Middle East Experience

Iran’s annual Quds Day rallies are “unlikely” to be held this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, the spokesman of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ramezan Sharif said on Sunday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Al-Quds is the Arabic name for the city of Jerusalem, and the IRGC’s external operations branch is named the Quds Force in reference to their apparent goal of “liberating” the city.Quds Day was launched by former supreme leader and founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and is held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.Normally, state-sponsored marches are held across Iran on Quds Day, but this year it appears they might not take place as the country continues to suffer from the coronavirus outbreak.“It will most likely not be possible to hold a Quds Day march in Tehran this year,” the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Sharif as saying. Sharif dismissed the idea of holding rallies in “white areas” in the country, saying if the march is cancelled in Tehran, it will be cancelled altogether.Authorities in Iran have divided the country’s provinces into white, yellow and red areas, depending on the severity of the coronavirus crisis. White areas are deemed “low-risk.”“If this march is held in some cities only, it would bring more harm, as the foreign media looks at Tehran to assess the success of the Quds Day march,” said Sharif. “Given the coronavirus situation in Tehran, it is unlikely that it will be possible to hold a march in Tehran,” he said.The capital Tehran is one of the worst-hit provinces by coronavirus in Iran. Sharif suggested celebrating Quds Day online instead. “Quds Day can be celebrated nationally and internationally through other ways … we can make good use of cyberspace in this regard.”Also read: Coronavirus: Iran to open mosques in over 100 cities on Monday, says Hassan RouhaniMarches on Quds Day traditionally feature demonstrators chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America” and burning the flags of the two countries. The crowds also sometimes insult the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia during marches.Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinian cause. Read more:Iran arrests thousands for ‘spreading rumors’ about coronavirusCoronavirus: Iran partially reopens capital as deaths hit one-month low
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Iran ‘unlikely’ to hold Quds Day rallies this year, says IRGC

Kuwait detected 364 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the highest reported daily toll, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 4,983.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Five people died of the virus in the past 24 hours, the ministry added. They include a 61-year-old Pakistani, a 63-year-old Indian, a 46-year-old Bangladeshi, a 54-year-old Jordanian, and a 43-year-old Indian.Out of the 364 new cases, 14 involve Kuwaitis who had returned from the United Kingdom.Meanwhile, 348 cases involve people who came into contact with other infected individuals.Two other cases involve Kuwaiti nationals, but the health ministry did not specify how they were infected with the coronavirus.Kuwait imposed a 16-hour curfew from the hours of 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., halted all international flights until further notice, and suspended schools and universities until August.Read more:Kuwait expands coronavirus curfew during Ramadan, extends public sector suspensionCoronavirus: Kuwaiti Emir calls on public adhere to preventative measures
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Kuwait detects 364 new cases, highest daily toll so far

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 243,637 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Sunday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.More than 3,441,540 cases were registered in 195 countries and territories. Of these, at least 1,055,500 are now considered recovered.The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.Many countries are testing only the most serious cases.The United States has the highest number of total deaths with 66,385 out of 1,133,069 cases. At least 175,382 have been declared recovered.Italy has the second highest toll with 28,710 deaths out of 209,328 cases, followed by Britain with 28,131 deaths from 182,260 cases, Spain 25,264 deaths and 217,466 cases and France with 24,760 deaths and 168,396 cases.Belgium has the highest proportion of fatalities per population with about 67 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Spain with 54, Italy with 47, Britain with 41 and France 38.China — excluding Hong Kong and Macau — has to date declared 4,633 deaths and 82,877 cases. It has 77,713 recovered cases.Europe has a total of 142,611 deaths from 1,535,203 cases, the United States and Canada have 70,018 deaths and 1,189,649 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean have 13,156 deaths and 246,581 cases, Asia has 9,061 deaths and 237,852 cases, the Middle East has 6,929 deaths and 181,730 cases, Africa has 1,740 deaths from 42,408 cases, and Oceania 122 deaths from 8,125 cases.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Worldwide coronavirus death toll surpasses 243,000: AFP tally    

Saudi Arabia reported 1,552 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 27,011 and the virus-related death toll to 184, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Out of the newly detected cases, 19 percent are Saudi Arabian nationals and 81 percent are non-Saudi residents, health ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said.Meanwhile, 16 percent of the new cases are female and 84 percent are male, he added.The elderly make up only 2 percent of the new cases, children make up 5 percent, and adults make up 93 percent.Eight people died in the last 24 hours, including two Saudi citizens in Dammam and Jeddah, and six non-Saudis in Mecca, Riyadh, and Medina.They were between the ages of 32 to 84 years old, al-Abd al-Ali said. Most of them suffered from chronic illnesses.Out of the newly reported cases, 254 were detected in Jeddah, 224 in Mecca, 150 in Medina, and 109 in Riyadh.The other cases were reported in cities and provinces across the country.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia imposes 24-hour lockdown on 2nd Industrial City in DammamSaudi Arabia easing coronavirus lockdowns doesn’t mean danger has passed: Minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia confirms 1,522 new cases, eight deaths

The bank saw a 43% drop in profit in Q1 and said the limit cap is part of its risk monitoring activity
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: RAKBANK flattens credit card limit to AED5,000 as Covid-19 bites

Five permits have been issued to shopping centres to reopen in capital, under strict conditions
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Abu Dhabi disinfects 41 shopping centres

Ministry of Interior announced new measures to contain spread of Covid-19 in kingdom
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Saudi orders complete lockdown of industrial area in Dammam

Oil giant Saudi Aramco dropped almost 6% to trade below 30 riyals per share
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Saudi stocks slump as minister warns of 'painful' measures ahead

Regional MD for Xylem says greater emphasis on cleanliness will place further strain on supplies
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Middle East water supplies will be under pressure post-Covid-19

Protesters from around Lebanon descended on Tripoli Sunday to protest the shooting dead of a 26-year-old father who was killed during unrest in the city Tuesday, breathing new life into Lebanon’s protest movement..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Protesters ride to Tripoli in solidarity