UAE reports 3 COVID-19 deaths, 995 new cases, a jump from previous days

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Updated 30 September 2020
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UAE reports 3 COVID-19 deaths, 995 new cases, a jump from previous days

  • Dubai Economy issued 10 fines, 11 warning to businesses
  • Kuwait records 587 cases and 2 deaths, Oman reports 528 cases and 11 deaths

DUBAI: The UAE on Tuesday reported three deaths from COVID-19, a slight jump from the previous days, bringing the death toll to 416.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said 995 new confirmed cases were reported, bringing the total number of infected cases since the pandemic began to 93,095, while the total deaths reached 413.
The ministry also said 1,076 cases recovered from coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 82,538 cases.
Dubai Health Authority said it launched three new COVID-19 testing centers around the city, increasing the number of centers to five.

The centers will operate seven days a week, starting from 11am to 6pm, with a capacity of 550 examinations per day for each center.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said between Sept. 1-15, 24,894 violations were detected in different regions of the UAE, and the most common violation was not wearing face masks, followed by violations regarding the number of passengers permitted per vehicle.
NCEMA said the 81 percent of the violations were made by Asian nationals and 19 percent were made by Arabs, with the highest violations detected in Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain and finally Ras Al-Khaimah.
NCEMA also announced the return of sporting activities in the country with specific procedures and controls to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Protocols and guidelines have been developed to ensure a safe return to sporting activities based on studies, data and best global practices all under the supervision of medical teams with focal points managed by sport federations,” it said.
Dubai Police arrested two employees at one of the testing centers for allegedly “exploiting their positions” and for accepting bribes to falsify COVID-19 test results.
NCEMA said in a statement that they allegedly used images of negative examination samples previously preserved in the database belonging to other uninfected persons, in order to be able to enter Abu Dhabi.
The health ministry approved on Tuesday the provision of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to employees working on the front lines at Sharjah International Airport in cooperation with the government of Sharjah, “as they are exposed due to the nature of their work.”

Meanwhile, Dubai Economy said it issued fines to 10 commercial establishments and gave warnings to 11 shops for not adhering to anti-COVID-19 measures, while 643 businesses were found to be compliant.
These included shops in a number of shopping centers around Dubai, as well as four gyms that were fined in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council.
Elsewhere, Kuwait reported 587 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 104,568, while the death toll reached 607 after two new deaths were registered.

Oman recorded 528 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths, bringing total numbers to 98,585 and 935 respectively.

In Bahrain, one death was reported, taking the death toll to 246, with 574 new confirmed cases.


Egypt backs ‘pressure on Israel’ but says Gaza actions need approval

Updated 11 sec ago
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Egypt backs ‘pressure on Israel’ but says Gaza actions need approval

CAIRO: Egypt said on Wednesday that it backs efforts to put “pressure on Israel” to lift its blockade on Gaza, but added that any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area must receive prior approval through official channels.
Egypt “asserts the importance of putting pressure on Israel to end the blockade on the (Gaza) Strip,” the foreign ministry said as hundreds of activists in a Gaza-bound convoy head to the Egyptian border on their way to the besieged Palestinian territory, but added “we will not consider any requests or respond to any invitations submitted outside the framework defined by the regulatory guidelines and the mechanisms followed in this regard.”

Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south

Updated 8 min 47 sec ago
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Israeli strike kills one in Lebanon’s south

  • Health ministry says Israeli drone strike hit the town of Beit Lif

BEIRUT: One person was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a village in southern Lebanon, the health ministry reported, the latest deadly attack despite a November ceasefire.
“The raid carried out by an enemy Israeli drone on the town of Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in one martyr and three people injured,” read a statement from the ministry.
The official National News Agency said the strike targeted a house’s courtyard in the town, adding that a missile hit the homeowner’s car.
Israel has regularly bombed its northern neighbor since the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with militant group Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war.
The agreement required Hezbollah fighters to withdraw north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle all military infrastructure to its south.
It also required Israel to withdraw all of its troops from Lebanon, but it has kept them in five positions it deems “strategic.”


US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff

Updated 29 min 3 sec ago
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US prepares to order departure of Baghdad embassy staff

  • State Department prepares to order departure of all nonessential personnel from US Embassy in Baghdad, officials tell AP

WASHINGTON: The State Department is preparing to order the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad due to the potential for regional unrest, two US officials said Wednesday.
The Baghdad embassy has already been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel, but the department also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.
That gives them an option on whether to leave the country.
The Pentagon is standing by to support a potential evacuation of US personnel from US Embassy Baghdad, another US official said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.


Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges

Updated 11 June 2025
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Former Lebanese economy minister arrested on corruption charges

  • Former Economy Minister Amin Salam was detained after three-hour interrogation

BEIRUT: A former Lebanese Cabinet minister has been arrested and charged after an investigation into alleged financial crimes, judicial and security officials told The Associated Press.
Former Economy Minister Amin Salam was detained after a three-hour interrogation about illegal use of ministry funds and use of suspicious contracts. The three judicial officials and one security official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Lebanon has been trying to reform its battered economy, which for decades has been rife with profiteering.
Salam has been charged with forgery, embezzlement, and misuse of public funds. Local media said it was related to alleged extortion of private insurance companies and using funds from a committee that supervises those companies for his own expenses.
Salam did not directly comment. On Monday, however, he shared a video on social media that denied the reports and asserted that his use of those funds was to increase the committee’s efficacy and transparency.
Salam was economy minister for over three years. He was appointed in 2021 at a time when Lebanon’s economy had plummeted and the country was plagued by severe power outages, fuel shortages and stark food inflation.


Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy

Updated 11 June 2025
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Israel urges Egypt to block Gaza-bound activist convoy

  • Pro-Palestinian activist convoy, bound for Gaza, arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Wednesday

JERUSALEM: Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday called on Egypt to block a hundreds-strong pro-Palestinian activist convoy from reaching Gaza, as the group arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
“I expect the Egyptian authorities to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border and not to allow them to carry out provocations or attempt to enter Gaza — an act that would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed,” Israel Katz said in a statement.