Thursday 4 June 2020

12 Shawwal - 1441

2 Riyals

www.thepeninsula.qa

Volume 25 | Number 8278

BUSINESS | 01 PENMAG | 03 SPORT | 08

Strict safety

protocols outlined

as QSL gears up for

July 24 restart

Classifieds

and Services

section

included

NEW DEATHS

TOTAL DEATHSTOTAL

DEATHS

TOTAL

RECOVERED

GLOBALLY

C VID-19

C VID-19

QATAR UPDATES ON 03 JUNE 2020

TOTTOTTOTTOTTOTALALALALAL

DEATHS

TOTTOTTOTTOTTOTALALALALAL

RECOVERED

6,438,254 382,299 2,761,514

NEW CASES ANNOUNCED

1,901

245

NEW RECOVERIES

1,506

ACTIVE CASES

24,573

TOTAL RECOVERIES

37,542

TOTAL

POSITIVE

NEW CASESANNOUNCED

NEW RECOVERIES

ACTIVECASES

TOTALRECOVERIES

QA to reopen Venice route as service to Dublin, Milan and Rome expandedTHE PENINSULA —DOHA

Qatar Airways announced yesterday that the airline will be resuming services to Venice, Italy, starting from July 15.

The popular tourist desti-nation and major arts and cul-tural centre will become the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights, marking a significant step in the resumption of global leisure travel.

The national carrier of Qatar will also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services starting from June 13. As one of the only global airlines to have main-tained a significant schedule throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways is uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings. The airline expects these additional flights to provide further seamless connectivity via its award-winning hub, the Hamad International Airport (HIA), with its Asia-Pacific des-tinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

“We are excited to resume services to Venice, one of the most iconic and popular tourist destinations in the world. Throughout this crisis, our focus

has been on helping to take people home and transporting medical aid and essential sup-plies to impacted regions,” said H E Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways.

“The resumption of services to Venice is a major milestone not just for our airline but also for the global tourism industry, indicating the start of the gradual return of international leisure travel. We look forward to supporting the many busi-nesses in Venice that rely on international tourism and expanding these flights as demand grows,” H E Al Baker added.

Qatar Airways three-weekly flights to Venice will be operated by its state-of-the-art

Boeing 787 Dreamliner, fea-turing 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Seats in Economy class.

“During this crisis, we have become the largest carrier flying over 50 million kilo-metres to repatriate over 1.8 million passengers on over 15,000 flights. This has enabled us to accumulate unrivalled experience of how to safely and reliably carry passengers during these uncertain times,” said H E Al Baker. “Our wide network of flights during these chal-lenging times has ensured we have kept up to date with the latest in international airport procedures and implemented the most advanced safety & hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in HIA.” �P4

Qatar eases some COVID-19 related restrictions

QNA — DOHA

The Cabinet, in its regular meeting yesterday, decided to ease some COVID-19 related restrictions that include allowing more people in cars, and playing outside without wearing masks.

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani chaired the Cabinet’s regular meeting held through video conferencing.

After the meeting, Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr.

Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi said that at the beginning of the meeting, the Cabinet was briefed by H E the Minister of Public Health on the latest developments in the efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Cabinet affirmed the continuation of the precau-tionary measures taken to combat the epidemic, and decided to amend its decision on determining the work hours of private sector employees present at their place of work from 7am to 8pm.

The Cabinet then amended its decision on carrying out sports, without conditions for it to take place near a person’s home and without the need to wear masks. The Cabinet affirmed the importance of taking the necessary precau-tionary measures such as avoiding crowding and leaving a safe distance of three metres.

The Cabinet also increased the maximum number of people allowed in a vehicle from two

to four (including the driver), and made an exception for families.

As for people being trans-ported in buses, the Cabinet agreed to continue working with the current decision of ensuring the vehicle uses a maximum of half its capacity, while taking all the necessary precautionary measures. These decisions are applicable from today, June 4, 2020.

Afterwards, the Cabinet examined the items on its agenda. The Cabinet agreed a draft law that amends some provisions of law no. 14 of 2004. The amendment comes in the framework of the State’s com-mitment to increase regulation of health and safety requirements and specifications for workers’ housing, and to enhance the pro-tections for workers’ financial rights. The draft includes crimi-nalising any violations of safety specifications for workers’ housing, in addition to increasing the punishment for employers who do not pay workers. �P2

Qatar will continue supporting Palestinian people: FMQNA — DOHA

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue to support the brotherly Palestinian people, noting that it has contributed in this regard more than $1.2bn in the past eight years.

In a speech during the virtual min-isterial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee to coordinate international assistance to the Palestinian people on Tuesday, H E the Foreign Minister pointed out that Qatar has recently con-tributed more than $150m in support to the brotherly Palestinian people, part of which has been allocated to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

He added that this meeting comes at a very important time, as the Palestinian brothers suffer economically, socially, and from security troubles as a result of

the occupation and the additional pressure of the COVID-19 crisis.

H E Deputy Prime Minister and Min-ister of Foreign Affairs underlined the importance of continuing to support the

Palestinian people during this crisis, which represents a major challenge for all of the world, noting that this chal-lenge has become more difficult for the Palestinians because of the measures

taken by the Israeli occupation.He pointed to the failure of the inter-

national community during the past 70 years to end the current occupation and find a just solution to this crisis.

The Foreign Minister added that the measures taken by the Israelis added additional burden, which will cause a deterioration of the security situation and can get things out of control, therefore, the whole world should view these developments with great concern.

He stressed that the State of Qatar rejects any attempt to annex the occupied Palestinian territories, expecting logistical challenges, especially with what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank. He warned that this would cause delays in the projects of donor countries in those areas.

He stressed that Israel’s attempts to forcibly annex the occupied territories would dash any hopes about a just peace process between the two parties. �P4

H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

MoCI notifies new extended working hours for businesses

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said yesterday in a circular that w o r k i n g h o u r s f o r commercial and service activities in Qatar, starting today, will be from 7am to 8pm from Sunday to Thursday.

The circular is based on the decision of the Cabinet taken in its meeting held yes-terday under the preventive and precautionary measures taken in Qatar to contain the COVID-19 outbreak and in line with previous decisions and procedures, said the Min-istry in the circular.

However, some activities are excluded from the decision which include outlets selling food products, consumer goods, and subsi-dised supplies (hyper-markets, supermarkets, and groceries), shops selling fruit and vegetables, petrol sta-tions and car services, main-tenance companies (elec-tricity, plumbing and elec-tronics services) and companies delivering orders through electronic apps.

Other excluded activities are logistics services com-panies and freight firms oper-ating in ports, airports and customs services, car main-tenance workshops affiliated with agencies, pharmacies, companies operating in the hospitality sector, factories, telecommunications com-panies and bakeries.

Also contracting and engi-neering companies are allowed to operate in con-struction sites along with affil-iated engineering offices.

Restaurants, cafeterias and cafes (coffee shops) that are allowed to deliver or hand over orders to customers outside the business place. However, restaurants and cafes located in malls are exempt from this decision and are allowed to process home delivery orders only.

These outlets are pro-hibited from handing over orders to customers, both inside and outside the premises. �P4

Public hail move by businesses

to encourage use of Ehteraz

SIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

Residents have praised the step taken by a number of malls and superstores to restrict entry into their premises to only those who are using the Ehteraz mobile phone app in a bid to protect their customers and staff from the virus and to contribute to the national efforts to curb the pandemic.

Visitors to these malls and hypermarkets have to show their health status displayed on the virus-tracking app. People who are supposed to be in quarantine or are suspected or

confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 might be refused entry by the staff.

A number of people The Peninsula spoke with lauded this step, saying this will have an important role in controlling the pandemic. People should adhere to the State's directives and precautionary measures to limit the spread of the corona-virus, they said.

“It is important for people to see the app messages and warning alerts that the appli-cation sends in case they come into contact with a person infected with the virus,” said Ahmed, a resident. �P3

Flights to

popular tourist

destination to

resume on

July 15, while

daily flights to

Rome, Milan

and Dublin

will start on

June 13.

Private sector employees allowed to work from 7am to 8pm at their workplaces.

Public allowed to carry out sports, without conditions for it to take place near a person’s home and without the need to wear masks.

Up to four people, including the driver, allowed to travel in a vehicle. Families are exempted from this condition.

Buses to keep working at half of their passenger capacity.

Measures taken by the Israelis have added additional burden, which will cause a deterio-ration of the security situation and can get things out of control. Therefore, the whole world should view these devel-opments with great concern."

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin

Abdulrahman Al Thani - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

47,000 companies,

293 factories

established

since blockade

02 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020HOME

FAJR SUNRISE 03.15 am 04.43 am

W A L R U WA I S : 31o↗ 37o W A L K H O R : 33o↗ 45o W D U K H A N : 30o↗ 39o W WA K R A H : 30o↗ 48o W M E S A I E E D 30o↗ 48o W A B U S A M R A 27o↗ 40o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 02:07–16:13 LOW TIDE 09:54 – 23:06

Very hot daytime with slight dust to blowing dust at times and relatively hot by night.

Minimum Maximum34oC 46oC

ZUHRMAGHRIB

11.32 am06.23 pm

ASR ISHA

02.56 pm07.53 pm

HMC performs life-saving open heart surgery on COVID-19 patientTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The team from Hamad Medical Corporation’s ’s Heart Hospital has performed a life-saving open heart surgery on a COVID-19 patient recently.

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, Cardiac Surgeon and Chairman of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at the Heart Hos-pital, has said that the story of a 43-year-old resident, who is currently recovering from life-saving heart surgery performed earlier this week, is a cautionary tale for anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of a heart attack and is delaying going to the hospital due to con-cerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Al Khulaifi says since the coronavirus pandemic began, hospitals around the world have been admitting fewer heart attack patients. He says treatment for heart disease can

rarely be delayed and he is assuring residents that Heart Hospital has protocols in place to protect patients and minimise their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“Some patients are afraid of getting COVID-19 if they go to the hospital or are misunder-standing directives about avoiding health care that can be delayed. Since shortness of breath can be a symptom of both a heart attack and COVID-19, some patients with heart problems may also be self-isolating at home, assuming they have the virus and hoping it will pass. This can be extremely dangerous, particu-larly if they are in fact having a heart attack,” said Dr. Al Khulaifi.

“In the case of this patent, he had been having chest pain for about a week before coming to the hospital. We arranged for a coronary angiogram, a

procedure that uses X-ray imaging to see the heart’s blood vessels, so we could determine if there was a restriction in blood flow going to the heart. We also arranged for him to be tested for COVID-19, as part of our standard care practice. The COVID-19 test came back pos-itive and the angiogram showed that he had three-vessel disease (3VD),” said Dr. Al Khulaifi.

Three-vessel disease (3VD) is the most severe form of cor-onary atherosclerosis. 3VD means the three big vessels, the left anterior descending, right coronary, and circumflex arteries have blockages. Dr. Al Khulaifi says as part of Heart Hospital’s COVID-19 protocol, a virtual meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) was held to plan the best course of treatment for the patient.

“The team concluded that timely open-heart surgery was the best option for this patient.

The patient was stabilized and subsequently prepared for surgery and the relevant departments and sections were informed of his coronavirus diagnosis to ensure that all nec-essary precautions were in place to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread, both during the surgery and during his follow-up care and recovery. The operation was performed earlier this week and the patient is currently recovering in iso-lation,” said Dr. Al Khulaifi.

Dr. Al Khulaifi said the MDT, which included Dr. Shady

Ashraf, Dr. Hafeez Lone, Dr. Bassam Shouman, Dr. Suraj Sudarsanan, Rami Ahmad, Abeer Mahmoud, Khadejeh Mohammed, Shiji Varghese, Sujatha Shettra, and Julie Paul, played an important role in helping to ensure this story will have a happy ending. He says it is essential that any patient who is having chest pains does not delay getting help.

“We’ve been telling patients for years, ‘if you are having chest pain, come to the emer-gency department or call for an ambulance’. The COVID-19

message has been ‘stay home’. This does not mean stay at home if you are having symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, for example, but we understand why some patients are confused. We hope the story of this patient will help people understand that symptoms of a heart attack cannot be ignored and that hospitals have very strict protocols in place to mit-igate the patients’ risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to ensure they can receive care in a safe environment,” said Dr. Al Khulaifi.

The team of Surgeons from HMC’s Heart Hospital performing life-saving open heart surgery on a COVID-19 patient.

MoPH: 1,506 more patients recover; 1,901 new casesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health announced the registration of 1,901 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 1,506 people having recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered people in Qatar to 37,542, yesterday. The Ministry also announced two deaths due to the virus.

The Ministry states that the

two new deaths recorded yes-terday are for people aged 48 and 53, who had received the necessary medical care in intensive care. The Ministry offers sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the deceased.

The total number of pos-itive COVID-19 cases recorded in Qatar till now stands at 62,160 and there are 24,573 active cases under treatment.

So far, 45 people died from the coronavirus in Qatar. The Min-istry has tested 5,339 people yesterday taking the total number of people to 236,437.

The Ministry also recorded 15 new patients being admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases currently in intensive care to 237. The Min-istry states that the new cases are due to expatriate workers

who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previ-ously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the Ministry of Public Health that contributed to early detection

of cases. Cases of infection have also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The four main testing centers are: Muaither Health Centre, Rawdat Al Khalil Health Centre Um Slal Health Centre; and Al Gharafa Health Centre.

Qatar eases some

COVID-19 restrictionsFROM PAGE 1

The Cabinet also approved a draft MoU for joint cooperation in the field of health between the gov-ernment of Qatar and Ethiopia. The cabinet approved a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding on consultation and exchanging infor-mation between regulatory bodies of financial markets in Arab coun-tries who are members of the Union of Arab Securities Authorities.

03THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020 HOME

Upgrading work on Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street completed: AshghalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) announced yesterday completion of main upgrading works on 1.2km of Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street along the construction of service roads.

The recently completed roads are now open to traffic, as part of the Road Improvement Works in various areas of Greater Doha Project - Phase Five.

Eng. Ali Sami Jamal, Project Engineer in the Roads Projects Department at ‘Ashghal’, highlighted the strategic role of Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street. He pointed out that Al Jazeera Al Arabis Street provides direct link to 22 February Street, Jasim Bin Hamad Street and Ahmed Bin Ali Street which play a vital role in accommodating significant traffic volume and facilitating connectivity to several parts of Doha. He also stated that Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street provides a link to many vital and resi-dential areas such as Lebday, Wadi Al Sail, Madinat Khalifa and Fereej Bin Omran as

well as serving several commercial shops and service, educational and health centres. Eng. Jamal also explained that the completion of the upgrading works on Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street has significantly enhanced the traffic flow and reduced the congestion in the area especially that the project aimed at improving the vehicular capacity of Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street and upgrading exits and entrances of the surrounding streets as well as pro-viding service roads.

Engineer Ali Sami Jamal indicated that in line with the Public Works Authority’s support to local manufacturers and Ta’heel initiative, which was launched by the Authority in 2017, local materials and manufacturers were relied on for most of the project’s work.

Materials and elements supplied from local manufacturers, included sewage, surface water and rain water drainage pipes, in addition to lighting poles and luminaires. The local Qatari component used on the project has reached 80

percent. Further to upgrading the 1.2km of the main carriageway in both

directions and the construction of service roads, the project’s scope of works also

included the provision of 304 parking bays in addition to the installation of a new lighting system for the service roads. To encourage a healthy lifestyle, a 2.5km pedestrian and cycle paths and land-scaping works covering over 2,000 square metres were implemented in addition to planting 43 trees.

As for the infrastructure services, enhancement works, comprised the upgrading of the surface and storm water drainage and the foul sewer networks, were also done. In addition to it, works to protect electricity and telecommuni-cation services lines and upgrade water lines and provide house-connections were also done, The road was also equipped by directional signs.

The Public Works Authority is working on finishing remaining land-scaping works alongside the road. Upgrade of Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street is part of a series of projects implemented by Ashghal in order to improve the road network across the country.

An aerial view of Al Jazira Al Arabiya Street as Ashghal completes its upgradation works.

Diversification in Hassad’s investment portfolio in 3 yearsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Hassad, Qatar’s premier investor in food sector, has announced an expansion in the company’s investment portfolio over the past three years.

This expansion, included funding the development of central markets, is to create integrated marketing plat-forms, as well as establishing a number of local companies, in addition to acquiring shares in major international food businesses to support the needs of the local market and to contribute in achieving food security for the State of Qatar.

Eng. Mohamed Al Sadah (pic-tured), Hassad CEO, said in a statement, “On the first day of the blockade, Hassad was tasked with

supplying the local market with the needed strategic products in a tight timeframe.”

“We immediately started coordi-nating with more than 10 countries, and the first shipment arrived to the local market on June 6 and following

that day, Hassad supplied the local market with shipments via airfreight daily, and through sea, land-sea routes. During peak days Hassad sup-plied the local market with more than 1,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables and dairy products on a daily basis”.

In 2018, Hassad established Mahaseel for Marketing and Agricul-tural Services Company to support the local farmers by marketing their

produce, with the aim to increase the quantity and enhance the quality of local produce, as well as ease the burden of the marketing process.

Eng. Mohamed Al Sadah, said, “Mahaseel marketed 15 million kilo-grammes of vegetables during the current agricultural season. We founded ‘Mahaseel’ after studying the market needs, and identifying the suitable mechanism to support the private agricultural sector, in order to c o n t r i b u t e i n a c h i e v i n g self-sufficiency”.

Hassad also funded the devel-opment of the three new central markets in A’Sailiya, Al Wakrah & Um Salal, as well as established ‘Aswaq for Food Facilities Management’ to manage the markets, in order to satisfy the needs of the producer, trader and

consumer. “We funded the devel-opment of the three central markets with QR400m, and we invested QR100m in the development of the new automated slaughterhouse in Al Wakrah central market”. Eng. Al Sadah commented.

Hassad invested around QR100m in the local fodder sector over the past years, through Alaaf Qatar - a sub-sidiary of Hassad.

As for the Poultry sector, Hassad developed and expanded the opera-tions of the “Arab Qatari Company for Poultry Production - Al Waha”, which the company owns 46 percent in it and supervises on its operations.

Concerning the Dates sector, Hassad owns the largest dates facility in Qatar, which produces around 3500 tonnes/year.

Hassad invested around QR100m in the local fodder sector over the past years, through Alaaf Qatar - a subsidiary of Hassad.

Public hail move by businesses to encourage use of EhterazFROM PAGE 1

“I visited one of the malls recently and I saw people lining up in a queue. They were asked if they have Ehteraz app or not. Those who didn’t have the app installed and activated

were not allowed to enter.”After registering in the

application, the profile of each user is linked to a code which is also linked to his health file with the competent author-ities. The green colour code

shows the person is healthy; yellow colour means the person is in quarantine; the red means the person is infected; while the grey colour shows the person is suspected to be infected.

Another resident, Bahi Oumar, said the application helps to protect the com-munity. It is a good initiative, especially because people can do their shopping while they are reassured that they are not

in contact with infected people.

The step by the commercial complexes will encourages everyone to install the appli-cation, he added.

However, the problem is

that those holding a visiting visa cannot install and activate the app because the activation requires a valid Qatari ID number. Also there are many workers who cannot buy smartphones to install the app.

04 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020HOME

Qatar Charity implements project to enhance food security in northern SyriaTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Charity (QC), through its regional office in Turkey, continues to implement a qual-itative project, in partnership with international humani-tarian organisations, aiming at enhancing food security in northern Syria, especially in light of the repercussions of the crisis that Syria has been going through for nine years.

The project, which has so far been completed by 80 percent, is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordi-nation of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The project is expected to provide food security for 24,510 people of Marea, a town in Syria, and the surrounding areas, in addition to indirect beneficiaries exceeding 267,000 people throughout the northern countryside of Aleppo.

The project involves storing wheat, purchasing a mill, pro-viding technical support to farmers, and educating them, according to the need assessment made by Qatar Charity in 2019.

The project, which supports the wheat crop from seed to bread and distributes it to ben-eficiaries for a period of 14 months, comes at a time when agriculture is a source of live-lihood for 65 percent of the population in northern Syria,

The project works on storing wheat in silos with a total storage capacity of 12,000 tons of wheat, in addition to purchasing a new mill with a production capacity of 50 tons of flour per day.

To support the marketing of wheat, 1050 tons of wheat were purchased for milling and supporting the kiln with flour, and 905 tons of bread were also distributed.

Qatar Charity has provided 2 0 0 a g r i c u l t u r a l

basket containing fertilizer and pesticides to 200 farmers, with each of them growing one hectare of wheat, totaling nearly 200 hectares, as part of the project.

Qatar Charity also provided technical support to farmers by holding awareness-raising ses-sions and distributing awareness leaflets, in addition to delivering 278,000 liters of diesel to beneficiaries for sup-plementary irrigation of wheat fields.

In the meantime, technical staff is being trained to manage the silos and mill, in addition to training the local council to manage and continue operating the silos and the mill.

So far, support for wheat storage and marketing has been provided, in addition to sup-porting farmers with agricul-tural baskets, raising awareness and providing relevant nec-essary information to them. Qatar Charity has completed 80 percent of the project.

beIN Sports agrees exclusive broadcast rights deal for NTT Indycar Series 2020 and 2021

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

beIN Media Group, the global sports and entertainment group, and Indycar yesterday announced a multi-year media rights agreement which will see beIN Sports exclusively broadcast the NTT Indycar Series 2020 and 2021 across 24 territories in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Founded in 1994, Indycar serves as the sanctioning body for the NTT Indycar Series and offers its international line-up of drivers such as Scott Dixon (five-time championship winner) and Josef Newgarden (reigning series champion) the most diverse challenges in motorsports.

The NTT Indycar Series is considered to race faster and closer than any other form of motorsports – featuring a margin of victory less than one second and speeds of up to 240 MPH. Drivers of the NTT Indycar Series drive single-seat cars that feature a 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 engine optimized to run at 12,000 RPM with an estimated 500-700 horsepower engine.

New for this season is the Aeroscreen, a safety innovation for enhanced driver cockpit protection. Mandated by

Indycar, the safety feature is a ballistic, canopy-like wind-screen anchored by titanium framework encompassing the cockpit.

The first NTT Indycar Series 2020 race broadcast exclu-sively on beIN Sports HD7, the Genesys 300, is set to take place on Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway at 3:00 Mecca Time (GMT +3) live and with Arabic and English commentary.

Commenting on beIN Sports’ latest thrilling acqui-sition, Jonathan Whitehead, Head of Sports for beIN MENA, said: “As live sport return across the world, beIN is delighted to be at the heart of all the action, having secured the media rights to the NTT Indycar Series for the next two seasons in 24 ter-ritories across MENA. beIN Sports will exclusively broadcast these thrilling races

to its fans and subscribers in the region, demonstrating our com-mitment to becoming the leading global sport and enter-tainment network with such a diverse portfolio of premium global events.”

The NTT Indycar Series joins beIN Sports’ long list of premium sports rights, from the UEFA Champions League to the English Premier League and other world-renowned com-petitions, with many re-starting this summer after the corona-virus crisis.

beIN entertains and operates in 43 countries glo-bally, including 24 countries across the MENA region. With broadcast on satellite in 4K and Full HD, the beIN experience is also available on mobile, tablet, computer and other home devices through beIN CONNECT.

Five researches of YSC-QU nominated forNational Scientific Research CompetitionTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Young Scientist Center (YSC–QU) continued its multiple achievements, as it completes its excellence in the scientific research field, by earning nomination in the national scientific research competition 2020.

Five YSC research projects were nominated among 720 participating projects from dif-ferent schools and educational authorities. As one of the main goals of YSC is to involve the students in scientific research and create all possible oppor-tunities for them to guarantee their effective participation.

The Center also enhances the leadership skills, critical thinking and creative thinking, as well as it encourages crea-tivity and entrepreneurship skills. As The Center and its stu-dents have witnessed successes in many national and interna-tional research competitions.

The YSC students partici-pated in the National scientific research competition 2020 with different researches in various categories such as Energy category, Engineering, Chemistry and materials science, earth and Environ-mental sciences, as well as, Plants and animal sciences cat-egory. These researches are

characterized by its brilliant ideas, providing innovative solutions that serve different scientific fields. A research entitled “mechanical energy harvesting from polymer based fibers “was nominated in the energy category, while in the environmental engineering category a research was nom-inated under the title” biode-gradable polymer nano-com-posite for transparent elec-tronics”. In addition, a research entitled “polymeric nano-com-posite coatings for corrosion protection of steel” was nom-inated for the chemistry and material science category. In the plant and animal sciences category a research entitled “hydrogel sensors for agricul-tural applications” was nomi-nated, while a research entitled ”dye wastewater treatment” was nominated in the earth and environmental sciences category.

The ideas of these projects were generated in the labora-tories of Qatar University and developed by the YSC student under the supervision of spe-cialized researchers and expert professors in the field of scien-tific research. All teams worked with their supervisors from with great enthusiasm and pro-fessionalism to bring the projects to the highest

scientific levels and achieve the best practical results. All par-ticipants made a great effort in conducting the scientific exper-iments and performing sample tests using advanced labo-ratory equipment. All steps of the scientific researchers have been applied and recorded in high quality research reports.

Dr. Nora Jaber Al Thani, Director of the YSC-QU, expressed pride for the nomi-nation of the researches in the national scientific research competition 2020. She added, “Our continuous endeavor to involve our students in scien-tific competitions comes in the context of the center’s interest in enhancing the research skills from the early educational stages, as the development of young minds is the key to sci-entific progress and the advancement of the state of Qatar. She also praised the efforts of the center’s sponsors, Ras Laffan Social Communi-cation Program, and the center’s partners who are UNESCO Doha Office and the Qatar National Committee for Education, Culture and Science. She added, “I thank the con-tinuous support of the sponsors for their appreciation of the Center’s efforts in developing the educational level of the Qatari youth”.

QRCS selected among Qatar’s top supportive organisations in COVID-19 crisisTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has been announced by Ipsos, the world’s third largest research agency, as one of 10 Qatari organisations that proved most supportive in dealing with the Corona-virus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The French market research and consulting firm has recently conducted a series of in-depth studies to understand how the corona-virus outbreak impacted the attitudes, behaviours, and future expectations of con-sumers and global markets.

In the MENA region, eight countries, including Qatar, were selected to track public sentiment and behaviour in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Through online inter-views, Ipsos asked nationals and residents of Qatar which companies they thought have best participated in sup-porting the country during the current COVID-19 crisis.

The top 10 choices were Al-Meera, Doha Bank, Min-istry of Public Health (MoPH), ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Qatar Charity (QC), Qatar Foun-dation (QF), Qatar National

Bank (QNB), Qatar Petroleum (QP), and QRCS. According to the report, QRCS’s successful coronavirus control efforts were spotlighted in many research studies by Ipsos and other multinational firms con-cerned with the pandemic.

Within its public infor-mation strategy, QRCS launched a nationwide cam-paign to raise awareness about protective measures, including lectures, social media messages, and mass media materials.

Over 18,000 volunteers were deployed to take part in helping others.

Qatar will continue supporting Palestinian people: FM

FROM PAGE 1

The Minister noted that the Arab countries took a coura-geous step in 2002 by adopting the Arab Peace Initiative, which stipulated building bilateral relations between Israel and the Arab countries in exchange for withdrawal from the terri-tories of 1967, the return of ref-ugees, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Minister pointed out that there have been no nego-tiations since 2014 between the Israelis and the Palestinians, stressing the need to see a serious step towards this and a serious position on the inter-national community.

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed the State of Qatar’s

encouragement to donor coun-tries to continue their support to UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority to respond to these challenges.

He explained that the Pal-estinian-Israeli conflict is not an economic struggle, but a political one that creates many economic challenges.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed concern that the donor countries would lower this contribution to the Pales-tinian people in light of the eco-nomic challenges due to the pandemic, warning that this poses an additional challenge. He urged donor countries to continue their support to the Palestinian people, saying that this would help in turn to enhance opportunities for peace and stability.

QA to reopen Venice route as service to Dublin, Milan and Rome expanded

FROM PAGE 1

H E Akbar Al Baker, said, “We have been the airline pas-sengers can rely on during this crisis and we will continue to ensure the safest and most reliable experience for our passengers as global travel recovers,” he added.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar has built a strong level of trust with pas-sengers, governments, trade and airports as a reliable partner during this crisis. With its plans for expanding its network and strengthening airline partnerships, the airline is well-positioned to continue delivering on its mission to be the airline travellers can trust.

MoCI notifies new extended working hours for businessesFROM PAGE 1

The Ministry’s statement also added the decision to close retail outlets in malls, popular markets and shopping centres remains valid, with the exception of outlets selling food products and pharmacies.

The decision to suspend the activities of health clubs and centres, barbershops and beauty salons — including those

that offer home services — remains applicable.

All companies and retail outlets must comply with the decisions issued by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health in this regard.

Any violation of this deci-sion’s provisions will subject perpetrators to legal accountability.

This decision, which was issued yesterday, may be subject to amendments and updates according to the latest developments in this regard.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry calls on all citizens and residents to seek infor-mation only from official sources, and to consult the Min-istry’s website and social media pages for the latest news and updates.

05THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020 HOME

QC, Unicef launch campaign to protect children from COVID-19THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Charity (QC), in cooper-ation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), has launched a social media awareness campaign for children, their families and members of society to enhance their protection and reduce the risks of the spread of the coro-navirus.

The campaign implemented under a slogan, which literally means “Heroes in the Face of Corona”, includes publishing illustrated awareness brochures and pamphlets on Qatar Char-ity’s website and social media accounts to encourage children and adolescents to adhere to preventive behaviours and pre-cautionary measures.

The campaign aims at curbing the spread of the coro-navirus (COVID-19) pandemic by providing necessary instruc-tions for parents to help their children deal with an emer-gency in light of the spread of

the virus.“Accurate information

about COVID-19 is key to being properly prepared and pro-tecting ourselves, our children, and our communities. Qatar Charity and Unicef have teamed up to promote facts and provide trustworthy guidance — grounded in the latest scientific evidence — to parents, car-egivers, and educators. In these

difficult times, information saves lives”, said Eltayeb Adam, Unicef Representative to the Gulf region.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Rumaihi, Director of Interna-tional Relief and Partnerships Department at Qatar Charity,

welcomed the cooperation of Unicef with Qatar Charity in this campaign.

“We are proud of our part-nership with Unicef in funding and implementing many joint humanitarian and development projects related to the care and protection of children in the various countries of the world, and that awareness-raising efforts and campaigns are part of it, to strengthen the pre-ventive aspects, especially in crisis areas and when facing epidemics,” said Al Rumaihi.

“The awareness brochures and pamphlets of the campaign are based on scientific infor-mation and associated guide-lines validated by Unicef as a global organisation for children, and were produced by a spe-cialised team at Qatar Charity,” he added.

He also noted, “the contents of the brochures and pamphlets have very easy phrases and sen-tences, graphics, designs, and colors, which are attractive to

children and their families, suitable for the targeted and take into account the charac-teristics of the Gulf and Arab environment.”

Qatar Charity and Unicef hold a solid and long history of cooperation in support of vul-nerable children and needy adults. In September 2019, the CEO of Qatar Charity, Yusuf AlKuwari and the Executive Director of Unicef, Henrietta Fore, signed a strategic mem-orandum of understanding (MoU) in New York to framework the existing coop-eration efforts and better serve the needs of children and young adults living in difficult conditions.

In April this year, Qatar Charity and the United Nations Children’s Fund signed two grant agreements for a total of $2m to address the humanitarian needs caused by the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in Syria and Jordan.

QNL and friends enlighten childrenthrough Ramadan programsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar National Library brought the magic of storytelling to tens of thousands of children at home during Ramadan through collaborations with a number of local educational and enter-tainment institutions.

In cooperation with chil-dren’s broadcaster Baraem TV and Qatari educational institu-tions KidZania, Ktateeb, Gen-eration Amazing and Maktaba, the Library reached out to young people across the country during the holy month via social media to help strengthen the culture of reading and learning.

Staff members from the Children’s Library both live-streamed and pre-recorded stories for children of all ages while schools and libraries have been closed due to the C O V I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c situation.

For example, Ebrahim Al Bishri from the Children’s Library read stories to children every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday live on KidZania Doha’s Facebook and Instagram live feeds throughout Ramadan. Most recently, he could be seen reading Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse in English and Arabic

in his own inimitable style. Maram A. Al Mahmoud,

Head of the Children’s Library, said, “Much like our Library building, schools around Qatar have been closed recently, and online learning has taken on an increasingly important role. The lockdown has given librarians a unique opportunity to offer children insights into the magic of storytelling through the use of online platforms.

“Throughout Ramadan, parents have understandably been concerned about how they’re going to juggle their new roles as full-time educators in addition to their normal

parenting responsibilities. We have responded to this concern by offering new ways to bring our literature to life through the social media accounts of a variety of organizations across Qatar.

“Our mission is to create and sustain trusted educational environments and to develop innovative programmes for children using technology and culture as our key learning tools. We hope to build on these new collaborations to provide an ever-increasing pool of online knowledge to bring the joy of lit-erature to more young people in Qatar than ever before.”

Staff members from the Children’s Library both live-streamed and pre-recorded stories for children during the holy month.

UCL Qatar presents online teaching toolkit

The campaign aims at curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic by providing necessary instructions for parents to help their children deal with an emergency in light of the spread of the virus.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

In collaboration with Dr Stacy Hackner, professor at UCL Arts and Sciences, UCL Qatar — a Qatar Foundation partner university — has created a toolkit to help parents and educators deliver creative object-based learning and inquiry. The toolkit facilitates learning and provides practical session plans to get parents and educators started.

Object-Based Learning (OBL) is a type of educational practice that incorporates eve-ryday objects and works of art, as well as first-hand experience for learning. This type of trans-formative learning technique is meant to provide an alter-native to lecturing, copying, and memorising. The format is based on facilitation whereby teachers guide students through a variety of activities, which ensures that all the learning objectives are met.

“The Object-Based Learning toolkit is the latest addition to our series of online resources that is designed to broaden chil-dren’s knowledge, develop problem-solving skills and increase their interest in the subject matters presented,” said Shaima Sherif, Professional and Executive Education Coordi-nator at UCL Qatar. “We encourage parents and

educators alike to download the toolkit and use it as a f o r m o f edutainment, par-ticularly during the current restrictions i m p o s e d b y COVID-19.”

In addition to the OBL toolkit, parents and edu-cators can access all of UCL Qatar’s suc-cessful online resources. These include the 'Tradi-tional Qatari Homes: Illustrated Presen-tation and Teachers Pack' which targets children between the ages of 6 and 11 years and is based on the Origins of Doha and Qatar project. The resource intro-duces children to the main architectural features of a typical Qatari home and the everyday life of a Qatari family circa the 1930s/40s.

'Let's Explore Archaeology: Illustrated Presentation and Teachers Pack' targets children of the same group and is based on the results of the Crowded Desert Project. The presen-tation introduces students to the concept of archaeology from a desert environment and

takes them on a journey from the start of searching for an object to its final resting place in a museum.

Finally, children can explore Sudan’s rich heritage through the short story 'Sudan’s Ancient History: Hwida and Maawia Investigate MEROE’S IRON'. The children’s book presents the pioneering archae-ological work being done at the ancient Royal City of Meroe, as part of the Qatar-Sudan Archaeological Project (QSAP).

Lulu Hypermarket goes green for express home delivery with EPRTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Amidst the pandemic crisis and in support to the efforts made by the State of Qatar to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Elite Paper Recycling (EPR) is launching an awareness campaign in cooperation with Lulu Hypermarket that focuses on the use of recycled cartons to deliver groceries to the home.

“Stay Home Save Life” and “Together We fight Corona Virus" are two hashtags launched along with the campaign raising the community awareness on necessity to stay home in addition to the national heath hygiene guidelines put out there for the public.

The carton is 100 percent recycled and 100 percent made in Qatar, deliv-ering home a message, encouraging community to use recycled materials to preserve the environment.

The groceries purchased through Lulu online shopping are packed care-fully in those recycled boxes and delivered right at your step door safely.

Lulu Hypermarket as part of their CSR plan is starting Go Green strategies through collab-orating with local Qatari SME recyclers, as the pioneer EPR. Lulu supports EPR’s initiatives in building a sustainable environment.

“This campaign is launched amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19. This box initiative is the first of its kind in Qatar. We are very proud to say that it's 100 percent made in Qatar and 100 percent eco-friendly. We con-tinue to develop as business with a value showing solidarity to our community in Qatar, raising awareness of recycling, and going green. Stay home, save

life,” said Abdullah Ibrahim Al Suwaidi, Chairman Elite Paper Recycling.

“Marketing the World Environment Day, the box represents a community solidarity on supporting local SME and is part of the EPR's CSR strategies set to develop within the circular economy in Qatar,” stated Catina Aghayan, EPR Com-munications Strategy Adviser

“At Lulu Hypermarkets Qatar, we fully support green initiatives in line with the Ministry’s Green strategy for Qatar, and it’s fantastic to be able to support a local Qatari SME in Elite Paper Recycling, whilst still advertising the 'stay home save lives' message, and the importance of using fully recyclable materials in today’s retail market. Through this initiative we have also been able to reduce plastic usage, whilst providing our customers a very safe carton in which to transfer their shopping to the home,” stated David Bache, Oper-ation Manager Lulu Hypermarket.

A Lulu Hypermarket staff preparing a carton for delivery.

GU-Q summer session gives QF students global perspective on current crisis

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Georgetown University in Qatar’s (GU-Q) summer semester offers students the opportunity to study the complex impact of COVID-19 through four virtual course options that address the crisis from political, social, cultural, economic, and historical perspectives.

While medical research on the viral outbreak has boomed for obvious reasons, students enrolled in GU-Q’s summer courses are learning how the research of social scientists and international affairs experts plays a critical role in understanding and recovering from a health disaster that has impacted international relations, globalisation, education, economics, climate change, and the lives of billions.

“The politics of COVID-19 is important for us to understand because the virus is not a great lev-eller, as we thought initially,” explains GU-Q Assistant Professor Uday Chandra, who’s teaching the course Politics of the Pandemic this summer. “COVID-19 has shown us at our best and at our worst, and has exposed

existing divides within and between societies. Ultimately, our fates are all tied together now, for better or worse.”

For Assistant Professor Firat Oruc, the instructor for the Pandemics in World Literature course, great literary works — from Homer’s The Iliad to Camus’s The Plague — play a signif-icant role in framing social and political responses to the crisis. “Sto-rytellers from ancient times to the present have sought to understand the impact of disease outbreaks, thus offering us a robust anthology of world literature that speaks to our current crisis in profound ways,” he said.

The course Agency and Social Change, which is being taught by Assistant Director for Student Pro-grams Uday Rosario, guides students through an exploration of concepts of justice and community engagement through individual action. His course will also require students to design and implement an action plan with local community partners.. “We need

to find ways in which we can con-tribute positively to alleviate the suf-fering of our local and global com-munities,” he said.

With a focus on the significant role of social media communication in society today, the course Chroni-cling Corona, taught by History Pro-fessor Amira Sonbol, is training future scholars on the science and signifi-cance of documenting history. “As we all witness the unfolding crisis, we are also serving to create a historical record of the on-going events, through our online interactions, the stories we tell, and the communi-cation strategies we use. This effort is important, and presents challenges that can be addressed in many ways.”

With 16 for-credit summer courses offered in all, GU-Q’s summer session runs from May 17 to June 25, 2020, packing the classroom hours of a standard academic term into 6 weeks. Enrolment in the online courses includes students from Geor-getown and cross-registered students from other QF partner universities.

Participants during the summer virtual course.

While medical research on the viral outbreak has boomed for obvious reasons, students enrolled in GU-Q’s summer courses are learning how the research of social scientists and international affairs experts plays a critical role in understanding and recovering from a health disaster that has impacted international relations.

06 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020MIDDLE EAST

Kuwait needs to slash expatpopulation to 30%, says PMBLOOMBERG — KUWAIT

Kuwait should reduce its expa-triate population to 30% of the total from the current 70%, Prime Minister H H Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah said, as the coronavirus pandemic and a slump in oil prices expose vulnerabilities in economic models across the Gulf.

Foreigners account for nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s 4.8 million people, and that’s a “big imbalance, and we have a future challenge to redress this imbalance,” Sheikh Sabah told the top editors of local newspapers.

Despite running one of the Gulf’s smallest crisis stimulus packages, top lender National Bank of Kuwait SAK predicts the country’s shortfall will reach 40% of gross domestic product in the fiscal year that started April 1, the most since the 1991 Gulf War and its

aftermath. Most Gulf states are expected to run budget short-falls of 15%-25% of economic output, leading to a build-up of debt, dwindling reserves, and tough choices.

In his comments to leading editors, the premier restated that Kuwait had to diversify its economy away from its 90% dependence on oil. He also said two dozen companies had been referred to public prosecutors based on information they broke laws by trading in resi-dency permits, a practice that illegally brings overseas workers into the country and transfers them between employers.

“We are responsible for everyone who lives on this land and the residency trade has exhausted the state and the services in all institutions, espe-cially when dealing with the current situation,” he said.

Jordan, Norway warn Israel of consequences over annexationANATOLIA & REUTERS — AMMAN/OSLO

Jordan’s foreign minister warned yesterday of serious consequences in terms of his country’s relations with Tel Aviv and for peace in the region if Israel annexes parts of the West Bank and Jordan Valley.

Norway, which chairs a group of international donors to the Palestinians, also urged Israel not to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

According to a statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Ayman Safadi took part in a ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for aid t o P a l e s t i n i a n s v i a videoconference.

Safadi said preventing Israel’s annexation of the West Bank means protecting peace.

“Our message must be clear. Israel’s annexation decision will not be unanswered. If the annexation decision is applied, a violent conflict will start and the two-state solution option will be impossible. Compre-hensive peace opportunities will be destroyed,” he said.

Israel is expected to carry out the annexation on July 1 as agreed between Prime Min-ister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the head of the Blue and White party.

The plan comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s

so-called “Deal of the Century” that was announced on Jan. 28. It refers to Jerusalem as “Israel’s undivided capital” and recognizes Israeli sover-eignty over large parts of the West Bank.

The plan calls for the estab-lishment of a Palestinian state in the form of an archipelago connected by bridges and

tunnels. Palestinian officials say that under the US plan, Israel will annex 30%-40% of the West Bank, including all of East Jerusalem.

Norway heads the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which met on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s plan to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settle-ments and the Jordan Valley in

the West Bank, occupied ter-ritory that Palestinians seek for

a state. “Any unilateral step would be detrimental to the

(peace) process, and annexation would be in direct violation and contravention of international law,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said after the meeting.

Norway helped to broker the 1993 and 1995 Oslo Accords, which provided for interim and limited Palestinian self-rule in the occupied ter-ritories, and initiated a now-moribund long-term peace process.

Soereide said she had spoken on Tuesday with her Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, to urge Israel to resume direct talks with the Palestinians and avoid uni-lateral moves. “It would undermine the potential for a two-state solution,” she said.

REUTERS — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Half of Israelis support annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, although they are divided over whether to take the step without US support, an opinion poll showed yesterday.

Some 25 percent of Israelis surveyed by the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank said they want their government to apply sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank even without backing from Israel’s closest ally.

US President Donald Trump’s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace includes Israel keeping most of its settlements in the West Bank, territory that Palestinians seek for

a state. Palestinians have rejected Trump’s proposal. They and most countries con-sider Israel’s settlements in the West Bank illegal. Israel disputes this.

Another quarter of the 771 Jewish and Arab Israelis polled preferred annexation only with Washington’s backing, while another 30 percent opposed the move entirely. The remaining 20 percent were undecided.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to begin cabinet discussions on July 1 on extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley — a de facto annexation of land cap-tured in the 1967 Middle East war.

The Trump plan also envisages nego-tiations leading to a Palestinian state under near-complete Israeli security control, creating what Palestinians leaders say would be an unviable country.

Israeli settler leaders, who met Netanyahu on Tuesday, have voiced concern that annexation under the Trump blueprint would also entail Pal-estinian statehood and leave some set-tlements isolated within Palestinian-ruled territory.

Israeli cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi said on Army Radio yesterday that settlers need not worry “because there will never be” a Palestinian state.

Poll finds half of Israelis support West Bank annexations

Palestinians, some clad in masks due to the coronavirus pandemic, gather for a protest against Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, in Nablus, West Bank, yesterday.

Joy in Gaza as mosques reopen after pandemic closureAFP — GAZA CITY

Mosques in the Gaza Strip reopened yesterday after a 70-day closure due to the coro-navirus, with one worshipper saying he was “overjoyed” despite fears over the pandemic.

Wearing a black face mask, an imam in Gaza City led the call to prayer as mosques reo-pened across the Palestinian enclave with health measures in place. Worshippers were told to wear face masks inside mosques, which would be reg-ularly disinfected as a precau-tionary measure, Gaza’s reli-gious affairs ministry said.

Children and sick people were told not to attend prayers.

In Gaza City, worshipper Khader Mussa said he was “overjoyed” to attend dawn prayers but had also been careful to protect his health.

“I got there just two minutes before the start of prayer to

avoid contact with other wor-shippers and then left at the end, without shaking hands with anyone,” the 40-year-old said.

The strip has registered around 60 coronavirus cases

and one death, all among Gazans returning to the enclave who have been quarantined on arrival.

After the virus was first detected on March 22, mosques, restaurants and universities

were closed. Some mosques opened their

doors 10 days ago for the Eid Al Fitr holiday, which celebrates the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, but Wednesday marked a full reopening.

“We are happy mosques have opened,” said Muhammad Hamad, wearing a face mask.

“We thank God, who pro-tected us from the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

The United Nations has warned that a COVID-19 out-break in Gaza could be disas-trous, given its high population density, soaring poverty rates and weak health system.

Gaza is ruled by Islamist movement Hamas, a foe of Israel, which has held the strip under a crippling blockade since 2007. Two million Pal-estinians are crowded into the narrow strip of land between Israel, Egypt and the Mediter-ranean Sea.

Kuwait reports

710 new virus

cases, 4 deaths

ANATOLIA — KUWAIT

Health authorities in several Arab countries confirmed new deaths and cases due to the novel coronavirus.

Kuwait’s Health Ministry said four people died from the virus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide toll to 230. A ministry statement said 710 new infections were recorded, taking the total cases to 29,359. The number of recoveries stands at 15,750.

The Tunisian Health Min-istry, meanwhile, said the country’s infections rose to 1,087 as one new case was registered.

The country’s death toll from the virus reached 49 after one more death was recorded. A total of 965 patients have recovered so far.

Moroccan Health Ministry said the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 7,910 after 44 new infections were recorded. Death toll in the country stands at 206, while a total of 6,643 patients have recovered so far.

As many as 48 new coro-navirus cases were registered in Iraq’s Kirkuk region over the last 24 hours, a sudden surge in infections, authorities said. “The fact that children are also among the patients is worrying,” Kirkuk health department said in a statement.

Dr. Sirous Asgari, an Iranian professor who was acquitted in the United States, upon his arrival at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, yesterday.

Iranian professor Asgari returns homeREUTERS — DUBAI

An Iranian professor who was acquitted in the United States of stealing trade secrets arrived in Iran yesterday, Iranian media reported.

Materials science professor Sirous Asgari, 59, was indicted by US federal prosecutors in April 2016. A federal judge in Ohio acquitted Asgari in November 2019. Tehran and Washington have denied reports that his release was part of a prisoner swap.

US authorities said in May that Asgari, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in April, would be deported once

he received medical clearance. Photos published by

Iranian state media showed Asgari being reunited with his family in Tehran.

Last year, Iran freed US citizen Xiyue Wang, who had been held for three years on spying charges, and the United States released Iranian Massoud Soleimani, who faced charges of violating US sanctions on Iran.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has led Iran, one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East, to temporarily release some prisoners in a bid to curb the spread of infections.

In mid-March, US. Secretary

of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran was considering freeing some US citizens as Michael White, a US navy veteran who has been detained in Iran since 2018, was released from prison on medical furlough. He remains in Iran.

It is not clear exactly how many Americans-Iranians are being held in Iran, but they include father and son Baquer and Siamak Namazi.

Michael White, a US navy veteran who was detained in Iran in 2018, have been released from prison since mid-March on furlough but remains in Iran.

Several dozen Iranians are being held in U.S. prisons, many

of them for breaking sanctions. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in December that Tehran was

ready for a full prisoner exchange with the United States, tweeting: “The ball is in the US court.”

Virus spreads again in Iran with over 3,000 cases for third dayAFP & ANATOLIA — TEHRAN

The spread of novel coronavirus has accelerated again this month in Iran which on Wednesday officially confirmed over 3,000 new cases for a third consecutive day.

The country has recorded an additional 3,134 cases, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told state television, bringing the total number of infections to 160,696.

New cases were at their highest on March 30, hitting 3,186.

Another 70 people have died, Jahanpour added, taking the death toll to 8,012 since the outbreak was first declared in

the country in February. Infections have been on a

rising trajectory in the Islamic republic since hitting a near two-month low on May 2, though the official number of daily deaths has remained below 100 in recent weeks.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Tuesday lamented that people were ignoring social distancing rules.

“The fact that people have become completely careless regarding this disease” was of great concern, he said.

“They either have total con-fidence in us or think the coro-navirus has gone. The latter is not true at all,” the ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

Nine of the country’s 31 provinces are still under a “health alert”, Jahanpour said Wednesday, while the south-western province of Khuzestan remains classified as a “red zone”.

Iran has since last month largely lifted the curbs it imposed to stem the outbreak, but experts both at home and abroad have voiced scepticism about its official figures, saying the real toll could be much higher.

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group announced a comprehensive mobilization to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in regions under its control.

According to the Houthi movement’s Al Massira TV,

Taha Al-Mutawakkil, health minister of the Houthi-run administration in Sana’a, said they would make every effort to protect healthcare staff and called for support for the pro-tection for healthcare per-sonnel.aYemen has 399 con-firmed cases 87 deaths from the coronavirus, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sana’a.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coa-lition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back

Houthi territorial gains. Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as millions remain at risk of starvation.

Israel yesterday recorded its highest number of coronavirus infections in a single day since the beginning of May with 116, raising its total to 17,285, according health officials.

It registered five new fatal-ities from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 290.

A total of 31 patients remain in critical condition while 14,940 have recovered from the virus.

Palestinians keeping a safe distance as they take part in the noon (Dhuhr) prayers at the Al Abrar mosque in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday.

“Our message must be clear. Israel’s annexation decision will not be unanswered. If the annexation decision is applied, a violent conflict will start and the two-state solution option will be impossible,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned.

Water salute to health workers

07THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

ANATOLIA — TUNIS

Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi has warned that calls for dissolving the assembly are “recipes for chaos”.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Ghan-nouchi, the head of Ennahda party — largest bloc in the 217-seat parliament — denied any dispute with Tunisian President Kais Saied.

“Demonstration, protest and all other forms of indi-vidual and collective expression are manifestations of democracy,” Ghannouchi said.

If demonstrations, he said,a turn into “harming the public and private domain, burning, looting and obstructing state institutions and the interests of citizens, then this expresses chaos, not opposition,” he said.

In such case, it is “the state’s duty to confront chaos and protect peaceful opposition,” he asserted.Ghannouchi described current calls for dissolving the parliament as “calls for chaos”.

He stressed that dissolving

the assembly is set within certain constitutional mecha-nisms and such opposition calls “will remain outside the con-stitutional context”.

Commenting on the diffi-culties facing the ruling coa-lition government, Ghannouchi said Tunisia “is facing unprec-edented challenges due to the outbreak of coronavirus”.

He stressed that having sol-idarity and synergy within the government is key to facing the challenges in the current stage.

“Nobody today can say for sure that he alone can cope with the emerging situation,” he said.

Ghannouchi also denied any dispute between him and the Tunisian president, citing continuous meetings between them and the prime minister.

“There is no indication of incompatibility or conflict of powers,” Ghannouchi said. “On the contrary, recent weeks have proven the level of great coordination and that the policy of consultation exists, and it is even consolidating day

by day.” He stated that the coronavirus pandemic high-lighted the state’s readiness to interact with emergencies with cooperation of all sides.

Ghannouchi said that a political solution is the safest way to end insecurity and c h a o s i n L i b y a .

“Libya’s neighbours cannot live in carelessness. If there is a fire at your neighbour, you cannot be neutral; extinguishing the fire is a duty and necessity, so passive neutrality makes no sense,” Ghannouchi said.

“We call for positive neu-trality by pushing all rivals to a

political and peaceful solution... Our vision is that a political solution in Libya is the safest way to overcome insecurity and chaos.”

As for the refusal of some Tunisian opposition parties to his communication— as speaker of parliament— with the internationally recognized Libyan government headed by Fayez Al Sarraj, Ghannouchi stressed that his communi-cation “did not exceed the Tunisian diplomacy rules”.

He emphasized that Tunisia and its President Kais Saied are in contact with the al-Sarraj government “because it is the representative of sovereignty according to international legit-imacy”. “We have previously met Aguila Saleh, represent-ative [head] of the Tobruk Par-liament [in eastern Libya], and this was consistent with pos-itive neutrality”.

Harmony between the dif-ferent parliamentary blocs on March 16, Ghannouchi said, manifested national unity and enabled the state to take swift

urgent measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The par-liament speaker went on to hail the great efforts of health workers as well who “performed their duties in the best way”.

The Arab Spring, which began and spread from Tunisia, is being opposed by many powers that fear freedom and seek to preserve their interests, Ghannouchi said.

He pointed out that “this matter is no longer hidden to anyone. Rather, many countries have publicly declared this”.

“Although we asserted from the beginning that the Tunisian revolution is not for export as a role model to be applied in other countries, however, this did not prevent them from tar-geting us,” he said. He asserted that such powers are against history and the Arab world, which currently experiences profound transformations, will continue the path for change because these transformations “are an expression of the will of the peoples and their desire for freedom and justice”.

Dissolving Tunisia parliament recipe for chaos: Ghannouchi

Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi attending a plenary session devoted to discussing a motion tabled by the Free Destourian Party (PDL) and the situation in Libya, in Tunis, yesterday.

Libyan army moves to capture Tarhuna from Haftar forcesANATOLIA — TRIPOLI

The Libyan army launched an offensive yesterday to capture the city of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, from militias of eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar, according to a military spokesman.

“The army started the offensive on Tarhuna from three axes,” Mustafa Al Mujie, a spokesman for the gov-ernment-led Operation Volcano of Rage, said. He said clashes were still raging on in the area.

Tarhuna is a major focal point for supply lines for Haftar’s militias from Al Jufra Airbase.

Libya’s internationally rec-ognized government has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since April 2019.

In March, the Libyan gov-ernment launched Operation Peace Storm to counter attacks on the capital, and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase, in a major blow to Haftar’s forces.

On Tuesday, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said

Haftar has agreed to the resumption of ceasefire talks.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya’s government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the military offensive by Haftar’s forces.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign minister said yesterday that the militia of warlord Khalifa Haftar cannot win the ongoing conflict in Libya, “Taking back the coastline from Tripoli to Tunisia, recapturing

international airports, and progress made from air and land operations shows essen-tially that Haftar cannot win this war,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview.

Haftar’s militias recently stepped up their attacks, but the Libyan government under Prime Minister Fayez Al Sarraj began to repel them with a counter-attack and captured key positions, said Cavusoglu.

“The Haftar side doesn’t want a political solution in Libya, nor do the countries backing Haftar such as the UAE, Egypt, and Russian-backed Wagner Group mercenaries,” he added. The Libyan gov-ernment has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

On recent developments in the US, Cavusoglu called for clear-headedness amid protests over the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died last week after being pinned down by a white police officer. “It is unacceptable for police to kill any person in such a way, regardless of race or religion,” said Cavusoglu.

A fire rescue boat spraying water during a boat performance in the Tigris River organised by the police affiliated to Interior Ministry in show of solidarity for frontline COVID-19 responders in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, yesterday.

Sudanese demonstrators demanding punishment of those who intervened in the protest held for a civilian transition government, in front of military headquarters where tens of Sudanese died last year, during the first anniversary of the protest, in capital Khartoum, yesterday.

Sudan protesters rally one year after bloody crackdownAFP — KHARTOUM

Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Khartoum yesterday, angrily demanding justice for scores of pro-democracy demonstrators killed a year ago in a bloody crackdown.

The popular mass movement had already brought down long-time ruler Omar Al Bashir but was still on the streets demanding further reforms when it was attacked by armed men in military fatigues on June 3, 2019.

“We won’t forget and we won’t forgive,” read one Arabic-language protest sign held up by a mask-clad Sudanese woman as scores of other protesters rallied and the smoke of burning car tyres blackened the sky.

“We came out today in the searing heat, despite fears of the coronavirus spread, to com-memorate them and to keep their memory alive in our hearts,” said one of the pro-testers, Mohamed Haydoub.

At least 128 people were killed and hundreds more

wounded in the attack outside Khartoum’s army headquarters, according to doctors linked to the protest movement. Official figures say at least 87 died.

The attackers perpetrated “murder, torture, rape, sexual violence, enforced disap-pearance of persons and poten-tially other inhumane acts,” says a March report by the US-based group Physicians for Human Rights.

The new prime minister under Sudan’s post-Bashir civilian-military transition authority, Abdalla Hamdok, pledged yesterday that justice would be done.

“I assure you all that achieving justice and retri-bution for the martyrs of the sit-in... is an inevitable and irre-versible step,” Hamdok said in a televised statement.

Protesters on Wednesday hung up effigies of soldiers of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group they blame for the bloodbath -- a charge firmly denied by Sudan’s military leaders.

One protester held up a

large photo of Abdulsalam Kisha, a 25-year-old protester who was killed in the attack last year in the capital’s eastern Riyadh district.

The dead man’s father, Kisha Abdulsalam, said days ago that he still held out hope the killers would be brought to justice by post-revolution authorities. “We demand an international probe to ensure justice for those killed,” said Kisha, a leading member of a campaign group for the fam-ilies of protest victims. A memorial portrait of his slain son has been painted on the Khartoum house of the bereaved father, who has two other sons and a daughter.

“I rushed to the protest site after receiving multiple random phone calls saying my son had died,” he said, only to find out later that multiple gunshots had indeed claimed his son’s life.

Sudan’s transitional author-ities, which came to power in August, with Bashir behind bars, have formed a committee to probe the violence, but it has yet to announce its findings.

Anger as South Sudan soldiers shoot dead five civiliansAFP — JUBA

Hundreds of South Sudanese protested yesterday after a soldier, a cousin of President Salva Kiir, was involved in the killing of five civilians in the capital.

A statement from the presidency confirmed that Lual Akook Wol Kiir, a “distant cousin” of the president, had been arrested and was in hospital in critical condition after the incident.

The army said the incident in the Shirkat area of Juba was sparked by a land dispute, the details of which are not clear.

“Lual is trying to grab land from the civilians. And when the citizens tried to reopen their businesses Lual came with his sol-diers and immediately started shooting civilians,” said an eye-witness, Malual Peter.

Army spokesman Major General Lul Ruai Koang told AFP there had been “a misunderstanding... it got out of hand and as a result some shooting ensued between him (Lual) and his body-guards on one hand and civilians on the other.”

He said the bodyguards are still at large. Four men and one woman were killed, the statement from

the presidency said. “The president condemns this in the strongest terms possible and has directed authorities to investigate the incident and press charges... immediately,” it said.

15 killed by Kenyan

police enforcing

COVID-19 curfew

ANATOLIA — NAIROBI

More than one dozen people have been killed by police in Kenya during a dusk to dawn curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s Independent Policing Over-sight Authority (IPOA) said.

”After preliminary inves-tigations, 15 deaths and 31 incidents where victims sus-tained injuries have directly been linked to actions of police officers during the curfew enforcement,” IPOA chairwoman Anne Makori was quoted by The Star newspaper.

“The Authority has dis-patched Rapid Response teams to establish the circumstances that led to six other fatalities in the latest incidents.”

The IPOA, the only authority that holds police accountable for crimes, noted 87 complaints against police have been reported since the end of March.

The latest death was a homeless man from the Mathare slums who was killed Monday for allegedly violating the curfew.

Yassin Hussein Moyo, 13, was also killed by police while on his balcony after the curfew began. The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji approved the arrest of the officer who killed Yassin.

With 72 new cases, Kenya has 2,093 diagnosed infections as of Tuesday with 71 fatalities.

Angola’s Cabinda separatists say fresh clashes killed 12AFP — LUANDA

At least 12 people have been killed in fresh clashes between the Angolan military and separatist fighters in the northern oil-rich province of Cabinda, a rebel group said yesterday.

“Fighting resumed on Tuesday at 7pm (1700 GMT) between the Cabinda Armed Forces (FAC) and the Angolan military... in the village of Chivovo, and resulted in the death of 12 people,” the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), said in a statement.

FLEC is the largest separatist movement in Cabinda, and has several factions, of which the FAC is the biggest.

It said the victims were four soldiers, two FAC members and six civilians.

An unnamed Angolan army official confirmed the clashes. “The attacks took place against FAA (Angolan Armed Forces)

bases around 8pm (on Tuesday)”, the official said

“The army started the offensive on Tarhuna from three axes,” Mustafa Al Mujie, a spokesman for the government-led Operation Volcano of Rage, said. Clashes were still raging on in the area.

Mladenov worries that the diminishing hope for peace and Palestinian statehood, coupled with a coronavirus epidemic that has hit the Palestinian economy particularly hard, could trigger another round of regional violence.

08 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

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DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

QATAR Airways continues to build a strong level of trust with passengers as a reliable partner during this crisis. At the time many airlines have drastically reduced their flights, Qatar Airways is helping many stranded passengers unite with their family members. These measures have helped it becoming the largest global in the world over the past three months.

The airline operated over 15,000 flights to take 1.8 million people home in these exceptional times. These efforts have established the carrier as the airline pas-sengers, governments and industry partners can rely on and trust.

While many airlines have been forced or chosen to suspend operations, Qatar Airways has maintained a robust and agile network. The airline has also worked closely with governments, and companies around the world to operate over 220 charters and extra sector flights helping reunite over 62,000 people with their loved ones.

As the global recovery from COVID-19 begins, the airline recently announced plans to gradually rebuild its network in line with passenger demand evolution and the expected relaxation of entry restrictions around the world.

By the end of June, the airline plans to expand its network to 80 destinations with more to be added by the end of the summer season.

To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers.

The airline, yesterday, announced that it would be resume services to Venice, Italy starting from July 15. The popular tourist destination and major arts and cul-tural centre will become the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights, marking a significant step in the resumption of global leisure travel.

The national carrier of Qatar will also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services starting from June 13. As one of the only global airlines to have maintained a significant schedule throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways is uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings. The airline expects these additional flights to provide further seamless connectivity via its award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport, with its Asia-Pacific destinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

With its plans for expanding its network and strengthening airline partnerships, the airline is well posi-tioned to continue delivering on its mission to be the airline travellers can trust.

Flying high despite challenges

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Quote of the day

Of course, black lives matter and I totally

understand the anger, the grief that is felt not just in

America but around the world and in our country as

well. My message to President Trump is that racism

has no place in our society.

Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister

A file photo of Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefing the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.

Nikolay Mladenov might just be the last person left with any shot at advancing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Political relations between Israel and the Palestinians are stalled. The Palestinian lead-ership refuses to meet with US officials. Israelis are suspi-cious of European motives, and other potential interme-diaries, like the Russians, are focused elsewhere.

So it is the lone figure of Mladenov who is often seen shuttling between the sides.

As the United Nations’ envoy for the “Middle East Peace Process,” however, the Bulgarian-born diplomat acknowledges that the process he is responsible for may be nothing more than a fading memory.

“The title on my business card is completely wrong,” Mladenov joked during an interview inside the United Nations’ expansive Jerusalem headquarters. “I mean, there is no Middle East peace

process. Most of our work now is preventive diplomacy, preventing war.”

Last month, when Pales-tinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he was suspending all peace agreements signed with Israel and the United States, Mladenov traveled to Ram-allah to urge the authority’s prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, not to jeopardize the security cooperation between the sides.

On Monday, Mladenov held his first meeting with Israel’s new foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, in an attempt to understand Israel’s plans for annexing Jewish settle-ments in the occupied West Bank, which could occur as soon as July 1.

Mladenov, 48, is a former Bulgarian foreign minister and Middle East veteran. He was raised for part of his childhood in Syria and more recently served as the head of the UN mission in Iraq. An imposing figure, he tries to strike a balance between lighthearted and serious tones. And after five years as the UN peace envoy, he still appears passionate about the apparently hopeless task he has been given.

These days, he says he is deeply concerned that any unilateral action taken by either side could lead to catastrophe. He also worries that the diminishing hope for peace and Palestinian statehood, coupled with a coronavirus epidemic that has hit the Palestinian economy particularly hard, could trigger another round of regional violence.

“We need to get eve-rybody to stop for a second, to talk and hear each other out,” he said, his voice soothing. “We need to bring the Pales-tinians and Israelis back to the table. We need to bring the Americans back to the table, and we need to keep

the Russians and the Euro-peans at the table. It’s a hard task.”

He seeks to be realistic about the gulf between the sides and to be pragmatic about addressing the chal-lenges each one faces. He says it is important to remain a fair and honest broker.

“Sometimes it gets us into trouble, but I think we have to recognize the suffering and the great difficulties faced by the Palestinian people and also not be blind to what Israelis face, too,” he said.

Arriving in Jerusalem at the start of 2015, just six months after Israel fought a devastating 50-day war in Gaza against the militant Islamist group Hamas, Mladenov quickly found himself immersed in calming tensions. With each flare-up, he managed to keep Hamas and Israel from escalating further, convincing both sides that more bloodshed was not in their interest.

He also turned his medi-ating skills toward tensions between Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. And he sought to engage Egypt and Qatar, which had strained relations with one another, to invest in improving daily life for the 2 million Pal-estinians in the coastal strip.

Ofer Zalzberg, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Mladenov has shown competence in improving conditions in Gaza, “standing out from those who have filled this position in the past.” But Zalzberg said he was skeptical about whether the UN envoy could avoid a further breach between Israel and the Palestinians.

“To Israelis, he has not been antagonistic or anti-Israel, and by default he is accepted by the Palestinians,” he said. “But I am not sure that he is in the best position to lead efforts to curb annex-ation. The Trump

administration has already given a green light to annex-ation, and Mladenov can’t be expected to rein that in through his office here.”

Mladenov is clearly worried about the prospect of annexation. His recent brief to the UN Security Council emphasized the harm that Israel would do by applying sovereignty to Jewish settle-ments in the West Bank. The move, he said, would undermine Palestinian hopes for a state and undercut broader efforts to advance regional peace and security.

In the interview, he said Israel’s move to annex ter-ritory not only contravened international law and could spark a violent response, but also would send a “basic political message to the Pales-tinians that you are not going to get a state through negotia-tions.” That message, he said, is extremely dangerous.

Mladenov also said there is growing concern about the move across the region. He dismissed Israeli claims that some Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan - the only two that have peace treaties with Israel - and Saudi Arabia would not express strong opposition.

Diana Buttu, a Palestinian analyst who was once involved in peace negotia-tions with Israel, said Mlade-nov’s success in stopping Israel’s annexation plans depends on whether he can break free from the confines of the United Nations’ official position and “hold Israel accountable for its illegal actions.”

If not, she said, the role of the United Nations, and Mladenov, will change drasti-cally. “It will have to act as a liaison for Palestinian civilian issues, and no one wants that,” she said.

Ruth Eglash is a corre-spondent for The Washington Post based in Jerusalem.

KATE KELLAND REUTERS

Keeping at least one metre apart and wearing face masks and eye protection are the best ways to cut the risk of COVID-19 infection, according to the largest review to date of studies on coronavirus disease transmission.

In a review that pooled evidence from 172 studies in 16 countries, researchers found frequent handwashing and good hygiene are also critical - though even all those measures combined can not give full protection.

The findings, published in The Lancet journal on Monday, will help guide gov-ernments and health agencies, some of whom have given conflicting advice on measures, largely because of limited information about COVID-19.

“Our findings are the first to synthesise all direct infor-mation on COVID-19, SARS, and MERS, and provide the currently best available evi-dence on the optimum use of these common and simple interventions to help ‘flatten the curve’”, said Holger Schünemann from McMaster

University in Canada, who co-led the research.

Current evidence suggests COVID-19 is most commonly spread by droplets, especially when people cough, and infects by entering through the eyes, nose and mouth, either directly or via contami-nated surfaces.

For this analysis, an international research team conducted a systematic review of 172 studies assessing distance measures, face masks and eye pro-tection to prevent trans-mission of three diseases caused by coronaviruses

- COVID-19, SARS and MERS. The researchers noted that the findings, while compre-hensive, have some limita-tions for the current pan-demic since most of the evi-dence came from studies of SARS and MERS.

They found, however, that physical distancing of at least 1 metre lowers risk of COVID-19 transmission, and that a distance of 2 metres could be more effective. Masks and protective eye coverings may also add pro-tective benefits, though the evidence for that was less clear cut, they added.

As Middle East tensions mount, he may be the last one left with any shot at brokering peace

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Distancing and masks cut COVID-19 risk, says largest review of evidence

Established in 1996

RUTH EGLASH THE WASHINGTON POST

09THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020 ASIA

Mumbai largely unscathedas Cyclone Nisarga ripsroofs off homes in AlibagAFP — MUMBAI

Coronavirus-hit Mumbai appeared to escape the worst of Cyclone Nisarga yesterday as the first severe storm to threaten India’s financial capital in more than 70 years left it largely unscathed after ripping roofs off buildings in nearby coastal towns.

Mumbai and its surrounds are usually sheltered from cyclones — the last deadly storm to hit the city was in 1948 — but authorities evac-uated at least 100,000 people, including coronavirus patients, from flood-prone areas in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The storm made landfall near the coastal town of Alibag, around 100km south of Mumbai, yesterday afternoon, meteorologists said.

It then crossed Maharash-tra’s coast, with its path veering to the east of Mumbai and grad-ually weakened by yesterday evening, they added.

The cyclone brought heavy rainfall — with winds of 100-110kph and gusts of up to 120kph.

Mumbai experienced down-pours throughout the afternoon, with strong winds toppling trees in some cases. City authorities said there were no reports of injuries or deaths, though the rains caused compound walls to collapse in some neighbourhoods.

The beach town of Alibag fared worse, with the cyclone tearing roofs off homes and overturning mobile food stalls.

A 45-year-old professor who evacuated from his house near the sea said he could see corrugated roofing flying through the air as Nisarga’s powerful winds struck.

“The intensity is very strong

and nothing like weather events we’ve seen before,” said Milind Dhodre, who lives in Alibag with his wife and son.

The coastal town is a favoured haunt of Bollywood stars and industrialists, who own holiday homes there.

The port city of Pen also suf-fered damage, with one video showing a ripped off metal roof smashing into nearby buildings.

In Mumbai, police announced fresh restrictions on the city of 18 million people —which was just beginning to emerge from a months-long lockdown — banning gatherings of four people or more until Thursday afternoon.

India’s worst-hit city, Mumbai is home to a fifth of the country’s more than 200,000 coronavirus cases.

The storm evacuees included nearly 150 coronavirus patients from a recently built field hospital in Mumbai, under-scoring the difficulties facing the city ahead of the monsoon season as it struggles to contain the pandemic.

“Refrain from venturing out to coast-beaches, promenade, parks and other similar places

along the coastline,” the police tweeted early yesterday.

“Do not leave your house for your own safety and well-being,” Maharashtra Chief Min-ister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted late Tuesday, warning of possible disruptions to the power supply due to heavy rainfall.

Warnings of storm surges up to two metres high remained in effect yesterday, with slum-dwellers in low-lying areas of Mumbai instructed to move to

higher ground.Even as the city’s residents

breathed a sigh of relief, fore-casters warned the storm could still carry a sting in its tail until it eased.

“Next 4 hours crucial for #Mumbai, the tail of the cyclone may lash and can cause severe damage,” tweeted Jatin Singh, head weatherman at Skymet Weather, a private forecaster.

The storm triggered dis-ruption to travel as well, with

planes grounded during the afternoon and inter-state railway services delayed or diverted to ensure that trains would not travel through the city until the cyclone had passed.

Nisarga comes on the heels of Cyclone Amphan, which killed more than 100 people as it ravaged eastern India and Bangladesh last month, flat-tening villages, destroying farms and leaving millions without electricity.

National Disaster Response Force personnel clearing fallen trees from a road in Alibag town of Raigad district following Cyclone Nisarga’s landfall in India’s western coast. Cyclone Nisarga ripped roofs off homes in a coastal town near Mumbai, yesterday.

India, China to hold military talks on border tensionsANATOLIA — NEW DELHI

India has requested high-level military talks with China as a face-off between the two countries continues along the border in India’s northern Ladakh region, an official confirmed yesterday.

On June 6, lieutenant gen-erals from both sides will meet at the Indian border point meeting hut in Ladakh.

“India will be led by Lieu-tenant General Harinder Singh, corps commander of the Leh-based XIV Corps,” an Indian Army spokesman said.

On Tuesday, major gen-eral-level officers from Indian and China held a discussion to resolve border tensions.

The border skirmishes which started on May 5 at the Galwan valley in Ladakh and then at Nakula pass in north-eastern Sikkim region three days later have led to the stand-off along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between India and China.

“India is in talks with China. We have a mechanism to solve the problem and we are working as per that mech-anism. Nothing better if it can be resolved through talks,” tweeted Rajnath Singh, India’s Defence Minister.

There was no immediate response on the talks from Beijing. However Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that there were “unimpeded channels for border-related communication in diplomatic and military fields” between Beijing and New Delhi.

“Currently the overall sit-uation along the border is stable and controllable... We believe the issues can be properly resolved after bilateral negotiations and con-sultations,” he said during a regular news briefing.

Border tensions between the two countries have existed for over seven decades. The two countries even fought a war over the hilly state of Aru-nachal Pradesh in 1962, called the Sino-Indian War.

In 2017, both the armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off in the disputed Doklam plateau near Sikkim, regarding the building of a road by the Chinese. As part of Operation Juniper, about 270 Indian troops armed with weapons and two bulldozers crossed the Sikkim border into Doklam to stop the Chinese troops from constructing the road.

Virus cases surpass 200,000 in India; peak weeks awayREUTERS — NEW DELHI

India’s coronavirus infections crossed 200,000, official figures showed yesterday, and a peak could still be weeks away in the world’s second-most populous country, where the economy has begun re-opening after a lockdown imposed in March.

Cases jumped by 8,909 over the previous day in one of the highest single-day spikes, taking the tally to 207,615, the

health ministry said.“We are very far away for

the peak,” said Dr. Nivedita Gupta, of the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research.

Government officials have previously said it could be later this month, or even July, before cases start to fall off.

The death toll from the disease stood at 5,815.

Six other nations, including the United States, Britain and Brazil, have higher caseloads,

and in India’s favour, at least its mortality rate has been compa-rably low.

But, India’s infections are rising as it ends a severe lockdown of its 1.3 billion people imposed in March.

The lockdown has crippled the economy and left tens of thousands without work.

As train and bus services open, migrant workers are trav-elling home from the corona-virus hot spots of Mumbai and Delhi to the hinterland where

infections are starting to rise, health officials say.

These included states such as Bihar, Odisha and Uttara-khand which traditionally supply the bulk of migrant workers.

Still, Gupta said relative to its large population, India had done well in tackling the disease. “Our preventive measures have been very effective. We are in a much better position vis-a-vis other countries,” she said.

Officials say the lockdown helped limit the spread of the virus, giving space to hospitals to deal with those affected. India’s fatality rate of 2.82 percent against the global average of 6.13 percent was among the lowest in the world, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry, said.

“We have been able to achieve this due to timely identification of cases and proper clinical management,” he said.

Bangladesh arrests four people for smuggling migrants to LibyaANATOLIA — DHAKA

Four people were arrested in Bangladesh yesterday in connection with the recent killing of 26 Bangladeshi migrants in Libya.

Three men and a woman were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite security force, from various parts of the Kishoreganj district, just outside the capital Dhaka.

The three men — 45-year-old Helal Ahmed Helu, Mohammad Khabir Uddin, 42, and Shahid Mian, 61 — were involved ain smuggling the 26 migrants into Libya, RAB official Lieutenant Colonel Eftekhar Uddin said.

Investigators are still working to ascertain the role of Munni Akhtar Ruposhi, 25, in the operation, he added.

T h e a r r e s t s a r e

a continuation of ongoing investigations and come after another human trafficker, Kamal Uddin alias Haji Kamal, was held in Dhaka last Friday.

The security authorities have accused Kamal of being the leader of a group illegally sending Bangladeshis to other countries.

Investigators said his group has trafficked hundreds of Bangladeshis to the Middle East and Libya.

They said Kamal has smuggled over 400 people to Libya over the past decade, including some of the Bangla-deshis who were killed there last week.

A group of 42 migrants, including 38 Bangladeshis, was held captive in Mizdah, 180km from Libya’s capital Tripoli, before being trafficked to Europe.

According to the Bang-ladesh Embassy in Libya, the migrants were shot after they killed the leader of the abductors.

Dozens of hostages, including 26 Bangladeshis, died and 11 more were injured.

On Monday, Libya vowed to ensure swift justice, con-demning the “cowardly” killing.

The Civil Society for Global Commitments on Migration, a network of Bangladeshi NGOs, has said nearly 700 Bangla-deshis were rescued while trying to enter Europe illegally between this January and April.

According to the UNHCR refugee agency, about 2.5 million people crossed the Med-iterranean from 2014 to April 2020, 19,000 of whom lost their lives during the dangerous voyage.

Sri Lankans keen on keeping social distance

People wearing masks practice social distancing as they line up for public transport to go home at the end of a working day, after island-wide day time curfew were lifted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday.

New Zealand could returnto normalcy by next weekREUTERS — WELLINGTON

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday she could lift all social distancing measures to return the country to normal life, bar the international border closure, as early as next week.

Ardern will decide on Monday whether the country is ready to shift to alert level 1, more than two months after she imposed a strict level 4 lockdown, shutting most businesses and forcing people to stay home, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Arden said waiting until Monday would allow her to see if recent changes, like the removal of restrictions on the number of people in bars and at social gatherings, had led to a rise in cases.

“If it hasn’t, then we will be in a good position to move,” she said during a televised news conference.

Under level 1 there is no requirement for physical distancing or limits on the number of people allowed in places like bars, clubs, churches, and sports venues, she said.

However, there would be one major change from pre-pan-demic normality, with no immediate plans to reopen New Zea-land’s border.

New Zealand recorded no new cases of coronavirus for a 12th consecutive day on Wednesday and has just one active case. Ard-ern’s decision to swiftly impose one of the harshest lockdowns in the world has been credited with constraining the spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand, which has reported a total of 1,504 cases and 22 deaths.

Ardern said the focus under a level 1 alert would shift to public health measures and basic personal hygiene like regular hand washing, self-isolation by anyone with flu-like symptoms and contact tracing.

Myanmar court denies bailto Canadian preacherREUTERS - NAYPYIDAW

A Myanmar court yesterday denied bail to a Canadian Christian preacher who held church services in defiance of a ban on gath-erings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that led to infec-tions in dozens of people including himself.

David Lah, a Canadian of Burmese origin, and another man, Myanmar national Wai Tun, are facing up to three years in prison under a disaster management law over church services held in the city of Yangon in early April.

A ban on public gatherings in the city took effect in mid-March.

“For lawsuits which carry a sentence of three years or more, we don’t need to grant bail,” judge Moe Swe told reporters after the hearing. The judge said Lah’s lawyer had applied for bail. Reporters were not allowed into the court and it was not imme-diately able to identify or contact the lawyer for comment.

About 20 people who took part in the gatherings in April later tested positive for the novel coronavirus, an official said at the time.

This led to a cluster of 67 cases including the preacher, according to Thar Tun Kyaw, a spokesman for the health ministry.

The storm made landfall near the coastal town of Alibag, around 100km south of Mumbai, yesterday afternoon, meteorologists said. It then crossed Maharashtra’s coast.

10 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020ASIA

China warns Britain’sinterference in HK will ‘backfire’AFP — BEIJING

China warned Britain yesterday that interfering in Hong Kong will backfire, after the former colonial power vowed to give sanctuary to locals who may flee the city if a controversial security law is passed.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has further angered Beijing by suggesting that it had time to “reconsider” the plan, which could soon be enacted after the proposal was endorsed by China’s rubber-stamp parliament last week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, said London would not “walk away” from Hong Kongers worried by Beijing’s control over the inter-national business hub.

Johnson wrote in a column for The Times newspaper and the South China Morning Post that he would offer millions of Hong Kongers visas and a pos-sible route to UK citizenship if China persists with its national security law.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing had lodged “serious rep-resentations” with London over Raab’s remarks, which “grossly

interfered” in Hong Kong’s affairs.

“We advise the UK to step back from the brink, abandon their Cold War mentality and colonial mindset, and recognise and respect the fact that Hong Kong has returned” to China, Zhao said at a regular briefing.

Zhao said London must “immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal affairs, or this will definitely backfire.” Hong Kong has been rocked by

months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests over the past year.

In response Beijing has announced plans to introduce a sweeping national security law covering secession, sub-version of state power, ter-r o r i s m a n d f o r e i g n interference.

China says the law — which will bypass Hong Kong’s legis-lature — is needed to tackle “terrorism” and “separatism” in a restless city it now regards as a direct national security threat.

But opponents, including many Western nations, fear it will bring mainland-style political oppression to a business hub that was sup-posedly guaranteed freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its 1997 handover to China from Britain.

In parliament on Tuesday, Raab said he had reached out to Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada about contingency plans if the law creates a deluge of Hong Kongers looking to leave.

“I raised it on the Five Eyes call yesterday — the possibility of burden sharing if we see a mass exodus from Hong Kong,”

Raab told lawmakers, refer-encing the intelligence-sharing alliance between the five powers.

In his column, Johnson wrote that if China proceeds to justify the “fears” of Hong Kongers, “then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obli-gations and provide an alternative.”

About 350,000 people in Hong Kong currently hold British National (Overseas) passports, which allow visa-free access to Britain for up to six months. Another 2.5 million people would be eligible to apply for one.

Johnson said Britain could allow BN(O) holders to come for a renewable period of 12 months “and be given further immigration rights, including the right to work, which could place them on a route to citizenship”.

Britain says it views the pro-posed law as a breach of the 1984 agreement with Beijing ahead of the handover guaran-teeing Hong Kong’s freedoms and a level of autonomy — a deal that formed the bedrock of its rise as a world class finance centre.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam brushed aside inter-national concerns while in Beijing for a meeting with top

Chinese officials to discuss the proposed law.

“The international com-munity and some foreign gov-ernments have been adopting blatant double standards... in commenting on this matter,” said Lam.

“It is within the legitimate jurisdiction of any country to enact laws to protect and safe-guard national security. The US is no exception, the UK is no exception.”

Lam added that experts and representatives from various sectors of Hong Kong society would be invited to discuss their views in central government-organised seminars on the mainland.

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam (centre) speaks during a briefing at the Hong Kong SAR office during her visit to Beijing, yesterday. Lam is in Beijing for talks on a national security law for Hong Kong.

Indonesia court

orders President

to apologize for

Papua Net curbs

REUTERS — JAKARTA

An Indonesian court yesterday ordered President Joko Widodo to make an official apology after ruling that his government’s decision to rein in Internet speeds to contain civil unrest in the Papua region last year was unlawful.

Demonstrations broke out in a number of cities last August after Papuan students in the city of Surabaya on Java island were allegedly taunted with racist slurs.

As unrest flared across the provinces of Papua and West Papua, the government said it throttled Internet access to “prevent hoaxes from spreading” because this could trigger more violence.

In yesterday’s ruling, the Jakarta administrative court ordered the central gov-ernment, including Widodo, to make an official apology for “slowing and/or cutting Internet access” to the Indo-nesian people and media organisations.

The court ordered the gov-ernment to publish the apology in three national newspapers and broadcast it on six television stations within one month of the ruling.

The lawsuit was filed by Indonesia’s Alliance of Inde-pendent Journalists (AJI) and advocacy group the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet). It argued the Internet throttling, partic-ularly at a time of civil unrest, was a human rights violation and an infringement on media freedom.

“There is no guarantee the government won’t do this again, but morally it’s been proven that what they did was not right,” Ade Wahyudin, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Reuters, noting the government had 14 days to decide whether to appeal. A presidential spokesman was not immedi-ately available for comment.

In an interview last year, Communications Minister Johnny G Plate defended the move.

“When there’s civil diso-bedience, that is not repressive,” he said. “That is restoring the situation back to normal.” Reporting in Papua, where some have long advo-cated for independence from Indonesia, has been frequently restricted for the foreign media.

Lahore HC grants pre-arrest bail to Shehbaz SharifINTERNEWS — LAHORE

The Lahore High Court yesterday granted pre-arrest bail to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means and money laundering case.

A two-member bench of the LHC comprising Justice Tariq Abbasi and Justice Farooq Haider granted bail against surety bonds worth Rs500,000 and further ordered National Accountability (NAB) from arresting Shehbaz till June 17.

During the hearing today, Shehbaz’s counsel told the court that his client was summoned on June 2.

To this, the court asked the

NAB prosecutor why they had summoned him on June 2 if the warrant was issued before. ““The warrant for his arrest was issued after we received the rel-evant material,” the NAB pros-ecutor told the court,” the NAB prosecutor told the court.

Shehbaz’s counsel further told the court that his client had provided all the documents that NAB had asked for. He added Shehbaz had been summoned on October 5, 2018, and had been arrested in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

“NAB continued to conduct an injury while Shehbaz was in remand for 63 days,” he said.

The court then ordered NAB not to arrest the PML-N leader

till June 17 and directed Shehbaz to submit bonds worth Rs500,000.

PML-N leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanullah, Fazal Chaudhry and Rana Arshad had been present at the court for the hearing.

On June 1, Shehbaz’s legal team had filed a petition before he was required to appear before a combined investigation team of the National Account-ability Bureau (NAB).

However, the petition could not be fixed for hearing before the division bench, constituted to hear NAB-related pleas, and Shehbaz did not appear before the bureau too.

The PML-N leader’s petition is at No 2 on the cause-list of urgent cases before the bench.

Shehbaz, in his petition, stated that the corruption watchdog’s assets beyond means inquiry against him was based on mala fide intentions as it had been initiated at the behest of the incumbent government.

He added that the Bureau levelled charges against him without any shred of evidence as he had been declaring his assets regularly.

The PML-N leader added he was also arrested in the same case in 2018 and he had fully cooperated with NAB investi-gators, however, the anti-graft

body did not present any proof against him relating to misuse of powers or money-laun-dering, etc.

Shehbaz’s lawyer stated that his client had been declaring his assets since he stepped into pol-itics in 1988 and nothing had been concealed ever. He refuted money-laundering allegations, saying the whole story was fab-ricated and concocted.

He added that during an inquiry or investigation, NAB could not invoke the provisions of anti-money laundering law, adding that allegations against him were of a documentary nature and all necessary docu-ments had already been pro-vided to the Bureau.

Schools reopen in North Korea

Primary school children wearing face masks undergo a temperature check as they arrive for class at Hasin Primary School in Sosong District in Pyongyang following the re-opening of schools, yesterday.

South China Sea security issues pushed Philippine U-turn on US troop pactAFP — MANILA

Security issues in the disputed South China Sea helped convince the Philippines to delay quitting a key US military pact, the nation’s envoy to Washington said yesterday.

The government of Phil-ippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Tuesday it had suspended plans to cancel the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), a deal that is important to Washington’s moves to counter Beijing’s rising regional power.

Duterte has cosied up to China in search of trade and investment, sparking US concern that its long-time ally and former colony would change sides in a strategic boost to Beijing.

“Because of security issues... in that part of the world (South China Sea), both our governments have seen it would be prudent for us to simply suspend any implemen-tation of the termination,” Phil-ippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told ANC news channel.

Since taking power in 2016 Duterte has moved closer to Beijing, but has faced push back from the Philippine public and concern in the military wary of its territorial ambitions in the disputed South China Sea.

Billions in trade pass through the strategic waterway and it is thought to contain rich petroleum deposits, making it a frequent source of regional tension.

Philippine analyst Richard

Heydarian said the VFA reversal showed Duterte had to decide between an aggressive China and an his-toric ally that has been helpful.

“This is not the time to ini-tiate an ugly divorce, especially when China is spreading its tentacles everywhere,” he said.

The 1998 pact is key to the US-Philippines’ broader decades-old military alliance, and underpins hundreds of joint military activities per year as well as speedy disaster aid and ongoing anti-terror efforts.

The Philippine military receives significant American training and equipment, obtaining $554.55m in US security assistance from 2016-2019.

Manila’s termination of the military pact was to have taken effect in August and was trig-gered by the cancellation of the visa of Ronald Dela Rosa, a senator who served as the main architect of Duterte’s drug war.

Duterte bristles at any crit-icism and sanction of his sig-nature policy, which has seen police kill thousands of alleged drug users and pushers.

Though Duterte has repeatedly threatened to pull the Philippines away from the US, ties have remained close.

Romualdez said a US offer to assist the Philippines in its battle to contain its coronavirus outbreak also helped discus-sions on preserving the VFA for now.

The suspension is for six months from June 1 and can be extended a further six months.

South Korea says kids with suspected virus syndrome had another diseaseREUTERS — SEOUL

Two children suspected to be South Korea’s first cases of a life-threatening syndrome linked with the coronavirus were found to have contracted Kawasaki disease, a similar but separate infection, health authorities said yesterday.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention (KCDC) said last week it had launched an investi-gation into two suspected cases of the “Multi-System Inflam-matory Syndrome in Children” (MIS-C).

Officially called “Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Potentially Asso-ciated with COVID-19”, MIS-C cases have been reported in France, Italy, Spain and Britain and the United States.

The symptoms of MIS-C are similar to toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands and in severe cases, heart inflammation.

KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said the investigation showed that both the two patients, an 11-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, had

suffered Kawasaki disease and shock syndrome.

Both children tested negative for the coronavirus and were released from hospital after receiving treatment, she said. “After consulting an expert panel, we determined that neither of the two cases correspond to MIS-C,” Jeong told a briefing.

“We’re also examining a third suspected case that has been reported, though chances are low that it is MIS-C.” The syndrome has raised fears that COVID-19 could pose a greater risk to children than had been understood.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam brushed aside international concerns saying: “The international community and some foreign governments have been adopting blatant double standards... in commenting on this matter.”

11THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020 EUROPE

Johnson says UK to offer millions in Hong Kong a path to citizenship

REUTERS — LONDON/HONG KONG

Britain will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law that would conflict with its inter-national obligations under a 1984 accord, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday.

The United Kingdom has urged China to step back from the brink over the national security legislation for Hong Kong that it says risks destroying one of the jewels of Asia’s economy while ruining the rep-utation of China.

“Hong Kong succeeds because its people are free,” Johnson wrote in the Times of London newspaper.

“If China proceeds, this would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations.

“Many people in Hong Kong

fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat,” Johnson said.

China’s parliament approved last week a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. Mainland security and intelligence agents may, for the first time, be sta-tioned in the city.

“If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obli-gations and provide an alter-native,” Johnson said.

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule — imposed after Britain defeated China in the First Opium War.

China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair and that Brit-ain’s link to the territory stemmed from “aggressive colonisation

and unequal treaties”.“The UK’s irresponsible

remarks and accusations...have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

“We advise the UK side to step back from the brink.”

“The UK said the legislation is authoritarian, but this word is the exact characterisation of the UK’s former rule over HK,” the spokesman said.

Johnson repeated Britain’s pledge to give British National Overseas passport-holders in

Hong Kong a path to British cit-izenship, allowing them to settle in the United Kingdom.

There are about 350,000 holders of BNO passports in Hong Kong and another 2.5 million are eligible for them, Johnson said.

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong called on the United Kingdom to go further and impose sanctions on China.

“I call upon the UK gov-ernment to impose necessary sanctions and restrictive measures,” Wong said.

Hong Kong activists plan to rally to mark the June 4, 1989 anniversary of Chinese troops

firing on pro-democracy student demonstrators in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, even though for the first time, an annual vigil for the anni-versary has been cancelled over concerns about coronavirus contagion.

Demonstrations are also planned for the June 9 anni-versary of last year’s million-strong march against a now-withdrawn Hong Kong bill to allow for the extradition of offenders to mainland China, as well as protests three days later that police tackled with tear gas and rubber bullets.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons, in London, yesterday.

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule — imposed after Britain defeated China in the First Opium War. China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair and that Britain’s link to the territory stemmed from ‘aggressive colonisation and unequal treaties’.

French court

backs UN trial

for Rwanda

genocide suspect

AFP — PARIS

A Paris appeals court ruled yesterday that Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga, arrested in France after evading police in several countries for 25 years, should be handed over to a UN tribunal in Tanzania to stand trial.

Accused of financing the 1994 genocide of some 800,000 people, Kabuga had asked for a trial in France, citing frail health and claiming the United Nations court in Africa would be biased against him, and possibly hand him over to Rwandan authorities.

His transfer still faces a final hurdle with defence lawyers planning to appeal the ruling at France’s highest court of appeal.

He attended the hearing in a wheelchair and barely reacted when the decision was read out.

A lawyer for the 84-year-old Kabuga said he would appeal the decision to hand him over to the Mechanism for International Criminal Tri-bunals (MICT), which is based in The Hague but has a branch in Arusha, Tanzania.

“I was expecting this, because it’s a highly politicised case,” said one of his lawyers, Laurent Bayon.

“A transfer to Arusha, and the detention conditions there, would not allow him to survive, so a full trial would not be possible, neither for him nor the victims,” he said.

If the appeal is accepted by France’s court of cassation, a decision would be issued within two months.

If it endorses his transfer, he would have one month to appear before the international court.

Described as Africa’s most wanted man, Kabuga was arrested on May 16 at his home outside Paris, where he had been living under a false name.

Poland sets June

28 date for

rescheduled

presidential poll

REUTERS — WARSAW

Poland picked June 28 yesterday as a new date for a presidential election that was cancelled last month amid the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for a short campaign that could weaken the coun-try’s nationalist government.

Planning for the election had plunged Poland into political turmoil after the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party abruptly called it off four days before the original May 10 date.

“I would like it very much if we could finally pick the head of state. It’s a matter of... Polish statehood,” Elzbieta Witek, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, said in a televised speech announcing the new schedule.

For PiS, the election is vital to cementing its grip on power and making further progress on its conservative agenda. The incumbent Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, is the frontrunner, although his lead has shrunk in recent days amid signs of economic contraction due to the coronavirus outbreak.

For Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, the candidate of the main opposition centre-right Civic Platform (PO) party and the only challenger not to have been entered for the May 10 vote, the announcement sets off a race to gather the 100,000 signatures required to stand by a June 10 deadline.

“We have waited for this day and at last we can start on the road to change, because Poland needs change, a strong president who will keep a close eye on those in power,” said Trzaskowski.

Duda has faced accusations in the past of being unwilling to stand up to PiS and its leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Germany to lift travel ban in Europe from June 15REUTERS — BERLIN

Germany will lift a travel ban for European Union member states plus Britain, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from 15 June as long as there are no entry bans or large-scale lockdowns in those countries, the foreign minister said.

Speaking to reporters after

a cabinet meeting yesterday, Heiko Maas said all countries concerned met those criteria except Norway due to an entry ban and Spain, where he said parliament was deciding whether to extend an entry ban.

Maas said the travel warning would be replaced with guidelines, adding that Germans would be urged not to travel to Britain when not

essential while a 14-day quar-antine in place.

“Travel advice is not an invi-tation to travel — and we want to make clear that the travel guidelines may also strongly dis-courage travel, for example to Britain as long as there is a 14-day quarantine for all those arriving there,” Maas said.

“We will continue to make the lifting of the travel warning

dependent on how the situation on the ground develops,” he said, adding new warnings could be issued if a country records more than 50 newly infected people per 100,000 over seven days.

Matthias von Randow, chief executive of the German Air Transport Association (BDL), welcomed the government’s decision to lift the blanket

warning, introduced for travel worldwide in mid-March, as “sensible and proportionate”.

“This is a good signal for the many people in Europe who want to go on holiday in the summer or visit friends and rel-atives abroad,” he said.

“It is also good news for 26 million men and women employed in the European travel and tourism industry”.

Italy reopens to tourists from EuropeAFP — ROME

Italy reopened to travellers from Europe yesterday, three months after the country went into coro-navirus lockdown, with all hopes pinned on reviving the key tourism industry as the summer season begins.

Gondolas were ready to punt along Venice’s canals, lovers will be able to act out “Romeo and Juliet” on Verona’s famed balcony, and gladiator fans can pose for selfies at Rome’s Colosseum.

But there were fears many foreign tourists would be put off coming to a country still shaking off a vicious pandemic.

“Come to Calabria. There’s only one risk: that you’ll get fat,” the southern region’s governor Jole Santelli said on Sunday as the race began to lure big spenders — or any spenders — back to Italy’s sandy shores.

Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the coronavirus and has officially reported more than 33,000 deaths.

It imposed an economically crippling lockdown in early March and has since seen its contagion numbers drop off dramatically.

With the country facing its deepest recession since World War II, it needs foreigners to return, and quickly.

But it is still reporting hun-dreds of new cases a day, par-ticularly in the northern Lom-bardy region, and experts warn the government may be being hasty in permitting travel between regions and abroad.

“We hoped to see some movement from today, but have no foreign tourists booked in for this week or next,” said Ales-sandra Conti, receptionist at the Albergo del Senato hotel which overlooks the Pantheon in Rome.

“We’ve got a few reserva-tions from mid-June... (but) are still getting lots of cancellations for this summer”.

International flights were only expected to resume in three main cities: Milan, Rome and Naples.

And there were concerns that those who usually come in by car, train or ferry from neigh-bouring countries would go else-where on their holidays.

Switzerland has warned its citizens that if they go to Italy they will be subject to “health measures” on their return. The country will open its borders

with Germany, France and Austria on June 15, but not with Italy.

Austria is lifting restrictions in mid-June with Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary — but again, not Italy, described last week by Vienna’s health min-ister as “still a hotspot”.

Other countries, such as Belgium and Britain, are still advising against, or forbidding, all non-essential travel abroad.

In response to perceived anti-Italian sentiment, Foreign

Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned countries not to treat Italy “like a leper”.

He said on Saturday he would be travelling to Germany, Slovenia and Greece to persuade them Italy is safe for foreign tourists.

Arrivals in Italy from Europe will not be required to self-isolate unless they have recently travelled from another continent.

At the border between the town of Ventimiglia in Italy and Menton in France, more people

were trying to enter France from Italy than the other way round early yesterday, but controls on the French side were very strict.

“The situation is a bit complex. There is a total reo-pening of the Italian borders, but the situation is not the same on the French side,” a police source said, as drivers stuck in long queues sounded their horns.

Italy’s lockdown has had a particularly devastating effect on the tourism sector, which amounts to some 13 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Passengers wearing protective face masks are seen at a train station in Rome, yesterday, as Italy relaxes restrictions over coronavirus outbreak and allows free movement across the country.

Kosovo parliament names new govt after months of crisisAFP — RISTINA

Kosovo named a new government yesterday after months of political turmoil in the former Serbian province, casting out left-wing leader Albin Kurti and raising tensions with his supporters.

The new government was cobbled together by Kurti’s former coalition partner, the centre-right LDK, which quit the alliance in March, plunging Kosovo into a leadership crisis in the middle of the coronavirus

pandemic. The LDK’s Avdullah Hoti, a 44-year-old former finance minister, was endorsed as prime minister to lead a new ruling coalition with 61 votes from the 120-member parliament.

“I feel responsible to the deputies, to the citizens and to the constitution for the tasks that await us,” he told the assembly. He stressed he would focus on advancing talks with Serbia, a relationship still fraught with tension since the 1990s war that led Kosovo to

declare its independence.But the vote has outraged

supporters of Kurti’s nation-alist-leftist Vetevendosje party, who have been carrying out “rehearsal” demonstrations in recent weeks and warned that full-blown “protests are becoming unavoidable.”

They have been demanding new elections to form a new government, accusing rivals of “stealing” their vote for Vetev-endosje in October polls.

“What they are doing is against the will of the people.

That doesn’t lead to good. That’s why we need to protest,” said Rina Gusalci, 30-year-old civil society activist who was among a small crowd of protesters gathered outside parliament.

According to April polling by UNDP, Kurti enjoyed high levels of public support with 65.4 percent expressing satis-faction with his work compared to 20.7 percent for his prede-cessor Ramush Haradinaj in November.

Vetevendosje’s first-place finish in the October election

was hailed as a historic moment for Kosovo, pushing out the former rebel fighters who have dominated the political scene since its independence from Serbia in 2008.

But with only a narrow margin of victory, Kurti was forced to ally with LDK to form a ruling coalition.

The honeymoon didn’t last long with LDK launching a no-confidence motion in March, in part because of heavy US pressure on Kurti to relax his policies towards Belgrade.

12 THURSDAY 4 JUNE 2020AMERICAS

Esper opposes sendingtroops to quell protestsdespite Trump threatsREUTERS — WASHINGTON

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said yesterday he does not support invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty forces to quell civil unrest for now, despite President Donald Trump’s threats to militarise America’s response to mass protests.

Trump said this week he could use military forces in states that fail to crack down on some-times violent protests over the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.

“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situ-ations. We are not in one of those situations now,” Esper told a news briefing.

“I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.”

Esper’s news conference did not go over well with either the president or his top aides, an administration official said, speaking on the condition of ano-nymity. To deploy the military on US soil for law enforcement pur-poses, Trump would need to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act — something last done in 1992 in response to the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. The military has pre-positioned 1,600 active duty forces on the outskirts of Wash-ington, DC, to deploy if needed.

Esper said he regretted using the term “battlespace” this week to describe areas gripped by protests.

“In retrospect, I would use different wording so as not to dis-tract from the more important matters at hand or allow some to suggest that we are militarising the issue,” he said.

Trump’s threats to deploy active duty troops — even in states that oppose its use to address civil unrest — has stirred alarm within the US military and in Congress, where a top Repub-lican warned it could easily make troops “political pawns.”

Esper said he was unaware that he would be part of Trump’s politically charged photo oppor-tunity on Monday, when law enforcement forcibly cleared a

park outside the White House of peaceful protesters so that the president could take a picture in front of a church holding a Bible.

He acknowledged the diffi-culty of deploying the military without entering the political fray.

“I work very hard to keep the department out of politics, which is very hard these days as we move closer and closer to an election,” Esper said.

Retired Navy admiral Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he

was “sickened” to see how law enforcement — including the National Guard — had cleared the area and warned against over-use of the US military.

“Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so,” Mullen wrote.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper (right) visits National Guard officers guarding the White House amid nationwide unrest following the death of George Floyd, in Washington.

Trump says Republican convention will not be held in North CarolinaREUTERS — WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the Republican National Convention set for August in North Carolina would have to be held in another state because of social distancing restrictions ordered by the state’s governor.

Trump made the announcement on Twitter hours after Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, rejected Republican demands for a full-fledged pres-idential nominating convention in Charlotte, telling organisers that planning for a scaled-down event was “a necessity” due to the coronavirus.

Cooper “is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised,” Trump said.

“We are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Con-vention,” Trump said, without indicating which states were under consideration. The con-vention will nominate Trump to seek a second term in the Nov. 3 election.

In response, Cooper said via Twitter: “It’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe.” Cooper sent an earlier letter to Republican Party

leaders a day before the deadline Trump had set for the state to guarantee that con-vention attendance would not be limited by social distancing restrictions.

Cooper said he could make no such promise for the four-day nominating convention scheduled to open on August 24.

Without knowing how the COVID-19 outbreak will con-tinue to unfold, he said, “planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face cov-erings is a necessity.”

Republican officials had submitted proposals for a “full convention” rather than one

with fewer participants and social distancing as requested by the state, Cooper said.

“As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favourable enough for you to hold the con-vention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely,” Cooper said.

Republican National Com-mittee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a Twitter post that the party would consider other locations for the con-vention and “begin visiting the multiple cities and states who have reached out to us.”

Republican officials are planning to visit Nashville,

Tennessee, this week, according to a person familiar with discussions.

The party was also consid-ering a split convention, with the votes on platform and rules taking place in Charlotte and the speeches and pageantry taking place in another city, such as Jacksonville, Florida, or Las Vegas, said a source familiar with the discussions.

Democrats have delayed their convention in Milwaukee, which was set for August 17 to 20, and left the door open to a revised format. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the party’s presumptive presi-dential nominee.

COVID-19 deaths

in Brazil, Mexico

continue to rise

ANATOLIA — BRASILIA

As the novel coronavirus continues to ravage Latin America, the death toll in Brazil exceeded 31,000 and passed 10,600 in Mexico yesterday.

In Brazil, 1,262 more fatal-ities over the past 24 hours raised the death toll to 31,199, according to the Health Ministry.

The total case count in the world’s second worst-hit country reached 555,383 as 28,936 more people tested positive for COVID-19.

In Mexico, 470 more fatal-ities pushed the death toll to 10,637.

A total of 3,891 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, raising the overall count to 97,326, the Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said this week that Latin America has become the “red zone” of coronavirus transmis-sions in the world and that sol-idarity and support are needed for these countries to overcome the pandemic.

Four of the 10 countries across the globe with the highest number of COVID-19 cases are located in Latin America, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said on Monday.

Brazil, Peru, and Chile are suffering the highest daily increases, but numbers are also on the rise in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Haiti.

The pandemic has killed more than 380,000 people worldwide, with total infec-tions reaching over 6.38 million, while more than 2.73 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Venezuela’s Maduro and Guaido agree to cooperate in virus fightAFP — CARACAS

The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido have reached an agreement to cooperate to raise funds for the fight against the coronavirus, they said on Tuesday.

With help from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the two sides will coor-dinate efforts to seek financial resources to combat the pan-demic, according to the agreement read on state tele-vision by Communications Min-ister Jorge Rodriquez.

Earlier, Guaido’s communi-cations team also said that a “technical cooperation plan to deal with the humanitarian coronavirus crisis” had been signed.

Relations between the bitter rivals have been very tense, with Guaido recognized as interim president by dozens of countries, including the United States, after 2018 elections he says were rigged.

The agreement, signed on Monday in Caracas, establishes “priority” measures for dealing with the pandemic, including detection of active COVID-19 cases, epidemiological moni-toring and timely treatment of those infected.

The two sides have so far not confirmed an estimate for the plan and precise details.

In a statement, however, Guaido’s team said the PAHO would receive funds approved for humanitarian aid, assuring that the agreement allows money for the emergency to be put in the hands of international organizations rather than the Maduro government.

The agreement was signed by Health Minister Carlos Alvarado, parliamentary del-egate Julio Castro and a PAHO representative.

Separately, Guaido tweeted that his uncle Juan Jose Marquez, who has been detained since February 11, had been transferred to house arrest. He was accused of

smuggling explosive material aboard a flight from Portugal, charges his defence has described as “a vile setup.” Washington, meanwhile, wel-comed the coronavirus agreement.

“It is an important step, but only democratic transition will save Venezuela from catas-trophe,” the closed US embassy in Caracas posted on Twitter.

The White House has imposed financial sanctions on the country to press for Maduro’s departure.

Venezuela officially has 1,819 COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths but international organ-izations such as Human Rights Watch believe this is an under-estimate and the real toll is much higher.

The pandemic hit Venezuela

when the country was already reeling from a serious economic crisis, hyperinflation and a col-lapse of public services. Falling crude prices have only exacer-bated the situation in the oil-dependent nation.

The economic meltdown has seen about five million Ven-ezuelans flee the country since 2015, according to the United Nations.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right) attends a meeting, in Caracas.

Zuckerberg backs Facebook Trump policy despite anger, dissent: ReportsAFP — SAN FRANCISCO

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) has defended his decision not to interfere with posts by US President Donald Trump, US media reported, after the social media giant’s hands-off policy sparked outrage and prompted some employees to quit.

Social media platforms have faced calls to moderate the pres-ident’s comments, most recently because of the unrest gripping America in the wake of an unarmed black man’s death during arrest as a white policeman knelt on his neck.

The row began last week when Zuckerberg said Facebook would not remove or flag Trump’s posts that appeared to

encourage violence against those protesting police racism, even as the social media titan Twitter put warning labels on some of the president’s tweets over accuracy issues or the glorification of violence.

Zuckerberg told employees in a video conference on Tuesday he talked to Trump on the phone after the decision, and that he “used that opportunity to make him know I felt this post was inflammatory and harmful, and let him know where we stood on it”, The New York Times reported, citing a recording of the call. The CEO was referring to a post by the president that said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” — the same comment on Twitter was still visible but behind a

warning label. Facebook’s move prompted intense scrutiny and dissent from employees, and it was a “tough decision” over content that had upset him per-sonally, Zuckerberg told around 25,000 staff who had tuned in, according to the tech website Recode which had obtained a copy of the call.

“I knew that the stakes were very high on this, and knew a lot of people would be upset if we made the decision to leave it up,” Zuckerberg said on the call, not backing down from the policy, Recode reported.

But Zuckerberg said during the tense call that Facebook was exploring whether it should amend the policy on such content or find other options to mark it instead of outright removal, according to one person on the call cited by Bloomberg.

A Facebook spokeswoman told The New York Times that Zuckerberg was “grateful” for the employees’ feedback.

The call came after a number of Facebook employees publicly expressed their anger at the com-pany’s policy on incendiary

content, with many quitting or threatening to leave.

Zuckerberg had not kept his word about stopping posts that glorify violence, said Timothy Aveni, a software engineer who resigned from the company.

“Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates, finding excuse after excuse not to act on increasingly dangerous rhetoric,” Aveni wrote on his Facebook page.

Prior to the staff call, civil rights activists had issued scathing criticism of Facebook’s policy.

“We are disappointed and stunned by Mark’s incomprehen-sible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up,” said a statement from three leaders: Vanita Gupta of the

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defence and Educational Fund, and Rashad Robinson of Colour of Change.

“He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump’s call for violence against protesters. Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook.”

But in the Tuesday call, Zuck-erberg pointed to his other phil-anthropic work on social causes, and even took a shot at other firms who had expressed support for the latest calls for justice, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper told a news briefing.