Iran reports record rise as Covid-19 cases spike in Middle East


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Iran remains the Middle East nation worst hit by the pandemic, reporting a one-day record of 8,932 new cases on Tuesday, as countries across the region announce new restrictions to stem the second wave.

President Hassan Rouhani announced new restrictions that will take effect on Wednesday in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces for 10 days.

The official Irna news agency said Tehran police had extended by one week the closure of businesses, including beauty salons, tea shops, cinemas, libraries and fitness clubs.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state television that 422 patients had died in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 36,160, and that cases exceeded 637,000.

Turkey will also close all businesses, including restaurants, pools, hair salons, wedding venues, cinemas and concert halls, at 10pm as part of measures against the pandemic, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Daily cases in Turkey have also spiked, with 2,302 patients identified on Monday, but Ankara reports only the number of those who show symptoms.

Bahrain granted emergency approval for the use of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate on frontline workers from Tuesday, state news agency BNA said, reporting an announcement by the health minister.

The UAE in September allowed similar emergency use of the same vaccine for frontline workers at high risk of infection.

The vaccine, nearing the end of Phase-3 trials in Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan, is a partnership between Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group and Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42.

In Jordan, five ministries closed their doors on Tuesday after announcing new infections among employees a day earlier.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities suspended its working hours for Tuesday and Wednesday after new infections were reported.

Jordan’s General Fatwa Department also announced the suspension of work for a period of 72 hours to screen staff for the virus. It expects they will resume work next Sunday.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Omar Yabroudi's factfile

Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah

Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University

2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship

2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy

2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment

2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment

2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager

 

 

 

 

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GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key recommendations
  • Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
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