General view of empty Imam Ali Shrine, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease(COVID-19), in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa-Marjani
General view of empty Imam Ali Shrine, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease(COVID-19), in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa-Marjani
General view of empty Imam Ali Shrine, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease(COVID-19), in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa-Marjani
General view of empty Imam Ali Shrine, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease(COVID-19), in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa-Marjani

Coronavirus: Najaf governor predicts economic collapse


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The economy of Iraq’s Najaf province, the main centre of Shiism, will collapse in the next few weeks as a result of travel restrictions imposed to contain the country's coronavirus outbreak, the governor said on Thursday.

Louay Al Yasiri told the state news agency he expected “a big economic collapse” because of declining religious tourism and a sharp drop in the price of oil, Iraq's main source of revenue.

He said more than 2,000 Iranian visitors have been stuck in Najaf since the central government restricted travel last month, although the airport in Najaf city remains open.

The province reported 10 more coronavirus infections on Thursday.

Mr Al Yasiri said Najaf was facing a shortage of  essential medical supplies but the coronavirus “is still under control".

But Iraq’s health minister on Thursday expected the coronavirus to be contained by next month if quarantine is observed, ignoring massive lack of observance of lockdown measures.

“Most likely the end May will be the end of the coronavirus danger if there is commitment to the quarantine,” Jaafar Allawi told state television.

Iraqi officials and residents reported major breaches of curfews in Baghdad and other cities in the last few weeks. The country’s borders with Iran and Syria are also porous.

The shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in law, is at the heart of Najaf. Ali is a central figure in Islam with special importance for Shiites, who regard him as the first of the Twelver imams.The Shiite religious authorities, known as the Hawza, and seminaries they supervise are also in Najaf.

The “Sea of Najaf”, a huge cemetery where many Shiites wish to be buried, is on the outskirts of the city.

_____________________________________

Coronavirus in the Middle East

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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

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Price: From Dh590,000

MATCH INFO

Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)

Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10

Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)

Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15

Gladiators win by six wickets

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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SERIE A FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)

Saturday

Brescia v Torino (6pm)

Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)

Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)

Sunday

Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)

Udinese v SPAL (6pm)

Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)

Lazio v Lecce (6pm)

Parma v Roma (9pm)

Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)

 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8

Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

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Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

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 

While you're here
UAE SQUAD

 

Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani

Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas

Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah

Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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