Iraq on Sunday barred all tourists from entering the country to contain the spread of the coronavirus as a holy pilgrimage approaches.
The decision, approved by Iraq’s Higher Committee for Health and Public Safety, is to protect the country’s economy and health sector from collapse as it faces a rise in infections.
“Iraq’s Higher Committee for National Health and Safety amends the partial curfew to apply from 10pm to 5am daily, and bans all travellers from entering Iraq for the purpose of tourism,” a government statement said.
Daily tallies have increased rapidly in the past few weeks, with cases topping 4,000 infections every day.
On Sunday, Iraq recorded 4,348 new cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 176,931.
The death toll increased by 75 cases, bringing the toll to 5,860.
Authorities have imposed a partial nationwide lockdown to control Covid-19 since early March.
Iraq’s religious calendar is filled with annual pilgrimages, attracting thousands if not millions of worshippers from Iran and elsewhere throughout the year.
Pilgrimages in Iraq are some of the biggest mass gatherings on Earth.
Many in the country say this was a main reason the virus spread so rapidly there.
The coming pilgrimage will be in the month of Muharram and will mark the death of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Hussein in 680.
It draws hundreds of thousands of Shiites to Karbala from around the world.
More than 21.7 million people have been reported to be infected by the virus globally and more than 770,000 have died, according to official figures.
The UN said last week that Iraq must address its crises, including the containment of the coronavirus, or the country will head into extreme poverty.
The country faces the same dilemma as much of the world – whether to ease restrictions to help economic activity, or maintain a lockdown to avoid the virus’s spread.
A report by the UN Development Programme said that years of economic, environmental, political, societal and security upheaval had a lasting effect on the country.
“For Iraq, decades of conflict have hampered the country’s stability and stunted its prosperity,” said Zena Ahmad, the UN agency's representative in Iraq.
"The onset of Covid-19 and the oil crisis have exacerbated existing fragilities in the country."
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
