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published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11679 September 22, 2020 Safar 5, 1442 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir honours outgoing Amir lauds UN’s gains; calls for Iranian ambassador reforms to make the world better

is the Amir OAmir participates in Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani High-Level Meeting of Hyesterday lauded the great contributions made by the United Na- the General Assembly to tions to humanity while urging the Commemorate UN’s 75th world body to renew its commitment to achieve the lofty goals in the fi eld of Anniversary peace, security, development and hu- O man rights. Amir stresses joint His Highness the Amir participated action to address global in the High-Level Meeting of the Gen- eral Assembly to Commemorate the challenges like Covid-19 75th Anniversary of the United Na- OSeeks representation of tions that was held yesterday via video conference at the UN headquarters in the world’s people in the New York, with the participation of UN Security Council a number of heads of states, govern- ments and delegations. pothesis of an existing humanity that Addressing the assembly, His High- binds us together, and a common per- ness the Amir expressed his deep ception of the rights of the human be- appreciation for the eff orts exerted ing and his dignity, thus constituting a during the last months to make this His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani delivering the speech turning point in international relations. meeting come out with the declaration yesterday. “The has made a of world leaders, “which is a historic great stride in achieving the goals document refl ecting the consensus of Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, Permanent the aftermath of the disasters of the Sec- agreed upon by the international com- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met at the Amiri the international community to crys- Representative of Qatar, “is assigned ond World War, by drawing conclusions munity, and has been able over the past Diwan Off ice yesterday with the Iranian ambassador to Qatar Mohamed Ali tallise a unifi ed stance vis-à-vis the to take charge of the task of facilitat- from it and from the absence of a global decades to make many contributions Subhani, who called on him to greet him on the occasion of the end of his common challenges and to achieve the ing negotiations on the content of this framework of relations among nations for the advancement of humanity, sav- tenure in the country. The Amir granted the Iranian ambassador Al Wajbah lofty goals of the United Nations in the declaration, in partnership with the that don’t accept wars as a means of ing millions of people and changing Decoration in recognition of his role in contributing to enhancing bilateral fi eld of peace, security, development Permanent Representative of Sweden”. settling disputes, and agreed upon and their lives for the better, through its relations between Qatar and Iran, wishing him success in his future missions, and human rights as the basic pillars on Appreciating the great contributions binding principles that allow a collective various institutions and organisations, and the relations between the two countries further progress and prosperity. which our organisation was founded”. made by the world body, the Amir said confrontation against genocides. which are no longer conceivable to im- For his part, the ambassador expressed thanks and appreciation to His His Highness the Amir said he was the founding of the United Nations has His Highness the Amir said: “The agine our contemporary world without Highness the Amir and the state’s off icials for the co-operation he received that very pleased that HE Sheikha Alya bint represented a great hope for mankind in United Nations was incepted on a hy- them. To Page 2 contributed to the success of his work in the country. Page 2 Defence Minister meets Qatar marks World Alzheimer’s Day US Secretary of Treasury HE the Deputy Prime Minister and GWC named offi cial logistics Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, who is currently visiting the United States, met in Washington yesterday provider for Qatar 2022 with US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin. During the meeting, they reviewed co-operation atar-based GWC, a dulla bin Fahad bin Jassem bin relations between the two friendly supply chain solutions Jabor al-Thani said, “Today countries and means of enhancing Qleader, was yesterday marks a landmark achievement them. Qatar’s ambassador to the US announced as the “First Re- in the history of GWC as we are Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani gional Supporter and Offi cial entrusted to deliver the logistical and the Qatari Military Attache Logistics Provider” for the requirements for the 2022 FIFA in Washington Colonel Nawaf bin FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. World Cup, and today we be- Mubarak al-Thani attended the As such, GWC will be the come a trusted player in the jour- meeting. key operational supplier of lo- ney towards 2022, proudly doing gistics solutions for the FIFA our part in actualising another Six held for violating World Cup Qatar 2022. milestone of Qatar’s vision. We GWC, which was the National enter this agreement with confi - home quarantine rules Supporter and Offi cial Logistics dence that we will showcase the Competent authorities yesterday Provider for the 2019 FIFA Club GWC chairman Sheikh Abdulla world-class sporting and logis- arrested six people who violated World Cup, will build on this ex- bin Fahad bin Jassem bin tics infrastructure that Qatar has the legal requirements of the perience and draw on its robust Jabor al-Thani. developed over the years, while home quarantine. The six persons network of contacts throughout embodying the values of sports- being referred to prosecution are: the world to deliver logistics and gional Supporter and the Offi - manship and encouraging active Salman Ahmed Yousef Hassan supply chain services for the cial Logistics Provider for the engagement of football enthusi- al-Obaidli, Ali Mohamed Ali Jassmi, Qatar marked World Alzheimer’s Day with special events and by lighting up key buildings in purple, 2022 FIFA World Cup . tournament will provide FIFA asts and wider audiences.” Ahmed Refaat Mohamed Abu the colour that represents Alzheimer’s awareness around the world. Throughout September, Speaking about the an- and its commercial affi liates GWC, with strong capa- Dunya, Abdullah Mohamed Hamad Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has been supporting World Alzheimer’s Month with a series of nouncement, FIFA’s chief com- with crucial support and ex- bilities in warehousing, freight al-Amyaa al- Heneitem, Salem public events to raise awareness about the disease. Yesterday, a section of the Corniche was mercial offi cer Simon Thomas pertise in logistics and supply forwarding, commercial, fi ne Jaber Hamad Haff ar al-Qreem and also illuminated in purple and several HMC off icials were present to mark the occasion. The Public said: “Logistics are critical chain management, which will art, and event logistics serv- Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim Daalouj Works Authority (Ashghal) also expressed solidarity with Alzheimer’s patients on the occasion in to an event as large and com- ensure a smooth and effi cient ices, has a logistical infrastruc- al-Kubaisi. The authorities have co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health. Pictured are purple-coloured light poles on the plex as the FIFA World Cup, so delivery of the competition.” ture covering more than 3mn called on citizens and residents who road to Hamad International Airport. Page 16 having GWC on board as a Re- GWC chairman Sheikh Ab- square metres. are subject to quarantine to fully adhere to the requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health. Health sector working hard to face pandemic Over 60 wealthy nations join WHO’s Covid vaccine plan Managing Director of the Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC) Dr Mariam AFP line fell, 64 were onboard with an- Ali Abdulmalik underlined that the Geneva other 38 expected to join in “coming Covid-19 may damage health sector, since the outbreak days”, the three organisations said in bone marrow cells of the coronavirus (Covid-19) a joint statement. pandemic, has worked hard and ore than 60 wealthy nations Among those who have signed up Even bone marrow may not be a safe harbour with dedication around the clock to have joined a WHO-backed are “the European Commission ... on from the ravages of Covid-19, according to protect the society and to address Mprogramme to facilitate poor behalf of 27 EU member states plus a study that found previously unrecognized the pandemic. In remarks yesterday, countries’ access to coronavirus vac- Norway and Iceland,” it said. changes in newly produced immune cells, she said that the PHCC has spared cines, but the US and China are not on The United States, which under called monocytes, released into the blood no eff ort in overcoming this ordeal the list published yesterday. President has relent- from bone marrow. To learn more about how and providing health services The World Health Organisation lessly criticised the WHO’s handling the body responds to Covid-19, researchers in accordance with the highest has in coordination with the global of the pandemic and which is in the obtained serial “snapshots” of patients’ international standards. Page 2 vaccine alliance group Gavi and the process of withdrawing from the or- immune health by analysing their immune cells Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness ganisation, is not on the list. at multiple points during their hospital stays. May attacks ‘reckless’ Innovations (CEPI) created a mecha- And China, where the novel coro- Covid reinfections occur UK Brexit plan nism aimed at ensuring a more eq- navirus fi rst surfaced late last year, is uitable distribution of any future also absent. Another case of reinfection after recovery Britain’s former prime minister Covid-19 vaccines. “The purpose of the Covax facility from Covid-19 has been reported, this time said she would not But the mechanism, known as is to try to work with every country in a healthy young military healthcare support the government’s new Covax, has struggled to raise the in the world,” Gavi chief Seth Berkley provider at a US Department of Defense Brexit legislation, which will break funds needed to provide for the 92 told a virtual briefi ng when asked hospital in Virginia. He was first infected by international law, accusing the low-income countries and other about China’s absence from the list. a patient in March. He recovered within 10 government of acting “recklessly and economies that quickly signed up. Volunteers serve food in a soup kitchen at a public square in Asuncion “I can assure you that we have had days and “returned ... to excellent health,”. irresponsibly”. May said the draft law WHO had encouraged richer na- yesterday, amid the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The novel coronavirus conversations and will continue to Fifty-one days later, he was reinfected by a would “lead to untold damage to the tions to step up to the plate by the has killed at least 910,300 people worldwide, including almost 659 in have conversations with all coun- household member. United Kingdom’s reputation”. end of last week and when the dead- Paraguay, since the outbreak emerged in China last December. tries,” he said. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 QATAR

Amir congratulates president of Malta

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent Health sector yesterday cables of congratula- tions to Malta’s President George Vella on the anniversary of his country’s Independence Day. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani also sent a similar cable to Prime Minister ‘working hard Robert Abela. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Amir sends greetings to Armenian leader His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His to confront Amir lauds Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables of congratula- tions to Armenia President Armen UN’s gains and Sarkissian on the anniversary of his country’s Independence Day. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid coronavirus’ calls for reforms bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani also sent a similar cable to Prime QNA the importance of building a healthy society free of diseases, under its umbrella in confront- Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Doha healthy society in promoting and realises that prevention is ing the coronavirus pandemic, From Page 1 ternational multilateral ac- the comprehensive develop- better than cure, through the Dr Mariam Abdulmalik said tion, His Highness the Amir ment process at all levels. National Health Strategy 2018- that Qatar’s strategy to respond “But it is still falling short of said it necessitates hard work anaging Director of Based on this fact, the PHCC 2022, which emphasises the to the (Covid-19) pandemic re- fi nding the necessary mecha- to overcome the obstacles the Primary Health has committed to achieving the importance of health educa- lies heavily on examining com- nisms to impose its principles “that hinder our joint eff orts, MCare Corporation strategic recommendations, tion, in addition to the medical munity members, tracking cas- on its members, while the to achieve a comprehensive Qatar (PHCC) Dr Mariam Ali Ab- which focus on the health of the services provided by the State es and placing them in health right of might still outweighs reform, especially the is- dulmalik underlined that the patient, and on facilitating the to the citizen, resident and visi- isolation as part of its eff orts to the might of right in diff erent sue of representation of the health sector, since the out- experience of individuals and tor alike. reduce the spread of infection regions of the world and in world’s people in the UN Se- attends break of the coronavirus (Cov- families when they need any of She explained that the PHCC in the community. diff erent areas of our life. curity Council, as well as the id-19) pandemic, has worked the PHCC services. launched its strategic plan for She added that early detec- “Today, as we are on the mechanisms of implementing hard and with dedication She underlined that the 2019-2023 under the slogan, “A tion of cases contributes to threshold of the third decade its resolutions, avoidance of regional around the clock to protect the “Health for All” is not just a Healthier Future for Our Fami- early treatment as well, which of the current century, and double standards in imple- society and to address the pan- slogan, but rather a clear ap- lies”, consisting of six basic pri- may prevent the emergence despite these appreciated ef- mentation, and review of in- demic. proach based on a well-studied ority areas, 20 strategic goals of complications, and this has forts, the world is still facing ternal regulations that corre- conference In remarks yesterday, she said plan of action that aims at the and 80 strategic activities. contributed to the low death emerging and unprecedented late common security issues that the PHCC has spared no ef- continuous development of Two of the six priority ar- rates from the virus in Qatar, challenges in various aspects, with the positions of each of fort in this matter, in addition to services and the geographi- eas are centred on the patient to be among the lowest rates in foremost of which are the ex- the fi ve major states”. QNA the intensive and daily directives cal and service expansion, through providing integrated the world in terms of the virus- acerbation of regional and In this context, His High- Rome from HE the Minister of Public through adopting an integrated and high quality family medi- related deaths. international fl ash points of ness the Amir reaffi rmed Qa- Health to follow up the process care model that starts with the cine and focusing on preven- In the past few months, “we tension, disarmament prob- tar’s steadfast position in sup- of work, in order to withstand family doctor as the fi rst point tive health, while the other four have had to learn and develop lematic issues, environmental porting and embodying the atar participated in the and overcome this ordeal and to of contact for the customer areas relate to the workforce, faster than ever before, and I issues, sustainable develop- principles and objectives of meetings of the 35th ses- provide proper health services service, whether to promote strong partnerships with pa- am confi dent that we will con- ment, terrorism and other the United Nations charter. Qsion of the Regional Con- in accordance with the highest a healthy lifestyle and disease tients, families and communi- tinue to face challenges with global challenges. “We stress the need to im- ference for the Near East and international standards. prevention, or to provide treat- ties, improvement of the pri- the same determination and “Among the most serious plement the political dec- North Africa (NERC 35) hosted She added that Qatar and ment services. mary care system, co-operation commitment to the quality that challenges that have encoun- laration adopted today by virtually by the Sultanate of its wise leadership paid excep- She underlined that the for patient care and safety, as we have achieved so far. We are tered the international com- promoting multilateralism from Sept 21-22. tional attention to the health health sector in Qatar competes well as an eff ective and innova- proud of the progress we have munity since the founding of and preventive diplomacy, Ambassador of the State of sector, to enable citizens and with global services in terms of tive organisation. made, and we will continue the United Nations is the issue respecting the sovereignty of Qatar to and the state’s Per- residents enjoy high qual- quality, speed and availability On the success of the Min- our work closely with our com- of collectively addressing the states and dealing with them manent Representative to the UN ity health services at any time, of human and material capa- istry of Public Health and the munity partners in our battle threat of epidemics. on an equal footing, address- Agencies in Rome Abdulaziz bin stemming from the belief in bilities, in an eff ort to create a health institutions operating against (Covid-19),” she said. “The confrontation of the ing resolutely the use of force Ahmed al-Malki headed Qatar’s Covid-19 pandemic and its in international relations, delegation to the meetings. dangerous negative repercus- fi nding solutions to protracted The meetings will discuss food sions on lives, public health crises and confl icts based on systems in order to achieve sus- and countries’ economies is international law and deci- tainable development goals and PM meets Iranian ambassador supposed to remind us that sions of the international le- to address the eff ects of the coro- the people on earth are tanta- gitimacy, respecting the rule navirus (Covid 19) pandemic. HE the Prime Minister mount to one family facing a of law on the national and in- They will also discuss several and Minister of Interior common destiny, and that co- ternational levels, activating issues related to development Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa operation and joint action are the role of women and youth policies in the countries of the bin Abdulaziz al-Thani met inevitable to address global in all fi elds, using the scien- region, especially the increas- yesterday with Iranian challenges. tifi c progress in proper and le- ing dependence on food imports ambassador to Qatar “Our meeting today consti- gitimate manner, implement- and the current curve of the mal- Mohamed Ali Subhani on tutes an important opportu- ing international declarations nutrition situation, in addition the occasion of the end of nity to renew the commitment and accords and achieving the to laying out perceptions and his tenure in the country. of the international commu- goals of the United Nations prospects for a solution to the During the meeting, HE nity to the letter and spirit of Sustainable Development region’s crises in agricultural de- the prime minister wished the United Nations Charter, Agenda 2030.” velopment and the food security the ambassador success and that it will continue to be His Highness the Amir re- sector. in his future tasks and the a beacon for our international iterated Qatar’s commitment relations between the two action, and a stepping stone to work with the United Na- countries further progress for us to strengthen interna- tions, pursue its support for it and prosperity. tional co-operation to achieve and promote partnership with its lofty goals. its agencies to enable it to face Calling for a serious evalu- the common global challenges Municipal ation and review of the in- and achieve its desired goals. sector among fi rst MoPH reports 120,540 action plan in region to roll out reviewed

QNA Netgear Nighthawk M5 total Covid recoveries Doha

oredoo announced yes- and data usage can be viewed us- QNA healthcare sector for Covid-19 he first annual planning terday it is among the ing a smartphone or tablet. Doha patients forum organised by the Ofi rst operators in the Customers purchasing the z Qatar’s young population TMinistry of Municipal- Middle East region to adopt the new device will get double No- z Proactive testing to iden- ity and Environment via video Netgear Nighthawk M5 as a ma- joom points. Speaking about the he Ministry of Public tify cases early conference continued for the jor new device in its nationwide Netgear Nighthawk M5, Sabah Health (MoPH) an- z Expanding hospital capac- second day, under the chair- quest for 5G customer service. Rabiah al-Kuwari, director, PR at Tnounced yesterday 228 ity, especially intensive care, to manship of HE the Minister Ooredoo joins other leading Ooredoo, said: “Ooredoo strives new confi rmed cases of coro- ensure all patients receive the of Municipality and Environ- regional telecommunications op- to deliver excellent 5G customer navirus (Covid-19) during the medical care they need ment Abdullah bin Abdulaziz erators in deploying this game- service, and a powerful new de- last 24 hours, of which 217 are z Protecting the elderly and bin Turki al-Subaie, and with changing equipment, which vice like this can provide the lead- from community cases and those with chronic diseases the participation of a number promises incredible 5G mobile ing edge of such work. “As our 11 from travellers returning Even though restrictions are of assistant undersecretaries, broadband Internet, download audience acquires more devices from abroad who are subject being lifted, and numbers are directors of municipalities and speeds of up to 3Gbps and the ca- – smartphones, laptops, tablets – to quarantine. declining, this does not mean departments. pability to connect up to 32 devic- and looks for high-quality video It also reported the death that the Covid-19 pandemic is During yesterday’s session, es simultaneously without com- streaming in all kinds of places, it of a 49-year-old patient who over in Qatar as people continue Assistant Undersecretary for promising on speed or reliability. is exciting to fi nd and distribute was receiving the necessary to be admitted with moderate to Municipal Affairs Mansour Customers can expect a power- such an advanced technological medical care. severe Covid-19 symptoms. Abdullah al-Mahmoud re- ful, long-lasting battery, an intui- solution to these requirements.” The MoPH also recorded “Unless we follow all pre- viewed the municipal sector tive touch screen and parental ac- Customers can purchase the 237 recoveries from the vi- cautionary measures, we may action plan.Then, the directors cess controls, and can manage the new Netgear Nighthawk M5 mo- rus during the past 24 hours, experience a second wave of and representatives of the mu- device via the Netgear mobile App bile broadband device at Ooredoo bringing the total number of the virus and see numbers in- nicipalities reviewed the work through which connection status shops or via the Ooredoo eShop. cases recovered in Qatar to creasing — there are already plans of each municipality fol- 120,540. signs of this happening in other lowed by an open discussion, The MoPH issued a state- countries around the world. questions and responses. ment on Covid-19 develop- Avoid close contact with others, HE the minister instructed ments in Qatar, which said all crowded places and confi ned all municipal directors to sim- new cases have been trans- closed spaces where other peo- plify the procedures of the ferred into isolation and are ple aggregate. Now more than services provided, to speed up receiving necessary health- ever, we must be careful and their delivery to customers, and care. protect the most vulnerable.” to closely follow up on their The health ministry said While the restrictions of observations through the ex- measures to tackle Covid-19 is continuing to decline each munity. Qatar has one of the Covid-19 are gradually being pansion of electronic services in Qatar have succeeded in week. Qatar’s proactive and lowest Covid-19 death rates in lifted in Qatar, it is impor- within the ministry’s ‘Auto- fl attening the curve and lim- extensive testing of suspected the world. tant for everyone to play their mation’ project, and the im- iting the spread of the virus cases has enabled the minis- This is due to: role in controlling the virus plementation of any initiatives and the number of new daily try to identify a high number z Very high quality of care by following precautionary that achieve customer satisfac- cases and hospital admissions of positive cases in the com- provided thorough the public measures. tion. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 3 QATAR

More than 1,000 deals up for grabs with new Vodafone My Book

odafone Qatar has rolled more than 500 of the most pop- The new initiative is part of Vo- partnership with Qatar’s home- lifestyle tab in the MyVodafone data and minutes, and include a out the Vodafone ‘My ular merchants in Qatar across dafone Qatar’s continuous eff orts grown company, My Book Qatar, App or via the Vodafone My Book host of digital lifestyle services VBook Qatar’ App that restaurants (including takeaway to off er best-in-class digital serv- one of the country’s leading pro- Qatar App available on both An- with the leading brands in areas, gives its postpaid and prepaid & home delivery), hotels, theme ices, it was announced in a state- viders of digital loyalty and reward droid and iOS. such as music, shopping, travel, Qatar App, “cements Vodafone Qa- customers access to over 1,000 parks, health & fi tness, spas, ment yesterday. solutions. Vodafone customers For several years, Vodafone Qa- and entertainment. This latest of- tar’s position as the leading digital buy-one-get-one-free off ers at shopping and much more. The App is off ered through a can access these deals through the tar’s mobility plans go beyond just fering of the Vodafone My Book lifestyle provider in the country.”

Training course for new batch of Qatari real estate brokers

The Ministry of Justice’s Legal and Judicial Studies 2017 regulating real estate brokerage, the Qatari Centre launched yesterday a specialised training companies law promulgated by Law No 11 of 2015, Justice minister launches course for the 3rd batch of Qatari real estate bro- Law No 6 of 2014 regulating Real Estate develop- kers, within the framework of licensing procedures ment, and civil code law issued by Law No 22 of under the provisions of Law No 22 of 2017 regulat- 2004, and combating money laundering and ter- ing real estate brokerage, QNA reported. rorism financing law promulgated by Law No 20 of The course aims to provide participants with the 2019. These parts deal with a number of important e-system to raise effi ciency necessary information and skills to apply the provi- topics, including general provisions for real estate sions regulating real estate brokerage business in brokerage, the rights and obligations of the real Qatari law, by explaining the general provisions of estate broker, and the pillars and provisions of the QNA cadres in the Information Sys- real estate brokerage and the competent author- mediation contract. Doha tems Department at the Ministry ity to regulate and control them as well as the The course also reviews the definition of real estate of Justice will make a qualitative provisions for licensing the practice of real estate brokerage and real estate broker in Qatari law, the leap in the conduct of lawsuit brokerage and licensing procedures. organisational structure of the real estate broker- E the Minister of Justice procedures, and enable the con- It also aims to introduce the rights and obliga- age department and its terms of reference, the real and Acting Minister of cerned authorities in the system tions of the real estate broker and the rules for estate brokers aff airs committee and the speciali- HState for Cabinet Aff airs to review and follow-up on them disciplinary and criminal accountability, explain the sations entrusted to it, the general conditions for Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi in a timely manner. general basis of brokerage or mediation contracts granting licences to practice the profession of real inaugurated yesterday an elec- For his part, Director of the and the provisions related to them, and introduce estate brokerage, the procedures for obtaining it tronic system for the State Cases Information Systems Depart- the broker’s obligations in the field of combating and the rules of grievance. Department. ment at the Ministry of Justice money laundering and terrorist financing. The course comes within the framework of the pro- The programme aims to up- Khaled Mohamed Ibrahim ex- In order to deepen the participants understanding cedures initiated by the real estate brokerage aff airs grade the services of the State plained that the launch of this of the general objectives of the course, the course department at the Ministry of Justice to promote Cases Department at the Min- system came within the package was divided into several parts, which were based the real estate brokerage profession and to regulate istry of Justice for the benefi t of of digital projects that are being in their entirety on the provisions of Law No 22 of the granting of licenses in the local market. various government agencies, implemented in the ministry, and to facilitate their follow- adding that the state cases sys- up procedures for the lawsuits tem is based on two pillars: the brought by them and against fi rst is internal, and it serves the them, in a way that reduces time concerned department in terms Banned substance smuggling foiled and eff ort, and provides new of computerising the system possibilities for strengthening HE the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet data and the organisation of the The Air Cargo Customs thwarted attempts justice systems. Affairs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi. internal work of the department, to smuggle tambaku, a type of chewing The launch of the new pro- and the second serves the gov- tobacco banned in Qatar. Tambaku packs gramme comes within the State Cases Department at the framework of HE the minister’s ernment agencies, allowing it weighing a total of 27kg were found hidden framework of the Ministry of Ministry of Justice to facilitate supervision and follow-up to the to easily view and inquire about inside a consignment of various foodstuff s, Justice’s digital transformation the process of following up judi- State Cases programme to en- cases and know their details and the General Authority of Customs (GAC) plan and in line with the lat- cial cases, whether by ministries sure that it meets the vision and course. announced through its social media est international standards and and other government agencies objectives of the ministry by re- He pointed out that the sys- accounts. In September second week, the successful judicial experiences or the State Cases Department sponding to the digital transfor- tem is characterised by ensuring Air Cargo Customs off icials seized banned for preserving, circulation and and to improve supervision over mation, and facilitating access the continuity of the work linked Captagon pills that were being smuggled to archiving documents and data, the course of work and the speed to the State Cases Department’s to the old system’s database, Qatar. As many as 34,990 pills were found and within the provision of the of completion. services and its communication in order to preserve all current to be concealed inside a consignment of technical system capable of link- Director of the State Cases with the concerned authorities and previous data, and it will small tables. In July, Air Cargo Customs foiled ing electronically with various Department at the Ministry of in an effi cient manner that en- also enable the speed of com- attempts to smuggle four packs of crystal government agencies directly Justice Khalid Abdullah al-Zaraa hances the performance of the munication and integration with meth (methamphetamine) weighing 734gm related to the State Cases De- affi rmed that the State Cases Qatari legal system. other technical systems in force through Hamad International Airport. partment. System, which was launched Al-Zaraa said that the at other parties, by applying the This programme allows the yesterday, came within the achievement of the technical latest technical standards. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 QATAR Human rights basis of Qatar’s progress: envoy

QNA pendence and integrity. they value the eff orts of the Geneva Al-Mansouri stressed that Working Group in presenting Qatar will continue its eff orts objective and constructive rec- Maj-Gen Abdullah Mohamed al-Suwaidi and Dr Javaid Sheikh sign in implementing recommenda- ommendations, they have noted the agreement. atar said it is moving tions related to the promotion that the report contains some ahead with its reform and protection of workers’ rights recommendations that did not Qapproach, which is based in co-operation with the Inter- take into account the cultural on improving human rights con- national Labour Organisation. and religious nature of the state ditions as a basis for progress Within the framework of the and society. and development, and reiterated measures implemented to ad- In this regard, he stressed that its continuous co-operation dress and respond to the coro- there is no unifi ed model that MoI, WCM-Q with the Human Rights Council. navirus pandemic, al-Mansouri can be considered an ideal model Ambassador Ali Khalfan al- explained that the authorities in for the interpretation of human Mansouri, Qatar’s Permanent Ambassador Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri speaks at an interactive Qatar have taken precautionary rights standards and principles. Representative to the UN Offi ce measures since the start of the He also stressed that the ex- sign agreement dialogue during the 45th session of the Human Rights Council. in Geneva, said Qatar will work crisis. istence of acceptable practices in to take into account recom- special procedures holders last its visit to the country, and it is The health and security au- certain societies does not make mendations and observations years and looks forward to the pleased to point out that work is thorities, he said, have imple- them ideal practices that should made by the special procedures fi fth visit at the end of this year. already underway to implement mented since mid-March a se- be applied in all countries, add- on forensic mechanism in line with the hu- He thanked the Working a number of these recommen- ries of measures in the Central ing that this is what was em- man rights obligations arising Group on Arbitrary Detention dations, which includes setting Prison to protect prisoners from phasised by the fi fth paragraph from the conventions to which for accepting the invitation and the minimum age of criminal the risk of infection, as prisoners of Vienna Declaration and Pro- the State has acceded. visiting Qatar from November 3 responsibility in line with the undergo periodic medical ex- gramme of Action of 1993. science course Speaking at an interactive di- to 14, 2019. provisions of the Convention on aminations, and a proactive ex- He welcomed the team’s praise alogue with the Working Group Al-Mansouri also appreci- the Rights of the Child and con- amination to monitor new cases of the progress made in Qatar he Ministry of Interior ment and described it as an op- on Arbitrary Detention regard- ated the constructive discus- tinuing the implementation of was implemented, in addition to and the positive developments has signed an agreement portunity for students of the ing its report on its visit to the sions conducted during the visit, the MoU between Hamad Medi- distributing personal protective represented by Qatar’s accession Twith Weill Cornell Medi- College to train in forensic medi- country during the 45th session which he considered a valuable cal Corp and the Ministry of In- kits such as masks and sterilisers to international human rights cine-Qatar (WCM-Q) to extend cine at the MoI centre and ben- of the Human Rights Council, opportunity to examine the terior to provide psychological to all prisoners. instruments, in addition to the co-operation in implementing efi t from the expertise of doctors al-Mansouri said based on Qa- achievements made in the fi eld care in places of detention and He added that His Highness existence of multiple monitor- an optional course in forensic working there and learn about tar’s fi rm belief in the impor- of the Group’s mandate and the in society, in addition to con- the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin ing mechanisms over places of medicine. the work they do. tance of work carried out by challenges that remain. tinuing the implementation of Hamad al-Thani last April par- detention, the societal approach The course will be presented The co-operation agreement special procedures holders, it He added that the government the strategic plan for training of doned more than 500 prisoners, taken by the State in providing by WCM-Q in co-operation with includes providing good material will continue its co-operation took note of the recommenda- the Supreme Judiciary Council which contributed to reducing psychological care, and the es- the Forensic Medicine Centre at for college students during the with them. tions of the Working Group that and the Public Prosecution and the number of prisoners. tablishment of the National Hu- the ministry, the MoI said in a study period for specialisation, He said Qatar received four were presented at the end of enhancing their effi ciency, inde- Al-Mansouri said that while man Rights Committee. press statement. which combines the tasks of the The agreement was signed by doctor and investigator at the the assistant director of Pub- same time. lic Security, Maj-Gen Abdullah MoI Planning and Quality De- Mohamed al-Suwaidi, and dean partment director Brigadier Ab- of WCM-Q Dr Javaid Sheikh. dul Rahman Majid al-Sulaiti said Speaking on the occasion, under the agreement, WCM-Q Use trusted apps, programs to link Maj-Gen al-Suwaidi said fo- students who are registered for rensic medicine is “one of the the subject will receive appropri- main pillars of achieving justice, ate training from faculty mem- uncovering crime, decoding its bers in addition to an integrated vagueness and helping the judi- team of forensic doctors at the to home security systems: MoI ciary, prosecution and investiga- ministry’s Forensic Medicine tion offi cers reach the perpetra- Centre. tor”. He noted that the MoI had he Ministry of Interior (MoI) has tect your privacy and keep your home of the user manual that comes with the He noted that the agreement previously developed similar co- advised people to ensure that they security camera system safe from being security camera to understand how to use between WCM-Q and the Fo- operation between the Centre Tuse only trusted programs and ap- hacked, please choose a strong password it and how to change the password, and rensic Medicine Centre would and the College of Medicine at plications to connect to their home secu- that contains letters, numbers and sym- to ensure the security requirements,” the contribute to the participation . rity systems remotely. bols, and change it periodically”. ministry had said. of faculty members at the Col- Brigadier al-Sulaiti stressed This comes in continuation of the tips Further, it stressed that the “safe and According to information available on lege with the forensic team at the that the MoI is constantly work- being off ered by the ministry through so- optimal use of home security camera the MoI website, the Security Systems Centre to provide educational ing in co-operation with aca- cial media on the safe use of home secu- systems requires prior technical inspec- Department provides several services to curriculum and training in fo- demic bodies, research centres rity camera systems. tion of the site by the company to decide implement the law regulating the use of rensic medicine. and civil society institutions in On Sunday, the MoI had advised resi- the required number of devices and its cameras and security surveillance sys- For his part, Dr Sheikh wel- the country to achieve the com- dents to get home surveillance devices specifi cations”. This step is important in tems. These services can be classifi ed as comed the co-operation agree- mon good, security and stability. only from accredited suppliers to ensure ensuring the privacy of others, the MoI follows: that the system was safe for use. added. z Issuing licences for security surveil- “To ensure the safe use of home secu- “It is preferable to request (for) a tech- lance systems and devices after confi rm- rity camera systems and to keep them safe nical inspection from the company for the ing their conformity by the Inspections from being hacked, please visit the link site to determine the required devices in Section. Security Systems Department at http:// accordance with the purpose of use and z Issuing conformity certifi cates for Blood donation camp moi.gov.qa before buying them to ensure ensure that the privacy of others is not cameras and security surveillance devices that the company is accredited,” the min- violated,” a notifi cation on Twitter said. and places of installation. atar Tamizhar Sangam, an associate of Indian Cultural Centre, istry had said. they are using trusted programs and ap- Earlier, the ministry had urged people z Preparing and deciding bids for in- is hosting a blood donation camp at Hamad Medical Corpora- Besides visiting the link on the min- plications while connecting to the home to go through the user manual of home stalling cameras and security surveillance Qtion’s Blood Donor Centre on September 25 from 8am to 1pm. istry’s website, people can also call network remotely. This is “to keep your security camera systems and devices to devices, in co-ordination with the com- For more information and registration, the following offi cials may 2343999 to get the relevant information. home security camera safe from being learn about the various options and re- petent bodies. be contacted: Ramaselvam (33750357), Prabhakar (55882015), Selva- Providing further advice yesterday, the hacked”, it said in a post on Twitter. quirements. z Issuing licences for importing cam- ganesh (33614790), Nagulan (33199845), Prabhuselvan (30869659), MoI said people should make sure that The ministry also advised that “to pro- “We recommend that you obtain a copy eras and security surveillance devices. or Mohanasundaram (33138139).

Qatar ensures rights of elderly: offi cial

QNA To confi rm this, the Plan- Geneva ning and Statistics Author- ity of Qatar used to provide various statistical data to atar stressed the governmental and non-gov- importance of data ernmental agencies because Qrelated to older per- of the importance of this sons in determining the data in putting policies and measures necessary to be strategies, including those taken to ensure they enjoy related to comprehensive their rights and to provide development, he added. services to them. With regard to data re- This came in a statement lated to the older persons, he delivered by Deputy Perma- said, the Planning and Sta- nent Representative of the tistics Authority has co-op- State of Qatar to the United erated, through the service Nations Offi ce in Geneva of preparing surveys, ques- Abdullah Hamad al-Nuaimi tionnaires and opinion polls, during the interactive dia- to assist the Centre of Em- logue at the 45th session of powerment and Elderly Care the Human Rights Council. (Ehsan) to conduct research Al-Nuaimi welcomed on the conditions and needs Claudia Mahler, the in- of the elderly in the Qatari dependent expert on the society, where advanced enjoyment of all human digital techniques provided rights by older persons, and by the Planning and Statis- wished her success in car- tics Authority were used in rying out her mandate and order to reach accurate sci- affi rming readiness to co- entifi c results. operate with her. This research aimed to He also commended the improve and support the eff ort made by Rosa Korn- services that are provided to feld-Matte and thanked her the elderly, based on scien- for distinguished perform- tifi c studies and integrated ance during her tenure. statistical data on the eld- He agreed with Mahler’s erly in Qatar. opinion on the importance of Based on available and re- data related to older persons newable statistical data, Eh- in determining the measures san Centre used to provide necessary to be taken in or- a variety of care services der to ensure that they enjoy targeting the elderly in their their rights and the services homes and in specialised directed to them. care homes, he said. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 5 QATAR

Mathaf panel discussion to explore Qatari arts and culture

s part of its ongoing ef- Lina Ramadan, assistant cu- forts to spark construc- rator at Mathaf said: “For more Ative debate and engage the than half a century, Qatar’s cul- wider community, Mathaf: Arab tural landscape has been shaped Museum of Modern Art will host by local and regional infl uences an online panel discussion on Art across the Arab world that have and Cultural Narratives in Qatar laid the foundation for what tomorrow from 8pm-9pm, in is today a rich and vibrant art conjunction with the exhibition scene. The panel discussion Lived Forward: Art and Culture promises to provide illuminat- Participants take part in the virtual Doha Debates event. in Doha from 1960-2020, cur- ing insights on the varied ele- rently on show at Mathaf. ments and historical events that The exhibition curator, Lina have inspired the works of artists Ramadan, will lead the discus- and cultural practitioners and sion with guest speakers Dr moulded the country’s intricate Mahjoob Zweiri, director of tapestry of arts and culture.” the Gulf Studies Centre at Qa- Several topics relating to the tar University; and Salman al- evolution of Qatar’s arts and cul- Global institutions need Malik, artist and director of the ture landscape will be explored, Visual Arts Centre, Ministry of including the formative collabo- Culture and Sports in Doha, who rations that defi ned the infra- will trace the development of structure for Qatar’s artist-run . spaces, museums and research; The discussion will detail key how Qatari art is connected to moments and under-regarded other regional and international radical reforms: experts group initiatives that established trends and movements; and how an infrastructure for art experi- to rethink the existing narratives n the eve of the United dysfunctional and impotent. “now fi lled by global leaders manity faces – from climate that the status quo is acceptable mentation and discourse in Qa- that limit past and current read- Nations’ 75th anniversa- Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian with fascist inclinations who change and unbearable inequal- in any way. Equally, we’ve seen tar. ings of Qatar’s history. Ory, experts told a world- women’s rights advocate and are making personal bargains for ity, to unpayable debts and in- consensus around the fact that wide Doha Debates audience 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the destinies of the people.” voluntary migration - is a global we shouldn’t be ripping up the that the UN and other global in- urged leaders to reform, rather She said those leaders are problem in need of an inter- existing international order.” stitutions must be radically re- than scrap and create, interna- “toying with the democratic in- national solution. Never have At two points during the pro- formed or replaced if they are to tional institutions. stitutions more easily and more we needed global governance gramme, a judging panel of doz- better address the world’s most “We need to start building the dangerously than we could ever more,” he said. ens of young people around the daunting challenges. UN from the foundation, not imagine”, and called for “an in- Varoufakis said the only logi- world voted on the merits of the The virtual debate - the fi rst create a new UN,” she said. “The ternational alliance of grass- cal solution is “a new plan and arguments of the debate speak- event in a series of solutions- foundation the UN was created roots movements. new institutions - any less can- ers. During the fi rst round of focused sessions hosted by on was people. The value of the “We need to assemble move- not deliver humanity from un- voting, Varoufakis’ position res- (QF) as part UN still stands. ments around the globe and necessary suff ering and climate onated the most with the virtual of 2020 Global Goals Week - “No new institution will make them occupy where big change.” audience, with 39.67% of the brought together speakers from function and do any better than decisions are made. We must In the programme’s solutions- vote, with Gbowee’s position Turkey, Greece and Liberia, and any of the current institutions if redefi ne power, so it is not easily focused Majlis segment, Doha not far behind at 36.87%, and an international panel of young the values of human life, the val- corrupted.” Debates connector Dr Govinda Temelkuran coming in last with debate judges, including QF stu- ues of equality, and the values of Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s Clayton noted that “most of the 23.47%. In the second round of dents. justice are not front and centre.” former fi nance minister and consensus has been focused on voting, Gbowee swayed more of The debaters argued for vary- Turkish author and political now a member of its parliament, the broad understanding that the judging panel to her posi- ing degrees of transformational commentator Ece Temelkuran argued that present-day global things have to change. Nobody tion, gaining 40.77% of the vote, change, characterising present- said that global institutions institutions are broken beyond is suggesting that the system with Varoufakis and Temelkuran day global institutions as well- have lost the moral high ground repair and must be replaced. we have now is functioning in a garnering 29.77% and 29.45% Abdelwahed al-Mawlawi’s The intentioned but increasingly and credibility, leaving a void “Every major challenge, hu- way in which we’d like it to, or respectively. Salman al-Malik’s Untitled, 1984. Bisht Maker, 1965. Eco-tourism group to hold QM marks International Day mangroves cleanup drive of Peace with unique art work

atari company Peninsula atar Museums (QM) Compass Tourism’s pre- highlighted a unique Qmier brand 365 Adven- Qartwork titled ‘A Mes- tures Qatar has announced it will sage of Peace to the World’ by run a kayak trip every Thursday Iraqi artist Ahmed al-Bahrani through Al Thakhira Mangroves to mark the International Day of on a cleanup mission. Peace 2020 yesterday. “We decided to launch the new The bronze sculpture is lo- initiative, after completing the cated at Hamad International Purple Island cleanup on Sep- Airport’s passenger train’s tember 18, along with the help South Node station. It honours of Seashore Recycling Group,” the work of Qatar-based non- 365 Adventures co-founder and Participants of a kayak trip through Al Thakhira Mangroves. profi t organisation Reach Out managing partner Mohamed To Asia (Rota), which supports Meraj said in a statement. night camping is slowly gearing under the Ministry of Municipality primary and secondary educa- Being one of the ‘fi rst and up to lay the foundation to the and Environment. tion in underprivileged coun- ‘A Message of Peace to the World’ by Iraqi artist Ahmed al-Bahrani is located at HIA. highest rated’ companies on upcoming eco-lodge project with The proposed cleanup itiner- tries throughout Asia. TripAdvisor in Qatar, 365 Ad- outdoor education programmes ary will follow the same route, In recognition of the vital to the well-being of children. QM noted that the annual peace by observing non-vio- ventures has a local base camp for students in Qatar and lodging with customers given a bag per work Rota has done, al-Bah- Al-Bahrani has folded the logo celebration began in 1982 with lence for 24 hours, according launch point next to Al Thakhira facilities built on 100% renew- kayak to collect trash from the rani, who has been living in into the shape of a cube such the ringing of the Peace Bell at to QM. Mangroves Forest facing the Pur- able or sustainable resources, ac- mangroves. Ehteraz app health Doha since 1999, conceived the that the surfaces of the sculp- the United Nations headquar- “Peace means much more ple Island (also known as Jazirat cording to the statement. status to be green is mandatory. sculpture by drawing on Rota’s ture are elaborated with the ters in New York. than an absence of war and Ben Ghannam), taking tours of The mangrove forest in Al Tha- Hand sanitisers are provided. logo. iconographic elements that Since then, the Interna- through this day we can take the groups of expat residents and khira is known to be the largest of its The company sanitises all equip- The artwork in a shape of a stand for Rota’s mission, with tional Day of Peace has been fi rst step by creating harmony at tourists visiting Qatar. kind in Qatar and is about 24sq km. ment on a regular basis, in addi- cube consists of a formula in the sun symbolising hope and observed around the world on our homes, schools, workplace, This base camp which was ini- The forest in general is preserved by tion to maintaining social dis- which investment in economic happiness that radiates from its September 21 and is devoted and even in our communities,” tially used for kayaking and over- the Department of Nature Reserves tancing, the statement added. security and education equates apex. to solidifying the ideals of QM said.

Partial closure on Leabib Intersection MME enhances fl eet with new vehicles, equipment he Ministry of Munici- Sheridah Sultan al-Rumaihi, pality and Environment director the Mechanical Equip- T(MME), represented by ment Department, said they are the Mechanical Equipment De- keen to enhance its fl eet with partment, has supported some the latest vehicles and equip- of its departments and munici- ment in accordance with the palities with a number of new work demand and to off er high- vehicles and equipment. quality service. This comes as part of the He said a tender was off ered MME’s eff orts to improve and to rent light vehicles for four upgrade its fl eet of vehicles and years by the MME, which in- The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a partial equipment in order to improve Sheridah Sultan al-Rumaihi clude electric vehicles for the closure on Leabib Intersection in the direction towards Lusail for services and further enhance fi rst time, as these are envi- motorists coming from Izghawa on Al Tarfa Street and for those the quality of work, a press cubic metre each, two 6-tonne ronment-friendly options that coming from Doha on Arab League Street from September 25 statement notes. telescopic forklifts and one ex- will help decrease carbon emis- midnight until 4am. The closure in co-ordination with the General The new additions include 10 cavator. sions. Directorate of Traff ic is to enable infrastructure works as part of water tankers to irrigate trees Also, the General Cleanli- The department, in co-oper- the Upgrade of Roads Surrounding Immigration Building Project with a capacity of 5,500 gallons ness Department received 30 ation with the General Cleanli- in Wadi Al Banat Area. During the closure, road users heading to each, 10 vehicles to spray insec- new vehicles and equipment, ness Department, has organised Lusail from Arab League Street or from Al Tarfa Street can use ticides with a capacity of 1,000 including 10 trailers, 10 street a training course for a week for Street 245, turn right towards Al Ebb Street then right towards litres each, 10 trailers of 32 cu- sweeping vehicles and 10 trac- 86 drivers to train them on how Leawina Street to reach Al Tarfa Street leading to Lusail. bic metre each, four cranes, tors with street sweepers to en- to operate the new vehicles and Some of the new vehicles and equipment provided to MME three bulldozers, 10 loaders of 3 hance its fl eet of vehicles equipment. departments and municipalities. Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 QATAR GA, QF launch workshops for coaches of special needs children and youth

QNA pleasure to return to the training Doha fi eld again after a period of sus- pension of fi eld activities due to the Covid-19 crisis, and the he Generation Amaz- resumption of the programme ing programme (GA), in activities through this impor- Tco-operation with Qatar tant awareness workshop which Foundation (QF), has announced is concerned with people with the launch of a series of work- special needs, in co-operation shops for coaches specialising in with Qatar Foundation. training special needs children “In Generation Amazing, we and youth in Qatar. are interested in continuing to The inaugural workshop wit- expand the scope of the pro- nessed the participation of a gramme and the base of its par- number of Generation Amaz- ticipants to include all groups ing’s coaches and a group of and segments of society of all experts and specialists from the abilities, while communicating Paris Saint-Germain Academy, with children and youth through where the coaches learned how our activities within the Football to use devices for people with for Development programme,” special needs, and how to benefi t al-Khori said. from educational resources in The principle of inclusive- workshops directed to them. ness is one of the basic values, The workshops will continue over the coming months, with the next The workshops will continue al-Khori said, expressing belief The GA programme has reached 500,000 beneficiaries in Qatar and the world. one due to take place in October. over the coming months, with in the importance of giving chil- the next one due to take place in dren and youth the opportunity Qatar Foundation are embod- sports programmes that enable GA master coach Hamad Mo- hensive sessions, looking for- health during the Covid-19 cri- October. to acquire important life skills ied in this training programme them to enjoy healthy lifestyles hamed and special needs foot- ward to hosting more workshops sis. To ensure the inclusiveness of in good communication, leader- that fits all capabilities, as it and interact with others, by pro- ball specialist and coach at QF, in the coming months. The GA programme, the Su- the programme, GA will update ship and teamwork by organising offers the opportunity to all viding coaches within Qatar and Ryan Moignard. In June, Generation Amaz- preme Committee for Delivery & its curricula to include children interactive sports activities such and ensures inclusiveness and from the world with the skills Regarding the workshop ing and QF jointly organised a Legacy’s human and social lega- and youth, while providing the as football, in a way that con- equal opportunities. She ex- needed to off ers such opportu- activities, Mohamed said all live session on its offi cial Insta- cy project, has reached 500,000 necessary support to the coach- tributes to building and securing pressed pleasure to present this nities. coaches participated with great gram account GA4Good on how benefi ciaries in Qatar and the es’ various needs. their future. programme in partnership with This programme also helps enthusiasm and learned how to to implement football activities world. It continues its journey Commenting on the launch of For her part, Community GA. create new paths for people of use the equipment and assist- for people with special needs, as with the aim to positively impact the series of workshops, Genera- Engagement Director at Qatar “Our collective goal is to en- all abilities to enjoy sports,” she ance requirements necessary for part of its weekly online interac- the lives of 1mn people by the tion Amazing programmes di- Foundation, Amy Johnson, said sure that all members of soci- added. people with disabilities in order tive sessions to help followers at time the fi rst ball is kicked at the rector Nasser al-Khori expressed that values they believe in at ety have access to high-quality The workshop was co-led by to successfully provide compre- home keep fi t and preserve their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. HBKU webinar highlights early Sidra Medicine to host virtual Muslims’ approach to pandemics functional genomics symposium ovid-19 and previous ef- forts to contend with Cpandemics provided the idra Medicine has an- sion medicine at scale. backdrop for a recent webinar or- nounced the launch of FG 2020 organising co-chair, ganised by the Sheikh Mohamed Sits annual fl agship Func- Dr Bernice Lo, investigator at Bin Hamad Al-Thani Centre for tional Genomics Symposium as Sidra Medicine said, “Our am- Muslim Contribution to Civilisa- a virtual event for 2020. Titled bition is to advance precision tion (CMCC) at the College of Is- “Precision Medicine and Func- medicine in Qatar while com- lamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin tional Genomics 2020” (FG bining our research, education Khalifa University (HBKU). 2020), the symposium will take and clinical practice functions ‘Pandemics and Protection: place from December 5-7. and expertise to successfully Reading of a Classical Muslim Dr Khalid Fakhro, acting tackle conditions aff ecting Text’ was based on Maaddat al- chief research offi cer said, “In women and children. This in- Baqa. Written by Mohamed ibn line with our vision to build a cludes highlighting the evolv- Ahmad al-Tamimi, a 10th-cen- knowledge-based economy ing and important role of gov- tury Arab physician, this highly- in the biomedical and health ernment, private sector and infl uential historical text focuses Dr Aisha Yousef al-Mannai sciences, we look forward to industry in the advancement of on aspects of air quality and pol- welcoming global and local Dr Bernice Lo Dr Khalid Fakhro precision medicine.” lution. Maaddat al-Baqa also brief description of the text as to shaping intellectual debates on thought leaders to join us vir- “Unique to this year’s sym- highlights the pioneering role of well as insights into the types . It was also an opportunity tually at our annual Precision mission of building research gether researchers, academics, posium is a special session ded- Muslim scholars in scientifi c re- of precautionary measures early to emphasise the connections al- Medicine and Functional Ge- into the continuum of care, to healthcare professionals, policy icated to Covid-19. While this search and discoveries, as well as Muslims employed to prevent Tamimi made between quality nomics Symposium 2020.” improve outcomes for all of makers, partners and the com- pandemic is relatively young, how early Muslims confronted the proliferation of infectious of life and outbreaks of diseases. “We are also excited to be our patients, particularly those munity, to explore the latest de- a lot of scientifi c progress has the challenges posed by epidem- diseases. She also fi elded ques- Just as now, healthcare profes- sharing our very own success with rare diseases, diabetes and velopments and innovations in been made to date. We are ics. In doing so, al-Tamimi’s text tions and further comments sionals relied on medication and stories from our growing ge- cancer,” continued Dr Fakhro. genomics research and how they therefore hosting an entire ses- represents one of the fi rst scien- during an interactive segment vaccines to tackle a variety of ail- nomic medicine and advanced FG 2020 will feature live translate into precision medi- sion covering the latest discov- tifi c publications on pandemics. with the online audience. ments. Maaddat al-Baqa serves therapy programmes, which and on-demand programming cine solutions. The symposium eries, advances in treatment The webinar was delivered Speaking after the webinar, Dr as a timely reminder that our en- form a key part of our approach from invited speakers, as well will also highlight the growing programmes, as well as biomar- by Dr Aisha Yousef al-Mannai, al-Mannai said, “In keeping with vironment should also be factored to personalised care. As an as provide opportunities for role that the biotechnology in- ker and vaccine trials that are director of HBKU’s CMCC. Her previous events, this webinar re- into eff orts to keep pandemics like academic medical centre, Sidra talks from competitive abstract dustry and pharmaceutical sec- relevant to the Middle East and lecture featured a reading and fl ected our enduring commitment Covid-19 in check.” Medicine will continue in its submissions. It will bring to- tor play in implementing preci- globally,” continued Dr Lo. QU success in ensuring educational process progress highlighted

QNA Doha

atar University (QU) president, Dr Hassan bin QRashid al-Derham, has highlighted the university’s suc- cess in ensuring the progress of the educational process despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. In a speech during the QU annual forum for the 2020 aca- demic year, Dr al-Derham said Snapshots from the QU event. QU has prepared a plan to deal with the pandemic. for 2020 (ARWU), which was as well as enhancing access to challenges facing the country. forms to achieve mutual enrich- He reviled that QU has ap- announced on August 15 by the education for all Qatari citizens. The university’s research ment and enhance development proved a plan of not relying on Shanghai ranking. Dr al-Derham added that QU sector is working on establish- of joint projects. traditional methods of teaching He stressed the university was has sought to increase fl exibility ing distinct research platforms He explained that these goals and has moved to the application able to manage the variables and of educational and training op- which deal with specifi c inter- can be achieved by diversifying a of remote educational methods crises during the last three years portunities via online courses trends that are consistent with package of strategic partnerships through various online platforms. including the unjust blockade and programmes. research priorities and are based with the concerned authorities Dr al-Derham pointed out and the global pandemic due to He said the university is cur- on Qatar University’s research and stakeholders to include the that the pandemic had not af- its fl exibility, competencies, and rently working to provide a new capabilities. Some of these will public sector, the private sector fected the university’s endeav- academic and administrative generation of academic certifi - be announced in the coming as well as the industry sector, our to raise its annual ranking cadres. cates and degrees based on the weeks, he revealed. in order to promote technology as one of the best universities at He underlined QU’s keenness “Qatar University Competency The QU president added that transfer and funding opportu- the global and regional level, and to remain the leader of higher Framework” with a fl exible and the university was focused on re- nities for research, development it was ranked among the most education in Qatar by focusing diverse set of specialisations and viewing and developing policies and entrepreneurial activities at and administrative work despite study conducted in spring 2020 important 350 international uni- intensively on reviewing aca- study paths. and guidelines for research and the university. He noted that QU the challenges at the beginning showed that 60% of high school versities according to the Times demic programmes and develop- Dr al-Derham said the uni- postgraduate studies, as well as has strengthened its co-opera- of the transformation process. graduates prefer to enrol at Qa- Higher Education (THE) World ing the necessary plans to ensure versity aims to become the pre- developing a number of special- tion with ministries, agencies, He noted the university’s focus tar University. He underlined Universities rankings for 2021, the quality of education, learning ferred choice for researchers ised programmes, for example institutions and universities in on high-quality and compre- that Qatar University remains moving 90 places up from last outcomes, research impact, and Dr al-Derham said the uni- Covid-19 research and interme- the country and abroad through hensive academic programmes, the main reference as a house of year’s edition. community participation. versity has completed the de- diate programmes, in addition to 74 agreements. in addition to its reputation as expertise for administrative and Also, QU was ranked 52nd Dr al-Derham underscored velopment of a comprehensive developing the research funding Dr al-Derham stressed that the mother national univer- academic consultations for deci- place for the third year in a row, QU’s keenness to ensure that its research priorities plan with a process. investment in technological in- sity in the State, has made it the sion-makers and leaders of state among 500 universities in Asia programmes are consistent with detailed mechanisms of imple- In community partnerships, frastructure had contributed preferred option for high school institutions due to its experience for 2020. the main national priorities in mentation, in co-operation with Dr al-Derham said the university to the rapid transformation of graduates. These attributes have accumulated over the years. Dr al-Derham pointed out education, such as focusing on academic units at the university was reviewing and evaluating the education system from the strengthened the confi dence of The QU annual forum includ- that QU ranked 601-700 in the building national capacities in so that it is in line with Qatar Na- existing strategic partnerships traditional one to the distance many employers in its educa- ed honouring distinguished fac- world according to the Academic the fi elds of science, technology, tional Vision 2030 and responds and increasing QU’s presence at education system, and enabled tional outcomes, he added. ulty, staff and students, as well as Ranking of World Universities engineering, and mathematics, to the major economic and social international forums and plat- a smooth continuity of academic Dr al-Derham indicated that a the distinguished graduate. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 7 QATAR

Island cleaning Four new BMW vehicles enter Qatar market Alfardan Automobiles introduces the brand-new BMW vehicles tailored for the Qatar market

lfardan Automobiles, Qatar’s offi cial importer Aof BMW Group vehicles, has unveiled four of BMW’s latest creations at their show- rooms: the brand-new BMW 4 Series Coupé, the BMW 5 Se- ries, the BMW M5 Competition, and the BMW 6 Series Gran Tu- rismo. Each vehicle clearly exempli- fi es a modern and distinct emo- tional design, all perfectly tai- lored for the Qatar market. The BMW 4 Series, the next chapter in a coupé tradition The Beaches and Islands Section at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME)’s General shaped by numerous BMW Cleanliness Department, in co-operation with the Natural Reserves Department, carried out a clean-up models, presents a contempo- drive at Umm Tais Island over three days. Around nine tonnes of various kinds of waste materials were rary while underscoring removed, such as wood, iron, empty cans and plastic bags, which had mostly been brought ashore by BMW’s iconic coupé design and water currents, the MME said. ethos. The latest generation of the sporty two-seater for the pre- mium mid-size segment comes with a vehicle concept that fo- cuses on delivering dynamic driving satisfaction. Testing of sewage water for Covid The reimagined BMW 5 Se- The new BMW 4 Series, 5 Series, ries, a fully-fl edged sedan, 6 GT, and M5 are unveiled for boasts a spacious interior with the first time in Qatar. could help ministry eff orts: expert an authoritative and robust driving experience. that further enhance the driving Admired for its sheer com- dynamics. By Isaac Philips “There is also a joint project posure on the road, the vehicle With eye-catching design Doha with MoPH to test the sewage of exudes a deepened sense of au- elements and positioned at the a number of schools in the coun- thority, reinforcing its position mid-point of luxury and sporti- try. at the premium end of the ex- ness, the BMW 6 Gran Turismo he project for testing the “To begin with, samples are ecutive class. provides a heightened level of presence and concentra- collected from 16 schools around For the thrill-seekers, the opulence in a powerful package. Ttion of the novel corona- two times a week to perform the BMW M5 Competition, a state- With its unique aesthetics, virus in sewage water could help necessary tests. ment of performance, reveals generous proportions and luxu- the Ministry of Public Health “If the results that show the the most powerful M engine un- rious interior, this model is sure The BMW 5 boasts a spacious interior with an authoritative and (MoPH) identify the possible presence of the virus in certain der the hood. to turn heads. robust driving experience. spots of infection in the country samples, the MoPH will be noti- In addition to the track level As the offi cial BMW Group without the need to test each and fi ed to take the necessary action. performance, the model boasts importer in Qatar, Alfardan Au- The latest launch marks the lease of these distinctive mod- every person in these areas, an Dr Mahmoud: There is also a That saves time and cost of test- a sharper exterior design, a new tomobiles provides car enthusi- next stage in the ongoing ex- els, BMW emphasises its com- expert told Qatar TV yesterday. joint project to test the sewage ing everybody without a need to operating concept inside and asts with the latest and greatest pansion of BMW Group in the mitment to individualism and The coronavirus causes the of a number of schools do so otherwise.” cutting-edge chassis tweaks BMW models. Middle East, and with the re- loyal customers. Covid-19 respiratory disease. Mahmoud thanked Qatar Dr Khaled Mahmoud, re- prevailing in the country at that Foundation, Weill Cornell Medi- search programme director for time,” he recalled. cine – Qatar and Ashghal for the Water Quality Programme The sewage samples were test- their support and active role in at Qatar Environment and En- ed using the same RT-PCR proc- the project. ergy Research Institute (Qeeri), ess deployed to test for the infec- Dr Usama Mohamed, a teacher explained that the project tests tion in people. of the human genome at Sidra samples from the major sewage These tests could help in giv- Medicine, told Qatar TV about treatment stations across the ing an idea about the number of a project that has succeeded in country from the areas of popu- infections in a certain area. creating a simulation of the hu- lation concentration and those As the number of infections man immunity system in lab rats, with possible infection spots to started to drop, the strength of enabling its cells and tissues to see the presence and concentra- the coronavirus in the sewage produce antibodies similar to the tion of the virus. started to drop as well, as it in- human system. “The project started in June cludes human waste which will “This Sidra Medicine project this year, and for 12 weeks the have the presence of the virus will help greatly in the research tests showed high levels of the excreted by those infected. to produce an eff ective and safe virus presence in the collected “There is constant communi- vaccine for Covid-19 and any sewage samples that refl ected cation and co-operation with the viruses that could appear in the the high numbers of infections MoPH in this regard. future,” he added. The BMW 6 GT provides a heightened level of opulence. The M5 boasts a sharper exterior design.

46,000 baby Qatar to play host to fourth black-fi nned Arab Digital Content Forum sea bream atar will host the fourth Arab Digital Content Fo- released into Qrum from October 5-7, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) an- Qatar waters nounced yesterday. The event will be held under the theme The Future of he Fisheries Department at the Content on the Internet. Ministry of Municipality and En- The forum is organised by the Tvironment (MME) has released MoTC under the auspices of the 46,000 baby black-fi nned sea bream Similar operations will continue until League of Arab States in collabo- into the Qatar’s waters. 200,000 of these baby fish are released ration with Communications The fi sh weigh 5-10g each, and a to- in total. Regulatory Authority (CRA) of tal of around 172,000 of these baby fi sh Qatar, the Arab Information and have been released into the sea so far, Communication Technologies according to the MME. Organisation (AICTO), and the This is the fi fth batch to be released, UN Economic and Social Com- and similar operations will continue mission for West Asia (ESCWA). until 200,000 of these baby fi sh are re- The three-day virtual forum The Arab Digital Content Forum is aimed at enhancing and leased in total. will focus on the Arabic digital supporting the development of Arabic digital content in all sectors. This will be done in order to boost content, its advancement and the country’s fi sh stock and as part of challenges. of e-learning in the Arab region, The Arab Digital Content Fo- the Aquatic Research Centre’s eff orts to It will also discuss the impor- and the future role of Arabic dig- rum is aimed at enhancing and produce fi sh and release them into the tance of Arabic digital content ital content within the education supporting the development of sea. during crises and the role it has sector and learnings, particularly Arabic digital content in all sec- The release of the 46,000 baby fi sh played in the current coronavirus from the education sector’s re- tors. took place at three protected locations and learnings from this for other sponse to the Covid-19 situation. It will highlight innovations, at Umm Al Houl, Al Beshayriyah, and crises. The role of the Arabic digital breakthroughs, best practices Banana Island, which are considered The coronavirus causes the content within a smart nation and successes in the develop- suitable for the growth of this type of Covid-19 respiratory disease. and the Arabic digital content ment of Arabic digital content. fi sh and give them the suitable environ- Other key topics relevant to and entrepreneurship amongst It also aims at increasing in- ment to live, the MME added. A total of around 172,000 of these baby fish the creation of Arabic digital youth are also among the key ternational and regional co-op- have been released into the sea so far. content include the prospects topic of discussions. eration. Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

Four Aoun warns faces bodies found after crisis unless govt agreed deadly sea Reuters over the demand of Lebanon’s not want to consult parlia- pressing them to name a cabi- Beirut two dominant parties, Hezbol- mentary blocs, which should net swiftly and embark on re- lah and its ally the Amal Move- not be excluded. At the same forms. crossing ment, to name selected min- time, he added, it was not “The French initiative is the resident isters including the finance permissible for one party to only hope left. The alternative warned yesterday Leba- minister. impose ministers and the con- is continuing the descent into AFP Pnon was going “to hell” Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, said stitution did not allocate any the abyss,” said Alain Aoun, Beirut if a new government was not his proposals for compromise ministry to any specific sect. a senior member of the FPM formed, and said agreeing one had not been accepted. “With the hardening of po- party founded by the presi- could need a miracle after po- He depicted the problem as sitions there does not appear dent, his uncle. ebanon has retrieved the sitions had hardened between a standoff between the par- to be any solution on the ho- The economy is collapsing bodies of four people in- rival factions. ties on the one hand and Prime rizon because all the proposed after decades of state waste, Lcluding a child after they His televised address un- Minister-designate Mustapha solutions amount to a ‘victor graft and mounting debt. tried to fl ee the crisis-hit coun- derlined the severe challenges Adib along with former prime and a vanquished’,” he said. Banks have frozen people out try by sea on an overloaded din- facing French efforts to get ministers who support him on Adib called earlier for all of their savings and the cur- ghy, the civil defence said yes- Lebanon’s fractious leaders to the other. sides to co-operate to form rency has crashed. terday. form a new government and When asked where Leba- a government and secure the Inflation and poverty have A week ago, UN peacekeepers rescue the country from finan- non was headed if there was immediate success of French soared. With the country run- retrieved one body and rescued cial meltdown. no agreement, Aoun said “of efforts. ning out of dollars, the central 36 people from a boat in trouble The crisis, exacerbated by course, to hell”. Asked by re- Last week, reports suggest- bank has helped subsidise fuel, in international waters off the the devastating August explo- porters if his comments meant ed Adib may step down. wheat and medicine imports. Lebanese coast. sion at Beirut port, marks the there was no hope of a new A handout picture provided by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati He had proposed switching Asked about dwindling for- Families of the survivors said worst threat to Lebanon’s sta- government, he said: “No, and Nohra yesterday, shows President Michel Aoun talking to the control of ministries, some of eign currency reserves after the boat had been adrift without bility since the 1975-90 civil there might be a miracle”. press at the presidential palace in Baabda. which have been held by the his speech, Aoun said: “The food or water for around a week, war. A deadline agreed with “We are today facing a gov- same factions for years. money will run out. What can during which time several pas- Paris for forming the govern- ernment formation crisis await Lebanon do not allow a tian under the country’s sec- French President Emmanuel we say? (To) those in charge of sengers had died or jumped over- ment passed last week. which should not have hap- minute to be wasted,” said the tarian power-sharing system. Macron had called Leba- managing the money, why did board to fi nd help. The process hit a logjam pened because the events that president, a Maronite Chris- Aoun said the premier did nese politicians as Paris tried this happen?” The bodies are presumed to be from the same ill-fated crossing. Since Friday, “we have re- trieved four bodies — belonging to two Lebanese, one of whom Virus precautions in Gaza City was a child, a young Indian man Palestinian activist held and a Syrian man,” said Samir Yazbek, the head of the civil de- fence’s sea rescue unit. AFP his neck again. Yesterday, Ha- The bodies were found in four Jerusalem noun was arrested by the Israeli separate locations off the north army at his home in Anabta, be- and south coasts of the country, tween Nablus and Tulkarm, Pal- and the search was ongoing, he alestinian activist Khairi estinian security services said in added. Hanoun was arrested yes- a statement. The UN refugee agency said Pterday by the Israeli army, According to the statement, last week that 25 Syrians, eight several sources said, weeks after he was arrested to “put an end Lebanese and three people of footage of a soldier kneeling on to his interviews with the media other nationalities had been res- his neck during a protest sparked in which he speaks of the bru- cued from the boat. outrage. tal aggression he has recently It is unclear how many men, Hanoun, in his late sixties, has faced”. A spokeswoman for the women and children originally regularly taken part in protests Israeli army said Hanoun wasn’t clambered aboard the dinghy, against the proposed extension arrested for a specifi c event, but and therefore how many are still of an Israeli settlement near is a fi gure of interest to the army missing. Tulkarm in the north of the West and police. On Saturday, the navy said it Bank, Palestinian territory oc- “He’s a central instigator of would step up its searches within cupied by Israel since 1967. violence, he takes part in many and outside Lebanon’s territorial In early September, he attend- disruptions of order,” she said. waters to fi nd any other victims. ed a rally of dozens of people at The army said videos that had Relatives of those who went a road bordering the village of circulated of the incident were missing from the impoverished Shufah, between Nablus and “partial” and did not “refl ect north Lebanese city of Tripoli Tulkarm, during which clashes the violent riot nor the violence” say the people smuggler involved broke out with Israeli soldiers. against Israeli troops prior to in the crossing has dropped off In video footage, Hanoun ap- Hanoun’s arrest. the radar since the tragedy. peared to touch a soldier, who Edited footage of the incident They have fi led three legal then pushed him to the ground, had circulated on social media complaints against the man, who putting his knee on his neck and Palestinian television chan- they say is a well-known fi gure in as he secured his hands with a nels, several with the hashtag the community. plastic tie. Later, AFP journal- #PalestinianLivesMatter. A military source on Saturday ists on the scene saw Hanoun, They compared the im- said a person acting as an in- standing with his hands hand- age with George Floyd, an un- termediary between passengers cuff ed behind his back, appear armed African American who and the boat owner had been ar- to step back from a soldier who was fi lmed with a police offi cer A Palestinian cashier, mask-clad due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, processes items for a customer at a supermarket in rested. grabbed him and shoved him to pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck Gaza City, yesterday. In recent weeks, dozens of the ground, placing his knee on until he died. Lebanese and Syrians have tried to make the perilous sea journey from Lebanon to the Mediterra- RIGHTS nean island of Cyprus, authori- Cameroon troops ties on both sides say. jailed 10 years for The Republic of Cyprus, a Eu- Turkey to support ’s GNA announces ropean Union member, lies just murder of four 160 kilometres away. Lebanon is in the throes of its Four Cameroonian soldiers were despite Sarraj plan to quit early legislative polls worst economic crisis in dec- sentenced yesterday to 10 years in ades, compounded since Feb- prison for the execution-style killings ruary by the novel coronavirus of two women and their children, Reuters support helped Sarraj’s Gov- would continue. Turkish offi - Reuters raised during mass protests pandemic. one of them a baby, in a region Ankara ernment of National Accord cials may travel to Tripoli “in Algiers that forced the resignation of It is also reeling from a mon- where the army is fighting militants. (GNA) repel an assault on the coming days” to discuss veteran president Abdelaziz ster blast at Beirut’s port last A fifth soldier received a two-year Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s developments, he added. Boutefl ika in April 2019. month that killed more than 190 sentence. A video broadcast on urkey’s agreements eastern-based Libyan Na- “These accords will not lgeria will hold early The current parliament was people, ravaged large parts of the social media in July 2018 showed and co-operation with tional Army (LNA). be impacted by this political legislative elections af- elected in 2017 for fi ve years, capital and reignited public an- soldiers shooting two kneeling, TLibya’s internationally President Tayyip Erdogan period because these are de- Ater a referendum on a with Boutefl ika’s allies holding ger against the political class. blindfolded women as well as a recognised government will has said Turkey was upset by cisions made by the govern- new constitution planned for an overwhelming majority. baby on one of their backs and a continue despite Prime Min- Sarraj’s announcement that ment, not by any individual,” Nov 1, President Abdelmadjid Algerians will vote in No- girl. The government initially denied ister Fayez al-Sarraj’s desire he planned to quit, but Ka- Kalin said. The GNA declared Tebboune said. vember on a new constitution the army’s involvement, dismissing to quit, Presidential spokes- lin said Turkish support for a ceasefi re last month and Elected last December, Teb- that includes giving the par- Trump presses the video as “fake news”. But after man Ibrahim Kalin was quot- the GNA and their bilateral called for the lifting of a boune has pledged to carry liament and prime minister sanctions on Iran provided ed as saying yesterday. agreements, which include a months-long blockade on oil out political and economic a greater role and providing credible evidence, the authorities In June, Turkish military security pact signed last year, output. reforms to meet demands more freedoms. President Donald Trump said announced that the seven soldiers yesterday that he was imposing seen in the video had been arrested sanctions on Iranians for violat- and would be prosecuted. Two ing a UN arms embargo and were later acquitted. The killings demanded enforcement by US took place in 2015 in Zeleved, in allies, who roundly dispute that Cameroon’s Far North region where Botswana says toxins in water killed hundreds of elephants he has any such authority. troops have been deployed to fight Trump’s defiant move came on Boko Haram militants carrying out the very day that the United cross-border attacks from Nigeria. Reuters suggest that Botswana’s wildlife was ronmental Science, who has studied cy- Nations was celebrating its 75th Gaborone still under threat as offi cials were no anobacteria, told Reuters. “These con- anniversary with a virtual summit longer seeing deaths. ditions are coming together more often, full of calls for greater internation- POLITICS The department’s principal vet- in more places, so we are seeing more of al co-operation. The Trump ad- Former minister oxins in water produced by cy- erinary offi cer Mmadi Reuben told the these toxic blooms around the world.” ministration said it was imposing appointed Mali’s anobacteria killed more than 300 same news conference that questions In neighbouring Zimbabwe, about 25 sanctions on 27 individuals and Telephants in Botswana this year, remained as to why only elephants had elephant carcasses were found near the entities under a UN resolution in- transition leader offi cials said yesterday, announcing the been aff ected. Other animals in the country’s biggest game park and au- cluding Iran’s defence ministry, its result of an investigation into the deaths Okavango Panhandle region appeared thorities suspect they succumbed to a Atomic Energy Organisation and Mali’s ruling military junta yesterday which had baffl ed and alarmed conser- unharmed. Some cyanobacterial blooms bacterial infection. Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas appointed former defence minister vationists. can harm people and animals, and sci- The animals were found with tusks Maduro, whom Washington is Bah Ndaw president of a new Cyanobacteria are microscopic or- entists are concerned about their po- intact, ruling out poaching and deliber- trying to topple. “The US has now transition government in the Sahel ganisms common in water and some- File photo taken on May 25, 2020 tential impact as climate change leads ate poisoning. Parks authorities believe restored UN sanctions on Iran,” country, announcing the choice times found in soil. shows the carcass of one of the many to warmer water temperatures, which the elephants could have ingested the Trump said in a statement. on national television. According Not all produce toxins but scientists elephants which have died mysteriously many cyanobacteria prefer. bacteria while searching for food. The “My actions today send a clear to a roadmap backed by the junta, say toxic ones are occurring more fre- in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Southern Africa’s temperatures are carcasses were found near water sourc- message to the Iranian regime the new president is meant to lead quently as climate change drives up glo- rising at twice the global average, ac- es. and those in the international the country for 18 months before bal temperatures. July. “What we just know at this point is cording to the Intergovernmental Panel “We considered the possibility of community who refuse to stand staging elections and returning Mali Cyril Taolo, deputy director of the that it’s a toxin caused by cyanobacte- on Climate Change. cyanobacteria but we have no evidence up to Iran.” The Trump adminis- to civilian rule. Junta leader Colonel Department of Wildlife and Nation- ria,” said Taolo, adding the specifi c type “It amounts to having the right con- that this is the case here (in Zimbabwe),” tration argues that it is enforcing Assimi Goita, announcing the ap- al Parks, told a news conference the of neurotoxin had yet to be established. ditions, in the right time, in the right said Chris Foggin, a veterinarian at the a UN arms embargo that Iran has pointment, added that he himself number of elephant carcasses found Authorities will monitor the situation place and these species will prolifer- Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, which test- violated, including through an would serve as vice president of the since deaths were fi rst reported around during the next rainy season, and Taolo ate,” Patricia Glibert, a professor at the ed samples from dead elephants from attack on Saudi oil facilities. transition government. early May had risen to 330, from 281 in said for now there was no evidence to University of Maryland Center for Envi- Zimbabwe and Botswana. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 9

AMERICAS

LAW AND ORDER PLAN PEOPLE TREND DECISION Six ricin-filled letters sent Cities face losing federal Ellen DeGeneres apologises TV audience for Emmy Bogota to lift most to US: Canada police funds over street violence after on-set turmoil awards sinks to new low coronavirus measures

Canadian police yesterday searched an The US justice department yesterday Ellen DeGeneres yesterday opened the new The television audience for Sunday’s Emmy Bogota, the Colombian capital, will lift apartment in a Montreal suburb that is threatened to revoke federal funding season of her popular television talk show by awards dropped to a record low of 6.1mn most of the restrictions implemented linked to the woman arrested for sending a for New York City, Seattle and Portland, apologising to staff after reports of a toxic work viewers, according to data released by ABC to curb the spread of coronavirus, the ricin-filled envelope to the White House and Oregon, saying the three liberal cities environment on her set and saying changes yesterday. A year ago, roughly 6.9mn people mayor’s office said yesterday, though to five other addresses in Texas, the Royal were allowing anarchy and violence on had been made to start “a new chapter.” Three watched the show on ABC. Viewership for it warned that a new outbreak in the Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said. US their streets. “We cannot allow federal tax top producers on the The Ellen DeGeneres awards shows has been dropping for years, city of 8mn is inevitable. Bogota began authorities arrested a woman at the US- dollars to be wasted when the safety of the Show exited the show, producer Warner Bros and this year’s Emmys telecast faced several quarantine measures in the second half of Canada border near Buff alo, New York, on citizenry hangs in the balance,” Attorney- said in August after an internal investigation challenges. The show was held without a red March, before the Andean country entered Sunday, on suspicion that she sent the deadly General William Barr said in a statement. into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual carpet or live audience due to the coronavirus a nationwide lockdown to control the poison by mail, addressed to the White House. New York’s Corp Counsel yesterday said misconduct against them. “I learned that things pandemic, and it faced competition from a pandemic, which lasted through August. The woman has joint Canadian and French the city will take legal action if funds are happen here that never should have happened,” close National Football League game and a While a selective quarantine remains in citizenship, two sources said yesterday. “We ultimately withheld, while New York City DeGeneres, 62, said in the opening monologue National Basketball Association playoff contest. place nationally for September, authorities believe a total of six letters were sent, one mayor Bill de Blasio said the latest threat for the premiere of her show’s 18th season. “I take Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the telecast featured in Bogota will lift many restrictions from to the White House and five to Texas,” RCMP from the Trump administration is a political that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry live reactions from nominees in their homes today, including rules dictating when off icer Charles Poirier said. ploy designed to play to Trump’s base. to the people who were aff ected.” and at other locations around the world. people can shop or visit banks. Trump offi cials rush to tighten visa rules for foreign workers

Reuters blocked the entry of many tem- Washington porary foreign workers, saying it was necessary to preserve jobs for Americans. he administration of The US Chamber of Commerce, President Donald Trump the country’s largest business as- Tis racing to toughen the sociation, sued the administration process for US companies to hire over that ban and said the planned skilled foreign workers before regulations could create unneces- the end of the year, changes top sary hurdles for employers. Trump offi cials argue will pre- “Companies across multiple serve jobs for Americans amid industries are very concerned high unemployment and be po- about the potential disruption litically diffi cult to reverse. these proposals will infl ict upon With just weeks to go until the their operations,” Jon Baselice, November 3 election, the White the US Chamber of Commerce’s House budget offi ce is review- executive director for immigra- ing a fast-track regulation that tion policy, said in a statement. would narrow the defi nition of a Labour Secretary Eugene “specialty occupation” eligible Scalia told Reuters that his de- for a skilled-worker visa under partment planned to raise H-1B the H-1B programme, according wage requirements in light of to the budget offi ce website and Trump’s June proclamation. Five-year-old Abby Martin of Arlington, Virginia, pays respect with her mother Jackie Martin as they visit a makeshift memorial in front of the US Supreme Court for the late administration offi cials. “There’s been concern for a Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Washington, DC yesterday. Justice Ginsburg died last Friday from complications of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87. A second fast-track regulation long time that the wages at which would raise the wages that em- H-1B workers are allowed to be ployers must pay to demonstrate brought into the country are too foreign workers will not displace low and are undercutting US Americans in the same occupa- workers’ wages,” Scalia said in an tion and geographic area. interview. “That’s never accept- Trump faces re-election on able, but totally intolerable when November 3 and has made immi- you’ve got millions of Americans gration a focus of his campaign still out of work because of the Trump, Biden campaign against Democratic challenger pandemic.” Joe Biden. Outsourcing companies typi- The measures — along with cally make up the bulk of the a planned regulation to clamp programme’s top users and most down on visas for international workers approved for the visas students and journalists — could come from . be some of Trump’s fi nal immi- Senator Dick Durbin, the as top court battle looms gration moves before the election. second-highest ranking senate The last-minute blitz could Democrat, cosponsored a bipar- Reuters president, makes his second trip the person who fi lls Ginsburg’s contested because their popula- a Republican presidential candi- make the new rules vulnerable tisan bill in May that proposed Wilmington, Del. of the month to Wisconsin. seat. He called Trump’s planned tion can swing either to Repub- date for the fi rst time since 1984. to court challenges or, if Biden reforms similar to the Trump Each is reckoning with a presi- appointment an “exercise of raw licans or Democrats and play a Trump’s campaign has also wins, possible reversal, accord- plans. dential contest that was upended political power” after Republi- decisive role in presidential elec- prioritised the state after win- ing to experts. But he rejected the Trump rump and his rival for the by Friday’s death of the liberal can senators refused to consider tions. ning it in 2016 by less than 1% of But White House senior advis- measures in a statement to Reu- White House, Joe Biden, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Democratic president Barack In his last visit to Wiscon- the vote. er Stephen Miller, the architect ters, calling it “an obvious politi- Twere yesterday campaign- Trump’s intention to appoint Obama’s nominee in 2016, citing sin, Biden went to Kenosha and Trump visited Wisconsin last of Trump’s immigration agenda, cal ploy.” ing in two US battleground states a replacement before the elec- that year’s presidential election. spoke with Jacob Blake, the Black week, announcing a new round of argues the policies will have Some advocates of reforming that could decide the November tion, which would cement a 6-3 In a Fox News interview yes- man whose shooting by police coronavirus pandemic assistance popular support. the H-1B programme are also election as they sparred over the conservative majority, has an- terday, Trump said he will name prompted widespread unrest. to farmers of about $13bn. “There’s going to be no mar- sceptical. president’s plan to fi ll a vacant gered Democrats and shifted the his choice to replace Ginsburg by This time, Biden will visit Opinion polls show Biden ket for someone to drive back “If they really had prioritised Supreme Court seat. campaign’s focus away from the Friday or Saturday, after mourn- largely white Manitowoc County, leading by several points in Wis- down wages on H-1Bs to displace this and cared about it, they A Republican seeking re-elec- coronavirus pandemic that has ers pay their respects. which supported the former vice consin, mirroring his overall lead American workers,” Miller said would have done it months ago, if tion on November 3, Trump will killed nearly 200,000 Ameri- Ginsburg’s body will lay in re- president and president Barack nationwide. in an interview, calling the meas- not years ago,” said Daniel Costa, hold campaign events in Ohio, a cans and thrown millions out of pose at the court tomorrow and Obama when they ran on the Biden has built a formidable ures “utterly transformative.” director of immigration law and state some Democrats once saw work. Thursday before she lies in state Democratic ticket in 2008. fi nancial advantage for the cam- Trump issued a sweep- policy research at the left-lean- as a lock for Trump, while Bi- Biden on Sunday said the win- at the US Capitol on Friday. The county backed Trump in paign’s fi nal stretch after a mas- ing proclamation in June that ing Economic Policy Institute. den, the Democratic former vice ner of the election should pick Ohio and Wisconsin are hotly 2016, helping deliver the state to sive fundraising haul in August. US nears grim milestone CDC deletes guidance on airborne transmission of 200,000 Covid deaths Presently, the agency’s guid- Reuters Washington ance says the virus mainly Reuters that’s because I have fake news.” than a vaccine, which would only spreads from person-to-person Washington Trump has previously admit- be broadly available by “late sec- through respiratory droplets, ted to playing down the danger ond quarter, third quarter 2021.” he US Centers for Dis- which can land in the mouth or of the coronavirus early on be- Trump refuted the timeline for ease Control and Preven- nose of people nearby. he death toll from the cause he did not want to “create the vaccine and said that it may Ttion (CDC) yesterday took Earlier this month, President spread of the coronavirus a panic.” be available in a matter of weeks down its guidance warning on Donald Trump took exception Tin the US was approach- With barely six weeks left be- and ahead of the November 3 possible airborne transmission to comments from the CDC di- ing over 200,000 yesterday, by fore the election on November election. of the novel coronavirus, saying rector, who said masks might be the far the highest number of any 3, Trump is behind Democratic Biden, who often wears a mask that the draft recommendation even more eff ective than a vac- nation. The US, on a weekly aver- rival Joe Biden nationally in every and has said he would require was posted in error. cine for the novel coronavirus age, is now losing about 800 lives major opinion poll and is neck masks nationwide, has warned The now-withdrawn guid- that could be broadly rolled out each day to the virus, according and neck in key swing states. against a rushed release of a vac- ance, posted on the agency’s in mid-2021. to a Reuters tally. Trump’s handling of the pan- cine, saying, “Let me be clear: I website on Friday, recommended That followed a New York That is down from a peak of demic and subsequent econom- trust vaccines, I trust scientists, that people use air purifi ers to Times report that guidance 2,806 daily deaths recorded on ic downturn has battered his but I don’t trust Trump.” reduce airborne germs indoors to about novel coronavirus testing April 15. standing among many voters. The University of Washing- avoid the disease from spreading. posted last month on the CDC’s During the early months of the Trump has frequently ques- ton’s health institute is fore- “CDC is currently updating website was not written by the pandemic, 200,000 deaths was tioned the advice of scientifi c casting coronavirus fatalities its recommendations regarding agency’s scientists and was post- regarded by many as the maxi- experts on everything from the reaching 378,000 by the end of airborne transmission of Sars- ed over their objections. mum number of lives likely to be timing of a vaccine to reopening 2020, with the daily death toll CoV-2. Once this process has been The World Health Organisa- lost in the US to the virus. schools and businesses to wear- skyrocketing to 3,000 per day in completed, the update language tion has not changed its policy on President Donald Trump yes- ing a mask. December. will be posted,” the agency said. aerosol transmission of the coro- terday said the worst was over, He has refused to support a Over 70% of those in the US The CDC did not immediately navirus, it said yesterday. as the death toll reached 199,630 national mask mandate and held who have lost their lives to the respond to Reuters request for The agency still believes the dis- with 6.8mn confi rmed cases. large political rallies where few virus were over the age of 65, ac- comment on when the guidance ease is primarily spread through “We are rounding the corner wore masks. cording to CDC data. will be updated. droplets, but that in enclosed on the pandemic, with or with- US Centers for Disease Control The southern states of Texas The health agency had said crowded spaces with inadequate out a vaccine... and we’ve done and Prevention (CDC) director and Florida contributed the most New York City mayor Bill de Blasio welcomes students to Pre-K at that Covid-19 could spread ventilation, aerosol transmission a phenomenal job — not just a Robert Redfi eld recently told Con- deaths in the US in the past two Mosaic Pre-K Center in the Queens section of New York yesterday. through airborne particles that can occur, said Mike Ryan, execu- good job — a phenomenal job. gress that a face mask would pro- weeks and were closely followed New York City schools has been delayed amid concerns about can remain suspended in the air tive director of the WHO’s emer- Other than public relations, but vide more guaranteed protection by California. preparedness during the coronavirus pandemic. and travel beyond six feet. gencies programme. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

More nurses allowed to leave as Philippines eases travel ban

Reuters ebrating yet and want a total pines. The government in April from the ban will now include workers expected to benefit demic at hospitals in the United there are 65. Maristela Abeno- Manila lifting of restrictions. barred nurses, doctors and oth- any workers with overseas from the easing was nurse Jor- States, Europe and the Middle jar, president of the Filipino Thousands of health work- er medical workers from leav- contracts and documenta- dan Jugo, 33, who has a job in East as well as at home. Nurses United (FNU), said the ers, who call themselves ing, saying they were needed tion completed as of Aug 31, Britain. “My mother was so The pandemic has highlight- easing was only a “partial vic- ore than a thousand “priso-nurses”, had appealed to fight the coronavirus crisis presidential spokesman Harry happy she was crying when I ed the plight of nurses in the tory”. Abenojar called for the Philippine health to the government to let them at home. Roque told a media briefing called her to share the news,” Philippines, where the health- ban to be removed and for sala- Mworkers will finally take jobs abroad, Reuters re- The Philippines has South- yesterday. Jugo told Reuters. “But our bat- care system is already short- ries of all nurses in the country be allowed to take jobs abroad ported last week. east Asia’s highest infection So far only those with con- tle is not yet over because we handed. to be raised. following President Rodrigo The nurses say they feel un- numbers, with 290,190 cases, tracts before March 8 have been demand for the total lifting.” In Germany there are 430 “That is the only way to en- Duterte decision to ease their derpaid, under-appreciated of which 4,999 died. allowed to travel. Filipino health workers are doctors and nurses per 10,000 tice more nurses to stay,” she travel ban, but they are not cel- and unprotected in the Philip- Those Duterte exempted Among the 1,500 health on the front lines of the pan- people. In the Philippines, told Reuters.

Taiwan Thai protesters vow to fi ght scrambles fi ghters after ‘people’s plaque’ removed over fourth

AFP days is historic. The plaque is bearing a reminder for Thais Bangkok just the beginning of the fight to remain loyal to the “nation, Chinese for the monarchy to be re- religion, king”. Charges have formed.” been filed against the protest- “People’s Plaque” in- The new plaque read: “The ers for “making alterations to incursion stalled by protesters near people have expressed the in- an archaeological area with- ABangkok’s Royal Palace tention that this country be- out permission”, confirmed was “planted in the hearts of longs to the people, and not Sataporn Tiengdham, from AFP the Thai people”, activists said the king.” the Archaeology of Fine Arts, Taipei yesterday, vowing its removal At its installation during an accusation denied by Parit. marked only the beginning of Saturday’s protest, the crowd “We just entered the park their battle to reform the mon- cheered as Parit shouted and left. We didn’t cause any aiwan said it scrambled archy. “Down with feudalism, long damage.” fi ghters and deployed Some 30,000 demonstrators live the people”. Its removal Still, if convicted, the pro- Tanti-missile systems yes- turned out over the weekend, shows “arch-royalists are not testers could face up to three terday after Chinese military jets the largest show of force since only incensed by demands for years in jail. entered its air defence zone for near-daily student-led rallies monarchical reform but are The largely leaderless the fourth time in fi ve days. began two months ago. not going to put up with any youth-organised movement Two Chinese Y-8 anti-sub- They demanded the resigna- symbols that even reflect op- — partly inspired by Hong marine planes intruded into tion of Prime Minister Prayut position to the palace,” said Kong’s pro-democracy pro- Taiwan’s southwest air defence Chan-o-cha, a former army Paul Chambers of Naresuan tests — is calling for Prayut’s identifi cation zone (ADIZ), the chief who masterminded a 2014 University. government to be dissolved, a defence ministry said. coup, and some also called for The new plaque referenced rewrite of the 2017 military- Last week, Chinese fi ghters the monarchy to stay out of pol- an original brass one embed- scripted constitution, as well and bombers breached the same itics. The most symbolic action ded for decades in the grounds as the scrapping of Thailand’s zone three times — twice while was the installation of a “Peo- of Bangkok’s Royal Plaza. draconian royal defamation a high-ranking US diplomat was ple’s Plaque” — a brass plater It commemorated the end of law, known as “112”. Each on a rare trip to the self-ruled the size of a manhole cover — in royal absolutism in 1932 after charge carries a sentence of up island that sparked anger in Bei- historic Sanam Luang park near People take photos at an empty space in Bangkok yesterday, where a commemorative plaque was a revolution that transitioned to 15 years in jail. jing. Bangkok’s Grand Palace, meant placed by pro-democracy protest leaders on Sunday. the kingdom into a constitu- Authorities have so far re- Washington has sent two to replicate one installed dec- tional monarchy. But it disap- frained from using the law envoys to Taipei in as many ades ago that mysteriously van- later telling reporters they had The plaque was “planted vowing that protesters would peared in 2017 after King Maha against pro-democracy activ- months, infuriating Beijing, ished two years ago. removed it to “use as evidence”. in the hearts of the Thai peo- make replicas and install them took power fol- ists, instead accusing them of which considers the self-ruled By yesterday the new plaque But demonstrators remained ple”, prominent activist Parit across the city. lowing the death of his father, sedition and breaking corona- island as part of its territory, to had also vanished, with police unbowed. Chiwarak, told reporters, “Our fight in the past two and was replaced with one virus regulations. be absorbed into the mainland — by force if necessary. Taipei’s defence ministry said that Taiwan maintains “the right to self-defence and counter at- Protest on Martial Law anniversary tack” in the wake of the “fre- Nepal’s Sherpa, fi rst to climb quent harassments and threats.” “Our primary principle is not to provoke, not to heighten con- Mount Everest 10 times, dies fl icts, trigger incidents or cause misfi re,” defence minister Yen De-fa told reporters. Reuters his home in the Nepali capital “But we are not afraid of a war Kathmandu of Kathmandu, his grandson, and we must maintain our nec- Phurba Tshering, told Reu- essary right to self-defence and ters. Ang Rita was also known counter attack.” ng Rita Sherpa, the fi rst as the “snow leopard” for his Beijing has ramped up diplo- man to climb Mount climbing skills. matic, economic and military AEverest 10 times, died “He was a climbing star pressure on Taiwan since the of a lengthy illness yesterday, and his death is a major loss 2016 election of President Tsai his family said, an event that for the country and for the Ing-wen, who rejects its view fellow sherpas called a major climbing fraternity,” said Ang that the island is part of “one loss to Nepal and the climbing Tshering Sherpa, a former China”. Washington’s increased community. Ang Rita Sherpa president of the Nepal Moun- outreach to Taiwan under Presi- All the ascents to the taineering Association. dent Donald Trump has become 8,850m (29,035-foot) summit were made without bottled The body will be placed at yet another fl ashpoint with Chi- of the world’s tallest moun- oxygen. a Sherpa Gomba, or holy site, Filipinos maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) na as the countries clash over a tain between 1983 and 1996 The 72-year-old, who had in Kathmandu, and cremated during a protest commemorating the 48th anniversary of Martial Law, imposed by the late range of issues of trade and secu- by Ang Rita, who went by his suffered brain and liver ail- tomorrow according to sherpa dictator Ferdinand Marcos, on September 21, 1972, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, yesterday. rity issues, as well as the corona- first name, like many Sherpas, ments for a long time, died at tradition, Ang Tshering said. virus pandemic. Hollywood action Rescue eff ort underway for Australian, clips spotted in China British aid air force video whales stranded in Australia workers

AFP The Rock and Hurt Locker, and AFP die in blast Beijing Weibo was withering in its scorn Sydney for the lack of originality. Reuters high-octane PR video for The video, with 4.72mn t least twenty-fi ve Sydney China’s air force crash- views on Weibo and whales have died and Alanded on social media craft ed by the Propaganda Ascientists are trying after users questioned why the and Culture Centre of the to rescue 250 more that are wo men from Australia world’s second-largest military PLA’s Air Force, parades its stranded in a remote bay on and Britain who worked power spliced clips from Holly- medium- and long-range the Australian island of Tas- Tfor an aid agency that wood blockbusters Transformers H-6 bomber mania, offi cials said yesterday. helps to dispose of unexploded and The Rock into its own propa- Tasmania’s environment bombs were killed in a blast in ganda material. “It turned out that our dream department said the whales Solomon Islands, their employer The video, with 4.72mn views of great power was pieced to- had become stuck on a sand- said yesterday. on Weibo and crafted by the Prop- gether by editing American fi lm bar in Macquarie Harbour, It was not immediately clear aganda and Culture Centre of the clips,” said one user. on the island’s rugged and if the employees of Norwegian PLA’s Air Force, parades its medi- “We promote the domestic sparsely populated west coast. A pod of whales, believed to be pilot whales, is seen stranded on a sandbar at Macquarie Harbour, People’s Aid were trying to de- um- and long-range H-6 bomber. military aircraft using US Holly- Nic Deka, who is managing near Strahan, Tasmania, yesterday. fuse live munitions at the time of With a soaring score and high- wood movie clips, why bother?” the incident response, said the explosion in Honiara late on altitude action shots, the chest- added another, while a third two large pods were stranded Police are on site and ma- Mass whale strandings oc- than two weeks. Public broad- Sunday. thumping video shows Chinese said: “It’s our nation’s promo- on sandbars a few hundred rine experts are assessing the cur relatively often in Tas- caster ABC reported the crea- Police said the site had to be airmen launching an attack on an tional video, why don’t we use metres apart inside the har- situation ahead of plans to mania, but the large numbers ture, which spent 17 days in declared safe before investiga- island base — strongly resembling our own images?” bour. launch a rescue mission early involved present a daunting the crocodile-infested waters tors could determine what hap- US facilities in Diego Garcia and China is locked with the US in “They are in water but it’s today morning. rescue prospect. of Kakadu National Park, has pened. Guam — then returning from the a power struggle over defence, very diffi cult to see how many “In terms of the tides, when Authorities may call on a been spotted in open seas off Australian media reported that successful sortie. But eagle-eyed technology, trade, disputed seas of those whales are deceased we start making an eff ort to- network of local volunteers to Darwin. the explosion happened in a resi- social media users in China were and the status of Hong Kong or what condition they’re in,” morrow it will be with an out- assist but have cordoned off Scientists had been weigh- dential area. quick to spot some glaring plot and Taiwan. The Pentagon says he told reporters in the nearby going tide, so that’ll be in our the area to the general public. ing options for guiding the Norwegian People’s Aid works holes. China already outstrips the US in town of Strahan. favour, but obviously tides go The latest stranding comes humpback to safety after it to locate unexploded bombs The explosive central missile several areas of defence — claims They are believed to be pilot up and come down so we’ll be as a humpback whale that became the fi rst known whale dropped during World War Two, sequences were plucked from Beijing furiously denies — and whales but the environment aiming to make the most of the was stuck in a tropical river to travel up the muddy river, when the Pacifi c nation was the three Hollywood movies, Trans- wants to double its stockpile of department is yet to confi rm windows that we have,” Deka in Australia’s north fi nally re- but were relieved when it re- scene of fi erce battles between formers: Revenge of the Fallen, nuclear warheads. the species. said. turned to the ocean after more turned to sea on its own. US and Japanese forces. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 11

BRITAIN Coronavirus drives overhaul of troubled rail sector

AFP replaced by Emergency Recov- the DfT said in a statement. Rail operators have meanwhile payer has been forced to take over it is no longer working”, he added. sector, welcomed the new strategy London ery Management Agreements “The new system will create a been critical of high costs they control of franchises that ran into With Covid-19 decimating pas- that will see the state paying lower (ERMA), the government said after simpler, more eff ective structure must incur under franchising. fi nancial trouble — and currently senger demand, as offi ce staff con- management fees to train opera- the virus slashed passenger de- and will take shape over the com- The new deal allows for “an ear- runs two such operators. tinue to work from home, Prime tors. “These new agreements rep- he government yesterday mand by 95%. ing months.” ly start on key reforms, including Transport Secretary Grant Minister Boris Johnson’s Con- resent the end of the complicated handed further fi nancial The department for transport It is the fi rst major sector-wide requiring operators to co-ordinate Shapps yesterday said the changes servative government has paid out franchising system, demand more Tsupport to the country’s said it would continue over the overhaul since British Rail was pri- better with each other and driving “will keep the best elements of the about £3.5bn to support rail opera- from the expertise and skills of the privatised railway sector badly next 18 months to cover losses suf- vatised in the mid-1990s by the down the railways’ excessive capi- private sector, including compe- tors. private sector, and ensure passen- derailed by the coronavirus pan- fered by private rail operators, ex- Conservative government. tal costs”, the DfT added yesterday. tition and investment, that have “Until passenger numbers re- gers return to a more punctual and demic, while also ending a fran- tending a system begun following The franchising system has Matthew Gregory, chief execu- helped to drive growth, but deliver turn, signifi cant taxpayer support co-ordinated railway,” he said. chise system that existed for nearly the start of the virus outbreak. been long-criticised by passenger tive of FirstGroup, which owns strategic direction, leadership and will still be needed,” the DfT said Mick Cash, general secretary of a quarter of a century. “Ministers yesterday ended rail groups, who accuse private com- four franchises, called for “a more accountability”. yesterday. the Rail, Maritime and Transport While train services will con- franchising after 24 years as the panies of charging excessive fares appropriate balance of risk and re- Franchising “has seen signifi - Keith Williams, a former Brit- union, said the changes did not go tinue to be run mainly by private fi rst step in bringing Britain’s frag- despite regularly-delayed train ward for all parties.” cant rises in passenger numbers, ish Airways boss commissioned far enough, a message echoed by companies, franchising will be mented network back together,” services and large state-subsidies. Under privatisation, the tax- but this pandemic has proven that by the government to review the the main opposition Labour party. Sunak to extend lending UK could see schemes

Guardian News and Media 50,000 virus London

he government is prepar- ing to address growing Tconcerns over the eco- nomic fallout from a second cases a day by wave of coronavirus infections by extending its emergency Covid-19 loan scheme for busi- nesses. Amid mounting speculation over the launch of fresh restric- tions on business and social life October: govt as the number of cases climbs, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is AFP have tested positive for Covid-19 positive or are told to by the Na- expected to announce the exten- London have died in Britain, the worst tional Health Service (NHS) trac- sion of four state-backed lend- death toll from the pandemic in ing programme. ing programmes until the end of Europe. Whitty said it was essential November. ngland is on track for about After a summer lull — when the for the public to play its part in In a development that would 50,000 coronavirus cases government urged the public to preventing the NHS being over- hand struggling fi rms fur- Ea day by mid-October and frequent restaurants — cases have whelmed in the colder months. ther support into the autumn, a surging death toll unless the been rising rapidly to reach some “We are in a bad sense liter- sources with knowledge of the public gets serious about pre- 6,000 daily, according to one sur- ally turning a corner, although government’s plans said an an- ventive action, top UK advisers vey by government statisticians. only relatively recently. At this nouncement would be made as warned yesterday. Johnson last week said Britain point the seasons are against us,” early today. Rates of infection in England are was already seeing a second wave he said at the briefi ng, alongside The move was first reported replicating the strong resurgence of Covid-19 — in line with parts chief scientifi c adviser Patrick by the Financial Times, and of Covid-19 seen in and of Europe — and the government Vallance. comes as fears mount over Brit- Spain, roughly doubling every sev- introduced localised restrictions Vallance said that on current ain’s fragile economic recovery en days, government chief medical for millions across northwest, trends, the daily count of cases and the risks linked to a second offi cer Chris Whitty said. northern and central England. will reach about 50,000 on Octo- wave. “We are seeing a rate of in- People in England who refuse ber 13, and a month later exceed Almost £53bn of government- crease across the great majority to self-isolate to stop the spread 200 deaths every day. backed loans have been awarded of the country,” he told a media of coronavirus could face fi nes of Whitty said “science in due by commercial banks to busi- briefi ng, urging the public to re- up to £10,000 under tough new course will ride to our rescue” nesses since March, with the spect stricter guidelines on social regulations. with a successful vaccine but Treasury guaranteeing 80% of distancing. Johnson said that from Sep- over the next six months, “if we the value of the loans. “This is not someone else’s tember 28, people will be legally don’t change course, the virus However, three of the pro- problem. It’s all of our problem.” obliged to self-isolate if they test will take off ”. grammes were to close to new The briefi ng come ahead of an applications at the end of this announcement by Prime Minis- month, while the fourth, the ter Boris Johnson today detailing Scotland mulls new rules, leak reveals “bounce back” scheme which government action to fl atten the gives banks 100% government exponential coronavirus curve Scottish ministers are off icials last Saturday, it also backing, was due to expire at the heading in to winter, when regu- considering far-reaching suggests a “rolling lockdown” start of November. lar respiratory diseases typically restrictions to combat the surge for diff erent parts of Scotland All four will be extended until spike. in Covid cases including local linked to October’s half-term the end of November, the sourc- Steps under consideration re- lockdowns linked to school holidays, so that once schools es said, while banks will be al- portedly include closing down holidays next month, travel are closed, the entire area goes lowed to process loans until the restaurants in England again restrictions, closing play parks into a lockdown. Schools in a end of the year. from this weekend, after widely and shutting down hairdressers. large majority of Scotland’s local Business leaders have been shared pictures of young revel- The measures were revealed authorities close for two weeks calling for an extension amid lers out in force in British cities, in a leaked document marked on October 9, while a handful, growing fears about a difficult and the government says another “off icial sensitive”, which also including Edinburgh, close on winter ahead for the economy. full national lockdown might be shows the Scottish government October 16. Despite a strong bounce back necessary. could issue a “general message” Nicola Sturgeon, the first in activity as lockdown meas- “The virus is spreading. We are that people should again stay minister, confirmed she ures were relaxed, the Bank of at a tipping point,” Health Secre- at home except for essential knew about the document, England expects the economy Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he leaves 10 Downing Street in central London yesterday. The tary Matt Hancock told parlia- shopping and exercise and also a computer screen image will not recover the ground lost government yesterday upgraded its coronavirus alert level, as its senior scientific adviser warned that ment, adding: “We must all play avoid public transport. circulated on Twitter, and did until the end of next year at the England was on track for about 50,000 coronavirus cases a day by mid-October and a surging death toll our part in stopping the spread”. Written by Scottish government not deny it was authentic. earliest. unless action is taken immediately. Almost 42,000 people who Meghan, Harry ‘did not Banksy’s artwork set to go on sale collaborate with book’ The Bristol-born artist, who Reuters London keeps his identity a secret, is AFP cently published book Finding were they interviewed for it, nor known for his political and social London, Freedom to put their version of did they provide photographs to graffi ti work. certain events”. the authors for the book,” law- ritish artist Banksy’s ‘Show me the Monet’ was part Antony White, representing yer Justin Rushbrooke told the “remix” of a masterpiece of a series of what Banksy called awyers for Meghan Markle Associated, said the book gave court. Bby Impressionist painter “remixes” of famous artworks. yesterday denied she and “every appearance of having The case is the most high- Claude Monet is going up for “This is a moment when the Lher husband Harry been written with their (Meghan profi le in Harry and Meghan’s auction on October 21 and is ex- artist who previously used the collaborated with the authors of and Harry’s) extensive co-opera- increasingly bitter war with the pected to fetch between £3mn- streets as his canvas starts taking a recent book about their life to- tion.” media, particularly the British £5mn, Sotheby’s said yesterday. those celebrated masterpieces gether. The news group wanted to al- tabloid press. In ‘Show me the Monet’ from of our history and making those The denial came as Associated lege that she “caused or permit- The court was told that overall 2005, Banksy used oil on canvas same witty, playful incursions Newspapers sought to amend ted information to be provided legal costs were estimated to be to recreate Monet’s famously se- into the hallowed territory of the its defence against claims it directly or indirectly to, and co- about £3mn up to and includ- rene and verdant painting of the great canon of art history,” said breached her privacy and copy- operated with, the authors...in- ing trial, which is due to begin in wooden footbridge that strad- Branczik. right by publishing extracts of a cluding by giving or permitting January. dled the French artist’s beloved In October last year, a large letter she wrote to her father. them to be given information Harry and Meghan’s retire- lily pond in his garden at Giverny. Banksy painting depicting pri- Former actress Markle became about the letter”. ment in March came after re- But in Banksy’s version, the mates sitting in Britain’s parlia- the Duchess of Sussex when she It argues it was justifi ed in ports she was deeply unhappy idyll has turned into a modern ment sold for more than $12mn, a married Prince Harry in 2018. publishing extracts of the letter with life inside the royal family day dumping ground where two record price at auction for a work The couple earlier this year left in 2019 because fi ve of Markle’s and complaints about media in- abandoned shopping trolleys and by the secretive British street frontline royal duties and moved friends had spoken about it in an trusion. an orange traffi c cone fl oat in the artist, according to Sotheby’s. to the US. interview with the US magazine The couple, who live with their water. In 2018, another Banksy can- At a hearing in the case at the People. young son, Archie, in California, “Ever prescient as a voice of vas, ‘Girl with Balloon’, shredded high court in London, Associ- But her legal team said extracts recently signed an exclusive deal protest and social dissent, here itself in front of shocked onlook- ated, which publishes the Mail of the letter in question and in- with the streaming giant Netfl ix Banksy shines a light on society’s ers at a Sotheby’s auction just as on Sunday weekly and Mail On- cluded in the book were “lifted” for an undisclosed fee. disregard for the environment in it was sold. line website, applied to amend its from the articles under dispute. They have set up a non-profi t favour of the wasteful excesses of ‘Show me the Monet’ went on defence. “The claimant and her hus- organisation to promote educa- consumerism,” said Alex Branc- display in Sotheby’s New Bond It argued that she “co-oper- band did not collaborate with tion, mental health and well- zik, Sotheby’s European Head of Street galleries in London yes- ated with the authors of the re- the authors on the book, nor being. Prince Harry and Meghan: legal battle Contemporary Art. terday for a two-day preview. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 EUROPE Belarus opposition appeal for EU sanctions fails

Reuters try to convince the EU to follow reached,” the EU’s top diplomat Belarus sanctions), then our undermining Belarusian national measures in its dispute against able trade regime with the EU, Brussels through on a sanctions threat it Josep Borrell, who chaired the credibility is at stake,” Borrell security”. Turkey. visa-free travel and support as announced last month. meeting of foreign ministers, told told a news conference. About a hundred support- “Our reaction to any kind of a candidate for the World Trade So far the bloc has yet to ap- reporters, referring to EU rules Back in Minsk, a city court re- ers gathered in and around the violation of our core, basic val- Organisation. uropean Union foreign prove a list of some 40 Belarusian that all 27 states must agree. jected a legal appeal from the de- courthouse. ues and principles cannot be a la “EU leaders have reasons not ministers failed to agree offi cials to be hit with travel bans Approval is still possible by EU fence team of Tsikhanouskaya’s Kolesnikova was not in court in carte. It needs to be consistent,” to push sanctions but I asked Esanctions against Belaru- and asset freezes. leaders at a summit on Thursday political ally, Maria Kolesnikova, person but when she appeared on Foreign Minister Nikos Christo- them to be more brave,” Tsikha- sian offi cials yesterday, despite Cyprus has been seen as block- and Borrell said that by the next against her detention. a video screen people inside be- doulides said. nouskaya, who fl ed to Lithuania an appeal by the country’s main ing approval by tying the Belarus time foreign ministers meet on Kolesnikova was jailed after gan to applaud. The presidents of Lithuania, after the election, told reporters opposition leader. measures to unrelated sanctions October 12, the sanctions would ripping up her passport to pre- Though the EU announced Poland and Romania said yester- after meeting foreign ministers. After a sixth straight weekend it wants on Turkey in a gas explo- be agreed. vent the Belarusian authorities plans for the sanctions last day that they will ask EU leaders “Sanctions are important in our of huge protests against Presi- ration dispute. But he also acknowledged the from forcibly expelling her to month, enacting them requires at this week’s summit to off er an fi ght because it’s part of pressure dent Alexander Lukashenko, op- “Although there is a clear paralysis was damaging for the Ukraine. support from all 27 member economic package for Belarus if it that could force the so-called au- position leader Sviatlana Tsikha- will to adopt the sanctions, the EU’s image. She was charged last week states. holds a democratic election. thorities to start dialogue with us nouskaya travelled to Brussels to required unanimity was not “If we are not able to (approve with calling for “actions aimed at Cyprus wants a deal fi rst on That would include a favour- in the opposition council.”

Italy’s right-wing fails to make Madrid asks for expected gains in regional polls Reuters Rome

taly’s right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini failed Ito make the breakthroughs he army’s help in had hoped for in regional elec- tions, voting results showed yes- terday, in a boost to the fragile coalition government. As the count proceeded, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) looked sure to hold on to three regions it already rules, Covid-19 battle while the right made just one gain and stayed in charge of two „ France reports 5,298 new other regions. daily Covid-19 cases Earlier this month, League „ Greece reports 453 new leader Salvini had said he was coronavirus infections, a aiming for a clean sweep. new daily record Italian sovereign debt spreads „ Swiss report 1,095 new narrowed on the early vote count, cases with investors hoping the results Salvini addresses the media in Milan on the results of regional of the September 20-21 ballot elections. Reuters would bolster stability at a time Madrid/Paris/Athens when the government is battling PD candidate a comfortable lead In the regional ballot, the right the economic slump triggered by of 6.4 points over his League easily kept control of the north- the coronavirus. challenger. ern regions of Veneto and Ligu- adrid’s regional gov- Culture Minister and promi- Until the Emilia-Romagna ria, while the PD retained Cam- ernment chief has nent PD offi cial Dario Frances- setback, Salvini had led his con- pania in the south. Mrequested the army’s chini said the result bolstered the servative allies to eight straight The right took Marche from help in fi ghting the coronavi- party and its leader Nicola Zin- regional victories since the last the PD, but the centre-left in- rus surge in the Spanish capital, garetti. national ballot in March 2018. cumbent looked certain to win where local authorities ordered “Now that he and the PD are In a national referendum held Puglia, the heel of Italy, defying a partial lockdown of some stronger, the government can alongside the local elections, recent polls that suggested he poorer districts, prompting pro- press ahead,” he said in a tweet. Italians voted strongly in favour would lose. tests. There are growing signs Sal- of cutting the number of law- In another potentially worry- At the height of the fi rst wave vini is losing some of his appeal makers in the upper and lower ing sign for Salvini, the League’s of the pandemic in March-April, to Italians. houses of parliament to 600 incumbent president of Veneto, Spain deployed thousands of The League remains the coun- from 945. Luca Zaia, seen as a possible fu- troops to help civilian authori- try’s most popular party but has Some 70% of voters backed ture challenger to his party chief, ties contain the outbreak. declined steadily in opinion polls the measure – a clear victory for won with a crushing 75% of the The coronavirus causes the over the last year, along with Sal- the co-ruling 5-Star Movement vote. Covid-19 respiratory disease. Civil Defence members inform residents on the new restrictions imposed in the neighbourhood under vini’s personal approval ratings. (M5S), which has championed Zaia’s own personal list of can- A recent spike in infec- partial lockdown of Usera, in Madrid, early yesterday. Most attention was fi xed on the reform, arguing that it would didates got around 41%, while tions, peaking at over 10,000 the picturesque region of Tus- reduce costs and improve parlia- the League’s offi cial party list per day, took cumulative cases nation complaints and protests. France who have died from Cov- 453 new cases of Covid-19 in- cany, a traditional left-wing bas- mentary effi ciency. took just 16%. above 670,000 as of Monday, Madrid authorities said they id-19 has risen by 53 to 31,338, fections yesterday, a new daily tion where Salvini campaigned “This is a historic result. We The seventh regional vote was the highest in Western Europe, had chosen those areas be- the health ministry said. record since the start of the tirelessly, as he had in January can go back to having a normal in the tiny, French-speaking while the number of deaths from cause Covid-19 transmission The cumulative number of coronavirus outbreak in the when he tried and failed to win parliament, with fewer privileges Valle D’Aosta. the Covid-19 respiratory disease levels there exceeded 1,000 per cases stands at 458,061. country. another leftist stronghold – and 345 fewer seats,” said Foreign It has its own party system and in Spain stood at 30,663. 100,000 people. The rolling seven-day count The latest jump in cases Emilia-Romagna. Minister Luigi Di Maio, a top M5S a League list was ahead in the “We need help from the But some residents com- of Covid-19 hospital admis- brought the total number of in- A partial vote count gave the offi cial. partial vote count. army for disinfection ... and plained that the measures, sions rose to 4,103 from 3,894 fections in Greece to 15,595 and to strengthen local police and which allow people to go to on Sunday, according to the lat- 344 deaths since its fi rst case law enforcement,” Isabel Diaz work or school, failed to address est French data, with intensive surfaced in late February. Ayuso told a news briefi ng after the problem of an overcrowded care admissions at 638 against Of the new cases, 184 were meeting Prime Minister Pedro transport system where the vi- 593 on Sunday. due to an outbreak of Covid-19 Sanchez in an attempt to reduce rus could spread fast. Tighter restrictions will be infections at Greece’s biggest Scores of migrants at new Greek contagion in Spain’s worst-hit “It is horrendous and bad, imposed in the French city of migrant camp on Lesbos island, region. because it is discrimination. Lyon from today to counter a with 174 recorded in the greater She also requested that They should regulate the met- sharp increase in new coronavi- Athens area, health authorities camp contract coronavirus disease makeshift hospitals be set up ro, (where) we are packed like rus cases and a surge in intensive said (see accompanying report again, about three months af- sardines,” Marina, a Vallecas care admissions, local authori- on the right). ter they were decommissioned housewife, told Reuters. ties said. In a bid to stem the spread AFP when Spain emerged from its Local businesses were start- The new rules for Lyon, of the coronavirus following a Athens strict lockdown having reduced ing to feel the pinch. France’s third largest city, fol- steady increase in coronavirus contagion rates. “We had no business this low similar measures in Mar- cases, Greek authorities tight- Sanchez said the central and morning, it is empty,” said John seille, Bordeaux and Nice as the ened restrictions for two weeks ore than 240 asylum-seekers at a regional governments would Michael Montana Sanchez, who coronavirus resurges across the eff ective from yesterday. temporary camp on the Greek is- determine the size of the mili- manages three restaurants on country and the testing system Switzerland reported yester- Mland of Lesbos have contracted tary and police reinforcements the same street in Vallecas.” I buckles under heavy demand. day that the number of people coronavirus, the public health agency said later at a meeting, the fi rst of a have 16 employees and I will The incidence rate in Lyon had testing positive for infections yesterday. series of meetings on tackling start giving them holidays as I risen to 213 for every 100,000 with the new coronavirus has Thousands of migrants have taken up the situation in the capital re- don’t know what will happen inhabitants, the regional health risen by 1,095. residence in the new tent encampment after gion. next.” authority leader said, while 25% Data from Switzerland’s fi res at the Moria facility – Europe’s largest Meanwhile, residents in the Meanwhile, French health of all intensive care beds in the public health agency yesterday migrant camp – left them homeless earlier southern district of Vallecas, authorities reported 5,298 new Rhone department, which en- shows 50,378 cases, up from this month. one of the areas where a partial confi rmed Covid-19 cases yes- compasses Lyon, were now oc- 49,283 on Friday. Six Afghans face prosecution for arson lockdown took eff ect yester- terday, down from the previous cupied by Covid-19 suff erers. The death toll increased to over the incident and were put in pre-trial day, were upset but resigned to day’s increase of 10,569, while “There is pressure on our 1,770 from 1,765 people. detention yesterday, though they deny the the curbs as police stopped cars intensive care admissions were hospitals,” Jean-Yves Grall said. The agency has stopped re- charges. getting in and out of the neigh- on the rise. The hospital system in the porting new cases on weekends. The Eody health agency said in a state- bourhood. There are traditionally fewer wider Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes The country reported its fi rst ment that 243 new infections had been dis- Ayuso’s government had or- confi rmed cases on Mondays, region was likely to trigger its confi rmed case in late February. covered among 7,000 asylum-seekers tested dered mobility restrictions in as less testing is carried out over crisis ‘White Plan’ in the near New cases peaked at 1,464 on at the new camp. areas where a total of 850,000 the weekend. future, he added. March 23 and had dwindled to as A woman and her child are seen at the new temporary camp It added that tests on 120 police and 40 people live, sparking discrimi- The number of people in Greece meanwhile reported few as three on June 1. for migrants and refugees, on the island of Lesbos, Greece. staff at the camp, which was hastily built last week after the fi re, had come back nega- tive. It took more than a week for most of the asylum-seekers to be rehoused in the new tent camp, built on a disused army fi ring Navalny says Novichok found ‘in and on’ his body range a few kilometres away from Moria. Many migrants were wary of being locked up again after spending months at the no- AFP/Reuters He spent two days in hospital in The Kremlin denies involvement. tact is highly likely, my clothes are a questioned around 200 people. toriously dirty, overcrowded Moria camp Moscow before being airlifted to Ger- Russian talk shows had suggested very important piece of evidence,” The head of Navalny’s Anti-Cor- – which was put under severe virus restric- many. that Western intelligence offi cials or he wrote. “I demand my clothes be ruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, tions in March. “Two independent laboratories his own allies carried out the attack. carefully packed in a plastic bag and said that employees would no longer Meanwhile, three minors on Samos island ussian opposition leader in France and Sweden and the Bun- “I did not expect anything else,” he returned to me.” collaborate with police in the Sibe- were arrested over a fi re that broke out in Alexei Navalny said yester- deswehr specialised laboratory con- wrote. Navalny supporters and European rian city of Tomsk, accusing authori- another camp on Sunday, offi cials said. Rday that Western laborato- fi rmed the presence of Novichok in Navalny has also demanded that leaders have said that the poisoning ties of trying to conceal a crime. Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told ries had found traces of a Novichok and on my body,” he said in his fi rst Russian authorities return his clothes using Novichok, a military-grade “We are not going to take part in parliament yesterday that those responsible nerve agent in and on his body and blog post since emerging from a that were removed before he was nerve agent, points to a state-sanc- this,” he said. would “serve their sentence in Greece and demanded that Moscow return his coma, referring to a German military fl own to Germany – “totally naked” tioned attack. Russia has said that it needs to see will then be deported”. clothes. lab. – saying that they were important Siberian transport police, which more evidence before a formal crimi- Mitarachi said a “modern, safe and re- Navalny, who is recovering in Ber- Moscow has said it is yet to see evi- evidence. has carried out a basic examination nal investigation is opened and has spectable” new camp would be construct- lin’s Charite clinic, fell violently ill dence of a crime and has declined to “Taking into account that Novi- of Navalny’s movements, said yes- asked Germany to hand over Nav- ed on Lesbos – even though local offi cials during a fl ight from Siberia to Mos- open an investigation so far, instead chok was found on my body, and terday that it is continuing a pre- alny’s medical data so it can be re- strongly oppose the facility, demanding the cow on August 20. opening a pre-investigation probe. poisoning through physical con- investigation probe, and had already viewed. immediate removal of most asylum-seekers. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 13 INDIA

ROBBERY INVESTIGATION PARLIAMENT DECISION JUDICIARY Thieves break into shop, AIADMK dismisses Aadhaar must for NGOs Rajasthan changes Khalid denied permission flee with 25 laptops leader over murder to receive foreign funds govt schools’ uniform to meet family in custody

Four men broke into a Gurugram shop after Tamil Nadu’s ruling All India Anna Dravida The Lok Sabha yesterday unanimously passed a The Rajasthan government has suddenly A Delhi court yesterday dismissed an application holding a security guard hostage and fled with Munnetra Kazhagam yesterday dismissed a bill making Aadhaar mandatory for registration of decided on a new uniform for students in filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University 25 laptops, and other gadgets worth Rs650,000, leader from Tuticorin for acting in a manner organisations receiving foreign funds and to give the government schools even though they are shut (JNU) student Umar Khalid seeking permission police said yesterday. Shop owner Alok Arora told that brought disrepute to the party. The party government powers to stop utilisation of such funds. due to Covid-19, just because the existing one to meet his family. He has been arrested under police that he received a call from the security in a statement said AIADMK workers should not The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment was similar to that worn by members of the the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He guard on September 18 night that four unidentified have any links with A Thirumanavel, the party’s Bill proposes to include “public servants” in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Education was arrested on September 13, in a case related men broke open the shutter of his shop and Tuticorin South District Traders Wing secretary. prohibited category and decrease administrative Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said that the to widespread violence which broke out in escaped with valuables. “The guard informed me Thirumanavel and another person earlier in the expenses through foreign funds by an organisation new uniform will be adopted by the start of Delhi’s northeast area in February this year. that the criminals wearing women’s clothes also day surrendered in a court in connection with to 20% from 50% earlier. Minister of State of Home the next academic session. He did not give Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad told the held him hostage when he tried to raise an alarm. the kidnap and murder of a man identified as Nityanand Rai said there was a need to streamline any reason for the change, saying these will court meeting the family could influence the They also snatched his mobile phone,” Arora Selvan in the district. Last week, Selvan, who the provisions of the earlier Act by strengthening the be known soon. “Basically, we are changing interrogation and pose a hindrance. Prasad said said. He said 22 of the laptops were used ones. was riding a scooter, was knocked down by compliance mechanism, enhancing transparency the uniform on the recommendation of a six- there was no provision for allowing the family to Also, some servers and money were also stolen, a car, and then abducted. Later, his body was and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of member committee,” he added. The decision is meet with an accused during custody remand. he added. “The crime was captured on CCTVs found. Selvan’s mother accused policeman foreign contribution worth thousands of millions likely to aff ect around 7.5mn students enrolled “In the totality of facts and circumstances of installed outside and inside the shop. The footage Harikrishnan, Thirumanavel and others of the of rupees every year and facilitating genuine non- in government schools as many people are still the case, I see no merit in the application, and revealed that the suspects escaped in a car which murder. A police probe revealed there was a land governmental organisations or associations who struggling to cope with financial crisis due to accordingly, the application is dismissed,” the had a fake registration number,” the police said. dispute between Selvan and Thirumanavel. are working for the welfare of the society. the pandemic. court said. Parliament suspends 8 MPs after protests

Agencies the private sector excessive in- New Delhi fl uence. There have been several days of protests by farmers opposed to ight MPs were suspended the legislation, including in Pun- from parliament yesterday jab, Haryana and West Bengal. Efor “unruly behaviour” Congress leader Rahul Gan- after opposition to contentious dhi attacked the suspensions on new farming legislation sparked Twitter and accused the ruling some of the most chaotic scenes Bharatiya Janata Party of “turning in recent years. a blind eye to farmers’ concerns.” MPs in the upper house Rajya West Bengal Chief Minister Sabha had on Sunday torn up and Trinamool Congress chief copies of the legislation, broke Mamata Banerjee spoke to the A group of friends take a selfie as they visit the Taj Mahal yesterday. microphones, hurled copies of eight suspended MPs. the parliamentary rule book and Those suspended are Derek staged a sit-in protest once pro- O’Brien and Dola Sen of Trina- ceedings were adjourned after a mool Congress, Rajeev Satav, tumultuous day. Ripun Bora and Syed Naseer The eight – all members of Hussain of Congress, Sanjay opposition parties – were sus- Singh of Aam Aadmi Party and K pended from for a week and will K Ragesh and E Kareem of Com- likely miss the remainder of the munist Party of India (Marxist). Taj Mahal reopens as monsoon session. Banerjee lashed out at the Parliament under the previous government and said the Tri- Congress-led government was namool Congress would hit the routinely paralysed, with shout- road from tomorrow in protest ing, jeering and protests fre- at the “undemocratic” move and quently forcing adjournments. urged people from across the Three bills were approved country to join the movement. Covid-19 cases climb on Sunday that Prime Minister She said all opposition parties said would achieve should come together and fi ght Agencies peratures taken and must ad- 6.79mn, a fi gure it could over- Ekaa Villa, which opened last said an elated Zahid Baig, a a “complete transformation of the the anti-farmer bills. Agra here to advice to keep a safe dis- take in the next few weeks at its year at a cost of almost $1mn, rickshaw driver. agriculture sector” and empower “The Centre has done nothing tance from each other. current rate of increase. had been operating at close to “Agra looked like a ghost city “tens of millions of farmers”. to control the price rise of essen- Aditya Diksha, one of the ear- The death toll of 87,882 was capacity. without the Taj tourists,” he said. The plight of farmers is a hot- tial commodities. These bills will uthorities reopened ly visitors at the Taj, said he and up 1,130 from the previous day, “The moment I heard the Taj Tourism contributed about button political issue in India, lead to severe food crisis... At a the Taj Mahal after six his friends drove 12 hours from Health Ministry fi gures showed. is reopening I decided to visit. $240bn, or 9.2% of India’s gross with around 70% of rural house- time when the country is reeling Amonths yesterday, with central India and stopped in But as a proportion of its I had been planning it for so domestic product in 2018, em- holds depending primarily on under the Covid-19 pandemic, the fi rst visitors trickling into Agra on their way to the moun- population, India’s toll is still many years,” said engineer De- ploying more than 42mn peo- agriculture for their livelihood. the Centre is trying to create the famous monument as au- tains in the north. small compared to countries bargha Sengupta, 25, who took ple, World Travel and Tourism Debt, drought, extreme weather famine through these farm bills,” thorities reported 86,961 new “It is the fi rst time in six such as the United States, Brazil a train from Allahabad 500km Council data show. and poor infrastructure and coor- Banerjee told a press conference coronavirus infections across months we have been out, so it and Britain. away. However, foreign tourists dination – large amounts of pro- at the state secretariat in Kolkata. India, with no signs of a peak feels good,” he said. Faced with the deepest eco- “It’s amazing, it’s incredible. were unlikely to return until duce rots before it reaches market “The suspension of the eight yet. Workers at the Taj were nomic contraction in decades, I had read about the Taj in books at least April, said Manu P V, – have driven thousands of farm- MPs who fought to protect farm- The white marble tomb in sanitising the handrails while the government of Prime Min- and seen the pictures but to see secretary of the Association of ers to suicide in recent years. ers’ interests is unfortunate and Agra was opened to the public at paramilitary police shouted at ister Narendra Modi is pushing it in real is so amazing,” he said. Tourism Trade Organisations The new legislation breaks the refl ective of this autocratic gov- sunrise, and a Chinese national tourists not to touch any of the to free up virus curbs so that “I am not worried about India, a month that tradition- system of all farmers selling pro- ernment’s mindset that doesn’t and a visitor from Delhi were surfaces. jobs and businesses can resume. the coronavirus. It’s been six ally signals the end of the tour- duce to government-regulated respect democratic norms and among the fi rst to enter. “We are following all Cov- “We can survive for another months and I am totally fed up ist season. markets at fi xed prices by freeing principles,” she tweeted in the Daily visitor numbers have id-19 protocols,” said Vasant four to six months: after that we now. We cannot sit at home for- And a confusing system of re- them up to supply to any buyer morning. been capped at 5,000, versus Swarnkar, superintendent of will have to take some serious ever.” gional lockdowns and quaran- they choose. “We won’t bow down and we an average of 20,000 before the the Archaeological Survey of calls,” said Abid Naqvi, who saw The return of visitors is a tine rules is deterring domestic The government says this will will fi ght this fascist government pandemic. India, which oversees the Taj bookings at his boutique hotel huge relief to the many people tourists. increase farmers’ earnings and in parliament and on the streets,” Tickets are only being sold among other monuments. in Agra drop to zero overnight of Agra who depend on Taj Ma- “People don’t want to go on encourage investment and mod- the Trinamool chief said, accus- online, with fewer than 300 India’s coronavirus tally of after India’s abrupt lockdown in hal tourists for their livelihoods. holiday,” Manu said. “They are ernisation. ing the BJP of killing democracy bought on the fi rst day. 5.49mn infections is second March. “It was so frustrating to sit very worried. There is the fear But critics say that it will give in the country. Visitors will have their tem- only to the United States with Until then, the 13-room idle at home for six months,” factor.” 13 dead, many trapped in Nobel laureate fears Bhiwandi building crash upsurge in child labour Reuters are still in some form of ser- New Delhi vitude in India, according to Agencies “Half of the building collapsed brick rubble with electrical wires the United Nations children’s Mumbai and nearly 25 to 26 families are hanging over their heads. agency Unicef. feared trapped,” Pankaj Ashiya, Shiv Sena leader and Urban or four decades Nobel Across India child labour- the municipal commissioner of Development Minister Eknath peace laureate Kailash ers can be found in a variety of hirteen people were killed Bhiwandi, told reporters. Shinde rushed in to supervise FSatyarthi rescued thou- industries such as brick kilns, and up to 25 are feared It was not clear why the build- the rescue operation and an- sands of children from the carpet-weaving, garment- Ttrapped after a three- ing, which had 54 apartments nounced an immediate compen- scourge of slavery and traffi ck- making, domestic service, ag- storey residential building col- on three fl oors, collapsed. “We sation of Rs500,000 to the fami- ing but he fears all his eff orts riculture, fi sheries and mining. lapsed before dawn yesterday heard a noise and I noticed that lies of each the deceased and free could reverse as the coronavi- Earlier this month, Satyarthi’s near Mumbai, offi cials said. there were cracks on the fl oor,” treatment to the injured. rus pandemic forces children organisation backed by police The accident in the indus- resident Sharif Ansari, 35, said. Chief Minister Uddhav into labour. rescued dozens of girls during a trial town of Bhiwandi, 40km “I woke up my neighbours and Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minis- “The biggest threat is that raid on a shrimp processing unit northeast of Mumbai, happened my wife and we rushed every- ter Ajit Pawar, and others moni- millions of children may fall in western India. around 3.40am, according to lo- one down.” Ansari said he went tored the situation regularly back into slavery, traffi ck- “Once children fall into that cal authorities. back up to alert more people and from Mumbai, as the state capi- ing, child labour, child mar- trap they could be pulled into Emergency workers from the was on the fi rst fl oor with some tal, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad riage,” said Satyarthi who was prostitution and could be traf- National Disaster Response other residents when the build- continued to be battered by rain. awarded the Nobel Peace Prize fi cked easily... this is another Force (NDRF) pulled 19 people ing came down. President Ram Nath Kovind in 2014 for his work to combat danger which government from the rubble – including two “We jumped from there and and Prime Minister Narendra child labour and child traffi ck- have to address now,” he said, boys aged four and seven – to managed to escape but there Modi expressed condolences. ing in India. adding that he believed sexual loud cheers from residents. are at least another 60 people “The loss of lives in the build- As the pandemic pummels abuse of children was also on “Total number of deaths is 13. trapped,” he said. An offi cial at ing collapse at Bhiwandi in Ma- the Indian economy, pushing the rise due to the pandemic. Rescue operations are ongoing”, the Thane municipality said that harashtra is quite distressing. In millions of people into pover- “I cannot be satisfi ed even if NDRF commandant Ithape Pan- more than 40 emergency workers this hour of grief, my thoughts ty, families are under pressure one single child is enslaved... dit said. NDRF director general were helping search for survivors. and prayers are with the accident to put their children to work to it means there is something Satya Narayan Pradhan tweeted Images broadcast on the victims. I wish speedy recovery make ends meet. wrong in our polity, in our that specialist teams and sniff er NDRF’s offi cial Twitter feed to the injured. Local authorities While rates of child labour economy, in our society, we dogs were trying to rescue an- showed emergency workers are co-ordinating rescue and re- Police off icers watch rescue operations after a three-storey building have declined over the last few have to ensure that not a single other “20-25 feared trapped”. combing through concrete and lief eff orts,” Kovind said. collapsed in Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Mumbai, yesterday. years, about 10.1mn children child is left out,” he said. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Tour de France: a series of cautionary tales

Cycling’s rescheduled Tour de France made a proud entry into Paris Sunday with its boyish champion Tadej Pogacar the fi gurehead of a storied 21-day extravaganza crowned by a twist in the tail. Many predicted the Covid-19 pandemic would prevent the race making it the 3,400 kilometres from the Mediterranean city of Nice to the French capital. And that ever constant tension provided the drumbeat for the series of cautionary tales and the modern day David slaying Goliath re-enactment that unfolded before a stunned global audience. Saturday’s gut-wrenching penultimate stage time trial saw Indian street vendors ‘shattered’ the 21-year-old Pogacar rip the yellow jersey from his 30-year- old Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic on the slopes of the Planche des Belles Filles climb. Dressed from head to toe in black, Roglic looked a broken man as coronavirus wrecks trade as the dust settled. “I cried, I’ll cry again,” said the leader of Dutch team Jumbo- Visma. “I just seemed to have no power,” he explained. By Annie Banerji est global daily caseloads, with the total mar said: “What’s the point of a loan if foreign tourists before the lockdown. But the stark warning was written large in the Tour de France New Delhi surging to 5.4mn on Sunday, according people are too scared to come out? Who Now, she gets two customers on a to the latest offi cial data. will I expand my business for?” good day and has started wearing a face offi cial programme. It is the world’s second-worst af- Calling street vendors an “insepara- mask and using hand sanitiser, hoping “Anybody with little left in the tank could lose two or three stack of unsold shawls is an fected country after the United States, ble constituent of the urban informal that will convince buyers to come back. minutes here,” the race designer himself, Thierry Gouvenou, unsettling sight for street ven- which has 6.7mn cases. economy”, Rajeev Jain, a spokesman for “People need to see that we’re the predicted. dor K Kunjalata Devi, remind- The pandemic has also pummelled the ministry of housing and urban aff airs, ones who can help fi x the economy,” Pogacar won three stages but was racing with a depleted team Aing her of the daily struggle to the Indian economy, which shrank by said 470,000 loans had been approved of said Ranjana, who goes by one name. on his fi rst Tour de France. feed her family as Covid-19 threatens nearly a quarter between April and June, the 1.3mn applications received. “If you buy from us, we can then spend So just how did the team that had appeared to dominate a the livelihoods of millions of informal when a strict lockdown brought busi- The scheme will also help traders get money on artisans, rickshaw drivers, tea traders across India. nesses to a halt and left millions jobless. a positive credit record and reduce their vendors...we can generate growth.” Tour, destroying the hopes of the home nation and ending the India — one of the countries worst- Consumer spending, the economy’s reliance of illegal money lenders, he said Shalini Sinha at WIEGO, a global reign of Dave Brailsford’s British outfi t Ineos, let victory slip hit by the coronavirus — has eased most main driver, fell about 31% from the in e-mailed comments. non-profi t that helps informal workers, from their grasp? lockdown restrictions and sought to same quarter last year, taking an espe- Street vendors say they often have said the coronavirus crisis had exposed All-time great Eddy reopen its battered economy, but some cially heavy toll on traders like Devi and to pay bribes to police and fl ee eviction a widespread lack of awareness about Merckx didn’t mince his curbs on street trade remain and many prompting state and federal govern- drives ordered by offi cials who see them the importance of street vendors to the Roglic looked a words. customers are staying away. ments to scramble emergency aid. as a blemish on the city’s image or an nation’s overall economy. “They were asking for it That is taking a heavy toll on the na- Imphal Mayor L Lokesore said obstacle to progress. “The vendors also provide employ- broken man as tion’s ubiquitous street vendors, who the state government would provide Advocates for informal workers said ment to several others and they contrib- riding defensively like that. sell everything from snacks and cups of Rs10,000 ($136) in assistance to women such incidents had increased during the ute to food security for the urban poor. the dust settled Imagine letting yourself tea to toys and shoes at traffi c lights, on like Devi. lockdown — with numerous cases of Those roles are completely unrecog- get taken like that,” said the pavements or from carts. “We have already processed their baton-wielding police beating workers nised,” she said. fi ve-time Tour de France winner. “Financially, we are shattered and documents and very soon we shall for going out, continuing even after the She urged the government to provide Jumbo failed to twist the knife with Pogacar trailing behind that has led to a near mental breakdown release the payments,” he said. curbs were lifted. health insurance for traders and called at the end of the fi rst week, on a stage their powerhouse roller with stress and tension building up In June, the federal government “(The) main problems are municipal for the installation of public sinks and Wout Van Aert won a bunch sprint. every passing day,” said Devi, 64, who launched a scheme off ering collateral- bodies and police. They are not chang- bathroom facilities to help improve had been selling the handwoven shawls free loans of Rs10,000 to about 5mn ing their old ways,” said Arbind Singh, hygiene and boost consumer confi dence A stage win that unwittingly undid their best laid plans. for four decades before the lockdown hit street vendors — about half of the NASVI’s national co-ordinator, calling during the pandemic. The Jumbo horror story provides Brailsford with convenient in March. country’s total, according to the Na- for the loan scheme to be replaced with On the streets, however, many ven- cover but his Ineos team can point to a number of mitigating Devi and several thousand fellow ven- tional Association of Street Vendors aid as vendors’ earnings sink to 30% of dors are losing hope. circumstances. dors at a market run by women in the of India (NASVI). Of 15 street vendors pre-crisis levels. Vinod, who declined to give his full The 2019 champion, Colombia’s Egan Bernal, came into remote northeastern state of Manipur interviewed by the Thomson Reuters The government’s fi nancing pro- name, said that in 30 years of selling tea the race nursing a bad back, and was robbed of his two key have still not been able to return to their Foundation in New Delhi, only three gramme has had some positive outcomes, in Delhi he had never struggled so badly, mountain sherpas when a deluge in Nice saw Pavel Sivakov and stalls because authorities ruled that the said they had applied for the loan. he added, allowing street vendors to and could no longer aff ord to pay his many elderly vendors were at high risk Others said they did not plan to apply, attain a vending certifi cate and access children’s monthly school tuition fees Richard Carapaz fall heavily. from the virus. citing reasons including red tape or lack bank credit, which could help reduce their of Rs1,200. It must also be said the team were mourning the loss of one of “Making ends meet and having two of interest in the amount on off er. heavy reliance on loan sharks. “I had to borrow money to buy tea their own, after the untimely passing of sports director Nicolas meals a day is now a big problem...life “It’s a lot of eff ort for just pocket “We’re hoping that once they get a leaves, milk and sugar. Feeding my Portal in March. for many of us has been hell,” Devi, the change. They don’t realise how much we certifi cate of vending and get linked family is another daily worry,” said the Brailsford opened up about this loss in Pau on stage nine, and sole breadwinner in her household, said have to spend on raw material, transport with banks, they can break out of this 45-year-old father of fi ve, adding that the impression was of a man whose heart might not have been by phone from the state capital, Imphal. and helpers,” said Pappu Gupta, 50, who mafi a nexus,” Singh said. his previous daily takings of Rs500 had fully on the task at hand. Coronavirus infections are rising runs a food stall near Connaught Place, Ranjana, 38, used to sell thousands plunged to about 50 today. faster in India than anywhere else in the the capital’s central business district. of rupees worth of colourful, hand- “There is no hope in sight.” (Thomson Bernal’s collapse on a mountainside with Jumbo skipping world as it repeatedly reports the high- Nearby, roadside cobbler Santosh Ku- embroidered bags and cushion covers to Reuters Foundation) towards a summit was agony to watch. Brailsford withdrew his leader and refocused the team that earned some scant recompense on the fi nal Alpine stage with a stage win and the polka dot jersey. The French cycling community were lulled into believing their beloved but emotional climber Thibaut Pinot was about to fi nally deliver. He too fell in the deluge at Nice where a fellow rider hit him square in the back. He struggled on into the Pyrenees but soon fell off the pace. Pogacar’s crushing of Roglic on the Planche des Belles Filles is not only one of the sports stories of the year, it also marks a generational shift to the ascendency of younger riders, following as it does the now dated story of Bernal’s success a year ago at 22. “I’m just a kid from Slovenia,” the Tour’s youngest post- World War II winner said on Saturday, unaware of the extent to which his life is likely to change.

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© 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved A vendor wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus waits for customers to sell mobile phone accessories at a street in New Delhi yesterday. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 22, 2020 15

All resources used to engage youth in Baluchistan: CM Baluchistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has said that the present government is utilising all available resources to engage the Opposition urges end to youth of the province in healthy activities. He was presiding over a meeting in Quetta last week to review the progress on the project of construction of sports complexes in all the districts of Baluchistan. Khan said that international military ‘interference’ standard sports complexes will be constructed at the land of Opposition leaders fail to Faraz said that the opposition Radio Pakistan in Sariab Road, agree on resignation from was “ganging up” to pressure Nawa Killi and Nohisar areas of assemblies the government to close cor- the provincial capital so that the ruption cases, adding that that holding of international sports Reuters/Internews would not happen. events in Quetta could be made Islamabad Earlier, the APC participants possible. could not reach a fi nal decision He directed to further improve on mass resignation from the the plight of existing sports alf a dozen major oppo- national and provincial assem- stadiums in various districts of sition parties have joined blies due to a diff erence of opin- the province and ensure the Hforces to denounce the ion among major parties, insider provision of modern facilities military, which they accuse of accounts reveal. there. meddling in politics and rigging According to sources, there Earlier, the concerned authorities the 2018 elections to bring Prime was heated debate on resigning briefed the participants of the Minister Imran Khan to power. from the provincial and national meeting about the matters The six parties and some assemblies, and the matter was related to the project. smaller groups signed a state- discussed at length between the Khan has said that commercial ment late on Sunday during the leaders of the major parties at- and business activities will thrive All Parties Conference (APC), tending. in the region after the western announcing the creation of the However, the decision to quit route of China-Pakistan Economic Pakistan Democratic Movement the assemblies was ultimately Corridor (CPEC) connecting (PDM) to begin nationwide agi- abandoned even though Bilawal Gwadar via Zhob and Chaman is tation, possibly culminating in and former prime minister Shar- completed within the next few a January march on the capital, if at one point in the discussions years. Islamabad. off ered to submit their party’s Talking to newsmen in Qilla According to the statement, resignations to each other. Saifullah, he said construction joint rallies will be held in Octo- Bilawal had off ered to sub- of 3,000km of roads is being ber and November 2020 in Pa- mit his party’s resignations to completed across the province kistan’s major cities, including Sharif, who could then present this year. the provincial capitals Karachi, the entire opposition’s resigna- Quetta, Peshawar. and Lahore. tions to the National Assembly In the second phase, set to Speaker upon his return to Pa- Drop in import of commence in December 2020, kistan, sources informed Geo large public rallies and demon- News. ozone depleting strations would be organised in The Pakistan Muslim League substances the provincial capitals, while – Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, in January 2021, a decisive long Leaders of the opposition political parties address the closing session of the All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad. when presented with the off er, The prime minister’s special march will head towards Islam- said that he was not against the assistant on climate change, abad. The alliance did not give a Terming the parliament a thority until the investigation is joint resolution are constitu- idea, but wished to fi rst put the Malik Amin Aslam, says that A 26-point resolution read schedule for the street pro- “rubber stamp”, the PDM de- completed. tional and legal, including pro- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)- Pakistan has reduced import of out by Rehman stated that the tests, except for announcing clared that the opposition par- The opposition will enlist tests and demand for resigna- led government under pressure ozone depleting substances to current government has been the march on the capital if the ties will not co-operate with the lawyers, traders, farmers, stu- tion. before opting for the step. 50% under the Montreal Protocol. granted “fake stability by the government did not stop the al- government in the legislative dents, media as well as members Bilawal told reporters that “You give me the PPP’s resig- He said in Islamabad that it is same establishment” that inter- leged victimising of political op- process. of the civil society in its move- PDM will start working from nations, and I will give you the another milestone achieved fered with the elections to bring ponents. It also demanded that a new ment. tomorrow and will continue to PML-N’s resignations, and you by Pakistan in its environment- the incumbent rulers to power. It demanded electoral reform law of accountability be passed In order to oust the govern- work towards its goal of seeing can then hand over all of them friendly ambitions to protect the It expressed “extreme con- to ensure “no role for the armed in the country that is in accord- ment, opposition parties will use “real democracy” in Pakistan. to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – entire region and the world from cern” over the increasing inter- forces and (intelligence) agen- ance with the Supreme Court’s “every legal and constitutional The government’s majority Fazlur (JUI-F)’s Maulana Fazlur man-induced climate change and ference of the establishment in cies”. verdict and recommendations option in and out of parliament, hinges on a few votes in parlia- Rehman,” Sharif reportedly said ecological degradation. internal aff airs of the country The next general election is from Human Rights Watch and which include moving no-con- ment, while the opposition has a in response. Aslam said that Pakistan has and regarded it as a “danger to scheduled for 2023. Council of Islamic Ideology, and fi dence motions and collective majority in the upper house. Sources said that the JUI-F surpassed its pledged target the nation’s stability and insti- Opposition parties and civil would hold everyone account- resignations from assemblies at “Our struggle is against those chief then debated the matter under the Montreal Protocol tutions”. rights groups have long held that able, including bureaucrats, an appropriate time”, the resolu- who have brought Imran Khan extensively with the leaders of to contain 35% import of “The (military) establishment the military interferes in politics lawmakers, judicial and army tion states. (to power),” former three-time the various opposition parties, hydrochlorofluorocarbons should stop every kind of inter- and runs governments from be- offi cials. Responding to questions dur- prime minister Nawaz Sharif, but there were some disagree- (HCFCs), causing the ozone layer ference in politics forthwith,” hind the scene. In particular, the PDM resolu- ing the press conference, Paki- who was removed on corrup- ments over the execution of the to deplete. said the statement, which ac- Federal Planning Minister tion said that claims made in a stan Peoples Party (PPP) chair- tion allegations in 2017, said by strategy. He said that Pakistan remains cuses Khan of failing on multi- Asad Umar has said that the recent news report regarding re- person Bilawal Bhutto Zardari video link to the gathering from According to sources, the op- committed to all international ple counts, from the economy to military and civilian government tired Lieutenant-General Asim said that the PDM wants a “non- London. position ultimately failed to agreements and is a responsible foreign policy. work together. Saleem Bajwa’s assets and family political establishment” as the Sharif’s third term as prime agree on the matter. partner among all international The armed forces, which have The forum also demanded business should be probed. Constitution does not allow the minister ran from 2013-2017, It was decided in the meet- protocols, especially the Montreal ruled Pakistan for half of its his- that elections be organised again The forum said that Ba- establishment to be involved in when he was removed by the ing that those lawmakers who Protocol. tory since independence in 1947, in a transparent manner and that jwa should be removed as the political matters of the country. Supreme Court amid revelations are known for “jumping ship” deny meddling in politics or reforms should be passed in or- chairman of China-Pakistan He said that all the options over his personal wealth. would not be invited back to the electoral wrongdoing. der to ensure free and fair polls. Economic Corridor (CPEC) Au- listed in PDM’s action plan and Information Minister Shibli fold of the parties present. Qaiser urges world to help resolve Kashmir dispute National Assembly Speaker Solarised cold storages to Asad Qaiser has urged the international community to play its role for the resolution of lingering Kashmir dispute. improve immunisation Addressing a seminar in Islamabad yesterday in connection with the International Internews would safeguard children from rying out coronavirus-related Day of Peace, he said that the Islamabad the childhood ailments. activities. resolution of the Kashmir dispute “We will soon be shifting to To enhance the immunisation as per the UN Security Council the new provincial warehouse, ratio, they said, the technicians resolutions is imperative for he health department which will serve as main fa- conducted immunisation ses- regional peace and stability. is “solarising” the cility for divisional storage sions at the district level, where Qaiser said that Pakistan has Tcold storages for vac- in Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail mothers were informed about been making eff ective eff orts cines throughout Khyber Pa- Khan, Mansehra, Peshawar, the signifi cance of immunising to expose the reality in Indian- khtunkhwa (KP) province to Malakand, and Mardan. Now- during the coronavirus pan- administered Kashmir before the ensure uninterrupted electric- shera, Mardan and Swabi have demic, as a result of which the world. ity supply and provide quality district cold rooms as well,” incidence of childhood diseases immunisation services to the they said. decreased. children. They said that the number There is an old warehouse in Sindh starts work The department is install- of cold rooms depended on the the Pishtakhara locality of Pe- ing the recently-established size of the division, with some shawar that is fully functional, on projects under provincial warehouse with the divisions having two to three while the new one is ready for Karachi package assistance of the UN that will cold rooms, while some have shifting and is also fully func- also save cost of fuel presently just one, the plan is to have a tional. The Sindh government has incurred for using generators. cold room at each district level. The new warehouse in Naha- started work on the projects Offi cials said that the cold The installation of a cold qi will work as provincial ware- under Karachi package. A health worker administers rooms in the provincial ware- room is a costly exercise and house. In a tweet yesterday, the polio vaccine drops to a house had been provided by was completed in phases, they No decision has been made so spokesperson of the provincial child during a door-to-door Unicef. added. far about the warehouse in Pis- government Barrister Murtaza vaccination campaign at a The UN agency has also es- The solarisation of cold stor- htakhara, but most likely it will Wahab said that the Sindh low-income residential area in tablished the district cold ages will be completed by the work as Peshawar district cold government is committed to Islamabad. rooms. end of the current year. room. fulfilling promises made with the “In the districts, where we Offi cials said that they had Offi cials said the immunisa- people of the city. Right: A health worker don’t have an installed cold been immunising children aged tion coverage in the province He promised that the projects for administers polio vaccine room, we have suffi cient cold up to 23 months against 10 dis- from January to August had im- the betterment of Karachi and drops to a child during a chain equipment to cater to the eases: childhood tuberculo- proved and that the vaccinators the welfare of the residents will door-to-door vaccination cam- needs of the target population,” sis, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, were able to provide the BCG be completed in the stipulated paign in Karachi. they said. pneumonia, pertussis (whoop- vaccine to 84% of children to time. Regarding the benefi ts of the ing cough), Hepatitis-B, men- protect them against childhood solarisation, offi cials said that ingitis, diarrhoea, and measles. tuberculosis, Penta-3 to 81% of it would help them in eff ective They said that there has been children for protection against Punjab students maintenance of the vaccine cold no break in routine immunisa- fi ve diseases (pertussis, diph- Polio eradication campaign starts chain besides ensuring quality tion, with 2,882 technicians theria, tetanus, hepatitis and getting free books of the vaccine, enhancement of reaching most of the 1.5mn tar- haemophilus infl uenza type-B). storage capacity, and ensuring geted children at 1,270 centres “Coverage for measles is In Punjab, under the Accelerated Internews This is the fi rst nationwide all over the country. continuous vaccine supply that in the province, on top of car- 81%,” said the offi cials. Learning Programme, free books Islamabad campaign in the country after The vaccinators have received are being provided to students at its four-month suspension due a comprehensive training on school level in all 36 districts of coronavirus outbreak. how to vaccinate children safely Trials of proposed Covid-19 vaccine starting this week the province. fi ve-day nationwide po- The coronavirus causes the in view of the coronavirus pan- Punjab Minister for School lio eradication campaign Covid-19 respiratory disease. demic. Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Biological Sciences, based in the University of Education Dr Murad Raas Abegan yesterday, during The scope of this campaign is The polio eradication pro- Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, has Karachi, has been approved for conducting trials. said in Lahore that a “smart” which 40mn children below the much larger and seeks to vacci- gramme has put strict measures said that clinical trials of the proposed coronavirus He said that after the successful completion of curriculum has been introduced age of fi ve will be administered nate all children under the age of in place for all staff following the vaccine, produced by an international company, all the trials, the vaccine will be available in the for the schools in the view of the anti-polio vaccine across Paki- fi ve through door-to-door visits government’s set guidelines on will be started in Pakistan this week. country between the months of April and June coronavirus pandemic. stan. by almost 270,000 vaccinators Covid-19 preventative measures. He said the International Centre for Chemical and next year. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, September 22, 2020 QATAR WISH partners with The BMJ to widen reach of policy research

he World Innova- highlight global health respons- tion Summit for Health es shown to be eff ective in curb- T(WISH), Qatar Founda- ing the impact of climate change tion’s global health initiative, on the spread of infectious dis- has announced a strategic part- ease and climate-linked increas- nership with The BMJ, one of the es in communicable diseases, as world’s oldest, most respected, well as considering how to fi ll the and most cited general medical gaps in the current body of evi- journals. dence. The forum is co-chaired Under the new partnership, by Prof Rachel Lowe, associate WISH have worked with The professor and Royal Society Dor- BMJ on three reports that will othy Hodgkin Fellow, London include peer-reviewed academic School of Hygiene and Tropical papers written by global experts. Medicine, and Prof Jeremy Hess, In addition to being presented professor in emergency medi- at WISH 2020, these papers will cine, Environmental and Oc- be published in the high-impact cupational Health Sciences, and journal, benefi ting from the Global Health, and Adjunct Pro- scale and reach of its interna- fessor, Atmospheric Sciences, tional readership of doctors and and Director, Center for Health other health professionals. More and the Global Environment, than 50 million users from over University of Washington. 150 countries access BMJ’s web- Prof Howard Frumkin and Dr Maitreyi Das. Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta and Dr Nadine Burke Harris. Prof Rachel Lowe and Prof Jeremy Hess. The team behind the report sites every year. looking at the topic of healthy Sultana Afdhal, chief execu- partner, given our mutual com- BMJ will contribute to one of the challenge now is to act on these The reports cover toxic stress in Dr Nadine Burke Harris, surgeon dry cities is co-chaired by Prof tive offi cer of WISH, said: “One mitment to sharing evidence- major goals of the biennial WISH recommendations to counter the children, healthy dry cities, and general of California, and Prof Howard Frumkin, professor of the goals of our biennial sum- based knowledge and supporting summit, which is to disseminate impacts on health of toxic stress, the relationship between climate Zulfi qar A Bhutta, co-director emeritus of Environmental and mit is to fi nd optimal ways for healthcare leaders in building evidence-based content to a climate change and drought. This change and communicable dis- of the Centre for Global Child Occupational Health Sciences evidence-based research to be healthier communities and im- wide audience of global leaders, year’s summit will play an impor- eases. Health, The Hospital for Sick at the University of Washington translated into practical policy- proving health outcomes.” policy makers and healthcare tant part in moving those issues A report on toxic stress and Children and founding direc- School of Public Health, and Dr driven solutions that help deliv- The BMJ is an international practitioners. from research into policy.” PTSD (Post-traumatic stress dis- tor of the Centre of Excellence Maitreyi Bordia Das, practice er healthcare in an effi cient and peer-reviewed medical journal, Prof Kamran Abbasi, execu- The reports commissioned for order ) in children shall consider in Women and Child Health, Aga manager and global lead at the cost-eff ective manner world- responsible for publishing some tive editor, The BMJ, said: “Our the summit are each chaired by the eff ects of long-term stress on Khan University. World Bank. The report aims wide. It is, therefore, fi tting that of the world’s most infl uential expert teams have produced ex- world-leading experts and sup- children’s physical and mental The group convened by The to identify the most eff ective we work with a trusted knowl- research aff ecting public dis- ceptional reports with clear rec- ported by a team of senior lead- development, and develop strat- BMJ to consider the relation- strategies for optimising public edge-leader such as The BMJ, course and policy making. The ommendations for health profes- ers drawn from the academic, egies to mitigate these ill-eff ects. ship between climate change health policy in tackling urban as a research and publishing strategic partnership with The sionals and policy makers. The research, and policy arenas. The forum is being co-chaired by and communicable diseases will drought.

Qatar turns purple to mark World Alzheimer’s Day Financial sector key to accelerating renewable energy transition: QF leader

he fi nancial sector holds poll, and 70% said Covid would the key to accelerating a accelerate this. It is now much Tglobal transition toward easier to make the case for clean renewable energy, a Qatar Foun- energy as technology has caught dation leader told an interna- up, costs have come down, and tional discussion that focused the willingness is there. on how the world can build back “At a business roundtable fea- better from Covid-19 in an envi- turing 200 companies recently, a ronmentally conscious way. group of CEOs from the likes of Omran Hamad al-Kuwari, Amazon and Chevron publicly CEO of Qatar Foundation In- recommended introducing car- ternational and a doctoral re- bon pricing because they said searcher at UCL Institute for they need it for certainty. It’s be- Sustainable Resources in the come a very diff erent narrative, UK, was among the experts who and a very diff erent situation.” shared their perspectives on the However, he warned the en- changing face of global energy ergy transition could be “a tough and business in a virtual seminar adjustment” for many countries. Omran al-Kuwari (right) at the Project Syndicate event. organised by international media “For exporters who depend on oil Qatar turned purple yesterday as the country marked World Alzheimer’s Day with special organisation project syndicate, and gas for revenue, they will have economy”, with national oil and sure from the fi nancial industry, events. Several landmarks, including Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel (in The Green Recovery. to adjust to demand,” he said. gas companies responsible for policymakers, and populations picture) and roads in the country were lit up in purple, the colour that represents Alzheimer’s In a session titled Closing The “Carbon tax adjustments will the majority of their countries’ around the world to look at their awareness around the world. Throughout September, Hamad Medical Corporation has been Circuit, al-Kuwari – who, as well eventually come in one form or revenues and having “an obliga- entire emissions.” supporting World Alzheimer’s Month with a series of public events to raise awareness about the as previously working in Qatar’s another, but they could be intro- tion to extract”, and developing Al-Kuwari was joined on disease. Yesterday, a section of the Doha Corniche was also illuminated in purple and several oil and gas industry, co-founded duced in a progressive manner countries now looking to mon- the panel by Laurence Tubi- HMC off icials, including Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, national lead for healthy ageing, senior consultant clean technology and renew- which incentivises, for example, etise their hydrocarbon reserves. ana, CEO of the European Cli- geriatrician and medical director of Rumailah Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, were able energy advisory business lower carbon intensity sources And he pointed out that while a mate Foundation; José Antonio present to mark the occasion. The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) also expressed solidarity GreenGulf – told the panel, “The of oil and gas, and encourages green transformation may lead González Anaya, former CEO of with Alzheimer’s patients on the occasion in co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health. fi nance industry needs to be the exporters to transition. to “tough decisions like closing PEMEX, Mexico’s state-owned PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed key driving force – it can make “People are responding and coal plants”, it may also “require petroleum company; and Jules it more expensive to build fossil will be prepared for it, but there decisions that are unpopular Kortenhorst, CEO of US non- fuels and more attractive to build is no other way to say it than that from an environmental perspec- profi t sustainability organisa- anything clean. there will be a structural fi nan- tive, such as nuclear power”. tion the Rocky Mountain Insti- “It’s happening, and it’s hap- cial adjustment, which we are But he added: “There is no tute. Speakers who participated pening fast. The trends are all seeing now in the Gulf. It will be way we can reach the goals of the in The Green Recovery included moving towards this. JP Morgan challenging for all involved.” Paris Agreement without energy Gordon Brown and Kevin Rudd, interviewed 50 global institu- Another challenge, according companies at least playing their former prime ministers of the tions with $13tn of assets for a to al-Kuwari, is the “political part, and they are under pres- UK and Australia respectively.

King of Malaysia meets Qatar’s ambassador

King of Malaysia Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin al-Mustafa Billah Shah met yesterday with Qatar’s ambassador to Malaysia Fahad bin Mohamed Kafood. The ambassador conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the king of Malaysia, and the wishes of His Highness to the people of Malaysia for further progress and prosperity. For his part, the king of Malaysia entrusted the ambassador to convey his greetings to the Amir, wishing him good health and happiness and the people of Qatar continued progress, development and prosperity. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and means of supporting and developing them, in addition to issues of common concern. The ambassador also made a presentation to the king of Malaysia on Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.