Sunday July 25, 2021 Dhul Hijjah 15, 1442 Vol.14 no. 5319 QR 2

Fajr: 3:31 am Dhuhr: 11:40 am p artly cloudy Asr: 3:06 pm Maghrib: 6:25 pm High : 43°C LOW : 34°C Isha: 7:55 pm

World 5 Business 6 Sports 9 EU authority clears Moderna’s Qatar Development Bank launches Carapaz claims historic win for COVID-19 vaccine for children 10th edition of Al Fikra Ecuador in cycling road race

Sheikh Joaan visits Team Qatar at Olympic Village Qatar’s food security measures help beat pandemic-related food shortages: OBG Food security steps boost agricultural and livestock Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani visited Team Qatar athletes and delega- tion at the Olympic Village in Tokyo on Saturday. Sheikh Joaan met the Qatari team and urged them to do their best to production: Report make the country proud at the Olympics. Sheikh Joaan also toured the Qatari mission building, and was briefed on the Qatari administrative delegation’s work. The QOC president praised their efforts in facilitating and supporting the Qatari Satyendra Pathak team’s participation in Tokyo 2020 Olympics. page 2 Doha

Qatar’s successful efforts to strengthen food security and en- FOOD SECURITY hance self-sufficiency by stepping ☛ More than 1,400 farms with special facilities and agricultural up domestic production capac- techniques are currently operational in Qatar ity and easing reliance on imports ☛ 67% of eligible population helped the country cope with the 530,000-sq-metre food security facility at Hamad Port to store challenges posed by the COVID-19 rice, sugar and edible oils will further strengthen the country’s pandemic, Oxford Business Group efforts to achieve food security now fully vaccinated: MoPH (OBG) said in a report released on ☛ 3,500 high-tech greenhouses are planned over 110 hectares to Saturday. increase agriculture production in the country As the pandemic exposed the Tribune News Network fragility of regional food supply Doha ● 3,642,002 COVID-19 chains and encouraged Gulf econ- According to the report enti- planned to ensure the production vaccine doses have been omies to develop their domestic tled ‘Food Security in Qatar’, Qatar of leafy vegetables year-round, it Almost 79.1 percent of the eligible administered so far food industries, the report said, has become self-sufficient in dairy said. population has now received at least Qatar was in somewhat a better and fresh poultry products and Qatar’s food security plan is one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, ● 98.6% of people over 60 position than its neighbours as it has started exporting excess dairy underpinned by four pillars that according to the Ministry of Public have been vaccinated with had already begun concerted ef- supply. In addition, the number helped it to mitigate the challenges Health (MoPH). at least one dose forts to boost domestic produc- of farms producing vegetables and of the pandemic in relation to the In a statement, the MoPH said tion and diversify imports after fruits has tripled. supply chains relatively well, the as many as 5,730 COVID-19 vaccine ● 93.5% of people over 60 a regional trade dispute began in More than 1,400 farms with report said. doses have been administered in have received both doses 2017. special facilities and agricultural “Two pillars are focused on the past 24 hours, bringing the total “Qatar’s strategy is based pri- techniques are currently operation- boosting the capacity of local farm- doses given in Qatar since the start ● 96% of people over 40 have marily on increased investment in, al in Qatar, the report said, adding ers and manufacturers to produce of the National COVID-19 Vaccina- received at least one dose or support for, innovative agri-food that 530,000-sq-metre food secu- quality consumable items and tion Programme to 3,642,002. businesses, both domestically and rity facility at Hamad Port storing move them to market. One is fo- The MoPH said 67 percent of overseas, in an effort to maintain rice, sugar and edible oils will fur- cused on diversifying trade part- the population – 16 years and over MoPH said. reported 124 new COVID-19 cases — reliable and sustainable food sup- ther strengthen the country’s ef- nerships to hedge against over-reli- – have been fully vaccinated so far. About 96 percent of people 76 among community and 48 among plies. Through Qatar’s National forts to achieve food security. ance on individual source markets “98.6 percent of people over 60 over 40 have been vaccinated with travellers. Food Security Programme and re- The report said that more than and the other one is focused on — the most vulnerable population at least one dose, while 86 percent Also, 112 people recovered from lated initiatives, there has been a 3,500 high-tech greenhouses are boosting national strategic reserves group — have been vaccinated with have received both the doses, the the virus in the past 24 hours, bring- notable increase in agricultural and planned over 110 hectares to in- of essential items in order to pre- at least one dose, while 93.5 percent MoPH added. ing the total number of recoveries in livestock production since 2017,” crease agriculture production in vent shortages during times of cri- have received both the doses,” the Meanwhile, Qatar on Saturday Qatar to 222,839. the report said. the county. Plant factories are also sis,” OBG said in the report.

Customs fully prepared for the return of travellers through Abu Samra border after Eid holidays

HIA offers free parking for three nights every week until August 16 (PG 2)

President of the General Authority of between all units, the port administration Customs (GAC) HE Ahmed bin Abdulla bin and the competent authorities to facilitate Ahmed Al Jamal inspected the workflow the movement of incoming and outgoing Attiyah Wins Baja Spain Aragon and procedures at Abu Samra border travellers. Overdrive Racing’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel returned to cross-country rally- port and the readiness to prepare for the Work at the Abu Samra port wit- ing action for the first time since the AndaluciaR ally in mid-May and snatched a late victory in return of travellers after the blessed Eid nessed a major boom during the current Over 70 dead as rains wreak the three-stage Baja Spain Aragon, round five of the FIA orldW Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, on Al Adha holidays. year, with the implementation of many Saturday. This is Attiyah’s fourth win of Baja Aragon after he won it in 2008, 2016 and 2017, and Al Jamal, according to GAC’s Twitter new procedures through the customs havoc in western India (PG 3) his third with Toyota. page 11 post, stressed the need for coordination single window system ‘Al Nadeeb’. (TNN) 02 Sunday, July 25, 2021

Contact US: Qatar Tribune ı EDITORIAL ı Phone: 40002222 ı ADMINISTRATION & MARKETING ı Phone: 40002155, 40002122, Fax: 40002235 P.O. Box: 23493, Doha.

Sheikh Joaan visits Qatari Olympic delegation, meets team members

President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani visits members of the Qatar Olympic team to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

QNA Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Summer Olympic Games To- performance. He also toured tari administrative delega- Sheikh Joaan also met They discussed bilateral rela- Tokyo Al-Thani, paid a visit on Sat- kyo 2020. the Qatari mission build- tion, praising their efforts to with President of Kuwait tions, aspects of sports coop- urday to the Qatari delega- Sheikh Joaan met with ing and was briefed on the facilitate tasks related to the Olympic Committee (KOC) eration, and ways to support President of Qatar Olym- tion’s headquarters in the the Qatari team and urged progress of work and proce- Tokyo 2020 Olympics par- HE Sheikh Fahad Nasser Al- and develop them during the pic Committee (QOC) HE Sports Village for the 32nd them to give an honorable dures carried out by the Qa- ticipation. Sabah, at his Tokyo residence. meeting.

HIA OFFERS FREE PARKING FOR THREE NIGHTS MoTC records 81,307 govt e-correspondences A WEEK UNTIL AUGUST 16 via Morasalat in 2021 second quarter: Report Tribune News Network Doha

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) recorded 81,307 government e-corre- spondences through the Morasalat, the Govern- ment e-correspondence System, in the second quarter of 2021, the ministry has revealed in a report. According to the ministry, the system re- corded 27,538 e-correspondences in the month of April, 18,818 in May and 34,952 in the month of June. The system has helped in achieving auto- mation of government correspondences, adop- tion of highest security, lowering administrative costs, saving time and efforts as well as activation of paperless work concept.

BDK Qatar, Dudes of Dunes hold blood-donation drive

The Hamad International Airport (HIA) will be providing short-term free parking three nights a week to people who come to the airport to pick up their loved ones. The short-term parking at HIA will be free from 10pm to 7:30am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until August 16. “For a comfortable experience when you pick up your loved ones from Hamad International Airport, short-term parking is available for free on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10pm to 7:30am until August 16,” HIA said on social media. HIA has recently developed an automated facial detection system that uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to ensure that all of its employees wear masks. Touchless capabilities have also been implemented at key touchpoints such as self-check-in, self-bag-drop, and terminal elevators. (TNN) Blood Donors Kerala–Qatar (BDK Qatar) and Dudes of Dunes jointly organised a blood-donation campaign, in association with Radio Suno 91.7FM and Hamad Medical Corporation. A large number of donors partici- pated in the event. (TNN) Voice of World celebrates Eid Al-Adha with meet-and-greet event

Tribune News Network The attendance of chance to speak and put forth Doha participants was kept their views. Some people vol- untarily came forward and Voice of World, in association limited number and all sang a few songs. with North and Central Indians the COVID-19 measures Mohinder Jalandhary and Group, organised a meet-and- Arif mesmerised the gathering greet event recently on the occa- were followed with their beautiful songs and sion of Eid Al-Adha, which was shayari. followed by a dinner. Prakash said that in line with Syed Rafi, producer and Syed Rafi, chairman of COVID-19 protocols set by director of Voice of World, Channel 5, and Jay Prakash, Qatar government, the attend- thanked everyone for joining president of North and Central ance of participants was kept the evening to celebrate Eid Indians Group, presided over to limited number and all the Al-Adha’s meet-and-greet pro- the event and welcomed the COVID-19 measures were fol- gramme. chief guest David, who hails lowed such as allowing only He said that more events from Ireland. fully vaccinated people, check- like this will be planned once Speaking at the event, David ing of Ehteraz app status, use the COVID-19 restrictions are expressed his pleasure to see of face masks, sanitisers and eased. the harmony between Indian maintaining proper social dis- Mohinder Jalandhary con- communities and the way they tancing. After the meet-and- cluded the event with his clos- celebrate each other’s festivals greet, the group’s forthcoming ing remarks by thanking all the with fanfare. activities were discussed and participants and wishing every- Addressing the gathering, the participants were given a one a happy and blessed Eid. World Sunday, July 25, 2021 03 Afghanistan imposes curfew to stop Taliban reaching bigger cities dpa terror and destruction have Biden authorises $100 million in aid for Afghan refugees Taliban insurgents seek to Kabul been mainly active at night, Taliban insurgents seek topple the Afghan government officials decided to impose a to topple the Afghan gov- Washington US President Joe Biden has au- 31 - after almost 20 years. The only US soldiers and establish a strict Islamic The government will im- night curfew to prevent people ernment and establish a thorized up to 100 million dollars in emergency to remain on the ground after that date will be system, and the militants have pose a curfew in 31 of Af- from moving around, ministry strict Islamic system, and aid for refugees from Afghanistan. those protecting the US embassy. intensified their attacks since ghanistan’s 34 provinces to spokesman Zia Zia said. the militants have inten- The money, which comes from an emergency Afghans employed by the US military, such US-led international forces prevent the Taliban from Only three provinces, the sified their attacks since fund, will be used to meet the “unexpected as interpreters, can apply for special immigrant began to withdraw in May. infiltrating larger cities, se- capital Kabul, Nangarhar in US-led international urgent refugee and migration needs” of people visas for the US. According to experts, anyone The Taliban already con- curity officials said on Satur- the east, and Panjshir in the in the country, a White House statement said on known to have worked with the US military trols more than half of Af- day, as the militants seek to north-east, are exempt from forces began to Friday. faces repercussions from the Taliban once the ghanistan’s districts, a survey overpower the country’s pro- the curfew, Zia added. withdraw in May The funds will also be available to those US withdrawal is complete. conducted by dpa correspond- vincial capitals. It was not immediately who worked with the US military on the ground The US State Department announced its ents last week revealed. Officials in the country’s clear how the security forces in Afghanistan and who have applied for special intention this week to house a number of Afghan Meanwhile pro-govern- Interior Ministry said that Af- would handle exceptions, for comes as deadly fighting immigrant visas to the United States. former employees on a military base in the ment forces are trying to repel ghan President Ashraf Ghani example in emergencies. Zia continues between the Tali- Despite the recent territorial gains made US state of West Virginia. the Taliban’s attacks on pro- has decreed a nightly curfew said the curfew would be a ban insurgents and the pro- by the Islamist Taliban, Biden has announced The first resettlements are scheduled to vincial capitals, and recapture to run from 10 pm to 4 am. temporary measure. government forces across the that the Afghanistan mission will end on August begin at the end of July. (dpa) the many districts recently As groups involved in The new development country. lost to the militants.

NATURE’S FURY China retaliates, imposes sanctions on top US officials and organisations

dpa it passed recently to combat Beijing foreign sanctions. Precise details of of the sanctions China has imposed sanc- were not outlined. tions on seven top US of- The move came ahead ficials and organizations of a scheduled visit to in retaliation for meas- China on Sunday by US ures taken by Washington Deputy Secretary of State against Chinese figures in Wendy Sherman. She is Hong Kong, the Ministry set to become the highest- of Foreign Affairs said in a ranking US official to have statement on Friday. visited China since Joe Beijing’s blacklist in- Biden entered the White cluded former US commerce House. secretary Wilbur Ross, the During her two-day vis- head of the US-China Eco- it, Sherman will meet with nomic and Security Re- Foreign Minister Wang Yi view Commission (USCC), and Vice Foreign Minister Carolyn Bartholomew, the Xie Feng. Because of the People gather along a road partially washed away from the rain at Mahad on Saturday. (afp) non-governmental Hong pandemic and security con- Kong Democratic Council, cerns, the meeting will be and Sophie Richardson, the held in the city of Tianjin, China director of Human 130 kilometres east of Bei- Rights Watch. jing. Earlier this month, Ahead of the meetings, Over 70 dead as record monsoon Washington pledged sup- a Chinese Foreign Ministry port for the pro-democracy spokesman demanded that opposition in Hong Kong the US stop interfering in and imposed sanctions on China’s internal affairs and seven Chinese government vilifying Beijing. rains wreak havoc in west India officials. It also warned The US had no right to companies that doing busi- lecture China, and Wash- flood-related incidents in Sa- past 24 hours led to floods in towns were without electric- ness in Hong Kong is in- ington was trying to pro- PM Modi has expressed anguish over the tara, Palghar and Ratnagiri, the region. ity and potable water, officials creasingly risky. voke a confrontation and ‘loss of lives’ due to the landslide four more died when a build- This was the heaviest spell added. In imposing its new pen- slow China’s development, ing collapsed in Mumbai, local of rain in Maharashtra in July More heavy rains are fore- alties, China deployed a law the spokesman said. dpa At least 47 people were media reported, with authori- in 40 years, broadcaster NDTV cast in the coming days, ac- New Delhi killed in three landslides in ties rescuing hundreds more reported. cording to the regional weath- Raigad, disaster management “It is raining beyond the er bureau. At least 72 people were killed official Sagar Pathak said maximum limits. This is an Prime Minister Narendra in landslides and flood-related by phone. Thirty-six of the unexpected crisis,” Maha- Modi has expressed anguish incidents brought on by record deaths were reported when a Torrential rains have rashtra chief minister Uddhav over the “loss of lives” due to monsoon rains in western In- huge landslide flattened most destroyed bridges, build- Thackeray told reporters. the landslide. dia, even as several hundred parts of a small village called ings and homes in the “Dams and rivers are over- More than 30 people marooned locals were res- Taliye. region. Disaster teams flowing. We are forced to re- were killed in landslides and cued by disaster management “Torrential rains have de- rescued 600 people who lease water from dams, and, rain-related accidents in and teams. stroyed bridges, buildings and accordingly, we are moving around Mumbai since last The deaths have been re- homes in the region. Disaster were stranded in their people residing near the river weekend. ported from the Raigad, Sa- teams rescued 600 people who homes or [on] rooftops banks to safer places.” Air Landslides and floods are tara, Palghar and Ratnagiri were stranded in their homes force helicopters were car- common during India’s mon- districts of Maharashtra state or [on] rooftops. Rescue ef- rying out rescue operations soon season, which occurs be- as well as regional capital forts are hampered as the re- in these areas. in the coastal town of Chip- tween June and October. Mumbai since Thursday even- gion is cut off as telecom tow- Nearly 50 people were still lun which was submerged by The rains are vital for ag- ing, with heavy rains forcing ers are down, roads inundated trapped or missing in the af- floodwaters, said the state’s riculture, but often cause im- authorities to send the Indian and train services cancelled,” fected districts and the death relief minister, Vijay Wadet- mense destruction of property navy and air force for rescue Pathak said. toll could rise, the reports said. tiwar. and crops, and lead to the loss Former US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (File photo). and evacuation efforts. While 21 were killed in Incessant rains over the Hundreds of villages and of hundreds of lives. US prosecutors move Crisis-hit Lebanon strikes fuel UN condemns Turkey’s plan to drop cases against deal with Iraq to ease shortage for Northern Cyprus resort Chinese researchers dpa has remained uninhabited dpa New York since the war that split Cy- Baghdad prus into a Turkish-con- dpa Justice Department offi- The UN Security Council on trolled north and Greek-con- Los Angeles cials had said that such prose- Roiled by an acute fuel Friday condemned Turkey’s trolled south, when Turkish cutions were an important part shortage, Lebanon on Satur- recently announced plans for troops invaded following a The Justice Department of their efforts to stop China day signed a deal with Iraq to the reopening and resettle- Greek coup to annex the is- moved in recent days to drop from pilfering US technology. buy fuel to operate its power ment of a beach resort area land. charges against four research- The decision to drop the plants. in Northern Cyprus that has The abandoned coastal ers at California universities ac- cases came after defense law- According to the deal remained shuttered since the town sits in a military no- cused of hiding their ties to the yers in the Sacramento case signed in Baghdad, Iraq will 1974 conflict that divided the go zone and has been used Chinese military, a blow to US obtained FBI memos in which sell 1 million tons of heavy island in two. as a bargaining chip in the efforts to battle Beijing’s efforts analysts raised questions about oil fuel to Lebanon to be paid The Security Council stand-off between the north to steal US national security the value of such prosecutions. in “services and goods,” the agreed on a joint statement and south, with the latter and business secrets. Though federal prosecutors Iraqi premier’s media centre that demanded “the immedi- demanding its return to its On Thursday, federal pros- in court papers dismissed the stated without providing de- ate reversal of this course of original inhabitants - the ecutors in Sacramento, Califor- evidentiary value of the memos, tails. action” initiated by Turkey Greek Cypriots. nia, asked a judge to dismiss they did not believe they could Iraqi Finance Minister Ali Iraq’s Prime Minister Kadhemi (centre) looks on as ministers of Leba- and Northern Cyprus, saying The Security Council said the case of Juan Tang, a cancer resolve questions about the re- Allawi and Lebanese Energy non and Iraq sign bilateral agreements, in Baghdad on Saturday. (afp) they were in defiance of UN in that statement that previ- researcher at UC Davis who cords by the scheduled start of and Water Minister Raymond resolutions regarding the sta- ous agreements required a had been accused of lying on a Tang’s trial on Monday and, so, Ghajar co-signed the agree- tus of the island. UN mandate before any re- visa application about having decided to dismiss the case. ment in the presence of Iraqi ed in 1990. pitals warned that the fuel The plan was announced settlement of Varosha. served in the Chinese military. Justice Department offi- Prime Minister Mustafa al- Lebanon’s state-run elec- shortage is threatening the on Tuesday by Northern Cy- “The Security Council un- The request was granted, cials said they decided to drop Kadhimi. tricity provider has been se- lives of patients in need of prus President Ersin Tatar derscores the need to avoid and on Friday prosecutors in the other three cases in Cali- Lebanese officialshave verely cutting power supplies oxygen and life-saving equip- and Turkish President Recep any further unilateral ac- three similar cases sought to fornia - and a fifth in Indiana said the Iraqi supplies will in the past few weeks, prompt- ment. Tayyip Erdogan, who hailed tions not in accordance with dismiss charges against re- - because the legal and factual ease the situation at home. ing people, businesses and A shortage of foreign cur- it as a “new era” for the dis- its resolutions and that could searchers who worked at Stan- issues were similar and the Lebanon is experienc- hospitals to rely on private rency had made it impossible puted area of Varosha. raise tensions on the island ford University, UC San Fran- researchers faced little prison ing its worst economic crisis generators. for Lebanon to secure the fuel Varosha, or Maras in and harm prospects for a set- cisco and UCLA. time if convicted. since its 15-year civil war end- On Friday, Lebanon’s hos- and other essential goods. Turkish, was sealed off and tlement,” the statement said. 04 Sunday, July 25, 2021

Established September 3, 2006 hamad bin suhaim al thani chairman Opinion adel ali bin ali managing director dr hassan mohammed al ansari editor-in-chief

Climate Change Is Driving Extreme Floods, Wildfires Vaccines Are the And Heat. Will The World Meet The Moment? Only Answer for HE summer isn’t even halfway through and it’s already proved to be a season of deadly extremes. T In a little over a month, four major heat waves have broiled the West- ern United States, including record-shattering triple-digit temperatures in Oregon and Washington that caused hundreds of heat-related deaths. Wildfires are again tearing through the West, burning hundreds of thou- Fighting COVID-19 sands of acres in California, Oregon and British Columbia in Canada. The fires areso massive that smoke has traveled all the way to the East Coast, prompting health warnings in Connecticut and Maryland and turning the skies above New York City hazy and red. I am done with masks and lockdowns And from Germany to China, extreme flooding has caused death and destruction. At least 180 people in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands Bethany Mandel downs again are the places that least were killed last week when two months’ worth of rain fell in two days, caus- NYT need to do so — localities with high ing floods and mudslides. In the central Chinese province of Henan, at least vaccination rates, and as a result, 33 people died after riders were trapped on a subway amid catastrophic It’s not often that I say this as a con- with low numbers of hospitalization flooding after torrential rains. servative, but Mayor Bill de Blasio is and death. These terrifying scenes from across the globe have long been predict- absolutely correct to reject calls for a Last spring, we were told that ed by scientists studying our warming planet. Higher temperatures would renewed indoor mask mandate and government emergency orders that lead to more heat waves and droughts in some areas that would fuel big- to refuse to consider renewed lock- expanded the powers of governors ger, more frequent wildfires. In downs in New York City in light of and local officials were due to the other areas the warmer climate the emergence of the Delta variant. extraordinary threat Covid posed. would trap moisture in the at- “A mask doesn’t arrest the progress Initially, they were supposed to be mosphere, leading to heavier of the variant,” Mr de Blasio said, ex- in place for just two weeks in order rainfall during storms. plaining how following the science to stop the spread and save hospi- Climate change is making led him to be reluctant to reinstitute tal systems from collapse. Those normal weather events — heat the mandate this week. “Vaccination two weeks turned into over a dozen waves, droughts, rainstorms does.” This holds true not just for months in many places, with states and hurricanes — more extreme New York City: reinstituting mask of emergency becoming our new and more devastating to com- mandates and lockdowns would be normal. Now, most states have lifted munities unprepared for the a mistake nationwide as well. these states of emergency, and we’re onslaught. What’s most fright- This is not spring 2020. Last finally moving toward a real state of ening, however, is that extremes March, Covid-19 was a mystery; here normalcy. are happening faster than many in the D.C. suburbs, we were wiping So we have to ask: What would predicted or wished. It’s clear down our groceries with Clorox but we gain from the institution of new that the world is running out of still shopping in crowded super- virus mitigation measures? We time to slow the devastation. markets, shoulder-to-shoulder, un- Our society incentivized vaccination portant to keep some perspective in need to pose hard questions about The impacts of climate change are undeniable. So why are the world’s masked. In the summer of 2021, we as a condition of a return to normal- mind about where we are and where what the endgame is; if we’re talking developed countries still slow-walking efforts to wean their economies off have more than one highly-effective cy, and millions of Americans signed we’ve been: In January, we saw an about the reinstitution of emergency fossil fuels and slash the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change? vaccine available, and vaccination onto this social contract. We need in- average of 200,000 new cases per measures when hospitals are func- Last year, a United Nations report warned that the world needs to tri- has been an option for every teenag- creased vaccination rates in order to day; now we’re seeing a fraction of tioning normally, when would they ple promised reductions in carbon emissions to limit global warming to 2 er and adult in the country for sev- keep Covid at bay, and reneging on those peak numbers. And while the be lifted? These are questions that degrees Celsius to prevent dire consequences, including famine and wide- eral months now. Operation Warp the agreement to return to normalcy average number of hospitalizations also should have been asked over spread flooding. But, according to another UN report, instead of cutting fos- Speed was a modern miracle, and with the ready availability and ac- increased 32 percent from the previ- a year ago. We should never again sil fuel production, countries were planning to increase production. yet, we’re still behaving as though ceptance of vaccination would have ous week, according to the Centers agree to indefinite emergency pow- Few corners of the US have been spared the impacts of extreme weather, it’s the early days of the pandemic, the opposite effect. for Disease Control and Prevention, ers without a clear and attainable yet members of Congress are still squabbling over funding for clean energy though, thankfully, without the ac- And let’s be truly honest about more than 97 percent of those enter- goal for their removal. The reality is projects and reducing the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. President companying death toll. the crushing social and economic ing the hospital were unvaccinated. one many are unwilling to face: Cov- Biden has proposed an expansion of funding and programs to curtail oil and Statistically, almost the only costs that lockdowns bring. We not We also have to remember that id is here to stay, variants will come gas production, promote zero-emission vehicles and invest in renewable en- people getting sick enough to be only know more about Covid than America’s culture of self-rule and and go and life must go on. ergy. But Biden needs a cognizant, cooperative Congress to make these long- hospitalized at this point are those we did in the spring of 2020, and individualism is at play when we Instead of mandating more de- term shifts in policy stick. who have yet to choose vaccination. we also know just how catastrophic reconsider lockdowns and mask structive lockdowns and masking, The European Union and China have also proposed sweeping plans to They have chosen to accept the risk lockdowns are as well. From the mandates: We can tell people to stay the government’s role moving for- curtail emissions. The EU is considering legislation to phase out gasoline that decision brings and yet, with devastating mental health toll on home and mask-up all we want, but ward should be incentivizing the and diesel cars and impose tariffs on imports from polluting countries. Chi- the threat of more lockdowns, we teenagers, to the record number of government demands don’t neces- only thing that has been proven to na announced plans for a cap-and-trade-like system for high-polluting com- would all have to bear the cost. drug overdoses following a time of sarily result in compliance. If new ensure a return to true normalcy: panies in the country; companies would ratchet down emissions over time. We know what works in our bat- isolation and stress and the fact that mask mandates and lockdowns vaccines. But there is no guarantee these proposals will come to fruition or quickly tle against Covid: vaccines. We tried an estimated 200,000 small busi- were to be ordered, compliance deliver emissions reductions. lockdowns, we tried mask mandates, nesses didn’t survive. would largely depend on the willing- (Bethany Mandel is an As the last few weeks have shown, there’s no time to waste. The sum- but numbers only started to drop to Further, while we keep hear- ness of the populace to do so. It’s not editor at Ricochet.com and a mer has already given a terrible glimpse of the future if we don’t change endemic levels in some areas when ing that the Delta variant is raging, a heavy lift to imagine that the only contributing writer at Deseret course now. vaccination became mainstream. here and around the world, it’s im- places willing to comply with lock- News.)

Making Blue Foods Central To Global Food Systems

Rosamond Naylor nerable to climate change. with it significant effects. The only way to fix the global Over the last half-century, Many wild fish stocks, with food system is to address the op- friend used to tell me policymakers and business lead- high market value, have been over- portunities and challenges of blue “something’s a-fish” when ers have given priority to efficiency fished. Meanwhile, some aquacul- and green foods together. things were off kilter. Today, and scale by supporting major ture systems, such as salmon cages Individual countries need to the global food system is not crop and livestock farmers, reduc- in Chile’s fjords and freshwater fish go beyond governing food systems just “a-fish”; it’s failing bil- ing food prices for consumers and cages in Indonesia’s Jatiluhur res- through ministries of agriculture lionsA of people. expanding market opportunities. ervoir, have become overly inten- and fisheries, which primarily chart Hunger, malnutrition and obe- Blue foods, by contrast, represent a sified. In Africa and Asia, includ- progress by production volume and sity coexist in rich and poor coun- large and complex group that defies ing the disputed South China Sea, economic measures. Governments tries alike, often in the same town similar strategies. illegal fishing by foreign nations should establish a coordinating or even in the same home. Dia- More than 3,000 species of has deprived local communities of agency or ministry of food with a betes, heart disease, coastal dead fish, shellfish, plants and algae are traditional and affordable fish diets budget and specific mandate to zones and other social burdens produced globally in a wide array and local revenues, raising prob- promote improvements in health connected to our food system con- of ecosystems with different tech- lems of food injustice. and environmental outcomes. tinue to rise. In recognition of this nologies at multiple scales. These With wild stocks being fished at The United Nations and leaders urgent challenge, the United Na- include, for example, ocean tuna capacity, aquaculture will contrib- assembled at the summit in Sep- tions will hold a global summit in cages in Australia, lines of seaweed should be embraced as an oppor- tured wild from Lake Victoria and ute most of the additional fish pro- tember have a unique opportunity September for government, busi- and bivalves along China’s coast- tunity, not an impediment, for imported from China — all at dif- duced and consumed in the future. to transform food systems for all. ness, nonprofit organizations and line, and freshwater catfish ponds improving food and nutrition secu- ferent price points and quality for Like all food production systems, Global food business leaders that civil society leaders to map a more in Vietnam, Nigeria and the U.S. rity. In Bangladesh, the view from the local consumer. These fish, and aquaculture presents resource and invest in improving social and en- sustainable, healthy and equitable Blue foods provide protein and mi- a plane shows a landscape of small many others I did not recognize, environmental trade-offs. vironmental outcomes should be food system. cronutrients that help prevent ma- freshwater and brackish ponds were sold readily, and served in Most aquaculture systems rely applauded. Transforming our food system ternal and infant mortality, stunt- filled with an array of fish and small portions alongside vegetables on feeds, and genetic and nutri- More important, small-scale will require a new mind-set and ing and cognitive deficits. They also aquatic plants. These aquaculture and starches. The locals view fish as tion advances have reduced the fishers and aquaculture produc- more careful consideration of blue offer healthy fats that help reduce operations are biologically diverse “rich food for poor people.” amount of feed used per pound of ers, who provide more than half of foods — aquatic animals, plants obesity and metabolic diseases treasure chests and critically im- Blue foods, of course, are rich fish produced. Feed ingredients the seafood consumed worldwide, and algae cultivated and captured such as diabetes and heart disease. portant food sources for rural and food for all people, with global con- have steadily shifted toward plant- should not be viewed as marginal, in freshwater and marine environ- In many cases, they produce urban communities. sumer demand rising. Since wild based products and trimmings low-impact contributors but in- ments. lower greenhouse gas emissions Similarly, the African Great fish catch and aquaculture produc- from fish and livestock processing stead as anchors of food system Until now, the movement to and environmental effects than in- Lakes region produces huge vol- tion vary widely by region, trade plants. Comparing environmental resilience and potential engines of build productive and sustainable dustrial livestock. The Blue Food umes of affordable, micronutrient- in seafood has become a booming outcomes, farmed salmon or tila- economic growth. food systems has focused on trans- Assessment, led by Stanford Uni- rich fish that are traded and con- international business. According pia is akin to the industrial produc- forming land-based crops and live- versity and the Stockholm Resil- sumed throughout the region. In to data by the United Nations’ Food tion of chicken. But this reliance (Rosamond Naylor is stock, largely overlooking the criti- ience Center, is an international the fish market of Kisumu in Ken- and Agricultural Organization, sea- on land-based feed, such as soy the William Wrigley profes- cal role that fish and other aquatic initiative working to identify and ya’s Western Province, I observed food trade has roughly doubled in protein, can have unintended envi- sor of Earth system science foods play in nutrition, livelihoods fill in gaps in understanding of the tables piled high with small fish volume and value in recent dec- ronmental consequences including and founding director of the and ecosystems around the world. role of aquatic foods in global food sold for soups, and counters with ti- ades. Fish are now among the most deforestation, as significant areas Center on Food Security and That role will increase as food pro- systems now and in the future. lapia from three sources — farmed highly traded commodities in the of the Amazon now are cleared for the Environment at Stanford duction becomes increasingly vul- The diversity of blue foods in regional aquaculture ponds, cap- global food system, which brings soy production. University.)

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THE OPINION AND ANALYSIS PAGES ARE THE AUTHORS’ OWN. QATAR TRIBUNE BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY. World Sunday, July 25, 2021 05

News EU authority clears Moderna’s in brief ‘Great Spas of Europe’ awarded UNESCO World Heritage COVID-19 vaccine for children Beijing Eleven European spa towns were jointly awarded World Heritage status by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on dpa Saturday, recognizing their key role in European society more Amsterdam 100% than a hundred years ago. In an unusual “transnational” designation, the 11 resorts The Covid-19 vaccine from efficacy that jointly put forward the “Great Spas of Europe” proposal the US manufacturer Mod- Moderna’s application was were collectively awarded the coveted World Heritage status erna can also be injected into based on a study of 2,500 by the UN committee, which has its annual meeting this year children and adolescents adolescents in the US. in the Chinese city of Fuzhou Cited for the international signifi- aged 12 and older, according cance they achieved as health resorts from the late 18th to to a recommendation by the According to the firm, the the early 20th centuries, the towns sharing the award include European Medicines Agency efficacy was 100%. SU the famous German resorts of Baden-Baden, Bad Ems and (EMA). authorities are still weighing Bad Kissingen; Carlsbad and Marienbad in the Czech Republic, On Friday in Amsterdam, whether to approve the jab for Spa in Belgium, Vichy in France and Bath in Britain. (dpa) the experts of the EU medi- those aged 12 to 17 cines authority positively assessed the corresponding Rio braces for Delta wave after first data from studies and cleared weighing whether to approve deaths recorded the way for the approval of the jab for those aged 12 to 17. the vaccine for 12-to-17-year- The “recommendation Rio de Janeiro Health authorities in Brazil recorded more than olds. of the authorization of our 100,000 new coronavirus infections within one day on Friday, The European Commis- Covid-19 vaccine for use in in- after a state belatedly submitted tens of thousands of case sion still has to give the green dividuals 12 years of age and numbers. light, but that is considered a older in the European Union The figure stood at 108,732 new infections within one day formality. is a positive step forward to- after the southern-most state of Rio Grande do Sul updated Moderna’s preparation ward authorization of our its coronavirus data collected over 500 days and submitted Spikevax would thus be the vaccine in this age group,” 64,000 new cases all at once. second Covid-19 vaccine that said Moderna chief executive The day before, Brazil had registered about 50,000 new may also be administered to Stephane Bancel. cases. In total, more than 19.6 million people in Latin Ameri- young people in the bloc. At File photo of vials of the Moderna Covid-19 disease vaccine. (AFP) “As we help to combat the ca’s largest country have been confirmed to have been infected the end of May, the Pfizer/Bi- pandemic, we hope to be able with the virus. (dpa) oNTech vaccine was also ap- can also be vaccinated with Moderna’s application States. According to the com- to help get adolescents safely proved for 12-to-17-year-olds. two jabs four weeks apart, the was based on a study of 2,500 pany, the efficacy was 100 per back to school this fall,” he Just like adults, minors EMA said. adolescents in the United cent. US authorities are still said in a statement. New Zealand pops ‘travel bubble’ with Australia over COVID-19 cases Wellington New Zealand has closed its border to Aus- tralia, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday, as the neighbouring country was struggling to contain new Covid-19 US buys 200 million more Pfizer doses for young kids, booster shots outbreaks. The so-called Trans-Tasman travel bubble began on April 19 dpa White House said on Friday. doses last year. shipped, White House spokes- vaccinated. and allowed Australians and New Zealanders to travel between Washington Half of the doses should In addition, the US gov- person Jen Psaki said. Still, Psaki said the Biden the two countries without the need to quarantine. be delivered by the end of the ernment has ordered 500 mil- The US already has more administration is planning for However, Ardern said the Delta variant had “materially The US is purchasing another year, with the rest to follow by lion doses for delivery to other than enough supplies to cover “every “contingency,” includ- changed the risk profile” and Covid-19 is now widespread in 200 million doses of the Pfiz- April 2022, according to Pfizer. countries. The US has been its people, but the vaccine ing the lowering of the age Australia. er/BioNTech coronavirus vac- This means that the US shipping vaccine doses abroad drive has slowed significantly. of eligibility and the poten- “We’ve always said that our response would evolve as the cine as part of preparations to government has ordered 500 not only from Pfizer, but also Six months on, just under half tial that even fully vaccinated virus evolved. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it inoculate younger children and million Pfizer doses so far. Moderna, Johnson & Johnson the total population is fully adults could needs a booster is the right decision to keep New Zealanders safe.” The prime possibly provide booster shots Washington secured options and AstraZeneca. This week vaccinated. For time being, all shot to be effectively protected minister said New Zealand’s border would close from midnight for fully vaccinated adults, the for ordering up to 600 million alone, 22 million doses were people aged 12 and over can be against new variants. Friday and would remain closed for at least eight weeks. (dpa)

Great Barrier Reef off endangered World Heritage list for time being Protests in France as stricter dpa The committee followed Water quality also needs to Beijing Australia’s request for a delay, be improved to create opportu- virus regulations introduced with a majority of the 21 mem- nities for reef recovery. Despite threats from climate ber countries on its side. Other threats include land- dpa There were scuffles on the a fourth wave of infections, change and poor water quality, Australia is now to submit based run-off, coastal develop- Paris edges of the protest in Paris, according to Prime Minister the Great Barrier Reef off the a new report on the condition ment and some direct human which police quelled with tear Jean Castex. coast of Australia has escaped and conservation of the Great uses, according to the resolu- There were protests in Paris gas, according to BFM televi- On Friday, the National As- classification as an endangered Barrier Reef before the com- tion. The unique universal value and several other cities in sion news channel. sembly, the lower house of par- World Heritage Site, at least for mittee will again discuss a po- of the natural site remains intact France on Saturday as people Last week, some 114,000 liament, had approved a bill to the time being. tential Red List entry. but has “deteriorated,” it noted. objected to new regulations in- people nationwide took to the extend a requirement that peo- The responsible committee The International Union for A tourist dives in the Great Bar- An expert from the World troduced to contain the coro- streets to protest against the ple show that they have either of the United Nations Educa- Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rier Reef off Australian coast. Heritage Centre (WHC) navirus pandemic, even as case measures, according to the In- tested negative for the virus, tional, Scientific and Cultural emphasised that the reef al- (File photo) (AFP) stressed in the deliberations numbers rise. terior Ministry. been vaccinated or recovered Organization (UNESCO) decid- ready met “all criteria” for a that the deterioration “has been The protests were covered The French government for access to certain venues. ed on Friday in Fuzhou, China listing as “endangered.” In the a 2019 report by Australia that more rapid and widespread by local media, including the has introduced stricter regula- Lawmakers also approved to postpone the decision on the resolution, the World Herit- said the outlook had worsened than was evident in the period Franceinfo television channel tions as case numbers soar in the compulsory vaccination of world’s largest reef until 2023. age Committee also refered to from “poor” to “very poor.” 2009 to 2014.” and other outlets. the country. France is battling health workers. Forecast of more rain raises fears in flood-stricken western Germany dpa Kassel, Germany

Fresh rain is spreading fear in western Germany on Saturday, just days after storms brought floods that left at least 179 people dead. Begona Hermann, head of the relief teams in the region, said the German Weather Service is forecasting some areas might get severe showers or storms, bring- ing between 30 and 40 litres per square metre. Evacuation services have been offered to communities that were already badly hit by the flooding. “The people will have to make the decision themselves,” said Hermann, noting that the pre- dicted rains are not expected to be as savage as those which struck A destroyed pedestrian bridge lying on the bank of the river Vesdre (Vesder-Weser), in the city centre of Limbourg, in the states of North Rhine West- on Saturday. (afp) phalia and Rhineland-Palatinate earlier this month. teers who have descended on the “The population’s willingness rubbish and construction debris, At the same time, she noted area to help floodvictims to leave to help continues to be undimin- as well as emergency and rescue that sewage and drainage systems for their own safety. People coor- ished and overwhelming,” read a vehicles, also are unable to get remain disrupted, which means dinating the relief effort said the Kassel police statement on Sat- through. they might not be able to handle new rains could pose threats to al- urday. Due to the large number “Please do not travel to the new rainfall especially well. ready damaged infrastructure and of volunteers who came to help disaster area any more,” the police The new rainfall was slow- further snarl traffic. out, however, roads in the area statement emphasized. ing down aid and reconstruction The call to leave for safety rea- are now congested, the statement The statement added that as- work, said Hermann. The teams sons came hours after police and continued. sistance will be needed for a long had hoped to remove piles of the crisis management team work- According to the press release, time to come and that volunteers trash building up on the edges of ing in flooded areas ofR hineland heavy machinery needed for road eager to help out can come at a lat- affected communities, which are Palatinate had asked members of and bridge construction, as well er stage, or volunteer elsewhere. becoming disease threats and are the public not to travel to the west as for the restoration of the area’s Meanwhile, volunteers from blocking traffic. German region to help out any water supply, are getting stuck in the Federal Agency for Technical The impending storms also more because there were simply traffic jams. Relief (THW) were at times treat- prompted officials to urge volun- too many people on the scene. Vehicles intended to remove ed with hostility while in the area. Creating an Olympic soundscape at a fan-free Tokyo Games page 8

Sunday, July 25, 2021

35,061.55 10,696.30 52975.80 1,805.90 Dow +238.20 pts QE -79.67 pts sensex +138.59 pts Gold -0.18 % Apple’s largest supplier rushes to hire workers with high cash bonuses page 7 Price percentage Price percentage 25.23 Brent 74.10 +0.42 % WTI 72.07 +0.22 % Silver -0.58 % Qatar was in resilient Lulu strengthening Qatar’s position in terms of food security when pandemic food security efforts: OBG began, says Althaf

Lulu’s expansion into previously underserved areas has boosted food accessibility in Qatar Satyendra Pathak Doha Satyendra Pathak demands. Doha As a result, the report Qatar was in a relatively re- said, Lulu had to accelerate silient position in terms of food Lulu Group has made con- its pre-existing strategies for security when the pandemic be- certed efforts to support Qatar digital transformation and gan, Lulu Group International in its endeavours to strength- omnichannel retail solutions Director Mohamed Althaf has en national food security since to keep pace. said in an interview with the it opened its first store in the “Omnichannel retail is a Oxford Business Group. country in 2000, Oxford Busi- multiplatform approach to “Qatar faced serious chal- ness Group (OBG) has said in sales that seamlessly blends lenges and supply chain dis- its latest report. the customer experience ruptions in 2017 when trade The new COVID-19 Re- between online and offline restrictions were imposed by sponse Report produced by channels. With a mall culture some Gulf neighbours. The OBG in partnership with the firmly embedded among the country quickly learned from retail chain Lula Hypermarket increasingly tech-savvy Gulf this experience and was able Lulu Group International Director maps out Qatar’s successful consumer class, Lulu is plac- to develop effective solutions. Mohamed Althaf efforts to strengthen food se- ing omnichannel retail at the Qatar diversified its sources curity and enhance self-suffi- centre of its strategy for post- of food imports, recalibrated evaluation in the way that ciency by stepping up domes- pandemic growth in Qatar and various supply chains, up- technology is employed in tic production capacity and the region,” the report said. graded logistics capabilities agriculture. easing reliance on imports. By enhancing the effi- with a new port, streamlined “New technological solu- Titled ‘Food Security in ciency and effectiveness of e- cargo movements at the air- tions like vertical farming Qatar’, the report provides an commerce services, the report port, and enhanced storage are generating increased at- in-depth analysis of the topic, said, Lulu helped to enhance and cold-chain facilities. As tention, and both public and ranging from food production food security during the pan- a result, the country was in private sector stakeholders to retail, in an easy-to-nav- Lulu opened its 14th Qatari store at the e18hteen Tower, Lusail City, in November 2020. demic by expanding consum- a relatively resilient posi- are exploring options to re- igate and accessible format, ers’ access to essential grocer- tion in terms of food security duce import dependency and supported by key data and in- access to essential food retail sumers spent more time at “Lulu opened its 14th ies while minimising the need when the pandemic began,” shorten the distance between fographics. services. Lulu now has a di- home during the COVID-19 Qatari store at the e18hteen for human contact that could Althaf said. growers and consumers. Cli- The report charts the verse portfolio of stores across pandemic. Tower, Lusail City, in Novem- potentially lead to COVID-19 Althaf said that there mate-sensitive practices to critical role Lulu is playing the country, employing some “The company generated ber 2020. The 2000-sq-metre transmission. was a decisive shift in con- extend growing seasons and in Qatar’s efforts to meet its 4500 staff,” the report said. growth of 10-12 percent across store is the first to be opened Given the fact that food re- sumer preferences towards more diverse crop selections self-sufficiency targets, which As it continues to expand all categories in 2020, which it by a retail chain in Qatar’s tailers have a key role to play local produce and healthier are also being actively ex- include engaging closely with its retail footprint in Qatar, the says was achieved without any flagship new smart city, which in the transition to a sustain- food during the pandemic plored,” he said. domestic farmers to ensure a report said, Lulu is engaging inflation in food prices from will eventually house 200,000 able economic model, Lulu as consumers became more About initiatives taken consistent and quality supply closely with domestic farm- transferring the ‘pandemic residents,” the report said. Hypermarket has joined the health-conscious. by Lulu to introduce healthy of local produce in its stores. ers to ensure a consistent and cost’ onto the consumer,” the According to the report, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Shoppers preferred less- food options and strengthen According to the report, high-quality supply of local report said. 2021 is projected to be the as a network member to facili- processed food and showed long-term food security in Lulu’s retail footprint expan- produce, which is marketed in Notably, Lulu experienced biggest ever in terms of store tate collaboration in accelerat- increased interest in organic Qatar, he said, “To us, food sion into previously under- dedicated in-store spaces. growth of 37 percent in the openings in Qatar. ing the transition to a circular options and products with the security means that food is served areas has boosted food “In tandem with this ini- fresh food category, support- “Lulu plans to open five economy. potential to boost the immune not only available but also accessibility in Qatar. tiative, Lulu continues to ex- ed by the opening of two new new stores in 2021 in fast-de- “A circular economy model system, he said. sustainably sourced, afford- Over recent decades, the pand its storage capacity in stores over the course of the veloping areas including Abu minimises waste and pollu- “We also witnessed a ably priced and easily acces- report said, Qatar’s rapid eco- the country to ensure reli- year. Locally produced food Sidra, Muaither, Ain Khalid tion, maximises resource ef- boom in home baking and sible. Lulu has already made nomic development and prolif- able stocks of staple foods, witnessed higher sales in most and Pearl Qatar. Three more ficiency, and promotes the culinary experimentation as commitments to reduce fat, eration of mega infrastructure which hedges against disrup- categories, it said. stores are planned to open reuse, sharing, repair, refur- people found themselves with sugar and salt in all in-house projects have helped to attract tion in global supply chains. Lulu entered the pandem- in 2022, bringing Lulu’s to- bishment and recycling of ma- more leisure time at home due products by 30 percent, and a large influx of international This strategy is supported by ic with a diverse portfolio of tal retail footprint in Qatar to terials. Concrete actions taken to travel restrictions, curbed we have the largest selection workers to the country. As a a global network of export 12 stores serving a wide va- 22 stores. Lulu plans to boost at Lulu to support a circular business hours and a ban on of fresh produce available in result, new urban and subur- distribution centres that are riety of geographic areas and reach and service offerings economy model include the large gatherings,” he said. Qatar. We are also pioneers ban real estate developments located in 22 countries,” the social segments in Qatar, the ahead of Qatar’s hosting of segregation of packing cartons Talking about his assess- in offering plant-based pro- have sprung up in Doha and its report said. report said adding that Lulu FIFA World Cup 2022,” the and paper waste collected by ment of the local innovation tein products not only in the environs to cater to the needs Thanks to ongoing invest- stores provide an extensive report said. approved recycling partners ecosystem when it comes to specialty vegan category but of a diverse range of residents. ment in logistics facilities and variety of fresh and frozen Social distancing and and converted into reusable the deployment of agri-tech across product groups in our “In tandem with this, ma- storage capacity, combined food products and consumer the accelerated migration products. Customers will soon solutions to mitigate chal- stores. All in-store, ready-to- jor supermarket chains like with sustained engagement staples from local and inter- to e-commerce during the be offered a refill option in se- lenges such as water scar- eat meals contain balanced Lulu Hypermarket have ex- with local producers, the re- national sources. COVID-19 pandemic have lected grocery categories, ena- city and desertification, Al- nutrition, and Lulu carries a panded their footprint to en- port said, Lulu was able to Lulu opened two new changed the face of food sales bling them to refill their con- thaf said that the pandemic dedicated ‘free from’ organic sure that the residents of fast- meet heightened demand for stores in Qatar in 2020 despite and forced retailers to adapt tainers when they run out,” highlighted food security label to help people make in- growing settlement areas have food products in 2020 as con- the pandemic, it said. to rapidly evolving consumer the report said. challenges and led to a re- formed, healthy choices.”

Hedge fund gains 400% as China faces off with QDB launches 10th edition of Al Fikra high commodity prices QNA tures; and provide more op- Doha portunities for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses Agencies recovery, the quantitative of- Qatar Development Bank through providing winners London ferings of so-called commod- (QDB) launched its 10th edi- with pre-seed investment ity trading advisers have out- tion of Al Fikra National Busi- and advisory services to help When China’s government performed, drawing a flood of ness Competition, an educa- launch the commercialisation started paying more attention investor interest. Hangzhou- tional competition designed of their business ideas. to surging commodity prices a based Qihe New Asset Man- for Qatari led Start-ups and Al Fikra will be divided few months back, hedge fund agement’s Chenxing No. 1 de- entrepreneurs, enabling them into three categories. The first manager Richard Lee’s trad- livered the best returns among to develop business ideas is Al Fikra challenges, which ing models told him a correc- all CTAs in China, topping 400 that can be turned into suc- focuses on several sectors, tion was imminent. per cent, for the first half. cessful private value-adding namely the technology sector, Inventories of reinforced David Harding’s Winton businesses by providing the the environmental sector, the steel bars, a key construction Group, one of the most promi- participants with a series of education sector, the indus- material, started rising before nent global names in the space, training that equips them with trial sector and smart cities. the arrival of the summer slow has also seen a boost. Local as- the knowledge and skills to be Participants in this category season, and China’s State Coun- sets under management surged able to conceptualize and de- must devise business ideas cil had warned repeatedly on 50 per cent this year to 6bn velop their business ideas. that address the challenges in price increases, he said in an yuan, according to a person The QDB will start receiv- the market. interview. “Our models were with knowledge of the matter, ing applications as of Sunday, The second category is flashing strong signals of a re- helping make the fund a rare July 25, 2021 and will con- Al Fikra Startup, which is a versal,” said Mr Lee, the gener- success among dozens of in- tinue receiving them for one The QDB headquarters in Doha. competition for general busi- al manager of Shanghai-based ternational names jostling for month. All those interested ness ideas; while the third is Regan Group, which manages attention in China’s crowded can visit QDB’s website for full He added that the bank ute effectively to enriching the in Qatar and aims to develop Al Fikra Mashroie which tar- about 10 billion yuan ($1.6bn). hedge fund market. And while details. is launching the 10th edition entrepreneurship system and high performing individuals gets university students, who By the middle of May, rebar performance for CTAs - hedge QDB CEO Abdulaziz bin of Al Fikra, which has been resulting support for the Qa- to be successful entrepreneurs have previously participated prices began to plunge, leaving funds specialising in buying Nasser Al Khalifa pointed out developing year after year, to tari economy. through providing high-quali- in university competitions in Regan’s CTA (commodity trad- futures and options, frequent- the importance of the com- meet the aspirations of entre- Al Fikra Business Com- ty entrepreneurship training; the field of entrepreneurship, ing adviser) No. 3 fund up 125 ly tied to commodities - has petition as a broad national preneurs in Qatar in order to petition is designed to en- educate participants on how and who are nominated to be per cent for the month. dipped in recent weeks, home- gate that has been receiving encourage them to participate courage the establishment of to develop business models representatives of their uni- As China battles commod- grown players point to a tide innovators from various fields in this educational competi- new companies and foster a for their ideas and turn them versities to compete on their ity prices which threaten to of new money with even retail over the past years. tion so that they can contrib- culture of entrepreneurship into operational business ven- behalf in the competition. derail the nation’s economic investors now wanting in. Economy & Business Sunday, July 25, 2021 07 Tesla pushes for lower taxes on EVs in India Tesla’s factory in Berlin runs into Agencies country’s leading think-tank Daimler’s Mercedes Benz Niti Aayog that slashing feder- Tesla registered a local began selling its EQC luxu- activists, red tape and lizards Tesla Inc has written to In- al taxes on imports of fully as- company in India in January ry EV in India last year for dian ministries seeking a big sembled electric cars to 40 per and has ramped up local $136,000, and Audi launched NYT reduction in import duties on cent would be more appropri- hiring while also scouting three electric SUVs this week GRÜNHEIDE, Germany electric vehicles (EVs), a move ate, according to the sources. for showroom space with sticker tags that begin at it says will boost demand and That compares with cur- around $133,000. The vast pale gray factory with its own exit generate revenue for the gov- rent rates of 60 per cent for While lower duties would on the autobahn, surrounded by a pine for- ernment, two sources with cars priced below $40,000 not respond to an email seek- give Tesla a better chance to est east of Berlin, was supposed to be pro- knowledge of the matter said. and 100 per cent for those ing comment. Ministries that test the market, its plan to ducing shiny new Teslas by now. Instead it Its pitch, however, is likely above $40,000. Tesla wrote to include the begin sales in India does not has become a manifestation of what hap- to face resistance from Prime “The argument is that at transport and heavy indus- hinge on a change in govern- pens when Silicon Valley ambition collides Minister Narendra Modi’s ad- 40 per cent import duty, elec- tries ministries, which did not ment policy, both sources with German procedure. ministration which has cham- tric cars can become more af- immediately respond to a re- said. The $7 billion factory, which will supply pioned high import taxes for fordable but the threshold is quest for comment. Tesla registered a local the fast-growing European market for elec- many industries in a bid to still high enough to compel The Indian market for company in India in Janu- tric cars, is at least six months behind sched- boost local manufacturing. companies to manufacture premium EVs, indeed for ary and has ramped up local ule, according to local officials. And Tesla Other luxury automak- locally if demand picks up,” electric cars in general, is still hiring while also scouting for may be even further away from producing ers in India have also lobbied one of the sources said. The very much in its infancy with showroom space. cars in Germany because construction has the government in the past to sources declined to be identi- vehicles far too costly for the India’s transport minister only just begun on an adjacent factory that lower taxes on imported cars fied as the letter has not been average consumer and very Nitin Gadkari told Reuters will supply batteries. Tesla declined to com- menting them as quickly as possible,” said but have had little success due made public. little charging infrastructure in March that India would be ment. Rolf Lindemann, county commissioner of to opposition from rivals with According to Tesla’s US in place. willing to offer incentives to Tesla’s first major assembly plant inE u- Oder-Spree, the site of the factory. “On the domestic operations. website, only one model - the Just 5,000 of the 2.4 mil- ensure Tesla’s cost of produc- rope has strong support from regional polit- other side you have that German approach, Tesla, which aims to begin Model 3 Standard Range Plus lion cars sold in India last year tion in the country is less than ical leaders, but it has been held up by legal to think things through all the way to their sales in India this year, said in - is priced below $40,000. were electric and most were that in China, but only if it challenges from environmental groups, de- conclusion, see the consequences and to try a letter to ministries and the Tesla and Niti Aayog did priced below $28,000. manufactures locally. lays in the approval process by regional and to minimize risks — to analyze the whole national agencies, and the carmaker’s own thing deeply.” revisions to the plan. Tesla must also find The delay is nothing new for Tesla, new homes for the site’s current residents: a which has a long history of overly optimistic species of lizard, and the kind of snake that timelines for autonomous driving, electric likes to eat it. long-haul trucks and rocket launches. The slipping start date could prove costly But Musk may have gotten more Ger- to Tesla. It buys time for competing manu- man culture than he bargained for. Germa- Apple’s largest supplier facturers like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz ny is a country of implacable environmental and Renault to try to establish their own ex- activists like Manuela Hoyer, a 61-year-old panding lineups of electric cars. former union organizer who lives about six Tesla’s Model 3, which the company im- miles from the factory and is one of the few ports to Europe from China or the United people who believe it can still be stopped rushes to hire workers States, is the top-selling electric vehicle on before it produces its first car. That may be the continent. But Volkswagen’s electric unrealistic, considering that the factory ap- models, like the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 pears to be close to completion, with work- sport utility vehicle, introduced during the ers putting the finishing touches on the exte- last year, have surpassed Tesla in combined rior and installing machinery inside. with high cash bonuses sales, according to Matthias Schmidt, an in- “When the second-richest man in the dependent analyst in Berlin who tracks elec- world shows up, they roll out the red carpet Agencies tric car sales in Europe. and give him everything he asks for,” said “The European market is completely hot Hoyer, who has been charged with trespass- The world’s largest iPhone at the moment,” Schmidt said. “Definitely ing on the site. (The charges were dropped.) factory, located in the central it’s an opportunity missed for Tesla and an “That really is a crime, not just against the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, opportunity gained for European manufac- environment but also against the population is raising its cash rewards turers.” here.” for new workers to yet an- The history of U.S. carmakers that have Hoyer, who is part of a small citizens’ other record-high as Foxconn jumped the Atlantic and found a profitable group that keeps an eye on the Tesla project, Technology Group ramps up home in Europe is a thin one. Dealing with speaks up at public hearings on the pro- production capacity amid ex- troublesome labor unions and difficulties ject, and is a fierce letter writer who sends treme levels of rainfall that reading the preferences of local car buyers missives to local officials or calls the police has led to the death of at least have made Europe a money pit for foreign whenever she sees something at the site that 56 people and displaced more carmakers. she considers an infringement of local clean than 7.5 million. General Motors in 2017 sold its Europe- water laws or other ordinances. The Taiwanese company’s an Opel and Vauxhall operations to the com- Two other groups, the Nature Protec- integrated Digital Product pany now known as Stellantis after decades tion Federation of Brandenburg, known as Business Group (iDPBG) unit of losses. Ford of Europe has struggled to NABU, and the Green League, have gone to – a division of Foxconn that is arrest a decline in market share, which was court to force Tesla to relocate a population responsible for iPhone assem- a meager 4% in May in the European Union. of sand lizards, roughly 10 inches in length bly – is offering up to 10,000 Even Toyota, with 6% of the European mar- and bright green and gray, that thrive in the yuan (US$1,542) as a signing ket, has been unable to match the popularity site’s sandy soil, as well as several 30-inch- bonus to people who are will- Visitors queue up outside Apple Store at IFC in Central China. it enjoys in Asia and the United States. long smooth adders. Both species are con- ing to work on the factory’s Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, ap- sidered threatened under German and Eu- production line as the city ment ad. Those who refer new chain in Asia will enable the remained normal operations. pears to have chosen Germany for the com- ropean law. continues to struggle with the workers will also get a bonus production of 90 to 100 mil- The manufacturing gi- pany’s third major assembly plant, which Complicating the operation, which is aftermath of the flood. of 500 yuan, bringing the total lion units to meet the initial ant has over 250,000 work- will be able to produce an estimated 500,000 supposed to be completed by the end of the The latest cash bonuses, cash rewards to 10,000 yuan. orders for iPhone 13, Ives said. ers spread through its three vehicles a year, in part because he wanted to summer, the snakes prey on the lizards. The effective immediately on Sat- The record-high bonus in- The floods have made this Zhengzhou facilities. During tap the expertise in engineering and manu- environmentalists say the lizards must be urday, are already 2,000 yuan itiative at the Zhengzhou facil- more difficult after the com- peak season, that number can facturing that has allowed Mercedes-Benz, moved first so they can adjust to the new higher than the rewards of- ity comes as Foxconn is under pany was forced to put work- exceed 300,000. Audi and BMW to dominate the global mar- habitat and stand a fighting chance to sur- fered just a week ago and are pressure to meet production ers at its facility in Zhongmu China, home to more Ap- ket for luxury passenger cars. Last year, he vive once their predators arrive. the highest since the factory targets ahead of the launch County, outside Zhengzhou’s ple suppliers than any other dressed up in a black vest, white shirt and The environmental groups trying to sue started operations in 2010, of Apple’s newest iPhone, ex- city centre, on leave for at country, is integral to the wide-brimmed hat, the traditional dress of a Tesla say they do not expect to be able to according to the South China pected in September. least three days. Cupertino-based company’s German journeyman builder, for a celebra- stop the project. But they want to prevent Morning Post’s review of past Apple is targeting to ship Foxconn told Chinese supply chain. The country tion marking the completion of the factory’s Tesla from cutting corners, and they have recruitment advertisements. 130 to 150 million new iP- media the 21st Century Busi- has also been able to recover girder structure. so far succeeded in reducing the number of New iDPBG workers will hone units for the second ness Herald on Friday that the quickly from the Covid-19 The get-up masked a more fundamental trees the company was allowed to cut down. get a signing bonus ranging half of 2021, according to Zhongmu plant was mainly pandemic while India and Vi- clash of cultures at work. “Not everything can be done at Tesla from 8,500 to 9,500 yuan af- Dan Ives, managing director responsible for manufacturing etnam, where Foxconn’s other “On the one hand you have the Ameri- speed,” said Christiane Schröder, the re- ter working on the production at investment firm Wedbush PC components, and its ma- iPhone production facilities can enthusiasm for new ideas, for imple- gional head of NABU. line for 90 days, according to Securities, in a research note jor plants responsible for the are located, have been hit by the company’s latest recruit- published in June. Its supply production of smartphones new waves of outbreaks. Exceeding expectations: For airlines, it’s looking more like 2019 again

NYT And on Sunday, the Trans- continues largely unabated.” 2022. Each airline offered a suffered widespread delays portation Security Adminis- His comments aligned hopeful outlook for the cur- and cancellations as passen- The aviation recovery is gain- tration screened more than with those of executives at rent quarter. American pro- gers returned in droves last ing momentum. 2.2 million travelers at its air- American Airlines and Delta jected that passenger capacity month, according to data from A summer travel bonanza port checkpoints, the most in Air Lines, who said on simi- would be down only 15% to FlightAware, a flight tracking is exceeding expectations, one day since the start of the lar calls that they had seen no 20% from the third quarter company. About 17% of Delta’s helping airlines earn profits pandemic. drop in demand because of the of 2019, while United pro- flights were delayed at least 15 again and brightening the out- “As people have gotten variant. Both Delta and Unit- jected a 26% decline and Delta minutes in June, along with look for the rest of the year. It’s vaccinated and things have ed added that a vast majority forecast a 28% to 30% drop. more than 20% for United, a welcome relief for a battered reopened, the demand is just of employees and regular cus- Southwest, which differs from more than 30% for American industry and a sign that the re- very, very strong — and I think, tomers had received coronavi- the other three large carriers and 40% for Southwest. bound that began this spring in general, it’s stronger than rus vaccines, which appear to in that it operates few interna- “While the rapid ramp-up appears to be here to stay. people thought it would be,” provide protection against the tional flights, said it expected in June travel demand pro- The economic upturn, ag- said Helane Becker, an airline variant. capacity to be comparable to vided stability to our financial gressive cost-cutting and an analyst at the investment bank The rising demand has the third quarter of 2019. position, it has impacted our enormous federal stimulus Cowen. “People have money prompted hiring across the “We are just really excited operations following a pro- that paid many salaries have and time, and they’re using it industry. American said about the momentum we’re longed period of depressed helped to improve the finances to travel.” Wednesday that it planned to Mask-wearing travelers queue at Miami International Airport, June 23, seeing in the numbers,” Doug demand,” Southwest’s CEO, of the largest carriers, which A full recovery rests on hire 1,350 pilots by the end of 2021. In welcome relief for a battered industry, airlines say a summer Parker, American’s CEO, told Gary Kelly, acknowledged in a took on vast amounts of debt the return of two pillars of the next year, a 50% increase over travel bonanza is exceeding expectations, helping them earn profits analysts after the company de- statement Thursday. “There- and lost billions of dollars dur- business, corporate and in- previous plans. Last week, the again. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times) livered its earnings report. fore, we are intensely focused ing the pandemic. ternational travel, but execu- company announced that it The financial results and on improving our operations This month, consumer tives said they expected both planned to hire hundreds of its history and one that would a return to profitability in the forecasts for the rest of the as we restore our network to spending on airlines briefly to improve meaningfully over flight attendants and bring create thousands of jobs na- third quarter as its business summer are the latest sign of meet demand.” exceeded 2019 levels on a the coming months. And while back thousands who volun- tionwide. improved faster than forecast. strength in a comeback that Carriers have also strug- weekly basis for the first time the delta variant of the coro- teered for extended leaves Southwest on Thursday The financial turnaround has been building for months. gled to get workers in place to since the pandemic began, ac- navirus could still threaten the during the pandemic. reported a profit of $348 mil- has been buoyed by an infu- But the airlines have vast meet that demand. American cording to Facteus, a research travel rebound, customers are Southwest Airlines said in lion for the quarter that ended sion of $54 billion of federal amounts of debt to repay — suffered shortages of catering firm that monitors millions of so far undeterred. June that it would increase its in June, its second profitable aid to pay employee salaries American, the most indebted and wheelchair operators last online payments. Ticket prices “We haven’t seen any im- minimum wage to $15 an hour quarter since the pandemic over the past year and a half. carrier, announced a plan month, while it also acceler- have rebounded, too: In June, pact at all on bookings,” Scott to retain and attract workers, began. American reported a Without those payments, none Thursday to pay down $15 bil- ated pilot training to bring fares were down only 1% from Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, while Delta is in the middle of $19 million profit over the of the major airlines would lion by the end of 2025 — and more than 3,000 back from the same month in 2019, ac- said this week on a call to dis- hiring thousands of employ- same period, while Delta last have been able to report prof- the rebound hasn’t been free extended leaves. Last week, Ed cording to the Adobe Digital cuss quarterly financial results ees. United last month an- week reported a $652 million its for the quarter that ended of setbacks. Bastian, CEO of Delta, said the Economy Index, which is sim- with analysts and reporters. nounced plans to buy 270 new profit, a pandemic first for in June. The aid precludes Passenger volumes are still airline had struggled to train ilarly based on website visits “The most likely outcome is planes in the coming years, each airline. United this week the companies from paying down nearly 20% from pre- new or long-sidelined employ- and transactions. that the recovery in demand the largest airplane order in reported a loss, but projected dividends through September pandemic levels, and airlines ees. 08 Sunday, July 25, 2021 Economy & Business Creating an Olympic soundscape at a fan-free Tokyo Games

Agencies -- customized for each sport -- ers require silence because the “The sport itself is the most coronavirus particle. are meant to stop arenas feel- athletes need concentration,” important” element for view- “At the moment, we only Nuno Duarte claps in Tokyo’s ing like atmosphere-free shells. Duarte said. ers, Duarte said. have two dimensions, left- Aomi Urban Sports Park and To make the soundtracks, For sports not seen in Rio And the quiet venues will right and front-rear. Now we the sound echoes around the Duarte and his team combed or London like baseball, sport offer a unique experience for go for up high.” The operation empty stadium, which will host audio from Rio 2016 and Lon- climbing and karate, the team those watching at home. requires military organization Olympic sport climbers and don 2012 to extract rare un- selected similar atmospheres “You’re going to listen to and is coordinated from a con- 3x3 basketball players -- but no sullied moments of spectator from the archives. details of the sports you never trol room at the Olympic media spectators. noise and applause. “Karate is very similar to listened to before,” he added. centre. “It’s very strange for the They painstakingly pieced judo for crowd reactions,” ex- For the first time, Games Three audio supervisors athletes. They are not used to these clips together over three plained Duarte, audio manager footage will be distributed to will be there throughout the this,” said Duarte, senior audio months, fine-tuning what they for OBS, which films and dis- international networks in 4K, Games, asking venues to adjust manager at Olympic Broadcast hope will immerse TV viewers tributes thousands of hours of an ultra-high-definition format the audio mix when needed. Services which has created an in the action and encourage Games action to television cli- accompanied by so-called “im- On TV, it’s important to get immersive soundscape for the athletes without distracting ents worldwide. mersive” sound. a smooth and consistent bal- virus-postponed Games. them. Crowd sounds will be played It is the “third dimension of ance between the sound of the While the stands will be “Sports have their own dy- “very low, like a murmur” to audio”, Duarte said -- showing athletes and the canned crowd, empty at Olympic venues in namics. Some of them are very avoid stealing the show from off a microphone resembling a said audio supervisor Daniel Tokyo, ambient crowd sounds strong, very animated... oth- Fake crowd noise will be broadcast in the absence of spectators. the world’s top competitors. submarine mine, or perhaps a Bekerman.

Sales of e-cars on Failing to act on US debt limit risks the rise as Europe prepares to ditch ‘irreparable’ economic harm: Yellen Yellen says petrol and diesel Treasury Dept Agencies It believes such a move would begin tak- is necessary for Europe to Electric cars -- key to re- meet its goal of becoming ing ‘extraordinary ducing emissions and meet- carbon neutral by mid- measures’ to avoid ing climate change goals century and meet its goals -- have boosted their mar- under the 2015 Paris accord breaching the ket share in Europe, data that aims to limit the global so-called debt limit showed Friday, as the region rise in temperatures. prepares to abandon petrol The ACEA also found and diesel. sales jumped of different Agencies Battery electric vehicles types of hybrid vehicles, more than doubled their which are seen by some as Treasury Secretary Janet share of new car sales in Eu- a transitional technology as Yellen warned Congress that rope in the second quarter, they can reduce emissions the US economy faced “ir- according to the European from standard petrol or die- reparable harm” if lawmakers Automobile Manufacturers’ sel vehicles. failed to raise or suspend the Association (ACEA) which “Plug-in hybrid electric nation’s borrowing cap and groups together major car vehicles (PHEVs) had an that the Treasury Department firms. All-electric vehicles even more impressive sec- would begin taking “extraor- accounted for 7.5 percent of ond quarter of 2021, with dinary measures” to avoid new car sales in Europe in registrations jumping by breaching the so-called debt the three months from April 255.8 percent to 235,730 limit. through June, against 3.5 units,” said the ACEA. That In a letter to Congress, percent during that period took their market share to Yellen said the nation’s debt last year. 8.4 percent. will hit its statutory limit Aug. In absolute terms, sales Sales of hybrids which 1 and that it is possible that of battery electric vehicles cannot be recharged from soon after lawmakers return more than tripled across Eu- power mains also more than from their August recess the (FILE) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington. rope to reach 210,298 cars. tripled to 541,162 vehicles, United States could face the The ACEA said there remaining the largest cat- dire prospect of defaulting on the debt limit, which is a cap control the White House. ize future spending but, in if rejected, could result in both were substantial gains in egory of alternatively-pow- its obligations. Urging Con- on how much the government They backed a two-year sus- fact, allowed the Treasury De- a federal shutdown and a de- the region’s top four mar- ered cars with a 19.3 percent gress to act, she recalled that can borrow. Those measures pension of the debt limit in partment to pay for expenses fault. Most politicians would kets, led by sales more than market share. in 2011 the threat of default include suspending invest- 2019 as part of a spending that Congress had already ap- be averse to being blamed for quadrupling in Spain and Meanwhile, registra- caused the nation’s credit rat- ments of the Exchange Stabi- agreement with Democrats proved. such events, especially head- Germany. tions of new petrol and die- ing to be downgraded. lization Fund and suspending while former President Don- “The current level of debt ing into an election year. The publication of the sel vehicles increased given “Even the threat of failing the issuing of new securities ald Trump was in office. reflects the cumulative effect Responding to McCo- data comes a week after the low number of vehicles to meet those obligations has for the Civil Service Retire- Sen. Mitch McConnell, of all prior spending and tax nnell’s comments this week, the European Commission sold in the second quarter caused detrimental impacts ment and Disability Fund R-Ky., the minority leader, decisions, which have been Senate Majority Leader Chuck unveiled plans for what last year, when many Euro- in the past, including the sole and the Postal Service Retiree suggested this week that Re- made by administrations and Schumer, D-N.Y., called them amounts to an effective ban pean countries had severe credit rating downgrade in Health Benefits Fund. publican senators would not Congresses of both parties “shameless, cynical and total- on sales of new petrol and restrictions on businesses the history of the nation in The Congressional Budget back a debt ceiling increase over time,” Yellen wrote. ly political.” diesel vehicles from 2035. due to the pandemic. 2011,” Yellen wrote. “This is Office estimatedthis week and that Democrats would Democrats haven’t yet de- Yellen’s reference to the why no president or Treas- that the Treasury Department have to deal with it on their cided on a legislative strategy use of “extraordinary meas- ury secretary of either party could run out of cash by Octo- own. to deal with a debt-limit im- ures” to allow the government has ever countenanced even ber or November. White House officialspasse. to keep borrowing to meet its the suggestion of a default on Yellen noted that the said they remained hopeful But Yellen’s letter could debt service obligations and any obligation of the United government was required to that lawmakers would work steer them toward putting a make payments on such ben- States.” make a payment of $150 bil- together to avert a debt limit provision extending the debt efits as Social Security refers Yellen also warned that lion for a Department of De- crisis. limit into a bill Congress will to a variety of book-keeping the pandemic had made it fense-related retirement and “We certainly expect Con- have to approve before Oct. maneuvers past Treasury sec- difficult for the Treasury to health care investment on gress to act in a bipartisan 1 to prevent a government retaries have used. predict how long it could de- Oct. 1, which will deplete its manner as they did three shutdown that day. The regu- Those include disinvest- lay breaching the debt ceiling cash reserves. times under the prior admin- lar spending bills financing ing funds from accounts that given uncertainty around the Brinkmanship over the istration to raise the debt lim- federal agencies for the fiscal pay pension benefits to gov- timing of government pay- debt limit has become com- it,” White House press secre- year that begins Oct. 1 are un- ernment workers. Once the ments and tax receipts. mon in Washington. Republi- tary Jen Psaki said Friday. likely to have been enacted by debt ceiling is dealt with, the All-electric vehicles accounted for 7.5 percent of new car sales The Treasury often takes cans have traditionally resist- Yellen said in her letter then. funds that have been disin- in Europe during the quarter. what it calls “extraordinary ed raising or suspending the that suspending or increasing That tactic would dare Re- vested from various govern- measures” to avoid breaching debt limit when Democrats the debt limit did not author- publicans to block a bill that, ment accounts are replaced.

Toyota halts all 3 of its Thai UK’s summer getaway takes off but nothing like pre-COVID Agencies For the second year run- on Saturday and Sunday. plants due to supply crunch ning, it’s all about the “stayca- Though welcome, that’s about With all British schools now tion.” half the number it saw two Agencies The automaker also an- closed for the summer, air- What’s not to like about years ago. nounced it will suspend part of ports and airlines were look- fish and chips and a game of “We look forward to wel- Toyota Motor Corp has the production at its affiliate’s ing a tad more normal on Sat- crazy golf by the seaside or coming back even more pas- suspended operations at all plant in central Japan for a to- urday, although the number of enjoying a marshmallow over sengers as vaccination rates three of its plants in Thailand tal of five days in late July and families heading off for warm- a campfire at theL atitude mu- climb in the U.K. and abroad,” through next Wednesday due early August “due to a parts er climes remains way down sic festival in eastern England said CEO John Holland-Kaye. to a shortage of parts, as the shortage resulting from the from before the coronavirus that is being attended this Gatwick, Britain’s No. 2 latest coronavirus outbreak spread of COVID-19 in South- pandemic. weekend by some 40,000 peo- airport, was expecting be- has forced an auto parts plant east Asia.” This weekend tradition- ple? tween 25,000 to 27,000 pas- in the country to shut down, Operations at the Toyota ally marks the great summer Still, the numbers ventur- sengers a day over the week- company officials said. Auto Body Co plant in Aichi getaway from Britain, with air- ing abroad are certainly on the end. Again that’s far lower The three Toyota plants in Prefecture will be suspended ports jam-packed with excita- rise, partly as a result of the than the equivalent weekend Thailand, which are located in for two days next week and ble children and their anxious U.K.’s rapid rollout of coro- in pre-COVID times, when suburbs of Bangkok and have three days in the first week of parents heading off mostly to navirus vaccines that has seen it could see around 100,000 a combined output capacity of August, Toyota said in a press the popular beach resorts of nearly 70% of the adult popu- Passengers at the Gatwick Airport in London. travellers a day. 760,000 units per year, serve release. southern Europe, from Portu- lation receive the requisite two Holiday company Tui said as key production bases for the The production line to be gal’s Algarve coast in the west doses and over 87% get at least Greece, Spain and the United changes have helped buoy up it has almost double the num- Japanese carmaker in South- suspended manufactures five to the sun-soaked island na- one dose. States — are exempt from the the travel sector, one of the ber of passengers traveling east Asia. models, including the Alphard tion of Cyprus to the east. The British government, government’s 10-day quaran- worst affected during the pan- Friday to Sunday compared Toyota has yet to decide and Vellfire minivans. However, with travel to which has been operating a tine requirement subject to demic, as well as many des- with last weekend. It will be whether operations at the In Vietnam, COVID-19 and from many popular desti- traffic-light system for over- testing requirements. tinations in Europe that rely resuming flights to a series three plants will resume on infections have been rising nations facing varying and of- seas travel, recently tweaked Although France is on the heavily on British tourists. of destinations including the July 29. It will take into ac- sharply, prompting local au- ten confusing quarantine and its rules to make it simpler “amber” list, anyone returning Airports and airlines Greek islands of Kefalonia count the COVID-19 infection thorities to impose restric- testing requirements, it’s clear for fully-vaccinated individu- from there to England still has across the U.K. are enjoying and Skiathos, and Marrakech rates in the area when deter- tions on daily life, while other that many British families als and their families to travel. to quarantine for 10 days amid their busiest weekend of the in Morocco. For most people mining whether to resume op- Southeast Asian countries are think it’s all too much hassle Now, anyone arriving back concerns over the beta variant year so far. London’s Heath- in Britain, though, getting on erations or extend the suspen- also struggling to contain the and have opted again to holi- in England from “amber” first identified in South Africa. row Airport said it was expect- those flights will have to wait. sion further, the officials said. coronavirus. day within the U.K. list destinations — including Industry leaders said the ing about 129,000 passengers There’s always next year. China’s QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune Qian Yang QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune shoots the first gold of Tokyo Olympic Games SUNday, JULY 25, 2021

Sheikh Joaan meets Kuwait Olympic Committee President Carapaz claims historic win for Ecuador in cycling road race DPA Tokyo

Cyclist Richard Carapaz HE President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Sheikh Joaan bin claimed just a second-ever Hamad Al Thani met in Tokyo with HE President of the Kuwait Olympic Olympic gold medal for Ecua- Committee Sheikh Fahad Nasser Al Sabah on Saturday on their visit dor on Saturday with a stun- to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The meeting reviewed ning victory in the men’s road aspects of sports cooperation and ways to support and develop them. race at the Tokyo Games. The meeting was attended by HE Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic The 28-year-old combined Committee Jassim Rashid Al Buenain and HE Ambassador of the with American Brendon Mc- State of Qatar to Japan Hassan bin Mohammed Al Emadi. Nulty to break clear from the leading group with 24 kilome- tres to go and began a decisive solo run to gold with 6km left. Qatar’s lifter Ibrahim, swimmer Al Obaidly join team in Tokyo My country will be over the moon right now. It’s a very special moment for us. Richard Carapaz of Ecuador

McNulty faded and was hauled in by the pack who fought for silver and bronze with Belgium’s Wout van Aert crossing a fraction ahead of Slovenian Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar 67 seconds behind the winner. Carapaz, a former Giro d’Italia winner who took third- Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz celebrates as he rides to the finish line to win the men’s cycling road race during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at place in the Tour earlier this the Fuji International Speedway in Oyama, Japan, on Saturday. (AFP) month, won in an epic 6 hours 5 minutes and 26 seconds over Medals in the final to take the gold. 234km around Mount Fuji be- Mexico beat Turkey 6-2 in fore coasting to victory on the Tally the bronze medal match at Yu- Qatar’s weightlifter Fares Ibrahim (right) and swimmer Abdulaziz Al Fuji Speedway, a former For- menoshima Park Archery Field. Obaidly arrived at the Olympic Village to join Team Qatar in Tokyo on mula One race track. Country G S B T “I dreamed about the gold med- Saturday. Fares will be participating in the men’s 96kg event on July Carapaz’s medal is just China 3 0 1 4 al and good results,” Kim said. 31st. He underwent extensive preparations for Olympics and recently the third for Ecuador in their “Our coach told us not to lose returned to Doha from a training camp in Georgia that lasted for Olympic history and first gold Italy 1 1 0 2 focus after we lost the first set.” months. Al Obaidly, 19, also shone in FINA World Cup events and has since race walker Jefferson Japan 1 1 0 2 South Korea have dominated been dominating the GCC Championships. He will compete in men’s Perez won the men’s 20km S Korea 1 0 2 3 the sport since it returned to 200m breaststroke at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 27. race walk at Atalanta 1996. Ecuador 1 0 0 1 the Olympics after more than “My country will be over Hungary 1 0 0 1 50 years in 1972, with now 24 the moon right now,” said golds from 41 events contested. Iran 1 0 0 1 Carapaz. “It’s a very special moment for us.” Kosovo 1 0 0 1 Historic third sabre gold Lighting Olympic Racing in 32 degree heat Thailand 1 0 0 1 for Hungary’s Szilagyi and with 5,000m of climbs, an ROC 0 1 1 2 Hungary’s Aron Szilagyi be- optimistic breakaway claimed a came the first male fencer to cauldron greatest 20-minute lead to the peloton win three individual Olympic as various riders took their mo- South Korea’s An San (R) and Kim Je-doek react while competing in The 21-year-old student, golds in the same event when ment in the sun. the mixed team quarter-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games already an Asian Games he topped the sabre compe- honour: Osaka Most, well short of the at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on Saturday. (AFP) champion, prevailed in the tition at the Tokyo Games world tour level of those pur- final with an Olympic record on Saturday. nounced on short notice that suing them, were among the McNulty who put some seri- “It’s beautiful, but I came score of 251.8. her first round match against 41 who failed to finish, a group ous distance between them- here to win of course,” said Russian Anastasiia Galashi- China’s Zheng Saisai would be which also included British for- selves and the leading pack, Van Aert. “Carapaz stayed na, competing as a neutral ath- moved to Sunday. mer Tour de France winner Ge- more than 40 seconds at one ahead very well. We knew he lete given her country’s dop- It turned out that the Jap- raint Thomas after yet another point but with this gap cut to would be very, very strong, ing ban, came second on 251.1 anese star was chosen for the crash, this time with team-mate around 10 seconds with 12km and he deserved the win.” while Switzerland’s Nina Chris- biggest honour of completing Tao Geoghegan Hart. left, the Ecuardian gold was McNulty eventually fin- ten won bronze with 230.6. the torch relay, and while the “All good with me,” he later far from guaranteed. ished sixth behind the Neth- “It’s unbelievable that I stadium was empty billions tweeted and joked he had done “Of course I had doubts, erlands’ Bauke Mollema, who can be here, said a delighted watched her via television as “something bad in a previous there were strong riders behind narrowly missed the medals in Yang, who did not initially re- she lit the cauldron. life”. Freak crash, Tao lost his who could have attacked but in the sprint, and Canada’s Mi- alize she had won. “I was really “Undoubtedly the greatest front wheel and decked it in the end the 30 seconds was all I chael Woods in fifth. nervous. The competition was athletic achievement and hon- front of me. I had nowhere to needed,” said Carapaz. really tight, but I’m so happy our I will ever have in my life,” go, other than the floor as well.” As the pack began to think China’s Yang wins that I could win. Osaka said later on Instagram. The first serious probe of their own individual medal first Tokyo gold “I didn’t care so much about Gold medallist Hungary’s Aron “I have no words to de- was made by Pogacar with hopes - and fearing the sprint The first gold medal of the the points. I just wanted to fix Szilagyi celebrates during the med- scribe the feelings I have right 37km remaining but, perhaps pace of Van Aert - they failed to Tokyo Olympic Games was myself and fix my mood dur- al ceremony for the men’s sabre now but I do know I am cur- drained from defending his form a coherent chasing group awarded to Qian Yang of ing the competition.” A sec- individual at the Makuhari Messe rently filled with gratefulness title in France, he lacked the to let Carapaz steam clear with China in the women’s 10-me- ond medal is awarded at the Hall in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, and thankfulness.” World conviction to get away. enough time to relish his suc- tre air rifle event onS aturday Asaka shooting range on Friday Japan, on Saturday. (AFP) Japanese tennis player Naomi number two Osaka is return- Instead it was Carapaz and cess crossing the line. morning. with the men’s 10m air pistol. Osaka poses after lighting the ing to tennis at her home Iran’s Java Foroughi won Szilagyi, 31, beat Italian Olympic Cauldron with the Games after withdrawing from the second shooting gold of the Luigi Samele 15-7 in the final Olympic flame during the open- the French Open and not play- Games in the men’s 10m air to add gold to those from Lon- ing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 ing Wimbledon and stating Tala Abujbara aims for classification pistol with an Olympic record don 2012 and Rio 2016. Olympic Games, at the Olympic mental health problems. 244.8 points. Serbia’s Damir On the women’s side Ital- Stadium, in Tokyo, on Friday. (AFP) Osaka was born in Ja- Mikec took silver on 237.9 and ian Valentina Vezzali had won pan but moved to the United bronze went to another Chi- three foil golds 2000, 2004 DPA States at the age of three. Her nese, Wei Pang, on 217.6. and 2008. Tokyo mother is Japanese and her fa- Thirteen more shooting “It is really hard to believe ther from Haiti. events take place in Tokyo that I became a three-time Naomi Osaka was supposed “The most important thing concluding August 2. Olympic champion. It is amaz- to have played the first tennis was to deliver a message of ing, I can’t even tell you my match of the Tokyo Olympics diversity and inclusion,” open- South Korea win inaugural feelings, but I am pretty much on centre court on Saturday ing ceremony executive pro- mixed archery gold overwhelmed,” the winner said. but the match was pushed ducer Takayuki Hioki said. South Korea started the quest The day’s other gold, in back because she was chosen “In the end we decided on for a second straight sweep of women’s epee, went to China’s for “the greatest honour I will her because she is a great ath- all Olympic archery gold med- Sun Yiwen who edged Ana ever have”: lighting the Olym- lete and she has been deliver- als with victory in the inaugu- Maria Popescu of Romania 11- pic cauldron. ing a variety of messages so Qatar’s woman rower Tala Abujbara who was in action on Saturday for a second consecutive day finished ral mixed team event. 10 to top the podium for the Speculation that the we thought she was the best third in women’s single sculls (repechages) with a time of 8:16.88 at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo. An San, 20, and her first time after team silver and 23-year-old winner of four person to be the final torch- She failed to qualify for the quarter-finals but will be in action on Sunday in the Semi-final E/F, which is 17-year-old partner Kim Je individual bronze in 2016. grand slam titles would have a bearer. It was a decision that a classification race. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ayoub Al Idrisi will make history on Sunday by becoming the first Deok beat the Dutch pair of “I am very happy, after role in the opening ceremony the whole organizing commit- Qatari judoka to feature in Olympics. The judo competition will be held at Nippon Budokan Complex and Gabriela Schloesser and Steve waiting five yearsI finally got started as soon as it was an- tee came to.” Al Idrisi will compete in the U-66kg category. Wijler 5-3 from one set down the gold medal,” Sun said. 10 Sunday, July 25, 2021

Medvedev hits out at changeover times and Djokovic coasts through Syria’s 12-year-old Hend Zaza DPA in action against Austria’s Liu Berlin Jia during their women’s singles preliminary round table tennis Daniil Medvedev says it is a match at the Tokyo Metropolitan “joke” that players do not have Gymnasium on Saturday. (AFP) longer at changeovers but will not “cry about the heat” after coming through his Tokyo Youngest 2020 opener, while Novak Djokovic started at a canter as athlete goes he looks to add the next step of a Golden Slam. out in a loss Representing the Russian Olympic Committee, Medvedev NYT appeared fatigued at times in TOKYO his 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) triumph over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik After the final point, after at the Ariake Tennis Park. all that she had been through, The conditions in the Jap- Hend Zaza, the youngest anese capital were sweltering Olympian at the Tokyo Games, on Saturday but Novak Djoko- shed a tear. vic was able to keep his cool Reaching the Olympics is in coasting to a 6-2, 6-2 win Russia’s Daniil Medvedev returns to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik during their men’s Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns a shot to Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien during their Tokyo 2020 no small feat, let alone at age against Hugo Dellien. singles first round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on Saturday.(AFP) Olympic Games men’s singles first round tennis match on Saturday.(AFP) 12 and from war-torn Syria, Medvedev, who saved where finding a safe place to three of four break points and Medvedev, who next plays In- that’s the Olympics, you go for has not had the best of luck at from either the WTA or ATP cause it’s very hot and also train with uninterrupted elec- now has a 3-0 head-to-head dia’s Sumit Nagal. the medal. the Olympics - losing in 2012 Tour has ever completed a very humid, so the hard courts tricity was a challenge. record over Bublik, was pretty “The fact that we have only You’re not here to cry and 2016 to Juan Martin del sweep of all four slams and absorb the heat, and it stays But Zaza’s Olympic ap- pointed about what he feels one minute between changeo- about the heat. It was really Potro on both occasions. an Olympic gold in a calen- trapped in there,” he said. pearance was short-lived. She should be done about the heat. vers is a joke. tough for both of us. We talked But with a host of big hit- dar year, and Djokovic needs “Maybe other days there lost Saturday in straight sets “Like they do in Mexico, If you ask, let’s say 200 about this after the match on ters from the ATP absent - Olympic gold and victory at was a bit more wind, which (4-11, 9-11, 3-11, 5-11) to Liu the matches maybe should tennis players that are here, I the court. It was unbeliev- including Roger Federer and the US Open to match the feat. helped refresh and cool Jia of Austria in the opening start at six (pm) because the think 195 will tell you that one ably hot. But you need to get Rafael Nadal - Djokovic is the He needed just 61 minutes down, but not much today, so round of the women’s singles heat actually gets much, much minute is a joke. It should be through it.” overwhelming favourite in to beat Dellien of Bolivia but it was challenging definitely, table tennis tournament. Af- lighter. We all try to practise at 1:30. Since winning bronze in Tokyo. also found life hard in the heat. but I’m pleased to overcome terward, Liu, 39, walked over six,” said Olympics debutant “But you have to play, Beijing 13 years ago, Djokovic Only Steffi Graf in 1988 “Humidity is brutal, be- the first hurdle.” to Zaza and offered a hug. “I had maternal feelings,” said Liu, who has a 10-year-old daughter. “It was less about the sport side of this game and more the human side.” Mirabai Chanu opens India’s tally with a silver At 12 years and 204 days, Zaza became the youngest ta- ANI press conference. “My win ond spot – when judges over- Sumit Nagal progressed to the ble tennis player ever to com- Tokyo will change things for sure as ruled her attempt. second round of the men’s sin- pete in the Olympics, accord- in weightlifting not many girls Current World record gles. Nagal outclassed Uzbeki- ing to the Tokyo Games. She India’s ace weightlifter Saik- participate. After this, I want holder Zhihui Hou in snatch stan’s Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-7, was the youngest Olympian hom Mirabai Chanu opened In- every girl to take weightlifting as expected created a new 6-4 in the men’s singles first in any sport since 1992, when dia’s medals tally on Saturday as as a sport. In further tourna- Olympic Record with 92kg at- round on Saturday. Judit Kiss of Hungary, then she bagged a silver in the Wom- ments, I want there should tempt and then improved on it In badminton, the men’s 12, competed in swimming, en’s 49kg category at Tokyo In- be maximum participation by completing 94kg lift in the doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and 11-year-old Carlos Font of ternational Forum on Saturday. from the girls. I feel now more last attempt. and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy Spain participated in rowing. Chanu lifted a total of 202 girls will take up the sport of In clean and jerk, the also won their opening Group Although Zaza had hoped kg (87kg in snatch and 115kg in weightlifting,” she added. 26-year-old Indian came all Stage match. for a better showing, the loss clean and jerk) during her four Mirabai got off to a flying guns blazing as she completed In table tennis, star player capped a whirlwind trip. The successful attempts across the start after she completed her her first attempt of 110kg with Manika Batra cruised past night before her match, she competition. lift of 84 kg in the first attempt ease and improved it later by Briitain’s Tin-Tin Ho into the was a flag bearer for Syria China’s Zhihui Hou bagged in snatch. She then proceeded lifting 115 kg. next round in the women’s at the opening ceremony. A gold with a total of 210kg and to complete the 87kg weightlift In the team events, carry- singles event. late night, plus the lingering created a new Olympic Re- with ease but failed to complete ing the hopes of an entire na- However, India’s mixed six-hour jet lag, meant that cord while Indonesia’s Windy India’s Chanu Saikhom Mirabai competes in the women’s 49kg the 89kg lift in her last attempt. tion to end the 41-year medal doubles table tennis pair of she barely slept — not great Cantika Aisah grabbed bronze weightlifting competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at USA’s Jourdan Elizabeth drought at the Olympic Games, Achanta Sharath Kamal and preparation against Liu, who with a total of 194kg. With this the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on Saturday. (AFP) Delacruz posed the only chal- the Indian men’s Hockey team Manika failed to qualify for is making her sixth Olympic monumental silver medal, lenge for the Indian weightlift- got off to a rollicking start in the next round after suffering appearance. Chanu has become the second 2000 Sydney Games when medal has been achieved. I er for 2nd place in the first half their group stage campaign a heavy 0-4 defeat. “I was hoping for a winning Indian weightlifter to win an the weightlifting arena was learned after my defeat in the of the competition. Delacruz with a strong 3-2 win against Saurabh Chaudhary also match and for better play, but Olympic medal after Karnam opened to women for the first Rio Olympics, changed my tragically missed equalling her New Zealand in a match that failed to rise to the challenge it’s a tough opponent so it’s a Malleswari bagged bronze time. technique, and worked hard,” personal best of 89kg – which went down to the wire. in the finals of the 10m air rifle good lesson for me, especially in the 69kg category at the “My dream of winning the said Chanu later in a virtual should have placed her in sec- Also, India tennis player event where he finished 7th. with the first Olympics,” Zaza said through an interpreter. “I will work on it to get a better result next time, hopefully.” Still, with her long hair bouncing as she moved Cover star, gymnastic icon, pioneer: around the table, Zaza showed ability that impressed her sea- soned opponent. “I had to re- mind myself not to underesti- The Biles show begins in Tokyo mate her,” Liu said. She called Zaza “a great talent” with good bit unhumane in my opinion. rhythm and instincts who sim- She definitely has my greatest ply needed more experience. respect.” Zaza began playing table Biles stands only 1.42 me- tennis at 5, following in the tres tall yet the gymnastic footsteps of an older brother. world looks up to her. A local coach, Adham Al- “An exceptional gymnast, jamaan, spotted her and took who has above all made the her under his wing. sport even more prominent,” For most of Zaza’s life, said Seitz. Syria has been locked in a civil “She is simply a star in our war. She practiced in a place sport.” with old tables, a concrete In 2018, Biles made public floor and frequent power out- that had been sexually abused ages, according to the Inter- Whether it’s opponents, fans or media, no one by former team doctor Larry national Table Tennis Federa- Nassar. Already a star, she tion’s publication. can look away from gymnast star Simone Biles had “no more fear about tell- At 11, Zaza qualified for who is set to open a potentially extraordinary ing my story.” the Tokyo Games by defeating Olympic campaign in Tokyo on Sunday. Biles is the only still active 42-year-old Mariana Sahakian athlete from that scandal from of Lebanon in the Western Asia the training centre of Bela and Olympic qualification tourna- DPA at the Olympic Games.” Martha Karolyi but matter is ment in Jordan last year. The Tokyo Biles, 24, already has a “nowhere near over,” she re- Chinese Olympic Committee cupboard full of medals and cently told 60 Minutes in an invited Zaza to train in China, a United States gymnast Si- trophies from world cham- interview. table tennis powerhouse, once mone Biles is in such domi- pionships and the 2016 Rio There are too many unan- coronavirus pandemic restric- nant form that her German Games where she took four US gymnast Simone Biles practices her floor exercise routine during a training session at the Ariake swered questions. “Who knew tions were lifted, she said. rivals do not even seek to com- gold and a bronze. Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (AFP) what when?” she wonders. “For the last five years, I’ve pare themselves to her at the Since then she has im- That will be determined been through many different Tokyo Games. proved even further and on ing atmosphere. est Of All Time. ward somersault never before long after Tokyo when Biles experiences, especially with “She is also a pioneer,” said Sunday will return to the Biles appeared on the cov- Only those truly ground- landed by a woman. will surely have added to her the war happening around the Germany’s Elisabeth Seitz. biggest stage for team event er of both Health Magazine breaking can transcend their “I think that Simone is no medal collection – the peak of country, with the postpone- “We’re also impressed qualifying in the Ariake Gym- and the Wall Street Journal sport in the manner of Biles, yardstick for us,” said Ger- which could be on Thursday, ment, with the funding for the with what she does and how nastics Centre. Even in an in the build-up to Tokyo and who returned at the end of many’s 2017 world champion by becoming the first woman Olympics,” Zaza said. she does it. empty arena because of the Twitter has created an emoji May after a 587-day break on the balance beam, Pauline since Vera Caslavska in 1968 “It was very tough. But I “I personally am really coronavirus pandemic, she is in her honour – a gymnast from competition with a Schaefer. to win consecutive all-around had to fight for it.” looking forward to seeing her expected to create an electrify- goat, representing the Great- Yurchenko and double back- “What she does is even a Olympic titles. Sports Sunday, July 25, 2021 11 Attiyah clinches late win for Overdrive at Baja Spain Aragon Tribune News Network on the opening selective sec- Teruel (SPAIN) tion of 180km on Friday after carding the fastest time of 2hr Overdrive Racing’s Nasser 20min 12sec. Saleh Al Attiyah and Mat- “It was a good first stage, thieu Baumel returned to no real problems, but it was Thousand Oaks won the Rich Energy Two Drinks One Taste Novice cross-country rallying action not easy for the rear tyres,” Stakes at Newmarket racecourse in UK, on Friday. (Pic: John Hoy) for the first time since the said Al-Attiyah. “We were the Andalucia Rally in mid-May first car all the way. It is not and snatched a late victory easy to open the road.” Qatar Racing Limited’s in the three-stage Baja Spain Al Rajhi came home in Aragón, round five of the FIA fourth place behind Sweden’s Thousand Oaks off the World Cup for Cross-Country Mattias Ekström. Reis, Van Bajas, on Saturday. Loon and Esteve were classi- mark at Newmarket Leading by 64 seconds fied in seventh, ninth and 10th. heading into the final stage, The second leg was divid- Tribune News Network to press the leader. Inside the Attiyah lost time to French ed into two selective sections final 400 metres, Thousand driver Sébastien Loeb during of 112.91km and 208.36km Three-year-old filly Oaks and Auriferous began to the early kilometres of the se- Overdrive Racing’s Nasser with cars tackling the opener Thousand Oaks (IRE) (King- pull away from the field. lective section and looked to Al Attiyah in action in his from 07.40hrs before the heat man x Roheryn) carried the Thousand Oaks took the be heading for second place Toyota Hilux during the of the morning sun gained its colours of Qatar Racing Lim- lead from Auriferous inside until his rival dropped around Baja Aragon in Spain. strength. ited to success when taking the 200 metres and despite 14 minutes near the finish Attiyah set the fastest time the Rich Energy Two Drinks hanging left, galloped clear to with power steering issues and to move into an outright lead One Taste Novice Stakes, a a four and a half-length suc- slipped to seventh overall. of 1min 04sec over Loeb, who Class 3 race for three and four- cess at the line. “It was a difficult last stage set the third quickest time year-olds at Newmarket (July) The Simon & Ed Crisford- for everybody but I am quite behind Orlando Terranova. racecourse, UK, on Friday. trained and Pat Dobbs-ridden happy to win this race,” said “It was a good stage and I am Following on from two Line Of Decent (IRE) (Nath- Attiyah, who suffered tyre quite happy to have the lead,” third-placed efforts at Kemp- aniel x Joys Of Spring) closed wear on the abrasive surfaces said the Qatari. ton and Haydock respectively, late on to snatch second from in the high temperatures and “There was a lot of dust Thousand Oaks was having Auriferous who weakened and duly recorded his fourth Span- and we could not pass Seb.” her third racecourse start and finished further four lengths ish Baja success (2008, 2016 Reis, Al Rajhi and Van scored in fine style for train- behind in third for trainer and 2017) and his third with Loon completed the shorter ers John and Thady Gosden. Andrew Balding and jockey Toyota. “Today everybody had opener in fourth, seventh and She was ridden to victory by Jamie Spencer. problems. It was not easy at 11th places to hold fourth, fifth Cieren Fallon, retained rider Bred by The Roheryn all. The last 40km we had seri- and eighth in the general clas- to Qatar Racing Limited. Partnership, Thousand Oaks ous tyre wear issues.” sification. Esteve was 19th and Settled behind the ear- is by the leading Juddmonte The Belgian Overdrive held 10th. ly leader Auriferous (IRE) stallion Kingman (Invincible team ran four Toyota Hiluxes But Loeb managed to at- (Golden Horn x Sequester) Spirit) and is out of Listed in the punishing summer heat tack from the front in the third throughout the early stages winner Roheryn (Galileo), of the Aragón region of Spain and finalstage and the French- of the 2400-metre contest, who was also placed four times for Attiyah, Saudi Arabia’s Ya- man held off Attiyah until the Thousand Oaks travelled well at Group level. The second zeed Al Rajhi, Dutchman Erik closing kilometres when he lost under Fallon. She moved dam, La Chunga (More Than van Loon and Portugal’s Tiago Nasser Al Attiyah (right) during the Baja Aragon. vital minutes with the power closer to the leader when 800 Ready), was a Group Three Reis, with another customer steering woes and slipped out metres from home and started winner at both two and three. car for Spaniard Isidre Esteve. podium slot at the finish of the Erik Van Loon began the with Txema Villalobos to drive of contention for the win. Al Rajhi and Michael Orr Spanish event in Teruel. The Baja in sixth place in the FIA a customer Overdrive Hilux. Attiyah duly recorded the had rekindled their work- points’ haul also lifted Al Ra- World Cup for Cross-Country He reached the finish in ninth fastest time and was able to ing partnership on the early jhi closer to Baja series leader Bajas Drivers’ Championship position. Portugal’s Joäo Fer- seal victory by the margin of stages of the Silk Way Rally at Yasir Seaidan in the title race. and he and French co-driver reira also drove an Overdrive- 4min 40sec from Ekström. the start of the month before The Portuguese duo of Sébastien Delaunay reached built Hilux and finished 11th The third and fifth quickest the team withdrew from the Tiago Reis and Valter Cardosa the finish in a similar posi- with co-driver David Mon- times lifted Al Rajhi and Reis shortened event. That deci- crewed a fourth Overdrive tion to boost the Dutchman’s teiro. into third and fourth overall. sion enabled Orr to give a back Toyota. They earned fourth points tally behind points’ Nine-time World Rally The FIA World Cup for injury more time to heal and and fifth quickest times on the leader Seaidan. Champion Sébastien Loeb Cross-Country Bajas resumes the Ulsterman guided the Sau- last two stages on the way to Former Dakar motorcy- pipped Al-Attiyah by a mere in Hungary at the start of Au- di to third overall and the final an excellent fourth place. clist Isidre Esteve teamed up one second to the fastest time gust.

Wahraan scored a dominant win in the 0-95 Handicap at Newmar- ket’s July course on Saturday. (Pic: John Hoy) 2021 Baja Spain Aragón Wahraan eases to a Result (unofficial @ 17.45hrs) 1. Nasser Saleh AlAttiyah (QAT)/Michael Orr (GBR) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 6hr 32min 44sec 2. Mattias Ekström (SWE)/Emil Bergkvist (SWE) MINI All4 Racing 6hr 37min 24sec second successive victory 3. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)/Michael Orr (GBR) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 6hr 38min 59sec 4. Tiago Reis (PRT/Valter Cardosa (PRT) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 6hr 39min 34sec for Al Shaqab Racing 5. Joan Roma (ESP)/Alex Haro (ESP) Prodrive Hunter 6hr 39min 52sec 6. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 6hr 44min 25sec Tribune News Network defend his lead from a strong 7. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL) Prodrive Hunter 6hr 44min 36sec challenge from Wahraan, who 8. João Ramos (PRT)/Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) Toyota Hilux 6hr 46min 57sec Owned-and-bred by Al put the race to bed. Action from the 9. Isidre Esteve (ESP)/Txema Villalobos (ESP) Toyota Hilux 6hr 52min 05sec Shaqab Racing, Wahraan (FR) The Al Shaqab Racing’s gruelling Baja Spain 10. Alejandro Martins (PRT)/J Marques (PRT) MINI John Cooper Works Rally 6hr 53min 16sec (Le Havre x Al Jassasiyah) was colt ran home comfortably on Aragón, round five of 11. João Ferreira (PRT)/David Monteiro (PRT) Toyota Hilux 6hr 57min 17sec the FIA World Cup for last seen at Pontefract on July the fast ground, proving his 12. Pedro Dias (PRT)/Jose Eduardo Sa (PRT) Ford EXR 5 Proto 6hr 58min 01sec 6th when he broke his maiden credentials as an interesting Cross-Country Bajas, in a 2,000 metre maiden race progressive element for his on Saturday. 13. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F-150 Evo 7hr 00min 36sec, etc on his 5th start. He followed owner and breeder. Big Kit- up with a convincing and rath- ten finished second for trainer er dominant 5½-length win in Mark Johnston and jockey Joe the 0-95 Handicap for three- Fanning, a further half length Solskjaer signs year-olds and older for trainer ahead of the George Boughey- Mohammed Hanzab re-elected SIGA Vice-Chairman new Manchester Sir Michael Stoute at Newmar- trained and Aled Beech-ridden ket’s July course on Saturday. Songkran (IRE) (Slade Power Tribune News Network Hanzab’s re-election that there is more work ahead United deal The three-year-old colt, x Choose Me). Geneva recognises his outstanding of us to bring about the neces- London: Manchester United who was partnered by jockey Wahraan is by the French sary reforms. I look forward to have put their faith in manager Richard Kingscote, sat in last sire Le Havre. His dam, Al Jas- Mohammed Hanzab, contribution in the working with all members of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by handing position in the 4-runner race sasiyah, has already produced Founder and Chairman of the progression and efforts the SIGA Global Council during him a new three-year contract. with the six-year-old Big Kit- a winner with Mashael, a filly International Centre for Sport of SIGA since its inception the next four years to consoli- The Norwegian, who took over ten (USA) (Kitten’s Joy x by Dubawi in training with Security (ICSS), has been re- in 2017 date our previous and ongoing from Jose Mourinho in 2018, Queen Martha) leading the André Fabre. Al Jassasiyah is elected Vice Chairman of the efforts to protect the integrity will stay at Old Trafford until at proceedings at a steady pace. a granddaughter of the Group Sport Integrity Global Alliance elected to the Council for the and good governance in sport.” least 2024, with the option of As they came to the 600-metre 1 scorer and blue hen Park ex- (SIGA) during the extraordi- first time representing global Franco Frattini, SIGA an extra year. It is a big state- maker, the runners picked up press, dam of Derby hero and nary electoral General Assem- Mohammed Hanzab, Founder & business Eddie Marshbaum, Council Chair, said: “ Once ment from United, who have and Big Kitten tried vainly to sire New Approach. bly held digitally. Chairman International Centre for Director of Sports Integrity at again we congratulate Mo- also shown backing in the trans- Thirteen of the 14 mem- Sport Security (ICSS). Quest (reelection) and João hammed Hanzab on his re- fer market with the 73 million ber organisations taking part Paulo Almeida, Director Gen- election, and express the wish pound (100 million dollars) sign- in the extraordinary electoral Chair of the of the SIGA Global eral of the National Olympic that his second term will be as ing of Jadon Sancho on Friday. Formula One General Assembly voted for Council by a unanimous vote Committee of Portugal (COP) successful as the first. Solskjaer delivered a second- ‘Verstappen-Hamilton crash cost Red Bull $1.8mn’ Hanzab to be re-elected as the of the 14 member organisa- concluded the list of the Coun- COVID-19 crisis influ- placed finish in the Premier Vice-Chairman of the SIGA tions taking part in the ex- cil members elected. enced the first term, but SIGA League last season, briefly chal- Berlin: Christian Horner says Max Verstappen’s Silverstone crash Global Council for the second traordinary electoral General All will serve four-year resisted and has always been lenging runaway leaders Man- with Lewis Hamilton has cost Red Bull around $1.8 million, an outlay term, following his initial elec- Assembly. terms through to 2025 in the able to follow its mission, flag- chester City, while also losing that will have “massive ramifications” for the team.V erstappen was tion in 2018. Densign White, CEO of independent international ging corruption and improv- the Europa League final toV illar- taken to hospital for checks after being left badly winded by his high- Hanzab’s re-election af- the International Mixed Mar- body aimed at providing global ing the awareness-raising for real, but has yet to deliver any speed collision with title rival Hamilton at the British Grand Prix last firms his outstanding contri- tial Arts Federation (IMMAF), leadership, promotion of good integrity in sports. silverware in his two and a half weekend. Dutchman Verstappen spun into the barriers following a bution in the progression and was also re-elected as vice- governance and safeguarding Diversity and inclusion are seasons in charge. He said on dramatic crash on the first lap at Copse corner. Hamilton went on to efforts of SIGA since its incep- chair, with 12 votes, and Ali- the integrity of sport through a the keywords for the follow- the club’s official website Sat- win on home soil and reduce Verstappen’s championship lead to only tion in 2017 in leading the way son Giordano, Vice-President, set of universal standards. ing term, as SIGA will build urday: “I am delighted to have eight points despite being given a 10-second penalty for being “pre- for sport integrity worldwide. . Global Consumer Marketing Mohammed Hanzab, SIGA on the role of women in sport, signed this new contract. It is dominantly to blame” for the incident. Verstappen accused the Brit Franco Frattini, Vice Pres- & Sponsorships at Master- Vice-Chair, said: “I am very on the opportunity to invest in an exciting time for Manchester of being “disrespectful and unsportsmanlike”, while Red Bull team ident of the Italian Council of card International, who also proud of this vote of confidence the younger generations, and United, we have built a squad principal Horner felt Hamilton was guilty of “dirty driving”. (DPA) State, and the Italian magis- received 13 votes, has been and trust. For me, this is even avoid leaving behind those with players that are hungry for trate, was also re-elected as appointed vice-chair and was more important considering who have disabilities.” success.” (DPA) 12 Sunday, July 25, 2021 The Last Word Vaccines highly effective against COVID-19 virus variants So far, the WHO has identified four ‘variants of concern’, to which it assigned Greek letters for identification: alpha, beta, gamma and delta

Tribune News Network Doha

Within less than a year of the outbreak of the COV- ID-19 pandemic, several research teams rose to the challenge and developed ef- fective vaccines. This year, 3.2 billion vaccine doses have already been adminis- tered globally and 37.3 mil- lion are now administered each day. Nearly 24 percent of the world population has now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This will remain a serious prob- is already an impressive lem as long as the number of achievement, but effort is active COVID-19 infections still needed to provide com- remains at a high level. For- fort to reduce vaccine hesi- tunately, existing vaccines tancy and ensure that vac- and particularly mRNA vac- cines are available to people cines offer a high level of in less wealthy countries. protection against severe Viruses mutate all the cases of COVID-19. In addi- time, including the SARS- tion, optimising the timing CoV-2 coronavirus that of doses, mix of vaccines and causes COVID-19. Genetic providing booster shots can mutation of a virus is a ran- increase the effectiveness of dom process. vaccine protection. According to Darwin’s Given the already high theory of ‘survival of the fit- level of vaccinations in a test’, evolution naturally se- number of wealthy coun- lects virus mutants that in- tries, getting more vaccine fect human cells more easily. doses to less wealthy coun- Many new variants of the tection against VOC be im- cines do still protect against vaccines include the vac- Researchers at the La for people who were vacci- tries and encouraging those virus have emerged since the proved? VOCs, particularly against cines developed by Pfizer Jolla Institute for Immunol- nated with a first dose of the that are still hesitant to get outbreak, each with a con- ● Do vaccines protect hospitalisation. and Moderna. Vaccines that ogy have shown that T-cells AstraZeneca vaccine. vaccinated will become in- stellation of mutations. against VOC? ● Do some vaccines offer use viral vector technology from people who have re- Indeed, a number of creasingly important to So far, the World Health UK data, focusing on better protection against work in much the same way, ceived mRNA vaccines are studies suggests that a sec- maintain a high rate of vac- Organization (WHO) has the alpha and delta VOCs VOC than others? but use a de-activated ad- still able to recognise VOC. ond dose of a different type cination globally. identified four “variants of shows that vaccines still of- Two main types of vac- enovirus to tell our cells to This is one reason why the of COVID vaccine are more The sooner we are able concern” (VOC), to which fer a high level of protection cines have been developed produce the spike protein. Pfizer vaccine has been protective than two doses of to vaccinate the remaining it assigns Greek letters for against symptomatic infec- to protect against COVID-19. The AstraZeneca vaccine shown to be more effective the same vaccine. Further global population, the less identification: alpha, beta, tions caused by VOC. In par- Vaccines that use messenger is an example of a vaccine than the AstraZeneca vac- studies are investigating the opportunity the virus has to gamma and delta. ticular, vaccine protection ribonucleic acid (mRNA) which uses viral vector tech- cine. optimal mix of vaccines and mutate into new VOC and This week, we consider against severe cases of COV- technology work by telling nology. ● Can protection against delay between doses. Look- the more effective vaccina- the implications of VOC by ID-19 remains very high. our cells to temporarily pro- Our immune systems re- VOC be improved? ing further forward, drug tion becomes at preventing considering three questions: The research also shows duce a small-inactive piece spond to the presence of the Yes. Different vaccines companies are also working infection. Therefore, the Do vaccines protect against that getting a second dose of the virus (the spike pro- spike protein by activating can be used in combination. on “booster shots” as already faster the vaccination rate, VOC? Do some vaccines of- is particularly helpful for tein), which triggers an im- multiple defence mecha- Germany’s vaccine author- happens annually with vac- the sooner and more com- fer better protection against boosting protection against mune response inside our nisms, including both anti- ity has recommended mRNA cines against flu. prehensive the reopening of VOC than others? Can pro- the delta variant. So, vac- bodies. Examples of mRNA bodies and so-called T-cells. vaccines as the second dose Virus mutations and VOC the global economy can be. New COVID-19 Response Report charts Qatar’s bid to boost its food security Lulu Hypermarket and OBG team up for latest project Tribune News Network Doha

A new COVID-19 Response Report produced by Oxford Business Group (OBG) in partnership with the retail chain Lulu Hypermarket, has The event was organised in collaboration with Bayanihan Qatar member groups GRRI, KBBP and The Filipino Community. mapped out Qatar’s success- ful efforts to strengthen food security and enhance self-suf- ficiency by stepping up domes- Bayanihan Qatar holds cleaning tic production capacity and easing reliance on imports. Titled ‘Food Security in campaign on Simaisma beach Qatar’, the report provides to support food security goals a result, the country was in a in-depth analysis of the topic, over time by ensuring es- relatively resilient position in ranging from food production sential food items are always terms of food security when Ailyn Agonia to retail, in an easy-to-navigate available. the pandemic began.” DOHA and accessible format, sup- The report charts the criti- Jana Treeck, OBG’s man- ported by key data and info- cal role Lulu is playing in Qa- aging director for the Middle Bayanihan Qatar, a fed- graphics. tar’s efforts to meet its self-suf- East, said Qatar’s food secu- eration of more than 20 The report explores Qatar’s ficiency targets, which include rity initiatives dovetail well Filipino community groups, preparedness for the food se- engaging closely with domestic with global initiatives and led a beach clean-up activity curity challenges that accom- famers to ensure a consistent targets from the Food and at Simaisma beach recently. panied the pandemic, which and quality supply of local pro- Agriculture Organization of The event, attended by led to a sharpened focus on ag- duce in its stores. the United Nations, while its about 176 people, was or- ri-tech solutions, such as ver- It also looks in detail at the efforts to diversify the na- ganised in collaboration tical farming and hydroponic measures Lulu implemented tional economy were already with its member groups techniques. to keep both staff and shop- delivering results before the GRRI, KBBP and The Fili- The report is available for pers safe during the pandemic, COVID-19 outbreak. pino Community (TFC). download at https://oxford- which included maintaining “The pandemic has sharp- “The beach clean-up businessgroup.com/news/ strict social distancing, imple- ened the focus on food secu- drive was our way of thank- report-how-has-covid-19-pan- menting personal protection rity and the challenges relat- ing Qatar as our second demic-impacted-qatars-food- and hygiene procedures, and ing to it, with the September home and giving back to the security providing e-commerce and 2021 UN Food Systems Sum- community. It also served The report outlines the digital payment options. mit expected to strengthen as a team building activ- key role earmarked for food In addition, the report in- international engagement on ity for us. We look forward retailers in supporting Qatari cludes an interview with Mo- how to combat this topical is- to hosting beach clean-up farmers as they look to scale hamed Althaf, Lulu Group In- sue,” Treeck said. “Against this activities monthly to con- up production and move their ternational’s Director, in which backdrop, we expect to see a tinue our efforts in raising goods to market quickly and he shares his thoughts on sev- rapid expansion in the global awareness of the public on efficiently. eral topical issues, including agri-tech market, with Qatar, the importance of caring for With lifestyle-related dis- the lessons Qatar learned from alongside other markets in the our environment,” said Eng International Inc, GABII, workers as part of their pro- seminars for its members eases, such as obesity and dia- the trade restrictions imposed Gulf, ripe for investment.” Jerry Ronquillo, Bayanihan TSQ, AGWI, TKSQ, Filipino grammes this year. on diverse topics including betes, the report also consid- by some Gulf neighbours in The report on food secu- Qatar president. Institute, GSSI, Advocate, Last month, BAK, a for career advancement. ers the part that food retailers 2017 ahead of the pandemic. rity in Qatar forms part of a Other community groups GP OFW, RUGBII MODG member of Bayanihan Qa- Aside from Ronquillo, could play in ensuring healthy “Qatar diversified its sourc- series of tailored reports that that supported the initiative Matapat, TGBI-TO and tar, spearheaded a blood- the Bayanihan Qatar lead- food options are widely avail- es of food imports, recalibrated OBG is currently producing included Bayanihan ng mga TSDQ. donation drive at the HMC ership also includes Eliseo able at affordable prices. various supply chains, upgrad- with its partners, alongside Manggagawa sa Konstruk- Aside from cleaning up Blood Donation Center Bermedo (VP Internal), Other topical issues ex- ed logistics capabilities with a other highly relevant, go- syon ng Qatar (BMKQ), public beaches across Qatar, participated in by 67 do- Engr. Roldan Maghanoy plored include the expan- new port, streamlined cargo to research tools, including Buklod ng Bayanihang Fili- Ronquillo also said they will nors. Bayanihan Qatar had (VP External), Mygel Os- sion of e-commerce offerings, movements at the airport, and a range of country-specific pino sa Qatar (BBFQ), Ban- be holding a safety-aware- earlier organised a number ayan (Secretary) and Adelyn which accelerated during the enhanced storage and cold- Growth and Recovery Outlook tay at Kasangga ng OFW ness training for domestic of awareness trainings and Lucanas (Treasurer). pandemic and are expected chain facilities,” he said. “As articles and interviews.