#COVID19 guidelines for worshippers going to mosques, churches, other places of worship in the UAE

Places of worship across the UAE opened up in 2020 after briefly being closed when precautionary measures were stepped up as part of the country’s fight against COVID-19.

However, health authorities in the UAE have continued educating worshippers on the preventive measures that still need to be followed, to ensure community health and safety. 

If you are planning to go to a mosque, church or temple, these are the guidelines you need to follow. Prohibition from entering the places of worship 

According to the guidelines issued by the UAE’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), the following people are prohibited from entering the places of worship: 

• Senior Emiratis and residents (above the age of 60) 

• children under 12 years old 

• people with chronic and respiratory illnesses 

• all those who are living with people in contact with COVID-19 patients 

• those living with patients under treatment. Tips for visiting mosques and other places of worship 

• Download the AL HOSN UAE app on your smartphones 

• Avoid crowding when entering or leaving the place of worship. 

• Perform ablution at home. 

Do not use the ablution facilities at the place of worship.

• Sanitise your hands regularly, including before entering the place of worship and after you leave 

• Keep your face mask on all the time when going to the mosque. 

• Bring your own prayer mat and Quran or other religious scripture. Do not share them with others and do not leave them behind at the place of worship. Do not use the holy books which are placed in mosques and other places of worship. 

• Observe a minimum distance of two metres from other worshippers

Facebook staffers sue the company for mental trauma!

Dozens of Facebook moderators are suing the social media giant for severe mental trauma after being exposed to violent and sexually disturbing images at work.

The 30 staffers, whose job was to spot and remove harrowing material on the site, claim they were not given adequate training to deal with the content or access to doctors or psychiatrists while working for Facebook. Their lawyers revealed that several have attempted suicide, while others have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), similar to the torment some soldiers suffer after returning from battlefields. 

Others have developed severe depression, disturbing flashbacks and anger issues, while some have complained that changes in character have led to the breakdown of relationships. The staff – a mix of former and current employees – have lodged their case at the High Court in Dublin, where Facebook has its European headquarters. 

The moderators, who worked at Facebook’s Irish headquarters and at bases in Germany and Spain, were hired by recruitment agencies such as CPL Solutions, Accenture, Majorel and CCC. 

The agencies are also being sued.

African housemaid in Dubai fined & jailed for stealing aed1m/$274k in cash from sponsor

A housemaid was sentenced to one year in jail for stealing around Dh1 million/$274,000 from her sponsor. The court ordered to deport the defendant after she had served her jail term.

She was additionally fined Dh979,947. The Dubai Court of First Instance heard that according to records, the 26-year-old maid from Uganda had stolen Dh760,000, $50,000 (Dh183,900) and 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars (Dh36,000) — totalling Dh979,900 — from her sponsor. 

The sponsor, a 43-year-old Lebanese housewife, testified that the accused was working at her house in Bur Dubai since March last year. 

“She was stealing small amounts of money. I confronted her and told her to stop the theft. On the day of the incident, my husband saw the defendant going to the first floor and then returning with a black bag and stepping out of the house. 

The next day she escaped,” said the Lebanese housewife on record. 

Dubai Police arrested the maid after two weeks from a house in Ajman, where she was hiding and waiting to leave the country. 

A policeman said that the maid admitted to have carried out the theft and said she had handed over the money to another suspect who had fled the country with the money. 

The verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days.

Will Tiger Woods ever be able to play golf again? Rod, screws & pins repair his badly damaged leg!!

Will Woods ever be able to play golf again?

Tiger Woods suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- meaning the bone was shattered in at least 2 places and broke through the skin -- so doctors used a rod to stabilize it, according to Tiger's medical team. 

Dr. Anish Mahajan -- Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center -- just issued a statement describing Tiger's injuries in detail ... and it sounds bad. Note, he only mentions injuries to ONE of Tiger's legs, not both. 

"Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists," Mahajan says. 

"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia." A comminuted fracture is when the bone breaks into several pieces, according to WebMD. And, the fact it's "open" means the bones broke through the skin. Dr. Mahajan says Tiger also suffered serious injuries to his right ankle and foot -- which were stabilized "with a combination of screws and pins." He continued, "Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling." Tiger is currently "awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room," according to Tiger's PR team ... which also added a statement from his camp. 

"Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department, and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding." 

What's interesting ... the doctors make no mention of damage to Tiger's left leg, which is a good thing considering there are reports he suffered major injuries to BOTH legs. 

Culled From TMZ

Stevie Wonder sees the light! Plans on relocating from USA to Ghana, Africa!!!

Stevie Wonder has revealed he plans on moving to Ghana over concerns about systemic racism in the USA.

The singer, 70, spoke candidly with Oprah Winfrey on her Apple TV+ show The Oprah Conversation in November last year, where he claimed he didn't want his great-grandchildren to have to ask to be respected and valued by society. 

Speaking a few days after the US Election, but before the results were revealed, he reflected: 

'I promise you [America], if you do the right thing, I will give you this song. I will give it to you. You can have [it].' 'I want to see this nation smile again. And I want to see it before I leave to travel to move to Ghana because I'm going to do that.' 

Oprah asked if he meant he was going to 'move permanently' to Ghana, and Stevie confirmed that was the case. 

Of his reasoning, he explained: 'I don't want to see my children's, children's children have to say "Oh please like me, please respect me, please know that I am important, please value me." What is that?' Stevie added that he believed life in the USA had become 'more dangerous than ever before', as the country had 'allowed love to go out and negativity to come in'. 

This isn't the first time the Superstition singer expressed his desires to move to Ghana, as he told the International Association of African American Music in 1994 that he wanted to do so. 

At the time, he said that he intended to move with his family to Ghana because 'there's more of a sense of community' in the country compared to America. 

Stevie has nine children with five different women, Stevie shares daughter Aisha Morris, now 46, and son Keita, 44, with Yolanda Simmons, and son Mumtaz Morris, 38, with Melody McCulley. 

He also shares daughter Sophia and Son Kwame with a woman whose name has not been disclosed publicly, and sons Kailand and Mandla with his second ex-wife Kai Millard Morris.

The singer shares daughter Nia with his wife Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, while they also share another child whose name and gender has not been disclosed publicly. 

Stevie began his career as an 11-year-old.

#Covid19 infection in Lagos, Nigeria may top Africa's official total: Reports

According to Yahoo.Com, a Covid-19 antibodies survey in Nigeria suggests that four million people in Lagos state alone have had the virus - more than has been officially recorded for the whole of Africa.

The official figure for Nigeria is 153,000 cases with 1,862 deaths. The study was done on 10,000 people from four Nigerian states to estimate the extent of coronavirus in Africa's most populous nation. It was conducted before a second wave began in early December. The findings of the seroprevalence survey, carried out in September and October by Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), are staggering, reports the BBC's Mayeni Jones from Lagos. 

Rates of infection were initially thought to be low during the first wave of the pandemic, our reporter says. The country recorded its highest daily infection rate in January, when it logged 1,600 new cases, suggesting many more people were infected in the second wave. 

What does the survey show? 

The results found that one in five of those tested in the states of Lagos, Enugu and Nasarawa had been infected. In the north-eastern state of Gombe, the proportion was one in 10. 

Infections in men was higher and people living in urban areas were particularly vulnerable to contracting the virus, the study said. For the head of the NCDC it shows that a large portion of Nigeria's 186 million inhabitants are still at risk from the virus. "Eighty to ninety per cent of the population in these four states are still susceptible to the virus which makes the vaccination efforts we are about to start in Nigeria even more important," said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the NCDC. 

The country recently approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for use, but it is not clear when it will receive them.

Oman bans entry from Nigeria & 9 other countries to curb #COVID19 spread

Oman’s Supreme Committee announced it has banned arrivals from ten countries, due to the current pandemic situation.

The Committee that met yesterday, and chaired by Oman’s Minister of Interior, Hammoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, arrived at the decision after its regular follow up on the global developments on the spread and control of COVID-19. The ten countries that are on the banned list include Lebanon, Sudan, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia. 

The Supreme Committee has also been consistently messaging people in Oman to avoid overseas travel to avoid getting into contact with the newer strains of the virus which have proven to be more infectious. The decision to ban arrivals from the aforementioned countries will take effect from zero hour on Thursday, February 25, and will remain in effect for 15 days, unless further extended. Omani citizens, diplomats of foreign missions in the Sultanate, and healthcare workers employed in the country and their families, are exempted from this ban. 

The ban also applies to those transit travellers who have passed through these countries during a 14-day period prior to their date of travel.

The #14thHeadies Winners, Full List

About last night....

The 2021 Headies Awards is virtual (of course) this year with great performances from BBNaija 2020 winner, Laycon, alongside, DJ Neptune and Joeboy, Fireboy DML, the Cavemen and many others. 

The Headies is one of the most anticipated & glamourous music award ceremonies many looked forward to. From all the glitz & glam from the special red carpet reception, the memorable appearances from performing artiste to announcing the winners, attendees were definitely prepared for an interesting indulgence of undiluted entertainment. 

The Headies celebrates the best in music with incredible and historic wins. Some of your faves celebrities, like Wizkid, Falz, Pheelz, Simi and Mayorkun, picked up golden statues for performances in the year’s best music. Bovi and Nancy Isime hosted the ceremony, which kicked off on Sunday night. Fireboy DML secured several awards, including bigs wins for Best Pop Album and Best R&B single. 

For a full list of the winners, see below.

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

• OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI

BEST RAP ALBUM

• GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ

BEST R&B ALBUM

• LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

• ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN

BEST POP ALBUM

• APOLLO – FIREBOY DML

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

• 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K

BEST R&B SINGLE

• TATTOO – FIREBOY DML

BEST COLLABORATION

• KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI

BEST RAP SINGLE

• BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (Male)

• PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (Female)

• NINIOLA – ADDICTED

HEADIES REVELATION

• FIREBOY DML

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

• ILLBLISS – COUNTRY

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE

• MAYORKUN – GENG

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG

• I WONDER – MOELOGO

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• APOLLO – FIREBOY DML

AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION

• MASTER KG

HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE

• WIZKID

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

• BAD BOY TIMZ

BEST POP SINGLE

• NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI

SONG OF THE YEAR

• NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI

NEXT RATED

• OMAH LAY

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

• WIZKID

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:

• SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)

HALL OF FAME

• KING SUNNY ADE

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

• EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM

Kim Kardashian makes first Instagram post since filing for divorce from Kanye West

Does the post have to do with Kanye?

Read on....

Kim Kardashian has made her very first post since filing for divorce from her husband Kanye West of almost seven years .

The 40-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was wishing her late father Robert Kardashian a happy birthday. He died in 2003 from cancer. And the mother-of-four also shared some rare images with her attorney dad along with her siblings Kourtney, Khloe and Rob. 

The reality TV star and makeup guru is asking for joint legal and physical custody of their four children North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm with Kanye.

How Hushpuppi's dinner with Blac Chyna exposed him- Reports

A Nigerian Instagram star conspired with North Korean hackers to steal more than $1.3 billion from companies and banks in the U.S. and other countries, federal prosecutors said.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, 37, also known as “Ray Hushpuppi,” is being accused of helping three North Korean computer hackers steal the funds from companies and banks, including one in Malta, in February 2019, according to the Justice Department. Last July, the Nigerian national was arrested in still another, separate case. He was extradited from Dubai to the U.S. where he was charged with “laundering hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, including schemes targeting a US law firm, a foreign bank and an English Premier League soccer club,” according to the Justice Department. He likely would have gotten away with it all, but he had to floss on Instagram. 

According to Blacksports Online, it was actually a dinner with Blac Chyna that helped exposed him.

I'm here tryna think how the dinner and his arrest add up!

UAE ranks first in Arab World for remote working & second for the speed & efficiency of internet connections

Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications, has said the UAE Government has become an inspiring role model for those governments seeking to move into the future, in terms of policy resiliency and high and proactive readiness in facing challenges.

Al Olama made these remarks following the UAE’s ranking first in the Arab world and 31st in the world in the remote working index issued by the UK-based Circle Loop, surpassing Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Russia, the US and China, while the country ranked second among best for the speed and efficiency of internet connections.

Naomi Osaka wins the 2021 #AustralianOpen! It’s her 4th Grand Slam & 2nd #AusOpen title

Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady to win the Australian Open, remaining undefeated in Grand Slam finals as she claimed her fourth major title.

Naomi Osaka crushed Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-3 to secure her second Australian Open title on Saturday and cement her standing as the new queen of the women’s game. Osaka’s one-sided win over the 22nd-seeded American in the final at Rod Laver Arena gave the Japanese juggernaut her fourth major crown, with her career still budding at the age of 23. 

She joined Monica Seles and Roger Federer as winners in their first four Grand Slam finals, marking her out as the ultimate big match performer. 

“My reaction is that that’s very amazing company,” Osaka told reporters, sitting next to the winner’s Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. “I hope that I can have one grain of how their career has unfolded. But you can only wish and you can only just keep going down your own path. 

“But it’s definitely something crazy to hear.” 

More major trophies surely await if she can convert her irresistible hardcourt form to French Open clay and grass at Wimbledon. Having humbled Serena Williams in the semi-finals, a victory that reinforced a changing of the guard, Osaka was untroubled by Brady in the clash of power hitters. She romped to a 21st straight win in completed matches, a streak dating back more than a year. 

Fans hoping for a repeat of the pair’s engrossing U.S. Open semi-final last year were left disappointed as Brady froze in the spotlight of her first Slam final.

3 Nigerian women lure Indian man in Dubai & force him to transfer money! Hearing is scheduled for March 4!!

A gang robbed Dh280,000 from a Dubai-based Indian man after he was lured into a fake massage parlour, the Dubai Court of First Instance heard.

According to records, the 33-year-old Indian victim saw an offer for a massage session for Dh200 with pictures of beautiful girls promoting it. He contacted the number provided and went as directed to an apartment in the Al Refaa area of Dubai in November 2020. 

“I saw four African women inside the apartment and gave them Dh200. They asked me to open my bank’s application [on my mobile phone] and transfer money. They threatened me with a knife at my throat and slapped me on the face,” said the victim on record. 

One of the women then took his credit card and withdrew Dh30,000 from an ATM. He was kept confined in the apartment for one day as the women transferred Dh250,000 from the victim’s bank account to other accounts. 

“They allowed me to leave the apartment only after they took away my iPhone too. I alerted the bank and reported the incident to police,” added the victim. 

According to Dubai Police, three Nigerian women were arrested from Sharjah after intensive investigations, while a fourth woman is still at large. 

“One of them admitted to luring the victim through the Tinder application, offering massage services and using pictures of beautiful women. They kept the victim locked up inside the apartment and wired the money from his account to different accounts outside the country,” said the policeman on record. 

The three Nigerian defendants have been charged with robbery, issuing threats, keeping the victim forcefully confined inside an apartment and prostitution. 

The next hearing is scheduled for March 4.

If you test positive for #COVID19 in the UAE, report it to the health authority

If you live in the UAE, you’re being reminded by the UAE government that if you test positive for COVID-19 you must report it to the health authority – or you could face a fine.

The Federal Public Prosecution in the UAE has clarified these rules in a tweet this week.

#نلتزم_لننتصر #متّحدين_ومتحدّين#ملتزمون_ياوطن#الامارات #الامارات_العربية_المتحدة #النيابة_العامة_الاتحادية pic.twitter.com/gk6nSYGxo2

— النيابة العامة (@UAE_PP) February 17, 2021

Failure to inform the correct authorities can result in fines between Dhs10,000 and Dhs50,000 and can even result in imprisonment. If you test positive you must visit the Ministry of Health and Prevention or other authorised health authorities to receive treatment, so the UAE can continue to stop the spread of the infection. 

The UAE has launched a vaccination campaign with the aim of vaccinating half of the population by the end of March and more than four million residents and citizens have already had the jab. Everyone aged 16 and over is eligible to receive the vaccine. 

However, at the moment elderly and vulnerable people are being given priority for vaccinations across the country.

Photos: #ValentinesDay: Donald Trump & Melania seen together for the first time since leaving the White House!

Donald Trump has been seen with Melania for the first time since the couple left the White House as they posed for selfies with fans on Valentine's Day.

The former President, 74, and First Lady, 50, beamed for pictures taken in the Mar-a-Lago resort dining room on Sunday. 

The couple were last seen together when they arrived in Florida after snubbing Joe Biden's inauguration last month.

#DeleteFacebook is trending globally! Former CEO of #Facebook urges users to delete the app!!

The former CEO of Facebook has slammed Mark Zuckerberg's 'sad' decision to block news in Australia, while encouraging Aussies to delete the app out of protest.

The US social media giant has infuriated Australians after blocking them from reading and sharing local news in response to a world-first law to make tech giants pay media companies for the content they use. From Thursday, when Australians went to reliable Facebook news accounts they were met with a message saying 'no posts' were available. Even overseas news was hidden. 

Stephen Scheeler, former Facebook Australia and New Zealand chief executive officer, said Facebook's controversial move 'looks and feels ugly' and blasted CEO Mark Zuckerberg's motivations.

Serena Williams pens heartbreaking message to fans after crashing out of the #AustralianOpen

Serena Williams has written an emotional statement to her fans after crashing out of the Australian Open.

The 39-year-old tennis legend suffered a devastating loss to Japanese star Naomi Osaka in straight sets on Thursday, and was seen bursting into tears at a post-match interview when asked about her heartbreaking defeat.

The defeat ended Serena's bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title. 

Alongside a powerful image of her staring up at the sky, Serena wrote that she that the wishes she 'could have done better', before saying how much she 'loves and adores' her fans Down Under. 

'Melbourne and my Australian fans - today was not ideal outcome or performance but it happens... I am so honored to be able to play in front of you all,' she said. 'Your support, your cheers - I only wish I could have done better for you today. I am forever in debt and grateful to each and everyone single one of you.' She signed off with: 'I love you. I love you. I love you. I adore you.'

Photos: Hit-and-run driver who killed Nicki Minaj's father, turns himself in

A man was arrested on Long Island Wednesday for the hit-and-run death of rapper Nicki Minaj's father.

At a news conference from police headquarters, Nassau County Police announced that Charles Polevich, 70, of Guam, had turned himself into police. Polevich also has a home on Long Island. 

On Feb. 12, Robert Minaj, 64, was walking northbound in the roadway on Roslyn Road at about 6:15 p.m when he was struck by a 1992 white Volvo station wagon that was also going northbound, said police. Polevich initially stopped but then continued going. 

Maraj was taken to a hospital where he died overnight. Police had tracked the vehicle using various "pieces of video" to Polevich's home in Mineola. On Wednesday, he was charged with leaving the scene of an auto accident and tampering with evidence. He had no prior criminal record, added police. 

Polevich was freed on bail following an arraignment in Nassau County court. As a result of his arrest, his driver’s license was suspended, he was ordered to surrender his passport and a judge said he can't leave the state. 

"He was absolutely aware of what happened," said Det. Steven Fitzpatrick. 

"He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased, got into his car, and made the conscious decision to leave instead of dialing 911, instead of calling an ambulance for the man. 

He went home and secluded the vehicle. He's well aware of what he did." Nicki Minaj, 38, was born Onika Tanya Maraj in Trinidad and was raised in Queens. 

She has not made any public statement about her father's death.

Facebook will no longer allow people in Australia to read or share news

Facebook will no longer allow people in Australia to read or share news on its platform, the social media giant has said.

The move is a response to the country's proposed Media Bargaining law, which forces tech companies like Facebook and Google to negotiate with news providers to feature their content. 

Those in favour of the law say the rules are needed to 'protect public interest journalism' by making sure outlets are paid for content social media and search engine users read and share.