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QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune Wednesday MAY 13, 2020 Ramadan 20, 1441 Vol.13 no. 4945 qR 2

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Ramadan Timing Asia 4 Business 8 Sports 11 Today Tomorrow Iftar imsak Indian trains start Qatar dealing with Samuel Eto’o to appear on rolling again despite COVID-19 better than Generation Amazing 6:11pm 3:15am virus surge others: KPMG Instagram Live today Get double data and 50 extra international

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Amir directs to send combat COVID-19 medical aid to Albania, Need to enhance multilateral cooperation Congo and Angola to tackle the coronavirus pandemic: FM The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin QNA Hamad al Thani on Tuesday issued a New York directive to send medical assistance to Albania, the Democratic Republic Qatar, South Korea, Canada, Den- of the Congo and Angola to support mark and Sierra Leone launched the the efforts of these friendly countries Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global to combat the novel coronavirus Health Security to combat the corona- (COVID-19) epidemic. (QNA) virus (COVID-19) pandemic in a virtual event at the United Nations headquar- ters in New York on Tuesday. In a video message, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Af- COVID-19 recoveries Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs HE Dr Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah fairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul- reach 3,019: MoPH met Commander of US Air Forces Central Command Lieutenant General Joseph Gustella on Tuesday. They rahman al Thani expressed the delight reviewed bilateral cooperation and the ways to enhance and develop them. (QNA) of Qatar to participate with the Repub- The FM said the Group of Friends The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on lic of Korea, Canada, Sierra Leone and Tuesday announced 1,526 new cases of Denmark in launching this very impor- of Solidarity for Global Health COVID-19, bringing the total confirmed tant initiative. Security to combat the coronavirus cases to 25,149. In the last 24 hours, 179 The FM affirmed the commit- will examine emerging health people recovered from the virus, taking the ment of Qatar to work with the Group issues of global importance, find total number of recovered cases in Qatar MADLSA delivers 1,136 computers of Friends of Solidarity for Global innovative ways and work towards to 3,019. Health Security to become a major a targeted strategy among UN In a statement, the MoPH said most platform for exchanging views on how member states of the new cases are expatriate workers to workers at Mukaynis city to effectively respond to COVID-19 who have been infected with the virus as a through various forms of multilateral result of contact with individuals who have QNA through the programme. cooperation. solidarity among member states. been previously infected, in addition to Doha The authorities are also He said the COVID-19 pandemic “The battle against the COVID-19 recording new cases from within groups of providing educational bro- highlighted the importance of prepar- pandemic is one the world cannot af- workers from various regions. In cooperation with the Qatar chures in several languages ing for epidemics as soon as possible. ford to lose, and we will not win un- The ministry noted that there was Red Crescent Society (QRCS), to the workers and guiding He stressed the need to enhance multi- less everyone works together,” the FM also an increase in the number of infec- the Ministry of Administra- them to take all precautionary lateral cooperation. said. tions among citizens and residents who tive Development, Labour and measures to prevent infection The FM said the group will examine He stressed that the group has an had contact with COVID-19-positive family Social Affairs (MADLSA) and with the coronavirus (COV- emerging health issues of global impor- opportunity to benefit from the clear members, who had in turn been infected the Ministry of Transport and ID-19). tance, find innovative ways and work lessons and from what can be done to at the workplace or other locations. All the Communications (MoTC) have The Better Communica- towards a targeted strategy among UN respond to global health emergencies in new infected cases have been quarantined supplied the labour city of Mu- care for workers. tion programme is supported member states. the future. where they are receiving the necessary kaynis with 1,136 computers The computers provided by many partners, including He stressed the commitment of Qa- Foreign ministers of South Korea, medical care, the MoPH added. The minis- under the Better Communica- in two batches will allow the Vodafone and Microsoft, Reach tar to the exchange of best practices and Canada, Denmark and Sierra Leone par- try renewed its call for all members of the tion initiative. workers who are subject to Out To Asia (ROTA), and the lessons learned. ticipated in launching the initiative. community to stay at home and not go out The move is part of the ef- isolation to communicate with Social and Economic Survey Qatar will help in strengthening the except in cases of necessity. (TNN) forts to provide comprehensive their relatives in their countries Research Institute. collective response and encouraging Continued on page 2 

Restaurants, cafes can resume takeaway services: MoCI The Ministry of Commerce and However, restaurants and cafes The MoCI said all restaurants Industry (MoCI) has relaxed the located in malls are exempted from and cafes are required to comply restrictions imposed on restaurants this decision and are only allowed with the policies of the MoCI, the and coffee shops, allowing them to process delivery orders. These Ministry of Administrative Develop- to deliver or hand over orders to outlets are prohibited from handing ment, Labour and Social Affairs and 30% jump in demand customers outside the business over orders to customers both inside the Ministry of Public Health regard- for ambulance premises. and outside the workplace. ing the measures. (TNN) service: HMC (PG 2 )

2nd repatriation flight with 181 onboard leaves for India Life slowly limps back to Santosh Chandran stranded overseas amid the coronavi- Doha rus (COVID-19) pandemic. normalcy in Industrial Area Meanwhile, six flights will take In- The rescheduled repatriation flight dians stranded in Qatar home in the Santhosh Chandran sumed their operations and hypermar- from Doha to Thiruvananthapuram second phase of a repatriation exercise Doha kets have opened their doors in some in the southern Indian state of Kerala that will begin on May 20. Three flights parts of the Industrial Area under strict took off from the Hamad Internation- — to Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and With the authorities lifting the lock- health guidelines. al Airport (HIA) on Tuesday evening. Kannur — are scheduled to fly out on down, life and business in Industrial “We were very comfortable during As many as 181 passengers, in- May 20, the Embassy of India in Qatar Area are slowly limping back to normal the quarantine period as we received cluding women and children, were said in a tweet on Tuesday. The flight with strict implementation of preven- food supply and all the information onboard the Air India Express flight, to Kannur, however, is tentative. The tive measures against the coronavirus about the precautionary measures IX-374. The flight was initially remaining three flights will leave for (COVID-19) pandemic. through booklets distributed in our scheduled to fly out on Sunday Kochi on May 21, Bengaluru on May 22 People can be seen loitering on language,” an employee of a trading evening but was called off minutes and Gaya on May 24. the streets that had worn a deserted company told Qatar Tribune. before departure due to some tech- More than 44,000 Indians in Qa- look a few days ago. nical reasons. tar have registered with the embassy Money exchange houses have re- Continued on page 2  The flight is part of India’s “Vande to go back home through the Vande Passengers at the Hamad International Airport prior to their departure Bharat Mission” to take home Indians Bharat Mission. for Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. 02 Wednesday, May 13, 2020

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Ambulance Service receives over 1,000 Rheumatic disorders: HMC ensures emergency calls daily amid COVID-19 crisis doctors attend to patients on phone QNA Over the past decade, Doha work has been done to ex- The common rheumatic disorders include lupus, sjogren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis pand the capacity of ambu- The number of calls that lance services and develop CATHERINE W GICHUKI tients having prior appoint- can either collect medicines the medications should be Hamad Medical Corpora- the quality of care provided, doha ments should not visit the at the pharmacy or get them discontinued in consultation tion’s Ambulance Service he said, noting that ensur- clinic. delivered to their residences with a rheumatologist, ex- receives on a daily basis has ing the availability of equip- PATIENTS with rheumatic She said, “Your doctor will through the home delivery cept for hydroxychloroquine increased by 30 percent from ment and expertise required disorders are not expected to call you to check on you and service via Qatar Post. (plaqunil) as it is safe. nearly 700 to more than to manage crises such as the visit the clinic in-person as will discuss any health prob- She said those with rheu- According to Dr Emadi, 1,000 amid the COVID-19 COVID-19 outbreak is part of doctors will be attending to lems related to your disease matic disorders should not patients with rheumatic dis- pandemic, as the corpora- the programme. them over the phone, Head with you. The doctor will also stop or change their medica- orders should take the pre- tion continues to implement He added that planning of Rheumatology Division at update you on your results and tion because they are crucial cautionary measures against measures to protect the pop- and preparing for crises is the Medicine Department of will give you the proper advice. for controlling the disease and COVID-19 such as maintain- ulation from the virus while the ability to provide ser- Hamad Medical Corporation If your situation requires you protect the patient’s health. ing personal and hand hy- responding to emergency vices fully, including the safe (HMC) Dr Samar al Emadi to visit the clinic, you will be “According to the Ameri- giene; avoiding touching eyes calls, Brendon Morris, exec- transportation of confirmed has said. asked to do so.” can College of Rheumatology and face especially when out- utive director of the Ambu- or suspected cases, and the Dr Emadi said the ar- She pointed out that the and European League against side the house; avoiding going lance Service, has said. provision of medical services rangement has been made as clinics are still running with rheumatological disease, a out unnecessarily; avoiding Morris said, “The coro- within different areas. a precautionary measure to full staff capacity, includ- Dr. Samar al Emadi patient should not stop or sick people; exercising; and navirus outbreak reflected Ali Darwish, assistant ex- prevent the spread of the cor- ing physicians and nurses change doses of these medi- maintaining a healthy diet. our ability to respond to a ecutive director of the Ambu- onavirus (COVID-19). and they were calling their own benefit,” she explained. cations, including biological She said if one gets cough high number of emergency lance Service, noted that with Common rheumatic disor- patients daily and reviewing According to Dr Emadi, medications, unless there are or fever, they should fol- calls, as we witnessed a 30 the arrival of thousands of ders include lupus, sjogren’s their files and their blood re- patients should also not wor- symptoms like fever or cough low the Ministry of Public percent increase in our dai- travellers to Qatar every day, syndrome and rheumatoid sults.” ry about their medication as or any symptoms suggestive Health’s recommendation ly activity during the pan- in the beginning of the crisis arthritis, among others. “We are avoiding bringing their doctor will order the of the infection.” and call the designated hot- demic. Before that, we used the ambulance service used Dr Emadi said that pa- patients to the clinics for their medication and the patients If one has fever or cough, line number. to receive about 700 calls to transport passengers, who a day, and this number has had a fever and had a travel continued to increase until record to any of the coun- it reached nearly 1,000 calls tries affected by the virus, ei- per day in recent months.” ther to the medical facilities Group to exchange views on Industrial firms, shops implement He added that hundreds or quarantine centres after of calls received by the ambu- check-up at the airport. ways to respond to COVID-19 measures to limit COVID-19 spread lance service daily from people He added that the ambu- suffering from medical emer- lance service provides safe Continued from page 1  which poses an unprecedented Continued from page 1  deployed trained staff to en- employee of an engineering gencies that are not related to transportation for confirmed challenge to the development sure customers maintain so- company said. the coronavirus, and that its or suspected cases of infection The group aims to provide an efforts of the international com- Industrial firms and cial distance and kept enough Industrial Area streets employees are fully prepared with the virus, as ambulances unofficial platform for interested munity. shops have strictly imple- face masks and sanitizers. from 1 to 32 were under lock- to provide assistance in any have been allocated along UN member states to exchange The group works towards mented precautionary meas- Companies and industrial down for more than a month situation that requires emer- with paramedics exclusively views on how to effectively re- focusing on the major threats ures to limit the spread of the units having 100 or more em- after a large number of people gency medical intervention. to transport the patients. spond to COVID-19 and other posed by the pandemic to in- COVID-19. An official of a ployees have set up special tested positive for COVID-19. Dr Robert Owen , CEO The staff are given per- challenges to global health se- ternational peace and security. food stuff company said, “We teams to meet the situation in The phased lifting of the lock- of the Ambulance Service at sonal protective equipment curity through various forms of The group calls on the United have taken all precautionary the backdrop of the pandemic. down began a few weeks ago, HMC, said: “The outbreak to ensure their safety from multilateral cooperation as it Nations to play a central role in measures. We are strictly fol- “We have made spe- with the first phase seeing the of Covid-19 presented many any possible infection, he seeks to highlight social and eco- stimulating and coordinating lowing measures like thermal cial arrangements for home reopening of Streets 1, 2 and Al challenges that we had not said, adding that the am- nomic problems caused by the a strong global response to the temperature test, social dis- quarantine at staff accommo- Wakalat on April 22. faced before, but we have bulances are sterilised and coronavirus pandemic. The pan- pandemic while stressing the ur- tancing, and special working dations. We are in constant The remaining streets planned and prepared well disinfected after transport- demic has caused and exacer- gent need for action-oriented in- gown for factory workers and touch with the Ministry of were reopened on May 6, but for such crises during the ing confirmed or suspected bated many problems in the field ternational cooperation among masks for all.” Public Health and following entry and exit are tightly regu- past years.” cases of the virus. of human rights, in addition to all member states of the United An official of a money ex- their updates through social lated as a precaution to limit the global economic downturn, Nations. change house said they have media platforms,” a senior the spread of the COVID-19.

Doha Municipality shuts two restaurants, grocery shop This year’s Zakat Al-Fitr is QR15 for each Individual The Zakat Fund of the Min- QR15 should be given istry of Endowment and Is- before the Eid Al-Fitr lamic Affairs has urged the public to pay Zakat Al-Fitr on prayer, so that the Fund time, pointing out that it is a can deliver it to those who duty (required) of every Mus- deserve it lim, male or female, minor or adult, as long as they have the at a value of QR15. means to do so. The Zakat Fund receives In a statement on Tuesday, the value from the public and the Fund said the amount of distributes it to those who Zakat Al-Fitr for this Rama- are entitled to it according dan (1441AH) is equivalent to to the Sunnah of the Prophet QR15, which should be given (PBUH). before the Eid Al-Fitr prayer, Those wishing to pay so that the Fund can deliver it Zakat Al-Fitr can proceed to to those who deserve it. the Fund’s main collection The Fund noted that the offices while observing the basic principle of Zakat Al-Fitr rules of social distancing and The Department of Health Supervision at the Department of Municipal Control in the Municipality of Doha conducted 220 inspections of food establishments in two days. The is to take it from most popular preventive measures to limit inspection resulted in recording of 16 violations and closure of two restaurants in Bin Mahmoud area and a grocery shop in Industrial Area. (TNN) food such as rice, weighing 2.5 the spread of the coronavirus kg, which can be paid in cash (COVID-19). (QNA) ‘Qatar’s telecom sector demonstrates technical capability during COVID-19’

for Emergency to develop ap- March, the average download els. A similar traffic increase In March, the average download speed was of 95Mbits, propriate plans and processes speed was of 95Mbits, which was observed in Qatar, he said. to anticipate disasters, he said. was well above the global aver- Mannai reiterated that CRA which was well above the global average of 75Mbits The CRA president said age 75Mbits. The speed of the will ensure that consumers in service providers were highly mobile internet connections Qatar have access to reliable QNA nai has said. business continuity as this was cooperative and have demon- which reached 78Mbits is also and high-quality services, add- Doha He added that the sector, crucial to keep essential services strated a strong commitment well above the global average ing that the CRA conducts an with all its components, was running without affecting the to provision of high-quality tel- 30Mbits,” he said, adding that annual survey of mobile tel- The telecommunications sec- able to successfully deal with quality of service provided to ecom services during these ex- this demonstrates the quality ecommunications and broad- tor in Qatar has demonstrated the changes imposed by the cur- the consumers. His Excellency Mohammed Ali ceptional circumstances. of the networks in Qatar which band services to verify that the great technical and business rent situation. He added that measures Al-Mannai, President of CRA He pointed out that the are coping well with these ex- Quality of Service (QoS) pro- capacity in dealing with the In an interview with Qatar were introduced to guarantee service providers have doubled ceptional circumstances. He vided by the service providers repercussions of the novel News Agency (QNA), Mannai that the employees responsible with the service providers, the speed of the fixed internet worldwide, as per the published in Qatar is consistent with the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, said since the outbreak of the for ensuring the technical and the Ministry of Transport and connections as part of CRAs ini- reports, immediately after standards and conditions of the President of the Communica- coronavirus crisis in, the CRA’s business continuity are protect- Communications (MoTC), the tiative to help customers to cope COVID-19 outbreak, the peak licences granted to them and tions Regulatory Authority first priority was to ensure tel- ed and stay healthy. Ministry of the Interior (MoI) with more congested networks. traffic increased on average 40 with the applicable regulatory (CRA) Mohammed Ali al Man- ecom networks technical and CRA continues to engage and the Permanent Committee “With the measure, in percent over their previous lev- framework. Nation Wednesday, May 13, 2020 03 QRCS & QFFD sign $4mn deal to provide Indonesian officials laud medical assistance to displaced Syrians QC’s Ramadan initiatives

Tribune News Network women. During the holy month, the Charity has distributed 12,750 food baskets, benefiting 70,000 people Doha Hammadi commended the strategic partnership between Tribune News Network The Qatar Red Crescent Soci- QRCS and QFFD, which has Doha ety (QRCS) and the Qatar De- grown over the years and has velopment Fund (QFFD) have resulted in a number of hu- Indonesian local officials signed a Memorandum of Un- manitarian interventions in and underprivileged ben- derstanding (MOU) to provide countries affected by disasters eficiaries have praised Qatar life-saving medical assistance and conflicts. These opera- Charity (QC) for distributing to Syrian children and women tions have helped millions of food baskets and completing under the Quest Health Initia- people affected and displaced its office in Jakarta as part of tive. and have made a difference its Ramadan campaign. The MOU of $4 million in their lives, particularly in The beneficiaries have was signed by Khalifa bin Middle East countries such as thanked the benefactors in Jassem al Kuwari, Director- Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq. Qatar for contributing to meet General of the QFFD and Ali “This project is inspired their food needs during the bin Hassan al Hammadi, Sec- by the State of Qatar’s firm blessed month of Ramadan, retary-General of the QRCS. commitment towards our Syr- particularly at a time when Officials from both parties at- coronavirus (COVID-19) pan- tended the signing ceremony. demic has added to the diffi- In his remarks, al Kuwari Under the MoU, life-saving culties of the vulnerable. said, “We value the ongoing medical assistance will be Mayor of Banda Aceh Ami- efforts of our strategic partner, provided to Syrian children nullah Usman said, “On behalf The beneficiaries thanked the philanthropists in Qatar for their help during the Holy Month of Ramadan. QRCS, to make these projects and women under the of the local authorities in the possible despite the compli- Quest Health Initiative city of Banda Aceh and in the The mayor said the coro- tributing 6,500 Ramadan bas- sociation in South Jakarta, During the Holy month of cated situation on the ground. name of its residents, I thank navirus pandemic has in- kets in its area for those affect- expressed his gratitude and Ramadan, Qatar Charity has We at QFFD are proud of our ian brothers and sisters,” al the benefactors in Qatar for creased the suffering of the ed by the coronavirus, noting appreciation to the philan- distributed 12,750 food bas- partnership with QRCS in Hammadi said. “It builds on their generous donations and weaker sections of the society, that this assistance from Qatar thropists in Qatar for provid- kets in many provinces and providing support across the QRCS’s humanitarian contri- Qatar Charity for distribut- and more assistance is needed reflects the deep fraternal ties ing the food baskets, adding regions of Indonesia, benefit- board towards the Sustainable butions for the benefit of dis- ing food baskets in Ramadan, to ease their hardships. between the people of Indone- that this assistance would ing nearly 70,000 people, and Development Goals (SDGs) placed Syrians and the Syrian which have benefited 4,500 Haji Sami Weil, another sia and Qatar. help cleaners meet the food is expected to soon distribute and the comprehensive devel- refugees in neighboring coun- families of orphans and needy local official in Indonesia, For his part, Mr. Eddy, needs of their families in Zakat al-Fitr and Eid clothing opment of needy countries.” tries”. families in the city.” praised Qatar Charity for dis- president of the Cleaners As- Ramadan. to its sponsored children. “This support falls under According to al Hammadi, the Quest Health Initiative, a this cooperation reflects QFFD program launched by QFFD to ‘s trust in the capabilities, ex- help our affected Syrian broth- pertise and standing of QRCS ers and sisters both in Syria as part of the International Ooredoo delivers Ramadan gifts to the elderly at Ehsan Centre and in the host neighboring Red Cross and Red Crescent countries,” al Kuwari said. Movement. Tribune News Network continue its long-standing to thank all the staff of the “We seek to build their capac- As regards the importance Doha tradition of carrying out CSR Ehsan Centre for their hard ity to withstand the impact of of the project, Hammadi ex- activities in the community work, not only during Rama- the crisis, establish peace and plained, “It addresses the ter- Ooredoo, Qatar’s lead- during Ramadan. Of course, dan, but also throughout the justice, and ensure a better fu- rible humanitarian conditions ing telecommunications all necessary precautions year. We are proud to do ture for them”. suffered by the Syrian people operator, has announced it have been taken to ensure what we can to continue our He noted that the project in Idlib Governorate, the seri- has sent gifts to the Ehsan the safety of delivery person- CSR program in these dif- is related to the health sec- ous lack of medical and spe- Center as part of its CSR pro- nel and gift recipients. ficult times. Our corporate tor, a key focus of QFFD. It is cialist professionals due to the gramme, given the logistical Sabah Rabiah al Kuwari, social responsibility strategy important not only because it prolonged conflict in Syria, difficulties raised by the on- PR Director at Ooredoo, said is at the heart of our opera- provides primary health care and the need for improved going COVID-19 outbreak. of the event: “This visit was tions, and we are determined services, but also because it fo- health care and information Ooredoo has arranged for the ideal way for us to show to continue to support our cuses on medical support and management systems under donations to the Ehsan Cen- our gratitude and appre- local communities in any Ooredoo has arranged for donations to the Ehsan Centre to continue capacity building to save the the Emergency Relief Initia- tre, the Center for Elderly ciation and respect for our way we can during the Holy its long-standing tradition of carrying out CSR activities in the commu- lives of Syrian children and tive of the Syrian Displaced. Empowerment and Care to elders. We would also like Month of Ramadan.” nity during Ramadan.

Qatar National Tourism Council offers free Calls for setting online tourism programmes for residents up early warning their learning or update their seeking the best and brightest programs. The initiative gives individuals from any knowledge in tourism sector individuals to join us on this To qualify for the Certi- background an opportunity to enhance management. remarkable journey. In the fication Programme, inter- Focused on travel and coming years, we will require ested individuals must first systems to predict their skills and advance their careers tourism, hospitality and des- a constant stream of talented complete the Academy’s free tination management fields, professionals that are trained introductory programme. Tribune News Network Programme, enabling partic- QNTC has previously made and up-to-date with the latest QNTC will then select the future disasters Doha ipants to obtain high-quality scholarships available to industry practices. top 10 candidates from the education and training in the professionals in the tourism “We are therefore very introductory programme to QNA public opinion. Qatar National Tourism historically resilient tourism industry exclusively. pleased to offer this unique be eligible for certification, Doha They stressed the impor- Council (QNTC) is offer- sector. The initiative is part of opportunity to professionals a more comprehensive pro- tance of the academic and re- ing residents of Qatar the With one in 10 jobs re- a coordinated effort by the from any career background gramme including a course Participants at a sympo- search side in facing epidemics chance to participate in the lated to tourism globally, the Council to launch a series of who wish to enhance their on Fundamentals of Tourism sium held by the Green Tent and crises and how to manage country’s tourism sector by Academy provides individu- programmes and workshops skills, advance their careers Industry Management. of the ‘A Flower Each Spring’ them, in addition to maximis- sponsoring a limited num- als with the skills and know- to build local capacity in the and join a field that showcas- To be eligible for one programme, have called for ing the role of scholars to solve ber of scholarships to the IE how to work in the dynamic tourism sector during the es our country to the world.” the scholarships offered by the establishment of research problems and meet the needs University|UNWTO Tourism and ever-evolving tourism COVID-19 pandemic. Launched in September QNTC, interested individu- centres in the Arab countries of society, calling for the for- Online Academy. sector. QNTC Secretary-General 2019, UNTWO Online Acad- als should enrol in Intro- to help decision makers in mulation of policies, setting As a founding sponsor of The Certification Pro- and Qatar Airways Group emy is the world’s first on- duction to Tourism Indus- managing crises and devel- priorities and focusing on the Academy, QNTC will be gramme is aimed at profes- CEO Akbar al Baker said, “As line tourism academy, meet- try Management by May 31, oping early warning systems what post-pandemic societies awarding 10 scholarships to sionals, managers and any- Qatar continues to develop ing a mounting demand for 2020. Selected scholars will to predict future disasters. need and self-reliance in crisis the Academy’s Certification one else seeking to deepen its tourism industry, we are flexible career development be announced in mid-June. The participants in the management. symposium affirmed that The participants called for the coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation and laws appropri- pandemic uncovered the ate to the current stage and necessity of maximising the need that these laws work to role of science and scientists organise cities and achieve Ashghal completes construction of roads and developing the capabili- sustainability to avoid the ties of scientific research to negative effects of disasters address crises. or crises that may occur in around Umm Al Juwashin petrol station They said experts, aca- the future. They noted that demics and specialists from handling risks and crises and Tribune News Network one of the stadiums hosting different Arab countries agree managing them are one of the Doha 2022 FIFA World Cup,” he that tribulations that have af- developments in the Arab na- said. flicted humans will continue tional security system. The Public Works Author- Eng Marri added that to exist in contemporary and Studying and predicting ity (Ashghal) has completed the completion of construc- subsequent nations, referring these risks before they oc- construction of the roads tion works on the roads sur- to earthquakes, hurricanes, cur require a unifiedA rab or surrounding the recently- rounding Umm Al Juwashin droughts, climate change, Gulf strategy for crisis man- opened Umm Al Juwashin Eng Rashed al Marri Petrol Station has gained volcanoes and landslides, agement with a proactive petrol station, located at the more importance with the floods and famines, storms approach to cope with disas- intersection of Al-Majd Road opening of the petrol station, and other epidemics and viral ters, they noted. with Dukhan Road and be- since the new roads cater and bacterial diseases. They pointed out that dis- tween Umm Al Juwashin and to the needs of the increas- The participants sug- asters and crises come sud- Umm Al Afaei Interchanges. ing number of vehicles on gested methods of managing denly and in an unexpected The recently completed Al Majd Road and Dukhan crises and avoiding their oc- way, adding this why govern- roads with a total length of 4 Road, with providing safe ac- currence or severity, includ- ments must prepare and draw kilometres will provide safe cess to the station. ing forming a crisis man- policies, form permanent access to the petrol station. Besides, Ashghal has in- agement team, establishing committees and design plans Eng Rashed al Marri, stalled 93 street light poles early warning systems, and strategies to face future project engineer at the as well as road markings training workers in crisis disasters, countries must have Roads Projects Department, The recently-completed roads with a total length of 4 kilometres will provide safe access to Umm Al and road signs, in addi- management and analysis, a mechanism to predict, diag- stressed Ashghal’s keenness Juwashin petrol station. (Inset) Eng Rashed al Marri. tion to completing interlock and following up the imple- nose and prepare for potential to accelerate the delivery works. The project also in- mentation of the plans set disasters while studying their of roads surrounding Umm opening. the areas in close proxim- Lehsainiya. The roads will cluded the construction of up to face them, along with economic and environmental Al Juwashin Petrol Station “The completed projects ity such as Umm Al Afaei, also facilitate traffic to head- roadside ditches for surface transparency and credibility risks and the extent of their and the completion of works will serve road users in Umm Rawdat Al Jeehaniya, Jery ing to Mall of Qatar and to water drainage and a water in presenting the facts to the threat to human life. ahead of the petrol station’s Al Juwashin Area, as well as Al Daby, Al-Duhailiyat and Al Rayyan Stadium, which is lagoon. 04 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Middle East / Africa Senegal Newborn babies among dozens killed in deadly attacks in Afghanistan laboratory helps DPA caught in mortar crossfire. babies with their mothers ly- and another wounded after Kabul The day’s violence began ing on the floor. they were caught in crossfire develop rapid when three unidentified as- More than 100 civilians from a mortar attack. At least 40 civilians, among sailants in military uniform were rescued from the hos- There was no immedi- coronavirus them many mothers and ba- stormed a government-run pital by security forces, who ate claim of responsibility for bies, were killed in three sepa- hospital in the west of Kabul killed all three assailants after the attacks and the Taliban tests for Africa rate attacks in Afghanistan on on Tuesday morning. hours of battle, Arian said. denied involvement, but Af- Tuesday, officials said. The gunmen targeted the Meanwhile, in Nangarhar ghan President Ashraf Ghani DPA Two separate attacks tar- hospital’s maternity ward, run province, a suicide bomber ordered his armed forces to Dakar geted a civilian hospital in Ka- by Doctors Without Borders blew himself up at a funeral, resume their offensive opera- bul and a funeral in the east- (MSF). They shot dead at least killing at least 24 people, in- tions against the Taliban and Scientists in Senegal have ern province of Nangarhar, in 14 civilians, including two cluding a local politician, lo- other militant groups. started validating inexpensive, a particularly deadly day in newborn babies, according to cal officials said. Another 68 The day’s deadly attacks rapid test kits that could make Afghanistan’s ongoing con- Interior Ministry spokesper- people were wounded, among targeting children and the the fight against the coronavi- flict. son Tariq Arian. them a lawmaker. vulnerable prompted outcry rus in Africa a lot simpler. A third fatal incident oc- A further 15 people were Elsewhere, in the western on social media, with Amnes- The test kits would show Afghan security personnel arrive at the site of an attack outside a curred in western Farah wounded. Pictures shared on Farah province, local officials ty International calling them results within 10 minutes and hospital in Kabul on Tuesday. (AFP) province, when children were social media showed newborn said two children were killed “unconscionable war crimes.” are expected to be available in June, Ousmane Faye, head of the virology department at Institut Pasteur de Dakar, told News dpa on Tuesday. “African countries could in brief then afford the test kit at a low price,” he said. Isabel dos Santos Virus-hit Iran to reopen The test kit consists of an says Angola faked antigen test and an antibody evidence to freeze test. The antigen test can de- tect protein fragments of the assets coronavirus from nasal swabs Luanda Isabel dos Santos, mosques for holy nights or saliva, whereas the anti- the billionaire daughter of body tests use tiny blood sam- Angola’s ex-president Jose AFP to the maximum”, he added. ples to detect signs of prior Eduardo dos Santos, on Tehran But he warned: “They viral infection. Tuesday accused the govern- shouldn’t blame the health The institute is validating ment of resorting to forgery Virus-hit Iran will reopen its ministry and say they wanted the test kits, which were devel- to freeze her assets last mosques for three nights over to open mosques but didn’t oped by the British company year. the next week so that worship- care about people’s health”. Mologic. They will be manu- The 47-year-old tycoon pers can pray during one of the His remarks came shortly factured by the diaTropix dis- and her Congolese husband holiest times of year, a minister before Iran announced another ease testing facility in Senegal. Sindika Dokolo are accused said Tuesday. 48 deaths from the virus taking According to Mologic, the of syphoning off more than The Islamic republic shut its overall toll to 6,733. device would allow for users to one billion dollars from Ango- its mosques and shrines in Health ministry spokes- test at home and provide a re- lan state companies. March as part of its efforts man Kianoush Jahanpour said sult within 10 minutes without She cited among other to contain the Middle East’s another 1,481 people tested the need for special training, alleged irregularities on the deadliest outbreak of the novel positive for the virus in the electricity or a laboratory. passport that her birth date coronavirus. past 24 hours, bringing the to- The company said this will was wrong and her name The reopening was granted tal number of cases to 110,767 be the first time that a diag- was incomplete. (AFP) for Laylat al-Qadr -- a high since the start of the crisis. nostic kit created in Britain point during the fasting month Iran has struggled to con- will be jointly manufactured in of Ramadan. tain its outbreak of the virus Africa. Over 1mn people But Health Minister Saeed that causes COVID-19 since According to the World affected by heavy Namaki sounded a note of cau- announcing its first cases in the Health Organization (WHO), rainfall in East tion as he announced that wor- Shiite holy city of Qom on Feb- the lack of coronavirus tests is Africa shippers would be allowed to Iranians shop from a street vendor in Tehran. (AFP) ruary 19. now one of the biggest prob- attend mosques and ceremo- The government warned lems on the African continent. Johannesburg More than nies for three of the next five back to bad circumstances” due Namaki said his ministry pressed by Ayatollah Ali on Monday of a setback in its Kenya, for example, has 1.3 million people in East nights. to “negligence”, said Namaki. agreed in a meeting to help “or- Khamenei, but stressed the efforts to contain the virus. only been able to test 1,000 Africa have been affected “The biggest strategic mis- “Our priority is to hold cer- ganise ceremonies from mid- supreme leader “always sup- “We have regressed in samples a day whereas labora- by heavy rain and flooding take is to think that coronavirus emonies outdoors” such as “in night to 2:00 am during the ports all measures” to contain Khuzestan due to (people) not tories in Germany are able to in recent weeks, the United is finished,” he said in remarks stadiums”, he said, “so that nights of Qadr”. the virus. observing health protocols,” test more than 150,000 a day, Nations said on Tuesday. broadcast on state television. social distancing is properly He said the move came All gatherings would need Deputy Health Minister Alireza according to the Robert Koch At least 481,000 people “At any time, we can go observed.” in response to “concern” ex- to respect “sanitary protocols Raisi said. Institute. have been displaced since the beginning of the rainy season in March, according to a report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Hu- Turkey threatens attack on Libya’s Haftar if missions targeted manitarian Affairs (OCHA). The heavy rains have DPA legitimate targets in case our Turkey and Qatar. against Haftar. key for seeking “regional chaos caused flooding, landslides Istanbul missions are targeted in any Turkey’s warning comes Cyprus, Egypt, France, and instability,” thus escalating and damage to infrastructure way,” Omer Celik, spokesper- two days after Ankara charged Greece and the United Arab a diplomatic row. and livelihoods in countries Turkey will retaliate against son for the ruling Justice and that Haftar’s forces fired shells Emirates condemned Turkey’s The five foreign ministers such as Burundi, Kenya, the forces of Libyan military Development Party (AKP), told that landed near diplomatic military activities in Libya, as “strongly condemned Turkey’s Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia strongman Khalifa Haftar a press conference in Ankara. missions, including the Turk- well as its gas-drilling off Cy- military interference in Libya, and Tanzania. should Turkish missions in the Haftar’s forces in eastern ish embassy in Tripoli. prus, as “illegal,” following a and urged Turkey to fully re- In Uganda, Lake Victo- civil war-torn country be hit, Libya, supported by Egypt, Turkey has signed a mari- video conference of foreign spect the UN arms embargo,” ria’s water levels are the the ruling party’s spokesperson Russia and the UAE, have time deal with the Tripoli ministers late on Monday. the joint declaration read, A photo shows shows seats dam- highest recorded since said on Tuesday. been fighting to topple theU N- government and has also sent Turkey on Tuesday dis- warning against “a threat to the aged inside an aircraft following 1964, the report said. (DPA) “We openly declare that we backed Libyan government military training personnel and missed the five nations’ decla- stability of Libya’s neighbours an attack on the Mitiga airport in will consider Haftar’s forces as in Tripoli, which is backed by equipment to help the fight ration, which condemned Tur- in Africa as well as in Europe.” Tripoli. (AFP)

42,000 flee violence in northwestern Nigeria AFP Abidjan

Over 40,000 people have fled violence in recent weeks by armed groups in northwestern Nigeria near the border with Niger, a region prone to communal clashes between herders and farmers, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday. The UN agency said the refugees, “mainly desper- ate women and children”, were being allowed to seek protection in Niger despite border closures as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic. “Ongoing violence in parts of northwestern Nige- ria forced an estimated 23,000 people to seek safety and security in Niger last month,” the UN High Com- missioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. “Fearing and fleeing the same insecurity in the border areas, an additional 19,000 Niger nationals have become displaced inside their own country,” it added. “Those fleeing speak of extreme violence un- leashed against civilians, murders, kidnappings for ransom and pillaging and looting of villages,” the statement said. Gangs of mainly Fulani herders, in frequent con- flict with farmers over land and water rights, started cattle rustling and small-scale criminality decades back. Lately, they have exploited a security vacuum to become essentially an insurgent army of thousands. The flight to Niger takes the total number of refu- gees fleeing that part of Nigeria to more than 60,000 since the first influx in April last year, it said. The latest influx follows bloodshed in the Nigeri- an states of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, the agency said. In the worst single day of violence, on April 18, bandits riding more than 100 motorbikes killed 47 people in coordinated pre-dawn raids on several farming villages in Katsina State. The bandits were thought to be members of crimi- nal gangs specialising in cattle theft and kidnap for ransom in the area. Asia / World Wednesday, May 13, 2020 05 Wuhan to test entire population after new virus cluster: state media AFP Tuesday plans to administer although it was unclear when Dongxihu District epidemic “Neighbourhoods without Wuhan nucleic acid tests on all resi- testing would begin. prevention and control com- any cases don’t need to screen dents in the city of 11 million The plan come after Wu- manding office toldA FP that every person,” Wu said, while Wuhan plans to conduct people, according to an of- han reported the first cluster they have “not yet received large-scale screening should coronavirus tests on the Chi- ficial notice carried by news of new COVID-19 infections news about this notice”. focus on “key jobs” and other nese city’s entire population outlets. since the city re-opened after Wu Zunyou, chief epide- criteria. after new cases emerged for “Each district should make a 76-day lockdown on April 8. miologist at the Chinese Cent- China has largely brought the first time in weeks in the plans and arrangements to Six new cases were report- er for Disease Control and Pre- the virus under control, but it cradle of the global pandemic, conduct nucleic acid tests on ed on Sunday and Monday vention, told state broadcaster has been on edge about being A worker checks passengers’ body temperatures and a health code state media reported Tuesday. the entire population in its from a residential compound CCTV it was “not necessary” hit by a second wave as it has on their phones before they take a taxi after arriving at Hankou rail- Officials have been or- jurisdiction within a 10-day in Dongxihu District. for every person in Wuhan to lifted lockdowns and restric- way station in Wuhan on Tuesday. (AFP) dered to submit by noon on time limit,” the notice said, But an official from the be tested. tions across the country.

NZ says virus News will not stop Indian trains start rolling in brief September Former Indian Premier Singh discharged from hospital election New Delhi Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh was AFP discharged from a hospital in New Delhi on Tuesday after being Wellington again despite virus surge treated for chest pain, officials said. Singh, 87, from the opposition Indian National Congress, New Zealand’s Electoral AFP was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences late on Commission unveiled safety New Delhi Sunday. measures Tuesday designed “He is absolutely fine now and asw discharged from our to allow a national election to India’s enormous railway hospital this afternoon after treatment,” a hospital official said proceed as planned in Septem- network tentatively ground on condition of anonymity. ber despite the coronavirus back to life Tuesday as a grad- Media reports citing hospital sources said Singh had suf- threat. ual lifting of the world’s biggest fered an allergic reaction to a new medication and developed a Prime Minister Jacinda coronavirus lockdown gath- fever. Ardern announced the Sep- ered pace even as new cases He was also tested for COVID-19, the respiratory disease tember 19 election date in Jan- surged. caused by the coronavirus, and his results had come out nega- uary, before the global scale of The country of 1.3 billion tive, the reports said. the contagion was apparent, imposed a strict shutdown in Singh, was prime minister for 10 years until Congress was and has repeatedly said she late March, which Prime Min- defeated by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014 and Narendra does not plan to move it. ister Narendra Modi’s govern- Modi took over as prime minister. (DPA) With New Zealand set to ment has credited with keep- end a seven-week lockdown ing cases to a modest 70,000, in the coming days, the Elec- with around 2,300 deaths. Australia treasurer tested after coughing toral Commission said it had But the lockdown, which fit during virus speech held discussions with health enters its 50th day on Wednes- authorities about how to stage day, has torpedoed the econo- Sydney Australia’s treasurer Josh Frydenberg was tested for the vote safely. my, snatching the livelihoods North Indians residing in Bangalore arrive at the Bangalore City Railway Station to board the first train to coronavirus Tuesday after suffering a coughing fit in parliament “This year’s election will of tens of millions of people Delhi on Tuesday following the commencement of train services. (AFP) that left him breathless and reaching for water. be different because of COV- and hitting the poor the hard- Frydenberg’s coughing fit came as he told parliament in ID-19, a range of measures will est. were forced to walk hundreds Canberra about the economic impact the virus was having on be in place to help keep people Whole industries have India PM announces $270 bn of miles to get home. Some the nation. “Luckily I got some water -- too long a speech,” he safe,” it said. been devastated from tea virus economic package died on the way, including 14 said in between coughs. Chief electoral officer Ali- plantations to diamond-pol- workers crushed by a goods After regaining his voice, he finished outlining the expected cia Wright said these included ishing and there are fears of New Delhi India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Tues- train in Maharashtra last week. “biggest fall on record” for the nation’s GDP, which is predicted queue management, physical food shortages, while a ban day a $270 billion stimulus package for labourers and small Passengers in face masks to drop over ten percent in the June quarter. distancing, hand sanitisers on flights has left hundreds of businesses to boost flagging growth as the country grapples or handkerchiefs over their He later said he’d been advised to undergo a test for the alongside ballot boxes and thousands of Indians stranded with the impact of the coronavirus and weeks-long lockdown. mouths queued outside New virus, and was now in isolation waiting for the result -- expected protective gear for people staff- abroad. The package -- worth about 10 percent of India’s GDP -- Delhi station on Tuesday, wait- Wednesday. ing voting stations. Restrictions have been came as the country was set to mark its 50th day in the world’s ing to be screened for coronavi- “Out of an abundance of caution it was prudent I be tested Advance voting and postal steadily eased, however, par- biggest lockdown as the number of virus cases topped 70,000 rus symptoms. for COVID-19,” he said in a statement. His political opponents voting will be encouraged, ticularly in rural areas, and with 2,200 deaths. Ajay Dewani, a photogra- seized the opportunity to take aim at his management of the particularly for the elderly and some Indian trains -- on a net- “This economic package is for India’s self-reliant movement. pher stranded in Ghaziabad economy. “If only the treasurer had coughed up some detail of those with existing medical work which normally carries It is for the cottage, small and medium scale industries,” Modi with a ticket for Chattisgarh his plan,” shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said in response to conditions. over 20 million passengers a said in a televised address. state said he walked for four his speech. (AFP) The guidelines did not day -- resumed on Tuesday. The funding includes a $2 billion relief package announced hours to get to the station. cover other election activities More than 54,000 tickets at the start of the lockdown in late March and stimulus efforts “I haven’t been paid for two such as campaign launches, for an initial 30 services sold by the central bank, Modi said. months and my landlord was Seven killed in tanker fire in Indonesia’s party rallies and door-to-door out online within three hours Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would unveil further hassling us for rent,” he told Sumatra island canvassing, all of which are on Monday, reports said. details in the next few days, he added. AFP, carrying a backpack and likely to be significantly af- Two trains left New Delhi The government credits its strict shutdown of almost all ac- pulling a wheeled suitcase. Jakarta Indonesian search teams found seven charred bodies fected. on Tuesday afternoon with tivity in the country of 1.3 billion people for limiting the number But Usha, a labourer from on Tuesday, a day after a fire on an oil tanker being repaired in Ardern said she had only 2,300 people on board. Others of virus cases and deaths. Madhya Pradesh state, said a shipyard in North Sumatra province, police said. considered the election “in left different cities including But the livelihoods of tens of millions of people have been she and husband and their two The Indian-flagged Jag Leela burst into flames in the passing” as she deals with the Mumbai. badly hit, particularly the poor and migrant workers, many of children were turned away be- Belawan port on Monday in a fire that police said might have COVID-19 crisis. The government has not set whom have lost their jobs. (AFP) cause they had no ticket. been caused by sparks from repair work. “The election feels -- in out a programme for a timeta- “We came here to the rail- “We have received reports that seven people have died,” terms of days, weeks and ble beyond May 20. lockdown was imposed to ferry less and destitute by the shut- way station as we were told said provincial police spokesman Mangantar Nainggolan. The months -- a lifetime away,” she There were limited special home some of the millions of down. that the trains will start work- fire injured other 22 people, police said. (DPA) told reporters on Tuesday. train services laid on after the poor migrant workers left job- Many people, however, ing from May 12,” she told AFP.

Laos to press ahead with ‘destructive’ S Korea raises alarm after COVID-19 infections linked to Seoul clubs new dam on Mekong DPA restaurants, had by Tuesday break the infection chain. At ing credit-card transactions, Seoul climbed to 102, Yonhap news the weekend Seoul temporarily smartphone data and CCTV AFP is interrupted by a cascade of year, exposing rocks and agency reported, citing the Ko- closed all clubs and discos. in an attempt to locate the re- Bangkok dams in China -- where it is killing fish, a phenomenon South Korean health author- rea Centers for Disease Control Seoul wants to locate 5,517 mainder. called the Lancang. blamed by villagers in Thai- ities raised concerns on Tues- and Prevention (KCDC). people who visited clubs in The action was sparked by Environmentalists have Two downstream dams -- land and Laos on the opera- day as they recorded a further Of the confirmed cases, 73 Itaewon between April 27 and the positive test of a young man criticised Laos for pressing the Xayaburi and Don Sahong tions of dams. spike in confirmed coronavirus had visited establishments in May 8, a spokesperson from who was already infected as he ahead with plans for another -- have been built in Laos, On Monday, Laos’ com- cases linked to clubs and bars Itaewon in person, and then the office of mayor Park Won- visited at least five night clubs “destructive dam” on the Me- which wants to construct sev- munist government submitted in the capital Seoul, according infected another 29 family soon said on Monday. More and bars in Itaewon on the kong River, a waterway al- en more as it strives to live up proposals for the Sanakham to media reports. members or contacts, the re- than 3,000 people have been night of May 2. ready strangled by hydropow- to its billing as the “Battery of dam -- close to the northeast- The number of infections port said. tested who either attended South Korea confirmed a er schemes. Asia”. ern border with Thailand -- to traced back to a cluster in Health officials are now clubs or were in contact with total of 27 new cases in the 24 The flow of the Mekong, Water levels have dropped the Mekong River Commis- Seoul’s Itaewon district, known searching for further possi- people who had. hours to Monday, bringing the Southeast Asia’s longest river, to record lows over the last sion (MRC). for its nightlife, bars, clubs and ble contacts in an attempt to Authorities are check- nationwide total to 10,936.

Hong Kong police chief says corralling press was unprofessional Philippines extends virus DPA autonomy from mainland Chi- purely a physical nuisance,” he lockdown in capital, two Hong Kong na. said. Local and foreign outlets Chief Tang said he had high-risk areas In a rare acknowledgement have published footage of po- contacted four journalist of wrongdoing, Hong Kong lice officers spraying journal- groups, including The Hong DPA the Department of Health. police chief Chris Tang said ists in the face with pepper Kong Journalists’ Associa- Manila It added that 751 people Tuesday that officers’ treat- spray, shooting pepper ball tion and the Hong Kong Press have died from COVID-19, the ment of journalists during projectiles, tear gas, and rub- Photographers Association, to The Philippine government disease caused by the virus. anti-government protests two ber bullets directly at them, discuss police - journalist rela- on Tuesday extended a lock- Restrictions would also be days earlier was “undesirable.” and using disproportionate tions in a meeting next week. down in the capital and two modified to allow some indus- Speaking at a press con- force while questioning and The move is the force’s first other coronavirus-stricken ar- tries and public transportation ference, Tang addressed an detaining journalists. move towards improving rela- eas until the end of May, but to resume limited operations incident during which offic- Photojournalist Aiden tions between the two groups. allowed for some modification in a bid to boost the domestic ers corralled journalists and Andersen, who has covered Police repeatedly blamed to jump-start the economy. economy, which contracted forced them to kneel, turn off the Hong Kong protests since violent interactions with the Presidential spokesperson in the first quarter of the year, their cameras, and show press August, has captured multiple press on “imposter journal- Harry Roque said Metropoli- Roque said. identification. Tang said the instances of police violence ists” whom they say wear fake tan Manila, the province of “The injunctions given by officers “should have been against him and other journal- high visibility yellow vests to Laguna and the central city the government . (are) intend- more professional.” Tensions ists. avoid police scrutiny at illegal of Cebu would remain under ed for your protection,” Presi- between police and journal- He told dpa that officers Police detain a group of people during a pro-democracy protest calling protests. “enhanced community quar- dent Rodrigo Duterte said in a ists covering the Hong Kong at Sunday’s protests were “ex- for the city’s independence in Hong Kong. (AFP) The Hong Kong Journalist antine” until May 31. televised public address. protests have steadily risen tremely threatening, disap- Association (HKJA) put out a The three heavily-populat- “If you get COVID-19, they since the movement began in pointing, and unprofessional,” overall interactions with Hong assed, physically pushed, and request for journalists to relay ed areas account for more than will bring you to the hospital, June, when the administra- adding that he was pepper Kong police while reporting shot by most types of weap- their account of Sunday’s inci- 80 per cent of all confirmed and the bed they will give you tion sought to pass a now- sprayed and pushed while on the protests have been “ex- onry the police carry. Most dent for the purpose of “con- coronavirus cases in the Phil- was just cleaned one hour before withdrawn bill widely seen as documenting an arrest. tremely unfavourable.” of the time I do not feel as if ducting research” ahead of the ippines, which on Tuesday because someone died there. a direct threat to the territory’s Andersen said that his “I’ve been verbally har- I’m treated as a human, but as police-press meeting. stood at 11,350, according to And you will be the next one.” 06 Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Established September 3, 2006 hamad bin suhaim al thani chairman Opinion adel ali bin ali managing director dr hassan mohammed al ansari editor-in-chief

Coronavirus’s Next Victim? Our Mental Health Boris Johnson’s Reopening As the epidemic continues to rage on, study finds that more than half of American adults struggle with psychological stress and various behavioural disorders Strategy Confuses Britain

HE coronavirus has delivered traumatic trol and Prevention, more Texans die by blows to our collective mental well-being suicide than by alcohol-related motor ve- Johnson’s govt needs to be transparent and open in reconciling the call for Tthat are as invisible as the virus itself, hicle accidents. and in many ways, just as damaging. As shocking as the Texas statistics are, lifting restrictions and containing COVID-19, which is a tough call Devastating job losses and the coro- Meadows estimates that nationwide the navirus’s lethal toll have led to increased impact of coronavirus-related stress will Therese Raphael anxiety, depression, addiction and other result in 4,000 more suicides and 4,800 Tribune News Service psychological trauma. While it may not be overdose deaths. Those estimates would as obvious as job losses and coronavirus fa- skyrocket to 18,000 more suicides and ORIS Johnson’s much-anticipated talities, the nation is on the cusp of a spiral- more than 22,000 additional drug over- address to the nation on Sunday ling mental health crisis, experts say. doses annually if the economic recession night left many feeling unsatisfied, These warnings should not go un- approaches the scale of the Great Depres- and others infuriated. For a politi- heeded, mostly because history is a good sion, Meadows notes. cal team that has often used pithy teacher. The World Trade Center attacks, This issue is beginning to get attention. slogansB to devastating effect, the new one mass shootings, the Great Recession and Last week, Texas Senator John Cornyn unveiled to guide the Britain out of lock- massive hurricanes all triggered serious urged lawmakers to provide better funding, down — stay alert — feels like an epic fail. depression, anxiety, domestic violence, noting that “resources for mental health How does one stay alert and to what, peo- child abuse and other behavioural disor- and substance abuse treatment provid- ple wondered. ders. In each instance, the negative impact ers cannot fall by the wayside.” Just days Part of the problem was presentation- on mental health persisted over long time earlier a coalition of mental health service al. Johnson’s 13-minute speech was short periods, and there is no reason to think organisations asked federal officials for at on details, leaving everyone to wait until that this crisis will be different. least $40 billion to support their opera- a 50-plus page document was released According to a recent poll, the Kaiser tions now and warned they could require on Monday afternoon. There is often no Family Foundation found that 56 percent more assistance if the demand for mental good way to deliver bad news, but the lag strictions can be fully lifted. years, we recoil when given the choice be- of American adults struggle with sleep or health services spikes upward as expected. gave people time to jump to hasty conclu- But there were gaps in the policy that tween broccoli and Swiss chard. Either the eating problems, potential alcohol abuse, We’re not ones to lightly advocate more sions about whether Johnson’s approach sent the opposition Labour Party, unions, messaging has to change — and Johnson’s or worsened chronic conditions since virus’ money as the solution to every problem. is the right one. employers’ groups and others howling. The address and policy shift signals he gets this outbreak. And, each day, front-line health But the answer to this problem is a mix There is no getting around the fact guidelines for worker safety haven’t been — or the politics of polarisation dictates the care workers endure emotional traumas of new dollars and changes to allow more that until there is a vaccine or a cure for spelled out and yet some workers, such as available responses. often associated with soldiers in battle — innovative delivery of mental health ser- COVID-19, we have to develop policies for in the construction sector, have been told The good news for Johnson is that the levels of stress that we need to address if vices to those in need. Although Congress a world where any spike in infections could to return to sites on Wednesday. It wasn’t broader public have so far been support- we are to properly honour and respect authorised trillions of dollars in several have devastating consequences while shut- clear which part of the guidance would just ive of a longer lockdown. Many people those who are serving us on the front lines. rounds of emergency coronavirus fund- downs exact a hefty toll too. Johnson’s path apply to England, as Scotland, Wales and either know someone who works for the Here’s a glimpse at how serious this is ing for a variety of needs, that assistance forward appears to take that hard reality Northern Ireland are pursuing their own National Health Service, the country’s now and how serious it could become. The hasn’t adequately addressed the long- or into account, a striking contrast to the US lockdown timetables. And a new quaran- largest employer, or someone who has Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute short-term mental health challenges we where my colleague Noah Feldman wrote tine for international travellers (start date been ill. And everyone likely felt some predicts that in Texas alone a 5 percentage now face. recently there is no plan for the worst-case not specified) seemed far too late, or laugh- shock when the prime minister himself point annual increase in the unemploy- Finding innovative ways for service scenario. At least Johnson, famous for his ably too early with airplanes still stuck on had to be treated in intensive care with ment rate could result in 300 additional providers to expand their capacity to treat optimism and skill at brushing off obstacles, the tarmac. COVID-19. That doesn’t mean that it will lives lost to suicide each year and 425 ad- patients is essential, starting with wide- tackles the sobering possibilities head on: The UK is following a number of other be easy to hold onto that trust as the eco- ditional lives lost to drug overdoses. spread mental health screenings, better ac- But while we hope for a breakthrough, countries in easing restrictions that range nomic costs rise and fatigue sets in. For example, suicide is already the 11th cess to services through telemedicine, and hope is not a plan. A mass vaccine or treat- from wider reopenings seen in Austria, Johnson’s big gamble is that he can leading cause of death in Texas and the multiyear state and federal commitments ment may be more than a year away. Indeed, Denmark and Germany to more limited lift- now both control the virus’s spread and fourth leading cause of death for Texans toward treating mental disorders. in a worst-case scenario, we may never find ing of restrictions in Italy and France. John- slowly unleash the economy so that these ages 35-44. On average, one person dies by As a nation, we must be prepared for a vaccine. So our plan must countenance a son’s easing falls well on the cautious side longer-term problems don’t grow worse. suicide every two hours in the state, and, the mental health pandemic that will fol- situation where we are in this, together, for as warranted by Britain’s current transmis- That may be possible if, like Germany and according to the Centers for Disease Con- low the coronavirus pandemic. the long haul, even while doing all we can to sion rate — the R-number is estimated to be South Korea, Britain manages to imple- avoid that outcome. somewhere between 0.6 and 0.9 — and its ment a far-reaching testing programme To do so, he’s laid out a cautious ap- poor record to date as the country with Eu- and roll out a robust contact-tracing pro- proach, and rightly so. It comes in three rope’s highest death toll from the virus and gramme. But the UK is behind on both spaced-out phases. From this week, it gives second only to the US globally. counts. At the same time, to hold off calls people more personal freedoms for exercise Even assuming many of the details for a faster lifting of restrictions, the gov- and urges those who can’t work from home over how this staged opening will work in ernment owes critics far greater transpar- to get back to work. (A return to office life practice can be cleared up, there is a wider ency about how it arrives at its decisions will have to wait.) People are advised to problem highlighted by the backlash to than has been the case up to now. wear face coverings wherever social dis- Johnson’s speech. The pandemic demands For a politician who has so often de- tancing isn’t possible. From June, some a response that is calibrated, revisited fre- fied the odds, Johnson will need all his children will return to school. Some sectors quently and differentiated by sector and trademark optimism to keep the public of the economy — including the hospitality even region. And yet politics, as we’ve come with him through this, along with a new industry — will have to wait until at least to know it in recent years has been conduct- commitment to transparency and a great- July to open up again. ed in a cruder vernacular — a language of er mastery of policy detail. But it’s realism To give people a gauge of how well the simplifications and certainties, where emo- from the prime minister, rather than the virus fight is going, Johnson unveiled new tional appeal is valued over empiricism. old boosterism, that offers Britain its best colour-coded alert stages for the outbreak In other words, we (and here I don’t just chance of limiting the damage. mirroring what’s done in the fight on ter- mean Britain) couldn’t be more unprepared rorism. They measure the level of threat, for this crisis; not simply because we didn’t (Therese Raphael is a columnist determined by the transmission rate and have enough masks, gowns or ventilators for Bloomberg Opinion. She was number of infections. His government’s five stockpiled, but because after the political editorial page editor of the (Tribune News Service) tests will still determine when lockdown re- equivalent of high fructose corn syrup for Wall Street Journal Europe) Racism And Guns Make A Tragic Combination

The case of Ahmaud Arbery is the latest manifestation of the many senseless deaths faced by people of colour in the US

John M Crisp from the case and did his best to excul- not nearly as clear as Barnhill suggests. Vic otherwise possess. Tribune News Service pate the McMichaels. Reynolds, director of the Georgia Bureau Without his handgun, Dylann Roof Barnhill says that the McMichaels of Investigation, called the video “com- was a pathetic, maladjusted youth be- HE story of Ahmaud Arbery might were carrying their weapons legally and pelling evidence” that justifies murder guiled by racist fantasies. With his hand- have been overlooked except for the were within their rights to attempt a citi- charges against the McMichaels. That will gun, he murdered nine black worship- Toutrage provoked by a dramatic video zen’s arrest. He says that they suspected be up to a grand jury. The arc of justice ap- pers at a church in South Carolina in that shows Arbery being killed in a Geor- Arbery of being connected with a spate pears to be bending in the right direction 2015. The handgun gave him not only gia residential neighbourhood on Febru- of break-ins in the neighbourhood and in Georgia, however belatedly and slowly. the power to kill, but the gun itself con- ary 23. that they had “solid first hand probable What caused this tragic event? The tained the power to turn Roof into — as On May 7 — two and a half months cause” to arrest Arbery. essential element is pure, old-fashioned he saw it — a legitimate actor instead of later — Gregory McMichael, 64, and his This does not appear to be true. The racism. If that doesn’t seem right, con- a sad loser. son, Travis, 34, both white, were charged local newspaper, The Brunswick News, sider the chances of the McMichaels I wonder if in retrospect the McMi- with murdering Arbery, a 25-year-old notes that only one burglary was report- tacks Travis McMichael.” “Arbery strikes arming and mounting up to pursue a chaels regret having hastily taken up black man. ed to Glynn County Police Department McMichael and appears to grab the shot- white man jogging through their neigh- weapons before taking up pursuit of a The McMichaels noticed Arbery between Jan. 1 and February 23, the gun.” “…McMichael was attempting to borhood. black man jogging through their neigh- jogging through their neighbourhood, theft of a 9-mm pistol from an unlocked push the gun away from Arbery while But consider also the agency of fire- borhood. But, of course, without the thought he resembled a suspect in sever- pickup that happened to belong to the Arbery was pulling it toward himself.” arms in this incident. It’s not just that false sense of authority supported by the al recent break-ins, grabbed their weap- McMichaels. In fact, Barnhill continues, “while Arbery was killed by a shotgun. It’s weapons themselves, the McMichaels ons, pursued Arbery and blocked his A cynic might say that the McMi- we know that McMichael had his fin- equally difficult to imagine the McMi- would have never taken up pursuit of path with their pickup. As Arbery tried chaels’ only probable cause was the fact ger on the trigger, we do not know who chaels pursuing Arbery without firearms, anyone, especially a black man. to jog around the truck, a confrontation of a black man jogging through a white caused the firings. Arbery would only and not just because they were afraid he Nearly as much as the racism, the ensued and Arbery was killed by three neighborhood. had (sic) to pull the shotgun approxi- might have been armed. guns made them do it. Maybe guns actu- blasts from Travis McMichael’s shotgun. Barnhill’s analysis of the 30-second mately 1/16th to 1/8th of one inch to fire Firearms embody violent power. But ally do kill people, after all. Local officials took a casual approach video seems calculated to pin the blame the weapon himself.” we also associate them with authority, to the shooting. The original prosecu- on Arbery and to exonerate the McMi- According to Barnhill’s narrative, Ar- significance, righteousness and order. (John M Crisp is an tor, George Barnhill, wrote a three-page chaels. According to Barnhill, Arbery bery practically committed suicide. They lend a sense of legitimacy and po- op-ed columnist for letter in which he both recused himself swerves “abruptly” to his left and “at- Exactly what happens on the video is tency to their bearers that they might not Tribune News Service)

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THE OPINION AND ANALYSIS PAGES ARE THE AUTHORS’ OWN. QATAR TRIBUNE BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY. Europe / Americas Wednesday, May 13, 2020 07 Serious consequences if US reopens too fast: Top govt expert

AFP ing clinical trials. March 13. Washington “We have many candidates ‘Trump Death Clock’ counts preventable US coronavirus deaths The director of the National and hope to have multiple win- NEW YORK: A newly erected COVID-19 deaths in the United Institute of Allergy and Infec- The US government’s top in- ners,” he said. “In other words, billboard in New York’s Times States could have been pre- tious Diseases, Fauci himself is fectious disease expert warned it’s multiple shots on goal.” Square shows the number of US vented had the Trump adminis- in “modified quarantine” after Congress on Tuesday that end- Fauci, who has become coronavirus deaths that its crea- tration implemented mandatory Vice President Mike Pence’s ing lockdowns too quickly could the trusted face of the federal tor says could have been avoided social distancing and school spokeswoman -- who he had bring severe consequences in- government’s virus response, if President Donald Trump had closures just a week earlier no close contact with -- tested cluding new outbreaks of coro- was one of four top medical ex- acted sooner -- and it’s called the than it did, on March 9 instead positive. navirus just as the country tries perts testifying remotely at the ‘Trump Death Clock’. of March 16, Jarecki explained “Opening Up America to overcome the pandemic. hearing of the Senate Health, Created by filmmaker Eu- in a post on Medium. Again” is name of the adminis- Anthony Fauci told a Sen- Anthony Fauci Education, Labor and Pensions gene Jarecki, the “clock” was The New York-based film- tration’s guidelines on a three- ate panel the federal govern- Committee. installed on the roof of a Times maker, who has twice won phase approach to help state ment had developed guidelines rus are likely higher than the The New York Times had Square building, empty due to awards at the Sundance Film and local officials reopen their for local jurisdictions on how to roughly 80,000 fatalities in the earlier reported Fauci would the pandemic. As of Monday, Festival, explained that 60 economies, while observing safely re-open activities, and a current official government toll. warn the country would see the counter showed more than percent was a conservative A ‘Trump Death Clock’ which medical advice on limiting the sustained decrease in cases for This, he said, was because “needless suffering and death” 48,000 deaths out of a total of estimate calculated by special- calculates the portion of US spread of the virus. 14 days was a vital first step. many people particularly in if it rushed too quickly to re- more than 80,000, by far the ists following remarks made in COVID-19 deaths caused by Among the administra- “If a community or a state hardest-hit New York died open, but the remarks did not highest tally in the world. mid-April by leading US infec- President Donald Trump’s tion’s requirements before or region doesn’t go by those at home before they could be eventually feature in his open- The “clock” ticks on the tious diseases expert Anthony ‘delayed response to the pan- moving to a phased comeback, guidelines and reopens... the admitted to a hospital. But he ing address. assumption that 60 percent of Fauci. (AFP) demic’. (AFP) states should have a “down- consequences could be really also said he was “cautiously There has been frequent ward trajectory” of document- serious,” said Fauci. optimistic” about the pros- speculation that Fauci’s forth- has been accused of downplay- my. fore Congress since Trump ed cases or positive tests, as a Fauci acknowledged that pects of a vaccine, with eight right approach has irritated ing the dangers of the crisis as Tuesday’s hearing was declared the coronavirus pan- percentage of total tests, over US deaths caused by the vi- candidates currently undergo- President Donald Trump, who he rushes to restart the econo- Fauci’s first appearance be- demic a national emergency on two weeks.

First COVID-19 News vaccine test in brief Russia moves to ease Denmark says coronavirus outbreak results by July: under control, ramps up testing German firm STOCKHOLM: Denmark’s outbreak of the coronavirus is under control, the country’s prime minister said on Tuesday, while AFP outlining plans to ramp up testing and infection tracing. MAINZ lockdown despite surge At the same time, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference, the danger had not yet passed. “The German pharmaceutical coronavirus is the same,” he said. “It’s just as contagious and company Biontech said on dangerous.” Tuesday it expects to see Denmark will also establish a designated board within the the first results from its in coronavirus cases Justice Ministry to ensure the country has sufficient supplies clinical trials for a corona- of protective equipment and tests and that people can self- virus vaccine in late June isolate. or July. Russia reaches “We consider protective equipment as part of the critical The clinical trials on 232,243 confirmed infrastructure. We must be better prepared if there is a new human volunteers, being wave of coronavirus or an entirely new pandemic,” the prime carried out in Germany COVID-19 infections minister added. (DPA) and the United States, aim to determine the safety, AFP 113-year-old Spanish woman survives effectiveness and optimal Moscow coronavirus dosage of four potential coronavirus vaccines, Russia moved to ease a na- MADRID: A 113-year-old woman, believed to be the oldest chief executive Ugur Sahin tionwide coronavirus lockdown person living in Spain, has beat the coronavirus at retirement said on a conference call. on Tuesday despite a surge in home where several other residents died from the pandemic, Biontech, of Mainz, cases that has seen it register the residence said on Tuesday. Germany, and US-based the world’s second-highest Maria Branyas, who was born in the US, was infected with Pfizer are collaborating to number of infections. the virus in April at the Santa Maria del Tura care home in the build production capac- Daily figures released by eastern city of Olot where she has lived for the past 20 years ity, with the expectation health authorities showed Rus- and fought the infection in isolation in her room. that millions of doses of a sia reaching 232,243 confirmed “She survived the disease and is doing fine,” a spokes- vaccine could be available infections, behind only the woman for the residence told AFP, adding Branyas had only by the end of this year if United States which has report- displayed mild symptoms of the disease. it receives the necessary ed more than 1.3 million. “She feels good now, she took a test last week and the regulatory approval, Sahin Among the new infections result was negative,” the spokeswoman said without giving said. was President Vladimir Putin’s further details. (AFP) The first vaccine tests spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on humans began in April, who told Russian news agen- People walk through ticket gates at Savyolovskaya metro station on the first day of mandatory use of Sahin said. Doses of 1 to cies he had tested positive for masks and gloves on Moscow public transport on Tuesday. (AFP) Canada offers Brazilian governors 100 micrograms were ad- the coronavirus and was being seniors $500 each reject Bolsonaro’s ministered to find the op- treated. “If everyone had worn for pandemic reopening plan timal dosage for further Officials say the high num- Five die in ‘nightmare’ fire masks earlier there probably expenses studies. ber of cases reflects a huge at Russian virus hospital would be fewer infections in RIO DE JANEIRO: The gov- In Europe, 200 healthy testing campaign, with some Russia,” said Khan, who has OTTAWA: Canada announced ernors of nine of Brazil’s 26 volunteers between the 5.8 million tests carried out so SAINT PETERSBURG: Five connected to ventilators when been working for the city disin- on Tuesday a onetime pay- states and of the federal ages of 18 and 55 are part far, and point to the country’s people died in a fire in a hos- the fire began. fecting building entrances. ment of up to Can$500 district of the capital, Brasilia, of the trial. In the US, as relatively low mortality rate as pital for coronavirus patients Windows near the top floor After reporting more than (US$360) for seniors -- who have announced that they many as 360 healthy vol- evidence Russia is managing in Russia’s second city of of the hospital were black- 10,000 new cases per day for as a group have suffered will not follow President Jair unteers will be vaccinated the crisis. Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, ened with soot as firefighters more than a week, Russia on the most COVID-19 sickness Bolsonaro’s instructions to - initially only with test Anxious to get the economy with some victims attached to worked outside. Tuesday surpassed Britain and and fatalities -- to help defray reopen beauty salons, barber subjects between ages 18 moving again, Putin on Mon- ventilators, officials said. Four patients died in an Spain in the total number of added pandemic costs of shops and sports academies, and 55, but later also with day announced an end to a na- Another 150 people were intensive care ward, the city’s confirmed infections. living. local media reported. older participants. Bion- tional “non-working” period in evacuated after the blaze Vyborg district attorney Pavel But with only 2,116 virus An estimated seven mil- Bolsonaro on Monday tech also reported Tues- place since late March. broke out on the sixth floor of Danilov told AFP, adding that deaths reported so far, Rus- lion elderly Canadians qualify issued a decree adding the day that its first quarter Containment measures re- the Saint George hospital, the the cause of death of the fifth sia’s mortality rate has been for the aid. three sectors to 54 other “es- revenue rose by 5.7 per mained in many parts of the emergencies ministry said, person was being clarified. much lower in comparison with “The last few weeks have sential services” which are cent to 27.7 million euros vast country, including hard-hit one of a string of fires in care “Everyone is shocked by countries with similar infection been particularly tough for allowed to function despite (30.1 million dollars), and Moscow which is on lockdown facilities and clinics in Russia what happened,” said Svet- rates. our seniors and their fami- the COVID-19 pandemic. its cash and cash reserves until the end of May, but others in recent days. lana Stepanova, a pensioner Authorities say this is be- lies,” Prime Minister Justin “These three categories stood at 451.6 million eu- began to lift some restrictions. The hospital had been receiving treatment at the cause Russia was able to learn Trudeau told a daily briefing. together provide more than ros at the end of March. Officials reopened parks repurposed to treat corona- hospital. lessons from the experiences “Our parents and our grand- one million jobs,” the news The costs of research and in Novosibirsk in Siberia and virus patients and some of “A fire in the hospital is a of western Europe, moving parents are most at risk of portal G1 quoted the presi- development for the COV- in Bashkortostan in the Urals the dead patients had been nightmare,” she told AFP. quickly to isolate travellers and catching the COVID-19 virus dent as saying. The Supreme ID-19 vaccine are largely and in Magadan in the Far East people at risk, convert hospi- and of suffering the most Court, however, has left it to being covered by partner- residents were allowed to leave workers were allowed back on Riding a bus in the capital, tals to treating virus patients serious consequences right the states and municipalities ships with Pfizer and Fo- their homes to exercise. the job, as wearing masks and 25-year-old Tatyana Khan said and launch a vast campaign across the country,” he said. to decide on measures to sun Pharma of China. In Moscow some half a mil- gloves became mandatory in it was clear why such measures to test and quarantine those (DPA) combat the pandemic. (DPA) lion construction and industrial shops and on public transport. were necessary. infected.

Greece takes over Council of UK NURSES CALL FOR IMPROVED CONDITIONS AND PAY UK rail worker dies from virus Europe chair amid rights criticism after spitting ‘assault’: Union AFP refugee agency regarding a ATHENS new migration bill that was AFP ga’s doctor requested she was approved by the Greek parlia- London given sick leave, noting she suf- GREECE on Friday takes over ment on Friday. fered from underlying respira- the rotating chair of Europe’s In addition to shortening A railway station worker in tory problems, the TSSA said. oldest human rights organisa- the time required to process Britain died from COVID-19 She was then stood down tion, the Council of Europe, asylum requests, Mijatovic last month after she was spat at from work, but grew sicker and amid criticism over its treat- highlighted an “expanded use and coughed over by someone on April 2 was taken to hospi- ment of asylum seekers. of detention” and the creation claiming to have the virus, her tal and put on a ventilator, it The Greek foreign minis- of closed migrant camps on is- trade union said on Tuesday. added. try on Tuesday said the May lands. Transport union TSSA said Mujinga died three days 15-November 18 presidency There are an estimated Belly Mujinga, 47, contracted later, leaving behind an would focus on “democracy, 100,000 asylum seekers in the virus with a colleague with- 11-year-old daughter and hus- the rule of law and the pro- Greece, many of them stranded in days of the assault on the band. The union said it had re- tection of human rights.” after other European countries pair at London’s Victoria sta- ported the case to rail industry Critics of Greece’s treatment shut their borders in the wake tion on March 22. safety watchdogs for investiga- of asylum-seekers, most of of the 2015 migration crisis. “They were out on the tion and was also taking legal whom live in overcrowded, Greece has defended the Nurses who work at central London hospitals protest outside Downing Street in central London on concourse by the ticket office advice “on the situation and squalid camps, have included need to tighten control in is- Tuesday calling for improved conditions and pay for nursing staff on the occasion of International when they were assaulted by a supporting her family and col- the Council of Europe’s own land migrant camps, partly to Nurses Day 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Nurses Day 2020 coincides with the member of the public who spat leagues”. human rights commissioner prevent the spread of corona- 200th anniversary of the birth of pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale and aims to shine a light on at them,” the union said in a British Transport Police are Dunja Mijatovic. virus but also to placate locals the difficult work done by nursing staff. The coronavirus pandemic has brought increased focus on the statement. “The man coughed also investigating the incident, Mijatovic last week said who have lived at the forefront often extraordinary work of NHS clinical, non-clinical staff and care sector staff in caring for patients in over them and told them he it added. BTP did not imme- she “shared” concerns raised of the migration crisis since challenging conditions with the public showing their appreciation with weekly ‘claps for carers’. (AFP) had the virus.” diately respond to an AFP re- by rights groups and the UN 2015. Several days later, Mujin- quest for comment. Toyota, Honda car sales hit hard by Covid-19 pandemic page 10

Wednesday, may 13, 2020

24,119.70 8,892.44 31,371.12 1,702.85 −102.29 pts +28.81 pts −190.10 pts Gold +0.29% US oil producers struggle to stay Dow QE sensex afloat in sea of excesspage 9 Price percentage Price percentage 15.71 Brent 29.97 +1.15% WTI 25.76 +6.71% Silver +0.19% QFBA-NU hosts Qatar dealing with COVID-19 interactive better than others: KPMG webinar to QR75 bn stimulus package to provide much-needed relief to the private sector, KPMG Qatar chief guide students Satyendra Pathak total leasable office sup- Doha ply in Qatar is estimated to Tribune News Network dent Affairs Director Khalifa be approximately 5 million Doha al Yafei said, “Choosing a uni- Qatar is weathering the sqm, of which approximately versity major is a critical step new coronavirus (COVID-19) 50 percent falls under the Qatar Finance and Business for Qatar’s youth as it impacts storm better than many oth- Grade-A category. Academy (QFBA) in partner- their future professional ca- er countries, KPMG Qatar Increasing supply of ship with Northumbria Uni- reers. We chose to hold the has said in its latest report. commercial office space cou- versity (QFBA-NU) hosted its webinar as a channel to offer In its report entitled ‘Po- pled with weak demand has latest interactive webinar to Qatar’s youth guidance and tential impact of COVID-19 resulted in rentals falling by guide high school students in counseling so they can make on the Qatar economy’, about 30 percent since 2016. choosing their academic ma- an informed decision when KPMG Qatar said, “While However, the report said, jors. it comes to their future path- Qatar has been impacted by government initiatives to ex- The webinar, which was way.” the new coronavirus, there pand the private sector and run under QFBA-NU’s latest He said, “We believe that are several key factors that introduce 100 percent for- ‘Ramadan Show’, achieved raising awareness on the im- contributed to Qatar’s rela- eign ownership could help this by engaging students portance of higher educa- tively better outcome so far.” mitigate this slowdown over across Qatar in an insightful tion is a key step towards the The business sentiment the long run. discussion on selecting the development of our nation. has been less adverse in Qa- Commenting on the right major. We wish to empower Qatar’s tar companies, as reflected TMT sector, the report said, QFBA-NU held the webi- talented youth to choose the in the drop in the local stock “Telecommunications com- nar as part of its social respon- university path that will ulti- exchange index compared panies have been front and sibility efforts during the holy mately lead them to success. to other markets, the report center in the COVID-19 re- month of Ramadan to support In turn, we are investing in our said. sponse efforts. As a result, students. nation’s human capital in line “This is partly due to the there is an opportunity for The webinar, led by QFBA- with achieving the 2030 Qatar limited presence of external TMT to emerge from this in NU Student Affairs Director National vision.” investors and a QR10 billion- a better position than before Khalifa al Yafei offered advice QFBA-Northumbria’s we- government backstop for the the crisis. We have seen a and guidance along with a binar witnessed around 45 stock market. The govern- number of notable positive comprehensive view of all the participants from the pub- ment also offered a stimu- impacts across TMT such as higher education opportuni- lic under its latest Ramadan lus package of QR75 billion increased demand for deliv- ties that are available in Qatar. show premiering every week to assist small business and ery services, video stream- The webinar aimed at inspir- on its social media platforms. hard-hit sectors,” it said. ing, and teaming services for ing today’s youth to pursue The show aims to empower In a statement as part remote work. There is also a their academic journey in spite students to continue learn- of the foreword for the re- KPMG Qatar Country Senior Partner Ahmed Abu Sharkh continued focus on new tech- of the current situation. ing during the Holy month of port, KPMG Qatar Country nology deployments such as On this occasion, QFBA- Ramadan and overcome the Senior Partner Ahmed Abu will actually end up affect- in transferring money from AI, AR/VR, and 5G.” Northumbria University Stu- current challenging situation. Sharkh said, “The QR75 bil- ing global financial markets. With Qatar government’s the government to distressed Looking forward, the lion ($20.5 billion) stimulus However one point, over willingness and ability to companies, the report said. advanced infrastructure in package to the private sector which there is unanimous continue to support the Providing an overview of Qatar and the introduction will provide much-needed agreement, is that we will economy, there is overall the real estate sector over- of 5G constitute great oppor- relief to various sectors that be dealing with the effects of view, the report said, “As of tunities for service providers underpin the economy.” the COVID-19 pandemic for positive sentiment for the year-end 2019, the total resi- to play a major role in estab- The recent upgrade by the foreseeable future, and banking and insurance dential stock in Qatar was lishing the digital economy Moody’s of Qatar’s rating to the financial services sector sectors in Qatar although estimated at approximately and ensure business conti- ‘Aa3’ with a ‘stable’ outlook as a whole will significantly they are not totally 331,000 units. According nuity. is also a sign of a resilient evolve as a result,” the report immune. to our estimates, Qatar is “Furthermore, globally, economy, the report. said. expected to add a further digital service providers With Qatar govern- “Those companies that 18,000 units by the end of are among few entities that ment’s willingness and abil- are agile, flexible, and will- tive in terms of capitalizing 2020, taking the overall are expected to boost their ity to continue to support the ing to transform business on the opportunities while number of residential units growth during the current economy, KPMG Qatar said, models will be the ones that addressing the challenges to approximately 349,000.” circumstances, TMT service there is overall positive sen- succeed and secure the fi- highlighted,” the report said. After almost three years providers can ride on this timent for the banking and nancial strength needed for Qatar’s financial services of decline, the report said, wave and enhance their port- insurance sectors in Qatar future growth, while those sector is better shielded than the residential rentals start- folio to not only be the ena- although they are not totally that rest on their laurels will in the 2008 financial crisis ed showing signs of stabilisa- bler but also transform their immune. be left behind. We also rec- by stronger capitalisation, tion prior to the COVID-19 business model towards “There are wide-ranging ommend for all the financial wider use of digital solu- outbreak. more digitised services,” the QFBA-NU held the webinar as part of its social responsibility efforts views on how this situation services firms to be pro-ac- tions, and their expected role As of year-end 2019, the report said. during the holy month of Ramadan to support students.

Trump rules out renegotiation of trade Giddy US stock market belies economic gloom deal with China AFP “But Wall Street is looking bigger,” said Guilhem Savry, New York beyond the valley if you will.” head of macro and dynamic al- Investors have been encour- location at Unigestion. QNA Last week’s US Labor Depart- aged by moves by countries in At the same time, the ser- Washington ment report showing the United Asia and Europe and several US vices sector, a pivotal part of States lost a staggering 20.5 mil- states to reopen their economies. the economy in terms of em- US President Donald Trump ruled out any re- lion jobs in April prompted a de- Disney, for example, reo- ployment, is “under-repre- negotiation of the trade deal signed between cisive response from Wall Street pened its giant amusement park sented in major stock indices,” Washington and Beijing in January, arguing as major indices surged nearly in Shanghai on Monday -- albeit Savry said. that Chinese negotiators would only want any two percent. at reduced capacity and with The stock market’s surge is changes to benefit their side. The reaction was the latest guests and employees donning seen as exacerbating income in- “Not even a little bit, no. I am not interest- instance of the market’s buoyan- face masks. equality in the US. According to ed,” Trump told reporters when asked about cy despite a barrage of bad news Stovall expects the unprec- a study by the Federal Reserve, a reports that China was looking to reopen talks showing less economic activity, edented relief funding from bit more than 50 percent of US about the trade deal. less consumer confidence, and Congress, along with aggres- stock is held by the wealthiest 10 “We signed a deal. I had heard that too, less business investment. sively stimulus measures from percent of the nation. they’d like to reopen the trade talks to make it a The blue-chip Dow Jones In- the Federal Reserve, to lead to The market’s relationship better deal for them,” Trump said. dustrial Average has risen more higher corporate profits in 2021. with the real economy is “coun- “Let’s see if they live up to the deal that they than 30 percent since hitting Adding to the market lift has terintuitive,” said Jay Ritter, a signed,” he added. a low on March 23 as officials been the belief that “worse-than- The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen more than 30 percent professor at the Warrington Col- The Chinese “Global Times” report, cit- around the United States im- expected macro data will be met since hitting a low on March 23 as United States imposed tough lockdown lege of Business at the University ing “sources close to the Chinese govern- posed tough lockdown measures with further stimulus from the measures that shuttered most economic activities. of Florida. ment”, claimed that “more hawkish voices have that shuttered most economic Fed,” Stovall said. “Economic growth, in the emerged within China on the phase one trade activity, and analysts increasing- Businesses listed on the New the blows of an economic shock needs. long run, is not related to stock deal with Washington, with some calling for ly believe a quick recovery from York Stock Exchange and Nas- more ably than small shops and Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, returns,” Ritter said, calling the new negotiations and a tit-for-tat approach on the downturn is unlikely. daq are generally bigger, older, mom-and-pop restaurants. Alphabet, and Facebook account relationship “pretty weak.” spiralling trade issues”. “When you look to next and more international than The major indices give heav- for about 20 percent of the S&P Ritter pointed to China, Washington and Beijing reached a partial month’s employment data, and most of the small businesses that yweight to large technology com- 500, which comprises the 500 which saw annual per-capita trade deal in January. Under the agreement the next quarter’s earnings informa- play a big part in the real econo- panies that have seen many of biggest companies. income grow by nine percent Trump administration agreed to postpone any tion, things are only expected my in the United States. their businesses benefit as much “Investors keep choosing between 1993 and 2018. During further tariff increases, while China promised to get worse,” said Sam Stovall, These companies are also of the population engages in tel- these giants because their profit that same period, the Chinese to increase by $200 billion over two years their chief investment strategist at generally better capitalized, ework and relies on e-commerce margins are holding up and that stock market fell by an average purchases of US products compared to the level CFRA Research. which permits them to withstand for an increasing portion of their makes them poised to grow even of 1.9 percent per year. of 2017. Economy & Business Wednesday, May 13, 2020 09 PwC virus study reveals CFOs’ focus on workplace reboot Covid-19: China exempts

Tribune news network physical distancing at work sites. said: “It’s reassuring to see that turn to business as usual to take and profit. more US goods from tariffs Doha The PwC study also revealed that almost a half of the executives three months or more. Natural- Even though the likelihood AFP nounced one-year exemptions 33% of ME CFOs are more likely we surveyed in the region are ly, this will impact revenue and of deferring or cancelling work- Beijing beginning on February 28 in- PwC revealed the results of the to reduce their company’s real very confident in their compa- profits, with 70% now expecting force investments has seemingly volving 65 products from the third Middle East (ME) edition estate footprint due to the recent ny’s ability to build skills for the to see a decrease of 10% or more. reduced since the previous PwC China on Tuesday released a United States, including aircraft of the biweekly COVID-19 CFO transitions in partial opening of future. This aligns with the in- Interestingly, we see further pes- survey (51% vs 70% two weeks list of 79 items from the Unit- parts and medical equipment. Pulse Survey which shows how offices and retail outlets. creased likelihood of companies simism in the region with nearly ago), the ME is the region most ed States that will be exempt- The moves come as China Chief Financial Officers(CF Os) While over three quarters adopting workplace automation, one in five ME CFOs expecting likely to see a change in staffing ed from trade war tariffs, a day grapples with supply-chain in the region are responding to of ME CFOs see that work flex- to see a decrease in revenue or (43% ME vs 37% globally) or after the US ruled out renego- disruptions and other econom- COVID-19. ibility will make their organisa- The survey tracks the sen- profits of over 50%. layoffs (40% of ME vs 29% glob- tiating their earlier trade deal. ic fallout from the coronavirus The survey tracks the senti- tions better in the long run, only timent and priorities of With the growing accept- ally). The list of goods, posted pandemic, which has caused ment and priorities of finance a third are planning to make finance leaders as they ance that COVID-19 will have a Anderson added, “Regard- online by the Customs Tariff already fraught tensions with leaders as they navigate the remote working a permanent navigate the unprecedent- more long term impact on busi- less of the challenging circum- Commission of the State Coun- the United States to spike. unprecedented disruption that option. In terms of innovation, ed disruption that COVID- nesses, CFOs around the world stances and the severity of the cil, includes medical disinfect- The two sides have traded COVID-19 has on their business. digital transformation is set to 19 has on their business are still acutely aware of the need global situation we find our- ant, rare-earth metal ores, and accusations over the corona- As most countries across accelerate. 47% of our respond- to manage cash flows carefully. selves in today, it is comforting some silicon wafers used in the virus response, raising ques- the ME are considering their ents say that technology invest- Implementing cost contain- to see that community spirit electronics industry. tions over the fate of a partial reopening strategies, customer ments they are making will make new ways of working and pre- ment measures and deferring or remains strong - we’ve found They will be exempted from trade deal inked in January and employee safety is of the their company better and 39% paring employees for a digital cancelling planned investments that 38% of CFOs in the ME retaliatory tariffs for a year from that had marked a truce in utmost importance. 76% of re- are looking to use automation to tomorrow.” remain the two most likely ac- have increased their company’s May 19, and tariffs that have their bruising economic war. gional CFOs confirmed that improve the speed and accuracy Over the last four weeks, ME tions for CFOs - with these being community-focused efforts and been levied can be returned, the US President Donald their companies are planning of decision making with regards CFOs have gradually pushed out even more likely for CFOs in the three quarters of all CFOs in the council said. It did not say how Trump on Monday ruled out on implementing workplace to their supply chain strategy. their recovery expectations. 66% ME than the global average – a region are providing some level much of these products were renegotiating that deal, when safety measures such as wearing Stephen Anderson, ME of CFOs, up from 44%, now ex- reflection of the heightened lev- of social support to those in need imported by China last year. asked about reports that China masks, testing and promoting Markets and Strategy Leader, pect the recovery timeline to re- els of pessimism around revenue in response to COVID-19.” China had earlier an- was looking to reopen talks. US oil producers struggle to Ogilvy’s Paul O’Donnell voted stay afloat in sea of excess president of EACA Tribune news network On April 20, the price of a barrel of oil fell below zero because the market was heavily saturated doha Paul O’Donnell, CEO of Ogilvy EMEA has been voted as the new President of the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) for a two-year term, a statement said on Tuesday. He succeeds Dominic Paul O’donnell Grainger, CEO, WPP Special- ist Communications, who has to guide EACA and the indus- been EACA’s head since 2016. try with his experience and O’Donnell’s two-year knowledge. The agency world tenure will be focussed on in- has been through fundamen- creasing co-operation and col- tal changes over the last dec- laboration across Europe as ade and continues to evolve in the world’s largest advertising these very dynamic times. On market responds to the twin behalf of all EACA members, challenges of Coronavirus and I also want to thank Dominic Brexit. for his leadership and out- Agencies and national standing involvement during trade bodies need to work his tenure. He has played a together as never before to key role for EACA over the last maintain market access for 4 years.” communication services, sup- “It is with great pleasure to port employment for com- take on my new responsibili- munication professionals, and ties as president of the EACA create tangible value for cli- and to continue the great work ents, while taking the broad- done by Dominic. Although est possible definition of the we are in extremely challeng- ‘European market’, including ing times, I am confident that opportunities in Eastern Eu- with the support and strength rope, Turkey and the contin- of the committee we will be Oil storage tanks are seen at a well at Capitan Energy in Culberson County, Texas recently. (AFP) ued close engagement with able to achieve many things”, the UK, irrespective of the said O’Donnell. AFP uitous beige dust. heavily saturated and de- That has stopped “the companies oblige him to con- final terms of Britain’s formal O’Donnell has been with Van Horn, United States “If you’d have been mand had evaporated. bleeding out from happening tinue pumping, even though departure from the EU. Ogilvy for over 30 years. He here six months ago, there That day alone, Blair es- here now.” prices are at rock bottom. Grainger said, ‘It has been has worked in Europe, Asia- For the companies that drill wouldn’t have been any- timates he lost half a million But in two or three “We’ve stopped any pro- an honour and a pleasure Pacific and Latin America, the highest-producing de- thing underneath that shed,” dollars. Lacking anywhere to months, he fears he will have ject that we wasn’t in the to work with such a strong, running geographic opera- posit of oil and natural gas sighed the 63-year-old Tex- store the oil he had pumped to start laying people off, middle of doing, if we could diverse team of communi- tions and working with major in the world, straddling the an. for the long-term, he had to something he has managed stop it we’ve stopped it, and cations leaders from across international and local clients. border between Texas and His silvery hair pulled pay $37 a barrel just to have to avoid until now. we won’t start it back up Europe over the last 4 years. In May 2014, Paul was ap- New Mexico, the crash in oil back in a pony tail and wear- it taken away. Blair co-owns Capitan Energy has min- again until the price of oil The impact of the pandemic pointed Chief Executive, Ogil- prices has led to spectacular ing jeans and a blue shirt, the company with his cous- eral rights to 70,000 acres, gets probably around 50 dol- over the last few months has vy EMEA. He is a member of losses. Blair has built up his business in, and it does not have any with fields dotted with green lars a barrel,” he said. shown some of the value that the agency’s International Ex- Craig Blair, the co-owner as a model of self-sufficiency: shareholders. and brown hills, oil and gas Blair glances at the screen communications agencies ecutive Management Group of the Capitan Energy oil and as well as extracting oil and When the price of oil storage tanks and hydraulic of his cell phone. “$23.35,” with their clients and media and an Executive Partner of natural gas company, has gas, he has a repair shop and dropped by 50 percent, he fracking sites. he grumbles. “That’s one of partners can bring to their the Ogilvy Group Worldwide. seen his production in the offices, and was planning to responded quickly. “The only There are also new wells the bad habits I have right communities and I am sure In addition to representing Permian Basin collapse from get into ranching too. way you can make ends meet planted in the sandy soil. there, looking at stupid pric- that Paul, Tamara and the European agencies to the EU 15,000 barrels of oil a day to But his grand plans have is, everything has to be cut by These could not be complet- es about 40 times a day.” team can build on this to en- Institutions in Brussels, EACA just 6,000. been put on hold because 50 percent. So that’s why we ed before the crisis hit, a $30 But with so much sur- sure EACA plays an even more runs the Effie Awards Europe Blair pointed to a yard of the COVID-19 pandemic, did, the wages, any contrac- million project in itself. plus oil being held without valuable role in the future’ to reward the most effective full of neatly lined-up gen- which has hit the oil industry tor out there, if they were If it was just down to him, demand, he does not expect Tamara Daltroff, EACA campaigns in Europe; and the erators, construction and hard. charging me 100 dollars an Blair would have shut down prices to go up soon. “I don’t Director General, said, “In IMC European Awards to rec- drilling machinery, all of it On April 20, the price of hour, they’re 50 dollars an the fields until the market see any way the oil prices are this difficult period, Paul is the ognise the best brand activa- covered by sheds to protect it a barrel of oil fell below zero hour or they’re not working improved. But his outstand- going to get better until we perfect senior agency leader tion efforts in the region. from blinding sun and ubiq- because the market was so for me now.” ing contracts with pipeline use it up,” he said. Stocks steady as investors weigh lockdown easing measures

AFP outbreaks remains high,” fears of a significant secondary top producers already agreed cent at 4,472.50 (close) London said analyst Edward Moya at spreader, which will undoubt- to slash output by a combined EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.3 percent online currency trading firm edly weigh on consumer senti- 10 million barrels per day. at 2,892.22 Hopes for economic recov- Oanda. ment and hurt the rebound,” Stephen Innes, chief global New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent ery as lockdowns ease helped Concern about a second said AxiCorp analyst Stephen markets strategist at AxiCorp, at 24,278.40 to steady European and US coronavirus wave dominated Innes. said traders were also posi- Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 stocks on Tuesday as fears of sentiment in Asian trading. He added that investors tioning ahead of a data release. percent at 20,366.48 (close) a second wave of coronavirus In Wuhan, the central Chi- would have to expect such un- “Besides the excellent op- Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN infections emerged. nese city where the corona- certainty until a vaccine for the tics a Saudi Arabia surprising 1.5 percent at 24,245.68 (close) As some of the worst-hit virus outbreak first emerged, virus is created. supply curtailment provides, I Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 countries -- including euro- there have been reports of new Elsewhere Tuesday, oil do not think anyone wants to percent at 2,891.56 (close) zone members Spain, Italy infections, while South Korea prices jumped after Saudi Ara- be too short ahead of today’s West Texas Intermediate: UP 5.1 and France -- take heart from announced its biggest spike bia said it would slash an ex- inventory data, especially if it percent at $25.36 per barrel slowing COVID-19 death and in new cases for more than a tra one million barrels per day indicates another drop. Hence Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.4 infection rates, they are gradu- month. from its June output. oil prices finally rally today,” percent at $30.03 per barrel ally allowing businesses to “A cluster of new cases... Kuwait and the United he said in a note to clients. Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0869 from reopen. serves as a warning that the The New York Stock Exchange building in New York City recently. (afP) Arab Emirates also announced $1.0817 at 2040 GMT European markets ended infection rates could spike cuts after the pandemic Key figures around 1530 GMT Dollar/yen: DOWN at 107.28 yen the day mixed, while Wall again if lockdown measures pei, Singapore and Jakarta all lington and Bangkok. caused global crude demand London - FTSE 100: UP 0.9 per- from 107.65 yen Street’s top indices were most- are eased too quickly,” said closed down more than one “While markets may even- to plunge. cent at 5,994.77 points (close) Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2312 ly higher in late morning trad- Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at percent Tuesday. tually desensitise to mini- After last month’s historic Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN less from $1.2337 ing. ThinkMarkets trading group. Tokyo and Shanghai only cluster outbreaks, provided collapse in oil prices to below than 0.1 percent at 10,819.50 Euro/pound: UP at 88.26 pence “Reopening momentum Stock markets in Hong dipped 0.1 percent however, death statistics remain static... zero, the commodity has shot (close) from 87.65 pence continues but fear of renewed Kong, Sydney, Mumbai, Tai- while there were gains in Wel- at this stage, it does not lessen higher in recent weeks after Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 per- 10 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Economy & Business China factory prices plunge as virus hammers demand AFP cent on-year in April -- a 1.3 depressed demand across the duction after the economy was Nomura analysts, was reduced Beijing percent monthly drop com- planet, with companies forced almost completely shut down consumer demand. pared with March -- according to charge less for their prod- at the height of the outbreak in But the cost of livestock China’s factory-gate prices to China’s National Bureau of ucts. China. The consumer price in- continues to push inflation fell to a four-year low, official Statistics. That, in turn, hurts profits dex (CPI), on the other hand, upwards, with pork prices -- a data showed on Tuesday, with Julian Evans-Pritchard and the ability to grow, and grew 3.3 percent in April, but staple meat in China -- rising firms suffering from the eco- of Capital Economics noted could also drain momentum less than the 3.7 percent fore- 96.9 percent last month after a nomic devastation unleashed that the slump in PPI was its from the economy at large. cast in a Bloomberg poll of 116.4 percent on-year spike in by the coronavirus on the “steepest monthly drop since The Chinese PPI drop “is analysts. March. global economy. the Global Financial Crisis” of consistent with broader evi- This was the slowest pace China’s pig herds were rav- The producer price index 2007-08. dence that demand remains since last September when in- aged by African swine fever, (PPI) -- which reflects what The pandemic has ham- very weak and is recovering flation rose three percent, and and prices have been rising factories charge wholesal- mered the world economy, more slowly than output,” Ev- NBS senior statistician Dong since, at times forcing authori- ers -- dropped again, fuelling which is facing its most se- ans-Pritchard added. Lijuan attributed the easing ties to release supplies from concern among analysts about vere downturn since the Great Analysts also pointed to re- pace in part to an increased reserves. the post-pandemic recovery Depression, with businesses duced prices of raw materials supply of fresh vegetables But the slowing of pork in- in the world’s second-largest shuttered and huge spikes in and manufactured goods, as Chinese factory prices. forecast by analysts, highlight- and fluctuations in global oil flation has suggested supply economy. unemployment. well as plummeting global oil The April drop was more ing the continued stress on prices. disruptions from the disease The PPI plunged 3.1 per- The economic shock has prices, to explain the drop in severe than the 2.5 percent fall industries as they resume pro- Another factor, said are easing.

Saudi Aramco’s Q1 profits fall by 25% amid lower oil prices

dpa energy demand and low oil Riyadh prices. We remain commit- ted to the safety of our peo- Saudi Arabian oil giant ple while delivering on our Aramco recorded a 25-per- long-term value creation cent decline in its first-quar- strategy for all of our share- ter net income due to lower holders,” Nasser said. crude oil prices and a global The state-owned com- shutdown amid the novel pany offered three billion coronavirus pandemic, the shares, or 1.5 percent of the company said on Tuesday. total, in an initial public of- Aramco reported 62,478 fering last year, as part of billion riyals (16,661 bil- Crown Prince Mohammed lion dollars) in net profit bin Salman’s plans to diver- compared to 83,286 billion sify the country’s economy riyals in the first quarter of away from oil dependency. 2019. In the report, Aramco The oil company attrib- said its crude oil production uted the decline to lower crude oil prices and falling Cars are parked outside a closed Toyota showroom in Tokyo on Tuesday. (AFP) refining and chemical mar- gins. Aramco reported 62,478 “The Covid-19 crisis is billion riyals ($16.66 bil- unlike anything the world lion) in net profit com- has experienced in recent pared to 83,286 billion history and we are adapting riyals in the first quarter to a highly complex and rap- of 2019 Toyota, Honda car sales hit idly changing business envi- ronment,” Aramco president and chief executive officer Amin Nasser said in a state- stood at 9.8 million barrels ment. per day (bdp) between Jan- “Looking ahead to the uary and March, before an hard by Covid-19 pandemic remainder of 2020, we ex- oil price war between Saudi pect the impact of the Cov- Arabia and Russia saw Ara- outlook due to the effects of Honda has declined to re- id-19 pandemic on global mco increase its production Toyota first quarter net profit plung- the pandemic, it said. lease profit forecasts for the energy demand and oil in April. The Toyota group, includ- current financial year due to prices to weigh on our earn- However, an agree- es 86.3% on-year to $588.5 million ing Daihatsu Motor and Hino the effects of the pandemic. ings,” Nasser added. ment to cut production by Motors, expects its global ve- For the year ending Following the release of the OPEC+ countries - an dpa For the previous finan- Profit slump hicle sales for the year to fall March 31, Japan’s third- the results on Tuesday, Ara- expanded format of the Tokyo cial year, Toyota posted a net 14.9 percent to 8.9 million largest carmaker booked a mco shares closed on Saudi Organization of Petroleum profit of 2.08 trillion yen, up Toyota projects operating profit units, it said. net profit of 455.7 billion yen, Arabia’s Tadawul exchange Exporting Countries that in- Japanese carmakers Toy- 10.3 percent from the pre- for the current financial year Toyota halted vehicle down 25.3 percent from the at 31.30 riyals, up 1.29 per- cludes Russia - led Aramco ota Motor and Honda Mo- vious year and an operat- will fall 79.5 percent production in many parts previous year, and an oper- cent on the day before. to announce it will reduce tor said on Tuesday their ing profit of 2.4 trillion yen, year-on-year to 500 billion yen of the world to contain the ating profit of 633.6 billion The company said that its output capacity to 8.5 quarterly vehicle sales had down 1 percent. Sales fell 1 due to the pandemic. Japan’s spread of the coronavirus. It yen, down 12.8 percent. capital spending stood at 7.4 million bpd in May. been dealt a severe blow percent to 29.9 trillion yen. largest carmaker also expects resumed normal operations Honda said sales were billion dollars, a 200-mil- On Monday, the Minis- by the novel coronavirus “The world economy its sales revenues for the year in China in late March. down 6 percent to 14.9 tril- lion-dollar increase com- try of Energy told Aramco pandemic. changed from a trend of mod- to March 2021 to drop 19.8 Meanwhile, Honda said lion yen for the year. pared to the same period in to cut an extra 1 million bpd For the January to March erate expansion to a sharp percent from the previous its net loss for the January- Global vehicles sales fell 2019. from June which will put period, the maker of the Pri- slowdown due to the effects financial year to 24 trillion yen to-March period more than 10 percent to 4.79 million Aramco said it will pay Saudi Arabia’s production us hybrid and Lexus luxury of trade frictions and the im- doubled from a year earlier units for the year, the car- 18.75 billion dollars in divi- at 7.492 million bpd. vehicles saw its net profit pact of Covid-19 spreading to 29.5 billion yen as a result maker said. dends for the first quarter The move comes as part plunge 86.3 percent year- from China to North Ameri- of the pandemic. The worldwide death of 2020, describing the of the kingdom’s commit- on-year to 63.2 billion yen ca, Europe and Asia,” Toyota Japan’s largest carmaker Honda also posted an op- toll from the coronavirus amount as “the highest of ment to the OPEC+ agree- (588.5 million dollars) and said in a statement. also expects its sales rev- erating loss of 5.6 billion yen has surpassed 286,000, any listed company world- ment to stabilize the inter- its operating profit fall 27.5 Toyota projects operating enues for the year to March in the quarter, compared to while there are more than wide.” “We have delivered national energy market, the percent to 384.1 billion yen. profit for the current finan- 2021 to drop 19.8 percent a profit of 42.4 billion yen 4.1 million reported cases solid earnings with robust official Saudi PressA gency Sales were down 8.4 per- cial year will fall 79.5 percent from the previous financial in the same period last year, globally, according to data free cash flow, despite weak (SPA) reported. cent to 7.1 trillion yen for the year-on-year to 500 billion year to 24 trillion yen, while while sales dropped 14.6 compiled by Johns Hopkins quarter. yen due to the pandemic. withholding its net earnings percent to 3.46 trillion yen. University. Thyssenkrupp losses widen to over $1 bn on virus woes Plant closures and weaker from the elevator transaction The firm now hopes to turn the corner by selling demand also weighed on the in the best possible way for the group’s other units, from con- company. But it’s already clear its highly profitable elevators division, seen as struction materials to steel- now that the coronavirus will the company’s crown jewel, for 17.2 billion euros making. significantly reduce our lee- The blow comes as the way,” said Merz. once mighty Thyssenkrupp The elevator sale is expect- AFP state-owned public invest- struggles to overcome years of ed to close by September, with Frankfurt am Main ment bank KfW and other crisis. the KfW credit line tiding the lenders to help it through The group has embarked group over until then. Struggling German con- the crisis, as the coronavirus on a painful restructuring Thyssenkrupp is among a glomerate Thyssenkrupp has chokes off economic activity and cost-cutting drive that string of German companies sunk deeper into the red, fig- around the globe. will lead to several thousand to tap a massive government- ures showed on Tuesday, as “The full impact of the cri- job cuts by 2026, around backed rescue package de- the coronavirus pandemic sis on our businesses is not yet 3,000 of them in its Steel Eu- signed to help Europe’s top pummelled its industrial busi- foreseeable. But it is already rope unit. economy weather the pan- nesses. clear that the economic dis- The group’s historic steel demic. The steel-to-submarines ruptions will leave very deep operations have long grappled Given the economic un- group reported a net loss of marks,” CEO Martina Merz with oversupply and fierce certainty, Thyssenkrupp has 948 million euros ($1.02 bil- said in a statement. competition from China. But withdrawn its full-year out- lion) in its second quarter The group’s car compo- an effort to merge the Steel look. to March, compared with a nents division was especially Europe unit with India’s Tata File photo of Thyssenkrupp headquarters in Essen, western Germany. (AFP) But the group said its third 173-million-euro loss a year badly hit, as efforts to contain Steel was blocked by Euro- quarter to June results were earlier. the virus sapped demand in pean competition authorities highly profitable elevators di- It plans to use the cash to fallout means the money will likely to be even worse, warn- The group said it was key market China and forced last year. vision, seen as the company’s shore up its other divisions, not go as far as previously ing that losses of “up to a good counting on a one-billion-euro factories to shut down world- Thyssenkrupp now hopes crown jewel, for 17.2 billion but Thyssenkrupp has already thought. one billion euros cannot be credit line from Germany’s wide. to turn the corner by selling its euros. warned that the coronavirus “We will use the proceeds ruled out”. PGA Tour plans charter airplanes for players, caddies Wednesday, May 13, 2020 page 12 Samuel Eto’o to appear on Generation Amazing Instagram Live today Sc.qa Doha

Former Cameroon and Bar- celona striker Samuel Eto’o The Supreme Committee will be the star guest during this week’s Generation Amaz- for Delivery & Legacy ing Instagram Live session. (SC) ambassador will The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) am- talk about using bassador will talk about using sporting values in times sporting values in times of ad- of adversity on versity on Wednesday, May 13, at 8pm Doha time (GMT+3) Wednesday, May 13, on Generation Amazing’s @ at 8pm Doha time GA4Good channel. Eto’o, a three-times UEFA (GMT+3) on Generation Champions League winner, will Amazing’s @GA4Good share details about how he is channel. keeping fit and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will also discuss his illustrious Former Cameroon and Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o will be the star guest in Wednesday’s Generation football career, which included Amazing Instagram Live session. stints in La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League, along with become renowned for his keting & Communications opment Goals. We are excited been watched by more than This week’s schedule has aims to positively impact the success on the international work off the pitch. He served Director at Generation Amaz- to hear more about how the 80,000 people across the so far featured a workout with lives of 1 million beneficiar- stage with Cameroon. as a United Nations Interna- ing, said: “It’s a great honour football star is able to influence world as Generation Amaz- Generation Amazing’s master ies by 2022. Eto’o became an SC ambas- tional Children’s Education to welcome Samuel Eto’o to this crucial mission today, as ing continues to provide coach, Michael Richardson, as Follow @GA4Good on sador while playing for Qatar Fund Goodwill Ambassador our Instagram Live chats. We we face a global health crisis, content for its audiences well as an exclusive chat with Twitter, Instagram and Face- Sports Club in the Qatar Stars for Cameroon in 2017 and share a common mission to and how he plans to continue during the COVID-19 pan- former former Argentina, AC book for the latest updates on League. In 2019, he led Genera- launched the Samuel Eto’o positively impact communi- to tackle this in the future.” demic. A number of Genera- Milan and Chelsea striker, the Generation Amazing Live tion Amazing’s ‘What Has Foot- Foundation, which builds ties, provide sustainable sport- Eto’o is the latest football tion Amazing partners have Hernan Crespo. sessions. Snap photos of you ball Taught You?’ social media football schools across Africa ing facilities and achieve our star to take part in the Gen- taken part in the sessions, Generation Amazing and your family enjoying the campaign, which showcased to provide sporting facilities goals of improving integration, eration Amazing Instagram including AS Roma, KAS has reached half a million streams on Instagram Live the key life skills which can be and help young people further inclusion and equality through Live series and follows Xavi Eupen and the International beneficiaries around the and tag @GA4Good and use learned through football. their education. football – in line with the Unit- Hernandez, Cafu and Tim Federation of the Red Cross world since being launched the #GALive hashtag for a In recent years, Eto’o has Moza al Mohannadi, Mar- ed Nations Sustainable Devel- Cahill. The sessions have and Red Crescent. in 2010. The programme chance to be reposted.

Quick read Top Czech football Abbes, exciting maiden winner league to resume on May 23 PRAGUE: The Czech Republic’s top football league will return to action for HH Sheikh Abdullah in France on May 23 after being suspended since mid-March due to the coro- navirus pandemic, the country’s League Football Association (LFA) said on Tuesday. “The League Panel approved the restart of the top flight and the second division today,” the LFA tweeted. The First League top division “will resume on Saturday, May 23 with a post- poned match between FK Teplice and Slovan Liberec,” it added. First League teams still have to play six regular season games each. After that, the top six teams will play another five games each for the title, while the bottom six teams will play five times in a bat- tle against relegation, with two set to go down. The four remaining HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al Thani’s Abbes (above) and Saiga (right) emerged victorious in a Listed teams in the middle of the table race in Toulouse, France, on Monday as horse racing returned to France after a gap of nearly two months. Saiga on way to victory. (Pics: Robert Polin) will play for a single spot in the Europa League qualifying rounds. Reigning champions Slavia Tribune News Network with a strong run on the inside to velle – Haras des Granges, reserved Philippe Sogorb, as she had won on Drawn wide, he went forward once Prague are eight points clear of Toulouse (France) post an imperative win. Hadi de for 3-year-old fillies, went to Saiga. By her debut as a 2-year-old at Tarbes. out of the gates and sat up on the second-placed Viktoria Plzen in Carrere (Nieshan), who was making Teofilo out of the champion race mare Less than an hour after Saiga’s lead alongside Chop Val (Amaril- the First League. (AFP) France held its first day of racing his racecourse debut, came with a Vorda, she was also bred by HH Sheikh victory, Usak (Al Kazeem) provid- lo), the eventual third. Once in the in nearly two months on Monday, strong challenge at the end but was Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani. ed a second homebred Listed suc- straight, the two leaders pulled clear with three meetings across the day never a danger to Abbes. She jumped well from her in- cess when winning the Prix F.B.A. and The Shard quickly asserted his Austrian Bundesliga and the colours of HH Sheikh Ab- By the extraordinary TM Fred side draw and was quickly settled in – Amyeri de Mauleon, again in the authority under jockey Olivier Pesli- to resume with dullah bin Khalifa al Thani were in Texas, who stands under the Al mid-division by the jockey. She sat care of trainer Philippe Sogorb. er. A strong late run from Gelinotte closed-door matches the spotlight at Toulouse when his Shaqab banner, Abbes is out of the quietly under jockey Anthony Cras- The three-year-old colt was rid- came too late to trouble him, and he in June colt Abbes won the Prix Djelfor – champion Group 1 PA mare Raqiya tus until the final turn when he be- den by Jean-Bernard Eyquem, and won by a 1/4 length, easing down as Wathba Stallions Cup, a high-class (Amer), and looks to be an exciting gan to ask her for an effort. She took as having his third start in this race. he crossed the line. Vienna: Austria’s top league is maiden for 3-year-old Purebred prospect for HH Sheikh Abdullah time to find her stride, but once bal- He won on his debut in February The Qatar Racing & Equestrian set to emerge from its coronavirus Arabians. bin Khalifa al Thani. anced she galloped strongly through and had quickly followed that up Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Prix hiatus in the first week of June Trained by Thomas Fourcy, Ab- to the line to win in the final strides with a second place in a Class 2. d’Elevage, a Group 2 for Purebred with games behind closed doors, bes dropped in behind the leaders in Listed win for Al Shahania’s Saiga from Moon A Lisa (Sea The Moon) Arabians was won by the dual Gr1 government ministers and football a slow run race in the early stages. The blue and white stars of Al by ahead. The Shard secures treble PA winner Hayyan (Munjiz). The officials announced on Tuesday. He then sat patiently under Olivier Shahania were victorious in three Saiga now has the all-important The Shard, who is by the great Yas Racing’s 5-year-old chestnut “Yes, we are starting,” Aus- Peslier, waiting for the opening at consecutive races, including the two ‘black type’, and plenty of promise for Pivotal, was making his fourth race- horse was making his first appear- trian Football Federation chief Leo the top of the straight, and once he listed races on the card! her future. This was a third start and course appearance having played ance of 2020 in this race and on Windtner told a joint press confer- had a clear path through, he came The first of these, The Prix Cara- second win for this filly trained by runner up on two former occasions. heavy ground. ence in Vienna. “If we didn’t start now, Austria’s football landscape would become unrecognisable within a year.” The decision came after weeks of negotiations between the Austrian Bundesliga Man City’s Sterling ‘not scared, but reserved’ about Project Restart and the Health Ministry on what kind of measures would be put in place to lower the risk of infec- tions with the novel coronavirus. DPA the mass fatalities and illness the tional added that he has suffered Both sides agreed that play- London outbreak has caused. Speaking on personal loss during the pandemic. ers who test positive must stop his personal YouTube channel, Ster- “I’ve had friends whose grandmas training and quarantine at home, Manchester City winger Raheem ling stated that the Premier League passed away,” he added. “I’ve had while fellow team members are Sterling has questioned the Premier should only return when the safety family members as well that have allowed to continue training and League’s planned “Project Restart” and health of all involved can be passed away. You’ve got to be wise playing matches as long as they to resume all football fixtures by June guaranteed. and take care of yourself and those have negative test results. amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I feel like once that side of the around you.” European governing body UEFA UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson people’s safety and the players’ Fellow England colleague and has asked leagues to provide Raheem issued a 50-page government plan to safety is secured, and their well-being Tottenham defender Danny Rose an update on how they intend Sterling ease the coronavirus lockdown on Mon- is looked after, then that’s the right also criticised the Premier League’s to continue by May 25 or pro- day and said sport could possibly return time to go back in,” he said. proposals. “Football shouldn’t even vide reasons for cancellation. behind closed doors after June 1. “Until then, I’m not scared, but be spoken about until the numbers France and the Netherlands have Previously, Sterling’s team-mate reserved and thinking what the worst have dropped massively,” said the scrapped their seasons while the Sergio Aguero said players were outcome could be.” 29-year-old Rose. “People’s lives are German Bundesliga is scheduled “scared” for their safety because of The 25-year-old England interna- at risk.” to resume on Saturday. (DPA) 12 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Sports PGA Tour plans charter airplanes for players, caddies

AFP tricity roll around a PGA Tour event The last time Southern Hills Washington on Sunday afternoons.” staged a major came with the Poorly struck balls might be 2007 PGA Championship, The US PGA Tour plans to charter much harder to find with so many when Tiger Woods lifted airplanes to transport players and eyes now absent from the course, the Wanamaker Tro- caddies between tournaments, eas- tour veteran Joel Dahman said, not- phy for the fourth ing travel and coronavirus issues for ing concern from four-time major both groups, two-time tour winner winner Brooks Koepka. Kevin Streelman said. “Koepka was like ‘Without fans, time. The The 41-year-old American, who’s going to find our golf ball?’” course also hosted ranked 91st in the world, told Dahman told Golfweek. “And I was the PGA Championship in Golfweek about the idea after a pro- like ‘Welcome to everybody else’s 1970, 1982 and 1994 as well as am round on Monday at the Scotts- world.’” the US Open in 1977 and 2001. dale (Arizona) Open. With Tuesday’s announce- PGA Tour play is scheduled to Southern Hills to host 2030 PGA ment, the PGA Championship resume June 11-14 with the Charles Championship venues have now been fixed for the Schwab Challenge at Colonial Coun- Southern Hills Country Club in years 2020 to 2031 inclusive, with try Club in Ft. Worth, Texas. In this file photo taken on September 15, 2017 participants compete during a re- Tulsa, Oklahoma will stage the 2030 the exception of 2025, which re- “There will probably be four, five, gional round of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Southern Hills Country Club PGA Championship, the PGA of mains open. six of us who will split a plane to get in Tulsa, Oklahoma. - Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma will stage the America confirmed on Tuesday. The next edition of the cham- to Colonial,” Streelman said. “The 2030 PGA Championship, the PGA of America confirmed on May 12, 2020.( AFP) The PGA had already stated pionship is scheduled to take place tour has chartered planes, like big in 2017 that Southern Hills would in San Francisco in August at TPC Two-time ones, for all the players and caddies 21, Travelers Championship June essary and the priority is getting host its fifth PGA Championship Harding Park. The tournament was USPGA in between events, trying to keep our 25-28 and Rocket Mortgage Classic good competition, have a nice TV but did not confirm the year of the initially due to have been staged in Tour bubble nice and tight.” on July 2-5. product for our fans. That’s defi- tournament. May but was postponed due to the winner The Colonial event will be played Only players, caddies and neces- nitely the priority. Southern Hills has staged seven coronavirus pandemic. Kevin without spectators, as would the next sary event and television personnel “But, the leaders are going to major championships since the Golf has been in shutdown Streelman. three tournaments on the revised would be on the course. miss that excitement. My favourite course was founded in 1936, a run since the COVID-19 crisis erupted, (AFP) schedule due to the virus pandemic “It’s going to be different for memories are being in the heat, see- that started with the 1958 US Open but fan-free PGA Tour events are -- the Heritage Classic on June 18- sure,” Streelman said. “It’s nec- ing what you got, hearing that elec- won by Tommy Bolt. due to resume next month.

Anglo-Welsh golf club to reopen Vettel to quit Ferrari despite lockdown puzzle AFP tivities, including golf and London tennis, will be permitted as long as social-distancing A golf club that spans the guidelines are maintained. border between England and “We have many difficult at end of season Wales is to reopen on Wednes- decisions to make as a golf day despite differences in club in order just to survive AFP lockdown rules between the without having to deal with Miami two countries. governing bodies that fail to Llanymynech Golf Club agree on suitable, sensible The Ultimate Fighting Cham- claims to be Europe’s only Golf is restarting in England. (AFP) guidelines that not only pro- pionship on Saturday became dual-country course, with its tect the public, but the very ex- the first major American 18 holes divided between the All four constituent parts istence of sporting clubs,” said sporting event held since the counties of Powys in Wales of the United Kingdom -- a Llanymynech statement. US coronavirus outbreak, with and Shropshire in England, England, Scotland, Wales and Even though 15 of its President Donald Trump con- including one that straddles Northern Ireland -- have sep- holes are in Wales, most of gratulating the promoter. both nations. arate responsibility for their the club’s members are in The controversial card put While British Prime Min- own lockdown regulations. England. the UFC in the spotlight like ister Boris Johnson moved to But officials at Llany- The Llanymynech state- never before, but did not go ease coronavirus lockdown mynech have now tried to end ment said the club were off without a hitch after mid- measures by saying people in any confusion by saying their satisfied with the guidelines dleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ England will be able to play club will reopen under meas- agreed with the government Souza was dropped when he golf again from May 13, the ures approved for England. and that reopening now and two of his cornermen devolved Welsh government These state that from represented “the best course tested positive for COVID-19 has yet to do likewise. Wednesday recreational ac- of action”. on Friday. The main event saw Justin Gaethje dominate Tony Fer- guson with a fifth-round tech- USA Gymnastics nical knockout victory in the Simeone still keen lightweight division. Gaethje calls off 2020 national finished his opponent off three championships minutes and 39 seconds into In this file photo taken on October 25, 2019 Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel is seen on the pit during on Argentina job; the fifth to earn the interim the second practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City. (AFP) lightweight crown. AFP “It worked out great,” said The global outbreak has “When you are testing that the eye. I didn’t want it to be can’t split Messi Washington promoter Dana White. “I am largely shut down the Ameri- much I am sure we are going some impersonal thing where happy with the way it went can economy, but Florida to find somebody else who is he is 100 feet away from me,” USA Gymnastics will not tonight.” authorities have deemed pro- positive,” White told ESPN. said Joe Rogan, interviewing and Maradona stage its national champion- In a pre-recorded video fessional sports -- including inside the ring. ships and other major events shown during the undercard mixed martial arts -- essential Step towards normalcy Octagon announcer Bruce DPA “The other is the embodi- in 2020 due to the coronavi- fights, Trump -- who in No- businesses. With the National Bas- Buffer wore a mask cage-side, Barcelona ment of Argentinian football. rus pandemic, the national vember attended a UFC card White downplayed the neg- ketball Association, Major removing it for introductions More recently it seems Messi sport governing body an- -- congratulated White for the ative impact of Souza’s positive League Baseball, the National and results while inside the Atletico Madrid coach has come out of his shell. Die- nounced on Tuesday. sport’s return. test and insisted it showed they Hockey League and Major ring. Diego Simeone has reiterated go never had a problem with The US Gymnastics Cham- “Get the sports leagues were on top of things. League Soccer all suspended Gaethje pummelled Fer- interest in coaching the Ar- that. They could play togeth- pionships, which had been back, let’s play,” the president “Obviously the system that -- along with the US PGA Tour guson from the opening bell, gentina national team one day. er.” Asked if Cristiano Ron- planned for June 4-7 at Fort said. “You do the social dis- we set up works. We found out and LPGA -- White is touting swelling both his eyes and cut- Speaking on Tuesday with aldo could be added to the mix Worth, Texas, will be staged tancing and whatever else you he was positive and all the oth- the return of UFC as a step to- ting him on the cheek. Referee his former Argentina team- Simeone said: “Holes would in the same city on June 3-6, have to do, but we need sports. er tests were negative,” he said. ward normalcy and a boon for Herb Dean stopped the fight mate Sergio Goycochea in a appear elsewhere in the team. 2021. We want our sports back.” “We have two more fights sports-starved fans. after Gaethje landed a solid left video interview organised by “I always say if one doesn’t Reigning world and Olym- The fights were staged in this week. We will do over Post-fight interviews on that wobbled Ferguson. the Argentina Football Asso- run it’s okay. If two don’t run pic champion Simone Biles an empty 15,000-seat VyStar 1,100 tests.” Saturday were conducted in- Both main event fighters ciation (AFA), he said: “Every- it’s a problem. If three don’t run would have been favored next Veterans Memorial arena in He has also announced side the ring without masks. made weight on Friday at a thing at the right time and in then it’s impossible.” Ronaldo month to capture her seventh Jacksonville, Florida, after ear- cards for Wednesday and next Outside the Octagon many weigh-in where media mem- the right place. was in the Real Madrid team national all-around crown lier attempts to hold it in New Saturday in Jacksonville -- de- personnel -- but not all -- bers and most UFC staff were “I have no doubt that in a that beat Simeone’s Atletico in eight seasons, missing out York and California failed due spite stating he expects to see were wearing some protective kept at a distance, those closer certain moment, if the situation Madrid in the Champions only in 2017 when she took a to pandemic restrictions on more positive coronavirus equipment. to the fighters wore masks and is right, I will possibly have the League finals in 2014 and 2016. year off after the Rio Olym- live sporting events. tests this week. “I wanted to look them in the scale was sanitized. opportunity.” Asked by Goy- Simeone said: “The first pics. cochea to pick a favourite be- one was not a failure because But with the deadly virus tween Lionel Messi and Diego they were better than us. But outbreak forcing postpone- Maradona, Simeone said they the second time it was a fail- ment of the Tokyo Olympics FIFA postpones could have played together. ure.” Atletico were beaten from July to 2021 and stay-in- Diamond League releases new calendar women’s Under-17 “They are different. One on penalties two years later. place regulations in many ar- World Cup to 2021 is a goal-machine. I have suf- Simeone said: “They were not eas, USA Gymnastics decided AFP sion, UK Athletics chief son had originally been due to fered because of him on a better than us in the second to cancel 2020 events after Paris Joanna Coates said: “We start in Doha on April 17. NEW DELHI: The women’s Un- regular basis over the years,” game but it was taken from us consulting with athletes and must place the safety of the Athletes have been forced der-17 World Cup, due to be held he said. again, on penalties.” medical officials. The Diamond League season entire athletics family at to recalibrate their entire in India in November, has been “In light of recent guid- has been pushed into an Au- the forefront of every deci- season after the 2020 Tokyo postponed for three month, FIFA ance from health experts, and gust start by the coronavirus sion we make during these Olympics were postponed by said Tuesday, adding to a growing after receiving feedback from pandemic under a new calen- unprecedented times and a year. list of sporting events hit by the our athletes and coaches, we dar for track and field’s show- ensure we are following gov- The European Athletics pandemic. believe it is in the best interest piece meetings released on ernment advice.” Championships, due to have The tournament, to be played of our community to wait until Tuesday. The Zurich Weltklasse taken place in Paris in the sec- in five cities across the country, 2021 to hold premier events,” With the exception of a meeting, which had been due ond half of August, have been will now start February 17, foot- USA Gymnastics chief execu- June 11 meeting in Oslo that to form the three-day finals cancelled. ball’s governing body said. India is tive officer Li Li Leung said. will feature modified events of the Diamond League on Revised Diamond League looking to boost its international USA Gymnastics said it in line with social distancing September 9-11, has also been Calendar: June 11 - Oslo, standing as a host of top sporting remains in the process of re- rules, the season proper is now scrapped. August 14 - Monaco, Au- events after holding the men’s scheduling other events ahead scheduled to start in Monaco “Despite the fact that the gust 16 - Gateshead, August Under-17 World Cup in 2017. of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, on August 14. Swiss Federal Council has 23 - Stockholm, September “All the host cities have put including the US Olympic tri- Twelve meetings will fea- banned large events only until 2 - Lausanne, September 4 - in a lot of effort and commitment Atletico Madrid coach als and the USA Gymnastics ture, culminating in China on the end of August, staging the Brussels, September 6 - Paris so far, and we are happy that Diego Simeone. Championships for rhythmic October 17 at a venue yet to be finals in their intended form is (to be confirmed), September the new dates will allow them and trampoline, with plans to arranged. unrealistic,” the Zurich organ- 17 - Rome/Naples, September to make up for the lost time announce those dates “in the The London Diamond isers said. 19 - Shanghai, October 4 - Eu- and provide momentum going coming weeks.” League meeting scheduled for The meeting in Rabat is the gene, October 9 - Doha, Oc- forward,” the local organising USA Gymnastics will stage July 4-5 has been cancelled. third to have been removed. tober 17 - Chinese venue to be committee said after the FIFA its 2020 national congress and Announcing that deci- The Diamond League sea- arranged. announcement. (AFP) tradeshow as a virtual event. Sports Wednesday, May 13, 2020 13 MotoGP family unites in fight against COVID-19

Tribune News Network for those affected. MotoGP communications exclusive technology sponsor of DOHA Maverick Vinales (Monster supplier Tata Communications’ the MotoGP eSport Champion- Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has parent holding company Tata ship, has donated technology to The global coronavirus crisis also been an active presence Sons have pledged INR 1,000 new hospitals treating patients, has created a global reaction, in and around his hometown. crore (over €122 million), and as well as researchers study- including from the MotoGP The Yamaha rider purchased a Tata Trusts have donated INR ing the virus, and made soft- paddock and all those who significant number of Covid-19 500 crore (over €60 million) to ware and hardware available make our sport what it is. That test kits to allow care home go towards medical equipment, to schools to operate online. In includes riders, teams, spon- Residencia Europalau to test set up treatment facilities and addition, the Foundation has sors, partners and everyone in all staff and residents for the vi- health worker training. so far donated $6.7 million to- between and tries to do its part rus on a regular basis, and has Moto2 and Moto3 lubri- wards fighting coronavirus. to fight Covid-19. donated masks and protective cant supplier and Liqui Moly Allianz, the official insur- The official charity of Mo- screens to University Hospital Intact GP team sponsor Liqui ance partner of the FIM Enel toGP, Two Wheels for Life, de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta Moly made an initial donation MotoE World Cup, have been recently launched a campaign and Hospital de Santa Caterina, of €1 million of free products globally active. MotoGP’s hand alongside Dorna Sports to raise both in Girona. to emergency services, hospi- tool supplier Stanley’s par- funds for their work to combat Francesco Bagnaia’s (Pra- tals and fire brigades across ent company Stanley Black & Covid-19, with the world first mac Racing Team) Fan Club Germany, including engine Decker has committed US$10 Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of have also been fundraising for oils for ambulance vehicles as million in financial support to Spain in aid of the cause. Funds the battle against the virus, with well as additives to maintain benefit communities and em- raised will go towards the de- nearly €14,000 donated to the emergency power generators ployees, the official beer of Mo- livery of test results, education Agenzia Ospedaliera Città della which are needed to operate toGP, Singha, has donated 50 and equipment to hard to reach Salute di Torino in Turin. Intact MotoGP riders in action during the Japanese Grand Prix last season. medical equipment in case million baht (nearly €1.5 mil- communities across a number GP MotoE rider and Grand Prix of emergency. Since that first lion) to the fight against Cov- of countries in sub-Saharan winner Dominique Aegerter, and Danilo Petrucci just two of who decided to put their own Moto3 classes, as well as title donation, the company has id-19 in Thailand. Africa in order to prevent the meanwhile, made some head- the paddock personnel lending art for sale online, in order to sponsor and technical partner now added another €2 million Official MotoGP and FIM spread of coronavirus and other lines when he was locked down their support to the initiative. help raise funds for equipment, of Petronas Yamaha SRT in worth of products. Enel MotoE World Cup logistics deadly contagious diseases – all in Barcelona, giving a helping The parent company of FIM machinery and medicines nec- MotoGP and Petronas Sprinta The Autodromo Internazi- partner DHL are also making in the name of MotoGP. hand to a local care home by Enel MotoE World Cup bike essary in the fight against Cov- Racing in the Moto2 and onale del Mugello was another an important contribution as A number of MotoGP riders disinfecting the building. manufacturer Energica – CRP id-19. Pramac, owner of Pramac Moto3 classes, has a number quick to respond, delivering they send emergency medi- have made key contributions, Ducati Motor Holding, to Technology – is ensuring that Racing Team, also provided a of initiatives. The Malaysian equipment from their Medical cal equipment and supplies including reigning MotoGP which the Ducati Team belong, some of the same expertise that standby diesel GSW705V gen- company is working towards Center to the Tuscan health to healthcare workers, deliver world champion Marc Marquez is organising a fundraising ap- has made the Energica Ego Cor- erator to Wuhan hospital to developing a Continuous Posi- authorities, including two necessary goods and use their and teammate Alex Marquez, peal on behalf of Azienda Os- sa such an incredible success provide standby power. tive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilators, two intensive care logistical expertise to find solu- as the two Repsol Honda Team pedaliero Universitaria di Bolo- is now committed to fighting Repsol has donated prototype, which helps lessen monitors, four defibrillator tions to enable companies to riders donated equipment to gna Policlinico di S.Orsola. The coronavirus. In house, the com- 400,000 masks to the Spanish the dependency of Covid-19 monitors and more. continue operating in these ex- the Hospital Universitari Arnau #raceagainstCOVID campaign pany are manufacturing several healthcare system, as well as patients on ventilators in Ma- MotoGP class and MotoE ceptional circumstances. R&D de Vilanova in their local city of is aiming to raise the funds to functional prototypes of emer- polypropylene produced at their laysia. The machines were Official Tyre Supplier Michelin, and manufacturing teams at Lleida, Catalonia. finance equipment, research gency valves for reanimation plant in Huesca to the Spanish originally developed by an- the BMW group to which BMW Oakley, official eyewear sup- Valentino Rossi’s (Monster and staff at the Policlinico di devices, as well as link compo- Foundation for Research and other Petronas partner in mo- M, provider of the official car of plier to MotoGP, and doctors Energy Yamaha MotoGP) VR46 S. Orsola in Bologna, which nents for emergency respiratory Development in Transportation torsport: Mercedes AMG F1 at MotoGP, belong, are key also from the FIM are taking on a Srl has come together with a is dedicated exclusively to the masks for assisted ventilation, and Energy (CIDAUT) in Val- Mercedes-AMG High Perfor- key contributors to the fight vital role during the pandemic, number of other businesses in care of patients in convales- using additive manufacturing ladolid, enabling the manufac- mance Powertrains (HPP), in against pandemic. MotoGP with more than twenty of them their area to raise and donate cence post Covid-19. The tar- and their own patented Wind- ture up to 5,700 visors a day for collaboration with University sustainable power partner and fighting on the frontline in their funds to acquire new respira- get is €500,000, with the first form P1 isotropic material. The face shields. In addition, Repsol College London. Petronas have FIM Enel MotoE World Cup respective nations. tors for l’Azienda Ospedaliera donations coming from board valves are currently being tested have re-adapted their laborato- also contributed RM20 million partner Enel has donated €23 MotoGP and MotoE pro- Marche Nord, and the number members, followed by Ducati in a hospital in Lombardy, Italy. ries at the Repsol Technology (around €4.3 million) towards million in Italy, through its non- secco supplier Prosecco DOC, 46 himself has also carried out employees – and the sum total LCR Honda have one of Lab to produce hand sanitiser, vital medical equipment and profit organisation Enel Cuore, MotoGP Sustainable Truck a number of morale-boosting of the two then doubled by the their RC213Vs included in an and loaned the Hospital de La supplies, and have launched for a series of measures to sup- Supplier Scania, Dell’Orto, the actions – including surprising a company to create the founda- art exhibition created to support Paz in Madrid a PCR machine the #WeWishYouWell cam- port key organisations involved exclusive ECU supplier to the 102-year-old fan of his who beat tion of the fundraising drive. hospitals in Brescia called Brix- capable of carrying out 500 paign on social media to show in providing health and social Moto3 class and MotoGP rental the virus by getting in touch via It has now been rolled out to iaPROart. The BrixiaPROart Covid-19 tests per day. solidarity with and support for assistance services. Via the car supplier Hertz have also video call, and recording a num- Ducatisti worldwide, with Mo- initiative was created by a group Petronas, the official fuel those battling the virus, as well Lenovo Foundation, Lenovo, joined in the combined global ber of different video messages toGP riders Andrea Dovizioso of professional photographers supplier to the Moto2 and as spread that message. MotoGP technical partner and fight against the COVID-19. IPL cancellation may cost Indian cricket half a billion dollars AFP “That is why we are working (on) Australia captain Aaron Finch (right) with New Zealand skipper Kane New Delhi how much is the loss finally we have Williamson during toss ahead of the first One-Day International at the to pay. Sydney Cricket Ground in March this year. (AFP) Scrapping the money-spinning Indi- “So once we are able to assess that an Premier League this year because of then we might consider it, but it will be the coronavirus pandemic would cost the last thing on our agenda.” Australia, New Zealand look more than half a billion dollars, but cutting players’ pay was not yet being Lanka tour still on to restart international cricket considered, a top official has told AFP. Dhumal said India’s tour of Sri Lan- The world’s richest Twenty20 tour- ka, scheduled to begin in June, would Agencies “We haven’t talked specif- nament is staring at a first wipeout in its only go ahead if the pandemic eases. SYDNEY ics really. What we have talked 12-year history after the original March “The safety and health of our crick- about is conceptually the possi- 29 start date was postponed repeatedly. eters is paramount and any shred of Their scheduled international bility of playing each other and Cancellation of the IPL for 2020 doubt, we will not shy away from call- tours unlikely to go ahead due that’s where we are at the mo- would mean a huge financial hit. ing it off.” to coronavirus pandemic, the ment.” “The BCCI is looking at a big rev- He said The BCCI leadership was in cricket boards of Australia and With the 13th edition of IPL enue loss. In case the IPL does not take constant discussions with the Interna- New Zealand are exploring the suspended indefinitely, the Test place, the loss would be close to 40 tional Cricket Council about restarting possibility of creating a constant tour of Bangladesh abandoned billion rupees ($530 million), or even competitive cricket. stream of matches between the and a limited-overs tour of more,” said Board of Control for Cricket Doubts remain over the Twenty20 two neighbouring nations. England in July also likely to be in India treasurer Arun Dhumal. World Cup beginning in October in With the two governments called off, Australia will be with- India, like other cricket nations, is Australia and India’s four-Test, three- planning to open up a corridor out any cricket action this win- anxious to see a return to competitive Mumbai Indians players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2019 IPL title ODI tour afterwards. to allow a quarantine-free trav- ter. There are also doubts over international sport, but has to follow against Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad. (AFP) Dhumal has been quoted as saying el, New Zealand Cricket Chief the T20 World Cup scheduled government orders and advice. that Indian players would be ready to Executive David White dis- to be held in October-Novem- “We are not sure whether we The IPL brand value was estimated of its staff while the England and Wales go into a two-week quarantine before cussed the possibility with his ber in Australia. New Zealand’s will be able to have it this year,” at $6.7 billion last year by the Duff and Cricket Board has announced pay cuts. the tour. But he told AFP this would Cricket Australia counterpart home international summer is he admitted. Phelps financial consultancy. Other top sports, such as football’s only apply if the World Cup were can- Kevin Roberts. also uncertain with Pakistan A one-day international series English Premier League and Spain’s celled. “I’ve talked to Kevin Rob- and West Indies scheduled to against South Africa in March has al- Massive revenue La Liga, have also seen players accept “In case we are already there for the erts about that. A Tasman bub- tour for Tests and Sri Lanka in ready been cancelled but it is the IPL, Indian broadcaster Star Sports paid wage cuts. T20 World Cup then there is no ques- ble would be terrific if it did the shorter form. which began in 2008, that generates more than $220 million for five years of But Dhumal, who joined the BCCI tion of quarantine because we will al- eventuate,” White told Sydney Australia and New Zealand the bulk of BCCI revenue and is thought TV rights up to 2022. But it was report- leadership last year alongside presi- ready have been there for a month or Morning Herald. were locked in a three-game to be worth more than $11 billion a year edly targeting $400 million of revenue dent Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay so,” he said. “...it would present some men’s ODI series in March to the Indian economy. in 2020 alone. Shah, said that it was hoped to avoid “Cricket Australia are also not in opportunities going forward. when it was called off due to “We will only be able to figure Gripped by an international lock- pay cuts for players. a position to come up with something But I think the key is to keep an the coronavirus outbreak after out the exact revenue loss once we down, many national boards have been “That would be the last thing that concrete. A lot will depend on the gov- open mind and be flexible so if the first game was played be- are sure of how many games we have forced into cost-cutting. we would want to do at our end,” ernment and the travel bans in place. opportunities do arise we can hind closed doors at the Sydney lost,” said Dhumal. Cricket Australia has laid off most said Dhumal. Let’s see how they go about it.” take them. Cricket Ground.

Women’s WC cricket qualifiers MLB owners approve 2020 season proposal for players postponed over virus AFP to begin on Tuesday, according eased. The season would launch ing headquarters. AFP Lanka between July 3-19, with New York to ESPN, USA Today, The Ath- between July 1-4 and playoffs Playing without ticketbuy- New Delhi three berths available for the letic and NBC Sports. would expand from 10 to 14 ers would be expected to trim 2021 event in New Zealand. Major League Baseball team The MLB plan becomes the teams, with two extra wild-card 40 percent off MLB revenues Cricket qualifiers for next Qualifying for the 2022 owners have approved a pro- first formal proposal for a major clubs in both the National and and the owners reportedly year’s women’s World Cup and U-19 tournament was sched- posal for starting the corona- US sports league to exit a coro- American Leagues. The playoffs would seek a 50-50 revenue- the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, uled to begin with a European virus-delayed 2020 season in navirus hiatus, with the NBA, would end in early November, sharing deal similar to what the both in July, have been post- regional tournament in Den- early July in ballparks without Major League Soccer and the only slightly later than normal. clubs have had the rule in place NFL and NBA have used. poned due to the coronavirus mark from July 24-30. spectators, according to multi- National Hockey League sea- Teams would mostly play for decades. Teams would play That might cause an issue pandemic, the game’s govern- He added that the ICC ple reports on Monday. sons having been halted by the against clubs from their own at their own home ballparks with players, who are look- ing body said on Tuesday. would try to find an “appropri- The campaign was shut deadly outbreak. division, minimizing travel and where allowed by state and lo- ing at losing half a season of The International Cricket ate window” to reschedule “as down two months ago while The proposal would have expenses. They would also face cal governments. Teams whose their regular salary already in a Council said it took the decision soon as is safe and practical to pre-season games were under- players report to training camps clubs from the same division in home stadiums are unavailable shrunken campaign and could as part of its “comprehensive do so”. Two remaining U-19 way and the proposal for an starting in mid-June for about the opposite league. would play out of their spring worry about owners pushing contingency planning process regional qualifiers, set for 82-game season, about half the three weeks, either at home Designated hitters would training faciltiies. Due to border for a salary cap in the next col- and after consultation”. Tanzania and Thailand later normal length, must still be ap- ballparks or training sites in come to bat instead of pitch- crossing issues with Canada, the lective bargaining agreement The women’s qualifiers this year, are under review, the proved by the players union. Florida and Arizona, where ers for National League teams Toronto Blue Jays might have when the current one expires in were due to take place in Sri ICC added. Negotiatons were expected stay-at-home rules have been for the first time in history. AL to play out of their Florida train- December 2021. 14 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Reports by L N Mallick For events and press releases email [email protected] or L N Mallick Pakistan Prism L N Mallick call (974) 4000 2222 L N Mallick

Dr Syed Manzar Hasan declared winner of 24th Qur’anic calligraphy Aalmi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award from Pakistan

Award winner has magical attractiveness and directly Dr Syed Manzar Hasan impacts heart: Mohammad Abdullah Tarar Tarar’s calligraphy is simple, sublime and imbued with inspiring messages of positivity and optimism, and he aims to embellish his works by combining art and calligraphy or an artist, main goal is to lish my work by combining art and decorate his work through calligraphy. r Syed Manzar Hasan, eminent fiction writer creativity and improvisation from Pakistan, has been declared the winner of and I have an aim to embel- How do you choose the texts for 24th Aalmi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award, according lish my work by combining your calligraphy compositions? to Chairman of Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Mo- Fart and calligraphy, says Qatar-based cal- Normally, I love to work on Qur’anic hammadD Atiq. ligrapher Mohammad Abdullah Tarar. calligraphy. To write a Qur’anic verse, it Manzar, whose pen name is Hasan Manzar, was cho- Tarar is among those self-taught and takes a lot of thinking in choosing its style sen unanimously by an independent jury at a meeting gifted artists whose creations are very of presenting and which style would suit held in Lahore recently. The jury consisted of Dr Khur- positive, inspiring and uplifting. He the most. For example, some verses need shid Rizvi, (Chairman), Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik, was born and brought up in Qatar and to be written in Diwani and some should Prof Dr Mazhar Mahmood Shairani and Prof Dr Zahid received early education from Pakistan be written in Thuluth or Nastali’q. That is Munir Amer. Daud Ahmed Malik was the coordinator. International School, formally known as why it totally depends on calligrapher’s Dr Manzar will receive the honour along with Noorul Pakistan Education Centre. His family imagination and experience that what Husnain, who has already been declared the winner of belongs to Tehsil Bhalwal of District Sar- style he chooses. Then, the crucial part is the 24th Aalmi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Award from India godha (City of eagles), in Pakistan. Later, a selection of suitable pen and paper and on March 14 by the Indian jury, headed by Prof Dr Gopi he moved to Pakistan to pursue Shari’ah selection of how writing should be done Chand Narang. education from Jamia Islamia Imdadiah, i.e. in a circular fashion or a linear way. The award function, followed by a grand mushaira, Faisalabad. This institution works under It takes a lot of work on minor details to will be held in Doha before the end of the year. the supervision of Pakistan’s renowned create a masterpiece. The award carries a cash prize of Rs150,000 and a Shari’ah board Wifaq-ul-Madaris-ul-Ara- gold medal for each winner. Since 1996, the award has bia. He returned back to Doha in 2010. Have you ever exhibited your work been given annually to two literary scholars, one from He was good at art and drawing from his in Doha or abroad? Pakistan and the other from India, for their contribution childhood but he inclined towards art of Not yet. I have not presented my work to the promotion of Urdu language and literature, as a calligraphy while his studies in Pakistan. anywhere. The reason why I am reluctant life-time achievement award. Tarar’s calligraphy is simple, sublime and to present my work is that I believe an art- Dr Manzar was born on March, 4, 1934 in Hapur, imbued with inspiring messages of posi- ist should present its work when he is sat- a town in the district of Meerut, Uttar Pardesh. He got tivity and optimism. In an interview with isfied with his work and reaches the level his education until 10th class at Hewett Muslim High Qatar Tribune, Tarar spoke about his in- of an expert in his respective field. I don’t School/Inter College, Moradabad. After the partition spiring journey to become a calligrapher believe that I have reached that level but and migration to Pakistan in 1947, he passed his matric- and offered some advice to calligraphy my friends and family frequently purse ulation examination from Iqbal High School, Lahore in students. Excerpts. me to showcase my work. Hopefully, in 1948. He passed his Intermediate from Foreman Chris- the near future, I will present my Qur’anic tian College, Lahore in 1950 and was admitted to BSc How did you become interested in calligraphy in an exhibition. first year in Islamia College, Lahore the same year. Later, calligraphy? he got admitted to King Edward Medical College, Lahore During childhood, I developed in- Did you participate in any competi- and completed his MBBS in 1958. He then moved to terest in drawing because of my elder tions? Karachi and took a job in Central Excise and Land Cus- brother who had special skills and ex- Yes, I participated in many workshops toms Hospital, Mauripur. Subsequently, he worked as a pertise in drawing and sketching. His calligraphy is my real field and I am and competitions during my education. surgeon on a Dutch Merchant Ship. Then, he moved to capabilities drove me to become an art- still trying to nurture my skills in this But, from past few years, I am totally fo- Saudi Arabia as a junior obstetrician and gynecologist ist too. Looking at our talent, our school specific ground but I also did some cusing on improving my calligraphy skills at a hospital. Later, he moved to Bush, Africa for a few teachers kept on giving us little art as- work in English calligraphy. In reality, in a professional way. years and then went to Scotland, earning two separate signments. When I grew a little older, I Arabic calligraphy is a huge ground to postgraduate DPM degrees in Psychiatry from Univer- also started working on sketches. Dur- cover. It takes one’s whole life to mas- Is calligraphy merely your passion sity of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians and ing my stay in Pakistan for the sake of ter skills in Arabic calligraphy. In that or you also sell your work? Surgeons, Glasgow. From education, calligraphy became my core case, it is difficult for me to consider Initially, I never thought of becom- there, he went to Malaysia field of interest. When I first witnessed myself doing work in any other lan- ing a professional calligrapher and only and taught in the Depart- Arabic calligraphy, I was spellbound by guage other than Arabic. worked during my leisure time to fulfill ment of Psychological its alluring beauty. Its structure and text my interest. With the passage of time, Medicine and also carried magnificence were out of this world. There are several traditional and people started taking notice of my cal- on his medical research Without any doubt, Arabic calligraphy modern styles in Arabic calligra- ligraphy and asked me to do their work. work in Kuala Lumpur. has its own traditional touch and its phy like Naskh, Kufic, Nasta’liq, Some people started buying my creations Thereafter, he returned magical attractiveness affects di- Diwani, Thuluth, Reqa, etc. and it increased my spirit of working as a to Pakistan and settled in rectly at the heart. Especially, What is your preferred professional. And above all, it is a healthy Hyderabad. Dr Manzar the Qur’anic calligraphy pro- calligraphy style? activity for me during my leisure time. has been writing all along vides a noticeable satisfac- Obviously, we all know and has had a good num- tion to the soul. that Arabic calligraphy is Do you have any plans to teach ber of stories, half finished Dr Khurshid Rizvi, Chairman During my studies, it was done in these styles that calligraphy to others? because of the demands of of Pakistan award jury difficult for me to learn cal- you have mentioned. There During this journey of calligraphy, his profession, which often ligraphy regularly from any are also other styles like I taught many students and most of the leaves him little or no time. He credits his mother for his teacher due to lack of time. I Sumbli, Ijaza, Maju’hri that serious students are still in contact with thirst of books. His father, Syed Mazhar Hussain, did the kept on doing practice by my- are very popular. I have me. As I have told you earlier that I con- same but on a larger scale. His wife, Dr Tahira Manzar, is self but I stayed in contact tried myself in all of these sider myself a student in this vast field also fond of reading good literature. with the specialists to styles but my favorite ones and that’s why I avoid involving in regular Manzar casts his stories in the realistic mode, al- get their opinion on are Diwani and Thuluth. teaching. But I try to transfer the knowl- most never deviating from the traditional geometry of my writing sam- Right now, I am mostly edge I gained from my mentors. I am plot and structure. Even deep and knotty psychological ples. The work working on Thuluth. I available on social media platforms and if problems have to be made evident on the surface, not to I am doing to- not only use pen and someone need help, I would be happy to be guessed. day is not due ink to present my offer my services. In an interview aired by the Voice of America in to the practice samples but also 1995, Dr Manzar remarked: ‘’My stories are inspired of few days, it involve oil and What would you say for begin- by ordinary men and women affected by some sorrow, took me many water paint to ners who want to learn Arabic happiness or longing. (They) are not imagined beings. I years to reach beautify my calligraphy? mean I am as far away as anyone can get from any kind this level and I creation. I Now a days, if you want to learn of romanticism. Subjects, unless they are firmly ground- am thankful to use a layer something, it is easier compared to past ed in objective reality, leave me cold and I almost never the Almighty Allah of oil in times. On calligraphy, a lot of books have feel motivated to probe them in my fiction. It’s the real for giving me such the back- been written, videos are uploaded on dif- flesh-and-blood people, victims of oppression and vio- patience and con- ground ferent platforms and with the help of so- lence, scarred by pain and injustice that touch me. And sistency. of most of cial media one can get in contact with the it does not matter where they come from.’ my work. specialist calligraphers. So, I would like Manzar has authored a number of books. Are your creations For an artist, to send my message to the parents that His collections of short stories include Rehai (1981), limited to Arabic main goal is to they should encourage their children Nadeedi (1983), Insaan Ka Desh (1991), Soi Bhook calligraphy or you decorate his work to learn calligraphy and to those who (1997), Ek Aur Aadmi (1999), Khaak Ka Rutba (2007), prepare work in through creativity are already learning, I would like to ask Mangal Sootr, Munshi Prem Chand’s last incomplete some other lan- Mohammad and improvisa- them to keep on practicing. If they keep novel, translated from Hindi (1991), Prem Chand Ghar guages as well? Abdullah Tarar tion. I have an on writing, they would improve hand Mein - Shiv Rani Devi, translated from Hindi (1998) and Yes, Arabic aim to embel- movement and grip on pen. Jhijak. His children’s books are Samunder Mein Jang (2001) and Jaan Ke Dushman (2004). He has penned a number of novels such as Al-Asifa (2006), Dhani Bakhsh Ke Bete (2008), Waba (2009), Maa Beti (2010), Ber Sheeba Ki Ladhki (2010), Waka, translation of stories from Hindi. (2010), Insaan Ay In- saan (2013), Manzar Ke Khutoot Kamal Azhar Ke Naam (2011), Habs and Ay Falak Na Insaaf. A drama titled Sadar-e-Mumlakat Ka Khudrau Phool is under printing. His books in English include A Requiem for the Earth: OUP, Karachi (1998) and The End of Human History: Katha, Delhi. (1999). In recognition of his literary achievements, Man- zar has been honoured with Academy of Letters Award (twice ), United Bank Award, Sindh Government Shaikh Ayaz Award and Best Book Award on novel ‘Ay Falak Na Insaaf’ at Oxford Literature Festival, this year’. The Last Word Wednesday, May 13, 2020 15 TAMUQ makes remote learning work for laboratories: Hamidi in an effort to reduce paperwork students to use engineering soft- groups. We strictly advise them to ‘Conducting online laboratories involves (printing, scanning, distributing, ware remotely. Thanks to our IT work remotely with each other us- etc.), and to provide quicker feed- department, we already had a cou- ing file sharing and collaborative many technical and safety matters’ back to the students. eCampus is ple of options to do so, such as using technologies such as Google Drive, being used also to develop exam VPN, or using the Virtual Open Ac- DropBox and One Drive. Ailyn Agonia smoothly and effectively transi- questions that are self-graded, so cess Labs (VOAL) from Main Cam- “The deadlines remain the same doha tioned into online teaching to com- students receive their grades right pus. In addition to that, companies as before so that we do not disrupt ply with the needs of the time. after they finish the exams. It saves a like MATLAB offer online tools such the rhythm that they are used to. IN the time of COVID-19, educa- “Although the hands-on part lot of hours that we usually put into as MATLAB Online, which can be For synchronous teaching, we have tional institutions such as Qatar of a lab is irreplaceable, we believe grading the exams.” accessed by students by using their the students attend online meeting Foundation have been finding ways we have done a phenomenal job of In the case of laboratories, Dr @qatar.tamu.edu emails.” on Zoom during their lab time. We to make remote learning work for transitioning into online teaching Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) Hamidi said they have currently In addition, Dr Hamidi said, go over the experiment and explain fundamentally hands-on courses without compromising quality. The detailed video documentation for “Labs can be taught in both syn- how to do the analysis. We then use across fields. current state of technology and digi- According to Dr Hamidi, some of many lab experiments and are striv- chronous and asynchronous ways. the breakout room feature in Zoom In the case of laboratories, Dr tal infrastructure has proved to be the web and cloud-based infrastruc- ing to have this documentary videos For asynchronous teaching, the to split them into teams. The stu- Yasser M al Hamidi, manager of very useful in this transition. The ture to teach online were already for all lab experiments. videos and data are used by the dents share their screens and dis- Mechanical Engineering Labora- future might see more advances in implemented at TAMUQ which He said, “We collected data from students at their preferred time cuss the experiment. We do rounds tories at Texas A&M University other technologies such as virtual made the transition to eLearning the experimental setups. The videos and pace. The videos are usually of each room to give special atten- at Qatar (TAMUQ), has said that reality, augmented reality or mixed very smooth. One of the eLearning and data were posted on eCampus more detailed and self-explana- tion to each group as they complete while transforming laboratories to reality. More collaborative research platforms at TAMU-Q is eCampus. for the students to access. The stu- tory. And if they have questions, the labs. We also ask the students to be conducted online has proven to and development need to be done He said, “Students used to sub- dents would watch the videos, ac- they are encouraged to either send take breaks in-between so that they be much more challenging as it in- in this area to be better prepared for mit their lab reports and homework cess the collected data and analyse us emails, or setup zoom meetings are not sitting behind the computer volves many technical and safety the next crisis,” Dr Hamidi told Qa- online to eCampus long before the and report on it. In order to do the with respective lab coordinator. for the entire lab time (2 hours and matters, their team at TAMUQ has tar Tribune. outbreak. This was done originally analysis, we had to find ways for the Students work in their assigned 50 minutes).” ‘Must stay connected during physical CAM-QU shines light on role of material sciences distancing to promote mental health’ amid coronavirus crisis Doha Debates’ #DearWorldLive tackles the issue of mental health in the time of coronavirus Tribune News Network Doha Ailyn Agonia crisis. DOHA “Physical distancing” is what QATAR University’s Center for Ad- WHO suggests we use and we vanced Materials (CAM-QU) organ- The latest episode of #Dear- should all adapt that language,” ised an e-seminar to discuss the ma- WorldLive, a new online discus- he said. The expert also reiterated terials sciences, engineering and the sion show from Doha Debates, the importance of renewed sense novel COVID-19 crisis via WebEx on has brought to the fore the impact of appreciation for the quality of Sunday. of global lockdown and social dis- their social relationships, particu- Dr Nasser bin Abdullah al Juf- tancing to mental health. larly in a post-coronavirus world. fali al Nuaimi, director of (CAM- The show hosted by Doha De- He said the quality of relation- QU), started the opening session bates’ correspondent and award- ships one maintains and the in- with remarks on materials sciences winning journalist Nelufar He- vestment in such is what matters and their importance in various ar- dayat featured mental health most to the mental and well-being eas. He also shed light on the role of Dr. Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Juffali Al- experts from different countries. of people. the centre in building a sustainable Nuaimi, Director of (CAM) – (QU) The panellists tackled how the Suleika Jaouad, an Emmy community through confronting the pandemic is taking both a physical Award-winning writer, speaker, challenges brought by this pandemic, materials inlaid with ultra-fine mate- and emotional toll on society and cancer survivor and the creator of whether in terms of advice, educa- rials to desalinate seawater by using the ways to cope with the extraor- The Isolation Journals, a global tion, training and guidance for the electricity produced at the centre. dinary situation. movement cultivating community Qatari community, or the planning The patent right has been regis- Dr Kamran Ahmed, a psychia- and creativity during hard times, and implementation at the academic tered in the United States. Dr Abdul- trist, writer, filmmaker and en- also stressed the importance of and research levels locally and inter- lah also gave a short brief clarifying trepreneur, reiterated the need to language and choice of words at nationally. the effectiveness of scientific re- recognise the impact of the pan- The panellists tackled how the pandemic is taking both physical and emotional this time. She also emphasised the Dr Nuaimi detailed the most im- search in general and the importance demic and the difficult situations tolls on society and the ways to cope with the extraordinary situation. importance of focus on the holistic portant challenges facing modern of materials science in the prevention to people. He said, “Don’t be hard impact of the situation, including societies in general in confronting and protection from the novel COV- on yourself during this time. It is sources of information. being Research Centre, called for to mental and emotional well- similar circumstances such as this ID-19. He also pointed to the latest okay if you are not being overly He also said following the the use of the term “physical dis- being. pandemic. He appreciated the col- research proposals and efforts ad- productive in lockdown. It is okay health advice of authorities such tancing” over “social distancing” Dana al Ali, a student in Qatar, laboration with various institutions dressing Coronavirus detection and if you are feeling anxious and be as washing hands, maintaining which he said is also suggested by urged people to look at this time and companies within Qatar and be- treatment, as well as the expected aware that this is a difficult time.” physical distance and doing things the World Health Organization of crisis as a time of self-learning yond including international univer- timeframe for developing a vaccine Sharing his thoughts on prac- that protect them will make peo- (WHO). and self-growth. sities and companies. or treatment for COVID-19. tical things people can do to man- ple feel better about themselves at “Start saying physical distanc- She stressed the need to devel- He also commented on the cur- Prof Syed Zaidi, QAFAC chair age the anxiety around coronavi- this time. ing while staying socially con- op new hobby and self-reflection. rent collaboration with the Qatar professor of chemical engineering rus, Dr Kamran advised the public Another panellist Dr Jan-Em- nected. To well-being and mental She said, “What is unique Electricity and Water Company, rep- at the centre discussed the role and to limit the amount of information manuel De Neve, an economics health perspective, the notion of in this pandemic is there are no resented by its General Manager and importance of technology in dealing they are consuming about coro- professor at the University of Ox- social distancing cannot be more sides. We are all on the same side Managing Director Eng Fahd al Mu- with COVID-19 for water treatment. navirus and only turn to reliable ford and the director of the Well- poorly chosen in this time of fighting against the same thing.” hannadi. The centre has established He explained that the Reverse a water technology unit to mutually Osmosis (RO) technology is capable benefit from its research potentials of removing the coronavirus as the and the company’s capabilities and pore size of the membranes used in support in areas of water desalina- RO process is 1000 times smaller tion. than the coronavirus. Deadline extended for submissions for Cooperation would be through So, water purified with RO tech- the currently applied technologies, or nology is safe to drink. Moreover, by introducing new water desalina- CAM has expertise and capability in Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation tion methods which are cost-effective the development of innovative mem- and more efficient. It would also branes using advanced nanomateri- qna of the novel coronavirus (COV- Translation and International excellence, encourage creativity, ensure the efficiency of the meth- als for RO technology. QU is ready to doha ID-19) pandemic in order to give Understanding was founded in uphold the highest moral and ods currently used to produce, store deal with this crisis by providing the an opportunity for translators Doha in 2015. It is an interna- ethical standards, and spread the drinking water and their compliance adequate technology to the indus- THE Steering Committee of from around the world to com- tional prize run by a board of values of diversity, pluralism and with local and international quality tries. Sheikh Hamad Award for Trans- pete in the award categories. trustees, a steering committee openness. specifications by conducting periodic Dr Zaidi also mentioned the new lation and International Under- For this year’s season, SHA- and independent panels of judg- The award also aspires to in- measurements at the centre. initiative of the centre for the estab- standing (SHATIU) has extended TIU chose the Persian language es. The total value of the award is culcate a culture of knowledge Dr Kamel Eid, researcher at the lishment of water technology unit, the deadline for submissions for as a second major language $2,000,000. The award seeks to and dialogue, promote Arab and centre, shed light on collaboration which will help build capacity and the sixth edition of the award un- alongside English and chose five honour translators and acknowl- Islamic culture, develop inter- with Dr Abu Bakr Abdullah, another local expertise Dr Nuaimi noted that til August 15, 2020. new languages in the achieve- edge their role in strengthening national understanding, and en- researcher at the centre, to desalinate COVID-19 has prompted determina- In a statement on Tuesday, ment category, which are: Pash- the bonds of friendship and co- courage mature cross-cultural drinking water using capacitive tech- tion to plan more precisely to meet the committee said its decision to, Bengali, Swedish, Korean and operation among peoples and na- interaction between Arabic and nology to remove different salt ions. future epidemiological or chemical considered the conditions the Hausa. tions of the world. other world languages through The method uses new carbon nano- challenges. world is going through as a result Sheikh Hamad Award for It hopes to reward merit and the medium of translation. QEERI webinar explores COVID-19 impact on natural resources

tive: The Impact and Value of caseloads, without the need Dr Marc Vermeersch, QEERI Research on water, energy and environment Water Research to a Global for a full human biomonitor- executive director, said: “We are serving Qatar in managing pandemic Health Crisis’, delivered by ing programme. hope that by sharing informa- Dr Jenny Lawler, senior re- The third webinar ‘Con- tion related to COVID-19 and Tribune News Network Kunnummal, PR, communica- search director, Water Center, tribution of Energy-Related our core research areas of en- Doha tions and outreach specialist QEERI. Research to Address the COV- ergy, water and environment, at QEERI. Discussing the global re- ID-19 Crisis and Beyond’ was we have helped the commu- More than 650 research- The first webinar titled search into the impact of led by Dr Veronica Bermudez, nity understand COVID-19 a ers, scientists, engineers, ‘Demystifying the Links be- COVID-19 on drinking water senior research director, En- little bit more, and made them policymakers, educators and tween the COVID-19 Response and wastewater, Dr Lawler ergy Center, QEERI. feel more relaxed and safer.” students participated in the and Local Air Quality’, was de- reiterated that the drinking Dr Bermudez focused Since the onset of the COV- recent COVID-19 related we- livered by Mohammed Ayoub, water which has been treated on the efforts that are being ID-19 pandemic, QEERI has binars organised by the Qa- senior research director at to Qatar standards is consid- made to translate renewable realigned its research priori- tar Environment and Energy QEERI’s Environment and ered to be safe by the global energy research into useful ties. The Institute’s scientists, Research Institute (QEERI), Sustainability Center. Ayoub water research. Dr. Lawler tools that can contribute to researchers and engineers are part of Hamad Bin Khalifa discussed the measured de- Mohammed Ayoub Dr Veronica Bermudez also highlighted the global managing the COVID-19 cri- committed to contributing to University (HBKU). creases in air pollution across research movement for the sis, particularly in mapping the fight against COVID-19 Presentations from three greater Doha and potentially by QEERI’s air quality pro- ment can provide the basis for use of wastewater-based solar resources and the diffu- through research and innova- of its centres focused on gauging the effectiveness of gramme showed a significant future intervention strategies monitoring to detect COVID sion of photovoltaic systems in tion. QEERI is also collabo- QEERI’s core research areas – movement restrictions and improvement in air quality to manage air quality more ef- at a population level and ex- Doha’s neighbourhoods. She rating with national and in- water, energy and the environ- compliance. after the implementation of fectively in greater Doha and plained the potential for this also tackled how these tools ternational stakeholders, and ment – were followed by an in- Addressing the future of social distancing policies and across the country.” approach to give an early can be further used for future sharing its resources to miti- teractive question and answer air quality management, he movement restrictions. We This was followed by ‘COV- warning system for the detec- epidemics or in similar crises. gate the devastating impact of session moderated by Dilraz said, “The research conducted believe this real-world experi- ID-19 – The Water Perspec- tion of hot spots or surges in Concluding the webinar, the crisis.