INDEX BUSINESS | Page 1 2-5, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 QATAR | Page 3 ARAB WORLD 6 BUSINESS 1-12 Qatar to become INTERNATIONAL 7-17 SPORTS 1-8 Msheireb hub for fi ntechs Museums eyeing India, DOW JONES QE NYMEX reopens its Pakistan and 25,827.36 9,187.17 40.42 doors to Bangladesh: +92.39 -24.72 -0.23 +0.36% -0.27% -0.57% visitors Al-Jaida Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11601 July 6, 2020 Dhul-Qa’da 15, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

MoPH reports 92,284 total Covid-19 recoveries The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday reported 616 9 contracts worth new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,897 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of people recovered from the QR3.6bn signed disease in Qatar to 92,284 cases. The MoPH also announced five new deaths. The number of active cases further dropped in the country, for citizens’ land from 8,673 on Saturday to 7,387 yesterday, according to MoPH data. In a statement on Covid-19 developments, the ministry said the plots development five people who died were aged 50, 52, 58, 64 and 80, respectively, and all were receiving the necessary z PM witnesses signing of contracts medical care. Page 2 through video conference Fire causes ‘damage’ z New projects will rely mostly on at Iran’s nuclear facility materials supplied locally A fire that broke out at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Thursday has caused significant damage that E the Prime Minister and Min- as well as sewage, surface, groundwater could slow the development of ister of Interior Sheikh Khalid and treated sewage effl uent networks advanced centrifuges, an Iranian Hbin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al- with a total length of 684km. nuclear off icial said yesterday. Iran’s Thani witnessed, through video con- On the occasion, HE al-Subaie said: top security body said on Friday ference yesterday, the signing of nine “The Ministry of Municipality and En- that the cause of an incident and new construction contracts between vironment is keen to allocate new land fire at the site had been determined the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) plots in various areas throughout Qatar and would be announced later. and Qatari companies for infrastruc- in order to construct and develop roads Some Iranian off icials have said it ture development projects in new citi- and infrastructure to serve citizens in may have been caused by cyber zens’ subdivisions. those areas, meet current and future sabotage and one warned that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani witnesses the signing of the These projects, with a total value of needs, and improve the quality of life Tehran would retaliate against any contracts for infrastructure development projects in new citizens’ subdivisions. around QR3.6bn, will serve more than throughout Qatar.” country carrying out such attacks. 5,111 residential plots in diff erent areas Dr al-Muhannadi said there are di- “The incident could slow down the of the country. rectives from HE the Prime Minister development and production of During the video conference, a brief and Minister of Interior to continue advanced centrifuges in the medium presentation was made about the plan working at the same pace and with term ,” spokesman for the country’s of developing new and existing citi- the same commitment to implement Atomic Energy Organisation, zens’ land projects for 2020, in addi- all infrastructure projects for citizens’ Behrouz Kamalvandi, said. Page 6 QC launches online platform tion to the features and benefi ts of the subdivisions “in accordance with our infrastructure projects , which include plans, despite the current worldwide 3-way contest to replace roads, parking lots, sewage networks, economic crisis”. Merkel likely: CDU surface and groundwater drainage, and “During the last few years, Ashghal for recruiting laid-off staff treated water, the offi cial Qatar News has provided services for 34,918 land The acting leader of German Agency reported. plots, of which 5,045 plots are in new Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian In a statement, Ashghal said it held citizens’ subdivisions and 29,873 plots Democrats (CDU) says she expects a atar Chamber has launched He added that the initiative under- an event yesterday to sign the new con- in existing citizens’ subdivisions,” he contest between three candidates to an online platform that would scores the Chamber’s commitment tracts and all phases of the event and added. head up the CDU — and the chance Qfacilitate the re-employment towards the private sector, especially the signing ceremony were remotely Al-Emadi said the authority is cur- to become chancellor — to take place of skilled labourers in the local mar- in the current circumstances, noting conducted using video conferencing rently working on completing 33 infra- at a party conference in December. ket, in co-operation with the Minis- that it also comes as part of the pri- technology. Present on the occasion structure projects for citizens’ subdi- “There is indeed a broad desire within try of Administrative Development, vate sector’s contribution to the min- were HE Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin visions that are under construction, at the party to do without a contest Labour and Social Aff airs (MADLSA). istry’s strategic projects, which aim to Turki al-Subaie, Minister of Munici- a total cost of QR13.7bn. These projects between candidates,” Annegret The platform will be available on enhance co-operation with the pri- pality and Environment; Dr Saad bin will serve over 30,000 residential plots Kramp-Karrenbauer, the current CDU the Chamber’s website to enable vate sector in providing alternatives Ahmad al-Muhannadi, president of in 17 areas, including Al Kharaitiyat, party leader, told broadcaster ARD. companies to choose laid-off em- for Qatari businessmen, while ensur- Ashghal; Mohamed bin Hamoud al- Rawdat Egdaim, , Al Wukair However none of the three candidates ployees by fi lling up dedicated forms ing compliance with the provisions Shafi , chairman of the Central Munici- South, Al Shamal, , south- have been willing to step back, for each such individual and attach- of the Labour Law No 14 of 2004 and pal Council (CMC) - Constituency 14; west of , Al Ebb & Leabaib, Kramp-Karrenbauer said. Page 13 ing the required documents. Qatar Chamber director-general relevant legislation and decisions. Yousef al-Emadi, director of Projects Al South, , Jeryan The agreement to develop this Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi. He added that labourers’ re-em- Aff airs at Ashghal; and Saoud al-Tami- Nejaima and North, among ‘Foreign air force’ hits platform for the private sector came ployment would have a positive im- mi, manager of the Roads Projects De- other areas. key Libyan airbase during a meeting of the Joint Co- companies) due to the repercussions pact on the economic and investment partment at Ashghal. The new projects will rely on materi- ordination Committee between the of the Covid-19 pandemic. activity. Representatives of the companies als that can be supplied locally, includ- Libya’s UN-recognised government ministry and the Chamber, in the He noted that it allows fi rms to He also said that after submitting that won the contracts also attended ing lighting poles and lamps, man- yesterday condemned overnight air presence of the MADLSA assistant hire new workers according to the re- an application through the platform, the event. holes, diff erent types of drainage pipes, raids against a recaptured strategic undersecretary for Labour Aff airs quired professions. it is transferred to the ministry for The awarded projects cover six are- road markings and signs, traffi c signal air base in the west of the country, Mohamed Hassan al-Obaidli and Qa- Al-Sharqi stressed that the plat- review and examination of the com- as: Semaisma South, Al Ebb & Leabaib, poles, interlock, kerbstone, bitumen, alleging they were carried out by a tar Chamber director-general Saleh form aims at continuity of businesses pany’s status, and to ensure that the Umm Slal Mohamed, Al Wajba East, electricity cables, safety barriers and “foreign air force”. Forces loyal to the bin Hamad al-Sharqi. and projects in the local market and application is in accordance with pro- and Al Meshaf South. Work others. This is as part of the authority’s Government of National Accord (GNA) In a statement, al-Sharqi said the helping companies fi nd skilled la- cedures established by the ministry. on the new projects is scheduled to keenness to support local products, seized back the Al-Watiya airbase, platform aims to provide companies bourers from among laid-off work- Al-Sharqi pointed out that the start in the third quarter of 2020. and as Ashghal regards this as a high from troops aligned with eastern with the opportunity to hire new ers of other companies, thus avoiding platform’s second stage “will be The projects will provide about priority and a strategy to support the strongman Khalifa Haftar in May. workers by entering into contract any shortage of labour that may cause launched later” to include more 281km of roads, more than 10,350 light- economy and achieve Qatar National with the laid-off employees (of other problems to these companies. services. ing poles and 15,800 car parking slots, Vision 2030. Page 20 More than 166 Ethiopians killed in anti-govt protests Berlin welcomes Qatar Airways back More than 166 people were killed during anti-government protests in Ethiopia last week, the government 5,000 expected to attend said yesterday, as the capital and other hotspots remained closely guarded by security forces and a blanket Internet shutdown entered its sixth PPP conference on Tuesday day. Large protests broke out in Addis Ababa and spread to the surrounding QNA Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Oromia region on Monday night after Ministry of Justice, Qatar Chamber (QC), Qatar popular Oromo musician Haacaaluu Free Zones, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Qa- Hundeessaa was shot dead by tar Finance Center, Qatar Investment Authority unknown gunmen. His killing tapped conference on the development of Public- (QIA), as well as speakers from Qatar University into grievances fuelled by decades Private Partnership (PPP) will start to- College of Law, and international speakers from of government repression and what Amorrow (July 7), aiming to raise awareness Brazil and the United Kingdom. the Oromo describe as their historic among the business sector on Law No 12 of 2020 exclusion from political power. regulating the partnership between the two sectors. zAbout 15 speakers from The law which was issued by His Highness the prestigious local and Chechen dissident shot Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani last international organisations will dead in Austria May and will enter into force on July 11, is the fi rst law regulating the partnership between the participate in the conference. Austrian police have arrested two two sectors in Qatar. They include speakers from the Russians from Chechnya over The conference is expected to see a participa- MoCI, Ministry of Justice, QC, the fatal shooting of a Chechen tion of about 5,000 attendees. dissident, off icials said yesterday, Held under the auspices of HE the Minister of Qatar Free Zones, QDB, Qatar fuelling concerns over the security Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, Finance Center, QIA, as well as of Chechen government critics living the conference includes three working sessions. speakers from Qatar University in exile. The 43-year-old asylum The fi rst session deals with opportunities and chal- seeker, a vocal critic of the Chechen lenges expected after the implementation of the College of Law, and international Republic’s government, was found PPP Law, the second sessions reviews partnership speakers from Brazil and the UK dead with gunshot wounds near the laws and some leading international experiences, capital Vienna on Saturday. Police while the third session discusses many legal studies The conference is being held through Micro- A Qatar Airways flight is being welcomed in Berlin as the airline resumed services to the German arrested a 47-year-old Russian from related to partnership between both sectors. soft Teams application and will be published on capital with three weekly flights. “’Vielen Dank’ (Thank you very much) for the welcome at Chechnya in the city of Linz, some About 15 speakers from prestigious local and the conference website www.pppqatar.com, as @BerlinAirport,” Qatar Airways tweeted yesterday. The national carrier has said it will expand 200km from Vienna, shortly after international organisations will participate in well as on social media channels Facebook and services to over 65 destinations worldwide by mid-July, helping thousands of passengers travel to finding the body. Page 13 the conference including speakers from the YouTube. Business Page 1 where they need to go. Page 3 Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 6, 2020 QATAR

Amir sends cable of congratulations to Algerian leader

His Highness the Amir Sheikh EAA Foundation concludes fi rst Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday sent cables of congratulations to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune student-led virtual conference on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day. HE the Prime ducation Above All (EAA) ed by Covid-19 in the Mena re- are already aff ected by confl ict, In its Human Development Minister and Minister of Interior Foundation’s programme Al gion, specifi cally related to mar- are not excluded from this global Report, UNDP has warned that Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin EFakhoora, with the support ginalised youth, focusing on four dialogue that, in so many ways, the digital divide is reopen- Abdulaziz al-Thani sent a similar of its strategic partner Qatar Fund main perspectives: that of poli- will shape their future. ing gaps that had closed in the cable to Algerian Prime Minister for Development, and in partner- cymakers, INGOs, educational Mubarak al-Thani, communi- education sector taking us back Dr Abdelaziz Djerad. ship with UNDP’s Programme experts and, most importantly, cation manager and head of ad- to a time before the Sustainable of Assistance to the Palestinian the youth themselves. vocacy at EAA Foundation, said: Development Goals or even the Amir sends I-Day People, successfully conducted During the opening session, “The topics addressed in the con- Millennium Development Goals, the fi rst completely student-led Stefania Giannini, Unesco assist- ference, ‘Rethinking Higher Edu- and threatening the hard work of greetings to Maduro virtual conference, ‘Rethinking ant director-general for educa- cation: A New Way of Learning to the past 30 years. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Higher Education: A New Way of tion, said: “Education is public Become’ are of great importance Yvonne Helle, UNDP special Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Learning to Become’, recently. good and a fundamental human to our shared global development. representative of the adminis- His Highness the Deputy Amir The webinar series was de- right. Unesco projects that 70mn We must take the lessons of inno- trator, highlighted that the pan- Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al- veloped and conducted by Pal- children and youth are at the risk vation and problem solving being demic also presents an oppor- Thani and HE the Prime Minister estinian students from Gaza of not returning to care centres, used during this crisis, forward tunity to make societies more and Minister of Interior Sheikh and the West Bank, and Syrian schools and universities in 2020. to reach our sustainable develop- inclusive and effi cient. “Higher Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz refugees from across the Mena It is a very concrete risk now. The From the EAA online conference. ment goals. The leading role of education has a role to play in al-Thani yesterday sent cables of region who are directly aff ected highest reduction is expected at youth in designing and organis- shaping the Covid-19 future and congratulations to Venezuelan by Covid-19 as an additional tertiary level with 5mn people at panels focusing on four main moderated and participated in ing such conferences not only triggering a learning revolution President Nicolas Maduro on his challenge to the already complex risk. We will not overcome the themes: Online Learning, E-work, these panels, alongside experts enhances their capabilities and that will lead to a world that uses country’s Independence Day. situations in which they live. current education crises without Mental Health, and Community from diff erent fi elds. Discus- boosts their self-confi dence, but technology in a smart way, cre- The aim of the conference was the renewed global commitment in Times of Crisis. Benefi ciaries sions centred on defi ning a new it also gives them a voice in shap- ate opportunities for all people Amir greets leader to address key aspects of higher and inclusion.” of the Al Fakhoora Scholarship “better normal” and on ensuring ing a more sustainable, equitable to learn and access jobs wherever education that have been aff ect- The conference featured fi ve and Empowerment programme that marginalised youth, who and just future.” they are in the world.” of Cape Verde His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday sent cables of MoPH reports 92,284 total Covid-19 recoveries congratulations to the President of Cape Verde Jorge Carlos Fonseca on the occasion of his he Ministry of Public respectively, and all were receiv- sions has gradually declined over hands regularly. country’s Independence Day. HE Health (MoPH) yesterday ing the necessary medical care. the past few weeks.” “Most importantly, it is vital the Prime Minister and Minister Treported 616 new con- “We are seeing a rise in the However, there has been an that we continue to protect the of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin fi rmed cases of Covid-19 and number of deaths in recent increase in cases among fami- elderly and those with chronic Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani 1,897 recoveries in the last 24 weeks and this is due to the lies. “This is of great concern as medical conditions,” it added. sent a similar cable to the Prime hours, bringing the total number people who were infected at the this population group includes Anyone suff ering from Cov- Minister of Cape Verde José of people recovered from the height of the virus several weeks the highest percentage of the id-19 symptoms should either Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva. disease in Qatar to 92,284 cases. ago,” the MoPH said. elderly and people with chronic contact the 16000 helpline or The MoPH also announced All new cases have been in- conditions. Now more than ever, go directly to one of the desig- PM greets French fi ve new deaths, the offi cial Qatar troduced to isolation and are we must be careful and protect nated health centres to undergo News Agency (QNA) reported. receiving necessary healthcare the most vulnerable,” the MoPH the necessary checks: Muaither, counterpart The number of active cases according to their health status, stressed. , Umm Slal or Al further dropped in the country, it added. While the Covid-19 restric- Gharrafa health centres. This is HE the Prime Minister and from 8,673 on Saturday to 7,387 On the current Covid-19 sta- tions are gradually being lifted in important as the earlier the dis- Minister of Interior Sheikh yesterday, according to MoPH tus, the ministry said: “Meas- Qatar, it is important for every- ease is detected, the easier it will Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz data. ures to tackle Covid-19 in Qatar one to play their role in control- be to receive the right treatment al-Thani yesterday sent a cable In a statement on Covid-19 have succeeded in fl attening the ling the virus by following pre- and recover from it. of congratulations to Jean developments, the ministry said curve and limiting the spread of cautionary measures: adherence One can visit the MoPH web- Castex on the occasion of his the fi ve people who died were the virus. The number of new to physical distancing, wearing site for regular updates and new appointment as Prime Minister of aged 50, 52, 58, 64 and 80 years, daily cases and hospital admis- a face mask and washing your information. France. - QNA Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 3 QATAR

QIIB summer off er enables ‘double points’ on online purchases

IIB has announced a summer demic period, as alternative channels QIIB cards (Wajaha, Deyafa and Plati- Card Industry Data Security Standard off er on credit cards, enabling are deemed the safest by all agencies num). (PCI-DSS), granted by SISA to bank- Qcustomers to earn “double the authorised to provide advice on health QIIB credit card transactions ing institutions with the best security points” when they make purchases and banking.” meet the highest international standards in the fi eld of Information online. In addition to the bank’s custom- safety standards, and accordingly, Security. Under the off er, any customer with ers who hold QIIB credit cards and are the advantage of doubling points “This certifi cate is of utmost impor- a QIIB credit card who has subscribed subscribed to the 5% repayment plan during the offer period comes in tance to QIIB at a time when customers to a 5% repayment plan or who sub- or who subscribe to it during the of- addition to the safety aspect, which increasingly rely on card payments,” scribes to the plan during the off er fer period, customers who request the is the most important criteria for the bank said yesterday. period, shall be eligible to earn double issuance of a new credit card and sub- customers when requesting credit All of QIIB’s existing and new points when making any purchase, on- scribe to the 5% repayment plan are QIIB cards. cards. customers can easily request issu- line. also eligible to earn double points from Recently, QIIB was awarded, for the ance of a credit card through the Through the off er, QIIB said it “aims their online purchases during the off er efi t from the off er for a longer period, fi fth year in a row, the highest cer- bank’s alternative channels or by to promote the culture of electronic period. QIIB said the off er will be valid from tifi cate in the protection of banking visiting any of the QIIB’s branches payment, especially during the pan- In order to allow customers to ben- July 5 to August 27, and will cover all cards data also called the Payment across Qatar.

Berlin salutes Qatar Airways Second phase of workers’ housing inspection starts z Phase 2 targets residential neighbourhoods in z Phase 1 covered diff erent parts of Doha z Between April 22 and June 30, some 430 housing units were inspected and 6,025 firms issued violation reports

he Ministry of Admin- tween April 22 and June 30, 430 SA also has urged employers to istrative Development, housing units were inspected transfer their workers to the dif- TLabour and Social Af- and 6,025 companies were is- ferent workers’ townships des- A water cannon salute welcomed a Qatar Airways flight in Berlin as the airline resumed services to the German capital with three weekly fairs (MADLSA) has launched sued related violation reports. ignated for them. flights. The national carrier will expand services to over 65 destinations worldwide by mid-July, helping thousands of passengers travel the second phase of inspection This inspection campaign is Violating houses will display to where they need to go. of workers’ accommodations at notices showing the date of in- residential neighbourhoods in Violating houses will spection, inspector’s number, the Al Rayyan area. display notices showing and the details of the steps to be The campaign will cover the date of inspection, taken within two weeks of the Farij Al Murra, Muaither, Old inspector’s number, and inspection date, and shift the Al Rayyan, Umm Al Dum St, Al the details of the steps to excess workers. Shafi St and Muaither St. It is be taken within two weeks According to the deci- being conducted in coordination of the inspection date, and sion, each bed should be al- Msheireb Museums reopens with the Ministry of Interior and shift the excess workers located a minimum of 6sq m, the Ministry of Municipality and while the capacity of shared Environment. to implement HE the Minister of rooms should be reduced and The fi rst phase of the cam- Labour and Social Aff airs’ Deci- a healthy living environment paign covered diff erent parts of sion No 18 of 2014 determining should be provided. The house its doors to visitors Doha, such as , Mansoura, the conditions and specifi ca- should be regularly supplied Bin Dirham, Old Salata, Al Riff a tions for appropriate housing for with sanitisers and cleaning and Old Al Ghanim, in addition workers in co-ordination with materials and all rooms should to market areas such as Al As- MoI and MME , and the healthy be well-ventilated. In case of zPrecautionary measures taken for safe tours makh Street, Abdullah Bin Thani standards of housing regarding violation, the violating com- Street, Msheireb, Doha, Freej the number of residents and the pany shall be subject to all the sheireb Museums, the people to the development of Abdulaziz and Muntazah. Be- safety of the building. MADL- related legal procedures . four heritage houses human civilisations. Mand the cultural desti- The Mohammed Bin Jassem nation at Msheireb Downtown House demonstrates Msheireb’s Doha (MDD), has announced the traditional values as the foun- reopening of its doors to visitors dations for the future develop- Webinar discusses translation of as part of Phase 2 of the gradual ment of Doha and introduces the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. transformation of Msheireb over The Museums will be open time through recalling memo- religious, literary texts into Bengali Sunday through Thursday, from ries of its past, showcasing its 9am until 2.30pm. present and engaging visitors in Msheireb Museums has taken the plans for the future. s part of its sixth season prominent and fi rst translations attention to religious translation all the necessary measures to se- The Company House nar- activities, Sheikh Hamad from Arabic into Bengali - of the in Bangladesh. cure safe tours, including social rates the story of the men who AAward for International Holy Qur’an - which has been Dr Dhaheer talked about his distancing, reducing the number laboured not just to provide for Translation and Understanding translated many times, pointing to personal experience in transla- of visitors, requiring visitors to their families but also to lay the held a webinar on current status the attention attached to it by of- tion and his interest in translat- show the Ehteraz app’s ‘Green’ foundations for their emerging and prospects of translation in fi cial institutions concerned with ing religious, literary and histor- code and wearing masks at all nation. Radwani House repre- Bangladesh into and from Ara- translating religious books, includ- ical texts, noting the Bangladeshi times, a press statement notes. sents traditional Qatari family bic, in which a number of Ben- ing books of interpretation, juris- community’s interest in reading The Museums have also un- The Museums will be open Sunday through Thursday, from 9am until life and gathers, preserves and gali academics and translators prudence, Sunnah, among others. translated fi ction. dergone a comprehensive sani- 2.30pm. shares memories of Qatar in a participated. He attributed the scarcity He also pointed to the chal- tation campaign for its indoor time of historic social transfor- During the webinar, moder- of the translation from Bengali lenges facing him as a translator, and outdoor premises. guarantee a safe experience to buildings and gallery spaces al- mation. ated by Dr Imtinan al-Samad, to Arabic to the high fi nancial including the diffi culty of some Dr Hafi z Ali Abdullah, our staff and visitors.” low the community to engage in ‘Journey to the Heart of Life’ member of the award’s media cost, stressing that the transla- people pronouncing certain Ara- Msheireb Museums director, Msheireb Museums mark the signifi cant aspects of Qatar’s provides an opportunity to bet- team, Dr Abu Jamal Mohamed tions into Bengali had an impact bic words and the lack of sources said: “Msheireb Museums is a signifi cant milestone for past and memories of life before ter understand the diversity Qutb al-Islam Nomani, pro- on the Bengali society, since the and references. delighted to welcome visitors Msheireb Properties in realis- the country’s rapid economic of Qatar’s origins, people and fessor, Department of Arabic vast majority of them are Mus- For his part, Dr Abdullah al- again in its four heritage houses ing the vision of MDD, Qatar’s development. cultures. “The exhibition leads Language at Dhaka Univer- lims who are keen to seek proper Mamoon, lecturer at Shanto- to enjoy educational and enter- fi rst sustainable regeneration Bin Jelmood House aims to visitors through a series of inter- sity, Bangladesh, talked about worship. Mariam University of Creative taining experiences. The cultural project. The Museums celebrate raise awareness and play a piv- active and audiovisual displays “Bangladesh’s experience in Dr Mahfouz al-Rahman Mo- Technology in Dhaka talked landmark will receive visitors at the history of four historic her- otal role in the global abolition of on a journey to understand how translating into and from Arabic hamed Dhaheer, professor at the about areas of translation in the dedicated times with limited ca- itage houses in the heart of human exploitation. The house leveraging genetics and genom- touching on the nature of offi cial Department of Arabic Language Bengali language (literature and pacity to ensure a safe journey to Msheireb Downtown Doha. also showcases and pays tribute ics, and using supporting ob- and individual eff orts and his- and Literature at the Islamic human sciences), pointing out everyone. We, at Msheireb Mu- Located within the oldest part to human perseverance and ac- servations from history, we can tory of the rule of Bengal since University of Kushtia, Bangla- that Bangladeshi people have seums, took all the precaution- of the capital, they form an es- knowledges the cumulative so- uncover Qatar’s rich cultural and the entry of Islam. desh, touched on the beginnings interest in both translation and ary measures and did a compre- sential part of Qatar’s national cial, cultural and economic con- historic heritage,” the statement Dr Nomani reviewed the most of his work in translation, noting interpretation. - QNA hensive sanitation campaign to history. These reconstructed tribution of formerly enslaved adds. Qatar, Singapore working together in Covid fi ght: envoy

By Joey Aguilar multilateral level. government agencies, including the reduce person-to-person transmis- attractions – zoos and wildlife parks, Staff Reporter Given the magnitude of the chal- Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of sion of the virus by implementing sev- integrated resorts and museums - will lenge, Sohan underscored the im- Interior and the Ministry of Adminis- eral restrictions. also be reopening with necessary pre- portance of sharing information, re- trative Development, Labour and So- “With the circuit breaker meas- cautionary and safe distancing meas- atar and Singapore continue to sources, strategies and experience for cial Aff airs worked together to isolate, ures successful in bringing down the ures in place, the envoy said. work together in terms of the like-minded countries “to overcome treat and care for all aff ected workers,” number of new infections, the Singa- He noted that commencement of Qresponse to the Covid-19 out- the pandemic and restore normalcy he said. pore government commenced a grad- Phase 3 – which will see the resump- break, Singaporean ambassador Jai So- to our economies and the lives of our Sohan noted that Qatar has also un- ual three-phased easing of some of the tion of larger-scale social, cultural, han has said. people”. dertaken an aggressive testing regime, lockdown measures. We commenced religious and business events – will “Singapore’s Minister for Health He lauded Qatar for doing an ex- testing more than 381,000 people to Phase 1 on June 2 and then moved into depend on how the Covid-19 situation Gan Kim Yong and Qatar’s Minister of cellent job in dealing with the current date. Phase 2 on June 19, which saw more in Singapore evolves. Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed situation, acting decisively on many “This, coupled with Qatar’s excel- businesses, including retail outlets, Sohan also highlighted the warm al-Kuwari have had discussions on our fronts as it moved quickly in mid- lent medical and diagnostic facilities, gyms and fi tness centres, being al- bilateral relations between Qatar and countries’ response to, and manage- March to close the country’s borders has meant that almost all infected in- lowed to open, as well as a resumption Singapore since diplomatic relations ment of, the pandemic,” the envoy told to restrict imported cases of Covid-19. dividuals have been isolated and treat- Singaporean ambassador Jai Sohan. of dine-ins at restaurants,” Sohan said. were established in January 1984. Gulf Times. When local infections later started ed, and mortality fi gures from the vi- “Our students will be allowed to “Our leaders know each other well, He said Singaporean Prime Minis- to rise, the envoy said Qatar imposed rus have remained low,” the envoy said. the movement of travellers. The coun- return to schools and institutions of and we had a healthy exchange of bi- ter Lee Hsien Loong and Qatar Prime precautionary measures such as wear- “The authorities have also been com- try had to close its borders and impose higher learning for face-to-face class- lateral visits prior to the Covid-19 Minister and Minister of Interior HE ing of face masks, safe distancing rules municating frequently with the public, lockdown measures to contain the es. Sports and recreational facilities pandemic, which has unfortunately Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Ab- and use of the Ehteraz contact tracing keeping them apprised of the govern- spread of the virus among its popula- have been allowed to open. We have resulted in a cessation of most inter- dulaziz al-Thani had a telephonic application to track local transmis- ment’s various measures and policies.” tion, according to Sohan. now permitted small social gatherings national travel. Our two countries also conversation June 25, and discussed sions. Covid-19 has had a dramatic and He said the Singapore government and family visits of up to fi ve persons,” co-operate well at multilateral fora, co-operation on the Covid-19 front, “Though there was a rise in infec- signifi cant impact on Singapore – dis- imposed a “circuit breaker” on April 7 he added. given our shared interests and con- both in the bilateral context and at the tions among expatriate workers, Qatari rupting international trade fl ows and aimed at curbing rising infections and Many of Singapore’s major tourist cerns as small states,” he said. Gulf Times 4 Monday, July 6, 2020 QATAR

Reopening Phase 2 a positive sign for hospitality sector, says industry expert

By Joey Aguilar restrictions and open up,” Staff Reporter Guvenc said. “The leaders of this country have done an incredible job with their atar’s hospitality ongoing eff orts to safeguard sector is set to get a public health.” Qfurther boost with He lauded the continued the country moving into the support and guidance of the second phase of the gradual Qatar government and Qatar lifting of the novel coronavi- National Tourism Council rus restrictions, an industry for imposing the appropriate expert said. measures during the crisis. Marriott International’s Phase 2, which started on Luxury Eastern Europe and July 1, includes the opening Gulf Levant & Pakistan Area of all parks, beaches and the vice-president Safak Gu- , malls, souqs venc expressed excitement and wholesale markets, with about expanding their foot- restricted hours and capac- print in Qatar with plans to ity. Phase 3 will begin on Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel introduce new brands and August 1, allowing low-risk concepts to the market. inbound fl ights for priority ‘new normal’, health and hy- the company recently an- practices for in-room din- “Such progress across the passengers. giene will be at the forefront nounced the Marriott Glo- ing and designing new ap- country is a positive sign for Meanwhile, mosques will of their minds,” he noted. bal Cleanliness Council – a proaches to buff ets. Katara Hospitality and Mar- fully reopen and resume Guvenc stressed that the multi-pronged platform “We are grateful for the riott International,” he told Friday prayers around the food and beverage experi- focused on developing the trust our guests have shown Gulf Times. country in Phase 4, which ence will be a completely next level of global hospi- us through the years and we Katara Hospitality-owned will start on September 1. It new experience with clean- tality cleanliness standards, want them to see and under- hotels operated by Marriott will also see the list of in- liness and hygiene at the norms and behaviours, and stand what we are doing and International include Sharq bound fl ights expanded as centre of their operations. whose work will be informed why we are doing it - so that Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton advised by the Ministry of The Qatar government’s by both in-house and out- when they walk through the Hotel; Ritz-Carlton Doha; Public Health. stringent measures will also side experts. doors of one of our hotels or Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and public be followed. Food and safety is a key restaurants, they know our & Convention Hotel; and Al bus services, as well as the Cleaning and safety meas- part, which will include en- commitment to their health Messila, A Luxury Collec- new academic year, will also ures have been enhanced to hanced sanitation guidelines and safety is our prior- tion Resort & Spa, Doha. resume during this phase ensure that Katara and Mar- and training videos for all ity, whichever of our brands Other hotels operated by but with restrictions. riott hotels and restaurants operational associates that they are staying with,” Gu- Marriott International but “In terms of the food and remain a comfortable and includes hygiene and dis- venc added. Sharq Village & Spa not owned by Katara Hospi- beverage scene, home deliv- safe environment for guests infecting practices; all food tality are: Marriott Marquis ery will still continue to be a and associates, he added. handlers and supervisors are City Center Doha Hotel, JW popular choice for residents, “This pandemic has re- trained on safe food prepa- Marriott Marquis Doha City and we continue to adapt quired us to raise our ex- ration and service practices; Center, The St Regis Doha, and meet the requirements acting standards to an even Marriott’s food and bever- W Doha Hotel and Resi- and experience of guests,” higher level with new proto- age operations are required dences, The Westin Doha Guvenc said. cols for the current circum- to conduct self-inspection Boost for F&B outlets Hotel & Spa, and Four Points “Prior to the pandemic, stances and we are reim- using the company’s food by Sheraton Doha. dining out was a popular agining how we can deliver safety standards as guide- By Joey Aguilar taurant facilities, place safe-distancing “Qatar has been at the choice among residents and the customer experience in lines, and compliance is Staff Reporter stickers on restaurant fl oors and redis- forefront of managing this we envisage that people will a hygienic yet human way,” validated by independent tribute the furniture, leaving no less crisis effi ciently and eff ec- want to get out to once again Guvenc said. audits; development of new than 2m between each table and al- tively and we are delighted experience their favourite Highlighting its com- guest interaction protocols; he food and beverage (F&B) sec- lowing a maximum of fi ve people to sit to see the country lift many spots. However, under the mitment to cleanliness, and modifying operational tor in the country gets a further at each table (excluding members of a Tboost as the Qatar government single family). implements Phase 2 of the gradual lift- “These are in addition to reducing ing of Covid-19 restrictions, it is learnt. the restaurant’s capacity to 50% of the One of the key aspects of Phase 2, maximum number of diners and en- which began on July 1, allows restau- couraging customers to pay using cred- rants across Qatar, including those in it cards rather than cash. Menus across tourist spots such as , Old all our outlets will be digital, adhering Souq Al Wakra and Katara – the Cul- to very strict rules of sanitisation,” he tural Village, among others, to reopen added. with limited capacity. Mikel Ibrahim It is learnt that many hotel restau- F&B outlets across Qatar have been rants under Katara Hospitality have exerting eff orts to follow and imple- executive assistant manager Mikel Ibra- witnessed a surge in interest in book- ment precautionary measures set by him told Gulf Times, noting they started ings since the date of the lifting of Cov- the Qatari authorities such as social to witness a rising local interest in book- id-19 restrictions was announced. distancing practices, requiring cus- ings and reservations even before the A number of restaurants, cafés and tomers to show the ‘Green’ status on outlets were allowed to reopen. food outlets at Katara – the Cultural Ehteraz app, monitoring of body tem- He said Morimoto, Ella Mia and Village, like L’wzaar, are also back in perature and regular cleaning and sani- Smoke and Mirrors began welcoming business, off ering an array of delicacies tisation. guests (pre-booking required) on July to customers. “With precautionary measures re- 1 while Walima will reopen on July 15. Apart from takeaway orders, the maining in force throughout all reo- Strict sanitary and hygiene measures drive-thru facility at popular fast-food pening phases, we have a very positive are in place, complying with govern- chains in the country such as McDon- outlook on the impact of the lifting of ment directives. ald’s and KFC has been attracting a restrictions on restaurants as well as on Ibrahim noted that all their F&B out- large number of commuters who fi nd consumers at this stage,” Mondrian Doha lets provide hand sanitisers across res- such an option safer.

‘Very hot’ daytime conditions expected

Very hot’ daytime condi- tions are again expected ‘in the country today, the weather forecast shows. Doha recorded a high of 48C yesterday along with the Qatar University area, Mesaieed, and Turayna. Sheehaniya, Wakra, Mukaynis and Jumayliyah fol- lowed closely behind at 47C. Similar conditions are ex- pected today as well with the Met department forecast- ing a maximum temperature of 47C in Wakra, Mesaieed and Abu Samra, 46C in Doha (airport area), 45C in , 44C in and 42C in Ruwais. The detailed report says it will be very hot during the daytime and slight dust is ex- pected in some places at times along with some clouds. Off shore areas, too, are likely to see some clouds to- day. The Met department has advised people to follow pre- cautions in the prevailing hot conditions, such as avoiding direct exposure to sunlight, drinking plenty of fl uids and wearing lightweight and light-coloured clothing. Also, outdoor workers should take rest breaks in a shaded area. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 5 QATAR

HBKU’s CIS discusses Expatriates eager progress of Covenants for Qatar-India of the Prophet Muhammad Project

he College of Islamic scheduled fl ights Studies (CIS) at Hamad TBin Khalifa Univer- „India in talks with several countries to establish ‘individual bilateral bubbles’ sity (HBKU) recently hosted a closed online discussion on one By Pratap John services in the last week of try for further education will be NEET and JEE (Main) selection of its “most groundbreaking Business Editor March. The domestic fl ights among the immediate benefi ci- procedures have not been com- projects to date”. have since started operations on aries of such a deal. pleted yet. Prof Emad Shahin, interim some routes after a gap of two In India, the admission to However, students need to be provost and dean of CIS, ex- any Indian expatriates months in May. As India strug- coveted medical and engineer- in India to take the respective plained in his opening state- are eagerly looking for- gles to contain the novel coro- ing courses is decided on the tests and complete the admis- ment how the college is lev- Mward to a Government navirus outbreak, the DGCA ex- basis of National Eligibility cum sion process. eraging partnerships with of India proposal to allow sched- tended the ban on international Entrance Test (NEET) and JEE Ashwini Phadnis, a Delhi- diff erent religious communi- uled international fl ights on se- fl ights until July 31. (Main), respectively. based prominent Indian aviation ties and academic institutions lect routes including the GCC Earlier, the aviation regulator NEET is an entrance ex- analyst, told Gulf Times that to build a portal at the Qatar Participants in the webinar. region. had cancelled the international amination in India for students students planning to fl y to India, Digital Library on the Cov- Recently, the Indian aviation fl ights until July 15. who wish to study undergradu- either on repatriation fl ights or enants of the Prophet Muham- munities, to protect their assets including the Queen’s Counsel, regulator -Directorate General According to the Centre for ate medical courses and dental the proposed scheduled servic- mad. and facilitate positive interfaith Pontifi cal Institute for Ara- of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said Asia Pacifi c Aviation India courses in government or private es, should account for a quaran- Featuring a panel of promi- relations. bic and Islamic Studies, Greek such a proposal was under “con- (CAPA India), international op- medical colleges and dental col- tine period, which is mandatory nent faith actors and ethics Co-researcher Ahmed El- Orthodox Community of Qa- sideration”. India is reportedly in erations may resume in August, leges in India. for all visitors to the country. consultancies, The Covenants Wakil presented the research tar, Syriac Orthodox Church of talks with the US, Canada and but are not expected to reach Admission criteria to un- Any international visitor is of the Prophet Muhammad journey to date in collating Antioch, St Joseph Manuscript some countries in the European “any meaningful scale” until the dergraduate engineering pro- now quarantined for a minimum Webinar neatly summarised copies of the Covenants from a Conservation Centre, Muslim and Gulf (GCC) regions to estab- third quarter (Q3). Thousands of grammes at NITs, IITs, other 14 days on their arrival in India. and debated the main fi ndings wide range of eclectic libraries American Society of Minneso- lish “individual bilateral bub- Indian expatriates will benefi t if Centrally Funded Technical In- He said there was a huge demand of research conducted by CIS’ from Armenia, Turkey, Greece, ta, Caux Round Table for Moral bles”, which will allow airlines of India concludes a “travel bub- stitutions, institutions funded for scheduled international Prof Ibrahim Zein, professor Lebanon and Italy – essentially Capitalism, Centre for Ethical each country in the pact to op- ble” with Qatar, with whom it by participating state govern- fl ights to and from the country of Islamic Studies and project forming the largest collection Orientation, Sehir University erate international fl ights, Air- has good air connectivity, thanks ments and other institutions from the Indian diaspora abroad. leader. of the Covenants in a university and Griffi th University. ports Authority of India chair- to airlines such as Qatar Airways, shall include the performance Millions of Indians live and The Covenants comprise to date. Participants engaged in CIS serves as a hub for con- person Arvind Singh said at a Air India and IndiGo. in the grade 12/equivalent quali- work in US, Canada, Europe, a series of treaties which the an enriching discussion, which temporary Islamic studies that recent webinar. Hundreds of Qatar-based In- fying examination and in the GCC countries, Africa, South Prophet Muhammad (peace be saw the involvement of mem- promotes critical dialogue India suspended all the do- dian students who are seeking Joint Entrance Examination-JEE East Asia, Australia and New upon him) granted to Christian, bers of various religious, re- on topical issues of global mestic and international fl ight admission in their home coun- (Main). Because of Covid-19, the Zealand, among other countries. as well as other religious com- search and ethics institutions, relevance. BMW 7 Indians in Qatar now have WCM-Q dean’s webinar Series 2020 focuses on impact of model chance to pursue IIT degree physical distancing on mental health recalled By Joseph Varghese Application for the pro- courses); Diploma Level (6 to launch many such online Staff Reporter grammes will be opened shortly Programming courses + 6 Data initiatives,” said Prof Bhaskar The Ministry of Commerce and and the last date for submis- Science courses) and Degree Ramamurthi, director of IIT r Javaid Sheikh, profes- develop- Industry (MoCI), in co-operation sion of application is tentatively Level (11 courses). What makes Madras while launching the sor of Psychiatry and ments with Alfardan Automobiles, dealer n a signifi cant move and for September 15. it more attractive is that it has programme. Ddean of Weill Cornell that will of BMW in Qatar, has announced the fi rst time, Indian In- There are 23 IITs in India with several exit points as the stu- The qualifying process is Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q), increase a recall of BMW 7 Series model of Istitute of Technology (IIT) 11,279 seats in undergraduate dents can take up the Founda- through an online programme will address a live webinar compe- 2020 as a dashboard panel might Madras - India’s premier tech- programmes. Every year, tens of tion Level or Diploma Level or to be completed in four weeks. on ways to minimise physical tence, not have been installed correctly. nical institute - has announced thousands of students appear complete the three-year pro- All those who apply will have contact but maximise social enhance In a statement, the MoCI said the the launch of an online under- for one of the toughest entrance gramme and get the degree. The four weeks of online courses contact during the Covid-19 per- recall campaign comes within the graduate degree programme examinations to get into these IIT Madras Senate approves the and assignments to be com- pandemic. form- framework of its continuous eff orts for Indian students and profes- world-renowned institutes for diploma and degree and those pleted. Those who get mini- The webinar, which will take ance in to protect consumers and ensure sionals around the world. these many seats and only a who complete the degree be- mum required scores in weekly place at 4pm on July 8, is titled practice that dealers follow up on vehicle With more than 700,000 small percentage of the topmost come alumni of the institute. assignments in the four weeks ‘A Tale of Two Distances: Pro- and lead defects and repairs. The ministry has Indians in Qatar, this is being make it. Therefore, it is a golden “IIT Madras is pioneering a will get to write qualifi er exam moting Physical but Minimis- to improved healthcare for pa- said it will co-ordinate with the dealer seen as a great opportunity for opportunity for the students as completely online programme broadly based on the four weeks ing Social Distance During the tients, WCM-Q has said in a to follow up on the maintenance several of them - students as well as other professionals to to produce graduates who will of content. Those who get the Covid-19 Pandemic’. statement. and repair works and communicate well as professionals - to get a get a degree or diploma from be employable in the sector minimum required scores in It is part of the ‘Covid-19 The webinars are accredited with customers to ensure that they degree from such a prestigious such an institute. that presently has high de- qualifi er exam will register for Live Webinar Clinical Series’ locally by the Qatar Council carried out the necessary repairs. institute. For the fi rst time, anyone can mand - Programming and Data Foundational Level courses. off ered by the division of Con- for Healthcare Practitioners- The MoCI has urged all customers A BSc degree course in ‘Pro- work towards an undergraduate Science. The programme uses The programme can be pur- tinuing Professional Develop- Accreditation Department and to report any violations to its Con- gramming and Data Science’, degree or diploma from an IIT an innovative combination of sued as a second degree by ment at WCM-Q. internationally by the Accredi- sumer Protection and Anti-Com- claimed to be the fi rst online regardless of their age or loca- online learning and in-person someone currently in college. The webinars, aimed at phy- tation Council for Continuing mercial Fraud Department, through undergraduate programme on tion, and with a wide range of assessment and is fl exible and Anyone who has dropped out sicians and other healthcare Medical Education. the call centre: 16001, e-mail: info@ the subject by IIT Madras, is in academic backgrounds. aff ordable. I believe the pro- of/completed their bachelor’s professionals, are designed For more information about moci.gov.qa, Twitter: @MOCIQATAR, line with the current trends of The programme is split gramme will be a game changer degree can also apply. to meet identifi ed continu- the webinar and to register, Instagram: MOCIQATAR, and the education as well as one of the into three levels that have to in the fi eld of education in India There is no age or stream or ing professional development visit https://qatar-weill.cor- ministry’s mobile app for Android most sought-after education be completed strictly in se- in the coming years and inspire geographical restrictions for needs and are based on the nell.edu/continuing-profes- and iOS: MOCIQATAR. programmes. quence: Foundational Level (8 other top-ranking institutions the applicants. latest scientifi c and medical sional-development/

Carnegie Mellon Qatar in online Nurses need right psychological support and showcase of student research arnegie Mellon Univer- by challenges and questions sity in Qatar (CMU-Q), in the real world. We encour- Ca partner university age our students to commu- clear career ladder to stay in profession: QF study of Qatar Foundation, trans- nicate their complex, some- formed its annual research times very technical, projects symposium, Meeting of the to a general audience. It is the urses need to be given „Qatari nurse Aisha al-Qahtani has co-authored a to work effectively while also Minds, into a digital showcase connection between research the right psychological having a happy home life. Our of student work. and people that makes our Nsupport and a clear ca- report – now published by HBKU Press – identifying key job is to help people, and being Meeting of the Minds was approach to research distinc- reer ladder to avoid them turn- able to find this balance helps started on Carnegie Mellon’s tive.” There are 27 student ing their backs on the profession global trends that influence nurses’ job satisfaction us to do that.” main campus 25 years ago as projects showcased on the through stress or frustration, The authors’ work has now an opportunity for students Meeting of the Minds web- according to a Qatari researcher all nurses are satisfied in their the emotional strain of the been published on HBKU Press’ to present their work to the site, including project ab- whose analysis of job satisfac- jobs, and many have decided role can increase risk of burn- online academic publishing community, and it has been stracts, posters and faculty tion in the fi eld of nursing has to change their profession,” out. Meanwhile, the report also platform QScience.com, and an annual event on the Qatar advisers. been published through Qatar explained al-Qahtani, who emphasised the importance of al-Qahtani says while the rea- campus since 2007. While the In the past years, judg- Foundation (QF). co-authored the report with professional development pro- sons for nurses’ job satisfaction pandemic restrictions pre- ing panels of both external Aisha al-Qahtani – herself a Bridget Stirling and Daniel For- grammes that “empower the increasing or draining away vented an in-person event, it and CMU-Q experts have nurse – is among the authors grave. self-development of nursing have been clearly identified, was critical that CMU-Q find critiqued the projects and of a study that looks at key rea- “When I have asked nurses staff”, saying: “In any health- there remains a need for “a a new mode for students to determined award winners. sons why nurses retain or lose why this is, they often have care organisation, there should clear pathway” to be developed share their projects. This year, CMU-Q opted for a their commitment to their jobs, very different reasons for their be a career ladder platform – if for putting in place the right Michael Trick, dean of more collaborative approach. a topic that has assumed even dissatisfaction, which is why before Covid-19 broke out – nurses see a pathway for bet- measures to address the factors CMU-Q, notes the impor- The Meeting of the Minds greater relevance as healthcare I decided to study the topic in showed that nurses who have tering themselves and their that determine how they see tance of sharing research with 2020 showcase can be found workers around the world find greater depth. Nursing is one of opportunities to continue their workplace situation, they will their jobs. the community: “At Carnegie at www.meetingminds.qatar. themselves in the frontline of the cornerstones of healthcare; education during their careers be more satisfied and less likely “It is so important to support Mellon, our research is driven cmu.edu. tackling the Covid-19 pan- we need to support those who are generally more likely to stay to leave the organisation and nurses in both their personal demic. are already in the field, and en- in their jobs, although such op- the profession”. and work lives,” she said. The Meeting of Published by Qatar Founda- courage others to enter it.” portunities often lead to nurses According to al-Qahtani: “The workplace is like a sec- the Minds 2020 tion’s Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni- The researchers studied 18 moving into leadership posi- “There are many findings from ond home for them. This is why showcase can be versity Press (HBKU Press), articles assessing nurses job tions or other areas and away this report, and many reasons they need both support in dif- found at ‘The Impact of Job Satisfaction satisfaction around the world – from frontline nursing instead. that lead to nurses’ dissatis- ferent areas of their lives – the www. on Nurses’ Work Lives: A Lit- from Qatar, New Zealand, Slo- It added that nurses also need faction with their jobs. What physical and the psychological. meetingminds. erature Review’ finds that the vakia, the Czech Republic, the to be equipped to handle the surprised me is that most of the And it is why healthcare leaders qatar.cmu.edu work environment, emotional US, China, Jordan, Lebanon, “hostility” they can experience reasons are connected to each have to be adept at dealing and factors, opportunities for ca- Yemen, Italy, Poland, Portugal, from frustrated or fearful pa- other. The challenges for a fe- communicating with nurses, reer progression and account- Singapore and South Korea – to tients and their families. male nurse often relate to the and encouraging them in dif- ability all shape how happy identify trends and conclu- Workplace relationships difficulty in finding the balance ferent ways.” nurses are in their jobs – and sions. These studies contained were highlighted as central to between our work lives and our To read the article on that healthcare leaders and the views of 13,458 nurses, in- nurses’ job satisfaction, high- home lives, and we simply have QScience.com, one has to visit policymakers must recognise cluding almost 3,696 from the lighting that “negativity and to do our best to manage. https://www.qscience.com/ this, and act on it. Middle East. tedious work” lead to them “In the end, all we want to do content/journals/10.5339/ “As a nurse, I know that not Their findings – developed becoming disenchanted, while is be able to find the best way connect.2020. Gulf Times 6 Monday, July 6, 2020 REGION/ARAB WORLD

West Bank Covid-19 death mourned Iran reports Israel makes record Gaza strikes virus death after rocket fi re toll of 163 AFP Tehran AFP of responsibility for the rocket Gaza City launches from the Hamas-run strip. ranian health authori- The organisation warned Is- ties yesterday announced sraeli aircraft attacked Ha- rael in late June that its planned I163 new deaths due to the mas sites in the Gaza Strip annexation of parts of the oc- Covid-19 disease, the coun- Iyesterday night, a Palestin- cupied West Bank amounted to a try’s highest official one-day ian security source said after Is- “declaration of war”. Two rock- toll since the outbreak began in rael reported three rockets fi red ets were fi red the next day at the February. at its territory. Jewish state from Gaza, trigger- The previous record of 162 The Israeli military said that ing a punitive Israeli air raid on deaths was announced on its aircraft attacked “under- Hamas installations in the Pal- Monday in the Islamic repub- ground infrastructure belonging estinian enclave. lic, which has been battling the to the Hamas organisation” in On July 1, Hamas fi red a volley Middle East’s deadliest out- response to the rocket fi re. of rockets into the sea as a warn- break of the novel coronavirus. “Earlier tonight, three rockets ing to Israel not to go ahead with The new deaths bring the to- were fi red from the Gaza strip at annexation, sources in the or- tal toll in Iran to 11,571, health Israel,” it said in an English-lan- ganisation said. ministry spokeswoman Sima guage statement. Israel’s proposal to annex its Sadat Lari said on state televi- “In response...attack helicop- settlements in the West Bank sion. ters and fi ghter jets targeted Ha- and the Jordan Valley forms part “In the past 24 hours, 2,560 mas targets.” of a broader US peace plan re- people have tested positive There were no immediate re- leased in January. for coronavirus, bringing the ports of casualties from either The proposals foresee the ul- total number of infections to side. timate creation of a Palestin- 240,438,” Lari added. An earlier army statement ian state on the remaining West Official figures have shown gave no indication of where the Bank territory and the Gaza a rising trajectory in fatalities fi rst two rockets fell, but Israeli Strip. and new confirmed cases since media said they hit open ground. But the plan falls far short of Iran reported a near-two month The army said that the Iron Palestinian aspirations, with a low in daily recorded infections Dome missile defence system state on reduced territory and Relatives of a 46-year-old man who died after contracting the Covid-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus, mourn during in early May. intercepted a third rocket. without east Jerusalem as its his funeral in the West Bank town of Hebron, yesterday. The increase has prompted There was no immediate claim capital. the government to make the wearing of masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces, with some officials and state televi- Libya’s unity govt says ‘foreign air force’ hit key base sion anchors wearing masks on camera as part of a campaign to Libya’s UN recognised govern- Turkey – a key GNA backer – has Oman registers 1,072 new coronavirus cases encourage their use. ment yesterday condemned subsequently made use of the Authorities have repeatedly overnight air raids against a base to help GNA loyalists to urged the public to respect hy- recently recaptured strategic air repel an off ensive the strongman QNA of positive cases in the country try of Health announced yester- there are 157 patients receiv- giene rules aimed at reining in base in the west of the country, launched against Tripoli in April Muscat to 46,178, in addition to 213 day 638 new infections of Cov- ing treatment at intensive care the outbreak. But footage on alleging they were carried out by last year. “The raids last night deaths and 27,917 recoveries. id-19, raising the total to 49,941. wards, Dr al-Sanad revealed. state television showed peo- a “foreign air force”. against Al-Watiya base were car- Oman News Agency (ONA) Deaths reached 368 with The health authorities con- ple still travelling without face Forces loyal to the Government ried out by a... foreign air force in he Oman Ministry of reported the ministry as say- the addition of three fatalities. ducted 3,043 swab tests in coverings on public transport, of National Accord (GNA) seized support of the war criminal in a Health announced yes- ing that 3,515 tests were con- Kuwait news agency (Kuna) the past 24 hours, raising the where masks have been obliga- back the Al-Watiya airbase, 140 miserable and desperate attempt Tterday 1,072 new cases ducted over the past 24 hours, yesterday quoted the offi cial whole count to 405,984, Dr tory for more than two months. kilometres southwest of Tripoli, to achieve a morale boosting of coronavirus (Covid-19), and that 121 cases are in the spokesperson of the ministry al-Sanad added. Earlier, the The Islamic republic has not from troops aligned with eastern victory” for Haftar’s forces, GNA with 799 of the new cases be- intensive care unit. Dr Abdullah al-Sanad as say- Health Ministry announced imposed a full-scale lockdown strongman Khalifa Haftar in May deputy defence minister Salah ing Omanis whereas 273 were KUWAIT SEES 638 ing that the 638 infections recovery of 520 people from but has introduced restrictions, this year. Haftar’s forces allege Namrush said in a statement. non-Omanis. NEW INFECTIONS included 463 Kuwaitis and Covid-19, bringing the recov- including on religious and com- This brings the total number Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Minis- 175 non-Kuwaitis. Currently, eries tally to 40,463. mercial sites.

NUCLEAR Fire at Iran’s Lebanon’s top clerics Natanz facility Rockets target US interests caused damage blast politicians A fire that broke out at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Thursday has caused significant damage that could slow the devel- despite arrests: Iraq military as hardship bites opment of advanced centrifuges, an Iranian nuclear off icial said yesterday. Iran’s top security body AFP “message” to deter future at- dad on Saturday as the system network of armed units known Reuters agendas of sectarian leaders Baghdad tacks, but early yesterday, mili- was apparently tested, leaving as the Hashed al-Shaabi. Beirut who don’t want to yield power said on Friday that the cause of tants made another attempt. passersby confused and Iraq’s Washington has demanded or privileges. an incident and fire at the site One rocket fi red at the Green parliament outraged. Depu- Iraqi authorities be tougher The crisis, which has deci- had been determined and would wo rocket attacks target- Zone landed near a home, ty speaker Hassan al-Kaabi on the group. Local forces had ebanon’s Christian au- mated the local currency and be announced later. Some Iranian ed American diplomatic wounding a child, according to slammed the trial as “provoca- long hesitated, fearing that thorities slammed politi- raised fears of mass hunger, is off icials have said it may have been Tand military installations the Iraqi military. tive” and “unacceptable” as it direct action against such Lcians yesterday for failing seen as the biggest threat to caused by cyber sabotage and one overnight, Iraq’s security forces “At the same time, our forces could put residential areas in a powerful actor would risk to remedy an economic melt- Lebanon’s stability since its warned that Tehran would retaliate said yesterday, a little over a were able to thwart another danger. broader confrontations. down that has left many poor, 1975-1990 civil war. against any country carrying out week since unprecedented ar- attack and seize a Katyusha There was no immediate But last month, state se- piling pressure on the country’s “Political offi cials...do not such attacks. “The incident could rests prevented a similar inci- rocket and launcher that were comment from the embassy on curity forces carried out the leaders as it spirals deeper into have the courage nor the free- slow down the development and dent. targeting the Taji base north of whether the system was used first raid of its kind against crisis. dom to meet and fi nd ways out production of advanced centrifuges Since October, US diplomats Baghdad,” where US-led coali- against the rocket overnight. a Kataeb Hezbollah base on In a sermon, Maronite Pa- of the suff ering,” Rai said. in the medium term...Iran will replace and troops across Iraq have tion troops are based, it added. Iraq has long been caught in the edges of Baghdad, seiz- triarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, He warned this was depriv- the damaged building with a bigger been targeted by around three The attempts came just hours a tug-of-war between its two ing rockets and arresting 14 the top Christian cleric, accused ing the country of help it needs one that has more advanced equip- dozen missile attacks which after the US embassy tested main allies Iran and the US, fighters allegedly planning politicians of thinking only of from foreign donors. ment,” Iran’s state news agency Washington has blamed on a new rocket defence system whose relations have further an attack on the Green Zone. their own vested interests and Economic woes, rooted in IRNA quoted the spokesman for the armed factions. known as a C-RAM, according crumbled since Washington The move was hailed by US urged the president to take state waste and corruption, country’s Atomic Energy Organisa- In the fi rst move of its kind, to a senior Iraqi security source. pulled out of a landmark nu- Secretary of State Mike Pom- action.“It appears politicians came to the fore last year after tion, Behrouz Kamalvandi, as saying. elite Iraqi troops in late June ar- The C-RAM, set up earlier clear deal with Tehran in 2018. peo, who said rogue groups are want to hide their responsibil- capital infl ows slowed and pro- “The incident has caused significant rested more than a dozen fi ght- this year at the embassy, scans Baghdad carefully balances “the single biggest obstacle to ity in emptying the treasury and tests erupted against leaders in damage but there were no casual- ers who were allegedly plan- for incoming projectiles and its ties to the two countries, additional assistance or eco- not enact any reforms,” he said. power since the war. ties.” Three Iranian off icials who ning a new attack on Baghdad’s explodes them in the air by tar- but the repeated rocket fire nomic investment” for Iraq. Hopes of salvation through Lebanon’s sectarian po- spoke to Reuters on condition of Green Zone, home to the US geting them with several thou- risks rocking its tightrope. “Baghdad’s actions are a an IMF deal have retreated, litical system parcels out state anonymity on Friday said they and other foreign embassies. sand bullets per minute. The US blames the attacks on step in the right direction and with the government unwill- posts based on religious sect, believed the fire was the result of Iraqi government offi cials A series of muted blasts Kataeb Hezbollah, a faction we applaud them,” he said last ing or unable to enact reforms, with the presidency reserved a cyber attack but did not cite any said the raid would serve as a could be heard across Bagh- within Iraq’s state-sponsored week. hamstrung by the confl icting for a Maronite Christian. evidence.

Algeria buries remains of anti-French fi ghters, seeks Paris apology

AFP day,” she added. President Ab- “passing of a baton” to keep the tury in the vaults of the Musee a global re-examination of the Algiers delmadjid Tebboune, who took memories of the slain fi ghters de l’Homme in Paris, which spe- legacy of colonialism, sparked by part in the ceremony alongside alive among younger genera- cialises in anthropology. Among the May killing of unarmed Afri- military and civilian fi gures, has tions, an offi cial said. the remains were those of revolt can American George Floyd by a lgeria yesterday buried called on France to apologise for The skulls, once viewed as war leader Sheikh Bouzian, who was white police offi cer in the US. the remains of 24 resist- its colonial past. trophies by French colonial of- captured in 1849 by the French, His murder sparked protests Aance fi ghters returned “We have already had half- fi cers, were fl own into Algiers shot and decapitated, and those across the world, and UN human from Paris after more than a apologies. The next step is need- international airport on Friday of his comrades who had met the rights chief Michelle Bache- century and a half as it marked ed...we await it,” he told news and then moved to the Palace of same fate. let has urged countries to make the 58th anniversary of its inde- channel France 24 in an interview Culture where they were placed Algeria had offi cially asked for amends for “centuries of vio- pendence from France. Saturday. An apology was nec- on display. their return in 2018, as well as lence and discrimination”. Em- The skulls of the fi ghters, shot essary to “face the problem of Despite stifl ing heat, a long requesting the handover of colo- manuel Macron, the fi rst French and decapitated in the early years memory that jeopardises many queue formed outside the palace nial archives. president to be born after the of the French occupation, were things in the relations between and some men and women, wait- The restitution of the skulls 1954-62 independence war in laid to rest during an emotional the two countries”, which had ing to pay their respects, wept, has been seen as a sign of a thaw which 1.5mn Algerians died, ceremony at El Alia cemetery. Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune prays during a ceremony often been frosty, Tebboune said. according to footage broadcast in relations between Algeria made his fi rst offi cial visit to Al- The coffi ns draped with the to lay to rest the remains of 24 resistance fighters, returned from It would “make it possible to by several television stations. and the former colonial power, giers in December 2017. national fl ag were lowered into Paris after more than a century and a half, on the 58th anniversary of cool tensions and create a calmer “I came as a fi ghter, as an marked since independence by At the time, he told news web- freshly dug graves in the mar- Algeria’s independence from France, in the capital Algiers, yesterday. atmosphere for economic and invalid from the war of libera- recurrent tensions. site Tout sur l’Algerie that he was tyr’s square of Algeria’s largest cultural relations”, especially for tion, as a citizen who loves his The French presidency, in a “ready” to see his country hand burial ground, alongside na- the background, an AFP corre- fi ghters, Mokhtar ben Kouider El the more than 6mn Algerians country,” said Ali Zemlat. The statement to AFP, said the return back the skulls. tional heroes such as top revolt spondent reported. Titraoui. who live in France, he added. 85-year-old fought in the bru- of the remains was a gesture of During his presidential elec- leader Emir Abdelkader. “This for me is a big day — a “These remains are of the fi rst Yesterday, Tebboune handed tal 1954-1962 war that ended “friendship” and part of eff orts tion campaign, Macron had cre- An elite unit of the Repub- real independence day,” said Algerians who sacrifi ced their over the fl ags that draped the France’s 132 years of colonial to “reconcile the memories of ated a storm by calling France’s lican Guard presented arms Yamina, the 84-year-old great lives for this country. Without coffi ns to young cadets from rule in Algeria. The skulls had the French and Algerian people”. colonisation of Algeria a “crime while a funeral march played in grand-daughter of one of the them we would not be here to- military academies, akin to the been stored since the 19th cen- The repatriation comes amid against humanity”. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 7 AFRICA Uneasy calm in Ethiopia as protest toll doubles

Reuters His killing tapped into griev- Another 10 people were Addis Ababa ances fuelled by decades of killed in Addis Ababa, a source government repression and in the national police service what the Oromo describe as said. ore than 166 people their historic exclusion from The military, called in to were killed during an- political power. quell the protests on Wednes- Mti-government pro- The government initially day, were out in the streets of tests in Ethiopia last week, the said 80 people had been killed Oromia towns, two residents government said yesterday, as during the protests, which from the town of Adama and the capital and other hotspots lasted for two days. another from the town of remained closely guarded by The unrest is the deadliest Shashemene told Reuters. security forces and a blanket since Abiy, who is Oromo, took Authorities shut down the Lieutenant General Zola Dabula (left), the Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force, receives a guard of honour at the Air Internet shutdown entered its power in 2018 with the promise Internet after the protests be- Force Station Port Elizabeth. sixth day. of wide ranging reforms. gan, and they are yet to switch Large protests broke out But a senior regional secu- it on again, residents said. in Addis Ababa and spread to rity offi cial told Reuters yes- “The (Oromia) region is now the surrounding Oromia re- terday that the death toll was relatively calm and there is no gion last Monday after popular at least double that, with 145 violence or protests at the mo- Oromo musician Haacaaluu civilians and 11 security per- ment. Businesses have also re- S Africa deploys military Hundeessaa was shot dead by sonnel killed. opened,” Jibril told Reuters by unknown gunmen in a killing Jibril Mohamed, head of the phone. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Oromia Security and Peace Bu- International human rights said was “an evil act”. reau, said more deaths might watchdog Amnesty Interna- Haacaaluu sang in the Oro- be reported due to the number tional has called on the gov- medics to virus hotspot mo language of Ethiopia’s big- of injuries being treated in hos- ernment to bring its killers to gest ethnic group. pitals. justice.

AFP medical personnel landed in Sello said the province, ranked of the more than 200 Cuban Port Elizabeth Eastern Cape city of Port Eliza- the poorest in the country, was medical personnel who arrived in beth to help shore up the health the fi rst in the country to request South African last month. service, which is buckling under military assistance to help fi ght East Cape is one of the coun- ozens of military medics rising number of cases. the coronavirus. try’s hotspot provinces after were deployed yesterday “The province is not coping. “When the nation calls us, we Gauteng, which houses Johan- 11 dead in Congo Dto help combat the coro- They have personnel and equip- have to respond, and respond nesburg, the country’s largest navirus pandemic in South Afri- ment problems,” defence force quickly,” said the military medical city, and the capital Pretoria. ca’s third most aff ected province, spokesman Thabo Sello, told AFP services chief, Lieutenant-Gen- The Western Cape province re- where there has been a surge in yesterday. eral Zola Dabula, at a ceremony mains the country’s epicentre. infections. “The situation in the Eastern welcoming the team. South Africa has imposed militia ambush The deployment to East Cape Cape is really bad with infections He expressed concern that some of the strictest stay-at- province comes a day after South increasing and spreading rapidly,” people were not taking this pan- home measures in the world since Africa recorded more than 10,800 he said of the province, which ac- demic “seriously”. March 27 in a bid to limit the new Covid-19 cases, its biggest counts for more than 18% of na- “So our duty as the army medi- spread of Covid-19. AFP CODECO, the Cooperative for Tens of thousands of people single-day jump during the pan- tional infections. cal personnel is not only to treat Nevertheless, the number of Bunia the Development of the Congo. were killed in Hema-Lendu demic, taking the cumulative in- The military teams include people, but also to educate them infections is rising daily by the On Friday, DR Congo’s army fi ghting between 1999 and fections to 187,977. doctors, nurses, health techni- about this virus,” he said. thousands as the lockdown rules said it had killed seven of the 2003. The fi ghting resumed in Forty-seven defence force cians and clinical support staff . The province already has some are gradually eased. unmen killed 11 people militia’s fi ghters, which claims 2017, for reasons that are not including military and to defend the interests of the clear. Glocal offi cials in north- Lendu ethnic group. Just before Saturday’s at- eastern Democratic Republic The Lendu are predomi- tack, a delegation of former of Congo, offi cials said yester- nantly farmers who have his- militia leaders from the 1999- day, an ambush attributed to torically clashed with the 2003 confl ict had arrived in Mali president meets head of protest movement a militia accused of a string of Hema community of traders Ituri on a peace mission at the massacres. and herders. request of President Felix Tsh- Two vehicles coming from Ituri is one of several prov- isekedi. AFP The protests have channelled tives of other political parties with ruption have fed anti-Keita sen- Bunia, the capital of Ituri prov- inces gripped by militia vio- Among them was Mathieu Bamako deep-seated frustration over the aim of “easing the political timent. ince, were attacked on Satur- lence in eastern DR Congo. Ngudjolo, who was prosecuted militant attacks and inter-ethnic situation”, the presidency said. Last month’s protests followed day at the village of Matete, More than 1,000 people, but acquitted by the ICC in violence that have claimed thou- The opposition coalition of demonstrations in May over the Djugu territory administrator mostly civilians, have been 2015, Ituri governor Bamanisa ali’s president has met sands of lives and forced hun- religious leaders, politicians and results of March’s long-delayed Adel Alingi Mokuba said. killed in Ituri since Decem- told AFP. the leader of a protest dreds of thousands to fl ee their civil society fi gures had said on parliamentary elections — which “The death toll is 11, in- ber 2017, including 375 since Local media reported that Mmovement that has homes since 2012. Wednesday that Keita’s resigna- Keita’s party won — as well as cluding the deputy territo- March, according to the United Germain Katanga was also brought many thousands on to “We talked about everything tion would no longer be a condi- over coronavirus restrictions. rial administrator in charge of Nations. present. Katanga was released the streets, the presidency said that concerns this crisis and the tion for talks. The 75-year-old president has economy and fi nance, three “These acts could constitute in March having served nearly yesterday. country in general. I think that However, they outlined a list of taken a conciliatory stance since policemen and four soldiers,” crimes within the jurisdiction 12 years after being convicted A video posted on the presi- with the will of everyone and of demands including the dissolu- the demonstrations began, moot- he told AFP. of the International Criminal by the ICC of war crimes in- dency’s Twitter account showed all the parties concerned, we will, tion of parliament and the forma- ing a national unity government The convoy was carrying “a Court,” ICC Prosecutor Fatou cluding attacks on civilians. the meeting between President God willing, fi nd the solution,” tion of a transitional government in a June 14 address to the nation. former provincial deputy, an Bensouda warned on June 4. The European Union ambas- Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Dicko said in the video. whose prime minister would Protest leaders rejected that off er. accountant, police offi cers and The Offi ce of the UN High sador to DR Congo, Jean-Marc Mahmoud Dicko, an imam and “My role as an imam, as I have be appointed by the movement One of the poorest countries in civilians who were savagely Commissioner for Human Chataigner, condemned at- leading fi gure of the so-called said, obliges me to be some- and could not be removed by the the world, Mali has been engulfed massacred”, Ituri governor Jean Rights has accused CODECO tacks in Ituri and neighbour- June 5 movement, in the capital one who always considers peace president. in confl ict since an insurgency Bamanisa said in a video posted and other Lendu fi ghters of ing North Kivu on Twitter, Bamako on Saturday. as being essential: peace in our The slow pace of political re- emerged in the north in 2012 and online. pursuing “a strategy of slaugh- calling for support of the army It was the fi rst offi cial meeting country, the sub-region and in form, a fl agging economy, a lack spread to the fragile centre of The governor warned the kill- tering local residents — mainly and the UN mission deployed between the two men since two the world.” of funding for public services the country in 2015, as well as to ers: “The army has not given up”. the Hema, but also the Alur — in DR Congo, MONUSCO, “to demonstrations last month drew Keita, who has been in power and schools and a widely shared neighbouring Burkina Faso and The attack was the latest attrib- since 2017” to control natural prevent (militias) from doing tens of thousands to the streets. since 2013, also met representa- perception of government cor- Niger. uted to an ethnic militia called resources in the region. harm”. Could Malawi’s historic vote re-run inspire Africa?

By Jack McBrams, AFP tial election results overturned in Independence Day celebrations cancelled after virus spike the 2018 election which he said where, they will eventually bring Blantyre court, after Kenya in 2017. was stolen from him by President about change,” he said. It was also the fi rst time in Af- Malawi’s president Lazarus Chakw- pendence celebrations. But in an geographical spread I have decided Emmerson Mnangagwa. Nic Cheeseman, a professor of rica that an election re-run has era yesterday called off planned address yesterday, the president to cancel the celebration,” said Chak- He saluted Malawi’s judiciary African democracy at the Uni- he opposition triumph in led to the defeat of an incumbent. independence celebrations and called off the stadium festivi- wera in a brief address to the nation. and security services “for acting as versity of Birmingham agreed. Malawi’s recent landmark The unprecedented political drastically scaled back on his ties and shifted his inauguration “Your health and sanity is of a bulwark against authoritarianism “The impressive perform- Telection re-run after last feat was credited to a cohesion of inauguration ceremony following event to a military barracks to be paramount importance,” he said. and defending the constitution”. ance of key institutions, and the year’s fraudulent polls were over- several powerful forces — includ- a spike in coronavirus infections in witnessed by only 100 specially- “The coronavirus is spreading..., it is The election is “a source of in- country’s democratic progress turned could spur similar demo- ing the resilience of the judiciary the southern African country. invited guests. spreading faster than before and it spiration to democrats across Af- itself, is rooted in the hard work cratic change across the conti- that handed down the historic The cancellation will put a Malawi, which has not been is spreading with the power to kill.” rica and a reminder to those with of civil society groups and the ef- nent, analysts and historians say. judgement. dampener on the euphoria gener- placed under a lockdown, has Experts sounded the alarm in determined leadership, people forts of hundreds of thousands of Lazarus Chakwera of the Ma- In extraordinary scenes, Con- ated by the historic opposition registered 1,613 cases so far with 7 May as the country election cam- power, unity of purpose and an Malawian citizens,” Cheeseman lawi Congress Party comfortably stitutional Court judges came triumph in a recent landmark % of those infections detected in paigns got underway, attracting undying commitment to demo- said. won the June 23 election with sporting bullet-proof jackets and election re-run after last year’s the last 24-hour reporting cycle. tens of thousands of rally goers. cratic values, that no barrier is Chakwera, the 65-year-old 58.5% of the vote — beating Pe- under military escort to deliver fraudulent polls were overturned. At least 64% of the new A court in April court blocked insurmountable,” said Chamisa former evangelical preacher, ter Mutharika, whose re-election the ruling on February 3 over- Chakwera’s inauguration had infections were from community the government from imposing a in a congratulatory message to sailed to victory thanks to a nine- last year was nullifi ed by the turning Mutharika’s re-election. been slated for today at a giant transmission. full lockdown because it had failed Chakwera. party electoral alliance. courts over “widespread and sys- That was after six months stadium in the capital to coincide “In view of this acceleration rate to announce any measures to Zambia’s main opposition lead- Opposition elsewhere in Af- tematic” irregularities. of hearing evidence during a with the country’s 56th inde- of local transmission and its wide cushion the vulnerable. er Hakainde Hichilema, who has rica should learn that “dialogue, Chakwera’s offi cial inaugura- groundswell of civic society-led lost two consecutive elections, not division, can off er a genu- tion was slated for today, to coin- street protests. hailed Malawians for having “set a ine path to change, especially in cide with the country’s 56th an- “For a year, they persevered bency, an organised and smart He expects that elsewhere on drawing inspiration, hailing the great example for Africa!” those countries with less favour- niversary of independence from with mass demonstrations opposition can win, Zeleza said. the continent “opposition lead- “professionalism” displayed by Masterson said Malawi “re- able institutional conditions,” Britain, but will see a smaller against the wanton theft of their “This election will certainly in- ers will become emboldened by Malawian institutions and “citi- minds us that even in the most wrote Chatham House’s Africa gathering. votes despite threats and repres- fl uence subsequent elections across this success...and ramp up post- zens’ vigilance”. peaceful of countries, the citi- programme projects assistant, The election set the impover- sion by the beleaguered and dis- the African continent,” said Grant election protests against results Nelson Chamisa, Zimbabwe’s zenry will only tolerate so much Fergus Kell. ished African country apart from credited government,” said his- Masterson, programme manager at that did not go in their favour, main opposition Movement for before they raise their voice in “Neighbouring Zambia would many on the continent, making it torian Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. the Johannesburg-based Electoral combined with court challenges.” Democratic Change-Alliance protest”. certainly do well to heed this ex- only the second sub-Saharan Af- The election result showed Institute for Sustainable Democ- Opposition leaders from (MDC-A) leader, failed in his legal “When enough citizens stand ample ahead of a pivotal election rican country to have presiden- that despite the power of incum- racy in Africa (EISA). neighbouring countries are bid to have the courts overturn up, in Malawi, or Sudan and else- of its own in 2021.” Gulf Times 8 Monday, July 6, 2020 AMERICAS

Sunbelt mayors push back on Trump virus optimism

AFP Hahn told ABC that “any case, any Washington death is tragic.” Steve Adler, the Democratic mayor of Austin, Texas, later said that such cau- S Sunbelt mayors warned yes- tious language made him “angry.” terday that their cities are at risk “It is dangerous not to be sending a Uof being overwhelmed by a surge clear message to Americans,” he told of coronavirus cases as they pushed CNN. back against US President Donald “We’re on a trajectory right now we Trump’s attempt to minimise the grav- could be inundating our intensive care ity of the spreading virus. units here within the next week to 10 Covid-19 has been raging for weeks days.” across southern and western states. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott had Florida has registered 10,000 new prohibited restrictions — such as mask- cases on some days. Arizona has seen wearing requirements — sought by record hospitalisations. And intensive some local governments. care units in Houston, Texas are operat- But with the virus dramatically surg- ing near maximum capacity. ing, the Republican governor on Thurs- With President Trump continuing to day reversed himself, ordering mask- play down the disease, the exasperation wearing in most counties. of local offi cials has begun to boil over, “What we’re seeing,” Judge Lina with some fl oating the idea of new stay- Hidalgo, the county executive for the at-home orders. area including Houston, told ABC, “is “Mixed messages” from US leaders that wishful thinking is neither good have been a problem, Mayor Kate Gal- economic policy nor good public health lego of Phoenix, Arizona told ABC. policy. “President Trump was in my com- “What we need right now is to do munity, chose not to wear a mask, and what works, a stay-at-home order,” he’s having large events while I’m trying said Hidalgo, who is a Democrat. to push people” to stay home and avoid She said hospitals in Houston and crowds, said Gallego, who is a Demo- other Texas cities are “crossing their crat. surge capacities.” Once Arizona began reopening its The hardest-hit Sunbelt states were economy, she said, “We had crowded among the fi rst to reopen their econo- nightclubs handing out free cham- mies — strongly encouraged to do so by pagne, no masks.” Trump. Insuffi cient testing capacity has left Some mayors resisted the reopening. some people — including some feeling “The city of Miami was the last city symptoms — waiting up to eight hours in the entire state of Florida to open,” in their cars to be tested, Gallego said. Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, Yet when she asked the Federal Emer- told ABC. gency Management Agency for test- “I was criticized for waiting so long. ing help, “We were told they’re mov- When we reopened, people started so- Fireworks light up the Washington Monument during Independence Day celebrations in Washington, DC, on Saturday night. ing away from that — which feels like cializing like the virus didn’t exist.” they’re declaring victory while we’re in Tom Bossert, former homeland se- crisis mode.” curity advisor to Trump, warned that The state has now passed the matters could get worse. 1,800-death mark — more than six “There’s a solid reason to believe times the toll in all of South Korea. there are 500,000 people in Florida An administration offi cial, Dr right now, today, infectious,” he said. Stephen Hahn, who heads the Food and “Masks alone won’t cut it.” Drug Administration, carefully avoided Yet, the lure of beach time proved too Soaring virus cases criticising the president when asked much to resist for some Americans on about Trump’s recent optimistic asser- this July 4 holiday weekend. tions. In New York, 37-year-old Mark Ruiz Regarding the president’s prediction brought his wife and two children to the that a vaccine would be available “long Coney Island beach, where few masks before the end of the year,” Hahn said, were in view. “I can’t predict when a vaccine will be He said he was “defi nitely worried” overshadow July 4 available.” about the virus, but he had a mask and As to Trump’s assertion that 99% of was social distancing. “We can’t be in a Covid-19 cases are “totally harmless,” bubble all summer,” he said.

‘Too soon to say’ if safe to hold celebrations in US Reuters California and Texas and trend- rose to a record 7,890 on Saturday ple obviously are not taking seriously Washington ing upwards in Midwest states that compared with 3,247 just two weeks all of these admonishments to socially GOP convention in Florida once had infections declining such ago. distance to wear masks,” he said. as Iowa, Ohio and Michigan, ac- The Democratic mayor of Austin, In addition to rising cases, an Reuters of the convention activities to Jack- ising coronavirus cases in 39 US cording to a Reuters analysis of how Texas, warned during an interview alarming percentage of tests are com- Washington sonville from Charlotte after a battle states cast a shadow over the much cases rose in the past two with CNN that his city’s hospitals ing back positive. The World Health over coronavirus safety concerns with Rnation’s Fourth of July celebra- weeks compared with the prior two could reach capacity in two weeks and Organization considers a positivity North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, tions as health experts worried that weeks. run out of intensive care unit (ICU) rate above 5% to be cause for concern top Trump administration health a Democrat. holiday parties will cause a further In Phoenix, Arizona, people gath- beds in 10 days. because it suggests there are more offi cial said yesterday it was not Jacksonville, led by Republican May- spike in infections that could over- ered on Saturday without masks or In Arizona, about 90% of ICU beds cases in the community that have yet Aclear whether it will be safe to or Lenny Curry, began requiring masks whelm hospitals. social distancing to listen to a speaker are full. to be uncovered. hold the Republican National Con- in public last week after cases contin- After towns and cities across the at a rally against restrictions to pre- Trump, a Republican, has refused Ten states averaged double-digit vention in Jacksonville next month, as ued to rise. country cancelled annual fi reworks vent the spread of the virus. to wear a mask in public and has been positivity rates over the past week — Florida sees record numbers of corona- Trump thrives on large crowds at his displays to avoid large crowds gather- Many in the crowd wore red, white reluctant to encourage Americans to Arizona (26%), Florida (18%), South virus cases. campaign rallies and has not embraced ing, many Americans launched bot- and blue, and some held signs saying, do so, saying it was a personal choice. Carolina (17%), Nevada (14%), Ala- Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug masks or social distancing measures tle rockets and roman candles from “Capitalism makes sense. Socialism A July 4 celebration he attended at bama (14%), Texas (14%), Mississippi Administration commissioner, also at campaign events he has held since streets and suburban backyards to doesn’t. Go Trump 2020.” Mount Rushmore in South Dakota was (13%), Georgia (13%), Idaho (11%) refused to confi rm President Donald the country began reopening from the commemorate Independence Day. “We opened way too early in Ari- “mask-optional” and had no social and Kansas (10%), according to The Trump’s claim that 99% of coronavirus coronavirus shutdown. In the fi rst four days of July alone, 15 zona,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego distancing. COVID Tracking Project https://cov- cases were harmless and called the situ- Trump has repeatedly sought to states have reported record increases said on ABC. Mixed messaging from govern- idtracking.com/data/charts/state- ation a “serious problem.” minimise the jump in confi rmed cases in new cases of Covid-19, which has She said the city was in a “crisis re- ments has been a major factor in peo- percent-positive-and-average-tests- With record numbers of people test- and claimed without evidence in a July infected nearly 3mn Americans and lated to testing,” with people waiting ple not following coronavirus miti- per-100k-people, a volunteer-run ing positive for the virus in Jacksonville Fourth speech that 99% of cases in the killed about 130,000, according to a in eight-hour lines in their cars to fi nd gation recommendations in Miami eff ort to track the outbreak. and across Florida, Hahn was asked if it United States were “totally harmless.” Reuters tally. out if they were infected. Beach, said its Democratic mayor, Dan Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris Coun- would be safe to hold the typically large Hahn, a member of the White House Florida’s cases have risen by over During an Independence Day Gelber. ty, a hard-hit county in Texas that in- RNC gathering in just seven weeks. coronavirus task force, was asked to 10,000 for three out of the last four speech at the White House on Sat- Miami Beach’s coronavirus hos- cludes Houston, said offi cials must be “I think it’s too early to tell,” Hahn comment on his boss’s statement. days, including climbing yesterday by urday, President Donald Trump pitalisations have doubled in the last proactive in getting ahead of the virus said on CNN. “So, I’m not going to get into who is 10,059, surpassing the highest daily claimed, without evidence, that 99% 14 days and hospitals now have 158 and advocated a stay-at-home order. “We will have to see how this unfolds right and who is wrong,” he said. tally reported by any European coun- of coronavirus cases in the United people on ventilators, up from 64 two “We don’t have room to experi- in Florida and elsewhere around the “It’s a serious problem that we have. try during the height of the coronavi- States were “totally harmless.” weeks ago, he told CNN. ment. We don’t have room for incre- country.” We have seen the surge in cases. We rus outbreak there. In Texas alone, the number of Cov- “We’re spreading it because of this mentalism when we’re seeing these The Republican Party moved most must do something to stem the tide.” Cases are also soaring in Arizona, id-19 patients currently hospitalised incredible activity, and too many peo- kinds of numbers,” she told ABC.

Migration demonstration Armed black protesters march through Georgia Confederate memorial park

Reuters men and women alike, were among for the holiday weekend following a Atlanta the group. weeks-long closure over the coro- One video clip showed a leader of navirus, has faced renewed calls for the demonstrators, who was not iden- its removal since the May 25 death of predominantly black group tifi ed, shouting into a loudspeaker in a George Floyd, an unarmed black man, of heavily armed protest- challenge to white supremacists who at the hands of Minneapolis police. A ers marched through Stone historically have used Stone Mountain Floyd’s killing helped revive a long- Mountain Park near Atlanta on Sat- as a rallying spot of their own. simmering confl ict between groups urday, calling for removal of the giant “I don’t see no white militia,” he seeking to do away with Confederate Confederate rock carving at the site declared. “We’re here. Where...you statues and sculptures, which they that civil rights activists consider a at? We’re in your house. Let’s go.” see as pro-slavery symbols, and those monument to racism. John Bankhead, a spokesman for who believe they honour the tradi- Video footage of the Independ- the Stone Mountain Memorial As- tions and history of the Deep South. ence Day rally posted on social me- sociation, said the protesters were Nine stories high and spanning the dia showed scores of demonstrators peaceful and orderly. length of a football fi eld, the bas-re- dressed in black — many in paramil- “It’s a public park, a state park. lief Stone Mountain sculpture carved itary-style clothing and all wearing We have these protests on both sides into a granite wall overlooking the face scarves — quietly parading sever- of the issue from time to time. We Georgia countryside some 40km east al abreast down a sidewalk at the park. respect people’s First Amendment of Atlanta remains the largest such The protesters all carried rifl es, in- right,” Bankhead told NBC affi liate monument to America’s Civil War cluding military-type weapons, and station WXIA-TV. “We understand Confederacy. some wore ammunition belts slung the sensitivities of the issue here at It features the likenesses of Jeff er- over their shoulders. the park...so we respect that and al- son Davis, who was president of the Migrants, refugees, undocumented workers and their supporters rally outside the off ice of Canada’s Immigration Minister Although African Americans ap- low them to come in as long as it’s 11-state Confederacy, and two of his Marco Mendicino in Toronto, Ontario on Saturday. peared to account for the bulk of the peaceful, which it has been.” legendary generals, Robert E Lee and marchers, protesters of various races, Stone Mountain, which reopened Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 9 ASIA

Six Sri Lankan Nepal ruling NCP leaders fi shermen rescued from rough seas IANS The merchant vessel trans- fail to resolve diff erences Chennai, India mitted the information to MRCC, Mumbai, which IANS asked him to quit both posts of run the country well and there coronavirus pandemic could in- the parliament had riled rival shared it with MRCC, Chennai Kathmandu prime minister and party co- was growing frustration in the vite political instability, which faction leaders. ix Sri Lankan fi shermen for further co-ordination, the chair, reports The Himalayan party, according to Gajurel. could reverse all the hard earned Younger member of the NCP are were rescued from rough statement said. Times. Apart from holding one-on- political changes,” Gajurel trying to prevent a split in the par- Sseas yesterday morning The six survivors are identi- Oli has, however, refused to one negotiations, Oli and Dahal was quoted as saying by The ty because of an intensifying con- in a co-ordinated operation fi ed as natives of Trincomalee, he ruling Nepal Commu- quit. are also talking through their Himalayan Times. frontation between Prime Min- between Indian Coast Guard’s Sri Lanka. nist Party (NCP) has post- According to standing com- confi dants to fi nd a middle path. Another standing commit- ister K P Oli and party executive Maritime Rescue Co-ordina- They were reportedly Tponed its standing com- mittee member Haribol Gajurel, NCP leaders have to con- tee member told The Hima- chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. tion Centre (MRCC) and mer- stranded and adrift at sea, mittee meeting in an attempt the stalemate continues with sider the possibility that any layan Times that the Oli’s The long-simmering power chant vessel MV YM Summit. braving the vagaries of rough to reconcile diff erences among both Oli and Dahal sticking to attempt by the Dahal-Nepal decision to bring ordinance to struggle between the two is now In a statement issued in weather for four days. party co-chairs, Prime Minis- their guns. faction to unseat the prime allow party dissidents to split reaching a climax with Oli ac- Chennai, the Coast Guard The MRCC, Chennai fur- ter KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Dahal told Oli on Saturday minister could lead to a ver- their parties with the sup- cusing Dahal of trying to remove said the merchant vessel was ther, co-ordinated with the Kamal Dahal and senior leader that despite the agreement be- tical split of the party along port of either 40% members him from power and impeach on her way to Visakhapatnam Sri Lankan Deputy High Com- Madhav Kumar Nepal. tween them on leading the gov- with consequences not only at of the Central Committee or President Bidya Devi Bhanda- when she sighted a capsized mission here and MRCC Co- The rival faction of the NCP ernment by turns, he had given the central level but also the the Parliamentary Party, and ri, while Dahal has accused fi shing boat with six survivors lombo to verify their creden- has demanded Oli’s resignation, the latter the full fi ve-year term, provincial and local levels. his decision to abruptly pro- the Oli of going back on past atop, approximately 170 nau- tials and arrange for their safe while some other leaders have but the prime minister failed to “A vertical split amid the rogue the budget session of power-sharing agreements. tical miles east of Chennai. return to home. Indonesia reports Fashion show for charity another suspected tiger poisoning

AFP traps or physical wounds and we happen in areas where rainfor- Banda Aceh suspect (it) was poisoned,” said ests are being cleared to make agency chief Hadi Sofyan, add- way for palm oil plantations. ing that an autopsy was being In the past year Sumatra has nother Sumatran tiger conducted. also seen a spate of fatal tiger has been found dead in Last week the buried carcass attacks on humans. Athe second suspected of a male tiger was uncovered in Indonesia is battling rampant poisoning of the critically en- North Sumatra’s Batang Gadis poaching which accounts for al- dangered cats in less than a national park with poison- most all Sumatran tiger deaths, week, Indonesian conservation ing also the suspected cause of according to TRAFFIC, a global offi cials have said. death. wildlife trade monitoring network. Authorities said in both cases Locals, including a village Sumatran tigers are consid- locals likely targeted the tigers head, said the killing was or- ered critically endangered by the for attacking their livestock, chestrated by farmers who were International Union for Con- underscoring the increasing angry the tiger had killed their servation of Nature, with fewer human-animal confl ict in the livestock, a park spokesman said than 400 believed to remain in Southeast Asian archipelago. at the time. the wild. Last week, the conservation Also, a female tiger was relo- Tiger parts are widely used in agency in South Aceh on Sumat- cated from a plantation in West traditional medicine – particu- Women presenting clothing made with Indonesia’s traditional fabric ‘Tenun Alor’ originally from East Nusa Tenggara during a fashion ra island said it found the carcass Sumatra. larly in China – despite over- show and online charity event in Jakarta yesterday, to help craftsmen who have been aff ected by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic as of a tigress near a farm. Confl icts between humans whelming scientifi c evidence well as students in East Nusa Tenggara province. “There weren’t any hunter and animals in Indonesia often they have no benefi cial value. Bali holds mass prayers for Locusts damage over 1,100 hectares of crops in Nepal reopening from lockdown IANS additional damage to the crops Locusts have reportedly at- Kathmandu in other places of the coun- tacked crops like maize, rice try because most of them have seedbed, vegetables, and Reuters tions due to the pandemic have scattered from their original soybeans, among other. Karangasem hammered the local economy. ocust swarms that en- swarms.” Farmers in Nepal have been The occupancy rate at Bali’s tered Nepal from India The locusts damaged crops using noise and smoke to dis- starred hotels plunged to 2.07% Llast week have damaged in 580 hectares land in Dang, perse them. ali conducted mass prayers in May, according to Bali statis- over 1,100 hectares of crops in followed by 283 hectares dam- Locusts were present in yesterday as the Indone- tics bureau data, from 62.55% in the Himalayan country. age in Pyuthan. Dang, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum, Bsian resort island prepares December before the pandemic According to the Plant Quar- Districts like Makwanpur, Salyan and Surkhet districts to reopen to tourists shut out due hit and down from 51.56% in antine and Pesticide Manage- Arghakhanchi and Palpa sus- but very minimal damage has to the Covid-19 pandemic. More May 2019. ment Centre (PQPMC) under tained crop damage in 105, 100 been reported there. than a thousand people attended “What I hope is the best for the Ministry of Agriculture and 50 hectares of land, re- Humagain who is also the a prayer in the town of Kara- Bali and... all the tourists will and Livestock Development, spectively. co-ordinator of the Locusts ngasem, expressing gratitude for come to Bali and everybody will the attack by swarms of locusts Locusts were spotted in 52 Prevention and Management the handling of the new corona- be happy and healthy again,” has resulted in crop damage of districts of Nepal but due to Taskforce formed by the Nepa- virus on the island and seeking Robin Tesselar, a Dutch citizen 1,118 hectares of land, reports their relatively small size, the li government said that the blessings for the start of a “new People attend mass prayers, expressing gratitude for the handling staying in Bali, told Reuters after Xinhua news agency. Nepali government has said number of districts in which normal”. of the new coronavirus and seeking blessings for the start of a “new attending the prayers. “Though the damage is con- that they have caused little locusts had ravaged is not Bali has reported 1,849 coro- normal”, in Karangasem, Bali yesterday. Tourism-related businesses siderably low, the locusts have damage. on rise. navirus infections and 20 deaths are preparing to for the reopen- dominantly damaged crops of “They are continuously Meanwhile, the Nepali gov- so far, while Indonesia as a whole month for domestic tourists, Dewa Made Indra told reporters. ing by implementing the health fi ve districts in Nepal,” Ram heading towards West and are ernment has directed PQPMC, has recorded 63,749 cases and while maintaining a “strict health The local government expects protocols, aiming to improve Krishna Subedi, co-ordinator very unlikely to cause further provincial and local govern- 3,171 deaths since early March. protocol” to prevent the spread to reopen Bali to foreign arrivals in them until Bali reopens for inter- at the Locust Information damage to the crops,” said Sa- ments to activate their avail- The idyllic South East Asian of the virus that causes Cov- September. Tourism is Bali’s main national tourists, said hospitality Center at PQPMC, has said. hadev Prasad Humagain, chief able manpower and resources island will gradually reopen this id-19, Bali provincial secretary source of income. Travel restric- executive Yoga Iswara. “They have not been causing at the PQPMC. to control the spread of locusts. Dreams of Myanmar’s ‘unwashed’ jade miners buried by disaster AFP clothes ripped off by the deluge. “Sometimes we hunt for 10 suddenly washed onto land. Dozens of the unidentifi ed Hpakant, Myanmar But two of the crew didn’t days and only fi nd a piece worth “I don’t know how I survived. were buried on Saturday in mass make it. $7-$14. If we fi nd a big stone I returned from death.” graves gouged into the red earth Than Niang was cremated they (the mining company) will He says he will not go back – an anonymous end far from ive Yay Ma Hsay – or ‘un- on Saturday, while Thet Shin take it,” said Sai Ko. to the pit, a deep mean-looking home. washed’ as the jade miners is missing presumed dead, one Dabbing at the raw cuts on his gouge where mud-caked work- Social media has become a Fof northern Myanmar are of scores victims still unac- face, his wife Pan Ei Phyu said ers relentlessly chip at the rocks. tool to try to identify the dead, known – arrived early Thursday counted for from the accident at they will abandon the mines and Instead, he will work the waste with volunteers sharing photos at the pit to scrape out a living on the Hwekha mine, in northern head home to near Mandalay. piles dumped on top of the hills on Facebook. a scraggy hillside, lured by the Kachin State. “I don’t want him to dig stones by mining companies – a scree The mines are cloaked in prospect of fi nding a stone that “We have many dreams of in this life. I just want our family of stones which can yield frag- secrecy. could transform their lives. helping our families,” a shaken to be together,” she said. ments of jade to the Yay Ma Campaigners Global Witness But only three would return, Sai Ko said. Yet there are thousands more Hsay, which translates as ‘un- say front companies obscure the the others victims of Myanmar’s “But it’s not worth it. I will ready to take his place – illegal washed’ in Burmese but is used real military owners in a shad- worst-ever mine disaster after never go back.” workers who buy their way into to group the informal miners. owy industry they estimate to be a landslide in heavy rains en- The hillside which buried his the vast open-cast mines after Just days after the tragedy, worth $31bn a year. tombed at least 174 people, with friends harbours jadeite, a stone the company diggers leave – to Saw Lwin still has dreams of But there is little trickle down. scores more feared missing. which goes for a fortune over scour for scraps of the precious beating poverty. Than Niang’s wife had to Sai Ko, 22, survived the spin- the Kachin border in China in stone left behind. Bodies are recovered near a landslide area in a jade mining site in “One day, if I get quality stone check 60 battered bodies before dryer of rock and heavy sludge a multi-billion dollar industry Zaw Lwin, from central Myan- Hpakant in Kachin state. I will be a Lawpan (a boss of the fi nding her husband, a grim cat- by clinging to the corpse of a fel- dominated by fi rms linked to mar, is among them – despite the jade miners)... I want to live in alogue of those at the end of the low miner, and battling to land. Myanmar’s military. terror of Thursday’s accident. the fi rst victims as the hillside pening. My clothes were ripped a house in a compound. I’m not jade chain. His friend Zaw Lwin, 29, and But for the poor migrants He says his fi ve-strong team collapsed. off and rocks battered me... I going to give up.” “My whole world is de- his younger brother San Lwin from across Myanmar who travel arrived half an hour early to grab “We hadn’t even started dig- suff ocated on sand and mud.” The Hwekha mine is now a tomb stroyed,” she said. “We have a were miraculously spat out from hundreds of miles to prospect the best spot and avoid jostling ging when we were hit by the Just as exhaustion took hold for an untold number of people – baby son. One day I will show the churning torrent and deliv- in Hpakant, big paydays are few with hundreds of others. wall of water. – Zaw Lwin says he was accept- mostly young migrants whose fam- him the last journey of his ered naked onto the shore, their and far between. But the early risers became “I didn’t know what was hap- ing the end was near – he was ilies may never hear of their fate. father.” Gulf Times 10 Monday, July 6, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Tokyo governor Koike cruises to second term

AFP tics and is often mentioned as a 100 new cases a day recently -- masks, face shields and plastic in a landslide vote in 2016, be- Tokyo possible prime minister. Many many from clusters in the city’s gloves, while tape on the fl oor coming Tokyo’s fi rst female lead- observers say her smooth per- host and hostess clubs. As for the kept voters apart. Poll booths er. She has been seen as a steady formance during the coronavi- Olympics, she said, “the corona- were sanitised after every use, pair of hands during the coro- okyo governor Yuriko rus pandemic contrasted sharply virus infection is also the priority and voters were urged to use navirus crisis, issuing frequent Koike declared victory in with current PM Shinzo Abe, here as well”. hand sanitiser as they entered video messages - including in Tyesterday’s vote to elect who critics say bungled Japan’s “What can we do to host a safe and exited. Koike’s main chal- English, which is highly unusual the leader of one of the world’s response. The postponed Ol- and secure Games? How can we lengers were Kenji Utsunomiya, for a Japanese politician. Howev- most populous cities and imme- ympics, due to open on July 23, reduce its cost and simplify it? I 73, a lawyer backed by the Con- er, she fl uff ed her biggest politi- diately vowed to step up the fi ght 2021, was also a major theme of wish to continue working on our stitutional Democratic Party of cal gamble in 2017 when she cre- against a recent coronavirus re- the campaign and Koike pledged coronavirus measures so that it Japan and two other opposition ated a new “Party of Hope” that surgence. to reduce the Games budget as will become reality,” she said. parties, and Taro Yamamoto, 45, coalesced opposition to Abe’s Major media exit polls sug- organisers grapple with the un- Her second term begins amid a a former actor and leader of the all-powerful Liberal Democrats gested a landslide victory after precedented challenge of re- growing weariness with the Ol- anti-establishment party Reiwa in the national election. voting stations closed at 8pm, scheduling the event. ympics, as just over half of To- Shinsengumi. This sparked speculation she as Koike shrugged off challenges Koike gave an “online” vic- kyo’s residents do not think the The men were nationally rec- would ditch her role as Tokyo from a wide range of candidates, tory speech in front of a limited Games should be held next year, ognised fi gures, but were no ri- governor to run for the prime many of whom were political number of journalists to mini- according to a poll published late vals to Koike, who campaigned minister. However, despite ini- novices. mise the risk of coronavirus in- last month. online and did not mingle with tially promising opinion polls, The 67-year-old media-savvy fection. “The immediate issue at The coronavirus also over- supporters or give speeches to support imploded because of Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike speaks to the media after winning the Koike is a rare top female leader hand is the coronavirus,” Koike shadowed Sunday’s voting with reduce infection risks. Koike public confusion over her inten- Tokyo governor election in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. in Japan’s male-dominated poli- said, as Tokyo has seen more than polling station staff donning originally won the governorship tions. 34 feared dead in Japan fl oods

AFP Several missing as heavy rain causes Tokyo floods, mudslides in Kumamoto region on the southwestern island of Kyushu bout 34 people are either confi rmed or feared dead A— including 14 at a nurs- ing home — after torrential rain in Japan triggered massive fl oods and mudslides, authorities said yesterday. Rescuers were searching for 14 others still missing after fl oods hit the Kumamoto region on the southwestern island of Kyushu, destroying houses, sweeping away vehicles and causing bridg- es to collapse. The regional government con- fi rmed 18 people had died, while another 16 were declared in a Local residents are rescued by Japanese Self-Defence Force soldiers using a boat at a flooding area caused by a heavy rain in Kuma village, state of “cardio-respiratory ar- Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, yesterday. rest” - a term often used in Japan before a doctor offi cially certifi es those stranded. Television foot- death. A building structure washed away by flooding due to torrential rain is age showed choppers winch- Fourteen of those feared dead seen on a street in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto prefecture . ing people to safety from homes were at a nursing home inundat- surrounded by muddy water. Al- ed when local rivers broke their of those who had to fl ee their “We must remain vigilant,” he though Japan has been relatively banks. Emergency services res- home as comfortable as possi- said, warning residents to moni- spared by the coronavirus com- cued 50 people from the facility. ble,” Disaster Management Min- tor news for further risks asso- pared to other major economies “Tables and sofas were fl oating ister Ryota Takeda told reporters ciated with fl ooding and land- - with fewer than 20,000 cases around and you could not move,” after visiting a gymnasium in Hi- slides. and 1,000 deaths - local business an offi cial, who helped lead res- toyoshi city where 600 residents Communities along the Kuma owners said the fl ooding was an cue eff orts at the home where his are sheltering. River, which passes through Hi- additional blow. wheelchair-bound elderly moth- At a cabinet-level meeting toyoshi, have been hit hard by the The manager of a tour bus er was among the victims, told in Tokyo on the disaster, Prime fl oodwaters. Although the rain company in Hitoyoshi feared that private TV network JNN. Minister Shinzo Abe pledged fi - had eased in Kumamoto by Sun- the rain had destroyed all 23 of his Japan almost always suff ers nancial support, while warning day morning, collapsed bridges buses. “We were just saying that from fl ooding during its rainy residents in Kumamoto to brace and blocked roads due to fl ood- in this time of the coronavirus, season but rescue and evacua- for more rain. “As we speak, more ing and mudslides have left many we just have to hang in there and tion eff orts this year have been than 40,000 personnel from po- isolated in the region. we were trying to cheer ourselves further complicated by the lice, fi re, coast guard and Self- A large “SOS” sign was cre- up to stay motivated,” he told coronavirus outbreak. Authori- Defence troops are conducting ated on the grounds of what public broadcaster NHK. “Then ties at emergency shelters made search and rescue operations used to be an elementary school came this natural disaster. I just evacuees wash their hands, wear which will continue through the in Yatsushiro city, where about don’t know what to say,” he said, masks and maintain social dis- night,” Abe said. “Saving lives is 10 people waved white towels at fi ghting back tears. tance to avoid the virus adding our priority.” rescue and media helicopters. A young man trying to clean a to the problems. “We will do our Heavy rain is expected in the Rescue workers and troops from mud-covered restaurant in Hi- utmost to prevent the spread of region through Monday, Abe the Self-Defense Forces used toyoshi told JNN: “After corona, A general view shows a collapsed house following a landslide caused by torrential rain in Ashikita, the infection and make the lives added. boats and helicopters to reach we have this. This is too harsh.” Kumamoto prefecture, yesterday.

Suspected bubonic plague case in Inner Mongolia

Australian Authorities in a city in the Chinese that could carry plague and asks plague. The bubonic plague, region of Inner Mongolia issued the public to report any suspected known as the “Black Death” a warning yesterday, one day cases of plague or fever with no in the Middle Ages, is a highly cities hold after a hospital reported a case of clear causes, and to report any infectious and often fatal disease suspected bubonic plague. The sick or dead marmots. Yesterday’s that is spread mostly by rodents. health committee of the city of warning follows four reported Plague cases are not uncommon Black Lives Bayan Nur issued the third-level cases of plague in people from in China, but outbreaks have alert, the second lowest in a four- Inner Mongolia last November, become increasingly rare. From level system. The alert forbids the including two of pneumonic 2009-2018, China reported 26 Matter hunting and eating of animals plague, a deadlier variant of cases and 11 deaths. protests

Reuters New Zealand PM Ardern Melboune

everal hundred people gath- launches election campaign ered in Sydney yesterday as Spart of weekend-long pro- tests in Australia’s large cities in Reuters Ardern’s Labour Party, gov- She said a loan scheme for support of the Black Lives Matter Demonstrators take part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney to call for an end to Aboriginal deaths in Wellington erning in a coalition with the small businesses, which allows movement and increased focus of custody in Australia. Greens and the nationalist New for no interest loans if paid back the mistreatment of indigenous Zealand First party, will face the within a year and which was to peoples. while in police custody circled. ith promises of extra National Party in what is expect- end this month, will be extended A month since the fi rst Black On Saturday, protests took place fi nancing for small ed to be a pandemic-dominated until the year-end, and more en- Lives Matter rallies in Australia, in Brisbane, Darwin and Perth, Wbusinesses and more campaign. If the prime minister’s vironmental and infrastructure the crowds were smaller amid also attracting smaller crowds. jobs as a severe economic down- high ratings are mirrored in the jobs will be created under a pre- health warnings about the spread The heightened global awareness turn looms, New Zealand Prime election results, Labour would viously announced plan. Small of the coronavirus pandemic, over the treatment of minorities Minister Jacinda Ardern yester- govern on its own, without need- and medium-sized enterprises with infections on the rise in the as a result of the Black Lives Mat- day launched her party’s cam- ing a coalition. generate about a third of New state of Victoria, home to the ter movement has come as the paign ahead of September gen- The government’s early and Zealand’s gross domestic prod- country’s second-largest city, country conducts an inquiry into eral election. hard coronavirus curbs that uct. Melbourne. Rio Tinto’s distraction of two an- Ardern’s rise to become New paralysed economic activity have “I can’t think of a time in our Masks and hand sanitiser were cient and sacred Aboriginal caves Zealand’s most popular prime put the country in a technical recent history when we have been given out and organisers pleaded in Western Australia. minister in a century, buoyed recession for the fi rst time in a collectively challenged by such a with people to maintain social According to latest government by her response to the Covid-19 decade. cruel combination of events — a distance at the Sydney protest. data, the indigenous population pandemic that has left the coun- “There wasn’t a playbook for terrorist attack, a volcanic erup- An ancient Aboriginal smoking represents just over 3% of Aus- try largely unscathed, has boost- Covid,” Ardern said at the Labour tion, a global pandemic and now ceremony took place as families tralia’s total population of about ed her prospects in the Sept 19 Party congress. “There wasn’t a its ensuing fi nancial crisis,” Ard- of those who have lost relatives 25mn. election. playbook for the recovery.” ern said. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 11 BRITAIN/IRELAND NHS England launches virus recovery service

Guardian News and Media physical eff ects of the virus, such care package including 12 weeks online hub, referral to NHS men- launched in late summer. breathing diffi culties, enduring ahead to the next phase of our re- London as lung scarring, breathing issues of “online-based aftercare”. tal health services and access to Announcing the launch of tiredness, reduced muscle func- sponse, while in-person care will or mental health problems in- The aftercare will include information about recovery. the service on the BBC’s Andrew tion, impaired ability to perform continue to be vital, the health cluding PTSD. access to a local clinical team If people are unable to access Marr Show yesterday, the NHS vital everyday tasks and mental service is embracing the best that HS England has an- The service, entitled Your including nurses and physi- online services, printed materi- chief executive, Sir Simon Ste- health problems such as PTSD, new technology can off er us to nounced the creation of Covid Recovery, will treat both otherapists who can respond to als will be off ered, NHS England vens, said coronavirus was “a anxiety and depression. meet the signifi cant level of new Na coronavirus recovery patients who suff ered from coro- concerns via phone or online, said. legacy which will be with us for “The fact that we have come and ongoing need.” service to support survivors ex- navirus in hospital and at home. and an online peer-support com- The fi rst phase of the Covid years to come”. through the fi rst peak without Prof Sally Singh, who is lead- periencing long-term eff ects Patients will be off ered a face- munity for survivors. Recovery Service will launch lat- In a statement issued on the services being overwhelmed and ing from University Hospitals from the virus. to-face consultation with a reha- It will also include exercise er this month, off ering advice on NHS website, Stevens described being able to give expert care to of Leicester NHS in partnership Announced on the 72nd birth- bilitation team, usually includ- tutorials for survivors to “regain recovering from the virus. the virus as “the biggest chal- everyone who needed it, is testa- with national clinical leaders to day of the NHS, this new branch ing physiotherapists, nurses and muscle strength and lung func- The second phase, provid- lenge in the NHS’ history”. ment all our frontline and sup- develop the second phase of the of NHS England will support mental health specialists and tion in particular” while at home, ing personalised support pack- He said many survivors would port staff ,” he said. service, said the impact of coro- “tens of thousands” of people those who need further treat- and mental health support, such ages, is in development by “ex- experience “signifi cant ongo- “Now, as we celebrate the navirus could be “far reaching who experience both mental and ment will be given a personalised as access to a psychologist via an perts” in Leicester, and will be ing health problems” including birthday of the NHS and look and complex”.

Govt ‘nears £500mn Police urged Covid-19 jab deal’ to investigate Reuters London

ritain is close to a £500mn supply deal with Sanofi Band GlaxoSmithKline for Cummings for 60mn doses of a potential Cov- id-19 vaccine, the Sunday Times reported. Clinical trials are due to start in September and Sanofi has said it expects to get approval by the fi rst half of next year, sooner fl outing rules than previously anticipated. More than 100 vaccines are Guardian News and Media constable of Durham police, Jo at this stage … The seriousness being developed and tested London Farrell, and the director of public of Cummings’ wrongdoing is an around the world to stop the prosecutions, Max Hill, calling assessment for prosecutors to Covid-19 pandemic and gov- for further investigation of Cum- make, once they have been given ernments are racing to secure he former chief prosecutor mings’ behaviour. the relevant evidence by police supplies of vaccines even before for north-west England All three letters say the in- and other investigators.” their effi cacy is proven. Thas urged the Metropoli- formation will enable Afzal, Each of the letters includes A supply agreement with Sa- tan police to launch an immedi- the Crown Prosecution Service a nine-page annex setting out nofi and GSK would be Britain’s ate investigation into Dominic and the public “to understand what is known so far about Cum- second such deal, after it said it Cummings’ trip from London whether Cummings should mings’ movement during the would buy 100mn doses of the to Durham at the height of the be charged and prosecuted for lockdown alongside the relevant Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. coronavirus outbreak. breach of the health protection rules at the time. Sanofi was not immediately Lawyers for Nazir Afzal have (coronavirus, restrictions) regu- It also includes a list of the available to comment, while a written to the Met commis- lations 2020 and/or related of- “further information required”. spokesman for GSK declined to sioner, Cressida Dick, argu- fences”. Dick, Farrell and Hill have been comment. ing that the behaviour of Boris They point out that a number given 14 days to respond. Both have both said they are Johnson’s chief adviser during of public authorities, including Afzal is worried that the Cum- prioritising quality over speed in the lockdown warrants a “thor- the police, have suggested Cum- mings aff air has damaged public developing a vaccine. ough investigation”. They say mings’ bending of the rules had confi dence in the law. “The government’s Vaccines the “continuing pressing pub- “undermined the importance He said: “I am concerned that Task Force is actively engaging lic imperative to ensure strict of compliance and the made the the police and prosecutors have with a wide range of companies compliance” with advice about task of police enforcement with not received all the relevant in- both in the UK and abroad to the pandemic “makes this mat- the public more diffi cult across formation and their decision negotiate access to vaccines,” a ter urgent”. Afzal’s lawyers the country”. making will be incomplete as a spokeswoman for the business point out that a three-day in- The investigation by Durham result. I am troubled that previ- ministry, said, without confi rm- vestigation by Durham police police found Cummings had ous correspondence from peo- ing if Sanofi or GSK were among was confined to Cummings’ probably breached health pro- ple, including MPs, has gone un- them. movement in County Durham tection regulations when he took answered.” The Sunday Times report said and made no finding on why he a 52-mile round trip to Barnard He also encouraged anyone that Britain was considering tak- left London when his wife was Castle with his wife and son on with information about Cum- ing an option to buy the vaccine suffering coronavirus symp- her birthday. mings’ movements during the should it work in human trials, toms and a day before he fell ill The force decided to take no lockdown to email his solicitor, and would see the amount paid with a suspected case. further action and made no fi nd- Mike Schwarz, at mschwarz@ in stages. The letter to Dick says: “The ing in relation to the govern- hja.net. Sanofi is working on two apparent wrongdoing included ment’s “stay at home” guidance Schwarz said: “It is Afzal’s possible Covid-19 vaccines, actions in London, including and Cummings’ initial decision simple wish and expectation one of which uses an adjuvant Cummings leaving his home to leave London for Durham. that current senior police in- made by GSK to potentially without reasonable excuse on The letter to Hill says Durham vestigators and prosecutors are boost its efficacy, and has said March 27.” police’s investigation was “short, reminded of their responsibili- it has capacity to produce up to Afzal, whose brother Umar narrow and limited” and “did not ties and carry out their during 1bn doses a year. died of coronavirus on April 8 consider the lawfulness of Cum- in Cummings’ case. By failing to Its timeline for clinical trials is when he was self-isolating at mings leaving London, or other do so they would perpetuate the behind the likes of Moderna, the home, has become the fi gurehead alleged wrongdoing”. It said: “We public’s perception that there is University of Oxford in collabo- of a legal campaign to ensure that emphasise on behalf of Afzal that one rule for those in positions of ration with AstraZeneca, and an Cummings’ alleged lockdown it would be misconceived for the power and another for ordinary alliance of BioNTech and Pfi zer, breaches are fully investigated. police or the Crown Prosecution citizens.” whose projects all grabbed head- As well as writing to Dick, his Service to approach Cummings’ A spokeswoman for No 10 said lines by moving to human trials Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures outside 10 Downing Street before an applause on the occasion of lawyers, Hodge Jones & Allen, conduct as if it were insuffi cient- it was not commenting on the is- as early as March. the 72nd anniversary of the NHS, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in London, Britain, yesterday. have also written to the chief ly serious to warrant prosecution sue. Ireland delays easing Rate of virus infection of travel restrictions

Reuters Ireland now has one of the may be rising: experts Dublin lowest infection rates in Eu- rope, with just three infections per 100,000 people during the Daily Mail The government’s Scientifi c leased the day before Super Sat- reland will ease quarantine past two weeks, so the list of London Advisory Group for Emergencies urday, Dr Konstantin Blyuss, of restrictions on people trav- exempted countries is likely (Sage) says the R rate across Britain the University of Sussex, said: Ielling from abroad on July to be much shorter than Eng- is between 0.7 and 0.9. “The fact that there are almost 20, with people arriving from a land’s, government ministers ates of coronavirus infec- Separate data released by Sage no changes in these estimates “green list” of countries with have indicated. tion have stopped falling as shows the growth rate – how the since last week appear to sug- low Covid-19 rates to be exempt Ryan said that the government Rrapidly, experts say – and number of new cases is changing gest that the level of infection in from isolating themselves for 14 was considering “a certain ele- could be rising in parts of the day by day – may be zero per cent, the UK is plateauing rather than days, Transport Minister Eamon ment of testing” for Covid-19 at country including London, just as meaning the fall has plateaued. reducing.” Ryan said. airports, but that every visitor restaurants reopen. The growth rate fi gures released He raised concerns for future The government had said in would not be tested. Alarming new fi gures suggest by the panel, which include a range fi gures, adding: “Recent data from June that the restrictions would Ireland did not want an “ava- the R rate, which measures how of possibilities, estimate the na- several states in the US seem to in- be eased from July 9, but Ryan lanche” of Irish people traveling quickly the disease is being trans- tional fi gure to be between minus dicate that even in those of them said this had been delayed due abroad and said the government mitted, has gone up to 1.1 in the 6% and zero. where the infection was already to concern about travel-related would continue to encourage capital and could be as high as the But last week it was minus four not growing, close contacts have infections. people to take holidays at home, crucial 1.0 fi gure in four other re- to minus two per cent. resulted in record numbers of in- “A so-called green list...will be he said. gions – the Midlands, the North There are also regional varia- fection among the younger popu- published on July 20, or prior to To date Ireland has recorded East and Yorkshire, the South East tions, with the London growth lation that have even superseded that,” Ryan said in an interview 25,498 cases of Covid-19, with and the South West. rate ranging from minus four per levels seen earlier in the epidemic.” with Newstalk radio station yes- 1,740 deaths. If the R – or reproduction – cent to plus two percent, and that Sage scientists have also warned terday. “The green list will be op- Britain’s death toll from con- rate goes above one it means the for the South West being given as that restaurants and weddings erating after that” date, he said. fi rmed Covid-19 cases has risen number of Covid cases is on the between minus seven and plus two could be sources of ‘super-spread- Neighbouring Britain on Fri- by 22 to 44,220, the department rise, as each individual with the percent. er’ incidents. day ended coronavirus quar- of health said yesterday. disease is infecting more than one Experts say the true fi gure is In studies of countries where antines for people arriving in The number of deaths reg- other person. more likely to be somewhere in lockdown measures have already England from more than 50 istered at the weekend is often The estimates by experts, which the middle of the lower and upper been eased, the panel said up to countries. lower than during the week. In- are open to a margin of error, raise numbers, but warn they cannot 100 people at a time had been Ryan said Ireland would drop cluding deaths from suspected fears that more local lockdowns rule out that the epidemic is in- found to contract the disease, even the quarantine for countries cases, the toll is over 54,000, ac- such as the one imposed on Leices- creasing again in the two regions. if just one person there was Covid A restaurant employee stands on the step of a restaurant with a whose infection rates “are simi- cording to a Reuters tally. ter this week may be necessary. Responding to the fi gures, re- positive. menu in the Soho area of London. lar if not better than our own.” Gulf Times 12 Monday, July 6, 2020 BRITAIN

County lines gangs ‘disguised drug couriers as nurses’

Guardian News and Media UK’s biggest police forces. nerable people and their families Liverpool and Merseyside area. are clever and ingenious. caught by British Transport Po- Face coats, hoods up, baseball London Superintendent Andy as lockdown is eased. What you still had in the im- “They still want to deliver their lice on trains but others were caps on. That sticks out like a sore O’Connor of Merseyside police In an interview with the Guard- porting forces was the demand commodity, there’s still a signifi - transported by car, sometimes thumb. If you force the mothers, said Liverpool drug lords forced ian to publicise Merseyside po- for class A drugs. In a way, what cant amount of money to make. driven by their relatives. the sisters, the grandmothers to riminal gangs have been to return home during lockdown lice’s Eyes Open education cam- we saw was a ‘click and collect’ “County lines dealers have O’Connor said: “If you are a do the drug dealing on their be- dressing young drug were operating a “click and col- paign about the tell-tale signs of service for drugs. traditionally put couriers on clever crime group you force a half, where there’s debts to be Cmules as nurses and De- lect” service for couriers dis- criminal exploitation, O’Connor “What we had, anecdotally, coaches and trains to deliver woman to drive a car. Put your- paid off , it’s an easy way to move liveroo workers to deliver co- guised as key workers to travel in said lockdown had made it much was people leaving the area to de- drugs and money to smaller self in the shoes of a crime group drugs around the country.” caine, heroin and illegally ac- and out of the region with drugs. harder to move drugs and money liver drugs. People were dressed as towns and cities, but with pub- leader of a drug gang, use vulner- Young and vulnerable people quired prescription drugs during He said the looming recession around the country. key workers, we’ve got evidence lic transport usage reduced dur- able women to move your drugs from Merseyside had been picked lockdown, according to a sen- coupled with high unemploy- He said: “The majority of our to show there were people stop- ing lockdown, the gangs had to and cash. They don’t look like up during lockdown as far away ior offi cer in charge of tackling ment could make it easier for crime groups had to come back checked purporting to be nurses change tack,” said O’Connor. your stereotypical drug dealer as Aberdeen in Scotland and on county lines dealing at one of the criminal groups to recruit vul- into force, to come back to the or Deliveroo drivers. Crime groups Some young people were wearing dark clothing, North England’s south coast, he said.

Black Lives Matter protest Alarm bells ring over aid spending amid poor clarity on DfID merger

Guardian News and Media the government did not appear London to have a clear strategy. “There doesn’t seem to be any oversight; so, for example, if all he government’s plans the departments cut projects to merge the department in one country, who will notice Tfor international devel- this? Or if all middle-income opment (DfID) with the Foreign countries retain their funding?” and Commonwealth Offi ce have she said. been criticised for a chaotic lack “I’ve been raising it in the of clarity as NGOs are told to cut chamber and submitting ques- aid programmes. tions to to fi nd out whether DfID said it was due to review there’s an overarching strategy, its aid spending because of a fall and there doesn’t seem to be. in gross national income, but “What we need is for DfID and stressed no decisions had been indeed the Foreign Offi ce to be made. putting all their energy and fo- Protesters hold placards as they march through London towards Parliament Square in support of the Black Lives Matter movement yesterday in the aftermath of the However, experts in the aid cus into fi ghting the impact of death of unarmed black man, George Floyd, in police custody in the US. sector say there are already signs Covid-19.” of cuts among programmes Aid experts have criticised tackling poverty and Covid-19. Boris Johnson, the prime min- “It’s concerning to hear that ister, for justifying the merger despite repeated assurances by comparing aid spending to from the government that de- alleviate poverty in Zambia cisions around cuts to aid pro- to spending on places such as gramming have not yet been Ukraine and the Balkans, where made, we are hearing the con- the government has political and trary from of our members,” said security interests. Stephanie Draper, CEO of Bond, Global development ex- Record misogyny as hate a UK network of international pert Halima Begum, who used development organisations. to work at DfID, said the cuts “Many of them are on the seemed to represent a “scramble frontline, without additional for money” as DfID has a larger resources, trying to get help and budget than the Foreign Offi ce. support to vulnerable people in She said budget cuts were the midst of a global pandemic.” “extremely worrying … when crime, demands Labour She added: “If we are going to we have a community already immediately cut anything, sure- sceptical of the merger because Guardian News and Media mestic abuse more seriously. violence being addressed sys- remaining stages of the domes- Burnham said: “I’ve met ly we should be looking at places we want to protect the poorest London Hate crime legislation, which tematically. tic abuse bill today. with many local campaigners where overseas development people of the world. can lead to higher penalties be- “What the police have said, Creasy said ministers had in Manchester who have made assistance is not being used to “That suggests the govern- ing imposed for off ences moti- literally, is, ‘If we recorded it, we resisted her proposals, arguing a powerful case for why treat- reach the world’s poorest and ment’s direction of travel is abour’s metro mayors vated by factors such as racism will have to do something about that the law commission should ing misogyny as a hate crime most vulnerable people?” headed towards trade and mili- have united behind a par- or homophobia, does not cover it.’ And you think, yes, that’s ab- be allowed to report fi rst, but would help ensure the violence On Wednesday, the develop- tary,” she said, adding that the Lliamentary proposal from misogyny, although the law solutely the point,” said Creasy. said the backing of the four La- and harassment women and ment news site Devex reported changes are related to the gov- Stella Creasy to force the police commission has said it is plan- “The law Commission have bour metro mayors, plus Liam girls face on a daily basis is ad- that DfID had asked some of its ernment’s concern it will lose to start recording misogyny as a ning to consult on a proposal to told us they are going to consult Byrne, the party’s candidate for dressed. charity partners to make cuts of global infl uence, and foreign hate crime. widen the defi nition later this on how to incorporate misogyny mayor in the West Midlands, “A hidden story dur- up to 30% on some programmes, aid might be seen as a way to Sadiq Khan, the mayor of year. into hate crime legislation. was an important boost to her ing lockdown has been the including those related to the strengthen the roles of diplo- London, Andy Burnham, the The Creasy amendment “We now need the data to campaign. rise in reports of domestic coronavirus pandemic. matic missions. mayor of Greater Manches- would not make misogyny a know the extent of what is hap- Asked why the government abuse and harassment, with It reported that some of DfID’s A DfID spokesperson said: ter, Steve Rotheram, mayor hate crime, but would oblige pening, and what we are hear- was not supporting the Creasy some police forces across the humanitarian programmes in “The UK is committed to spend- of Liverpool city region, and forces to record crimes where ing from police who are doing amendment, a Home Offi ce country already recording Syria, Yemen and the Democrat- ing 0.7% of gross national in- Dan Jarvis, mayor of Shef- misogyny was a factor. it is that it transforms the way spokesperson said it would when crimes are motivated by ic Republic of the Congo could come (GNI) on development, field city region, are backing Creasy said the experience of they deal with violence against be wrong to pre-empt the re- misogyny. The government also be cut. which is enshrined in law. This an amendment to the domes- Nottinghamshire police, which women, because it makes the view being undertaken by the should listen and learn from Sarah Champion, chair of par- means the aid budget increases tic abuse bill tabled by the started doing this in 2016, and link between misogyny and vio- law commission and that po- the impact this approach has liament’s international develop- when the UK economy grows Labour backbencher Creasy, four other forces that have lence.” lice forces were already free to had and how it has enabled ment committee, which is due to and decreases if the economy which she believes will lead adopted the same approach MPs will debate the amend- record misogynist hate crimes if the detection and prevention be scrapped in the merger, said shrinks.” to police forces taking do- showed that it led to domestic ment when they consider the they wanted to. of crime.” Obesity timebomb Firms to get cash for hiring apprentices in schools revealed Daily Mail ment among under-25s would London more than double from 420,000 to just over 1mn by the end of the Daily Mail Layla Moran, LibDem leader- weight, compared with 65% in year. London ship hopeful, said: “We are los- the general population. he target to get 50% of Large fi rms are already en- ing the battle against obesity Boris Johnson was report- young people into univer- couraged to off er youth training and we need to act before it’s too edly convinced he ended up in Tsity is set to be formally by the Apprenticeship Levy. hree in 10 reception class late. In some areas, nearly one in intensive care with coronavirus abandoned as part of a drive to But this week Sunak is ex- children are either obese three children are obese by the because he was signifi cantly expand vocational education. pected to off er cash payments to Tor overweight in some time they reach school. Obesity overweight. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will small fi rms for each apprentice parts of Britain, damning fi gures increases the likelihood of de- The prime minister appar- use this week’s mini-Budget to they take on. reveal. veloping chronic diseases, dis- ently told friends he weighed 17 announce funding for a huge ex- Ministers hope the scheme Nationwide, a fi fth of chil- ability and early death. and a half stone when admitted pansion in apprenticeships. will lead to a massive expansion dren – 22.6% – aged four or fi ve “The government needs to to hospital, meaning he would be With youngsters facing what in the availability of apprentice- are considered fat, according to tackle this public health crisis classifi ed as clinically obese. is set to be the most diffi cult jobs ships and allow every young per- Public Health England statistics. and recognise there isn’t a one- A department of health market for a generation, Educa- son who wants one to get a place. The worst areas are Knows- size-fi ts-all solution. We need spokesman said: “We are deter- tion Secretary Gavin Williamson The 50% university target was ley, Merseyside, where 29.7% of a holistic package of measures mined to tackle the problem of will also launch a major push to fi rst set in 1999 and was fi nally children are overweight or obese, to invest in children’s mental obesity. We have already made expand further education. achieved in 2017. followed by Hull (29.2%) and health and well-being, to em- huge progress towards our goal Williamson is expected to for- Although now in abeyance, Redcar and Cleveland (28.8%). power teachers to run tailored of halving childhood obesity by mally abandon the 50% target sources said it had continued to Wolverhampton in the West school sports plans and to edu- 2030 – cutting sugar from half this week and focus on improv- drive education policy. Midlands was the only area in cate and incentivise parents to of drinks on sale, funding exer- ing access to high-quality prac- “There has been an unhealthy the top 10 not in the North. Four make healthier choices.” cise programmes in schools and tical and vocational courses at obsession with the 50% target,” were in Merseyside. Around three in 10 adults in working with councils to tackle college. a government source said.”Of Kingston upon Thames had England are clinically obese – a child obesity locally.” Boris Johnson said this week course we want people to be able the lowest fi gure but even there body mass index above 30. Other areas with lower rates he wanted to off er an ‘opportu- to go to university but we should 15.6% of children are obese or The rate is among the highest of obesity and overweight chil- nity guarantee’ to all young peo- not be trying to infl ate the num- overweight, according to the fi g- in the western world. Obesity dren include Richmond upon ple amid fears that the recession bers artifi cially. All the time the ures from last year uncovered by has been identifi ed as a risk fac- Thames, Windsor and Maiden- sparked by the lockdown could focus has been on the target, no the LibDems. tor for dying of coronavirus. head and Wandsworth. see unemployment soar past one has been talking about the The measurements were for According to data from NHS There were no fi gures for the 3mn. 50% of young people who don’t pupils around England in their hospitals, 75% of Covid-19 pa- City of London or the Isles of A study by the IPPR think- go to university. That is going to reception year. tients in intensive care are over- Scilly. Sunak: funding boost planned tank forecast that unemploy- change.” Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 13 EUROPE Greece shuts border to Serbian tourists as infections spike

DPA vic, and coaches became infected people over the past seven days Athens with the virus. compared to a rate of around 10 overall in the country. The government, which has ollowing a spike in coro- Czech mining area relaxed most restrictions on navirus infections in races to control public life in the country, has FSerbia, Greece has an- maintained tougher measures nounced it is closing its borders viral outbreak in the region to try to limit the to travellers from the nearby spread of the virus. Balkan country. A rise in new coronavirus in- An entry ban is set to come fections in a Czech coal mining into force today at 6am and the region that has driven a recent Local lockdown in border will remain closed to trav- jump in overall cases is under Spanish northwest ellers from Greece until July 15, a control and should ease soon, the government spokeswoman said health minister said yesterday The northwestern Span- yesterday. amid criticism. ish region of Galicia yesterday The restrictions will come as a State hard coal miner OKD imposed restrictions on about disappointment to the countless last week closed its mines in the 70,000 people following a Serbians who traditionally spend Karvina area in the country’s Covid-19 outbreak, a day after their holidays in Greece. east, along the Polish border, af- Catalonia also introduced a local In the past few days alone, ter a jump in cases among miners lockdown to curb the spread of thousands of holidaymakers and their close contacts. the coronavirus. from Serbia have travelled to The rise has caused over- People living in A Marina along northern Greece, with all forced all case numbers to accelerate, Spain’s northern coast in the re- to undergo coronavirus tests. prompting some other European gion of Lugo will not be able to Greek offi cials did not say if Union members like Slovenia to leave the area until Friday, two they had detected many cases of bump the Czech Republic from days before regional elections in infections among those entering their list of safe countries, com- Galicia on July 12. Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic casts his ballot at a polling station in Zagreb yesterday during the country’s parliamentary from Serbia. plicating travel at the start of the The regional government said elections. Before a new spike of infec- summer holiday season. people will be allowed to move tions within a persistent upward Responding to criticism from around A Marina but only those trend in recent days, Serbia had an opposition leader, Health who need to travel for work will seemed to be on the verge of Minister Adam Vojtech said on be allowed to leave or enter the bringing the Covid-19 epidemic Twitter: “The situation is under area. to a close, with the number of control and in the coming days Regional Health minister Je- Croatia conservatives to new cases in the low double- we expect another drop in cases sus Vazquez Almuina told a news digits in late May and early June. if everyone (infected) will main- conference yesterday that the But since then new outbreaks tain a quarantine and (abide by) biggest outbreaks were linked to have hit Belgrade and the town of set rules.” several bars in the area. Novi Pazar, where the health care In the majority of new cas- Regional health authorities fall short of majority system quickly became over- es, patients showed only light said there were now 258 cases whelmed. symptoms or none at all, Vojtech in Galicia, of which 117 were in Infection numbers began to told news website Novinky.cz. Lugo. By Lajla Veselica, AFP its nearly 30 year independence, had been The Ipsos poll put the ultra-conservative rise after the government fully The country has reported a to- Spain’s Health Minister Salva- Zagreb touting its relatively successful contain- Most party and a new leftist-green group relaxed restrictions, even be- tal of 12,440 cases, including 121 dor Illa said that the ministry was ment of the country’s own virus outbreak tied in fourth place with eight seats each. coming the fi rst European coun- new cases on Saturday, with an following the situations in Gali- thus far, with an offi cial tally of roughly 110 The biggest task for the new government try to allow spectators at football overall death toll of 351, still far cia and Catalonia very closely. roatia’s conservatives were yester- deaths and 3,000 infections. will be softening the blow of the coronavi- matches, with one game draw- lower than many western Euro- “Social distancing and lock- day poised for victory in elections, an The party had also presented Prime Min- rus’s looming economic fallout, forecast to ing a crowd of more than 20,000 pean countries. down measures were the key to Cexit poll showed, putting the ruling ster Andrej Plenkovic, a former MEP with a be some 10%. people. The recent surge peaked with fl attening the curve. Now they HDZ in a strong position for coalition talks calm demeanour who enjoys strong back- “Everyone is scared about what will hap- Large crowds also gathered in 305 new cases on June 28. are needed again to stop the out- to renew its government. ing from Brussels, as a safe pair of hands to pen in autumn,” Vesna Trnokop, a 60-year- June for a tennis exhibition or- The jump comes after a period breaks,” he said in tweet. The party, which has dominated Croatia navigate the coming economic downturn. old economist from Zagreb, told AFP ahed ganised by the world’s top player since mid-April when the daily Spain has registered 205,545 for most of its nearly 30-year independence, Ahead of the poll 50-year-old Plenkovic of the poll. “The coronavirus has changed Novak Djokovic in Belgrade and case rise was mostly below 100. coronavirus cases and 28,385 was slated to secure 61 seats in the 151-mem- had dismissed his rivals as ill-prepared, tell- economies, not only in Croatia, everywhere, Zadar, in Croatia. The latter The region of Karvina, where deaths according to health min- ber house, according to Ipsos agency. ing voters that now is the time for “serious so we should change our ideas.” tournament was scuppered after OKD’s operations are based, istry data, making it one of Eu- Their main rivals, the centre-left coali- choices and not for political quackery”. At polling stations around the coun- several players, including Djoko- has had 247 cases per 100,000 rope’s worst-aff ected countries. tion led by the Social Democrats (SDP), were The key question is whether HDZ will go try, voters were advised to wear masks and far behind with 44 seats. in for a tie-up with the nationalist ‘Home- bring their own pens as the European Union Lacking an absolute majority, HDZ would land Movement’ of musician-turned-pol- country has recorded a new uptick in coro- need to fi nd other allies to retake power. itician Skoro, who could hold the keys to a navirus infections in recent weeks. One possible option is the new nationalist full majority. But the health situation did not appear party led by a folk singer, which was forecast The 57-year-old, a former HDZ mem- to dramatically dampen turnout, which at Chechen dissident shot dead in to secure 16 seats according to the poll, re- ber whose folk tunes were a hit during and two-and-a-half hours before polls closed vealing a shift to the right be voters. after Croatia’s 1990s independence war, was at 34%, some three points below the The election was held under the shadow made his debut when he fi nished third as fi gure in 2016 elections. Austria, two Russians detained of the coronavirus pandemic and its eco- an independent in the December presiden- Offi cials also paid home visits to collect nomic eff ects, with Croatia’s tourism-de- tial election, inspiring him to form a new the ballots of 500 people — some 10% of pendent economy on course for its steepest movement. He has drawn criticism from the those in self-isolation — who requested to AFP tions into the murder of his fel- leader Ramzan Kadyrov fended decline in decades. left for sexist remarks and for tolerance of vote, while others infected with the virus Vienna low Russian citizen. off an attacker armed with a HDZ, which has led Croatia for most of Croatia’s pro-Nazi past. could do so through a proxy. Police and prosecutors said the hammer. crime was still under investiga- A month earlier, Chechen op- ustrian police have ar- tion and it was too early to com- position leader Imran Aliev was rested two Russians from ment on any motive. found dead in a hotel room in AChechnya over the fatal The dead dissident — identifi ed the northern French city of Lille, shooting of a Chechen dissident, by Austrian prosecution as Martin B stabbed 135 times. Three-way contest to replace Merkel likely offi cials said yesterday. — had given evidence in a 2017 mur- Chechnya is a predominantly The 43-year-old asylum seek- der case in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Muslim Russian republic in the DPA dates,” Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the cur- Kramp-Karrenbauer had announced fol- er, a vocal critic of the Chechen interior ministry told AFP. North Caucasus. Berlin rent CDU party leader, told broadcaster ARD. lowing a string of gaff es after her election as Republic’s government, was In that case, a gun attack near Two wars in the 1990s trig- However none of the three candidates party leader that she would not run again to found dead with gunshot wounds Kiev, a volunteer soldier, who gered a wave of emigration, with have been willing to step back, Kramp-Kar- lead the CDU. near the capital Vienna on Satur- had been accused of plotting many Chechens heading for he acting leader of German Chancel- renbauer said. Merkel’s party had earlier cancelled a day. to murder Russian President western Europe. lor Angela Merkel’s Christian Demo- As a result, the party is now headed to- party conference that had originally been Police arrested a 47-year-old Vladimir Putin, was injured and More Chechens have fl ed into Tcrats (CDU) says she expects a contest wards a December congress where Kramp- planned for April to elect a new leader due Russian from Chechnya in the his wife killed. exile in recent years because of between three candidates head up the CDU Karrenbauer’s replacement as party leader, to the pandemic. city of Linz, some 200km from The Austria shooting comes disagreements with pro-Kremlin — and the chance to become chancellor — to and ultimately also Merkel’s potential suc- The three candidates are Armin Laschet, Vienna, shortly after fi nding the amid growing concern over the Kadyrov, who rights activists ac- take place at a party conference in Decem- cessor as chancellor, will be decided. the premier of the state of North Rhine body. security of Chechen dissidents cuse of repeated rights violations. ber. The new party leader would then discuss Westphalia, Friedrich Merz, a former parlia- A second Russian, 37, also from living in exile. In Austria, Chechen dissident “There is indeed a broad desire within the with the CDU’s Bavarian sister party CSU mentary faction leader, and Norbert Roett- Chechnya living in Austria, was In February, an exiled Chechen Umar Israilov was shot dead on a party to do without a contest between candi- about chancellor candidacy. gen, a foreign policy expert. detained yesterday for investiga- blogger also critical of Chechen Vienna street in 2009. Italy to take in 180 migrants rescued in Mediterranean

AFP the end. I need to tell my family Others have become dis- At times, all the members of Rome that I’m still alive,” said Rabiul, traught at not being able to tel- the SOS Mediterranee rescue 27, from Bangladesh. ephone their families to let them team have been on deck in order The Ocean Viking is now head- know they were safe. to calm tense situations. taly yesterday authorised ing for the port where the migrants A member of the crew, Lu- Some of the threats were di- charity vessel Ocean Viking will be transferred to government- dovic, told AFP he had never wit- rected at the rescuers them- Ito transfer 180 migrants res- chartered ship the Moby Zaza for nessed such violence on board selves. cued in the Mediterranean to a 14 days of quarantine. a rescue vessel, after a spate of Rumours abounded among ship in Sicily for quarantine, the “I can confi rm that they’re fi ghts between migrants and the groups of migrants, includ- ship’s operator and the govern- authorised to move to the Moby threats of suicide. ing that the NGO is in cahoots ment said. Zaza, likely tomorrow morning,” The migrants, who include with Italian authorities, earning Those on board exploded with Interior Ministry spokesman Pakistanis, North Africans, Eri- money each day the migrants are joy at the announcement that Dino Martirano told AFP. treans, Nigerians and others, kept on board. their ordeal amid the cramped They have been on the Ocean were picked up after fl eeing Libya On Thursday, two migrants conditions on the Ocean Viking Viking for over a week, with fi ghts in four separate rescues by the threw themselves into the Medi- would soon be over, with mi- and suicide attempts on board Ocean Viking on June 25 and 30. terranean, but were rescued. grants singing, applauding and prompting the charity to declare a “Now, a second life is in front More than 100,000 migrants taking selfi es. state of emergency on Friday. of us, after everything we went tried to cross the Mediterranean “We have received instruc- The Ocean Viking, which has through in Libya. Thank you Italy last year with more than 1,200 tions from the Italian maritime been in limbo in the Mediter- for off ering us a second life, and dying in the attempt, according authorities to disembark those ranean south of Sicily, has been to SOS Mediteranee for saving to the International Organisation on board in Porto Empedocle,” a waiting for permission from Italy the fi rst,” said Emmanuel, 32, for Migration. spokesman for the charity SOS or Malta to offl oad the migrants from Ghana. The arrival of summer and Mediterranee told AFP, which at a safe port. The migrants include 25 chil- more favourable conditions at has a correspondent on board. Tensions have risen in the past dren, most of whom are unac- sea may lead to an increase of “We’re very happy! We’ve week, as witnessed by an AFP re- companied by adults, and two attempts to cross the Mediter- come a long way, Libya was like porter, with the migrants increas- women, one of whom is preg- ranean with the hope of arriving Migrants celebrate aboard the Ocean Viking rescue ship after Italy announced yesterday they would be hell and now at least we can see ingly desperate to reach land. nant. in Europe. authorised to land. Gulf Times 14 Monday, July 6, 2020 INDIA MP faces fresh crisis over portfolio allocation

IANS portfolios to be shared with the ed departments, those in charge BJP’s central leadership is not Scindia feels departments that Home and Health portfolios he nalising the portfolios, the Con- Bhopal new arrivals from the Congress. of more than one portfolio are generously disposed towards gives his ministers a direct ac- now has. The other key depart- gress, that had a long history He left again for Delhi yester- trying to retain their favourite him. cess to the masses would help in ment is Finance. of being controlled by the high day morning and was still unable ones. He is also scheduled to meet winning by-elections. The previous fi nance minister command, has said the BJP’s eaty portfolios remain to fi nalise the list. A three-way contest has Scindia in Delhi. He wants Rural Develop- for almost a decade, Jayant Ma- central leadership seems to be the bone of conten- On July 2, 28 new ministers panned out for key portfolios. Interestingly the Rashtriya ment, Panchayats, Women and laiyya, lost the elections. keen to run the Madhya Pradesh Mtion in Madhya Pradesh were inducted in the council of This is playing out between Swayamsevak Sangh has had to Child Welfare, Home, Irrigation, The BJP leaders by now realise government. three days after Chief Minister ministers, including 12 loyalists the former Congress leaders ac- intervene in the tussle between Transport, Public Relations, and they grossly erred in expecting “The formation of the min- Shivraj Singh Chouhan expand- of former Congress leader Jyoti- counting for 41% of the minis- the central leaders and Chouhan. Food Supplies. Scindia to adapt to their political istry and allocation of portfo- ed his ministry. raditya Scindia. try, the original senior leaders The key mediator from RSS is Of these, Irrigation is already culture. lios should normally be the chief With the issue remaining un- Of 22 legislators who resigned from the BJP who are wondering B L Santosh. with his loyalist Tusli Silawat. On the contrary, it is the BJP minister’s prerogative. That no resolved till yesterday evening, from the Congress to join the why they should make sacrifi ces The Scindia camp had been The leverage through the that seems to have been infected longer seems to be the case. The Chouhan said he might an- Bharatiya Janata Party, 14 are for the turncoats and the three insisting on getting the depart- Public Relations Department by the Congress bug. BJP seems to have given up that nounce the portfolios on return now in the expanded ministry. or four Chouhan supporters, ments it held in the Congress has been the forte of Narottam Most noticeable change is culture. It took 100 days to fi - to Bhopal today. Among those inducted on who might end up paying the ministry. Mishra in the previous BJP re- seen in Scindia’s articulation. nalise the ministry and now the Chouhan has been shuttling Thursday, 20 are of cabinet rank heaviest price for the adventure It is another matter that Scin- gime. He resorted to analogies and portfolios have remained unde- between Bhopal and Delhi – fi rst and eight ministers of state. of toppling the Congress gov- dia kept nagging Kamal Nath all Mishra enjoys greater proxim- shrillness and like Chouhan, cided for nearly four days,” par- for the names to be included in So, while the new inductees ernment. through the 15 months for better ity to the BJP top leadership and called himself a tiger. ty’s media co-ordinator, Naren- the ministry and then, for the are making eff orts to bag covet- Chouhan knows full well the departments. would not like to part with the Taking a dig at the delay in fi - dra Saluja said.

Heavy rains hit Mumbai, many areas in Govt probes city fl ooded

Agencies Mumbai police links

eavy rains continued to batter Mumbai and other Hparts of Maharashtra for the third consecutive day yes- terday, and the India Meteoro- with dreaded logical Department (IMD) issued high alerts for the next two-fi ve days, offi cials said. The downpour and water- logging have added to the con- cerns of India’s fi nancial capital already grappling with a high UP gangster number of coronavirus cases. As incessant rains pounded IANS were switched off a few hours “My son is innocent and I the city, Mumbai’s Powai Lake Kanpur after he fl ed. will fi ght for him right up to started overfl owing yesterday. The phones of his friends, the Supreme Court. He is being High tides hit the coast in Co- relatives and associates have framed for political reasons,” laba in south Mumbai yesterday uthorities in Uttar been put on surveillance but the father told reporters. morning, leading offi cials to Pradesh are investigating Dubey has not contacted any of It has also been found that a warn people to stay away from Areports that a gangster them so far, then police said. phone call was allegedly made the seashore. accused of killing eight police- Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, from the Chaubeypur police A large number of people from men was tipped off by their own who was injured in the Friday station to the local power sta- the Koli fi shing community in colleagues that they would be attack, said the police team was tion, asking them to disconnect Mumbai, living in low-lying ar- coming to arrest him. not prepared for an ambush and the power supply in the village. eas, have sought help from the The eight policemen, includ- most of them were unarmed. The police team could not fi nd local administration after the in- ing some senior offi cers, were an escape route when Dubey and tense spell of rainfall. killed during a raid to arrest “My son is innocent and I his men fi red at them because Due to the lockdown amid Vikas Dubey, who is charged in will fi ght for him right up the area was plunged into dark- coronavirus outbreak, the mu- 60 criminal cases including ab- to the Supreme Court. He is ness. nicipal authorities could only ductions and murders, offi cials being framed for political Meanwhile, sources said carry out 40% of the pre-mon- said. reasons” Dubey likley fl ed to Nepal or to soon work this year, according to Dubey and some accomplices some other state and would sur- NDTV network. escaped in the chaos that fol- “The criminals had blocked render in court when the furore However, offi cials said the lowed the attack in Kanpur. the road with an excavator and over the incident subsides. monsoon has not yet impacted Daya Shankar Agnihotri, an fi red on the police from elevated In a related development, Kil- the fi ght against the Covid-19 accomplice of Dubey, who was spots in the area. There was no kil Sachan, who runs a coaching pandemic. arrested yesterday morning, street light and we could not see institute in Kakadeo area in Kan- Mumbai Police asked citizens has admitted that the gangster properly. Some of the policemen pur, has been arrested for tweet- to “check offi cial updates before had received a call that a police saved themselves by running ing objectionable comments. stepping out of homes.” team would preparing to raid his behind the excavator. We could Sachan had applauded and The authorities deployed men house. not see who was fi ring because glorifi ed Dubey as a ‘lion’ for in the low-lying areas to clear Agnihotri, who was inside of darkness all around,” he said. killing the policemen. the water. Dubey’s house during the am- Dubey’s political connections The tweets have now been “At present traffi c has been di- bush, worked as his cook. were so strong that his name did deleted. verted from Andheri subway due He said he was sleeping when not fi gure in the list of top ten The sources said that Sachan to water-logging,” said Pravin the fi ring began. He has also criminals of the district even was close to Dubey and it was Padval, additional commission- said he was locked inside the though he had several criminal under the gangster’s patronage er of police. Traffi c moved slowly house when Dubey and his men cases against him, according to that his coaching centre fl our- at Jogeshwari Vikhroli link road attacked the police. sources. ished. due to water-logging near West- “I saw nothing,” Agnihotri He was just another name in Also yesterday, Congress ern Express Highway. said. the underworld of Uttar Pradesh. general secretary Priyanka Gan- The famed picnic spot of Dubey’s phone call details His ‘stature’ remained largely dhi attacked the Uttar Pradesh Bhushi Dam in Lonavala in Pune have revealed that he was in unknown to the people of the government over the deterio- district started overfl owing regular touch with a police of- state even though he had been rating law and order situation. after three days of rain in the fi cer, who was later suspended, accused of serious crimes. “In the last one week 50 mur- region, bringing cheers to the a police constable and a home Sixty police team are franti- ders took place in UP. But in the locals. guard. cally searching for the man, who Chief Minister’s publicity drive Over the weekend, the entire A senior police offi cial, who is now ‘most wanted’ in Uttar UP is ‘crime free’.In reality, UP is Konkan belt and parts of west- spoke on condition of ano- Pradesh. on top in few crimes. It’s enough. ern and northern Maharashtra nymity, said that Vinay Tiwari, On Saturday, the police razed Who is accountable,” Gandhi received good rain, and upbeat the suspended police offi cer of Dubey’s house in Bikru village said in a tweet yesterday. farmers got busy with the sow- Chaubeypur, was being ques- where he killed the policemen. “The law and order in the ing season. tioned. His father Ram Kumar Dubey, state has collapsed because of The south-west monsoon, Tiwari was suspended on who was interrogated by the po- the nexus between criminals, which usually hits Mumbai Saturday for his alleged conniv- lice till late on Saturday night, ruling party leaders and offi - around June 10, was disturbed ance in tipping-off the notori- claimed his son was not present cials,” she said and added, the owing to Cyclone Nisarga that ous local criminal. in the village when the attack morale of criminals was high in hit Raigad on June 3. Waves hit structures built along the coast during monsoon rains in Mumbai yesterday. Sources said Dubey’s phones took place. the state. ‘Seriously injured soldiers were shifted out’ before PM’s Leh visit

IANS pitalised in Leh and gave a short moved to Chandigarh and New Military sources said that Leh pep talk. Delhi for specialised treatment, though the injured soldiers who The visit, however, triggered just 10 days ago,” a top offi cial have been shifted out, were crit- a controversy because in the source said. ical, most of them will be able to round 40 Indian sol- video released by TV channels, The critical patients had re- recover and resume their duties diers who were seriously none of the soldiers appeared ceived ‘upper body’ injuries, soon.”Only in some cases, the Ainjured in the violent injured. especially those involving head, recovery may be longer,” sources face-off with Chinese troops The soldiers were seen with- which needed special treatment said. in the Galwan Valley along the out any bruises or bandages, sit- that was not available in Ladakh, The violent clash on June 15 Line of Actual Control (LAC) ting on clean beds, arranged in sources said. was the most serious confronta- last month, had been moved for rows, in a large conference room The ones with less critical in- tion between the two militaries specialised treatment to Chan- rather a hospital ward, triggering juries have been treated and are after their 1967 clashes in Nathu digarh and New Delhi ten days speculations among his critics recovering in Leh, the sources La in which over 300 Chinese before Prime Minister Naren- and opposition parties that the said. army personnel were killed. dra Modi visited Ladakh on visit was just a stage-managed “Besides, the prime minister However, both countries re- Friday. political gimmick. met them almost 20 days after main engaged in talks at various Twenty soldiers were killed However, top sources in the they were wounded. Most of established military level and and over 70 soldiers were injured army told IANS that the soldiers them are in a very good recovery through diplomatic channels as in the violent clash with Chinese whom Modi met were the ones mode,” an offi cial said. well. troops on June 15. with less critical injuries. Another source said the inju- India’s National Security Ad- Accompanied by Chief of De- They did not include those ries below neck and above an- viser Ajit Doval is to meet his fence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, who were seriously wounded. kles were invisible because all Chinese counterpart to resolve Modi during his day-long trip, “Approximately 40 soldiers soldiers were wearing full length the crisis along the LAC in La- Indian army soldiers drive vehicles along mountainous roads as they take part in a military exercise at visited the injured soldiers hos- who had serious injuries were and fully covered garments. dakh. Thikse in Leh yesterday. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 15 INDIA Govt buying substandard ventilators: Congress

IANS fails Corona Fight”. that ventilators supplied by AgVa supply of 50,000 ventilators to “When the ventilator is avail- hospitals in the national capital. The Delhi government New Delhi Quoting a former employee, Health Care are of substandard the government-run Covid hos- able at Rs150,000 a piece, then The number of ICU beds has claimed that the number of the news article alleged that PM quality and are of no use. Why is pitals. Did the 50,000 ventilators why did the PM CARES fund al- increased from 60 to 180 in Lok vacant Covid beds is around CARES ventilator maker AgVa the government compromising ordered through the PM CARES locate Rs400,000 per ventilator? Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, from 9,900, which is nearly 65% of ongress leader Rahul has “fudged” software in order to with the health of patients with fund include the earlier order for Where is this extra money going,” 45 to 120 in Rajiv Gandhi Super the total bed capacity in Covid Gandhi yesterday alleged hide “poor performance”. such substandard equipment at 40,000 ventilators? Or are they the Congress leader asked. Specialty Hospital, and from 31 hospitals. Cthat the central govern- Gandhi’s tweet comes soon af- such a critical time?” separate,” he asked. He also asked if the open ten- to 66 in GTB Hospital by yester- “With an increase in the ICU ment was putting Indian lives at ter his party asked four specifi c “On March 31, the government According to a statement from dering and competitive bidding day. beds, the fatality rate in Delhi is risk by purchasing substandard questions to the government, had placed orders to procure the prime minister’s offi ce, only process had been followed in This comes as a breather as the expected to further reduce due ventilators for the fi ght against mostly revolving around the 40,000 ventilators from two do- 1,340 ventilators had been deliv- placing the orders. Covid tally continues to rise. to enhanced capacity to take care the coronavirus pandemic. company, the tendering process mestic manufacturers. ered till June 23, he said. Meanwhile, in a bid to ramp Delhi has reported around of critical patients. Over the last Quoting an article, Gandhi and price. Skanray Technologies was Citing the PMO statement, up the medical infrastructure in 97,000 cases so far. However, few weeks, the daily number of tweeted, “PMCares opacity is: Earlier yesterday, Congress given the order for 30,000 ven- Vallabh said ventilators were or- the fi ght against Covid-19, the 68,256 patients have recovered. fatalities due to Covid-19 has 1.Putting Indian lives at risk. spokesman Gaurav Vallabh tilators and AgVa Healthcare, dered at Rs400,000 a piece. But Delhi government yesterday an- The recovery rate in Delhi gone down substantially from 2.Ensuring public money is used asked, “Multiple government 10,000 ventilators,” Vallabh said. at the same time, AgVa Health- nounced a nearly three-fold in- crossed 70% on July 4, and the over 120 a day to 55 on July 4,” the to buy sub-standard products.” hospitals of repute and expert “Thereafter, the PM CARES care quoted Rs150,000 per ven- crease in the number of ICU beds number of hospitalised patients Delhi government said in a state- He even used a hashtag “BJP panel of doctors had reported fund allocated Rs2,000 crore for tilator. in LNJP, Rajiv Gandhi and GTB went down from 6,200 to 5,300. ment yesterday. Govt confi dent on progress in development of vaccine

Agencies have expressed scepticism and New Delhi questioned the short timeline. “It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use lat- s India races to unveil a est by August 15, 2020, after com- vaccine for Covid-19 by pletion of all clinical trials,” Bhar- Amid-August, the govern- gava said in the letter, dated July ment yesterday said that it is 2 and addressed to institutions entering the human trial stage involved in the trials. which “marks the beginning of Phase I and Phase II trials typi- the end”. cally test the safety of a drug be- Covaxin being developed by fore it enters Phase III trials that Bharat Biotech and ZyCov-D vac- test its effi cacy. cine by Zydus Cadila are India’s Each phase can last months, if own eff orts to bring a cure for the not years, and although regulators coronavirus pandemic. globally have been fast-tracking Along with the two Indian ef- trials on medicines and vaccines forts, the world over, 11 out of 140 to treat the novel coronavirus, the vaccine candidates have entered timeline envisaged in the letter A vendor wearing a face masks waits for customers for his beauty products in a market area in New Delhi yesterday. the human trial phase. would be unprecedented. The government also said that “To my knowledge, such an ac- six Indian companies are working celerated development pathway on a vaccine for Covid-19. has not been done EVER for any The Ministry of Science and kind of vaccine, even for the ones Technology said, “In the past being tried out in other coun- years, India has emerged as tries,” Anant Bhan, a doctor and one of the signifi cant vaccine public health researcher, said on manufacturing hubs. Indian Twitter. manufacturers account for 60% “Even with accelerated time- India reports record of vaccine supplies made to lines, this seems really rushed, Unicef.” and hence with potential risks, It added that regardless of inadequate attention to process.” which nation comes up with the Several other health experts vaccine, they will have to depend also questioned the launch date on India for its ability for mass proposed in the letter. production. However, an ICMR offi cial, Stressing the crucial role India who asked not to be identifi ed, daily Covid-19 cases plays in the vaccine, the govern- said the letter was a private com- ment cited how two key players munication and was being misin- Agencies About the size of 20 football cinemas, gyms and swimming positive patients while 3,174 visiting friends and neighbours have inked contracts with India. terpreted. New Delhi fi elds, the facility on the outskirts pools remain closed and interna- people had been cured of the and avoid unnecessary social in- Both - AAZD1222 developed The offi cial said the aim was to of the national capital will treat tional fl ights are still grounded. disease. The number of cases in- teraction. by Jenner Institute of University complete all trials on the vaccine mild symptomatic and asympto- Authorities have made wear- cludes 117 who came from abroad “We are used to visiting peo- of Oxford and licensed to Astra- candidate by August 15, and did ndia added a record number matic cases. ing masks mandatory in public and 57 from within the country,” ple’s homes. Even in such times, Zeneca, and The MRNA-1273 not say when he thought it might of coronavirus cases yes- State government offi cials places, while large gatherings are the minister said. people are being invited for vaccine developed by Kaiser Per- be launched for public use. Iterday, as the world’s fourth fear Delhi, home to 25mn people, banned and shops and other pub- Andhra Pradesh reported the birthdays, other functions. This manente Washington Health Re- Bharat Biotech’s managing di- worst-hit nation opened a huge could record more than half-a- lic establishments are required to highest one-day tally of 998 has to stop for some time,” Sa- search Institute “inked an agree- rector Krishna Ella said the com- treatment centre with 10,000 million cases by the end of the implement social distancing. positive cases and 14 more deaths want told reporters. ment with Indian manufacturers pany had a target to produce up to beds in New Delhi to fi ght the month. Maharashtra, the worst-hit yesterday. “Stop visiting each other’s for production of the Covid vac- 300mn doses of the vaccine per epidemic. The city has repurposed some state and home to fi nancial hub Tamil Nadu saw 4,150 people homes, even neighbours. We cines”. year if it succeeds in clinical trials. The Health Ministry reported hotels to provide hospital care. Mumbai, recorded over 7,000 testing positive for coronavirus. should not attend functions. We Talking about how Covaxin “Enrolment of the cohort for just under 25,000 cases and 613 It is also converting wedding new cases while Tamil Nadu and The number of Covid-19 patients should not also call people home. works, the ministry in a press the phase I is underway,” Ella said, deaths in 24 hours - the biggest halls and has several hundred Delhi recorded more than 4,200 who died over the past 2 -hours You never know when asymp- statement explained, it “uses the adding the company was awaiting daily spike since the fi rst case modifi ed railway coaches stand- and 2,500 fresh cases respec- was 60 taking the toll to 1,510. tomatic persons can spread the virus isolated from an Indian pa- approvals for human clinical trial was detected in late January. ing by. tively. On the positive side, 2,186 virus,” Sawant said, adding that tient by the National Institute of vaccine batches from the regula- The surge took India’s total A strict lockdown in place Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai Covid-19 patients were cured vulnerable senior citizens often Virology to develop the inacti- tor. tally to more than 673,000 cases since late March has gradually are the worst-aff ected cities. and discharged from various faced the brunt of the careless and vated virus vaccine.” Separately, Indian drugmaker and 19,268 deaths. been lifted, allowing most activi- Other states also recorded hospitals in the state. The to- unnecessary social interaction. Earlier on July 2, the chief of In- Zydus Cadila said it had secured It came as the capital New ties as the economy nose-dived more infections and deaths. tal number of Covid-19 cured Asked whether his appeal was dian Council of Medical Research regulatory approval to start hu- Delhi started treating patients at amid the shutdown. One person died and 225 fresh persons in the state goes up to in contrast to the state govern- (ICMR) Dr Balram Bhargava wrote man trials on its own Covid-19 a spiritual centre converted into But the number of cases across cases were reported in Kerala. 62,778. ment’s decision to restart the to 12 trial sites for Covaxin, stat- vaccine contender. a sprawling isolation facility and the vast nation of has climbed With this the state’s Covid-19 Meanwhile, amid a recent tourism industry, Sawant said ing that all clinical trials need to It plans to start trials this hospital with 10,000 beds, many steeply and is now close to sur- toll is 25. surge in Covid-19 cases in Goa, tourists were allowed into the be completed by August 15. month in over 1,000 subjects in made of cardboard and chemically passing badly-hit Russia. State Health Minister K K Chief Minister Pramod Sawant state after following due protocol However, some health experts India. coated to make them waterproof. Schools, metro trains in cities, Shailaja said there were 2,228 yesterday urged people to stop and testing. Taj Mahal reopening put Woman, son denied entry into village back due to virus fears IANS operating very few bus services Hyderabad due to the restricted movement of people. Agencies advisable as of now”, the district of thousands without work and They went to Kamareddy hos- Agra authorities said in a notice pub- shuttered businesses. woman and her son had to pital on June 30 to get tested but lished in Hindi. While international fl ights re- spend three days at a bus the authorities asked them to Agra, one of India’s fi rst big main suspended, domestic travel Astation outside a village in come the next day. he government has with- clusters of the virus, remains has been opened up, and the Telangana’s Kamareddy district as On the third day, offi cials of the drawn a planned reopen- the worst-aff ected city in Ut- government is hoping visitors people denied them entry fearing health department and police in- Ting of the Taj Mahal, citing tar Pradesh, the country’s most will start to trickle back to some they may be infected by the coro- tervened and convinced the villag- the risk of new coronavirus in- populous state. popular destinations. navirus. ers to allow the mother and son to fections spreading in the north- It was immediately not clear Containment zones, areas The two had returned from Hy- stay in a government-run school ern city of Agra from visitors whether the federal government identifi ed as most aff ected by derabad where her Covid-19 posi- building. fl ocking to see the 17th century would scrap its plan to reopen the virus, remain under strict tive daughter delivered a baby at Offi cials said the test results of monument to love. other monuments across the lockdown, with restricted access the Gandhi Hospital. the two were expected in two days. Local authorities issued a new country, such as New Delhi’s his- and movement of only essential When they arrived in the vil- The woman said her pregnant advisory late yesterday ordering toric Red Fort. goods and services. lage on June 29, the people insisted daughter from another village an extension of lockdown curbs However, two other monu- “We don’t expect visitors here that they come after undergoing had come to see her in March but on monuments in and around ments, the historic Charminar because clusters around the Taj, Covid-19 tests. was stranded due to the lock- Agra. and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, including shops and hotels are Though the mother and son down. The government order did not will re-open today. closed,” a local district adminis- pleaded with the villagers to allow The daughter developed labour specify the duration of the lock- India’s coronavirus infections tration offi cial said in Agra. them and off ered to live in home pains on June 26 and was taken to a down for monuments that have are rising at the fastest pace in The Taj Mahal and other ma- quarantine for two weeks, the vil- government hospital in Kamared- been closed since March. three months. jor Agra monuments are located lagers were unrelenting. dy. “In the interest of the public, But the government has been within highly populated residen- An aerial photo of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village Sports With no option left the two Since she had Covid-19 symp- it has been decided that opening lifting a vast lockdown of India’s tial areas, many of which are cat- Complex which has been temporarily converted into a coronavirus went to the bus station, which was toms, the hospital referred her to monuments in Agra will not be 1.3bn people that has left tens egorised as containment zones. care centre in New Delhi. almost deserted as authorities are the Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad. Gulf Times 16 Monday, July 6, 2020 LATIN AMERICA

Bolivia govt hints at anti-Morales election coalition

Reuters “There will be big surprises in 2006-19 under Morales and round run-off in October. presidential elections to Morales, in the controversial election last public offi cial at the time. Sucre the next few days, because our currently has a majority in both “We will see how open Mesa said “there needs to be ample October when the then-leader Without referencing either di- president will make very good houses of parliament. is,” said Murillo, leading analysts preparation for a dialogue other- won an unconstitutional fourth rectly, Morales said on Twitter: proposals” to Mesa, Interior But, without giving further to muse whether Anez is propos- wise it’s a waste of time.” term. “The protagonists of the coup olivia’s conservative in- Minister Arturo Murillo told the details, Murillo said “it’s not dif- ing a coalition to create a united Mesa’s campaign chief, Ricar- However, following three d’etat and those responsible for terim President Jeannine El Deber daily. Arce, from former fi cult” to beat MAS at the elec- front against MAS. do Paz, said the former president weeks of protests, he resigned the health and economic crisis BAnez is preparing propos- leader Evo Morales’ Movement tions. However, Anez’s vice-presi- was “open to talk with all demo- and fl ed the country after an Or- massacres in Bolivia are joining als for rival centrist Carlos Mesa for Socialism (MAS) party, led the To win outright in the Septem- dential candidate, Samuel Doria cratic political forces and build ganisation of American States interests to reissue the mega- to defeat their common enemy most recent opinion polls with ber 6 general election, the lead- Medina, wrote on Twitter that convergence.” audit found clear evidence of coalition of neoliberalism.” — socialist leader Luis Arce — in 33.3%, ahead of former presi- ing presidential candidate must no such negotiation had been However, he said “the time for vote rigging. Morales, who lives in exile in September’s election, a minister dent Mesa on 18.3% and Anez on get at least 40% with a 10-point discussed and that it was merely pre-election accords has already Mesa then supported Anez’s as- Argentina, is barred from stand- said, prompting speculation of a 16.9%. lead over the nearest challenger, Murillo’s “personal proposal.” passed.” sumption of the interim presiden- ing in the election in any capac- coalition. The party was in power from otherwise there will be a second Doria Medina, who lost two Mesa stood against Morales cy as she was the highest ranking ity. Brazil’s native seed collectors in demand for forest restoration

Thomson Reuters Foundation only 8% of the country’s popu- London lation, according to offi cial data. Ferreira said three seed collec- tors in one village she works with y law, builders of roads have fallen ill, with one elderly and dams and others who woman dying. Bdestroy forests in Brazil’s Families may have contracted Amazon are required to replant the disease after an eight-year- an equivalent area of trees else- old child died at a health facility where. and was brought home for burial To do that they need the right ceremonies, which involve com- seeds — and collecting those has munity members laying hands turned into valuable business on the deceased. for indigenous communities in “A lot of people got contami- the Xingu basin of Mato Grosso nated,” she said, noting that in state, as well as for other indig- the last 15 days she had seen “a enous groups around Brazil. lot of deaths start happening in Since 2008, more than 560 col- the municipalities around the lectors — most of them women — Xingu park”. have gathered almost 250 tonnes Dealing with cases of the vi- of seeds from 220 native species rus is diffi cult due to a lack of as part of an eff ort now known as intensive care units in cities, she the Xingu Seed Network. noted. People wearing protective masks stand in line to cast their votes in the general election during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Santiago, Dominican Republic, yesterday. The work has helped them “The one or two beds they earn an income, reconnect with have are already taken — and it’s their forests and restore more a 20-hour drive to the capital, than 6,600 hectares of degrad- where there are more beds,” she ed land, according to Ashden, said. “It’s really a catastrophe.” a British charity that this week The indigenous collectors have awarded the group one of its sus- discovered that planting seeds, tainability prizes for 2020. rather than saplings, is a more Dominican Republic voters The network has also helped effi cient and eff ective way to re- protect indigenous communities build forests quickly and help during the Covid-19 pandemic, young trees survive drought. as families that once would have Their seeding technique also shopped in town for food have makes it possible to plant 10 learned to harvest from their times as many trees per hectare brave virus to elect president home forests, said its director as using seedlings, at half the Bruna Ferreira. cost, Ashden noted. AFP after the number of new cases said they would proceed “come to the Central American parlia- sue after protests in recent years “Through the seed network, The project got its start when Santo Domingo soared by more than 1,000, a what may.” ment. over the involvement of local of- people have gotten back to their the more than 20 indigenous one-day record in a country that “Respecting social distancing, “Change is coming and the fi cials in the Latin America-wide forests to learn the variety of tribes living in the Xingu reserve has had 36,184 confi rmed cases exercise your right to vote,” the PLD is going,” Abinader, who Odebrecht graft scandal. The fruits, leaves and roots the an- — and offi cials in the region — oters in the Dominican and 786 deaths from the disease. head of the central election board, is considered a centrist, prom- Brazilian construction giant has cients used to know how to eat,” noticed water quality worsening Republic braved a roar- Outgoing President Danilo Julio Cesar Castanos, said in an- ised a crowd of hundreds of his admitted to doling out $92mn in she told the Thomson Reuters as farms replaced forests on the Ving coronavirus epidemic Medina, who cannot seek an- nouncing that polls were open. supporters at a closing rally bribes in the Dominican Repub- Foundation from Brazil after a borders of the reserve. yesterday to cast their ballots for other term under the country’s An observer team from the Wednesday. lic in exchange for winning pub- virtual awards ceremony. Eff orts to restore vegetation a new president and legislature constitution, was forced to im- Organisation of American States A Gallup poll gives Abinader lic works contracts. “They are getting that knowl- around rivers and springs in the of the Caribbean country. pose a national lockdown, easing (OAS) is monitoring the vote, but more than 53% of voter inten- The country, which shares the edge back and they are eating a Xingu watershed eventually Luis Abinader, the frontrun- it only last week as parties made its leader, former Chilean presi- tions, 20 points ahead of the rul- island of Hispaniola with Haiti, lot more of those resources,” she landed on seed planting as the ner in the presidential race, is a fi nal drive. dent Eduardo Frei, was unable ing PLD’s Castillo. ranks 137th out of 180 countries said. best way forward, said Eduardo seeking to end 16 years of un- Abinader, a 52-year-old busi- to be present because of travel Another poll gives Abinader a on Transparency International’s Brazil’s Amazon is one of the Malta Campos-Filho, a forest broken rule by the centre-left nessman, had to suspend his restrictions. slimmer 12-point margin. corruption index. Former presi- hardest-hit regions in a country expert with Brazil’s Instituto So- Dominican Liberation Party, campaign after testing positive Frei urged people to vote early “The Dominican people dent Leonel Fernandez, 66, trails with the world’s second-highest cioambiental. whose candidate Gonzalo Cas- for the coronavirus, but recov- to avoid crowds. should remember that a presi- in third place with 8.6%. Fern- number of coronavirus cases and Today there is “huge demand tillo was running second in a ered suffi ciently to lead a closing Some 7.5mn Dominicans are dent is elected in one day, but andez ruled for a total of three deaths, behind the US. for seed”, mostly from private six-man fi eld, according to pre- election rally on Wednesday. eligible to cast ballots in the the consequences last for four four-year terms between 1996 Brazil has registered nearly companies, farmers and green vote polls. The elections were supposed election. years,” Castillo told a crowd of and 2012. 62,000 deaths from Covid-19, groups trying to meet restoration Looming over the elections to have been held May 17, but Also up for grabs are 32 sen- his supporters in the town of Three other candidates are with at least 11,000 of those in requirements, said Campos, an was a rapidly spreading epidem- were pushed back until yester- ate seats, 190 seats in the lower Monte Plata. contesting the presidency from the Amazon region, which has adviser to the network. ic, with polls opening the day day, when election authorities house and 20 representatives Corruption has been a key is- minor parties.

Covid-19 cases rise Ancient ochre mines Mexico gangsters warned discovered in Mexico amid wave of violence Reuters levels after the last Ice Age. Washington Researchers previously had found human skeletons in the DPA ers were killed and two injured in ders that have driven Mexico’s caves but had not identifi ed why |Mexico City an attack in Luisiana in the same homicides. esearchers diving into dark people were there. state, security offi cial Alvar Ca- Offi cials said armed gunmen submerged caves on Mexi- “Across the world, archaeo- beza de Vaca said on Twitter. clad in military-style uniforms Rco’s Yucatan Peninsula have logical evidence has shown that exican President Andres The violence in Guanajuato attacked soldiers from the 16th found evidence of an ambitious humans have been using ochre for Manuel Lopez Obrador is attributed mainly to a power Regiment in a neighbourhood mining operation starting 12,000 hundreds of thousands of years. Mhas warned drug cartels struggle between the Jalisco New near the airport around dawn. years ago and lasting two millen- Even Neanderthals used ochre,” that he would make no pacts with Generation and Santa Rosa de The military seized eight AR- nia for red ochre, an earth min- said University of Missouri ar- them, as a wave of crime-related Lima drug cartels. 15 type weapons, one AK47, and eral pigment prized by prehistoric chaeological scientist Brandi violence rocked the country. In other criminal incidents, two.50 calibre Barrett sniper ri- peoples. MacDonald, lead author of the “It is very clear: we shall not Mexico City’s police chief Omar fl es at the scene, offi cials said in More than 100 dives totalling research published in the journal make pacts with crime. Nor with Garcia Harfuch was injured in an a statement. more than 600 hours in Quin- Science Advances. common crime, nor with organ- attack in which four other people Images published by local tana Roo state turned up numer- Ochre is believed to have off ered ised crime, nor with white-collar were killed last week. news outlets appeared to show ous mining artefacts, the scien- uses including painting objects crime,” the president said at his On June 16, a judge and his wife corpses piled in the back of a tists said. These included ochre and bodies, mortuary practices daily press conference. were assassinated in their home pickup truck and lying on a road- extraction pits, digging tools and perhaps hide tanning. Criminals had earlier bribed in Colima in the west. side in pools of blood. like hammerstones and small The dive team explored about authorities and reached agree- Lopez Obrador initially called A thirteenth man was found piledrivers made of stalagmites, 7km of subterranean passages in ments with them, “but we shall for “hugs, no bullets” and urged dead later, according to offi cials, markers that helped the miners three separate cave systems, with resist — not a step backwards,” criminals’ mothers to persuade who said his death was related to navigate the extensive cave net- mining spanning more than a half- he vowed. them to abandon violence. the early-morning confrontation work and hearths used to provide mile. Lopez Obrador made the com- But after a year-and-a-half in in Nuevo Laredo, opposite the light. “It is pretty electrifying to be ments days after a drug reha- offi ce, the president has tough- city of Laredo in Texas. The caves were not underwater the fi rst people to enter into an bilitation centre was attacked in ened his stance. Local news outlets reported People walk around the city centre after amenities and at the time of the mining. area that has not seen humans for Irapuato in Guanajuato state. Meanwhile, Mexican sol- the victims were likely members businesses were shut for the second time this weekend due The mining was undertaken as thousands of years and to see what The death toll has risen to 27 diers killed 12 alleged drug car- of the Cartel of the Northeast, a to overcrowding over the last few days, as the coronavirus human populations fi rst spread they left behind,” said study co- after three of the seven injured tel members wearing military regional gang that is a remnant of outbreak continues, in Mexico City, Mexico. Mexico reported through the region. author Sam Meacham, founder people died, Guanajuato attor- gear in the violent border city the once-powerful Zetas cartel. 523 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday, pushing its tally to The caves subsequently were of El Centro Investigador del Sis- ney general Carlos Zamarripa of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas The military has not said 30,366, overtaking France to become the fifth-highest in the abandoned for millennia before tema Acuífero de Quintana Roo said. state security officials said, in whether any of its soldiers were world. becoming submerged roughly A.C.(CINDAQ) and co-discoverer Meanwhile, fi ve police offi c- another instance of mass mur- injured or killed in the clash. 8,000 years ago amid rising sea of the mines. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 17 PAKISTAN PM asks NCOC to check Sindh to impose lockdown in virus spike during Eid Covid hotspots has appreciated the eff orts of Internews 3,191 new coronavirus cases, 93 deaths reported in 24 hours Islamabad frontline health workers and Internews The chief minister made it medical staff in the fi ght against Karachi clear that the comparison with At least 93 deaths have been tests is 1,398,352. support economy that led to an Covid-19. the other provinces was not akistani Prime Minister reported while 3,191 new The highest number of cases alarming increase in number of During a visit to Pakistan In- aimed at criticising them, but Imran Khan has directed coronavirus cases surfaced has been reported in Sindh Covid-19 cases in the country. stitute of Medical Sciences in indh’s Task Force on Cov- it was being made to assess and Pauthorities to ensure strict during 24 hours across Pakistan. with 92,306 cases followed On June 11, Prime Minister Imran Islamabad, he said the govern- id-19 has announced that evaluate the performance of implementation of standard op- According to government’s by Punjab with 81,317 corona Khan warned of taking a strict ment is pursuing a holistic strat- Sthe province would im- the Sindh government. From erating procedures (SOPs) and health portal, the confirmed patients. Similarly, 27,843 cases action for violating the standard egy to combat the coronavirus pose lockdown in coronavirus June 1 to July 3, 2020, 28 deaths undertake all required adminis- Covid-19 cases in the country surface in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, operations procedures (SOPs) with the support of nation, doc- hotspots, enhance testing and were reported in AJK, 75 in Ba- trative actions to implement the have reached 228,274. The total 10,766 in Balochistan, 13,409 in issued by the government to tors and paramedics. improve health facilities at iso- lochistan, 17 in Gilgit-Baltistan, strategy of smart lockdown to number of fatalities due to the Islamabad, 1,545 Gilgit-Baltistan stem the spread of Covid-19. Mirza said we have made the lation centres by making avail- 102 in Islamabad, 529 in KP, curtail the spread of coronavirus disease is 4,712 while recoveries and 1,288 in Azad Kashmir. The PM said he would best sovereign decisions in the able more high dependency unit 1,347 in Punjab and 987 in Sindh. during Eid al-Adha. tally is 129,830. Coronavirus cases are on the personally monitor the best interest of our people with (HDU) beds at isolation centres. “This is clear that our death rate He said this during a visit to Similarly, 2,419 coronavirus rise in Pakistan and it is feared implementation of the SOPs robust national coordination Presided over by Chief Min- is lower in terms of patients and National Command and Opera- patients are in critical condition that the virus will be at its peak and receive daily report from and decision-making mecha- ister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the population than what it is in other tion Centre (NCOC) on the oc- while 25,527 tests have been in July. The government eased the provinces on coronavirus nism in the national interest. task force heard experts and offi - provinces,” he said, adding the re- casion of completion of 100 days conducted. The total number of lockdown and restrictions to situation. He said the government has cials and discussed various ways covery rate in Sindh was also better of its establishment. gradually eased lockdown, but at to slow down the spread of the than it was in the other provinces. The prime minister lauded the same time it has focused on the coronavirus in the province. “During this period, 518 pa- the eff orts of NCOC team in enforcement of Covid-19 SOPs. The meeting decided to pro- tients recovered in AJK, 3,824 putting up a robust response to ers, emergency responders and mal by following SOPs and face and livelihood, keeping the econ- The special assistant to PM mote the use of masks through in Balochistan, 689 in Gilgit- the pandemic and ensuring co- management from all the prov- the challenge of Covid-19 as one omy afl oat and addressing the is- said the government established advocacy, ensure free availabil- Baltistan, 8,441 in Islamabad, ordinated actions throughout inces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir nation. sues of the poor and working class the NCOC under the auspices ity of masks, use a “carrot and 12,608 in KP, 35,833 in Punjab the country against coronavirus and Gilgit Baltistan. During the visit, the prime min- while containing the disease. of National Coordination Com- stick” policy in this regard, and and 37,098 in Sindh. pandemic. Imran Khan appreciated the ister was informed as to how the Special Assistant to Pakista- mittee on Covid-19 which takes put in place targeted lockdown in Our case fatality rate (CFR) He also acknowledged the role resilience and adaptability of the strategy of smart lockdown has ni Prime Minister on National a holistic view of the situation in areas where the transmission of stands at 1.57%, while in Pun- and services of healthcare work- nation to adjust to the new nor- yielded results in balancing life Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza, coordination with the provinces. the virus was very high. jab it is 2.49%, in KPK 3.03%, in On the question of the lock- Gilgit- Baltistan 2.06%, in Balo- down, the meeting observed that chistan 1.19% and in AJK 2.2%.” Sindh could not decide against “If the fatality rate is compared Waiting for customers the “national discourse”, so it was keeping in view the number of important to take decisions to patients and population of the Shehbaz slow down the spread of the coro- province, Sindh has the lowest navirus among the people, and in rate because of a better health- this regard, preventive measures care system,” Shah said. recovers and advocacy should be used to Talking about the challenges convince the people to use masks, to his government, Shah said follow social distancing. that it was impossible to predict from The chief minister said they how many cases were there in a had decided to convert 8,672 defi ned geographical area. The isolation beds into HDU beds majority of cases were asympto- Covid-19 in more than two phases, while matic (more than 80 per cent), he more ventilators would be said and added every country had Internews bought to enhance the ICUs faced issues to implement SOPs. Lahore capacity in the province. At “We cannot screen everybody; present, the provincial govern- therefore, we have adopted a ment has 503 ICU beds with policy of targeted screening. We akistan opposition leader ventilators and 1,810 HDU beds. don’t have unlimited resources; Shehbaz Sharif has tested Shah said his government had therefore, we have to allocate re- Pnegative for coronavi- tested 300,247 samples till June sources where minimum expens- rus, revealed PML-N spokes- 3, and of them, 62,476 had tested es on health could be ensured.” person Marriyum Aurangzeb, positive for Covid-19, while dur- Shah, giving the example of a few weeks after the former ing the corresponding period Pun- District East, said that in Gulshan Punjab chief minister had been jab conducted 286,049 tests and Town 247 and in Jamshed Town diagnosed with the infection. detected 54,057 cases, KP tested 214 cases were detected on June “Thanks to the Grace of Al- 93,377 samples and detected 17,479 17 when a selective lockdown was mighty Allah and prayers of the cases, Islamabad conducted 90,557 started. On July 2, when a selective people, PML-N president She- tests and detected 10,703 cases, lockdown was lifted, 283 cases hbaz Sharif has tested negative Gilgit-Baltistan conducted 5,100 were detected in Gulshan Town for coronavirus,” PML-N’s Twit- tests and detected 825 cases, Ba- and 90 cases in Jamshed Town. ter account quoted Aurangzeb as lochistan conducted 26,008 tests During the lockdown, 66 saying. and detected 6,324 cases, and AJK patients recovered in Gulshan “Doctors have advised Sheh- did 10,351 tests and found 959 pos- Town and 187 in Jamshed Town, baz Sharif to have his antibodies itive cases. which meant that the lockdown tests conducted till three weeks. “This shows that the Sindh had turned to be the only op- Till the result of the antibodies government has performed a lot tion to contain the cases, the CM tests, doctors have advised him better in the area of testing as said, adding that they had decid- to adhere to strict precautions,” Vendors standing near their stalls wait for customers in front of a market sealed by authorities as a preventive measure against the compared to other provinces and ed to purchase more ventilators she added. Covid-19 coronavirus in Rawalpindi yesterday. the Islamabad Capital Territory and more HDU beds with low Last month, Shehbaz had test- (ICT),” he said. and high oxygen arrangements. ed positive for coronavirus, join- ing the list of several lawmak- ers who tested positive for the infection. Aurangzeb had said Shehbaz was isolating at home and fol- lowing doctors’ advice on how to 30 more pilots with fake degrees terminated: minister fi ght the infection. PML-N representative Ata Tarar blamed the government Internews in Rawalpindi, Khan said that said while terming the PIA pilots during the past 10 years,” he said, lines,” he said, adding that the “In the current situation, we and NAB for summoning the Rawalpindi out of the overall pilots who were as one of the most professional noting that when they took over, case of fi ve Civil Aviation Au- have brought down PIA losses former Punjab chief minister alleged to have dubious creden- ones in the world. PIA was Rs462bn in debt. thority (CAA) offi cials posted at from Rs4bn to Rs1bn,” he said, despite knowing he was a cancer tials, 141 of them belong to the The aviation minister added Speaking about the European the licencing section would be adding that overall losses suf- survivor and at great risk from akistan Aviation Minister Pakistan International Airlines that they were cleaning the mess ban, Khan said fl ight operations referred to the Federal Investi- fered by the national fl ag car- Covid-19. Ghulam Sarwar Khan said (PIA) while nine of them work of the previous governments to Europe remained suspended gation Agency (FIA) and no one rier during the pandemic have “He was summoned on June Pyesterday that degrees of for Air Blue and Serene Air. as neither pilots were recruited temporarily and that PIA had the would be spared for committing reached up to Rs6bn. 9 by NAB. We kept saying he is a 30 more pilots out of the 262 “They [pilot] have been after 2018 nor any test was con- right to appeal on the decision. fraudulent activities. The aviation minister said cancer survivor, and even if you suspected of obtaining dubious grounded immediately,” the ducted to issue licences during “The national fl ag carrier has He said that the airlines across that similarly, the CAA was suf- do want to conduct the investi- licences have turned out to be minister said. the period. not purchased any plane since the globe had suff ered losses of fering losses of Rs2bn weekly, gation then do so via video link. fake and they have been termi- “We will take strict action “The aviation ministry saw po- 2006,” Khan said. $350bn due to Covid-19 pan- making it a loss of Rs20bn in a However, this is blind political nated. against pilots found possessing litical recruitments with 11 chief “We have to rectify our errors demic and have terminated their month in terms of fl ying charges vendetta,” he had said. Addressing a press conference dubious or fake licenses,” Khan executives of the PIA replaced to make PIA one of the best air- staff due to the ongoing situation. it receives. Airlift introduces online Water run grocery shopping service

Internews room for new entrants to fur- safety guidelines as issued by Islamabad ther uplift the market. public health authorities to The initial investment restrict the further spread of round for Airlift Grocer was Covid-19. us ride-hailing service led by Quiet Capital, based in Airlift Grocer promises a Airlift has introduced San Francisco, with TrueSight satisfying shopping experi- Ba new online grocery Ventures (London), RT Ven- ence through its express de- shopping service in Pakistan tures (London), Shorooq livery of all orders within 45 introduced as Airlift Grocer, Partners (Abu Dhabi), and minutes. Shoppers will also bringing in an impressive for- ACE Capital (Taiwan) par- be able to choose from a wide eign investment of $10mn. ticipating, among other lo- range of products which are This investment comes to cal partners. Existing inves- sure to be delivered with ac- Pakistan at a time when the tors, First Round Capital (San curacy of order and fi xed economy is crippled due to the Francisco), Fatima Gobi Ven- transport charges irrespective havoc caused by Covid-19 and tures (Pakistan) and Indus of order value. creation of new jobs and sup- Valley Capital (Pakistan) also The service is currently in- porting the local suppliers can continued their support for troduced for online shoppers serve as a lifeline for the local Airlift in this fi nancing. in Lahore and will soon be economy through such foreign This new service from Airlift launched in Karachi. Shoppers investments. promises to provide an inter- can log on to the website airlift- Pakistan’s retail e-com- national experience of retail e- grocer.com to start shopping merce sector has registered a commerce to Pakistan’s every or download the Airlift Grocer signifi cant growth during the growing base of online shop- mobile app from Google Play People leave after collecting water from a water filling point outside a factory in Lahore yesterday. recent past but there is ample pers, while strictly following store and Apple’s App Store. Gulf Times 18 Monday, July 6, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Amid reckoning on police racism, algorithm bias in focus

A wave of protests over law enforcement abuses has highlighted concerns over artifi cial intelligence programmes like facial recognition which critics say may reinforce racial bias. While the protests have focused on police misconduct, activists point out fl aws that may lead to unfair applications of technologies for law enforcement, including facial recognition, predictive policing and “risk assessment” algorithms. The issue came to the forefront recently with the wrongful arrest in Detroit of an African American man based on a fl awed algorithm which identifi ed him as a robbery suspect. Critics of facial recognition use in law enforcement say the case underscores the pervasive impact of a fl awed technology. Mutale Nkonde, an AI researcher, said that even though the idea of bias and algorithms has been debated for years, the latest case and other incidents have driven home the message. Climate battles are moving “What is diff erent in this moment is we have explainability and people are really beginning to realise the way these algorithms are used for decision-making,” said Nkonde, a fellow at Stanford University’s Digital Society Lab and the Berkman-Klein Centre at Harvard. Amazon, IBM and Microsoft have said they would not sell facial into the courtroom recognition technology to law enforcement without rules to protect against unfair use. But many other vendors off er a range of technologies. By Matthew Green, Valerie Volcovici the defence lawyers, Aline Bonard, told In each case, most of the companies January, the 9th Circuit Court of Nkonde said the technologies are only as good as the data they and Emma Farge Reuters. denied the allegations. Appeals in San Francisco dismissed rely on. London/Washington/Geneva Given that the protesters admitted BP Plc declined to comment. “Juliana v.United States,” in which “We know the criminal justice system is biased, so any model you to trespassing, “the infraction is Exxon said the Washington, DC 21 youths had accused the federal create is going to have ‘dirty data,’” she said. undeniable.” lawsuit was part of a “co-ordinated, government of infringing on their rights Daniel Castro of the Information Technology & Innovation limate change may be having But cases like these suggest a shift politically motivated” campaign against to life and liberty by perpetuating an Foundation, a Washington think tank, said however it would its day in court. in how people are understanding the energy companies and was without economic system fuelling dangerous be counterproductive to ban a technology which automates With the slow pace role of the judiciary in mediating cases merit. climate change. investigative tasks and enables police to be more productive. Cof international climate related to the warming climate. Chevron Corporation also dismissed Judge Andrew Hurwitz said he had “There are (facial negotiations, lawyers from Switzerland Now, “there is bound to be a new the DC case, saying the litigation “reluctantly” concluded that the issue recognition) systems that to San Francisco are increasingly fi ling wave of legal proceedings using a similar “distracts” from its eff orts to address was a matter for the executive and “Everyone is are accurate, so we need lawsuits demanding action. line of argument,” Bonard said. climate change. legislative branches. to have more testing and And they are getting creative — using As rulings that compel governments Royal Dutch Shell Plc said it was Whether or not a judge rules in favour concerned transparency,” Castro said. new legal arguments to challenge to cut emissions remain rare, lawyers “committed to playing our part” in of climate interests, legal experts say “Everyone is concerned companies and governments before a still see promise in targeting large, addressing climate change, but that the momentum of having so many cases about false about false identifi cation, judge. polluting companies. lawsuits “impede the collaboration before courts is serving to underline the but that can happen whether Two decades ago, only a handful of Such cases in the past tended to needed for meaningful change.” urgency of the climate issue for both the identifi cation, it’s a person or a computer.” climate-related lawsuits had ever been accuse coal-fi red power stations or But companies appear to be worried. public and policymakers. Seda Gurses, a researcher fi led worldwide. government of failing to limit emissions. The National Association of “We need massive government but that can at the Netherlands- Today, that number is 1,600, Cases now are being fought Manufacturers formed a group in intervention to get us out of the hole based Delft University including 1,200 lawsuits in the United on arguments such as consumer 2017 to push back against “activist that we’re in, which makes government happen whether of Technology, said one States alone, according to data reported protections and human rights. lawyers” for trying to scapegoat energy a primary target,” said Tim Crosland, problem with analysing Friday by the London School of This shift has been especially manufacturers. director of British climate litigation it’s a person or a the systems is that they Economics. pronounced in the United States, where The group, called the Manufacturers’ charity Plan B. use proprietary, secret “The courts are an increasingly more than a dozen cases fi led by states, Accountability Project, applauded a The group was part of a campaign computer” algorithms, sometimes from important place for addressing the cities and other parties are challenging December ruling in New York clearing that successfully sued to block a multiple vendors. problem of climate change,” said Hari the fossil fuel industry for its role Exxon Mobil of securities fraud charges, third runway at London’s Heathrow “This makes it very Osofsky, the dean of Penn State Law and in causing climate change and not after it was accused of failing to inform Airport, with Britain’s Court of Appeal diffi cult to identify under what conditions the dataset was the School of International Aff airs. informing the public of its harms. investors about what it knew about agreeing in February that the plan collected, what qualities these images had, how the algorithm was Already, climate campaigners are Last month, both Minnesota state climate change. had failed to consider the country’s trained,” Gurses said. seeing glimmers of success. and the District of Columbia fi led “Courts are rejecting this misguided commitments under the 2015 Paris The use of artifi cial intelligence in “predictive policing,” which In the Netherlands in December, lawsuits alleging that oil majors had and misleading narrative, with a federal climate accord. is growing in many cities, has also raised concerns over reinforcing the country’s Supreme Court upheld misled consumers on how using their judge already calling them ‘hyperbolic’ That decision is now awaiting a fi nal bias. a ruling in favour of the Urgenda products involved releasing carbon last year when New York’s attorney appeal. The systems have been touted to help make better use of campaign group’s demand that the emissions and contributing to climate general brought claims based on Richard Wiles, executive director limited police budgets, but some research suggests it increases Dutch government move faster to cut change. essentially the same allegations,” said of the DC-based Center for Climate deployments to communities which have already been identifi ed, Phil Goldberg, a lawyer representing the rightly or wrongly, as high-crime zones. carbon emissions. Those cases followed another fi led in Integrity, a non-profi t organisation These models “are susceptible to runaway feedback loops, And in January, a judge in Switzerland October by Massachusetts, which also group. supporting climate litigation, said the where police are repeatedly sent back to the same neighbourhoods acquitted a dozen climate protesters used consumer protection arguments On the human rights front, there were tumble of climate cases would work regardless of the actual crime rate,” said a 2019 report by the AI from trespassing charges, fi led after the in suing Exxon Mobil Corporation. only fi ve lawsuits using these arguments toward weakening the lobbying power Now Institute at New York University, based a study of 13 cities group staged a tennis match within a All three accused the oil companies of before 2015. of the fossil fuel industry. using the technology. branch of Credit Suisse in 2018 to draw engaging in deceptive practices and Since then, there have been 40 more, “Just as you wouldn’t expect tobacco These systems may be gamed by “biased police data,” the report attention to the bank’s fossil fuel loans. false advertising. said LSE report co-author Joana Setzer, companies to be at the table when we’re said. Defence lawyers had argued that the “As awareness of climate change an assistant professor at the London deciding pubic heath policy, the notion In a related matter, an outcry from academics prompted the protesters’ actions were necessitated grew in the general public to the extent School of Economics’s Grantham that the oil industry would dictate cancellation of a research paper which claimed facial recognition by the “imminent danger” posed by that their disinformation campaigns Research Institute on Climate Change climate policy doesn’t hold water,” algorithms could predict with 80% accuracy if someone is likely to climate change. were no longer acceptable, there was a and the Environment. Wiles said. “They are just not going to be a criminal. The ruling was met in court with a pivot to greenwashing,” Kate Konopka, Not all of these new tactics have have the same ability to dictate climate Ironically, many artifi cial intelligence programmes for law standing ovation. Washington, DC’s deputy attorney- worked out, though. policy that they did in the past.” — enforcement and criminal justice were designed with the hope of “It was an exceptional ruling,” one of general, told Reuters. In a high-profile decision in Reuters reducing bias in the system. So-called risk assessment algorithms were designed to help judges and others in the system make unbiased recommendations on who is sent to jail, or released on bond or parole. But the fairness of such a system was questioned in a 2019 report by the Partnership on AI, a consortium which includes tech giants including Google and Facebook, as well as organisations such as Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union. “It is perhaps counterintuitive, but in complex settings like criminal justice, virtually all statistical predictions will be biased even if the data was accurate, and even if variables such as race are excluded, unless specifi c steps are taken to measure and mitigate bias,” the report said.

To Advertise [email protected] Display 44466621 44418811 Classified 44466609 44418811 Subscription [email protected]

© 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved A climate change activist holds a sign during a demonstration of the Fridays for Future movement in Lausanne, Switzerland, in this January 17, 2020 photograph. Gulf Times Monday, July 6, 2020 19 COMMENT Saved by the pandemic?

By Mark Lynas reefs and rainforests, avert a global the required amounts at much lower Hay-on-Wye refugee crisis, limit sea-level rise, and rates than the private sector, and the keep the Arctic ice cap mostly frozen. resulting investments will create But while the Covid-19 crisis millions of jobs to replace those lost in ovid-19 has killed more than has given us an unexpected climate dirty industries, and help to revive the 500,000 people worldwide, opportunity, we obviously can’t global economy after the pandemic. made millions more ill, and maintain lockdowns forever. Millions The UK government has already Ccontinues to wreak havoc. of people are currently out of work, issued £72bn ($90bn) worth of bonds But as the saying goes – and without and a prolonged economic shutdown with maturities of 50 years or more, wishing to downplay this human trag- would have a disastrous eff ect on which will fall due from 2055 onward. edy in any way – it’s an ill wind that livelihoods, with the burden falling The UK and other countries could blows nobody any good. If we make the mostly on the poor. issue 50 times this much debt – £3- right choices as lockdowns ease, then Fortunately, the choice we face is 4tn ($3.7-5tn) –redeemable later this the pandemic might just have thrown not between economic collapse and century, to help fi nance the investment humanity a lifeline in dealing with climate breakdown. By an extremely needed to overcome the climate the much greater challenge of climate lucky coincidence, the world urgently challenge. change. needs to invest trillions of dollars in Such long-maturing bonds could Before the coronavirus struck, decarbonisation just when the global be a safe asset for pension funds and activists like me had all but given up economy equally urgently needs a huge other long-term investors, and also hope that the world would meet the stimulus to get people back to work. off er them a way to divest permanently Paris climate agreement’s target of To help fi nance these measures, from fossil fuels. After all, there will be limiting global warming to 1.5-2C countries such as the United States no “safe” assets in a world of escalating above pre-industrial levels. Instead, and the United Kingdom should issue climate damage. it looked like the world would heat up long-term government bonds with I am not suggesting that by 3-4C. maturities of 50 or even 100 years. governments should fi nancially That would be a planetary With interest rates on some advanced support clean technologies catastrophe. We would lose all of the economies’ government debt currently indefi nitely. Rather, the challenge is world’s coral reefs and the majority negative, national treasuries could to reduce their costs – as has been of its rainforests, while many of the raise large amounts of money at very done successfully with solar energy – most densely populated regions little short-term cost. And because through research and development and would become intolerably hot. defl ation is currently a much bigger large early deployments, until clean Food production would plummet, risk than infl ation, creating extra tech becomes cheaper than fossil fuels threatening famine and starvation as money via bond issues would help to and the energy transition becomes harvests failed in the world’s major stave off a potential global economic self-sustaining. breadbaskets. depression. The Covid-19 crisis has brought Now, however, none of that needs Some might object on moral grounds Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg takes part in a protest outside the EU Council as EU environment ministers meet in climate and economic imperatives to happen. The coronavirus has forced to governments borrowing money Brussels, Belgium, in this March 5, 2020, photograph. into closer alignment than ever before. us to lock down economies to such an that our children and grandchildren If we seize this historic opportunity, extent that carbon dioxide emissions will have to repay. But issuing better off still, thus easing future debt- in the second half of this century shipping, aviation, and industrial future generations will surely have plunged. We have all seen the long-term public debt to deal with a service burdens. requires scaling up renewable energy processes such as steelmaking. Next- remember 2020 as the year in which evidence, in the form of bluer skies, civilizational-scale challenge is far Greta Thunberg and millions of technologies such as solar and wind generation nuclear technologies such humanity both defeated a pandemic smog-free cities, and pedestrians from unprecedented. The UK, for young climate strikers around the world power suffi ciently, so that they replace as advanced modular reactors, or and saved the planet. - Project and cyclists replacing polluting cars. example, paid off its last remaining have rightly tried moral exhortation to fossil fuels as the major primary- AMRs, will play an essential role in this Syndicate Scientists estimate that global CO2 World War I debt only in 2014, and persuade today’s leaders to take future energy providers. eff ort. emissions will fall by up to 7% this UK citizens today are about fi ve times generations’ interests seriously. But now Furthermore, we will need to Major infrastructure investments zMark Lynas is the author, most year, and that maintaining this level of richer per capita than the generation we need to talk hard cash. produce liquid fuels, most likely are by nature long-term projects, and recently, of Our Final Warning: Six annual emissions reductions would put that fought in that war. And assuming Tackling climate change requires ammonia and synthetic hydrocarbons, the cost of capital must be lowered if Degrees of Climate Emergency . Follow the world back on track to meet the 1.5- economic growth continues over the huge capital investments now. For on an even larger scale than electric clean technologies are to out-compete him on Twitter: @mark_lynas. 2C target. That in turn would save coral next century, our descendants will be starters, ensuring a habitable climate power in order to decarbonise fossil fuels. Governments can borrow

The behavioural data debate we need Three-day forecast TODAY Maximum Temperature : 460c Minimum Temperature : 360c By Stephanie Hankey Digital privacy and security The same goes for data on what we strong disagreement along cultural Berlin advocates have warned for years about buy and how we act as individuals and and political lines about which TUESDAY the interconnection of distinct private groups. Tracing individual behavioural technologies should and should not be Maximum Temperature : 410c and public data sources. But the patterns at scale is so central to leveraged. Minimum Temperature : 320c ust a few weeks after the fi rst pandemic has shown for the fi rst time automation that pandemic-related It would be easy to frame this WEDNESDAY Covid-19 cases started appear- how readily such data streams can be lockdowns involving four billion-plus entire debate in terms of surveillance Maximum Temperature : 390c ing outside China, South Korea centralised and linked up on demand people have confused AI and machine- and privacy. But that is not the only Minimum Temperature : 320c launched a system for broadcast- – not only in South Korea, but around learning models, thus disrupting important issue at stake. Collecting J Fisherman's forecast ing the exact profi les and movements the world. fraud-detection algorithms and intimate behavioural data at scale of individuals who had tested positive The inconvenient truth is that we misleading supply-chain management not only powers big business but WARNING for the disease. Other Asian and Euro- have been building the infrastructure systems. also enables predictive modelling, Inshore : Nil pean countries then quickly developed for collecting deeply personal This sudden public visibility of early-warning systems, and national Offshore : Nil their own “track-and-trace” systems behavioural data at global scale for behavioural data could have triggered and global enforcement and control systems. Moreover, the future will WEATHER with varying degrees of success and some time. The author Shoshana a public awakening. After all, Edward Inshore : Very hot daytime with concern for the ethical issues involved. Zuboff traces the birth of this Snowden’s revelations made people likely be shaped by crises, from natural slight dust at places at This strong momentum was “surveillance capitalism” to the aware that their Skype calls and disasters to famines to pandemics. times and some clouds understandable: if systems already expansion of states’ security powers e-mails were being monitored in And digital technologies, human WIND in place can save thousands of lives, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 the name of anti-terrorism, and the behavioural data, and algorithmic Inshore : Northwesterly-North- then why wouldn’t countries use terrorist attacks on the United States. Cambridge Analytica scandal in the decision-making will play an easterly 05-15/18 KT them? But in their rush to combat the Data-driven business models have United Kingdom highlighted the sale increasingly crucial role in predicting, Offshore : Southwesterly-North- pandemic, societies have paid little powered the key elements of this and use of personal data for political mitigating, and managing them. westerly 03-13 KT attention to how such schemes could infrastructure: smartphones, sensors, micro-targeting. Societies will therefore have be introduced virtually overnight, and cameras, digital money, biometrics, and In particular, the Covid-19 crisis to confront hard questions about Visibility : 4-8 KM Offshore : 1-3 FT to what we should expect next. machine learning. Their convenience could have showed how behavioural how they deal with challenges To be sure, South Korea’s track- and effi ciency – the promise they eroff data tell stories about what we do beyond civil liberties and the and-trace regime has already of doing more with less – have won over every minute of the day, and why harmful biases, discrimination, and generated considerable debate. individual users and businesses alike. that matters. Instead, we have inequities revealed by data-gathering Initially, that was because the system But our rapid, enthusiastic adoption of accepted these technologies because technologies. We will have to decide Around the region crossed ethical lines by texting the digital technologies has left us with little we perceive them – at least during who owns behavioural insights and Weather Weather exact movements of Covid-19- time and scant reason to think about the current crisis – as being largely how these are used in the public Today Max/min Tomorrow Max/min positive individuals to other local the consequences of joining up all these intended for the greater good (even interest. And we will have to recognise Sunny 47/28 Sunny 48/29 residents, revealing visits to karaoke dots. as we overlook the question of their that who decides what on the basis Baghdad Sunny 47/31 Sunny 45/32 bars, short-stay hotels, and gay clubs, Although the media often refer eff ectiveness). of this data, and which political ideas Kuwait City Sunny 43/33 Sunny 42/32 for example. to pandemic-related technology But as the boundaries between motivate them, will create new forms Manama Sunny 37/32 Sunny 37/30 But the South Korean system also initiatives as “cutting-edge,” very private and public health become of power with far-reaching eff ects on Muscat M Cloudy 33/22 Sunny 34/23 stands out because it links mobile- little about them is actually new more permanently blurred, we may our lives. Tehran phone location data with individual – except, perhaps, their increased feel diff erently about the trade-off s As we increasingly place our faith in travel histories, health data, footage visibility. Tracking human movements we are being asked to make. We may big data to solve major problems, the from police-operated CCTV cameras, at both individual and global level become less tolerant of behavioural biggest question we face is not what and data from dozens of credit-card lies at the heart of many established tracking if individual lifestyle choices we can do with it, but rather what we companies. This information is then businesses. Google’s Covid-19 are constantly monitored for the are willing to do. Unless we ask that analysed by a data clearinghouse mobility reports, for example, present sake of the collective good. Potential question, it will be answered for us. - originally developed for the country’s a dizzying array of data from user to technologies to help us manage a post- Project Syndicate smart cities. By removing bureaucratic city to country level – showing who pandemic future, from workplace approval barriers, this system has stays at home, who goes to work, and surveillance tools to permanent digital z Stephanie Hankey is Executive reportedly reduced contact-tracing how these patterns have changed health passports, may severely test Director of the international NGO times from one day to just ten minutes. under lockdown. our value systems. That could lead to Tactical Tech.

Around the world Weather Weather Today Max/min Tomorrow Max/min Athens P Cloudy 32/23 S T Storms 30/22 Live issues Beirut M Sunny 29/25 Sunny 29/25 Bangkok S T Storms 34/26 S T Storms 32/26 Berlin P Cloudy 19/11 P Cloudy 19/13 Cairo Sunny 37/24 Sunny 39/25 Climate change ‘fuelling deadly India lightning strikes’ Cape Town P Cloudy 17/12 Sunny 16/08 Colombo S T Storms 30/27 S T Storms 31/27 Dhaka T Storms 31/27 T Storm 33/27 AFP scientists and offi cials that rising number of deaths recorded annually But many poor farmers do not own Hong Kong S T Storms 29/27 S T Storms 29/27 Patna, India temperatures due to climate change is for the state over the past few years, smartphones. Istanbul Sunny 31/23 P Cloudy 31/23 the main cause behind the increasing even though the monsoon season has In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Jakarta M Sunny 33/25 P Cloudy 32/25 lightning strikes,” Bihar’s Disaster just started. just over 200 people have been struck Karachi M Cloudy 36/31 Cloudy 36/31 ightning strikes killed 147 Management Minister Lakshmeshwar Last year, 170 people were killed in and killed by lightning since April, London P Cloudy 21/11 P Cloudy 22/14 people in the north Indian Rai told AFP. lightning strikes during the monsoon according to offi cials. Manila S T Storms 33/26 I T Storms 34/27 state of Bihar over the last 10 Twenty-fi ve people died on period. More than 2,300 people were Moscow M Sunny 29/18 S T Storms 31/20 Ldays, offi cials said yesterday, Saturday, he said. Bihar agrometeorologist Abdus killed by lightning in India in 2018 New Delhi P Cloudy 35/28 S T Storms 32/27 warning of more extreme weather The Indian Meteorological Sattar told AFP the lightning and according to the National Crime New York S T Storms 33/23 S T Storms 30/23 conditions to come, driven by climate Department has warned of more thunder was caused by large-scale Records Bureau, the most recent Paris P Cloudy 22/12 M Sunny 25/14 change. lightning in the next 48 hours. instability in the atmosphere, fuelled figures available. Sao Paulo M Sunny 26/15 M Sunny 27/17 Around 215 people — farmers, rural Lightning strikes during the annual by temperature rises and excessive The monsoon is crucial to Seoul P Cloudy 31/20 M Sunny 28/21 labourers and cattle graziers — have monsoon that runs from June to moisture. replenishing water supplies in South Singapore S T Storms 31/27 T Storm 29/26 now died from strikes in the country’s September are fairly common in India. State authorities rolled out a mobile Asia, but also causes widespread death Sydney Sunny 16/08 S Showers 16/10 poorest state, authorities said. But offi cials said this year’s toll in phone app they said helps predict and destruction across the region each Tokyo Rain 25/23 Cloudy 29/24 “I was informed by weather experts, Bihar has already surpassed the total possible lightning strikes. year. Gulf Times 20 Monday, July 6, 2020 QATAR Work on nine infrastructure projects set to begin in third quarter of 2020 ork on the nine infra- where the contracts were signed networks, a sewage network and structure develop- simultaneously by Dr al-Muhan- a TSE network. Wment projects in new nadi and the representatives of 3.Roads and Infrastructure citizens’ subdivisions, for which the companies concerned. The in Al Meshaf South — Pack- contracts were signed yesterday Ashghal president noted that a age 08 by the Public Works Author- forum would be held in the com- The project, with a total value ity (Ashghal) with Qatari compa- ing period for the contractors of of QR515mn, has been awarded nies, will start in the third quarter the projects and local manufac- to Al-Tawfeeq & Partners Con- of 2020. turers to enhance co-operation tracting Company to serve 356 The projects will be imple- and co-ordination on supporting plots. The project includes road mented at a cost of QR3.6bn and national products, ensuring their works with a length of about will serve 5,111 residential plots compliance with the author- 40.5km and the provision of 1,737 in six areas, according to a state- ity’s standards and their ability lighting poles and 650 car park- ment by Ashghal. to meet project needs, as well as ing slots. In addition, the project The signing ceremony was ensuring that these projects are will provide surface and under- held remotely using video con- delivered in accordance with the ground water drainage networks, Mohamed bin Hamoud al-Shafi ferencing technology. Present on schedule. a sewage network and a TSE net- the occasion were HE Abdullah “It is noteworthy that as part work. bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Sub- of the authority’s keenness to 4. Roads and Infrastructure aie, Minister of Municipality and support local products, and as in Al Ebb & Leabaib — Pack- Environment; Dr Saad bin Ah- Ashghal regards this as a high age 02 mad al-Muhannadi, president of priority and a strategy to sup- The project, with a total value Ashghal; Mohamed bin Hamoud port the economy and achieve of QR384mn, has been awarded HE Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi al-Shafi , chairman of the Central Qatar National Vision 2030, to Qatar Building Company. It will Municipal Council (CMC) - Con- these new projects will rely to serve 873 residential plots by con- stituency 14; Yousef al-Emadi, a higher degree on local manu- structing 25.5km of roads, 51km of director of Projects Aff airs at facturers to provide all materi- pedestrian and cycle paths, more Ashghal; and Saoud al-Tamimi, als that can be supplied locally, than 4,170 car parking slots and manager of the Roads Projects including lighting poles and around 2,600 lighting poles. The Department at Ashghal. lamps, manholes, diff erent types scope of works also involves infra- Representatives of the compa- of drainage pipes, road marking structure development, including Yousef al-Emadi nies that won the contracts also and signs, traffi c signal poles, surface and groundwater drainage attended the event. interlock, kerbstone, bitumen, networks, a sewage network and a Al-Shafi stressed that the new electricity cables, safety barriers TSE network. contracts include works distrib- and other materials,” the state- 5. Roads and Infrastructure uted in the north and south of ment noted. in Mebaireek — Package 01 Qatar. “We look forward to the The project, with a value of progress that will be witnessed Following are the details of the QR355mn, has been warded to in the coming years regarding projects: Boom Construction Company. roads and infrastructure in the 1. Roads and Infrastructure It will serve 712 residential plots areas included in the new con- in Umm Salal Mohamed — for citizens and includes the tracts,” he said. Al-Tamimi said Package 01 construction and development the signing of the new contracts The project, with a total value of 54km of roads as well as the is part of Ashghal’s plan to pro- of QR623mn, has been awarded provision of 935 lighting poles. vide well-developed roads and to Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting In addition, surface and ground- infrastructure for the new subdi- Company. It will serve 591 plots. water drainage networks, a sew- visions in diff erent areas of Qatar. The scope of the project includes age network, and a TSE network The awarded projects cover six road works with a length of about will be constructed as part of the areas: Semaisma South, Al Ebb 35.7km, pedestrian and cycle project. Saoud al-Tamimi & Leabaib, Umm Slal Mohamed, paths with a total length of about 6. Roads and Infrastructure Al Wajba East, Mebaireek and Al 47km, 1,315 lighting poles and in Al Wajba East — Package 03 ture that includes surface and Meshaf South. 4,310 car parking slots. In addi- The project, valued at QR319mn, has been awarded to groundwater drainage networks, During the event, Mooza al- tion, the project will provide sur- QR324mn, has been awarded to Al Jaber & Partners Construc- a sewage network and a TSE net- Sowaidi, head of the Doha City face and groundwater drainage Galfar Al Misnad Engineering tion and Energy Projects Com- work. Section at Ashghal’s Roads networks, a sewage network and and Contracting & Company. It pany. It will serve 627 plots Projects Department, gave a brief a TSE network. will serve 417 plots in citizens’ for citizens and includes the 9. Roads and Infrastructure presentation on the citizens’ 2. Roads and Infrastructure sub-divisions and includes the construction and development in Al Wajba East — Package 01 new and existing sub-divisions in Al Meshaf South — Package construction and development of about 23km of roads, about The project, with a value of projects, and benefi ts of the 09 of about 23.5km of roads, about 14.5km of pedestrian and cycle QR263mn, has been awarded to projects signed yesterday, which The project, with a value of 45km of pedestrian and cycle paths as well as the provision Galfar Al Misnad Engineering & will provide about 281km of QR545mn, has been awarded paths, and the provision of more of more than 720 lighting poles. Contracting Company, to serve roads, more than 10,350 lighting to a joint venture of Develop- than 834 lighting poles and more The project also includes the 368 residential plots. poles and over 15,800 car parking ment Company for Roadworks than 2,280 car parking slots. The construction of a sewage net- The project includes road slots. and Qatar Building Engineer- project also includes the con- work, surface and groundwater works at a total length of 17km, In addition, sewage, surface ing Company to serve 590 plots. struction of a sewage network, drainage networks and a TSE providing 34km of pedestrian and groundwater and TSE (treat- The project includes road works surface and groundwater drain- network. paths, about 2,570 car parking ed sewage effl uent) networks will with a length of about 24.5km, age networks and a TSE network. 8. Roads and Infrastructure slots and more than 800 lighting be provided with a total length of pedestrian and cycle paths with 7. Roads and Infrastructure in Mebaireek — Package 02 poles in addition to surface and 684km. a length of about 46km and 695 in Semaisma South — Pack- The project, valued at groundwater drainage networks, The presentation was followed lighting poles, in addition to sur- age 02 QR286mn, has been awarded pany. It will serve 577 plots by providing 714 lighting poles as a sewage network and a TSE net- by an online signing ceremony, face and groundwater drainage The project, valued at to Boom Construction Com- constructing 36.8km of roads, well as developing infrastruc- work. Companies’ representatives highlight co-operation with Ashghal

epresentatives of Qa- Qatar. He said, “We have signed tari companies yesterday a contract with Ashghal for the Rlauded their co-operation construction of Package 1 of with the Public Works Author- the Umm Slal Mohamed infra- ity (Ashghal) and stressed their structure project with a value of commitment to deliver projects QR623mn. We are very happy in line with the highest stand- with this co-operation and will ards. proudly provide our techni- They made the observations cal knowledge and experience while attending a remote cer- through diff erent phases of the emony organised by Ashghal to construction.” sign nine new construction con- Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed tracts for infrastructure devel- al-Thani, representative of Al opment projects in new citizens’ Jaber & Partners Construction Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed subdivisions. These projects, & Energy Projects, who signed a Sheikh Ali bin Hamad al-Thani Saleh al-Sulaiti al-Thani Ali al-Mostafawi Hashim Abdulla al-Hashmi with a total value of around contract for the Semaisma South QR3.6bn, will serve more than roads and infrastructure project Ali al-Mostafawi, Qatar Build- ture development, and are very We are happy to renew our co- project in Al Meshaf South, said: ing period for contractors and 5,111 residential plots in diff erent (Package 2), said: “The govern- ing Company’s representative, keen on delivering projects to the operation with the Public Works “We thank Ashghal for putting local manufacturers to enhance areas of the country. ment’s commitment to the im- said: “We signed with Ashghal a standards set by the authority.” Authority to implement the its trust in Qatari contractors and co-operation and co-ordination Sheikh Ali bin Hamad al- plementation of vital projects contract valued at QR384mn for For his part, Saleh al-Sulaiti, fi rst and second packages of the in their ability to deliver devel- on supporting national prod- Thani, representative of Hamad that serve the citizens of Qatar the infrastructure project in Al Boom Construction Company roads and infrastructure project opment projects to the highest ucts, ensuring their compliance Bin Khalid Contracting Com- in the current conditions is an Ebb & Leabaib (Package 2). This representative, said: “We value in Mebaireek.” Hashim Abdulla standards.” with the authority’s standards pany, praised Ashghal’s eff orts evidence on its resilience. We, as is not the fi rst time that we are the visible eff orts of all parties al-Hashmi, representative of Al While attending the ceremony, and their ability to meet projects and focus on encouraging Qatari local companies, are happy to co- collaborating with Ashghal as concerned in developing Qatar’s Tawfeeq & Partners Contract- Ashghal president Dr Saad bin needs, as well as ensuring that companies to take part in infra- operate with the government to we have already been working on infrastructure for the benefi t ing, which signed a contract for Ahmad al-Muhannadi said a fo- these projects are delivered in ac- structure development works in achieve more success for Qatar.” several projects for infrastruc- of the country and its citizens. Package 8 of the infrastructure rum would be held in the com- cordance with the schedule.

20,000 baby hamours released into Qatari waters

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s Fisheries Department, in co- operation with the General Directorate of Coasts and Border Security, has released 20,000 baby hamours in the Qatari waters. The fish is considered among the first produce of the Aquatic Research Centre as part of a programme to enhance marine life in the country.