the Arabian Gulf, the UAE announced over half of its total cases had recovered.A total of 15,056 people have recovered in the country so far after 561 new recoveries were recorded out of a total 29,485 cases detected.The announcement came as the UAE emirate of Abu Dhabi issued guidelines for hotels and hotel beaches and bars to reopen soon.Neighboring Oman recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus cases, with an increase of 513 cases bringing the total in the country to 7,770.Saudi Arabia's northeastern neighbor Kuwait reported a rise of 838 new coronavirus cases, in line with its recently increased rate.Kuwait's total is now 21,302.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reports 2,399 new cases, bringing total to 72,560 on Eid

Areas outside Syrian regime control remain at a major disadvantage in battling Covid-19, with fears that the coronavirus could be more widespread than is being reported..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Syria Weekly: Fears over an 'under the radar' coronavirus epidemic

Iranian fuel and oil products entered Venezuelan waters on Saturday,….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iranian fuel shipment reaches Venezuelan waters despite US scare tactics

Muslims across the globe welcomed Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, with many forced to celebrate the normally festive holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan under strict stay-at-home orders due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The three-day holiday is usually a time of travel, family get-togethers and lavish daytime feasts after weeks of dawn-to-dusk fasting. However, this year many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims can only celebrate at home, as governments across the world keep lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus in place. While some countries allowed mosques to reopen, most worshippers maintained a distance while praying. Muslims traditionally stand side-by-side with shoulders touching while praying in a group.Some countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Jordan, have imposed round-the-clock holiday curfews. But even where many restrictions have been lifted, celebrations will be subdued because of fears of the pandemic and its economic fallout.Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia, home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, is under a complete lockdown, with residents only permitted to leave their homes to purchase food and medicine. Eid prayers were broadcast from the Ka’ba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, with no worshippers present due to precautionary measures.PalestineIn Jerusalem, Israeli police said they broke up an “illegal demonstration” and arrested two people outside the al-Aqsa mosque, which Muslim authorities have closed for prayers since mid-March and will not reopen until after the holiday. Worshippers who tried to enter the compound scuffled with the police.Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and would ordinarily welcome tens of thousands of worshippers during the Eid. The hilltop compound is also the holiest site for Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount. The site has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.IranIran, which is battling the deadliest outbreak in the Middle East, allowed communal prayers at some mosques but cancelled the annual mass Eid prayers in Tehran led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has reported over 130,000 cases and more than 7,000 deaths.UAEThe UAE has slowly been lifting restrictions and allowing businesses to reopen. However, mosques remain shut to worshippers and Muslims were asked to perform Eid prayers at home this year.The virus causes mild to moderate flu-like symptoms in most patients, who recover within two to three weeks. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying health conditions.JordanThe Jordanian government imposed a total lockdown on the first day of Eid al-Fitr in order to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Streets were empty, shops and restaurants were closed. The usually bustling amusement parks on Eid were also deserted.LebanonSimilar to Jordan, people in Lebanon avoided amusement parks and usually crowded places on Eid due to coronavirus fears. The government has imposed a total lockdown until June 7; however, people have no abided with the measures as the country faces its worse economic crisis in decades.IndonesiaIndonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has reported nearly 22,000 infections and 1,350 fatalities, the most in Southeast Asia. Lockdown orders intended to contain the pandemic mean there will be no congregational prayers at mosques or even open fields, no family reunions, no relatives bearing gifts for children.Despite the measures implemented, thousands still congregated at mosques for Eid prayers.PakistanIn Pakistan, Eid is being celebrated in the shadow of the coronavirus and in the wake of a passenger plane crash near Karachi on Friday that killed 97 people.For the first time, Pakistan is celebrating Eid countrywide on the same day, ending an annual controversy between rival committees over the moon sighting that signals the start of the holiday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appPakistan has taken measures to control the spread of the coronavirus since mid-March, but Prime Minister Imran Khan refused to close mosques during Ramadan despite pleas from doctors and a rising number of infections. Pakistan has reported more than 52,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths.More than 1,000 worshippers gathered and prayed shoulder-to-shoulder in an open field in Karachi on Sunday, with only a few of them wearing masks.- With APRead more:Coronavirus: More than half of UAE cases have recovered despite 781 new casesIran-backed leaders in Iraq call for terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia: StatementsCoronavirus: Nine-year old Dubai girl climbs Burj Khalifa at home for charity
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus pictures: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr amid restrictions, lockdowns

Facing a panel of three judges, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the first incumbent leader of Israel to stand trial.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Netanyahu appears at Jerusalem courthouse as corruption trial begins

UN-recognised gov't says it controls Yarmouk, Sawarikh and Hamza camps, a new setback for Haftar's bid to seize capital..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Libya: GNA retakes military camps near Tripoli