BUSINESS | Page 1 QATAR | Page 20 50% work completed on Qatar’s Qatar accounts for fi rst bulk of LNG supplies cable-stayed bridge to Asia in 2019: IGU published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11540 May 6, 2020 Ramadan 13, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Scratch and win from home with Hadaya Ooredoo on the Ooredoo App! #Hadaya_Ooredoo *Terms and conditions apply Covid-19 recoveries Planes spell out thanks messages reach 1,924 in Qatar The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced 951 Industrial Area new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), and 114 recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases Qatar to 1,924. reopens; entry, The MoPH said that most of the new cases are migrant workers who have been infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously diagnosed through exit regulated the investigative testing carried out by the ministry. Page 2 zNew procedures will allow employers, employees who ‘Stranded’ Indians to be work in the area but live outside, residents who live in the fl own home from May 7 Area but work outside, enter and exit the area The Indian embassy has initiated steps to facilitate the repatriation of he Government Communi- who live in the Area but work outside. stranded Indians from Qatar after the cations Offi ce (GCO) has an- In addition, companies operating in Indian government has decided to Tnounced the decision to reopen the Area will be allowed to transport operate special flights to bring home from today the closed part of the In- materials and equipment by submit- nationals who are held up in foreign Skywriting planes spell out messages of thanks to first responders and healthcare workers over Manhattan during the dustrial Area until Street 32, with reor- ting in advance an application to the countries because of the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in New York City, US, yesterday. ganised exit and entry procedures. Ministry of Commerce and Industry Covid-19 situation and the suspension Streets 1 and 2 and Al Wakalat Street and the Ministry of Administrative De- of air travel. In the first phase of the were reopened earlier. It may be re- velopment, Labour and Social Aff airs. plan, two special flights will be used called that the gradual reopening of This will be detailed in the Perma- to fly Indian nationals home, the the Industrial Area had commenced on nent Committee for Industrial Area first one on May 7 to Kochi and the April 22 with the three streets after re- Aff airs’ procedures guide, established second one to Thriuvanathapuram Covid-19: Qatar has the lowest maining shut for around 35 days as part by Ministerial Decision number 29 of on May 10. Pages 3, 13 of the state’s eff orts to curb the spread 2016, to explain all temporary proce- of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) dures that must be followed in the up- Murder hornet arrives and protect the health and safety of the coming period. in Washington mortality rate in the world inhabitants there. Employers will be required to ensure The reopening of the rest of the In- all workers download the Ehteraz mo- An invasive, dustrial Area is being implemented in bile app, which is mandatory for exit predatory s the global death toll from the breaks, Qatar’s case fatality ratio is “Countries that test more and de- adherence to all the preventive precau- from and entry to the Industrial Area. insect dubbed coronavirus pandemic exceeds the lowest at 0.07% — 12 deaths out of tect more mild cases will have an ap- tionary measures determined by the Inspections will be intensifi ed to the “murder A250,000, two tiny nations more than 16,000 cases. Singapore’s parently lower case fatality rate,” she Ministry of Public Health, the GCO said. make sure all laws and procedures are hornet,” has stand out with the lowest fatality ratio is 0.093% of more than 19,000 said. Older populations and countries The reorganisation of exit and entry implemented, such as providing ade- turned up in rates among countries who are expe- infections. Both countries have also that exceed their intensive care unit will result in resuming work and sup- quate accommodation, reduction of the Washington state near the Canadian riencing major outbreaks. kept mortality from the virus low as a and ventilator capacity will also have ply chains inside and outside the Area number of workers in buses to half the border, where they could potentially In Qatar and Singapore, the death proportion of their populations: less higher death rates, she said. to normal, while making sure that the capacity of the vehicles, providing sani- pose a threat to humans and the toll is less than 0.1% of reported in- than 0.5 per 100,000 people. While Singapore has an ageing community is not at risk of infections. tisers and masks, and that all workers are beekeeping industry, state agriculture fections. The two nations are also among population and a higher median age These procedures will allow the fol- using them properly as per the instruc- off icials said yesterday. The stinging Patient demographics and the abil- some of the wealthiest in the world, than Qatar, the majority of its infec- lowing groups to enter and exit the tions of the Ministry of Public Health. Vespa mandarinia can grow as large ity of the health-care system to cope which means they can better aff ord the tions are among low-wage foreign Area: employers, employees who work “Qatar affi rms that it continues to as 2-1/2 inches (6.4cm) in length and are key to keeping the survival rate test kits and hospital beds they need. workers, who are typically young and in the Area but live outside, residents take all necessary measures required at is native to southeast Asia, China high in this pandemic, health experts Just behind Qatar and Singapore in undergo health checks before they are the current stage to protect the safety and Taiwan. It was first discovered in say. While some countries with small survival rates are Belarus, Saudi Arabia allowed into the country to work. of the society and limit the spread of Blaine, Washington, in December by outbreaks like Vietnam have not suf- and United Arab Emirates. Similarly, many of the cases in the Covid-19,” the GCO statement said. a homeowner, according to Sven-Erik fered a single death, those dealing Low case fatality ratios boil down to Middle East are within the younger, This decision was preceded by a Spichiger, managing entomologist with major spread — defi ned as more three things: testing, age of the popu- migrant workforce. The majority number of preventive checkups and at the Washington state Agriculture than 10,000 cases — often start to see lation and intensive care unit capac- of the population in UAE and Qatar tests in area and transferring more than Department. their healthcare infrastructure come ity, said Raina MacIntyre, professor of are younger expatriates, who also go 6,500 workers to precautionary health under pressure. global biosecurity at the University of through health checks before enter- quarantine, in addition to off ering free Britain records Europe’s Among economies with major out- New South Wales. ing the country.– Bloomberg medical care of high quality inside and highest virus death toll A stretch of a street in the Industrial outside the Industrial Area to all those Area. diagnosed with the infection. Britain’s death toll linked to the novel coronavirus has risen to 29,427, the government said yesterday, ‘A moderately eff ective vaccine would suff ice’ meaning it has overtaken Italy in Drive-through virus tests at 3 health centres recording Europe’s highest total. The Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine The study is new and yet to be peer- total includes only deaths reported – Qatar (WCM-Q) and Qatar University reviewed, but has been released in through the Health Ministry following he Ministry of Public Health The drive-through Covid-19 sur- only service - will be randomly select- (QU) have shown that even a commitment to the principles set out in tests in hospitals and care homes, (MoPH) will operate drive- vey will be conducted at the Al Thu- ed based on age, gender and ethnicity, moderately eff ective vaccine could be the 2016 Statement on Data Sharing in with many experts estimating that Tthrough swabbing hubs at mama, Al Waab and Leabaib health it explains. “Invitation doesn’t mean enough to stop the current coronavirus Public Health Emergencies. at least 40,000 people have died three health centres in the country centres today and tomorrow, from you are a suspect Covid-19 patient pandemic. “With several Covid-19 vaccines following infection with the virus. over two days. 2pm-10pm. and p The study – Epidemiological impact of still in early stages of development, An off icial report in Italy, which has This would be done in collabora- “A group of 2,500 members of the articipation is entirely voluntary,” Sars-CoV-2 vaccination: mathematical we aimed to provide the scientific recorded 29,315 deaths, suggested it tion with the Primary Health Care public will be involved in a unique the notice clarifi es. modelling analyses – was funded by a evidence that can inform vaccine could have a similar total to Britain. Corporation (PHCC), Hamad Medi- study that will allow better under- Following are the drive-through National Priorities Research Programme development, licensure, decision- cal Corporation’s (HMC) Ambulance standing of the fl ow of the virus in the Covid-19 survey steps: Text message (NPRP) grant from the Qatar National making, and administration Global virus toll Service and laboratories, and Qatar community and adapt responses to invitation from PHCC, Online regis- Research Fund. It was conducted by strategies,” said Dr Monia Makhoul, reaches 254,532 University (QU), it was announced on the scientifi c fi ndings,” a notice on the tration, Arrive in your own car, Sur- the Infectious Disease Epidemiology co-lead author of the study and the social media pages of the coun- study says. vey questionnaire, Nose and throat Group at WCM-Q in collaboration with postdoctoral research associate at The novel coronavirus has killed try’s health entities yesterday. Participants of the test - a referral- swab, Results by phone. Dr Houssein Ayoub from QU. WCM-Q. To Page 4 at least 254,532 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December, according to a tally from off icial sources . More than 3,629,160 Free food distribution during Covid-19 cases were registered in 195 countries and territories. Of these, at Qeeri research may help Qatar least 1,124,600 are now considered recovered. Many countries are testing only the most serious cases. in physical distancing policies Over the past 24 hours, 5.163 new deaths have been recorded and 75.475 new infections around the he Energy Centre at the Qatar Environment port the country’s governmental organisations in world. The countries with the most and Energy Research Institute (Qeeri), part the fi ght against Covid-19 by providing a constant new fatalities in the past day were Tof Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), fl ow of updated data on the eff ect of these environ- the United States with 1,830, Britain continues to monitor environmental conditions mental factors on the novel virus. with 693 and France with 330. such as solar radiation, temperature, and humid- Dr Veronica Bermudez, senior research director at ity, which may, in turn, help Qatar anticipate the the Energy Centre, said: “As the Covid-19 pandemic transmission of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). continues to impact our world, there is a pressing need RAMADAN THOUGHT As part of its research, Qeeri’s Energy Centre – for situational awareness tools that help decision- in collaboration with Qatar Meteorology Depart- makers and the public understand and avoid the risk Wealth and children are the ment – monitors solar radiation and other meteor- of contagion. Covid-19 research is still in its initial adornment of the life of this ological factors such as temperature and humidity stage, but there is some evidence that the combina- world. But the good righteous in Qatar. The Energy Centre is preparing to sup- tion of sunlight, a certain temperature, and degree of deeds, that last, are better absolute humidity may infl uence the viability of the with your Lord for rewards virus. Monitoring, mapping, and forecasting the solar and better in respect of hope. resources and weather conditions may, therefore, help (Qur’an 18:46) in anticipating and assessing the risks associated with Covid-19 and in adapting the associated measures.” Prayer times Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists have very recently analysed the correla- Fajr....3.32 Zuhr....11.30 Asr....2.59 tion between weather conditions and the observed Maghrib.....6.10 Isha.....7.40 rate of Covid-19 transmission in diverse global lo- cations. This study indicates that 90% of reported Fasting times Covid-19 cases through March 22, 2020 occurred Iftar today ...... 6.10pm in world areas with colder and less humid late win- Contract drivers paid by Amazon collect bags of free groceries to deliver from the Bread for the Suhoor tomorrow ...... 3.31am Qeeri continues to monitor environmental ters and early springs (temperatures: 3-17C, abso- City social services charity during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in Washington, conditions. lute humidity: 4-9g/m3). To Page 2 US, yesterday. The charity is sending out as many as 500 or 600 bags a day using the drivers. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 QATAR

Over 23,500 video lessons produced under distance learning system: report

QNA to the eff ectiveness of the dis- education, while the number of 48 lessons for the introductory 2,121 homework daily. Education Complex. produced 342 video lessons for Doha tance learning platform in Qa- weekly assessments that were stage, and 14 for adult education, According to the report, the About the most prominent specialized subjects, off ered 305 tar’s school education system, produced (such as Microsoft while the number of lessons and number of weekly assignments distance learning statistics for weekly assignments, and pre- besides the latest developments Forms) and that were completed homework that were produced that were submitted to stu- specialised schools as included pared 305 daily homework. s many as 23,533 video compiled until April 30, along until April 30, was about 756 for and presented for kindergarten dents from the third to 12fth in the report, the Qatar School The Qatar Technical Second- lessons have been pro- with a review of several statistics the various stages, subjects, and students until April 23 reached grades in all tracks reached 648 of Science and Technology has ary School for Boys produced Aduced until April 30, and conclusions. adult education. about 48, besides interactive weekly assignments in science, produced 294 video lessons, 299 video lessons for specialised 2020, for government school The report also includes The 19 YouTube educational homework. Arabic and English languages, presented 126 weekly assess- subjects and prepared 103 week- students since the distance graphs, statistics, and data on channels, according to the re- mathematics, Islamic educa- ments for students at all levels ly assessments and daily assign- learning system was adopted the total number of audio edu- port, recorded 8,410,862 views, The distance learning tion, social studies, comput- of education, and allocated five ments for specialised subjects. in Qatar, according to the sixth cation, in addition to daily and with the total number of sub- system continues to ing, information technology, lessons per day for each grade The report noted that the dis- report on the distance learning weekly assessments, and the scribers to the channels was provide technical support business administration, and (simultaneous teaching), and tance learning system continues system released by the the Min- number of lessons published on 83,795. The total number of to the programme for French language. a total of 28 lessons per week to provide technical support to istry of Education and Higher 19 YouTube channels for stu- “watch hours” was 401,602, and schools and parents The total number of partici- for each grade, while special- the programme for schools and Education. dents in kindergarten to 12th the total number of videos pub- pants in the production of les- ist laboratory subjects included parents. The total number of video grade and adult education. lished was 2,220, where the av- The number of lessons and sons was 976. These included asynchronous communication. It pointed out that in the lessons includes 19,908 for The report also contains the erage number of views per video assignments that were off ered to special education teachers, sup- The Qatar Banking Studies event of any obstacles or chal- special education and integra- number of daily assignments, was 3,789 and highest number of foundation students was about port services specialists, teach- and Business Administration lenges they may face while using tion schools, 2,456 for public and weekly assessments for views for a video was 21,871. 236 video lessons and home- ing cadres, mentors, special (boys and girls) produced 234 the system, they could call the education schools, and 1,169 for students at all levels, and the As for the number of video work, and the number of video education coordinators, and e- video lessons for specialised hotline 155, which operates 24 specialised schools, the report number of participants in the lessons that were produced ac- lessons and daily assignments learning specialists. subjects, presented 78 weekly hours a day, the technical sup- states. production of lessons. cording to each stage, the total in the form of “Forms” that were The number of video lessons assessments of specialised sub- port department in the ministry, The report includes these About 2,121 daily homework number reached 2,456 video produced for third to 12th grade produced for students with spe- jects, and prepared 234 daily the co-ordinators in the schools and other important data and was published on the “Microsoft lessons, including 2,121 lessons students in all tracks, accord- cial needs was 19,908 lessons for homework for these subjects. in the morning, and the emer- information on several aspects Teams” programme for the vari- for grades three to 12, 273 les- ing to each article separately, integration and support schools, The Religious Institute (pre- gency team in the ministry in the that were assessed with regard ous stages, subjects and adult sons for the foundation stage, reached 2,121 video lessons and Al Hidaya schools, and the Audio paratory/secondary) for boys evening. Qatar on track for digital health Covid-19 recoveries ecosystem: QCRI researcher reach 1,924 in Qatar QNA stepped up eff orts to track the Doha transitional chains of the virus z‘Digital health system is going to help us in managing any future pandemics’ and expand the search for people infected by conducting extensive he Ministry of Public and proactive investigations of By Joseph Varghese Services during a Pandemic’. Preparedness is what is needed is adopting certain policies in Health (MoPH) yester- large numbers of contacts with Staff Reporter In his presentation, he high- before a pandemic hits and the fighting the epidemic. This is Tday announced 951 new people who have recently been lighted the advantages of digital response is a reactive situation clear from the statistics as Qa- confi rmed cases of the novel confi rmed with the disease. health in managing the pandem- that deals with the situation as it tar’s mortality rate is one of the coronavirus (Covid-19), and 114 The number of daily tests per- atar has taken several ics such as Covid-19 eff ectively. happens. Recovery is the process lowest in the world while the recovered from the disease in the formed depends on the number steps to develop a dig- Dr Sanjay Chawla, research di- of returning to new normal while people in critical situation or last 24 hours, bringing the total of contacts individuals con- Qital health ecosystem rector, QCAI, moderated the migration is the forward looking admitted in the intensive care number of recovered cases Qatar fi rmed to be infected with the vi- which holds the key for future session. strategy,” he described are also very low. This helps to 1,924. rus have had, as well as the ran- of healthcare, especially in a “Digital health has been on According to Dr Farooq, arti- the country to adopt a capacity The MoPH said in a statement dom tests that are taking place in pandemic situation such as the radar for some time but it fi cial intelligence (AI) and Data based treatment approach,” he that most of the new cases are diff erent parts of the country. Covid-19, noted a researcher at a has not been properly taken Science technologies can be the continued. migrant workers who have been According to a tweet from webinar recently. care of by the healthcare sys- key elements in implementing He also maintained that the infected with the virus as a re- the MoPH, with a total of 2,967 “In Qatar, digital health is one tems. Most healthcare sys- these steps. “Using AI and Data current Covid-19 situation has sult of contact with individuals people tested for Covid-19 in the of the key pillars that the health tems had not been able to in- Science diff erent models can be resulted in a great increase in who were previously diagnosed last 24 hours, as many as 109,762 system is working on. It is in very corporate the digital health developed to face any pandemic telemedicine consultations all through the investigative testing have been tested so far in Qatar. early stages but it has been iden- system seamlessly within the situation and overcome them over the world. carried out by the ministry. There are 17,142 positive cases tifi ed as one of the key drivers,” public health system. How- successfully. However, these are “There is a 40% increase in The rest of the new Covid-19 to date in Qatar and 15,206 cur- said Dr Faisal Farooq, principal ever, Covid-19 has shown us not the alternative for prepar- the in telemedicine consulta- cases have come from citizens rently undergoing treatment. scientist, Qatar Computing Re- that digital health system is Dr Fasial Farooq edness. Unfortunately, many tions during this period. This and residents who contracted The total number of Covid-19 search Institute (QCRI). a real necessity within our governments were not prepared has reduced visits to the hos- the virus from members of their deaths so far in Qatar is 12, ac- Dr Farooq, who leads the dig- healthcare systems. This is a pandemic situation such as to face a situation such as Cov- pitals and helped in containing families, who in turn got in- cording to the tweet. ital health group within QCRI what is going to help us in Covid-19 demands four steps. id-19,” he noted. the pandemic to a certain ex- fected through their workplaces The MoPH called on all mem- was speaking at a webinar or- managing any future pan- “A crisis management for a Cov- “Qatar is making use of some tent. It also has helped in con- or other places where they were bers of society to stay at home ganised by Qatar Centre for Ar- demics and scenarios like id-19 like pandemic needs four of these techniques in deal- tinuing the non-Covid health- exposed to infected people. and not go out except in cases of tifi cial Intelligence (QCAI), part this,” he explained. steps. They are preparedness, re- ing with the current situa- care for the community,” added All the new infected cases necessity and to implement pre- of QCRI on “Managing Health The scientist detailed that sponse, recovery and mitigation. tion. Accordingly, the country the official. have been quarantined where ventive measures and maintain they are receiving the necessary physical distancing, including in medical care. the workplace and public places. The MoPH stated that during The Ministry reminded people to the current period it expects to use a face mask as recommended Qeeri research may help in see a fl uctuation in the number and avoid social visits to reduce NHRC launches awareness campaign of cases of infection. This is for their risk of contracting the vi- several reasons including that rus. physical distancing policies the outbreak of the virus is con- The ministry also urged the for corporate and domestic workers sidered to be at the peak stage public to regularly visit its web- before the numbers of infections site to view the latest informa- From Page 1 duce its ferocity. However, many start to descend gradually. tion and instructions related to members of the global research QNA receive and monitor any com- ness of workers from diff erent The ministry has also recently Covid-19. Less than 6% of total reported community are sceptical, as the Doha plaints they have regarding nationalities on the dangers of cases were recorded in countries Covid-19 virus is a relatively violations that may aff ect their the spread of Covid-19, and on with higher temperatures (above new infectious agent that is yet rights, especially due to the re- their rights, including to preven- 18C) and absolute humidity to be studied extensively. he National Human Rights percussions of the new Corona- tion and treatment under these (above 9g/m3) for the same pe- Scientists at Qeeri’s Energy Committee (NHRC), in co- virus epidemic (Covid-19). conditions, as well as their right riod. These results suggest that Centre have highlighted that it Tordination with represent- to make use of all the diff erent the Covid-19 virus may have re- may be possible to assess the risk atives of its expat offi ces, launched The campaign distributes medical equipment required for duced viability and would see its of contagion through solar re- an awareness campaign target- instructions, brochures, protection from the virus. spreading capacity diminished source and meteorological moni- ing corporate workers, including and educational Al-Mahmoud said that the in warmer humid climates that toring, if exposure to the right workers in recruiting companies publications that focus on committee’s team met with typically have higher sunlight. combination of sunlight levels, and domestic workers. the measures that must be workers and discussed their res- Another study by University temperatures, and absolute hu- The campaign included fi eld followed to prevent the risk idence conditions. College London assessed sam- midity could reduce the viabil- visits to workers in the Industrial of Covid-19 infection The team familiarised the ples of common coronaviruses ity of the Covid-19 virus. Dr Marc Area, Umm Salal, Al Wakra, Al workers with the guidelines on collected several years ago. They Vermeersch, Qeeri’s executive di- Duhail, and Al Thumama. Head of NHRC Media and the precautionary measures concluded that summer showed rector, reiterated that the institute In the future it will include Public Relations Department taken by Qatar, and the rights of a lesser number of infections than would continue to support Qatar in other areas where expatriate Abdullah Ali al-Mahmoud said everyone in the country in these colder months. A recent White its fi ght against Covid-19. “Since workers are located. that the campaign came to com- conditions under the law. House briefi ng stated that ex- the onset of the pandemic, we have The campaign distributes in- plement the fi eld visits paid by Representatives of expat com- periments conducted at the US realigned our research priorities, structions, brochures, and edu- teams from the committee since munity offi ces of Nepal, India, Army’s biosecurity laboratory and our scientists, researchers, cational publications that focus the start of Ramadan to the In- African countries, Sri Lanka, indicate that heat, humidity, and and engineers are committed to on the measures that must be dustrial Area and workers quar- and Bangladesh participated in exposure to sunlight signifi cantly contributing to the fi ght against followed to prevent the risk of antines in Umm Salal, Mesaieed, the awareness campaign. speed up the rates at which the Covid-19, through research, devel- Covid-19 infection. and other areas, in addition to This was in refl ection of the novel coronavirus is destroyed. opment, and innovation. We are The campaign also raises the police stations. committee’s commitment to Some scientists believe that also collaborating with national and awareness of workers on the The campaign is an imple- reaching all expat communities while high temperatures may international stakeholders and con- importance of using the hot- mentation of the goals of the and communicating in the dif- not stop the virus they may re- tributing in whichever way we can.” line launched by the NHRC, to NHRC in raising the aware- ferent languages they speak. Katara receives over 1,800 entries for stay-at-home writing contests

zSome 1,831 entries Studying from Home (for students) the Cultural Village has always been in enthusiasm and it was a golden oppor- seven consolation prizes in each cat- received from people of and were launched when the govern- the forefront of organising cultural and tunity to improve their creative skills,” egory considering the huge number 83 nationalities for two ment announced a partial lockdown literary events, workshops and com- al-Sayed said. of participants. Also, the best entries competitions to prevent the spread of Covid 19 pan- petitions to bring people together and “The huge numbers of participation selected by the judges will be pub- demic. strengthen cultural ties and encourage in these competitions will also give lished in a book by the Katara Pub- atara - the Cultural Village has A total of 1,138 entries were received talent. These competitions came at a us an opportunity to study the latest lishing House. received an overwhelming re- in the student category and 693 entries time when the entire world is engaged trends in work-at-home and study- This is the second time Katara is or- Ksponse to the two competitions in the adult category. There were par- in a struggle against the Covid-19 at-home practices and to map and an- ganising a writing competition in Eng- it hosted as part of eff orts to support ticipants belonging to a total of 83 na- pandemic,” said Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim alyse the preferences and possibilities lish for the community. It had recently the government’s stay-at-home policy tionalities residing in Qatar, of which al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara – in this regard. This can give us indi- organised a creative writing workshop to fi ght the novel coronavirus (Cov- there were students of 66 nationalities the Cultural Village. cations about how to move forward in and shorty story completion for stu- id-19) pandemic. and adults of 52 nationalities. Khalid al-Sayed, head of the Com- this area by studying these responses,” dents of English-medium schools in A total of 1,831 entries were received A majority of the participants are petitions Committee, said the topics al-Sayed said. Qatar. in two categories of writing competi- from India, the Philippines, the US, were selected to ensure maximum par- The winning entries will be selected Katara also organises the annual tion held for students and adults. The Britain, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and ticipation from residents. by a panel of highly competent judges. Arabic fi ction awards, which is the competitions, which were in English, Lebanon. There were 34 Qatari stu- “These competitions were meant The fi rst, second and third prizes in biggest prize of its kind in the Middle were open to all citizens and residents dents and fi ve Qatari adults among the to support the government’s stay-at- periences, which will be interesting to both categories carry cash awards of East region both in prize money and of Qatar with valid residence permits. participants. home policy and physical distancing a global audience. The huge partici- QR10,000, QR7,000 and QR5,000, re- the number of participants. The prize- The topics of the competitions were “We are overwhelmed by the re- eff orts. We wanted to provide an op- pation from students shows that they spectively. winning novels are also translated into Working from Home (for adults) and sponse to the competitions. Katara – portunity to people to share their ex- received the competition with great Katara has also decided to give English and French. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 3 QATAR ‘Stranded’ QSC face shields boost Indians to be battle against Covid-19 fl own home By Ayman Adly istry of Culture and Sports have from May 7 Staff Reporter given us immense support in this, as it has always done,” he noted. atar Scientifi c Club “Besides large quantities of (QSC) has devised a the new face shield that can be By Joseph Varghese The embassy has also stated Qface shield to provide sanitised and disinfected for Staff Reporter that those passengers who adequate protection against extended reuse, they also need are shortlisted to travel will Covid-19 infection to medi- parts for their diff erent medi- have to bear the cost of the air cal staff in the country, includ- cal equipment. We are capable he Indian embassy has ticket. All the requirements ing those of Hamad Medical of making and supplying such initiated steps to facili- for quarantine after reaching Corporation (HMC). products,” he stressed. Ttate the repatriation of India as well as the medical Speaking to Qatar TV, Rashid The executive director of QSC stranded Indians from Qatar requirements for travel from Hussein al-Rahimi, executive said the club has six main spe- after the Indian government Doha will be conveyed to them director of QSC, stressed that cialised laboratories and a good has decided to operate special and have to be accepted by the organisation has been highly number of experts and special- fl ights to bring home nation- each passenger. active since the start of the Cov- ists to help the members, or als who are held up in foreign “We are waiting for further id-19 outbreak to explore what anybody else coming up with a countries because of the on- instructions from the govern- solution it could off er through the creative and innovative idea, to going Covid-19 situation and ment of India for fl ights to innovative ideas and creativity develop it and explore the pos- the suspension of air travel. other states. We will inform of its membersand affi liates. sibility of introducing new and In the fi rst phase of the the details as and when we Accordingly, QSC drew up a useful products into the market. plan, two special fl ights will receive such information. We plan to develop a durable and Regarding the new face shield, be used to fl y Indian nation- request everyone to be patient eff ective face shield, using the he stressed that QSC is able to Work underway at a QSC lab. Below: Face shields made by QSC. als home, the fi rst one on May and cooperate in such a mas- available machinery and equip- produce good quantities for the 7 to Kochi and the second sive eff ort,” an Indian embassy ment at the club, and imple- local market and will also manu- one to Thriuvanathapuram, offi cial said. mented it based on designs ap- facture the same for export to on May 10. Further details can be had proved by the entities concerned countries that need such devices. An Indian embassy state- from the embassy’s Cov- and medical experts, he said. He added that the club wel- ment said, “The passenger list id-19 helpline, 55667569 or “After getting the necessary comes ideas and projects from for both the fl ights will be de- 55647502. People can also approvals, we were able to pro- all expatriates and Qataris alike cided based on the registration email at covid19dohahel- duce more than 500-600 pieces and will study such concepts on the Indian embassy web- pline@ gmail.com. using the club’s laboratories and to ensure their originality in site, specifi cally meant for this The India government has al- production facilities,” he said. co-operation with other enti- purpose. Priority will be given located 64 fl ight services to make Al-Rahimi said a team from ties such as Qatar Foundation to urgent medical cases, preg- travel arrangements for Indians HMC, comprising doctors and and the Ministry of Commerce nant women, people in dis- stranded around the world in the nurses, visited the QSC facili- and Industry. Eventually, all due tress, senior citizens and those fi rst week of its operations start- ties recently and discussed their support would be given to fur- who are stranded in diffi cult ing on May 7. On day one it is ex- requirements, the assistance ther develop such projects. situations.” The embassy will pected that about 2,300 Indians that the club could off er and the Meanwhile, he stressed that contact the selected passen- will be allowed to fl y back from aspects that need to be further the club has strictly followed gers from the list through their various countries. On day two developed. the preventive and precaution- telephone or e-mail. and three, the number of passen- “We were told by HMC that ary measures to curb the spread The embassy disclosed that gers are expected to be 2,050, day they need more supplies of the of Covid-19 and followed social about 40,000 people have reg- four, 1,850, day fi ve 2,200, day face shield, so we increased our distancing rules, while using istered on its website for repa- six, 2,500 and day seven, 1,850. production capacity through the all available online platforms to triation and it will take time to The total number of people ex- purchase of specialised machin- continue holding discussion and accommodate all the requests pected to travel by the end of ery and raw materials. The Min- meetings with its members. and complete the process. week one is 14,800. Page 13 More than 250 win cash 2020 WISE Awards fi nalists named

orld Innovation prizes in QIB MISK draw Summit for Educa- Wtion (WISE) has an- nounced the 15 fi nalists for the 2020 WISE Awards. Hailing atar Islamic Bank (QIB) from 10 countries, the fi nal- has awarded more than ists presented projects that Q250 winners with cash tackle a number of pressing prizes in the third edition of its global educational issues, and innovative savings and draw were selected by a panel of account, MISK. international experts. The MISK account comes as This year’s projects focus part of the bank’s ongoing ef- on implementing early child- forts to promote positive fi - hood education; promoting nancial habits and encourage social emotional learning for individuals to save money. early years; teaching of 21st Existing and new QIB cus- century and entrepreneurship tomers interested in opening a skills; providing education to MISK savings account can do so marginalised and vulnerable easily, from their mobile phone populations; improving teacher and using the award-winning training and motivation; foster- QIB mobile app. held in the presence of offi cial online world. Regular updates ing reading; democratising sign New customers can start representatives from the Min- to the app make it easier than language education; promoting their relationship with QIB istry of Commerce and Indus- ever to bank on the go, 24/7, as legal education and nurturing by opening the MISK account try, as well as QIB representa- they were developed to meet global citizens among the future through the mobile app and tives. The names of the winners the customers’ daily banking generations. subsequently start using the from the most recent draws are requirements. Stavros N Yiannouka, chief One of the finalists for the 2020 WISE Awards. app to manage all their day-to- published on QIB’s website. All Qatari citizens and resi- executive offi cer, WISE – an day banking needs remotely, Due to the increasing popular- dents are eligible to open an in- initiative of Qatar Foundation – fundamental early childhood Storyweaver; Centro Educa- been established and demon- having access to more than 90 ity of the account, in this years’ novative MISK savings account said, “Our world is experiencing education or imparting valuable tivo Tecnico Chixot – Hero strate how they have already features and services. edition, QIB has doubled the for themselves or their minor a crisis that is aff ecting all fac- entrepreneurship and fi nancial School; Think Equal; The Jun- had a transformative impact Upon opening the account, number of weekly winners to children. Customers have to ets of our lives. Education is no literacy skills, each project is ior Achievement Africa Com- on individuals, communities, customers will receive a free 545 and will award QR7.4mn in maintain a minimum month- exception, and indeed the need already transforming lives, and pany Programme; SignLab; and society of their context. debit card, free e-statement total. Every week, 10 lucky win- ly balance of QR10,000 to be for innovation is all the more provides an inspirational model Parenting the Future (PTF); Projects also need to be fi nan- service, and can request a free- ners are entitled to QR10,000 eligible for the weekly draws. urgent because of the systemic for others to emulate.” Justice Changemaker Pro- cially stable, have a clear devel- for-the-fi rst-year credit card each, and two monthly winners To qualify for the grand prize shortcomings that the crisis has This year’s fi nalists are: gramme; Transformational opment plan, and be scalable backed by the funds balance in are eligible for QR50,000 each, draw, the customer must open exposed. In this context, the MyMachine; Stawisha Lead- Teacher Training; and Arkki and replicable. their MISK account. while the grand prize draw for the account three months prior work celebrated by the WISE ership Institute; Barefoot International - Creative Edu- The winners of the WISE MISK has witnessed two the QR1mn will take place in to the draw and maintain a mini- Awards is critically important. College Solar Electrifi ca- cation for Future Innovators. Awards will be announced in previous successful editions, November 2020. mum of QR10,000 for each of “Each of the 2020 WISE tion with enriched Educa- The projects were selected October 2020 and celebrated awarding a total of 490 loyal The QIB mobile app has un- those months. With every addi- Awards fi nalists has built an tion; MAIA Impact School; from a pool of 625 submissions. at a WISE event. In addition to QIB customers, where two lucky dergone an immense transfor- tional QR10,000, the customer eff ective, tested solution to a Dengbe’ Bide (“Two Rabbits” The submissions were evaluat- visibility and networking op- winners walked home with mation over the years, to keep earns one more chance in the global educational challenge. in Baka); Education for Shar- ed on strict criteria, such as the portunities, each project will QR1mn each. All the draws are up with the hyper-connected, draw. Whether ensuring access to ing (E4S); Pratham Books’ initiatives must have already receive $20,000. Workshop on supporting hospitality sector during Covid-19 crisis s part of a series of work- al-Thani, Chairman of the Tour- and the threat the virus poses z Issuing an educational bro- through a number of instruc- nicate via e-mail to the ministry. tinues the journey towards di- shops the strategic team ism and Exhibition Committee to public health and the global chure for workers in several lan- tions that regulate the contrac- z The appointment of a spe- versifying the economy, with all Aon decent work and sus- at Qatar Chamber. economy. guages entitled “Your Health tual relationship between the cialised team from the minis- government bodies cooperating tainable growth in the hospitality The strategic work team, es- He also discussed the challeng- and Work” that includes basic two parties. try working around the clock on to overcome the crisis. sector held a session on the reper- tablished by the MADLSA, con- es faced by the tourism sector. information for workers under z Issuing guidelines to regu- receiving communications and For his part, head of the tour- cussions of the coronavirus (Cov- sists of national organisations Al-Obaidly said that the min- the current circumstances and late the principles of remote messages in diff erent languages ism and exhibitions committee id-19) crisis on the tourism sector. such as the National Tourism istry took all the necessary pre- also answers most common in- work for workers and manage- (Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Fili- at Qatar Chamber Sheikh Hamad The workshop, conducted via Council, Katara Hospitality, Su- cautionary measures to protect quiries, and has been published ment in the private sector. pino, Nepalese, Malayalam, Tamil, bin Ahmad al-Thani stressed the video conference, was attended preme Committee for Delivery all workers, and put in place through newspapers, audio- z Emphasising the impor- French and Sinhalese). For his importance of co-operation in by Assistant Undersecretary for & Legacy, the Qatar Chamber, policies that would guarantee visual media and the ministry’s tance of the role of labour com- part, Assistant Undersecretary for fi nding solutions that could sup- Labour Aff airs at the Ministry and international partners such quick implementation of these social media outlets. mittees within the facilities, es- Commerce Aff airs at the Ministry port the hospitality sector and of Administrative Development, as the ILO Project Offi ce in Qa- measures. z Sending an offi cial state- pecially with regard to educating of Commerce and Industry Saleh help it overcome the crisis. Labor and Social Aff airs (MADL- tar and the Institute for Human He said that some of these ment to employers and workers workers about precautionary Majed al-Khulaifi said that Qatar A question and answer ses- SA) Mohamed Hassan al-Obaid- Rights and Business (IHRB), the measures included: that stresses the importance of measures to prevent the virus. succeeded in resuming its bal- sion was held at the conclusion ly, Saleh Majid al-Khulaifi , As- International Tourism Partner- z Issuing a set of directives cooperation in this period to re- z Providing a 24-hour hotline anced economic growth, thanks of the workshop to respond to sistant Undersecretary for Trade ship (ITP), global trade unions that companies operating in the duce social and economic dam- service to receive complaints to its sound policies over the past the questions of hotels, as the Aff airs at the Ministry of Com- and FIFA. private sector must follow in the ages for the benefi t of workers and observations by employ- few years and the incentivising of workshop targeted primarily HR merce and Industry Saleh Ma- Al-Obaidly spoke on the chal- workplace and housing to pro- and employers, taking into ac- ers and workers, while provid- the private sector to increase its managers of hotels and general jid al-Khulaifi , and HE Sheikh lenges the world faces as a re- tect workers under the title “The count the sustainability of busi- ing SMS text message service to contribution. managers among other interest Hamad bin Ahmed bin Abdullah sult of the spread of Covid-19, MADLSA Policy”. ness and long-term employment submit complaints and commu- He added that the state con- groups. (QNA) Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 QATAR

NBK Automobiles off ers multiple options for Mercedes-Benz vehicle services

asser Bin Khaled (NBK) plemented with ultimate sani- business hours from Sunday ice,” Ihab El Feky, COO – Auto, set by the relevant authorities Automobiles, the au- tising and cleanness measures through Thursday, from 9am at NBK Group, said. in Qatar to stop any potential Nthorised general dis- to secure the safety of staff and to 3pm. “Our professional and dedi- spread of Covid-19 and maintain tributor of Mercedes-Benz in customers. NBK Automobiles have taken cated staff is ready to provide the safety of our community”, he Qatar, has enhanced customers’ Besides, customers can do all the necessary precautionary quality services and enhance added. experience and off ers multiple their vehicles’ service at the measures, including compre- customer experience. In addition to the main serv- options for vehicles’ service and reopened Mercedes-Benz hensive hygiene of the work- At NBK Automobiles, we ice centre at the industrial area, maintenance. service centre at the industrial shop, to secure the safety of the took all the necessary actions NBK Automobiles continues Customers continue to benefi t area, which was temporarily staff and customers. and best practices to secure the to deliver its services through from advance booking option or closed as part of the precau- “We are pleased to provide our health and safety of our staff to other branches at Almana pet- the pick-up and delivery of their tionary measures to limit the customers with multiple options conduct work in a safe and com- rol station and Algarafah, from cars from and to their homes, spread of the novel coronavi- to have their cars maintained, fortable environment. Sunday through Thursday, from according to a statement. rus (Covid-19).The Mercedes- including the advance booking “We are fully committed to 9am to 3pm, and from 7pm to The services are always com- Benz service centre resumes and pick-up and delivery serv- the directions and guidelines 1am.

Stenden University webinars GU-Q student researches role of radio during times of crisis add digital push to education chool closures may have disrupted on- campus student research eff orts, but at SGeorgetown University in Qatar (GU- n order to better support organ- include topics such as Business Q), the training of future scholars has simply isations and individuals during English Communication, Leading moved online. Ithe Covid-19 crisis, Stenden during Turbulent Times, Selling Irene Promodh, a student research fellow University Qatar has started deliv- during Crisis, Emotional Intelli- at GU-Q’s Center for Regional and Interna- ering free professional training and gence, and Digital Marketing. tional Studies (CIRS), recently presented her development webinars. Stenden University Qatar was es- year-long research project on the role that The fi rst webinar on ‘Digital tablished in 2000 under the chair- Malayalam radio stations play in forging a Marketing during Crisis’ was led manship of HE Sheikh Faisal Bin sense of community and new forms of be- by Dr Ilijana Petrovska, marketing Qassim al-Thani and NHL Stende longing among Keralite expats in Qatar. professor and Mohamed Yusuf, an University of Applied Sciences in The online audience comprised other stu- alumnus and digital marketing pro- the Netherlands. dents, as well as staff and expert scholars at fessional. Stenden University Qatar deliv- GU-Q. The talk was just one way that stu- They gave insights into some of ers internationally accredited and dents at Qatar Foundation partner institu- the most eff ective digital marketing recognised Bachelor’s degrees in tions are staying ahead of the eff ects of the strategies, which organisations can the fi elds of International Hospi- pandemic, according to a statement. use during times of turbulence. tality Management, International The talk was part of the CIRS Under- The participants could learn Business, and Tourism Manage- graduate Research Advancement (Cura) pro- more about the techniques used by ment and Master’s Degrees in In- gramme which serves as a Doha-based train- organisations in engaging various ternational Leisure, Tourism and ing ground for future researchers at GU-Q. Irene Promodh audiences such as the use of social ness English Communications will adopted during a crisis. Events Management and in Inter- As a Cura student fellow, Irene said she media, infl uencers, and hashtags continue to be off ered during the As a result of the increased inter- national Hospitality and Service wanted to fulfi ll her commitments despite Liz Wanucha, operations manager at across a number of industries. month of Ramadan at a special est, Stenden University Qatar will Management. the current challenges.“We can’t wait until CIRS, said that “the Cura workshops and Sessions of online short courses price. The university also off ered continue off ering courses on lead- Programmes are accredited by life returns to pre-pandemic normalcy to training for this semester have been success- on related digital marketing topics a free webinar on ‘Leading during ership in the upcoming weeks. the Ministry of Education in the focus on education and research. We have to fully adapted to a virtual space, allowing our are to follow. Turbulent Times’. Anyone interested in joining the Netherlands, by the Ministry of adapt using the technologies at our disposal Cura Fellows to continue to work remotely.” Another webinar on Business Business management professor webinars and the courses can visit Education and Higher Education in in order to fulfi ll work obligations and ensure And using shared drives and shared docu- English Communications was de- Dr Anu Jossan presented some of the university website to register. Qatar, and by the THE-ICE. a high level of effi cacy too.” ments online, and connecting through chat livered to a number of local and in- the main challenges faced by lead- The university believes that the The main campus of NHL While getting the work done is key, ex- groups on mobile phones, she said, has had ternational participants, who were ers during the Covid-19 crisis. development of personal skills is Stenden is located in Leeuwarden, plained Irene, there’s more to it. an unforeseen benefi t. looking at improving their level of Dr Shiban Khan, a business man- of utmost importance and will pro- the Netherlands with campuses “Just the decision by CIRS to carry out the “Our students have been collaborating Business English during the ‘Stay at agement professional, introduced vide individuals with a competitive abroad in Qatar, Bali (Indonesia), Cura talk at a time like this shows resiliency with each other even more than before.” Home’ period. the most pertinent and eff ective advantage once the crisis is over. Bangkok (Thailand) and Port Alfred in a time of crisis, and that’s an important The Cura programme facilitates research The online course for Busi- leadership styles which can be The upcoming webinars would (South Africa). message to send.” experiences for GU-Q undergraduate stu- Irene, a junior majoring in International dents. Politics at GU-Q, spent a year researching Cura initiatives aim to enhance students’ and interviewing listeners and producers of research capacity through skills-develop- Qatar’s primary Malayalam-language radio ment workshops, discussion seminars, peer- Qatar Charity opens more branches, collection points station that replaced the UAE-based chan- to-peer learning mechanisms, and focused nels disrupted by the blockade. mentorship. Her research showed how these popular Cura also provides opportunities for stu- atar Charity (QC) has The branches and collection sources of news and entertainment allow dents to present their original research pub- opened two new branches, points are open from 9.30am to these expat communities to “maintain social licly, and to submit research papers for pub- Qone for men and another 5.30pm and from 8pm to midnight. and cultural ties in Kerala even as they broker lication as part of the CIRS Cura Paper Series. for women, in Al Waab and collec- On Fridays, they are open from new realities in Doha.” tion points at Al Meera Rawdat Al 12.30pm to 5.30pm and from 8pm Hamama and Al Meera Umm Garn. to midnight. These are in addition to provid- The headquarters at Al Hilal is ing a collection vehicle at Hyatt open from 8.30am to 12.30am. On Plaza, QC has said in a statement. Fridays, it is open from 12.30pm to With these new openings, the 12.30am. number of branches has jumped to With the new openings, the Qatar Charity’s 27 branches, 96 27 - 17 for men and 10 for women - number of branches has jumped to collection points, 1,615 donation across the country. 27, including 10 for women - across boxes and 39 donation kiosks are The opening of new local branch- A new branch of Qatar Charity. the country. located across the country. es of Qatar Charity is aimed at mak- Benefactors can also donate ing it easier for benefactors to make The new branches receive cash projects implemented by Qatar through QC’s website (www.qchar- donations near their residence, us- and in-kind donations, Zakat Charity within and outside Qatar ity.org) and app (qch.qa/q/app), ing the best and latest collection and alms to support charitable, to maximise the number of ben- in addition to dialling the hotline, methods, the statement notes. development and humanitarian eficiaries. 44667711.

‘A moderately eff ective vaccine would suffi ce’

From Page 1 “For maximum eff ectiveness, value for money and best use of resources, vaccination strategies “In this study, we determined the preferred should prioritise vaccinating individuals who are 60 characteristics for Covid-19 vaccines and fore- years of age or older, or those with co-morbidities, cast their impact at the population-level,” she and then gradually provide the vaccine to younger explained. Using mathematical modelling of the age groups,” said Hiam Chemaitelly, a co-author of Covid-19 spread in China, the scientists found the study and senior epidemiologist at WCM-Q. Gantries to be installed on G-Ring Road that a vaccine that reduces susceptibility to con- Researchers from WCM-Q and QU. Dr Laith Abu-Raddad, leader of the study tracting the infection by more than 70% is need- team and professor of healthcare policy and re- The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a temporary closure on part of G-Ring ed to eliminate the infection. be controlled with a moderately eff ective vaccine search, and director of the Biostatistics, Epide- Road between Bu Silla Interchange and Al Bahiya Interchange for those heading to Al Majd “Even if a vaccine has an effi cacy of less than if used in conjunction with moderate social dis- miology, and Biomathematics Research Core at Road today from 9pm to 4am tomorrow. The closure in co-ordination with the General 70%, it could still have a major impact, if indi- tancing, or if a signifi cant number of people who WCM-Q, said: “The results provide room for Directorate of Traff ic is to complete installation of ITS Gantries. Ashghal will install road signs viduals who get the infection but are vaccinated, were infected during this current wave of the vi- optimism and the research demonstrates the advising motorists of the closure and requested all to follow them and abide by the existing become less infectious or have a faster recovery,” rus become immune. value and cost-eff ectiveness that the vaccine speed limit to ensure safety. said Dr Ayoub, co-lead author of the study and The team also studied the value-for-money of will provide. Even a vaccine which works in just assistant professor in the Department of Math- vaccines and found that even with an effi cacy of 50% of cases would be a game-changer, allowing Indian embassy closed tomorow for festival ematics, Statistics, and Physics at QU. just 50%, a Covid-19 vaccine could prevent one us to control the infection, save lives, and resume The study also found that infection spread can infection for every 2.4 people vaccinated. economic and normal life activities.” The Indian embassy has announced that it will be closed tomorrow on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

Green Tent focuses on ‘nature simulation the basis of human discoveries’

he Green Tent of the “A of the programme, stressed dur- Dr al-Hajri stated that each ticipants in the symposium em- and sophisticated models and ideal way and man must know its camera was developed from the Flower Each Spring” pro- ing the online symposium that stage of discoveries enabled hu- phasised that nature still inspires calculations. capabilities and benefi t from it. mechanism of the human eye and Tgramme organised a sym- man has long sought to simulate man beings to understand more people in all their activities and “The world is now full of many They said that observation and the helicopter from dragonfl ies. posium titled “Nature Inspiration nature to answer questions, solve and provided them with the that can be seen in literature and means of transportation, build- meditation is one of the most im- The speakers also touched on in Scientifi c and Engineering Cre- problems and meet the require- ability to take inspiration from art. ings and robots that are inspired portant means for understanding medical inspiration from nature ativity,” in which a number of par- ments of life; therefore, he made nature, adding that nature simu- With the maturity of arts and by nature in structure and func- the universe around us and that and how plants were and still are ticipants considered nature simu- homes from caves, shelters from lation by humans appears in all their transformation into sci- tions,” he said, adding that na- benefi t provided by natural phe- the primary source for the pro- lation a source of innovation and trees, and food and drinks from achievements and media sur- ence, nature took another form ture also contributes to econom- nomena comes through simulat- duction of cosmetic and medical the basis of human discoveries and plants and fruits until the discov- rounding us, such as manufac- and soon found a way to infl uence ics and management sciences ing nature and using signs from treatments, pointing out that the scientifi c, industrial and adminis- ery of fi re, which was a milestone turing of helicopters inspired by theoretical and applied fi elds. through algorithms inspired by the Qur’an to understand the greatest medical drugs are ex- trative development in human life. in human growth. dragonfl ies. The participants showed that the life of insect colonies such as verses of God in the universe. tracted from the components in The participants pointed out that He added that the discoveries He pointed out that the major- fl ying was the greatest challenge bees, ants and other creatures. The participants spoke about the surrounding nature. there are two ways to understand continued, which moved man ity of things are the result of na- for man when it comes to nature They pointed out that human how the Qur’an referred to natu- They explained that the ef- the universe, which are observation, from relying on his limited phys- ture simulations as building and simulation. development went through suc- ral phenomena and their systems fective extraction from plants is meditation and thinking, pointing to ical energy, and using the energy edifi ces are inspired by nature Man resorted to experimenta- cessive, changing periods due by calling for refl ection, medi- often by accident or frequent ex- the pivotal role of nature simulation of animals, to wind and fossil en- with their beauty and geometric tion and correction until math- to the changing discoveries and tation and simulating nature, perimental attempts and knowl- in a number of inventions. ergy, all the way to solar energy lines. ematics saved him time, eff ort inventions, adding that God cre- noting that man was inspired by edge of plants’ properties and Dr Saif bin Ali al-Hajri, head and nuclear energy. In the same context, the par- and cost by providing accurate ated the surrounding nature in an the beaver to build dams and the components. (QNA) Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 5 REGION/ARAB WORLD Syria strikes leave 14 fi ghters dead: monitor

AFP desert near the town of Maya- Observatory head Rami Abdul The region lies close to the its strikes. Just before midnight On Friday, Israeli forces hit might be reacting to increased Beirut din, which came minutes after Rahman said it was “likely” that Iraqi border. Israel has launched on Monday, Syrian air defences a missile depot in central Syria hostile action from Iran and Syrian air defences intercepted Israel mounted the operation, hundreds of strikes in Syria since intercepted Israeli missiles tar- used by Lebanese group Hez- Hezbollah. Israeli strikes over the north of which killed several Iraqi as well the start of the civil war in 2011, geting a research facility in Alep- bollah, hours after Israeli heli- It is also possible that Israel is vernight strikes on po- the country, the Britain-based as Iranian fi ghters. targeting government troops, al- po province, state media said. copters fi red missiles at other trying to apply added pressure as sitions held by militias Syrian Observatory for Human State media did not report the lied Iranian forces and Hezbollah State news agency SANA said targets in southern Syria. its rivals endure the fallout of the Oand their allies in east- Rights said. strikes. fi ghters. It rarely confi rms de- the intercepted missiles tar- Commenting on the apparent coronavirus crisis, he said. ern Syria killed 14 fi ghters, a war A spokesman for the US-led Militias and their allies com- tails of its operations in Syria but geted several “military depots” intensifi cation of Israeli raids, “I don’t know which one of monitor said yesterday. coalition battling the Islamic mand a signifi cant presence says Iran’s presence in support in the Al-Safi ra area southeast Yoram Schweitzer of Israel’s the two it is, but might be a com- It was not immediately clear State group said it was not re- in eastern Syria south of the of President Bashar al-Assad is of Aleppo, Syria’s government- Institute for National Security bination of the two,” Schweitzer who carried out the strikes in the sponsible for the strikes. Euphrates Valley. a threat and that it will continue held second city. Studies said the Jewish state said. Palestinians extend state of emergency over virus to June 5

Reuters Ramallah

alestinian President Mah- moud Abbas has extended Dozens of Kuwaitis, stranded in Iraq due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and who had been Pto June 5 a state of emer- residing in quarantine at a hotel in the central holy city of Najaf, board a Jazeera Airways aircraft at gency declared in areas under his Najaf International Airport, bound back for Kuwait, yesterday. administration in the occupied West Bank in response to the coronavirus crisis, the offi cial news agency Wafa said yester- Kuwait’s 526 new Covid-19 day. First announced two months ago, the state of emergency heralded a full lockdown that cases take total to 5,804 confi ned Palestinians to their homes, except for essential trav- el. Border crossings with Israel QNA according to Kuwait News the school year (2019-2020), and Jordan were closed. Kuwait Agency. and that May 7, will be the last But conditions were eased last It added that laboratory and day of the school year, due to month, with some businesses radiological tests and analysis the persistent proliferation allowed to open in the hope of he Kuwaiti Ministry of have proved the recovery of of coronavirus in some areas reviving the paralysed Palestin- Health reported yes- these cases from coronavirus, and, to protect all members of ian economy. Tterday the registration and said they will be trans- society from infection. Mosques and educational in- of 526 new coronavirus (Cov- ferred to the rehabilitation This came in a statement stitutions remain closed and id-19) infections in the last section in the hospital desig- by the Supreme Committee Palestinian authorities are still 24 hours, bringing the tally to nated to receive those infected tasked with tackling devel- banning public congregations. Members of Palestinian security forces stand guard at a checkpoint as Palestinian President Mahmoud 5,804. with the virus, in preparation opments resulting from the The Palestinians have report- Abbas extended to June 5 a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus crisis, in Hebron in the Earlier yesterday, the min- to discharge them within the Covid-19 pandemic, follow- ed 345 coronavirus cases and two occupied West Bank, yesterday. istry announced the recovery next two days. ing its meeting yesterday. deaths in the West Bank, where of 85 infected cases with the OMAN TO CONTINUE The Omani Ministry of some 3mn Palestinians live. enough cash to operate un- help vulnerable people. Palestinian refugees are virus which causes Covid-19 LOCKDOWN IN MUSCAT Health announced earlier yes- In the Gaza Strip, a Palestin- til the end of May because of “We are basically operating mostly descendants of some disease, bringing the total The Sultanate of Oman has terday that it had registered ian territory under the control American funding cuts, Reu- on a month-to-month basis. 700,000 Palestinians who were of patients who recovered decided to continue the lock- 98 new cases of Covid-19, of Hamas, 17 cases have been ters reported. Right now, we have fund- driven out of their homes or and completed recovery in down of the Governorate of bringing the total number to reported among a population In 2018 President Donald ing to pay our 30,000 health- fled amid fighting in the 1948 the country to 2,032 cases, Muscat till May 29 and to end 2,735. of some 2mn. Trump’s administration halted care workers until the end of war that led to Israel’s creation. Hamas has shuttered Gaza’s annual payments of $360mn this month,” Campbell said in Nearly a third live in 58 mosques and schools and re- to the United Nations Relief a Zoom conference call from camps where UNRWA provides stricted large gatherings, but and Works Agency (UNRWA), Washington. services. said a full lockdown was not which provides assistance to She said UNRWA had only Many refugees fear the dwin- necessary. some 5.5mn registered refugees secured a third of its $1.2bn dling aid they receive could fall Houthis report fi rst death in Sanaa The West Bank and Gaza are in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, annual budget and that it was further as the coronavirus cri- 40km apart and separated by East Jerusalem, Jordan, Leba- suffering its “worst financial sis persists and donors shift Israel. non and Syria. crisis” since beginning opera- priorities. AFP wakel, told a news conference the case involved Scrambling to tackle Cov- Elizabeth Campbell, UN- tions some 70 years ago. UNRWA has tried to halt Sanaa a man from Somalia who was found dead in a id-19 in camps across the RWA’s director in Washington, The agency is trying to plug the spread of Covid-19 in and hotel on Sunday and posthumously tested pos- Middle East, the UN agency told reporters that the loss of the $800mn shortfall in part by around camps, closing all its itive for the virus. It is the first known infection supporting Palestinian refu- US aid had a “corrosive im- appealing for emergency dona- 276 schools that are attended emen’s Houthi rebels yesterday an- in rebel-controlled territory. gees said yesterday it only has pact” on the agency’s ability to tions, Campbell said. by close to 300,000 children. nounced the fi rst coronavirus death in the The hotel was disinfected and all those who Ycapital Sanaa, which they control, stok- had come in contact with the man were placed ing new fears of a major outbreak in the war-torn in quarantine, he said without giving further country. details. The death brings the number of people Yemen’s healthcare system has been blighted who have died from the virus in Yemen to four by years of conflict that has driven millions and the total number of confirmed cases to 22. League condemns plan to confiscate land from their homes and plunged the country into Covid-19 has claimed the lives of three peo- what the United Nations calls the world’s worst ple in areas controlled by Yemen’s internation- QNA context of the the occupation forces’ racist decision of the Israeli Defence Minister Naf- humanitarian crisis. ally recognised government, where 21 cases Cairo escalation policies against Palestinian reli- tali Bennett regarding the Ibrahimi Mosque The Houthis’ health minister, Taha al-Muta- have been reported. gious and historical monuments, and target- and confi scation of Palestinian lands and ing Temple Mount and the Palestinian, Arab properties adjacent to it, which violates the he Arab League condemned Israeli and Islamic identity in Jerusalem and Hebron resolutions of international legitimacy and government’s approval to establish and their sanctities. the rules of international law that consider Ta new settlement project in the old Abu Ali warned of the accelerated plans settlement a crime, that brings those respon- Palestinian city of Hebron and confi scate and violations done by the occupation au- sible before international justice. Three Iranian guards die in clash its lands to construct a private road and an thorities in the occupied Palestinian Terri- The Assistant Secretary General called on elevator to facilitate the storming of the Ib- tories to intensify settlement, in addition to the international community and the United rahimi Mosque. the annexation of parts of the occupied West Nations, with all its organs, to pressure the ranian Revolutionary Guards announced this The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement The Arab League Assistant Secretary Gen- Bank in light of the world’s preoccupation occupation authorities to immediately halt evening, the killing of three members of its carried by IRNA that the clashes took place yes- eral for Palestine and Occupied Arab Terri- with confronting the coronavirus (Covid-19) any activities or plans that lead to a future Iforces, during clashes with armed militants terday in the “Diwandre” area of the Kurdistan tories Saeed Abu Ali stressed, in a statement pandemic. deterioration of the diffi cult situation in the in the Kurdistan region, west of the country, QNA region, killing an offi cer with the rank of colonel yesterday, that this decision comes in the He also warned of the consequences of the occupied Palestinian territories. reported from Tehran. along with two of the Guard forces.

CONFLICT Iran govt says Libya’s UN-backed Covid-19 infections near 100,000 government calls Ramadan amid the rubble for Idlib family for dialogue Iran yesterday announced that confirmed coronavirus infections had reached almost 100,000 AFP “Now my family and I are here razed to the ground. But as a cease- Libya’s UN-backed government said in the country as fresh cases Ariha on top of the destruction,” the fi re held, some of the most des- yesterday it welcomes all political ini- picked up again after a brief drop 29-year-old father of three says. titute have since opted to return. tiatives aiming at finding a peaceful in recent days. “The number of “We are reliving a very diffi cult Abu Ziad came back last month solution to the current fighting and confirmed infections with this s dusk settles on the forest and painful memory. I pray that and found a place to stay. But he preventing bloodletting in the war- disease is now close to 100,000,” of gutted buildings around God doesn’t let anyone else expe- wanted to share at least one Iftar — torn country. In a statement, Fayez health ministry spokesman Athem, Tareq Abu Ziad and rience this.” the meal that breaks the dawn-to- Serraj, the head of the Government Kianoush Jahanpour said in his family break the Ramadan fast He and his family fl ed Ariha late dusk fast — where his home used to of National Accord (GNA), called on televised remarks. “We lost 63 of on the remains of their home. last year when Syrian government be. “Every year we used to spend all Libyan parties to swiftly resume our countrymen in the past 24 The northern Syrian town of troops backed by Russian air strikes Ramadan here and we wanted to political dialogue, brokered by the hours, reaching a total of 6,340 Ariha looks like the scene of a launched an off ensive against the spend one day of this Ramadan UN. He called for agreeing on a deaths from Covid-19 to date,” he monster earthquake — a silent, town. Within a few weeks, around here,” he says. comprehensive roadmap and a po- added. grey sea of loose cinder blocks a million civilians fl ed the assault The home’s kitchen is long gone, litical process that brings together Jahanpour said that another and mangled iron rods. on the wider Idlib region, the last but Abu Ziad’s mother says they all Libyans, either through amend- 1,323 people tested positive for Abu Ziad had to make a little stronghold of opposition to the came prepared. “We brought ready ing a 2015 political agreement and the virus during the same period, Members of the displaced Syrian family of Tariq Abu Ziad, clearing in the rubble on his roof government of President Bashar meals from outside,” she explains. forming a presidential council and bringing the overall number to from the town of Ariha in the Idlib province, break their to lay three foam mattresses for al-Assad after nine years of war. “The most important thing is naming a separate prime minister, 99,970. fast together for the sunset Iftar meal, in the midst of the his wife and children to sit on as Ariha’s entire population head- that we relive our memories and or conducting a general election in rubble of their destroyed home. they share their meal. ed north as much of the town was eat in our home.” the near future. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 RAMADAN/AFRICA Practical steps towards Boko Haram militants sincere repentance attack key Niger city ost people are aware of the conditions people must fulfi l before their AFP scious, and being shot twice. obviously hoping to catch our soldiers Mrepentance is accepted, Niamey The assailants then leave the camp unawares.” A security source confi rmed namely giving up the sin, regretting with military vehicles and weapons. “the attack” but did not give details. the sin, and being determined never to The area around Diff a, a city of The defence ministry, contacted by AFP, commit it again. oko Haram fi ghters have clashed around 200,000 people located near said it would release a statement later. However, in this article we will with government forces in Diff a, the Nigerian border, has been repeat- Sunday’s attack came after an air- highlight some practical steps people Bthe largest city in southwestern edly attacked by the extremist group, and-ground off ensive against the should follow in order to help achieve Niger, in what the militants claimed was which emerged in Nigeria in 2009. group by Chad following a brazen at- sincere repentance. a successful attack on a military camp. Local people testifi ed that they heard tack in which nearly 100 soldiers were Let us go through these practical Confl icting versions of the outcome the sound of heavy fi ghting. killed. steps together with the permission of emerged yesterday, with the Islamists “We heard gunfi re, especially heavy Chad claims it killed a thousand mil- Allah, The Almighty: claiming to have overrun the site on weapons, between 4.30pm and 7pm on itants and lost 52 of its men, and drove First: Counting all the sins that you Sunday but local residents telling AFP the southern side of the city,” Lawan the extremists out of its territory. have committed since adulthood until that the assailants had been repelled. Boukar, a local resident, said. In late March, Niger’s defence min- the present time in writing. A propaganda video released by the Is- “It was an audacious infi ltration at- istry claimed that a “leading fi gure” This is an introduction to repenting lamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), tempt by Boko Haram, who were then in Boko Haram, Ibrahim Fakoura, had for all these sins, because when a a Boko Haram splinter group affi liated to forced back to the bridge at Doutchi,” been killed in an operation in the Lake person considers all its sins, it will be remorse, you should then move to the need of the Lord of the heavens and the so-called Islamic State, purports to he said, referring to a cross-border Chad region. humble and tend to repent as soon as third step. the earth, and that without Him, you show heavily-armed insurgents storm an bridge about 30km away. Around 4,000 people were killed in possible. Here is a list of the categories Thirdly: Repentance Prayer are impoverished in every way. army camp following sustained fi ghting Another resident said the attack- Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso last year of sins to help you remember your After deserting the sin, you should Remember that you have wronged and heavy weapons fi re. ers “came over from the Nigerian side in jihadist violence, which is often in- past sins: immediately implement the advice yourself, so be humble in front of your A soldier is seen lying face-down in late afternoon, when the Ramadan tertwined with inter-community ten- z Sins of the body such as the of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa Lord. Listen to the teacher, Ibn Al- on the ground, either dead or uncon- fast was about to break — they were sions, according to a UN estimate. tongue (backbiting, tale-bearing, sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon lying, and ridiculing others); the eyes who said: “Whenever one commits him, who was an excellent example (looking at what is prohibited), ears, a sin, and then performs ablution of humble servitude in front of Allah, hands, feet and private parts. perfectly, and prays two Rak’ahs (units The Almighty. While referring to some z Sins of the hearts, such as of prayer) after which he seeks the signs of sincere repentance, he said: arrogance, envy, aggression, self- forgiveness of Allah, He will forgive “The prerequisites of sound conceit, and so on. him.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] repentance include a special kind of Kenya seeks probe into Somalia plane crash z Negligence in performing your Then, you should determine that humility in one’s heart that does not duties towards one’s parents, relatives you would never return to sins. In this resemble any other feeling, because it AFP and negligence regarding the other way, you will live the best day of your only occurs to the sinful slave. Such Nairobi duties such as enjoining what is good life since your birth. a feeling cannot be obtained through and forbidding what is evil, as well as Fourthly: Keep away from bad hunger, or mere love; rather, it is a Da’wah (calling to Islam). friends and evil companions. feeling beyond all of this. It breaks enya’s foreign ministry yester- z Negligence in the acts of worship Sever your relationship with them, the heart completely, grabs it and day called for a swift investiga- like delaying the prayer after its due because they will prevent you from throws it humbly in front of the Lord. Ktion after a humanitarian plane time. returning to your Lord. If you succeed There is nothing dearer to Allah, The helping the fi ght against coronavirus Secondly: Try to count the blessings in getting rid of them, then this is a Almighty, than this feeling, humility crashed in Somalia in “unclear” cir- of Allah, The Almighty, upon you in great sign that Allah, The Almighty, and submission on the part of His cumstances, killing all six people on- writing. has accepted your repentance. slave.” board. You should keep counting these Fifthly: You should have a daily How sweet the words of the slave in The Kenyan private cargo plane blessings until you realise how programme of acts of worship to this state are when he says: was undertaking a humanitarian mis- negligent you are towards the perform. I ask You by Your Grandeur and my sion related to the pandemic when it rights of Allah, The Almighty, and This programme aims at helping humility to have mercy upon me…. crashed on Monday afternoon in Bard- continue counting until you despair you make up for what you missed and I entreat You by Your strength and ale district in southern Somalia, the of counting. Allah, The Exalted, Says compensate your negligence towards my weakness, by Your richness and ministry said. (what means): {And He gave you the rights of Allah, The Almighty. This my poverty to pardon me…. Offi cials said at least six people were from all you asked of Him. And if you programme should include reading Here I am, the wrongful and sinful onboard for the short fl ight from Baid- should count the favour of Allah, you parts of the Qur’an, Thikr (words slave, before You… You have many oa to Bardale, some 300km northwest could not enumerate them. Indeed, of remembrance) reported from the slaves other than me, but I have no of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. humankind is [generally] most unjust Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, Lord but You… “The aircraft was about to land at the and ungrateful.} [Qur’an 14:34] night prayer and fasting. However, I have no shelter other than with Bardale airstrip when it crashed and Then, you should make a the most important thing is that this You, as there is no escape from You, burst into fl ames. All six people on- comparison between the blessings programme should be gradual and except to You…. board died in the incident,” Abdulahi that Allah, The Almighty, sends down realistic. I ask and entreat You, as I am Isack, a local police offi cial, told AFP by to you, and your misdeeds that are Sixthly: You should attend a humble, poor, frightened and blind… phone. being sent to Him in return. In this religious lecture in a mosque once a I ask You while I am surrendering “We don’t know what exactly caused case, you will not be able to resist your week on a regular basis. completely to You, and weeping out of the aircraft carrying medical supplies tears, your heart will be soft and you This step aims at strengthening fear of You…. to pardon me... to crash, but there is an investigation will say: “I acknowledge the favours your relationship with your Lord and Such a feeling is a sign of accepted going on to establish the details.” that You have bestowed upon me, and the righteous people who are your repentance, so, if you lack this feeling, Kenya urged Somalia “to thoroughly I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none companions on the road to faith. accuse your sincerity and correct your and swiftly investigate the matter be- but You has the power to pardon.” Accompany those righteous people repentance. cause it impacts humanitarian opera- [Al-Bukhari] and never keep away from them. Article source: http://www. tions at a time of highest need”. When you shed tears and feel Finally remember that you are in islamweb.net/emainpage/ “The incident occurred under un- clear circumstances,” the foreign min- istry said in a statement, expressing its “deep shock and regret” and off ering condolences to the families of the de-        ceased. “Kenyan and other humanitarian         aircraft operating in the region are also urged to enhance extra precaution in Security personnel view the crash site of a private cargo plane after it crashed in   light of the unclear circumstances sur- the town of Bardale on Monday. rounding the incident,” the ministry said. The Shebaab militant group is ac- Major General Mohamed Tessema, It said the Embraer 120 twin-turbo- .  tive in southern Somalia, but the area spokesman for the Ethiopian National prop was operated by African Express, where the crash occurred is under the Defence Force, said he had no informa- which is headquartered in Nairobi.    control of government and Ethiopian tion about the crash and referred ques- Kenya’s foreign ministry said in a troops. tions to “armed force commanders in separate statement yesterday that So- . Soldiers from Ethiopia and Kenya are Somalia”. mali President Mohamed Abdullahi among those deployed to Somalia as In a statement, Somalia’s transport Farmajo had phoned his Kenyan coun- part of an African Union (AU) peace- and civil aviation ministry expressed terpart Uhuru Kenyatta to “express his      . keeping mission fi ghting the Islam- its “deep regret” over the crash and regret and convey condolences for the ist insurgents, who control swathes of said the government was conducting a loss of life and property” as a result of (13                      countryside. “thorough investigation”. the crash.          Uganda slowly starts easing virus curbs

    AFP Majority of Africans to run out of money during lockdown Kampala Almost 70% of people across Africa said The new findings will help countries  food and water would be a problem dur- make strategic decisions on relax- ganda yesterday began slowly ing a 14-day coronavirus lockdown, while ing their lockdowns, given that the   (4)     (3)      (2)   (1)     easing coronavirus measures, more than half would run out of money, economic fallout from the coronavirus Uallowing a number of busi- a new report found yesterday. pandemic will hit already vulnerable      (8)        (7)          (6)         (5)       nesses to re-open, even as its fi ve-week Countries across Africa have quickly populations the hardest, said WHO     lockdown was extended for another implemented policies to curb the rapid Africa regional director Matshidiso    (11)         (10)     (9)      two weeks. spread of coronavirus infection, but they Moeti.                                   The capital Kampala appeared more need to find a balance between reducing After interviewing almost 21,000 lively than it has in recent weeks as transmission while preventing social people from 28 cities in 20 African    (13        (12)    food markets, wholesale shops, garag- and economic disruption, according to countries on potential Covid-19 stay-at- es, workshops, law fi rms and hardware a report conducted by global market home measures, the report also stressed   . shops were allowed to re-open. research firm IPSOS in collaboration with important information gaps in many Uganda had imposed one of the the Africa Centres for Disease Control nations across the continent. strictest and swiftest lockdowns in (CDC), the World Health Organization One-third of respondents said    Africa, but has joined those like neigh- (WHO) and other partners. they don’t have enough information bouring Rwanda in slowly easing the “Covid-19 is not just a health crisis, it’s about the coronavirus, including on   measures, after recording only 97 cases a political and social crisis as well,” said how it spreads and on how to protect and no deaths. Africa CDC director John Nkengasong. themselves.              “We must therefore slowly and care-               fully start opening up but without     (68)        undoing our gains so far,” Museveni For many in the country however, the da appear to have fl attened the curve                     .  said in a televised national address an- easing of restrictions is not enough to of new cases. Mauritius has remained nouncing the new measures on Mon- tackle the economic hardship brought steady at 332 cases for nine days but                 (69)      day night. about by the lockdown. nevertheless decided to extend its He said that wearing of masks was “Without public transport, opening lockdown until June 1.              now mandatory in public spaces, but business here is good, but a far cry from The Seychelles also this week relaxed                 few seemed to be following the new what can help us go back to business”, confi nement measures after remaining rule, an AFP correspondent noted. said Alex Wairagala, 38, a trader in steady at 11 cases for a month.   Schools remain closed and public Kampala’s commercial hub of Kikuubo. However in Kenya — where authori- and private transport banned, although “We have opened the wholesale de- ties only imposed a nighttime curfew —     several private vehicles nevertheless partment but fewer customers are get- Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe yester- ventured out in the capital yesterday. ting in and those who come have less day castigated citizens for failing to take                  Restaurants are allowed to operate money,” he added. containment measures seriously, as a                 but only to serve takeaways. In eastern Africa, Uganda and Rwan- record 45 people tested positive in a day. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 7 AMERICAS

US Supreme Court justices question curbs on overseas anti-Aids funding

By Lawrence Hurley, Reuters funding restrictions — part of a the groups would tie the hands ministration is appealing a 2018 The plaintiff s obtained an the foreign entity to the domes- Justice Brett Kavanaugh simi- Washington law enacted under Republican of Congress in other instances in ruling by the New York-based injunction in 2006 preventing tic one?” Roberts asked Justice larly asked if it would be unlawful former president George W Bush which lawmakers may want to add 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals the policy from being enforced Department lawyer Christopher for the US government to require — currently take no stance on conditions to overseas funding. in favour of the nonprofi ts. against them. Michel. recipients of funding as part of S Supreme Court justices prostitution. As with Monday’s trademark Organisations including the The Supreme Court ruled in Sotomayor made a similar eff orts to seek Middle East peace yesterday voiced concern They said the requirement case argued by teleconference, Alliance for Open Society In- 2013 that the law violated the free point. “Presuming that the pub- to recognise the legitimacy of the Uthat a 2003 law violates that their overseas affi liates take conservative Justice Clarence ternational, Pathfi nder Interna- speech rights of the US-based lic does perceive these entities as state of Israel. constitutional free speech rights such a position interferes with Thomas, usually silent when the tional, InterAction and the Glo- groups but did not decide wheth- one, then why wouldn’t the First Trump’s administration ar- by requiring overseas affi liates the ability to provide advice and court hears arguments in person, bal Health Council challenged er applying it to their overseas Amendment apply to the inabil- gued that foreign entities like of American-based nonprofi t counselling to sex workers about again dove in when it was his turn the provision as a violation of the partners also is unconstitutional. ity of the domestic corporations those affi liated with the non- groups that seek federal funding the risks of HIV infection. to ask questions. US Constitution’s First Amend- Roberts, the 2013 ruling’s au- to receive funds and partner profi ts lack free speech rights for HIV/Aids relief to take a for- Several justices signalled sym- The argument proceeded ment. thor, wondered if the “precise with a closely affi liated foreign enforceable in US courts and that mal stance opposing prostitution pathy toward arguments by the smoothly, though Justice Sonia The ruling would aff ect other relationship” between the US entity in implementing the pro- the rights of the American groups and sex traffi cking. groups that to an ordinary per- Sotomayor again appeared to well-known international groups groups and the affi liates could gramme?” Sotomayor asked. therefore are not violated. The case is the second in which son these organisations and their forget to unmute her phone when such as Save the Children. amount to a free speech violation. Justice Samuel Alito voiced con- Congress imposed the policy the justices heard arguments by overseas affi liates that help carry called upon by Chief Justice John The groups did not challenge a “We know there are no formal cern about the broader implica- requirement on the basis that teleconference following Mon- out their work and are known by Roberts to ask questions, as she separate provision that bars ap- corporate ties, but that these en- tions. He wondered if it would be prostitution and sex traffi cking day’s debut of the call-in format similar names are indistinguish- had done the prior day. plicants from using federal funds tities share the same name, the unconstitutional for Congress to help spread HIV — the virus that prompted by the coronavirus able. “I’m sorry, chief,” Sotomayor to promote or advocate the le- same logo, the same brand. What require recipients of overseas edu- causes Aids — and to make clear pandemic. Other justices seemed con- said. “I did it again.” galisation of prostitution or sex would you require beyond that cation funding to denounce terror- the US commitment to eradicate The groups challenging the cerned that a ruling in favour of President Donald Trump’s ad- traffi cking. before attributing the speech of ist attacks against US citizens. both practices. Lockdown protest US virus deaths exceed 70,000, with forecast of a grim summer

Reuters according to the US Centers for Disease virus Task Force, is scheduled to appear Washington Control and Prevention. May 12 before the Senate Health, Edu- Covid-19 deaths in the United States cation, and Labor and Pensions com- also have eclipsed in a few months the mittee along with other top US health Protesters demand an end to the state-wide ‘stay at home advisory’ and the new law enforcing everyone to wear a S deaths from the novel coronavi- 58,220 Americans killed during 16 years offi cials. mask in public, outside the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Monday. According to the Massachusetts State rus yesterday surged past 70,000, of US military involvement during the “The House is a set up. The House is a Department of Health, there are currently 4,004 deaths due to Covid-19, 3,531 hospitalised patients and 68,087 total Uaccording to a Reuters tally, as a Vietnam War. bunch of Trump haters. They put every cases in the state. key forecasting model nearly doubled its The current trajectory falls far short Trump hater on the committee,” the previous estimate for fatalities. of the 1918 Spanish fl u, which killed Republican president said. Nearly 1.2mn people in the United 675,000 Americans. “The House they should be ashamed States have tested positive for Covid-19 There is as yet no treatment or vac- of themselves and, frankly, the Demo- — more than the combined total of the cine for coronavirus while fl u vaccines crats should be ashamed because they next largest outbreaks in Spain, Italy, the are widely available along with treat- don’t want us to succeed. They want United Kingdom, France and Germany. ments. us to fail so they can win an election, C$252mn to help farmers, food processors A University of Washington research Meanwhile, President Donald Trump which they’re not going to win,” added model often cited by White House offi - said yesterday top health offi cial An- Trump, who is seeking re-election in cials on had Monday nearly doubled its thony Fauci would appear next week November. Reuters marily in the meat industry, have had “I was alone with the children, I projected US death toll to over 134,000 before a panel in the Republican- A House Appropriations subcom- Ottawa to temporarily shut down after work- had to distance myself, I had gloves, by August 4. controlled US Senate examining the mittee that oversees health pro- ers became infected with Covid-19, a mask and everything, but it was not The revision refl ected “rising mobil- country’s coronavirus response but grammes had been seeking testimony the illness caused by the novel coro- easy,” she said. ity in most US states” with an easing of could not testify to the Democratic-led from Fauci for a May 6 hearing, but the anada will invest C$252mn navirus. Trudeau and his family self-isolat- business closures and stay-at-home House of Representatives. White House last week said his appear- (US$179.5mn) to help some of Trudeau said beef and pork pro- ed for weeks at Rideau Cottage — the orders expected in 31 states by May 11, Trump, speaking to reporters at the ance would be “counterproductive.” Cthe country’s farm and food ducers, who have been forced to keep prime minister’s offi cial residence the institute said. White House, defended his decision to Food and Drug Administration Com- processing sectors weather the coro- livestock on farms longer because of in Ottawa — after his wife was diag- The revised projection coincided block the nation’s top infectious dis- missioner Stephen Hahn, Centers for navirus outbreak, Prime Minister Justin processing shutdowns, will receive nosed with coronavirus upon her re- with disclosure of an internal Trump ease expert from appearing before the Disease Control and Prevention Direc- Trudeau said yesterday, adding more C$125mn in AgriRecovery funding, a turn from a speaking engagement in administration forecast predicting a House, saying he was being set up by tor Robert Redfi eld, and Health and money could come later if needed. disaster relief programme tradition- London. surge in fatalities to 3,000 a day by the Democrats who hate him and want to Human Services Assistant Secretary The Canadian Federation of Agri- ally cost-shared between Ottawa and The disease “struck hard for more end of May, up from about 2,000 now in win back the White House in Novem- Brett Giroir are also scheduled to ap- culture, one of Canada’s biggest farm Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. than a week,” said Gregoire-Trudeau, the Reuters tally. ber’s presidential election. pear before the Senate hearing next groups, asked Ottawa last week for an Another C$77mn will help food describing how she had “lost the The US coronavirus outbreak is Fauci, who directs the National Insti- week focused on “safely getting back initial C$2.6bn in emergency fund- processors buy personal protective sense of smell and taste” and had to deadlier than any fl u season since 1967 tute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to work and...school,” according to the ing to help the farming and food sec- equipment for workers, adapt to new deal with “headaches, body aches when about 100,000 Americans died, and is part of the White House Corona- committee. tor cover losses and additional costs health protocols, and increase do- everywhere, indigestion, nausea.” caused by the pandemic. mestic processing capacity. She let out a laugh when asked if Agriculture is considered an es- Ottawa will also launch a C$50mn she was afraid of contaminating the sential industry in Canada, where of- food surplus purchase programme to prime minister of a G7 country, but fi cials have shut non-essential busi- buy large quantities of certain items, quickly added: “I laugh but it is not Treading water nesses and have urged people to stay like potatoes, milk and butter, where funny. I think that in all families, we at home since mid-March. overall demand has fallen dramati- try to cope, then there’s the social A US Navy handout photo released The prime minister has repeatedly cally because of restaurant and bar distancing.” yesterday of SEAL candidates participating said Ottawa is focused on maintaining closures. The food will then be redis- “But after that, I got back on my in surf immersion during Basic Underwater Canada’s food supply chain. tributed to organisations focused on feet. And then the children, I think Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training at Naval “This is an initial investment and food insecurity. they use up a lot of our energy,” she Special Warfare (NSW) Center in Coronado, if we need to add more, we will,” Tru- AFP adds: Being sick with Covid-19 said. California. The NSW Center restarted paused deau said. and living under the same roof as the Offi cially virus-free since March portions of its SEAL and Special Warfare Canada’s total coronavirus death prime minister of Canada and their 28, she says she has recovered her Combatant-craft Crewman selection-and- toll yesterday edged up by less than three young children was “not easy,” the sense of smell and taste, but fi nds that assessment training following careful 4% to 3,915 from 3,766 on Monday, wife of Justin Trudeau, who contracted “it’s not like it was before.” planning that included implementing according to offi cial data, in a sign the the disease in March, said yesterday. She hailed health care workers on Covid-19 mitigation eff orts based on CDC outbreak has peaked. “My husband worked from 7.00am the front line as “heroes.” recommendations and Department of Defense Only once in the last 16 days has the to 9.00pm in his offi ce, then I was the “Let us be clear, these people dem- medical guidance. The NSW Center provides toll jumped by more than 10% in a day one with the children, so I had to be onstrate courage, perseverance, I initial and advanced training to sailors who and medical offi cials say the curve is extremely careful,” Sophie Gregoire- would even say a vision of a society,” make up the Navy’s SEAL and Special Boat clearly fl attening. Trudeau told public broadcaster Ra- said Gregoire-Trudeau, whose moth- Teams. Several food processing plants, pri- dio-Canada. er was a nurse. Working in fear, immigrants keep poultry plants running

By Cyril Julien, AFP in Georgetown, a major employer might be carrying the virus, has thrived off the cheap labour was 44, working at Perdue plant. ease and was hospitalized for six proximity on production lines Salisbury, Delaware among the thousands of fellow “everyone is afraid of getting provided by Haitians and His- Beginning of April, he could not days in April, a story she tells her and on breaks. Haitians settled in the area. sick, people still works close to- panics, but it also has meant that breathe, his wife convinced the patients to help them overcome Faced with the threat of dis- If she wants to hold on to her gether.” they have been the fi rst to be cut medics to take him to the hospital. their fears. ruption to the nation’s food sup- ina says a little prayer job, she feels she has little choice “They don’t tell us who has down by the disease. In less than two weeks he died.” Nurse practitioner Emanie ply, Trump has ordered meat and every time she heads to but to clock in for her shifts, de- been tested positive. Was that The small town of Salisbury, The disease’s toll has also been Dorival said she alerted the lo- poultry plants to remain open Twork at a Delaware poultry spite the risk to her and her family. person beside me, talking to me, the historic base of Perdue, is boosted by a fear of hospitals and cal authorities very early to the during the pandemic that has plant, a plea that this will not be “Every day I come, I just pray you never know.” home to a community of some by the language barrier for many number of cases piling up in her claimed almost 70,000 lives. the day that the invisible killer to God that nothing happens,” Tina believes too little was 5,000 Haitians, at least 40% of Haitians, doctors said. surgery in Seaford, Delaware. Perdue has said it is doing all picking off her colleagues comes said Tina — one of few workers done, too late, to protect workers whom are infected, according to “When they see people dying “We are a rural area,” she said. it can to ensure workers’ safety, for her. who would agree to speak to a like her. Habacuc Petion, the owner of in New York hospitals, the lack “We don’t have the capacity in our taking temperatures, providing With the coronavirus shutting reporters, although even she de- “I just think that they should Oasis radio, which broadcasts in of material and people put in hospitals if 200 cases show up.” protective equipment and prac- down meat plants and threaten- clined to provide her full name close a few weeks so they can Creole to an estimated 20,000 dumps, they are scared thinking While she agrees the poultry tising social distancing on the ing the country’s food supply, for fear of reprisals. clean the whole plant,” she said. listeners in the Delmarva area. they won’t receive the care they industry is “essential” she says production line. she would rather not be there at “I want to go home, I have The number of coronavirus Many work for Perdue, and are need — and end up dying,” said “there is a way to keep it safe for Where it is impossible to keep all, but President Donald Trump three kids at home, a baby, but infections has recently soared in refusing to stay home for fear of Nadya Julien, a Haitian nurse the workers and the community.” workers a safe distance apart, it has designated the sector as stra- I can’t do that,” she told AFP, the Delmarva peninsula, which being sacked. “Even if they have practitioner in Laurel, Delaware. Several major US plants where said it has installed screens. tegic, and low-paid workers like speaking behind a mask. “I have reaches south out of Delaware to fever, they take a pill and go to Some who speak Creole but lit- farmers send cattle, pigs and It also increased workers’ wag- her as essential. no choice, bills are coming from eastern Maryland and the north- work,” said Petion. tle English have trouble explain- poultry have shut due to the rapid es — which Petion described as The 27-year-old mother works left to right.” east of Virginia. “Covid-19 touched home,” ing their symptoms, she said. spread of Covid-19 between em- “a temptation that a lot of people shifts at the Perdue packing plant With no way of knowing who The poultry packing industry said the 45-year-old. “My cousin She herself contracted the dis- ployees, who are often in close can’t resist.” Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 ASIA Over 46,000 held in Sri Lanka for violating curfew

IANS while intoxicated and engaging Sri Lanka imposed a dra Silva, who heads Sri Lanks’s Colombo in trading, defying curfew rules. nationwide curfew on Covid-19 prevention mecha- More than 12,000 vehicles March 20, which was lift ed nism, yesterday said, “There have also been seized since in some districts due to a were 33 new positive cases ri Lankan Police said yes- March 20 and all those ar- less threat of the spread of found at midnight (Monday), 31 terday that over 46,000 rested have been or will be pro- the virus of them are our gallant sailors Stranded people walk in a public ground as they wait to board on a special bus organised by Sri Lanka police Speople had been arrested duced before local courts in the who are linked to the Welisara to travel back to their hometowns during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive from across the country for vio- coming days. clared “high risk” areas from the camp. The two others are their measure against the coronavirus, in Mirihana, some 10km from Colombo yesterday. lating a curfew in several dis- Sri Lanka imposed a nation- coronavirus. contacts.” tricts which has been in place wide curfew on March 20, which Of the 548 active coronavirus The Covid-19 infection is sus- were reported in the coun- on Monday after a 72-year-old around 120 developing countries. since March 20. was lifted in some districts due cases in Sri Lanka, 327 of them pected to have spread in the Wel- try since its fi rst positive case woman in northwestern Ku- Gotabaya said of all the In a statement, the police said to a less threat of the spread of were Navy personnel and au- isara Camp near capital Colom- in mid-March, of which 194 runegala region died of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) 46,284 people have been ar- the virus. thorities have also quarantined bo when offi cers came in contact patients had been discharged disease. tests only 3% gave positive results rested for loitering on the roads, In capital Colombo, Gampaha 1,008 of their relatives, offi cials with drug addicts infected from hospitals after complete The woman was related to one and that the virus’ mortality rate gathering and consuming alco- and Kalutara, in the outskirts said yesterday. by the virus during a raid. recovery. of the infected sailors. in Sri Lanka was less than 1%. hol at public grounds, travelling and the central highlands of The virus has killed eight peo- The sailors had gone home The army chief said 1,008 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa The president said he intends by vehicle on the roads, keeping Kandy, the curfew has been im- ple with 752 positive cases in the on leave, spreading the virus relatives of Navy sailors are on Monday spoke at an online to ease restriction to revive eco- restaurants open, behaving in posed indefi nitely since March island nation. further. presently in quarantine. summit of the Non-Aligned nomic activities, while enforcing an unruly manner on the roads 24, as these areas have been de- Army chief General Shaven- Silva said 752 positive cases The virus death rose to eight Movement (NAM), a forum of health guidelines. Indonesia reports biggest daily rise in virus infections

Reuters Jakarta

ndonesia reported yes- terday its biggest daily Irise in coronavirus infec- tions with 484 new cases, taking the total in the South East Asian country to 12,071, said health ministry offi cial Achmad Yurianto. Yurianto reported eight new deaths, taking the total to 872, Health workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant in an alley during a government-imposed while 2,197 have recovered. nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, in Kathmandu yesterday. More than 88,900 people have been tested, he said. Indonesia has one of the low- est testing rates in the world and some epidemiologists say that Province sealed in Nepal to has made it harder to get an ac- curate picture of the extent of infections in the world’s fourth most populous country. prevent spread of Covid-19 According to the Minis- try of Health’s most recent IANS 24 but under the lockdown, drivers return, Nepali drivers Covid-19 guidelines, patients Kathmandu movement of essential goods and loaders will receive the ship- classifi ed as PDP are those including medical items, food ment, agency quoted a Nepali with acute respiratory illness- items, and fuel among others has offi cial as saying. es for which there is no clini- arnali Province, one of been allowed. According to the offi cial, only cal explanation other than the the seven provinces of Meanwhile, China and Nepal 20 drivers will be allowed to new coronavirus. KNepal, decided to seal off have agreed to use a key border work on the border point. To be classifi ed as PDP, pa- A general view of high-rise buildings is pictured during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in the entire the province starting point for movement of goods “The limited number of driv- tients must also have travelled Jakarta yesterday. Monday mid-night for six days without human-to-human ers will help to track and trace to a country, or an area in In- as neighbouring Province 5 re- contact. them if anyone is infected with donesia, where the coronavirus Indonesia has one of ency in handling the epidemic. Last week, a Reuters review of ported rise in Covid-19 cases, a The agreement came during a the coronavirus,” Lal Bahadur has taken hold within 14 days of the lowest testing rates The government says it has data from 16 of the country’s 34 senior offi cial of the provincial meeting of the border security Khatri, chief customs offi cer at becoming sick. in the world and some taken appropriate measures, provinces showed that more than government said. offi cials held at the Nepal-China Tatopani, said. “I believe the vast majority epidemiologists say but President Widodo said last 2,200 Indonesians had died with A day after 15 new cases of Friendship Bridge last week, ac- Since late January, Nepal of PDP deaths were caused by that has made it harder month that some information acute symptoms of Covid-19 but Covid-19 were confi rmed on cording to Xinhua news agency. closed its two border points – Covid-19,” said Pandu Riono, an to get an accurate had been withheld from the were not recorded as victims of Sunday in Banke district of Tatopani-Zhangmu border Tatopani-Zhangmu and Rasuw- epidemiologist at the University picture of the extent of public to prevent panic. the disease. Province 5, the Karnali provin- point will be opening for one way gadhi-Kerung (Geelong) – with of Indonesia, citing their Cov- infections Widodo said last week he Daeng Faqih, chairman of the cial government decided to bar movement of goods from China China after the spread of the id-19 symptoms and that there had told his ministers to re- Indonesian Doctors Associa- entry and exit of people and to Nepal, the agency added. coronavirus. was no other identifi ed cause of that prayer, herbal remedies and port Covid-19 data truthfully. tion, the country’s pre-eminent goods from and to the province, As per the agreed mechanism, However, on March 25, the death. hot weather would help ward off His government announced a grouping of doctors, has urged Xinhua news agency reported. Chinese cargo drivers will take country had decided to reopen Some senior government the virus. new transparency initiative two the government to reveal the The federal government of and drop the goods at Nepal the border points for supply members played down the risk The government has been ac- weeks ago but a promised new national number of suspected Nepal has been enforcing a na- border point after clearance and of essential goods, including of an outbreak in January and cused by activists and political website with all the data has yet Covid-19 patients who had died tionwide lockdown since March once the Chinese loaders and medical equipment from China. February with some suggesting opponents of a lack of transpar- to be launched. but were not tested. Thai pet groomers reopen Covid-19 prevention measure as new Covid-19 cases slow

Reuters for their dogs in advance. They whole day, we can only take about town shark fi n restaurant, who Bangkok then drop off their pooches in a fi ve in order for us to practise so- was happy to see a queue of sterilised basket behind a plastic cial distancing,” Sukhum said. customers outside. barrier in front of the shop. None Thailand was the fi rst country Up to Sunday, restaurants and hewy and Miley, both of the dogs’ personal accessories outside China to report a case of street stalls were only allowed to two-year-old Schnauzer are allowed into the shop. the new coronavirus in January, sell food for takeaway or delivery. Cdogs, are getting their “To me, the possibility of get- before the outbreak swept the Customers are now allowed hair cut at a groomer in Bangkok ting infected comes from touch- globe. to eat in again but are meant to for the fi rst time since the new ing the collars, clothes, crate or The South East Asian coun- observe social distancing, with coronavirus outbreak began in bags that owners used to carry try reported only a single new tables spaced apart. Thailand in January. their dogs,” said Sukhum Nu- case yesterday, bringing its total Wannika Naphon, happy to Pet grooming shops are angjanpat, the owner of Modern number of confi rmed cases to be getting out for a meal for the among a handful of businesses Dog Grooming and School shop. 2,988 with 54 deaths. fi rst time in weeks, said she was that the Thai government al- “That’s why I ask customers The government has wel- confi dent businesses would be lowed to reopen this week, fol- to take back all their dog’s stuff comed the progress with a relax- careful with distancing. lowing the decline in the number and use only the things that are ation of some lockdown rules, “I’m sure Yaowarat will return of new coronavirus cases. provided by the shop,” he said. allowing food stalls and restau- to normal with a lot of tourists Extra precautionary measures Inside the shop, dog groom- rants outside shopping malls to soon,” she said, referring to the that accompanied the reopening ing stations are set up more reopen, and allowing shops to street by which Bangkok’s Chi- to prevent a new round of out- than a metre apart and the shop sell alcohol for drinking at home. natown is known. break mean that the owners of closes for an hour after each ses- “My stall has been closed for Under the relaxed rules, out- Chewy and Miley are no longer sion to allow all equipment to be 40 days, because no one’s been door markets, small shops, parks allowed inside the shop. cleaned. here. I’ve lost 70% of my in- and outdoor sports facilities, Garment workers wash their hands before entering in a factory during a government-imposed Instead, they have to make an “Instead of being able to groom come,” said Taweesak Tabthong barbers and pet groomers can nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, in Dhaka yesterday. appointment and pick a hairstyle more than 10 dogs during the the owner of a famous China- reopen. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 9 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Hong Kong to lift major restrictions as virus fades

AFP have battered the economy. Au- city’s leader Carrie Lam told re- and dancing however will re- record dip. Even before the pan- Hong Kong thorities also unveiled plans to porters yesterday as she spelt out main banned. Cinemas can start demic, tourism and retail had hand out reusable face masks to the easing of curbs. showing fi lms to reduced crowds taken a hammering from the US- all 7.5mn city residents. Hong Older secondary students will while gyms, beauty, massage and China trade war and months of ong Kong yesterday an- Kong recorded some of the ear- start returning to classes from parlours will re-open with hy- political unrest last year. At yes- nounced plans to ease liest confi rmed Covid-19 cases May 27 while younger children giene protocols in place such as terday’s briefi ng Lam and other Hmajor social distancing outside of mainland China but will resume school in the fi rst the use of masks, hand sanitiser offi cials also sported a new type measures, including reopen- despite its close proximity and half of June. But a ban on more and temperature checks. Night- of mask made of fabric that they ing schools, cinemas, bars and links with the mainland it has than four people gathering in clubs and karaoke bars must stay said would be distributed to all beauty parlours after the Chi- managed to keep infections to public or eating together in res- closed. residents in the coming weeks. nese territory largely halted local around 1,000 with four deaths. taurants will be stepped up to Hong Kong’s economy When the virus fi rst emerged, transmission of the deadly coro- There have been no new con- eight. Many businesses that were dropped an 8.9% on-year con- Hong Kongers started panic- navirus. fi rmed infections in 10 of the last ordered to close will be allowed traction in the fi rst quarter of this buying masks as anger grew The relaxation, which comes 16 days and the cases that have to open once more, albeit with year - the worst decline since the against the government for fail- into eff ect on Friday, will be a been recorded came from people restrictions in place. government began compiling ing to stockpile enough sup- boost for a city mired in a deep arriving from overseas who are Bars and restaurants will be data in 1974. plies. Since then local production Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press recession following months quickly quarantined. permitted to operate but must Retail sales fi gures released has been ramped up and masks conference on the city’s Covid-19 situation at the government of virus restrictions as well as “I hope these measures will ensure a distance of 1.5m between yesterday showed a 37% plunge are plentiful in pharmacies and headquarters in Hong Kong. anti-government protests that be a silver lining for citizens,” the tables. Live music performances over the same period, another shops.

Singapore Australia, New Zealand say debates sale and slaughter opening travel will take time of wild Reuters „ New Zealand Sydney prime minister animals attends Australian ustralia and New Zealand cabinet meeting said yesterday eff orts to DPA Aresume travel between „ New Zealand Kuala Lumpur them would take some time, as they make cautious moves to must be sure it will re-open economies largely shut- not import cases ingapore will consider tered by the novel coronavirus. banning selling and killing The two countries have closed from Australia: PM Slive animals in wet mar- their borders to all non-citizens „Australia kets, the country’s environment for more than a month and im- minister told the legislature posed mandatory quarantines faces largest yesterday. on anyone returning home from contraction ever in In Asia, a wet market is typi- overseas. cally a bustling open-air bazaar New Zealand Prime Minis- first half: RBA where freshly caught fi sh and ter Jacinda Ardern yesterday meat and new vegetables are became the fi rst world leader Australian Prime Minister Scott sold. to join an Australian Cabinet Morrison said travel across the The practice is common in meeting in more than 60 years. Tasman Sea between the neigh- parts of east and southeast She said reopening the route be- bours would be the fi rst inter- Asia, but has come under scru- tween them would take a while to national route re-started and tiny due to the possibility that work through. would likely begin around the the new coronavirus pandemic “When we feel comfortable time domestic air travel restarts could have originated in a wet and confi dent that we both won’t in earnest. market in Wuhan, China — or in receive cases from Australia, but “When we are seeing Aus- a nearby laboratory. equally that we won’t export tralians travel from Melbourne Amy Khor, Minister of State them, then that will be the time to Cairns, at about that time I for Environment and Water Re- to move,” Ardern told reporters would expect everything be- sources, said that “internation- in Wellington after attending the ing equal we would be able to al benchmarking and scientifi c meeting via video with Austral- fl y from Melbourne to Auckland evidence” would be used to de- ian ministers as well as state and or Christchurch,” Morrison told People exercise in Centennial Park amidst the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in termine the risk of transmission territory leaders. reporters in Canberra. Morrison Sydney, Australia, yesterday. of dangerous viruses due to the “Neither of us want cases has said a decision about easing practice. of Covid coming between our federal restrictions will be taken fl ights between Australia and tancing restrictions severely cession in nearly 30 years. The stricter controls on all non-es- Khor was responding to a countries.” on Friday, as he said igniting New Zealand could begin soon crimp both economies. Australia Reserve Bank of Australia fore- sential services. While, Australia question posed by Louis Ng, a Australia reported a new death Australia’s economy was vital after domestic routes were reo- may have lost almost a million cast the world’s 12th-biggest has closed pubs and forced res- member of parliament, about from Covid-19 on Tuesday, in with unemployment set to top pened. “It could be a very good jobs between mid-March and economy would suff er its largest taurants to off er takeaway serv- the sale and slaughter of live an aged care facility in Sydney’s 10%. model for the international mar- mid-April as large chunks of the ever contraction in the fi rst half ices only, other shops remained turtles in markets. Though the west; that took its total to 97, Rules on social distancing ket opening up in phases,” the economy shut down in the fi ght of the year, sending the unem- open. government will review the with around 6,800 recorded in- have been eased slightly in New chief of Australia’s largest airline against the coronavirus, accord- ployment rate into double-dig- “If these restrictions were practice, Khor hinted that it will fections. Zealand and in some Australian told reporters. ing to new fi gures from the Aus- its, but held out the hope of a increased even further, akin to continue, citing evaluations by New Zealand, which had had states and territories but restric- Qantas is currently operating tralian Bureau of Statistics. recovery as the coronavirus was the eight-week lockdown in Eu- the state environment and food no new Covid-19 cases for a sec- tions on large gatherings and only 5% of its pre-crisis domes- Canberra has unveiled eco- contained. rope, then the adverse economic agencies. ond day in a row, has recorded non-essential travel remain and tic passenger network and 1% of nomic support measures worth Treasurer Josh Frydenberg impact on GDP could double to “Transmission risks are 20 fatalities and 1,137 infections. some Australian states are still its international network. about A$320bn ($206bn) or said the economic impact of the 24%, or A$120bn, in the June found to be low, as long as food Ardern has vowed to completely closed to outsiders. Reopening the travel route about 16% of GDP, as restric- pandemic would have been a lot quarter,” the treasurer said in a safety and hygiene standards eliminate the pathogen from the Qantas Airways Ltd Chief Ex- would be a major boon for both tions on public movement push worse if Australia had followed speech in Canberra. “This was are maintained,” the minister country of about 5mn people. ecutive Alan Joyce said regular countries as strict social dis- the country toward its fi rst re- Europe’s example and imposed the cliff we were standing on.” told MPs.

Taiwan to donate 7.07mn surgical masks

China’s launch of new space rocket ‘successful’ Taiwan will donate 7.07mn surgi- allies and 1.8mn faces for Taiwan’s Taiwan since last week has cal masks to countries hit hardest New Southbound Policy partner launched a programme for citizens by the new coronavirus pan- countries, which include 16 south to donate face masks to assist peo- AFP Russia to send astronauts to the demic, it announced yesterday, its and southeast Asian countries, ple in other countries hardest-hit Beijing International Space Station. Be- third large-scale mask donation. as well as Australia and New Zea- by the coronavirus pandemic. As ijing has launched several space- According to Taiwan Foreign land. Another 600,000 masks will of yesterday, 3.93mn face masks craft since 1999 and the previous Ministry spokesperson Joanne also go to Africa and the Middle had been donated by citizens, who hina yesterday success- vessel, the Shenzhou, was mod- Ou, 2.28mn masks will be donated East, and to assist medics working gave up their quota of rationed fully launched a new elled after Russia’s Soyuz. to the United States, while 1.3mn with Syrian refugees. Currently, masks, for future overseas dona- Crocket and prototype “It depends how ambitious faces will go to the European in Taiwan, each person covered tion, the ministry said. In April, spacecraft, state media said, in a the Chinese space programme is Union and its member states. by the national health insurance Taiwan donated 16mn face masks major test of the country’s am- at the moment but missions be- In addition, 1.09mn faces will be is allowed to purchase only nine to other countries in the first two bitions to operate a permanent yond the Moon will be possible,” donated to Taiwan’s diplomatic masks every 14 days. waves of humanitarian assistance. space station and send astro- said Carter Palmer, space systems nauts to the Moon. analyst with US-based Forecast The Long March 5B rocket International consultancy. took off from the Wenchang Assembly of the Tiangong launch site in the southern island space station, whose name Picnic time in Beijing of Hainan and eight minutes means Heavenly Palace, is ex- later an unmanned prototype pected to begin this year and fi n- spaceship successfully separated ish in 2022. The orbiting lab will and entered its planned orbit, have three modules, with living according to the Xinhua news and working quarters and two agency. A test version of a cargo annexes for scientifi c experi- return capsule also successfully ments. China plans to send an separated from the rocket, Xin- astronaut to the Moon in about hua added. a decade and then build a base The spaceship will one day there. transport astronauts to a space It became the fi rst nation to station that China plans to com- land on the far side of the Moon plete by 2022 - and eventually to in January 2019, deploying a lu- the Moon. It will have capacity A Long March 5B rocket lifts off from the Wenchang launch site on nar rover that has driven some for a crew of six. The spaceship China’s southern Hainan island yesterday. 450m so far. The next big mis- and capsule are slated to return sion for Beijing is to land a probe to a landing site by Friday after The United States is so far the ing failures of the 7A model in on Mars, with liftoff expected completing their test fl ights, Ji only country to have successful- March and 3B model in April. this year. “China has caught up Qiming of the China Manned ly sent humans to the Moon. But “The new spaceship will give with the US in some space areas Space Agency told a press con- Beijing has made huge strides China an advantage in the area like earth observation and navi- ference. in its eff ort to catch up, sending of human spacefl ight over Japan gation,” Chen said. Leader of the command head- astronauts into space, satellites and Europe,” said Chen Lan, an “But there are still large gaps quarters for the fl ight mission into orbit and a rover to the far independent analyst at GoTaiko- between China and US in deep Zhang Xueyu said the launch side of the Moon. The success- nauts.com, which specialises in space exploration and human had “strengthened confi dence ful maiden fl ight of the 54-me- China’s space programme. The space fl ight,” he said, adding the and determination” for the next tre Long March 5B - which has a US no longer has its own space- US was the “leading space power Women use their cellphones while sitting on a picnic blanket at Sun Park during Labour Day holiday, stages of China’s space pro- takeoff mass of about 849 tonnes ship since retiring the space today, yesterday and in the near following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Beijing, China, yesterday. gramme. - should reassure China, follow- shuttle in 2011 and relies on future.” Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 BRITAIN UK ‘can avoid Covid-19 second wave with test, track and trace’

Guardian News and Media the “optimistic side”. Speaking at the select commit- that is ongoing now to test out the of people using digital approaches tacts of those with the virus. trol and identify many of the cases London “I think if we do test, track and tee meeting, Jenny Harries, deputy theory and practice.” such as the NHS app. But she said the situation was as they come up,” said Harries. tracing well and we keep the social chief medical offi cer for England, The government set a target of “I think the 100,000 (tests a now very diff erent, with the repro- But, she added, “this has to be distancing measures at the right said such fi gures would depend on recruiting 18,000 contact tracers day) puts us in a very good place to ductive number (R) – the number a very, very steady and slow ap- he UK should be able to level we should be able to avoid a data such as results of trials of the by mid-May, but Harries was un- start looking at that process, but of people infected by one infected proach with careful observation avoid a second wave of in- second wave,” he said. new NHS app now being tested on able to say how many cases such the work on the Isle of Wight will person – now below 1, compared of what happens. I wouldn’t like Tfections from coronavirus if But, he added, “winter is go- the Isle of Wight, which could shed a team would be able to handle, start to signal some of those pa- with about three at the start of the to give the impression this will re- it gets testing, tracking and tracing ing to be extremely diffi cult when light on the number of contacts an although she said estimates had rameters and that will give us some outbreak. solve everything.” right alongside adhering to physi- you also have fl u circulating and average person has. been made. of the numbers we need for this “What we have done, or rather Vallance also stressed obser- cal distancing measures, the gov- you have all the other respiratory “If you look at the number of Questions also remain about the conversation,” she said. what the public has done, by man- vation was crucial as lockdown ernment’s chief scientifi c adviser infections which can get confused individuals related to each symp- testing capacity needed for such Harries defended the move to aging social distancing measures measures were eased.“Nothing is has said. with this”. tomatic case, then you can work an approach, with Harries say- stop community testing and trac- with very strong compliance is to going to be risk free. Everything as Speaking at a meeting of par- It remains unclear what rate of out how many symptomatic cases ing that depended on a number of ing in March, suggesting that as push that rate (of transmission) we go back to less social distancing liament’s health and social care new infections a day would need you can manage within your con- factors including the prevalence of the number of cases rapidly in- down and remove a lot of that will carry a risk of there being an committee on management of to be reached in order for a con- tact tracing system,” she said.“But the disease, the capacity of contact creased there was not enough transmission in the population outbreak somewhere or a few more the coronavirus outbreak, Sir tact tracing programme to be able I think we need a little bit more tracers to follow up on cases, pub- capacity for testing or enough re- and then as we come out (of lock- cases, or in worst case scenario, R Patrick Vallance said he was on to cope. information as well from the work lic behaviour, and the proportion sources to continue to trace con- down), we should be able to con- goes above 1,” he said. Obesity link to Covid-19 deaths probed

Daily Mail furlough scheme; London O The deputy chief medical of- fi cer raised hopes of an eff ective antibody test, saying the ‘over- n urgent review has been whelming majority’ of recovered launched into whether patients produced antibodies; Aobesity, ethnicity and O Hancock revealed that 85,186 gender raise the risk of death tests were conducted on Sunday from coronavirus. – the second day running the fi g- Matt Hancock ordered health ure fell below his 100,000 target; offi cials to trawl through the O Tory MPs stepped up pres- records of thousands of pan- sure on ministers to ease the lock- demic victims. down; The health secretary said it O Ministers urged the use of was too early to confi rm that contactless payments in shops weight was a factor but ‘data with tradesmen paid electroni- from around the world’ was sug- cally; gesting a link. O Fellow minister Therese Researchers at the University Coff ey revealed that 1.8mn have of Liverpool warned last week signed on for Universal Credit that obesity increased the risk of since the crisis began; Guests listen to Sophie, Countess of Wessex, appearing via video link, at the opening ceremony for the NHS Nightingale Hospital North East in Sunderland yesterday. The 460-bed dying from the virus by 37%. O Residents of the Isle of Wight Nightingale Hospital North East opening is part of the government’s drive to provide increased capacity to care for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. Around three in 10 adults in were urged to sign up for a pilot England are clinically obese – scheme of a virus-tracking app. with a body mass index above 30 The review will be overseen by – a rate among the highest in the Public Health England and of- Western world. fi cials will examine thousands Scientists believe obese pa- of case reports into patients who tients are more at risk of serious died from coronavirus. complications because their im- They will also look at these in- mune systems are worn out after dividuals’ health records to iden- Virus death toll rises above repairing cells damaged by ex- tify possible risk factors, notably cess fat. obesity, ethnicity, gender and Hancock said: “Our knowl- geographical location. edge about this virus grows The government hopes to pub- daily and it appears some groups lish the fi ndings at the end of this are more aff ected than others. month and they will be used to 32,000 to highest in Europe Emerging data from around the decide whether ‘further action’ world suggests there could pos- should be taken to protect these Guardian News and Media now Europe’s worst-hit country. fi gures showing the UK is past the (of the excess deaths) weren’t la- at the University of Oxford, called sibly be a relationship between groups. London Italy’s total does not include peak of infections. belled as Covid. So nearly a third for an urgent review into deaths obesity and the impact of Cov- This could include extra social suspected cases. The increase in Covid-19 were from something else. caused indirectly by the virus. id-19 on individuals. distancing precautions or special Ministers and experts have deaths only partly explains the “There is a continuing anxiety “We urgently need to identify the “It’s too early to say if obesity advice for NHS staff on the front he UK now has the highest warned against international unprecedented levels in total that many of these are due to the cause of these deaths. There are in itself is a factor or conditions line who are deemed at risk. death toll in Europe from comparisons, saying the fi gure for deaths. lockdown itself. The one thing we many plausible theories as to their associated with it – or there is not Offi cials are also particularly Tcoronavirus after new of- excess mortality – the number of The reasons behind an extra do know is that the health service cause, however, we need real data enough data yet to rule it out – so concerned that black and eth- fi cial fi gures revealed that more deaths from all causes that exceed 3,312 deaths in the week end- has been hugely disrupted, not on this urgently,” he said. “As we we need to approach any assump- nic minority groups appear to be than 32,000 people have died the average for the time of year – ing April 24 remain unclear, with just in terms of routine care, can- go forward, we want to minimise tions with caution. Every death more susceptible to the virus; fi g- from the virus. is a more meaningful gauge. speculation that they could have celled chemotherapies and radio all deaths, not just those tagged as from this virus is a tragedy and ures have shown death rates are The Offi ce for National Statis- The latest ONS fi gures for the been caused by delayed hospital therapies and elective surgeries, Covid-19.” behind each statistic is a name, a two-and-a-half times higher. tics said 29,648 deaths were reg- week ending April 24 show there admissions for other life threat- but also of people with symptoms The latest fi gures also show loss and a family that will never be Professor Kevin Fenton of Pub- istered in England and Wales with were 21,997 total deaths, which is ening conditions and other fac- not going to hospital.” that total care home deaths were the same again.” lic Health England said: “Having Covid-19 mentioned on the death 11,539 more than the average for tors such as economic hardship, He added: “We are not doing 595 higher than the week before The review was announced as: an accurate understanding of how certifi cates by May 2. that week. and mental health problems. very well and it’s been another at 7,911, whereas hospital deaths O A leaked government blue- diseases aff ect diff erent groups of With the addition of deaths in But the total weekly death toll Prof David Spiegelhalter, chair very bad week. I really don’t like were 1,191 lower at 8,243. print revealed that millions face people is a really important issue Scotland and Northern Ireland, dipped slightly by 354 deaths, of the Winton Centre for Risk this league table of who’s top and Of the coronavirus deaths reg- a grim return to work in which and a fundamental part of PHE’s this takes the UK’s death toll to from the record level of 22,351 the and Evidence Communication who’s not, but there’s no denying istered up to 1 May in England and social contact remains heavily re- role. Detailed and careful work is 32,313, according to calculations week before. at Cambridge University and a that these are really serious num- Wales, 6,686 took place in care stricted; being done so that we can better by Reuters. This was the fi rst decrease in member of the government’s Sci- bers.” homes, which was 22.5% of all O New fi gures revealed that understand this and explore the This fi gure far exceeds the weekly deaths since the start of entifi c Advisory Group for Emer- Prof James Naismith, director the deaths from the virus by that 6.3mn are having their wages possible reasons for any dispari- death toll of 29,029 in Italy – until the outbreak and confi rms other gencies, said: “Well over 3,000 of the Rosalind Franklin Institute point, the ONS fi gures show. subsidised by the state under the ties.” Schools may not reopen Mayor criticised over until August: Sturgeon refusal to reopen parks Guardian News and Media navirus, and it was a “tiny sacri- London fi ce” to keep people safe and stop Guardian News and Media be possible at all this side of the gers of reopening primary and them “loitering”. London summer holidays”, which begin at nursery schools too early. So far, 582 people in Middles- the end of June and end in August, It presents modelling that sug- mayor who lives in a brough have tested positive for adding: “We know that for young- gests that, given the level of infec- country mansion with Covid-19. arents in Scotland face the er children social distancing is very tions in Scotland, “in the ‘most A extensive gardens has Of those, 368 had been admit- prospect of their children diffi cult.” likely’ scenario, full re-opening been criticised for refusing to ted to the local James Cook uni- Pnot returning to schools Sturgeon used the briefi ng (during May) would cause a resur- reopen parks in one of Britain’s versity hospital by the end of last and nurseries until August, as the yesterday to introduce the sec- gence in the virus such that hos- most deprived towns. week, according to Mark Adams, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, ond of the Scottish government’s pital capacity in Scotland would Andy Preston, a hedge-fund Middlesbrough’s director of pub- indicated a signifi cant potential framework documents, which be overwhelmed in less than two millionaire who was elected as lic health. divergence from English plans. sets out more detailed options months”. independent mayor for Mid- As of last Thursday, 139 local Sturgeon nonetheless insisted for relaxing lockdown restric- Sturgeon said she did not yet dlesbrough last year, has ig- people had died from coronavi- her intention was to have UK- tions, but strikes a particularly know what Johnson planned to nored government advice to re- rus, including 100 in hospital, 36 wide alignment of lifting lock- cautious tone around schooling. announce later this week in terms open three of the town’s parks, in care homes, one at home and down restrictions “where the She said that any return to of easing restrictions, and stated despite receiving a letter from a one in a hospice. evidence supports it”. education would have to in- that “it remains my intention to minister, who is also a local MP, On Monday afternoon police Referring to reports that Boris volve a blend of at-home and have UK-wide alignment where imploring all local authorities to were called to break up a barbecue Johnson was considering reo- in-school learning, with certain the evidence supports it”. do so. and bingo party on the Barmbles pening primary schools for some year groups going back ahead of She went on to respond to criti- “For many people, especially Farm estate in the TS3 postcode pupils as early as June 1, Sturgeon others: in particular those tran- cal comments from the secretary families with children and those area of Middlesbrough, which said: “I cannot and should not sitioning to secondary school of state for Scotland, Alister Jack, who live in homes without a gar- Preston said had the highest in- comment on whether that is ap- and preparing for exams. who urged the Scotland govern- den, access to public parks is a fection rate. propriate for England … but I do The framework document sug- ment to prepare for any lifting of Police off icers speak with Gwendalyn Iles, 94, at her home on a lifeline,” wrote Simon Clarke, a “We realised very early on know, looking at the evidence gests that pupils could attend restrictions “in lockstep with the special visit as part of Operation Nogi in Croydon, south London, local government minister and that because we have signifi- I have now, I could not put my school part-time, in blocks of a UK as a whole”, Sturgeon said: yesterday. Operation Nogi is an initiative developed by off icers the Tory MP for Middlesbrough cantly poor health on average hand on my heart and say that few days or even a week at a time, “I am at a loss when I hear peo- at Metropolitan Police Croydon’s emergency response team South and Cleveland, in a letter to our population is definitely would be a safe thing to do in to help physical distancing and en- ple saying we have to come out of (ERT) and is designed to help elderly and isolated people by all councils. more vulnerable,” said Preston. Scotland.” able deep cleaning of classrooms lockdown in lockstep with the UK providing reassurance visits from off icers in the community. Local But Preston said he had taken “Because we have a dense pop- Instead, she told reporters at her between groups. come what may, or we have to do supermarkets have also joined the scheme and are donating food the decision because Middles- ulation we felt we were more daily media briefi ng that in Scot- Using recent Danish data, the it on a Scotland-only basis come and household essentials, which off icers take with them on visits and brough had been one of the worst likely to see a rapid spreading land a return to school “might not document also illustrates the dan- what may.” give out as appropriate. aff ected places in the UK for coro- of the virus.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 11 BRITAIN/IRELAND Ireland faces bill for millions to remove ship from rocks

Guardian News and Media to trace those who own and are “We’re still trying to establish If no owner is found, the Irish ple boarding the vessel despite her just because she was an bled about 2,220km south-east London responsible for the MV Alta, a ownership and that process may state will face a choice: spend warnings that it was dangerous eyesore, I doubt. The cost of of Bermuda. 77-metre cargo vessel that ran take up to a year,” a spokesper- millions of euros removing the and unstable. removing her would be quite Unable to make repairs, the aground near Ballycotton, a fi sh- son for Ireland’s revenue com- vessel or let the elements deter- Salvage experts say the Alta considerable too – €5mn-10mn 10-strong crew was rescued by he ghost ship that ing village in County Cork over- missioners, who act as “receiver mine its fate. has no commercial value and or I would say probably a bit the US coastguard and brought washed on to Ireland’s looking the Celtic Sea, in Febru- of wreck”, a statutory function, The Alta caught the public’s that the Irish state may never higher. to Puerto Rico. Tcoast earlier this year re- ary. said yesterday. imagination but locals bristle at track down the owner. “Is it really worth it? My own The ship was reportedly towed mains something of a mystery: It had traversed the Atlantic An individual purporting to the prospect of a rusting ruin re- “She’s too old and her scrap view would be probably not.” to Guyana and then hijacked, its its owner has not been found, for more than a year without represent the owner contacted maining on their shores, a mag- value would be low,” Mark Built in 1976, the Alta was subsequent fate unclear until which could potentially leave the crew or passengers and skirted the agency in February but that net for curious and in some cases Hoddinott, a salvage and wreck fl agged in Tanzania, changed August 2019 when a Royal Navy Irish state with a bill of millions the Americas, Africa and Europe ownership claim remains un- reckless sightseers. removal expert with Brand Ma- owner in 2017 and was sailing ice patrol ship, HMS Protector, for its removal. before wedging itself on to rocks proven. “We’re still investigat- Before Covid-19 restric- rine, told RTE. “Whether the from Greece to Haiti in Septem- encountered it in the mid-At- Authorities are still trying during Storm Dennis. ing,” said the spokesman. tions there were reports of peo- state would want to remove ber 2018 when it became disa- lantic, apparently unmanned.

Talks on VE Day preparation forming Brexit talks Irish govt set to begin ‘hurtling

AFP Dublin towards new hree of Ireland’s political parties yesterday agreed Tto enter negotiations to form a government, months af- ter an election that fractured the country’s political landscape. The talks are set to start to- crisis point’ morrow as Ireland grapples with how to guide the nation out of Guardian News and Media for an extension because of the £79,000 for the lorry load. coronavirus lockdown, which London coronavirus pandemic. Of the 1,400 goods, 500 were will be gradually lifted from May Downing Street has recently food lines of animal or plant ori- 18. and repeatedly said the UK does gin, which would require a health “The leaders of Fianna Fail, rexit talks are hurtling to not need an extension. certifi cate at £200 each. “All of Fine Gael and the Greens met another crisis point un- But the rules for Northern Ire- this is the worst case scenario yesterday and agreed to com- Bless progress is made in land involving customs, security but it illustrates the scale of the mence formal negotiations for a the next two rounds of talks, the and health checks on animal and problem. Our hope is that there is programme for government,” a Irish Foreign Minister, Simon food products entering Northern some sort of free-trade agreement spokesman for Fianna Fail, the Coveney, has said. Ireland kick in whether the UK and or agreement of some sort that it biggest party in parliament, said His warning comes as industry the EU strike an agreement about won’t come to pass,” he said. in a statement. analysis of deliveries from Britain their future relationship or not. Seamus Leheny, the policy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to high-street supermarket chains Aodhán Connelly, the director manager at the Freight Trans- has been leading the country in Northern Ireland found that of the Northern Ireland Retail port Association Northern Ire- through the virus crisis in a care- fi rms could incur costs of more Consortium (NIRC), said it was land, said the problem would be taking capacity following the than £100,000 per lorry unless deeply concerned that the detail easily solved if “derogations and general election on February 8. the special Brexit arrangements of the protocol that was signed mitigations were put in place”. The vote saw his centre-right for the region were sorted out. off by the UK and the EU as part But he said that since the deal Fine Gael party routed, slipping The new protocols involving of the withdrawal agreement last was agreed last October, there to third place with only 35 seats. customs and food certifi cation year had not been worked out. had been no engagement on the Despite also suff ering losses, checks begin in January next year “Quite frankly, I can’t see how detail and just general promises Fine Gael’s historic rival Fianna whether the UK’s future relation- we will be ready by the end of the of “unfettered access”. Fail became the largest party ship with the EU is agreed or not. year. We have no clarity on how Business leaders in Northern with 38 seats. Ireland has expressed renewed this protocol is going to work and Ireland have been asking for the Republican Sinn Fein surged, concerns that there would not it is May. revival of a working group that winning the popular vote with be a trade deal that could at least “We have seven months to get examined “alternative arrange- 24.5% of fi rst preferences in Ire- mitigate some of the worst eff ects this sorted and not only have we ments” for the Irish border at the land’s single transferable vote of Brexit on Northern Ireland. had no guidance but we have had now defunct department for ex- system. Coveney said progress in talks no conversations with govern- iting the EU to tease out the new The one-time fringe party, over the future relationship be- ment or Whitehall,” he said. rules for Northern Ireland. historically associated with the tween the European Union and Under the protocol, there will “We have been asking for this paramilitary Irish Republican UK “has not been good”. be new controls and checks on since October and have heard Army (IRA), shocked the es- “Unless there is signifi cant goods entering the region from nothing,” said Connolly. tablishment by becoming the progress in those negotiating the rest of the UK in order to avoid Business leaders have also ex- second-largest force in the Dail, rounds then I think we are going checks on the border between pressed frustration over the row Ireland’s lower house of parlia- to reach yet another crisis point Northern Ireland and Ireland. about the UK rejecting an EU re- ment. in the Brexit negotiations, which NIRC calculated the cost of a quest to have an offi ce presence But it has found no suitable from the Irish point of view is truck delivering groceries to a in Belfast. left-wing partners to form a coa- A worker assembles and prepares for shipping commemorative “Tommy” figures at the very, very serious,” he told RTE’s household name supermarket in “It makes sense if the EU have lition with and reach the 80-seat Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) BBMC (Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company) Sean O’Rourke show. Northern Ireland. About 1,400 a formal offi ce. It means if some- threshold required to take offi ce. factory in Aylesford, south east England, yesterday, ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE The current talks relate to the product types were found to be thing goes wrong, say in Belfast Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the day (Victory in Europe Day) marking the end of World War II on May 8. Britons have been future relationship with the EU on the truck, all of which, under port, we can call them and have Green Party will form an 85 seat encouraged to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, even though the country is still centring on not just trade, but the normal EU rules for trade someone sort it out or investi- bloc if they forge a coalition. in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The RBLI charity’s ‘Tommy in the Window’ data, medical and scientifi c re- with third countries, would re- gate it locally rather than having The Irish press has speculated campaign is one way in which people are able to show their support. Each purchase of one search, security and policing quire an entry summary decla- to phone someone down in Dub- that party leaders could take of the RBLI’s commemorative military ‘Tommy’ figures assists with helping a veteran into with a December deadline. ration form, which would cost lin and get them to come up. turns in the prime ministerial employment or onto an employment course. The transition period can be “between £15 and £56” per dec- They have just turned this into position on a rotating basis. extended and many have called laration or between £21,000 and a political football,” said Leheny.

Two prisoners escape Showing off Woman arrested open jails each week after stabbings Guardian News and Media She said: “I just saw a hat Cardiff and cans on the fl oor outside Daily Mail they do not have to overcome ridiculous that many of them the shop as I was pulling up and London walls, locks or handcuff s. are then put into these holiday- thought ‘that’s strange’, then Among the inmates fl eeing camp prisons and allowed to olice have arrested a wom- paramedics arrived. since 2015 were 22 jailed for life come and go as they please. an in a south Wales village “My husband went to go into wo inmates go on the run after being convicted of mur- “The huge number escap- Pamid reports of a series of the store but got stopped by peo- from open prisons every der and 18 men behind bars for ing is a clear sign that our open stabbings. ple who told him that there was Tweek. rape. prison policy has to change and South Wales police said de- a woman inside with a knife who A total of 631 have abscond- Seven vanished while serv- all serious and violent off end- tectives were investigating in was stabbing people. ed from the jails in the past fi ve ing a sentence for manslaugh- ers must be kept... in proper Pen Y Graig, near Pontypridd, “I stayed in the car and more years, including murderers and ter and four while in prison for prisons.” following reports of a “serious police and paramedics arrived rapists. causing death by dangerous The Prison Offi cers’ Associ- incident”. They asked shopkeep- and they went to a man who was Some have vanished after driving. ation has blamed the absconds ers to close their stores and told in the van parked in front of my being allowed out to work or to The offi cial statistics show on staff shortages and low mo- people to avoid the area. car. attend education classes, or to that 37 of the convicts – or one rale following cuts. The incident happened on Ty- “This was the man who had visit family. in 17 – are still at large. However, the number of in- lacelyn Road at about 3pm yes- been stabbed repeatedly, they Inmates are transferred to The open prisons with the mates fl eeing open prisons has terday. took him out of the van and Category D prisons with ‘open’ worst record for absconds were dropped from a high of 1,301 Local people claimed one per- placed him into the ambulance.” conditions – including mini- HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire under Tony Blair’s Labour in son had been stabbed very seri- The street is lined with ter- mal supervision and perimeter with 108 and HMP Kirkham in 2004 to 120 last year. ously and three others injured. race houses and shops, most of security – to test their readi- Lancashire with 93. In 2014, the rules were tight- It is understood it took place which are shuttered because of ness for release. David Spencer, of the Centre ened up after a series of high- close to a queue of people who were the lockdown. But critics said the fi gures, For Crime Prevention think- profi le break-outs. following physical distancing rules Some businesses including gleaned from ministry of jus- tank, said: “The law-abiding A ministry of justice spokes- as they waited outside a shop. a fi sh and chip shop and a few tice bulletins, were fresh evi- public will be terrifi ed that more man said: “Public protection One nearby shopkeeper said: stores were open operating un- dence that jails are becoming than 100 serious and violent of- is our top priority and keep- “I saw a man with blood dripping der lockdown conditions. too soft. fenders, including murderers ing prisoners in lawful custody down the back of his head and a Chris Bryant, MP for the They urged ministers to in- are being allowed to freely walk where they cannot pose a risk woman with a cut on her neck. Rhondda where the village is troduce tougher measures to out of prison and back on to the of harm to the public is key. Everyone is feeling very uptight.” located, tweeted: “I’ve been in- safeguard the community. streets every year. Those who abscond face tough Another eyewitness said her formed of the horrifi c events in Offi cially, criminals who es- “Jail sentences are only consequences, including being A peacock displays it’s plumage as part of a traditional husband was told there was a Penygraig and will keep people cape from open prisons are de- handed down to serious of- returned to closed prison con- courtship ritual in a park in London yesterday. woman inside the shop “stab- updated as soon as I have further scribed as ‘absconders’ because fenders these days and it is ditions.” bing people”. news.” Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 EUROPE France’s early coronavirus case may hold clues to pandemic’s start

Reuters Covid-19 respiratory disease. The World Health Organisa- last year with a dry cough, fatigue needed more investigation. 2019, was France’s “patient zero”. three cases on January 24, in- London French researchers led by Yves tion (WHO) said the results were and a fever, he thought he had fl u. “It’s not impossible that it But “identifying the fi rst in- cluding two patients in Paris and Cohen, head of resuscitation at “not surprising”. Doctors at the time could not was an early introduction, but fected patient is of great epide- another in the southwestern city the Avicenne and Jean Verdier “It’s also possible there are diagnose him. the evidence isn’t conclusive by miological interest as it changes of Bordeaux. study by French scientists hospitals, retested samples from more early cases to be found,” “I was surprised,” he said, any means,” said Jonathan Ball, dramatically our knowledge re- Rowland Kao, a professor of which suggests a man was 24 patients treated in Decem- WHO spokesman Christian about being told much later by a professor of molecular virology garding SARS-COV-2 (the new veterinary epidemiology and Ainfected with Covid-19 ber and January who had tested Lindmeier told a UN briefi ng in doctors that he had been suff er- at Britain’s University of Not- coronavirus) and its spreading data science at Edinburgh Uni- as early as December 27, nearly a negative for fl u before Covid-19 Geneva. ing from Covid-19. tingham. in the country”, he and his co- versity, said that even if it were month before France confi rmed developed into a pandemic. He encouraged other countries He is fully recovered. Stephen Griffi n, an expert at researchers wrote in the paper confi rmed, the identifi cation of its fi rst cases, could be important The results, published in the to check records for cases in late He said that he had not trav- the University of Leeds’ Institute detailing their fi ndings. a positive Covid-19 in December in assessing when and where the International Journal of Anti- 2019, saying that this would give elled abroad for months before of Medical Research, said that They said the absence of a link “is not necessarily an indication new coronavirus emerged, ex- microbial Agents, showed that the world a “new and clearer pic- falling ill, and did not know where it was “a potentially important with China and the lack of recent that the spread of Covid-19 from perts said yesterday. one patient – a 42-year-old man ture” of the outbreak. he could have been infected. fi nding” and added: “We must be travel “suggest that the disease France started this early”. A man identifi ed as the patient born in Algeria, who had lived French broadcaster BFM TV His wife said she works at a cautious when interpreting these was already spreading among the “If confi rmed, what this case told a French TV station that he in France for many years and identifi ed the man as Amirouche retailer near a Paris airport, and fi ndings.” French population at the end of does highlight is the speed at was surprised to learn that he worked as a fi shmonger – was in- Hammar, a resident of Bobigny, a frequently comes into contact Cohen told French television December 2019”. which an infection starting in had contracted Covid-19 since fected with the coronavirus “one northeastern suburb of Paris. with travellers from overseas. that it was too early to know if the France, where almost 25,000 a seemingly remote part of the he thought he had fl u at the time. month before the fi rst reported In an interview with the sta- Independent experts said the patient, whose last trip abroad, people have died from Covid-19 world can quickly seed infections The coronavirus causes the cases in our country”, they said. tion, Hammar said when he fell ill fi ndings of the French scientists to Algeria, had been in August since March 1, confi rmed its fi rst elsewhere,” he said. Tajikistan health minister fired

Tajikistan’s health minister was sacked yesterday, as coronavirus cases surged in the former Soviet republic. German states accelerate Nasim Olimzoda lost his job after the authorities spent weeks playing down the threat the country faced from coronavirus. Tajikistan reported its first coronavirus cases in late April, one of the last countries in the world to confirm it had been easing of Covid-19 curbs aff ected by the pandemic. President Emomali Rakhmon AFP Under the plan to progres- economy into a deep recession. Merkel’s critics argue that it is restrictions on restricting gath- Authorities began relaxing re- replaced Olimzoda with a career Berlin sively restart the gastronomy While shops have reopened time to move faster to ward off erings in public to two people strictions after the infection rate doctor, a statement from his and hospitality sectors, Bavaria over the last weeks, critics have further economic casualties. unless they are from the same fell under 1.0 – meaning each off ice said yesterday. said that restaurants would fi rst complained that the pace of eas- Eastern states in particular, household. person is infecting less than one The statement did not specify ermany is accelerating its be allowed to off er outdoor din- ing was too slow, with many sec- where contagion rates have been On Saturday, the regional gov- other – as opposed to each in- why Olimzoda had been return to normality from a ing from May 18, before extend- tors still held back. far below those in the west, have ernment decided to allow up to fecting up to fi ve or six people in dismissed, only saying that he Gcrippling lockdown, with ing the opening to indoor dining As regions increasingly take picked up the pace in exiting the fi ve people to gather outside. March. would be transferred to another regional leaders pushing back a week later. action going beyond those agreed shutdown. Pushing further with its relax- Despite the early success, the position. against Chancellor Angela Mer- Hotels would also be allowed in previous talks between the Mecklenburg-Western Po- ation plan, the state announced disease control agency Robert Tajikistan announced its first 15 kel’s pleas for prudence in the to welcome guests again from federal government and state merania will allow restaurants to yesterday that it will also allow Koch Institute has repeatedly cases in a single day on April 30. battle against the coronavirus. May 30, in time for the Pentecost leaders, Merkel has furiously reopen from Saturday and hotels vacation homes to reopen for warned of possible second or Since then, infections have On the eve of a key meeting holiday long weekend. complained that some were to follow from May 18. guests from May 15, while res- even third waves of the virus hit- rapidly grown, reaching 293 between Merkel and premiers of “The time has come for a cau- pushing ahead “too aggressively”. The state on the Baltic Sea taurants can off er indoor dining ting the country. cases and five deaths as of Germany’s 16 states to debate a tious reopening,” said Bavar- However, industries have coast is anxious to welcome again from May 22. With resistance growing evening yesterday. new round of easing of stay-at- ian state premier Markus Soeder, warned that the economic toll of guests again, particularly as Germany, which has recorded against keeping the population Local media have reported a home measures, the country’s pointing to the “success” in con- the lockdown was already dev- summer nears – an economic 163,860 cases of confi rmed in- at home, Merkel is expected to number of cases among military biggest state pre-empted talks taining the spread of the virus. astatingly high with output ex- lifeline for the region’s hospital- fections, including 6,831 deaths, call on regional leaders to agree figures, well-known politicians, by saying that it would reopen Pressure has been growing on pected to shrink by 6.3% for the ity sector. has been hailed for its success so on a threshold that would trigger businessmen and their families, its restaurants and hotels this the chancellor to ease curbs on full year. Another eastern state, Saxo- far in preventing its health serv- a new lockdown if necessary, ac- which have not been confirmed month. public life that have plunged the As infection numbers fall, ny-Anhalt, has meanwhile eased ices from being overwhelmed. cording to the Bild daily. by the authorities. Dozens protesting Russia reports over Dutch lockdown held 10,000 new cases over social distancing AFP Yesterday health offi cials re- Moscow ported 10,102 new infections over the last 24 hours, a decrease DPA and has since spread worldwide. of 531 cases from Sunday’s record Amsterdam Many have bristled against the ussia has cemented its surge, bringing Russia’s total to restrictions out of fear that the place as the European 155,370. lockdown will stifl e the econo- Rcountry reporting the Russia has emerged as a new bout 50 people protest- my, but also because some feel it highest number of new corona- coronavirus hotspot as many ing coronavirus lockdown is unjust to be forced inside. virus infections as its total cases European countries unveil plans Arestrictions were arrested The demonstrators had not soared passed 155,000 yesterday. to ease lockdown measures after in The Hague because they were registered their protest, but Yevgeny Mikrin, chief de- their numbers of new infections not following guidelines that re- Mayor Johan Remkes had said it signer at Energia, Russia’s top and deaths began to fall. quired them to keep 1.5m of dis- could go ahead as long as people producer of spacecraft, has died Despite the increases in Rus- tance between them for health maintained distance between from the coronavirus, becoming sia, the government has indi- reasons, police reported yester- one another, which is believed to one of the infection’s highest- cated that it could gradually lift day. help stop the disease’s spread. profi le victims in the country, of- confi nement measures from May The overall crowd had about Police only reacted when it fi cials said. 12, depending on the region. 200 people, who gathered at the became clear people were not He was 64. The number of new cases in city’s train station. maintaining that distance. “The best doctors fought for Russia is signifi cantly higher Some carried banners with May 5 is generally commemo- his life over the past few weeks,” compared to other European slogans like “Captive in a free rated as Liberation Day in the Dmitry Rogozin, director of Rus- countries, with the United King- country”. Netherlands, marking the day sia’s space agency Roskosmos, dom in second place reporting Multiple countries across Eu- the Netherlands was freed from said in a statement. just under 4,000 new infections rope have shut down businesses Nazi rule at the end of World War Moscow’s sprawling metro on Monday. and encouraged people to stay II. system began selling masks and Prime Minister Mikhail home in an eff ort to control the Large events were expected a metro representative told AFP Mishustin, the highest ranking spread of the highly-contagious this year to mark 75 years since that wearing masks underground offi cial to contract the infection, coronavirus, which was fi rst the end of the war, but the coro- may soon become compulsory. is now “feeling normal”, said spotted in China late last year navirus has upended those plans. Police clash with people protesting in The Hague against measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Several vending machines in- spokesperson Boris Belyakov. stalled at the Russian capital’s He said that Mishustin, who Paris to turn more metro stations began off ering announced he tested positive last masks and gloves. week, was continuing treatment roads over to bikes Vending machines at around under health ministry guidance. Red Cross looks to global infl uencers 15 stations are expected to start The authorities say they have Some of the busiest traff ic carrying them in the coming carried out more than 4mn coro- arteries in Paris will be reserved days. navirus tests and Russia’s fatality for cyclists in a bid to limit crowds Masks and gloves will also be rate has remained low compared to help in battle against ‘infodemic’ on public transport when France available for purchase at ticket to other countries hit badly by begins lifting its coronavirus booths at some stations, the the pandemic including Spain, lockdown next week. metro said. Italy and the United States. AFP to ultraviolent radiation can rid and followers reached, to swell spending more time on social “In total, 50km (30 miles) of “The metro is continuing to According to the government’s Geneva the body of the virus. signifi cantly over coming days media during lockdowns, while lanes normally used by cars prevent the spread of the coro- daily coronavirus update, Russia But while the WHO and others and weeks. Facebook’s data indicated that will be reserved for bicycles,” navirus,” said deputy head Yulia has 1,451 total deaths, after re- are putting out correct informa- They include Antonio Nunzia- the time spent across its apps had Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told Temnikova, urging passengers to porting 95 new fatalities over the he Red Cross has launched tion, it can be diffi cult to reach ta of Italy – one of the countries swelled by 70% since the start of the Parisien newspaper in an also use sanitiser dispensers that last 24 hours. what it said was the fi rst everyone and counter the mis- hardest hit in the pandemic – the crisis. interview published yesterday. are being installed underground. Russia ranks 18th overall in Tglobal network of social conceptions. who has more than 230,000 fol- Billion Dollar Boy chief Ed- She also said another 30 streets Moscow has emerged as the terms of coronavirus deaths, ac- media infl uencers to help battle “Getting the right informa- lowers, and interior design blog- ward East said that taking part in would be made pedestrian-only, epicentre of the pandemic in cording to an AFP tally, despite misinformation about the new tion out there when an emer- ger Katie Woods of Britain, with the IFRC network provided the “in particular around schools to Russia, with around half the total being seventh in the world in coronavirus and spread lifesav- gency strikes is as important as nearly 190,000 followers. infl uencers themselves with an avoid groups of people”, she said. coronavirus cases. overall coronavirus cases. ing content about the global pan- healthcare,” Nicola Jones, media “Infl uencers have a crucial role opportunity to change their often demic. manager for the International to play in tackling this infodemic negative portrayal in the media. Experts have been warning for Federation of Red Cross and Red and cutting through the noise,” “Instead of being continu- Hungary rejects Istanbul Convention on domestic violence months that the pandemic has Crescent Societies (IFRC), said in Jones said. “They have a level of ally vilifi ed, infl uencers can now been cloaked in a massive “in- a statement. access to younger people that put their vast skill sets to work The Hungarian parliament has passed a universities, for example, from providing courses fodemic” – a deluge of informa- In a bid to reach young people public authorities or charities delivering potentially lifesaving declaration rejecting the Istanbul Convention on in gender studies. tion, including widespread false especially with accurate and vi- don’t have.” approved messaging to millions the prevention of violence against women and In yesterday’s resolution, the government said that claims, which can pose a serious tal information about the deadly The reach of infl uencers has of people when it is needed the calling the national government to lobby against it it had “the right to defend its country, culture, laws, threat to public health. disease spreading around the increased signifi cantly since most,” he said. in the European Union. traditions and national values and that views on The World Health Organisa- globe, the IFRC said it had joined countries around the world be- Every week, the IFRC said it Backed by the governing right-wing parties, the gender held by the minority should not endanger tion (WHO) website lists a cata- forces with marketing agency gan implementing lockdowns would send the infl uencer net- document was passed with 115 votes in favour, 35 this”. logue of dangerous “myths” Billion Dollar Boy to sign up more and other measures to halt the work an approved message that against and three abstentions. Key parts of the convention seeking to protect circulating about the virus, in- than two dozen prominent indi- spread of Covid-19, which has it wants to disseminate, and the During the vote, women politicians held up children and counter violence against women cluding suggestions that hot viduals with large social media killed more than 250,000 people infl uencers will take the messag- signs quoting sexist and misogynist remarks are embedded in Hungary’s legal system, the peppers or excessive exposure followings. globally. ing and create their own content, made by the government lawmakers at earlier declaration states, according to a report by state to the sun can prevent or cure Those infl uencers who have The Covid-19 respiratory dis- which will be approved by the parliamentary sessions. news agency MTI. Covid-19. signed on to the campaign so far ease is caused by the highly-con- organisation before it is distrib- The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban The Istanbul Convention, a treaty developed And it fl atly debunks sugges- have a joint reach of nearly 2mn tagious coronavirus. uted. signed the convention in 2014 but this was never by the Council of Europe, is aimed at creating a tions by US President Donald followers across four countries, The IFRC pointed to data from “They are perfectly placed to ratified and seems unlikely in the future. legal framework in order to prevent and battle Trump and others that injecting the IFRC said, adding that it ex- global research company Nielsen combat the spread of misinfor- Orban and his party have long fought against violence perpetrated against women and domestic disinfectant or exposing the body pected the list of participants, showing that 33% of people are mation,” it said. what they call “gender madness”, forbidding violence. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 13 INDIA

Charging expats for 14,800 stranded Indians to fl ights is cruel, says Congress be repatriated in fi rst week Agencies New Delhi

IANS New Delhi ndia has embarked on a “massive” operation calling Iup passenger jets and naval he Congress party yes- ships to bring back some of the terday lashed out at the hundreds of thousands of its na- Tcentral government for tionals stuck abroad due to coro- its decision to “impose exces- navirus restrictions, the govern- sive costs” on stranded Indians ment said yesterday. seeking to return from Covid- India banned all incoming in- aff ected countries, calling it an ternational fl ights in late March “inhumane act”. as it imposed one of the world’s “It was due to protests by a strictest virus lockdowns, leav- large number of expatriates and ing vast numbers of workers and their relatives as well as the gen- students stranded. eral public over the past few days Two ships were steaming to- that the government has taken wards the Maldives’ capital Male the decision to bring back our to evacuate some 1,000 citizens citizens from abroad,” Congress from Friday, the navy said in a leader K C Venugopal said. statement late yesterday. He said it is “cruel” that the A defence spokesman said a government has taken “advan- third vessel was heading to the tage of the plight of expatriates United Arab Emirates. by increasing airfares up to three A government statement said times”. repatriation fl ights would start Venugopal called it “inhu- bringing nationals home from mane” and urged the govern- tomorrow, and that Indian em- ment to take urgent steps to bassies and high commissions provide free travel to the most were preparing lists of “dis- vulnerable, the unemployed, the tressed Indian citizens”. sick and the pregnant and others But to the anger of some of at normal fares. those abroad, the evacuees will Meanwhile, federal Minister have to pay for their passage, of State for External Aff airs V the statement said, and spend 14 Muraleedharan said an app will days in quarantine on arrival. be launched very soon which will “Covid test would be done give real time data of all the In- after 14 days and further ac- dian nationals stranded abroad tion would be taken according to who will now be fl own back. health protocols,” it added. “We have seen a trial run of Those taking the special fl ights this online platform and few will be charged around Rs50,000 more things have to be fi xed and from Europe and Rs100,000 it will be ready very soon. This from the US. online platform will be accessed According to the civil aviation British nationals wearing facemasks queue to check in before boarding a special flight to London at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar yesterday. by the concerned departments ministry, around 14,800 people and offi cials who are taking part will be taken back on 64 fl ights It is India’s biggest evacuation ex- “This will be one of the biggest- day for a week, according to the with the government for help. to India or else I will be in a big in this evacuation process,” Mu- from 12 countries in the fi rst ercise since national carrier Air India ever peacetime repatriation exer- foreign ministry. “I request govt to take all of trouble here in Dubai, please help raleedharan said. week, with the fi rst leaving the fl ew back 170,000 nationals from cises in history,” an offi cial said. So far some 20,000 Indians us at no charge during this crisis me sir,” Saroj K Swain wrote on “This online platform will con- UAE and Qatar tomorrow. Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1990. The fl ights will be operated by in the US have signed up for the situation as we are all struggling Twitter. tain the details of each and every Other fl ights will leave Sin- Civil Aviation Minister Har- Air India and its subsidiary Air evacuations, The Times of India here due to prolonged lockdown,” The government had earlier person who will be boarding the gapore, Malaysia and the Phil- deep Puri said the evacuations India Express. reported. tourist Sadhana Srivastava evacuated some 2,500 Indians fl ights. This is to make things easy ippines, as well as London, San may well exceed 190,000. But The fl ights will bring an aver- But some Indians said they tweeted from Dubai. from China, Japan, Iran and Italy for all who are working in this Francisco, New York, Chicago offi cials said many more could be age of 2,000 people back to vari- would not be able to pay for their “I’m homeless now after I lost before banning international and mission,” the minister added. and Washington. repatriated. ous Indian destinations every homeward journeys and pleaded my job in March, please take me domestic travel. Hyderabad airport to have new safety features when it reopens

IANS contact between the Central In- rity personnel involved in passen- Health Organisation (APHO) Hyderabad dustrial Security Force (CISF) per- ger screening. personnel if a passenger is found sonnel and passengers. There will be frequent sani- symptomatic and further screen- There will be temperature tisation and disinfection of the ing is required. ontactless terminal entry screening by CISF with automated trays, Door Frame Metal Detector There will be designated areas system, automated ther- thermal cameras at all terminal (DFMD), Hand Held Metal De- of bus entry, baggage reclaim and Cmal cameras for screening entry points. tectors (HHMDs) and the moni- thermal screening areas for arriv- body temperature, acrylic glass The airport has made social dis- tors. als from countries with commu- shields at counters, ‘hygiene sta- tancing markers at several points Marking the seats which are not nity transmission. Members of National Human Rights and Crime Control Organisation pose as they stand behind a painting tions’ with automatic hand sani- including terminal entry points, to be used to ensure social distanc- The airport is geared up with depicting the Covid-19 as they show gratitude to doctors, police personnel, sanitation workers and media tisers, social distancing markers check-in counters, security screen- ing, frequent fumigation and dis- high levels of hygiene and new people for their services in Amritsar yesterday. across the terminal and frequent ing, and boarding gates. infection of the seats, aerobridges operational procedures, S G K sanitisation of the premises and The authorities will encourage and boarding gates after every de- Kishore, Chief Executive Offi cer, the equipment. the use of self check-in and Self Bag parture, implementation of social GMR Hyderabad International These will be some of the key Drop (SBD) machines to minimise distancing markers at the boarding Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which oper- features of Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gan- any possibility of contact and reduce gates will be the other operational ates the airport, said. dhi International Airport when it waiting time in queues. features after the lockdown. He said passengers’ role in Covid-19 toll rises to 1,583 reopens for commercial opera- There will be counter allocation In case of remote bays, the keeping the airport safe would tions after a lockdown to stem the to ensure strict adherence to social number of passengers being also be equally important and re- spread of the coronavirus is lifted. distancing guidelines. boarded onto the buses will be re- quested them to extend their co- IANS Bengal, going up to 133 from 61 deaths are 195. It is the highest The airport has prepared an Acrylic glass shields have been stricted. operation and support for meas- New Delhi on Monday. number so far,” said Agarwal. elaborate Covid-19 exit plan with installed at check-in counters to Thermal screening will be done ures such as use of face masks, Aagarwal said states should Maharashtra continued to top operational preparedness to be separate the airport staff and the on all arriving passengers using thermal screening and social report on time about the number the chart with a total of 14,541 implemented once operations passenger. non-contact temperature screen- distancing. ndia’s death toll from the of cases and fatalities in order to cases followed by Gujarat (5,804) resume after the government’s ap- To enable frequent sanitisation ers and thermal screening cam- “In line with our motto of coronavirus rose to 1,583 yes- ensure better management. and Delhi (4,898). proval. of hands by passengers, ‘hygiene eras. ‘passenger is prime’, the entire Iterday, an offi cial said. “We followed up with certain For the second straight day the Shut since March 22, the airport stations’ are being set up with au- Self-declaration forms with Hyderabad Airport family in- The total number of cases also states as we were not receiving re- number of positive cases in Tamil implemented various initiatives tomatic hand sanitisers. records of the passengers’ travel cluding all our stakeholders is rose to 46,711, Health Ministry ports of cases and deaths on time Nadu crossed 500, raising the during the lockdown period to be There will be frequent sanitia- history, health status and the con- working through the lockdown Joint Secretary Lav Aagarwal from them. After this, the cases number of infected patients to operationally prepared once the tion and disinfection of the queue tact details will be captured. period to ensure that we have the said. have been reported and there is a 4,058 yesterday. restrictions are lifted and the air- managers, acrylic glass shields, There will be provision of dedi- right measures in place for en- Of these, 31,967 are active cas- sudden spike in deaths reported in Two Covid-19 patients also port is allowed to resume fl ights. Common Use Self Service (CUSS) cated areas for the passengers to fi ll suring passenger safety once the es, he said, adding 13,160 people the past 24 hours,” he said. died, taking the state’s toll to 33. Airport sources said they have machines and SBD machines. in the self-declaration forms. commercial fl ight operations are have recovered so far. “The new cases reported in the The number of active cases in put in place a contactless terminal Hazardous Material (Hazmat) A dedicated waiting room has permitted to resume by the gov- The deaths saw a surge in West last 24 hours are 3,900 and new the state is 2,537. entry system to avoid any possible suits will be provided to the secu- been provided for the Airport ernment,” he said. Family fi ghts over laptops in lockdown causing strain

IANS age has started ringing panic start at the same time. Imagine with him during my VCs,” she said. regular calls from such families. tials. Hence, would need self- Jaipur buttons. the plight - three of us setting Mukta Mittal, an entrepreneur, “They share their harrowing discipline to use these gadgets. In India, the number of com- our priorities right from morning has a similar story. tales. With each member want- Time management is something puters and laptops doesn’t match with just one laptop at home.” There is a regular tiff among ing to grab the single laptop for that we have got to learn and also amily fi ghts over electronic the number of members in a fam- The crazy cacophony was in- four family members - she, her their works, it triggers the tussle. children learn that,” she said. gadgets, like laptops, com- ily. tensifying with each passing day husband and two children. The other reason is husbands fi nd But that’s not all. Fputers and mobile phones, During the coronavirus cri- of the lockdown, she said. They end up fi ghting to grab it diffi cult to see wives attending Over screen exposure would have become common during the sis, each member wants his own Buying a new gadget was diffi - the only laptop in their house. offi ce work full-time at home, ig- also turn children into gadget ad- ‘work from home’ (WFH) regime. screen for work. cult when the economy is shrink- “We can’t have four comput- noring him and the children. It’s dicts and cause sleep deprivation While parents need to attend It has worsened the situation, ing and paycuts are becoming the ers at home. It sounds bizarre. adding to the strain. Housewives among them due to multi-media video conferences and complete causing testing times, she says. order of the day, she added. But it’s also causing strain as too are getting aff ected seeing addiction. their projects, children have their Seema Dawesher, a corporate “My son, a class VI student, everyone’s schedule begins in the everyone busy, except herself. “Achieving the diffi cult life online classes, says Dr Anamika employee, told IANS: “We face wants a laptop as he can’t attend morning. Now schools have also “Coronavirus has changed balances is the need of hour,” A police off icer uses an infrared Papriwal, a psychologist. a daily challenge to streamline online classes on phone since its started evening activity classes. the whole scenario. It’s sure Dr Papriwal says, adding, “each thermometer to measure the Electronic gadgets seem to be things in our house. My son’s screen is small and content not When should we attend our offi ce that world won’t be same post- family member should work out temperature of a migrant worker the latest entrant to the family online classes start at 9am. Mine clearly visible. With all my data work,” she asked. Covid-19. Laptops and phones to kill the panic blues and anxi- at a check point on the outskirts list of essentials and their short- and my husband’s offi ces also stored on the laptop, I can’t share it Dr Papriwal has been receiving will defi nitely be the new essen- ety.” of Kolkata yesterday. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 INDIA

FEEDING TIME ENTRANCE TESTS CONTROVERSY INVESTIGATION TRAGEDY JEE-Main from July 18-23, Don’t allow ‘fish medicine’ SP leader arrested over Five boys drown in NEET on July 26 event: Hyderabad NGO woman commits suicide river in Uttar Pradesh

The Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE-Main) An NGO working for child rights has urged the A Samajwadi Party leader was arrested after Five boys drowned in the Ghaghra river in for engineering programmes will be held from Telangana government not to allow the annual a 28-year-old freelance journalist committed Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, July 18 to 23 while the National Eligibility cum ‘fish medicine’ event to be held in Hyderabad next suicide in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, police said police said yesterday. The bodies of three Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses will be month due to the coronavirus pandemic. Balala yesterday. Rizwana Tabassum had named boys have been recovered. Police said the on July 26. JEE Advanced is expected to be held Hakkula Sangham (BHS) said the ‘fish medicine’ Shamim Nomani in her suicide note. “Shamim victims, aged between 16 and 8 went to the in August. The dates were announced by Human that claims to cure asthma and other respiratory Nomani is responsible,” she said. The woman river bank to play. After some time, they Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh illnesses, is unscientific, BHS off icial Achyuta Rao hanged herself in Harpalpur of Varanasi district waded into the river and started drowning in Pokhriyal Nishank yesterday during a webinar said “even if one person in the gathering is Covid-19 on Monday. Shamim and the woman reportedly the deep waters. On hearing their screams, with students. With the declaration of the dates positive, the infection will spread to all the people were friends for a long time but no one knows the local people rushed and tried to rescue for the entrance exams, students can now focus including volunteers. The main suff erers will be what happened suddenly. Her father said, them but failed because of the strong on their preparations, the minister said. The children as even the World Health Organisation has “She never told us about anything nor did she currents. The police said divers retrieved the candidates will not have to move to other cities stated that children and elderly are vulnerable to have any enmity with anyone. She was a good bodies of three boys. But due to the strong or towns to write the tests. They will be allowed the virus,” said Rao. Thousands of asthma patients daughter as well as a good journalist.” According currents, the divers were facing difficulties to mention on the online forms their preferred from various parts of the country gather in to reports, when Tabassum did not come out of in continuing search operation. A police A kite feeds its baby in their nest on a tree in a exam centres. Depending on the availability, they Hyderabad to receive the ‘medicine.’ However, the her room on Monday, they called out to her but officer added the search operations would be residential area in New Delhi yesterday. will be allotted the centres. numbers have dwindled over the years. there was no response. resumed today.

Chandigarh hospital to 1,250 migrant start plasma therapy trial workers leave IANS Chandigarh

he Post-Graduate Insti- tute Hospital in Chandi- Tgarh has been selected as one of the centres by the Indian Hyderabad for Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct trials of con- valescent plasma therapy in pa- tients with serious Covid-19 in- fection, offi cials said yesterday. With this, seriously ill Cov- id-19 positive patients admitted Bihar by train in the Nehru Hospital Extension block will be eligible to get this IANS as the government had made ar- Mullapally Ramachandran said: form of treatment. Hyderabad rangements for their travel. “On Monday, he was belittling In this trial, antibodies from His announcement came amid us. But today, in fi ve districts, our the blood of patients who have protests by workers in Hydera- party offi ce-bearers approached recovered from Covid-19 are special train carrying bad and other parts of the state authorities with cheques for used to treat severely infected 1,250 migrant workers left demanding immediate trans- Rs10 lakh each to buy train tick- patients. AHyderabad for Bihar early port arrangements to send them ets for migrant labourers, but the However, the exact role of this yesterday, offi cials said. home. money was not accepted.” therapy in the treatment of coro- The train left the Ghatkesar A group of migrant workers “He is forgetting which chair navirus positive patients is still railway station near Hyderabad on Monday night tried to reach he is sitting on. It’s unbecom- debatable and hence the ICMR at 3.05am for Khagaria in Bihar. the Kacheguda railway station in ing of a chief minister to show decided to conduct a multi- Before boarding, the workers Hyderabad. frequent outbursts. It would be centric study to clarify its role in were screened by offi cials of Tel- They started walking from Ar- better if he reins himself.” these patients, the hospital said angana health department. amghar crossroads on the out- But Vijayan said since the in a statement. Rachakonda Police Commis- skirts and were heading towards state government was not paying The hospital will start contact- sioner Mahesh Bhagwat, who the station. for the travel of migrants, “we ing recovered patients and will ex- fl agged off the train along with Police stopped them at Baha- are not taking any money for this plain the nature of the study. other offi cials, said the passen- durpura and assured them that from anyone”. The study is aimed at assess- gers were given breakfast and transport arrangements would “The state government has no ing the safety and effi cacy of water bottles. soon be made for them. role in this issue as it’s done by convalescent plasma to limit Senior offi cials Ronald Ross They convinced the workers the Centre,” the chief minister complications in the patients. and Rajat Saini, Medchal District to stay at a temporary shelter in said. Meanwhile, three journalists Collector Venkateshwarlu and Shamshabad. Hitting back at Ramachan- from Telangana based in New Delhi senior offi cials of the railways Meanwhile, a large number dran, he said: “I precisely know have tested positive for Covid-19. supervised the arrangements. of migrant workers yesterday the importance of the chair I The Telangana government This was the second special lined up at police stations in and now occupy. That’s why I am yesterday said it had released train operated from Telangana around Hyderabad and other not giving a tit-for-tat reply on Rs12 lakh for testing and treat- to send back migrant workers to districts to register their names. every issue,” Vijayan remarked. ment of the three, working for a their home states. Police had a tough time in Over 3.80 lakh migrant la- Telugu television channel. The fi rst train carrying 1,225 controlling the crowd at the Ku- bourers are lodged in over 18,000 Initially, the government sent migrants left for Jharkhand on katpally police station. camps in Kerala. Rs75,000 for primary contact May 1. The gathering by the workers Since Saturday, around 15,000 testing and promised treatment This was the fi rst train for mi- took the police by surprise and have left for their states on spe- to the journalists. grants anywhere in the country. at one point they had to use mild cial trains. It later released more funds Earlier in the day, Telangana force to disperse them. Also yesterday, Odisha Chief to Dr Gaurav Uppal, Resident Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Special trains for migrant Minister Naveen Patnaik said the Commissioner of the Telangana Rao said 40 special trains would workers have also started from Odia migrants willing to return Bhavan, for their treatment. be operated daily over the next one neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. from Surat in Gujarat can travel Industry Minister K T Rama Rao week to send back migrant work- The fi rst train carrying 1,212 only by train. inquired about the positive cases ers to their respective states. workers for Maharashtra de- Buses carrying returnees from among the Delhi Telugu journalists He said the trains will be op- parted early yesterday from Surat will not be allowed inside and instructed offi cials to provide erated from various stations in Rayanapadu railway station near the state, he said. them necessary support on behalf Hyderabad, Warangal, Kham- Vijayawada. The decision was taken by the of the state government. mam, Ramagundam, Damarac- Meanwhile in a controversy chief minister keeping in mind Meanwhile, Telangana Me- harla and other places to Bihar, erupted yesterday a day after the number of accidents by dia Academy chairman Allam Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi buses carrying the returnees and Narayana said it was extend- and other states. Vijayan scoff ed at the Congress various inconveniences faced by ing all possible assistance to the The state government said move to buy train tickets for children and women passengers journalists infected while cover- migrant workers who have reg- stranded migrants. due to the long-distance jour- ing the pandemic. istered their names with police The opposition party claimed ney. Three journalists in Delhi and would be allowed to travel by the it off ered a total Rs50 lakh in vefi Three accidents took place one in Gadwal district tested special trains. districts but that offi cials had re- with buses carrying stranded coronavirus positive and the Stranded migrant workers sit in a waiting hall before registering with police for a movement pass to be The chief minister said no mi- fused. Odias from Surat in the last few academy gave Rs20,000 to each. able to return to their hometowns, on the outskirts of Hyderabad yesterday. grant labour should feel anxious Kerala Congress president days. Guides face a bleak future Students promoted as lockdown hits tourism without examinations IANS ernment to defer examinations Hyderabad till March 30 due to Covid-19 IANS cause the work is seasonal and up any other job in the remain- concerns. Agra tourists make bookings in ad- ing period as they were bound by Meanwhile in Delhi, Human vance,” he said. the terms and conditions set by he Telangana government Resource Development Minister Normally, the tourist season the licensing authorities. yesterday promoted stu- Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said nationwide lockdown in north India is from October Sharma said the guide feel de- Tdents of classes I to IX in the remaining Class 10 Board against the spread of the till March. pressed lot due to loss of liveli- all schools for the academic year exams will take place only for Acoronavirus has severely A guide charges Rs2,000 for hood. 2020-21. north-east Delhi students. crippled the business of thou- showing tourists around the Taj, He said the guides neither No examinations could be con- “Attention class X students! sands of men and women act- Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. had pension plans nor exigency ducted for these classes due to a No examination to be held for ing as guides at diff erent tourist Sharma said that tourists were funds for such crisis. lockdown that began on March 22. class X students nationwide, places. not willing to venture out due He said his association had Chief Minister K. Chan- except for students from North- Several monuments includ- to fear, adding that the tourism written to the central govern- drashekhar Rao had earlier an- East Delhi,” he tweeted. ing the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, sector will remain aff ected till ment on the plight of guides, but nounced since there was no de- He repeated his earlier assur- Humayun’t tomb, Qutub Minar, April 2021. there was no response. tention system for classes I-IX ance that “an adequate time of Mahabalipuram among others The tourism scene will nor- Amir, a member of the associa- in the state, there was no need to 10 days will be given to all stu- are closed since March 17. malise only in September or Oc- tion, said the guides operated as conduct examinations and that dents for the preparation of ex- Agra Approved Guides Associa- tober next year, he added. freelancers and did not get fi xed all students will be promoted to ams.” tion president Sanjay Sharma told He said that the Ministry of salaries or perks or even pensions. the next classes. The Central Board of Second- IANS that just as other sectors of Tourism and Culture issues li- “The Taj Mahal is closed. If we The government, however, is ary Education (CBSE) had post- the economy had been aff ected cences to regional guides, which don’t get tourists, we won’t be yet to take a decision on the an- poned examinations in some by the coronavirus pandemic, the number from 3,500 to 4,000. cooking food in our homes,” he nual examination of 10th stand- parts of north-east and east tourism sector and those associ- Out of these, 469 are in Agra remarked. ard, known as the Secondary Delhi between February 26 and ated with it directly or indirectly alone. Amir said the association School Certifi cate (SSC) exami- March 7 in view of the safety of too had been hit hard. He said the tourism season funds were used for medical nation which began on March 19. students after violence related “The tourism sector and lasts only six months but the li- emergencies of members or to A girl covers her face as she walks with her father during a After two papers, the Telan- to Citizenship Amendment Act guides have been hit hard be- censed guides cannot not take deal with a court case. fumigation drive in a residential area in Ahmedabad yesterday. gana High Court asked the gov- spread rapidly in the area. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 15

LATIN AMERICA Argentina’s $65bn debt revamp has proven diffi cult: Guzman

tions on coupons, a three-year uters at his offi ces in downtown ing it imposed on creditors “Others have decided not to etary Fund, Guzman said. The last time Argentina had Reuters payment hiatus and push back Buenos Aires. “We are not plan- “disproportionate losses that engage and not to accept our He added that talks have been a major default, in 2001-02, it Buenos Aires maturities into the next dec- ning to change the deadline,” he are neither justified nor nec- invitations to meet,” he added. constructive with the Inter- punctuated a fi nancial crisis ade. added, without saying if that essary.” “Some creditors are already ex- national Monetary Fund over a that pushed millions of mid- Bondholders have until Fri- stance might be altered nearer Argentina’s economy minis- pressing their conformity with new deal to replace a $57bn fa- dle-class Argentines into pov- rgentina’s eff orts to con- day to respond to the proposal, the date. try said it was disappointed by the off er and there is time to cility agreed in 2018. erty and kicked off more than a vince bondholders to though three major creditor The current proposal in- the position taken by the bond- agree on a sustainable resolu- The country is in talks with decade of acrimonious lawsuits Aaccept a $65bn debt re- groups have already rejected cludes a three-year suspension holder groups, but indicated it tion with the rest of our credi- the Paris Club of country-to- by bondholders in US federal structuring proposal is proving the off er, clashing with Argen- of payments and would leave was open to counter proposals tors.” country lenders, though it will courts. tough work, the country’s econ- tina’s government, which says creditors with an average cou- if they aligned with the coun- Argentine will be flexible miss a $2.1bn payment. The current crisis is be- omy minister told Reuters, but it cannot aff ord to pay anything pon of 2.3%, compared with try’s analysis of what debt lev- to a degree as long as the re- “We are in negotiations to re- ing aggravated by the global said he had no plans to extend a more. their 7% average now. els would be sustainable. structuring respects con- schedule the Paris Club debt,” coronavirus pandemic, which Friday deadline for a deal. “We are still working to get It amounts to a steep 62% cut Guzman said Argentina had straints imposed by the gov- Guzman said. “The Paris Club is punishing even the world’s Argentina is at loggerheads both sides closer....It has prov- to interest payments. had “positive engagement with ernment’s debt sustainability has been receptive and the strongest economies. with its creditors over its pro- en diffi cult,” Martin Guzman, On Monday three creditor some creditors over the last few analysis and a separate report process for rescheduling the Argentina was in recession posal to impose large reduc- the economy minister, told Re- groups panned the deal, say- days.” from the International Mon- debt is ongoing.” before the health crisis hit. Bolsonaro picks new police chief after court clash

Reuters ecutor asked the Supreme Court Brasilia for authorisation to question the three military cabinet ministers in the investigation of alleged in- razilian President Jair Bol- terference by the president in the sonaro has picked a new federal police. Bhead of the federal police Moro could not be reached im- following a Supreme Court deci- mediately for comment. sion to block his eff ort to appoint Moro’s resignation and allega- a family friend. tions 10 days ago set off the most The new appointment serious political crisis Bolsonaro showed Bolsonaro moving has faced in offi ce, compounded quickly to install a trusted ap- by criticism for playing down a pointee to the top law enforce- coronavirus outbreak that has ment role as mounting investi- killed more than 7,000 people in gations and his lax handling of Brazil. the Covid-19 pandemic erode A record low 27% of Brazil- his popularity and feed talk of ians consider the government impeachment. “good” or “great,” while those President Nicolas Maduro, wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against Covid-19, attends a meeting of members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), at The government’s offi cial ga- considering it “bad” or “awful” Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas. zette said Bolsonaro had tapped jumped seven percentage points as federal police chief, Rolando in a week to 49%, showed a tel- Alexandre de Souza, who had ephone survey by pollster Ipespe worked as a close aide to his orig- commissioned by XP Investi- inal choice, Alexandre Ramagem, mentos. at Brazil’s intelligence agency Another survey published over Abin. the weekend, run by pollster Bolsonaro dismissed as “gos- IDEIA Big Data via mobile app, sip” accusations by former jus- showed the government’s ap- Two Americans held over tice minister Sergio Moro that proval rating fell eight percent- the president had tried to inter- age points in a week to 22% as fere in sensitive investigations by disapproval shot up to a record naming Ramagem, a friend of his 47%. sons, as top cop. Those polls, conducted from Moro, a popular fi gure in Bra- Tuesday to Thursday, suggested failed ‘invasion’: Venezuela zil’s anti-corruption eff orts who that the impact of the crisis may locked up scores of business have grown over the course of AFP US security forces. The Canadian-born Goudreau, tried to land before dawn in the leader of the ruling Socialist Party, leaders and politicians as a judge, last week, after a Monday tel- Caracas Attorney general Tarek William an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, northern coastal state of La Guaira claimed the operation was “or- testifi ed to prosecutors and po- ephone poll by veteran pollster Saab earlier told reporters that is accused of training a mercenary but were intercepted by the mili- chestrated” by the US and its Drug lice on Saturday as part of an Datafolha showed Bolsonaro’s “hired mercenaries” had signed a force to invade Venezuela that tary and special police units. Enforcement Agency (DEA), with investigation authorised by the support holding fi rm. wo Americans have been $212mn contract with Guaido us- disbanded after Colombian au- Diosdado Cabello, deputy Colombian support. Supreme Court. The far-right president came detained in Venezuela on ing funds “stolen” from state oil thorities seized a weapons ship- The former minister’s evi- under fi re again on Sunday for Tsuspicion of plotting to company PDVSA. ment meant for the group. dence against Bolsonaro includ- attacking Congress and the Su- topple President Nicolas Ma- The US — one of more than 50 Saab also shared on social me- Trump denies Maduro allegations ed recordings of conversations preme Court in a speech to hun- duro’s government, which has countries backing Guaido as Ven- dia a video of Goudreau, who with the president, a person with dreds of supporters who were accused US-backed opposition ezuela’s acting president as he now runs a private security fi rm US President Donald Trump employing mercenaries in knowledge of his deposition told calling for military rule in Brazil leader Juan Guaido of bankrolling challenges Maduro for power — called Silvercorp USA, in which yesterday denied allegations by search of excuses “to invade Reuters. and an end to coronavirus quar- the scheme. has slapped sanctions on PDVSA the former soldier claims an op- Venezuelan President Nicolas Venezuela.” Speaking outside Moro told investigators that antine measures. The arrests came a day after the and allowed Guaido to use funds eration against Maduro’s regime Maduro that Washington the White House, Trump said three army generals in Bol- Bolsonaro said at the rally out- government said it foiled an “inva- from frozen accounts belonging is ongoing. was fomenting violence he had just been informed sonaro’s cabinet, two of them side the presidential palace that sion” from the sea, killing eight as- to the fi rm’s Houston-based sub- Guaido’s press team released in his country, saying they about Venezuela’s accusations active duty offi cers and the other he had Brazil’s armed forces be- sailants and capturing two others. sidiary Citgo. a statement on Monday denying have “nothing to do with which had “nothing to do with retired, witnessed the president’s hind him and he was losing pa- Maduro appeared on state Saab said Guaido had signed a the accusations and insisting it our government.” Maduro our government.” “We’ll find pressure on the federal police and tience with “interference” in his television to show the passports contract with former US special had no agreements with private said earlier that the United out, we just heard about it...But could confi rm his accounts, said agenda. of Luke Denman, 34, and Airan forces soldier Jordan Goudreau, security fi rms. States was using the Covid-19 whatever it is, we’ll let you know. the source, requesting anonym- Yet, the defence ministry cast Berry, 41, and told the Venezue- linked in several press reports last On Sunday, Venezuela claimed pandemic to “fill Venezuela But it has nothing to do with our ity to speak freely. doubt on Bolsonaro’s claim in a lan military high command that week to an allegedly bungled at- a group travelling on speedboats with violence” and was government,” he emphasised. On Monday, Brazil’s top pros- rare statement on Monday. the pair were members of the tempt to topple Maduro. and embarking from Colombia

Brazil’s natives seek WHO Embassy attack was fund to fi ght coronavirus terrorism, says Cuba Reuters and security measures and guar- Havana antees for our diplomatic mis- Reuters The number of indigenous The government’s indige- sions,” Diaz-Canel said. Brasilia people in Brazil killed by the vi- nous aff airs agency, FUNAI, has Last week, Cuba’s Foreign rus has risen to 18, said indig- stopped Christian missionaries uba’s President Miguel Minister Bruno Rodriguez said a enous umbrella organisation from evangelizing isolated tribes Diaz-Canel called a gun dozen diplomats and workers had ndigenous leaders in Brazil APIB, though the government during the epidemic to avoid Cassault last week on its been in the embassy at the time of has asked the World Health has only offi cially reported six. contagion. embassy in Washington a “terror- the attack, which was recorded on IOrganisation (WHO) to set That is because the indigenous The appeal by indigenous ist attack”, while US court papers surveillance video. up an emergency fund to help health service Sesai only reports groups came a day after an open said the suspected gunman was Rodriguez said hostility toward protect their communities from deaths in tribal villages and not letter to Bolsonaro from dozens a psychotic Cuban emigre who Cuba by the administration of the threat of the coronavirus those of tribe members who have of international artists, musi- heard voices. US President Donald Trump fo- pandemic. moved to urban areas. cians and actors urging him to There were no injuries in the mented violence. Trump has un- Many of Brazil’s 850,000 in- By Sunday, 107 indigenous protect Brazil’s indigenous peo- attack last Thursday, but gun- ravelled a US-Cuban detente car- digenous people live in remote people in the Amazon were ple. shots riddled the facade and some ried out by his predecessor Barack Amazon areas with little access confi rmed to be infected, with Signers included artists Ai penetrated the building. Obama. to healthcare, and indigenous the majority, or 59, in the upper Weiwei and David Hockney, mu- Police arrested Alexander Ala- Before attacking the embassy, groups say the government has reaches of the Amazon river near sicians Sting and Paul McCart- zo, 42, at around 2am after he fi red Alazo fi rst tried unsuccessfully to not included the communities in the border with Colombia and ney, actors Glenn Close and Syl- an AK-47-style semi-automatic set fi re in the rain to a gasoline- national plans to fi ght the virus. Peru, APIB said. vester Stallone, and fi lm and TV rifl e 32 times at the embassy, ac- soaked Cuban fl ag. Alazo said he In a letter to WHO head Te- The Co-ordination of Indige- host Oprah Winfrey. cording to a memorandum fi led in had emigrated fi rst to Mexico in dros Adhanom Ghebreyesus they nous Organisations of the Brazilian The “extreme threat” faced by support of pretrial detention. 2003 and then to Texas in 2007 asked for help to provide person- Amazon (Coiab) has complained indigenous people in Brazil was Alazo admitted he had been claiming political asylum. al protective equipment that is about Sesai’s lack of testing and amplifi ed by invasions of pro- prescribed antipsychotic medi- In 2014, he returned to Cuba to unavailable to health workers in absence of care for people living tected tribal lands by illegal min- cation in March but did not fully preach at a church, he said, add- tribal reservations and villages. outside their traditional villages in ers, loggers and cattle ranchers, comply with the prescription, a ing he left after being threatened “It is a real emergency,” Joenia cities such as Manaus, where virus the letter warned. fact US state prosecutors argued by crime groups. Wapichana, the leader of the ap- cases have overwhelmed the hos- “These illicit activities have “strongly weighs against his re- Convinced he was being fol- peal to the WHO and the fi rst in- pital system. accelerated in recent weeks, be- lease” before trial. lowed, he travelled in 2018 to digenous woman elected to Bra- Bolsonaro’s new health min- cause the Brazilian authorities Witoto indigenous nursing assistant Vanda Ortega, 32, takes care “I must denounce the terrorist Germany and other countries to zil’s Congress, told Reuters. ister, Nelson Teich, has said pro- charged with protecting these of a patient during a healthcare visit to Parque das Tribos, an attack...and demand from the US avoid being caught, according to “Indigenous people are vul- tecting indigenous people is a lands have been immobilised by indigenous community in the suburbs of Manaus, Amazonas State, government a thorough and swift the investigators’ interview with nerable and have no protection.” priority. the pandemic,” it added. Brazil. investigation, harsh sanctions his wife, a travelling nurse. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 PAKISTAN

Pakistan concerned at workers returning Sindh orders probe coronavirus-positive

Reuters On most fl ights, around 12% Islamabad/Dubai were testing positive but on a couple of fl ights that number rose to between 40% and 50%. into doctor’s death akistan has raised con- “The hypothesis is that a lot cerns with the United Arab of the labourers live in crowded Internews confi rmed the development on put on a ventilator despite visit- because of the social stigma as- The fi rst known Covid-19 fa- PEmirates that many citi- dormitories and in those, es- Karachi Twitter on Monday night, say- ing several hospitals in the city. sociated with contracting the tality among the local medical zens were returning home from sentially, it’s easier to infect each ing that a committee had been When asked if the Sindh gov- coronavirus. community occurred in Gilgit the Gulf Arab state infected with other,” he told Reuters. formed to investigate the matter ernment was facing a shortage of Dr Bari said: “His niece works Baltistan when a young doctor, Covid-19 and that crowded liv- The UAE is home to around he Sindh government has and will submit its report “within ventilators, media co-ordinator at our hospital [Indus Hospi- Usama Riaz, succumbed to the ing conditions for workers in the 1.5mn Pakistanis, many of whom formed a committee to 24 hours”. to Health and Population Welfare tal] and she had insisted he get disease in March. UAE may be helping spread the are low-wage workers living in Tlook into the circumstanc- Dr Haq – who had recently re- Minister Meeran Yousuf had said himself admitted but he had re- Early last month, Dr Abdul virus, offi cials said yesterday. crowded housing and are now es that led to the death of Dr Fur- tired from the Karachi Institute yesterday that ventilators and fused, thinking that the news of Qadir Soomro from Sindh be- “Both (governments) are out of work and stranded due to qanul Haq – the third member of of Heart Diseases – was not ac- beds were available at CHK and his diagnosis would spread in the came the province’s fi rst Cov- working together to fi nd (an) the coronavirus crisis. the medical fraternity in Karachi tively engaged in the treatment JPMC. neighbourhood.” id-19 fatality from the medical optimal solution to this shared Repatriation fl ights began last to have fallen victim to the coro- of Covid-19 patients. “However, we’ve initiated an Dr Bari confi rmed that the de- community. concern,” ministry spokeswom- month after tens of thousands of navirus – after it was initially al- The coronavirus causes the inquiry [into the matter],” she ceased did not visit Indus Hospi- According to the report, three an Aisha Farooqi told Reuters in a Pakistanis in the UAE asked their leged that he had died because he Covid-19 respiratory disease. said. tal. healthcare workers have died WhatsApp message. government to be fl own home. could not be provided a ventila- According to Pakistan Medical On the other hand, Indus Hos- According to data from April from the virus in Sindh, two in A UAE foreign ministry of- Around 60,000 Pakistanis tor in time. Association (PMA) secretary- pital chief executive Dr Abdul 30, at least eight healthcare Gilgit Baltistan, and one each fi cial later said the government have so far registered to return Sindh government spokes- general Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Dr Haq Bari claimed that Dr Haq had de- workers have died from the coro- in Baluchistan, Khyber Pa- “completely rejects this version from the UAE, according to Paki- man Senator Murtaza Wahab died on Sunday after failing to be layed seeking medical treatment navirus so far in Pakistan. khtunkhwa, and Islamabad. of events”. stan’s consulate in Dubai. “Everyone on UAE repatria- Yusuf said that balancing the tion fl ights has been tested be- needs of the 100,000 citizens fore departure, and those found globally who had registered as to be infected were not allowed wanting to return home with Patient undergoing plasma therapy to travel,” Assistant Undersecre- preventing the spread of the vi- tary for Consular Aff airs Khalid rus was a challenge. al-Mazrouei told Reuters. The government is testing The offi cial did not address Is- every passenger on arrival and lamabad’s concerns about living quarantining them if necessary, trial showing improvement: offi cial conditions. meaning it could currently only Moeed Yusuf, Special Assist- bring home around 8,000 citi- ant to Pakistan’s Prime Minister zens per week. on National Security, said the “We’re not going to compro- Internews if it is administered properly and cent plasma for the treatment of healthy Covid-19 patients, which a vaccine to treat infectious dis- number of people returning from mise on safety but we’re facili- Islamabad in the right circumstances. Covid-19 patients at three of the is rich in coronavirus antibodies, eases, he added. the UAE and testing positive was tating people as much as we can,” Dr Shahid Junejo, medical su- province’s hospitals,” said NIBD can reduce the viral load in the “We believe that with the “higher than we were hoping”. he said. perintendent at the Civil Hos- head Prof Dr Tahir Shamsi. bodies of infected patients and transfusion of convalescent plas- coronavirus patient at the pital, said that the patient on “We are now going to select help them recover faster.” ma of healthy Covid-19 patients Civil Hospital in Paki- whom the therapy was trialled 350 Covid-19 patients under Dr Shamsi said the technique to active patients, viral load in Astan’s southern Hydera- has shown improvement. treatment at nine health facilities is used when there is a high risk the bodies of the patients would bad district has shown improve- “The decision for the trial was in the country and start clinical of infection and insuffi cient time reduce to an extent where they Pakistanis stranded ment after being given plasma taken after consultation with the trials of convalescent plasma on for the body to develop its own would not require the support of therapy, a senior offi cial at the vice-chancellor of the Liaquat them,” said the eminent haema- immune response or to reduce ventilator and they would recov- health facility said. University of Medical and Health tologist. the symptoms of ongoing or im- er from the disease.” in India return via The Sindh Health Department Sciences Jamshoro, Prof Bikha Dr Shamsi said that the Drug munosuppressive diseases. He said these trials would also on Thursday had allowed three Ram Devrajani,” he said. Regulatory Authority of Pakistan “A team of health experts in- be conducted at the Hayatabad hospitals in the province – two “Patient’s pulse rate and oxy- (DRAP) had allowed medical pro- cluding haematologists, infec- Medical Complex in Peshawar, Wagah crossing in Karachi and one in Hydera- gen saturation are normal after fessionals to start clinical trials of tious disease specialists, inten- the Shaikh Zayed Hospital in bad – to start experimental use the procedure,” Dr Junejo added. the use of convalescent plasma in sivists (or ICU specialists) and a Quetta, the Pakistan Institute of of Covid-19 convalescent plasma The three health facilities that the country. representative of the Sindh Blood Medical Sciences in Islamabad, Internews nine from Mumbai, Delhi, Raipur for the treatment of patients who have been allowed by the provin- Following that, he added, the Transfusion Authority will su- the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hos- Islamabad and Jaipur, 12 from Ahmedabad, are infected with the novel coro- cial government to start clinical health departments of Punjab, pervise the clinical trials at the pital in Rawalpindi, and Lahore’s 33 from Madhya Pradesh, and 49 navirus and are showing moder- trials are the Dr Ruth KM Pfau KP, Baluchistan and Sindh had three hospitals.” Pakistan Kidney and Liver Insti- from Nagpur. ate to severe symptoms. Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), the allowed use of the technique, also He said that mainly patients tute and Postgraduate Medical ome 190 Pakistani citizens, Earlier this month, around 41 Convalescent plasma is taken National Institute of Blood Dis- known as passive immunisation, undergoing treatment at the Institute. stranded in India after the Pakistanis returned home via the from the blood of patients who eases (NIBD), and Hyderabad’s to treat patients infected with CHK in Karachi and the Liaquat Dr Shamsi said healthy Cov- Soutbreak of the novel coro- Wagah border in the fi rst phase. have already recovered from the Liaquat University Hospital. Covid-19. University Hospital in Hydera- id-19 patients who have tested navirus, were repatriated via the The returnees thanked both disease; in this case, Covid-19. “Following Punjab, Balu- “Our aim is to prevent Cov- bad would be given convalescent negative twice can donate their Wagah border crossing yester- the Indian and Pakistani govern- The Covid-19 disease is caused chistan, and Khyber Pa- id-19 patients under treatment plasma with the hope of recovery blood for plasma extraction af- day. ments for ensuring their return by the coronavirus. khtunkhwa (KP), the Sindh at diff erent hospitals from go- from Covid-19. ter two weeks of recovery, adding The stranded Pakistani na- to their home country. It is rich in antibodies and can Health Department has also al- ing onto life support. We believe Passive immunisation is an old that with one donation, they can tionals, including women and Ehsan Ahmed, a repatriated help other patients recover faster lowed clinical trials of convales- convalescent plasma taken from technique used in the absence of treat two such patients. children, were screened and citizen, had shared that he had transferred to quarantine centres gone to India on March 12 and Rawalpindi food in Lahore upon their arrival in was expected to return by March Back in business Pakistan. 19. street okay to start The purpose of their trip to In- However, he could not return home delivery dia pertained to visiting family, due to the lockdown. seeking medical treatment, and “I will appeal to all the Paki- The traditional food street of attending religious ceremonies. stanis stranded in India to re- Rawalpindi, Kartarpura started Several Pakistanis had reached main confi ned to their homes delivery and takeaway services the border crossing on Monday and virtually remain in contact after weeks-long lockdown. evening, but were sent back by with the Pakistan High Com- The Association of Rawalpindi India’s Border Security Force mission. The Pakistan embassy Hotels and Restaurants (BSF) and spent the night in Am- is making eff orts for the return of announced that after their ritsar. all Pakistanis,” he said. successful meetings with Later, they arrived at the bor- Amtal Basit had also thanked the district administration der in diff erent groups. both the governments for her of Rawalpindi, the latter had One Pakistani national arrived safe return and appealed to oth- allowed the eateries to resume each from Burhanpur, Jodhpur ers stranded in India to follow takeaway and home delivery and Ludhiana, two from Kolkata, the government’s directives and services, subject to fulfillment of three each from Agra, Raebareli, remain confi ned to their homes. precautionary measures. Rampur, Kaushambi, Kohlapur, Many of the returnees were Mohamed Farooq Chaudhry, Kota and Ferozepur, four from reportedly quarantined in vari- the general secretary of the Gurugram, fi ve from Lucknow ous cities and screened at Attari association, said that the and Bhopal, six each from Bijnor before being allowed to cross the district administration had been and Anand, seven from Jalgaon, Wagah border. approached to ease the lockdown for restaurants. Authorities establishing quarantine He said that over 800 hotels and restaurants were ready to give centres at three border crossings an undertaking to the district administration to ensure proper The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is establishing hygiene and safety measures. quarantine centres at Taftan, Chaman and Torkham border crossings, According to him, people of with a combined capacity of 1,200 rooms. the twin cities, especially those According to an NDMA spokesperson, a quarantine centre of 600 belonging to remote areas of rooms is being established at Taftan, while the centres at Chaman and other parts of the country, were Torkham will have 300 rooms each. facing diff iculties to getting food He said the quarantine facility at Torkham has been completed and during Sehar and Iftar times. handed over to the local administration. Earlier, a delegation of the association, comprising patron Lockdown extended in Baluchistan Sheikh Abdul Waheed, president Sain Mohamed Ijaz Malik, general Baluchistan has extended the ongoing lockdown for 15 more days in secretary Chaudhry Farooq, and view of the mounting coronavirus cases across the province. vice-presidents Sheikh Munir Baluchistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that the and Saleem Raza met Rawalpindi coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate and in order to stem it, Deputy Commissioner Captain eff ective measures such as social distancing and isolation should be (retired) Anwarul Haq. practised. They apprised the off icial of the He said the government is extending the lockdown until May 19. issues faced by local hotels and The crowded Raja Bazar in Rawalpindi is seen during the government-imposed nationwide lockdown. The Baluchistan government had earlier warned that it would extend restaurants. the lockdown due to the rise in cases.

Emergency services on alert in Karachi Pakistani authorities have placed emergency services on high alert as the country’s most populous city braces for a heatwave, off icials One injured in mosque explosion in northwest said yesterday. The meteorological department warned that temperatures were expected to hit between 40-42° Celsius in the port city of Karachi, Internews edly worked as a caretaker at the offi cials arrived at the site of the elected from the district, An- and conduct a high-level inves- which has a population of 20mn people. Peshawar imambargah, has been moved to explosion and cordoned off the juman-e-Hussainia Parachinar tigation. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has imposed a state of a local hospital. area, he said, adding that inves- secretary Haji Sardar Hussain On Sunday, Khyber Pa- emergency so that hospitals can cope with the heatwave, which is The building of the mosque tigation of the incident was un- and Tehreek-e-Hussainia leader khtunkhwa’s Bomb Disposal Unit set to continue until Friday. t least one man was in- collapsed from the impact of the derway. Yousuf Hussain condemned the defused an improvised explosive However, meteorological off ice spokesperson Sardar Sarfraz said jured in a blast in an explosion. The nature of the blast has yet incident, saying that “terrorists device in Dabar area of Mamond that while the temperature is rising, the expectation is of a moderate Aimambargah in Lower According to Yaqoob khan, to be confi rmed, though police were trying to sabotage the peace tehsil. heatwave. Kurram’s Shoorki area near the a local police control offi cial, suspect explosive material had established by the sacrifi ces of In January this year, nine peo- In 2015, more than 2,000 people died in Karachi when a heatwave Pak-Afghan border yesterday, the blast occurred at 4am in the been planted at the mosque. security forces”. ple were injured in a hand gre- struck the city during the month of Ramadan. area police said. morning. Member of the National As- They demanded the govern- nade attack near the Karkhano The injured man, who report- Police and law enforcement sembly Sajid Toori, who was ment to rebuild the imambargah police checkpost in Peshawar. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 17 PHILIPPINES

First Telecom commission orders top ‘mega swabbing broadcaster to halt operations centre’

AFP Manila opens

he Philippines’ top By John E Mendoza broadcaster ABS-CBN Manila Times Twas forced off air yes- terday over a stalled operating licence renewal, drawing fresh he fi rst mega swabbing accusations that the authori- centre opened in Manila ties are cracking down on press Tyesterday, in line with the freedom. government’s bid for targeted Since running afoul of Presi- mass testing of individuals who dent Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, may be infected with the coro- ABS-CBN has seen proposals to navirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). extend its franchise languish in Health Secretary Francisco Congress as the leader repeat- Duque 3rd, Secretary Carlito edly attacked the conglomerate Galvez, National Action Plan in speeches. Against Covid-19 chief imple- Duterte is notorious for tan- menter; and Secretary Vince Di- gling with media outlets critical zon, deputy chief implementer of his policies, sparking concern were present at the swabbing that press freedoms have been facility in Palacio de Manila on eroded in the Philippines. Roxas Boulevard. “It’s painful for us that we are Three more swab centres — being shut down, but it’s also Enderrun Colleges in Taguig painful for millions of our coun- City, Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay trymen who believe that our City, and the Philippine Arena in service is important to them,” Bulacan — will be opened to the chairman Mark Lopez told public within the week. viewers just before the main These mega facilities can do channel went dark. 5,000 confi rmatory tests a day Outside the company’s using the reverse transcriptase broadcast compound, a handful polymerase chain reaction (RT- of supporters waved placards PCR) kits, which the Depart- against a backdrop of burning ment of Health considers as the candles. Workers of ABS-CBN and members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines rally to show support for the broadcaster in Manila, yesterday. “gold standard” for testing pa- ABS-CBN’s 25-year licence tients. expired on Monday, but offi cials Pressure groups said the Butch Olano said the move has yet to rule on the case, Cali- The DoH said these kits could had previously given assurances shutdown order was an assault was “especially reckless as the da warned it would be unlawful detect the actual virus known as the radio, TV and Internet gi- on the right to free speech, as country deals with the Cov- for the broadcaster to operate SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute res- ant would be allowed to operate the conglomerate broadcasts id-19 pandemic”. after its licence expired. piratory syndrome coronavirus provisionally. news coverage watched by mil- “This is a dark day for me- Several major media outlets 2). This is unlike the rapid test However, the National Tele- lions daily. dia freedom in the Philippines, have suff ered the consequences kits, which only detect the pa- communications Commission’s The shutdown also comes as reminiscent of martial law when after battling Duterte. tient’s antibodies. cease-and-desist order yes- the nation battles to contain the the dictatorship seized control Journalist Maria Ressa faces It said since the body takes terday cited the expiration and coronavirus pandemic and an over news agencies.” years behind bars, after pub- time to develop antibodies, an said the outfi t’s operators would accompanying fl ood of online It appeared the broadcaster lishing critical stories on her infected patient using the rapid have to appeal for a return to the disinformation. would get its renewal after pub- website Rappler — which is now test kit may yield a negative re- airwaves. “This is a very serious blow licly apologising to Duterte ear- also battling a government clo- sult. Early in his term, Duterte ac- to press freedom in the Philip- lier this year. sure eff ort. A false positive result may also cused the network of failing to pines,” said Carlos Conde of However, government lawyer Both Rappler and ABS-CBN happen when there is “a cross broadcast his 2016 campaign Human Rights Watch. “It’s hard Jose Calida had fi led a legal case are accused of violating a con- reaction” with other bacteria or advertisements and not re- to think that Duterte doesn’t that sought ABS-CBN’s imme- stitutional ban on foreign own- Security guards stand outside the headquarters of ABS-CBN viruses. turning the payments made for have anything to do with this.” diate closure. ership of mass media outlets, network following government orders to cease its operations, in So far, the country has con- them. Amnesty International’s Although the Supreme Court allegations they deny. Quezon City, Metro Manila, yesterday. ducted 126,164 RT-PCR tests. Relief goods distribution Duterte apologises to Army soldiers join volunteers in distributing relief goods tycoons over comments to residents at Bagong Silangan in Quezon City, Reuters 8.5% while subsidiary Manila amid the Manila Water Co Inc spiked up to 13.2% extended and infrastructure conglomer- community ate Metro Pacifi c rose as much quarantine to hilippine President Rodri- as 11.6%, all outpacing the 1.8% curb Covid-19. go Duterte has apologised uptick of the broader index. Pfor his “hurting words” Duterte had criticised con- about two tycoons whom he tracts of Manila Water and Metro openly dislikes, responding to Pacifi c’s Maynilad Water “oner- their help in fi ghting the corona- ous and disadvantageous” to the virus by off ering an olive branch public and threatened to strip to settle a costly regulatory row. them of their concessions. Shares in conglomerates Ay- His public barbs since Decem- ala Corp and Metro Pacifi c In- ber have caused big share price vestments Corp, owners of the Duterte: expressing regret losses for the companies, and country’s two largest water dis- rattled investors already wary tributors, climbed yesterday fol- Between them, their fi rms about regulatory risks from Du- lowing the president’s late night have a telecoms duopoly and terte’s notorious volatility and apology. major interests in real estate, his infl uence over courts and Contact tracing apps emerge as potent tool “So maybe there will be a lot retail, renewable energy, health- Congress. of legal issues but we can talk. I care, power, education and in- The companies’ concessions, am ready to talk and I would be frastructure. which allow them to service By Jan Arcilla in contact with an infected in- Asian countries have deployed The online platform was de- reasonable,” Duterte said during The Philippines was among a combined 16mn customers Manila Times dividual. or have made proposals for signed for use by medical front- a televised speech. the fi rst countries to enforce mostly in the capital, will expire Contact tracing refers to the tech-assisted contact tracing liners, local government units, “My hurtful words to the strict home quarantine measures in 2022 but are subject to a 15- act of tracking down potential measures. private companies, as well as Ayalas and to (Manuel) Pangil- against coronavirus. The capital, year extension under review. ontact tracing mobile virus carriers, isolating them In the Philippines, there are the national government. inan, I apologise for the hurting Manila, and several other ur- In a statement, Ayala’s top applications are emerg- and preventing them from con- apps and online platforms that The Philippine Red Cross words,” he said, adding that the ban centres have been under a executives welcomed Duterte’s Cing as a powerful tool in tinuing the virus chain. can perform contact tracing. (PRC) launched its RC143 mo- novel coronavirus outbreak had strict lockdown for nearly seven comments, committing to help fi ghting the coronavirus disease Traditionally, contact tracing The government’s National bile app, named after the Red humbled him. weeks. the government to save lives and 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. is labour-intensive and may not Task Force Against Covid-19 Cross’ community-based vol- During his four years in offi ce, Private fi rms have donated gradually put the country back A number of contact trac- be viable in areas where there is has partnered with software unteer programme, which Duterte has repeatedly lashed much-needed protective gear on a growth path. ing apps and online platforms a high community transmission solutions company MultiSys uses wireless, geolocation and out at Pangilinan and the Ayala and other supplies to hospitals Pangilinan also welcomed available now can complement rate. to launch StaySafe.ph for real- sensory capabilities of mobile family for numerous reasons. and the public, plugging some Duterte’s remarks, saying his eff orts to track down and moni- France, Israel, Germany, Sin- time tracking of suspected and phones to trace contact events The billionaires typically do gaps in government eff orts. group was willing to work with tor people who may have been gapore, South Korea and other confi rmed Covid cases. between people. not comment on his remarks. Ayala Corp rose as much as the government. Education agency proposes fl exible college reopening

By Franz Lewin Embudo do a rolling opening of classes,” offline activities.The CHEd lent” in higher education insti- universities were redesign- Manila Times CHEd chairman J Prospero de chief said schools could decide tutions than in K to 12 schools. ing their syllabi and adjusting Vera 3rd said in a television in- when to open classes based on He said there were schools schedules for flexible learning. terview. the situation in their localities, that have been doing flexible De Vera said the commission he Commission on Higher De Vera said universities that their discussions with local learning systems even before would roll out a massive train- Education (CHEd) has were ready to implement flex- governments and the compli- the pandemic, and these uni- ing programme for teachers on Trecommended the imple- ible learning systems could ance with health protocols. versities could start classes un- how to do flexible learning this mentation of a fl exible system open classes in August while “When we design the open- der the “new normal.” month. for the reopening of classes of those faced with “difficulties” ing of classes, we must serious- Mapua University, Ateneo “We are also helping the colleges and universities in the could start in September or ly discuss with private univer- de Manila University, De La universities. We are discussing country for year 2020-2021. even later. sities and capacitate them on Salle University, the University with them how to set up their “I have submitted the position Under a flexible learning how to go about flexible learn- of Sto. Tomas and the Univer- learning management system,” of the Commission to the IATF system, schools adjust the ing,” he said. sity of the Philippines Open he said. (Inter-Agency Task Force for the learning process based on the De Vera said the existing University already used online The CHEd chief noted that Management of Emerging Infec- location of the students and practices on flexible learning, learning before the enhanced the aim of the flexible learn- tious Diseases) last week and the the structure of the learning including online learning, was community quarantine. ing system was to decongest Prospero de Vera: seeking flexibility position of the Commission is to system. It includes online and “more practiced and preva- The CHEd chief said other schools. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES The ‘S’ of ESG investing in focus amid virus fi ght

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, ESG-focused investors are increasingly seen judging companies on their coronavirus response. In a wider sense, the three pillars of the ESG investing have never been equals. The “E,” for environmental, has dominated the “S” for social and “G” for governance, refl ecting concerns about climate change. But the pandemic has given the “S” a big boost, with social bonds becoming the fastest-growing part of sustainable Qatar Digital Library sheds light on fi rst fi nance. It’s prompted some ESG investors to redirect their eff orts from climate toward social issues. A group of more than 300 investors representing over communications revolution in the Gulf $8.4tn in assets recently urged businesses to take steps to protect their workers and communities from the impact of the virus, including providing workers with paid leave and Documents in Qatar In November 1869, a cable ship get 378 hits across 134 documents. If the way scholars and students research arrived in the Gulf to begin laying a we focus on just 1862, we get 101 hits the history of the Gulf region. It has avoiding layoff s. Digital Library show the telegraph cable from Jask in eastern across 35 records. The QDL, just like become their fi rst port of call, enabling As investors zero in on social, they’ll likely focus in the expansion of electric Persia to Bombay in India. In an undated the telegraph itself, saves its users them to fi nd in seconds what used to take short-term on what Covid-19 relief companies are providing telegraphy through the letter on the QDL, Pelly reported on time: taking just minutes what would them weeks, months or even years. It is for communities, consumers and other stakeholders, the construction of a large telegraph have taken months. Indeed, the QDL making the past more accessible than Gulf in the 1860s station at Jask. A photograph of this can be viewed as part of the same ever, leading to a sharp increase in the according Kara Mangone, chief operating offi cer of Goldman impressive-looking station, dating from communications revolution started by number of exciting new historical studies Sachs Group’s sustainable fi nance group. Over the longer Doha around 1870, can be seen elsewhere on the telegraph 160 years ago. Where the on the Gulf—the least-studied region in term, investors will ask questions about companies’ process the QDL. telegraph once connected people in the the Middle East.” and oversight, as well as how the board is engaged on these While there were some setbacks, Gulf with Britain and India, now the Learn more about this topic on the he Gulf region is one of the the new telegraph line through the QDL connects people everywhere with QDL by visiting: https://www.qdl.qa/ topics, she said. world’s oldest crossroads of Gulf was a huge success. It enabled historical records on the Gulf in Britain en/telegraphy-gulf%E2%80%99s- Even before the pandemic, global trade and cross-cultural people in Britain and British India to and, eventually, India as well.” most-admired-means- Social bonds there’s been a growing focus Texchange. Geographically, it communicate with each other in days Dr Onley added: “The QDL is changing communication-1860s among ESG investors on how is a natural maritime highway between instead of months, while people in the have become the Middle East and South Asia, Gulf were able to communicate with companies treat their workers and beyond. Historically, trade and India within hours instead of weeks. Qatar National Library the fastest- and how they benefi t society. communication between the Gulf and Since the telegraph was commercial, The risk of brand damage for South Asia was slow, subject to the merchants could use it as well, helping Qatar National Library acts as a Library on 16 April 2018. The Library growing part companies seen as engaging monsoon winds in the days of sail. to greatly expand trade between the steward of Qatar’s national heritage was granted the status of national Today, of course, communication Gulf and India. in anti-social behaviour has by collecting, preserving and making library under the Amiri Decree No 11 of of sustainable between the Gulf and the rest of the Dr James Onley, Director of Historical available the country’s recorded 20 March 2018. also increased. world is instant, measured in seconds Research and Partnerships at Qatar history. The Library provides equal Website: www.qnl.qa fi nance amid The common notion that instead of months. Most people would National Library, says: “Users of the access to all types of information and The Library’s e-newsletter: http://qnl. underpins social investing assume that the instant communication QDL will be amazed at the wealth of services and aims to enable the people qa/programs-and-services/subscribe- the pandemic revolution in the Gulf happened in the material available from the British of Qatar to positively influence society qnl-newsletter is that capitalism has mid-20th century with the introduction Library, which houses the world’s single by creating an exceptional learning Twitter: @QNLib obligations that go beyond shareholders and return on of telephones, but it actually began a most important archival collection on and discovery environment. Instagram: QatarNationalLibrary equity. Investors and companies also need to consider their hundred years before, with the Gulf’s the Gulf region. A search for ‘telegraph’ His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Snapchat: Qnlib impact on customers, employees, local communities and fi rst electric telegraph. Now, thanks to on the QDL will produce over 51,000 Hamad al-Thani, the Amir of Qatar, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQa- the painstaking work of archivists and hits across 4,562 records. If we narrow officially inaugurated Qatar National tarNationalLibrary society in general. historians working on the Qatar Digital our results down to the 1860s, we ESG investing accounts for concerns from gender equality Library (QDL), new light is being shed to worker rights to new ways to provide funding to charities on this little-understood episode in working in poor countries. What was once a fringe approach Gulf history. Long-distance communication has now seen big investors, with KKR, Vanguard Asset through various forms of telegraphy Management and Columbia Threadneedle Investments, (beacons, drums, fl ags) has been creating funds focused on social concerns. practised for over 2,000 years, but it A recent analysis by Moody’s Investors Service suggested was not until the start of the Victorian Era, in 1837, that the fi rst commercial social considerations posed “high credit risk” to $8tn of debt electric telegraph appeared, in Britain. that it assesses. Moody’s is now paying more attention to Refi nements to the system continued environmental and social issues when assessing companies’ until, by the 1850s, its value was well- risk as the fi nancial impact becomes clearer. established. Then, in the 1860s, Britain sought to build a commercial telegraph Even before the pandemic, impact investing (to fund a line all the way to its most important particular project with social goals) was a fast-growing colony, British India. As a result, the sector, with over $500bn in assets globally at the end of Gulf became one of the most important 2018, according to the Global Impact Investing Network. communication corridors of the British Empire. It remains only a fraction of the more than $30tn of funds A series of historical documents held allocated toward ESG strategies, though. by the British Library and now available Issuance of securities to fund projects with positive social on the QDL reveal how the proposal to benefi ts are already taking off in the Asia-Pacifi c region, extend Britain’s telegraph line through the Gulf was fi rst made in May 1860. reaching $5.2bn so far this year, or nearly 90% of the total in That month, John Wortley de la More, 2019, according to BloombergNEF data. an entrepreneur in the telegraph Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s industry, outlined his plans to extend The handwritten agreement in Arabic and English, signed in November 1864, permitting the telegraph cable to be laid through the Ras Musandam Peninsula and potentially Bandar Abbas. biggest retirement fund, and the Asian Development Bank the existing lines further through Persia and the Gulf by establishing a link have both said they are increasing holdings of ESG assets. fi rst from Baghdad to Basra, and then More than 1,500 investment managers have signed up to from Basra to Karachi, British India’s the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the ESG westernmost port (in modern-day sector is now the fastest-growing part of the market. Pakistan). The ambitious plan was outlined in a letter to British India’s Political Resident in the Gulf, Sir Lewis Pelly. To Advertise Another 61 records document the plan’s implementation between 1862 [email protected] and 1864, carried out by cable ships, Display which laid a 2,000-km underwater telegraph cable from Basra to Karachi. 44466621 44418811 One of these records gives details of Pelly’s negotiations with the Sultan Classified of Muscat, ThuwaynI bin Sa id Al Bu 44466609 44418811 Sa id, which resulted in a fascinating handwritten agreement in Arabic and Subscription English, signed in November 1864, permitting the telegraph cable to be laid [email protected] through the Ras Musandam Peninsula and potentially Bandar Abbas (the latter being leased to the Sultan at the time by © 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved the Shah of Persia). A photograph, dating from around 1870, of the telegraph station at Jask. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 6, 2020 19 COMMENT Can a conference have a digital twin?

By Dr Milena not guaranteed to capture all aff ected Dobreva-McPherson, activities of the academic communities Associate Professor, UCL accurately, even as an indicative Qatar representation, it is surprising to note that only a small proportion of academic events are being adapted so he Covid-19 they can be held online. pandemic So why are online academic events has played still an exception rather than a rule? Ta major role For the time being, we do not have a in boosting digital transformations in systematic answer, but there is some various sectors. If we were asked before anecdotal evidence about online the pandemic whether we lived in a academic conference experiences. digital society, most of us would have The usual form of online delivery is agreed. But this uncommon situation to use videoconferencing or webcasting has demonstrated how we can immerse applications such as Zoom, WebEx, or ourselves into the digital world even Adobe Connect. However, besides the further. Besides multiple businesses, the costs and security factors, emerging education, research and culture sectors issues around participation show that have had to rethink their operations and the academic community across various quickly establish what those working on disciplines still needs to gain more digital transformations would call digital experience of using videoconferencing Fluctuation in interest on the day of delivery (21 April) – it is interesting to see how twins. tools. Similarly, if a conference requires the retweets grow later in the day (screenshot from followerwonk) Geographic spread of mentions (screen capture from Tweetonomy) A digital twin is a replica of a the presenters to pre-record their physical phenomenon or entity and its research papers, this involves another While keeping these factors in mind, choice. Each paper was presented as behaviour in the physical world. First set of fi lming and editing skills that UCL Qatar was challenged to choose a thread of 8-12 tweets, prepared by established back in 2003, digital twins not everyone has, and tools that not an innovative way to deliver the 24th the authors and sent to the host in were used for various manufacturing everyone has access to. International Conference on Electronic advance. The tweets could feature up situations, to better understand city The growing videoconferencing Publishing (ElPub 2020). ElPub 2020 to four images or small videos. For ease infrastructures and support smart cities’ fatigue reported a few weeks after attracts communities of academics, of access, the tweets were shared from environments. Having a digital twin social isolation began is another students, practitioners, activists and the conference account; this allowed helps to better understand the physical contributing factor to the diffi culties policymakers interested in all aspects for exchange of thought to be more entity and to identify possible functional associated with switching to online related to digital communication. The focused, allowing contributions to be improvements. With the pandemic delivery; especially as online events conference is a strong supporter of highlighted more effi ciently and to a restricting people to their homes around bring together participants from debates around Open Access, Open wider audience. the world, we had to suddenly create multiple timezones. Additionally, it Science, and the digital divide. Due to Adapting the conference to the digital twins, not only as instruments can be diffi cult to get to grips with the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was current situation instead of simply which help us to understand physical using multiple videoconferencing delivered as a hybrid online conference cancelling the event demonstrated the phenomena, but as rapid temporary tools, which all have diff erent systems combining videos of four keynote talks exceptional commitment of UCL Qatar replacements of them. and user experiences. And trying to with a more unconventional delivery of to sustain the continuity of this long- One area which did not adapt remember how to operate the chat twenty papers through Twitter. standing series of conferences. quickly to this change was the delivery function for a less familiar tool can We had participants from Australia, We can expect that more events will of academic events. Wikipedia be even more challenging when a Asia, Europe, South and North experiment with diff erent types of already maintains a page on essential conference is taking place live and you America; starting with a session led digital delivery in the future. Similar events which have been aff ected by are trying to follow the content. by contributions from Australia, and to other activities, the discovery Screen capture from Twitter Analytics – conference account had 92.8K impres- the pandemic. This page lists over Last but not least, the growing moving on to contributions from that a digital twin can be applied to sions, 287 mentions, 91 new followers. 60 conferences which have been dependence on Internet bandwidth USA, Brazil and others. We grouped conferences successfully and help cancelled, over 20 events that have for online events impacts participants’ the papers in sessions, each focussing to engage bigger audiences, is likely other major events in 2020. The 5th Cultural Heritage Institutions been postponed and some 9 scientifi c experiences, as advanced access to the on a specifi c topic, which allowed to lead to a wider spread of online Annual Forum of the Qatar Library in Europe event and the 2nd fora which have been transformed internet diff ers in various parts of the participants from various time zones conferences in the future. and Information Association, the International Conference on Museum into online events. While this page is world. to attend based on their topic of UCL Qatar is planning three Bridging the Digital Divide of Smaller Big Data (MBD2).

Business leaders commit to a clean economic recovery Three-day forecast luxury goods and raw materials. We processes. They reduce waste and strategies and sector-specifi c targets that TODAY By Bertrand Piccard Maximum Temperature : 370c Lausanne manage fi nancial products, build new pollution, and streamline recycling. will drive the necessary investments. infrastructure, and provide clean As assets that are both clean and Moreover, we want all legal or legislative Minimum Temperature : 260c energy. Our activities help people to profi table, they are a key engine frameworks to avoid distortion of THURSDAY he Covid-19 crisis is far from feed and clothe themselves and their of qualitative, rather than merely competition between market actors Maximum Temperature : 350c over. Yet, even as people families, stay warm, travel, and pursue quantitative, economic growth. who are part of the solution and those Minimum Temperature : 260c continue to transmit the the lives they want to lead. With clean technologies, we can who continue to act as if there was no FRIDAY Tcoronavirus and the death toll As major economic and industrial create an entirely new economic system environmental crisis at all. Maximum Temperature : 360c mounts remorselessly, pressure for a players, we are fully aware of our role in which consumption is improved even Though it is a terrible tragedy, the Minimum Temperature : 260c return to normal is already growing in in society, and we will do everything as we consume less. Environmentalists’ pandemic can serve as an opportunity Fisherman's forecast some quarters. we can to build a better post- interests would no longer be pitted to rebuild on a new, more sustainable The immediate question is what pandemic world – cleaner, fairer, against those of the major industrial footing. The Solar Impulse Foundation normal even means. After all, the more sustainable, more effi cient, and players. Instead, we would all be and its partners are committed to WARNING global economy was built on a fragile, more respectful of biodiversity and focused on the same goals: to create doing precisely that, and we urge Inshore : Nil unsustainable, and unequal basis the climate. Though the Covid-19 good jobs, support social welfare, governments and the rest of the and could hardly be called normal. crisis is hitting us as hard as anyone and improve the quality of life on this business community to join us. - Offshore : Nil

A tenuous political, ecological, and else, we remain committed to meeting planet. Project Syndicate WEATHER socioeconomic system that was already our emissions-reduction targets and In the case of the Covid-19 crisis, (This commentary is co-authored by Inshore : Hot daytime with existentially threatened by climate ushering in a circular economy, by some commentators have welcomed the following Solar Impulse Foundation scattered clouds and a chance of rain at some change has now been brought low by a promoting sustainable and aff ordable the halt to human activities, insofar partners: Bernard Arnault, Chairman places and mild by microscopic nemesis. Is that really the food, renewable energies, and fair- as this has reduced pollution and and CEO, LVMH; Pierre-Etienne night. type of society we want to see emerge trade products. greenhouse-gas emissions. But this Bindschedler, CEO, SOPREMA; Jean- WIND Inshore : Southeasterly-North- from this crisis? We will do this with clean is no cause for celebration. Millions Laurent Bonnafé, Director and CEO, easterly 05-15 KT Imagine, instead, that the Covid-19 technologies whose development will suff er through the downturn. BNP Paribas; Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, crisis does pave the way to a new world. the Solar Impulse Foundation has The current situation demonstrates Chairman of the Board of Directors, Offshore : Southeasterly-North- What might it look like? Commentaries been supporting through its 1000 precisely how fragile the prevailing ENGIE; Ilham Kadri, CEO, Chairman easterly 03-12/18 KT and analyses proposing what should Solutions Challenge for several years economic model has become, and it of Executive Committee, Solvay; Visibility : 4-8 KM come next are everywhere. But simply now. Regardless of what sector one increases the urgency of creating a Georges Kern, CEO, Breitling; Florent calling for change won’t make it operates in – from water, energy, system in which economic interests go Menegaux, Chief Executive Offi cer, Offshore : 1-3/5 FT happen. That is why the Solar Impulse and infrastructure to transportation, hand in hand with those of the planet. Michelin and President, Movin’On; Around the region Foundation and its corporate partners manufacturing, and agriculture – Some companies have already begun Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO, Air Weather are committing to implementing innovations are emerging to ensure to use the technologies needed to do Liquide; Anne Rigail, CEO, Air France; Weather tomorrow concrete solutions ourselves. sustainability. this. But adoption must become more Mark Schneider, CEO, Nestlé; Markus today Max/min Max/min Baghdad Sunny All told, the Foundation’s partners Our commitment is not just to widespread, so that clean tech becomes Steilemann, CEO, Covestro; and Jean- Cloudy 28/18 32/18 Kuwait City Sunny account for more than one million jobs the planet, but also to the economy. the new normal to which we return Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO, Sunny 36/23 33/23 Manama Cloudy worldwide, as well as a considerable Today’s clean technologies are when the pandemic threat has passed. Schneider Electric). P Cloudy 37/27 31/27 Muscat Sunny share of the global economy. We increasingly good for business. They To that end, we are calling on all Sunny 36/31 38/32 Tehran P Cloudy produce everything from critical furnish us with less costly renewable governments to implement ambitious z Bertrand Piccard is Chairman of Cloudy 27/14 23/13 health-care equipment to basic and energy and more effi cient industrial environmental policies, off ering clear the Solar Impulse Foundation. Live issues Virus detectives tracking Covid-19 to its genetic origins

Avicenne and Jean-Verdier hospitals in disease, including loss of taste and smell. Imperial College, said all of the very AFP Around the world Paris Paris found one positive Covid-19 case But her tests have been inconclusive. earliest genetic sequences of the virus — a 42-year-old French resident who Other countries are discovering they collected in Wuhan in December Weather Weather had not visited China. may have had earlier infections. and January “have almost identical today Max/min tomorrow Max/min hina reported its fi rst cases He was hospitalised on December 27. In the United States, autopsies genomes”. Athens P Cloudy 27/14 P Cloudy 20/12 of the new coronavirus in Olivier Bouchaud, head of the performed on suspicious deaths in He said estimates of the dates of these Beirut Showers 22/17 Sunny 22/18 December. infectious diseases department at California have revealed infections before “seeding events” suggests the epidemics Bangkok M Sunny 36/29 P Cloudy 36/29 But was Covid-19 already Avicenne said at fi rst the virus spreads the fi rst offi cial case on January 21. in many European and North American Berlin P Cloudy 17/06 P Cloudy 18/06 C Cairo silently circulating? To fi nd out scientists “quietly in the population, without In China, Wuhan health authorities cities began in mid-January or early Sunny 29/16 Sunny 32/20 are looking for “patient zeros” by tracking anyone detecting its presence”. have spoken of an initial case on February. Cape Town M Sunny 24/13 M Cloudy 22/14 the evolution of the virus itself. So evidence of earlier infections December 8. Italian research suggests the virus Colombo T Storms 31/27 T Storms 29/27 This genetic detective work is tracing would only confi rm what many A study published in The Lancet in arrived in Lombardy between the Dhaka T Storms 32/24 M Sunny 34/25 the family tree of the coronavirus scientists had suspected, he told AFP. January said the fi rst patient identifi ed second half of January and the beginning Hong Kong P Cloudy 28/24 S T Storms 27/24 that has killed tens of thousands in its It might also help explain cases like in the city started showing symptoms on of February — weeks before the fi rst Istanbul M Sunny 22/11 P Cloudy 17/12 relentless spread across the planet. that of Aicha, a 57-year-old medical December 1. infections were confi rmed on February 20. Jakarta T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 33/25 It could also help fi nd out if the secretary who was hospitalised in The timeline has been roughly Football players for Inter Milan have Karachi Sunny 37/27 Sunny 37/27 virus was spreading in other countries Marseille in mid-January with severe corroborated by research mapping out said they suff ered symptoms of the virus London Sunny 18/06 M Sunny 22/11 before the fi rst infections were offi cially respiratory symptoms. the genetic evolution of the virus. at the beginning of the year. Manila S T Storms 36/28 P Cloudy 36/28 recorded. At the time the mysterious outbreak So far the genomes of more than Could they have had it? Moscow T Storms 19/12 P Cloudy 21/11 In France, a cluster of cases was of pneumonia cases in the Chinese city 15,000 samples of the new coronavirus Belgian Inter Milan striker Romelu New Delhi M Sunny 36/22 Sunny 37/23 discovered in late January. of Wuhan was still seen as a faraway have been sequenced. Lukaku said in a recent radio interview New York S Showers 13/08 P Cloudy 19/09 But a new study published in the problem. Imperial College London, in the players were not tested for the virus Paris Sunny 21/07 M Sunny 23/11 International Journal of Antimicrobial France did not have a single case and collaboration with the WHO, has also at the time. Sao Paulo S Showers 28/13 S Showers 17/12 Agents has suggested the virus was the World Health Organisation was still traced the virus’ family tree, estimating Even if they took serological tests Seoul Sunny 28/11 M Cloudy 26/13 already in the country a month earlier. weeks away from giving it the name that it appeared in China on December now and antibodies were found in their Singapore T Storms 31/27 T Storms 31/28 A retrospective analysis of samples Covid-19. 5 (with a margin of uncertainty between blood, it would not confi rm when they Sydney P Cloudy 22/10 M Cloudy 23/15 taken from 14 intensive care patients Aicha’s husband Jacques, a doctor, November 6 and December 13). were infected. “We will never know,” Tokyo Cloudy 19/14 Clear 22/13 with infl uenza-like symptoms at the said she had “all the clinical signs” of the Erik Volz, an epidemiologist at said Lukaku. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 QATAR 50% work completed on Qatar’s fi rst cable-stayed bridge: Ashghal he Public Works Author- The bridge on the prestigious Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor is slated to open ity (Ashghal) has com- Tpleted 50% of the works in 2021 and is set to accommodate more than 16,000 vehicles an hour of Qatar’s first cable-stayed bridge on the prestigious Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor. A Twitter video by Ashghal said that the bridge will be opened in 2021. The installa- tion of 120 cables has started to support the 150m stretch. Ashghal started the con- struction of the unique bridge in April 2019. The 1,200m-long bridge extends prior to Haloul Roundabout through Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection on Salwa Road to provide free traffic flow between Hamad International Airport (HIA) and the areas of An artist’s impression of the underside of the cable-stayed bridge. Bu Hamour, Mesaimeer and Al Waab. With four lanes in each di- rection, the bridge will accom- modate more than 16,000 vehi- cles an hour. The bridge that is to pass over Haloul intersection as well as Faleh Bin Nasser intersec- tion on Salwa Road will ease the congestion in the vital area sig- nificantly. The bridge is constructed without pylons for a distance of 150m, but cables instead for support. The construction needs 854 precast reinforced Upon completion, the cable-stayed bridge will look like this as portrayed by an artist. concrete pieces, each weighing 200 tonnes, and 20 pylons and in order to make the brotherly It extends for approximately In addition, Ashghal will en- With a length of 1,200m, the 16 piers to reach the highest relationship between the two 25km from HIA to Umm Lekhba hance 12km of local and periph- cable-stayed bridge on the cor- point of 30m. countries stronger. It’s the first Interchange on Doha Express- eral roads intersecting with the ridor extends from Mesaimeer Works of Sabah Al Ahmad project in Qatar to be termed way. Works as part of the corri- Corridor. The total road works Road to Al Bustan Street and Corridor commenced on Feb- corridor instead of road due to dor include upgrading E Ring, F of the project is about 37km. crosses over Halul Intersection ruary 24, 2019 in appreciation its great importance and speci- Ring, Mesaimeer, Al Bustan, Bu Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor has on Mesaimeer Road and Faleh of Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah fications of unique construc- Erayyen and Lebday roads and the longest bridge, deepest and Bin Nasser Intersection on al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah tion. sections of Al Markhiya Street. longest bi-directional tunnel. Salwa Road. Carrefour Qatar to expand online shopping capacity

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

arrefour Qatar is plan- ning to open a new fulfi l- Cment centre before year- end aimed at further increasing its online shopping capacity as demand continues to surge, the company’s country manager, Laurent Hausknecht has said. “Our daily online capacity has reached 500 orders. Our plan, be- fore the end of the year, is to open a new fulfi lment centre, to jump The Ramadan donation boxes contained food essentials. to 1,000 deliveries daily,” he told Gulf Times. Hausknecht noted that Car- refour Qatar data shows a strong uplift increase on online shopping Doha Festival City, QC distribute with four times more demand Carrefour constantly cleans trolleys. compared to two months ago. As a result, he said, they are replenish- the platform (same day delivery), wearing a mask while shopping ing stocks frequently and doubled Carrefour Qatar is also plan- and cleaning thoroughly their Ramadan food baskets to workers the capacity of their fulfi lment ning to off er a ‘Click and Collect’ hands, most shoppers have un- centre by doubling the number service this year upon ensuring derstood the importance of re- of staff . In addition, and with the to off er a premium service to its sponsible shopping and we con- n collaboration with Qa- general manager Robert Hall help of Qatar Post, Carrefour also customers. Since the beginning of tinue to reiterate this to all our tar Charity, Doha Festival said. “We are grateful to Qatar doubled the number of its trucks the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) customers,” he added. ICity donated 500 boxes to Charity for their collaboration to guarantee timely delivery to its pandemic, Hausknecht said Car- “Accordingly, Carrefour has workers living in Doha’s In- with us on this worthy cause. online customers. refour has been working closely launched several awareness cam- dustrial Area. We hope that through this ini- Customers who prefer to avoid with the Ministry of Public Health paigns on the topic, by creating The Ramadan donations tiative, we can positively im- coming to the store can order by quickly applying several new shopping tips videos and in- boxes, which contained food pact the lives of those affected their groceries and essentials measures and adopting new ini- formative posts on social media. essentials including rice, oil, right now,” he added. from Carrefour Qatar webstore, tiatives in its stores to protect the In addition, key in-store mes- lentils, sugar, dates, juices and Doha Festival City is one of through carrefourqatar.com or community. sages have been displayed at the tea, were distributed with the the largest such developments from the Carrefour mobile appli- “We would like to thank the entrance and throughout every support of Qatar Charity em- in the Middle East, offering cation, which can be downloaded Qatar government for their eff orts store and advisories are regu- ployees and volunteers. almost a quarter of a million on the Apple store or Google Play. in fi ghting Covid-19 in Qatar and larly broadcast on the intercom “Doha Festival City is al- square metre of leasable space. More than 10,000 items are for helping us implement impor- to remind customers to maintain ways committed to providing Qatar Charity thanked the posted for online orders, includ- tant steps in store and across our social distancing in fi ve diff erent support and care to our com- Doha Festival City manage- ing fresh produce, beverages, operations,” he said. The country languages,” Hausknecht said. munity. Now more than ever, ment for the support, which Some 500 boxes were distributed to workers in Industrial Area. home care items, and electronics, manager said many customers “All Carrefour colleagues are with the impact of the coro- would contribute to the efforts among others. have been fast at adapting to this fully committed to maintain a navirus outbreak and during aimed at curbing the spread of urged other companies and or- the workers and low-income Apart from the Carrefour on new reality and changing the way pleasant shopping experience in the holy month of Ramadan, a the coronavirus and reduc- ganisations to support the ini- families in the blessed month the Talabat app, which has more they shop. “From coming pre- store and online for our custom- sense of unity is so important,” ing infections. Qatar Charity tiative and meet the needs of of Ramadan. than 2,000 essential products on pared with their shopping list, to ers.”

Qatar Museums, HMC launch campaign for virtual Garangao

Qatar Museums (QM) and Hamad their neighbourhoods singing Medical Corporation (HMC) traditional songs that mark the have launched the ‘Stay Home, occasion and receive gifts and Stay Safe’ campaign, to invite bags of sweets from their elders. families in Qatar to virtually come The initiative supports the wider together and celebrate Garangao. eff orts of the Ministry of Public This initiative is part of the Health, HMC and Primary Health ongoing partnership between QM Care Corporation, to limit the and HMC and aims to encourage spread of Covid-19. families to practise safe social A key goal of this initiative is to distancing while celebrating the encourage social responsibility traditional night of festivities by by encouraging the community sharing children’s photographs to stay at home. dressed in traditional Garangao Families that wish to submit clothes, according to a press Instagram pages to spread the joy tradition that is widely celebrated their children’s photos can send statement. and happiness of the holy month by children across Qatar and it via direct message to Qatar The photos submitted will be of Ramadan, the statement the Gulf region. On this night, Museums’ Instagram account (@ posted on the QM and HMC notes. Garangao is a Ramadan children usually walk around qatar_museums). Laurent Hausknecht at a Carrefour store.