Monday, November 23, 2009 BAGHDAD: An Iraqi bank has opened a branch entirely dedicated to and operated by women in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, Geo news reported on Sunday.Director of the bank, Amira Issa said the branch was opened in October to meet the needs of women in the city."The idea of opening a women bank has come upon a request from female businesswomen as other ordinary banks are very crowded," Issa said.Even the head of the bank is not allowed to enter the branch because he is male.The only men working for the branch are security guards stationed outside.The branch provides regular bank services including loans and savings accounts in both Iraqi dinars and US dollars. One client, Um Hussein, described the all-female concept as "a good thing bestowed by almighty God"."Now Muslim women can freely conduct our business in this bank as it is run by female staffers," she added.The bank is considering expanding the new model to other parts of Iraq.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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