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beardedmrbean · 2 years ago

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Saudi Arabia's lottery system for the 2022 hajj has Muslims in Europe, Australia and the Americas infuriated. Preparing for this year's pilgrimage to Mecca became a financial and logistical nightmare for many Muslims.

Even if everything goes according to plan, preparing for and performing the hajj is an emotional journey for many Muslims. However, for thousands of prospective pilgrims from about 50 countries in Europe, Australia and the Americas, the preparation for this year's hajj season has turned into a financial drama, as well.

In June, Saudi Arabia's Hajj Ministry announced that, effective immediately, Muslims from those regions would have to apply for tickets for the pilgrimage at a fixed price through a newly introduced lottery system on the government-backed website Motawif. The new system is said to protect pilgrims from "fake" tour organizers, who have offered hajj visa for varying prices online and offline. However, the move also sidelined long-established operators who had already sold tickets for the 2022 hajj season, which starts on July 7.

The pilgrimage to the Kaaba (House of God) in Saudi Arabia's Mecca is mandatory for Muslims who are physically and financially capable and are younger than 65.

"After the pandemic and everything we have been through the past couple of years, I felt the need to revive my connection with God," said Omar, a Lebanese man who lives in the United States and had already applied for his hajj visa through a US-based online travel agency. He asked that DW not publish his full name, as he feared negative consequences on future hajj applications.

When Saudi Arabia switched to the new lottery system, Omar withdrew his application. "But I still haven't received confirmation for a refund," he said.

Even applicants who were drawn in the Motawif lottery and have paid for their hajj packages, which start at about $6,000 (€5,850) say the new system provided more trouble than tickets.

On Twitter, many have poured out their anger about experiences under the hashtag #PaidButFailed.

The issues are similar and include payments that did not go through, unconfirmed application status, mismatched flight and accommodation dates, changes of hotels, and the fact that the customer hotline has been basically unavailable.

'Unprecedented numbers'

Even before the new system became mandatory for Muslims in Europe, Australia and the Americas, many were left out of the hajj. The number of tickets allocated have always been proportionate to the Muslim population of a given country.

And, in the pandemic years, the number of people permitted to attend was reduced significantly. The number of Muslims permitted from countries in Asia and the Middle East was reduced — and even Saudi citizens were only allowed in a limited capacity.

In 2019, before the pandemic, up to 2.5 million people were allowed to participate in the hajj; in 2020, only 1,000 were.

In 2021, the number was increased to 60,000, and, in 2022, 1 million people will be allowed.

In turn, even countries that are not bound by the new ticketing system have received only half their previous quota for this year's hajj season.

For example, Pakistan's permitted pilgrims were cut from 200,000 in 2019 to 80,000 in 2022. The number of Iranians allowed has been more than halved, from just under 87,000 in 2019 to 40,000 in 2022.

"And yet, the amount of European, Australian and American Muslims that are now under the umbrella of the new lottery is the smallest part, with probably around 50,000 pilgrims only," Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, a lecturer of Islamic and Middle East studies at the University of Freiburg, Germany, told DW.

Fuchs said the new system could be a test for the future. " Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already announced that he aims to increase the number of pilgrims massively as part of his Vision 2030," Fuchs said.

The overhaul has already led to changing rights for women, the reopening of cinemas after 35 years and the building of an "eco-city" called Neom, which is 33 times bigger than New York.

"Furthermore, the strategy includes professionalizing tourism and enhancing religious tourism, including the hajj, which could see unprecedented numbers of pilgrims in the future," Fuchs said.

Fuchs said it wasn't surprising that Saudi Arabia aims to funnel the lucrative plans of the pilgrims directly into the kingdom's coffers.

"For example, from now on, pilgrims from Europe, Australia and the Americas have to use Saudi Airlines only," Fuchs said.

As of Tuesday evening, a total of 375,918 international pilgrims had arrived in airports, according to the Saudi Press Agency .Along with the hajjis who have crossed via the land borders, some 40% of the total pilgrims permitted for 2022 have already started the next leg of the journey to Mecca — on foot, in line with the tradition.

That number will, of course, include some of the 50,000 permitted pilgrims from Europe, Australia and the Americas. Next year, tens of thousands more will try their luck at the lottery again.

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arabianknowledge · 3 years ago

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Saudi Arabia ramps up big tourism plans. As Hajj winds down.

Saudi Arabia has been in the tourism business for over a thousand years, thanks to the Hajj and Umrah. But the kingdom has big plans to develop its tourism sector to attract more foreign visitors and keep more Saudis vacationing at home.

Between the Hajj, which happens at specified times each year and is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Umrah, a pilgrimage to the holy sites that can occur at any time, the kingdom hosted 9.5 million pilgrims in 2019 [File: Fayez Nureldine / AFP]

As Muslim worshippers complete a second Hajj pilgrimage pared down by coronavirus restrictions, Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with plans to restart the kingdom’s nascent secular tourism sector as part of its ongoing efforts to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels.

Religious tourism has traditionally been one of the few ways visitors could enter the kingdom – home to Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities.

That custodianship makes Saudi Arabia a destination for outsiders. Between the Hajj, which happens at specified times each year and is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Umrah, a pilgrimage to the holy sites that can occur at any time, the kingdom hosted 9.5 million pilgrims in 2019.

But Riyadh has plans to tap a tourist market beyond religious pilgrims, as part of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) Vision 2030 blueprint to evolve the economy beyond oil revenues.

In September 2019, Riyadh introduced a tourist e-visa aimed at attracting non-Muslim visitors. But it had barely launched when COVID-19 ground the global tourism industry to a halt last year.

Pandemic restrictions also hit Saudi’s established religious tourism industry hard.

Only 60,000 vaccinated Saudi citizens and residents were allowed on the pilgrimage this year, while in 2020 the number of worshippers was restricted to 1,000.

The kingdom reopened its borders to a number of countries for tourism on May 30, but has since enacted new closures with the outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

“Obviously, this was another unprecedented year. Business around the pilgrimage was halted along with the newer adventure and cultural tourism sectors,” Chris Rosenkrans, a Jeddah-based tourism consultant, told Al Jazeera.

Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi city of Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, on July 17, 2021 [File: Fayez Nureldine / AFP]

Increasing numbers

For Jeddah-based tour guide Samir Komosani, watching his country closed off to any kind of international visitor is difficult.

“This big beautiful country has so much to offer visitors and I love sharing the hidden secrets of it,” he told Al Jazeera. “I think as COVID recedes we will see people from all over the world coming to Saudi Arabia.”

His optimism is shared by leaders in Riyadh who hope to boost tourism revenues from 3 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product to 10 percent by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to attract 100 million tourists a year by the end of the decade and increase the number of religious visitors from 17 million to 30 million by 2025.

To accommodate those hoped-for visitors, the government is expanding tourism infrastructure and trying to make the historically conservative country a more open and diverse destination for Western visitors and religious tourists alike.

In July, MBS announced plans to create a new national airline carrier and committed to invest over $147bn in transportation infrastructure over the next nine years. The kingdom is also mulling the construction of a new airport in Riyadh, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

“That [the new airline announcement] is really the pinnacle of tourism and shows their intentions,” Adel Hamaizia, a Gulf scholar at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera. “The big question is ‘Can Saudi attract enough travellers to make projects like the airline feasible?’”

The scale of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions can be seen in the megaprojects it is undertaking. The Red Sea Development Company – a firm owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund – is building 50 hotels and 1,300 residential units along the country’s Red Sea coast as part of an eco-friendly coral reef resort.

Rock outcrops stand in the desert near the bay at Ras Hameed, where Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman plans NEOM, a $500bn desert megacity [File: Glen Carey/Bloomberg]

The PIF, which is tasked with deploying the country’s oil wealth to more sustainable industries, is also investing in a 334km entertainment capital and the $500bn zero-carbon desert megacity NEOM, which is the centrepiece of MBS’s economic transformation plans.

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phgq · 5 years ago

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Annual Hajj to Mecca in limbo due to Covid-19 threat

#PHnews: Annual Hajj to Mecca in limbo due to Covid-19 threat

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – An official of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) here advised on Thursday prospective Hajj pilgrims to brace for its possible cancelation due to the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak. Lawyer Guialil Kanda, NCMF provincial director, said there is a big possibility that the scheduled pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, this year would be scrapped in the wake of the declaration by the World Health Organization of the highly contagious disease as a pandemic. Kanda said they already considered such a scenario in a meeting last week at the NCMF central office. “There’s a possibility that our pilgrims would be denied entry to Saudi Arabia even if we will allow them to go,” he told reporters. Millions of Muslims worldwide were expected to join the annual Hajj or the pilgrimage to Kaaba, the "House of Allah" in Mecca, which was set in late July to early August. The Saudi government expanded in late February its ban on foreigners visiting Mecca and Medina, which are home to the holiest sites in Islam, due to the Covid-19 threat. Kanda said they will still accept registrations for the Hajj until March 15 based on the earlier deadline set by the agency, although he urged registered pilgrims to temporarily defer the processing of travel arrangements. Instead, he advised them to wait for the official announcements from the NCMF, which handles the processing of visa for Hajj pilgrims through its Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment. Each pilgrim had been advised to prepare at least PHP200,000 for the travel arrangements and accommodation. “They should keep their money in the meantime as it might be difficult to get them back easily if the Hajj would be canceled,” he added. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Annual Hajj to Mecca in limbo due to Covid-19 threat." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096359 (accessed March 12, 2020 at 10:13PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Annual Hajj to Mecca in limbo due to Covid-19 threat." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096359 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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classyfoxdestiny · 3 years ago

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Tanker underway again after ‘potential hijacking’ near UAE ends

Britain has urged the United Nations to respond to “destabilising actions and lack of respect for international law” by Iran following a series of incidents involving tankers in the Persian gulf.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Wednesday morning wrote to security council president T. S. Tirumurti, amid news of a possible hijacking off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, reportedly on the ship the Asphalt Princess.

It comes after a Briton and Romanian were killed in a separate drone attack on the Mercer Street tanker off the coast of Oman, which the UK, US and Israel blame on Tehran.

As the latest incident unfolded UK chief of the defence staff General Sir Nick Carter said had Iran made a “big mistake” by allegedly targeting the tanker last week.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What we need to be doing, fundamentally, is calling out Iran for its very reckless behaviour.

“They made a big mistake on the attack they did against the Mercer Street vessel last week because, of course, that has very much internationalised the state of play in the Gulf.”

He added: “Ultimately, we have got to restore deterrence because it is behaviour like that which leads to escalation, and that could very easily lead to miscalculation and that would be very disastrous for all the peoples of the Gulf and the international community.”

The Royal Navy reported on Wednesday morning that boarders had left the the Panama-flagged asphalt tanker Asphalt Princess, which was believed to have been seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Three maritime security forces had told Reuters on Tuesday that the Asphalt Princess tanker had been seized by suspected Iranian-backed forces, which Iran denies.

The AIS tracking status of the tanker was “underway using engine” early on Wednesday, according to Refinitiv ship tracking data.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a Royal Navy agency, said what it had described on Tuesday as a potential hijack incident was now “complete” and the vessel involved was safe.

The agency gave no further details in a warning notice based on a third-party source, and did not name the vessel involved. Shipping authority Lloyd’s List and maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global had both identified the hijacked vessel as Panama-flagged asphalt tanker Asphalt Princess.

The incident took place in an area in the Arabian Sea leading to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about one-fifth of the world’s sea-borne oil exports.

Satellite-tracking data for the Asphalt Princess had shown it slowly heading toward Iranian waters off the port of Jask early on Wednesday, before it stopped and changed course back toward Oman.

The Independent has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for more information.

Tehran’s relationship with western powers has deteriorated in the years since Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 treaty that sought to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Commercial shipping around the Persian Gulf has increasingly been caught in the crosshairs.

Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP who sits on parliament’s foreign affairs committee told The Independent of the latest incident: “Whether it was Iranian proxies or the Iranian military, the Gulf of Oman remains a treacherous stretch of water for commercial shipping companies. This will only become worse as deteriorating relations between Iran and other nations leave Iran feeling more aggrieved and warranted in escalating incidents like this, as well as limpet mine attacks.

“It’s a reasonable assumption that the armed group were Iranian proxies or Revolutionary Guard, because Iran not only has a history of maritime piracy, and then denying outright their actions, but the Asphalt Princess has been detained by Iranian forces on multiple occasions in the past, and the owners previously had another ship targeted as well.”

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent and well-connected Emirati political analyst told The Independent that the UAE had no interest in flared tensions in the strategic waterway and would be looking for ways to de-escalate after the recent incidents.

“This should be of concern to the international community which should step up but the UAE doesn’t want an increase in tension or hostilities – it does not want escalation at the moment,” he said.

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“The thinking here is the UAE does not want to be dragged into any unnecessary confrontation with Iran. We do not want that to happen period. That said, everyone has a direct interest in the safety and security of this very fragile water way.”

Yoruk Isik, an Istanbul-based maritime expert and non-resident scholar at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, who has been following the Asphalt Princess said he thought it was more likely related to small-time Iranian oil smuggling than a major international incident.

“The company that owns the Asphalt Princes – is Prime Tankers LLC (of the UAE) – it operates a fleet of middle age to older ships and most of the ships have gaps in their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking that makes us suspicious that they are hiding small time smuggling, perhaps Iranian.”

“We don’t know for sure but they are a prime suspect in Iranian oil smuggling – it is the second time their ships have been involved in something like this. As you can see from the MT Riah incident in 2019” – a refernec to the seizure of Panama-flagged tanker whose 12-man Indian crew were detained by the Iranian coastguard in 2019.

“The ownership is for sure Prime Tankers LLC – this is the second time they have been involved in an incident . This company has no linkage to Israel whatsoever.”

He said that although the alleged hijacking incident was taking place at the same time as a series of attacks on tankers and soaring tensions between Iran, the US and Israel this was likely “an exception”.

Isik said it was likely tied to “rogue elements of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps not necessarily operating on behalf of Iran” that were trying to settle a commercial dispute.

“Maybe someone didn’t get paid and so they boarded the ship,” he said, adding that he was certain the ship was Iranian only because at the beginning of the incident it changed course towards Iran, which he said would not be possible if it was private or pirate operation.

Additional reporting by agencies

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monaltravelsagency · 3 years ago

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The Presidency of Religious Affairs has issued a statement regarding Hajj and Umrah prayers. In the statement, regarding the rules for the pilgrimage, which was postponed due to the coronavirus, “As the 2020 pilgrimage could not be held due to the Kovid-19 outbreak, the lot and registration rights of the pilgrim candidates continue for 2021 as well.” it was said. Umrah Services From New York By Monal Travels The Presidency of Religious Affairs has issued a statement today regarding Hajj and Umrah prayers. In the statement, it was stated that Umrah could not be held this year due to the coronavirus, and it was reported that since the pilgrimage could not be held in 2020, the rights of the pilgrim candidates to draw lots and registration will continue in 2021 as well. NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE WITH SAUDI ARABIA The full statement of the Presidency of Religious Affairs is as follows: “Due to the intense questions from our citizens regarding the Hajj and Umrah prayers in 2021, the following statement was needed. As the 2020 pilgrimage could not be held due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the draw and registration rights of the pilgrim candidates continue for 2021 as well. Negotiations are continuing with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia regarding the Hajj in 2021. The decisions to be taken as a result of the negotiations will be shared with the public. UMRA CANNOT BE PERFORMED In addition, Umrah visits from our country will not be possible due to the delay of the normalization process of Saudi Arabia until after Eid al-Fitr.

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24buzzfeed · 4 years ago

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Saudi Arabia: mutamrun immune to coronavirus circumnavigates Kaaba on first day of Ramadan

Tens of thousands of Muslims participated in the first day of Ramadan in the Kaaba on the occasion of Umrah rites, which are conducted under a number of precautionary conditions imposed by Saudi Arabia to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The most notable was the immunization requirement, where Umrah can only be spent for people who have been vaccinated or who have contracted and recovered from the disease. MU'tamrun of Minsk marched around the Kaaba on Tuesday on the first day of Ramadan, putting on gags and taking predetermined paths, in order to maintain social distancing. Saudi Arabia required Umrah to be immune to the coronavirus to allow them to perform Umrah rituals. Permits to perform Umrah and pray at the Grand Mosque during Ramadan are only granted to those who have received an anti-coronavirus vaccine, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced earlier this month. Select Ministry immunized three categories, who got two doses of the vaccine corona virus or spent 14 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine or a fun party of the injury. These measures raised the capacity of the Grand Mosque during Ramadan to 50,000 worshippers and 100,000 worshippers per day, according to official media. The umrah, which can be performed at any time throughout the year, attracts millions of Muslims from around the world each year, but was suspended in March 2020 as part of unprecedented precautionary measures taken to curb the pandemic. It was not clear if these actions come amid rising numbers of HIV infections in the kingdom, can be extended to the annual hajj pilgrimage later this year. In late July last year, 10,000 people from within the kingdom were allowed to perform the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, while 2019 saw an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims perform. In total, Saudi Arabia recorded more than 400,000 infections and 6,700 deaths with coronavirus. Provided the kingdom with a population of about 34 million people, more than five million vaccine so far. #news #covid #india #instagram #love #coronavirus #follow #like #media #music #breakingnews #instagood #fashion #viral #trending #politics #noticias #memes #new #corona #usa #football #bhfyp #sports #tv #indonesia #berita #photography #currentaffairs #bhfyp Read the full article

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bangladeshcovid19 · 4 years ago

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covid 19 impact in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is important for the overall pandemic of Corvid infection 2019 (COVID-19) brought about by extreme intense respiratory condition Corvid 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection was affirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The initial three realized cases were accounted for on 8 March 2020 by the country's the study of disease transmission foundation, IEDCR. From that point forward, the pandemic has spread step by step over the entire country and the quantity of influenced individuals has been expanding.

To secure the populace, the public authority proclaimed "lockdown" all through the country from 23 March to 30 May and arranged some important strides to spread attention to get this condition far from them. Infections stayed low until the finish of March yet saw a precarious ascent in April. In the week finishing on 11 April, new cases in Bangladesh developed by 1,155 percent, the most noteworthy in Asia, in front of Indonesia, with 186 percent. On 6 May, cases were affirmed in all areas. Rangamati was the last region to report affirmed instances of COVID-19. On 13 June, the quantity of cases in Bangladesh surpassed the quantity of cases in China, the country where the episode started. Bangladesh arrived at two terrible achievements of 160,000 cases and 2,000 passing on 5 July and overwhelmed France regarding the quantity of cases two days after the fact. The quantity of recuperations in the nation surpassed the quantity of dynamic cases on 12 July.

Clinical specialists expected that insufficient tests were being conducted. Newspaper reports and web-based media kept on announcing about extra passing of patients with COVID-19 side effects. A portion of the perished were treated at COVID-19 seclusion places at emergency clinics in the areas and others were denied treatment, however no tests were directed to affirm contagion.[9] For quite a while, testing was incorporated to just Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in the capital Dhaka, despite the fact that patients with manifestations were accounted for all around the country.[10] On 22 March, Bangladesh pronounced a 10-day shut down compelling from 26 March to 4 April. This was subsequently reached out to 30 May.

A progression of hotline numbers, email address and the Facebook page of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) are given to individuals to contact on the off chance that they speculate COVID-19 contamination or need more information.

Bringing home of Bangladeshi citizens

On 31 January, an extraordinary trip of Bangladesh Airlines with exceptional isolate, three doctors, an attendant, and required clinical hardware on board traveled to Wuhan, China to empty abandoned Bangladeshi citizens.

On 1 February 312 Bangladeshi residents (297 were grown-ups and 15 kids) abandoned in Wuhan, China were cleared and taken back to Bangladesh. The majority of the Bangladeshis were understudies and PhD scientists at various colleges in the Hubei territory in China where their commonplace government dispatched different screening tests prior to permitting them to jump aboard the plane. Lion's share of the evacuees were isolated for 14 days at the Hajj Camp in Ashkona in Dhaka and some at the Combined Military Hospital prior to being delivered fourteen days later. None of these returnees from Wuhan China were tried positive for corona virus.

Travel and section restrictions

On 22 January, the specialists at Hazmat Shah Jalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka announced that they had put the air terminals on aware of forestall the spread of Covid in Bangladesh by screening voyagers from China, where the infection had around then contaminated almost 300 individuals and slaughtered six individuals. The air terminal professed to turn on its warm scanner to examine travelers to identify any disease in travelers going from China. A.H.M. Touhid -ul Ahsan, head of the principle Shah Jalal International Airport, said specialists at the air terminal would search for fevers, hacks, breathing challenges and sore throats. The nation's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research were to be advised of any travelers with indications for additional assessment,

On 2 February, the public authority of Bangladesh chose to suspend on-appearance visas for Chinese visitors. The Chittagong port likewise reported that as a prudent step to forestall the spread of Corvid from the boats that bring merchandise from around the planet, the port wellbeing official would look at all mariners of the boats coming from the East Asian countries.

On 14 March, on-appearance visas were suspended for all nations, and departures from all European nations other than the United Kingdom were stopped.[54] This supposedly expanded traveler traffic at the sea shores in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, checking the public authority measure.

Worldwide flights started to continue from Dhaka air terminal on 16 June 2020, with just Qatar Airways and Biman Bangladesh Airlines at first allowed to fly. On 24 June, Emirates continued trips to Dhaka, on a diminished capacity.

Economic

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensely affected family and individual level profit in Bangladesh with around 13 percent of individuals have gotten jobless; lower and center pay classes have been encountering a huge drop in pay throughout the previous few months. Thusly, the extra cash of the nation individuals is following a declining pattern. In the interim, the public neediness is estimated to increment by 25.13 percent, asserted by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

The pandemic has negatively affected practically all areas of the economy, entomb alia, most eminently, it has caused a decrease of fares by 16.93 percent, imports by 17 percent, and furthermore a decay of normal income for all little and medium undertakings (SMEs) by 66 percent in 2020 contrasted with 2019. Extraordinarily, just settlement inflow has seen a 11 percent expansion this year.

Despite the fact that piece of clothing plants were permitted to keep working under the nation's lockdown, an expected 1,000,000 piece of clothing laborers, or one-fourth of the labor force, were laid off due to declining orders for export.

On 5 April, Prime Minister Sheik Hasina declared a boost bundle adding up to some US$8bn.

Education

Bangladesh has around 200,000 instructive organizations the nation over and more than 40 million students.

In March, Bangladesh shut the entirety of its instructive establishments to decrease the spread of COVID-19. At first on 17 March, when Bangladesh had 8 affirmed cases, the public authority reported all schools would be shut for the rest of March. Dhaka University was additionally shut for the equivalent period.The Education Ministry declared an expansion of the terminations to April 9. Nonetheless, with the circumstance not improving Dhaka University declared on 9 April it would stay shut indefinitely. With instructive instincts actually shut before the finish of April, Prime Minister Sheik Hasina reported that they could stay shut until September 2020, except if the circumstance improves. On June 14, the service of training authoritatively stretched out school terminations to August 6.On 27 August a Ministry of Education affirmed schools would stay shut until 3 October.

Dhaka University started online classes in July 2020,[79] as have numerous different colleges and schools. Specialists and understudies have voiced worries about openness to online classes for some understudies in Bangladesh; with less fortunate understudies, especially in provincial zones, without the gadgets and web network to take an interest in their classes.[80] Some have recommended online classes will just further the "instructive separation" whereby the most hindered understudies (who as a rule go to state funded colleges on grants) will fall behind their friends because of absence of accessibility.

Normalized school assessments have been affected by the school terminations. The HSC tests, which were planned to held in April 2020, were delayed indefinitely.[82] By August 2020 with schools actually shut, there was a lot of vulnerability in regards to when, and regardless of whether, the JSC tests, PEC tests (which are ordinarily booked for November) and HSC tests will be held.[83] On 24 August it was reported that the PEC tests won't be held, with appraisals to be directed by schools all things being equal. At that point on 27 August it was affirmed that the JSC would not be held either and a roundabout was given broadening the school conclusion until 3 October.

Some training specialists needed all the instructive foundations of Bangladesh shut until November.[citation needed] Others needed all the instructive establishments in the nation to resume by October.[citation needed] The schooling specialists said that the entirety of the instructive organizations in Bangladesh will return just either if the greatest development pace of contaminations is 2% or if the base multiplying time of diseases is 30 days. They likewise said that the entirety of the instructive establishments in the nation will return just if the Coved bend levels or diminishes. As per some instruction specialists, all the instructive organizations will return just either if the greatest number of day by day or new cases is 3,000 or if the base number of day by day or new recuperations is 1,500.[ All the instructive foundations will resume just if the base recuperation rate is half, as per other training specialists.

Transient laborers

The presentation of lock-down measures, monetary decays and decrease in worldwide portability across the world has seriously affected Bangladeshi traveler laborers. It is believed that around ten million Bangladeshis work abroad, particularly across the center east.[90] Thousands of these laborers have been compelled to re-visitation of Bangladesh, to a great extent due to work lay-offs.[91] Kuwait for instance has proposed a bill which would see 200,000 of the 350,000 Bangladeshi specialists there constrained to leave the Gulf state.[92] Most of these laborers have battled to look for some kind of employment in Bangladesh.

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armeniaitn · 4 years ago

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Funeral Notice: Anais Shakarian

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/society/funeral-notice-anais-shakarian-65612-16-11-2020/

Funeral Notice: Anais Shakarian

Anais Shakarian

ANAIS SHAKARIAN Born on May 3, 1929, Beirut, Lebanon It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Mother, grandmother, sister and relative Anais Shakarian, who passed away on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.

Funeral services followed by interment will be held on Thursday, November 19, 3 p.m. at Glendale Forest Lawn Mortuary Park.

She is survived by her: Daughter, Seta and Garo Mergeaniian Daughter, Hasmik and Varoujan Agemian Daughter, Maria and Elie Sakayan Son, Shahbaz Shakarents Grandchildren, Vahram and Sarah Mergeanian Granddaughter, Alina and Andrew Piceno Grandson, Vazken Agemian Grandchildren, Anthony and Nicole Karayan Grandson, Aren Shakarents Great granddaughter, Gianna Anais Piceno Sister, Marie Hajjar and family

And the entire Arslanian, Mouradian, Enishdeyan, Yevingulian, Daher, Hajj, Abou Antoun & Kelenian families, relatives and friends

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ARS “Mayr” Chapter, 1615 N. Alexandria Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 (In memory of Anais Shakarian).

Read original article here.

#Society

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curegbm · 4 years ago

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Children and adults who were previously healthy can become sick after chronic exposure to wireless radiation, and the problem is worsening as wireless radiation increases in our environment.

Below is video testimony from 2 children.

Article about 2 young sisters in Sacramento who got sick from 5G small cells outside their home https://www.dcclothesline.com/2020/10/19/uncle-of-children-sick-from-verizon-5g-tower-next-to-home-fights-to-prevent-it-happening-to-other-families/ Also at the bottom of the article is a 4 minute youtube video of one of the sisters, who looks about 5 years old, and her parents giving testimony to their city council about the girls' illness (cold and flu-like symptoms, immune suppression) from the cell antennas outside their home https://www.dcclothesline.com/2020/10/19/uncle-of-children-sick-from-verizon-5g-tower-next-to-home-fights-to-prevent-it-happening-to-other-families/

Direct link to the youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQDmIcB4qIo&feature=emb_logo

Video testimony before the Oregon legislature from a 14-year old girl telling how she developed microwave sickness at school at age 9, which can be found here https://ehtrust.org/first-in-the-nation-oregon-passes-state-bill-on-wireless-radiation-and-health-in-school/ At 8:19-9:45, she talks about being dizzy, nauseous, having anxiety, and rash which developed from sitting underneath the classroom Wi-Fi access point. She then transferred to Waldorf school without Wi-Fi, but will have nowhere to go to school in 9th grade because all other schools have Wi-Fi. Dr. Paul Heroux, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University in Montreal, gives scientific testimony at 9:46-12:56, 16:05-18:18.

Her testimony led to state of Oregon signing SB283 into law in August 2019 https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB283

which directs the Oregon Health Authority to review peer-reviewed, independently-funded scientific studies on the impact of exposure to microwave radiation, particularly exposure to children that results from use of wireless network technologies in schools. The bill also “…directs the Oregon Department of Education to develop recommendations to schools in this state for practices and alternative technologies that reduce students’ exposure to microwave radiation that Oregon Health Authority report identifies as harmful.”

A recent study (A. M. El-Hajj and T. Naous, “Radiation Analysis in a Gradual 5G Network Deployment Strategy,” 2020 IEEE 3rd 5G World Forum (5GWF), Bangalore, India, 2020, pp. 448-453, doi: 10.1109/5GWF49715.2020.9221314) shows the difference in power densities with 4G LTE compared to what it would be with 5G deployment in Austin, Texas. The maps clearly show larger areas of higher radiation exposure with 5G compared to 4G LTE.

The researchers conclude that, “The presented results clearly show that the potential radiation levels that will be reached upon the roll out of 5G networks do not comply with all of the aforementioned exposure limits. This suggests that 5G mobile networks can not yet be classified as safe for the public, and demands serious considerations before using mmWave communications for 5G networks, given the potential harms it could afflict on the public.”

You can read more about it here https://ehtrust.org/high-radiation-from-millimeter-wave-5g-deployment-in-austin-texas/

Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 12:04 PM

Subject: Illinois: Protect me from 5G! Bill gives residents more power

To:

IL State representative Deanne Mazzochi (R) has put forth a bill to give residents more control over 5G.

Please read below, and if you want to do something about 5G towers in your neighborhood, the time is now, before they show up in front of your house or school.

Meet with your state representative and senator and share with them what's being done in Illinois and ask them to sponsor the same

https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/mazzochi-s-protect-me-5g-bill-gives-residents-more-power

https://repmazzochi.com/2020/08/13/mazzochis-protect-me-from-5g-bill-gives-residents-more-power/

MAZZOCHI’s ‘PROTECT ME FROM 5G!’ BILL GIVES RESIDENTS MORE POWER

August 13, 2020

State Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) announced today new legislation to protect local residents from the proliferation of controversial 5G wireless canisters in suburban communities. “Our neighborhoods welcome technological advances,” Mazzochi said. “But those same neighborhoods also need the right to decide at the local level whether certain aesthetic or safety costs are worth it, Rep. Mazzochi said.

Several neighborhoods in Mazzochi’s district have served as pilot communities for various categories of 5G wireless small cell units, and they are not happy with the early rollout results. After hundreds of Western Springs and Hinsdale residents called for expanded local control over 5G sites, Mazzochi filed House Bill 5818, the “Protect Me From 5G Act.” Mazzochi hopes the bill will be considered in the General Assembly’s Fall Veto session in November.

When the original Small Cell Wireless bill was debated in 2018, communities and legislators were told most new 5G installations would be on existing poles. Since then, local villages have been inundated with permit applications for new towers in front of houses in parkways; neighborhood street corners; and playgrounds. Mazzochi, who took office after the Small Cell Wireless bill was passed, reiterated that “our local municipalities and residents were not informed of the real-world implementation plans under the prior legislation.” With wireless companies converging on neighborhoods to build new installations over the objections of homeowners, Mazzochi explained that “the time to reexamine this legislation is now, and we must give more authorities to communities and homeowners at the local level with the ‘Protect Me From 5G Act.’”

The Western Springs Village Board approved a resolution in support of the legislation and worked closely with Mazzochi to draft language that would suit local residents’ needs. Western Springs Village President Alice Gallagher added, “We’re pleased to work together with Rep. Mazzochi and her staff in drafting this legislation. It’s so important to keep our residents informed on this issue and to do what we can to establish as much local control as possible.”

The “Protect Me from 5G Act” has the following key elements:

Radio frequency monitoring – Requiring a monitoring plan and tracking and recording daily levels of radio frequency emissions produced by 5G equipment;

Noise monitoring — Requiring a written report that analyzes acoustic noise levels for small wireless facilities and all associated equipment

Environmental protection — Requiring a certification of a federal environmental assessment.

Equipment restrictions – Requiring equipment, when replaced, to be swapped with the smallest commercially used and available equipment.

Alternate Location Authority – – Allowing local governments to propose new small wireless facilities be installed on existing poles within 200 feet of requested location of a new proposed pole, in order to protect aesthetics and limit the number of new poles.

Closing application loophole – Clarifying that wireless service providers must submit new applications when seeking to replace existing small wireless facility equipment with significantly different equipment

Below ground devices — Allowing local governments to require small wireless facilities and related equipment to be below ground as new technology for doing so becomes available.

Easement rules — Requiring proof of authority when wireless service providers seek to use easements outside of the public way

In addition to the Village of Western Springs, other local villages voiced their support as well.

“We welcome all efforts to increase transparency in this process and provide our residents with more information on new technology,” said Hinsdale Village Trustee Luke Stifflear. For Hinsdale, Trustee Stifflear handles all matters related to small cell wireless technologies and installation. “This is about ensuring we have a say about what goes on in our own community; ensuring we have local control here in Hinsdale.”

“Our aim is twofold: both to bring back local authority for our villages and to give our residents answers to some of their questions about this new technology,” said Clarendon Hills Village President Len Austin. “We’re looking for a more transparent process moving forward.”

Mazzochi has also introduced a companion House Bill 4653, creating the Local Control, Protection, and Empowering Law in the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act as an “avenue” to require a public hearing before 5G devices are approved by local officials.

You can watch video of Rep. Mazzochi’s press conference with Western Springs Village President Alice Gallagher, Hinsdale Village Trustee Luke Stifflear, and Clarendon Hills Village President Len Austin here.

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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected].

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/emfcontacts/CAAC%3DT7cUvkNOREobky_cnTHAApfOHyvohxTms2qh0T46xBSb6w%40mail.gmail.com.

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phgq · 4 years ago

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CMF announces registration sked for Hajj 2021 pilgrims

#PHnews: CMF announces registration sked for Hajj 2021 pilgrims

COTABATO CITY – The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) has called on pilgrims to register from Dec. 16-31 this year for the 2021 Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. "This is to determine the actual number of intending pilgrims for the 2021 Hajj,” said Director Malo Manonggiring of NCMF’s Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment (BPE), in a statement on Wednesday. Manonggiring said the BPE accepts registrants between the scheduled dates but no fees would be collected until the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will release a confirmation on foreign pilgrims' inclusion. a “There is no advice yet from the KSA if foreign worshipers would be allowed for the 2021 Hajj,” Manonggiring said. However, he said Saudi Arabia has already eased some restrictions for foreign pilgrims who were allowed to perform the “Umrah” pilgrimage. Umrah is the name given to a pilgrimage to Mecca, which is a shorter version of the annual Hajj gathering. Manonggiring said it was still possible for the 2021 Hajj to push through for the international Muslim community. The annual Hajj is a religious duty for able-bodied Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey at least once in their lifetime. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. Manonggiring said registration is free of charge and fees would only be collected upon approval. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "CMF announces registration sked for Hajj 2021 pilgrims." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124915 (accessed December 17, 2020 at 12:29AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "CMF announces registration sked for Hajj 2021 pilgrims." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124915 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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classyfoxdestiny · 3 years ago

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General calls on Boris Johnson to set out new strategy to stop Afghanistan becoming terror base

A former head of the UK armed forces has called on Boris Johnson to set out a new strategy for Afghanistan to prevent the country once more becoming a haven for international terror following the West’s “defeat”.

General Lord Richards said he was “fed up” with government silence over what comes next after the withdrawal of Western troops from the country, where he commanded the International Security Assistance Force between 2006 and 2007.

The pull-out represented the culmination of “a pretty sorry tale of Western failed geo-strategy over the last 20 years”, not only in Afghanistan but also in Iraq, Libya and Syria, he said.

And he warned that with European troops gone and US deployment set to follow within months, cities like Kandahar are likely to fall to the Taliban, creating “ungoverned space” which could provide a haven for the planning of future terrorist outrages like the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

Gen Richards, who served as chief of defence staff from 2010-13, said that he accepted a “share of the blame” for the failure to secure Afghanistan from eventual recapture by militant fighters. But he said Western politicians bore much of the responsibility because of a failure to pour in political and economic resources following the initial fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

Gen Richards told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have invested – as a country, as the West and the United States particularly – 20 years of time and much money and many lives in Afghanistan.

“I’m getting a little bit fed up that I’ve not heard from our government – indeed from the prime minister – as to why we have reached this nadir.

“It’s really not good enough, and I would like to hear from the government – I think it’s a prime ministerial obligation now – as to why we’ve got into this position and what we are now going to do about it.”

The former army chief has been active in the campaign to allow Afghan military interpreters to resettle in the UK, but warned that this must not be allowed to deflect attention from the wider issues around the future of the region.

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“It’s deflecting attention from our defeat,” said Gen Richards. “Added to what happened in Iraq, Libya, Syria, it’s a pretty sorry tale of Western failed geo-strategy over the last 20 years.

“And it’s time we had an explanation of why and what are we now going to do about it, to prevent it from happening in the way we all now fear might occur.”

Gen Richards said that the “light-touch” political and economic approach pursued by United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi meant that the international community failed to consolidate the military gains of the 2001 campaign to oust the Taliban, allowing the militant group to return as a threat in 2006-07.

“As all soldiers will tell you, we know we can’t win these things by military means alone,” he said.

“What we hoped we were doing was providing an opportunity for governments, the whole of the West, to act in the way they needed, not just militarily but politically and economically.

“That didn’t happen… At the very moment, in 2002 to 2005, when the West should have poured in assets – and I’m talking primarily non-military by the way – we didn’t do so. The Taliban sensed an opportunity, they came back.”

Gen Richards said it was “inevitable” that Afghanistan’s second city Kandahar will fall to the Taliban forces unless circumstances change.

And he said the capture of the “totemic” city would pave the way for the whole of the south of the country to fall into the group’s hands.

“My biggest worry at the moment is, with the Western forces having pulled out with no adequate explanation of what is going to replace them, we are going to see a potential collapse in Afghan Armed Forces morale,” he said.

This “most certainly” raised the risk of a return of Islamist terror groups similar to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida, which planned the 9/11 attacks as guests of the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said.

“There will be ungoverned space… and in that ungoverned space terrorist acts may yet again be planned and executed,” warned Gen Richards.

“I think we all forget too readily the scenes of 9/11, the Twin Towers and the attack in Washington.

“That is actually why we went into Afghanistan, and we’ve been spectacularly successful in achieving what we aimed to do. That is now being put at risk, along with all the wonderful gains in terms of education, health, and democracy, allowing people to hope for the future.

“All that is now, I’m afraid at great risk. We don’t have a substitute strategy and I want to hear what it should be.”

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