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TUESDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11616 July 21, 2020 Dhul-Qa’da 30, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir issues directives Al-Attiyah holds talks with to send two field Turkey, Libya ministers hospitals to Iraq Two coronavirus vaccines HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani held yesterday produce immune response a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. The call dealt with reviewing bilateral relations and the means to enhance AFP For its trial, the team at Oxford them in diff erent fields. HE the Prime Paris used a genetically modifi ed strain of Minister informed al-Kadhimi that the common cold virus that infects His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim chimpanzees. bin Hamad al-Thani issued directives wo Covid-19 vaccine can- They manipulated the virus to to send two field hospitals equipped didates have proven safe for train cells to recognise the viral spike with diff erent medical devices to Iraq Thumans and produced strong protein, which helps teach the im- in support of the eff orts to contain immune reactions among patients mune system to recognise Covid-19. the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) involved in two separate clinical tri- As well as developing antibodies in pandemic. For his part, the Iraqi als, doctors said yesterday. their blood, patients given the vaccine prime minister thanked the Amir for The fi rst trial among more than a more research was needed, particularly were found to have developed a robust Qatar’s support to Iraq. (QNA) thousand adults in Britain found that among older adults, whom are dispro- T cell response - helping their body the vaccine induced ‘strong antibody portionately at risk of dying of Covid-19. identify and neutralise the virus. Amir sends greetings and T cell immune responses’ against Co-author Sarah Gilbert from the “The immune system has two ways to Colombian leader the novel coronavirus. University of Oxford said the results of fi nding and attacking pathogens - A separate trial in China involving “hold promise”. antibody and T cell responses,” said His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim more than 500 people showed most “If our vaccine is eff ective it is a Andrew Pollard, a member of the Ox- bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness had developed widespread antibody promising option as these types of ford team. the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr immune response. vaccine can be manufactured at large “This vaccine is intended to induce bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met yesterday in Ankara with Turkish Minister The studies, published in The scale.” The pandemic has seen an un- both, so it can attack the virus when Prime Minister and Minister of of National Defence Hulusi Akar and Libyan Minister of Interior Fathi Bashagha. Lancet medical journal, constitute precedented mobilisation of funding it’s circulating in the body, as well as Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin The meeting reviewed the latest regional and international developments, a major step on the road towards a and research to rush through a vac- attacking infected cells.” Abdulaziz al-Thani have sent cables particularly developments in Libya. Qatar’s ambassador to Libya Mohamed Covid-19 vaccine that is eff ective and cine that can protect billions of peo- The Oxford team found that of congratulations to Colombian bin Nasser bin Jassim al-Thani and Qatar’s Military Attache in Ankara Brigadier safe for widespread use. ple worldwide. among the 500 or so patients given President Ivan Duque on his General Mohamed Rashid al-Awami attended the meeting. HE Dr Khalid al-Attiyah The authors of the studies said Both studies were phase-2 trials, the vaccine, their immune response country’s Independence Day. and Hulusi Akar also reviewed bilateral relations in the defence field and the they encountered few adverse side which test whether the vaccine pro- peaked around 14 days and decreased means to enhance them in a meeting, which was attended by Brigadier General eff ects from the vaccine candidates. vokes an immune response and can slightly by day 56 - the end of the Reminder on National al-Awami. Page 3 They did however caution that be well tolerated by patients. study period. Address registration With less than a week left for the deadline, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has reminded people in Qatar to register their National Address Qatar 2 Channel to be by July 26. “We remind citizens, expatriates, and legal persons (in accordance with the National launched on Thursday Address Law) of the importance of registering their national addresses through Metrash2 or the website E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin cast and select the best to present it in of the Ministry of Interior,” the MoI Hamad al-Thani, CEO of Qa- a constructive entertainment format to tweeted yesterday. Page 6 Htar Media Corporation, has re- actively engage the memory of the pub- viewed the last touches for the broad- lic with such precious things presented QBRI supports Qatar cast of Qatar 2 Channel , which will be by Qatar TV throughout its history.” launched on Thursday. In the meantime, Mubarak al-Awa- in fight against Covid The new TV channel will broadcast mi, Assistant Director of Qatar TV, said Qatar Biomedical Research Institute the most important materials present- that the launch of this channel was a (QBRI), a research entity under Qatar ed by Qatar TV throughout its history, result of long and hard work to pre- Foundation (QF)’s Hamad Bin Khalifa including series, plays and variety pro- pare the distinguished material that University, has been supporting grammes. deserved to be rebroadcasted and show Qatar in the fight against Covid-19. A team of specialists will select such through Qatar 2 Channel , in addi- “As the outbreak of Covid-19 began to material and schedule them for re- tion to preparing a diverse programme spread like wildfire and the world was broadcast to benefi t from the valuable schedule that included a number of catapulted into a state of emergency, library of Qatar TV programmes, inter- excellent TV series, plays and pro- scientists at Qatar Biomedical views and other shows. grammes. He pointed out that the ma- Research Institute immediately HE Sheikh Abdulrahman stressed terials set to be shown will attract and mobilised their resources to help that this TV channel will be added to engage the viewers. fight the pandemic,” QF said in a the series of high quality Qatari chan- He added: “Qatar TV has been the statement. Page 3 nels. He also appreciated the progress favourite screen of many viewers not of Qatar TV since it was fi rst estab- only in Qatar but outside as well. Such Egypt parliament backs lished and its ability to respond to following has been there due to the the wishes and demands of viewers great quality of programmes and spe- deployment abroad throughout the long years. cial shows that were produced by Qatar Egypt’s parliament yesterday He said: “We have a rich archive at Qa- TV, which will be the main focus of the approved the deployment of armed tar TV, which we will work to rebroad- new channel.” HE Sheikh Abdulrahman reviewing the progress of the last touches before the channel is launched on Thursday. forces abroad to fight “criminal militias” and “foreign terrorist groups” on a “western front”, after President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Cairo could intervene in Libya. Local Dates Festival launched in co-operation with Al Meera Parliament said in a statement that the troops would be defending national security, without giving further details or naming Libya zFestival to run across quality using modern technology.” directly. The decision came after all Al Meera branches He added that Al Meera’s co-oper- Sisi said last week that Egypt would ation in this initiative, being Qatar’s not stand idle if there was threat national leader in the retail industry, is to national security in Egypt and he Ministry of Municipality “immensely valuable considering the its western neighbour, Libya, if and Environment (MME) yes- retailer’s legacy in supporting national parliament gave its approval. Tterday launched the fi fth Local products”. Dates Festival in co-operation with Al In line with this, Al Meera has been US blacklists 11 Chinese Meera Consumer Goods Company at active in creating initiatives and regu- Al Meera’s Hyatt Plaza branch. larly working with the MME to run cam- fi rms over Uighurs The 2020 Local Dates Festival got un- paigns on national products in addition The US Commerce Department derway in the presence of senior offi cials to the successful Premium Qatari Veg- yesterday added 11 Chinese companies from the MME’s Agricultural Aff airs etables and Qatar Farms programmes. implicated in what it called human and Fisheries departments as well as Al Further, al-Khulaifi affi rmed that rights violations in connection with Meera Consumer Goods Company. there is co-operation with Al Meera to China’s treatment of its Uighurs in The festival is running across all Al display fresh products from local farms Xinjiang in western China to the US Meera branches until the target stock at its branches in the country, as it pro- economic blacklist. The department of 300 tonnes of local dates lasts, ac- vides a good opportunity to market lo- said the companies were involved in cording to a press statement. This cal farm products and also allows the using forced labour by Uighurs and year’s festival is witnessing the par- consumer obtain high-quality prod- other Muslim minority groups. ticipation of more than 100 local farms ucts at good prices, QNA adds. and dates producers. Commenting on the launch event, Al WHO concerned over Al Meera is hosting the festival for the Meera Consumer Goods Company said: virus spread in Africa fi rst time this year through more than 50 “We are pleased to host the fi fth Local branches across Qatar, in line with the Dates Festival at Al Meera branches this Countries in Africa need urgent precautionary measures in force in the year in co-operation with the Ministry help to build up their health systems country, the offi cial Qatar News Agency of Municipality and Environment. The as the novel coronavirus has been (QNA) reports. The annual festival has Off icials at the launch of the Local Dates Festival yesterday. Rutab date is a special date as it rep- spreading rapidly in sub-Saharan previously been held at Souq Waqif. resents for us the traditions and local Africa in recent days, a senior World Al Meera branches have allocated quality goods, which now include the said: “The Local Dates Festival comes proving the quality of local agricultural culture of our country. By holding the Health Organisation (WHO) off icial special areas to display the local dates complete range of local dates displayed under the ministry’s framework of im- production while reducing waste, to festival this year, we have the unique warned yesterday. Although the across all its branches, aimed at active at competitive prices for the entirety of proving the visibility of Qatari products achieve an overall increase in demand. opportunity to support our commu- number of cases in several countries promotion of local products as a top the festival,” the statement notes. in the local market. The ministry holds “The combined eff orts are aimed nity, customers and local producers as is still low, the rate of increase has priority. “Al Meera constantly seeks Yousuf Khalid al-Khulaifi , director the marketing of local produce as a pri- at motivating the local farm owners part of our continued eff orts to support been very high last week. Page 8 to provide its customers with high- of the Agricultural Aff airs Department, ority that can signifi cantly aid in im- to increase production and improve national products.” Page 20 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 QATAR

Qatar participates in meeting of GCC ministerial committee Transport minister heads team to GCC meetings z Topics related to development of post, telecommunications and information technology sectors in GCC states discussed z GCC malware analysis platform launched

E the Minister of Trans- port and Communica- Htions Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti has headed Qatar’s delegation participating in the 26th Meeting of the GCC Min- isterial Committee for Post, Telecommunications and In- formation Technology, held via videoconferencing and attended by ministers of communications and information technology in Qatar participated yesterday in the 20th meeting of the ministerial committee of following up the the GCC. implementation of the joint work decisions of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). The meeting The meeting discussed sev- was held via video conference. Qatar’s delegation was chaired by the Secretary-General of the eral topics related to the devel- Council of Ministers HE Hamad bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi. opment of the post, telecom- munications and information technology sectors in the GCC member states and means of boosting co-operation in these Qatar participates in meeting of vital industries, the Ministry of Transport and Communications GCC human rights specialists (MoTC) said in a statement yes- terday. The committee also discussed Qatar participated in the the outcomes and recommen- meeting of the permanent dations of the 28th Meeting of HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti attending the GCC committee of human rights the GCC Telecommunications ministerial meetings. specialists for the Gulf and Information Technology Co-operation Council states, Undersecretaries Committee, isterial Committee Meeting. the joint initiatives of the GCC ernment and IT in cybersecurity held via video conferencing. and future orientations for work Held via videoconferencing, eGovernment Strategy, the and information emergency re- Acting Director of Depart- mechanisms against the back- the meeting was attended by a endorsement of new initia- sponse, as well as issues on Pub- ment of Human Rights at the ground of the lessons learnt number of ministers and sen- tives in order to start activating lic Key Infrastructure. Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, from the Covid-19 pandemic. ior officials of communications them, the implementation of a Other key topics were the Dr Turki bin Abdullah The meeting was attended and information technology in number of shared e-services, GCC joint procurement for soft- al-Mahmoud, represented by president of the Communi- the GCC. as well as going ahead with ware and equipment and GCC Qatar in the meeting. During cations Regulatory Authority During the meeting, the GCC implementing the informa- shared e-services. the meeting, the discussion (CRA), Mohamed Ali al-Man- malware analysis platform was tion security strategy for GCC The ministerial commit- of the guiding and unified nai, and high-level representa- launched. This is to be used by member states. tee stressed the importance of draft law protecting the tives from the MoTC and Qatar the computer emergency re- Further, the meeting dis- working in line with future ori- rights of victims of the Gulf Post. sponse centres of GCC member cussed the recommendations entations based on lessons learnt Co-operation Council In a related context, HE the states. of the GCC eGovernment Ex- from the Covid-19 pandemic. countries was completed. Minister has headed Qatar’s The ministerial committee ecutive Committee at its recent The meeting was attended by delegation participating in the also reviewed the implemen- meetings, which highlighted high-level representatives from sixth GCC e-Government Min- tation of the second phase of several topics relating to eGov- the MoTC. Justice ministry calls on real estate brokers to complete registration

QNA the profession, brokers and offi ces the broker to register all their real estate brokerage, which will The ministry also authorised offi ces a period of 6 months to and other measures that will Doha currently operating, a registration data without the need to visit include the issuance of execu- some offi cials responsible for real settle their status, pending the enhance the fortifi cation of this page was launched on the minis- the administration, unless they tive decisions of the law, both of estate brokerage aff airs with the issuance of the executive regula- sector and encourage its growth try’s offi cial website. The real estate want to register in person. which are related to fees for li- status of judicial control to de- tions of the law, as there will be in line with the goals of Qatar he Ministry of Justice brokerage aff airs department at the Registration is open to all censing and renewing real estate tect violations that fall within the no room for persons who are not National Vision 2030 to build a has called on real estate Ministry of Justice is also receiving companies and individuals brokerage business or permis- scope of the provisions of the law. licensed to practise the profes- diversifi ed economy. Tbrokers and their offi ces those who wish to register in person wishing to practise real es- sion for some brokerage busi- The ministry’s call to real es- sion in the local market. The Ministry of Justice is work- working in the real estate sector at the department’s headquarters tate brokerage according to the ness, among others. tate brokers to complete their The new measures are aimed ing to develop the real estate bro- to register to complete licensing located in the main building of the standards followed in line with The Real Estate Aff airs Com- registration procedures coin- at creating a national database kerage profession and to raise it to and accreditation procedures for ministry. the provisions of the law, the mittee at the Ministry handles all cides with the fi nal deadline to of real estate brokers, strength- the desired level, including reduc- practising real estate brokerage The ministry explained that ministry stated. matters related to the profession, settle their status that HE the ening national legislation aimed ing real estate disputes. For this profession, in accordance with the offi cial page for register- The announcement of the whether in terms of licenses and Minister of Justice and Acting at improving the business envi- purpose, incentive measures have the provisions of Law No 22 of ing real estate brokers allows start of the registration of real follow-up, or through procedures Minister of State for Cabinet ronment and enhancing the at- been put in place that will qualify 2017 regarding the regulation of the registration of brokers in all estate brokers comes within the related to real estate services, or Aff airs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al- tractiveness of the investment the operating real estate offi ces, real estate brokerage. their categories. The page also eff orts of the Ministry of Jus- through checking and controlling Nuaimi had issued a decision climate. This includes protect- as these offi ces will have powers, The ministry said that in order to includes a preview of all the re- tice to activate Law No 22 of documents, records and books extending it during the recent ing the real estate market from including access to real estate data facilitate citizens wishing to practise quired data in a way that allows 2017 regarding the regulation of that the broker has. period that gave the real estate speculation and sub-brokerage electronically and others. Health ministry reports 103,782 NHRC holds training workshop for staff and ministries’ representatives total Covid-19 recovery cases he National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) organ- Tised a training workshop QNA “Avoid close contact with oth- on reporting in the fi eld of human Doha ers, crowded places and confi ned rights for the benefi t of the com- closed spaces where other peo- mittee’s staff and representatives ple aggregate. Now more than of the ministries concerned. he Ministry of Public ever, we must be careful and The workshop was held in co- Health (MoPH) reported protect the most vulnerable,” the operation with the UN Human Tyesterday 389 new con- MoPH said. Rights Training and Documen- fi rmed cases of coronavirus While the restrictions of Cov- tation Centre for South-West (Covid-19) and 405 recoveries id-19 are gradually being lifted in Asia and the Arab Region. in the last 24 hours, bringing the Qatar, it is important for every- In her opening remarks at total number of people recov- one to play their role in control- the workshop, that was held via ered from the disease in Qatar to ling the virus by following pre- video conference, NHRC Secre- 103,782 cases. cautionary measures: tary-General Maryam Abdullah It also reported the deaths of zAdherence to physical dis- al-Attiyah said the process of two patients aged 70 and 71, who tancing. preparing human rights reports were receiving the necessary zAvoid close contact with in a scientifi c, professional, ac- NHRC Secretary-General Maryam Abdullah al-Attiyah attending the medical care. others, crowded places and con- curate, credible and transparent Training workshop. The MoPH said in a statement fi ned closed spaces where other manner is the backbone of the on Covid-19 developments in people congregate. work of national institutions. high quality of reports submitted Dr Abdel Salam Sidahmed said Qatar the all new cases have been zWearing a face mask She added that the process of by national institutions, whether that monitoring human rights is kept in isolation and are receiv- zWashing hands regularly. preparing and writing reports internal or external, national or one of the most important tasks ing necessary healthcare. zMost importantly, it is vital is considered one of the most international and other types of of national human rights insti- Measures to tackle Covid-19 that we continue to protect the important roles of national hu- reports, in accordance with its tutions within the protection in Qatar have succeeded in fl at- elderly and those with chronic man rights institutions. These mandate and competencies in the mandate, stressing the need for tening the curve and limiting medical conditions. reports come with recommen- process of promoting and pro- this mandate to include moni- the spread of the virus and the Anyone suff ering from Cov- dations on human rights condi- tecting human rights. toring of economic, social and number of new daily cases and id-19 symptoms should either tions and what must be done in It is in this spirit that this cultural rights in addition to civil hospital admissions is continu- contact 16000 helpline or go accordance with the obligations training workshop was organ- and political rights, and that na- ing to decline each week. patients *Qatar’s young popula- that the Covid-19 pandemic is directly to one of the designated of the state stipulated in the rati- ised to introduce and explain the tional institutions must have the Qatar’s proactive and exten- tion over in Qatar as every day be- health centres to undergo the fi ed international conventions, methodology of reporting, its power to collect information and sive testing of suspected cases zProactive testing to identify tween 50 and 100 people are necessary checks at Muaither, and in light of the advice provid- mechanisms, objectives, types evidence that they need to per- has enabled the health minis- cases early admitted to hospital with mod- Rawdat Al Khail, Umm Slal, or Al ed by the national human rights and basic principles of monitor- form this function eff ectively. try to identify a high number of zExpanding hospital capac- erate to severe Covid-19 symp- Gharafa. institutions to state institutions ing and information gathering The workshop aimed at intro- positive cases in the community. ity, especially intensive care, to toms. This is important as the earlier contained in the objectives for operations, she said, adding that ducing the principles of moni- Qatar has one of the low- ensure all patients receive the “Unless we follow all precau- the disease is detected the eas- the establishment approved by the workshop targeted employ- toring, information gathering est Covid-19 death rates in the medical care they need tionary measures, we may expe- ier it will be to receive the right the Paris Principles. ees and cadres of national hu- and general principles for writ- world. zProtecting the elderly and rience a second wave of the virus treatment and recover from it. The NHRC secretary-general man rights institutions. ing reports in the fi eld of human This is a result of: those with chronic diseases. and see numbers increasing as The health ministry has urged noted the urgent need to work on The Director of the UN Hu- rights and the process of adopt- zVery high quality of care Even though restrictions are there are already signs of this people to visit its website for training sustainable national cad- man Rights Training and Docu- ing human rights standards and provided thorough the public being lifted, and numbers are happening in other countries regular updates and new infor- res to perform the task of prepar- mentation Centre for South- indicators in the monitoring and healthcare sector for Covid-19 declining, this does not mean around the world. mation. ing reports in order to ensure the West Asia and the Arab Region reporting process. – QNA Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 3 QATAR

Deputy PM meets Libyan interior minister Ultra-fast 5G set to transform Qatar’s communication landscape, says report

By Pratap John for the last decade. It was the net-connected sensors that have adequate tools for shar- Business Editor first country to begin rolling can transform our everyday ing and utilising information. out 5G mobile broadband and lives.” Historically, innovations such ranks second globally (after The Ministry of Transport as the library, printing press he 5G networks in Qa- South Korea) for the fastest and Communications (MoTC) and telephone have had trans- tar, when fully estab- mobile broadband speeds. has been catalysing applica- formative roles in expanding Tlished, should enable In fact, mobile broadband tions through Qatar Smart the knowledge economies of peak speeds of up to 1,000 in Qatar is faster than most Nation (TASMU), a QR6bn their days. Mbps, more than 10 times the fixed broadband globally, PwC initiative launched in 2017 “Today, the fundamental current average, PwC said in said. Aside from speed, 5G to turn Doha into one of the requirement is a fast, reliable its ‘Qatar economy watch’. technology is capable of ena- world’s most connected cities and affordable internet, which As a small, densely popu- bling fourth industrial revolu- through financing clusters of is needed both for the crea- lated and wealthy country, tion technologies such as the digital technologies. tion of knowledge and its uti- Qatar has had a strong com- ‘Internet of Things’ and the “To enable a knowledge- lisation in many technological munications infrastructure “mass deployment of inter- based economy, it is crucial to applications,” PwC said.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met yesterday in the Turkish capital Ankara with Libyan Minister of Interior Fathi Bashagha. The meeting reviewed the latest developments in Libya. Qatar’s military attache in Ankara Brigadier General Mohamed Rashid al-Awami attended the meeting. QF research entity Sidra Medicine research team publishes study on impact of supports Qatar in fasting on diff erent organs Covid-19 response team of researchers from that change the way our entire that these changes were aff ecting. Sidra Medicine has pub- body reacts to fasting? Once we The team discovered that fast- atar Biomedical Re- Alished a study about the understand this – it will change ing time aff ects the organs in search Institute (QBRI), molecular changes to the body the way we approach fasting as a diff erent ways, in terms of what Qa research entity under as a result of short-term fasting. mechanism to treat diseases and genes are more or less active. Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Hamad The study, which was led by Dr to develop customised treatment They also identifi ed an organ Bin Khalifa University, has been Luis R Saraiva, director of the Me- therapies for patients. network, including vital organs supporting Qatar in the fi ght tabolism and Diabetes Research “This is very much in line with such as the brain and the liver against Covid-19. Programme at Sidra Medicine, our research strategy to continue along with white and brown fat, “As the outbreak of Covid-19 has been published in the peer- on the path of personalised medi- formed by the similarities of their began to spread like wildfi re and reviewed journal ‘Molecular Me- cine for patients and families in aff ected biological processes the world was catapulted into a tabolism’. Qatar,” he continued. playing a central role in impacting state of emergency, scientists at Dr Saraiva, who was the lead Dr Saraiva and his team’s study the immune system. Qatar Biomedical Research In- author on the study, said: “Fast- was able to fi nd unique and nov- Dr Susie Huang, co-fi rst and stitute immediately mobilised ing has been practised around el insights into the underlying co-corresponding author of the their resources to help fi ght the the world for millennia, for either mechanisms of fasting and its paper from Sidra Medicine, said: pandemic,” QF said in a state- religious or health reasons. It has eff ects an organismal level, Sidra “Using a novel combinatory data ment. Dr Omar El-Agnaf, executive recently been considered a poten- Medicine said in a statement. analysis approach, we let the data With state-of-the-art labo- director of QBRI. tial therapy to treat various condi- They identifi ed and were able tell the story. ratories and equipment, teams tions – whether related to weight to provide evidence that the im- “They revealed co-ordinated at QBRI quickly began evaluat- loss, treating auto-immune dis- mune system is a major target immune changes across multiple ing the tools and machinery that eases or to increase lifespan. of short-term fasting among a organs during short-term fast- could be of use in nationwide While there are many clinical ‘brain-liver-fats’ organ network. ing - bringing to light the roles of testing and diagnostics, col- trials looking into the impact of To investigate the molecular the immune system in regulating laborating with Hamad Medical fasting in these areas, the molec- basis of fasting, the researchers metabolism in healthy subjects. Corporation (HMC). ular mechanisms underlying fast- used laboratory mice as a model to We believe this is a novel func- QBRI eff ectively created a ing remain poorly understood, compare the molecular changes in tion that has only been recently threefold plan of action to aid especially at the whole organism nine diff erent body tissues during discovered.” national authorities in the Cov- level.” fi ve diff erent time ranges of fast- The study at Sidra Medicine id-19: fi rst, the availability of “Our four-year-long research ing, ranging from 2-22 hours. was done in collaboration with reagents should they run out; sought to address this key ques- The team utilised the Ribo- the Wellcome Sanger Institute in second, additional equipment tion – what impact does fasting nucleic Acid (RNA) sequencing the UK, the Helmholtz Zentrum for testing; and third, human have on the body and its diff erent technologies available at Sidra München from Germany and the capacity. organs? Medicine’s Genomics Core facil- Monell Chemical Senses Center Being a research-focused fa- “Other questions we aimed ity to identify active genes in the in the US. cility, the leadership at QBRI to tackle were — does the time various organs across the diff er- It was supported by a grant recognised that while long-term Dr Fares al-Ejeh, senior scientist QBRI scientists have been working to aid Covid-19 testing and ensure range of how long the fasts last ent fasting times. They then used from the Qatar National Research research will help understand at QBRI. a return to normalcy. play a role and what internal or- their bioinformatics expertise to Fund, awarded to Dr Saraiva in the virus better, kicking off op- gans or systems are the drivers decode the biological pathways 2016. erations to help with testing Being a research- new testing laboratory. “No- the workforce and ease the bur- and diagnostics takes priority. body was expecting the kind of den on the economy, the state- “We realised this was an emer- focused facility, numbers we saw, and we had re- ment notes. “We need to think gency and that we needed to the leadership at sources we could contribute, so about capacity building should take action and do something we immediately identifi ed them the virus return for a second that made an impact,” said Dr QBRI recognised and ensured we could collabo- wave,” Dr al-Ejeh said. Fares al-Ejeh, senior scientist at that while long- rate with HMC. Although the pandemic was QBRI. Within a week or so, we trans- an unprecedented event that With their primary objec- term research will ported machinery that would be threw a wrench in the works tive being to increase capacity help understand useful to HMC for testing. Dur- for the entire world, Dr al-Ejeh for testing, QBRI ordered and ing a national crisis like this believes it has shed light on the received reagents that would al- the virus better, one, it’s essential to shift our importance of strategic plan- low them to run 2,000-8,000 kicking off priorities and support national ning and how it can help re- tests a day. They also developed authorities in any way that we spond to future outbreaks in a an in-house RT-PCR assay for operations to help can,” said Dr Omar El-Agnaf, much more effi cient manner. Covid-19 testing, which was with testing and executive director of QBRI. To plan for future incidences eventually validated at QBRI in “We had these machines in like these, QBRI has developed collaboration with HMC. The diagnostics takes our laboratories already, as they an interdisciplinary programme assay demonstrated high spe- priority are regularly used in our ongo- on infectious diseases, initially cifi city and sensitivity, deeming ing research for cancer, diabetes, focusing on coronavirus - of it quite robust. etc. We are 100% committed to course. “We essentially replicated their RT-PCR machines to help contributing to this nationwide The programme involves how the test is done clinically, expedite the fi nal stage of test- challenge, which is what we screening the community for but also aimed to make it work ing for the coronavirus. QBRI continue to do,” Dr al-Ejeh said. infection and immunity, un- faster by reducing the amount of also made an agreement with While the focus has primarily derstanding how the novel reagents needed, and develop- HMC to have QBRI’s researchers remained on testing for Cov- coronavirus aff ects people with ing a more sensitive method of physically joining the new Cov- id-19 worldwide, QBRI is think- pre-existing conditions like car- testing,” Dr al-Ejeh said. id-19 testing laboratory at Ha- ing a few steps ahead and is also diovascular diseases, and what Next, QBRI transported a ro- mad General Hospital (HGH). directing eff orts towards under- diff erences they have on diff er- botic platform to HMC to auto- QBRI researchers continue standing the population’s im- ent molecular compositions to The team behind the study (from left): Eman Aboumoussa, Dr Melanie Makhlouf, Dr Luis Saraiva, Dr Susie mate the extraction of the coro- to work at HGH-HMC in shifts munity to the novel coronavirus manage or prevent complica- Huang and Dr Mathieu Garand. (Photo taken before social distancing measures were implemented). navirus genome and three of to support the operation of the – to ensure people’s return to tions. Hypermarkets ‘well-prepared’ for Eid, lifting of curbs in Phase 3

By Peter Alagos ulations prescribed by the Ministry Health and safety Similarly, LuLu Hypermarket As with most businesses, both LuLu & Collect’ App received “an ex- Staff Reporter of Public Health. regional manager Shanavas P M tremely good” response from cus- “Customer footfall is steadily protocols will still said: “Since Day 1 of the pandemic, and Safari have strengthened their tomers. LuLu, on the other hand, going back to normal as the gov- be strictly LuLu has implemented all precau- online platforms to reach a wider has intensifi ed its online shopping ajor hypermarkets have ernment eases the lockdown re- tionary measures to prevent the platform to respond immediately made the necessary prep- strictions and as the markets are enforced in spread of Covid-19. customer base amid the pandemic to its clients, Shanavas pointed out. Marations for the expected gradually reopening. accordance with As we approach Phase 3 of the Nair further explained that infl ux of customers during Eid al- And, because of this, many of easing of lockdown restrictions, we market, among other precautions, that LuLu has recently recorded a stores across the country, such as Adha and in Phase 3 of the gradual our regular customers are now the regulations are keen to continue in carrying out will still be maintained.” steady increase in the number of Safari, are expecting good sales in easing of Covid-19 restrictions, back in our stores,” Safari Mall pro- prescribed by the all the necessary health and safety Shanavas said customer footfall customers, which is expected to the coming period because the ma- which is scheduled to begin on Au- curement manager Rajesh Nair told regulations that the government was signifi cantly aff ected because continue as Eid al-Adha and Phase jority of expatriates did not leave gust 1, according to store offi cials. Gulf Times yesterday. Ministry of Public has imposed to protect the people children below 12 years and the 3 are approaching. the country for Eid al-Adha. But the offi cials were also quick “Safari is well-prepared to re- Health from the pandemic. elderly are not allowed to enter hy- As with most businesses, both Shanavas also added that LuLu to stress that while the coming ceive more customers as we head “Social distancing protocols, permarkets, according to govern- LuLu and Safari have strengthened is “well-stocked” for Eid al-Adha. period is expected to increase cus- towards Phase 3 and Phase 4. We social distancing and other safety regular disinfection of the premises ment restrictions. their online platforms to reach a He stressed that essential items, tomer footfall, health and safety are also continuously following precautions, to protect our cus- and trolleys, the checking of tem- But while there was a drop in wider customer base amid the pan- such as food and non-food prod- protocols will still be strictly en- the protocols set by the Ministry of tomers and staff from Covid-19,” peratures, and requiring the Ehter- customer footfall at the beginning demic. ucts, are in stock, which will last forced in accordance with the reg- Public Health, such as maintaining he emphasised. az app before entering the hyper- of the pandemic, Shanavas noted According to Nair, Safari’s ‘Click until the end of the year. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 QATAR

MoPH launches survey on Covid-19 QFFD participates in annual

QNA number of projects led by the Scientific Reference and Research Taskforce (SRRT), Empower youth conference Doha is formed by MoPH as part of the response to Covid-19. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and atar Fund for Development of the Covid-19 pandemic. of climate change and its eff ects, as Accordingly, the conference ac- the Supreme Committee for Delivery and The survey targets Qatari (QFFD) has participated in The conference served as a forum well as about local eff orts to combat companies the international eff orts Legacy has launched a survey aimed at nationals and residents to address Qthis year’s Empower youth to promote the importance of engag- climate change. of this day to activate the role of evaluating Covid-19 knowledge, attitudes their knowledge, compliance, and conference, held virtually under the ing youth in peace-building, inclu- Also, ways of addressing climate youth in societies and highlight and and practices. perceived challenges related to theme ‘Youth Mobilisation for In- sion and security processes in rel- change through personal actions develop their professional skills. The survey targets Qatari nationals and five key areas, namely; physical clusion, Peace and Security’. evant community, national, regional were also discussed and young peo- QFFD, in co-operation with its residents to address their knowledge, distancing, self-isolation, wearing The 2020 edition of the annual or international organisations. ple were introduced to local initia- local and international strategic compliance, and perceived challenges masks, handwashing and the conference was launched recently The theme also sought to build tives concerned with the issue. partners, focuses on the importance related to five key areas, namely; physical proper use of disinfectants by the Education Above All Founda- on the Security Council resolution The workshop aimed at enhanc- of the role of youth in achieving the distancing, self-isolation, wearing masks, tion through its Reach Out To Asia on youth, peace and security, which ing young people’s familiarity with goals of sustainable and inclusive handwashing and the proper use of The taskforce includes off icials from MoPH, (Rota) programme. recognises the role of young people the subject to help create a society development. disinfectants. Results of the survey will Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health QFFD organised a workshop on as agents of peace and emphasises that is better informed about — and “QFFD is constantly studying the be used to enable more targeted Covid-19 Care Corporation, Sidra, Qatar Foundation, climate change in addition to mod- their contribution towards inclusive more involved in — climate change- possibility of involving youth in all communication and messaging during the Qatar University, Weil Cornell University, and erating two panel sessions titled and sustainable peace. related eff orts both now and in the sectors and areas, with the aim of coming weeks. Hamad Bin Khalifa University. ‘Relation between media, peace and During the conference, QFFD or- future. achieving its vision, ‘giving hope The survey is an example of the It aims at providing advice to MoPH security’ and ‘Role of youth in me- ganised a workshop on the role of The conference coincided with and promoting peace and justice collaborative eff ort by organisations across leadership to enable evidence-based dia’. The conference was delivered youth in addressing climate change. the International Youth Skills Day, through sustainable and inclusive Qatar to towards fighting the Covid-19 decision making, through facilitating with a new virtual format, V-Em- This gave the youth an opportu- which the United Nations celebrates development’,” QFFD said in a state- pandemic. It also exemplifies the level of collaborative research at the national and power, to overcome the challenges nity to learn more about the issue every July 15. ment. commitment to evidence-based decision international levels, and contributing to making. intelligence, data analysis and modelling The survey, which is in collaboration with related to the behavior of the epidemic to the Supreme Committee’s Behavioural help define the most appropriate public Insights Unit - B4Development, one of a health response. HBKU faculty leads workshop at fl agship EAA conference

faculty member at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS) recently led Aa youth-oriented workshop on the impact of climate change and the transformative role of younger generations. Dr Evren Tok, associate professor, programme co-ordi- nator for the MA programme in Islam and Global Aff airs, Dr Evren Tok’s eff orts were supported by Bayan Khaled and Sanskriti Tandon. and assistant dean for Innovation and Community Devel- opment, led a workshop on Exploring Climate Change and Global Citizenship through Lego Serious Play. The workshop witnessed the online participation of more than 50 active students, who explored themes related to responsibility and involvement in addressing the nega- tive impacts of climate change. Attendees refl ected on LEGO Serious Play models us- ing virtual concept boards prepared in accordance with human-centred design methodologies. Dr Tok’s eff orts were supported by Bayan Khaled and Sanskriti Tandon, both research fellows at CIS. The Empower 2020 Youth Conference’s theme this year was Youth Mobilisation for Inclusion, Peace and Security. The conference’s overarching aims emphasised sustain- able development for a more inclusive and just world. Held under the umbrella of Education Above All (EAA), this year’s edition witnessed the high-level attendance of HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali; HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Tha- ni, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Na- tions; Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations secre- tary-general’s youth envoy; and Achaleke Christian Leke, Pan-Commonwealth co-ordinator of the Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors. More details on EAA’s Empower 2020 Youth Conference can be found at www.educationaboveall.org. Information about HBKU and CIS can be found at cis.hbku.edu.qa.

HBJ Foundation off ers QR7mn social aid during fi rst half of 2020

QNA Doha

he Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foun- dation (HBJ Foundation) provided QR7,023,000 on Tsocial, fi nancial and in-kind assistance based on its social responsibility during the fi rst half of 2020 in order to achieve its vision of health and education for a better life. The assistance included paying tuition fees for a group of students unable to meet them at diff erent levels, paying off debts, fi nancial assistance to a number of patients and their families, distributing cash and in-kind amounts, and monthly guarantees for a group of needy families, orphans and widows. HBJ Foundation also provided educational assistance amounting to QR957,000, which included tuition fee pay- ments for a group of students in private schools, commu- nity schools, universities and private academies. In health, HBJ Foundation spent QR871,000 for treating a group of patients and assisting critical illness cases from non-capable societal groups. HBJ Foundation provided social assistance to enhance social activities, programmes and various community ac- tivities in some educational, training and youth centers, amounting to QR1,972,000. Financial aid to needy families amounted to QR2,146,000, while the number of benefi ciaries for monthly fi nancial aid in the fi rst half of 2020 amounted to 770 cases, which re- ceived about QR1,774,000. The HBJ Foundation provided in-kind assistance worth QR528,000, benefi ting 462 cases of Qatari men and women and residents. The HBJ Foundation provided social, fi nancial and in- kind assistance amounting to QR453,000 during the holy month of Ramadan and included fi nancial aid to needy families. It also distributed vouchers to purchase food items worth QR146,400, which were disbursed through the Al Meera Consumer Goods Company, the value of one vouch- er was QR600 of which 244 cases from the local commu- nity benefi ted. Cash aid was distributed to 244 cases of Qatari men and women amounting to QR306,500. The HBJ Foundation provides fi nancial assistance to those who are entitled to it after conducting an integrated and comprehensive study of cases. Tuesday, July 21, 2020 5 QATAR Participants in the Flexibility Building symposium in Fragile Countries: Knowledge essential for coping with Pandemics shocks and sudden humanitarian hazards

articipants in the Participated in this Symposium, countries where efforts have focused symposium “Building the Director-General of Qatar Fund on strengthening health, education Resilience in Fragile for Development His Excellency, and economic recovery systems Countries as a COVID -19 Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, and Mrs. as necessary pillars for building Pand Beyond: A Qatari Perspective” Rawda Al-Nuaimi, international resilience and promoting sustainable organized by Qatar Fund for partnerships analyst. development. Development in cooperation And from Qatar Charity Mr. with Qatar Charity last Thursday The Fund was able during the last Yousuf Ahmad AlKuwari, Chief evening agreed on the need to use period to provide a lot of assistance Executive Officer at Qatar knowledge tools in facing future to brotherly and friendly countries Charity and Director of Relief and risks of crises and how to address to overcome the Corona pandemic, International Partnerships Mr. them as required especially in as it was able to assist 24 countries Ahmed Saad Al-Rumaihi. fragile societies that cannot cope by providing more than 200 tons of with epidemic shocks and sudden Representatives of the Qatari Red medical aid, in addition to financial hazards. Crescent, StarNetWork, and OCHA, assistance. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The virtual Symposium was During his participation in the also participated in the Symposium. held on the sidelines of the United Symposium, the CEO of Qatar Nations high-level political forum The Director-General of Qatar Charity, Mr. Yusef bin Ahmed from 8-16 July of 2020 in New Fund for Development, Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, said that The COVID York. Al-Kuwari, said that with only Crisis-19 is the real test for the

The Symposium was an ten years remaining to implement international community to act in opportunity to present the Qatari the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable the interests of global solidarity vision in facing the risks that Development, it is clear that fragility and ensure that fragile societies threaten the implementation impedes progress. have access to the knowledge, tools, of development plans, which He added, “Our message is clear. and expertise essential to protect confirmed the necessity of If we aspire to see the change in themselves from future shocks. transforming these challenges fragile contexts, we must invest in into an opportunity to reinforce Mr. Al-Kuwari confirmed that targeted measures that build the the necessary procedures for during the crisis, Qatar Charity resilience of societies and enable rebuilding flexibly in the face of directed all 29 field offices the population to survive and future shocks and helping the around the world to respond to thrive.” international community to create this exceptional circumstance the appropriate ground for the And he confirmed that thanks to in cooperation with local successful implementation of the support of strategic partners governments. development goals that build the locally and internationally, He added that Qatar Charity resilience of societies and enable these targeted measures have provided more than 15 million $ in been implemented through people to survive and ensure a urgent aid to 20 affected countries. decent life for them. many projects in more than fifty Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 QATAR

San Marino thanks Qatar for support in facing Covid-19 Deadline nears for National Address registration zMoI reminds people to register by July 26

ith less than a week in the GCC, the National Address government easily reach out to left for the deadline, Law “marks a qualitative leap in people and deliver various serv- Wthe Ministry of Interi- the conduct of judicial procedures ices, including ambulance serv- or (MoI) has reminded people in and enables a proper communica- ices. San Marino yesterday thanked Qatar for its support in containing the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. San Marino’s Qatar to register their National tion system.” A citizen or an expatriate or Ministry of Foreign Aff airs said in a statement that Qatar’s support reflects the two countries’ solidarity in facing the pandemic, Address by July 26. All entities and individuals, his/her legal representative stressing that co-operation has become more urgent in facing the challenges posed by the medical emergency that continues to “We remind citizens, expatri- including institutions and com- has to register his/her data in a test the entire international community. Qatar’s ambassador to Italy Abdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Malki, who is Qatar’s non-resident ates, and legal persons (in ac- panies, should register their ad- simple form that includes the ambassador to San Marino, delivered a cheque worth $150,000 from Qatar Charity to the ambassador of San Marino to Italy cordance with the National Ad- dress and data with the ministry. address of residence, fi xed tel- Daniela Rotondaro, QNA reported. dress Law) of the importance of This will ensure that everyone is ephone number, mobile number, registering their national ad- properly communicated by the e-mail, employer address for dresses through Metrash2 or the State and receives essential offi cial government and private sector website of the Ministry of Inte- notifi cations and announcements employees, and permanent ad- rior,” the MoI tweeted yesterday. on time. dress abroad, if available. The Considered the fi rst of its kind The registration will help the guardian of minor children has to register their data and bears legal responsibility for the valid- ity of this data. The registration will enhance the performance rates of some security and rapid-response services in case of emergencies. These include Al Fazaa, Traffi c Department, Civil Defence and ambulance services. The registration will also help residents take advantage of on- line delivery and online pur- chase. Anyone who fails to register their address within six months Some of the participants in the online internship programme. of the enactment of the law will be fi ned with an amount less than QR10,000. The law mandates the individ- QCRI concludes summer internship ual to notify the authority about change in the address. If not up- dated, the existing address will be considered as valid and com- programme with award ceremony munication and notifi cation will go to the given address.

atar Computing Re- versity of Toronto and others. Programme off ers students like delighted to deliver a high- search Institute (QCRI) Their activities were over- Nada an exciting opportunity quality internship programme MoI official meets Afghanistan envoy Qat Hamad Bin Khalifa seen by 34 mentors, including to obtain hands-on research under such exceptional cir- University (HBKU) concluded scientists and software engi- experience,” added Soleiman’s cumstances. In keeping with its online summer internship neers. Interns presented their mentor, Dr Husrev Taha Sencar, previous years, all interns programme recently with an work to a panel of judges from principal scientist, QCRI. were engaged with their award ceremony. HBKU, QU, CMU-Q and QCRI “By working with research- projects from day one and The event provided an op- during the fi nal week of the ers and engineers, students offered some innovative and portunity to acknowledge the programme. Among the interns not only learn about tackling thought-provoking solutions various contributions made by receiving awards was Nada So- a variety of problems but also in the process. interns from academic institu- leiman, a Computer Science get involved in developing new “The overall standard of tions at home and abroad. student at CMU-Q. After be- tools and systems. The fact this year’s interns was excep- This year, QCRI welcomed 56 ing announced as this year’s that early-year undergraduates tionally high and judging their interns to contribute to 26 dif- second-placed intern, she said: are accepted to the programme contributions was a difficult, ferent projects. “The QCRI Summer Intern- makes the internship an even albeit welcoming, challenge. Local candidates came from ship Programme was a valuable greater opportunity. I fi rmly We’re already looking forward HBKU as well as Qatar Uni- experience that helped me gain believe these experiences help to staging next year’s intern- versity (QU), Carnegie Mellon insight and hands-on experi- students better understand ship initiative and the contri- University in Qatar (CMU-Q) ence of the research process. computer science concepts and butions it will make to build- and Texas A&M University at I also developed key skills and prepare them for a successful ing Qatar’s innovation and Qatar. International contri- gained familiarity with use- career.” technology capacity.” butions were made by interns ful tools that are essential to Speaking after the award For more information on from Princeton University, any computing-related career ceremony, Dr Eman Fituri, the work of Qatar Computing Georgia Institute of Technol- path.” director of Educational Initia- Research Institute, visit qcri. ogy, New York University, Uni- “QCRI’s Summer Internship tive at QCRI, said: “We were hbku.edu.qa. HE Major General Abdul Aziz bin Faisal al-Thani, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Commander of Lekhwiya, met with Abdul Hakim Dalili, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Qatar, yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed ways of co-operation on issues of mutual interest and means to enhance them, the Ministry of Interior tweeted. QU hosts webinar on key role of Some beaches to be earmarked material science during pandemic

atar University’s (QU) for summer camping activities ‘Emergent Materials QJournal’, a leading jour- nal, organised a special scien- number of beaches will be touring the various targeted tifi c webinar titled, ‘Materials be designated for tem- areas round-the-clock to pre- against Covid-19: How Mate- Aporary summer camping vent violations and encroach- rials Science Can Impact the purposes in addition to other ments on wildlife and natural re- Pandemic,’ recently via WebEx. locations for swimming as well serves, in co-operation with the The webinar was sponsored as parking portacabins on vari- authorities concerned. by QU, University of Houston Prof Mariam al-Maadeed ous beaches across the country, They will also constantly and Georgia Institute of Tech- local Arabic daily Arrayah has monitor and protect land and nology. biomaterials to modulate mac- reported citing a Ministry of marine (island) reserves and de- The webinar aimed to gather rophage polarisation’. Municipality and Environment tect any related violations, the scientists, clinicians and in- The host speakers were Dr (MME) offi cial. daily added. dustry experts working on Huseyin C Yalcin, associate Speakers at the webinar. Camping will be allowed on Saleh al-Kuwari A considerable number of vio- Covid-19, QU said in a state- professor, Biomedical Research certain days of the week, which lations of the Public Hygiene law ment. The focus of the event Centre, QU; Prof Carson Me- vice-president for Research plications relevant to Covid-19. will be announced later, accord- The violating portacabins have been recorded on beaches was a variety of material sci- redith, School of Chemical & and Graduate Studies at QU, We will continue our eff orts to ing to Saleh al-Kuwari, director were removed from fi ve beaches as people turned up in large ence applications for detection, Biomolecular Engineering, said: “The global battle against promote and support science and of the natural reserves depart- as their owners had camped numbers following the gradual prevention and treatment of Georgia Institute of Technol- the pandemic is being carried out knowledge in Qatar and globally.” ment at the MME. there at an unspecifi ed time. lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. Covid-19 and related compli- ogy; Prof Kaitlyn Sadtler, PhD, on the frontlines by healthcare Webinar organiser Dr Yalcin He told the daily that 27 An inspection campaign to Accordingly, an awareness cations. section chief for Immuno-En- providers. However, as there is added, “Materials science is a key portacabins were removed from address such violations was campaign was launched to raise The webinar included speak- gineering, National Institute of no cure or eff ective therapy, an- fi eld with great potential for the various beaches around the launched last week and it is set people’s awareness on the im- ers from several universities, Biomedical Imaging and Bioen- other major eff ort is underway detection, prevention and treat- country and legal procedures to continue until the end of sum- portance of maintaining the such as Prof Dimitrios Lam- gineering, National Institutes by scientists and engineers in ment of Covid-19. Novel mate- initiated against the violators mer. cleanness of beaches across the prou from Queen’s Univer- of Health, US; and Dr Abou- research labs around the globe. rial approaches can be used for accordingly. Besides, inspection teams will country. sity Belfast, who talked about bakr M Abdullah Ali, associate Researchers are seeking fast, multiple applications such as ac- ‘3D printing within the fi ght professor, Centre for Advanced practical and eff ective ways to curate diagnosis of viral infection against pandemics’; Prof Xinyu Materials, QU. support healthcare providers in from patient samples, sanitising Liu from University of Toronto, The webinar was also aimed treating patients and prevent or or preventing viral accumulation who presented on “Fighting at promoting the current Cov- slow further spread of the virus. on surfaces, alternative sources Covid-19: microfl uidic bio- id-19 special issue of ‘Emergent “Qatar University is no excep- and sanitation for personal pro- sensors for viral and serologi- Materials Journal’. tion here and we are carrying out tective equipment, eff ective de- cal testing’; Dr Zach Ballard The journal was established multiple pioneering research livery and binding of antiviral from University of California, in 2018 as a joint eff ort be- in our labs. In this race against agents to the virus, reprogram- Los Angeles/CEO of Hana Di- tween QU and Springer. Since time, materials science is one ming of the immune system, and agnostics, who spoke on the its establishment, it has been of the fi elds that is contributing even injectable synthetic com- topic ‘Computational sens- acknowledged and recognised signifi cantly due to a substantial pounds to compete with the vi- ing approaches to serology and as an important materials sci- cumulative knowledge that can rus in binding to viral receptors. implications for Covid-19 test- ence journal and, as a result, it be translated rapidly into clinical This new knowledge needs to be ing’; and Prof Elizabeth Wayne has been indexed in major da- practice. With this webinar, we communicated eff ectively with from Carnegie Mellon Univer- tabases such as Web of Science, aimed to bring together leading other talented and courageous sity, who talked on the topic the statement noted. scientists in the world working minds to win this battle against Removal of a portacabin. ‘Macrophage engineering and Prof Mariam al-Maadeed, on novel materials science ap- the pandemic.” Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 7 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Oman reports Turkey urges ‘immediate’ 1,739 new virus cases end to rebel support in Libya QNA Muscat AFP/Agencies to Estonia yesterday. “We know Ankara that material as well as merce- naries were frequently brought he Oman Ministry of to Libya on chartered ships and Health reported yester- urkey yesterday urged an fl ights,” Maas said. Tday, 1,739 new cases of “immediate” end to the In a second step, sanctions coronavirus (Covid-19), with Tsupport for rebel com- could target the states who pro- 1,514 of them being Omanis and mander Khalifa Haftar in Libya vide the arms and mercenaries. 225 being non-Omanis. after trilateral talks held in An- At the latest Libya summit This brings the total number kara between Libyan, Maltese in January, the countries party of cases in Oman to 68,400, and Turkish offi cials. to the confl ict had agreed to while the number of recover- Turkey earlier this year adhere to the arms embargo, ies reached 45,150. The ministry stepped up its support for the though the summit document also announced eight deaths due Tripoli-based Government of has not been implemented so to the virus, bringing the total National Accord (GNA) after far. deaths in the country to 326, Haftar launched an off ensive in This weekend, Germany, Oman’s News Agency reported. April 2019 to seize the capital. France and Italy for the fi rst The ministry conducted 3,957 Libya has been entrenched in time threatened sanctions to tests during the past 24 hours, chaos since the 2011 overthrow enforce the embargo, which has while the total cases in the in- of longtime leader Muammar been in place for nine years with tensive care unit were 170. Gaddafi with rival political and repeated violations. KUWAIT SEES 559 armed groups battling for con- “We are prepared to consider NEW INFECTIONS trol. a possible use of sanctions if The Kuwait Ministry of Health “It is essential that all kind infringements against the land, announced yesterday the regis- of help and support given to sea and air embargo continue,” tration of 559 new cases of Cov- putschist Haftar, which prohib- German Chancellor Angela id-19 during the last 24 hours, its ensuring Libya’s peace, tran- Merkel, French President Em- bringing the total confi rmed quillity, security and territorial manuel Macron and Italian cases in the country to 59,763, integrity, ends immediately,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte QNA reported. Turkish Defence Minister Hu- wrote in a joint statement on The Ministry said that no lusi Akar said. Saturday. coronavirus deaths were re- His comments came after a Egyptian President Abdel- ported over the past 24 hours meeting with the interior min- Fattah al-Sisi and US President and that the death toll remained isters of Libya and Malta at the Donald Trump agreed yesterday unchanged at 408. defence ministry in the Turkish on the need to maintain a cease- The fresh cases included 337 capital. fi re in Libya and avoid an esca- Kuwaitis and 222 non-Kuwaitis, Haftar’s backers should “stop lation between the forces fi ght- the Ministry spokesperson Dr supporting an unrealistic and Fighters loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) secure the area of Abu Qurain, halfway between the ing there, Egypt’s presidency Abdullah al-Sanad said. wrong project,” GNA Interior capital Tripoli and the second city Benghazi, against rebel forces, who are based in eastern Benghazi, yesterday. said, Reuters reported. The Kuwait Ministry of Health Minister Fathi Bashaga said, Later, US President Trump had announced earlier yesterday according to a Turkish defence Malta’s Interior Minister Byron with Turkey last year, Anka- ter Heiko Maas has provided reported. Sanctions could be spoke yesterday with French the recovery of 652 from Cov- ministry translation. Camilleri said, joined by Akar ra’s military support includ- more details on potential EU put on “all companies, persons President Emmanuel Macron id-19 during the last 24 hours, “The international com- and Bashaga. ing drones helped it re-impose sanctions in response to vio- and also entities” who were on ways to de-escalate the situ- bringing the total to 50,339 re- munity should prioritise the After the GNA signed secu- control over Libya’s northwest. lations of the UN embargo on involved in breaching the em- ation in Libya, the White House coveries. preservation of a united Libya,” rity and maritime agreements German Foreign Minis- arms fl owing into Libya, DPA bargo, Maas said during a visit said in a statement.

PEOPLE Cooling off Saudi king is Young doctor dies of hospitalised Saudi Arabia’s 84-year-old ruler King Salman was admitted to hospital in virus in fi rst for Lebanon Riyadh yesterday for gall bladder inflammation, the royal court said, prompting the postponement of the Iraqi prime minister’s high-profile visit, AFP reported. AFP “Today we mourn Dr Loay, our nounced each day. In the high- Beirut young colleague, who fell while est such increase, the govern- It is rare for Saudi Arabia to report doing his duty, treating a patient ment announced 166 new cases on the health of the monarch. with #Covid19.” on July 12, including 131 sanita- King Salman is the second reign- young emergency doctor “We have taken an oath and tion workers. ing monarch in the Gulf to be yesterday became Leba- are willing to sacrifice all for At the height of summer, hospitalised after Kuwait’s 91-year- Anon’s fi rst medic to die of our patients. Yet this does not some beaches and bars are old Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad coronavirus, state media said, as take away the heartache or again thronging with people. al-Sabah was admitted to hospital daily infections rise in the east- make the loss tolerable,” tweet- Health Minister Hamad Has- last week, at a time when the re- ern Mediterranean country. ed the director of Rafik Hariri san yesterday warned of a pos- gion is gripped by the twin crises Loay Ismail, 32, “died from University Hospital. sible return to lockdown over of the coronavirus pandemic and coronavirus at the Nabih Berri Lebanon said yesterday it “people’s behaviour” and non- a plunge in crude prices. A Saudi hospital in Nabatiyeh”, south- has confirmed more than 2,900 compliance with social dis- royal court statement said King ern Lebanon, the National News cases of the novel coronavirus, tancing. Salman was “admitted today to Agency said. including 41 deaths. The pandemic arrived with King Faisal specialist hospital in The Lebanese-Italian Hospital The country has gradually Lebanon already mired in its Riyadh for some medical tests due in the nearby city of Tyre where lifted lockdown measures and worst economic crisis in dec- to cholecystitis,” inflammation of he worked said Ismail contracted opened Beirut airport to com- ades and many fearing the the gall bladder. Iraqi Prime Minis- the illness “while carrying out mercial flights at the start of health sector could not cope ter Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s scheduled his medical and humanitarian July, after a closure of more with a spike in cases. visit to Saudi Arabia, which was duty”. than three months. On Sunday, Abiad wrote on due to start yesterday, has been Firass Abiad, head of the main Over the past two weeks, the Twitter: “As the cases increase, postponed after the king’s hospi- public hospital treating Cov- daily infection rate has risen, more will need hospitalisa- Palestinian children play in a public fountain during a hot summer day in Gaza City, yesterday. talisation, according to the Saudi id-19 patients in Beirut, said: with dozens of new cases an- tion...Are hospitals ready?” foreign minister. Ballot counting in Syria’s Sudan to try ousted polls nearly complete leader over coup

DPA AFP placed in a scorched earth cam- elevated to the rank of general, Damascus Khartoum paign against a 2003 insurgency. stayed in power for 30 years be- It is the fi rst time in the mod- fore being overthrown on April ern history of the Arab world 11 last year after several months ounting continued yes- udan’s former president that the architect of a coup of unprecedented, youth-led terday in Syria after Omar al-Bashir, ousted goes on trial, although the man street demonstrations. Cvoters cast their ballots Samid a popular pro-de- dubbed the true brain behind Hadra said that Bashir and to choose a new parliament for mocracy uprising last year, faces the military overthrow, Hassan Saleh “have totally refused to the war-torn and economically trial from today over the military Turabi, died in 2016. co-operate with the commis- troubled country. coup that brought him to power “This trial will be a warning sion of enquiry, but they will The election took place in more than three decades ago. to anyone who tries to destroy be present at the court”. The Syria on Sunday without any Bashir, 76, who is already be- the constitutional system,” said lawyer said the accused are real opposition to President hind bars for corruption, could Moaz Hadra, one of the lawyers charged under crimes includ- Bashar al-Assad’s Baath Party. face the death penalty if convict- who led the push to bring the ing Chapter 96 of the 1983 “Mainly 90% of the counting ed over his 1989 coup against the case to court. Penal Code, which had been of ballots in major areas has fi n- democratically elected govern- “This will safeguard Suda- abolished by Bashir, and which ished,” a member in the election ment of prime minister Sadek nese democracy. In this way, we carries the death penalty for committee said. al-Mahdi. hope to bring an end to the era of attempting to destroy the con- The election Committee an- The Khartoum trial starting putsches in Sudan.” stitutional order. nounced that the vote in fi ve at 0800 GMT against him and Bashir will be in the dock with Hadra said that “this is polling stations — two in Alep- Men count ballots at a polling station during parliamentary election in Damascus, Syria. 16 co-accused comes as Sudan’s 10 military personnel and six ci- the first time someone who po, two in the countryside of post-revolution transitional vilians, including his former vice launches a coup will be brought Aleppo and one in Deir Ezzor selves,” George Sabra, a leading Voter turnout was sluggish in cluding 200 women, are stand- government has launched a se- presidents Ali Osman Taha and to justice” in Sudan, which has in eastern Syria, will be re-run, opposition fi gure and former diff erent government-control- ing for the 250-strong parlia- ries of reforms in hopes of fully Bakri Hassan Saleh, as well as seen three coups d’etat since according to the Syrian State head of the Syrian National led areas, local witnesses said. ment, SANA reported. rejoining the international com- former ministers and governors. its 1956 independence from News Agency (SANA).The op- Council, told DPA. The elections come more Most contenders belong to munity. They are all accused of hav- Britain.One of the 150 de- position has described the elec- It is the country’s third such than a month after new sanc- the ruling Baath party and loyal Sudan has also pledged to ing plotted the June 30, 1989 fence lawyers, Hashem al-Gali, tions as “farce.” poll since a pro-democracy up- tions imposed by the United groups. Offi cial results are ex- hand over Bashir to the Inter- coup when the army arrested charged that Bashir and the “These elections are mock- rising erupted against al-Assad States came into eff ect on key pected by today. Assad’s Baath national Criminal Court to face Sudan’s political leaders, sus- others would face “a political ery. This is an election which in 2011. The one-day vote had fi gures in the Syrian regime and Party and its allies are antici- trial on war crimes and geno- pended parliament and other trial” being held “in a hostile is not abiding by any norms of been postponed twice since amid a deepening economic pated to win the majority of cide charges related to the Dar- state bodies, closed the airport environment on the part of the any constitution...the ruling April due to the coronavirus crisis. seats in the parliament elected fur confl ict, which left 300,000 and announced the putsch on judicial system against the de- class are mainly electing them- pandemic. Some 1,656 candidates, in- for a four-year mandate. people dead and millions dis- the radio. Bashir, who was later fendants”. Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 AFRICA

Zimbabwe govt detains WHO alarmed by virus critics before protests

AFP spread across Africa Harare Reuters nent could face if urgent action is not Geneva taken to provide further support,” he olice in Zimbabwe yesterday ar- said. “South Africa may unfortunate- rested an opposition leader and ly be a precursor, it may be a warning Pan outspoken investigative jour- he World Health Organisation for what will happen in the rest of Af- nalist ahead of anti-government and yesterday voiced alarm at the rica.” anti-graft protests planned for July 31, Tspread of Covid-19 in Africa, Ryan pointed out that South Af- lawyers and police said. warning that South Africa’s surging rica’s outbreak began earlier than The two were arrested separately in numbers could be a “precursor” for those in a number of other African the capital Harare in a seemingly co- outbreaks across the continent. countries. ordinated operation. “I am very concerned right now It had fi rst spread in wealthier ar- “We confi rm both Hopewell that we are beginning to see an accel- eas but had now moved to poorer and Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume are eration of disease in Africa,” WHO’s more rural areas, he said. at the law and order section at Harare emergencies chief Michael Ryan told “Therefore, South Africa is expe- central police station,” Rose Hanzi, di- a virtual press conference. riencing that acceleration,” he said, rector of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Until recently, Africa had remained stressing though that the accelera- Rights, told AFP. relatively unscathed by the pandemic tion was no faster than elsewhere on Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said compared to the surging numbers the continent. in statement that the duo had been ar- seen in other parts of the world. While South Africa’s numbers rested on suspicion of “contravening With more than 15,000 deaths and were by far the largest, they had incitement to participate in public vio- close to 725,000 cases,the continent “only” increased by 30% in the past lence”. remains the world’s second least af- week, he said. By comparison, num- A video clip recorded at the journal- fected after Oceania. bers in Kenya had increased by 31%, ist’s house showed the remains of the But the situation has become in- in Madagascar by 50%, in Zambia glass door that police smashed to bust creasingly worrying, particularly in by 57% and in Namibia by 69%, he in and arrest him. South Africa. The country, which pointed out. His lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said she over the weekend saw its death toll “I think what we are starting to see had received “an SOS that his home had from the novel coronavirus pass the is a continued acceleration of trans- been surrounded by about eight state 5,000 mark and which has registered mission in a number of countries,” he security agents. They broke the glass at well over 350,000 infections, is by far said. “This isn’t just a wake-up call the door and gained entry.” Africa’s hardest-hit. for South Africa...We need to take Government spokesman Nick Mang- But Ryan warned that the situation what is happening in Africa very, very wana tweeted that “journalists are not there could be seen as “a warning” for seriously.” above the law”. what the rest of the continent might Ryan pointed out that a number of “Anyone suspected to have commit- have in store. the countries experiencing the great- ted a crime should be subjected to due “While South Africa is experienc- est increases were wracked “fragil- process,” he tweeted a few hours after ing a very, very severe event, I think ity and confl ict”, urging international Health workers sanitise their personal protective equipment after the cremation of a man who died due to the Covid-19 the arrests. it is really a marker of what the conti- “solidarity and support”. coronavirus at a crematorium in Nairobi. Chin’ono, 49, is an independent award-winning fi lm documentary fi lmmaker who has previously worked Coronavirus shutdown causes spike in poaching of gorillas at DR Congo’s Virunga park for various international news organi- sations. When rangers in Congo’s Virunga parents. The rangers sedated Theodore’s Procedures like this are common in mountain gorillas, park authorities said, around the park have had to turn to the He is openly critical of the Harare ad- National Park discovered three-year- mother, distracted his 270kg silverback Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga just as rangers are forced to reduce their forest to survive, finding alternatives ministration and regularly posts com- old baby gorilla Theodore tangled in a father, laid the furry baby on the leafy park, a vast wonderland of deep forests, presence to shield from the virus. such as hunting for bush meat. mentary on social media about politi- poacher’s snare this month, they knew jungle floor and got to work. glaciers and volcanos, with more species The 7,800sq km area was closed to “There has been an increase in the cal and economic developments in the they had to act fast. Theodore’s left hand “There was a lot of commotion, the of birds, reptiles, and mammals than any tourists in March to help staunch the number of people going into the forest southern African country. was caught in the illegal trap, potentially silverback wasn’t happy but they were other protected area in the world. spread of the coronavirus to the local to lay those snares,” he said. Ngarivhume is president of a small restricting blood flow and causing infec- able to move fast and eff ectively enough But they are under threat. community and the great apes. As for Theodore, he had a lucky opposition party, Transform Zimba- tion if left untended. to apply antibiotics and treat the baby The economic impact of Covid-19 has Higher food prices, fewer job op- escape. Although risky for the vets and bwe. But before they could do anything, gorilla,” said Emmanuel De Merode, caused a spike in poaching, threatening portunities, and a collapse of tourism rangers because of his formidable father, He has called on Zimbabweans to they had to deal with his over-protective director of Virunga National Park. the habitat of more than half the world’s revenues mean people living in and his operation was successful. protest against state corruption and the deteriorating economic situation on July 31. On the eve on his arrest he tweeted: “When I proposed a national demon- Wildebeest run stration I knew the risks”. The protest date is the second an- niversary of a general election that was Guinea protests resume tainted by accusations of fraud and was won by President Emmerson Mnan- gagwa. A day later troops opened fi red after coronavirus hiatus on protesters in Harare, killing at least six people, even before the results were announced. AFP Constitution, ended the truce with The latest arrests come as police in- Conakry a call for protests yesterday despite tensify a crackdown on members of the a continued ban on gatherings — as public for violating coronavirus lock- Territorial Administration Minister down regulations. ecurity forces clashed with Bourema Conde reminded television Police said on the weekend that more demonstrators in Guinea’s cap- viewers late on Sunday. than 104,000 people had been arrested Sital Conakry yesterday as pro- Conde’s second fi ve-year term for various breaches since the lockdown tests resumed after a three-month ends this year, with an election set was imposed on March 30. coronavirus hiatus against the presi- for October in the poor West African Critics accuse government of hiding dent’s suspected intention of extend- country of some 13mn people, which behind the coronavirus crisis to thwart ing his grip on power, sources said. has recorded around 6,500 coronavi- the looming protests. A bullet struck 22-year-old pro- rus infections and 39 deaths. “The government has arrested more tester Amadou Barry in the face as The security ministry said in a people than they have tested (for coro- he headed to a demonstration in the statement that few people turned out navirus),” Rashid Mahiya, head of civic Hamdallaye suburb, an opposition for the protests. rights grouping Crisis in Zimbabwe stronghold, according to a friend and It said “uncivic acts” included “at- Coalition told AFP. a medical source. tempts to set up barricades, spilling A total of 101,375 Covid-19 tests have In another opposition stronghold, automotive oil on roads (and) throw- been carried out so far. the Wanidara suburb, demonstrators ing stones” in Conakry and elsewhere He said people are being forced to set up barricades and burned tyres in the country. venture outdoors due to a lack of gov- while security forces tried to disperse Conde enacted a new constitution ernment relief for impoverished people. them with tear gas, an AFP corre- in April following a referendum in Poverty is deepening among many spondent witnessed. March whose credibility was ques- Zimbabweans, with UN aid agencies He said security forces cordoned tioned by France, the European Union saying some 7.7mn people, or half of the off the homes of opposition leader and the United States. population, require food assistance. Cellou Dalein Diallo and the national Critics argue that the motive be- Mahiya said Zimbabwe’s economy is coordinator of an umbrella organisa- hind changing the constitution is to predominantly informal, forcing peo- tion of political parties, unions and allow him to reset presidential term ple to venture out, and “if we just sit civil society groups, Abdourahmane limits so that he can run again in Oc- at home more people will die of hunger Sano. tober. than the deadly disease”. As the government imposed meas- Conde is a former opposition fi gure The British embassy said it was fol- ures to fi ght the Covid-19 pandem- himself who was jailed under Guin- lowing “closely” reports of Chin’ono ic, the umbrella opposition group ea’s previous authoritarian regimes. and Ngarivhume’s arrests, urging “the Wildebeests run across a sandy riverbed of the Sand River as they come into Kenya’s Maasai Mara National suspended protests that had raged Despite initial hopes of a new po- authorities to follow the rule of law and Reserve from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park during the start of the annual migration. The Wildebeest since October 2019 over a potential litical dawn when Conde became the uphold media freedoms and freedom of Migration is one of the ‘Seven New Wonders of the World’ in which over 2mn head of mainly wildebeest and zebra re-election bid by President Alpha former French colony’s fi rst demo- speech”. migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Masai Mara National Reserve Conde, 82. cratically elected president in 2010, The US embassy in Harare tweeted in Kenya during July through to October. The umbrella organisation, the critics say his rule has become in- about Chin’ono’s arrest saying it was National Front for the Defence of the creasingly authoritarian. “deeply concerned for his welfare”. 4 African leaders head to Mali amid political crisis

AFP AS) ended on Sunday after failing The June 5 Movement has been turned violent after protesters members as a way out of the crisis. The former French colony has erected barricades in Bamako Bamako to reconcile the president with tapping into deep-seated frus- stormed the premises of a state Mediators also suggested ap- been struggling to contain an in- as Malians waited for a reaction the political opposition. trations over the 75-year-old broadcaster, blocked bridges and pointing new judges to country’s surgency that fi rst emerged in the from the president and opposi- Mali’s President Ibrahim Bou- president’s perceived failures in attacked the parliament. constitutional court, who could north in 2012, before spreading to tion leaders, who have not yet he leaders of Ivory Coast, bacar Keita has been locked in a tackling the dire economy, cor- Three days of clashes between potentially re-examine disputed the centre. spoken on the issue. Ghana, Senegal and Niger standoff with the opposition June ruption and the country’s eight- protesters and security forces election results. Thousands of soldiers and ci- In outlying suburbs of Bama- Tare coming to Bamako on 5 Movement for weeks, which year-old insurgency. followed, leaving 11 dead and 158 But the June 5 Movement had vilians have died in the confl ict, ko, some protesters erected bar- Thursday as Mali’s political crisis spiralled into violent clashes ear- Many Malians are also in- injured, according to an offi cial earlier rejected any outcome that and hundreds of thousands of ricades and burned tyres, AFP deepens, a government offi cial lier this month, leaving 11 dead. censed at the outcome of long- tally. does not include Keita’s depar- people have been driven from journalists saw. said. An offi cial from Keita’s of- delayed parliamentary elections After a week of meeting with ture. their homes. But otherwise life in the city The news comes after a fi ve- fi ce told AFP that the arrival of in March and April that handed various parties, the ECOWAS Mali’s neighbours and interna- Keita, who came to power in continued as usual, albeit with day mediation mission from the foreign leaders concerned the victory to Keita’s party. mission on Sunday suggested the tional allies are anxious to avoid a 2013, has been under increasing an increased police presence 15-nation Economic Community political impasse, but did not An anti-Keita rally staged by formation of a new unity gov- slide into chaos in the poor Sahel pressure to stop the fi ghting. along Bamako’s main arteries and of West African States (ECOW- elaborate. the June 5 Movement on July 10 ernment comprising opposition nation of some 20mn people. Keita’s opponents yesterday bridges crossing the Niger river. Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 9 AMERICA

White House, Congress jockey in looming showdown over coronavirus aid

Reuters they were making progress to- less than two weeks to hammer But McConnell has yet to en- “A bipartisan, bicameral proc- that he intended to “focus on lation was upstaged over the Washington ward a $1tn legislative package out a new relief package before gage in bipartisan negotiations, a ess will result in a much better starting with another trillion weekend by White House eff orts focusing on businesses, schools enhanced unemployment bene- Senate Democratic aide said. bill for the American people.” dollars. We think that will have a to eliminate billions of dollars of and healthcare. fi ts run out for tens of millions of Senate Democratic leader Congress has so far passed leg- big impact.” money intended for testing and resident Donald Trump “If you’re looking for a theme American workers made jobless Chuck Schumer warned that his islation committing $3tn to the But Democrats have pledged tracing, in a bid to gain control of and Republican lawmakers here, it’s livelihood protection for by the Covid-19 pandemic. party was prepared to stymie any crisis. to fi ght for legislation akin to the the virus’s spread. Pin Congress yesterday laid those who are trying to deal with McConnell is expected to un- eff ort by Republicans to bring In the more than 12 weeks $3tn bill that the House approved Word of the move has sparked out their priorities for new coro- the pandemic — people already veil legislation in coming days, and partisan legislation to the fl oor of since Trump signed the last re- in mid-May, which provides anger among Democrats and Re- navirus legislation while Demo- struggling to keep kids in school, Trump told reporters there has been the chamber. sponse into law, the number of hundreds of billions of dollars publicans alike. crats warned that any partisan jobs and healthcare,” Senate Ma- “a lot of progress” toward a bill. Similar partisan standoff s pre- US coronavirus cases has more in assistance for state and local “That goes beyond ignorance. Republican measure would be jority Leader Mitch McConnell “We’re working and negotiat- ceded the last coronavirus bills. than tripled to over 3.7mn. governments, extends enhanced It’s just beyond the pale. Hope- met by unifi ed opposition. told reporters in the Oval Offi ce. ing with the Democrats and try- “We will stand together again Treasury Secretary Steven unemployment insurance and fully, it was a mistake and they’ll In a meeting at the White The Republican-controlled ing to get a plan that helps small if we must,” Schumer said in Mnuchin, who led previous provides new direct payments to back off it, because it is so very House, Republican legislators Senate and Democratic-led business, helps people, helps this a letter to his Democratic col- coronavirus bill negotiations individuals and families. wrong,” House Speaker Nancy and administration offi cials said House of Representatives have country,” Trump said. leagues. with Congress, said yesterday The prospect for new legis- Pelosi told MSNBC. Chicago Trump plans to send federal reimposes cops to Democrat-led cities virus curbs Reuters Chicago Reuters enforcement in the city, saying fed- Washington eral agents used tear gas to disperse a crowd that had gathered outside a he city of Chicago yesterday reim- federal courthouse downtown. posed some coronavirus restrictions resident Donald Trump said Wolf said federal law enforcement Tand Florida reported more than 10,000 yesterday he plans to send was doing its job. “We’re not going to new cases for the sixth day in a row, as the Plaw enforcement personnel apologize for it,” he said. “We’re going to pandemic showed few signs of abating in the to some major US cities, as a federal do it professionally and do it correctly.” United States. crackdown on anti-racism protests Ken Cuccinelli, the acting Depart- In a rare ray of hope, New York state report- including use of unmarked cars and ment of Homeland Security (DHS) ed the fewest hospitalisations from the coro- unidentifi ed offi cers in camoufl age deputy secretary, said the federal offi c- navirus in four months and New York City in Portland, Oregon, angers people ers wore the same uniforms every day yesterday entered a new phase of reopening, across the country. and the crowds knew who they were. but the progress, in the very city and state “We’re sending law enforcement,” He also defended the use of un- that were once the epicentre, was eclipsed by Trump told reporters at the White marked cars as routine. the grim news nearly everywhere else. House. “We can’t let this happen to “Unmarked police vehicles are so Metrics for the country have grown worse the cities.” common it’s barely worth discus- including a rising number of cases, deaths Trump, a Republican, mentioned sion,” he told CNN. and hospitalisations along with rates of posi- New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cuccinelli said if federal authori- tive test results. Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, Cal- ties receive the same kind of intel- The virus has killed 140,000 people in the ifornia, as possible places for sending ligence threat in other places, they United States and infected some 3.7mn, both in federal forces, noting the cities’ would respond the same way. fi gures leading the world. mayors are “liberal Democrats.” “It’s really as simple as that,” he Florida yesterday reported 10,347 new State and local leaders in Oregon, said. cases, the sixth day in a row the state has an- as well as members of Congress, On Sunday, Democrats in the US nounced over 10,000 new infections. meanwhile, have called for Trump House of Representatives demanded Another 92 people died in Florida, increas- to remove Department of Homeland internal investigations into whether ing the state’s death toll to 5,183. Security offi cers from Portland. the Justice and Homeland Security Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced “They’ve been there three days departments “abused emergency au- new restrictions due to take eff ect on Friday and they really have done a fantastic thorities” in handling the Portland including a ban on indoor service at bars and job in a very short period of time, no New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer attends ‘Strike for Black Lives’ protest in front of Trump International protests. shutdown of personal services such as shaves problem,” Trump said of law enforce- Hotel & Tower in New York yesterday. Tens of thousands of union workers joined social and racial justice advocates in Portland’s mayor called the inter- and facials that require the removal of masks. ment sent to the historically liberal more than 25 US cities in walking off the job yesterday in support of dismantling systemic racism. vention an abuse of federal power and “While we aren’t near the peak of the pan- city to quell often unruly protests. said it was escalating the violence. demic from earlier this year, none of us wants “They grab a lot of people and jail Despite a national outcry over the tac- “DHS is not going to back down apolis in late May. In Portland, fed- Oregon’s attorney general fi led a to go back there,” Lightfoot said in a state- the leaders. These are anarchists.” tics, Department of Homeland Security from our responsibilities. We are not eral offi cers last week started crack- lawsuit against the federal agencies, ment. Federal offi cers last week began offi cials yesterday said they would not escalating, we are protecting,” Chad ing down on crowds, using tear gas to saying they had seized and detained The city of Los Angeles is on the brink of is- cracking down on Portland protests back down and would not apologise. Wolf, acting secretary of Homeland disperse protesters and taking some people without probable cause. suing a new stay-at-home order and at least against police brutality and systemic Top offi cials said yesterday they Security, told Fox News. into custody in unmarked cars. Cuccinelli dismissed local leaders’ 14 states have reported record hospitalisa- racism, using tear gas and taking had no intention of pulling back and Protests began across the coun- Portland Police yesterday pro- calls to leave the city. tions so far in July, including Alabama, Arizo- some activists into custody without defended the federal crackdown on try after the police killing of African vided details on another tense night “We will maintain our presence,” na, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina explanation. anti-racism protests. American George Floyd in Minne- between protesters and federal law he said. and Texas. Meanwhile, the administration of US Pres- ident Donald Trump is pushing for schools to reopen in a few weeks and resisting a federal mandate that people wear masks in public, part of what New York Governor Andrew Federal judge’s son shot dead at home in New Jersey Cuomo called an “incompetent” federal gov- ernment response. “I’ve said to the president from Day One: Reuters ports and Marion Costanza, a friend Among her cases, Salas presided County before becoming a defence parents’ footsteps and become a law- This virus does not respond to politics,” Cuo- New York of the family who lives three homes over the sentencing of members attorney. yer. mo told a news conference. “The solution is away. of the Grape Street Crips, a gang He and his partner, David Oakley, “I want people to know what a medicine and science.” The FBI’s Newark offi ce said late charged with selling drugs and other handle a variety of felonies, including good kid he was.” The country remained “totally unpre- he FBI was yesterday con- on Sunday that it was searching for crimes in 2015, and federal fraud homicide, sexual assault and fraud, New Jersey Governor Phil Mur- pared,” Cuomo said, as other states lagged in ducting a manhunt for a lone one suspect. An offi cial said yester- convictions of co-stars of The Real according to their website. phy and US Senator Bob Menendez testing, contact tracing, and personal protec- Tgunman suspected of fatally day morning there were no further Housewives of New Jersey reality TV Neither Anderl nor Oakley could of New Jersey were among political tive equipment for doctors and nurses. shooting the 20-year-old son of updates on the investigation. show. be reached for comment. leaders who expressed concern about “Their mistake was they listened to the a federal judge in New Jersey and Investigators have preliminary in- Salas, 51, was nominated to her seat Daniel Anderl, the son, was shot as the incident on Twitter. president,” Cuomo said, while also blasting wounding her husband, a prominent formation that someone dressed as by then-president Barack Obama in he came down the stairs of the home Menendez said he knew Judge “stupid and reckless” people in his own state defence attorney who remained in a FedEx driver arrived at the family 2010, becoming the fi rst Hispanic to help his father, who had opened Salas well and had recommended her who persistently gather in large groups. critical condition. home in North Brunswick at about woman to serve on the District Court the door to the gunman, according to appointment to the federal bench. New York state, where the virus took hold US District Judge Esther Salas 5pm, ABC News reported on Sun- of New Jersey. some media reports. “My prayers are with Judge Salas early this year before spreading to other was home at the time of the shoot- day, citing multiple law enforcement Salas could not be immediately “He ran down the stairs. Instead and her family, and that those re- states, recorded only eight deaths on Sunday ing in North Brunswick, New Jersey, sources. reached for comment. of running away he ran to help his sponsible for this horrendous act are while the total number of people hospitalised but was in the basement and was The motive behind the killing re- Her husband, Mark Anderl, 63, father,” Costanza said, noting that swiftly apprehended and brought to for the disease fell to 716, the fewest since not injured, according to media re- mained unclear. was an assistant prosecutor in Essex Daniel had wanted to follow in his justice,” Menendez wrote. March 18, Cuomo said. In LA, community fridges feed people hit by pandemic

AFP you only put one tomato in there, and older, more modest homes. and others, a move that will in- Los Angeles do it,” said Marina Vergara, an Restaurants, supermarkets, crease unemployment in the organiser for LA Community NGOs and neighbours chip in to county, which was a staggering Fridges, which has set up seven keep the fridges fi lled. 21% at the end of May. n a sidewalk in Los Ange- of the appliances and has plans “It’s been overwhelming. It Local authorities, NGOs, les stands a shiny, clean for more. has been nothing but love,” said churches and schools have Orefrigerator packed with “I thought the concept of hav- Danny Dierich, manager of a cafe opened up food banks and soup milk, fruit, vegetables, chicken ing these community fridges up called Little Amsterdam, which kitchens for those most aff ected. and other food, marked clearly as in neighbourhoods all around the provides the electricity for a Vergara, who started the fridge free for the taking. city would make, you know, just fridge right outside. project with an organisation It is one of several “commu- this kind of aid more accessible,” “People come by every sin- called Reach for the Top, which nity refrigerators” that began to said Vergara. gle day. They put goods in the helps the homeless, said there are appear this month on the streets The idea was inspired by a fridge, they bring stuff in. It’s immigrants without papers who of Los Angeles, which has very similar initiative in New York. just a beautiful thing, man,” he are afraid to go to food banks for high levels of homelessness and Whoever needs food takes it, told AFP. fear of being detained and de- is now hit hard by economic woes and those who can donate, do so, “We’re living in a very unusual ported. brought on by the coronavirus putting items in the fridge at any time you know. Businesses have Others are simply too ashamed pandemic. time of day or night. been shut down, people losing to tap those resources. The fridges are unlocked, no The appliances are painted their job,” he said. “People got to “I think that there’s defi nitely one watches over them, there are colourfully and bear upbeat mes- feed their families.” a negative connotation with no forms to fi ll out or lines to wait sages, and beside them are boxes California was one of the fi rst standing in a line seeking sup- in, and people can take as much with non-perishables such as states to impose lockdown orders port and aid from a nonprofi t or food as they want. canned goods. Some people even and was a model for handling the government,” said Vergara. They are open every day, 24 leave shoes and clothing. the virus outbreak, but now it “In a lot of communities, it hours a day. “This fridge belongs to you & has again closed parts of its huge strips away your pride,” she said. A sign in English and Spanish everything inside,” says a sign on economy because of a surge in Her eff orts give people “the says “Free food.” a refrigerator in Mid City, which infections, mainly in Los Angeles freedom of being able to go to a “If you need to empty the like many parts of Los Angeles is county. community fridge at any time, fridge, no one will judge you. If a mix of modern houses and con- Business has halted for bars, whether it’s fi ve in the morning Solo Morris holds the fridge door open as Danny Dierich stocks it with more items outside the Little you need to take one tomato, or dos spawned by gentrifi cation barber shops, indoor restaurants or fi ve in the evening.” Amsterdam Coff ee shop in Los Angeles. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA China says Britain going down ‘wrong path’ over Hong Kong

AFP and measures concerning Hong Wang said Beijing would “op- Muslim minorities have been Beijing Kong have seriously violated in- Activist Joshua Wong to run in Hong Kong’s upcoming election pose interference in Hong Kong rounded up into a network of ternational law and basic norms aff airs by outside forces” and that internment camps, which China governing international rela- Pro-democracy activist Joshua now disbanded political group to disqualify my candidacy, my judicial independence was “not says are facilities for job-training hina warned yesterday tions... China strongly condemns Wong yesterday announced Demosisto, who disbanded after name, Joshua Wong is and will aff ected” by the new security law. and to steer people away from that Britain was head- this and fi rmly opposes it.” that he will run as a candidate Beijing implemented a new always be the only reason,” He also hit back at comments by extremism. Cing down “a wrong path” A new security law imposed by in Hong Kong’s upcoming national security law on June he said. The pro-Democratic Raab that accused Beijing of hu- Raab said reports of forced as Foreign Secretary Dominic China on Hong Kong last month September Legislative 30. Wong, who remains defiant primary brought a record man rights abuses against ethnic sterilisations and mass deten- Raab was expected to announce has drawn widespread criticism Council (LegCo) elections. The toward the national security law 610,000 voters to 250 polling and religious minorities in the tions in Xinjiang required inter- the suspension of an extradition in Britain and elsewhere, and 23-year-old activist made the and new era of risks it poses stations across Hong Kong’s 18 northwest region of Xinjiang. national attention, and that Brit- treaty with Hong Kong, raising Raab was due later yesterday to announcement on Twitter, said: “Our votes are our voices districts on July 11 and 12. The Raab told the BBC on Sunday that ain “cannot see behaviour like tensions between the countries. announce a package of meas- saying he had received 31,398 during Beijing’s crackdown.” goal of the “Democrat Camp it was “clear that there are gross, that and not call it out”. Wang Wenbin, spokesman for ures similar to those already in- votes in recent primary elections The new national security 35+ Primary Election” was to egregious human rights abuses But Wang said the forced- China’s foreign ministry, told a troduced by the United States, for the pro-Democratic camp. law poses new challenges, he gain a majority of 35 or more going on... it is deeply, deeply sterilisation reports were “com- regular press briefi ng that Bei- Canada and Australia. They are “It’s time for pro-democratic added, including the threat seats (more than half) in the troubling.” plete nonsense”, and that the Ui- jing would “fi rmly counter” any expected to include the suspen- camp to take the majority and of disqualification, or being September Legislative Council Wang called the comments ghur population had more than interference in its internal aff airs, sion of an extradition treaty. not to be threatened by their extradited to serve a prison election, a move which would “nothing but rumours and slan- doubled in the past four decades. also slamming suggestions it was Tensions between Hong chilling eff ect,” Wong said. sentence on the mainland. give them more power to veto der”. “The Xinjiang issue is not Exiled Uighurs this month mistreating minorities in Xin- Kong’s former and current rul- Wong was a member of the “Among the hundred excuses pro-establishment legislation. about human rights, religions or called for the International jiang as “slander”. ers have soared over a number of ethnic groups at all, but about Criminal Court in the Hague to “We urge the UK not to go fur- topics recently. Britain recently combating violence, terrorism investigate China for genocide ther down this wrong path, in bowed to sustained pressure 5G network despite warnings of that the two British judges serv- with China in 1997 — could stand and separatism,” he said. and crimes against humanity, fi l- order to avoid further damage to from Washington and ordered retaliation from Beijing. Brit- ing in Hong Kong’s Court of Final down unless the rule of law was Rights groups and experts es- ing a huge dossier accusing China China-UK relations,” Wang said. the phased removal of Chinese ain’s Supreme Court president, Appeal — under the terms of the guaranteed in the semi-autono- timate that more than 1mn eth- of rights abuses including forci- “Recent erroneous remarks telecoms giant Huawei from its meanwhile, suggested last week territory’s handover agreement mous city. nic Uighurs and other mostly bly sterilising women. Australia looks at weeks to tame Covid outbreak

Reuters „ Victoria state reports 275 Covid-19 cases in past 24 hrs wave. NSW reported 20 new in- Sydney fections yesterday, the highest in „ Australian Covid-19 death toll rises to 123 three months. „ More lockdowns could hurt struggling economy The transmission rate in the surge in Covid-19 cases in state is higher than in Victoria, Australia’s second-big- despite social distancing restric- Agest city could take weeks tions being tightened. to subside despite a lockdown NSW authorities have been and orders to wear masks, Aus- unable to trace some of the clus- tralia’s acting chief medical of- ters and state authorities have fi cer said yesterday as the coun- urged people to avoid unneces- try braces for a second wave of sary travel and public transport. infection. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Authorities in the state of Vic- she would consider tightening toria, whose capital Melbourne social-distancing restrictions in is in partial lockdown amid a cities like NSW capital Sydney new outbreak, reported 275 new if the numbers continued to rise Covid-19 cases yesterday, down over the next few weeks. from a daily record of 438 three Should NSW be forced to im- days earlier. plement new restrictions, it Australia’s Acting Chief Medi- would be a hammer blow to Aus- cal Offi cer Paul Kelly said it tralia’s hopes for a quick eco- would take “weeks” to slow the nomic recovery. outbreak to levels seen as recent- Already, Australia is facing ly as June, when Victoria and the its fi rst recession in nearly three rest of Australia reported single decades, with unemployment or double-digit daily infections. at a 22-year high. Australian “We have learned over time that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will the time between introducing a later this week announce how measure and seeing its eff ect is at Australia’s conservative govern- least two weeks and sometimes ment plans prop-up an ailing longer than that,” Kelly told Aus- economy. tralian Broadcasting Corporation Its centrepiece economic pol- radio. icy, a A$70bn ($48.9bn) wage Australia has recorded about People wearing face masks walk past a sign advertising masks in Melbourne yesterday. subsidy scheme is set to expire at 11,800 coronavirus cases with the end of September. a death toll of 123, a fraction Covid-19 but quarantine lapses and told residents around Mel- to talk about a trend,” he said, re- Deloitte Access Econom- of what has been seen in other in Victoria triggered a fl are-up bourne to cover their faces if they ferring to the drop in daily new ics yesterday estimated around countries. in infections in June. An offi cial have to leave their homes. Victo- cases. 240,000 businesses in the hospi- In most Australian states the inquiry into the outbreak began rian Premier Daniel Andrews said The Victorian outbreak and tality, professional services, and disease has been eff ectively elim- hearings yesterday. it was too soon to declare that rising daily cases in neighbour- transport industries in particu- inated. Less than a month ago, Victoria’s government has or- such measures had fl attened the ing New South Wales, the coun- lar are at high risk of failure af- Australia was widely heralded dered about 5mn people into a outbreak. “Until we bring some try’s most-populous state, are ter September without enduring A man wearing a face mask crosses the normally busy Burke Street as a global leader in combating partial lockdown for six weeks stability to this, we won’t be able stoking fears of a national second government support. Mall in Melbourne yesterday.

Bangladesh to host late-stage China blows up dam Chinese cinemas open as trial of China’s Covid vaccine Bangladesh’s state medical research agency has approved a third- to lessen fl ood risk phase trial of a potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s normality slowly returns Sinovac Biotech Ltd, as infections rise in the densely populated South Asian country. Sinovac has been looking for volunteers outside China as the number of coronavirus cases there has AFP highs. In Anhui, a dam on the dwindled, said a member of Bangladesh’s national technical Beijing Chu river was demolished yes- AFP advisory committee to tackle Covid-19. terday as water levels inched Shanghai The trial, to be conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal close to historic highs. Local Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), could begin next month. hinese authorities blew authorities said the action was “We have given ethical permission for the trial after reviewing the up part of a dam in east- taken to ensure the safety of undreds of cinemas reo- research protocol,” Mahmood Uz Jahan, director of the Bangladesh Cern Anhui province to people living nearby. pened in scores of Chi- Medical Research Council (BMRC), told Reuters. The trial will involve relieve fl ood pressure, local “Aff ected by continuous Hnese cities yesterday 4,200 volunteers, Jahan said. media reported, as heavy rains downpours and upstream after a six-month nationwide “Half of them will get vaccinated,” he said. The trial would be continue to swell rivers across fl ows, the water level of the Chu shutdown due to the coronavi- conducted in seven hospitals specialising in treating novel parts of the country. Rising wa- River, a tributary of the Yangtze rus, highlighting its success in coronavirus infections in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, an ters across central and eastern River, has moved from a slow taming an epidemic still raging in ICDDR,B off icial said on the condition of anonymity. A Sinovac China have left over 140 peo- rise to a sharp one,” local media parts of the world. representative told Reuters that it was waiting for off icial approval ple dead or missing, and fl oods said yesterday. But it will be an altered expe- from Bangladesh. A senior Bangladesh health ministry off icial, who have aff ected almost 24mn The blasting of the dam was rience for moviegoers: online- declined to be identified, said there should not be any objection since the start of July, according expected to reduce the level of only ticket sales, shuttered snack from the government as Bangladesh would “get priority” if they can to the ministry of emergency the Chu River by around 70cm bars, and social-distancing dur- successfully develop the vaccine. management. (28 inches), reported the state- ing screenings as worries over Authorities have adopted run Global Times. Covid-19 persist. measures such as diverting wa- Chinese media said the re- Cinemas can sell no more ter into back-up reservoirs to leased water was being chan- than 30% of available tickets People watch a movie as they sit separately for social distancing at a Rainy day keep levels manageable as ma- nelled into two downstream per show, and seat-selection cinema in Hangzhou in China’s eastern Zhejiang province yesterday. jor rivers and lakes hit record storage ponds. charts on leading ticketing apps indicated that in many theatres enter cinemas, sit together with Beijing’s lowered alert will al- people will need to sit two seats others and feel the happiness low venues such as parks, muse- Elephant crushes scholar to death in Lanka apart. that movies bring.” But coro- ums, fi tness centres and libraries “We are really looking forward navirus anxiety remains in the to increase daily visitor traffi c A young university scholar has become the latest victim of a deadly to it, because our front desk of- air, with cinemas in Beijing still to 50% of normal capacity, and wild elephant attack in Sri Lanka, off icials said yesterday, after a ten receives calls from viewers closed for now. conferences of up to 500 partici- growing spate of similar incidents across the island nation. The asking when our theatre will re- The capital did, however, low- pants can go ahead with proper 32-year-old was returning to her hostel at the University of Jaff na open,” said Bao Yaopei, manager er its virus alert level beginning safeguards in place. on Sunday when she was trampled. “She was with another friend of a Shanghai outlet of the SFC yesterday after going more than Chinese fi lm authorities had who managed to escape the attack,” a local police off icer told chain, one of China’s largest two weeks without a new local announced in March that they AFP. “Wildlife authorities have tried to track down the elephant, movie-theatre franchises. infection, declaring that it had would reopen cinemas, which but with no luck.” She sustained multiple head injuries and died in Bao spoke before the cinema’s contained a cluster that emerged were shut in late January, but hospital yesterday, off icials added. Elephant attacks in Sri Lanka’s fi rst screening yesterday, as staff in June. swiftly reversed course af- remote regions are not uncommon. But Sunday’s encounter was in painstakingly wiped down seats That outbreak infected more ter fresh clusters of cases were a populated area in the northern town of Kilinochchi, where there and 3D glasses with disinfect- than 330 people in the city and discovered across the country. had been no previous incidents. A total of 121 people were killed by ant-soaked cloths. triggered a resumption of some Among the last businesses to A traditional Thai tuk tuk drives under a heavy downpour on elephants across the country last year, up from 96 the year before, “Audiences are really looking restrictions seen earlier in the reopen, cinemas have suff ered a a street in Bangkok yesterday. according to government data. forward to this too – to be able to health crisis. massive earnings hit. Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 11 BRITAIN Bureaucratic backlogs paralysing country: campaigners

Guardian News and Media thought to lack legal status be- MPs said it reinforced Boris to work, that if they take reason- to be renewed every three years, ware of this exemption as they generation of babies born during London cause parents could not register Johnson’s call last week for pri- able precautions the vast majority have been left waiting months to have been unable to get through lockdown have not been offi cially their births; vate and public sector bosses to get should be OK.” receive replacements. It means to the DVLA, either by phone or recorded because register offi ces O Travellers are waiting more Britons back to work. Tory MP and former minister thousands have stopped going out e-mail. were closed. More than 150,000 ureaucratic backlogs caused than four months for passports to “The side eff ects of the lock- Steve Baker said: “All our imagi- for fear of being prosecuted. Caroline Abrahams of the born from around March 23 may by the lockdown are paralys- be processed, causing families to down are astonishing and danger- nations were unequal to the task An estimated 790,000 drivers charity Age UK said: “Driving still not offi cially exist. It means Bing the country, campaign- cancel holidays; ous,” said former Tory leader Sir of foreseeing the consequences of over 70 have applied for a renewal a car is a lifeline for many older thousands of families cannot ers claimed. O Grieving relatives are suf- Iain Duncan Smith. “Lockdown closing down a large proportion since March, with delays aff ecting people. We appreciate that the travel or take holidays because Despite coronavirus restrictions fering the extra heartache of long for the economy and public serv- of our economy and society. Only anyone who sent their application DVLA may have fewer staff than they cannot apply for passports being eased, lives are still on hold delays in obtaining probate to ad- ices has been a total unmitigated now do we see what a profound by post. usual at the moment but being for their newborns. because of massive delays at offi - minister estates; disaster. We’re now in a race to get shock this has been. We have got to The DVLA blamed the pandem- able to drive is so essential for Parents have been unable to cial agencies. O Backlogs are placing huge everything up and running before try to get back as much as possible ic for reducing staff numbers and many older people, for all kinds open savings accounts and claim Thousands of elderly motorists pressure on the NHS, with nearly everything crashes completely and to business as usual.” said drivers waiting for new pho- of reasons, that it’s vital they can child benefi t. Worth £21.05 a week are housebound and isolated be- 200,000 suspected cancer cases unemployment soars. A Daily Mail investigation has tocards can still drive, even if their renew their licences without un- for a fi rst child, this is normally cause of chaos at the DVLA – and: waiting for key tests – a rise of “We have got to persuade the found that pensioners over 70, licence has expired. due delay.” available only on presentation of a O More than 150,000 babies are 44%. public that we have to get back who require their driving licences But many said they were una- It can also be revealed that a birth certifi cate. NHS ‘denied PPE at height of Covid as supplier prioritised China’

Guardian News and Media otic international supply chains, London ruthless market practices and pro- tectionism. “All of the comfort blankets we he NHS was deprived of thought we had basically went up large amounts of protec- in fl ames,” one of the offi cials said. Ttive gear at the height of Valmy’s contract with the NHS the coronavirus outbreak after a was dealt a further blow in early French company contracted to March when the French govern- supply millions of masks alleg- ment issued a decree requisition- edly prioritised more lucrative ing stocks of respirator masks. deals with deep-pocketed clients Valmy is understood to be under including a Chinese state-owned investigation in France in connec- energy company. tion with alleged violations of the A joint investigation by the decree. Guardian and the French news Laurent Suissa, the managing website Mediapart has uncovered director of Valmy’s Paris-based evidence suggesting the mask parent company, Segetex, said manufacturer Valmy failed to ful- he had “no comment to make” in fi l the terms of a £1.2mn contract response to the Guardian and Me- with the NHS to supply about 7mn diapart’s detailed questions about masks in the event of a pandemic. Valmy’s operations and its deal- Prime Minister Boris Johnson plays with toys as students look on during a visit to The Discovery School in Kent, Britain, yesterday. According to the contract, ings with the NHS. Valmy was required to respond He said the company was co- rapidly to the NHS order and begin operating with French investiga- deliveries within weeks. tors and was “in no way worried However, documents seen by about the outcome of the investi- the Guardian and Mediapart sug- gation”. gest that rather than prioritising Under the terms of its NHS the NHS the company increased contract, signed in January 2017, production for other customers as Valmy was required to deliver al- Govt’s catch-up fund for mask prices soared. most 7mn FFP3 respirator masks A person familiar with Valmy’s to the UK at 17p per mask in a negotiations with the NHS said it pandemic situation as soon as the waited “quite a long time before order was activated. “Time shall responding to the NHS’s request be of the essence,” the contract because they could sell at far bet- stated. ter prices on other markets”. On February 3, three days after school pupils attacked The disclosures raise questions the World Health Organisation about the UK government’s reli- declared a global public emergen- Guardian News and Media much more likely to have suff ered tra resources they need to pay for have spent months out of school Kent confi rmed increases prom- ance on “just in time” logistics to cy, the NHS formally activated the London serious learning loss during lock- interventions that we know can as a result of the pandemic, is ised earlier – the second year of supply personal protective equip- contract. At this point, documents down. make a diff erence.” made up of £650mn to be shared a three-year settlement – under ment (PPE) in a pandemic situa- suggest, Valmy was ordered to Yet instead of targeting the Laws, a former Liberal Demo- across state primary and second- which each secondary school in tion. begin making deliveries to the UK he government’s Covid-19 £650mn extra funding where it crat MP and a schools minister in ary schools across England in England will attract a minimum The arrangements, common in within three weeks. catch-up fund for pupils in was most needed, the EPI said the coalition, added: “It is con- the next academic year, as well of £5,150 per pupil and each pri- the manufacturing and retail sec- Deliveries were scheduled TEngland is “badly targeted” the government had allocated the cerning that the government has as £350mn for a tutoring scheme mary a minimum of £4,000 under tors, were introduced in 2017 to across nine weeks to distribute and unlikely to prevent a further same amount of catch-up fund- missed an opportunity to target which will be targeted at disad- the national funding formula from reduce the cost of maintaining a masks across the UK’s PPE stock- widening of the attainment gap ing to schools in affl uent areas as to extra funding to where it is most vantaged pupils. 2021. large PPE stockpile. piles. between children from poor back- schools in the poorest parts of the urgently needed. It was revealed in Schools Week Labour’s shadow education According to two senior NHS Almost three weeks after activa- grounds and their wealthier class- country, serving the most disad- “At a time when social mobility yesterday, however, that almost secretary, Kate Green, said the in- procurement offi cials, “just in tion, Valmy informed the NHS that mates, according to critics. vantaged pupils. was already in danger of stalling, £100mn of that has been shaved creases would still leave schools time” PPE contracts encountered its factory in France was experi- The Education Policy Institute “It is diffi cult to see the rationale and with Covid signifi cantly wors- off to provide catch-up tutoring worse off in 2022-23 than when signifi cant diffi culties in the early encing “signifi cant delays” due to (EPI) said that even before the for such a decision,” said the EPI ening the learning outlook for poor for colleges and sixth forms who the coalition government came days of the Covid-19 outbreak. labour shortages and machinery pandemic disadvantaged pupils’ executive chairman, David Laws, children, today’s decision could were left out of the original an- to power in 2010. “Far more must Amid a surge in global demand issues, e-mails show. “It’s frustrat- learning lagged 18 months behind “and it means that schools where prove to be a costly mistake.” nouncement. be done for every child to have the for PPE, the guarantees to supply ing we can’t keep up with global by the time they sat their GCSEs, as many as half or more of children The government’s £1bn catch- On general school funding, the opportunity to reach their full po- the NHS were at the mercy of cha- demand,” the company said. and surveys had shown they were are in poverty won’t have the ex- up package to support pupils who prime minister visiting a school in tential,” she said. Heard claims ex-husband Police hunt illegal Depp threatened to kill her rave organisers Guardian News and Media One arrest was made and London sound equipment and vehicles Reuters made her fear for her life. in 2011 and married him four years were seized, which the police London “Some incidents were so severe later, denied she had anger issues said they hoped would help them that I was afraid he was going to or got violent, rejecting accusa- olice have said they are identify the organisers. kill me, either intentionally or just tions from the actor’s staff who determined to track down They also launched an appeal merican actress Amber by losing control and going too have told the court that she had Pthe organisers of an illegal asking for anyone with infor- Heard told London’s High far,” she said in the statement. started their fi ghts. rave near Bath that was attended mation about those behind the ACourt yesterday her ex- “He explicitly threatened to kill The court was played an audio by more than 3,000 people and event to contact them. husband Johnny Depp had threat- me many times, especially later in recording in which she was heard could be heard at least fi ve miles Wylie said it had not been ened to kill her “many times” and our relationship.” saying to Depp: “I did not punch away. possible to break up the rave im- that she had thrown objects at the Heard, 34, said the actor would you...I was hitting you”. Avon and Somerset police mediately, partly because it was Hollywood star only to escape his obsess about her appearance and She said that confrontation had were not able to intervene to pitch dark and raining. violent attacks. would call her “fame-hungry” and occurred at a time when Depp safely halt the rave on a disused He also pointed out that the Depp is suing News Group an attention-seeker if she wore “vomited nightly” because of his airfi eld north of the city once it force did not have a “standing Newspapers, publishers of the certain outfi ts. drug binges and she was con- had got under way on Saturday army” of offi cers ready to re- Sun newspaper, over a 2018 article After his rages had abated, Depp cerned he would choke to death in night. spond to such an event. which labelled him a “wife beater” would blame his actions on an alter his sleep. Instead they called in offi cers He said: “We’re sorry for the and questioned his casting in the ego he would call “the monster”. Asked why she had not simply who were on rest days and had disruption caused to so many “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Heard was asked by Eleanor said in the recording that she was to ask for reinforcements from residents. It’s frustrating that we Find Them” franchise. Laws, a lawyer for Depp, about an defending herself, she replied: neighbouring forces and break are having to pull offi cers away The 57-year-old actor — who argument which Laws suggested “I would have got another black up the party once day had broken from our 999 response to deal played Captain Jack Sparrow in the had been caused by a clash over eye”. on Sunday. with the selfi sh actions of the or- lucrative Pirates of the Caribbean whether Heard would sign a pre- She said she would only have Chief superintendent Ian ganisers of this event and those series — told the court last week nuptial agreement. thrown things in her ex-husband’s Wylie said the force had managed attending it. that all of Heard’s 14 allegations The actress said she was “not direction towards the end of their to stop a rave, possibly planned “They knew full well the dis- of physical and verbal abuse were interested in Johnny’s money, nev- relationship when she needed to by the same organisers, earlier ruption this would cause and the untrue. He accuses her of domes- er have been”. She said Depp had escape from him.”When I felt my on Saturday in Frome, south of ongoing risk to public health of tic violence against him. told her he would rip up any pre- life was threatened...I tried to de- Bath. large gatherings due to Covid-19. In a sworn written statement nuptial agreement — none was fend myself,” she said, saying it only It is believed the organisers “We brought offi cers in from to the court, released as she be- ever signed — and told her “the happened years into the violence. had a number of sites for the rave their rest days and called on sup- gan her oral evidence in the wit- only way out is death”. Depp says the accusations are a US actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London that allowed them to keep a step port from neighbouring forces to ness box, Heard said Depp had Heard, who began dating Depp hoax. yesterday. ahead of the police. close down this event.” Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 EUROPE Man freed in EU leaders try to save arson probe virus rescue summit into French AFP package back and impose strict cathedral fi re Brussels rules on how it is used, against virus-ravaged powers like Italy and Spain seeking EU support. xhausted EU leaders will France and Germany are back- AFP The questioning on cautiously try to get a ing eff orts by European Coun- Nantes Sunday had sought to Esummit on a huge coro- cil president Charles Michel to “clarify elements of navirus rescue package back on broker a compromise by cutting the schedule” of the track yesterday after a furious the grant portion of the deal to volunteer, who had been row about grants for member 390bn euros – down from his rench investigators have in charge of closing up the states. initial proposal of 500bn – and released a man who cathedral The 27 began to gather for increasing the loan part. Fworked as a volunteer at another session after three days But a European source said the gothic cathedral of Nantes man was a Rwandan asylum- and nights of prolonged wran- the new proposition might not which was badly damaged by seeker in France for several gling failed to agree a 750bn reach Michel’s initial total target fi re hours after he closed it up years. euro ($860bn) bundle of loans of 750bn target and that the host for the night. The man volunteered as an and grants to drag Europe out had managed to convince the Prosecutors launched an altar server and would have of the recession caused by the frugals to start negotiating the arson investigation after the been the last to leave the ca- pandemic. recovery grants only by putting Saturday morning blaze which thedral on Friday, he said. Arriving for the session, a “knife to their throats” in a they said appeared to have Champenois said he had France’s President Emmanuel showdown late Sunday. broken out in three diff erent known the 39-year-old for Macron said he saw “the pos- “Until we agree to defi ne the parts of the Cathedral of St four or fi ve years, adding: “I sible hopes of a compromise”, amount of the recovery fund, we Peter and St Paul in Nantes, trust him like I trust all the but added: “Nothing has been can’t advance,” he said. France western France. helpers”. agreed yet, so I will remain had been holding out for at least The questioning on Sunday The blaze destroyed the extremely cautious.” 400 billion euros in grants, al- had sought to “clarify ele- Nantes congregation’s famed Germany’s Angela Merkel was ready less than the 500bn in the ments of the schedule” of the organ, which dated from 1621 also careful not to inspire hopes fi rst draft. Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin departs from a meeting at the EU summit, amid the coronavirus volunteer, who had been in and had survived the French of a rapid result. One European diplomat, pandemic (Covid-19) in Brussels yesterday. charge of closing up the cathe- revolution and World War II “Last night... we put in place a pointing to longer and detailed dral on Friday evening, Nantes bombardment. framework for a possible agree- negotiations ahead, said would Friday, the fi rst day of the talks, and ended up leading his coun- ple, when they don’t get enough prosecutor Pierre Sennes said. Also lost were priceless ar- ment,” she said. “This is a step “hopefully be the fi rst day in and received gifts from some fel- try into a referendum to quit sleep, end up losing their cool,” He had held as part of “nor- tefacts and paintings, includ- forward and it gives hope that an four days” that the summiteers low leaders. the bloc. he said. mal procedure” and it would ing a work by 19th century agreement can be reached today actually discuss the trillion euro But he also said that, despite Seeking to break the deadlock, Rutte wants member states to have been “premature” to artist Hippolyte Flandrin and – or at least that an agreement is EU budget. the tension, a deal was “very Michel came up with a new pro- have a veto on national economic suggest the man was a suspect stained glass windows which possible.” After Sunday’s raucous dinner close”. posal yesterday morning, which plans in order to oblige countries in the case, the prosecutor said contained remnants of 16th European offi cials and dip- Macron clashed personally with “We haven’t yet found the way a diplomat said could be a “route such as Italy and Spain to reform earlier. century glass. lomats all predicted another the Netherlands’ Mark Rutte and through, and it could still fail, to a deal” despite “smaller re- their labour and pensions mar- Later Sunday, however, About 100 fi refi ghters man- long night of negotiations. As Austria’s Sebastian Kurz, ac- but I’m more optimistic than I bates for the frugals”. kets – an eff ort angrily resisted Sennes confi rmed that the aged to save the main structure a result, by midnight a meeting cusing them of putting the en- was last night when, at one mo- In a promising sign for by Rome. Michel has proposed a man had been released “with- of the cathedral, which was that was scheduled for only two tire European project in danger ment, I told myself, ‘It’s over’,” Michel’s new plan, Kurz tweeted “super emergency brake” system out charge”. constructed over more than days will become the longest EU through “egotism” and threat- Rutte told reporters. his approval. “Tough negotia- to allow members to examine Before his release, Quentin 450 years starting in 1434. summit since an 85-hour mara- ening to storm off if they do not According to witnesses, at tions have just come to an end, grant handouts. Chabert, a lawyer for the vol- Sennes said experts from thon in the French city of Nice in listen to his and Merkel’s advice. one point Macron thumped the we can be very satisfi ed with to- Meanwhile, another obstacle is unteer, told reporters that for a police unit specialised in December 2000. Rutte told reporters he was in table, berated Kurz for leaving day’s result,” he wrote. looming. Hungary’s hardline pre- the moment “there is nothing fi re investigations were at the The wrangling pits a coalition Brussels to take care of his own to take a call and accused Rutte But, speaking to journalists, he mier Viktor Orban vowed to pre- that directly links my client to scene Sunday, awaiting au- of “frugals” – the Netherlands, country, not to befriend leaders of behaving like former British also refl ected provocatively on vent any agreement on eff orts to the fi re”. thorisation from fi refi ghters Sweden, Austria, Denmark and and “go to each other’s birth- premier David Cameron – who Macron’s aggressive stance. “It’s tie EU spending to recipient coun- The cathedral’s rector, Hu- to examine the platform which Finland – which wants to cut the days” – Merkel turned 66 on took a hard line at EU summits understandable that some peo- tries’ respect for EU standards. bert Champenois, said the had held the grand organ. Voice data Putin names new governor recovered from Ukraine to region hit by protests jet downed AFP The arrest of 50-year-old evised video link-up, saying he the coronavirus pandemic. Moscow Furgal, who defeated a candidate faced “a very demanding, very According to the Kremlin de- from the ruling United Russia important” job in the region. cree, Degtyarev will serve as act- by Iran party to win the governorship in Putin did not mention the ing governor until an election ussian President Vladimir 2018, has sparked daily demon- protests in Khabarovsk but said can be held next year. Reuters Putin named a new leader strations in Khabarovsk, a city Degtyarev needed to focus on Furgal’s arrest also sparked Paris Rof the Far Eastern region of 600,000 on the border with helping the region’s “very tal- an outcry from members of the Mikhail Degtyarev is seen on a screen during a video conference call of Khabarovsk from the nation- China. ented and active” residents. LDPR, a Kremlin-friendly party with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kerch, Crimea yesterday. alist LDPR party yesterday after The biggest demonstrations “We have to look to the future that has been led for decades by nvestigators examining the the arrest of its popular gover- on the last two Saturdays drew and not forget about the stra- nationalist fi rebrand Vladimir wrote on Facebook, adding that bathhouse together with LDPR black boxes from the Ukrain- nor brought thousands to the tens of thousands, with some tegic plans for developing this Zhirinovsky. the new acting governor had leader Zhirinovsky. Iian jet accidentally shot down streets. estimates putting the crowds at huge and very important region,” Kremlin critics said Pu- seen Khabarovsk “only on TV.” “That’s his main achieve- by Iran have recovered its cockpit Putin sacked Sergei Furgal, more than 50,000. Putin said. tin had ignored frustrations in A high-profi le opposition ment,” Vorsin quipped. voice data, France’s BEA accident who was detained this month Critics say the charges are Degtyarev, who unlike Furgal Khabarovsk with the appoint- activist in Khabarovsk, Alexei Political analyst Vitali Shk- investigation bureau said. on murder charges, and named politically motivated and have is from central Russia and not ment of Degtyarev, and analysts Vorsin, said the new regional liarov said the appointment Iranian forces say they brought LDPR lawmaker Mikhail Degt- demanded that Furgal, who was the Far East, said he was ready to said the move may not defuse chief did not have any political could “deepen” anger with the down the Ukraine International yarev, 39, as his replacement. fl own to Moscow to stand trial, head to the region immediately. discontent in the region. or managerial experience apart Kremlin. Airlines (UIA) jet, a Boeing 737, A Kremlin decree said Furgal face the charges in Khabarovsk. He said he would aim to ensure “Why the hell do they need a from being a lawmaker. “The problems of the regions on January 8 after mistaking it was sacked over a “loss of con- Putin named Degtyarev as the “stable work” of the regional governor from Moscow?” op- He posted a picture of a half- cannot be solved with such a for a missile amid heightened fi dence” in his ability to govern. acting governor during a tel- government and the fi ght against position leader Alexei Navalny naked Degtyarev sitting in a trick,” he wrote on Telegram. tensions with the United States. All 176 people aboard Flight PS752 were killed. 2 killed in Dutch “CVR data – including the event itself – has been success- chopper crash fully downloaded,” the BEA said Italy ‘suff ered double mortality in worst month of pandemic’ A Dutch military helicopter crashed in a tweet on Monday, referring in the Caribbean Sea near the island to the cockpit voice recorder AFP Other studies showed that the fi rmed by tests but also looked 15,000 deaths from Covid-19. homes, which would explain the of Aruba, killing two of the four from the downed jet. Washington United States, Peru and Mexico at offi cial mortality statistics, Between March 1 and April shortfall in the tally. people on board, the Dutch defence The BEA did not elaborate on City largely under-reported the based on death certifi cates, 4, 41,329 people died in Italy, Lombardy, the worst-hit re- ministry said yesterday. the content of the audio, which number of people who died from and compared them to previ- offi cials fi gures show, roughly gion, excess deaths reach 173% Rob Bauer, the Dutch armed forces records the pilots’ verbal com- taly’s mortality in March, the the disease. ous years, a method often used 20,000 more than in the fi ve compared to previous years, a chief, said it was not clear what munications and other cockpit worst month of its Covid-19 In New York, for example, the in researching fl u outbreaks. preceding years. That marked an rate which rose to 213% among caused the helicopter to crash some sounds. The release of any fur- Ipandemic, was double that number of deaths tripled last The results published Mon- increased mortality of 104.5% men in the region. 12.5km (7.77 miles) off the coast of ther information is a matter for of previous years, a report pub- spring but 22% of excess deaths day in the US medical journal and suggested there were more With generalised testing, it is the Dutch island at the end of a coast Iranian authorities leading the lished yesterday said, showing had not been offi cially reported Jama Internal Medicine showed than 5,000 deaths missing easier to count deaths linked to patrol surveillance flight on Sunday. investigation, a BEA how badly undercounted initial as coronavirus cases, due to a the devastating toll of the virus from the toll attributed to the the epidemic in real time. The helicopter’s 34-year-old pilot spokesman said. estimates of the deadliness of lack of testing. in Italy, the fi rst country to bear coronavirus. That is what has since hap- Christine Martens and 33-year The data extraction, expected the disease may have been. To calculate the real toll of the full brunt of the pandemic in The only deaths offi cially as- pened in New York, where the old tactical co-ordinator Erwin to take most of this week, is be- Italy was not the only country the pandemic, demographers Europe. cribed to Covid-19 at the time gap between the offi cial and Warnies were killed. The other ing carried out with an Iranian to have failed to fully account for and other researchers used not On April 4, Italy said it had were recorded at hospitals and, the real death tolls has all but two crew members were not investigator and observed by Ca- deaths linked to the coronavirus. only the number of cases con- offi cially recorded just over to a lesser extent, in nursing disappeared. seriously injured, Bauer said. nadian, US, Swedish and British experts and representatives from UIA, Boeing and engine maker Safran. Iran agreed in June to send the Ex-SS guard apologises to Holocaust victims ahead of verdict black boxes to the BEA for analy- sis, ending a long standoff with Canada, Ukraine and France over AFP as to their relatives. Something prison sentence of three years. concentration camp,” he said in 93-year-old camp survivor told conditions” of the camp. access to the data. Work began Hamburg like this must never happen But in his summary yester- his fi nal statements before the AFP via telephone from his home Waterkamp said that the Nazi early on Monday at BEA head- again,” said Bruno Dey from the day, Dey’s defence lawyer Stefan court delivers its verdict. in Warsaw. crimes were “incomprehensi- quarters outside Paris. dock. Waterkamp asked the court for “If I had seen an opportunity Dey is standing trial at a juve- ble” and that the witness testi- Many of the crash victims 93-year-old former Nazi In what could be one of the an acquittal or a suspended sen- to remove myself from service, I nile court because he was aged monies had “severely shaken” were Canadian citizens or per- concentration camp last such cases of surviving Nazi tence, saying his client “would would have done so.” between 17 and 18 at the time. his client. manent residents, or had Canada Aguard apologised to Hol- guards, Dey stands accused of not survive” jail. He added that he only be- Waterkamp, his lawyer, point- The Nazis set up the Stutthof as their fi nal destination. ocaust victims at a Hamburg complicity in the murder of Dey himself has denied any came aware of the “extent of the ed out that such a young man camp in 1939, initially using it to An interim report by Iran’s court yesterday, ahead of the 5,230 people when he worked as guilt for what happened at the atrocities” upon hearing witness could hardly have been expected detain Polish political prisoners. Civil Aviation Organisation last verdict in a high-profi le trial an SS tower guard at the Stut- camp, and said that the trial had testimonies and reports. to break ranks, and that the teen- But it ended up holding week blamed a misalignment of a over his complicity in World War thof camp near what was then “cost a lot of strength”. Yet one Stutthof survivor dis- aged Dey “saw no escape”. 110,000 detainees, including radar system and lack of commu- II atrocities. Danzig, now Gdansk in Poland. “I would like to stress again missed Dey’s comments. He added that as a tower many Jews. Some 65,000 people nication between the air defence “Today I would like to apolo- The court is expected to issue that I would never have volun- “I’m speechless. I don’t guard, Dey would not have perished in the camp. operator and his commanders for gise to those who went through its verdict on Thursday. tarily signed up to the SS or any want his apology, I don’t need known the extent of the Dey, who now lives in Hamburg, the tragedy. the hell of this madness, as well Prosecutors have sought a other unit – especially not in a it,” Marek Dunin-Wasowicz, a “sadism” and “inhumane became a baker after the war. Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 13 INDIA Total lockdown in W Bengal for two days every week

IANS “We have decided that from tinue across the state till July 31. added 63 new areas to the list by veteran singer Usha Utthup, at various busy traffi c intersec- “Weekend curfews only in Kolkata now on, there will be a two-day “An advisory has already been of ‘broad-based’ containment to motivate people in Covid-19 tions by the police, who distrib- Chandigarh will not be eff ec- complete lockdown every week issued alerting all district mag- zones on Sunday, taking the total safety activities. uted masks to those who forgot to tive, unless the same is simulta- across the state, apart from run- istrates, police superintendents number of containment zones in The campaign ‘Mask-up wear them, and urged them to use neously imposed in Mohali and he West Bengal gov- ning a broad-based containment and other top brass of the state the state to 739. Kolkata’ was launched by Police hand wash and alcohol-based Panchkula,” a senior offi cial said. ernment yesterday an- zone approach. In the current administration. They may take a The number of broad-based Commissioner Anuj Sharma. sanitisers and maintain 2m dis- At a high-level review meeting Tnounced total lockdown week, it will be on Thursday and view on continuing the lockdown containment zones in Kolkata “Always wear a mask,” Sharma tance from each other in public presided over by Chandigarh Ad- across the state for two days Saturday,” Bandopadhyay told a depending on the local situation climbed to 32 from 24, state tweeted, while launching the places for their own safety. ministrator V P Singh Badnore, every week. press conference. in their respective areas. They health department offi cials said. awareness drive. ‘Mask-up Kolkata’ banners who is also the governor of Pun- The decision was taken after He admitted that community can do it for fi ve to seven days,” Meanwhile, to sensitise people To fi ght the war against Cov- were also put up at various places jab, the deputy commissioner of the state witnessed spike in the transmission of Covid-19 has he said. about the importance of wearing id-19, the city police decided to in the city as part of the sensiti- Mohali said that it had 184 posi- number of Covid-19 cases. been recorded in a few pockets of The home secretary said the masks in public places, Kolkata run the campaign using mobile sation drive. tive cases. Home Secretary Alapan Ban- the state. next plan of action on the weekly police yesterday launched a unique vans, which will roam around in zChandigarh is planning to Chandigarh has 217 active dyopadhyay said that the com- Bandopadhyay said the con- lockdown would be taken after a campaign to distribute masks. diff erent parts of Kolkata spread- impose weekend curfews to pre- cases. plete lockdown will be enforced on tainment zone-based Covid-19 meeting next Monday. The police released a mask- ing awareness. vent the further spread of the The deputy commissioner of Thursday and Saturday this week. lockdown strategy would con- The state government had also wearing awareness anthem, sung The campaign was carried out coronavirus. Panchkula said it had 122 cases. India registers a record daily spike of 40,000 new virus cases

Agencies state of Goa have announced New Delhi fresh lockdowns and restric- tions. New Delhi and Mumbai ndia has registered 40,425 emerged as the epicentres of the new coronavirus cases and outbreak, although infections in I681 deaths in a fresh single- the two cities have shown a de- day record jump in the country, cline in the recent days. government data released yes- In Thiruvananthapuram, Ker- terday showed. ala Health Minister K K Shailaja The new cases put the total said the number of new positive tally in India, among the worst- cases continued to rise. hit by the pandemic, at 1,118,043, She said 794 new cases were People buy vegetables from roadside hawkers in front of closed shops in a street during a lockdown in Bengaluru yesterday. the federal health ministry said registered in the state yesterday. on its website. A statement issued by her of- The latest deaths bring the to- fi ce said 245 more people had tal fatalities to 27,497. recovered from the disease, tak- The Covid-19 fatality rate in ing the number of such people India, the second-most popu- to 5,618, while 7,611 are under lous country in the world, is cur- treatment. rently at 2.49%, which is among After winning applause in the lowest in the world, the min- April and May for its handling of NIMS begins clinical istry said. the pandemic, Kerala started to The rate was “progressively see an increase in the number of falling” due to eff ective clini- cases. cal management, containment Thiruvananthapuram district strategies and testing. continues to lead in the number The recovery rate stood at of local patients with 170 cases 62.61%, with 700,087 people yesterday, as two coastal ham- trials of Covid vaccine having fought back the illness, lets have now been declared as a it said. community spread area. IANS The Hyderabad-based Bharat Dr Srinivas said more volun- in the ICCU at NIMS by a team of about it. We will be applying for The rate of infections has been The rate of infection among Hyderabad Biotech had announced on July teers would be given dose as part doctors, after which they would the licensure trials to the Indian rising at its fastest pace after In- health professionals has also 17 that the Phase-I clinical trials of the clinical trial. be sent home and monitored regulator in a week’s time. As dia began easing its lockdown in gone up with 15 more testing began across the country on July “We will continue the Phase-I through video conference or soon as they grant us permission, mid-May. positive yesterday. s part of human trials of 15. trials as per the sample size given phone. we will begin with trials for the India has added a million cases The state capital was un- Covaxin, India’s fi rst in- “This is a randomised, double- by the ICMR and Bharat Biotech,” Meanwhile, the Serum Insti- vaccine in India. In addition, we since then. der a siege after two popular Adigenous Covid-19 vac- blind, placebo-controlled clini- he told reporters without speci- tute of India (SII) said it would will soon start manufacturing the At the same time, India has supermarkets saw numerous cine, two volunteers were given cal trial in 375 volunteers in In- fying the numbers. soon apply to the Indian regu- vaccine in large volumes.” ramped up testing with over staff members testing posi- the fi rst dose at the Nizam’s dia,” the company had said. The Phase-I clinical trials lator for the trials of the Astra- Yesterday marked an impor- 250,000 tests daily and a total of tive, forcing the Thiruvanan- Institute of Medical Sciences The vaccine maker had an- are likely to go on for 28 days, Zeneca-Oxford Covid vaccine. tant day in the battle against 14mn tests so far. thapuram Municipal Corpo- (NIMS) yesterday, doctors said. nounced on June 29 that it suc- after which the ICMR and the Commenting on the Astra- the pandemic as the fi rst results With the recent surge in cases, ration to cancel their licences The healthy volunteers, who cessfully developed Covaxin in Drug Controller General of India Zeneca-Oxford vaccine’s results, of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine several regions including the IT as they failed to observe the were administered the dose of collaboration with the ICMR and (DGCI) will give permission for Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum showed that it is safe and pro- hub of Bengaluru and the resort Covid protocols. the vaccine in the morning, were the National Institute of Virology Phase-II trials. Institute of India said: “The tri- vokes an immune reaction in a stable. (NIV). The ICMR said Phase-I would als have shown promising re- person that lasts for almost two “Both are stable and we have The Sars-CoV-2 strain was have around 375 subjects across sults and we are extremely happy months. not found any reaction or side- isolated in NIV, Pune and trans- the country and Phase-II, 875. eff ects,” said Dr G Srinivas, a ferred to Bharat Biotech. Doctors say the trials may be IndiGo lays off 10% of staff member of the research team The indigenous, inactivated completed in fi ve phases includ- conducting the clinical trials. vaccine was developed and man- ing pre-clinical studies which India’s largest budget airline leave had not off set the severe The volunteers will remain un- ufactured in Bharat Biotech’s Bharat Biotech has already com- IndiGo said yesterday it was economic impact of the global der the observation of a team of high containment facility located pleted. laying off 10% of its workforce in health crisis, which has shuttered doctors till today. in Genome Valley in Hyderabad. Earlier, NIMS Director Dr K the wake of the financial fallout airports and reduced air travel They will be sent home but NIMS doctors said 60 volun- Manohar said the subjects would from the coronavirus pandemic. to a fraction of its peak. “From their condition will be remotely teers had enrolled for the clinical be administered two doses of the IndiGo rose quickly to capture where things stand currently, it is monitored by the doctors for 14 trials. vaccine. nearly half the domestic market impossible for our company to days. They were screened and the Each subject would be given in recent years, reaping big profits fly through this economic storm The NIMS is one of the 12 in- healthy volunteers were selected the second dose of the same vac- on the back of a booming local without making some sacrifices,” stitutes selected by the Indian and their reports were sent to cine after 14 days. aviation sector. But the carrier said chief executive Ronojoy Dutta Council of Medical Research ICMR, which fi nalised the fi t For two days after adminis- earlier that cost-cutting measures said in a statement. IndiGo em- Children play carrom inside a care centre for Covid-19 patients at an (ICMR) for Phase-I clinical trials volunteers based on diff erent pa- tering the vaccine, the subjects including salary cuts and unpaid ploys around 30,000 people. indoor sports complex in New Delhi yesterday. of the vaccine. rameters. would be monitored for two days Minister off ers to quit if Release of jailed and corruption charges proved infected poet urged AFP dian scholar-activists. New Delhi “Conditions in the jails in IANS tilators, oxygen cylinders and other to increased demand and lack of sup- which these prisoners of con- Bengaluru medical equipment for hospitals, ply, some equipment like ventilators science have been kept are Covid care centres and fever clinics,” and PPE kits were purchased at higher ore than 100 inter- said to be unhealthy and the Sriramulu said. rates to prevent delays in meeting their national academ- threat of spread of infection arnataka Health Minister B The Congress has accused the need in the hospitals,” Narayan said. Mics including Noam has grown,” said the open let- Sriramulu yesterday refuted Bharatiya Janata Party government of The ministers, however, did not Chomsky have called on India ter, dated Sunday. Kirregularities in the purchase buying medical equipment and sup- give details on the expenses incurred to release communist poet “We join other interna- of medical equipment to fi ght the plies at exorbitant rates, and launched by the revenue and welfare depart- Varavara Rao after the high- tional scholars in appealing Covid-19 pandemic in the state, a campaign for giving an account (‘le- ments in supplying ration and food profile prisoner tested posi- for the immediate release of and off ered to resign if corruption kka kodi’) of the amount being spent to migrant workers and in setting up tive for coronavirus. Varavara Rao and the other charges against the state govern- by the health and other departments relief camps to shelter them during Rao, 79, was swept up in activists.” ment were proved by the opposition for Covid care in the state. the extended lockdown. police raids across the coun- Rao’s family yesterday Congress. “The equipment prices shot up “Contrary to Siddaramaiah’s try in 2018 over links to Mao- called on authorities to brief “I will resign if Congress leader since April due to huge demand from charge of purchasing ventilators for ist militants and detained in them regularly on the poet’s Siddaramaiah proves irregularity or all states across the country and sup- Rs120 crore against a market price a Mumbai prison, but never condition. corruption in the purchase of medi- plies were in shortage, as their pro- of Rs40 crore, they were bought for charged. “His family is not informed cal equipment by our government duction was limited before the coro- Rs10.61 crore as per specifi cations,” His family claim that his at all,” they wrote in a state- for treating Covid patients in the navirus outbreak,” Sriramulu said. said Sriramulu. health has severely deterio- ment. state,” Sriramulu told reporters. Sharing details of the expenditure Similarly, on PPE kits, the health rated since he was jailed, and “Not sharing health updates He claimed that the Congress incurred by the state government, minister said the KDLWS procured he tested positive for Cov- of a person in judicial custody was alleging corruption in the pur- Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath 9.65 lakh of them at Rs79.35 crore, id-19 after he was moved to a with his family is illegal, un- chase of medical equipment out of Narayan said the procurement of while the Congress claims the price hospital last week. constitutional and inhuman.” frustration after losing power in the medical equipment by the state-run was Rs150 crore. The signatories – which Maharashtra state, where state, and ruled out an inquiry into Karnataka State Drugs, Logistics “Siddaramaiah’s charges of paying include intellectual lumi- Rao is being held, has the irregularities. and Warehousing Society (KDLWS) more than the market price for pro- naries such as Barbara Har- emerged as the epicentre of “Every rupee is accounted for was transparent and the Congress curing N-95 masks, gloves and other riss-White, Jan Breman and India’s coronavirus outbreak purchasing masks, personal pro- was welcome to verify the accounts. medical equipment are baseless and Health workers wait for instructions to conduct a door-to-door medical Amogh Sharma – also called with more than 300,000 con- tection equipment (PPE) kits, ven- “As there was a surge in prices due far from truth,” Narayan said. screening drive for coronavirus, at a residential area in Mumbai yesterday. for the release of 10 other In- firmed infections. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 INDIA Whistleblower hopes for justice after Swapna’s arrest

IANS Department at the Thiruvanan- Sibu was in for more shock Suresh, the key suspect in the the interim order of the court, plaint, it was treated as closed. National Investigation Agen- Thiruvananthapuram thapuram airport in 2014, when when the Internal Complaints gold smuggling case. instead the company fi led a writ Sibu again approached the cy from Bengaluru early this he brought to the attention of Committee (ICC) of Air India But strangely the investiga- appeal against the order of the high court and obtained an order month, the Crime Branch in- the Central Bureau of Investiga- gave him a copy of the com- tion did not progress any further single judge. for further investigation through vestigation is also on fast track, fter fi ve years of knocking tion, the Central Vigilance Com- plaint in November 2015 and and the investigation offi cer fi led The writ appeal was disposed the state Crime Branch in August which was confi rmed by Chief on all doors and spending mission and the prime minister’s found a prima facie case against a report in the trial court which of in October 2018, directing the 2019. Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Ahuge amounts of money offi ce about fi nancial irregulari- him. said no evidence has been un- ICC to conduct the inquiry by During the investigation, Sibu told IANS that the big- to fi ght his case to keep his repu- ties at the airport. He fi led a police complaint in earthed and closed the probe. summoning the female employ- three top Air India offi cials were gest source of his fi ght was his tation intact, a whistleblower Air Starting then, Sibu’s life took Thiruvananthapuram in January Unfazed by the volte-face, ees and taking their individual questioned by the police. conscience, the support of his India staff er is thanking God for a dramatic turn - he was trans- 2016. Sibu approached the Kerala High statements. Swapna’s statement was also wife and daughter. giving him the strength to fi ght ferred to Hyderabad in April After preliminary investiga- Court and challenged the report The newly constituted ICC recorded where she confessed to “The fi ght for justice will con- a fabricated sexual harassment 2015. tion it was revealed that the of the ICC. conducted the inquiry and sub- her role along with Binoy Jacob. tinue, even when I know very case masterminded by the prime He had to wait till June 2015 complaint was false, fabricated In the meantime, the court mitted its report in December After that the investigation well that justice delayed is jus- suspect in a gold smuggling case to know why he was transferred and forged. had also directed the ICC to con- 2018. did not progress due to the al- tice denied. But, I will continue, that has rocked Kerala. and was shocked to learn that 17 The Crime Branch which in- duct an inquiry whether the sig- In February 2019, Sibu was in- leged infl uence of Swapna in the as I lost my career, reputation L S Sibu, was a union leader of female employees had in a letter vestigated the case unearthed natories in the complaint were formed that due to absence of government. and all my savings on court cas- Air India and working as Offi cer- complained of sexual harass- evidence against Binoy Jacob, a the authors of the complaint. suffi cient evidence before the But after she was arrested in es,” said Sibu, who is currently Apron in the Ground Services ment by him. Air India employee and Swapna But Air India did not follow committee in support of the com- the gold smuggling case by the posted in Hyderabad. Pilot useless, played ‘very dirty game’, says Gehlot

IANS ments, Pilot said he was sad- tice is not against the Freedom A boy transports a pot on a makeshift raft through a flooded area in Morigaon district, in the northeastern state of Assam, yesterday. Jaipur dened but not surprised to be at of Speech. Anti-party activities the receiving end of such “base- are political sins and also legally less and vexatious allegations”. wrong.” mid the ongoing politi- “This is done solely to ma- While the Pilot camp is being cal turmoil in Rajasthan, lign me and to stifl e the legiti- represented by two of India’s top Assam fl ood relief work AChief Minister Ashok mate concerns that I had raised lawyers - former attorney gen- Gehlot yesterday fi red a fresh against the party leadership of eral Mukul Rohatgi and Harish salvo at his political rival Sachin the state, as a member and MLA Salve, the Rajasthan speaker is Pilot alleging that he played a of Congress. This attempt fur- being represented by Congress very dirty game and conspired to ther aims at defaming me and leader Singhvi. hampered by coronavirus topple his own government. attacking my credibility.” The rebels have argued that Gehlot called the former dep- Pilot said “the narrative is they can’t be served notices when uty chief minister ‘nikamma’ being redirected to avoid ad- the assembly is not in session. (useless or worthless) and ‘na- dressing the main issue. I will be Meanwhile, Congress sources Agencies ing every rainy season despite are underway in the fl ood- af- forecast light-to-moderate kara’ (purposeless). taking appropriate and strict- say the party leadership has Guwahati fl ood-control eff orts. fected areas. rain and thundershowers ac- Speaking to the media, Gehlot est possible legal action against tried its best to retain Pilot in the Rights groups accuse cor- However, opposition parties companied with gusty winds said, “There was no lack of re- the MLA who was made to make party fold. rupt offi cials of siphoning off have alleged that the aff ected of 30-50 kph. spect for Pilot in the party, but these accusations. I am sure Congress spokesman Ran- ntense rain and fl oods in funds meant for fl ood projects, people have been left in the Kuldeep Srivastava, head of he played a very dirty game more such concocted allegations deep Surjewala said: “Two senior Assam have killed at least resulting in shoddy construc- lurch. IMD’s regional forecasting cen- and conspired to please the BJP will be thrown at me to cause members of the Congress Work- I84 people and displaced tion of embankments which are The Indian Meteorological tre said the capital might wit- (Bharatiya Janata Party).” aspersions on my public image. ing Committee spoke to him at more than 2.75mn since May, often breached. Department has forecast that ness moderate showers today Gehlot also questioned how Pi- But I shall be unfettered and re- least eight times. Congress gen- authorities said yesterday, as Floods have also inundated almost all the major rivers in morning. lot was able to pay his lawyers’ fee. main fi rm in my beliefs and con- eral secretary K C Venugopal also they tried to collect the bodies the Kaziranga National Park, the state will maintain a ‘rising According to the private “Harish Salve is fi ghting his victions,” Pilot added. spoke to him two to three times. of nine rare rhinos drowned in home to the world’s largest trend’ in the next 72 hours. weather agency Skymet, “there case, where is so much money Meanwhile, during hearing Even members of the Gandhi fam- the past 10 days. concentration of one-horned The catchment areas of the will be on and off monsoon coming from? It’s anarchy be- in the Rajasthan High Court on ily spoke to Pilot to persuade him Rescue teams were facing a rhinoceros, with an estimated rivers are likely to see rain in Bi- showers in Delhi and surround- ing reported inside the country. a petition fi led by Pilot and 18 to come back in the party fold.” double challenge of rising fl ood 2,500 out of a total population har and Nepal. ing regions. At some places, Amid all these, Pilot’s face and other Congress MLAs against “Now Sachin Pilot has to de- waters amid the novel corona- of some 3,000 of the animals. “The embankments are, there might be heavy rainfall.” character has been exposed. Our disqualifi cation notices issued cide if he wanted to be trapped virus as villagers driven from “Nine rhinos have drowned however, safe and wherever The Aam Aadmi Party gov- MLAs are held hostage in Gur- to them by the assembly speaker, in the BJP conspiracy or come their homes huddle in shelters. and over 100 other animals there is any damage it will be ernment is closely monitoring gaon,” he added. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, ap- out of the clutches,” added Sur- “It’s hard to enforce social have been killed,” Atul Bora, repaired immediately,” an offi - the situation following water- “We knew he was good for pearing on behalf of the speaker, jewala. distancing when people are be- Assam’s agriculture minister cial said. logging in parts of the city, with nothing, had no better work than argued that the petition of the Sources say Congress general ing ordered to move away from who is Kaziranga’s member of Meanwhile, a day after the Deputy Chief Minister Manish instigating people to fi ght.” Pilot faction is premature and secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the rising waters,” said Sang- the state parliament, said. monsoon’s fi rst heavy shower in Sisodia saying that appropriate The chief minister said some hence should be dismissed. had also spoken to Pilot but he hamitra Sanyal, a member of With the park waist-deep in New Delhi wreaked havoc killing steps would be taken to cover MLAs from the Pilot camp are Singhvi said: “The speaker has said he did not need the advice of the northeastern state’s fl ood water, rhinos, elephants and three people and ripping open the losses due to heavy rains. now saying that their mobile just given notices, not disquali- the party leadership. management force. deer have been forced to seek scenes of devastation as houses At the national level, Cher- phones have been forcefully fi ed the MLAs. The speaker’s Sources close to the delibera- “We’re urging people to at refuge on roads and in human were washed away after crash- rapunji in Meghalaya recorded taken away and that they want to order can be challenged only on tions said that Pilot’s only con- least cover their mouth and nose settlements. ing down in just four hours of the highest rainfall of 327mm, return to the Congress. limited ground, so there is no dition was that he be made the with a piece of clean cloth.” Torrential rain has also led to rain, the IMD sounded orange followed by Pasighat and Mini- “You might have never heard basis in the petition fi led by the chief minister but the party told Offi cials warned that the water levels rising in all major alert for the next three days. coy in Arunanchal Pradesh and in history that a party’s state Pilot faction.” him he could be accommodated water level in the Brahmaputra rivers in Bihar state. The IMD has four colour- Lakshadweep at 158mm and 137 head is busy toppling his own He said “the Supreme Court outside Rajasthan. river was expected to rise by With several rivers fl owing coded warnings as per the in- mm, respectively. government,” Gehlot said. Pilot in its decision on January 21 said The Congress leaders who 11cm, two weeks after it burst above the danger mark, nearly tensity of the weather system The four-month southwest was sacked as deputy chief min- that the court cannot interfere wanted him back in the party its banks swamping more than 200,000 people in eight dis- - green, yellow, orange and red. monsoon arrived in the coun- ister and Rajasthan Congress in the powers of the speaker, so said, on condition of anonymity, 2,500 villages. tricts have been aff ected by the Orange alert is given to authori- try on June 1 in Kerala, covering chief after he revolted against why is this being debated? There that the Congress cannot rely on Assam, famous for its tea deluge. ties to be prepared. other states and making an on- the party. cannot be a judicial review of the him anymore as he is hobnob- plantations, is hit by fl ood- Relief and rescue operations The weather bureau has set in Delhi on June 25. Reacting to Gehlot’s com- notice of the speaker. The no- bing with the BJP. Why was Dubey released Cool dip on a hot day 5 Rafale fi ghter jets to on bail, court asks UP govt join IAF by July-end IANS The fi nal induction ceremo- New Delhi ny will take place in the second IANS who is heading a bench hearing force”, the chief justice said: half of August. New Delhi the encounter death of Dubey. “Strengthen the rule of law and “IAF aircrew and ground The court also asked Solicitor the police force won’t ever be t least fi ve of the fi rst crew have undergone com- General Tushar Mehta, repre- demoralised.” batch of 36 Rafale fi ght- prehensive training on the air- he Supreme Court yester- senting the Uttar Pradesh gov- Meanwhile, the postmortem Aer aircraft are likely to craft, including its highly ad- day told the Uttar Pradesh ernment, to look into the state- report of Dubey has revealed join the Indian Air Force by vanced weapons systems and Tgovernment that it was ments made by Chief Minister that the gangster died of ‘haem- July-end, providing the IAF a are fully operational now,” the “appalled” that gangster Vi- Yogi Adityanath and his deputy orrhage and shock’ due to fi re- much-needed muscle amid a IAF said in a statement. kas Dubey was released on bail on the controversy. arm injuries. Dubey was arrested depleting fi ghter strength. The Rafale fi ghter aircraft despite several cases registered “If they have made certain from a temple in Ujjain, Madhya The Indian army is stretched will be armed with beyond against him, adding it showed statements and then something Pradesh on July 9. between its northern borders visual range missiles like Me- the “institutional failure” to keep has followed, you should look The following day while he was with China where it is locked teor, SCALP and MICA, in- someone like him behind bars. into this,” the chief justice said. being brought to Kanpur, the ve- in multiple standoff s with the creasing their ability to take Dubey was the main accused The top court will resume the hicle in which he was being taken, Chinese People’s Liberation on incoming targets from a in the ambush and murder of hearing tomorrow when the state reportedly overturned and Dubey Army, while in the western distance. eight policemen in Bikru village government will present a draft tried to fl ee after snatching the borders it is busy tackling the A senior IAF offi cer said that of Uttar Pradesh last month. He notifi cation issued on the judicial fi rearm of a policeman. increasing cross-border fi ring Rafale fi ghter jets would be a was later shot dead by police inquiry it had ordered into vari- When the police asked Dubey and infi ltration bids by mili- major force multiplier. when he tried to escape. ous aspects of the July 3 killing of to surrender, he started fi ring at tant groups. “There would always be a “We want an accurate report eight policemen in Bikru village the police, leading to a gun battle In either case, it is the air fear factor within the minds of on all the orders. What is at stake and the events thereafter. that fi nally killed the gangster. power that could tip the bal- the enemies,” said the offi cer. is not that one incident in Uttar When senior lawyer Har- The Uttar Pradesh govern- ance. The fi rst batch of fi ve There will be two squadrons Pradesh. What is at stake is the ish Salve, representing Uttar ment later formed a one-mem- Rafale will be inducted at the - one will be at the Ambala Air whole system. Remember that,” Pradesh police, said that “we ber judicial commission, under A boy jumps into Dal Lake on a hot day in Srinagar yesterday. Air Force Station in Ambala on Force Station and the other at said Chief Justice S A Bobde, can’t demoralise the police retired justice S K Aggarwal. July 29. Hashimara. Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 15 LATIN AMERICA

Cubans celebrate no local transmission of Covid-19 for fi rst time in four months

Families fi nally Cuba for the first time in 130 the good news. go to the beach today,” Duran They can also dine and have a Phase three broadens days on Sunday said there Duran, on Saturday did the said, smiling, before reminding drink. international travel depending were no new domestic cases of same, reporting just a single his television audience about Each phase allows capacity on risk. Covid-19 as most of the country domestic case in Havana. social distancing. at venues to increase from The country has been given recover bodies moved into the final phase of Only a handful of Covid-19 The capital’s 2.2mn residents an initial 60%. Interprovincial high marks for its textbook resuming normal activities with cases were reported in Cuba remain at the first phase of transportation begins during handling of the pandemic. masks and social distancing. over the last week, all in three stages of reopening phase two, while phase three Cuba’s robust and free Francisco Duran, head of Havana. where they can once more includes schools reopening. community-based health lost in chaos epidemiology at the ministry Most of the Caribbean island, move around on public and Social distancing and wearing system, door-to-door search for of public health, and who has home to 11.2mn inhabitants, private transport, go to the masks remain mandatory in carriers, isolation of the sick, updated the country daily on has been free of the disease for beach and other recreation most circumstances. suspected cases and contacts the pandemic, took off his mask more than a month. centres, and enjoy a seaside The country has opened a has allowed it to keep the first coronavirus epicentres in AFP during the national broadcast “I always tell you to stay safe drive just in time for the group of isolated resort keys to number of infections under Guayaquil, Ecuador Latin America. for only the second time deliver at home, but I know many will summer break. international tourism. 2,500 with 87 deaths With dead bodies lying on the streets and in homes, and or Colon Ramirez, the a collapsing healthcare system, agonising search for the the port city of almost 2.7mn Fbody of his grandmother residents braced itself for the is finally over. worst as it bore the full brunt After almost four months, of the pandemic in March and he has finally found and buried April. the missing 83-year-old Emil- Guayaquil is the capital of ia Villon, who died in Ecua- Ecuador’s coastal province dor’s virus hotspot Guayaquil. of Guayas, which registered The remains of his grand- 25,177 deaths from a variety of mother, together with more causes between January and than 200 other unidentified June 2020. bodies, were lost in refriger- In the same period of 2019, ated containers piled high with the number of deaths was cadavers when the city’s hos- 10,884. pitals were overwhelmed with When the crisis slowed the sick and dying. somewhat, families emerged Ramirez says the last time to demand the bodies of their he saw Villon was on March loved ones, as well as the iden- 29, when he took her to a local tification of unknown and de- clinic. composing cadavers. “She had a fever, her bones The ombudsman’s office were aching. She had trouble filed a complaint against the catching her breath,” he said state over its mismanagement adding that he had lost seven of the crisis, citing violations other relatives to the corona- of the right to human dignity virus, which was first detected and the right to receive quality in Ecuador in late February. public services. While the hospital never di- The judicial move was ap- rectly informed the family of proved and on June 26, efforts Villon’s death or its cause, her began to identify the bodies, death certificate declared she including through the use of was a victim of Covid-19. DNA testing. Once the family recognised Patricia Salguero told of her her picture among a clutch of “odyssey” to recover the re- photographs of the dead put on mains of her sister, who died in display by court officers, her April in a public hospital. body was identified by her fin- The hospital initially de- gerprints. clined to return her body, ar- The 26-year-old Ramirez guing that she might have died An Ecuadorean soldier patrols a market as part of an inter-institutional operation alongside the National Police and the municipality to enforce lockdown restrictions amid the new was then finally was able to of Covid-19 and saying that coronavirus pandemic at Guamani – a Covid-19 high contagion sector –, in southern Quito. retrieve the coffin with her re- the authorities would arrange mains. her burial. According to Zaida Rovira, Salguero, 52, looked “in all the city’s deputy ombudsman, the cemeteries of Guayaquil,” the body of Villon was one but without any luck. of 216 misplaced during the She fi nally found her sis- health crisis. ter’s body in the police morgue, Virus situation ‘critical’ in So far, only 116 of them have where she identifi ed her from been identified. Last week, pictures of a number of dead around 30 of the bodies were bodies. returned to the families. Salguero is now waiting for Ramirez said that three days permission to bury her. after his grandmother was “There’s a mixture of joy and admitted to the hospital, the sadness for all that has hap- Ecuador capital: minister family stopped receiving any pened,” she said. But for Rami- updates about her condition rez, “this doesn’t finish here — AFP intensive care units are full,” he mand, beds had been adapted for ions of experts and, above all, resume by July 6. from the doctors. we have to go to court” over the Quito said. use both with ventilators and for the ministry of health... I have The original plan was to reac- So they started looking for lost bodies. However, he said hospitals had more sophisticated intensive care decided to suspend phase 2 of tivate the entire economy by Au- her, even scouring morgues Rovira said there are “many made adjustments to their in- units, Zevallos said. the economic reopening,” Bukele gust 21. and refrigerated containers. people who want to turn the he situation in the Ecua- patient and emergency depart- In mid-May Ecuador began to said on Twitter. The Central American country “One of my cousins went in page and move on, for this to doran capital Quito is crit- ments so “there is not a patient ease its lockdown, but authori- The president’s communica- was one of the fi rst in the region (a container) to look for her. It be finished so they can start Tical due to the coronavirus who is not treated in Quito.” ties in Quito say the city may tion team said that the decision to impose a strict quarantine to epidemic, Health Minister Juan According to offi cial fi gures, need to reimpose some measures was due to a new rise in new cases contain the outbreak of the novel was horrible,” he said. mourning.” Carlos Zevallos warned. the capital has 10,599 infections after a notable increase in infec- of Covid-19. coronavirus. “He was almost crazy when Nevertheless, she added, Between April and July, pub- and is the second most aff ected tions. The country recorded 338 new Measures such as placing those “there will be others who want he came out because there lic hospitals in Quito — home to city after Guayaquil. In the South American coun- infections between Friday and violating the quarantine in special were so many dead people in to pursue a different course of 2.78mn — expanded their inten- Guayaquil was the epicentre try, which has a population of Saturday, its second highest daily centres put Bukele on a collision there.” action.” sive care units from 61 to 162, of the epidemic with bodies left 17.5mn, the epidemic has already increase. course with the Supreme Court, In Ecuador, which has a While families may have Zevallos said in a nightly inter- in the streets as hospitals were infected more than 74,000 peo- On July 14 the country had re- which regarded some of them as population of 17.5mn, the pan- the “certainty that the body” view with the Teleamazonas net- overwhelmed by an avalanche of ple and killed more than 5,300. corded 342 new cases. unconstitutional. demic has already infected matches the identity of their work. patients after the fi rst case was Meanwhile El Salvador Presi- El Salvador started reopening The president would have pre- more than 72,000 people and relative, there is still a remain- Demand for hospital beds grew detected in the country on Feb- dent Nayib Bukele said he de- its economy after a three-month ferred to keep the economy closed left more than 5,200 of them ing step. “by 1.6 times” over the same pe- ruary 29. cided to postpone the country’s lockdown in mid-June, though at for longer, but the court forced dead. Rovira said the health min- riod, he added. Quito’s mayor Jorge Yunda second phase of economic reo- the time Bukele warned that the him to negotiate with parliament, There are another 3,355 peo- istry has yet to offer a pub- “The situation in Quito, the warned in late June that health pening, set to begin today, after Covid-19 pandemic was still in an which was in favour of reopening. ple who are suspected to have lic apology to families whose situation in (the surrounding services in the capital were being consulting experts and the health intensive phase. El Salvador has confi rmed died of Covid-19. loved ones were misplaced province) Pichincha, is in a criti- overwhelmed. ministry. About 58% of non-essential 11,846 infections of the novel Guayaquil was one of the during the crisis. cal situation, this means that the To cope with the rising de- “After listening to the opin- economic activities were due to coronavirus and 335 deaths. Revolution Richardson’s Maduro visit anniversary to free US citizens fails marked

AFP AFP ing to free two US military veter- als and the other a US resident Managua Washington ans, Airan Berry and Luke Den- – who were fi rst arrested in No- man, who were detained amid a vember 2017. shady, failed sea attack on Ven- Roger Carstens, the US en- icaraguan President Daniel ormer US ambassador Bill ezuela in May. voy for hostage aff airs, said last Ortega wore a face mask Richardson has failed to month that all six men were “in Nas he presided over muted Fbring back jailed Ameri- mortal danger,” with several dis- celebrations marking the 41st an- cans from Venezuela after meet- playing symptoms in line with niversary of the Sandinista revolu- ing President Nicolas Maduro, Covid-19. tion, although he has played down whom Washington is seeking to Richardson has repeatedly the coronavirus pandemic. topple. undertaken missions with US For the fi rst time, however, the The Democratic political fig- adversaries to free Americans. event at the Plaza de la Revolucion ure said he met with Maduro – A fluent Spanish speaker, he was limited to a small group of sup- whom, unlike President Donald said he also met twice in Vene- porters, all young, and was not an- Trump’s administration, he re- “I am glad we were able zuela with Vice President Jorge nounced in advance. ferred to as president – and ear- to meet with President Rodriguez. “We are celebrating this anniver- lier spoke to him by telephone. Maduro to discuss the Richardson’s non-govern- sary with some measures to protect “I am glad we were able to potential release of the mental efforts have drawn life from an epidemic that has sur- meet with President Maduro American prisoners criticism from some hawkish prised” all countries, said Ortega, who to discuss the potential release and other Covid-19 Americans, although Richard- focused his speech on the pandemic. of the American prisoners and humanitarian issues” son in his statement said he Since the start of the pandemic, Or- other Covid-19 humanitarian is- had a “partnership” with offi- tega has been virtually absent and his sues,” said Richardson, a former Offi cials said that a private cials in the Trump administra- last public appearance was in June US ambassador to the United US security company backed by tion. on offi cial media for an international Nations and governor of New Venezuelan dissidents carried Trump has sought unsuc- meeting. Despite criticism from Mexico. out the mission in a purported cessfully since January 2019 to health experts about management “We regret that we were not bid to snatch leaders. overthrow Maduro, a leftist who of the coronavirus in Nicaragua, Or- able to secure the release of the Richardson was also seeking presides over a crumbling econ- tega claimed the country had been Americans,” he said in a state- to free six former executives of omy and whose re-election was successful in its response and high- ment. the oil company Citgo – fi ve of widely seen as marred by irregu- President Daniel Ortega and and his wife Vice-President Rosario Murillo, both wearing facemasks, attend lighted the latest government report Richardson said he was seek- them dual US-Venezuela nation- larities. the 41st anniversary celebrations of the Sandinista Revolution, held in Managua. of 91 deaths from the virus. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 PAKISTAN FM Qureshi Polio campaign resumed defends dual after coronavirus pause nationalities

AFP Islamabad of PM’s aides akistan resumed its polio vaccination campaign yes- Pterday after a four-month Internews tion and PM Imran had done pause due to the coronavirus Islamabad the same. outbreak, which health authori- “You have to have a bal- ties feared would cause a surge in ance,” he said, adding that cases of the crippling disease. akistan’s Foreign Min- the prime minister had set The country is one of only two ister Shah Mahmood an unprecedented example in the world where polio is still a PQureshi said that every by asking his Cabinet mem- serious problem. government needs technical bers to declare their assets Vaccination teams in the expertise and the inclusion and whether they held dual southern port city of Karachi of such non-elected mem- nationalities or not. went door to door, fl anked by bers with their elected coun- In response to a question on armed police, administering po- terparts strikes “a healthy whether the prime minister lio drops into children’s mouths balance”. will ask Cabinet members to without touching them, in line “One must accept that this let go of their other nation- with new coronavirus safety practice [declaring assets and ality, FM Qureshi said that a guidelines. dual nationality details of cab- Cabinet meeting will be held “Right now we can’t say what inet members] is an unprec- on Tuesday and the prime impact the four-month sus- edented one,” said the foreign minister can address the dual pension will have on our fi ght minister yesterday. nationalities’ issue more. against polio, but one thing is Qureshi said that previous Minister for Information sure – that the current year is governments did not ensure Shibli Faraz had announced going to be worse than the previ- that cabinet members’ assets that asset details and other ous years in regard to the number were made public. He credited nationalities of all the spe- of new cases,” Zulfi qar Babakhel, Prime Minister Imran Khan cial assistants and advisers to a spokesman for the country’s with the move to have cabinet Prime Minister Imran Khan vaccination authority, said. members’ declare their as- are now available for public As well as the pause to the sets, saying that it would help viewing. campaign, a further 2.8mn new- in transparency and holding He said that the details have borns also missed out on polio them accountable. been shared on the Cabinet vaccinations, he said. The foreign minister said Division website as instructed Mohamed Nadeem, a 63-year- that the Constitution was by the prime minister. old shopkeeper from Karachi, Policemen stand guard as a health worker (centre) administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a polio vaccination door-to-door campaign clear that dual nationality The fl oors of the National said his family had been waiting in Karachi yesterday. holders cannot become mem- Assembly and Senate are ex- anxiously for their two-year-old bers of the parliament. “They pected to see a heated when son to be vaccinated against the Health Minister Zafar Mirza Gains made at the start of year tion services around the world. Qaeda’s former leader Osama can neither become members the two Houses resume their highly infectious disease. said the programme was restart- had been reversed, he added, af- Pakistan is one of only two bin Laden in the Pakistani city of of the Senate nor the National session yesterday over the “It is a matter of our son’s ing as a result of the coronavirus ter cases jumped to 147 in 2019, countries where polio remains Abbottabad. Assembly,” he said. dual nationality of prime min- future, and today we are fi - situation in Pakistan improving. up from 12 in 2018. endemic. The other is neigh- As Pakistan has tried to elimi- “It is clear in the Constitu- ister’s special assistants and nally feeling relieved after four Authorities have declared So far this year 60 cases have bouring Afghanistan, where last nate polio, a new challenge has tion. However, they are not advisers. months of fear and impatience,” more than a quarter of a million been reported, but experts said month offi cials detected the dis- emerged in the form of a grow- prohibited from assuming any The question of the con- he said. coronavirus cases, although with the impact of the pause could ease in areas previously declared ing global movement against other offi ce.” stitutional status of dual The drive will fi rst target low testing the true fi gure is ex- take months to emerge. free of it, following a similar vaccinations. Responding to a question nationality holders and for- 800,000 children under the age pected to be much higher. The United Nations chil- pause in vaccinations. The phenomenon has attract- about the confl ict of interest eign-based/linked SAPMs of fi ve in districts where polio is Rana Mohamed Safdar, who dren’s agency Unicef warned in Inoculation teams in both ed adherents worldwide, fuelled of such members, Qureshi said and advisers and the matter in continuous circulation – in- is leading the polio eradication May that millions of children countries are often viewed with by medically baseless claims and that PTI’s policy was clear on to raise them in the National cluding in parts of Quetta, Kara- programme, said the temporary were at risk of diseases such as suspicion. proliferated on social media, re- the matter. “It is binding on Assembly and Senate comes chi and Lahore – before broad- suspension had “widened the diphtheria, measles and polio Opposition grew after the sulting in a resurgence of once- everyone not to do anything after a meeting of the opposi- ening to a nationwide campaign immunity gap among vulnerable after the coronavirus pandemic CIA organised a fake vaccina- eradicated, highly contagious that gives the perception that tion leaders over the weekend, by the end of the year. children signifi cantly”. disrupted routine immunisa- tion drive to help track down Al diseases. an individual used his gov- parliamentary sources said. ernment offi ce for personal According to sources, op- gains or fi nancial growth,” he position leaders who met over PM vows all-out help to overseas Pakistanis clarifi ed. the weekend held consulta- In response to a question as tions over the matter and have Pakistani Prime Minister About Covid-19 situation, the PM’s national security aide denies to whether the law should be decided to work on a two- Imran Khan has expressed his prime minister said smart the same for elected and non- pronged strategy, challenging government’s resolve to extend lockdown policy across the elected members on holding the government’s decision to all-out co-operation to overseas country produced positive dual citizenship allegations dual nationalities, the foreign retain the services of these Pakistanis in every possible way. results as number of infections minister said that both were SAPMs and advisers. In a social media post, he and deaths have decreased needed in government “to Opposition members are said every Pakistani residing significantly. Internews me. I do not have the citizenship “I or my family do not have strike a healthy balance”. expected to raise the question in any corner of the world He also acknowledged the role Islamabad of any country except Pakistan. any property in any country ex- “Elected members have relating to the dual nation- is responsibility of the of doctors and paramedical I have already submitted an af- cept Pakistan,” Yousuf added. [their own] value. They are alities of Cabinet members government. staff for their unprecedented fi davit to the government of Pa- Later in his tweets, he said: “I representatives of the people through privilege motions According to off icial data, services during the crisis of pecial Assistant to the kistan regarding my citizenship.” have not returned to the US since but every elected government and points-of-order in Sen- around 250,000 stranded coronavirus. Prime Minister (SAPM) He added that since assuming I took up my current responsi- needs expertise,” he said. “The ate and National Assembly Pakistanis were brought home The prime minister also Sfor National Security and his charge as SAPM, he did not bility, have no employment or Constitution gives space to today as a fi rst step when the from around 70 countries expressed satisfaction on Strategic Policy Planning Moeed visit to the United States. income in the US. Nor do I have the prime minister to nomi- two Houses commence their after they were stuck up there the eff orts of government to Yusuf denied various allegations Yousuf said that he was not any millions worth properties nate four advisers who have sessions. Next, the valid- following the suspension of the increase green cover in the surfacing about his assets and getting any income from the abroad as is being insinuated. technocratic expertise.” ity of having such person/ flights operations following the country through plantation citizenship. USA neither owned any prop- I or my family have NO fi xed FM Qureshi said that people persons as SAPMs and advis- outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. campaign. In a statement, he said, “False erty worth billions or millions property anywhere but Pakistan. in the past had used the same ers in the government will be rumours are being spread against abroad. Stop spreading lies.” space allowed in the Constitu- challenged. Covid-19 cases falling: Mirza Cutting-edge skill

Internews “The testing is a tests should be increased it was “I believe that the NCOC has Islamabad also observed that around 40 to performed marvellously due to factor, but it should 50% tests are being done through which coordination among the be considered contact tracing policy which is federal and provincial govern- pecial Assistant to the called tracing, testing and quar- ments has improved. Prime Minister Dr Zafar that the number of antine (TTQ). The number of Moreover, we gathered data on SMirza has said that when suspects has been tests would have been further a daily bases and tried to devise all the trends regarding the nov- reduced if we lacked TTQ policy strategies as per situation due to el coronavirus in Pakistan are reduced” [under which all the contacts of which the situation improved. showing improvement, one must patients are tested],” he said. I also believe that an X-factor not assess everything through 2,200 patients since June 20. The PM’s aide said that a com- arises in pandemics due to which less number of tests being con- The government had in- bination of nine factors turned diseases are controlled,” he said. ducted across the country. creased the number of daily tests around the situation in Pakistan. Asked why cases were in- “I believe we should not put to 34,000 last month, but the “We started lockdown much ear- creasing in India where the situ- everything on number of tests. number of tests per day sud- lier on March 13 and it is still go- ation has become out of control We have passed from spike in denly fell in the last week of June ing on as restaurants, wedding with around 30,000 cases being mid-June. The testing is a factor, and on July 18 around 18,000 halls, educational institutions are confi rmed daily, Dr Mirza said but it should be considered that tests were conducted across the still closed. The sectors that have India was much more complex, the number of suspects has been country, triggering scepticism been opened are being monitored bigger and more diverse country reduced. We have collected data about the actual tally of cases. and fi nes are imposed for viola- as compared to Pakistan. A craftsman sharpens knives for the upcoming Eid al-Adha also called “Festival of the Sacrifice”, in from hospitals and majority of The PM’s aide said there was tions. Moreover, contact trac- “India started lockdown bit Rawalpindi yesterday. them, apart from a few in Sindh, no reason to doubt that the ing was improved through TTQ late and then suddenly with- have told us that less number of spread of the virus had slowed policy which was introduced on drew it due to which their situ- people have been visiting hos- down when all indicators such April 24. Wearing of mask has ation worsened. However, we pitals,” said the PM’s aide on as number of admitted patients been declared mandatory and we had strategy and we successful health aff airs. in hospitals and those on oxy- are focusing on hygiene,” he said. implemented it,” he said. Population continues to grow rapidly: report Of the 264,593 cases reported genated beds and ventilators had Dr Mirza said the immunity Federal Minister for Plan- Pakistan’s total population is our vulnerability to pandemics”. fertility rate is 2.1, the average since the outbreak of the highly declined. He said even number level, change in nature of virus ning, Development and Special estimated at 220.9mn and it is The report places South Asia number of children a couple needs contagious virus in the country, of deaths had declined. as well as temperature could be Initiatives Asad Umar said that growing rapidly with an annual among the fastest growing regions to have to replace themselves. 204,276 patients have fully re- However, he added, it was some of the reasons behind the Covid-19 cases had been on the fertility rate of 3.6 children per couple, in the world and within the region, Bangladesh’s total population in covered, indicating that active correct that a discussion was reduction in cases, but there decline, the disease could spread says a world population report. it marks Afghanistan and Pakistan 2020 is estimated at 169.8mn, with cases have dropped to 60,317. under way to ascertain whether was no doubt that patients’ again over Eid al-Adha as peo- The 2020 World Population as the fastest growing populations. an annual growth rate of 2.3. The country reported 1,777 it was “premature optimism” or management had also improved. ple might not follow the health Data Sheet released by the US Afghanistan has a faster growth rate With a total of 1.424bn people, cases and 47 deaths during the “permanent decline” in cases. “Initially healthcare work- guideline for shopping. Population Reference Bureau, than Pakistan, 4.5 per couple. But China still has the largest past 24 hours, taking the nation- “Last week we considered ers were not aware that how they “I am not worried about Eid Washington also estimates that because of high death rates and low population in the world but has al tally of cases to 264,593 and that why the number of tests should deal with the patients and prayers as people follow the the world today has a total of life expectancy, the country’s total been able to reduce its fertility death toll to 5,591. was reduced as there was no is- avoid chances of spread of virus, SOPs during prayers. I fear that 7.8bn inhabitants. population is still 38.9mn. rate to 1.5. China’s population is However, the government has sue regarding capacity of tests. as the disease was new for every- the people may not follow the Referring to the Covid-19 At Pakistan’s growth rate 3.6 a projected to decrease by 2050. been facing criticism from op- The reply was that the number of one, but now patient management SOPs at cattle markets and in crisis, the report warns that population doubles in 19.4 years. A With 1.4bn people, India has the position parties for a signifi cant suspects has reduced at hospitals has been improved and they have others markets during Eid shop- “population density in urban country needs to bring its growth second largest population in the drop in number of daily tests, and private labs. Though we had learnt that what works and what ping as they did the same on the areas, household size, and rate down to 2% a year to reduce world but has reduced its fertility despite the death of more than a consensus that the number of does not,” the PM’s aide said. occasion of Eid al-Fitr,” he said. population ageing contribute to its population. The replacement rate to 2.2. (Internews) Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 17 PHILIPPINES

At least 21 Robredo opposes new plan for inmates dead from charter change amid pandemic Covid-19

Manila Times for the amendment of the Local “I am confi dent that my col- DPA Manila Government Code for the nec- leagues (in the Senate) will real- Manila essary changes,” he stressed. ise that this is not for the welfare House Deputy Minority lead- of the people,” he said. ice President (VP) Maria er and Bayan Muna Rep. Car- “This will be blocked in the t least 21 inmates at the Leonor Robredo and sev- los Isagani Zarate also frowned Senate. The chance of it be- Philippines’ national Veral lawmakers opposed at the local executives’ moves ing passed in the Senate is very Apenitentiary have died fresh attempts to push Charter move for Cha-cha amid the small. We in the minority are from the coronavirus since change (Cha-cha), saying it was pandemic, believing that term ready to fi ght it,” he stressed. March, including a prisoner who untimely to discuss the issue extension might be the ulterior Senate President Vicente testifi ed against an opposition while the country was grappling motive. Sotto 3rd earlier said Cha-cha senator detained on illegal drug with the coronavirus disease “The move for Cha-cha, espe- was not among the priorities of charges, offi cials said yesterday. (Covid-19) pandemic. cially now, is a waste of time, ef- the Senate. A total of 349 inmates at the “We should focus on meas- fort and the much-needed funds Drilon also said the local gov- New Bilibid Prison in Muntin- ures to stop Covid-19 transmis- that should be rechannelled in ernment units (LGUs) should not lupa City in Metro Manila have sion,” Robredo said in her week- fi ghting Covid-19,” he said. be worried about their higher in- been infected with the corona- ly radio programme. “This Cha-cha move is utter- ternal revenue allotments (IRAs) virus since March, The League of Municipali- ly preposterous at this time and since the Supreme Court rules Justice Secretary Menardo ties of the Philippines (LMP) re- should be junked. The DILG and that the “just share” of LGUs Guevarra said. cently submitted a resolution to LMP personnel and budget be- should be computed and sourced Only fi ve inmates remain in the Department of the Interior ing utilised for Cha-cha should from all national taxes and not the prison’s quarantine and iso- and Local Government (DILG), be realigned and used instead just from the national internal lation facility, he added, citing pushing two amendments to to fortify our healthcare system revenue taxes collected by the information from the Bureau of ensure local governments’ share by buying more reliable per- Bureau of Internal Revenue. Corrections. in all the taxes collected by the sonal protective equipment for “When the Supreme Court Among the prisoners who national government and to lift our health workers, conduct- ruled that the just share of the died was Jaybee Santiago, con- restrictions on foreign investors ing genuine mass testings and LGUs under the Constitution victed of kidnapping and car- from entering certain industries. Vice President Maria Robredo has said it was untimely to discuss the issue while the country was intensifying pro-active contact means all taxes collected by the jacking in 2009, who ran an ille- “We should focus on Cov- grappling with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. tracing,” he added. state, then the higher IRAs for gal drug operations from inside id-19. Many people are suf- Senate Minority Leader LGUs must be implemented and the prison. fering. Many have lost their “We can talk about Char- people in the government and While he supported the lo- Franklin Drilon vowed to block Congress or the executive can- He testifi ed against Senator jobs, and businesses have shut ter change, but not during this the mayors to be sensitive to cal governments’ call for more moves to push Cha-cha, stress- not disregard it,” the senator Leila De Lima, who has been down,” Robredo said. time,” she said. the needs of the people and to budget, Garbin said they could ing that the country needed added. detained since February 2017 on She added that Cha-cha dis- Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Al- prioritise their needs instead of instead call the attention of food and not Cha-cha. “Therefore, there is no need allegations she received protec- cussions would divide the at- fredo Garbin Jr shared the vice pushing for their constitutional Congress. “Cha-cha must be locked for institutionalisation of the tion money from jailed illegal tention and resources of the president’s sentiments. reform agenda. Now is not the “The proper thing for them down because it is too divisive,” decision because it is already drug lords while she was head of government. “I ask everyone especially time for this,” he said. to do is to lobby before congress he said in a radio interview. institutionalised,” he added. the Department of Justice. De Lima has denied the al- legations. Sebastian’s body was immediately cremated following the health and safety protocols Health dept in handling Covid-19 deaths, Group claims coronavirus patients’ the Bureau of Corrections said. Guevarra said he has ordered an investigation into Sebastian’s resumes death “to dispel any doubt” sur- rounding the circumstances wards are severely understaff ed amid speculation he could have campaign been killed or his death staged to let him escape. against polio The Department of Health By John E Mendoza 98%, as 69,000 contact tracers yesterday reported 1,521 addi- Manila Times were deployed to help contain tional confi rmed coronavirus Covid-19. infections, bringing the national DPA He added that 69,098 con- tally to 68,898. Manila he severe lack of medi- tact tracers were assigned to The death toll was 1,835, with cal workers threatens 5,215 tracing teams nation- four additional deaths reported Tthe country’s campaign wide. They are actively aiding yesterday. he Philippines’ health to curb the transmission of communities in monitoring department yesterday the coronavirus disease 2019 asymptomatic and sympto- Tresumed its polio vac- (Covid-19) and has compelled matic Covid-19 patients and cination programme, which hospitals and medical facilities their close contacts. Pay hike for nurses was put on hold because of the to operate understaff ed Covid Region 4B (Mindoro, gets approval coronavirus outbreak. wards and intensive care units Marinduque, Romblon and The two-week immunisa- (ICUs), a group of nurses said. Palawan), Bicol, Zamboanga Medical technologists, dieticians tion phase targets children un- The shortage of nurses was Peninsula, Caraga and Bang- and other government health der five years old in the entire so bad that it had left hospitals samoro Autonomous Region in workers also deserve a pay southern region of Mindanao violating quarantine protocols, Muslim Mindanao had a 100% increase just like what nurses in and kids under 10 years old in Filipino Nurses United nation- contact tracing capability, ac- public hospitals would receive selected areas in the south. al president Maristela Abeno- cording to Ano. soon, Senate President Pro Tem- The department is also jar warned. Northern Mindanao, West- pore Ralph Recto said over the launching vaccinations in She disclosed that some ern Visayas and Cagayan Valley weekend, Manila Times reported. provinces around the capital medical facilities had short- had the lowest with 87.47%, On July 17, the Department of of Manila, and the central part ened the quarantine period for 80.11% and 74.41%, respec- Budget and Management (DBM) of the most populous island of exposed medical staff to fi ve or tively. “Our local contact issued Budget Circular 2020-4, Luzon. “Polio is a vaccine-pre- seven days instead of 14 days as The San Lazaro Hospital added a tent outside its building as the Covid-19 patients’ ward in Manila tracing teams nationwide are upgrading the entry-level salaries ventable disease and we cannot prescribed by the Department was “almost full.” working double-time to inter- of government nurses from Sal- let our gains over the years go of Health. rupt the transmission and re- ary Grade (SG) 11 to SG 15. to waste by deprioritising our In some instances, there is work long hours. “Some nurses Times.“This could be a prob- facilities that one nurse has to duce the spread of infection. The move to hike the minimum polio response,” Health Secre- no quarantine at all. Abeno- only have an eight-hour shift, lem because hospitals now attend to fi ve ICU patients. This way, we can cover all pay of nurses, according to the tary Francisco Duque said in a jar claimed that the Philip- but the 12-hour-a-day is now have diff erent implementa- The Health department had the bases in the end-to-end senator “must be applied to the statement. pine General Hospital reduced normal.” tions.” She pointed out that promised to release guidelines trace-test-treat management salaries of health workers in Duque urged parents and its quarantine period to seven She explained that longer while the one-is-to-12 ra- on the coronavirus testing and system against this virus,” Ano government because a pay raise caregivers to have their chil- days. She refused to name the working hours increased the tio was acceptable in normal quarantine of healthcare work- said in a statement. for one should cause a raise for dren vaccinated, while strictly other facilities that cut quar- risk of exposure.“Prolonged wards, this should not be the ers, Abenojar said. The Department of the In- all.” Senator Panfilo Lacson said adhering to infection preven- antine days. exposure means they increased case in Covid wards. The department earlier said terior and Local Government after years of waiting, govern- tion and control protocols to “There are even cases when their risk of contracting the “We have to consider that the government would address was waiting for the DBM to ment nurses, many of whom are prevent the spread of Covid-19. hospitals pull out nursing staff disease.” they are wearing PPE (personal the shortage of medical per- approve the proposal to hire now in the frontlines against the The Philippines was de- in regular wards and deploy She cited the need to address protective equipment) so their sonnel by hiring 15,000 health around 50,000 contact tracers pandemic, were finally in line for clared free of polio 19 years ago them to Covid wards, then they the understaffi ng in Covid-19 movement is constrained,” workers. “to further intensify our con- wage increase after the DBM ap- but in September last year the get deployed back to non-Cov- wards. Abenojar explained. Since March this year, 3,513 tact tracing eff orts,” he added. propriated the funds for it. government announced that id wards without undergoing The Department of Health’s Some hospitals reported healthcare workers have been Meanwhile, Quezon City Some P3bn was earmarked a three-year-old girl from the quarantine. (DoH) regular nurse-to-pa- that their Covid wards had one infected with the virus. First District Rep. Anthony Pe- in the 2020 budget under the southern province of Lanao That’s alarming,” she said in tient ratio is one for every 12 nurse attending to 12 patients. Some 34 health workers have ter Crisologo pushed a bill that Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits del Sur was found to have the a radio interview. patients per ward. The DoH standard for Covid died, including doctors. seeks to grant hazard pay to Fund for the implementation of disease, which is caused by Abenojar claimed that nurs- “But the DoH did not is- ICU wards is one nurse for one Interior Secretary Eduardo health workers and frontliners the salary upgrading of nurse the poliovirus and can cause es and other medical staff were sue a standard ratio for Covid patient. But medical personnel Ano has said that the country’s in health emergencies such as positions. paralysis. exhausted because they had to wards,” Abenojar told Manila are stretched so thinly in some contact tracing capacity rose to the coronavirus pandemic. Drilon urges president to ban political dynasties

By Bernadette Tamayo added, wield power for their ing their political power, their said. Sen. Francis Pangilinan a committee report on the an- Manila Times own benefit: “It has gone so wealth in order that the pol- shared Drilon’s observation.“We ti-dynasty bill in the 17th Con- bad that these dynasties now icy that they want to protect challenge this administration gress — these were never really hold simultaneous national their interest will be pursued,” to make a diff erence and certify acted upon and advanced to be- enate Minority Leader and local positions.” According Drilon said. the anti-political dynasty bill come a law,” he continued. Franklin Drilon has urged to him, oligarchy is a form of He believes that the presi- as urgent, so that it will move in Pangilinan filed Senate Bill SPresident Rodrigo Duterte power structure in which pow- dent has the capacity to push Congress,” the senator said in a 264 in July 2019 defining and to ban political dynasties to put er rests with a small number of for the passing of the anti-po- statement. prohibiting political dynasties. an end to the “real oligarchy” in people, which use their power litical dynasty bill in Congress “It’s long overdue. It is or- However, the bill “has hardly the country. to seek personal gain or benefit since majority of the House of dered by the Constitution. It moved.” In a recent online media fo- for their business interests. Representative members are has to progress in Congress, He said Congress had the rum, the senator stressed that “You cannot equate rich and his allies. and it will only do so with the constitutional duty to enact a political dynasties were the real oligarch, meaning it does not He stressed that oligarchy is president’s imprimatur,” Pan- law defi ning and prohibiting the oligarchs that should be disman- mean that if you are rich, you detrimental to a country, which gilinan added. The chairman establishment of political dy- tled. are an oligarch,” Drilon said. is why there is a need to form a of the Senate Committee on nasties in accordance with the “We must review the whole The Senate minority leader policy that will put a stop to it. Constitutional Amendments intent of Section 26, Article 2 of structure because the struc- made the statement after the “Oligarchy is bad for our and Revision of Codes said the 1987 Constitution. ture may in fact or make oligar- president said he ended oligar- governance and, therefore, as data showed that “dynasties “Three decades later and de- chy easy to achieve. The lack chy in the country without de- a policy, yes, we should adopt are pervasive in the 10 poorest spite numerous attempts to enact of an anti-dynasty system or claring martial law. policies to prevent or dismantle provinces in the country.” such legislation, there is still no provision in our system allows “An oligarch is the one that these oligarchies. But let’s make “While several bills have enabling law prohibiting political oligarchy to continue,” said influences the decision of the sure that the oligarchs are not been filed in the past — with dynasties in the country,” Pangil- Franklin Drilon wants the anti-political dynasty bill certified as urgent. Drilon. Political dynasties, he government or the one us- substituted by cronies,” Drilon the Senate even coming up with inan lamented. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, July 21, 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 Hamilton leaves Ferrari chasing his shadow

Lewis Hamilton can look forward to next month’s double header in his native Britain from the top of the Formula One standings after yet another record- breaking demonstration of strength. The Mercedes driver ruled Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix from pole, and set the fastest lap as well because his dominance was so big that he could aff ord an extra pit stop for super fast tyres. Q&A: What is herd immunity? And En route to a record-equalling eighth victory at one circuit he even lapped both Ferraris. “Untouchably dominant,” “insatiable,” and how do we get there on Covid-19? “imperial” were how some of the newspapers in Europe described his performance. Hamilton matched former great Michael By Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune anymore, even if isolated, smaller vulnerable individual who then can be caused by rhinoviruses. Schumacher, who did it in France, with eight wins at Chicago outbreaks sometimes occur. hospitalised or die from this,” Adalja People can get colds from one race; and with now 86 grands prix victories is just Herd immunity goals are set by said. “If you are going to do that, it’s rhinoviruses every year because the percentage and depend on how easily a very hard to keep your infection from antibodies wear off . fi ve shy of the German who he also match on seven dd to the pandemic lexicon particular disease spreads. landing on a vulnerable individual.” That, she added, makes it highly world titles this year. another once-obscure term In the case of highly contagious In addition to more deaths, Landon unlikely that herd immunity to “What an incredible race,” Hamilton said. “Honestly, that’s come into common measles, anywhere from 90% to 95% said, “You have the problem of survivors Covid-19 through infection could even usage: “herd immunity.” of the population must be immune to having long-term problems.” Those be achieved. that was one of my favourites that I’ve raced, even A Along with “fl atten the curve,” achieve herd immunity. problems, which can include lung, Everyone would have to get sick though I was on my own for the majority, it’s a very “social distancing” and “super When it comes to Covid-19, many heart and kidney damage as well as skin within a few months of one another, and diff erent kind of challenge and I was pushing hard out spreader,” it’s a phrase that prior to epidemiologists believe a target of conditions, can lead to the need for organ months later it could all wear off — after Covid-19 was casually uttered mainly 60% might do the trick (though transplants or cause death later on. overwhelming the health care system. there — particularly for the fastest lap at the end.” by epidemiologists and public health some think the number might be Adalja, Landon and Murphy all “There’s going to be a timeline,” Hamilton moved fi ve points offi cials. higher), particularly if people who said the better way to achieve herd Landon said. “There’s going to be an past Bottas at the top of the But while the meanings of those aren’t immune continue to take the immunity, if possible, is through expiration date on your immunity. I’m Hamilton other terms are now clear to many, herd precautions of washing hands, social vaccination. certain about that. I would be really standings as the Finn failed immunity is a concept that is more distancing and wearing masks. With a sound vaccine, you won’t surprised if there’s a lifelong immunity moved fi ve to get past Red Bull’s Max complex, more nuanced and often If herd immunity is achieved with make people sick in the process, they after getting sick.” misunderstood, scientists say. Covid-19, that’s the point at which said. But that doesn’t mean a vaccine points past Verstappen and had to settle For example: With no end to the epidemiologists believe it would be safe While the work on potential vaccines won’t work, she said — though for third instead of what should pandemic in sight, some public fi gures to fully reopen society. continues, Murphy bluntly questions it’s possible people will have to be Bottas at the have been another one-two for are arguing that nearly all restrictions Q. How do we get there? the wisdom of taking advice from vaccinated annually until the disease is and required precautions should be A. The people arguing to lift pundits and doctors without extensive extinguished. top of the utterly dominant Mercedes. lifted so enough people become sick to restrictions in the hopes of achieving training in infectious diseases. “I think in the end this is likely to be “Everything has just been on achieve herd immunity. herd immunity say that strategy “If you want to listen to an idiot, something that we’ll fi nd co-formulated standings point throughout the weekend, But epidemiologists and other public acknowledges the inevitable and would you can listen to them,” Murphy said, with our fl u vaccine, and you have to health experts say that’s a really lousy keep the economy humming. referring to several pundits who have get it every year,” she added. “That so we need to try and keep it up,” Hamilton said. idea. But Murphy says he knows of no espoused the idea. “If you want to listen seems like the best-case scenario to me. Mercedes motor sport chief Toto Wolff struck a “It’ll kill millions of people,” said expert in the fi eld who endorses the to somebody who has trained their Hopefully, it will last long enough to Dr Robert Murphy, executive director idea. whole professional career you listen make that possible.” similar note, saying: of the Institute for Global Health at Landon called the approach to the public health experts. It’s pretty Murphy agreed that “booster” “The car seems to be in a good place but to maintain the Northwestern University Feinberg “dangerous, shortsighted and risky.” straightforward.” vaccines might be needed every year. it, we know we need to keep working hard and adding School of Medicine. “Millions of people One problem is that when people start Q. Can we get there with Covid-19? “With the herd immunity, even if you will die.” getting infected in large numbers, it leads A. Although herd immunity has had to have a booster every year, you performance.” So, what exactly is herd immunity? Is to more hospitalisations, potentially been achieved for other communicable may extinguish the virus,” he said. “If At least as remarkable as Hamilton’s win was the it a good thing? And, if it is, what’s the overwhelming medical facilities and diseases, scientists are not yet sure it you keep that R naught factor below 1, performance of Verstappen and his team. best way to achieve it? causing vastly more deaths. can be reached with a coronavirus. ultimately the whole thing may go away. Q. What is herd immunity? “It’s not feasible for us to use illness Immunity against other So you may only have to have The Dutchman rose from seventh on the grid to A. Herd immunity occurs when to get to herd immunity,” Landon said. coronaviruses has been shown to wear boosters; the whole thing could go away second on the podium even though he hit the barriers enough people become immune to a “We’d just kill a lot of people, because off in a matter of months. in a couple years.” on his way to the grid, forcing a frantic 15-minute particular disease to make it extremely they wouldn’t be able to get medical So far, and the matter isn’t yet Adalja said more studies of the course diffi cult for the disease to continue care.” settled, it appears that immunity to of the disease and immunity are needed repair job by the mechanics. spreading. Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, also for the medical and public health And with teammate Alex Albon rallying from 13th on Dr Emily Landon, executive medical Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security wears off over time, perhaps in a matter community to know how long immunity the grid to fi fth Red Bull could be rather satisfi ed with director of infection prevention and with expertise in infectious diseases, of weeks or months. lasts. control at University of Chicago notes that Sweden did not enact the The Covid-19 immunity that’s been It’s been done with other diseases, a weekend in Budapest which at fi rst had not looked Medicine, explains it this way: extensive limits on movement and other tested is based on antibodies. but not enough time has passed since good. People “are either contagious, restrictions that were implemented in Some hold out hope that disease- the new coronavirus emerged in susceptible or immune. The more other European countries. fi ghting T-cells, which work diff erently China late last year to fi gure it out for “This podium is defi nitely dedicated to my contagious people you have and the What followed was more deaths and than antibodies and last longer, will Covid-19. mechanics. more susceptible people you have, the no herd immunity. aff ord longer protection. Q.What should people do now? “I thought the race was over before it had even more transmission there’s going to “In Stockholm, they did not reach But so far there’s little if any evidence A. In the absence of a vaccine, the be,” she said. “The more people that herd immunity, and the price you pay of that, Landon said. best weapons against Covid-19 are started,” Verstappen said. “To be second here between are immune, the less likely it is that for that is that you get transmission She compares illnesses caused by social distancing, hand washing and the two dominant Mercedes cars is an unbelievable a contagious person is going to have chains that end up landing on a coronaviruses to the common cold mask wearing, the experts all agreed. result.” contact with a susceptible person.” “The three W’s — wash your hands, Immunity can develop through watch your distance and wear a mask Ferrari have a fortnight to improve matters as F1 illness, vaccination or both. — are really important,” Landon said. takes a breather after three race weekends in a row The human body can form two types “And I would say wear your mask before heading to Silverstone for August 2 and 9 races of antibodies, plus T-cells, all of which properly: over your nose, not under may work to kill, defang or block the your nose.” behind closed doors. But it will be a tough ask for them virus from invading cells. Murphy also said masks are key for as Hamilton would be all the more keen to win on his Vaccines are designed to trigger those the time being, and he said he’s also home turf. mechanisms without making people ill. concerned about bars remaining open, Murphy said a key statistic for herd given that people seem to be getting immunity is another epidemiological infected in those locations. concept called R naught. “I think we’re at the stage now where That’s a measurement of how many they just have to close the bars and To Advertise people on average catch the disease enforce the mask use,” Murphy said. from a single infected person. All of the experts also hold out hope [email protected] When the fi gure drops below 1, for a vaccine that could lead to herd Display meaning each infected person is immunity, without the casualties that spreading the disease to less than one would be caused by mass infection. 44466621 44418811 other person on average, the disease They note many vaccines are being starts to die out. researched, with some in fi nal trials. Classified “Even if it’s 0.9 and every one person “I have great hope” for a vaccine, 44466609 44418811 gives it to less than one other person, Murphy said. “There’s 200 in the whole thing goes away,” Murphy development. Fourteen are already in Subscription said. human trials. A couple of them have to Herd immunity has been achieved for work. And it’s really opening the door [email protected] measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox In this file photo taken on May 29, 2020, people walk in Drottninggatan during rush on vaccine technology development, through vaccination. hour in Stockholm, amid the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. Sweden, which has so hopefully, if we’re a little bit more That’s why none of those diseases attracted worldwide attention with its less strict strategy against coronavirus, faced prepared next time, things won’t be so © 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved rages through the wider population a near record number of new cases of Covid-19 in the European Union. bad.” — DPA/TCA Gulf Times Tuesday, July 21, 2020 19 COMMENT Desperately seeking a Covid-19 vaccine — the race is on

AFP A Canadian clinical trial to Pasteur Institute, said. timelines, it said it may take until Paris involve CanSino Biologics was also States and large foundations alike next year before a Covid-19 vaccine earlier given the green light, and have been falling over themselves to is ready for widespread use. the company said last month that push fundraising efforts. Even so, some firms are optimistic even months after the China’s military had approved for use And while the United States has they can turn up trumps before the emergence of the worst global within its ranks the vaccine it helped been looking to go it alone, Europe end of this year. health crisis in a century the to develop. and most other countries are looking In Floret’s view, “I am not that Srace is on to find a vaccine for Sinopharm, which is working for at co-operation. sure it is very realistic (to say) Covid-19. trials, finished construction of a new The Trump administration has set a vaccine will be there by the To date the novel coronavirus production facility with a capacity up “Operation Warp Speed” in a bid autumn — we have to temper such has killed about 590,000 people of 100mn doses on July 1, Chinese to deliver 300mn doses, essentially enthusiasm.” worldwide and infected close to 14mn authorities said on social media. for US citizens, of a safe, effective He believes the first quarter of in 196 countries since the outbreak Beyond the tests already under vaccine for Covid-19 by January. next year is likelier and “if we get first emerged in China late last year. way the WHO is monitoring a further Firms “are trying to develop a there by then we shall already have How to stop in its tracks a 139 potential vaccines which are still vaccine and at the same time put done extremely well,” given the usual pandemic which has wreaked havoc at the pre-clinical evaluation stage, in place an industrial process to development timeline is several on the world economy is now the involving testing on animals. produce it whereas normally you wait years. pressing multi-billion-dollar issue Britain, Canada and the United to see the results” of the first of those zHow about never? for vaccine developers aware that States have accused Moscow-linked operations, notes Delfraissy. The world is now awaiting a every suggestion the goal may hackers of targeting labs in their “That’s why they are calling on vaccine as it were a kind of messiah be in sight will be pored over in countries conducting coronavirus states for financing, saying: ‘We as the only infallible means of microscopic detail. vaccine research. are taking a risk starting off on defeating the pandemic. zHow many vaccines? zWhich techniques? (developing) a vaccine which maybe But what if one never arrives? In its most recent assessment There’s a variety of approaches won’t work and if we put in place the Delfraissy said: “We have never this month, the World Health and techniques across proven or industrial (production) process we perfected a vaccine against a Organisation identified 21 “vaccine experimental vaccines. shall have to be partially covered by coronavirus, even if we have never candidates” — almost half involving Some teams work on inactivated international financing.” completely given ourselves the means Chinese companies or institutes — “classic” vaccines which use a virus zSecurity problems to do so. following a series of global clinical germ that has been “killed” while A view of Moderna headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Moderna’s phase “To authorise any Covid-19 “There is a degree of uncertainty trials. others, known as attenuated or three trial for a coronavirus vaccine, which was set to begin next week, has been vaccine, EMA will need to have over our capacity to perfect a vaccine Many are still in what is termed the weakened varieties, involve using a delayed. strong evidence from clinical trials against coronavirus, — but all the first phase, which seeks to establish a live virus rendered less virulent. on the safety, efficacy and the quality elements to get there are in place,” he product’s security and dosage, Other types still include “sub- greater the chance of getting “A vaccine injection (tested on) of this vaccine,” warns the European stressed. Some however have graduated unit” vaccines, which contain a somewhere” in terms of beating 30 people which gets announced as Medicines Agency, an EU body. “Everything is possible, the to phase two, which examines how fragment of the pathogen that the virus, says Daniel Floret, vice- a result — well, that’s not a result,” Forcing the pace in clinical trials maximum means and different effective a medicine may be. it is derived from to produce an president of France’s Technical Delfraissy noted. “can cause problems” regarding techniques envisaged are out there Two candidate vaccines have appropriate immune response. Vaccination Committee. Floret agreed that many security, says Floret, who says it is and it would be astonishing if we reached stage three, whereby Then there are more innovative zResults so far announcements are directed at least “key to have proof that the vaccine is didn’t get there,” Floret said. developers monitor issues such as “viral vector” varieties which use live For now, only partial results have as much at the stock market as at the not liable to exacerbate the illness”. Yet even if the researchers arrive degree of potential toxicity on a viruses to deliver DNA into human been made public, some dubbed general public. That, he recalls, did happen in at the finish line a large question much larger scale and test it in a cells to trigger an immune response. promising by the firms behind them. “It’s never neutral. It is important some tests on monkeys “during will still remain — will people wider range of conditions prior to An example is to take a virus Jean-François Delfraissy, chairman they show us that they are speeding vaccine development tests for accept being vaccinated in a world eventual submission for approval. such as measles and, as the Pasteur of France’s scientifi c council which has things up but shall all the same have Mers-CoV and Sars,” other strains of where there is growing mistrust of The duo concerned are a Institute is doing, modify it with a been guiding the French authorities to see the results and for the moment coronavirus. vaccination? European project being developed coronavirus protein and deploy it on the issue throughout the pandemic that’s not happening.” A similar problem arose in terms of Perhaps not. at Oxford University in tandem with against Covid-19. so far, said claims have to be closely All the while, with the pressure some measles tests on humans in the “As repeated measles outbreaks AstraZeneca and a Chinese variant Then there are new experimental probed as the commercial eff ect on to find a means of dealing with 1960s which were withdrawn as well demonstrate, we haven’t done a great from biopharmaceutical company developments involving gene- of a potential, but unconfi rmed, the pandemic, procedures have been as some for bronchiolitis that were job addressing people’s concerns Sinovac in collaboration with based DNA or RNA vaccines using breakthrough can be huge. ramped up worldwide like never likewise abandoned, says Floret. about vaccines. And if we don’t learn Brazilian research institute Butantan. fragments of modified genetic “There are considerable effects on before. zHow long? from our failed response to them, Sinovac’s project is among the material. the pharmaceutical industry from “Things are advancing at a rate of EMA warns that “vaccine a coronavirus vaccine programme most advanced — it will start the “The more candidate vaccines an announcement which one has to knots and projects are going along development timelines are difficult will be doomed,” Phoebe Danziger, testing for its vaccine on volunteers there are, and above all the more view with the utmost caution,” the perhaps a bit quicker than forecast,” to predict”. a paediatrician at the University of in Brazil this month. types of candidate vaccines, the immunologist told AFP. Christophe d’Enfert, from the Based on previous development Michigan, told the New York Times. Uber off ers Covid-19 contact tracing Three-day forecast

TODAY Maximum Temperature : 410c help amid chaotic US response Minimum Temperature : 330c WEDNESDAY Maximum Temperature : 410c Minimum Temperature : 340c Reuters Unlike several other countries, the how Uber’s data could best be used, Uber has seen an increase in contact New York United States has no federal program or according to Uber’s chief of global law tracing requests from countries credited THURSDAY mobile application to trace the contacts enforcement, Mike Sullivan. for their initial success in containing the Maximum Temperature : 400c of people with coronavirus infections, The discussion quickly turned to the virus, such as Australia and New Zealand, Minimum Temperature : 340c ber Technologies Inc has quietly a measure deemed crucial by the World novel coronavirus, which at the time was Sullivan said. Fisherman's forecast launched a service to give public Health Organisation in fi ghting the only beginning to spread outside of China. He added that contact tracing was health offi cials quick access Covid-19 pandemic. “Our timing ended up being benefi cial also much more coordinated in several WARNING Uto data on drivers and riders The US Centers for Disease Control in that it allowed us to get ahead before European countries than in the United Inshore : Nil presumed to have come into contact with and Prevention (CDC) did not respond to Covid started ramping up globally,” said States, including in the UK. Offshore : Nil someone infected with Covid-19, company requests for comment. Sullivan, a veteran US prosecutor who US contact tracing eff orts vary from WEATHER offi cials told Reuters. Dozens of US states in recent weeks leads a team of 100 Uber employees region to region. Inshore : Misty at places at first The service, off ered free of charge, could began hiring thousands of workers to handling data requests around the clock. In some areas, the eff ort is coordinated becomes hot daytime help burnish the image of the ride-hailing interview infected patients, identify people In the fi rst half of the year, Uber received on the state level, while cities or counties with some clouds and giant, which recently launched a new ad they have been in contact with and then a total of some 560 coronavirus-related take charge in others, requests from health sligt dust at places, rela- tively humid by night campaign spotlighting its “No Mask, No order those individuals to isolate. requests from public health departments departments show. Ride” policy in the United States. Ride-hailing data could play an in 29 countries, most of which were In Massachusetts, for example, local WIND Now being promoted to government important role in that eff ort, health processed by the company within two health departments gather trip details if Inshore : Northeasterly-South- easterly 05-15 KT health offi cials in all the countries where offi cials and experts said, because it hours, company offi cials said. an infected person tells investigators they it operates, the service provides health identifi es a larger set of people outside the That compares to only 10 requests from have taken a ride-hailing trip. Offshore : Southeasterly-North- departments with data about who used direct social circle of an infected individual. health departments globally in 2019. That information is then transferred easterly 03-13 KT Uber’s services and when and allows “This data could be potentially life- Out of the total, 158 requests were fi led to the state’s health department, which Visibility : 4-8/3 KM health agencies to urge aff ected users into saving in cities where many people use by health authorities in nearly 40 locations reaches out to Uber or Lyft to request data. Offshore : 1-3 FT quarantine, the company offi cials said. those services,” said Mieka Smart, an around the United States. Lyft said it provided data to US and Information on an individual can be epidemiology professor at Michigan State Using the new portal, designed Canadian health offi cials through its Law accessed in a few hours, the offi cials said, University and a member of the Covid-19 for exclusive use by public health Enforcement Request system, but declined Around the region with the company considering Covid-19 contact tracing workgroup in Flint. departments, data can be sought based on to provide further details, citing privacy Weather Weather an emergency involving danger of death or Uber has long provided data to US law trip receipts or passenger names. reasons. Today Max/min Tomorrow Max/min serious physical injury. enforcement offi cials in emergencies Health offi cials are prompted to specify In California, local offi cials handle the Baghdad Sunny 48/28 Sunny 47/27 Though Uber has provided the data for or criminal investigations, companies what action they want Uber to take as part entire contact tracing process. Kuwait City Sunny 48/32 Sunny 45/31 months now, it has not been put to use in offi cials said. of the service. San Francisco so far has requested Manama Sunny 41/33 Sunny 42/33 many US virus hotspots. It fi rst began to focus on health-related “We want to make sure that they ride-hailing data related to the coronavirus Muscat Sunny 36/29 Sunny 33/29 A recent Reuters review of contact issues in 2019, when a resurgence of US are the experts and we follow their pandemic in a handful of cases, according Tehran Sunny 37/26 Sunny 39/26 tracing policies by 32 US state and local measles cases prompted several health recommendations” on whether to block to Michael Reid, a physician who heads the health departments found most did not use departments to request data, the offi cials temporarily a driver, rider or courier from city’s contact tracing programme. ride-hailing data to track the virus spread. said. using Uber’s service, Sullivan said. “In the end, we need all the data we can Among those neglecting the data are In January, company executives fl ew to Uber customers with a confi rmed to be eff ective,” said Reid. “Whether it’s Texas and Florida, states that have seen a Los Angeles to meet with the local health infection are automatically blocked from Uber or Lyft, or the priest telling you who surge in new infections. department and CDC offi cials to discuss the platform for at least 14 days. was in church on Sunday.” Live issues

Astrophysicists unveil biggest-ever 3D map of Universe Around the world Weather Weather Today Max/min Tomorrow Max/min AFP Survey (SDSS), titled the “extended last decade,” he said. To go back even further, they used Athens Sunny 33/23 Sunny 33/24 Geneva Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey” Astrophysicist Jean-Paul Kneib of the quasars, galaxies whose supermassive Beirut Sunny 30/25 Sunny 29/26 (eBOSS), with data collected from an Swiss Federal Institute of Technology black hole is extremely luminous. Bangkok T Storm 32/26 T Storm 32/26 optical telescope in New Mexico over six (EPFL) in Lausanne, who initiated The map reveals that the expansion of Berlin M Sunny 23/11 P Cloudy 22/12 strophysicists yesterday years. eBOSS in 2012, said the goal was to the Universe began to accelerate at some Cairo Sunny 37/23 Sunny 37/23 published the largest-ever 3D The infant Universe following the produce “the most complete 3D map of point and has since continued to do so. Cape Town Sunny 18/11 P Cloudy 18/11 map of the Universe, the result Big Bang is relatively well known the Universe throughout the lifetime of The researchers said this seems to Colombo M Cloudy 29/26 P Cloudy 30/26 Aof an analysis of more than 4mn through extensive theoretical models the Universe”. be due to the presence of dark energy, Dhaka T Storm 30/26 T Storm 30/26 galaxies and ultra-bright, energy-packed and observation of cosmic microwave For the fi rst time, the researchers an invisible element that fits into Hong Kong P Cloudy 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 quasars. background — the electromagnetic drew on “celestial objects that indicate Albert Einstein’s general theory of Istanbul Sunny 29/21 Sunny 29/22 The eff orts of hundreds of scientists radiation of the nascent cosmos. the distribution of matter in the distant relativity but whose origin is not yet Jakarta S T Storms 33/24 S T Storms 32/24 from around 30 institutions worldwide Studies of galaxies and distance Universe, galaxies that actively form stars understood. Karachi P Cloudy 33/29 S T Storms 33/29 have yielded a “complete story of the measurements also contributed to a and quasars”. Astrophysicists have known for years London M Sunny 22/13 M Cloudy 24/14 expansion of the universe”, said Will better understanding of the Universe’s The map shows fi laments of matter that the Universe is expanding, but Manila T Storm 33/26 T Storm 32/26 Percival of the University of Waterloo in expansion over billions of years. and voids that more precisely defi ne have been unable to measure the rate of Moscow S T Storm 21/16 T Storm 21/12 Ontario, Canada. But Kyle Dawson of the University of the structure of the Universe since its expansion with precision. New Delhi S T Storms 31/26 S Showers 31/26 In the project launched more than Utah, who unveiled the map yesterday, said beginnings, when it was only 380,000 Comparisons of the eBOSS New York Sunny 34/24 S T Storms 31/26 two decades ago, the researchers made the researchers tackled a “troublesome gap years old. observations with previous studies of the Paris Sunny 27/13 P Cloudy 27/14 “the most accurate expansion history in the middle 11bn years”. For the part of the map relating to early universe have revealed discrepancies Sao Paulo Sunny 27/14 M Sunny 27/14 measurements over the widest-ever Through “fi ve years of continuous the Universe 6bn years ago, researchers in estimates of the rate of expansion. Seoul P Cloudy 31/22 S T Storms 29/22 range of cosmic time”, he said in a observations, we have worked to fi ll observed the oldest and reddest galaxies. The currently accepted rate, called the Singapore S T Storms 30/26 T Storm 29/26 statement. in that gap, and we are using that For more distant eras, they “Hubble constant”, is 10% slower than Sydney M Sunny 15/07 P Cloudy 16/07 The map relies on the latest information to provide some of the most concentrated on the youngest galaxies — the value calculated from the distances Tokyo Cloudy 28/22 Cloudy 28/22 observations of the Sloan Digital Sky substantial advances in cosmology in the the blue ones. between the galaxies closest to us. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 QATAR

Ralph’s Coff ee in Doha

„M7 @ Msheireb Ralph’s Coff ee Downtown Doha „Sunday to Wednesday: 8am to 10pm „Thursday: 8am to midnight „Friday: 3pm to 12midnight truck makes its „Saturday: 8am to midnight „For advance order pickup: WhatsApp message to 66550933 „Delivery service will follow debut in Doha „M7 follows strict health and safety guidelines in ac- alph’s Coffee truck made „ Doha visit marks the first time the cordance with recommen- its debut in Doha yes- dations from Qatar’s Health Rterday, marking the first truck has travelled to the Middle East Protection & Communicable time the signature mobile cof- Disease Control off ice of the fee bar has travelled to the Mid- Ministry of Public Health, dle East, Qatar Museums (QM) The initiative forms part of a collaboration between IN-Q Enterprises by QM, Msheireb Properties, Whitney which include required face has announced. Robinson’s DW Northstar and Ralph Lauren, as part of Qatar Creates, celebrating the best of arts and masks and social distancing. The event forms part of a culture, fashion and design. collaboration between IN-Q Enterprises by QM, Msheireb said: “Msheireb Downtown ly crafted Doha Turmeric Latte Properties, Whitney Robin- Doha is excited to welcome its and fresh baked goods featuring son’s DW Northstar and Ralph visitors to experience its unique dates, nods to Qatar’s diverse Lauren, as part of Qatar Cre- creative hub, M7. Ralph’s Cof- culinary heritage, the statement ates, celebrating the best of arts fee Truck is the ideal addition notes. and culture, fashion and design, to our second-to-none café se- Ralph’s Coffee’s famous Qatar Museums has said in a lection and would enhance the brownies and chocolate chip statement. vibrant, diverse, cultural scene cookies will also be available for Ralph’s Coffee truck, a hunt- of Doha.” purchase. All proceeds from the er green 1965 Citroen, will first “We also see the addition of a sales will go towards artwork be parked inside the atrium lob- prominent international brand installation in Doha hospitals. by of M7, QM’s new hub for in- To celebrate its inaugural visit to the region, Ralph’s Coff ee truck of this calibre as another step Ralph’s Coffee truck was in- novation and entrepreneurship will off er guests a specially crafted Doha Turmeric Latte and fresh towards our objectives of cre- tended to launch in March as in fashion, design and technol- baked goods featuring dates. Ralph’s Coff ee’s famous brownies and ating an inspiring and vibrant part of the designer townhous- ogy. M7 is located in Msheireb chocolate chip cookies will also be available for purchase. ecosystem for Qatari startups es at Mshereib — as envisioned Downtown Doha, a mixed-use and entrepreneurs,” he added. and facilitated by design en- development that is reviving augurated, it will offer a wide eration project, in the heart of Following its stay at M7, trepreneur Whitney Robinson’s the city’s historic core as a sus- range of engaging programmes downtown Doha. Like M7 it- Ralph’s Coffee truck will then new company, DW Northstar tainable new live-work neigh- and exhibitions targeting both self, with its seven principles travel to other Doha landmarks, (http://www.dwnorthstar. bourhood. the general public and design to guide Qatar’s creative in- including the Museum of Is- com/), which specialises in ex- In May, M7 launched an on- community. dustries, Ralph Lauren’s brand Ralph’s Coff ee truck, a hunter green 1965 Citroen, will first be lamic Art, National Museum periential luxury rooted in ex- line mentoring programme to QM Chairperson HE Sheikha is dedicated to timeless style, parked inside the atrium lobby of M7, QM’s new hub for innovation of Qatar, the Fire Station: Art- ceptional design and the art of help provide young designers Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin protecting the environment and and entrepreneurship in fashion, design and technology, located in ist in Residence, and Mathaf: living well. the necessary tools, training Khalifa al-Thani said: “We are improving people’s lives.” Msheireb Downtown Doha. Arab Museum of Modern Art. A “The designer townhouses and resources to realise a career thrilled to host Ralph’s Coffee “The arrival of the vintage schedule is forthcoming. were unfortunately postponed in the fashion and design indus- truck at our new creative hub, Ralph’s Coffee truck will enrich tradition and cultural diversity Lauren brand,” HE Sheikha Al To celebrate its inaugural vis- due to the Covid-19 pandemic tries. M7, in Msheireb, the world’s the enduring spirit of our city — while paying homage to the Mayassa said. Msheireb Prop- it to the region, Ralph’s Coffee and will make their debut this When M7 is officially in- first sustainable urban regen- — already robust in fashion, past and the legacy of the Ralph erties Acting CEO Ali al-Kuwari truck will offer guests a special- summer,” the statement adds. The Pearl-Qatar welcomes over 1.8mn vehicles since start of June

„ The Pearl-Qatar ‘comes alive’ with reopening of beaches, stores and restaurants ver 1.8mn vehicles have entered The Pearl-Qatar Osince the beginning of June, the month in which the gradual lifting of Covid-19 re- strictions started, United De- velopment Company (UDC) has said. This included a 50% increase in June compared to May before the restrictions were lifted, according to a press state- ment by UDC, a leading Qatari public shareholding company and master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Island. “The fi gures saw a remarkable increase in the past two weeks Visitors return to The Pearl-Qatar. as a result of the reopening of beaches, mosques, retail stores compared to the numbers re- visitor infl ux has “evidently con- dining, with more than 350 retail visitors will continue rising with the statement points out. “Hav- pandemic, to ensure the safety of and restaurants, with 668,000 corded in the same period last tributed to an increase in retail and F&B outlets currently oper- more restrictions being lifted ing said that, UDC has taken ac- all residents and visitors of The vehicles entering the island in year. Peak hours were registered activity, as The Pearl-Qatar con- ating on the island,” UDC says. by next month, including the tive preventive measures and Pearl-Qatar; and continues to do the fi rst two weeks of July, which between 5pm and 9pm,” the tinues to be a prime destination Based on the current fi gures, it reopening of parks, playgrounds, imposed strict restrictions since so in light of the State of Qatar’s represents an increase of 17% statement noted. The increase in for entertainment, shopping and is expected that the number of nurseries, salons, spas and gyms, the outbreak of the Covid-19 directives,” it adds.

Over 100 local farms participating in Dates Festival

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) yesterday launched the fifth Local Dates Festival in co-operation with Al Meera Consumer Goods Company at Al Meera’s Hyatt Plaza branch. The 2020 Local Dates Festival got underway in the presence of senior off icials from the MME’s Agricultural Aff airs and Fisheries departments as well as Al Meera Consumer Goods Company. The festival, with the participation of more than 100 local farms and dates producers, is running across all Al Meera branches until the target stock of 300 tonnes of local dates lasts. Al Meera is hosting the festival for the first time this year through more than 50 branches across Qatar, in line with the precautionary measures in force in the country. The annual festival has previously been held at Souq Waqif.