Iraq on Monday announced a partial lockdown during Ramadan to prevent gatherings amid a new wave of coronavirus infections.
People will not be allowed to move freely between 8pm and 5am and there will be full lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays, the Higher Committee for Health and Public Safety said.
Pharmacies, bakeries, supermarkets and groceries are exempted from the full lockdown, while restaurants will be allowed to make food deliveries. Working hours at government offices will be shortened by a hour, and pupils of some classes can return to schools, it said.
The holy month will begin on Tuesday for Iraq's Sunni minority, and from Wednesday for Shiites. The difference is because each sect follows a different moon-sighting technique.
The Health Ministry reported 7,953 new cases on Monday and 44 deaths. The country registered 8,331 cases last Wednesday, the highest number of daily infections since the outbreak began.
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is observed by Muslims across the world who abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from daybreak to dusk. They offer extra prayers, read the Quran, show charity to the poor and cement friendships and family ties.
Usually, there is a festive atmosphere after sunset, with families and friends visiting each other or gathering at street cafes, playing traditional games like backgammon and cards or smoking shisha.
Houses across Baghdad have been decorated with traditional Ramadan lanterns, known as fanous in Arabic, and crescent moon lights. Some had posters on their doors that read: “Welcome Ramadan.”
Workers at supermarkets and sweets shops were busy stacking shelves with wide range of products favoured during Ramadan, but there were not many customers.
"In previous years, we couldn't cope with the demand and the influx of shoppers before and during Ramadan," supermarket owner Karim Mohammed, 55, told The National.
“The soaring prices of mainly food are discouraging Ramadan shoppers from stocking food for days or for the whole month,” he said as he stood amid piles of bags of pasta, rise and dairy products.
Iraq’s economy has suffered a double shock from falling oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak since last year.
Lack of funds forced the government to devalue its currency by about 23 per cent against the US dollar in December, pushing up the price of goods by up to 50 per cent as the country heavily depends on imports.
In a bid to encourage local manufacturers, the government imposed restrictions on importing some items, contributing to the increase in the prices as local supply is either not enough to meet the demand or dependent on imported raw materials.
“The government has devalued the currency and prevented the imports without any realistic calculations on the market,” Mr Mohammed said, and added that his revenues has dropped by at least 30 per cent.
The breaking of the fast usually means a variety of delicacies specially prepared for the occasion. But this year the soaring prices of food mean that many Iraqis will find it difficult to celebrate in their usual style.
Baghdad resident Riyadh Salman, who is working as a taxi driver in his retirement, considers himself lucky to be able to stock enough food for one week.
“Goods prices are on fire,” Mr Salman, 61, said as he picked up a box of bottled water from a supermarket.
“Of course, this situation has impacted us unlike previous Ramadans, when poor and middle-class could afford food on the table,” Mr Salman said.
He will distribute Ramadan packages to six families in his neighbourhood, each containing lentils, chickpeas, rice, cooking oil and a can of tomato paste.
Since Sunday, Iraqis have been sending congratulatory messages as well as calling for not sharing pictures on social media of food that many families cannot afford.
During a live radio show, a woman burst out in anger.
“We can’t buy lamb meat and chicken this Ramadan, along with other items,” said the woman, who gave her name as Hiyam.
Ahmed Najeeb, 33, said that despite the hardships Iraqis needed to count on God and look forward.
“Yes, life is not easy one here. But we have to carry on and pray for better life and future,” he said.
“One good thing this Ramadan is the Iraqi Ramadan drama that we are going to see, unlike last year,” he laughed, standing near a big poster for one of the episodes.
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Avatar%3A%20The%20Way%20of%20Water
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Cameron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Worthington%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Sigourney%20Weaver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
