BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Online platform gets Qatar’s al-Attiyah funding from Omani races to second fi rm to accelerate straight Andalucia GCC expansion plans Rally win published in QATAR since 1978 MONDAY Vol. XXXXII No. 11916 May 17, 2021 Shawwal 5, 1442 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Deputy PM talks with Egyptian foreign minister Israel strikes HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani yesterday held a phone call with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Aff airs, Sameh Shoukry. During the call, they reviewed bilateral co-operation kill 42 in Gaza relations and developments in Palestine. (QNA) Qatar trade surplus jumps 19%: PSA Qatar’s trade surplus witnessed a as UN meets robust 19% growth year-on-year in the first quarter (Q1) of this year as the country’s economy rebounded, mainly on the back of non-oil private sector, according to the off icial HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari presenting a statistics. Asia remained the principal plaque of appreciation to HMC’s chief medical off icer Dr Abdulla al-Ansari, as a destination of Qatar’s exports and the formal mark of thanks to all the doctors, nurses and support staff at the SSC for first origin of imports as the country their commitment and hard work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. saw QR39.94bn trade surplus on trade AFP volumes of QR88.01bn during Q1, Gaza City, Palestinian Territories 2021, said the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) data. The Asian region was the principal destination sraeli strikes killed 42 Palestin- of Qatar’s exports and the first origin ians in the Gaza Strip yesterday, HMC facility of Qatar’s imports, representing 81.8% Ithe worst daily toll yet in almost a and 40.7% respectively; followed by week of deadly clashes, as the UN Se- the European Union, accounting for curity Council met amid global alarm 7.7% and 31.8% respectively; and the at the escalating confl ict. GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), UN Secretary-General Antonio discharges last of with 4.1% and 3.2% respectively. Guterres pleaded for an immediate Business Page 1 end to the “utterly appalling” vio- lence and warned of an “uncontaina- Thousands rally in ble security and humanitarian crisis”. US in solidarity But the council meeting, already its Covid patients delayed by Israel’s ally the US, result- with Palestinians ed in little action. The heaviest exchange of fi re in E the Minister of Public Health get vaccinated when their turn comes,” Thousands of pro-Palestinian years, sparked by unrest in Jerusalem, Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari added, Dr al-Kuwari. demonstrators rallied in cities has killed 197 in Gaza since last Mon- Hvisited Hamad General Hospi- During her visit to the SSC, the min- across North America, calling for an day, along with 10 in Israel, according tal’s Surgical Specialty Center (SSC) as ister met with Hamad al-Mahmoud end to Israeli attacks on the Gaza to authorities on either side. A Palestinian child, who was wounded in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, the facility discharged its last Covid-19 and Habeeb Amjad, two recovered Strip. Gatherings to show solidarity Israel yesterday morning said its receives treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in the Palestinian enclave yesterday. patients and prepared to return to nor- Covid-19 patients who had been ad- with Palestinians took place in “continuing wave of strikes” had in mal operations. mitted to the centre due to the severity cities including New York, Boston, the past 24 hours struck over 90 tar- The SSC is one of the seven HMC fa- of their symptoms. The patients ex- Washington, Montreal and Dearborn, gets across the crowded coastal en- Deputy PM receives phone cilities designated as a Covid-19 facil- pressed their thanks and appreciation Michigan. About two thousand clave, where an Israeli strike that de- ity throughout the second wave of the to all the staff at the SSC for the high- people turned out in the Bay Ridge stroyed a building housing journalists’ pandemic, alongside Hazm Mebaireek quality care they received. area of Brooklyn, chanting “Free, offi ces sparked international outrage. call from US secretary of state General Hospital, Communicable Dis- HE Dr al-Kuwari also met with staff free Palestine” and “From the river The death toll kept rising in Gaza ease Center, The Cuban Hospital, Ras from the SSC, including doctors, nurses to the sea, Palestine will be free.” yesterday as rescuers extracted bod- HE the Deputy Prime Minister and action by the international com- Laff an Hospital, Mesaieed Hospital and support staff to hear about their They waved Palestinian flags and ies from vast piles of smoking rubble Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh munity to stop the repeated brutal and Al Wakra Hospital. experience of working at the centre held placards that read “End Israeli and the bereaved wailed in grief. Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- Israeli attacks against civilians in “The designation of SSC as a Cov- throughout the pandemic. The minis- Apartheid” and “Freedom for Gaza.” “We were sleeping and then all of Thani yesterday received a phone Gaza and the Al Aqsa Mosque. id-19 facility has been an important el- ter presented a plaque of appreciation Many protesters wore black and a sudden there were rockets raining call from US Secretary of State HE the Foreign Minister reaff irmed ement of our strategy that has enabled as a formal mark of thanks to all doc- white, and red and white, keff iyeh down on us,” said Lamia al-Koulak, Antony Blinken. During the call, Qatar’s firm position on the justice us to signifi cantly expand hospital ca- tors, nurses and support staff at the SSC scarves, while drivers sounded car 43, who lost siblings and their chil- they discussed the recent Israeli of the Palestinian cause and the pacity throughout this second wave,” for their commitment and hard work horns and motorcyclists revved their dren in dawn bombardment. attacks on worshippers at the Al legitimate rights of the brotherly HE Dr al-Kuwari said. throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. engines as the sun beat down. “The children were screaming. Aqsa compound and the besieged Palestinian people, including prac- “With the new variants from the UK HMC’s chief medical offi cer, Dr Ab- Several Jewish people attended, For half an hour we were bombarded Gaza Strip. tising their religious rights and the and South Africa causing more severe dulla al-Ansari, explained how staff carrying placards that said “Not without prior warning. We came out HE the Deputy Prime Minister and establishment of their independ- symptoms than the original strain last have worked to ensure Covid-19 pa- in my name” and “Solidarity with to fi nd the building next door fl at- Minister of Foreign Aff airs stressed, ent state on the 1967 borders with year, at the peak of the second wave tients have received the very highest Palestine” as the protesters took tened.” during the call, the need for urgent Jerusalem as its capital. (QNA) more people required hospital admis- standards of care. “Since being desig- over a street in the area which has a But Israeli Prime Minister Netan- sion than during the fi rst wave,” she nated a Covid-19 facility at the end of large Arab population. yahu said the campaign would “take recalled. March, more than 600 staff have been time”. Gaza health authorities said The Israeli army said it had targeted “Despite this increased demand for working round-the-clock to provide Coeursamba lands Israel’s army yesterday said about 40,000 people had been displaced the infrastructure of Hamas. hospital care, I am incredibly proud of expert medical care to patients. Pro- 3,000 rockets had been fi red from from their homes since Monday. Israeli air strikes also hit the home the eff orts of all our healthcare staff viding treatment to patients with Cov- Group 1 in Paris the coastal strip towards Israel — the Save the Children warned that life- of Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas’s for their hard work and commitment id-19 requires extraordinary teamwork In the colours of Abdullah bin highest rate ever recorded. saving services were “at breaking political wing in Gaza, the army said, which has meant that every patient and involves staff from a wide range of Fahad al-Attiyah, Coeursamba won Around 450 fell within the Gaza point” after Israeli strikes damaged releasing footage of plumes of smoke requiring treatment for Covid-19 has roles to all play their part. the French Classic Poule d’Essai Strip, while the Iron Dome anti-mis- power lines. and intense damage, but without say- been able to access the care they re- “Over the past six weeks, we have des Pouliches with show-stopping sile system intercepted over 1,000, “Now basic supplies and power are ing if he was killed. quire without delay,” the minister said. treated 709 patients with Covid-19 at acceleration at ParisLongchamp the army claimed. running low, compounding and fur- Balls of fl ame and a cloud of debris “With the number of new daily SSC – with 337 acute admissions and yesterday. She was giving her trainer Rockets have wounded over 280 ther fuelling this humanitarian ca- shot into the sky Saturday afternoon as Covid-19 cases continuing to fall in re- 372 admissions to ICU. This has re- Jean-Claude Rouget his fifth win in people, hitting districts that had pre- tastrophe,” said the charity’s country Israel’s air force fl attened the 13-fl oor cent weeks, there are now signifi cantly quired the combined eff orts of doctors, this French Classic for three-year-old viously been well beyond the range of director Jason Lee.