Tuesday 4 August 2020

14 Dhul-Hijja - 1441

2 Riyals

www.thepeninsula.qa

Volume 25 | Number 8339

Wishing you a warm and blessed Eid

SPORT | 16BUSINESS | 11

Trump sets

September 15

deadline for

TikTok sale

It’s good to be

back in

action: says

Al Sulaiti

QNTC launches exciting summer offeringsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has launched a vibrant programme of offers and activ-ities for residents to enjoy during the summer holidays, as the country prepares to welcome back the world.

A host of exciting hospitality deals, outdoor experiences and activities centred around fashion, arts and culture are in store for people of all ages and interests.

The Qatar Summer Pro-gramme will be offered in col-laboration with QNTC’s partners from across the public and private sectors, including hos-pitality, Qatar Museums and United Development Company (UDC), among others.

To celebrate summer, QNTC has partnered with hotels to bring residents a wide range of staycation packages and other hospitality deals at more than 40 establishments across the country. These include dis-counts of up to 50 percent on room bookings, hotel packages with an additional free night stay, beach and pool packages, as well as special food and bev-erage (F&B) promotions.

QNTC will feature the offers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, as well as through its d e d i c a t e d w e b s i t e ,

Qatar Staycation (https://www.qatarstaycation.com), which will be updated regularly with the latest offers.

As Qatar’s renowned cultural institutions open their doors once again, residents will be able to avail of a 20 percent discount on select Culture Pass member-ships including Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family, enti-tling pass holders to exclusive privileges at all Qatar Museums entities, such as free admission at museums and galleries, VIP invites to tours, talks and work-shops, and discounts at museum cafes, restaurants and gift shops. For more details please visit: http://www.qm.org.qa/en/culturepass

Later this summer, residents will get a glimpse of the latest style trends with a virtual fashion show featuring local designers. The first of its kind, the show will be broadcast live from QNTC social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live.

For those more inclined to adventure, a variety of outdoor excursions will be introduced to satiate any thrill-seeker. Res-idents can reconnect with nature on a camping and desert safari at the Inland Sea’s Al Bahar Beach Camp, enjoy a bar-beque lunch or dinner, or rent a 4x4 for exhilarating rides over

the sand dunes. Tour operator 365 Adventures will draw res-idents to Qatar’s stunning coastline with special promo-tions on kayaking and fishing trips, paratriking and scuba diving, speed boat and yacht rentals, in addition to sunrise and full-day desert safari packages.

Through fruitful collabo-ration with its stakeholders, QNTC is developing attractive

promotions and activations to strengthen the tourism industry and ancillary sectors such as retail, culture and hospitality, working to deliver a vibrant cal-endar of events throughout the year that reinforce Qatar’s position as a preferred tourist destination for families. This year’s summer programme presents ample choices for cit-izens and residents to explore and rediscover the unique expe-

riences Qatar has to offer. In preparation for wel-

coming back the community, QNTC recently launched the Qatar Clean programme in part-nership with the Ministry of Public Health, which sets strict standards for sterilisation and disinfection that all hotel estab-lishments must adhere to, ensuring guests can enjoy a worry-free experience this summer and beyond.

Qatar supports

Kyrgyzstan in

facing COVID-19

pandemic

QNA — BISHKEK

The State of Qatar presented medical aid to the Kyrgyz Republic in support of its efforts to contain the corona-virus (COVID-19).

The Qatari medical aid shipment, which was provided by Qatar Charity, included ventilators.

The shipment was received by the Deputy Health Minister in the attendance of a repre-sentative from the Foreign Ministry of Kyrgyzstan, and Qatar’s Acting Charge d’affaires to Kyrgyzstan Jassim Saleh Al Jaber.

The Kyrgyz Deputy Health Minister thanked the State of Qatar for providing medical aid that includes 420 Oxygen delivery devices that will help save the lives of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

For his part, the Acting Charge d’affaires said that the initiative aims to support the medical sector in the Kyrgyz Republic to face the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and enhance bilateral ties.

Over 400 computers to be provided forself-isolation residences in labour citiesIRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

To play more effective role in creating awareness about COVID-19 among migrant workers, Better Connections program of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) will provide over 400 computers at self-isolation resi-dences in labour cities.

The Better Connections program is raising awareness electronically about the coro-navirus (COVID-19) for 1.5 million migrant workers through a government portal in five languages, and by text mes-sages and informational video materials, the MoTC tweeted yesterday.

Regarding program’s future

plan objectives, the tweet said that over 400 computers will be provided at self-isolation residences at labour cities.

According to the Ministry, the program has already achieved many milestones including 1,692 ICT-equipped facilities; 19,000 computers donated for the program and 5 languages for awareness via workers’ Hukoomi Portal.

Under Better Connections’ future plan objectives as many as 50,000 workers will be trained to deliver knowledge to other workers. Providing 1,000 content pages on workers’ Hukoomi Portal and providing 400+ computers at self-isolation residences at labour cities are also included in the future plans.

The Better Connections

program is also contributing to nationwide efforts to raise workers’ awareness of corona-virus in multiple languages.

Under the efforts, 1.5 million workers are being educated about coronavirus online. The program is providing a contin-ually-updated multilingual awareness webpage on workers’ Hukoomi Portal and also sending awareness-raising electronic content and multi-media materials to workers in their native languages.

Sending over a million SMSs with awareness hyperlinks to workers and providing Internet connectivity at self-isolation buildings at labour cities are part of nationwide efforts. Do’s and Don’ts posters on buildings at labour cities and adding

workers native languages to Hotline 16000 are among other steps taken to raise workers’ awareness about COVID-19.

According to information from the MoTC website, the Digital Society Development department at MoTC establishes and executes programs to achieve digital inclusion and increase ICT access rates among various sectors of Qatari society. The department provides ICT tools, technologies and infra-structure to bridge the digital divide, and develops appro-priate programs to encourage all members of the public to use government e-services.

Better Connections is a groundbreaking social inte-gration initiative for migrant workers in Qatar. �P2

Schools urged to get ready for back-to-school planSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has reminded the schools to ensure that only 30 percent students attend the schools from September 1 to 3,

2020 under ‘3-Phases Back-to-School Plan’ for 2020-21 academic year.

Schools have the flexibility to organise the attendance of the students according to number of divisions at each class level to ensure that only

one-third of students attend a day during first three days (Sep-tember 1 to 3, 2020), the Min-istry tweeted yesterday.

The opening of all public and private schools, including kinder-gartens, for the 2020-21 academic year will take place in three

phases. Phase one will be from September 1 to 3. Attendance will be limited to one-third of total stu-dents in all grades.

The second phase will be two weeks from September 6 to 17 using the mixed learning model. The maximum attendance in public and private schools will be 50 percent.

Students will be split into two groups and rotated over a course of two weeks. Group 1, 50 percent students will attend in-person in the first week and study by dis-tance learning in the second week. Group 2 will study by distance learning in the first week and attend school in the second week.

Attendance for grade 12 stu-dents 66 percent is mandatory because it is a crucial year for them. As much as 100 percent students will attend schools from September 20, 2020.

The preventive and pre-cautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 will continue throughout all phases. �P2

215 new COVID-19 cases, 223 recoveries recordedTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 215 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Another 223 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 108,002.

All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status.

The MoPH further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have succeeded in flat-tening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus. The number of daily new cases and hospital admissions have grad-ually declined over the past few weeks.

The MoPH added that Qatar has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world, as a

result of Qatar’s young popu-lation, proactive testing to identify cases early, expanding hospital capacity, especially intensive care, protecting the elderly and those with chronic diseases.

However, the Ministry has emphasized on the importance of taking precautions against COVID-19. “Even though restrictions are being lifted, and numbers are declining, this does not mean that the COVID-19 pandemic is finished in Qatar – every day between 50 and 100 people are admitted to hospital with moderate to severe symptoms,” the Ministry said.

“Unless we follow all precau-tionary measures, we may expe-rience a second wave of the virus and see numbers increasing – there are already signs of this happening in other countries around the world. Now more than ever, we must be careful and protect the most vulnerable.”

Better Connections program is raising awareness electronically about the COVID-19 for 1.5 million migrant workers through a government portal in five languages.

Under future plan objectives some 50,000 workers will be trained to deliver knowledge to other workers.

The program is providing updated multilingual awareness webpage on workers’ Hukoomi Portal.

The Digital Society Development department at MoTC executes programs to achieve digital inclusion and increase ICT access rates among various sectors of Qatari society.

The Qatar Summer Programme will be offered in collaboration with QNTC’s partners,

including hospitality, Qatar Museums and United Development Company, among others.

Wide range of staycation packages and other hospitality deals at more than 40

establishments across the country.

Residents can avail of a 20 percent discount on select Culture Pass memberships

including Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family.

Residents will get a glimpse of the latest style trends with a virtual fashion show

featuring local designers.

A variety of outdoor excursions will be introduced to satiate any thrill-seeker.

Schools have the flexibility to organize the attendance of students according to the number of divisions in each class level to ensure that only one-third of students attend a day.

Group 1 (50%) will attend in-person in the first week and study by distance learning in the second week.Group 2 will study by distance learning in the first week and attend school in the second week.Attendance for Grade 12 students (66%) is manda-tory because it's a crucial year for them.

Precautionary measures continue throughout all phases.

Students attendance

September September September

From

Students attendance Students attendance

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020HOME

Qatar strongly condemns attack on Afghanistan prisonDOHA: The State of Qatar expressed

yesterday its strong condemnation

and denunciation of the attack that

targeted a prison in Jalalabad city

in eastern Afghanistan and caused

deaths and injuries.

In a statement, the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs reiterated the State

of Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting

violence and terrorism regardless of

motives and causes.

The statement expressed the

State of Qatar’s condolences to the

families of victims, the government

and people of Afghanistan, wishing the

wounded a speedy recovery. - QNA

Qatar condemns two attacks in central MaliDOHA: The State of Qatar expressed

yesterday its strong condemnation

and denunciation of the two attacks

that occurred in central Mali and

caused deaths and injuries among

soldiers.

In a statement, the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs reiterated the State

of Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting

violence and terrorism regardless

of motives and causes.

The statement expressed the

State of Qatar’s condolences to

the families of victims, the govern-

ment and people of Mali, wishing the

wounded a speedy recovery. -QNA

Qatar Debate Center’s virtual workshop highlights importance of Arabic languageTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Qatar Debate Center, a Member of the Qatar Foun-dation has organised a virtual training workshop aimed at supporting and enhancing debate skills for students of Dar Al Huda Islamic University in India, recently.

The “Debate Skills” was held via Zoom online platform to follow COVID-19 precautionary measures.

A group of 47 young people, ages 17 to 23 years old, partic-ipated in the workshop as part

of the centre’s plans to train stu-dents on the basics of debating and raising the level of debaters at Dar Al Huda Islamic Uni-versity and its colleges in the state of Kerala, in India.

The programme takes into account the varying levels of

participants, as the trainees were divided into two groups, supervised by the trainers of the Center Lotfi Baraka and Gaber Abu Hemid.

The agenda of the workshop included a number of skills and training activities on various

debate issues and how to employ them in a correct way. It focuses on the various methods of analysis and the tasks of the two teams within the debate through applications that enhanced the theoretical content of building the position of the parties and the argument and the steps of refutation.

Lutfi Baraka said, “What distinguishes the workshops that are offered to students in the Arabic language as it is a second or third language is that it gives us a glimpse of the importance of the Arabic

language as individuals from different countries of the world try to learn it. Not only that, but they also want to debate by it and express their thoughts and opinions through it.”

As for the students, their response and enthusiasm for the debate broke the barrier of lack of mastery of the language as its natives, as they were making great efforts to partic-ipate and express their opinions, and this gave the workshop a distinctive atmosphere.

At the end of the workshop, the students expressed their

happiness to learn new con-cepts related to the art of debate in the Arabic language, and asked for more workshops to be held in the future.

The Qatar Debate Center continues to work with the aim of rooting and encouraging the art of debating locally and inter-nationally, as a guide to engage young people in logical dis-cussion on issues that are subject to controversy and debate in order to reach an accordant vision after pre-senting convincing arguments and clear proofs.

The Qatar Debate Center continues to work with the aim of rooting and encouraging the art of debating locally and internationally, as a guide to engage young people in logical discussion on issues.

Qatar strongly condemns explosion in MogadishuDOHA: The State of Qatar has

expressed its strong condemnation

and denunciation of the explosion

that occurred in the Somali capi-

tal, Mogadishu, and left two people

killed and one wounded.

In a statement issued yesterday,

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiter-

ated the State of Qatar’s firm stance

on rejecting violence and terrorism

regardless of motives and causes.

The statement expressed the

State of Qatar’s condolences to the

families of victims as well as the

government and people of Soma-

lia, wishing the wounded a speedy

recovery. -QNA

MME seizes illegal food outlets in Al SheehaniyaTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Health Monitoring Section of Al Sheehaniya Municipality has seized a number of food outlets for running without licences in Umm Al Zubar. The action was taken during in inspection campaign following the Law No. 8 of 1990 for regu-lating food items, said the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) in a statement.

The legal actions were taken against the violators.

A view of the eized outlet in Al Sheehaniya.

Virtual AMU Alumni International Mushaira 2020 'a great success'THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Over 3,000 people attended the Virtual AMU Alumni International Mushaira 2020 (poetic evening) organised by Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association Qatar (AMUAAQ) an associate organisation (AO) of ICBF under the aegis of the Embassy of India-Qatar & supported by Bazm e Sadaf inter-national.

The event was held on July 23, 2020 via Zoom Meeting Appli-cation, said AMUAAQ in a statement.The coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay indoors, but AMUAAQ made sure that poets recite their metrical compositions through a virtual Mushaira (poetic symposium).

Attending the online Mushaira as the Chief Guest, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor, Prof Tariq Mansoor said that poetic symposiums are cultural events with mannerism and decorum, which teach the language and craft of poetry to the younger generations.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted regular gatherings and events but people have turned to the digital world to stay connected and these online events have

become the new norm till the virus fades away,” added the Vice Chancellor.

He also thanked the alumni groups for generously supporting the development work in the University.

Professor M M Sufyan Beg, Chairman, AMU Alumni Affairs Committee, requested the alumni to give their details for the ‘AMU Alumni Directory’, while expressing

happiness to be part of the event.Professor Najmul Islam, Hony.

Secretary, AMU Teachers Associ-ation, and Dr. M Kalimullah, Joint Secretary, AMUTA, spoke on the mission of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and on the importance of cultural activities.

Dr. MS Bukhari, Chief Patron, AMUAAQ, requested all AMU alumni to work towards the benefit of their alma mater.

Basir Sultan Kazmi (Sadr-e-Mushaira, famous Poet and writer) and Shahabuddin Ahmad, Chairman, Bazm-e-Sadaf Interna-tional, pointed out that the online event has managed to maintain the ambience of classical Mushaira gatherings.

The events’s anchor and renowned AMU alumnus Dr. Nadeem Zafar Jilani conducted the event deftly. He began with his own poetry. Mohammed Farman Khan (GS-AMUAAQ) started the programme with the recitation of Verses from Holy Quran while COVID-19 awareness precautionary measures briefed by Dr. Ashna Nusrat,Chief coordinator-AMUAAQ.

In the welcome address, Jawed Ahmad, President, AMUAAQ said that it is important to use tech-nology for continuing our literary activities as people may be observing physical distancing but they are virtually together.

About 3,000 people attended the online Mushaira (Via Zoom and Facebook live stream) in which well known poets like Basir Sultan Kazmi; Hasan Kazmi; Safdar Imam Quadri; Javed Danish; Iftekhar Ahmad; Saif Babar; Maqsood Anwer and Ahmad Ashfaque extended the vote of thanks.

A view of the virtual AMU Alumni International Mushaira 2020 organised by AMUAAQ.

Katara concludes Eid Al Adha celebrationsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Katara Cultural Village concluded yesterday its activ-ities for Eid Al Adha celebra-tions, which attracted a large number of visitors, during the four-day of Eid.

The distribution of Eid gifts aimed to bring smile on the faces of children, who visited Katara accompanied by their parents, said Katara in a statement.

Katara held an array of activities to celebrate Eid Al Adha according to the current situation following the pre-ventive and precautionary measures to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), Salem Mabkhout Al Marri, Director of Public Relations and Commu-nication at Katara, said.

He added that all efforts were made to provide safety measures enabling large number of children to get Eid gifts safely.

As part of the celebrations,

Katara inaugurated a 50-metre-long mural (Jedariya) in its main entrance from the southern side, in which 12 Qatari artists participated, under the title, "Katara thanks the medical teams in Qatar" in appreciation of their efforts for the safety and health of the society.

Al Marri appreciated to all audio and visual media, which was keen on following up and covering Katara celebrations of Eid Al Adha and supporting through its various coverage.

Representatives from Katara's distributed gifts to children during the ‘Your Eid in Your Car’ activity, which runs from 5pm until 9 pm throughout the holidays.

As for virtual fireworks, Katara presented them on two parts, first at 8pm and then at 9pm on its website, in a way that corresponds to what it pro-vided from fireworks in the past holidays.

In addition to the cele-bration, an Eid competition for

children for the most beautiful dress was launched, by sending a photo or video of the

participating child, where Katara has allocated prizes to top five winners of each

competition, either for the photo or video.

Representatives from Katara Cultural Village distributing gifts to children as part of its activities to celebrate Eid Al Adha.

Over 400 computers to beprovided for self-isolation residences in labour cities

FROM PAGE 1

The program is a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Transport and Com-munications (MoTC); the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, and committed partners.

It provides access to tech-nology and develops the skills of migrant workers in the use of ICT, in order to improve their quality of life and to integrate them into the digital community and wider society.

This program provides free access to refurbished computers and the Internet as well as training for workers in their place of accommodation so that

they can become part of the information society, allowing them to communicate with friends and family in their home countries, access government online services, learn about their rights and responsibilities and return to their countries with enhanced IT skills.

The Better Connections program sets up fully func-tioning ICT facilities at workers’ accommodation sites equipped with refurbished donated hardware, software licenses, Internet connectivity, access to tailored training content, as well as training sessions con-ducted by the program’s volunteers.

Schools urged to get ready for back-to-school planFROM PAGE 1

A recess period of 25 minutes will be given to stu-dents during the school day. The school hours are from 7.15am to 12.30pm.

The class period schedule will be organised in a way that allows for three different timings for the recess period in order to reduce the number of students in each period.

For example, the recess

break will start right after the 2nd period for some divisions, after the 3rd period for other divisions and after the 4th period for the rest of divisions.

Schools will rearrange and space out desks to ensure social distancing is maintained.

The school theatre and gym may be used to provide more space for student seating.The Educational Affairs Sector and Private Education Sector

provided guidance on attendance to the public and private schools nationwide including specialized and special education schools.

Schools and pre-schools will need to notify parents, via different means communi-cation, of the attendance mech-anism for the first three school days. The importance of stu-dents’ attendance should also be stressed.

DPS–MIS students interact with Yashaswee RamanTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Yashaswee Raman from batch 2015-16 interacted with the students of VII and VIII of DPS – MIS in the session named Cricket with Yashaswee on July 26 via Zoom.

The session commenced

with a hearty welcome by the principal of DPS – MIS Asna Nafees, vice-principals Soma Bhattacharjee and Mary Cruz.

Yashaswee enlightened the audience by endorsing his views on cricket and com-mentary. He further shared his experiences in meeting and

interviewing various esteemed personalities of different field.

Currently persuing his MBA at AMnipal, Yashaswee excep-tionally explained the signifi-cance of the right balance of academics and sports in one’s life thus illuminating young minds.

FAJR SUNRISE 03.39 am 05.02 am

W A L R U WA I S : 33o↗ 38o W A L K H O R : 30o↗ 46o W D U K H A N : 33o↗ 40o W WA K R A H : 33o↗ 46o W M E S A I E E D 33o↗ 46o W A B U S A M R A 32o↗ 40o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 03:54 – 17:26 LOW TIDE 00:45–11:17

Very hot daytime with some clouds and slight dust to

blowing dust at places at times.

Minimum Maximum34oC 46oC

ZUHRMAGHRIB

11.40 am06.19 pm

ASR ISHA

03.08 pm07.49 pm

03TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020 HOME

Quarantined nursing mothers advised to continue breastfeedingTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) has advised nursing mothers who are under coronavirus (COVID-19) quar-antine to continue breast-feeding their babies, despite the stressful nature of their circumstances.

Speaking during World Breastfeeding Week 2020, Muna Salah Bakrawi (pictured), Maternal and Child Health Counsellor at PHCC’s Umm Slal Health Centre, said breast milk was an ideal food for babies, and provided all the essential nutrients required for healthy growth. She pointed out that, according to the World Health O r g a n i z a t i o n ( W H O ) ,

breastfeeding helped protect newborns against diseases that lasted throughout infancy and childhood.

Amid the COVID-19 pan-demic, it was important to remember that breast milk could be especially effective

against contagious diseases, as it strengthened the immune system by supplying antibodies directly from the mother to the baby.

“Hence it is very important to continue breastfeeding during quarantine, whilst

minimising stress and anxiety as that can affect the milk flow,” said Bakrawi.

Mothers were encouraged to contact a physician or midwife by calling the 16000 call centre hotline set up by the Ministry of Public Health, if they felt stressed or anxious for their or their baby’s health. They could also be referred, if required, to mental health support services.

Bakrawi has emphasised that it was also important for both young and nursing mothers, and pregnant women, to communicate with family and friends on a daily basis to maintain a positive frame of mind during quarantine.

In line with PHCC’s mission

to encourage citizens and resi-dents of Qatar to take own-ership of their health and well-being by raising awareness of a healthy lifestyle, Bakrawi sug-gested activities such as yoga, slow breathing or walking, when possible, for nursing mothers — but not at the expense of ample sleep and rest. And food choice was very important.

Bakrawi said, “Nursing mothers should maintain a bal-anced and healthy diet as it helps increase the milk supply. Your diet should include leafy vegetables, oats, carrots, nuts, protein-rich food, and fruits and vegetables that are rich in Vitamin C. Fruits which boost the immune system, such as

oranges, kiwis, strawberries, mandarins and lemons, are also very beneficial.

“And remember to stay hydrated with regular intake of water and healthy fluids, espe-cially given that Qatar has entered the hot summer months, as this is imperative to increase the milk supply.”

Bakrawi reminded mothers to follow the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) COVID-19 health guidelines while nursing, including, wearing a mask when in close contact with the baby; routine hand hygiene such as washing with soap or using a sanitiser before touching the baby; and ensuring that all sur-faces were regularly cleaned and sanitised.

HBKU faculty member elected to prestigious biology councilTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

H a m a d B i n K h a l i f a U n i v e r s i t y ( H B K U ) h a s announced that Dr. Omar Khan (pictured), an a s s i s t a n t professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), has been elected to the Royal Society of Biology Council as a recognition for his contribu-tions in the field of protein post-translational modifications and their impact on health and disease.

Established in 2009, the Society acts as a single unified voice for biology and repre-sents a diverse membership of individuals, societies and other organisations.

By joining the Royal Society of Biology Council, Dr. Khan will act as a Trustee of the Society.

Muna Salah Bakrawi pointed out that, according to the World Health Organization, breastfeeding helped protect newborns against diseases that lasted throughout infancy and childhood.

Hoyas for Each Other program brings staff and students together to build communityTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Despite the great hardships caused by the ongoing global pandemic, the health crisis has also brought out the best in individuals, institutions, and communities.

At Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), the crisis put the uni-versity’s foundational values, such as Women and Men for Others, to the test, as students, faculty and staff found themselves physically apart, while needing to stay connected and engaged in the shared academic, research, and service missions of the university.

Taking the work of the university online proved a successful transition. Courses were taught online, public events gathered local and global audi-ences in online webinars, and the countless communications supporting the university’s ongoing operations continued without interruption. But the transition online encompassed

more than the academics of university life. Georgetown’s commitment to Cura Personalis, caring for the entire person, inspired a host of creative ways for the campus community to stay connected and supported in the wake of the crisis.

One of these projects is the Hoyas for Each Other programme, where faculty and staff volunteers organised workshops for GU-Q stu-dents in a variety of entertainment and educational topics.

Organised by staff volunteers, the sessions were, Photography, The Improv Talk, German Roundtable Discussion, Yoga, Doha on a Budget, Reclaim Your Space, and Healthy Lifestyle. Students had the choice to sign up for any combination of classes they prefer, to learn a new skill while getting the chance to chat with friends and university com-munity members in a casual, stress free setting.

Brendan Hill, Senior Associate

Dean for students at GU-Q, said, “This summer programme was created as a way to keep students engaged this summer. And our students have really enjoyed getting to know staff and faculty on a different level.”

This summer, there were also classes taught by GU-Q student vol-unteers, who offered a variety of enrichment opportunities for the children of faculty and staff. “The Hoy-acation Program involved GU-Q stu-dents teaching staff and faculty’s children and Hoyas for Other Program involved staff and faculty teaching

GU-Q students. So through both pro-grams, we have really come full circle with engagement this summer.”

Student Development Coordi-nator Eman Thowfeek, who helps support student enrichment pro-grammes, adds that as the pandemic continues to run its course, “Our community will continue to find ways to maintain safe physical dis-tancing measures, while ensuring that every member of the com-munity is extended the support, resources, and engagement, needed during these challenging times.”

A screen grab from Hoyas For Each Other program webinar.

QRCS, RACA hold workshops on humanitarian risk reductionTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Representatives of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) foreign offices and Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) experts held workshops on governance, transparency, financial procedures, and the regulatory guides and guide-lines to reduce humanitarian risks.

QRCS has concluded its 3rd annual meeting of foreign offices via videoconference technology. The five-day event was extended for extra two days, to engage other partners in the discussions.

Ibrahim Abdullah Al Dehaimi, General Manager of RACA took part in coordination meetings. He praised the event as an opportunity to build the capacity of foreign personnel and develop institutional work.

According to him, RACA seeks effective communication with humanitarian and nonprofit organizations, to boost the leading position of Qatar’s humanitarian sector.

Eng. Ibrahim Abdullah AlMaliki, Chief Executive Director of QRCS and Acting Director of Relief and Interna-tional Development commended fruitful discussions among the participants. He urged the enforcement of updated regu-latory guides and formulation of clear recommendations to overcome challenges and improve performance.

Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of QRCS, and Eng. Al Maliki participated on fifth day of the sessions, which discussed international rela-tions and enhancement of mutual cooperation with com-ponents of the Movement.

As a keynote speaker, Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi, Regional Director of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – MENA Region, valued the meeting and called for closer communication and coordi-nation with components of the Movement to control the impact of emergencies, particularly the coronavirus pandemic.

Mohammed Mukhier, IFRC Deputy Regional Director – Asia Pacific, said, “QRCS is an out-standing National Society that represents the spirit of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in human-itarian action in Qatar and glo-bally, as manifested in direct cooperation in many countries”.

Dr. Mohamed bin Ghanem Al Ali Al Maadheed, President of QRCS, participated in the

discussions. In his remarks, he emphasised the importance of centering humanitarian action around the ultimate goal of alle-viating the suffering of the vul-nerable and serving those in need. “We are entrusted with the humanitarian message and action, which requires effective and professional efforts”.

Another session was held by Dr. Abdul Salam Al Qahtani, board member and General Director of the Medical Affairs Division, who talked about the best medical and relief prac-tices, reviewing the Coronavirus response in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), such as Mekaines and

other quarantine facilities, ambulance service, and Workers’ Health Centers.

Al Hammadi and Eng. Al Maliki discussed with the par-ticipating heads of foreign offices the results and recom-mendations to be implemented towards better work at all levels.

PISQ student bags 2nd rank in HSSC-II Annual Examination 2020 in PakistanTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Said Ali, a student of Pakistan International School Qatar (PISQ) has made his alma mater proud by grabbing 2nd position in all Federal Board affiliated institutions in Pakistan and abroad in the commerce group of HSSC Annual Examination 2020.

Besides the 2nd rank in Federal Board, PISQ once again leads all Pakistani schools in Doha with top 10 positions in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Annual Examination 2020 of Federal Board of Intermediate and Sec-ondary Education (FBISE), Islamabad.

The result was announced by Federal Board Islamabad on July 30, 2020. A total of 142 stu-dents of PISQ were registered for the HSSC-II Annual Exami-nation 2020 and all of them were declared successful, marking 100 percent pass ratio with 23 A1, 38 A and 43 B grades.

In the Pre-Medical Group, Eman Amir Latif stood first with

1016/1100 marks; Hamda Qadeer secured 2nd position with 1015/1100 and Ruhmaa Shahid with 1005/1100 marks grabbed 3rd position in the school as well as in all Doha-based Pakistani schools.

In the Commerce Group, Said Ali stood first in the school and 2nd in Federal Board with 983 marks; Mariya Nasser Khan got second position with 950 marks while Saliha Nasser Khan achieved third position in the school with 940 marks.

Maheen Malik, Ahmad

Hassan and Muhammad Munyb Jamal secured first, second and third positions with 912, 861 and 807 marks respectively in the Pre-Engineering Group.

Usman Khan stood first with 876 marks, Abdullah Javed and Fahad Shah shared 2nd position with 846 marks each whereas Muhammad Ali secured 3rd position with 840 marks in the school in the Science General Group.

In the Humanities Group, Dania Imshad, Alveena Imshad and Sana Atta Ur Rehman

secured 1st, 2nd and 3rd posi-tions by obtaining 849, 830 and 794 marks respectively.

Nargis Raza Otho, Principal of PISQ, congratulated students, parents and teachers on the excellent results of HSSC Annual Examination 2020. She remarked, “This year, our results overall have been outstanding. I could not be but proud of all our students and teachers who have worked hard even during these difficult and challenging times. Everyone deserves to be congratulated, especially our

star of the year, Said Ali who has really made us prouder with his second rank in all Federal Board institutions.”

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar Syed Ahsan Raza Shah also congratulated the school principal, teachers, students and their parents on the brilliant performance of the students in t h e F e d e r a l B o a r d Examinations.

“I extend my heartiest con-gratulations to all the successful students of PISQ in general and Said Ali in particular on

achieving second position in all Federal Board inland and abroad institutions. I am quite satisfied and happy to hear that Pakistan International School has produced 100 percent results and majority of the stu-dents have achieved A1 and A grades in the SSC and HSSC Annual Examinations 2020. I wish bright future for all the students and urge them equip themselves with education to become civilized and respon-sible citizens of Pakistan,” the Ambassador said.

FROM LEFT: Said Ali; Dania Imshad; Maheen Malik; Eiman Amir Latif and Usman Khan

QRCS and RACA officials during the virtual workshop.

04 TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Lebanon FM quits overslow reforms; Aounadviser takes overREUTERS — BEIRUT

Lebanon named the president’s diplomatic adviser as new foreign minister yesterday after Nassif Hitti quit the post, blaming a lack of political will to enact reforms to halt a financial meltdown which he warned could turn Lebanon into a failed state.

Foreign donors have made clear there will be no aid until Beirut makes changes to tackle state waste and corruption, which are behind the crisis that is the biggest threat to Lebanon’s stability since a 1975-1990 civil war.

“Will this cry of deep frus-tration move Lebanon to finally work on reforms, on measures taking care of the Lebanese, sinking every day deeper into poverty and desperation?” tweeted United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis.

In his resignation statement, Hitti cited “the absence of an effective will to achieve struc-tural, comprehensive reform”.

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab accepted the resignation and appointed Charbel Wehbe, Aoun’s diplomatic adviser since 2017, as foreign minister.

Wehbe, 67, is a former sec-retary general of the ministry.

Hitti, a former ambassador to the Arab League, was appointed in January when Diab’s cabinet took office with

the support of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its allies.

“I took part in this gov-ernment to work for one boss called Lebanon, then I found in my country multiple bosses and contradictory interests,” Hitti said.

“If they do not come together in the interest of rescuing the Lebanese people, God forbid, the ship will sink with everyone on it.”

Hitti also had differences with Diab and was frustrated at

being sidelined, sources close to the ministry said. Diab appeared to criticise France’s foreign min-ister for tying aid to reforms and a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when vis-iting Beirut last month.

A spokesperson for Diab’s office said the cabinet was focused on moving ahead with a forensic audit of the central bank and “a wide range of other reforms”.

Talks with the IMF, which

the heavily indebted state entered in May after a sovereign default, are on hold due to a row over the scale of vast financial losses between the government, the banking sector and law-makers from the main parties.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti (right) is seen as he arrives to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Hassan Diab at his office in Beirut, yesterday.

One person dying fromCOVID-19 everyseven minutes in IranREUTERS — DUBAI

One person is dying from COVID-19 every seven minutes in Iran, state television said yesterday, as the Health Ministry reported 215 new deaths from the disease and state media warned of a lack of proper social distancing.

Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari was quoted by the state TV as saying the 215 deaths in the past 24 hours took the combined death toll to 17,405 in Iran, and the number of confirmed cases rose by 2,598 to 312,035.

State television showed several Iranians in a busy Tehran street without wearing face masks or social distancing.

Some experts have doubted the accuracy of Iran’s official coro-navirus tolls. A report by the Iranian parliament’s research centre in April suggested that the coronavirus tolls might be almost twice as many as those announced by the health ministry.

The report said that Iran’s official coronavirus figures were based only on the number of deaths in hospitals and those who had already tested positive for the coronavirus.

British broadcaster BBC reported yesterday that, based on data from an anonymous source, the number of deaths in Iran might be three times higher than officially reported. Iranian health authorities

denied the report and said there had been no cover-up.

With COVID-19 deaths surging since restrictions were eased in mid-April, Iranian authorities have said measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 will be reimposed if health reg-ulations are not observed. Since last month, wearing face masks in public places and covered

spaces has been mandatory.Iran’s National Coronavirus

Combat Taskforce was expected to announce later yes-terday whether nationwide uni-versity entrance examinations, with over 1 million participants, will take place in August. Many Iranians have called on social media for the examinations to be postponed.

Iran warns against US move seeking UN embargo extension

ANATOLIA — TEHRAN

The issue of UN arms embargo on Iran is increasingly becoming a new bone of contention between Tehran and Wash-ington, with latter vigorously seeking its extension and former warning against it.

In recent weeks, with calls growing in the US for extension of the 13-year embargo on Iran, which expires on October 18, top Iranian officials have warned of “serious consequences”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an interview on Sunday, said the US government will introduce a UN Security Council resolution in “next handful of days” to prevent the embargo from expiring.

“It will allow the Chinese and the Russians to sell weapons systems to Iran and then allow Iran to sell those weapons systems and other arms around the world as well,” he warned.

Iranian officials say the move will be in violation of the provi-sions of the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), also known as Iran nuclear deal,

negotiated between Iran and P5+1 countries — the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany — in 2015.

Mahmoud Vaezi, Iranian president’s chief of staff, said the attempt by US officials to “impose their will” upon the UN Security Council members to extend arms embargo on Iran violates the “most basic rules approved by the international community” and is an “insult to its independence of opinion and political will.” Vaezi, who is con-sidered the most trusted aide of Hasan Rouhani, said lifting the arms embargo on Iran is one of the main obligations of the JCPOA, “without which it will not continue”.

The US had warned that if the embargo on Iran was lifted, the US would invoke a provision of the JCPOA to reimpose all UN sanctions against Iran. Iran, however, maintains that the US is “incapable” of triggering snapback, since it failed to meet the obligations under the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 withdrawing from the JCPOA in May 2018.

Hariri murder tribunal to give verdict on August 7AFP — THE HAGUE

A UN-backed tribunal will give its verdict on Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, but ques-tions will remain over a long and costly trial whose suspects remain at large.

Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Neth-erlands over the huge Beirut suicide bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people.

The judgment harks back to

an event that changed the face of the Middle East, with Hariri’s assassination triggering a wave of demonstrations that pushed Syrian forces out of Lebanon after 30 years.

“Even though Lebanon has a long history of political assassi-nations, this particular assassi-nation was quite an earthquake in 2005,” Karim Bitar, a professor of international relations in Paris and Beirut said ahead of the verdict.

The court is billed as the world’s first international tri-bunal set up to probe terrorist crimes, and it has cost at least

$600 million since it opened its doors in 2009 following a UN Security Council resolution.

But the tribunal faces doubts over its credibility with Hez-bollah chief Hassan Nasrallah refusing to hand over the defendants, and the case relying almost entirely on mobile phone records.

And while Hariri’s son Saad looked forward to a “day of truth and justice”, many Lebanese people are meanwhile more pre-occupied with the country’s eco-nomic crisis, the worst since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Due to the coronavirus

pandemic, the judgment “will be delivered from the courtroom with partial virtual participation” at 0900 GMT on Friday.

The four defendants went on trial in 2014 on charges including the “intentional homicide” of Hariri and 21 others, attempted homicide of 226 people wounded in the bombing, and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act.

The alleged mastermind of the bombing, Hezbollah com-mander Mustafa Badreddine, was indicted by the court but is believed to have died while fighting with the Syrian regime in May 2016.

A man and his son wearing protective face masks as he walks in a street, in Tehran.

Ethiopians celebrate progress in building dam on Nile RiverAP — ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopians are celebrating progress in the construction of the country’s dam on the Nile River, which has caused regional controversy over its filling.

In joyful demonstrations urged by posts on social media and apparently endorsed by the government, tens of thou-sands of residents flooded the streets of the capital Addis Ababa on Sunday afternoon, waving Ethiopia’s flag and holding up posters. People in cars honked their horns, others whistled, played loud music, and danced in public spaces to mark the occasion. Similar events were held in other cities in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, called on the public to rally behind the dam and support the completion of its construction.

“Today is a date in which we celebrate the beginning of the final chapter in our dam’s construction,” Demeke told

scores of people who gathered at a hall in the capital. “We want the construction to com-plete soon and began solving our problems once and for all.” Hashtags like #ItsMyDam, #EthiopiaNileRights and #GERD are also trending among Ethiopian social media users. Ethiopians around the world contributed to the fes-tivities on social media.

Sunday’s celebration, called “One voice for our dam,” came after Ethiopian officials announced on July 22 that the first stage of filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s reservoir was achieved due to heavy rains. Officials in the East African nation say they hope the $4.6 billion dam, fully financed by Ethiopia itself, will reach full power generating capacity in 2023.

With 74 percent of the con-struction completed, the dam has been contentious for years and raised tensions with neigh-boring countries.

Ethiopia says the dam will provide electricity to millions of its nearly 110 million citizens

and help them out of poverty. The dam should also make Ethiopia a major power exporter. Downstream Egypt, which depends on the Nile River to supply its farmers and booming population of 100 million people with fresh water, asserts that the dam poses an existential threat. Sudan, between the two coun-tries, is also concerned about

its access to the Nile waters.Negotiators have said key

questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a mul-tiyear drought occurs and how the countries will resolve any future disputes. Negotiations to resolve the differences have broken down several times, but now appear to be making progress.

Ethiopian citizens celebrate the successful filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as the dam’s first two turbines’ electricity production was tested, in Addis Ababa, on Sunday.

Yemen Houthi rebels claim fighters

shot down US-made droneAP — CAIRO

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim they shot down a US-made drone over the country’s northern border with Saudi Arabia. Brig Gen Yehia Sarie, a Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement their air defences downed an AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma drone on Sunday over the district of Harad in Yemen’s northern Hajjah province.

Footage later aired by the Houthi’s Al-Masirah satellite channel showed fighters gathered around the hand-launched drone, which appeared to have bullet holes in it. The battery-powered drone had a camera, also apparently struck by a bullet.

The Saudi military, which has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, is not known to operate this drone. A Saudi military spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli army says killed four planting bombs at Syria borderAFP — JERUSALEM

The Israeli army said yesterday it had killed four men laying explo-sives at a security fence along the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights, adjacent to Syrian-controlled territory.

“They were inside Israeli territory but beyond the fence,” mil-itary spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told jour-nalists in a telephone briefing.

He said an Israeli commando unit lying in wait attacked the intruders shortly after 11pm on Sunday (2000 GMT) with assault rifles and sniper fire backed by air strikes.

“Our estimate is that all four were killed,” Conricus said in English, adding that there were no Israeli casualties.

In his resignation statement, Hitti cited “the absence of an effective will to achieve structural, comprehensive reform”. President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab accepted the resignation and appointed Charbel Wehbe, Aoun’s diplomatic adviser since 2017, as foreign minister.

Suicide attack in Mogadishu kills 2ANATOLIA — MOGADISHU

At least two people were killed and several others wounded when a suicide bomber targeted a busy restaurant in Mogadishu’s Hamar Jajab neighbourhood yesterday.

Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo, the Somali government spokesman said over the phone that a suicide bomber wearing suicide vests blew himself up at the gate of a busy restaurant called Lul Yamani in Mogadishu, killing at least two and wounding several others.

“The attacker wanted to enter the restaurant but one of the security guards stopped him before entering. His main goal was to kill many people during the lunch time,” Oronjo said.

05TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020 ASIA

Melbourne clamps down in frantic race to curb virusREUTERS — MELBOURNE

Australia’s second-biggest city, Melbourne, already under night curfew, announced fresh restrictions on industries including retai l and construction yesterday in a bid to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus.

From tomorrow night, Mel-bourne, the capital of Victoria state, will close retail, some manufacturing and adminis-trative businesses as part of a six-week lockdown.

The new measures are expected to double the number of jobs affected by coronavirus restrictions to around 500,000 and along with those working from home will keep 1 million people from moving around for work, Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said.

Having already imposed the strictest restrictions on movement, Victoria declared a “state of disaster” on Sunday.

Australia has fared better than many countries, with 18,361 coronavirus cases and 221 deaths from a population of 25 million, but the surge in com-munity transmissions in Victoria raised fears that the infection rate could blow out of control.

“As heartbreaking as it is to

close down places of employment... that is what we have to do in order to stop the spread of this wildly infectious virus,” Andrews told a news conference.

“Otherwise, we are not in for six weeks of restrictions - we’ll be in for a six-month stint.” The latest moves in Vic-toria meant production at meat-works would be cut by one-third, construction activities and staffing at distribution centres would also be scaled back and all schools would return to remote learning.

Supermarkets will remain open along with restaurant takeaway and delivery, but many other retail outlets will shut. The outbreak in Victoria,

which makes up a quarter of the national economy, has scup-pered hopes for a quick rebound from Australia’s first recession in nearly three decades.

Andrews announced A$5,000 payments for affected businesses and flagged more announcements about pen-alties, enforcement and edu-cation today.

The national government also announced pandemic leave disaster payments for people who have run out of sick leave and have to self-isolate for 14 days, paying A$1,500 to ensure those with COVID-19 symptoms stop going to work.

“What we’re dealing with here is a disaster,” Prime Min-ister Scott Morrison said at a media conference.

Restrictions announced on Sunday included a curfew from 8pm to 5am for six weeks, barring the city’s nearly five million people from leaving their homes except for work or to receive or give care.

“The idea that, in this country, we’d be living at a time where there would be a night curfew on an entire city of the size of Melbourne was unthinkable,” Morrison said.

Victoria reported 429 new cases yesterday, down from 671

new infections on Sunday, but 13 more deaths was the second highest daily death toll.

States bordering Victoria also took precautionary steps.

New South Wales, which had 13 new infections, strongly recommended the use of masks in all indoor venues, while South Australia, with two fresh

cases, reduced home gatherings to a maximum of 10 people from 50 previously.

The surge in new cases means an Australia-New Zealand travel bubble will be indefinitely delayed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said, as the criteria for places with quarantine-free

travel was no community trans-mission for 28 days.

“That is going to take a long time for Australia... so that will be on the backburner for some time,” she told New Zealand’s network Three.

Both countries had hoped travel between the two could restart as soon as September.

Pedestrians wearing face masks are seen outside Flinders Street Station, in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday, as the city operates under lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

India issues guidelines for reopening of gyms from tomorrowIANS — NEW DELHI

From maintaining a distance of six feet, using visor rather than mask, following respiratory etiquette, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare yesterday issued guidelines for re-opening of gyms and yoga centres as a part of the third phase of easing of lockdown.

Yoga institutes and gymna-siums are slated to open from August 5. The guidelines aim to minimise possible physical con-tacts between staff, members and visitors and maintain social distancing, other preventive and safety measures in context of COVID-19.

According to the guidelines, those above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of ten years are

advised not to use gyms in closed spaces.

“Spas, Sauna, Steam Bath and Swimming Pool shall remain closed,” the guidelines stated. Those visiting Yoga insti-tutes and gymnasiums are advised to use face covers or masks at all times within the premises.

“However, during yoga exercise or exercising in gym-nasiums, as far as possible only a visor may be used. Use of masks [in particular N-95 masks] during exercise may cause difficulty in breathing,” the Health Ministry said in the statement.

People have also been asked to maintain a minimum dis-tance of six feet as far as fea-sible, practice hand washing with soap, use hand sanitisers, follow respiratory etiquettes,

avoid spitting and use Aarogya Setu application.

The government also listed out specific measures for people to follow in a bid to reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus. Before opening the yoga institute and gymnasium, the owners have been directed to redesign the premises including proper placement of equipment.

“Plan yoga, gymnasiums floor area based on four metre square per person, place equipment six feet apart, utilize outdoor space by relocating equipment, create specific pathways for entering and exiting exercise areas using floor or wall markings,” the ministry directed.

It also includes ensuring queue management, promoting contactless payment, setting the air-conditioning devices in the

range of 24-30 degree Celsius, and relative humidity at 40-70 per cent, and ensuring adequate cross ventilation.

The government asked the gym and yoga institute owners to limit the number of staff and members within the general gymnasium floor, specific workout areas and change rooms and cover dustbins and trash cans. The ministry added, “The practice of Yogic Kriya(s) may be avoided for the time being. Even if it is to be prac-ticed essentially, it may be done in open spaces.”

Besides this, owners have been asked to keep staggering class session times and allow a minimum of 15-30 minutes between classes to avoid overlap between members arriving and leaving.

“ E n s u r e s e s s i o n s

are tailored to include only exercises that do not require physical contact between the trainer and the clients including setup and use of equipment. Limit the number of clients per session and ensure adequate spacing amongst all clients,” the guidelines added.

The gym and yoga institute has been directed to provide personal protection gears like face covers, masks, visors, hand sanitisers to the members, vis-itors and staff. “Ensure availa-bility of pulse oximeters to record oxygen saturation of members prior to the exercise.”

As per the rules, common exercise mats should be avoided and members should preferably bring their own exercise mats, shouting and laughter yoga exercise should not be allowed by the institutes.

Thai minister threatens Facebook with legal action

REUTERS — BANGKOK

Thailand’s digital minister has threatened legal action against Facebook and accused the social media giant of not complying with government requests to restrict content deemed illegal, including perceived insults to the coun-try’s monarchy.

The latest threat came after Facebook’s auto-trans-lation tool mistranslated a message in a Thai broad-caster’s post live-streaming King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday ceremony last week.

Facebook has apologised and temporarily disabled English-to-Thai auto-trans-lation. The incident sparked a flurry of complaints by Puttipong Punnakanta, Thai-land’s Minister of Digital Economy and Society, that Facebook was not responding fast enough to the Thai gov-ernment’s requests to restrict content. He also vowed stronger action against the company. He did not elaborate.

Vietnam says earlyAugust ‘decisive’ in containing coronavirusREUTERS — HANOI

Vietnam is in the midst of a “decisive” fight against the novel coronavirus, its premier said yesterday, focusing on the city of Danang where infections have appeared in four factories with a combined workforce of 3,700.

Vietnam, widely praised for its mitigation efforts since the coronavirus appeared in late January, is battling several new clusters of infection linked to Danang after going more than three months without detecting any domestic transmission.

“We have to deploy full force to curb all known epicentres, especially those in Danang,” official broadcaster Vietnam Tel-evision quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc telling gov-ernment officials.

“Early August will be the decisive time within which to stop the virus from spreading on a large scale.” The Southeast Asian country of 96 million has confirmed at least 642 infections, with six deaths.

Authorities yesterday reported 22 new cases linked to Danang, in central Vietnam and a tourism hot spot where the country’s first domestically trans-mitted case in 100 days was detected on July 25.

The source of the new out-break is unclear but it has spread to at least 10 places, including the capital Hanoi in the north and the business hub of Ho Chi Minh City in the south, infecting almost 200 people and killing six.

Four cases were found at fac-tories in different industrial parks in Danang that collectively employ 77,000 people, the Lao Dong newspaper said.

Vietnam does not plan to introduce a widespread lockdown beyond areas con-sidered to be epicentres of the current outbreak, a government spokesman said yesterday, “If there’s an infection in a hamlet, we will lock down that hamlet only, not the whole district or the whole province,” government spokesman Mai Tien Dung told a monthly news conference.

The government said on Saturday it planned to test Dan-ang’s entire population of 1.1 million people, part of “unprec-edented measures” to fight the outbreak. Danang imposed a lockdown last week, banning movement in and out of the coastal city and closing enter-tainment venues.

Buon Ma Thuot, a city in

Vietnam’s coffee-growing Central Highlands region, was also placed under lockdown on Monday, state media reported.

Twenty-three percent of the latest infections are asympto-matic, the government said, meaning people infected with the virus do not show symptoms of the COVID-19 respiratory sickness it causes.

Phuc said the new outbreak could have a more critical impact than previous waves of infection.

Authorities said on Sunday the strain of virus detected in Danang was a more contagious one, and that each infected person could infect 5-6 people, compared with 1.8-2.2 for infec-tions earlier in the year.

Medical specialists take testing samples from local residents in a residential area amid the spread of the coronavirus disease in Danang, Vietnam, yesterday.

Rains trigger

landslides in

Nepal, 10 dead

REUTERS — KATHMANDU

Heavy rain in Nepal triggered landslides yesterday that killed eight labourers at a construction site and two members of a family, taking the toll in floods and landslides to 177 since late May.

Elsewhere in South Asia, the annual rainy season brought more misery with at least 135 people killed in Bangladesh since late June in the longest-running floods there in more than two decades, while floods have killed nearly 120 people and displaced millions in the Indian states of Assam and Bihar .Nepali government official Murari Wasti said that the labourers were sleeping in a tin-roofed shelter near the capital, Kathmandu, when the landslide hit. “Rescuers dug through the mud and took out all eight bodies,” Wasti said. One injured labourer had been taken to hospital.

A second landslide nearby killed a woman and her husband. Wasti said 57 people were missing and 111 injured in floods or landslides caused by the May-September monsoon rains. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has also been hit with four soldiers killed there last month while rescuing villagers trapped in floods, officials said.

Cambodia activists urge release of unionistREUTERS — PHNOM PENH

Scores of activist groups in Cambodia urged the government yesterday to release and drop charges against a prominent union leader, who was arrested last week and accused of falsely claiming that land had been ceded to neigh-bouring Vietnam.

Rong Chhun, a border activist and top trade union leader, was arrested on Friday and charged with incitement to

commit a felony or cause social unrest, which could see him jailed for two years if convicted.

The government’s border affair committee said Rong Chhun had made a false July 20 statement that Cambodian farmers had lost land to Vietnam in a recent border post demar-cation, and that Vietnamese authorities had evicted Cam-bodian villagers.

Rong Chhun denied making the remarks or stirring up

trouble, according to his lawyer. It was his third arrest, the first time in 2005 over a border issue and again in 2014 after a protest.

“After more than a decade of harassment by authorities, this latest arrest of a respected union leader is a direct threat to every Cambodian who exercises their constitutional right to freely express their beliefs without having to fear a mid-night visit by police and years lost in prison,” said a statement by 141 civil society groups.

British woman jailed forhusband’s death in MalaysiaAP — ALOR SETAR

A British woman accused of stabbing her husband to death at their Malaysian resort home avoided the gallows and was sentenced to 42 months in jail yesterday after she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo said prosecutors reduced the murder charge against Samantha Jones, 51, to culpable homicide, which is murder without intent,

after the defence appealed to the attorney-general’s office.

“I was scared, and he was so angry,” Kaur quoted Jones as telling the court as she sought a lighter penalty before sentencing. “I miss him terribly. What I did that night was unintended. I tried to stop him, I did not know it would happen like this.” In addition to the 42-month jail sentence, Kaur said Jones was also fined 10,000 ringgit ($2,368).

From tomorrow night, Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, will close retail, some manufacturing and administrative businesses as part of a six-week lockdown.

06 TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020ASIA

Afghan troops retakeprison attacked byIS group; 29 killedAP — JALALABAD

Afghan forces said they retook a prison in the country’s east yesterday afternoon, following an hours-long battle a day after the facility was targeted by the Islamic State group in an attack that killed 29 people. The prison is believed to be holding hundreds of IS members.

The attack highlighted the challenges ahead for Afghan-istan, even as US and Nato forces begin to withdraw fol-lowing America striking a peace deal with the Taliban.

D e f e n c e M i n i s t r y spokesman Fawad Aman said the prison was taken back in the afternoon. The fighting also left at least 50 wounded.

Even as Afghan troops seized the prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, some 115km east of Kabul, IS militants continued to fire on Afghan security forces from a nearby neighbourhood.

Sporadic gunfire rang out from nearby residential buildings in central Jalalabad, an area of high security near the

provincial governor’s office.As security forces swept

through the prison, they found the bodies of two Taliban pris-oners apparently killed by the Islamic State group, showing the tensions between the two mil-itant factions battling each other in eastern Afghanistan.

The 29 dead included civilians, prisoners, guards and Afghan security forces, said Attaullah Khogyani, the pro-vincial governor’s spokesman.

The attack began on Sunday, when an Islamic State suicide bomber drove a car

laden with explosives up to the prison’s main gate, detonating the bomb. Islamic State mili-tants opened fire on the prison’s guards and poured in through the breach.

The IS affiliate in Afghan-istan, known as IS in Khorasan province and headquartered in Nangarhar province, later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Some of the 1,500 prisoners held at the prison in Jalalabad escaped during the fighting. Khyogyani said about 1,000 prisoners who earlier escaped had been found by security forces across the city. It wasn’t immediately clear if any pris-oners were still at large.

The attack came a day after authorities said Afghan special forces killed a senior Islamic State commander near Jala-labad. Several hundred pris-oners in Jalalabad are believed to be Islamic State members.

While the Islamic State group has seen its so-called caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria eliminated after a years-long campaign, the group

has continued fighting in Afghanistan. The extremists also have battled the Taliban in the country, whom the US over-threw following the 2001 Amer-ican-led invasion after the Sep-tember 11 attacks.

The Taliban’s political spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told The Associated Press that his group was not involved in the Jalalabad attack. The US struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February. A second, crucial round of negotiations

between the Taliban and the political leadership in Kabul has yet to start.

The Taliban had declared a three-day cease-fire starting last Friday for the major Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha. The cease-fire expired at 12am yes-terday, though it wasn’t imme-diately clear if it would be extended as the US pushes for an early start to intra-Afghan negotiations that have repeatedly been delayed since Washington signed the peace

deal with the Taliban.“We have a cease-fire and

are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country,” Shaheen said.

The Taliban also had denied being involved in a suicide bombing in eastern Logar province late on Thursday that killed at least nine people and wounded 40.

Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence, with most attacks claimed by the local IS affiliate.

Afghan security forces keep watch near the site of an attack on a jail compound in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, yesterday.

HK govt’s decision to delay election ‘may be unlawful’REUTERS — HONG KONG

The Hong Kong government’s decision to postpone an election for the city’s legislature by a year, by invoking emergency legislation after a spike in coro-navirus cases, may be unlawful, the city’s bar association said.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed the election for the Legislative Council, or Legco, citing public health dangers in the Chinese-ruled city, but said there were political considerations.

The poll would have been the former British colony’s first official vote since Beijing imposed a sweeping security law to tackle what China broadly defines as secession, subversion,

terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with punishment of up to life in prison.

Electoral rules in Hong Kong only allow votes to be postponed for 14 days, but colonial-era laws give the gov-ernment broad powers in case of threats to public safety.

In a statement on Sunday, the Hong Kong Bar Association said the electoral law was more recent and more specific when it comes to public health hazards at election time and “generally” should take prece-dence over older legislation.

Invoking emergency legis-lation to delay the scheduled vote “may turn out to be unlawful,” it said.

The delay came after 12

pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running for perceived subversive inten-tions and opposition to the security law, prompting ques-tions among many about whether the pandemic was the real reason for the delay.

The pro-democracy oppo-sition was hoping to win a his-toric majority in the legislature after an overwhelming win in lower level district council polls last year.

Lam said the local gov-ernment was seeking help from the Chinese parliament’s top decision making body to resolve the legislative vacuum created by the expiring mandate of the Legco.

The Hong Kong government “is effectively inviting” Beijing

“to override the relevant pro-visions” of its mini-constitution and local laws “to circumvent possible legal challenges,” the Bar Association said.

“This is contrary to the prin-ciples of legality and legal cer-tainty and degrades the rule of law in Hong Kong.” Washington has also condemned the post-ponement, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying it was likely that “Hong Kong will never again be able to vote - for anything or anyone.”

President Donald Trump on Thursday raised the possibility of delaying the November 3 US presidential election, but the Constitution bestows that power on Congress, not the president.

Manila and five otherprovinces in lockdownas virus cases surgeAP — MANILA

The Philippine president has agreed to place the capital and outlying provinces back under a lockdown after medical groups warned that the country was waging “a losing battle” against the coronavirus amid an alarming surge in infections.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said yesterday that metropolitan Manila, the capital region of more than 12 million people, and five densely populated provinces will revert to stricter quarantine restric-tions for two weeks starting today.

The move, which economic officials oppose, will again pro-hibit non-essential travel outside of homes.

President Rodrigo Duterte relaxed the country’s lockdown on June 1 in an effort to restart the stalled economy.

Under the new restrictions, police checkpoints will return to ensure only authorized people, including medical per-sonnel and workers in vital companies, venture out of their homes, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said.

Other businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, Internet cafes, gyms, dine-in restau-rants, massage and tattoo shops, drive-in cinemas and tourist destinations, will again be closed.

Authorised companies including banks, health and food processing firms can operate partly but need to shuttle their employees

between home and work. Workers can travel by bike, motorcycle and private car, but mass transit will be closed.

Many expressed support for the medical workers but reac-tions were mixed on the lock-down’s return. Allan Espanola, a 33-year-old jobless man, said it will bring more burdens to the people. “We’ll suffer more. It’s like we’re going to square one again,” he said.

“Any lockdown is not effective on its own. It should be accompanied by a strong health response,” opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said.

Businesses in the capital and outlying regions comprise about 67 percent of the national economy and the Duterte administration has walked a tightrope between public health and economic revival.

The economy contracted slightly in the first quarter but is likely facing a deep recession from the massive business clo-sures that started when Duterte declared a strict lockdown in mid-March.

Leaders of nearly 100 medical organizations held a rare online news conference Saturday and warned that the health system has been over-whelmed by infection spikes and may collapse as health workers fall ill or resign from exhaustion and fear.

They asked Duterte to reimpose a tight lockdown in the capital to allow the gov-ernment to give health workers “a time out” and allow the gov-ernment to recalibrate its response to the pandemic.

Heavy rain hits South Korea's central regions

A general view of the flooding over a submerged park beside the Han river in Seoul, yesterday. Heavy rain hit South Korea’s central regions causing flooded houses and roads.

Court told NAB

arrested Sharif

Group’s CFO on

‘solid evidence’

INTERNEWS — LAHORE

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan has said it arrested Mohammad Usman, the Chief Financial Officer of the Sharif Group of Companies, over alleged evidence and in light of witnesses’ statements relating to money laundering activities.

The remarks were made by NAB Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua during the hearing of a plea yesterday filed by Usman.

The NAB prosecutor told the court that the CFO had been arrested based on state-ments of suspects who were arrested previously on money laundering charges.

“Mohammad Usman used to launder money for the Sharif family,” the prosecutor told the court.

To this, the court asked Janjua if the suspect had been told on what grounds he had been arrested. To this, the NAB prosecutor said that the reasons were properly conveyed.

When the court asked Usman regarding his arrest, the suspect said that he was trav-elling on Multan Road two days ago, when his arrest was made.

“The NAB officials told me the reasons behind [my] arrest last night,” he told the court.

He further appealed to the court that he is a patient of high blood pressure and should be allowed home-cooked meals.

Usman’s lawyer, however, told the court that his client was arrested on a “political basis”. “Mohammad Usman is a chartered accountant and a very qualified individual,” the lawyer told the court, stressing that the arrest was not justified.

Flooding threatens Karachi as more rains forecastINTERNEWS — KARACHI

The Met Office (Meteorological Department) has issued a warning that Karachi and lower Sindh can suffer from urban flooding in the days to come, as the fourth looming monsoon spell may wreak more havoc in the province than the earlier three spells.

The institution predicted that the fourth spell of monsoon rain in Karachi, which is forecast from August 7-8, can result in more rain than the previous three spells. A low lying pressure system, formed in the Bay of Bengal, is expected to enter Sindh on August 6.

Last week, the Pakistan Army was called in to help the local administration in

managing and dealing with the urban flooding crisis in Karachi.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the “Army [was] called to assist civil administration for managing the urban flooding situation in Karachi”.

National Disaster Man-agement Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal, while addressing a press conference, had said that Kara-chi’s stormwater drains have “too many encroachments” on them.

He said that daily, as much as 20,000 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Karachi. “The widths of most of the nullahs have been narrowed from 400 metres to three to four metres,” the NDMA chairman had said.

China accuses US of harassing Chinese students, researchersAP — BEIJING

China yesterday accused the United States of “monitoring, harassing and willfully detaining” Chinese students and researchers in the US.

Foreign ministry spokes-person Wang Wenbin’s com-ments follow the denial of a bail request in California for a uni-versity researcher accused of lying about her ties to China’s military and governing Com-munist Party to gain access to the United States.

Wang also criticized the Trump administration for imposing sanctions on a major paramilitary organization in the country’s western Xinjiang

region and on two officials for alleged human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minorities.

Wang said China had no intention of helping Juan Tang escape from the United States, but did not otherwise comment directly on the accusations against her.

However, he said China urges the US to “handle the case fairly in accordance with the law and ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests” due to Tang.

“For some time, the US, with ideological prejudice, keeps monitoring, harassing and willfully detaining Chinese students and researchers, and

making presumptions of guilt against Chinese researchers,” Wang said.

“The US actions have seri-ously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and severely disrupted the normal cultural and per-sonnel exchanges between China and the US, which amounts to outright political persecution,” he said.

In denying bail, US Magis-trate Judge Deborah Barnes said Tang, 37, would have reason to leave the country if released. Tang has been held without bail since July 23 when she was arrested after she left the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to seek medical care for her asthma.

The 29 dead included civilians, prisoners, guards and Afghan security forces, said Attaullah Khogyani, the provincial governor’s spokesman. The fighting also left at least 50 wounded.

“I call on every French person to remain very vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.

07TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020 EUROPE

France urged ‘not to let down guard’ in fight against virusAFP — LILLE, FRANCE

Prime Minister Jean Castex (pictured) yesterday urged France “not to let down its guard” in the fight against the coronavirus in order to prevent a new national lockdown, as concern grows over a surge in cases.

“The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we,” the Premier said on a visit to the northeastern city of Lille. “We need to protect ourselves against this virus, without putting a stop to our economic and social life, in other words avoiding the risk of a new gen-eralised lockdown.”

The country has emerged relatively swiftly from a two-month lockdown imposed to combat the virus, but this has come with the risk of an increase in cases.

France, which has regis-tered over 30,000 deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic, recorded thousands of new confirmed infections last week, prompting some regions to reimpose local restrictions.

“We are seeing an increase in the figures for the epidemic which should make us more attentive than ever,” Castex said. “I call on every French person to remain very vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us,” he added.

Castex, a right-wing tech-nocrat, was named prime

minister last month in a cabinet reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron. Before his appointment, Castex master-minded the plan that took France out of lockdown.

He faces a delicate August in the frontline of the health crisis, with Macron decamped for his annual holiday at the Fort de Bregancon presidential retreat in the south of France.

The city of Lille, a bustling hub close to the Belgian border, has been the subject of par-ticular concern with the prev-alence of the virus doubling to 38 people per 100,000 in just two weeks.

In parts of the city it is now obligatory to wear masks outside to limit contagion, a move that local authorities in France can decide themselves. Outdoor mask-wearing has also been made mandatory in parts of the northern region of Mayenne, as well as the popular coastal holiday destinations of Biarritz, Saint-Malo and Le Touquet.

The mayor of the southern city of Nice, Christian Estrosi,

announced yesterday that masks would be obligatory on some streets, including the busiest ones by the Mediterranean Sea.

Asked how long the measure would remain in force, he replied: “Until someone tells me that the virus is not circu-lating.” Police were already out on the streets of Nice to enforce the new rule, but fines for not wearing masks — which can go as high as €135 ($158) — will only be imposed from tomorrow. The French gov-ernment has encouraged cit-izens to go on holiday this year, especially within the country, in the hope of giving some help to an economy that contracted by a whopping 13.8 percent in the second quarter.

But officials are keenly aware that opening up brings risks, and the government has been troubled by scenes espe-cially of young people partying at close quarters outdoors in holiday spots.

A view of the new San Giorgio bridge on the inauguration day in Genoa yesterday. The new high-tech structure will have four maintenance robots running along its length to spot weathering or erosion, as well as a special dehumidification system to limit corrosion.

Genoa has new bridge 2 years after span’s deadly collapseAP — GENOA, ITALY

Italy’s President and other dig-nitaries inaugurated a replacement bridge yesterday in Genoa, but the families of those killed when the Morandi Bridge collapsed boycotted the event along with the firefighters who pulled many of the 43 dead from smashed cars and trucks.

Two years ago this month, a stretch of the Morandi Bridge suddenly gave way in a violent rainstorm, sending vehicles plunging to the dry riverbed below. The new bridge — a key artery for the northwestern Italian port city — was erected thanks to round-the-clock con-struction, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rain drenched the new bridge just before the cer-emony, which started with

national anthem and a reci-tation of the names of the dead.

The families of the dead agreed to meet with President Sergio Mattarella privately before the event but announced they were skipping the cer-emony. They’re angry not with him but upset that the company which maintained Morandi Bridge will still run the new bridge for a while more, since poor maintenance is being investigated as a possible cause of the collapse.

“No one can give us back our dead,’’ Egle Possetti, who leads an association of the bridge victims’ families, told Sky TG24. Possetti, who lost a sister and other family members in the col-lapse, said she hoped attention would stay focused on the ongoing criminal investigation into the collapse.

Prosecutors are probing what caused Morandi Bridge to collapse on Aug. 14, 2018, on the eve of Italy’s biggest summer holiday. Riccardo Morandi, the engineer who designed the bridge that was built in the 1960s, had recommended con-tinual maintenance to remove rust. Prosecutors have said they are investigating to see if proper maintenance was consistently carried out over the years on the heavily used span.

Designing the new span was Genoa native, Renzo Piano, a renowned architect. The design aims to evoke a ship’s bow to honor the city’s proud sea-faring history and has 43 lamps in memory of the dead.

Traffic will start crossing the new San Giorgio Bridge, named after St. George, tomorrow.

Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume dies aged 83AFP — LONDON

John Hume (pictured), the Northern Irish politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his pivotal role in ending decades of violence in the British province, has died aged 83, his family announced yesterday.

Hume, the former leader of the mainly Catholic Social Dem-ocratic and Labour Party (SDLP), shared the Nobel with David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party after the pair helped forge the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

It helped to end three

decades of strife in Northern Ireland between the largely Catholic nationalist community who want to reunify with Ireland and Protestant unionists who want to remain part of Britain.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness,” Hume’s family said in a statement.

“John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.” Hume had been suffering from dementia

and had been in the care of a nursing home in Londonderry, where he was born.

A consistently moderate voice during a conflict that killed almost 3,600 people, he helped lead the cross-community peace

process that culminated in the landmark 1998 deal reached by Belfast, Dublin and London.

Tributes poured in for Hume from across the political spectrum. “John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past,” said former British prime minister Tony Blair, who helped craft the Good Friday Agreement.

“His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remem-bered for it.” Irish Prime Min-ister Micheal Martin said it was “impossible to properly express the scale and significance of

John Hume’s life”. “He was one of the towering figures of Irish public life of the last century. His vision and tenacity saved this country,” he said.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster, leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, called Hume “a giant in Irish nationalism”.

“In our darkest days he rec-ognised that violence was the wrong path (and) worked stead-fastly to promote democratic politics,” she added. Hume’s own party, the SDLP, said: “We all live in the Ireland he imagined — at peace and free to decide our own destiny.”

Ocean Shield naval exerciseRussian marines disembark from a Kamov Ka-27PS military helicopter during the Ocean Shield 2020 naval exercise at the Khmelevka firing ground on the Baltic Sea coast in Kaliningrad Region, Russia, yesterday.

German children start new school yearAFP — ROSTOCK, GERMANY

Lunchbox, books, pencil case — masks? Thousands of children in northern Germany became the first in Europe to begin a new school year yesterday after months of curtailed hours over the coronavirus pandemic.

The rest of the country was watching anxiously as 150,000 children returned to school in M e c k l e n b u r g - W e s t e r n Pomerania, Germany’s first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays, with infection numbers on the rise again.

Education ministers of Ger-many’s 16 states had agreed for schools to reopen full-time after the summer break, after offering only partial hours in the weeks when the lockdown was eased.

With children in Hamburg to also return to school later this week and Berlin to follow next week, a debate is now growing over whether full-time school is realistic as infection numbers rise above 500 per day again. But officials warn that children cannot afford to miss more school. “The children need to be present in school because we have to prevent more lost time,” Steffen Kaestner, headteacher of the CJD Jugenddorf-Christophorus school in Rostock, said.

At the CJD school, different

age groups are being taught separately, so that if a pupil tests positive, only one class will have to go into quarantine and the rest of the school can remain open.

Masks must be worn in the corridors, classrooms regularly ventilated and pupils are urged to wash their hands regularly and respect social distancing.

Not all went entirely to plan on Monday morning, however, as students excited to see their friends again after so long couldn’t resist a few hugs in the playground. “We hope every-thing will go well. We just don’t know where they’ve been on holiday,” Kaestner confessed.

CJD has 1,350 students aged 9-18. Only two are missing, a decision by their parents, “who belong to a risk group,” said the headteacher, but all the teachers are present.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has so far been rel-atively unaffected by the coro-navirus, with only 20 deaths out of a total 9,200 in Germany since the beginning of the crisis.

Authorities have therefore decided to stick to basic hygiene measures agreed in mid-July by Germany’s 16 states. These include main-taining a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between pupils outside classrooms, excluding pupils with symptoms and free testing for teachers.

UK to roll out millions of rapid COVID-19 tests after criticism

REUTERS — LONDON

Millions of COVID-19 tests able to detect the virus within 90 minutes will be rolled out in Britain, the country’s health minister said yesterday, after criticism there has not been enough testing especially in nursing homes.

Last week, one of Britain’s largest care home providers CareUK said the government is unable to meet its promise to regularly test staff and res-idents in care homes after problems were discovered with the kits currently being used.

Capacity will be boosted at hospitals, care homes and lab-oratories starting from next week, the government said on Monday, comprising 5.8 million tests using DNA and 450,000 swab tests. Neither will need to be administered by a health professional.

“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others,” said Health Minister Matt Hancock.

“We are on track to deliver half a million tests a day by the end of October,” he said.

Separately, the National Health Service said it would be offering “COVID-friendly” treatments to cancer patients, including drugs that do not have a big impact on the immune system.

Public anger over graft hits support for Bulgarian govtREUTERS — SOFIA

Weeks of anti-government pro-tests in Bulgaria have eroded public support for the centre-right GERB government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, with opinion polls showing deepening political fragmentation amid concerns over corruption.

A new poll by Alpha Research yesterday showed GERB’s public support at 14.5%,

down from 21.7% in December, while nearly 46% of Bulgarians said they were undecided or would not vote, up from 27.3% seven months earlier.

Thousands of Bulgarians have been rallying since early July, demanding the resignation of three-time premier Borissov over his failure to combat endemic graft. He has refused to step down until regular elec-tions next March, saying the

European Union’s poorest country cannot afford political “chaos” ahead of a looming coronavirus economic crisis.

Despite the protests, GERB has held to its fragile top position among political groupings in Bulgaria, followed by opposition Socialists, who also had their support plunge to 10.4% from 18.2% last December, the poll showed.

About 60% of the Bulgarians

say they support the anti-graft protests but remain divided on whether the government should resign. Some 40% say they want snap polls, while about 37% think Borissov’s government should carry out its full four-year term.

Over a decade after joining the EU, Bulgaria ranks as its most corrupt member, according to Transparency International. It has yet to jail a senior gov-ernment official for graft.

Some countries hit hard by the new coronavirus — including the United States, Britain and Italy — are considering whether these long-term effects can be considered a post-COVID syndrome.

08 TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

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

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

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

EDITORIAL

QATAR is embarking on tourism drive once again. Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has launched a vibrant array of offers and activities for residents to enjoy during the summer holidays.

Through fruitful collaboration with its stakeholders, QNTC is developing attractive promotions and activa-tions to strengthen the tourism industry and ancillary sectors such as retail, culture and hospitality, working to deliver a vibrant calendar of events throughout the year that reinforce Qatar’s position as a preferred tourist destination for families. The Qatar Summer Programme will be offered in collaboration with QNTC’s partners from across the public and private sectors, including hospitality, Qatar Museums and United Development Company (UDC), among others. A host of exciting hos-pitality deals, outdoor experiences and activities centred around fashion, arts and culture are in store for people of all ages and interests.

To celebrate summer, QNTC has partnered with hotels to bring residents a wide range of staycation packages and other hospitality deals at more than 40 establishments across the country. Late last month, Qatar National Tourism Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, launched the first phase of the “Qatar Clean” program in all hotels across the country. The first stage focuses on protecting the safety of hospitality workers and guests by setting standards for sterilization and disinfection that all hotel establishments must adhere to.

It complies with MoPH guidelines on reducing the spread of COVID-19 and further complements inde-pendent measures already being undertaken by hotels. Hotels meeting the requirements will be certified “Qatar Clean”, assuring the public that they are able to provide a safe experience for guests.

QNTC Secretary-General and Group Chief Exec-utive of Qatar Airways, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to launch the Qatar Clean program and delighted by the support we have received from the Ministry of Public Health. We are confident that this will engender trust in safe tourism in Qatar. The Qatar Clean program is one of many initiatives by QNTC, in collab-oration with our partners, to help the sector welcome back visitors; first from Qatar, and when conditions allow, from the rest of the world.”

During the Doha Forum Plenary session in December last year, H E Al Baker had stated: “Tourism is an important sector not only in terms of tangible economic impact, but also for building bridges of understanding between peoples and changing deeply-rooted misperceptions. We are proud of the role tourism and aviation has played in creating more awareness and understanding of our country, and of the policy of openness which has made us the most welcoming country in the Middle East.”

Strengthening tourism industry

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Quote of the day

We all hope to have a number of effective

vaccines that can help prevent people from

infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the

moment -- and there might never be.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

Laura Gross looks out from her balcony in Fort Lee, New Jersey, US, yesterday.

Late in March, Laura Gross, 72, was recovering from gall bladder surgery in her Fort Lee, New Jersey, home when she became sick again.

Her throat, head and eyes hurt, her muscles and joints ached and she felt like she was in a fog. Her diagnosis was COVID-19. Four months later, these symptoms remain.

Gross sees a primary care doctor and specialists including a cardiologist, pul-monologist, endocrinologist, neurologist, and gastroenterologist.

“I’ve had a headache since April. I’ve never stopped running a low-grade temper-

ature,” she said.Studies of COVID-19

patients keep uncovering new complications associated with the disease.

With mounting evidence that some COVID-19 sur-vivors face months, or pos-sibly years, of debilitating complications, healthcare experts are beginning to study possible long-term costs.

Bruce Lee of the City Uni-versity of New York (CUNY) Public School of Health esti-mated that if 20% of the US population contracts the virus, the one-year post-hos-pitalization costs would be at least $50 billion, before fac-toring in longer-term care for lingering health problems. Without a vaccine, if 80% of the population became infected, that cost would balloon to $204 billion.

Some countries hit hard by the new coronavirus - including the United States, Britain and Italy - are consid-ering whether these long-term effects can be considered a “post-COVID syndrome,” according to Reuters inter-views with about a dozen doctors and health economists.

Some US and Italian hos-pitals have created centers devoted to the care of these patients and are standard-izing follow-up measures.

Britain’s Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention are each leading national studies of

COVID-19’s long-term impacts. An international panel of doctors will suggest standards for mid- and long-term care of recovered patients to the World Health Organization (WHO) in August.

More than 17 million people have been infected by the new coronavirus worldwide, about a quarter of them in the United States.

Healthcare experts say it will be years before the costs for those who have recovered can be fully calcu-lated, not unlike the slow recognition of HIV, or the health impacts to first responders of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

They stem from COV-ID-19’s toll on multiple organs, including heart, lung and kidney damage that will likely require costly care, such as regular scans and ultra-sounds, as well as neuro-logical deficits that are not yet fully understood.

A JAMA Cardiology study found that in one group of COVID-19 patients in Germany aged 45 to 53, more than 75% suffered from heart inflammation, raising the pos-sibility of future heart failure.

A Kidney International study found that over a third of COVID-19 patients in a New York medical system developed acute kidney injury, and nearly 15% required dialysis.

Dr. Marco Rizzi in Bergamo, Italy, an early epi-center of the pandemic, said the Giovanni XXIII Hospital has seen close to 600 COVID-19 patients for follow-up. About 30% have lung issues, 10% have neurological problems, 10% have heart issues and about 9% have lin-gering motor skill problems. He co-chairs the WHO panel that will recommend long-term follow-up for patients.

“On a global level, nobody knows how many will still need checks and treatment in three months, six months, a year,” Rizzi said, adding that even those with mild COVID-19 “may have conse-quences in the future.” Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital has seen more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients for follow-up. While major cardiology problems there were few, about 30% to 40% of patients have neurological problems and at least half suffer from respiratory conditions, according to Dr. Moreno Tresoldi.

Some of these long-term effects have only recently emerged, too soon for health economists to study medical claims and make accurate estimates of costs.

In Britain and Italy, those costs would be borne by their respective governments, which have committed to funding COVID-19 treatments but have offered few details on how much may be needed.

MICHAEL R BLOOMBERG BLOOMBERG

As Congress debates how to address the economic calamity we are facing, we have an unprecedented opportunity to put people to work addressing the climate crisis - and we should start by hiring laid-off oil and gas workers to help lead the way.

The fact is, the US oil and gas sector was in trouble even before the pandemic struck. Last year more than three dozen producers declared bankruptcy, hobbled by declining energy prices and rising debt. The pace of filings has quickened with the spread of the coronavirus, and even after the virus threat subsides - which is unlikely to be anytime soon - cheap renewables will drive more firms under.

This turmoil has hurt oil and gas workers - some 100,000 have been laid off this year alone - and commu-nities that depend on fossil fuel extraction are suffering.

The bankruptcies have also left scars on the environment, in the form of abandoned oil and gas wells. Some 3 million such sites are scattered across the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and most are leaking copious amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

But the US could meet both challenges in one stroke - by paying laid-off energy workers to clean up aban-doned wells.

Plugging a single aban-doned well can cut its methane emissions by 99%, according to the EPA, and the work requires skills that oil and gas workers already possess. Yet despite the best efforts of state regulators, most abandoned wells - more than 2 million - remain unplugged. A federal program to plug so-called orphan wells could create as many as 120,000 well-paying jobs, while preventing hundreds of thousands of tons of green-house gases from escaping into the atmosphere. It’s an

idea that appeals to environ-mental groups, fossil fuel dependent states, and even some fossil-fuel industry leaders.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has included the idea as part of his green energy cam-paign platform. I’ve spoken with him about it, and I know how strongly he supports it. It’s a perfect example of how growing the economy and fighting climate change go hand in hand. Joe gets it, and this is the kind of practical policy - that helps hard-hit communities while also pro-tecting the environment - that he would lead as president.

However, we need these jobs right now, and the infra-structure stimulus bill passed by the House would create a federal well-plugging program. While it could stand to be more ambitious - it would plug about 60,000 wells, far less than the 500,000 that experts have proposed - it’s a step in the right direction. Its $2 billion price tag should be modest

enough to appeal to Repub-licans, many of whom rep-resent states such as Texas and Oklahoma that would see immediate job benefits.

The bill would also make a start on mending the broken system for funding well cleanups. Polluters should be held accountable for cleaning up their own messes. They’re legally required to, and besides, that’s what corporate responsibility is all about. But many try to use bankruptcy to escape their obligations to workers and shift their cleanup responsibilities to taxpayers. The bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi shep-herded through the House would address this, by requiring firms to set aside enough money to retire wells before they drill them. At the moment, states can try to attract business by mini-mizing that financial requirement, which is how we’ve ended up in this mess. We need a national standard to prevent it from happening again.

COVID-19 long-term toll signals billions in healthcare costs ahead

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Anxious WHO implores world to ‘do it all’ in long war on COVID-19REUTERS — GENEVA

The World Health Organisation warned yesterday that there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19 in the form of a perfect vaccine and that the road to normality would be long, with some countries requiring a reset of strategy.

More than 18.14 million people around the world are reported to have been infected with the disease and 688,080 have died, according to a tally, with some nations that thought they were over the worst expe-riencing a resurgence.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan exhorted nations to rigorously enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and testing.

“The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all’,” Tedros told a virtual news

briefing from the UN body’s headquarters in Geneva. He said face masks should become a symbol of solidarity round the world.

“A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be.” The WHO head said that, while the coronavirus was the biggest health emergency

since the early 20th century, the international scramble for a v a c c i n e w a s a l s o “unprecedented”.

But he underscored uncer-tainties. “There are concerns that we may not have a vaccine that may work, or its protection could be for just a few months, not more. But until we finish the clinical trials, we will not know.”

Ryan said countries with high transmission rates, including Brazil and India, needed to brace for a big battle:

“The way out is long and requires a sustained com-mitment,” he said, calling for a “reset” of approach in some places.

“Some countries are really going to have to take a step back now and really take a look at how they are addressing the pandemic within their national borders,” he added.

Asked about the US out-break, which White House

coronavirus experts say is entering a “new phase”, he said officials seemed to have set out the “right path” and it was not the WHO’s job to do so.

The WHO officials said an advance investigation team had concluded its China mission and laid out the groundwork for further efforts to identify the origins of the virus.

The study is one of the demands made by top donor

the United States which plans to leave the body next year, accusing it of being too acqui-escent to C hina.

A larger, WHO-led team of Chinese and international experts is planned next, including in the city of Wuhan, although the timing and com-position of that was unclear. Ryan said China had already given some information but knowledge gaps remained.

A file photo of Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

Russia aims toproduce ‘millions’of vaccine dosesby next yearAFP — MOSCOW

Russia said yesterday it aims to launch mass production of a coronavirus vaccine next month and turn out “several million” doses per month by next year.

The country is pushing ahead with several vaccine pro-totypes and one trialled by the Gamaleya institute in Moscow has reached advanced stages of development and is about to pass state registration, officials said.

“We are very much counting on starting mass production in September,” Industry Minister Denis Manturov said in an interview published by state news agency TASS.

“We will be able to ensure production volumes of several hundred thousand a month, with an eventual increase to several million by the start of next year,” he said, adding that one developer is preparing pro-duction technology at three locations in central Russia.

The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which finances the trials, said he expects official registration of the vaccine to be complete “within ten days.”

“If this happens in the next ten days, we will be ahead not just of the United States but other countries too, it will be the first registered coronavirus vaccine,” RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said in televised remarks.

Another vaccine, developed by Siberia-based Vektor lab, is currently undergoing clinical trials and two more will begin human testing within the next two months, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday.

Gamaleya’s vaccine is a so-called viral vector vaccine, meaning it employs another virus to carry the DNA encoding

the needed immune response into cells.

Gamaleya’s vaccine is based on the adenovirus, a similar technology to the coronavirus vaccine prototype developed by China’s CanSino, currently in the advanced stage of clinical trials.

The state-run Gamaleya institute came under fire after researchers and its director injected themselves with the prototype several months ago, with specialists criticising the move as an unorthodox and rushed way of starting human trials.

Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, said it was too early to register a vaccine.

“I believe a vaccine that is not properly checked must not be registered, no matter in what country,” he said.

“It is impossible to ensure the vaccine’s safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic,” he said.

“You can make anything, but who is going to buy it?” Zverev added that the three firms named as future pro-ducers of Russia’s vaccines are well-known pharmaceutical firms that do not normally make vaccines, let alone high-tech ones using DNA technology.

“No adenovirus-based vaccine has been proven effective before,” he said. “How are they going to grow it? Nobody explains this.” Moscow has dismissed allegations from the UK, the United States and Canada that a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence services tried to steal infor-mation about a coronavirus vaccine from labs in the West.

At more than 850,000 infections, Russia’s coronavirus caseload is currently fourth in the world after the United States, Brazil and India.

People wearing protective face masks inside a Moscow subway train, yesterday.

Poland’s top court rules election result validAFP — WARSAW

Poland’s Supreme Court yesterday approved the result of last month’s hotly contested presidential election but said there had been dozens of irreg-ularities.

President Andrzej Duda, who is backed by the ruling populist right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, narrowly won re-election on July 12 with 51 percent.

His rival, Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski from the Civic Platform party, came a close second with 49 percent.

“The Supreme Court con-firms the validity of the election of Andrzej Sebastian Duda to the Polish presidency,” judge Ewa Stefanska said in her ruling yesterday.

The opposition had asked for the result to be declared invalid, complaining in par-ticular that the state television network TVP had favoured the incumbent.

The Supreme Court received more than 5,800 com-plaints, mainly related to voter registration, failure to receive ballots in time and problems with voting abroad.

It upheld only 93 of the complaints, but said this was not sufficient to affect the final result of the vote.

Duda is due to be formally sworn in today.

The election was originally scheduled for May at a time when Duda was riding high in the opinion polls, but it had to be delayed because of the coro-navirus pandemic.

Duda’s support fell consid-erably — also because of the fallout from the virus which is pushing Poland into its first recession since the end of com-munism in 1989.

Observers from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institu-tions and Human Rights earlier said the vote was “tarnished” by biased coverage on public television.

“The incumbent’s campaign and coverage by the public broadcaster were marked by homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric,” they also said in a statement.

During the campaign, Duda accused his rival of failing to rule out Jewish wartime com-pensation claims which the government says should be addressed to Germany.

Virus cases in Belgium's intensive care units double in a monthAFP — BRUSSELS

The number of coronavirus patients admitted to Belgium’s intensive care units has doubled in a month and the epidemic is spreading “intensively”, health officials warned yesterday.

Belgium suffered one of the highest per capita rates of infection at the height of COV-ID-19’s progress through Europe but began easing lockdown measures in May after the disease peaked.

Now, cases are climbing once again and the country of 11 million has postponed plans to further ease anti-virus measures, while imposing tougher controls in the port city of Antwerp.

“We can see that the virus is circulating intensively in our ter-ritory. The numbers continue to

rise,” federal virus taskforce spokeswoman Frederique Jacobs said.

“There are no less than 13 municipalities in which more than 100 people per 100,000 inhabitants have tested positive, that’s one person in 1,000 infected as of last week.” On average 2.7 people died of COVID-19 every day in Belgium in the last week of July, up by about a third from two in the pre-vious seven days. At least 9,845 have died since the epidemic arrived.

The rate of daily new cases climbed 68 percent between the two weeks, and the daily number of hospitalisations by more than a third. In total 69,849 cases have been detected in the country, although most recover. Most of the new wave

of infections are among young adults, but nevertheless, Jacobs said, “The number of people admitted to intensive care has doubled since the beginning of July.”

Separately, the economic damage caused by the epidemic continued to cut a swathe through Belgium’s cultural sector, with the historic Ancienne Belgique music hall letting go 200 “external workers”, freelance contractors.

The theatre has not hosted a live concert since March and under current anti-virus rules when it reopens in September its 1,000-seater hall will be limited to 100 s u i t a b l y d i s t a n c e d ticket-holders.

“That’s not workable for us,” interim director Marc Vrebos said, explaining the hall had written to security, cleaning, technical and hospitality workers to warn them not to count on getting new shifts.

Citizens wear medical masks to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus pandemic at a street in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday.

Opposition candidate Ali sworn in as Guyana’s PresidentAFP — GEORGETOWN

Guyana’s opposition candidate was sworn in as President on Sunday, hours after being declared winner of the disputed March 2 general election in the oil-rich, cash-poor South American nation.

Irfaan Ali, 40, of the Peo-ple’s Progressive Party (PPP) was named the top vote-getter by Guyana Elections Com-mission chief Claudette Singh 154 days after the poll, following a recount, court battles and allegations of fraud.

Outgoing leader David Granger, 74, said his coalition “respects the lawful conse-quences of the ‘declaration’” by the elections commission, but also said claims of electoral fraud and other irregularities would be taken to the High Court. Granger appealed to his supporters to be peaceful.

Ali called for national unity in this former British colony whose population is almost evenly split among ethnic lines, with descendants of Indian indentured labourers supporting the PPP and descendants of African slaves backing Granger’s coalition.

“There is only one future and that future requires a united Guyana, that future requires a strong Guyana,” Ali said.

The election in Guyana, a country of 750,000 bordered by Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, was being watched more closely than might ordi-narily be the case because the

winner will be in control of a coming oil boom.

Last December, ExxonMobil began commercial exploitation of a huge 2016 oil discovery off the coast, and production is expected to grow from 52,000 barrels per day to 750,000 from 2025.

The declaration of Ali, a former housing minister, as winner brings to an end five months of court cases by Granger’s Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (ANPU-AFC) over results from a national vote recount, after international observers said initial results in

Guyana’s most densely popu-lated electoral district had been inflated in favour of the incumbent. International parties including the Organi-zation of American States (OAS), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), European Union, US, Britain and Canada had called for recount figures to be used to declare the winner.

On July 1, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said Guyana needed to “get on with” a transition of power, and two weeks later imposed visa sanc-tions on members of Granger’s administration “responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Guyana.” Under Guyana’s proportional repre-sentation electoral system, the PPP won 33 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly with 233,336 votes. The APNU-AFC earned 31 seats with 217,920 votes.

Irfaan Ali, 40, of the People’s Progressive Party was named the top vote-getter by Guyana Elections Commission chief Claudette Singh 154 days after the poll, following a recount, court battles and allegations of fraud.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan exhorted nations to rigorously enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and testing. “The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all’,” Tedros told a virtual news briefing from the UN body’s headquarters in Geneva.

The bill now heads to Governor Steve Sisolak, a Democrat. If he signs it as expected, Nevada will join seven states that plan on automatically sending voters mail ballots, including California and Vermont, which moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.

10 TUESDAY 4 AUGUST 2020AMERICAS

Nevada lawmakers okay mailing voters ballots, Trump slams moveAP – CARSON CITY

Nevada state lawmakers passed a bill on Sunday that would add the state to a growing list of US states that will mail active voters ballots ahead of the November election amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill now heads to Gov-ernor Steve Sisolak, a Dem-ocrat. If he signs it as expected, Nevada will join seven states that plan on automatically sending voters mail ballots, including California and Vermont, which moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.

President Donald Trump called the bill’s passage “an illegal late night coup” in a tweet yesterday morning. He accused Sisolak of exploiting COVID-19 to ensure votes in Nevada would favor Democrats. “Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Repub-licans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without prepa-ration... See you in court!”

Trump has claimed the mail ballots would lead to fraud and compromise the integrity of the election. The consensus among experts is that all forms of voter fraud are rare.

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske told law-makers on Friday that she wasn’t aware of any fraud in the June primary, when Nevada mailed all active voters absentee ballots and only opened a limited number of polling places to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Limited polling places in Reno and Las Vegas resulted in lines of up to eight hours.

The US Center for Disease Control has issued election guidance to provide a wide variety of voting options and limit crowds at polling places.

In the June primary, all Nevada counties had one polling place except for Clark County, which had three in the Las Vegas area. The bill requires at least 140 polling places throughout the state in November, including 100 in Clark County, which had 179 in the November 2018 election.

Christine Saunders of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada said the long waits in the June primary demon-strated why Nevada needs both mail and in-person voting opportunities.

In states such as Colorado and Oregon, which have mailed all voters ballots for years, the procedure is cheaper than holding an in-person election.

But Cegavske said the equipment, education, printing and postage would cost the Nevada Secretary of State’s office an additional $3m, not including costs to counties, which distribute and tabulate ballots.

Nevada spent more than $4m in federal relief dollars in the June primary, most of it fun-neled to counties. More than $1m went toward leasing counting and sorting machines

to accommodate a greater number of absentee ballots.

Cegavske, the state’s top election official and only Republican to hold statewide office, opposed the revised pro-cedures. She blasted the Dem-ocratic-controlled Legislature for excluding her from discus-sions and said she saw a draft of the bill only a day before the vote in the state Assembly.

“We were not involved in this bill’s writing at all... I wish somebody would have asked us about because we could have told you what we had planned,” she said on Friday.

To bypass Cegavske and enact the changes, the bill gives the governor the power to command the Secretary of State to adjust election procedures during a declared state of emer-gency. It passed on a party-line vote through both the state Senate and Assembly, with Democrats in favor and Repub-licans opposed. Republicans were particularly distressed with provisions of the bill that expand who is allowed collect and hand in ballots.

In the June 2020 election, all voters were mailed ballots and 1.6% voted in-person on Election Day, a tiny share com-pared to the 34.2% in the state who voted in-person in the November 2018 election.

'Hiring American' eventUS President Donald Trump laughs as he speaks during an executive order signing event with Vice-President Mike Pence and others on “hiring American” in a darkened Cabinet Room of the White House, with curtains drawn and the lights low, in Washington, DC, yesterday.

White House, Congress face tough week of coronavirus aid talksREUTERS — WASHINGTON

Congressional Democrats and Trump administration officials faced increasing pressure to come up an agreement on coro-navirus aid legislation yes-terday, after missing a vital deadline to extend relief ben-efits to tens of millions of jobless Americans.

Top Democrats in Congress and top representatives of Pres-ident Donald Trump met in the US Capitol for talks aimed at breaking the deadlock, after reporting progress over the weekend. But the two sides remained far apart, with top Republican lawmakers on the sidelines of the negotiations.

The extension of enhanced $600 per week federal

unemployment benefits has proved to be a major stumbling block in the talks, and a top Federal Reserve official warned that failure to secure some form of extension would result in a weaker economy.

Democrats are holding fast to their demand that Congress renew those benefits that expired on Friday — a lifeline for the millions of Americans who have lost work during the pandemic — and are continuing to press for about $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments.

The White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill want to trim the weekly jobless aid, and have rejected as too costly the state and local assistance package that was

included in legislation passed by the Democratic-led House of Representatives in May.

Republicans favouring a reduction in the unemployment aid have said it is a disincentive for people to work.

However, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan said yesterday that eco-nomic data does not show the $600-a-week benefit hurts the overall job market.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the nation’s top elected Democrat, on Sunday accused the White House and Trump’s fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill of thinking too small to confront a health crisis that has killed more than 150,000 people in the country and left tens of millions out of work.

US East Coast braces for threatening storm after Florida escapesAFP — MIAMI

Tropical Storm Isaias was set to regain hurricane strength before slamming into the US eastern seaboard, bringing life-threatening storm surges to North and South Carolina.

The storm, currently 145km off the coast of Georgia, was packing sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, with wind speeds predicted to increase during the day.

Isaias is forecast to “make landfall tonight as a hurricane... expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall,” the National Hurricane Center said, adding the storm would likely hit close to the border between North and South Carolina.

Storm surges could gen-erate water three to five feet above ground level. The storm will then track up the East Coast, with heavy rainfall expected to cause flash flooding through the mid-Atlantic states and bringing storm-force winds to Washington, Philadelphia and New York today.

Residents in flood-prone areas “should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other

dangerous conditions,” the National Hurricane Center said.

In the hurricane warning zone, “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” it added.

The Carolinas have seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases as the US struggles to curb the spread of the poten-tially fatal illness. “We in North Carolina mostly know what to do,” the state’s governor, Roy Cooper, said on Sunday.

“You pack your emergency kit, follow local evacuation orders, stay in a safe place and never drive through flooded roadways. “But this time, pack your masks and hand sanitizers in your kit and remember to social distance.”

Up to 150 National Guard soldiers have been activated to help prepare for the storm and assist in the aftermath if nec-essary, Cooper said.

Isaias was earlier down-graded from a Category 1 hur-ricane after brushing past Florida, leaving it relatively unscathed. Some coronavirus testing centers — many housed in tents — were closed last week in the Sunshine State as the storm approached. They have now begun to reopen gradually.

A worker helps prepare a hydro-dam to prevent storm surge from Tropical Storm Isaias in the lower Manhattan area of New York City, yesterday.

Inmate firefighters arrive at the scene of the Water fire, a new start about 20 miles from the Apple fire in Whitewater, California. More than 1,300 firefighters were battling a blaze that was burning out of control in southern California, threatening thousands of people and homes east of Los Angeles.

Southern California wildfire ragesAP — BANNING

A huge wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles that is Southern California’s biggest blaze so far this year was still raging yesterday, with thou-sands of people forced to evacuate their homes.

The blaze in Riverside County, among several wildfires across California, had consumed more than 41 square miles of dry brush and timber since it broke out on Friday, according to the California Department of For-estry and Fire Protection.

As of yesterday morning, it was just 5% contained and the fire along with coronavirus

precautions made for added stress at an evacuation center, said John Medina an American Red Cross spokesman.

Volunteers used to “close contact” with evacuees have had to adjust their approach during a time of social dis-tancing, Medina said.

“I mean, that’s part of the recovery of a disaster, is that you have to show warmth and love and caring. And that’s hard when you’re standing six feet away. So that’s the biggest chal-lenge,” Medina told KESQ-TV.

Bill Boehm helped his mother evacuate her home with her three horses and said the pandemic hasn’t stopped

people from coming together to assist each other. “Everyone seemed to be wearing masks and such, so that type of pre-caution was still going on,” Boehm told the news station.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze that began as two adjacent fires in Cherry Valley, a rural area near the city of Beaumont, about 137km east of downtown Los Angeles.

Flames raced along brushy ridge tops and came close to houses while firefighters attacked from the ground and air. One home and two out-buildings were destroyed, Cal-ifornia fire officials said.

Teachers protest over re-opening schools in pandemicREUTERS — CHICAGO

Teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the United States yes-terday were protesting the re-opening of schools while COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country.

They were demanding in-person classes not be held until scientific data supports it, safety protocols such as lower class sizes and virus testing are established, and schools are staffed with adequate numbers

of counselors and nurses, according to a website set up for the demonstrations.

On Twitter, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Associ-ation showed protesters making fake gravestones that said “Here lies a third grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school” and “RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grand kids with homework.” Teachers are also demanding financial help for parents in need, including rent and mortgage assistance, a mora-

torium on evictions and fore-closures and cash assistance.

President Donald Trump has made school re-openings for classroom instruction, as they normally would in August and September, part of his re-election campaign. The Republican pres-ident is trailing in opinion polls against Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of the November 3 election. “Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools!” Trump tweeted yesterday.

The United States is in a

new phase of the outbreak with infections in rural areas as well as cities, Deborah Birx, the coordinator of Trump’s coro-navirus task force, said on Sunday. “What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread,” Birx said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program.

Trump lashed out at Birx for her comments. Trump accused Birx of capitulating to criticism from Democrats that the federal government’s response to the pandemic has been ineffective.

As federal troops withdraw, Portland protesters dig in

AFP — PORTLAND

Amid the partial withdrawal of controversial federal troops from Portland, protesters in the Oregon city said over the weekend they were digging in for a much longer fight.

Sierra Boyne, a 19-year-old African American first-aid provider wearing a vest with a red cross, said protests were not about to wane.

“Seeing the energy,” she said, looking around at a crowd of hundreds, “the movement will not stop until there is a definitive change.” The scene outside the recently embattled federal courthouse was mostly peaceful Saturday and early Sunday, though police elsewhere in the Oregon city clashed with a crowd hurling bottles.

After days of fury prompted in part by the presence of the federal troops deployed by President Donald Trump, the scent of tear gas lingered in some areas.

Much of the tension earlier filling the air was gone, but several protesters, echoing Boyne, said they were not about to stand down.

Several demonstrators insisted that the gradual departure of the camouflage-wearing federal troops, some-times operating out of unmarked vans, would not end protests against systemic racism.