INDEX QATAR 2, 3, 16 COMMENT 14, 15 BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 ARAB WORLD 3 BUSINESS 1-8 INTERNATIONAL 4-12 SPORTS 1-8 ISLAM 13 Qatar to host 2020 AFC DOW JONES QE NYMEX Champions League in the Qatar Airways is committed to 26,734.71 9,310.66 40.70 -135.39 -83.93 -0.05 West region its ‘sustainable operation’ -0.50% -0.89% -1.12% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 FRIDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11612 July 17, 2020 Dhul-Qa’da 26, 1441 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Amir meets US general In brief Students can FM, Pompeo return to school review ties HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- on September 1 Thani yesterday held a telephone call with US Secretary of State Mike he Ministry of Education and spread of the novel coronavirus in the Pompeo. During the phone call, Higher Education yesterday an- country and has announced a four- they reviewed bilateral relations, Tnounced that students of both phased plan to resume activities that the latest developments in the government and private schools can have been suspended as part of battling region and issues of common return to classrooms when the aca- the virus. concern. demic year 2020-2021 begins on Sep- The fourth phase of the gradual lifting Later in the day, Pompeo tember 1. of restrictions begins on September 1. tweeted: “Good to speak School staff will resume work by Au- The authorities have been strictly with Qatar’s Deputy Prime gust 19 while students will start classes enforcing and encouraging preventive Minister bin Abdulrahman Al on September 1, the Ministry said in an measures like wearing of face masks, Thani. I thanked him for Qatar’s announcement on its website. maintaining social distancing and fre- support in facilitating the intra- “Attendance is mandatory for staff quent washing of hands or using sani- Afghan talks, and we discussed and students,” the notifi cation said. tisers to keep the hands virus-free. the importance of countering Referring to the ongoing coronavirus Meanwhile, in preparation of opening regional threats, Gulf unity, and pandemic (Covid-19), the Ministry af- the nurseries and childcare facilities in advancing regional prosperity fi rmed that it was working closely with Phase 3 of the gradual lifting of Covid-19 and stability.” schools’ administrations to put in place restrictions, which begins on August 1, the necessary plans and procedures to the Ministry of Administrative Develop- ensure the safety of staff and students. ment, Labour and Social Aff airs (MADL- 102,168 recover from “All schools are required to fully SA) has announced a host of guidelines to Covid-19 in Qatar comply with the precautionary meas- ensure the safety of children. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday morning Commander of the United States Central Qatar yesterday reported 494 new ures to maintain safe environments for Accordingly, the MADLSA has pre- Command in the Middle East, General Kenneth McKenzie, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting held at Al Bahr confirmed cases of the coronavirus all parties involved in the educational pared the guidelines for owners and Palace reviewed the strategic co-operation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them, especially in the military and 531 recoveries in the last 24 process,” the Ministry said. management of nurseries, workers, and defence fields. They also discussed joint eff orts to enhance the security and stability of the region. General McKenzie hours, bringing the total number Qatar has put in place very strong teachers, parents, children and those expressed his thanks to HH the Amir for hosting the American forces at Al Udeid Air Base and for the pivotal role Qatar plays of people who recovered from and eff ective measures to contain the accompanying them. as a major partner in combating terrorism. Covid-19 to 102,168. In a statement the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) also announced one new death. Page 2 PM attends graduation of trainees at Police Training Institute Jordan set to resume commercial fl ights Jordan said yesterday it will partially resume commercial flights from August to a limited number of European and Asian countries on an internationally approved safe list. Government spokesman Amjad Adailah told state-owned Al Mamlaka TV that regular commercial flights from Alia international airport, suspended since March, could begin in the first or second week of August. France imposes indoor public mask-wearing France will make the wearing of face masks compulsory in indoor public spaces from next week, the government said yesterday, as off icials noted signs of an uptick in the coronavirus outbreak. Already obligatory gear on collective transport, masks will also become mandatory in shops and other HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani yesterday attended the graduation ceremony of the fifth mandatory qualifying course for civil university graduates held indoor places frequented by the at the Police Training Institute. The event was attended by senior off icers of the Ministry of Interior, the Amiri Guard and the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya). During the ceremony, HE the Prime Minister honoured public, Prime Minister Jean Castex distinguished trainees and handed over certificates to the graduates. The course was attended by 103 trainees from various specialisations in several departments of the Ministry of Interior, Lekhwiya, and the Amiri said in the Senate. Guard, who received over six months of military, sports, police and academic training. Page 16 Russia ‘trying to hack and steal vaccine data’ Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal Covid-19 vaccine and treatment research Protecting Qatar’s population US Senate and FBI from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said yesterday. is ‘fi rst priority’, says al-Baker probing Twitter hack A co-ordinated statement from Britain, the United States and Canada attributed the attacks By Pratap John sonal Protective Equipment (PPE) for DPA to group APT29, also known as Business Editor cabin crew, which includes gloves, face Washington ‘Cozy Bear’, which they said was masks, safety glasses and a new protec- almost certainly operating as part tive gown that is fi tted over their uni- of Russian intelligence services. atar Airways Group Chief Ex- forms. he head of the Senate Com- Page 8 ecutive HE Akbar al-Baker has A modifi ed service that reduces merce Committee is demand- Qsaid the airline’s “fi rst priority is interactions between passengers and Ting Twitter staff brief the to protect the population and the citi- the crew infl ight has also been intro- Congressional body by July 23 on the Restaurants, mosques zens of my country.” duced. nature of this week’s hack of promi- close in Turkmenistan “We don’t want to be so desperate Onboard, all Qatar Airways passen- nent accounts, as lawmakers start to Restaurants, bazaars and religious that we take risks, which could be a gers are now provided with a compli- enforce oversight and an FBI probe is buildings were shuttered in health hazard and could have a second mentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock underway. Turkmenistan yesterday as the peak in my country,” al-Baker said in a pouch, they will fi nd a single-use surgi- Influential figures such as former government imposed a de facto message yesterday. cal face mask, large disposable powder- president Barack Obama, Microsoft lockdown in the Central Asian “My country has been progressing free gloves and an alcohol-based hand co-founder Bill Gates, Tesla founder country that has yet to off icially very well. There is a huge reduction (in sanitiser gel. Elon Musk, Democratic presidential declare any coronavirus cases. the number of cases) in the past couple The airline has also introduced dis- contender Joe Biden, rapper Kanye The closures come a day after of weeks,” al-Baker said. posable face shields for adults and chil- West, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and a World Health Organisation “So what I would prefer to do – is not dren. others saw their accounts briefly This combination of file photos shows delegation ended a 10-day to jump the gun and start bringing peo- HE Akbar al-Baker Passengers travelling from Hamad hacked, posting a message for a Bit- (L-R, top to bottom) Microsoft founder Bill mission to the country where they ple. We need to make sure that whatever International Airport (HIA) will re- coin scam. Gates, Democratic presidential candidate raised concerns over reports of we do (in terms of) opening our country In a separate release yesterday Qatar ceive their face shields at the check-in The FBI confi rmed it is investigat- Joe Biden, SpaceX founder Elon Musk and pneumonia cases and called on the – that we do in a very wise and a very cal- Airways said it has “further enhanced counters, whereas at other destina- ing the incident, saying in a statement Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. The off icial government to adopt measures culated manner so that all the people who its onboard safety measures” for pas- tions, the face shields will be distribut- that “the accounts appear to have been Twitter accounts of Gates, Biden, Musk, “as if Covid-19 were already live in my country – Qatar, are properly sengers and cabin crew. ed at the boarding gates, Qatar Airways compromised in order to perpetuate Bezos and other high-profile accounts circulating”. protected, before we open up.” The airline has introduced Per- said. Page 16 cryptocurrency fraud.” were hijacked on July 15 by scammers.