CAIRO // Arab health ministers decided in a late night meeting yesterday to ban children, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions from attending the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year in effort to slow the spread of swine flu.
The ministers, however, stopped short of calling for the cancellation this year of the haj - a duty for all Muslims in their lifetime - which attracts about three million people every year to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The fear is that the close proximity of millions of people from around the world in late November following peak flu season will fuel the outbreak of the deadly disease. The ministers hope to blunt the possibility of contagion by exclude those most vulnerable to the influenza.
Deaths from the H1N1 virus have doubled in the past three weeks, to more than 700 from about 330, according to the World Health Organisation. There are 952 reported cases in WHO's eastern Mediterranean region, which consists of the Middle East, as well as Afghanistan.
So far, an Egyptian woman has died from the disease, after returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. The ministers say if a vaccine is ready before the haj, pilgrims will have to provide an immunisation report to obtain their visa for the pilgrimage.
They also demanded the WHO to set aside a quota of any future vaccine for developing countries.
Egypt is the only country in the world that responded to the threat of the disease by culling its estimated 300,000 pigs raised mainly by Coptic Christians. There has been a great deal of discussion in Egypt and across the Middle East over skipping haj this year to avoid exacerbating the threat of the disease.
The latest decision appears to be an attempt to head off such a controversial move.
"The (Egyptian) health ministry will take this decision if it poses danger on Egypt but we haven't reached this level yet," said the Egyptian Health Minister Hatem al Gibali said about cancelling the haj, following the meeting, according to state news agency.
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Scoreline
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Azpilicueta (36')
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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WORLD CUP FINAL
England v South Africa
Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
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New Zealand T20 squad
New Zealand T20 squad: Tim Southee (captain), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Non-oil%20trade
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ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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