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published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11713 October 26, 2020 Rabia I 9, 1442 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Qatar condemns attack on school in Cameroon Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation Qatar signs deal of the attack that targeted a school in southwestern Cameroon, which led to the killing and wounding of a number of children. In a statement yesterday, the Ministry with one more of Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, regardless of motives and causes. It expressed Qatar’s condolences fi rm to procure to the families of victims and to the government and people of Cameroon, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. 4 arrested for fl outing Covid vaccine home quarantine rules Besides Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna Four people were arrested in Doha yesterday for violating the legal also will supply Qatar with its vaccine requirements of home quarantine. The arrests came in implementation of the precautionary measures in he Ministry of Public Health force in the country, approved by (MoPH) has signed an agree- the Ministry of Public Health to Tment with a second pharma- ensure public safety and to curb ceutical company to procure Covid-19 the spread of coronavirus. The vaccine as soon as it is approved and four people being referred to the released for global use, it was an- prosecution are: Khalid Abdullah nounced yesterday. Rashid al-Alsheikh al-Kuwari, HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, who is also chairman of Barwa Real Estate, Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, Chair of the Mohamed Abdulkarim Yousef al- listens to a briefing on Barwa Real Estate’s latest projects in Al Wakra city. Looking on are Supreme Committee for National Health Strategic Group on Souqi, Helal Fayez Khlaif and Rakish Delivery & Legacy secretary-general Hassan al-Thawadi, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) president Dr Saad bin Ahmed Covid-19 and Head of Infectious Dis- Komar Farma. al-Mohannadi and other dignitaries. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil eases at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), said the new agreement is with France records 52,000 Moderna, a Massachusetts-based bio- Dr Abdullatif al-Khal tech company. daily Covid-19 cases “Moderna has been working since leading pharmaceutical companies France set a new daily record for the early days of the pandemic on the around the world who are in the proc- coronavirus infections with 52,010 Barwa launches 2 major real development and testing of a Covid-19 ess of developing potential vaccines recorded in 24 hours, off icial data vaccine. Preliminary fi ndings from for Covid-19. Our aim is to ensure that showed yesterday, topping 50,000 Moderna’s phase 1 and 2 clinical tri- we have early access to the vaccines as for the first time. Authorities said als have shown that healthy adults soon as they demonstrate safety and 116 people had died over the same estate projects in Al Wakra produced coronavirus neutralising effi cacy and after they are approved by period, bringing the total number antibodies and an immune reaction the appropriate international regula- of fatalities since the start of the from T-cells. While further testing is tory authorities,” said Dr al-Khal. outbreak to 34,761. Meanwhile, 17% Madinatna will be a residential city for families, while ongoing on thousands of volunteers, “While there is a chance that not of those tested for the virus now these initial fi ndings are encouraging all of these potential vaccines will have positive results, up from 4.5% Barahat Al Janoub is a workers’ accommodation project and demonstrate that clear progress is prove successful, negotiating early in early September. being made in the search for a safe and and securing a number of agreements eff ective vaccine,” said Dr al-Khal. enhances our chances of getting suf- Covid: Spain announces By Peter Alagos managing director of UCC, signed m. The strategic location of Madi- Moderna’s vaccine testing process fi cient quantities of the vaccine early Business Reporter the contract in the presence of UCC natna in Al Wakra Municipality, Umm follows very high safety and quality on at a time where there will be a huge new state of emergency chairman Moutaz al-Khayyat. Bishr area, will be “a great privi- standards typically applied for vaccine global demand for approved Covid-19 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Madinatna is a residential project lege for those who will benefi t from development and has involved more vaccines,” added Dr al-Khal. Sanchez announced a new state of arwa Real Estate launched yes- for families in Al Wakra city spanning the project in the future”, Barwa has than 30,000 participants in the United There are no internationally ap- emergency yesterday in an eff ort to terday construction works for a 1,141,689sq m. It will provide a high- stressed in a statement. States. According to the company, they proved vaccines yet, but several are in curb soaring coronavirus infections, Bresidential city for families and a quality standard of living for diff erent The project is located along G-Ring are on track to supply around 500mn advanced trials, including from Pfi zer imposing local nighttime curfews workers’ accommodation project, both segments of the community as well as Road, which connects the area to the doses of the vaccine across the world Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna. and banning travel between regions of which are located in Al Wakra city. various integrated facilities associ- southern regions, Industrial Area and from early 2021. Earlier this month, Dr al-Khal said in some cases. The measures go The two projects, Madinatna and ated with modern cities. Madinatna highways such as Al Majd Road and “The signing of the agreement with Qatar signed an agreement with Pfi zer into force from Sunday night and Barahat Al Janoub, were launched will consist of residential buildings Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor. The location Moderna is a signifi cant step forward in and BioNTech to supply Qatar with will require all regions except at a ceremony held in the presence with designs inspired by the tradi- provides easy access to Ras Bu Abboud our country’s eff orts to procure a safe their vaccines. the Canary Islands to impose a of HE the Minister of Culture and tional Qatari architecture. Street, the Corniche and the centre of and eff ective Covid-19 vaccine for the “I am delighted to announce that the nighttime curfew and limit the Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser The project will off er a group of Doha city via the Sabah Al Ahmad axis, people of Qatar and comes following the Ministry of Public Health has already number of people allowed to meet al-Ali, who is also chairman of Barwa buildings, varying between G+4 and also connecting Hamad International announcement of our fi rst agreement signed an agreement with Pfi zer and to six. “We are living in an extreme Real Estate; Supreme Committee for G+4+penthouse, and equipped with Airport (HIA) with Umm Lekhba In- with a leading pharmaceutical company BioNTech to supply Qatar with their situation,” he told a news conference Delivery & Legacy secretary-gen- the latest smart city technologies. terchange on Al Shamal Road. earlier this month,” said Dr al-Khal. BNT162 mRNA-based candidate vac- following a cabinet meeting. Page 8 eral Hassan al-Thawadi; and Public Madinatna will off er 6,780 apart- Moreover, Madinatna’s proximity “We continue to work with several cine against Sars-CoV-2,” he had said. Works Authority (Ashghal) president ments, of which 2,040 are two-bed- to modern public transport facilities Karabakh ceasefire Dr Saad bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi. room units and 4,740 three-bedroom such as the Al Wakra and other Doha MoPH reports 128,099 total Covid recoveries During the event, Barwa signed units, with a total capacity of approx- Metro stations, and a number of pub- from today: US an awarding contract with UrbaCon imately 27,000 people. lic bus service lines, will add many The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported yesterday 205 new confirmed Armenia and Azerbaijan have again Trading and Contracting (UCC) for It will provide various services, advantages to the location from both cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, of which 172 are from community cases and agreed to respect a “humanitarian the construction works of the two such as a hypermarket, retail stores, the residential and commercial per- 33 from travellers returning from abroad. In addition, the ministry announced the ceasefire” in the Nagorno-Karabakh projects. Abdulla bin Jobara al-Ro- mosques and other public utility spectives. This is in addition to its death of a 66-year-old patient who had received the necessary medical care. The conflict, eff ective Monday, the US maihi, acting Group CEO of Barwa services, bringing the total built-up proximity to Al Thumama Stadium MoPH also recorded 231 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number State Department announced. Real Estate, and Ramez al-Khayyat, area to approximately 1,035,554sq and Al Janoub Stadium. To Page 12 of recoveries to 128,099. Page 2 Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun met on Saturday with the foreign ministers of the two countries, the department said in a statement yesterday. It said the ceasefire would take eff ect at 8am local time today. An earlier Trump, Biden scramble to make closing arguments ceasefire brought a brief lull Saturday before each side accused AFP more cautious course, speaking less the other of violating it. Washington frequently and to smaller, socially dis- tanced groups. 7 stowaways detained Ahead of the November 3 election - on tanker near UK onald Trump’s re-election and with more than 57mn Americans campaign was buff eted yester- having cast early votes - both cam- Seven suspects have been Dday by another Covid-19 out- paigns are scrambling to make their detained on board the tanker Nave break in his team, surging infections closing arguments and win over the Andromeda in the English Channel across the United States, and an un- few still undecided voters. and the operation has concluded, comfortable admission by his chief of On Saturday, an energised Biden Isle of Wight radio reported. staff . and former president Barack Obama Earlier, British police requested Nine days before the vote - and with accused Trump of massively mishan- military assistance to deal with the total US coronavirus deaths nearing the dling the pandemic. stowaways. Police said the crew grim total of 225,000 - Trump’s chief of But the president has remained of the tanker had been subject to staff Mark Meadows conceded that “we ebullient and constantly sought to verbal threats from stowaways are not going to control the pandemic.” project confi dence despite trailing in and that they were working with Instead, he said: “We are going to national polls. coastguard and border forces to control the fact that we get vaccines, Trump, who has sought to shift vot- resolve the incident. Page 7 therapeutics and other mitigation ar- ers’ attention to his plans for the econ- eas.” US President Donald Trump signs some pumpkins as he meets with people at omy, told supporters in North Caro- Iraq protesters revive But Democrat challenger Joe Biden’s Treworgy Orchards during a campaign stop in Levant, Maine, yesterday. In a US Democratic vice presidential lina, “This election is a choice between year-old revolt campaign immediately seized on Mead- single day, he covered more than 3,000km aboard Air Force One, hitting three nominee Kamala Harris campaigns in a Trump super-recovery and a Biden ows’ comments to hammer the admin- diff erent campaign rallies from the country’s south to the midwest. Detroit, Michigan, yesterday. depression.” Iraqi security forces and protesters istration over the virus, which has set Trump ploughed through three clashed in Baghdad yesterday records for new cases in recent days. of other aides, tested positive for the Trump offi cials sought to brush aside the heat” and “took fi ve out of six days campaign rallies in one day on Satur- during demonstrations to mark “They are admitting defeat,” Biden’s virus over the weekend, swelling the the crush of bad Covid news by attack- off ” before the last presidential debate day as he sought to close the gap with the first anniversary of mass anti- running mate Kamala Harris said dur- list of the administration staff to have ing Biden’s energy levels and what it on Thursday. Biden by playing down the coronavirus government protests demanding the ing a campaign stop in Michigan, “and caught the virus. says is his paltry list of accomplish- The remarks drew a contrast to the crisis and complaining that the media ouster of the ruling class. Thousands I’ve been saying that, and Joe Biden has The vice president is going to con- ments in his 47 years in Washington. furious pace that Trump, 74, has main- was fi xated on the problem. took to the streets in Baghdad, some been saying that since the beginning.” tinue his travel schedule,” Trump cam- Murtaugh slammed Biden for his tained for days - including planned Biden said: “We’re not learning how waving portraits of fallen “martyrs” Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of paign spokesman Tim Murtaugh told light campaign schedule, saying the stops on Sunday in New Hampshire to live with it. You’re asking us to learn killed in protests last year. Page 5 staff , Marc Short, as well as a number Fox News. Democratic challenger was “feeling and Maine - while Biden has set a how to die with it.” Page 7 Gulf Times 2 Monday, October 26, 2020 QATAR

Qatar provides medical QRCS to the aid of Peruvian aid, materials to Bolivia Renowned communities in Covid battle

atar Red Crescent Soci- ety (QRCS) is working Qon a project to support ‘Dr Tom’ to the Peruvian government’s epi- demiological control strategy to prevent the spread of Covid-19 through community transmis- sion. The project is aimed at en- hancing the preventive control be keynote of Covid-19 in transit areas and disseminating reliable informa- tion for coronavirus prevention in urban areas, QRCS has said in a statement. A total of 3,000 people will speaker at benefit from the project in three vulnerable communi- ties of San Juan de Lurigancho district, Lima. Up to the date of this report, the tasks accom- plished include the purchase WISH ’20 of control/protection equip- Qatar’s non-resident ambassador to Peru and Bolivia Ali bin ment, supplies for hygiene and Hamad al-Sulaiti delivered medical aid and materials provided he World Innovation Sum- protection kits, and backpack by Qatar to Bolivia to support its eff orts in limiting the spread mit for Health (WISH) has sprayers for disinfection, the of Covid-19. The aid was received by Charge d’Aff airs of the Tannounced Dr Tom Cat- statement notes. embassy of Bolivia in Peru Luis Fernando Peredo Rojas at the ena as a keynote speaker at its Together with the provincial headquarters of the Qatari embassy in Peru. In a speech on upcoming summit, happening branch of the Peruvian Red Cross this occasion, Luis Fernando thanked Qatar for its permanent virtually from November 15-19 in Lima, the volunteers assem- A volunteer readying the protection kits. support and its humanitarian stance by standing by Bolivia in under the banner ‘One World bled the protection and cleaning light of Covid-19 outbreak. Our Health’. kits to be distributed in the vul- ‘Dr Tom’, as he is aff ectionately nerable communities aff ected by known to his patients, is the only Covid-19. surgeon for approximately 1.3mn The distribution activities be- Qatar participates in GCC meeting people in the war-ravaged Nuba gan in the three target communi- Mountains of South Kordofan, ties. of education ministers Sudan. He has served in Africa Dr Tom Catena So far, hygiene and disinfec- for over 20 years, dealing with tion kits have been delivered to Qatar participated yesterday in the 4th meeting of the committee of bombing by fi ghter jets, epidem- Nuba people despite protracted 174 families (522 people) as fol- Ministers of Education in the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council ics, and a chronic lack of equip- confl ict.” lows: Asentamiento Humano (GCC), which was organised by via videoconferencing. The ministerial ment. He helped to establish the Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH, Residencial El Paraíso (38 fami- meeting discussed the final statement and the Riyadh Declaration Gidel Mother of Mercy Hospital, said: “We are honoured that Dr lies), Asociacion Centro Poblado of the 40th session of the Supreme Council in the countries of the a 435-bed facility, which opened Tom Catena will be one of our las Casuarinas de Jicamarca (86 co-operation council and facing the crisis of the emerging coronavirus in 2008 and remains the only keynote speakers. His single- families) and Asociacion de Vivi- (Covid-19). The meeting also discussed the follow-up to the decisions major provider of medical care in minded determination to enable enda Residencial El Paraíso (50 of the third meeting of the committee, including the inclusion of a vast region. access to healthcare for millions families). archaeology in the curricula of public education and the strengthening In 2017, Dr Tom was awarded of displaced and confl ict-aff ect- The distributions were made of the role of educational institutions in developing a culture of the prestigious Aurora Prize in ed people in the Nuba Moun- in compliance with the social volunteer work and promoting sports practices among all segments recognition of his extensive hu- tains, and elsewhere on the Af- distancing measures imposed Volunteers distribute protection kits to community members in Lima. of society. This is in addition to the issue of international co-operation manitarian eff orts. rican continent, is a goal close to by the government. At the same and other topics on its agenda, and appropriate decisions were taken in The story of his extraordinary our heart at WISH. time, key messages were dissem- These countries are Pales- countries includes the provi- their regard. work and courage is the subject It was a theme at WISH 2018 inated during the distributions to tine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, sion of equipment and supplies of an internationally acclaimed and is still our focus, because reinforce prevention and care be- Nepal, Tajikistan, Mongolia, for health facilities, provision of Minister receives phone call from UN and award-winning documen- even in confl ict settings, the glo- haviours against Covid-19. Laos, Vanuatu, Ethiopia, Chad, medicines and medical supplies, tary fi lm, ‘The Heart of Nuba’, bal goal of universal health cov- This project is part of QRCS’s Senegal, Mauritania, Ivory protection for medical profes- special representative in Libya released in 2016. During WISH erage and its pledge to ‘leave no initiative to back the fellow na- Coast, Mali, Sierra Leone, Al- sionals and volunteers, provision 2020, the American physician one behind’ must be guarded.” tional societies in 22 countries bania, Kosovo, Montenegro, of food and shelter for families HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi will share his personal perspec- The biennial summit serves as across six continents, aimed Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru worst aff ected by loss of income, received yesterday a phone call from Acting Special Representative of tive on delivering healthcare in the main gathering of the exten- at protecting 320,000 people and Panama. and provision of protective sup- the UN secretary-general in Libya, Stephanie Williams. During the call, challenging humanitarian set- sive WISH global community. As against the virus, with a total The list of activities conduct- plies (masks, gloves and sanitis- they reviewed developments of the situation in Libya, in addition to tings, and talk about training and Qatar Foundation’s global health budget of QR2,236,827. ed by QRCS in support of those ers, among others). issues of common concern. health education in a setting of initiative, WISH was created to prolonged confl ict. disseminate seminal, evidence- Referring to his upcoming based content and showcase the speech, Dr Tom said: “To pro- latest innovations in healthcare. vide high quality healthcare, one This year, the summit will needs well-trained and motivat- explore topics such as climate ed staff . By speaking at the WISH change and health, mental health conference, I’d like to highlight in the digital age, and the chal- some of our eff orts to provide lenges created globally by Cov- training and good care to the id-19.

MoPH reports 128,099 total Covid recoveries

QNA recoveries to 128,099. All new Participants of the workshop with trainers and off icials. Doha cases have been introduced to Dr Saleh bin Fetais al-Marri hands over workshop attendance isolation and are receiving nec- certificates to the participants. essary healthcare according to he Ministry of Public their health status. Health (MoPH) reported Measures to tackle Covid-19 Tyesterday 205 new con- in Qatar have succeeded in fl at- MoTC workshop concludes fi rmed cases of Covid-19 in the tening the curve and limiting last 24 hours, of which 172 are the spread of the virus and the he Ministry of Transport of collaboration with a civilian October 20-22 at the MoTC of- from community cases and 33 number of new daily cases and and Communications ministry, thus enhancing the ef- fi ces. At the end of the workshop, from travellers returning from hospital admissions is continu- T(MoTC) recently held a forts of maritime transport af- the ministry’s Assistant Under- abroad. In addition, the min- ing to decline each week. Qatar’s workshop on the ‘Navigation fairs at the MoTC that aim at up- secretary of Maritime Trans- istry announced the death of a proactive and extensive testing Risks that Threaten Maritime scaling the expertise of maritime port Aff airs Dr Saleh bin Fetais 66-year-old patient who had of suspected cases has enabled Security’, which was attended by specialists across all relevant al-Marri handed over workshop received the necessary medical the authorities to identify a high several maritime specialists from government entities”, a press attendance certifi cates to the care. number of positive cases in the the Ministry of Defence, Minis- statement noted. participants and thanked the US The MoPH also recorded 231 community. Qatar has one of the try of Interior and Qatar Petro- The expert trainers delivered Fifth Fleet trainers for the co- recoveries in the last 24 hours, lowest Covid-19 death rates in leum. full explanation on navigation operation, which would signifi - bringing the total number of the world. Specialised trainers from the risks that fl oating objects can cantly contribute to sharpening United States Fifth Fleet de- cause and which threaten the maritime specialists’ skills and livered the workshop, which maritime navigation. expertise in the area of naviga- Dr Saleh bin Fetais al-Marri thanks the US Fifth Fleet trainers for the marked an “unprecedented kind The workshop was held from tion risks. co-operation.

PPC highlights achievements as it marks Population Day

QNA committee will focus on high- Salem al-Nabit stressed the im- It aims to control population general health of the population, Doha lighting Qatar’s population pol- portance of the committee’s role growth rates during the period improve the reality of reproduc- icy (2017-2022) on one hand and in following up the implemen- from 2017-2022, leading to a tive health and provide its servic- introducing the Committee and tation of the state’s population gradual reform of demographic es in line with the increase in the he Permanent Population its achievements on the other policy in co-operation with all imbalances. population and its geographical Committee (PPC) cel- hand, especially with regard to partners as well as the imple- The second axis is concerned distribution. Tebrates Qatar Population achieving harmonisation be- mentation of sectoral policies re- with urban growth, housing and The fi fth axis for women and Day 2020, through social me- tween population requirements lated to Qatar’s National Devel- the environment. It aims to de- childhood came to support the dia, in the light of precautionary and sustainable development. opment Strategies (2018-2022). velop and create urban centres societal participation of wom- measures imposed to limit the Since its establishment under Qatar Second Population far from Greater Doha, provide en, and to provide the neces- spread of the new coronavirus Cabinet Resolution No 24 of Policy included a set of plans and a clean urban environment and sary conditions to increase their (Covid-19). 2004, the Permanent Population programmes aimed at bringing ensure the sustainability of natu- participation in the labour force The Permanent Population Committee has developed the about quantitative and qualita- ral resources, while the third axis while maintaining family cohe- Committee has been celebrating fi rst population policy (2009- tive change in the population focuses on education, training sion and ensuring a safe environ- Qatar Population Day in late Oc- 2014) and the second (2017- variables, in order to ensure a and youth and aims to raise the ment for children. tober of each year, with the aim of 2022), with the aim of improv- decent life for the residents of quality of education and train- The sixth axis is related to the raising awareness of population ing the quality of life of Qatar’s Qatar, raise their capabilities, ing and expand opportunities for elderly and persons with dis- issues, in the context of compre- population, both citizens and expand their options and raise the participation of youth of both abilities, in an eff ort to enhance hensive development plans and residents. their levels of participation in the genders in society and in public their active participation in vari- programmes, especially the Qa- In this context, HE the Presi- advancement of the Qatari soci- life. ous community activities, enable tar National Vision 2030 and the dent of Planning and Statistics ety through six axes, the fi rst of The fourth axis is related to them to integrate into society and National Development Strategy. Authority, and Chairman of the which is the population and the public health and reproductive to continuously improve their In its celebration this year, the Committee, Dr Saleh Mohamed workforce. health. Its goal is to improve the means of care. Gulf Times Monday, October 26, 2020 3 QATAR QIB empowers customers QNL picks winners to update personal information via mobile app of inaugural Open atar Islamic Bank (QIB) has announced the Qintroduction of new features to its award-winning Mobile App, in line with the bank’s “ongoing eff orts to pro- vide customers with faster and Access awards much easier experiences in ful- fi lling all their banking needs By Joseph Varghese remotely”. Staff Reporter With the latest release, QIB Mobile App registered custom- ers are now fully empowered to atar National Library update all their personal and (QNL) yesterday an- employer information straight Qnounced its inaugural through the app, the bank has Open Initiative Awards, with the said in a statement. the Foreign Account Tax Com- at any time with 24/7 acces- Best Institutional Award going to Developed with customers’ pliance Act (FATCA) declara- sibility. With these new up- ‘Bait Al-Mashura Journal’ while daily banking requirements tions. In compliance with the dates, our customers will have the Best Individual Award was in mind, the QIB Mobile App local regulatory requirements, the ultimate time-saving op- won by Dr Julie Decock, a sci- now allows customers to ben- all banking customers must tions to bank with us remotely, entist at Cancer Research Cen- efi t from new and simplifi ed update their tax information and they will enjoy the fastest tre, Qatar Biomedical Research features, including uploading by fi lling the CRS and FATCA ways to keep their information Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad documents, updating QID and forms. The update takes less updated, accurate, and keep Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) . passport records, uploading than a minute and customers receiving our latest news and Open access is the practice of employer information and sal- are only requested to enter a off ers instantly and in their sharing knowledge openly and ary certifi cates, updating tax one-time password (OTP), re- preferred language at all times.” making research outcomes vis- declarations, and updating e- ceived on their registered mo- QIB has introduced major ible and accessible to all. The HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari along with the recipients of the awards at the online event. mail and national addresses, bile number, for security pur- updates on its Mobile App, movement includes open access in addition to setting their poses. rated 4.7+ on Play Store and to research papers, open data, the call went out to Qatar’s re- has wisely invested a great deal in key annual fi xture for QNL as the preferred communication lan- QIB Mobile App users can App Store, making it the most open education resources, open search community in August for research, and openness in schol- movement grows in importance guage. also update their e-mail and voted and top-rated applica- licences and other applications nominations. arship can provide immediate to researchers in Qatar and be- With the new updates, QIB’s national addresses linked to tion in the banking sector in of openness in scholarly and re- Dr Decock, also an assist- returns on that investment. This yond. We are proud to support Mobile App now allows cus- their QIB accounts in a simple Qatar. With more than 100 search environments. ant professor at the College of is even more important in times Qatar’s research through this tomers to upload supporting and fast way via the QIB Mo- features, QIB Mobile App is Rewarding the best contri- Health and Life Sciences, HBKU, like these, where pandemics can key initiative at QNL. Indeed, documents, such as the Update bile App. This feature will allow now the “most comprehensive, butions to the advancement of was awarded for promoting open change the course of our lives. QNL is committed to universal Form, Offi cial Authorisation customers to keep receiving convenient and secure banking open scholarship in Qatar at a scholarship in Qatar through Open access to medical data and access to information and re- Letter and other documents by updates related to their ac- channel for QIB retail custom- virtual ceremony, HE Dr Ha- student mentorship and open research is critical to mitigating moving barriers to knowledge. either selecting the document counts activities and transac- ers to fulfi l their banking needs mad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, access research at QBRI. the eff ects of these events,” ex- One of our core values is the free, from the gallery or by captur- tions, as well as the latest news remotely”, the statement noted. Minister of State and President Dr Decock exhibited strong plained Dr al-Kawari. open, unrestricted access to our ing it using their mobile cam- and off ers from QIB instantly. QIB Mobile App can be down- of QNL, said: “We believe that support of open scholarship and ‘Bait Al-Mashura Journal’ is collections and services, and our eras, without any need to visit Moreover, customers can loaded from Apple Store, Google open scholarship and open ac- personally promoted open ac- an open access, semi-annual dedication to open access sup- a QIB branch. now update their preferred Play and Huawei AppGallery. cess to information allows QNL cess through research tools, re- refereed international scientifi c ports that,” added Dr al-Kawari. QIB customers who have an communication language, Customers can easily self-regis- to achieve its mission to pre- search data, software code and journal publishing research in The awards ceremony co- expired QID or passport in the English or Arabic, for SMS, ter using their active ATM/debit serve the nation’s and region’s research manuscripts. She has the fi elds of Islamic economics. incided with the Open Access bank’s records are now able to letters and e-mails instantly card number and PIN. heritage and enable the people been involved in QBRI’s summer The journal is published by Bait Week, a global event now enter- update their details by instant- through the Mobile App with- “The QIB Mobile App off ers of Qatar to positively infl uence research programme for under- Al-Mashura Finance Consulta- ing its 10th year. ly uploading their new QID or out the need to contact QIB’s a seamless banking experience society by creating an excep- graduate students programme, tions, established in 2007 as the The Week off ers the aca- passport, and can continue call centre. and allows customers to access tional environment for learning off ering laboratory-based fi rst Qatari fi rm to provide Sha- demic and research community enjoying the full suite of QIB D Anand, QIB general man- all their accounts, check their and discovery. Qatar’s research hands-on experience, and has riah fi nance consultations. the chance to continue to learn services off ered on the app, in- ager – Personal Banking Group, fi nance status, perform many output is part of our heritage, given several workshops on open Both award recipients gave about the potential benefi ts of cluding making transfers and said: “The QIB Mobile App has activities on their cards, trans- and open research and scholar- scholarship. presentations at the virtual cer- open access, share what they’ve payments or opening addition- become our customers’ pre- fer money locally and inter- ship will allow us to preserve it “Having free and unrestricted emony, outlining the importance learned with colleagues and help al accounts. ferred banking channel. It is a nationally, pay their bills and for future generations.” access to research will also allow of working with organisations inspire wider participation in Customers can fi ll, submit, digital one-stop shop answer- more,” the statement added. An esteemed panel of judges for communities in Qatar to bet- such as QNL to spread research helping to make open access the and update the Common Re- ing to all the banking needs of For more information, visit from QNL deliberated over doz- ter benefi t from that nation’s re- fi ndings as widely as possible. new normal in scholarship and porting Standard (CRS), as well our valued customers from any www.qib.com.qa/en-mobile- ens of applications received after search eff orts. Qatar’s leadership “These awards will become a research. as completing and updating location across the globe, and app. HBKU College to host ‘Mena ‘Discover Georgetown’ open Women in Law Initiative’ house for prospective students he College of Law at Ha- demics’, Industry. HBKU College of Law mad Bin Khalifa Univer- will enable dean Susan L Karamanian will eorgetown University in the course of an evening. This Tsity (HBKU) will host the a conver- moderate the session. Qatar (GU-Q), a Qatar year, we have moved towards a launch of a regional initiative sation Dean Karamanian observed: GFoundation partner uni- model of three ‘Discover Geor- for women lawyers on October about the “We fully support the ‘Mena versity, is inviting prospective getown’ virtual events in order 28, that will enable the sharing eff ect of Women in Law Initiative’. The undergraduate students to ex- to best address students’ needs of information and knowledge Covid-19 region is home to a vibrant com- plore their future education vir- in a shorter span of time, while and the development of impor- Susan L Karamanian on the en- munity of women lawyers work- tually through ‘Discover Geor- keeping our signature introduc- tant professional relationships. tire legal ing across diverse legal practices getown’ - a three-component tions to admissions, curriculum, Founded in early 2020 by profession. It will also focus on and cultures. Enough shared open house series that will be student life and careers.” leading women lawyers in Qatar, what it means to be a lawyer and experiences and interests ex- held on October 28, November 11 “This is an exciting experi- the ‘Mena Women in Law Ini- a provider of legal services in the ist to ensure a lively exchange of and November 25. ence, where students have a tiative’ is an informal network of new digital reality. knowledge and to enable student GU-Q’s open house is hosted chance to imagine themselves women legal professionals. After The launch will feature the engagement. by current students, faculty and at Georgetown to decide if this is collecting feedback from peers, founders of the initiative: Fran- “Covid-19 is a case in point. staff , and open to high school the place they want to spend the the group elected to establish coise Mouly, co-founder of the The pandemic has altered how juniors, seniors, university Georgetown University in Qatar students. next four years of their lives. The a platform spanning the entire Innovation Centre for Education legal practitioners conduct transfer students and their fami- future opportunities and possi- Middle East and North Africa (iCE) Doha LLC (G), a non-profi t their business. Further, it has lies. an overview of Georgetown’s a degree in foreign service and bilities we present are a crucial region. The initiative seeks to entity licensed by the Qatar Fi- spawned a fl urry of legal activity, In the fi rst session, students renowned Bachelor of Science a presentation of the many re- step that helps students identify transcend borders and diverse nancial Centre Authority; Dr Ju- particularly in commercial law.” will have the chance to learn in Foreign Service degree, which sources, school clubs and activi- the right programme and build working practices and cultures, lie Boisard-Petrissans, founder HBKU College of Law regu- about fi nancial aid and funding off ers majors in International ties that create the university’s towards a successful career,” he among other objectives, to foster of ParteM Advisory; Dr Oriane larly holds events of relevance to questions, and gain a step-by- Politics, International Econom- unique student experience in added. innovative and supportive dia- Ginies, Senior Legal Counsel at the Qatar legal community. For step understanding of the GU-Q ics, International History, and Education City. To attend, interested partici- logue among women legal pro- beIN Sports; and HBKU Col- more information, visit https:// admissions application process. Culture and Politics. Joseph Hernandez, director pants can register at https://ad- fessionals. lege of Law JD alumna Asma al- www.hbku.edu.qa/en/cl/aca- The second session will an- The third and fi nal session will of admissions at GU-Q, said: missions.qatar.sfs.georgetown. The October 28 webinar, Khulaifi , a trade lawyer at Qa- demic-calendar/2019-2020#/ swer the question, ‘What Will provide an overview of the di- “Traditionally, the ‘Discover edu/portal/discovergeorgetown ‘Lawyering in the Time of Pan- tar’s Ministry of Commerce and year/11776. You Study at GU-Q?’, including verse career paths available with Georgetown’ event occurs over prior to the event.

Qatar resident dies in India bike accident Kahramaa team inspects district cooling system at Al Janoub Stadium erry John (pictured), a resi- dent of Qatar, died in a mo- team from the District Jtorbike accident on Saturday Cooling Services De- in Kerala, India. He was 20. Apartment of Qatar Gen- John was killed eral Electricity & Water Cor- after the bike he poration (Kahramaa) visited Al was riding collid- Janoub Stadium as part of the ed with another regular inspections carried out two-wheeler. Of by the corporation. the four people The team was led by Abdul involved in the Aziz al-Hammadi, director of accident, three the District Cooling Services - including John Department, who was accom- - died, while the other person panied by a number of engi- was hospitalised in a critical neers from the department. condition. John was pursuing The visit was aimed at fol- his higher studies at Rajagiri, lowing up and monitoring the Snapshots from the visit to Al Janoub Stadium. Kalamassery, while his younger functioning of the district cool- brother Joel John is a high school ing plant at the stadium as part cooling capacity of the plant is most effi cient, environment- made to ensure the sustainabili- The cooling plant is equipped established in 2012 as a regu- student in Kerala. Their parents, of Kahramaa’s eff orts to regu- 20,000 tonnes and it uses tech- friendly and energy-saving ty of water resources. Kahramaa with the latest equipment and lator for district cooling serv- Johny Kuttamperoor and Mari- late district cooling services in nologies that combine the use systems, as it helps save about works to enhance water security intelligent monitoring and con- ices in the country within the amma Joseph, live in Doha and the country, the corporation of chilled water with air treat- 40% of electricity consumption in the country by switching to trol systems that provide the framework of developing and reportedly left for India yester- said in an offi cial press state- ment through heat exchangers, and 98% of water consumption the use of treated wastewater highest levels of energy per- organising cooling services day to attend the funeral, which ment yesterday. to cool the stadium and sur- compared to conventional cool- instead of potable water in all formance through the use of across Qatar, in order to pro- would be held at a later date. The stadium uses district rounding areas, the statement ing solutions, the statement district cooling plants, taking treated water for cooling. vide services that contrib- John’s mother is a staff nurse cooling technology and has explained. added. advantage of the best sustain- Kahramaa’s District Cool- ute to enhancing energy and at Hamad Medical Corporation. a central cooling plant. The It is considered one of the This supports the eff orts able system in the region. ing Services Department was water sustainability. Gulf Times 4 Monday, October 26, 2020 QATAR

Ooredoo marks achievements of ‘marketeers of the future’ with QU

oredoo has honoured, smartphone and tablet device. On the ongoing co-operation at its headquarters, the Sabah Rabiah al-Kuwari, di- and partnership between the Oachievements of Qatar rector of PR at Ooredoo, said: business sector and Qatar Uni- University (QU) marketing stu- “We’re delighted to have given versity, Dr Abdullah Fetais, head dents who participated in the Qatar University students the of Management and Marketing fourth edition of the CBE Got opportunity to showcase their Department at QU-CBE, said: Talent contest, organised by the skills and abilities with this 5G “We always strive to erase the College of Business and Eco- Marketing Challenge, and proud gap between academic study and nomics (CBE) at QU. to have celebrated the talents of professional life by organising The telecommunications op- the marketeers of the future. competitions and activities such erator supported the contest by Promoting education and as this challenge. hosting a 5G Marketing Chal- development is a key focus at “These competitions are also lenge in collaboration with Qatar Ooredoo as part of our corporate a great opportunity for stu- From Stars of Science. University. social responsibility strategy, dents to develop their skills and Students were shown previous and we’re always keen to support knowledge in marketing, as well Ooredoo marketing campaigns, the next generation of Qataris as as give them real, relevant expe- created with Saatchi, then chal- they strive to excel.” rience on the ground.” lenged to come up with some- thing new that would highlight the potential of the 5G network. Triple elimination on Students were divided into teams by the college’s organis- ing committee, and Saatchi pro- vided training for the teams on integrated marketing communi- cation mechanisms and how to Stars of Science show write their creative ideas. Then, students were asked to he Stars of Science jury ination from the competition. we all learned from this eye- preparing it for the market. come up with a presentation be- eliminated three con- Azzam’s 3D Biometric for opening experience.” Ahmad Fathalla’s work on fore their eff orts were assessed Ttestants in the produc- Information Security, which The panel maintained their his Educational Platform Using to decide upon winners. tion prototyping round of Qatar promised to secure phones relentless evaluations of the Electronic Cubes paid off , as his At the ceremony, Fatima Sul- Foundation’s edutainment TV through memorisation of the other projects, too. invention scored high marks tan al-Kuwari, chief consumer show, citing that – after two user’s handwriting patterns, Sarah Aboerjaib defended during testing. The Egyptian offi cer at Ooredoo, presented straight rounds without elimi- did not demonstrate self- her Fractured Bone Optical inventor detailed his next steps, the winners with honorary cer- At the ceremony, Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari presented the winners with nation – the top eight contest- learning capabilities. Scanner, a portable device that listing how he would tackle tifi cates and prizes, including a honorary certificates and prizes. ants’ projects could now be Jamal’s Dual Mask Rescue detects bone fractures using cost, durability and safety con- judged fairly. Pack, a portable air fi ltration near-infrared rays - and was cerns. Lastly, Waddah Malaeb’s “Covid-19 impacted our and mask system designed for praised for its attractive de- Ductal Organoid-on-a-Chip ability to import necessary re- fi rst responders, drew heavy sign. Mohamed Almogahwi impressed the jury members, sources in a timely manner. To scrutiny as the project’s design and his Automated Hands- especially with him keeping an counter this, we granted Sea- featured exposed tubes, which Free Toothbrush performed as eye on the market and present- son 12’s innovators the chance the jury felt was a critical vul- planned, with the toothbrush ing plans for mass manufactur- to work on their projects for 10 nerability in dangerous situa- successfully passing a variety ing. weeks, giving them sufficient tions. Othman’s Adaptive Car of tests. Yosouf al-Salehi, Qatar Sci- time to present fully func- Headrest, aimed at protecting Eiman al-Hamad’s Arabic ence & Technology Park’s ex- tioning prototypes that met drivers from whiplash injuries Conversation Fraud Detection ecutive director and a former our usual scientific stand- by automatically providing a programme demonstrated member of the show’s jury, ards,” said Prof Fouad Mrad, safety buff er for their heads, that it could detect Arabic- joined Stars of Science as a Stars of Science jury member, gave the panel cause for con- language phone fraud using guest juror for a second time while joining the episode vir- cern with a variety of cost and voice samples; however, the to share his unique perspec- tually along with Prof Abdel- reliability issues. jury pressed Eiman on her fu- tive with the contestants. hamid El-Zoheiry. “I’ve done all I can, and I ture development plans and While Mohamed Ziad Chaari, Unfortunately, Azzam Al- have no regrets,” said Othman. the research underpinning her a top-four finalist on Stars of wan, Jamal Shaktour, and Oth- “I learned how to look at the big project. The Qatari asserted Science Season 3, co-hosted man Abu Laban’s projects fell picture and see my project from that she wanted to prove the this week’s episode along- short of the jury’s standards diff erent perspectives. There viability of the detection sys- side the show’s longtime host this week, leading to their elim- are no winners or losers here, tem first before focusing on Khalid al-Jumaily.

Film industry will stay vibrant amid Covid-19 pandemic: Uma Thurman

By Joey Aguilar than ever before,” she told Gulf platform for emerging fi lmmak- Award nomination and a Golden opportunities to take part in In these challenging times, Staff Reporter Times. ers and original storytellers to Globe nomination, respectively. fi lm festivals, both through Thurman’s advice and message “The medium of fi lm is al- share their stories. About fi lms as an important submitted fi lms and as a juror for aspiring fi lmmakers is “uni- ways fl uid, and there will be an- The winners and runner-ups tool for communication, Thur- on international festivals, such versal: transform fear into cour- he fi lm and entertainment other side to this crisis,” stressed will be announced next month. man said: “The short-form nar- as Venice, Cannes and Berlin, I age”. industry will remain vi- Thurman, who has joined the The winner of the competi- rative requires an economy of know the potency of the cultural About the relevance of film Tbrant amid the Covid-19 SundanceTV Shorts Competi- tion will take part in an exclu- storytelling that is an essential exchange that happens when festivals as platforms for dis- pandemic, according to ac- tion jury panel along with re- sive masterclass with Thurman, skill of the director. In today’s people from all around the world covery, especially an event claimed actress and producer nowned fi lmmakers Annemarie a Golden Globe winner and world, abundant, aff ordable share their stories.” like Ajyal that focuses on the Uma Thurman. Jacir and Sophia al-Maria. Academy Award and Primetime technology provides unprec- On her expectations from the youth and the transformative “In the midst of a global pan- The fi rst-of-its-kind contest, Emmy Award nominee. edented opportunities for fi lm- competition, Thurman said: “I power of film, Thurman said, demic, the need and drive for launched by SundanceTV in Thurman is best known for makers to reach global audiences fi nd a well-told story consumes “Film festivals are soulful communication, empathy and collaboration with beIN Media her iconic roles in Quentin like never before.” you eff ortlessly even when the melting pots of multinational entertainment has never been Group and Doha Film Institute Tarantino’s cult classics, Pulp Asked about her thoughts on content is confrontational. I look voices. Now more than ever, a greater. People are consum- in the Middle East and North Af- Fiction and the Kill Bill franchise, fi lmmaking in the Arab world, forward to hearing the voices of sense of global community is Uma Thurman ing more visual entertainment rica for the fi rst time, serves as a which garnered her an Academy she said: “Having had so many the contestants.” essential.” Qatari Song Night to be held on November 24 The Center for Music Aff airs, aff iliated with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, will hold the second edition of the Qatari Song Night on November 24 at the Qatar National Convention Center. The two-day celebration will be attended by music bands from Qatar and Turkey, led by Kuwaiti maestro Dr Ahmed Hamdan. A group of Qatari singing stars will perform at concert during which four personalities who have contributed to Qatari arts will be honoured. The Qatari Song Night, being held for the second year in a row, aims to support Qatari songs and encourage composers, poets and singers to present artistic works, in addition to providing the Qatari music library with a new production, and educating future generations about Qatari creativity in ancient and modern singing. (QNA) Gulf Times Monday, October 26, 2020 5 ARAB WORLD/AFRICA Opposition’s Ramkalawan in Palestinian historic Seychelles vote win

AFP Victoria

avel Ramkalawan yesterday dies after won the Seycelles presiden- Wtial election, the fi rst oppo- sition victory since the Indian Ocean archipelago’s independence from Brit- ain over four decades ago. Ramkalawan — an Anglican priest who won enough votes in the fi rst round to clinch the presidency on his confrontation sixth attempt — called for unity after his victory. Seychelles outgoing President Danny Faure (left) and Seychelles’ newly “It is important to fi nd how we can elected President Wavel Ramkalawan pose for a photo after the just concluded reconcile our people to go forward,” presidential and legislative elections in Victoria, yesterday. the 59-year-old said as his jubilant supporters began celebrating in the The opposition, narrowly defeated place mainly over social media, with streets of the capital Victoria. in a presidential election in 2015 and rallies banned because of the corona- Incumbent Danny Faure, 58, run- buoyed by a landmark victory in a par- virus. with troops ning under the recently renamed Unit- liamentary poll a year later, had been The Seychelles has recorded only ed Seychelles party which had been in hoping for its fi rst presidential win in 149 cases, mostly imported, but the AFP power since 1977, conceded defeat the 44 years since independence from pandemic has been a burning cam- Ramallah and wished his successor “good luck”. Britain. paign issue as restrictions on global Ramkalawan of the Linyon Democra- All previous presidents have come travel hit the tourism industry — a tik Seselwa (Seychelles Democratic from the United Seychelles party, with major sector for the country and em- n 18-year-old Palestinian died Alliance), garnered 54.9% of the vote Ramkalawan losing the 2015 race by ployer for many of its 98,000 people. yesterday after a confrontation to 43.5% for Faure to become the fi fth just 200 votes. Visitor numbers have collapsed Awith Israeli troops, with the president of the Seychelles, the elec- The US State Department hailed the since March in the archipelago na- army saying it happened while trying toral commission said. election as a “another major milestone tion of 115 islands, normally a popu- to fl ee and Palestinian offi cials saying The opposition also won the leg- in Seychelle’s democracy,” according lar destination for honeymooners he had been beaten. islative election that took place from to a statement. and paradise-seekers drawn by its The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday to Saturday alongside the It said Washington looks “forward fine sandy beaches and turquoise that Amer Abdel-Rahim Sanouber presidential poll, with Ramkalawan’s to expanding co-operation on a wide waters. The economy has slowed from the village of Yatma in the oc- party alone taking 25 seats, or two range of mutual interests including significantly since the start of the cupied West Bank arrived at hospital thirds of the parliament. maritime security, good governance, pandemic and unemployment has after being “severely beaten on the The United Seychelles party won and fighting drug abuse, piracy, and risen to 6.3%, according to govern- neck.” just 10 seats. terrorism”. The campaign had taken ment figures. The head of the Palestine Medi- cal Complex, Ahmed al-Betawi, was quoted in the ministry statement as a identifying Sanouber as a “martyr” who was brought to the hospital at Palestinian mourners carry the body of 18-year-old Amer Abdel-Rahim Sanouber, 3:00am (0100 GMT) with “signs of who died following a confrontation with Israeli troops, during his funeral in the violence and beatings on his neck from village of Yatma in the occupied West Bank, yesterday. the back”. In a statement, the Palestine Lib- Troops “in the area were dis- altercations involving Palestinians eration Organisation accused Israeli patched to the scene and searched and Israel’s army in the West Bank troops of “a monstrous act of brutal- the area for fighters” the army state- have been harder to access since the ity against a defenceless young man ment said. “While fleeing, one of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Author- whose only crime was being Pales- suspects apparently lost conscious- ity ended security co-ordination tinian”. Senior PLO official Hanan ness, collapsed and hit his head. with Israel in May. Ashrawi said in the statement that The suspect was not beaten by IDF Palestinian president Mahmoud Sanouber had been “bludgeoned” by troops,” the army added. Abbas said the decision was made Israeli troops. It said troops at the scene and in response to Israeli plans to annex Asked about the incident, Israel’s army medical teams provided medi- parts of the West Bank. Israel put its army said soldiers responded to an cal attention to the suspect, who was annexation plans on hold in return incident north of Ramallah after “declared dead” following several for the establishment of full diplo- rocks were hurled at an army vehicle. “resuscitation attempts”. Details of matic ties with a Gulf state.

POLITICS Hariri told to avoid Zanzibar wraps up election campaign with rival rallies

‘secret deals’ in Tens of thousands of supporters of dential and parliamentary elections on forming cabinet Zanzibar’s ruling party and opposition Wednesday. gathered at rival rallies yesterday ahead Police fired teargas at small groups of Lebanon’s top Christian cleric of a presidential election on the semi- stone-throwing youths near the site of urged Prime Minister-designate autonomous Indian Ocean archipelago the ruling party rally shortly after the Saad al-Hariri yesterday to avoid that has a history of contested polls. simultaneous gatherings ended, an back-door deals and to quickly The far larger crowd was that of the AFP reporter witnessed. form a new government that will ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) The opposition ACT-Wazalendo (Alli- start lifting the country out of whose supporters, covered from head ance for Change and Transparency- financial crisis. Veteran politician to toe in green and yellow, gathered Patriots) rally took place just hours after Hariri was named premier for a in the cloying heat just five kilometres campaign manager Nassor Mazrui was fourth time on Thursday, a year from the opposition meeting, a sea of abducted and held for several hours after huge protests against the bright purple. before being dumped in a forest. ruling elite pushed him to quit. Heavily armed riot police and soldiers He told the crowd his car was Hariri promised a cabinet of spe- — some sent from mainland Tanzania intercepted and he was seized by six cialists to enact reforms set out in anticipation of the vote — patrolled armed men. Police said they were in a French plan to unlock foreign the streets of the island which is best investigating. Sectarian and political aid. Political rifts, which plagued known for its ancient spice trade, para- tensions in Zanzibar — with a cosmo- his last term, have delayed a dise palm-fringed white beaches and politan population of Arabs, Asians and deal on a new government for emerald waters. Africans — are more marked than on weeks. He faces major challenges Both Tanzania and Zanzibar hold presi- the mainland. to navigate Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing politics to agree a cabinet, which must then tackle a list of woes including a banking crisis and currency crash. In his weekly sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai Protesters revive year-old congratulated Hariri and urged him to rebuild the devastated capital Beirut after the huge port revolt against system in Iraq blast in August that killed nearly 200 people. AFP STRIFE Baghdad Looting sweeps raqi security forces and protesters Nigeria amid unrest clashed in Baghdad yesterday dur- Nigerian authorities struggled to Iing demonstrations to mark the fi rst halt looting across the country anniversary of mass anti-government yesterday as crowds defied curfew protests demanding the ouster of the orders to ransack government ruling class. warehouses in the latest in a wave Thousands took to the streets in of unrest sweeping Africa’s most Baghdad, some waving portraits of populous nation. fallen “martyrs” killed in protests last Iraqi demonstrators gather to mark the The country’s police chief on year, with peaceful demonstrations also first anniversary of the anti-government Saturday ordered the immediate taking place in several cities in the south protests in Baghdad, yesterday. mobilisation of all “operational as- including Basra, Najaf and Nasiriyah. sets” as he sought to curb turmoil In the capital, protesters hurled youth-led protest movement’s key de- sparked by widespread protests. rocks as police fi red teargas canisters mand for the ouster of the entire ruling Governors have slapped round- and used water cannons to block dem- class accused of corruption, and of be- the-clock curfews on a string of onstrators from bridges leading to the ing beholden to a neighbouring nation. states as residents have pillaged highly-fortifi ed Green Zone, a no-go “It’s been a year and we still want stocks that were meant for distri- zone for ordinary Iraqis where govern- our country back,” said Batool Hus- bution during coronavirus lock- ment offi ces, parliament and the US sein, a woman demonstrator in central downs. Locals raided agricultural embassy are based. Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, heart of the supplies in the central city of Jos Some demonstrators managed to protests. yesterday a day after thousands scale a towering security barricade “We still want to unseat the corrupt had emptied a vast government erected on the Al-Jumhuriyah bridge from power, and we still want to know warehouse. Fresh looting of food across the Tigris River, but were then who killed the protesters last year.” supplies was also reported in stopped by concrete walls and security About 600 protesters have been Taraba and Adamawa states. forces, an AFP journalist reported. killed and 30,000 wounded in clashes Peaceful demonstrations against Some protesters threw Molotov with security forces nationwide since police brutality erupted in Nigeria cocktails, the reporter added. protests erupted in October 2019. on October 8 and quickly snow- About 50 police and protesters were Activists have long complained of a balled into one of the biggest slightly injured, police and medical campaign of kidnappings and killings challenges to the ruling elite sources said. Yesterday’s demonstra- to intimidate them into halting demon- in decades. tions renewed the cross-sectarian, strations. Gulf Times 6 Monday, October 26, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Malaysia’s king rejects emergency rule in blow to PM Muhyiddin

Reuters is facing a leadership challenge need at the moment for His Maj- could destabilise the administra- trust in the government under The king’s rejection of the curity, economy or public order. Kuala Lumpur from opposition leader Anwar esty to declare an emergency in tion and highlighted the impor- my leadership and accept well premier’s request is unusual but New Sin Yew, a constitutional Ibrahim and infi ghting within his the country or in any part of the tance of the forthcoming budget, the advice that the government’s constitutional, analysts and law- lawyer, said that if Muhyiddin ruling coalition. country of Malaysia,” the palace which the government is due to stability should not be aff ected,” yers said. had formally advised the king alaysia’s King Al-Sul- Critics have denounced his said in a statement. present on Nov 6. he said in a statement. Malaysia is a constitutional to impose a state of emergency, tan Abdullah rejected proposal for emergency rule as an “His Majesty is confi dent in Muhyiddin’s failure to win the Muhyiddin has been in a pre- monarchy in which the king as- the monarch would have been Myesterday a request attempt to maintain his grip on the ability of the government un- house’s approval on the budget carious position since he took sumes a largely ceremonial role. obliged to comply. by Prime Minister Muhyiddin power as it would help him avoid der the leadership of the prime would be a vote of no-confi dence offi ce in March with a two-seat Under the constitution, the king However, the palace state- Yassin for him to declare a state a potential showdown in parlia- minister to continue to imple- against him, which in turn could majority. carries out his duties with the ment said the prime minister had of emergency in response to the ment. A resurgence in coronavi- ment policies and enforcement trigger an election. Last month Anwar said that, advice of the prime minister and sent the king a “request”. “So to- coronavirus crisis, saying that he rus cases and a pandemic-bat- eff orts to curb the spread of the Muhyiddin said the cabinet with the help of administration the cabinet. day, what the king did was warn did not see the need. tered economy has also added to Covid-19 pandemic.” would discuss the king’s rejec- defectors, he has the parliamen- It also gives him the right to against such a proposal, which is The king’s rejection is a ma- his woes. “Al-Sultan Abdullah The king also called for politi- tion of his request. tary majority to form a new gov- decide if an emergency should be entirely within his rights to do,” jor setback for Muhyiddin, who is of the opinion that there is no cians to end any politicking that “I am grateful for His Majesty’s ernment. declared, based on threats to se- said New.

The ride is back

Amusement park reopens in the Philippines amid coronavirus outbreak. A worker sanitises a carousel Thai protesters to protect amusement park-goers against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at Enchanted Kingdom, an amusement park in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines, yesterday. stage major rally after PM snub

AFP Bangkok

housands gathered yesterday at a major Bangkok intersection to Trenew calls for Premier Prayut Nearly 9,000 flee homes in Philippines as Molave intensifies into typhoon Chan-o-cha to resign, after he ignored a deadline to step down set by protest- Nearly 9,000 people fled their homes as it moved westward and made landfall in the Calabarzon region, southeast of ers who have issued unprecedented in the Philippines as Typhoon Molave over San Miguel Island in Albay province the capital Manila. The weather bureau challenges to the regime. made landfall while traversing provinces early in the evening. It made a second warned of storm surges as high as The former military chief, who on the southern part of the main Luzon landfall on Malinao municipality also in 2m (6.5ft) in coastal areas in northern staged a 2014 coup, is facing pressure island yesterday, bringing heavy rain and Albay, the weather bureau said. Samar province, the Bicol region and the from a student-led pro-democracy strong winds, off icials said. The disaster Some 5,518 people were evacuated to central and southern portions of Quezon movement that has organised mas- monitoring agency said it had received safer grounds, while 3,421 people took province. Tropical cyclone wind alerts sive demonstrations for months. They reports of damaged roads and bridges, shelter with their relatives in areas outside were issued for provinces in the Bicol regard his hold on power — extended flooding and landslide incidents in some danger zones, the disaster monitoring and Calabarzon regions, and provinces after last year’s widely disputed elec- areas, but there were no casualties so far. agency said. Molave follows Tropical in central Philippines, as well as for tions — as illegitimate and on Wednes- Packing top sustained winds of 130km per Storm Saudel, which last week caused Metro Manila and provinces of Bulacan, day gave him three days to step down. hour Molave intensified into a typhoon widespread flooding in Quezon province Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales. After the deadline came and went, thousands gathered at downtown Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersec- Pro-democracy activist Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa (centre) gives a thumbs tion, surrounded by gleaming shop- up at an anti-government rally in Bangkok yesterday. ping malls and watched by traffi c po- lice. “If Prayut insists on not quitting, for the country at a historic Bang- the king told the man, according to we will keep insisting on coming out to kok temple, saying “all problems can footage posted on Facebook. Following oust him,” said organiser Jatupat “Pai” be solved” through compromise. He the interaction, that quote trended as a Boonpattararaksa, who had called for told reporters he “won’t quit”. The hashtag on Twitter in Thailand. the protest the night before. movement is largely leaderless though Prayut had initially imposed emer- He reaffi rmed the movement’s three the diff erent groups are united in de- gency measures banning gatherings of core demands - Prayut’s resignation; a manding an overhaul of Prayut’s gov- more than four, but lifted them a week rewrite of the 2017 military-scripted ernment. later when they failed to stop tens of constitution; and for authorities to Some have issued controversial thousands showing up to guerrilla “stop harassing” political opponents. calls for reform to the kingdom’s demonstrations across the capital. The gathering drew a diverse crowd unassailable monarchy, questioning Scores of activists and protesters have - young people in hard hats ready for a the role of King Maha Vajiralong- been arrested, with several facing seri- police crackdown, and older protesters korn - once a taboo act due to dra- ous charges such as sedition. worried about Thailand’s freefalling conian royal defamation laws. The Over the weekend, prominent lead- economy. “I want Prayut to think as a monarch has been back in Thailand ers Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Pan- citizen rather than as a prime minis- for the past week and a half to com- upong “Mike” Jadnok, and Panusaya ter,” said 43-year-old Nuch. memorate a Buddhist holiday and “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul three fi g- “The economy is really bad - since the death of his late father Bhumibol ures who have consistently called for he cannot solve the problem, he should Adulyadej. royal reform were denied bail. resign and let someone else do it.” He has not commented on the dem- Dozens of royalist supporters gath- Despite the grievances, there was a onstrations, despite tension in Bang- ered outside the parliament yesterday festive atmosphere as protesters sang kok as protesters grow bolder in their afternoon to protest against the stu- songs and bought caps emblazoned challenge to the royal institution. dents, a day before a special parlia- with the three-fi ngered salute - a de- But the king has made rare public mentary session was set to convene mocracy symbol borrowed from the visits with his supporters waiting out- for MPs to thrash out ways to reduce popular Hunger Games fi lms. The sur- side the palace — a charm off ensive tensions. rounding roads were closed, with vo- for an army of local and international Thais abroad have also held dem- cational students stationed near the media. onstrations in solidarity with the stu- barricades to search protesters - a sign On Friday, he broke with royal pro- dent movement, with some gathering of worry of potential violence - before tocol to praise a man who had held up a in Tokyo Sunday waving the three- the demonstration’s 9:30pm end. portrait of the king’s parents at a pro- fi nger salute, while protesters in Seoul Prayut remained resolute Saturday democracy rally. held signs that said “Restore power to while attending a prayer ceremony “Very brave. So good. Thank you,” the people”. Australia’s virus epicentre delays decision on lifting lockdown curbs

Reuters day and tomorrow and hopefully we tions, describing any delay as “deeply Sydney are able to make, not only announce- concerning” because of the mental ments but to take the big steps safely health harm caused by the lockdown. around the middle of this week,” An- “On the balance of evidence and risk, ictoria state, Australia’s drews said. Victoria is in a suffi ciently strong Covid-19 epicentre, yester- place to replicate that which has oc- Vday delayed an expected an- NSW and Victoria each found curred in New South Wales (NSW),” nouncement on the easing of lock- seven new Covid-19 cases in the Hunt told reporters, referring to the down restrictions due to an outbreak previous 24 hours. Six of the new country’s largest state, which has in Melbourne, prompting warnings cases in Victoria were linked to reopened its economy. that residents were at a “fi nancial and the northern suburbs outbreak NSW was to host the largest public mental breaking point”. in Melbourne, which involved gathering since the pandemic began, The restrictions have limited most 39 infected people across 11 a rugby game with 40,000 attendees. retail businesses in the state’s capi- households NSW and Victoria each found seven tal to providing online services only new Covid-19 cases in the previous since early August, and 5mn people “I know everyone will be disap- 24 hours. Six of the new cases in Vic- living under stay-at-home orders pointed we’re not making that move toria were linked to the northern sub- were expecting an announcement today. I am too.” urbs outbreak in Melbourne, which yesterday. The federal government and indus- involved 39 infected people across 11 State premier Daniel Andrews told try leaders have been putting increas- households. a media conference the outbreak ing pressure on Andrews to fully reo- The 14-day moving average of new in Melbourne’s northern suburbs pen the city and the state. “We cannot cases in Victoria fell to 4.6, below the threatened to push the reopening date go on like this,” Business Council of threshold of fi ve Andrews had previ- of retail and hospitality businesses Australia chief executive Jennifer ously set for the next band of restric- closer to Nov 1. Westacott said in a statement. “Vic- tions to be lifted. Andrews said he decided to wait torians cannot hang on week to week. Australia has recorded nearly until test results showed whether all People are at a fi nancial and mental 27,500 infections and more than 900 infections in the latest outbreak were breaking point.” deaths, a fraction of those in some linked. Health Minister Greg Hunt said other countries. Victoria accounts for “We will get (the test results) to- Victoria was ready to ease restric- over 90% of lives lost to the virus. Gulf Times Monday, October 26. 2020 7 AMERICAS/BRITAIN

POLITICS COMMENT WILDLIFE ACHIEVEMENT PEOPLE Vaccine verdict due by Workers eradicate nest SpaceX launches Venezuelan politician early December: Fauci of ‘murder hornets’ in US 60 more satellites Lopez arrives in Madrid

US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci Agricultural department workers wearing California-based rocket builder SpaceX has Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez yesterday said it would be clear whether a protective suits have eradicated the first nest successfully launched its latest fleet of Starlink arrived in Madrid yesterday, Spain’s foreign Covid-19 vaccine was safe and eff ective by of giant “murder hornets” discovered in the US, Internet satellites into orbit, marking the second ministry said in a statement, after spending the early December, but that more widespread vacuuming them out of a tree in Washington such mission this week. A previously flown past year at the Spanish ambassador’s residence vaccination would not be likely until later in state. The nest of Asian giant hornets was found two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Space in Venezuela to escape house arrest. Lopez’s 2021. “We will know whether a vaccine is safe by Washington State Department of Agriculture Launch Complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Air decision to leave the Spanish embassy in and eff ective by the end of November, the (WSDA) entomologists on a property in Blaine, Force Station at 11.31am EDT (1531GMT) carrying Venezuela was “personal and voluntary”, it said. beginning of December,” Fauci told the BBC. near the border with Canada. They spent weeks a set of 60 new Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s Lopez’s party, Popular Will, did not say how he “When you talk about vaccinating a substantial searching for the nest, trapping hornets and ever-expanding mega constellation. Following an left Venezuela, but two people familiar with the proportion of the population, so that you can tracking them, using dental floss to tie tiny radio on-time liftoff , the company capped the mission matter said he travelled via Colombia. Lopez, in BC NDP leader John Horgan speaks at the have a significant impact on the dynamics of trackers on the insects, which are nearly two with a successful rocket landing at sea. SpaceXs a series of tweets hinted he had left Venezuela. party’s headquarters following a majority the outbreak, that very likely will not be until inches in length and have a painful sting. A team goal with Starlink is to provide broadband service “Venezuelans, this decision has not been easy, government win in Vancouver, British the second or third quarter of the year,” he of workers vacuumed the insects out of their globally at speeds and with latency previously but rest assured that you can count on this Columbia, Canada. added. nest in the cavity of a dead tree. unavailable in hard-to-reach and rural areas. servant to fight from anywhere,” Lopez tweeted.

‘We’re not going to Pence to keep control pandemic’: Trump aide campaigning as

AFP Washington close aides test onald Trump’s chief of staff said yesterday D“we’re not going to con- trol the pandemic,” drawing a rebuke from the Biden campaign Covid positive that “they are admitting defeat.” Chief of staff Mark Mead- ows was speaking amid a sharp Reuters Devin O’Malley, a spokesman can facilitate the spread of the resurgence of the coronavirus Washington for the vice president, said on virus. across the US, with case num- Saturday that Pence and his wife Biden’s running mate, senator bers setting daily records and both had tested negative and that Kamala Harris, took four days the death toll fast approaching S Vice President Mike Pence would maintain his sched- off the campaign trail earlier this 225,000. Pence pressed ahead with ule “in accordance with the CDC month after her communica- When a CNN interviewer asked Ucampaigning including (Centers for Disease Control and tions director tested positive for Meadows why the administration a trip yesterday to the battle- Prevention) guidelines for essen- Covid-19. would not get control of the virus, ground state of North Carolina tial personnel.” Former New Jersey gover- he replied, “Because it is a conta- after multiple close aides tested It was the latest reminder of nor Chris Christie, who himself gious virus just like the fl u.” positive for the coronavirus, as the way that Trump — who was caught Covid-19 and was hospi- He then qualifi ed that, saying, the pandemic remained front and hospitalised for three nights talised for a week after spending “We are making eff orts to con- centre in the presidential race. this month after contracting several days at the White House tain it.” With nine days to go before the Covid-19 — and those around without wearing a mask, yes- Democrat Joe Biden’s run- November 3 election in which him have downplayed the advice terday said he was “surprised” ning mate Kamala Harris was Democrat Joe Biden is challeng- of public health experts to wear Pence was continuing cam- asked during a campaign stop ing Republican President Donald masks and observe social dis- paigning. in Michigan about Meadows’ Trump, the White House cited tancing guidelines to stem trans- “Everybody’s gotta put the comments and said: “They are Pence’s status as an “essential mission of the virus. health of the people they’re going admitting defeat, and I’ve been worker” as justifi cation for his In an appearance on the CNN to be in touch with fi rst,” he told saying that, and Joe Biden has travel despite exposure to his programme ‘State of the Union,’ ABC’s This Week programme. been saying that since the be- chief of staff , Marc Short, who Meadows yesterday cited the Meanwhile, an infl uential ginning.” tested positive on Saturday. “essential personnel” distinc- newspaper in New Hampshire She criticised Meadows for Multiple other senior aides tion for Pence as justifi cation for with a record of endorsing Re- likening the coronavirus to the to Pence also tested positive for the vice president not adhering publican presidential candidates fl u, according to a pool report. Covid-19, the White House chief to CDC guidelines for isolation endorsed Biden yesterday. “This is the greatest failure of of staff said, as new nationwide after potential exposure to an in- “America faces many chal- any presidential administration infections soared to record num- fected person. lenges and needs a president to in the history of America,” she bers in recent days amid a pan- Meadows said Pence would build this country up. This ap- said. demic that has killed 225,000 continue to campaign and speak pears to be outside of Trump’s Biden and Harris have been Americans. at rallies. skill set,” the New Hampshire hammering Trump over his han- In addition to dominating “I spoke to the vice president Union Leader said in an editorial. dling of the pandemic, which the campaign policy debate — at midnight,” Meadows told Trump is running out of time has seen the US suff er roughly with Trump insisting the US is CNN. “And what I can tell you and opportunities to change one-fi fth the world death total “rounding the turn” on the crisis he’s doing is wearing a mask, minds and shift the race in his though its population is only 4% while Biden has blasted Trump’s socially distancing, and when he favour. After voting early in his the total. disjointed response — the pan- goes up to speak he will take the home state of Florida on Satur- CNN interviewer Jake Tapper demic has changed Americans’ mask off and put it back on.” day, Trump raced through rallies pressed Meadows about Pence, voting habits, with 58.7mn bal- Meadows declined to say in three states — North Carolina, who heads the White House lots already cast. whether Pence, who has headed Ohio and Wisconsin. coronavirus task force, seem- White House chief of staff the White House coronavirus Biden, who made two cam- ingly fl aunting guidelines of the Mark Meadows told report- task force, would be tested daily paign stops in Pennsylvania federal Centers for Disease Con- ers that White House doctors going forward, but did say “we do on Saturday, had no campaign trol by travelling and not self- cleared Pence travel after Short test on a regular basis.” events yesterday. quarantining after exposure to tested positive. Trump has mocked Biden for During his swing through Short. Pence is scheduled to address wearing a protective mask and Pennsylvania, Biden renewed his “I can tell you he is wearing a rallies in Kinston, north Carolina has addressed packed rallies in criticism of Trump for not tak- mask and will be wearing a mask and Hibbing, Minnesota. which many of his supporters are ing the health crisis seriously today,” Meadows said. “Obvi- US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Manchester-Boston Regional Air- While Biden holds a wide lead not wearing masks. enough and warned of a resur- ously, when you have an expo- port in Londonderry, New Hampshire yesterday. Trump’s re-election campaign yesterday sought to in national opinion polls, polls Public health experts have said gence during the winter months sure you have to take additional brush off another Covid outbreak in his team by focusing its attacks on Joe Biden’s energy levels and show closer contests in those two such events with many people in of the virus, which is on the rise mitigation factors.” accusing him of “47 years of failure” in Washington. key states. close quarters not wearing masks in numerous states.

Security ‘incident’ Labour vows to force new Britain’s oldest person vote on free school meals dies at the age of 112 Guardian News and Media refused a card from the Queen on London her 100th birthday because “she Guardian News and Media the government has so far dug in added: “The public want to see did not want people to know how London to defend its position. the government taking a na- old she was”. In an apparent softening tional lead on this and I think ritain’s oldest person, Joan Born in Holland Park, west of tone after a No 10 spokes- the government will probably Hocquard, who drove am- London, Hocquard spent much abour has thrown down man last week refused to have to think again on that, Bbulances during the World of her childhood in Kenya, where the gauntlet to Down- praise councils and fi rms of- particularly if there’s going to War II, has died aged 112. her father was a colonial of- Ling Street by pledging to fering help, the Northern Ire- be more votes in the House of Hocquard died at her home in fi cer in charge of shipping on the force another Commons vote if land Secretary, Brandon Lewis, Commons. Poole, Dorset, on Saturday. Great Lakes in east Africa. it does not U-turn on its refusal said Rashford deserved “huge “I think when you have got the Her nephew, Paul Reynolds, She later worked as a cook in to provide free school meals in credit” for his work on the issue chairman of the education se- 74, said she had always sought a French hotel near Geneva in England during the holidays, as although he stood by Downing lect committee (Robert Halfon) to live life to the full and that she Switzerland, and met her hus- a senior Conservative MP ad- Street’s line. not supporting the government “loved eating butter and cream band, Gilbert, through their mitted the government has mis- It comes as Sir Bernard on this – and he’s a Conserva- and didn’t believe in dieting”. shared love of sailing. judged the country’s mood over Jenkin, the Conservative chair tive – I think the government She was born on March 29, During World War II, she drove the issue. of the infl uential Commons liai- has to listen to the Conservative 1908, under the reign of Edward ambulances in London before In a fresh intervention that son committee, said the govern- party.” VII, the same day as the world’s she and Gilbert moved to the will boost the campaign being ment had “misunderstood the Asked how he would vote in former oldest man, Bob Weighton, south coast of England. led by the footballer Marcus mood of the country” on free any further Commons divi- who died in Hampshire in May. The couple travelled across Rashford, the Labour leader, school meals. sions, Jenkin said: “I shall wait Their fi nal birthday celebra- Europe in a camper van and went Keir Starmer, yesterday said his As the government contin- to see what the government says British police yesterday said they had been called by a vessel tions were held behind closed on yachting holidays until his party would push for another ues to resist appeals to reverse and how they respond to the off England’s south coast amid reports of a security incident doors because of the national death in 1981. vote if there is no change of its move, Jenkin told the Sophy situation.” involving stowaways on an oil tanker. “We are aware and coronavirus lockdown. In the late 1980s she met wid- course before Christmas. Ridge on Sunday programme on Halfon, who voted against the dealing with an ongoing incident on board a vessel which The pair also shared a birthday ower Kenneth Bedford, who was Labour was defeated by the Sky News: “I think we have to government on the free school is situated south of the Isle of Wight,” a spokesman for with Alf Smith from St Madoes 20 years her junior, at the Bourne- government in a vote on the pol- admit that we have misunder- meals motion on Wednesday, Hampshire police said. British media, including Sky News, in Perthshire, who shared the mouth Gramophone Society and icy last week, prompting busi- stood the mood of the country wrote in the Spectator on Sat- reported that around seven stowaways had attempted to title of Britain’s oldest man with they had lived together since in nesses and councils – some of here.” urday: “Combating child hun- take over the ship, although lawyers Tatham and Co, who Weighton until his death in 2019 Poole. She lived “an extraordinary them Tory-led – to step forward Highlighting that the gov- ger should, therefore, be a cause represent the vessel’s owners, told the BBC that it was “100% at the age of 111. innings and died peacefully in her to off er to feed children in the ernment had funded local that all Conservatives can em- not a hijacking”. Reynolds described Hocquard own home, which is all you could October half-term break, but councils to provide support, he brace.” as an independent spirit who had wish for”, said Reynolds. Gulf Times 8 Monday, October 26, 2020 EUROPE

Bulgarian PM tests positive for Covid-19 after two negative results Frankfurt cancels Christmas market over spike in coronavirus cases

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said yesterday that Health authorities lifted Borissov’s quarantine late on Saturday The German city of Frankfurt has become the latest to cancel to announce they are scrapping or severely curtailing their he had tested positive for coronavirus and would stay at home after two negative results from coronavirus tests, but then he its traditional Christmas market as the nation struggles to halt Christmas markets, although major ones are still going ahead for any treatment for the time being, as recommended by his tested positive yesterday. an alarming rise in coronavirus infections. in Munich and Nuremberg. doctors. Borissov, who met Keith Krach, US undersecretary “Although my quarantine was lifted, since Friday I have “Frankfurt is pulling the corona emergency brake,” the Germany is home to some 2,500 Christmas markets each year of state for economic aff airs on Friday, has informed the US postponed all my meetings and planned public appearances bestselling Bild daily wrote after city off icials made the that kick off the festive season in late November and are much embassy in Sofia of the situation, the head of Sofia health for the coming days,” Borissov, 61, said in a posting on his decision in emergency talks late on Saturday. loved by locals and tourists alike. inspectorate said. off icial Facebook account. The Frankfurt “Weihnachtsmarkt” is one of Germany’s most The Christmas markets attract about 160mn domestic and The government press off ice said Borissov was able to carry “After two PCR tests, as of today I am positive with Covid-19,” popular Christmas markets and usually attracts more than international visitors annually, who bring in revenues of €3- out his duties and is in constant contact with his ministers. he said. “I have a general malaise. For the moment, on the 2mn visitors. 5bn ($3.6-5.9bn), according to the BSM stallkeepers’ industry Borissov and three cabinet ministers had self-isolated late doctors’ discretion, I remain on home treatment.” “Our goal remains to avoid another lockdown,” Frankfurt association. on Friday following contact with a deputy minister who had It was not clear if he was already receiving treatment. mayor Peter Feldmann said in a statement. Yesterday Germany reported more than 11,000 new cases tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on Facebook that he The worsening pandemic has already forced a slew of other over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number since the the coronavirus. was self-isolating because he met Borissov on Friday. German cities, including Berlin, Duesseldorf and Cologne, start of the pandemic to 429,181. Spain declares virus emergency „ Italy orders nightspots to close early, shuts gyms Yesterday the authorities re- “Faced with the rapid and con- „ Geneva hospitals call for volunteers ported a new record daily total of tinuous increase in the number 21,273 infections, as well as 128 of hospitalisations of Covid-19- AFP/Reuters people have died from it. deaths. positive patients, the HUG is Madrid/Rome/Geneva Authorities were responding The protests in Naples and looking for voluntary medical, to calls for help from 10 Spanish Rome, while limited, underlined nursing and administrative staff regions and the city of Melilla, the tense political climate fac- to strengthen and relieve their pain has declared a national the government statement said. ing Conte who won praise for his teams,” the group said in a state- state of emergency and a Under the state of emergency, handling of the initial phase of ment. Scurfew for the entire coun- the regions would have the power the crisis. They are also calling on re- try, except the Canary Islands, to to limit movement in and out of However he has come un- cently retired employees or those curb a second wave of coronavi- their territories, and could also der increasing fi re for failing to who are on unpaid leave to come rus cases. extend the curfew by an hour on strengthen preparations includ- forward. The coronavirus causes the either end depending on local ing testing and contact tracing “It is highly likely that the Covid-19 respiratory disease. conditions. over the summer. peak of 550 hospitalised Covid- The new state of emergency Spain was locked down dur- Meanwhile, hospitals in Swit- positive patients that we record- will last until early May, Prime ing an initial state of emergency zerland have issued a call for ed during the fi rst wave will be Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a that lasted from March 15 to June medically-trained volunteers greatly exceeded in the coming televised speech. 21, and the measures were among and recently retired staff to help days,” said HUG director-general “The situation we are going the strictest anywhere in Europe. tackle a record number of coro- Bertrand Levrat. “We anticipate through is extreme,” he stressed. Sanchez said that he sought navirus patients anticipated in that the number of beds and pro- The measures were agreed “at any price” to avoid a second the coming days. fessionals needed to treat Covid earlier yesterday at a two-and- severe lockdown. Geneva University Hospitals and non-Covid patients will be a-half-hour cabinet meeting “Let’s stay home as much as (HUG) said the number of coro- far higher than what we experi- convened following calls from possible,” he urged in the televi- navirus patients was expected to enced this spring.” Spanish regions for the power to sion address. “The more we stay be “far higher” than at the peak There are currently 296 coro- impose curfews themselves. home the more protected we and of the pandemic’s fi rst wave in navirus patients in Geneva hos- A government statement said others will be.” People take part yesterday in a rally against coronavirus restrictions at Berlin’s Alexanderplatz. March. pitals – almost triple the number the overnight curfew would run Meanwhile, Italy ordered Geneva, Switzerland’s second- 10 days ago. from 11pm until 6am, currently nightspots and restaurants to we’ll be able to breathe again in Casalino, said in a statement that The decree encourages people biggest city, is home to many in- In March, during the fi rst 2200 GMT to 0500 GMT. close by 6pm and shut public December,” he told a news con- he had last seen Conte on Tues- not to go out and to limit contacts ternational institutions, includ- wave of infections, Switzerland While the state of emergency gyms, cinemas and swimming ference, promising that sectors day at which time they had worn at home with anyone outside ing the United Nations. was not hit as hard by Covid-19 would initially last for just 15 pools to try to halt a rapid resur- hit by the measures would be masks and maintained social dis- their immediate family, but does According to the latest fi gures deaths and did not impose as days, the government planned to gence in the coronavirus that has compensated. tancing. not impose a nationwide curfew released on Friday by the Swiss strict a lockdown as some other ask parliament to extend it for six pushed daily infection rates to Italy, once the European coun- The new measures, which take and allows shops and most busi- health ministry, 5,057 new cases European states. months, the statement added. new records. try hardest hit by the pandemic, eff ect today, follow two nights nesses to stay open. of the respiratory disease were From nearly no new cases at Sanchez nonetheless said that Prime Minister Giuseppe Con- has been overtaken by Spain, of protests in Naples and Rome However, as well as early clos- registered in Geneva over the the beginning of June, infections if conditions allowed, the meas- te said the measures were aimed France and Britain, but infec- against curfews ordered in sev- ing, bars and restaurants will be previous 14 days – an incidence rose slowly but steadily before ures could be lifted earlier than at protecting both public health tion rates have been rebounding eral regions last week. subject to a series of controls to of 1,012.5 per 100,000 people. rocketing in October. anticipated. and the economy and should rapidly and health services have Aware of the huge cost of shut- limit contagion, while cinemas Cases, hospitalisations and On Friday, 6,592 new cases “The state of emergency is the bring the rising curve of the epi- come under increasing pressure. ting down the economy, the gov- and theatres as well as trade fairs deaths in Switzerland have dou- were announced in the daily most eff ective tool to lower the demic under control in the next Underlining the spread of the ernment hopes to avoid the blan- will be shut. bled from one week to the next Swiss update, taking the total rate of infection,” he argued. few weeks to allow a “serene” disease, spokesmen for both ket lockdown ordered in the fi rst The decree also directs that up throughout October. throughout the pandemic over On Wednesday, Spain be- Christmas. Conte and President Sergio Mat- phase of the crisis. to three-quarters of high school The government is expected the 100,000 mark to 103,323. came the fi rst European country “We think we will suff er a bit tarella said they had tested posi- But it has been forced to ratch- teaching should be online to limit to decide on Wednesday on new Switzerland – population to record more than 1mn cases this month but by gritting our tive for the virus. et up restrictions steadily as the the number of pupils in school measures to control the spread of 8.5mn – has so far recorded 1,876 of the virus, and almost 35,000 teeth with these restrictions, Conte’s spokesman, Rocco pandemic has raced ahead. buildings. the virus. deaths from the coronavirus.

Belarus Local elections test Zelenskiy’s popularity police AFP disinfectant dispensers, elec- Kyiv tion offi cials wore masks and gloves. use stun Voters were asked to maintain krainians voted yes- social distance, wear a mask and terday in local elec- have their temperature taken grenades Utions seen as a test for before casting their vote. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, In the capital Kyiv, act- whose popularity has suff ered in ing mayor and former boxing against the year and a half since he came champion Vitali Klitschko, is unexpectedly to power. expected to win easily. Zelenskiy, a former comedian But he was not able to vote protesters with no political experience, because he was self-isolating won a landslide victory in a 2019 after testing positive for coro- A woman argues with law enforcement off icers during an opposition presidential election promising navirus. Reuters rally in Minsk. to root out corruption and end a Off icial observers sit next to a voting booth, intended for voters At a polling station in the Kyiv/Moscow war with Russian-backed sepa- with a body temperature higher than 37° Celsius, at a polling station Pechersk district in Kyiv, more The videos could not be im- into exile following the August ratists in the east. in Kyiv. than 30 people lined up to vote. mediately verifi ed by Reuters. 9 election, which Lukashenko’s His newly-created Servant of “I want to return to the time elarusian police used stun Earlier, crowds streamed opponents accuse him of rigging the People party won an out- showed that just 17% of voters planned to cast their ballots for before 2014, before these re- grenades against protest- through the capital shouting to win a sixth straight term. right majority in a parliament planned to cast ballots for the one of several Russia-friendly formers who are dragging us Bers yesterday as tens of “strike”, waving fl ags and beat- He denies electoral fraud. election last year, a record win Servant of the People party. parties. towards Europe came to power,” thousands of people headed to- ing drums on the 11th straight Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, his in the former Soviet republic of In close second was a pro- “We will see the fi gures,” Inna, a retiree, who said she wards Independence Palace in weekend of mass protests since main electoral challenger, has around 40mn people. Russian party, Opposition Zelenskiy said yesterday in re- voted for pro-Russian party, the capital Minsk demanding a disputed election plunged the led calls from exile for a national But in the absence of tangible Platform – For Life, with 14%, sponse to a question about his told AFP. that President Alexander Lu- country into turmoil. strike to begin today if Lukash- results, Zelenskiy’s popularity followed by the pro-Western party’s popularity. “What have we got since kashenko resign. Twelve metro stations were enko refuses to release all politi- and that of his party has been on European Solidarity aligned “It’s important that we elect then? War, devastation, pov- Protesters carrying the red- closed, helmeted riot police pa- cal prisoners and resign to make the decline. with former leader Petro Poro- people who we trust,” he said erty,” she said on the condition and-white fl ags of the Belarusian trolled the streets and mobile way for a new election. The vote to elect mayors, local shenko with 13%. after casting his vote. “These that she withhold her last name. opposition movement scattered internet services were disrupted Lukashenko has signalled that and regional councils is not be- In areas of the eastern Donet- are local elections, it’s impor- Seventy-four-year-old as loud bangs and fl ashes lit up in Minsk. he would ignore the ultimatum. ing held on the Crimea peninsu- sk and Luhansk regions that are tant what these people are able Viktor, who also declined to give the city’s streets after nightfall, Two journalists were detained The United States, the Euro- la annexed by Russia in 2014 or still controlled by Kyiv, only to do in their localities.” his last name, said he voted for videos showed. ahead of the protest, a local jour- pean Union, Britain and Canada in the self-proclaimed Donetsk 10% of voters planned to vote Yesterday’s vote is fi rst held a candidate from Zelenskiy’s The police action came hours nalists’ association said. have imposed sanctions against a and Luhansk People’s Republics for Zelensky’s party. in Ukraine since the start of the party to become mayor. before the expiration of an ul- Tens of people were detained string of senior offi cials in Bela- in eastern Ukraine. In a separate opinion poll, coronavirus pandemic, and in “We must support the presi- timatum set by the opposition: and security forces used tear gas rus accused of fraud and human A poll published this month some 60% of voters said they polling stations equipped with dent,” he said. Lukashenko must resign by mid- in the western town of Lida, the rights abuses in the wake of the night or face a national strike. Russian news agency RIA quoted presidential election. Explosions and white smoke the regional branch of the inte- Lukashenko has accused fi lled residential areas as people rior ministry as saying. Western countries of meddling hid behind vehicles and ran from A former Soviet collective farm in the internal aff airs of Belarus police, the videos, shared online manager, Lukashenko has ruled and trying to instigate a violent Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals by reputable news organisations, Belarus for more than a quarter uprising against him. showed. of a century and has shown lit- In a call with US Secretary of Law enforcement confi rmed tle inclination to quit, buoyed State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, Reuters elevated to the high rank at a limit by naming more, factoring cis’s attempt to heal the country that riot control weapons had by loans and the off er of military he said that Belarus and Russia Vatican City ceremony known as a consistory in that some will turn 80 in the still reeling from a sexual abuse been used and detentions had support from Russia. were ready to respond jointly to at the Vatican on November 28, coming year. crisis. taken place, the Tass and RIA The president’s main oppo- external threats, Belarusian state and the selection of more cardi- The nine new electors come The new cardinal’s predeces- news agencies reported. nents have been jailed or fl ed television reported. ope Francis, leaving nal electors increases the pos- from Italy, Malta, Rwanda, the sor as archbishop of Santiago, his mark on the Roman sibility that the next pope will United States, the Philippines, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, was the PCatholic Church into be someone who will continue Chile, Brunei, and Mexico. highest-ranking member of the Lithuanian opposition scents victory in run-off vote the future, named 13 cardinals Francis’ policies. Two of the new cardinals, Chilean church to be caught up from eight countries yesterday, Francis has now appointed Archbishop Antoine Kambanda in the scandal. Lithuanians returned to the polls yesterday for the criticism for failing to create more jobs and stop debt including nine who are eligible about 57% of cardinal electors, of Kigali, Rwanda, and Bishop The appointment of Aos Bra- second round of a parliamentary election where mounting. to enter a conclave to elect his whose number rises to about Cornelius Sim of Brunei, appear co was particularly stinging to the centre-right opposition expects victory as The opposition Homeland Union, with roots in successor after his death or res- 128 with the naming of the new to be part of Francis’s policy Chileans because he is Spanish unemployment and debt hurt the government. the 1980s anti-Soviet independence movement, ignation. cardinals. of giving more prestige to the and not a native, signalling the Voting was scheduled to end at 1800 GMT, with led the proportional vote of the first round with The nine new cardinal elec- The others were appointed by church in far-fl ung places, of- Pope’s conviction that an out- results reported a few hours later. 24.8%, versus 17.5% for the Farmers and Greens tors, whom the Pope listed in a Francis’s two more conservative ten where Catholics are a tiny sider was needed to clean up the The Baltic Sea state of less than 3mn people has party (LVZS), an agrarian group leading Skvernelis’ surprise announcement while predecessors, Benedict XVI and minority. situation. fared relatively well in the coronavirus crisis, though coalition. addressing pilgrims from his John Paul II. His elevation of Archbishop The four non-electors, who cases have spiked of late as elsewhere around Under Lithuania’s hybrid system, the other half of the window overlooking St Peter’s Church rules usually limit the Celestino Aos Braco of Chile to will not be allowed to enter a Europe. 141-member parliament were to be elected in run-off Square. number of cardinal electors to the rank of cardinal is signifi - conclave because they are over But Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has faced votes in constituencies yesterday. The 13 new cardinals will be 120, but popes have bent that cant because it is part of Fran- the age of 80. Gulf Times Monday, October 26, 2020 9 INDIA

STRIKE OPTIMISM DISASTER POLITICS CONTROVERSY AAP slams BJP over BJP emerging as a strong Central team to visit AP MP Congress MLA resigns CAA not against religious Delhi doctors’ protest force in Andhra: minister to assess flood damage from assembly, joins BJP minorities: Bhagwat

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) yesterday Federal Minister of State for Home G Kishan A central ministerial team will visit Andhra With just a few days left for the Madhya Pradesh The Citizenship (Amendment) Act was not slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Reddy yesterday said the Bharatiya Janata Pradesh later this month to assess damage to assembly by-elections, Congress MLA Rahul Lodhi against any particular religious minority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi for “resorting Party has been emerging as a strong force crops and property due to devastating floods in yesterday resigned from his assembly membership Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan to hooliganism to suppress the voices of the in Andhra Pradesh. He said the party had the state. The team consisting of off icials from the and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. After Bhagwat said yesterday, and hit out at protesting doctors and nurses” demanding their become the voice of the people in the state. Home Ministry’s Disaster Management Division, submitting his resignation to Speaker Rameshwar “opportunists” who unleashed “organised salaries. Senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said He exuded confidence that the BJP will be Agriculture, Finance, Jal Shakti (Department of Sharma, Lodhi reached BJP’s state off ice and violence” on the pretext of CAA opposition. the MCD has transferred four senior doctors further strengthened in the coming days Water Resources), Power, Road Transport and was inducted as its member in the presence “The CAA does not oppose any particular of the Hindu Rao Hospital because they were under the leadership of Prime Minister Highways and Rural Development ministries of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, party religious community. But those who wanted supporting the protest of the doctors and Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah will recommend allocation of additional funds. state president Vishnu Dutt Sharma and Urban to oppose this new law misled our Muslim nurses.” Pathak also said BJP leaders were and party president J P Nadda. Speaking in The team will also suggest to the Home Ministry Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh. However, brothers by propagating a false notion continuously threatening the protesting doctors Vijayawada, Reddy urged party cadres to through its assessment report whether the the speaker told reporters that Lodhi had sought to that it was aimed at restricting the Muslim and asking them to withdraw their action. AAP take the schemes being implemented by disaster can be considered “severe” in nature. resign two days ago but was asked to reconsider population,” Bhagwat said. “Using the CAA, MLA Kuldeep Kumar said that the BJP-ruled the central government to the people at the The Andhra Pradesh government has been asked his decision. On Saturday, he reiterated his desire to opportunists unleashed organised violence in MCD has become a “den of corruption” and they grass-root level to further strengthen the to give details of damage caused by the floods. resign and finally quit yesterday. Earlier this year, 22 the name of protests. Even before something are “unable” to pay the salaries and now are party. He also asked them to ensure that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had urged Congress MLAs had resigned from Congress and could be thought out, coronavirus pandemic threatening the Covid-19 warriors. “This inhuman the beneficiaries get the benefits of various federal Home Minister Amit Shah to send a central joined the BJP under the leadership of Jyotiraditya crept in. In this background, the eff orts by activity has created havoc on their lives and programmes being implemented by the Modi team to assess the losses caused by torrential Scindia, which led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath- rioters and opportunists to reignite the conflict today they are on hunger strike,” Kumar added. government. rains and subsequent floods. led Congress government. still continue.” NDA will get Celebration in the shadow of Covid, air pollution clear majority in Bihar, says opinion poll

IANS all 243 Assembly segments and New Delhi the margin error is +/- 3 per cent at State level and +/-5 per cent at regional level. he National Democratic In a twist in the Bihar elec- Alliance is comfortably tions, 61% Bihar voters feel that Treturning to power in Bi- Paswan’s LJP and BJP are actu- har with a clear majority but the ally working hand in glove. remarkable twist is that Bharati- There have been murmurs ya Janata Party is emerging as that Paswan is attacking Nitish the single largest party much Kumar and supporting the BJP in ahead of Chief Minister Nitish the state elections. Kumar-led Janata Dal-United. Some also believe Paswan will According to an opinion poll join hands with the RJD after the elections released by IANS ABP- elections. CVoter on Saturday, the NDA While Paswan has decided to comprising the JD-U and BJP go solo in Bihar elections, he is will get 135-159 seats in the as- praising Prime Minister Naren- sembly elections, getting a clear dra Modi and talking about majority. forming an alliance with the BJP People watch from inside a tent an event during the Dussehra festival celebrations, in New Delhi yesterday. The festival was celebrated in the national capital in the The BJP will be the largest after the elections. shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and air pollution. Many of the events associated with Dussehra were cancelled or celebrated in a low key. party in the assembly with 73- >>Bhim Army chief Chandra 81 seats while then JD-U will get Shekhar will launch his cam- between 59 and 87 seats. paign for the upcoming Uttar The Grand Alliance of the Rash- Pradesh by-elections by ad- triya Janata Dal, Congress and Left dressing a rally in Bulandshahr parties will get 77-98 seats. in support of his candidate Hazi The Lok Janshakti Party of Yamin. Chirag Paswan is projected to get This will mark the electoral 1-5 seats while other parties will debut of the Bhim Army which get 4-8 seats. has emerged as a force to reckon Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD is with, especially among Dalits, in World becoming fan of projected to win the lion’s share Uttar Pradesh. of 56-64 seats while the Con- The rally is likely to draw more gress will get 12-20 seats. than 20,000 supporters. The range of seats projections Bhim Army activists have in the political regions based been involved in a door-to-door on Lok Sabha mapping shows mobilisation to garner support the NDA will get between 16- and ensure a massive turnout at our local products: PM 20 seats in East Bihar, 36-44 in the rally. Magadh-Bhojpur, 27-31 in Mith- The Bulandshahr seat was IANS that Khadi has since long been brothers and sisters working as casion of Vijay Dashmi or “Even during these festive ilanchal, 45-49 in North Bihar held by BJP MLA Virendra Sirohi New Delhi a statement of “simplicity”. He domestic helps, local vegeta- Dusshera. time, all in service, security and 11-15 in Seemanchal region. whose death in March has ne- added the fabric has health ben- ble vendors, milkmen, security “On this auspicious occa- of Mother India. We have to The BJP will have the best cessitated the by-election. efi ts as its body-friendly and is guards....we have now felt the sion, heartiest greetings to all light a lamp at home in hon- strike rate in the elections of The BJP has fi elded Usha Siro- rime Minister Narendra also an all-weather fabric. signifi cance of their roles in our of you. The festival of Dussehra our of these brave sons and 70% as it is expected to win 77 hi, wife of the late MLA, while Modi yesterday said that He said that on Gandhi Jay- lives in a better way,” the prime is one of the triumph of truth daughters of Mother India,” seats out of 110 it is contesting. the Rashtriya Lok Dal-Sama- Psince India was opting anti, the Khadi store in Delhi’s minister said. over untruth. But, simultane- he said. The JD-U will have a much jwadi Party’s joint candidate is for ‘vocal for local’, many lo- Connaught Place witnessed a Modi said during this crisis, ously, it is also the festival of Modi stressed the need for lower strike rate of 54.8% by 63 Praveen Kumar. cal Indian products have the massive sale of Rs10mn. “these people were with us, victory of patience over crises,” unity among Indians and cau- leads in 115 seats that it is con- The Bahujan Samaj Party has potential of becoming globally The prime minister also asked now during the festivities, we he said. tioned them about divisive testing. fi elded Shamusddin Raen, while popular and are attracting a lot citizens to opt for local products shall make these people a part “Today, all of you are carry- forces. Nitish Kumar has been pro- the Congress candidate is Sushil of attention. during the festive season. of our celebrations. I earnestly ing on with immense patience, “Unity is power, unity jected as the face of the cam- Chaudhary. “World is becoming a fan of “When you go out to buy urge you to ensure, in whatever celebrating the festival with is strength, unity empow- paign and the chief minister By-elections will be held on our local products. One such something during these festive way, in making them a part of restraint...and hence, in our ers, united we will scale new candidate. November 3 for seven seats. example is Khadi. Our Khadi times, remember the vocal for your celebrations. Treat them ongoing fi ght, our victory too is heights. However, there are ele- The poll sample size is 30,678 Chandra Shekhar has already is being known as nature- local,” he said. as members of your own fam- assured,” he said. ments who try to plant the seed and the period of the survey is announced that his party will friendly fabric plus its becom- “During the lockdown, we ily...you will see for yourself The prime minister also of suspicion among us, divide October 1-23. plunge into politics with the ing a fashion statement,” Modi closely came to know about how your joy rises by leaps and asked the citizens to think of us. The nation too has given apt The total tracker sample size is name ‘Azad Samaj Party’, while in his Mann Ki Baat radio pro- those members of society, with- bounds.” the braveheart soldiers who are answers each time,” the prime 60,000 plus in last 12 weeks. Bhim Army will continue to gramme. out whom our lives would be The prime minister also fi rmly stationed on the borders minister said ahead of ‘National The methodology is covering work as a parallel outfi t. The prime minister also said miserable. Sanitation workers, wished the nation on the oc- in line of duty. Unity Day’ on October 31. Virus, what virus? Life is back to normal in most places

AFP with the World Bank predicting that, said Gargi Mukherjee, 42, agency, said Indians faced a stark But Bhramar Mukherjee, an Mumbai 150mn people could fall into ex- as she shopped in the New Mar- choice. epidemiologist at the University treme poverty worldwide. ket area of Kolkata, thronging “People have to choose of Michigan, warned the govern- Many children in the devel- with festival-season customers, whether to die of hunger or risk ment should not simply let the ndia is on course to top the oping world are now working many without face masks. getting a virus that may or may virus run its course. world in coronavirus cases, to help their parents make ends “For survival, people have to not kill you,” he told AFP. “In order to open up, you need Ibut from Maharashtra’s meet, activists say, while thou- come out and do their jobs. If Indeed India’s relatively low to intensify public health meas- whirring factories to Kolkata’s sands of young girls have been you don’t earn, you cannot feed mortality rate - about 1.5% of ures...If you completely take thronging markets, people are forced into marriage. your family,” she told AFP. its more than 7mn cases - has your foot off the brakes, the vi- back at work - and eager to forget In Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Experts caution that the Oc- surprised many who warned rus will take off too,” Mukherjee the pandemic for festival season. 12-year-old Sanchit no longer tober-November season - when coronavirus would lay waste to told AFP. After a strict lockdown in attends school and instead col- Hindus celebrate major festivals its crowded cities, beset by poor Last month, the Indian Medi- March that left millions on the lects cloth discarded from bod- such as Durga Puja, Dussehra sanitation and crumbling public cal Association slammed the brink of starvation, the govern- ies before cremation on the city’s and Diwali - may trigger a sharp hospitals. Modi government for its “in- ment and people of the world’s ghats. increase in infections, as con- Even accounting for some diff erence” to the sacrifi ces second-most populous country “On a good day, I earn around sumers crowd markets to snap likely undercounting, it is evi- of frontline staff in one of the decided life must go on. Rs50,” the boy told AFP. up big-ticket items on discount. dent that the nightmare sce- world’s worst-funded health- Sonali Dange, for instance, has The IMF projects India’s GDP “Of course corona is to be nario of dead bodies piled in the care systems. two young daughters and an eld- A woman walks past a graffiti of a girl wearing a protective mask will contract by 10.3% this year, feared. But what can I do? I streets as seen during the 1918 “It appears that they are dis- erly mother-in-law to look after. amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease in Mumbai. the biggest slump of any major can’t miss the moments of Du- fl u pandemic has mercifully not pensable,” it said. She was hospitalised this year emerging nation and its worst rga Puja,” said housewife Tiyas materialised. Back in Kolkata, bookseller in excruciating pain after catch- “Now that I have recovered, est in richer nations with older since independence in 1947. Bhattacharya Das, 25. The unexpected reprieve has Prem Prakash, 67, was philo- ing the coronavirus. I am no longer so scared of the populations - the US death toll is When India went into lock- “Durga Puja comes once in the given Prime Minister Narendra sophical. But after the lockdown ex- disease,” she told AFP amid the double that of India despite hav- down, it was a human catastro- year, so I cannot miss the enjoy- Modi leeway to resist a fresh “You have to leave some things hausted the family’s savings, din of machinery at the Nobel ing only a quarter of the popula- phe, leaving millions in the infor- ment of the shopping.” lockdown, with the human toll to fate,” he told AFP. the 29-year-old had to return to Hygiene plant east of Mumbai. tion. mal economy jobless, penniless Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal - and political cost - of another “Fearing death too much is not work at a factory where she earns The pandemic’s confi rmed Poor countries have suf- and destitute almost overnight. economist at the Mumbai-based shutdown higher than seeing a solution. When that comes, Rs25,000 a month. fatality rate has been heavi- fered far worse economic pain, No one wants to go back to India Ratings and Research case numbers soar. you should accept it gracefully.” Gulf Times 10 Monday, October 26, 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 connection between Covid-19 and blood group

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the global biomedical research community is working urgently to identify coronavirus risk factors and potential therapeutic targets. The potential role of blood type in predicting risk and complications of Covid-19 infection has emerged as an important scientifi c question. Two studies published recently in Blood Advances, a semi- monthly medical journal published by the American Society of Hematology, suggest people with blood type O may have a lower risk of Covid-19 infection and reduced likelihood of severe outcomes, including organ complications, if they do get Constitutional crisis at hand? sick. But, individuals with A and AB may have increased risk of severe clinical outcomes. Researchers compared Danish health registry data from more The combination of a of the United States, and that the On the left, unhappiness with the favoured tactic of despots. And the than 473,000 individuals tested for Covid-19 to data from a right-wing Supreme Court 1820 Missouri Compromise — which court has been simmering since the Supreme Court remains relatively had staved off civil war by providing 1980s, but two developments have popular among the public. Nonetheless, control group of more than 2.2mn people from the general and perceived Republican a formula for dividing territory brought the anger to a boil in recent Biden, despite his moderate instincts, population. Among the Covid-19 positive, they found fewer bad faith has emboldened between slave and free states — was years. First, the Aff ordable Care Act has not been able to distance himself people with blood type O and more people with A, B, and AB unconstitutional. (Obamacare), the signature progressive from the idea, no doubt worried about types. The researchers did not fi nd any signifi cant diff erence in Democrats to play their own The court’s ruling infl amed tensions accomplishment of the last 20 years, blowback from the left wing of the rate of infection between A, B, and AB types. Since blood group form of hardball between North and South, and has been placed in grave danger. The Democratic Party. contributed to the Civil War, in part by law was barely upheld by the Supreme But Biden’s problem is not with distributions vary among ethnic subgroups, the researchers also blocking a path to compromise. The Court in 2012, and since then has been the left; it is, or will be, with the controlled for ethnicity and maintained that fewer people with By Eric Posner ensuing constitutional crisis outlasted battered by a variety of legal challenges court. After all, his campaign has blood type O tested positive for the virus. Chicago the war by more than a decade, as in the lower courts. If the Supreme increasingly focused on promising “It is very important the court continued to undermine Court issues still more adverse rulings health care and a stronger response to consider the proper legislation and constitutional against the ACA, the future not just to the pandemic — two areas where of the ACA but of any ambitious conservative judges have shown great Additional control group because ince Donald Trump’s election amendments meant to protect freed in 2016, legal academics like slaves, and as Congress retaliated by progressive legislation will be in doubt. hostility. Thus, if Biden wins the research is blood type prevalence me have been bombarded with stripping the court of jurisdiction. Second, Democrats no longer trust election and obtains a majority in may vary considerably in Semails from journalists asking The ultimate resolution confi rmed the Republicans to play by the rules with both houses — which he will need in needed to better diff erent ethnic groups whether the United States is undergoing abolition of slavery and the union of respect to judicial appointments, owing order to implement any court-packing and diff erent countries,” or heading for a “constitutional crisis.” the states, but preserved an apartheid to the GOP’s turnabout on Supreme plan — he will face a dilemma. If he tries to pack the court, he runs the understand what said study author Torben Most of these queries have been system in the South. Court nominations. Having refused motivated by the president’s norm- The second crisis took place in even to hold hearings for President risk of losing the support of moderate blood group Barington, MD, of Odense busting, including his interference the 1930s, when the Supreme Court Barack Obama’s Supreme Court Democrats, deepening political University Hospital and with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s struck down New Deal statutes meant nominee, Merrick Garland, in 2016, polarisation, and damaging the court’s association the University of Southern investigation of Russian interference to address the economic emergency citing the approaching presidential standing in the eyes of the public. But Denmark. “We have the in the election, his verbal attacks on of the Great Depression. In 1937, election, the Senate’s Republican if he does not, he may be rendered means for advantage of a strong journalists and judges, and his eff orts fresh from an overwhelming electoral majority has now rushed through politically impotent. to launch investigations against his victory, President Franklin D Roosevelt confi rmation hearings for Trump’s Even Roosevelt was too embarrassed patients and why control group – Denmark political opponents. proposed legislation to pack the court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, less than to call his bill a court-packing plan. is a small, ethnically A constitutional crisis, properly with pro-New Deal jurists. Though a month ahead of the next election. Instead, he claimed that the ageing homogeneous country with a public health system and a central understood as a turning point that the bill was defeated, the court backed This bad faith, along with bad luck in judges throughout the federal judiciary registry for lab data – so our control is population-based, giving might lead to collapse or transformation down, reversing its opposition to the timing of Supreme Court vacancies, needed to be supplemented by a our fi ndings a strong foundation.” of the system, has not occurred. economic regulation. Even after all but ensures that there will be a younger cohort. Biden, nowhere near But such a crisis does now appear Roosevelt was able to fi ll vacancies and conservative court majority capable of as popular as Roosevelt was, has no Meanwhile, according to a separate retrospective Canadian increasingly likely. I am not talking secure a sympathetic majority, the court blocking Democratic legislation for at good options but to hope that the study, people with blood groups A or AB appear to exhibit about the election (though that could would remain gun shy for another 20 least the next four years — and probably conservative justices on the court show greater Covid-19 disease severity than people with blood produce a constitutional crisis if the years. much longer. good sense and moderate their hostility groups O or B. Researchers examined data from 95 critically ill outcome is close, or in the unlikely Given today’s heightened political The combination of a right- to popular legislation and government Covid-19 patients hospitalised in Vancouver. They found that event that Trump somehow refuses to volatility, there is no knowing exactly wing Supreme Court and perceived action. leave offi ce). Rather, I am referring to what shape the next constitutional Republican bad faith has emboldened Chief Justice John Roberts has patients with blood groups A or AB were more likely to require a crisis that could occur even if Trump crisis will take; however, the broad Democrats to play their own form of hitherto demonstrated that this is mechanical ventilation, suggesting that they had greater rates loses. This crisis would arise from a contours are coming into view. As in hardball. Many on the left want Trump’s possible. But with the addition of of lung injury from Covid-19. They also found more patients tension that has existed throughout the previous contests, the right has opponent, Joe Biden, to commit to Barrett to the court, Roberts could with blood group A and AB required dialysis for kidney failure. American history: namely, between the captured the Supreme Court, but lost “packing the court” if he is elected. That fi nd himself in the minority. And if Together, these fi ndings suggest that patients in these two blood courts and a system of democracy that the battle for public opinion. Since would mean increasing the number of Barrett joins the other four hardline gives ultimate power to the people. the 1980s, conservative rulings have seats — presumably from nine to 13 — so conservatives in overruling the will of a groups may have an increased risk of organ dysfunction or failure There have been two constitutional increasingly constrained national that four more justices can be appointed democratically elected government, the due to Covid-19 than people with blood types O or B. Furthermore, crises in American history. Both of economic regulations — echoing the to create a 7-6 majority friendlier to a ensuing constitutional crisis could take while people with blood types A and AB did not have longer overall them involved a clash between the once-discredited approach of the pre- liberal agenda. years to resolve.- Project Syndicate hospital stays than those with types O or B, they did remain in the Supreme Court and elected offi cials 1937 court — and created an individual The signifi cance of this proposal intensive care unit (ICU) for a longer average time, which may also backed by popular opinion. The fi rst right to gun possession, strengthened is hard to exaggerate. Roosevelt’s zEric Posner, a professor at the began with the infamous case of religious rights, overturned restrictions court-packing plan went down to a University of Chicago, is the author, signal a greater Covid-19 severity level. Dred Scott v Sandford in 1857. In that on campaign fi nancing, weakened devastating defeat and caused lasting most recently, of The Demagogue’s “The unique part of our study is our focus on the severity case, the Supreme Court held that protections for racial minorities, and political damage to his presidency. Playbook: The Battle for American eff ect of blood type on Covid-19. We observed this lung and African-Americans were not citizens eroded abortion rights. court-packing is a radical act, a Democracy from the Founders to Trump kidney damage, and in future studies, we will want to tease out the eff ect of blood group and Covid-19 on other vital organs,” said study author Mypinder S Sekhon, MD, of the University of British Columbia. “Of particular importance as we continue to traverse the pandemic, we now have a wide range of survivors who are exiting the acute part of Covid-19, but we need to explore mechanisms by which to risk stratify those with longer- term eff ects.” These new studies add evidence that there may be an association between blood type and vulnerability to Covid-19; however, additional research is needed to better understand why and what it means for patients.

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© 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved SPOTLIGHT: The right has captured the Supreme Court, but lost the battle for public opinion. There is no knowing exactly what shape the next constitutional crisis will take. Gulf Times Monday, October 26, 2020 11 PAKISTAN Khan slams Macron, calls for a Facebook ban on Islamophobia

Reuters Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as blas- world,” Khan added. that is encouraging hate, extremism radical extremist Muslim citizens Islamabad phemous. Macron said the teacher Khan’s comments follow a similar and violence across the world and and the mainstream Muslim citi- was a hero and that Islamists were a broadside fi red by Turkish President especially through the use of social zenry of Islam? We have seen how threat to the country. Tayyip Erdogan against Macron, fol- media platforms including Face- marginalisation inevitably leads to rime Minister Imran Khan said Khan said Macron could have lowing which France recalled its am- book. I appreciate your taking the extremism — something the world yesterday that French Presi- shown a “healing touch” to deny bassador from Ankara. step to rightly ban any posting that does not need,” he added. Pdent Emmanuel Macron has space to extremists but had instead The cartoons of the Prophet Mu- criticises or questions the Holo- “Given the rampant abuse and vil- “attacked Islam” by encouraging “chosen to encourage Islamophobia hammad (PBUH), fi rst published in caust,” Khan wrote to Zuckerberg. ification of Muslims on social media the display of cartoons depicting the by attacking Islam rather than the 2005 by Danish newspaper Jyllands- “However, today we are seeing a platforms, I would ask you to place Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). terrorists who carry out violence, be it Posten, have stirred outrage and vio- similar pogrom against Muslims in a similar ban on Islamophobia and Khan’s comments come days after Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi lent protests in Pakistan. different parts of the world. Unfor- hate against Islam for Facebook that Macron paid tribute to a French his- ideologists”. There were more protests last tunately, in some states, Muslims you have put in place for the Holo- tory teacher beheaded by a radical France has in recent years wit- month when the cartoons were re- are being denied their citizenship caust. The message of hate must be who wanted to avenge the use of car- nessed a series of violent attacks by published by the French satirical rights and their democratic personal banned in total — one cannot send toons depicting the Prophet Muham- militants, including the 2015 Char- weekly Charlie Hebdo. choices from dress to worship,” he a message that while hate messag- mad (PBUH) in a class on freedom of lie Hebdo killings and bombings and The prime minister yesterday said. es against some are unacceptable, expression. shootings in November 2015 at the also wrote to Facebook CEO Mark “In France, Islam has been associ- these are acceptable against others. “Sadly, President Macron has cho- Bataclan theatre and sites around Zuckerberg seeking the social media ated with terrorism and publication Nor should the world have to wait sen to deliberately provoke Muslims, Paris that killed 130 people. platform to place a similar ban on of blasphemous cartoons targeting for a pogrom against Muslims, to be incl his own citizens, through encour- “By attacking Islam, clearly with- Islamophobia and hate against Is- Islam and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) completed before Islamophobia is aging the display of blasphemous car- out having any understanding of lam similar to the one that has been has been allowed. This will lead to banned. This in itself is reflective of toons targeting Islam & our Prophet it, President Macron has attacked put in place for Holocaust. further polarisation and margin- prejudice and bias that will encour- PBUH,” Khan said on Twitter. & hurt the sentiments of millions “I am writing to draw your atten- alisation of Muslims in France. How age further radicalisation,” the Pa- Muslims see any depiction of the of Muslims in Europe & across the tion to the growing Islamophobia will the French distinguish between kistani leader pointed out. Candid: Prime Minister Imran Khan. Orange Line Metro Train debuts in Lahore, fi nally

Internews Lahore

unjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar yesterday in- augurated the much-awaited Lahore’s Orange Line PMetro Train (OLMT). Buzdar formally launched the project from Dera Gujran Orange Line Metro station. Orange Line is an automated rapid transit system in La- hore and is Pakistan’s fi rst metro in the entire country. It spans 27.1km 25.4km of which is elevated and 1.72km un- derground. The line will be served by 26 stations and is expected to handle 250,000 passengers daily. It is a part of the wider China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and being fi - nanced by both the governments of Pakistan and China. The project was initiated in May 2014 while fi nancing for the project was secured in December 2015 when Chi- na’s Exim Bank agreed to provide a soft loan of $1.55 bil- lion for the project. The construction works on the project began in October 2015. A man collecting a token from an automatic ticket vending machine at a station of Speaking on the occasion, Buzdar said the mega the OLMT. project is part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the provincial government made hectic efforts to complete the project. “I thank the Chinese government for their help and support in completion of the project,” he stated. The CM stated that Pakistan and China have good ties and will continue to extend cooperation in other sectors. He added that the service will benefi t the people of La- hore and address transport woes. “It will provide state-of- the-art transport facilities to the people with low travel cost,” Buzdar said. Meanwhile, Special Assistant to PM on Political Com- munication Shahbaz Gill has said the government will pay Rs12 billion as annual subsidy to operate the train service. He stated that the operating cost of per ticket is Rs274 per ticket while the subsidy is Rs234. “The Punjab government should declare it a day of mourning as it is a failed project,” Gill remarked. A few months ago, the senior offi cials of the Punjab gov- ernment took a ride in the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train that completed its high speed test run. The test run of the train was conducted at the high speed of over 70km per A newly built Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), a metro project planned under the China-Pakistan hour and it was completed in 20 minutes. People inside a station. Economic Corridor, driving through on a track after its opening in Lahore yesterday. (AFP)

PDM’s power show in Quetta 3 killed in Quetta CM directs police to bomb explosion At least three people were killed and six others wounded install 10,000 cameras yesterday when a bomb exploded in the southwestern province of Balochistan, police said. across Karachi The explosion occurred in a suburban neighbourhood in Quetta, Balochistan’s capital that Internews Cape Town has been ranked 19th, is home to several separatist and Karachi Mexico 29th, Kuala Lumpur insurgencies. 38th, Houston 50th, Washington “Three dead bodies and six 52nd,and Delhi 71st. injured have been taken to hief Minister of Sindh hospital,” Munir Ahmad, a Quetta province Murad Ali Shah In order to further ameliorate police off icial, told AFP. Cdirected police to install the security and safety situation Ahmad said the bomb had been 10,000 cameras at diff erent spots as well as the quality of life in concealed in a motorcycle that across Karachi, including its red the port city, the chief minister was parked at a vegetable market zones areas where criminal ac- decided to start the implemen- in the Hazarganji neighbourhood. tivities take place frequently. tation of the Safe City Project in An intelligence off icial in Quetta Addressing a meeting on law Karachi. confirmed details of the blast. and order at the CM House, Murad said the city can be It occurred in a diff erent part of Shah said the city’s overall situ- made safer and more secure if the town to where thousands of anti- ation has considerably improved, Safe City Project is implemented government demonstrators were which can be gauged from the at the earliest. He told Mahar to gathering for a rally yesterday fact that Karachi’s ranking in convene a meeting with the Na- as part of a series of protests the World Crime Index has gone tional Radio and Telecom Cor- against Prime Minister Imran from sixth in 2014 to 103rd in poration next week for a detailed Khan organised by an opposition 2020. discussion on the project’s tech- alliance. The World Crime Index sur- nical and fi nancial proposals. No group immediately claimed veys crime levels of 396 interna- The Safe City Project was responsibility for the attack. tional cities. It had ranked Kara- conceived in 2011, aiming at in- While the target was unclear, chi sixth in 2014, 10th in 2015, stalling 10,000 high-powered Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz (centre), who is also a frontline leader of the opposition Hazarganji is home to a large 26th in 2016, 47th in 2017, 50th in CCTV cameras across the city Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), gestures to supporters during an anti-government rally in Quetta yesterday. The PDM population of Hazaras, a mainly 2018, 61st and then 71st in 2019, in the fi rst phase. The CM had organised a third rally of its ongoing campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, Shia community that has been hit 88th earlier this year and 103rd approved Rs10 billion for the accusing the security establishment of manipulating its ascension to power. Those who spoke on the occasion included Jamiat in the past. by mid-October. purpose but the project cost es- Ulema Islam chief Fazlur Rehman, who heads the PDM; Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who spoke through Bordering Iran and Afghanistan, Sindh police chief IGP Mush- calated to around Rs20 billion a video link; PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, who also spoke through a video link from London; and Maryam Nawaz. (AFP) Balochistan is the largest of taq Mahar told the meeting that later. Pakistan’s four provinces. Gulf Times 12 Monday, October 26, 2020 QATAR

Abdulla bin Jobara al-Romaihi and Ramez al-Khayyat signing the contract in the presence of HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Hassan al-Thawadi, Saad bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi, and Moutaz al-Khayyat. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil Off icials and dignitaries at the launch of the two projects yesterday. (Supplied picture) Minister hails Barwa real estate projects Barwa’s Madinatna, Barahat Right, and below: A furnished Al Janoub projects add value mock-up of the Madinatna Qatar’s property market, says project. PICTURE: Noushad minister Thekkayil

By Peter Alagos Business Reporter

arwa Real Estate’s latest initiative will highlight the Bcompany’s commitment to creating value and adding a human dimension to real estate projects, by continuously con- tributing to the highest standards of sustainability, HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanim bin Nasser al-Ali has said. He made the statement yes- terday during the launch cere- mony of Madinatna, a residential city for families, and Barahat Al Janoub, a workers accommoda- tion project. The two upcoming projects are located in Al Wakra city. Barwa’s upcoming projects consolidate the principles of its After the signing ceremony, Barwa off icials accompanied HE al-Ali and other VIPs on a tour of a furnished strategic partnership with the full-scale mock-up of the Madinatna project. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil Qatar government, HE al-Ali Barahat Al Janoub fully integrated stressed. Barwa will provide innovative so- for Delivery & Legacy secretary- the local market for such projects Further, he assured that Barwa lutions and services to diff erent general Hassan al-Thawadi, Pub- and supporting Qatar’s prepara- will continue to develop pioneer- segments of the Qatar communi- lic Works Authority (Ashghal) tions to host the 2022 FIFA World From Page 1 773,457sq m, with a design in- Al Wakra Central Market on Me- ing residential cities and create ty, with residential environments president Dr Saad bin Ahmed al- Cup.” spired by Arab homes with saieed Road, and is near develop- sustainable communities, which that meet the highest standards Mohannadi, and UCC chairman Ramez al-Khayyat expressed The retail outlets and other courtyards. mental projects and sustainable refl ect the growth in population and specifi cations, required by Moutaz al-Khayyat. gratitude to Barwa for having services at Barwa Village will also It will consist of 1,404 G+2 facilities such as the Al Wakrah and urban development across the local market for residential Al-Romaihi stressed that confi dence in UCC. serve the project due to the close units equipped with smart city logistics district, Umm Al Houl Qatar, and aligned with Qatar housing and maximising share- Barwa is keen to create support He also affi rmed the compa- location of the two cities, as well technology, off ering 16,848 Free Zone, Hamad Port and Ha- National Vision 2030. holders’ returns.” Qatar companies that are expe- ny’s dedication towards execut- as its proximity to Mesaimeer rooms, each accommodating up mad International Airport, in Barwa Real Estate acting group During the event, al-Romaihi rienced in the fi eld of real estate ing the project on time, and with city and Masaken Mesaimeer, Al to four persons. addition to facilities in Al Wakra chief executive Abdulla bin Jo- and UrbaCon Trading and Con- development. the highest safety and quality Wakra Hospital and all recrea- Barahat Al Janoub will accom- city such as hospitals and stadi- bara al-Romaihi said: “Madi- tracting (UCC) managing direc- He said: “All Barwa projects standards. tional facilities in Al Wakra city, modate approximately 67,360 ums. natna and Barahat Al Janoub will tor Ramez al-Khayyat signed a being developed for workers are After the signing ceremony, including beaches and parks. people, providing residents with Barahat Al Janoub is con- provide residential communities contract awarding the construc- part of the directives of our wise Barwa offi cials accompanied HE On the other hand, Barahat Al various service facilities, such nected to the highway network, with designs inspired by tradi- tion works of the two projects to leadership, aspiring for Qatar to the Minister and other VIPs on Janoub will be a fully integrated as hypermarkets, retail stores, which adds value to the distinc- tional Qatari architecture and UCC. demonstrate a distinctive model a tour of a furnished full-scale city for workers in Al Wakra city, mosques and other public serv- tive location of the project and equipped with the latest smart The signing ceremony was in terms of taking care of workers mock-up of the Madinatna following the highest interna- ices, bringing the total built-up “provides an extra privilege for city technologies. held in the presence of HE al-Ali, and providing them with a high- project for a glimpse into the fi nal tional standards of implementa- area to approximately 750,742sq companies looking to accom- “These modern, sustainable who is also chairman of Barwa standard living environment, as realistic perspective of residen- tion. m. modate their workers in an inte- residential cities developed by Real Estate, Supreme Committee well as bridging the demand in tial units there. The project extends over The project is located next to grated city”. Main Bu Sidra Roundabout upgrade works complete

he Public Works Authority Street, along with enhancing (Ashghal) has announced traffi c fl ow along Al Furousiya Tthe completion of the Street and Al Sailiya Road, which main upgrading works at Bu Sidra are characterised by heavy traffi c Roundabout. movement. In a press statement yesterday, The newly-upgraded inter- Rashed al-Marri Ashghal said the works include section also serves several edu- converting the roundabout into cational and health institutions, Right: The signalised a signalised intersection and car- and facilitates access to estab- intersection is open to traff ic. rying out infrastructure upgrade lishments such as the Muaither works. Sports Club, the Barwa Al Sailiya Sidra Intersection. the Ta’heel initiative, which was Once complete, the infra- The recently-developed sig- Compound, the Aspire Zone The upgrade works included launched in 2017. structure services’ enhancement nalised intersection is now open Foundation, Villaggio, and Hyatt expanding the intersection and Materials and elements sup- works will cover the upgrade to traffi c and the infrastructure Plaza. increasing the number of lanes plied by local manufacturers in- of the surface and stormwater works are now 80% complete, as Al-Marri added that the new on Al Sailiya Road from three to cluded sewage, surface water and drainage system over a length part of the Road Improvements intersection also connects sur- fi ve lanes in each direction, and rainwater drainage pipes, and of 3.4km, and provide a treated Works for Junctions & Rounda- rounding areas such as Fereej Al eventually to seven on comple- lighting poles and luminaires. sewage effl uent (TSE) network, bouts in Various Areas of Greater Manaseer, Bu Sidra, Muaither, tion of all the works. The local Qatar component and protecting electricity and Doha, Phase 8. Baaya, and Al Aziziyah. On Al Sedaira Street and Ras now accounts for 80% of the telecommunications service Rashed al-Marri, project engi- He also said that the comple- Laff an Street, lanes will be in- project. lines. neer in Ashghal’s Roads Projects tion of the upgrading works at creased from three to four lanes Further to converting the The road will also have direc- Department’s West Area Section, the intersection and the expan- in each direction. roundabout into a signalised in- tional signs and markings. highlighted the importance of sion of its lanes have signifi - Al-Marri said that local ma- tersection, the project’s scope of To encourage a healthy life- upgrading the Bu Sidra Rounda- cantly enhanced traffi c fl ow and terials and manufacturers were works will include the upgrade of style, the projects will feature bout into a signalised intersec- reduced congestion in the area, relied upon for most of the 2km of roads and the provision of pedestrian and cycle paths tion. especially as the project is aimed project works, in line with the a new service road, in addition to alongside Al Sailiya Road as well It links Al Waab Street, Al at improving vehicular capacity Public Works Authority’s sup- the installation of a new lighting as landscaping works and plant- Sedaira Street, and Ras Laff an at the intersection known as Bu port for local manufacturers and system for the service roads. ing of trees.