An Iranian cleric walks in front of the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom. Reuters
An Iranian cleric walks in front of the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom. Reuters
An Iranian cleric walks in front of the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom. Reuters
An Iranian cleric walks in front of the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom. Reuters

Iran to reopen religious and cultural sites, president says


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Iran on Saturday moved to open businesses, religious and cultural sites as it eased restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Museums and historical sites are to reopen on Sunday to coincide with the Eid Al Fitr celebrations that end Ramadan, President Hassan Rouhani said on state television.

Holy shrines, some of which became focal points of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran, will reopen Monday.

Mr Rouhani had said last week that the shrines would open for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Some areas of the shrines, such as narrow corridors, will stay shut.

All workers in the country will return to work next Saturday.

"We can say we have passed the three stages regarding the coronavirus," Mr Rouhani said.

The fourth phase is containment in 10 of Iran's 31 provinces, where the situation is better and screening will intensify while infected patients will be separated from the rest of the population.

The president said last week that restaurants would reopen after Ramadan and sports activities would resume without spectators. Universities, but not medical schools, will reopen on June 6.

Mr Rouhani said on Saturday that 88 per cent of the fatalities from Covid-19 in Iran were victims with underlying illnesses.

According to Health Ministry figures, more than 7,000 have so far died from the pandemic in Iran and more than 130,000 have been infected.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

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