Saturday 6 June 2020

14 Shawwal - 1441

2 Riyals

www.thepeninsula.qa

Volume 25 | Number 8280

SPORT | 07BUSINESS | 01

Touting upbeat

jobs data, Trump

predicts economic

recovery in US

Liverpool eye

clear path to

title as fixtures

revealed

Main works of 5/6 Park in Onaiza completeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar has completed implementation of the main works of the 5/6 Park in Onaiza area. The park includes many facilities attracting visitors and tourists, as it contains shaded areas for families to sit, play areas for children that contain games suitable for different ages, areas designated for celebra-tions and spaces to display various forms of artworks.

This is in conjunction with the third anniversary of resil-ience in the face of the unjust blockade on the State of Qatar. On this occasion, some art-works were displayed on 5/6 Arched on Lusail Expressway and the façade of the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), said a press release.

These are the artworks selected from the open invite for the community in Qatar to take part with their artworks in memorizing the third anni-versary of blockade, which was launched by Qatar Museums and the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and

Public Places in Qatar. Also, the committee announced an artwork that will be showcased in 5/6 park under the title ‘Al Somoud’, designed by Faisal Al Hajri, one of the prominent artists in Qatar.

Two more art works were added to the 5/6 park. They are drawn from the collection of

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. ‘Poem’ (1963-65), and ‘Poem in Three Verses’ (1963-65) are by the Lebanese sculptor and painter Saloua Raouda Choucair.

Also Ashghal announced that a link will be published to announce displaying the works of the winning artists of the

‘Under the Microscope with Ashghal’ initiative through a virtual exhibition that was launched during Eid Al Fitr.

Also, artists from Qatar Fine Arts Association, in coor-dination with the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar, participated in

commemorating three years of steadfastness in the face of the unjust siege with some art-works reflecting the meaning of steadfastness and over-coming challenges of the unfair blockade through important achievements.

On this occasion, Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said that the Min-istry puts great importance on construction of parks, play-grounds and stadiums. H E the Minister also commented that a land area of about 160,000 square meters has been allo-cated for implementing the 5/6 Park project in Onaiza Area.

He also added that densely populated areas are chosen to construct parks to serve the largest population possible.

For her part, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, said: “It is a pleasure for me to witness this distinguished achievement that represents the fruit of our joint cooperation with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on the third anniversary of the siege imposed on our beloved country.” �P3

Qatar Museums unveils public art installations, video projections on 3rd anniversary of blockadeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

To mark the third anniversary of the blockade, Qatar Museums (QM) has unveiled a series of public art installations by local and international artists.

Chosen on the basis of the annual 6/5 Open Call Initiative, as well as a special open call initiated by QM and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the artworks are intended to inspire hope and commem-orate this historic period for the nation.

H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of QM, said, “It gives me great pleasure to work with Asghal Qatar and Qatar Rail on the 3rd anni-versary of the blockade. The resilience of our community both Qatari and residents is reflected upon the achieve-ments over the years, and more

so during the blockade. Every year we celebrate this moment of unity through public art installations”.

“This year is particularly significant given the affairs of the rest of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic that has been brought to the surface allows for a moment of reflection on ourselves and how we live together. I am very proud of the people living in Qatar, and these photos will be treasured in our National Museum photo archives forever. I thank all those who participated, and invite those who still want to participate to continue doing so on our website,” said H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications stated: “We are keen that the Doha Metro stations are a platform

for purposeful and focused art and we seek to contribute to enriching the art scene in Qatar. We also value and praise Qatar Museums’ efforts to develop, strengthen and support the cultural sector at various levels.”

“We are happy to choose the Musheireb Station - the main station and the largest Doha metro station to showcase this unique work of art; which portrays a signif-icant national symbolism for all Qatari citizens and resi-dents, and commemorates the historic speech of H H the Amir; from which we are determined to be inspired by the deepest meanings of pride and dignity,” said H E the

Minister. Guillaume Rouseré, a

French artist resident in Qatar, was selected as part of the recent Qatar Museums Annual 6/5 initiative Open Call to realize his proposal “Allow Me”. The work is on display in Msheireb Metro Station in partnership with Qatar Rail. Rouseré’s work translates into sculptural form an audio recording of the poignant and unforget-table speech delivered by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the opening of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2017. The artist cast the beau-tifully patterned sound waves

in plaster, and then used that form to create a natural-looking, fossil-like sculpture in limestone.

Rouseré said: “For me and as for many of the residents and citizens of Qatar, the speech resonated as a message of thanks and inclusion into Qatari society. Also, this statement underpinned the wishes to settle differences in peace without compromising the security of its people.”

On this Occasion, H E Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ stated that in order to consolidate the principle of cooperation between gov-ernment organizations, �P3

MoPH: 1,467more patientsrecoverQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced yesterday 1,754 confirmed new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), with 1,467 people having recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of people recovered in the State of Qatar to 40,935. The Ministry also announced that four people had died from the virus in the last 24 hours.Over the last 24 hours, 18 patients had been admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of patients currently in intensive care to 238 cases.

The Ministry stated that there has been a small decrease in the number acute COVID-19 positive patients being admitted to intensive care thanks to the measures taken by the Ministry of Public Health and the concerned authorities to limit the spread of the virus, the most important of which is the early detection of the virus which can contribute significantly to reducing the severity of the infection.

The new cases are expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified through track and trace team at the Ministry of Public Health. Cases of infection have also increased significantly among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. �P3

Amir holds phone conversation with Cypriot President

QNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held yesterday via telephone a conversation with H E Pres-ident of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.

The call dealt with bilateral relations and means to enhance them. H E the Cypriot President thanked H H the Amir for the cooper-ation of the State of Qatar’s government with its Cypriot counterpart, and for the role of Qatar Airways in repatri-ating Cypriot citizens home during the coronavirus pandemic.

It gives me great pleasure to work with Asghal Qatar and Qatar Rail on the 3rd anniversary of the blockade. The resilience of our community both Qatari and residents is reflected upon the achievements over the years, and more so during the blockade.

H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

People of the Gulf

countries passed another

year of their crisis and of

the unjust siege imposed

on us since three years,

which failed from

its first day and now

nothing is remaining

of the blockade except

disappointments of

the blockaders. H H the

Amir reiterated on every

occasions that Qatar is

open for dialogue to end

the crisis, but they waste

all opportunities.

Amir’s wise leadership made country overcome unjust blockade: Shura Council SpeakerQNA — DOHA

The Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, speaking on his behalf and on behalf of members of the council, renewed loyalty to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressing pride at His Highness’ wise leadership and policies that helped state of Qatar overcome the impact of the unjust blockade and continue development for the country and the citizens while accomplishing many achievements.

H E the Speaker of the Shura Council, in a statement made on the council’s website marking the third anniversary of the blockade, said that the country has managed to overcome the unjust blockade thanks to the direc-tives of H H the Amir, the state’s plans,

and the efforts of Qatar’s citizens and residents. His Excellency added that the country has foiled all the plans of the blockading countries and became more capable, evident by the many achieve-ments it accomplished in various fields over the past three years.

His Excellency stressed the State of Qatar’s firm position of supporting unconditional dialogue that is based on respecting international law and not interfering in internal affairs as the basis for guaranteeing security and stability. His Excellency expressed appreciation to the good efforts made by friendly and brotherly countries to resolve the Gulf crisis and revitalize the GCC, led by the efforts of H H the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. �P3

OFFICIAL NEWS

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim

bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy

Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin

Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday

cables of congratulations to H M

Queen Margrethe II of the King-

dom of Denmark on the occasion

of her country’s Constitution Day.

The Prime Minister and Minister

of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin

Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani,

also sent a cable of congratula-

tions to the Prime Minister of the

Kingdom of Denmark, H E Mette

Frederiksen, on the occasion of her

country's Constitution Day. QNA

Amir sends congratulations to Queen of Denmark

02 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020HOME

FAJR SUNRISE 03.14 am 04.43 am

W A L R U WA I S : 32o↗ 34o W A L K H O R : 32o↗ 41o W D U K H A N : 32o↗ 36o W WA K R A H : 32o↗ 4 4o W M E S A I E E D 32o↗ 4 4o W A B U S A M R A 31o↗ 36o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 03:38–17:29 LOW TIDE 00:05 – 11:16

Very hot daytime with slight dust to blowing dust at times

and relatively hot by night.

Minimum Maximum35oC 44oC

ZUHRMAGHRIB

11.32 am06.24 pm

ASR ISHA

02.56 pm07.54 pm

5/6 Park includes many facilities for visitors, tourists

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The 5/6 Park includes many facilities attracting visitors and tourists, as it contains shaded areas for families to sit, play areas for children that contain games suitable for different ages, areas designated for celebrations and spaces to display various forms of artworks.

The park implemented by the Supervisory Committee of Beautifi-cation of Roads and Public Places in Qatar contains open green areas of about 107,000 square meters, said a press release.

It also includes about 11,800 square meters of small shrubs and tree fences, in addition to planting about 1,500 trees.The park also includes exercise areas,

pedestrian paths of approximately 1.3 km, and jogging paths of a length of 1.3 km and a cycle path with a length of 880 meters, in addition to bicycle parking slots.

Indoor footpath is constructed using earthy materials that give a natural desert shape of the local environment of Qatar. The park also include many utilities and service stalls such as res-taurants, cafes, toilets and prayer places, among others, in addition to providing garden furniture and lighting poles to enable visitors to visit at night. The framework of the Supervisory Com-mittee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places focused on implementing beautification and recreational projects that preserve the environment and

contribute in improved healthy life for the people.

Thus, trees for plantation are chosen in consideration of the nature of Qatari environment, taking into account of less water consumption and future main-tenance works.

It may be noted that 10 percent the trees planted in the park are of Qatari origin such as Ziziphus Spina Christi, Acacia Arabica and Acacia Tortilis. Which is evergreen trees that reach a height of more than 10m. Grow excellent in Qatar and bear the environmental conditions of high temperature and drought. Among the other tress chosen are the Cassia Nodosa, Delonix Regia, Tabebuia Argentea and Cassia Gluca They are beautiful and attractive shade trees with a height of 10 meters, they are distinguished for growing well and resisting drought.

The planting of these trees will be distributed in the park within the area of landscape. Also among the shade trees included in 5/6 park are the Bucida Buceras, Millingtonia and ficus beng-halensis which are among the evergreen trees ranging between 6 to 10 meters and are considered one of the greatest and wonderful shade trees in public parks.

The park also includes decorative

trees planted alone or in groups, or as backgrounds behind young shrubs and flowers such as Cassia Javancia and Bauhinia Purpurea. In addition, Ficus religiosa is chosen and reaches up to 30 meters in height and suitable for the Qatari environment as they bear most types of soil and are used in the park individually.

It is worth noting that, as the Super-visory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar endeavours to support local manufac-turers, the committee has depended on locally produced materials in imple-menting this park up to the level of 65 percent of materials used.

The local elements used included curbstone tiles, asphalt and lightings, in addition to planting materials of trees, grass, different plants and sweet soils, and homemade rubber floors known as SBR were used as a recycled rubber layer that was used to implement jogging tracks.

The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar has completed imple-mentation of main works of the project, which include pedestrian paths and cycle paths, jogging paths, planting trees, a major plaza and a maze, where the completion rate of the project reached

80 percent, and work is currently underway to complete the remaining works, the implementation is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, and includes lighting of the maze, but the final form will be com-pleted after the growth of plant barriers, and the works also include the com-pletion of the illuminated hill, in addition to completing the works related to service buildings and water drinking fountains as well as the children’s area, sports tools and garden furniture.

The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar aims to create a sus-tainable environment through imple-mentation of several main tasks that include building central public parks, providing dedicated pedestrian paths and bicycle tracks, street furniture, cos-metic lightings, developing Doha Cor-niche and some beaches, developing the central Doha region by reviving some main roads and internal roads, vital locations, residential and open squares. The committee also aims to contribute to create a societal envi-ronment with a distinct identity through participation of community members in artistic and afforestation work in coordination with several ministries and government entities of the State.

A view of 5/6 Park.

The park contains open green areas of about 107,000 square meters. It also includes exercise areas, pedestrian paths of approximately 1.3km, and jogging paths of a length of 1.3km and a cycle path with a length of 880 meters, in addition to bicycle parking slots.

HBJ Foundation to donate QR2m to HMC for treatment of COVID-19 patientsQNA — DOHA

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has recently signed a joint cooperation agreement with Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation (HBJ Foundation). Under the agreement, the charitable foundation will donate QR2m in financial support to HMC to contribute to the treatment of COVID-19 patients who are receiving healthcare across HMC facilities.

The agreement was signed by HMCs Chief of Healthcare Facilities, Hamad Nasser Al Khalifa; and Board Member and CEO of Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foun-dation, Saeed Mathkar Al Hajri.

On behalf of HMC, Al Khalifa thanked Jassim and

Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation for their initiative and generous contribution to the costs of treatment of COVID-19 patients. He stressed that HMC is committed to delivering effective and high-quality care to all COVID-19 patients in accordance with the highest internationally approved standards.

“This contribution will sig-nificantly support the success of our efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic. This noble initiative of HBJ Foun-dation shows how all institu-tions in the country are coop-erating and working together to defeat the virus. It also high-lights HBJ Foundations com-mitment to promoting social work and supporting the devel-opment of our community as

part of its social responsibility,” added Al Khalifa. “We thank HBJ Foundation for their humanitarian role and con-tinued support to the health sector, and especially for their constant desire to promote their partnership and cooper-ation with HMC to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Saeed Mathkar Al Hajri said that this initiative was based on the directives of H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani and in continuation of a series of community initiatives implemented by HBJ Foun-dation to combat COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative is aimed at supporting the efforts of the government and health sector organizations as they implement all necessary

precautionary measures to combat COVID-19 virus, as well as supporting HMC efforts to combat the pandemic and protect the society. He added that HBJ Foundation will con-tinue to cooperate with HMC and contribute to covering the

costs of treatment of COVID-19 patients. HMC has also coop-erated over the past period with HBJ Foundation to combat the coronavirus pandemic, as HBJ Foundation donated QR2.75m to cover the costs of establishing a quarantine

facility in the industrial area dedicated to COVID-19 patients.

HMC provides free-of-charge healthcare to all COVID-19 patients in Qatar, including citizens and expa-triate residents.

Hamad Medical Corporation has signed an agreement with Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation for the foundation to donate QR2m to HMC for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has praised citizens and expatriates for their resistance to the unjust blockade, on the occasion of its third anniversary.

“On the anniversary of the unjust siege that began with a weak campaign of disinformation that harmed the reality and image of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and our people, I can only salute the Qatari people and the residents for their steadfastness. Taking pride in what has been achieved, is the least that could be presented to the country in light of the situation imposed on us at this stage. At the end and before everything, the grace of Allah will remain there,” H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said yesterday on his official twitter account.

He added: “We are facing many regional and international challenges, the latest of which is COVID-19, and it would have been more beneficial to see

solidarity of GCC countries to protect our people and confront the challenges together, but unfortunately, polarization still persists instead of prevalence of

wisdom and governance of broad minds.” H E Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the State of Qatar always called for uncon-ditional and civilized dialogue based on equality, respect for sovereignty, inter-national law and non-interference in internal affairs.

“These are our positions that did not and will not change, and we look forward to see the blockading countries sharing us these principles one day, so that the GCC, which was established by our fathers, can return to the nucleus of cooperation and integration that meets the aspirations of our people,” he added.

Addressing the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said in an other tweet “ We are with on the way and we obey your order, and our loyalty and obedience are to you”

FM praises citizens, expats for resisting blockadeWe are facing many regional and international challenges, the latest of which is COVID-19, and it would have been more beneficial to see solidarity of GCC countries to protect our people and confront the challenges together, but unfortunately, polarization still persists instead of prevalence of wisdom and governance of broad minds.”

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

President of Ashghal, H E Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi (left); and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places, Eng. Muhammad Arqoub Al Khaldi.

03SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020 HOME

NIS celebrates World Environment DayTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Noble International School (NIS) celebrated ‘World Environment Day’ conducting various events through virtual platform.

Having a motive to encourage children with the themes of UNEP ‘Time for Nature’ and ‘Celebrate Diversity’, the Noble Inter-national School invited children to participate in online poster making, digital painting, essay and poem writing competitions mainly to focus on its role in pro-viding the essential infra-structure that supports life on Earth and human development.

Videos related with World Environment Day were shown to children to make them aware that human beings are part of the ecosystem and cannot con-tinue to survive in isolation. The Principal of the school, Shibu Abdul Rasheed, and the in-charge teachers con-gratulated winners and participants.

The students of NIS display activites to mark ‘World Environment Day’.

DPS-MIS holds online award ceremony THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Beating the challenges imposed by COVID -19 on the education system, DPS-Modern Indian School organised an online ‘Scholar Badge, Proficiency and 100% Attendance Award Ceremony’ to appreciate and celebrate the persistence, perse-verance and punctuality of Grade IX and X students (2019-2020).

It was aired live on ‘Facebook’ from 4pm to 5pm on May 30.

The solemn occasion was virtually graced by the Chief Guest, Rocky Fernandes, Director of DPS- MIS; Principal, Asna Nafees; Vice-Principal of Senior Secondary School , Soma Bhattacharjee; Vice-Principal of Senior School, Mary Cruz;

Headmistress, Sini Menon, parents and the young achievers. The programme commenced with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by Salha Najath, a student of Grade IX.

Rocky Fernandes com-mended the young achievers for their dedication, enthusiasm and allegiance and encouraged them to use their success to benefit, inspire and influence other students.

Highlighting the true meaning of academic excellence, he advocated the need of taking leadership roles, appreciating the support system instrumental in their success, coping up with the changing world, and be well-equipped for future. Quoting the words of Mahatma Gandhi, he inspired the students to uphold strong values and carve their

path of success with progressive thoughts and actions, he also urged the students to carry forward the rich legacy of their country and keep the school’s flag flying high.

Asna Nafees accorded a warm welcome to the Chief Guest and thanked him for his gracious presence. She congrat-ulated the young awardees and mentioned that each of them is a living example of tenacity, dil-igence and agility.

A total of 167 students were virtually awarded with badges, blue blazers blue ties, gold medal and certificates for their out-standing academic excellence and 100 percenrt attendance. The programme was anchored by Priti Modi (Activity Coordi-nator, Senior wing) under the supervision of Asna Nafees.

QRCS works benefitted over 30 million since blockadeQNA — DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has revealed that the humani-tarian aid budget that supported its humanitarian programmes and interventions since the start of the unjust blockade on the State of Qatar three years ago amounted to QR1.3bn, benefitting more than 30 million people around the world.

QRCS noted that the men-tioned three-year period was marked by humanitarian works, which has been increasing in fre-quency year after year, to prove QRCS leadership in the areas of social, development, and relief work at the local and international levels.

QRCS pointed out that its con-tinuation of overcoming chal-lenges, and action and efforts, to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030, and its policy and plans in project management have achieved many successes inside and outside Qatar.

In its report, QRCS drew attention to its close partnerships with various state institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector, so that the total budget allocated to its develop-mental, social, medical and

educational projects locally reached QR827m, with a total of 3.1 million beneficiaries from dif-ferent segments of society.

QRCS also touched on the remarkable development in its efforts in the field of development work in cooperation with state institutions and the private sector and said that QRCS seeks through its humanitarian services to raise the standard of living of vulnerable families, noting that the volume of emergency and seasonal assistance provided by QRCS during the past three years amounted to approximately QR20m, which reached more than 121000 people.

In the field of medical services, QRCS said that its medical affairs sector has witnessed an evolution in its innovative medical devices, an expansion of its services, and a noticeable increase in the number of medical staff and kits that are rehabilitated at the highest level of professionalism, in line with developments in modern science and technology.

In this regard, QRCS indicated that it possesses a fleet equipped with the latest technologies to secure patient safety, with 50 ambulances with its staff con-sisting of 67 paramedics and 120

volunteers, and also runs four health centers for workers in addition to three units of health commission, which benefited during three years 2,851,856 persons and more than 229,000 new residents, at a total cost of more than QR900,000.In the field of volunteering, QRCS mentioned that the number of volunteers has been increasing steadily to reach 18.000 volunteers since 2017, which confirms the desire of cit-izens and residents to serve the country and humanity, praising their role in the coronavirus pan-demic crisis that afflicted the whole world.

QRCS pointed out that its activities extended and expanded during the three last years beyond the geographical borders to reflect its noble humanitarian mission through 19 representative offices and missions abroad, in more than 30 countries around the world, through the implementation of projects, programs and humani-tarian interventions amounting to approximately QR600m, for the benefit of approximately 26,734 people in need, the displaced and the refugees.

QRCS stressed that the health sector is one of its top priorities, as it has allocated a total budget of

more than QR245m, through which it can guarantee the expenses of treating many sick cases, providing primary, sec-ondary and emergency health care services, monitoring vaccination campaigns for children, and sup-porting and providing hospitals and health centers with medicines, medical equipment and ambu-lances, operating health clinics in camps for the displaced and ref-ugees, covering the costs of dialysis for the needy, and sending multi-disciplinary medical convoys.

QRCS also made use of its material and development efforts to support projects to accom-modate the displaced, refugees and displaced persons in many countries at a cost of more than QR108m, and QRCS spent a budget that exceeded QR61m on food and livelihood projects, as well as implementing projects related to the water sector in 16 countries with a budget of QR61m.

The report also dealt with the humanitarian assistance provided by QRCS in the field of education to countries in need, as it is one of the most important pillars of development. The report said that in three years, QRCS implemented educational projects in 9 countries with a value that exceeded QR16m.

QRCS equipped hospitals and built the capacity of local medical cadres, and during the past three years, their number reached 20 medical convoys, which helped treat 9,852 patients, at a total cost of more than QR6.925m.

QRCS pointed out that, it did not neglect its duty to support the state and the world in facing the crisis of coronavirus, as an embod-iment of its unique legal capacity as a supporter of the state in its humanitarian and social policies.

QRCS explained that since the World Health Organization announced the spread of this pan-demic, QRCS prepared all its cadres, and established training courses and field camps, and coor-dinated with the state institutions concerned with responding to accidents and risks.

QRCS added that it was keen to involve the community in the efforts to combat the pandemic, by launching a fundraising cam-paign to provide means of pre-vention and personal protection for health cadres and volunteers involved in fighting the pandemic in the country and supporting health systems in a number of countries in need and preventing the spread of the virus.

QM unveils public art installations, video projections on 3rd anniversary of blockade

FROM PAGE 1

“The Supervisory Com-mittee of Beautification of Roads & Public Places in Qatar” has partnered with Qatar Museums to present three public art pieces in 5/6 Park in Onaiza, which is one of the projects implemented by Ashghal and it includes an area dedicated to display various forms of artworks.

Of the three works, two are drawn from the collection of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. “Poem” (1963-65), and “Poem in Three Verses” (1963-65) are by the Lebanese sculptor and painter Saloua Raouda Choucair (1917-2017). Made of vertically stacked modular, uniquely tessellating abstract forms, the sculptures reference Islamic and mod-ernist architecture and the rhythmic movement of Qasa’id verse. The art works are inspired by Choucair’s interest

in the unitary structures of mathematics, science, archi-tecture, Arabic script, and Sufi transcendence.

QM Annual 6/5 initiative Open Call chose Qatari artist Faisal Al Hajri to create an installation titled “Al Sumod (Withstand),” also will be on display at 5/6 Park. The instal-lation comprises dozens of pillars in a circle, giving way to an empty space in the center, evoking the feeling of the blockade fading away.

Videos and images sub-mitted to the open call were projected yesterday evening on the façade of the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) and the 5/6 arches located at the 5/6 interchange. The special installation was on display from sunset till sunrise.

Abdulrahman Al Ishaq, Head of QM Public Art Department said: “The art installations were chosen for

their genuine and simple mes-sages of hope and optimism, reflecting how the country and its people have used the unjust blockade as an inspiration to move forward against all odds. We hope that connecting people through art and crea-tivity will help bridge any divides.”

Spearheaded by QM’s Chairperson H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, public art is a central focus in QM’s mission to push the boundaries of the traditional museum model and offer cultural experiences in public spaces. The artworks join a growing and outstanding collection of paintings and art-works by local and interna-tional artists. Hand-picked for their immersive and thought-provoking nature, QM’s public art installations serve as an inspiration for the next gener-ation of cultural producers.

Main works of 5/6 Park in Onaiza completeFROM PAGE 1

“The resilience and sta-bility of all our society, including citizens and resi-dents in Qatar, is in their superior ability to achieve accomplishments over the years, and the scope of those achievements has expanded further after the imposed blockade. Every year we cele-brate this moment that has united us together through artwork.”

“This very special year has a special significance when we look at what is going on in the world around us. The recent COVID-19 pandemic calls on us all for a moment to reflect on ourselves and the way we coexist together. I am very proud of everyone living in Qatar, and these photos will be preserved in the archives of our National Museum forever. I thank all the participants, and invite those who still wish to participate to continue partic-ipating on our website,” said H E Sheikha Al Mayassa.

President of Ashghal, H E Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi, said that the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar is working on constructing gardens, spreading green spaces and planting trees in various areas of the country in line with the state’s strategy to achieve environmental sus-tainability, one of the key the national development strategy as per Qatar National Vision 2030.

For his part, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and

Public Places, Eng. Muhammad Arqoub Al Khaldi, said that the committee aims to create a sustainable environment through enlarging green spaces and creating pedestrian tracks and bicycle lines. He also added that the 5/6 Park project is implemented in coordination with many other entities.

Al Khaldi added that the Committee has completed implementation of main works of the 5/6 Park project which constitute 80 percent of works, and remaining works are underway to complete the project scheduled to end by the end of year.

He also pointed out that, based on the committee’s prin-ciple to support local products, materials manufactured in Qatar were relied on to implement the park, and thus 65 percent of materials used are local made.

On this occasion, President of the Qatar Fine Arts Associ-ation, Yusuf Al Sada expressed the association’s delight for its members participation in com-memorating the day of resil-ience with their artworks.

He also expressed gratitude for the constant support from Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar.

Project Design Manager of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places, Ashghal Eng. Hessa Kahmis Al Kaaby said that 5/6 Park is designed to be a tourist and leisure spot for the people and visitors of Qatar.

Eng. Hessa explained that features of the park include a

large plant maze. “The design of the maze is inspired by the human imprint to signify the role of all citizens and resi-dents in creating glory and prosperity, a tribute to every people who leave their imprints in the state. It also commemorates the resilience and success in overcoming the unjust blockade imposed on Qatar,” said Eng. Hessa.

“We shall witness together the growth of these plants shaped by the imprints sketching many roads and paths, so as the visitors will enjoy choosing different path each time taking them towards different views of the park.”

She said that the maze area is built on around 6500 square meters. “The outer plant fencing is shaped similar to the map of Qatar to be centered in the heart of the park attracting the attention of every visitor, especially since the final shape of the map appears clearly when looking at it from the top of the adjacent hill, adorned with fancy lighting to illu-minate at night,” said Eng. Hessa.

Eng. Hessa also added that the hill next to the maze is about 5 meters above ground level and located in the center of the park on an area of 3000 square meters.

“This hilltop area gives a comprehensive view of the park from above, making it a major attraction for fans and photographers. Visitors can also enjoy view of some attractive landmarks such as the 5/6 Arche, hills of Katara, Lusail Towers and the Pearl,” said Eng. Hessa.

MoPH: 1,467 more patients recoverFROM PAGE 1

The new confirmed cases of infection have been intro-duced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.

The Ministry of Public Health reported that the people who have sadly died over the last 24 hours were aged 90, 70, 62, and 80 years all of whom were suffering from chronic diseases, and receiving the nec-essary medical support in intensive care. The Ministry of Public Health offered its sincere condolences and great sym-pathy to the families of the deceased.

The Ministry affirmed that efforts to tackle the COVID-19 virus in the State of Qatar have

succeeded in flattening the curve and reducing the impact of the virus mainly through the preventive measures taken and the cooperation of all members of society and that the number of new hospital admissions is now showing a limited decrease.

The Ministry stresses the

importance of adhering to all measures to protect against virus infection, including main-taining social distancing both in the workplace and public places. The Ministry also rec-ommended visiting its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to COVID-19.

NEW RECOVERIES

ACTIVE CASES

TOTAL RECOVERIES

TOTAL DEATHS

1,467 24,511

40,93549

NEW CASES ANNOUNCED

1,754

COVID-19QATAR UPDATES ON 5 JUNE 2020

Amir’s wise

leadership

made country

overcome

unjust

blockade:

Shura Council

SpeakerFROM PAGE 1

H E the Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud con-cluded his remarks by reiterating that the unjust blockade and false claims Qatar is sub-jected to increases the country’s determination to hold onto its prin-ciples, its independence, protect the interest of its peoples, prevent any interference in its internal affairs, carry out its role in championing people, protect Arab rights, to provide assistance in the face of crises and epidemics in solidarity with world countries, and to work on protecting security and stability in the region and the world.

04 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Geese walk along the street in Kuwait City yesterday, amid a partial curfew imposed by the authorities in a bid to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Palestinian supporters of the Fatah movement wave flags as they demonstrate in the West Bank city of Hebron, to mark 53 years of Israeli occupation and protest against Israel’s plan to annex parts of the occupied territory, yesterday.

In Iraq’s fields of black gold, thousands lose livelihoodsREUTERS — BASRA, IRAQ

Mohammed Haider, a security worker in Iraq’s southern oilfields, thought he was safe after signing a new one-year contract to guard oil facilities. Three days later, he was out of a job.

“I got laid off. They threw us out on the pavement,” the 38-year-old said, speaking as he protested outside the Basra Oil Company headquarters, the national partner for foreign companies.

Haider had been hired to drive vehicles for a British security firm around the giant West Qurna 1 oilfield that pro-duces hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude each day - part of OPEC member Iraq’s principal source of wealth.

He now spends his days at home or searching in vain online for jobs that are hard to come by in a crisis-hit economy.

“I can’t even fall back on taxi-driving work. The curfew because of coronavirus means I’d get arrested for driving around illegally,” he said later at his home.

Haider is one of thousands of workers in Iraq’s oil sector who were laid off this year after a fall in oil prices caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic, and who struggle to find any other source of income.

Iraq in March asked inter-national oil companies to cut their budgets by 30% because of plummeting oil prices. Energy companies in the south responded by cutting costs.

Subcontractors, including security, construction and transport firms, let thousands of workers go, according to local authorities. “Of about 80,000 Iraqis working in the

oilfields, some 10,000 to 15,000 are now out of work”, said Mohammed Ibadi, a local gov-ernment official in Basra province, where most of the southern fields are located.

Iraqi workers had been forced to take unpaid leave or had been laid off completely, mostly by subcontractors, he said. The British security company that employed Haider declined to comment.

Ibadi’s office received dozens of complaints from

workers who asked Iraqi authorities to sanction com-panies that do not comply with contractual termination terms. The local authorities negotiated 50% and 25% salaries for four months for some 2,000 workers who had been laid off, he said.

Khalid Hamza, associate director of the Basra Oil Company, said the government body would not accept the arbi-trary termination of local staff.

“We particularly need to protect the jobs of the local pop-

ulation,” he said. Iraq has pledged to cut

nearly a million barrels of oil production per day (bpd) in line with OPEC cuts. Its exports stood at 3.2 million bpd in May. The cuts have slashed state revenue, of which it makes up more than 90%.

The government faces making cuts to public sector pay - a move that would further anger impatient Iraqis who staged protests last year against alleged government corruption and lack of jobs.

Ibadi fears the economic and social crisis will worsen as the COVID-19 pandemic hits Iraq harder.

With most jobs in Basra linked to the energy industry, it is near impossible for workers like Haider to find an alternative source of income.

The father of three, who worked for five years as a driver for the British company, sub-contracted by an American oil corporation, is ready to take on any job to provide for his family.

Haider fears he might no longer be able to cover school or medical costs.

“I wish the company would take me back, even for half my wages,” He said.

Local worker Mohammed Haider, who was laid off amid the spread of the coronavirus disease, by private British security firm operating in West Qurna 1 oilfield, developed by ExxonMobil, playing with his children at his home in Basra, Iraq in this May 29, 2020 picture.

Iran FM challengesTrump to returnto nuclear dealREUTERS & AFP— DUBAI/VIENNA

Seizing on Donald Trump’s conciliatory tone after Tehran released an American Navy veteran, Iran’s foreign minister challenged the US president yesterday to return to the nuclear deal that Washington abandoned two years ago.

Iran freed Michael White on Thursday as part of a deal in which the United States allowed Iranian-American physician Majid Taheri to visit Iran. Trump tweeted on Thursday of White’s release: “Thank you to Iran, it shows a deal is possible!”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, addressing Trump, said on Twitter, “We achieved human-itarian swap despite your sub-ordinates’ efforts”.

“We had a deal when you entered office.... Your advisors -most fired by now - made a dumb bet. Up to you to decide when you want to fix it.”

Trump pulled out in 2018 of the nuclear deal with major powers, under which Tehran curbed its nuclear work in return for the lifting of many international sanctions on Iran. Since quitting the agreement, Washington has reimposed sanctions to throttle Iran’s oil exports as part of a policy of “maximum pressure”.

Thursday’s prisoner swap was a rare instance of US-Iranian cooperation. Also yes-terday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi confirmed that Zarif met Bill Richardson, a former US envoy to the United Nations, “months ago” over prisoner releases.

“We have always responded positively to humanitarian efforts that would lead to the release of

Iranian hostages in the United States and elsewhere,” Mousavi told the official IRNA news agency.

Meanwhile, the UN watchdog said yesterday that Iran has now accumulated enriched uranium at nearly eight times the limit of a 2015 deal and has for months blocked inspections at sites where historic nuclear activity may have occurred,

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) noted "with serious concern that, for over four months, Iran has denied access to the Agency... to two locations," according to an IAEA report.

The report said the IAEA has questions as to the possible "use or storage of nuclear material" at the two sites and that one of them "may have been used for the processing and conversion of uranium ore including fluorination in 2003".

Diplomatic sources have indicated that the IAEA's queries about the locations relate to Iran's historic nuclear programme and not its current activities.

Israeli troops repel Palestiniansmarking 53 years of occupation AFP — TULKAREM, PALESTINE TERRITORIES

Palestinians in the West Bank yesterday rallied to mark 53 years of Israeli occupation and protest against the Jewish state’s plans to annex part of the territory.

In Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, dozens of demon-strators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Israeli settlements and the plans, which could move ahead as soon as next month.

A reporter at the scene said that Israeli troops fired stun grenades and tear gas to repel protesters approaching a mil-itary checkpoint.

“This march shows our rejection of any plan of set-tlement or annexation,” said Iyad Jarada, secretary of Pales-tinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party in the city.

“This is our land and we will defend it with all our power and

energy.” Near Tubas, also in the northern West Bank, a protester was wounded in the head by a rubber bullet fired by Israeli forces, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Further protests were taking place in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho, and the Jordan Valley, which could be annexed as part of the Israeli plan.

In the southern West Bank city of Hebron hundreds gathered, chanting against Israel’s occupation, as well as anti-American slogans.

Palestinians are vocal in their opposition to US President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, which gives Israel the green light to annex Jewish set-tlements and other strategic territory in the West Bank.

Such annexations would violate international law and likely inflame tensions in the volatile region. After more than a year of political deadlock and two inconclusive elections,

veteran Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu and his nearest rival Benny Gantz in April joined in a coalition government.

Under their agreement, from July 1 Netanyahu and Gantz can submit the Trump plan to their cabinet and to par-liament, with a view to endorsement.

The plan also envisions the creation of a Palestinian state, but on reduced territory and without meeting the key Pales-tinian demand of having its capital in east Jerusalem.

Friday’s protests coincided with the anniversary of what Palestinians call the Naksa, the defeat of Arab countries by Israel in the Six-Day War of June 1967. The fighting ended with Egypt, Jordan and Syria vanquished and Israel occu-pying the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem and Syria’s Golan Heights.

Kuwait reports 723 new COVID-19 cases, 8 deaths QNA — KUWAIT CITY

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry yesterday recorded 723 new coronavirus (COVID-19) infec-tions, bringing the tally to 30,644 while recording eight deaths for a total of 244.

In a statement, the ministry’s spokesperson Dr. Abdullah Al Sanad said that the new cases related to people who were in close contact with previous patients, Kuwait’s KUNA reported. Al Sanad explained that the number of patients who are receiving medical treatment amounted to 12,123, adding that 197 people are receiving treatment in ICU.

Earlier today, the health

ministry reported the recovery of 1,054 COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally to 18,277 recoveries.

The Omani Ministry of Health announced yesterday the registration of 770 new cases of coronavirus cases, including 343 Omanis and 427 foreigners, bringing the total number of cases registered in the Sultanate to 15,086 cases and 72 deaths, while the number of recoveries reached 3,451 cases.

The ministry pointed out that the total tests conducted during the past 24 hours amounted to 2,463 while recording one hyp-notic case today for a total of 227, and the total hypnotic cases in the intensive care reached 60.

Daily new viruscases in Iranbelow 3,000AFP — TEHRAN

The number of daily new coro-navirus cases in Iran has fallen back to under 3,000, the health ministry said yesterday, a day after hitting a new peak.

Authorities registered 2,886 new cases of infection, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said, bringing the total number to 167,156 since the start of the outbreak in February.

The Islamic republic on Thursday announced a record 3,574 daily infections, passing a high point set in March, after breaching the 3,000-mark for several days.

Jahanpour said that 63 more people had died, with the official death toll now at 8,134, the highest in the Middle East.

There has been some scepticism at home and abroad about Iran’s official figures, with concerns the real toll could be much higher.

Authorities have been pro-gressively lifting restrictions imposed to curb the outbreak, and life has almost returned to normal in most of the coun-try’s 31 provinces.

But the southwestern province of Khuzestan remains classified as a “red zone” -- the highest level of risk in the country, and with greater restrictions.

Seven other provinces, mainly in the south and west, are still under a “health alert”, Jahanpour said, down from nine announced earlier this week.

He urged people in these areas to “follow social dis-tancing instructions, wear a mask and avoid unnecessary travel”.

The rising trajectory of infection figures since a low in early May has authorities worried, and the health min-istry has stepped up a public health campaign.

Iraq records over 1,000 virus cases for first time

REUTERS — BAGHDAD

Iraq recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time yesterday, with its total approaching 10,000 confirmed cases, the health ministry said.

At least 285 people have died of COVID-19 in Iraq, it said. It recorded 1,006 new cases on Friday, out of a total of 9,846 overall. The cases have tripled in the space of around three weeks.

Jordan reopens mosques REUTERS — AMMAN

Mosques in Jordan opened for communal prayers for the first time in over two months yesterday, with thousands of police deployed to enforce strict social distancing rules at the usually packed places of worship.

The kingdom is gradually easing restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak, which killed nine people in Jordan. From Saturday, cafes and hotels can reopen and domestic flights will resume, although schools, universities and cinemas remain closed and most public gatherings are still banned. Over 30,000 police were deployed to oversee crowds attending prayers at the country’s 7,000 mosques on Friday, officials said.

Worshippers in the pre-dominantly Muslim country were asked to wear masks, limit prayer time and perform the ablution rite, the act of washing the face, arms and legs before prayer, at home. In some mosques, the floor was marked to designate the spots where worshippers could lay down their prayer rugs at a safe distance from their neighbours. Since a strict lockdown began in mid-March, the authorities have arrested several people for flouting the ban on prayers inside mosques.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, addressing Trump, said on Twitter, “We achieved humanitarian swap despite your subordinates’ efforts”. “We had a deal when you entered office.... Your advisors -most fired by now — made a dumb bet. Up to you to decide when you want to fix it.”

05SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Libyan forces retake Haftar’s last redoubt in westAFP — TARHUNA, LIBYA

Forces loyal to Libya’s UN-recognised government celebrated another victory against rival strongman Khalifa Haftar yesterday after over-running his last western stronghold, launchpad of an abortive 14-month assault on Tripoli.

The recapture of Tarhuna southeast of the capital capped a week that already saw the Government of National Accord (GNA) reestablish control over the whole of Greater Tripoli with Turkish military support.

“Our heroic forces have extended their control over the whole of Tarhuna,” said GNA spokesman Mohamad Gnounou.

Fighters loyal to the GNA flashed the victory sign in the town’s streets, some with ammunition belts slung around their necks as they rode on top of pick up trucks, others clam-bering over a tank, pictures showed.

Tarhuna was the main rear base for the devastating offensive against the capital that eastern-based Haftar’s forces finally gave up this week, aban-doning their remaining posi-tions in the southern suburbs to advancing government troops.

“Our heroic forces have full control of Greater Tripoli right up to the city limits,” Gnounou had announced on Thursday.

GNA head Fayez Al Sarraj vowed that his government would impose its control over the whole of Libya.

“Our fight continues and we are determined to defeat the enemy and impose state control on the whole of the homeland,” Sarraj said after talks with key backer Turkey.

Late on Thursday, Haftar’s spokesman Ahmad Al Mesmari confirmed his forces’ “rede-ployment” away from the capital after more than a year of sometimes intense fighting.

He said the redeployment was a “humanitarian gesture intended to spare the Libyan people further bloodshed”.

Hundreds have been killed and 200,000 more driven from their homes since Haftar launched his assault, vowing to “cleanse” the capital of the “ter-

rorist militias” he said domi-nated the GNA.

The pro-GNA high command warned its troops on Facebook against perpetrating “acts of reprisals, looting or destruction” in Tarhuna as their troops circulated in the town yesterday.

Mesmari said the rede-ployment by pro-Haftar forces was intended to boost the work of a UN-backed military com-mission tasked with shoring up a nationwide ceasefire.

“We announce that we are redeploying our forces outside Tripoli on condition that the other side respect the ceasefire,” he said in a statement released late Thursday.

“If they do not respect it, we will resume military operations and suspend our participation in the negotiations of the mil-itary committee.”

Amnesty International said it had obtained evidence indi-cating “that war crimes and other violations may have been

committed... including, looting, indiscriminate attacks” during the upsurge in fighting since mid-April.

The United Nations’ Libya mission said on Tuesday that after a three-month suspension, the warring parties had agreed to resume ceasefire talks.

A military commission made up of five GNA loyalists and five Haftar delegates held talks in February, but the dia-logue was suspended. A January truce brokered by Turkey and

key Haftar ally Russia has been repeatedly violated. Haftar is supported by neighbouring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as Russia. His forces control the whole of eastern Libya, with its econom-ically vital oilfields and export infrastructure. They also control most of the far-flung oasis cities of the vast desert south.

But they have suffered a string of defeats in recent months at the hands of GNA forces, which have been bol-stered by significant Turkish military support. Earlier this year, Haftar’s forces already lost a string of towns along the Med-iterranean coast between the capital and the Tunisian border.

In April, UN experts said hundreds of mercenaries from Russian paramilitary organi-sation the Wagner Group were fighting for him. But last month, as Haftar’s losses mounted, the GNA said Wagner Group fighters had withdrawn from combat zones south of the capital. Libya has endured years of violence since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administra-tions and scores of militias bat-tling for power. The UN has urged outside powers to respect a deal reached at a January con-ference in Berlin, ending foreign meddling and upholding a much-violated arms embargo.

Fighters loyal to Libya’s internationally recognised government celebrate after regaining control over Tarhouna city, Libya, yesterday.

50,000 people perform Friday prayers in Al AqsaQNA & ANATOLIA — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

About 50,000 people performed Friday prayers in the blessed Al Aqsa mosque, for the first time, after a 70-day closure due to the spread of corona-virus.

The occupation authorities have tightened their military measures in the Old City and the gates of the Al Aqsa and have deployed soldiers and police officers, Islamic Endow-ments Department in Jerusalem said in a statement.

The preacher of the Al Aqsa mosque Sheikh Muhammad Salim said in his Friday sermon that Jerusalem will remain Islamic and is a right for all Muslims, adding “and our people will work to protect it and its sanctities.”

Meanwhile, Tunisia reo-pened mosques for prayers after a roughly three-month break due to measures to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.

Tunisians performed prayers at a mosque in the capital Tunis by following measures deter-mined by the authorities. As part of the measures, people

wore masks and brought their own prayer rugs. Prime Min-ister Elyes Fakhfakh announced March 13 that the country had suspended prayers at mosques,

closed cafes at 4pm every day and banned all cultural, sports and economic gatherings to combat the virus. Tunisia’s death toll now stands at 49.

Zimbabwe govt seizes opposition headquartersANATOLIA — HARARE

Security forces seized the head-quarters of Zimbabwe’s main oppo-sition group in the capital Harare late Thursday night.

The move paved the way for one of the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC Alliance) to occupy the building. It benefits the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T faction, which is an ally of the ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF).

The MDC-T joined the Political Actors Dialogue after the other MDC Alliance faction led by Nelson Chamisa refused, accusing Zimba-bwe’s President Emmerson Mnan-gagwa of rigging the country’s

general elections two years ago.Chamisa became the leader of the

MDC Alliance after the death of former prime minister and longtime opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018, and was Mnangagwa’s main rival in the elections. His elevation to the top caused a rift within the opposition bloc and resulted in a split with Khupe.

The Supreme Court recently declared Khupe the rightful leader of the MDC Alliance, but the decision has been opposed by Chamisa’s side. The MDC Alliance has denounced the seizure of its headquarters as unlawful and said it proves the MDC-T’s strong links to the ruling Zanu-PF.

“If there was any doubt that the Khupe, [Douglas] Mwonzora, and [Morgen] Komichi group is just a

ZANU-PF front, that has been vividly removed overnight. When have soldiers or police ever helped anyone in the MDC since it was formed in 1999?” said Charlton Hwende, the secretary-general of the MDC Alliance.

“Fortunately, Harvest House [the opposition headquarters] is a privately owned property. It can’t be taken forcefully by soldiers. They must go to court and obtain an eviction order.”

David Coltart, the treasurer general of the MDC Alliance, also contended the legality of the move.

“The only person who is entitled to forcibly take over a privately owned building is the sheriff of a high court of Zimbabwe [who is] armed with a court order,” he said.

Heavy police presence outside Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC- Alliance party headquarters in Harare after the party Vice-President Tendai Biti asked police to allow him to access the building and clear out members of a splinter group that had previously occupied the building.

Kenya bans single-use plastics in beaches and protected areasAFP — NAIROBI

Kenya on World Environment Day barred all single-use plastics such as water bottles and straws from its national parks, beaches, forests and other protected areas.

The implementation of the ban, first announced a year ago, was ordered in a letter from Tourism Minister Najib Balala last week. It took effect on Friday, three years after Kenya announced one of the world’s strictest bans on plastic bags.

“This ban is yet another first in addressing the plastic pollution catastrophe facing Kenya and the world, and we

hope that it catalyses similar policies and actions from the East African community,” Balala said in a statement.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Kenya welcomed some two million tourists annually to see the Big Five animals in its national parks or visit its stunning coastline.

The ban was welcomed by environmentalist Dipesh Pabari, who led a project to make the world’s first sailing boat made entirely of plastic waste, which sailed 500km along the coast from Kenya to Tanzania in 2019 to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

“We have witnessed the catastrophic effect single-use plastics have on our ecosystems and our communities,” Pabari said. “And now, during the pandemic, we are witnessing first-hand what happens when we destroy our planet, which is that we destroy the system that supports human life.”

Like much of the world, where plastic bottles, caps, food wrappers, bags, straws and lids are made to be used once and then tossed away, Kenya is bat-tling the curse of plastic pol-lution, which chokes turtles, cattle, and birds and blights the landscape.

Kenya’s President consolidates party poweras deputy’s base ebbsBLOOMBERG — NAIROBI

Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto’s path to the top job in 2022 has become rockier, with incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta consolidating his control over the ruling Jubilee party and embracing other potential successors.

Ruto’s allies have been removed from key parlia-mentary posts and Kenyatta has sidestepped their attempts to interrogate him over his 2018 rapprochement with opposition leader Raila Odinga, who retains an ambition to rule Kenya despite four failed attempts. And last month, Jubilee entered into a coalition with a party led by Gideon Moi, another presidential hopeful and the son of ex-leader Daniel Arap Moi — a political rea-lignment that also sidelines Ruto.

“For the rest of his term, Kenyatta is emerging as very powerful,” said Dismas Mokua, an independent analyst based in Nairobi, the capital. “Whoever doesn’t dance to his tune has to go.”

Ruto allies had planned to air their grievances at a June 2 meeting of Jubilee lawmakers about how he’s been treated. Instead, Kenyatta used the occasion to rally them to deliver on his 2017 election-campaign promises and have changes to Jubilee’s hierarchy rubber-stamped. The president didn’t take questions and directed that other issues be discussed on an unspecified future date, according to the party’s deputy secretary-general, Caleb Kositany.

Kenyatta and Ruto joined forces under the Jubilee banner

in 2013 -- six years after a dispute between them over the outcome of a 2007 election descended into violence. Both men were indicted by the Inter-national Criminal Court for their alleged roles in the bloodshed. The cases were eventually thrown out for lack of evidence.

Ruto backed Kenyatta for the presidency in the last election in 2017 on the under-standing that he’d be next in line for the job in 2022. But their relationship has soured since Odinga entered the fray.

The changing landscape became evident last month when opposition lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to remove the Senate’s majority leader and deputy speaker, who are both Ruto allies. An overhaul of the leadership of committees in the National Assembly is imminent, according to Mokua.

Ruto previously enjoyed significant influence in par-liament because he helped a number of lawmakers win seats in the last election in 2017. But Kenyatta’s new alliances and his detente with Odinga have helped tip the balance of power in the president’s favor.

Kenyatta will need the leg-islature’s backing later this month to drive through a spending plan for the 2020-21 budget year that includes a stimulus package to help the economy cope with the coro-navirus pandemic. He also wants funding for the Big Four Agenda he campaigned on in 2017 -- a plan to transform the economy through investment in manufacturing, farming, health-care and low-cost housing.

Gunmen kill 21 in

fresh northwest

Nigeria attacks

AFP — KANO, NIGERIA

Armed gangs have killed 21 people in the latest bloody assaults on villages in restive northwest Nigeria, police said.

Assailants trying to steal cattle shot dead 15 people in clashes with local residents in six remote communities of Zamfara state on Tuesday, regional police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said. The gunmen — dubbed “bandits” by the authorities — returned the next day and shot dead six mourners at funerals for the earlier victims, the statement said.

Muslims perform the first Friday prayer after a 69-day closure due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, outside the Dome of the Rock Mosque, in Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosques compound.

The recapture of

Tarhuna southeast of

the capital capped

a week that already

saw the Government

of National Accord

(GNA) reestablish

control over the whole

of Greater Tripoli

with Turkish military

support.

06 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020ASIA

India set to reopen places of worship, malls & restaurants REUTERS — NEW DELHI

India will throw open shopping malls, restaurants and places of worship that typically attract large crowds next week, offi-cials said, even though coro-navirus infections are rising at the fastest daily rate than at any time in the past three months.

Anxious to jump-start an economy crippled by COVID-19 and put millions of people back to work, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is dismantling its vast lockdown of the 1.3 billion pop-ulation imposed in March.

Strict guidelines will accompany the loosening of restrictions on Monday, however.

Hotel guests will be tested for fever, masks will be com-pulsory at all times, and res-taurants will have to set tables apart to maintain social dis-tancing when they reopen on

Monday, according to rules issued by the federal home ministry.

In places of worship, people will be asked to wash their hands and feet before entering, and there will be no distri-bution of food offerings or touching of idols and holy books.

“In view of the potential

threat of spread of infection, as far as feasible, recorded devo-tional music/songs may be played (but) choir or singing groups should not be allowed,” the home ministry said on its website.

India’s places of worship especially Hindu temples draw many thousands of people and the premises are usually not big enough to allow for social dis-tancing. At Delhi’s popular Sai temple, administrators have painted circles on the street for people to stand so that they can regulate entry through its narrow corridors.

Total coronavirus infec-tions in India have reached 226,770, along with 6,348 deaths, the health ministry said yesterday. At the current rate of growth, the caseload will surpass Italy within the next two days to become the world’s sixth largest.

With this in mind, some health experts cautioned

against a hasty reopening.“Preventing cluster forma-

tions (of COVID-19 infections) is the need of the hour. We are opening up religious places too soon, too fast. Gods can wait,” Giridhar R Babu, epidemiol-ogist at the Public Health

Foundation of India, wrote on Twitter. “The rising cases in Delhi is worrisome,” federal Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said at a review meeting with city officials where he urged them to step up surveillance.

There were 9,851 new

infections in the last 24 hours, according to the health min-istry, up from last week’s average daily growth of around 8,000. Mumbai, with a fifth of the infections, followed by Delhi and Chennai remain the hotspots.

Anxious to jump-start an economy crippled by COVID-19 and put millions of people back to work, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is dismantling its vast lockdown of the 1.3 billion population imposed in March.

Workers wearing protective gear disinfect a hotel room before its reopening next week, after some restrictions were lifted during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Kolkata, India.

Man arrested for death of pregnant elephantANATOLIA — NEW DELHI

India’s forest officials yesterday arrested a man for feeding a pregnant elephant a pineapple filled with firecracker.

The elephant died on May 27 in Palakkad district of the southern state of Kerala after suffering an injury in the mouth.

Forest officials confirmed she died by the riverside.

Videos of her moaning in excruciating pain went viral on social media triggering con-demnation of people from all walks of life. The #PunishEl-ephantKillers trended on social

media and hundreds of peti-tions were filed on websites.

Over 927 petitions involving 1.3 million people worldwide have been filed on Change.org demanding strict action against the perpetrators, local media reported. In a tweet the Kerala Forest Department said: “[...] Forest Dept will leave no stone unturned to ensure maximum punishment to the offenders.” Neha Sinha, an environment activist, said farmers use “bait bombs” like the explosive-laden pineapple to kill animals who enter crop fields. She suggested that the government should

work toward a mechanism to incentivize crop loss and provide a proper distribution and market support to the farmers.

“This is not an isolated incident. In 2018, a similar incident of firecrackers in fruit had occurred in Odisha. Farmers use crackers and poi-soned foods to kill animals who spoil the crop, we should focus on dealing this issue for the farmer,” said Sinha.

According to official figures presented by the Central gov-ernment in the parliament, 373 elephants died of unnatural

causes, such as electrocution and poaching between 2015-2018. In a tweet for the World Environment Day being marked, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday asked people to help maintain the country’s rich diversity.

“On World Environment Day, we reiterate our pledge to preserve our planet’s rich bio-diversity. Let us collectively do whatever possible to ensure the flora and fauna with whom we share the Earth thrive. May we leave an even better planet for the coming generations,” tweeted Modi.

Thailand reports one new virus case, no deathsREUTERS — BANGKOK

Thailand yesterday reported one new coronavirus infection and no new deaths, taking its total confirmed cases to 3,102, of which 58 have been fatal-ities. The new case was a Thai man who had returned from Kuwait and was in quarantine, where most of Thailand’s recent cases have been detected, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government’s COVID-19 Administration Centre. There

are 2,971 patients who have recovered.

Thailand is positioning itself as a trusted destination for international tourists after travel restrictions ease, capi-talising on its relative success in containing the coronavirus outbreak, industry officials say.

The Southeast Asian country, the first to report a virus case outside of China, wants to build on its reputation and remake its popular image as a destination for big tour groups.

S Korea’s waterparks open under new anti-virus measuresREUTERS — YONGIN, SOUTH KOREA

Only a handful of rubber floats tumbled down the giant slide at South Korea’s largest waterpark yesterday, its first day back in business since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

More visitors are expected to follow as summer gets under way, but new social dis-tancing rules will make cooling off at Caribbean Bay in Yongin, southeast of Seoul, more complicated.

Under government guide-lines announced for South Korea’s waterparks on Wednesday, people will have to maintain distance from each other in the pools as well as locker rooms and other facilities.

The operators of Caribbean Bay, Samsung C&T, are imple-menting additional restric-tions: Visitors must first fill out an online form to list any potential symptoms, and then

have their temperatures checked before being allowed in. South Korea blunted an initial surge in infections in February and March, but has continued to see a small but steady number of new cases, especially from crowded spots like nightclubs and churches. Pool water itself is not believed to be a major risk for spreading the coronavirus, but the park says it has sought to reduce the risks posed by people gath-ering in close proximity to each other.

Officials said they carry out disinfection operations every hour. Everyone is asked to wear protective face masks when not in the water and the park provides plastic bags to keep masks dry when not in use. Only one ride was oper-ating at Caribbean Bay on Friday, but for 9-year-old Lee Ji-woo, this was more than enough after weeks of virus-related closures and self-isolation.

Aboriginal elder Latona Dungay (centre), whose son David Dungay died in a Sydney prison in 2015, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Sydney, yesterday.

Australia seeks to bar George Floyd protests today REUTERS — SYDNEY

Australian authorities moved yesterday to scupper protests inspired by the death of black American man George Floyd, saying large gatherings risk new coronavirus infections and banning the biggest rally planned for Sydney.

Around 50,000 Aus-tralians had been expected at nationwide events today as anger over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis - where a white policeman knelt on his neck - also focuses attention on mistreatment of indigenous Australians.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said people had the right to express themselves, but should the COVID-19 disease spread at protests, it would be impossible to trace all participants.

“Any mass gathering at this time is a lottery with

peoples’ lives,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

Authorities in Australia’s most populous state of New

South Wales (NSW) secured a Supreme Court injunction to

prevent the largest rally planned for Sydney. Judge Desmond Fagan said a gath-ering of thousands was “an unreasonable proposition” given state directives for no more than 10 people to gather.

“It is self-evident that the social distancing measures... have been the key element in minimising the spread of this disease,” he said, adding that the right to free expression was being “deferred” until a safer time. wSome protesters, however, said they would carry on.

“I never lose my decision to fight for what is true,” rally organiser Raul Bassi said after the court decision.

Australia has avoided the high infections and casualties of other nations, with only 102 deaths, because of border clo-sures and social distancing since March. NSW police had originally approved the

Sydney protest, on the under-standing there would be fewer than 500 participants, but far more had been planning to attend.

“The New South Wales government would never, ever give the green light to thousands of people flagrantly disregarding the health orders,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.

In Victoria state, where gatherings of more than 20 people are banned, police threatened fines for protest organisers and people breaking social distancing rules. Queensland and Western Australia states also urged people not to attend rallies.

“Let’s find a better way and another way to express these sentiments,” urged Prime Minister Scott Mor-rison. “Let’s exercise our lib-erties responsibly.”

Bangladesh garment factories launch COVID-19 testing lab for workers to halt virus spread REUTERS — DHAKA

A laboratory to test garment workers for coronavirus is opening in Bangladesh as manufacturers seek to stem the spread of COVID-19 in factories that produce clothes for many of the world’s leading fashion brands.

The facility, run by the Bangladesh Garment Manufac-turers and Exporters Associ-ation (BGMEA) and the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, will test up to 180 samples daily from today. Two more labora-tories for workers are due to open soon.

“It’s a state-of-the-art lab... workers will get first preference in here,” said Rubana Huq, president of the BGMEA.

“(We) need data on COVID-19. So if workers or fac-tories register through us, we can adopt an industry-wide practice of precaution and iso-lation,” she said.

Bangladesh, which ranks behind only China as a supplier of clothes to Western countries, relies on the garment industry

for more than 80% of its exports.

Most of the nation’s 4,000 clothing factories, which employ about 4 million people — mostly women, reopened in April after a month-long break. Factories must adhere to social distancing rules and ensure workers can wash their hands.

At least 276 garment workers have been confirmed to have the new coronavirus, with no deaths reported, according to the latest official data. Across the country, there have been 60,000 confirmed cases, including 811 fatalities.

NGOs working with garment workers say more factory employees are likely to have had the virus, citing low testing rates across the country.

Only workers who show signs of infection will be sent for testing, and those that test positive will have to self-isolate. The Bangladeshi government praised the industry’s initiative on setting up the laboratories.

“I want these labs to be used as much as possible. The more workers we test the more we

will know,” said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.

Garment unions also wel-comed the launch of the testing facilities, but urged factory owners to prioritise the payment of overdue wages and ensure layoffs were avoided despite a wave of cancelled orders by foreign buyers.

“It’s a good initiative but the lab should have been opened a lot earlier. Also, there are some workers who haven’t been paid their salaries and their bonuses,” said Nazma Akter, president of the Sommilito Gar-ments Sramik Federation.

She said hundreds of workers had still not been paid their salary from May or a bonus paid to mark the annual Eid holiday.

Bangladesh’s garment exports fell by 84% in the first half of April as $3bn-worth of orders were cancelled or sus-pended due to global store clo-sures, according to factory owners. The number of new orders has also decreased.

Huq from the exporters’ association said that while a

few brands had reversed their decision to cancel orders, the payment terms had not been finalised yet.

According to a government report, at least 17,000 garment workers have lost their jobs since orders started being can-celled in March this year.

Coronavirus-related deaths in Bangladesh crossed the 800-mark with 30 new fatalities yesterday, according to health authorities.

The nationwide death toll has risen to 811, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The tally of infections has reached 60,391 with 2,828 new cases. To date, a total of 12,804 patients have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Meanwhile, Dr. Golam Kibria, 72, succumbed to the virus at Dhaka Medical College late on Thursday, local media reported. A total of 18 doctors in the country have died of the virus, according to a local association, Foundation for Doctors’ Safety and Rights Responsibility (FDSR).

07SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020 ASIA

Indonesian capital opens mosques as lockdown easedAFP — JAKARTA

Indonesia’s capital opened mosques yesterday for the first time in nearly three months, as the megacity loosens a partial lockdown despite coronavirus cases mounting in the world’s biggest Muslim majority nation.

Churches and other houses of worship also resumed service after Jakarta’s governor on Thursday announced an easing of restrictions, with shuttered offices, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions slated to start operations in the coming weeks.

Mosques have remained open in some other parts of the Southeast Asian archi-pelago, the world’s fourth most populous country.

But for many residents of Jakarta — home to some 30 million — it was the first time in months that Muslims have been able to attend Friday prayers to

mark Islam’s holy day. One Mohamad Fathi said he was “full of happiness” at the news after mass prayer was banned in mid-March, including in his at-risk district.

“The enthusiasm to attend Friday prayers was really high in my neighbourhood,” said the 35-year-old father who lives in south Jakarta.

“It cheered me up and sat-isfied my longing for mass prayers,” he said.

“I’m very happy we’re now allowed to return to pray.”

The weekly service was shorter than usual as part of efforts to lower the risk of COVID-19 infections, he added. Mosque-goers were also ordered to bring their

own prayer mats and abide by social-distancing rules with temperature checks at the door.

East Jakarta resident Yung Bainus said he wasn’t worried about getting sick despite the crowds.

“I’m not too worried if health protocols are strictly enforced,” he said.

“It’s important to wear a face mask, wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face. Just follow the rules properly and God willing there will be no problem,” he added.

Indonesia has confirmed more than 29,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,770 deaths, with infection rates slowing

in Jakarta itself.But the country of more

than 260 million has among

the lowest testing rates in the world. Researchers estimate the true number of virus

infections and fatalities nationwide is several times the official toll.

Indonesian Muslims wearing face masks and maintaining social distance perform Friday prayers at the At-Tin Grand Mosque, in Jakarta.

Churches and other houses of worship also resumed service after Jakarta’s governor on Thursday announced an easing of restrictions, with shuttered offices, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions slated to start operations in the coming weeks.

Exiled Thai activist abducted in Cambodia, says rights groupREUTERS — PHNOM PENH

Unknown gunmen abducted a Thai political activist in Cambo-dia’s capital, rights advocates said yesterday, the latest in a series of mysterious disappear-ances of Southeast Asian dissi-dents living in exile.

Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 37, was bundled into a vehicle in front of his Phnom Penh apartment on Thursday, New York-based Human Rights Watch said.

“The abduction of a

prominent Thai political activist on the streets of Phnom Penh demands an immediate response from Cambodian authorities,” said Brad Adams, the group’s Asia director.

At least eight other Thai activists who fled after a 2014 military coup have disappeared from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, associates and rights groups say, with some later found dead.

A Cambodian police spokesman said that authorities had not detained the activist.

A n o t h e r C a m b o d i a n spokesman, Kissana Phattana-charoen, told Khaosod English online news: “Cambodia is not Thailand. You must ask the rel-evant country.”

Thai police spokesman Kritsana Pattanacharoen said his agency had no role in the disappearance.

“Thai police only work within Thailand,” he said.

Wanchalearm fled Thailand after he was summoned by mil-itary authorities following the 2014 coup.

In 2018, Thai authorities issued an arrest warrant for him for violating the Computer Crime Act by operating a Facebook page criticising the military government from abroad.

Just on Wednesday, he had criticised Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on social media. According to a 2015 Thai media report citing a security source, Wanchalearm was among 29 exiled activists accused of violating lese majeste laws that make it a

crime to insult Thailand’s mon-archy. Kritsana denied Wan-chalearm faced lese majeste charges.

Rights groups have accused governments in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, of helping one another forcibly return dissi-dents and asylum seekers in recent years.

About a dozen activists in Bangkok protested Wanchal-earm’s disappearance, placing flowers in front of his portrait on Friday afternoon.

COVID-19 cases surge in Pakistan afterend of lockdownREUTERS — ISLAMABAD

Four weeks ago, with its most important festival coming up and millions of people facing starvation as economic activity dwindled, Pakistan lifted a two-month-long coronavirus lockdown.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said despite rising infections and deaths, the country would need to learn to “live with” the virus to avert pushing tens of millions living on daily wages into destitution.

Now, a review of gov-ernment data shows over 20,000 cases of the virus were identified in the three weeks before the lockdown was lifted, and more than double that figure were identified in the three weeks since.

To be sure, testing rates have also increased. But of those tested, the daily average of positive results climbed from on average 11.5 percent in the three weeks before the

lockdown was lifted, to 15.4 percent on average in the sub-sequent three weeks. The ratio is around 23 percent this week, according to the data.

Pakistan has officially iden-tified over 80,000 cases of COVID-19, with 1,770 confirmed deaths.

“Those numbers are con-cerning, since they do suggest there may still be widespread transmission in certain parts of the country,” said Claire Standley, assistant research professor at the Department of International Health at Geor-getown University.

Experts say measures that could curb cases - like limits on religious gatherings and crowded shopping areas and emphasising social distancing - should be reinstated and some doctors are raising the alarm.

According to a letter, a com-mittee of experts backed by the local health department in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, told the

provincial government the lockdown needed to continue. The letter said random testing suggested more than 670,000 people in the provincial capital Lahore had likely contracted the virus, many of them asymptomatic.

The Punjab Health Minister Yasmeen Rashid said the letter

had not been disregarded, but set aside in light of a Supreme Court decision that lockdowns should be lifted.

Most hospitals in Lahore are now full and are sending cases to Mayo Hospital, a public facility with more than 400 beds dedicated to COVID-19 cases, said Salman Kazmi,

general secretary of the Young Doctor’s Association, who is treating coronavirus patients there.

Asad Aslam, the CEO of Mayo, however disputed claims that Lahore hospitals were saturated.

“We can handle further burden of patients,” he said.

People wearing face masks ride a three-wheeler vehicle amid the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

China slams

Facebook’s state

media rulesAFP — BEIJING China said Facebook was unfairly targeting its biggest media companies yeserday after the network began attaching disclaimers to pages run by the country’s state-controlled news outlets.

Pages managed by news agency Xinhua and the fiery nationalist tabloid Global Times are now labelled “China state-controlled media”, after a policy change by the world’s largest social platform.

Facebook said it will add similar labels to pages and advertisements run by media outlets subject to editorial influence and financial backing by governments, including Russian state broadcaster RT.

The move comes with Facebook under scrutiny for failing for stem foreign inter-ference in the 2016 US election, and after heated debate over how the network handles mis-information and inflammatory posts — including from US Pres-ident Donald Trump.

But China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused Facebook of selective enforcement and said he hoped the company would “abandon its ideological prejudice”.

Foreign media outlets “should be given equal treatment” as long as they comply with local laws, he added. Facebook’s definition of state-controlled media includes influence over editorial content as well as financial backing of outlets, said the platform’s cybersecurity chief Nathaniel Gleicher.

“People should know if the news they read is coming from a publication that may be under the influence of a government,” he wrote in a Thursday blog post announcing the new policy.

Japan seeks to have virus vaccines in use by June 2021

REUTERS — TOKYO

Japan aims to put coronavirus vaccines into use by June 2021, the health minister said yesterday, as the country strives to be fully ready to host the Tokyo Olympics, originally planned for this summer but postponed by one year due to the pandemic.

Drugmakers around the world are scrambling to develop a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the highly infectious new coronavirus which has so far killed nearly 400,000 people worldwide.

“We will be securing production facilities in parallel with expedited vaccine development,” Japan’s Health Minister Kat-sunobu Kato told reporters as he outlined plans to bring vac-cines into use by the end of the first half of 2021.

Usually, plants for actual vaccine production are arranged only after the successful completion of development.

The Japanese government has earmarked 146 billion yen ($1.34bn) for vaccine production and distribution in the second extra budget that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet approved last month.

Japanese pharmaceutical firms developing coronavirus vaccines include Shionogi & Co and AnGes Inc.

The United States is planning massive clinical trials involving 100,000 to 150,000 volunteers in total, with the goal of deliv-ering an effective vaccine by the end of this year.

Japan has not suffered the explosive surge of coronavirus infections seen in some other countries.

It has reported around 17,000 confirmed cases and 900 known deaths to date.

Singapore plans wearable virus-tracing device for allREUTERS — SINGAPORE

Singapore plans to give a wearable device that will identify people who had inter-acted with carriers of corona-virus to each of its 5.7 million residents, in what could become one of the most comprehensive contact-tracing efforts globally.

Testing of the small devices, which can be worn on the end of a lanyard or carried in a handbag, follows limited take-up of an earlier smart-phone-based system and has further fuelled privacy concerns about contact tracing technology.

The tiny city-state, with one of the highest COVID-19 caseloads in Asia, is one of many countries trying to use technology to allow them to safe ly reopen their economies.

Singapore will soon roll out the device, which does not depend on a smartphone, and “may then distribute it to eve-ryone in Singapore,” Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister in

charge of the city-state’s smart nation initiative, said yesterday.

The government did not specify whether carrying the device would be mandatory.

The government’s earlier TraceTogether app encountered problems, especially on Apple devices where its operating system suspends Bluetooth scanning when the app runs in the background. Balakrishnan said repeated discussions with Apple failed to resolve the problem.

The pivot to wearables is a signal that Singapore has no immediate plans to adopt contact-tracing technology from Apple and Google rolled out last month, which has

several restrictions designed to protect users’ privacy.

Michael Veale, a lecturer in the law on digital rights and regulation at University College London who has been involved in developing contact-tracing apps, said Singapore’s move into wearables presented “accountability and privacy concerns.”

“Users will likely find it hard to scrutinise what the device is actually doing, or what infor-mation the back-end server uses or links,” Veale said.

Singapore has said data collected through its earlier app is encrypted and stored locally in the user’s phone, and will only be transferred to authorities if the individual is

confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.

Some businesses have already adopted wearables for contact tracing in locations where smartphone usage is restricted, while governments like Bahrain and Hong Kong have used them for monitoring people under quarantine.

Vendors pitching wearables include Accent Advanced Systems, Kerlink, Microshare Inc and TRACEsafe Technol-ogies Inc, though the com-panies have declined to comment on potential customers.

David Su, CEO of wireless chips firm Atmosic, said he expected “multiple govern-ments, if not all governments in Asia” to adopt wearables because they are an affordable and reliable way to ensure widespread automated contact tracing.

A simple wristband with a Bluetooth chip, battery and some memory could cost about $10, or possibly less, according to vendors.

Singapore will soon roll out the device, which does not depend on a smartphone, and “may then distribute it to everyone in Singapore,” Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister in charge of the city-state’s smart nation initiative, said yesterday.

08 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

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

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

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

EDITORIAL

SINCE the beginning of coronavirus pandemic, Qatar’s support to international community either through direct medical aid to different countries or assistance to various global health institutions has been exemplary.

Despite facing the same pandemic challenge, Qatar has provided and still providing medical assistance to many countries to defeat the COVID-19. In fact Qatar’s medical assistance to brotherly nations is the continuity of country’s humanitarian initiatives.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Thursday addressed the World Vaccine Summit 2020 in London through video conferencing and pledged $20m aid for the summit, which aims to mobilise $7.4bn to protect the next generation with vaccines, reduce disease inequality and create a healthier, safer and more prosperous world.

In his speech H H Amir also reiterated Qatar’s support to World Health Organization (WHO) in fighting COVID-19 epidemic. “This crisis showed that interna-tional cooperation and the exchange of experiences are indispensable. This requires increasing the mutual efforts to eradicate COVID-19 using effective vaccines and medication, and getting ready to confront future pandemics in the long run.” H H the Amir also invited the international community to work together to guar-antee health equity regarding access to medication and the required medical equipment for all countries.

The whole world including international organisa-tions are also appreciating Qatar’s leading role in fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Recently H H the Amir received a message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, in which he expressed his deep appreciation for the support of Qatar to the United Nations, during the coronavirus pandemic by establishing an airlift from Doha to Kabul.

The Secretary-General praised the support provided by the State of Qatar, saying that “the ideal support that Qatar has provided to the United Nations shows the responsibility and solidarity that are most needed to meet the challenges of COVID-19.” Qatar is contin-uously supporting international efforts to beat COVID-19 pandemic and has sent medical aid to 20 countries so far. The Qatari air forces are building field hospitals in friendly countries, including contributing to the work of multilateral healthcare institutions that are working to develop vaccines or that work to ensure the resilience of healthcare in other countries, and Qatar has already made a contribution of $140m to these organisations.

Meanwhile, Qatar Charity (QC), in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has also launched a social media awareness campaign for children, their families and members of society to enhance their protection and reduce the risks of the spread of the coronavirus.

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Established in 1996

A visitor takes a selfie at Universal Studios theme park on the first day of reopening from the coronavirus pandemic, yesterday, in Orlando, Florida.

The coronavirus pandemic has rekindled a long-standing debate on whether viruses are a nation’s property, and if countries are obliged to share biological samples and scientific data that are key to developing life-saving treatments and vaccines.

More than 6.5 million people are reported to have been infected globally, according to a Reuters tally.

China, where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year, shared the viral genetic sequence data (GSD) with the World Health Organization (WHO) in early January. That enabled laboratories around the world to start developing test kits, medi-cations and vaccines. Since then, however, a war of words has erupted around who gets access to vaccines and treatments first, with outrage over reports the US administration tried to gain access to a potential vaccine being developed by a German firm. “It is morally wrong to think that someone has a stronger claim to a vaccine because they happen to live in a rich country,” said Mark Eccleston-Turner, co-author of a recent paper on the issue of viral sovereignty.

The international legal system encourages countries to look at viruses as their “sovereign resources that can be bar-gained and bartered away in exchange for future health goods such as vaccines,” he said.

“We need to move away from this model to one where viruses, and the health goods which are developed are seen as public goods, which everyone in the world has equal claim and access to,” said Eccleston-Turner, a lecturer at Britain’s Keele University. Countries have fought before over sharing virus samples and data, and access to vaccines, notably during the AIDS crisis and the Ebola outbreak.

In 2007 Indonesia stopped sharing virus samples of the H5N1 avian flu virus, on concerns that wealthy countries were developing vaccines based on those strains,

which they would then sell at high prices.Indonesia resumed sharing of virus

samples after the WHO vowed to help boost vaccine production in poorer countries, but the face-off reiterated the persistent chal-lenge of sharing scientific data and bio-logical samples. The UN Convention on Bio-logical Diversity (1992) and its Nagoya Pro-tocol (2012) on access and benefit sharing both recognise nations’ sovereignty over genetic resources, with no legal obligation to share, even in a health emergency.

“The lack of a clear legal obligation to share represents a blind spot in interna-tional law and governance, impeding pan-demic response and scientific progress,” Eccleston-Turner wrote in the Science journal paper published in May.

But “limiting access to the resources on the basis of state sovereignty may be one of the few points of leverage available to developing countries hoping to negotiate fair and equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines,” he said.

The question of who owns data - and not just scientific data - has come under scrutiny during the Coronavirus crisis, as countries rolled out technologies to track the virus, but which digital rights experts say invade privacy and increase surveillance. But the very idea of data sovereignty “is illusory,” said Martin Tisne, managing director of philanthropic organisation Luminate, that works on digital rights issues.

“COVID-19 is a public harm; we will fight it by building a public good. The data, models and software used to address the COVID-19 pandemic should be as open as possible,” he said.

The Coronavirus pandemic has exac-erbated existing inequalities, and exposed

the vulnerability of disadvantaged popula-tions including the urban poor, indigenous people and migrant workers, according to human rights groups.

The gap between wealthy and poor nations is evidenced in everything from quarantine facilities to relief measures, with fears that so-called “immunity pass-ports” that can clear people to travel or work, would further entrench inequalities.

This is why the WHO must ensure “mandatory worldwide sharing” of COVID-19 related knowledge and data “with need prioritised above the ability to pay,” more than 150 academics, former heads of state and UN officials said in an open letter last month.

“The ask for free access to vaccines, data and treatments is based on the expe-rience of health and development experts that denial of access is often a serious problem in handling a health crisis,” said Purnima Mane, a signatory to the letter.

“It is entirely relevant in a global pan-demic where poorer countries and less well-off populations in countries are often denied the benefits of development and progress,” said Mane, a former head of healthcare non-profit Pathfinder Interna-tional. Luminate funds a project of the Britain-based Open Data Institute (ODI) to make all data related to the Coronavirus open, so it can be used “quickly and without restrictions by those who need it most, and to the benefit of everyone.”

The WHO has launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, supported by other international institutions and about 30 countries, and aimed at making vac-cines, tests, treatments and other health technologies accessible to all. But while the Coronavirus crisis has seen many examples of rapid sharing, it has also highlighted the reality that “countries may not readily relinquish their sovereignty over patho-genic genetic resources and associated GSD,” said Eccleston-Turner.

What’s needed is a legal framework that makes these resources available for research and development, he said.

“It is understandable that countries will want to use what leverage they have to gain equitable access to necessary and limited resources,” said Jeni Tennison, vice pres-ident of ODI. But withholding data “seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face”.

MARK WHITEHOUSE BLOOMBERG

The outrage driving protesters into America’s streets runs many layers deep. At the top is the death of George Floyd and the horrible persistence of police brutality. The latest jobs report reflects another: the disproportional damage that the coronavirus pandemic is inflicting on people of colour.

Although overall employment rebounded a bit, as the slow reopening of the economy allowed some busi-nesses to bring workers back, the damage remains severe. As of May, about 52.8% of people aged 16 and older were employed, up a bit from April but still down from 61.1% in February, while the number of

people reported as “absent” from work, as opposed to unemployed, suggests the drop has actually been larger.

For black people, the situ-ation was even worse: Just 49.6% were employed in May, down from 59.4% in February - a decline of 3.2 million jobs. (Latinos experienced outsized losses, too.) Over the same period, white employment fell about 8 percentage points, to 53.4% from 61.3%.

The disparity was also visible in unemployment rates, which count only those people actively looking for work. The rate for black workers kept increasing in May, even as rates for other groups began to decline.

Black workers are vul-nerable to the pandemic in more ways than one. Brookings

Institution researchers Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane estimate that they occupy an outsized share - more than 15% -- of “front-line” jobs that require physical presence, putting them at higher risk of contracting covid-19. By some measures, they’re also overrep-resented in relatively low-wage service industries - think hotels, restaurants and retail - that are most affected by efforts to stop the spread.

Data beyond the jobs report confirm the disparate impact. In the weekly Household Pulse Survey conducted by the Census Bureau, some 55% of black households (and 61% of Latino households) reported a loss of employment income since mid-March, compared with 43% of white households. The inequity extends to

entrepreneurs: The number of working black business owners declined an estimated 41% between February and April, compared with 17% for white business owners, according to economist Robert Fairlie of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Sadly, this is no anomaly. Recessions tend to hit black people even more dispropor-tionately than the current one has, reflecting a broader eco-nomic insecurity that stems from generations of discrimi-nation. It’s difficult to succeed if you grow up in a neigh-borhood with failing schools, inadequate health care, and environmental and social hazards including lead poi-soning and omnipresent incarceration - as far too many black Americans do.

Who owns the virus? Pandemic sparks debate on data sharing

The jobs report shows deep racial injustice

RINA CHANDRAN REUTERS

“The lack of a clear legal obligation to share represents a blind spot in international law and governance, impeding pandemic response and scientific progress,” Eccleston-Turner said.

09SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020 EUROPE

Deaths from virus inBritain top 40,000AFP — LONDON

Britain’s official coronavirus death toll has topped 40,000, after the government yesterday reported a further 357 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said reaching the grim milestone was “a time of sorrow for us all”.

“We’ve got to remember that each one of these is an impact on a family that will never be the same again and my heart goes out to them all,” he said.

“And it makes me redouble my determination to deal with this virus.” His ministry said 40,261 people who tested pos-itive for COVID-19 had died as of 0800 GMT yesterday.

Britain was already second only to the United States in terms of numbers of deaths, and broader statistics indicate the toll is much higher when suspected cases are taken into account.

The Office for National Sta-tistics, which tallies all deaths in which COVID-19 was sus-pected or mentioned on death certificates, put the toll at 48,106 up to May 22.

Prime Minister Boris

Johnson is going ahead with plans to ease lockdown restric-tions imposed on March 23, after indications the virus was past its peak.

Some schools reopened this week to the youngest children in England, while non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen their doors from Monday.

A separate study published yesterday said about 53,000 people in England had coro-navirus in the last two weeks of May.

But only 29 percent of those who tested positive had symptoms, the ONS said.

It surveyed almost 20,000 people in private homes and

found that 21 people had the disease, which equates to some 0.1 percent of England’s 56 million people.

As Britain gradually reopens, attention has focused on the so-called R rate — the average number of secondary infections produced by one infected person.

Scientists and ministers say the easing of lockdown measures depends on keeping the rate below one.

Modelling data published on Friday by one group that helps inform government policy suggested it was above one in two English regions.

“We believe it is probable that R is below 1 in all regions of England with the exception of the North West and the South West,” said the study by Public Health England and Cambridge University.

However, the government said that information from a range of sources put the rate at between 0.7 and 0.9 across Britain.

Hancock noted that the government’s recently launched “track and test” scheme would focus on iden-tifying and isolating localised outbreaks of coronavirus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks during a briefing on coronavirus disease outbreak, at 10 Downing Street in London, yesterday.

‘No benefit’ from hydroxychloroquine for virus: UK trialAFP — PARIS

A major British clinical trial has found hydroxychloroquine has “no benefit” for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, scientists said yesterday, in the first large-scale study to provide results for a drug at the centre of political and scientific controversy.

Hydroxychloroquine, a decades-old malaria and rheumatoid arthritis drug, has been touted as a possible treatment for the new coro-navirus by high profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, and has been included in several randomised clinical trials.

The University of Oxford’s Recovery trial, the biggest of these so far to come forward with findings, said that it would now stop recruiting patients to be given hydroxy-chloroquine “with immediate effect”.

“Our conclusion is that this treatment does not reduce the risk of dying from COVID among hospital patients and that clearly has a significant importance for the way patients are treated, not only in the UK, but all around the world,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford professor of med-icine and epidemiology who co-leads the study.

The randomised clinical trial — considered the gold standard for clinical investi-gation —- has recruited a total of 11,000 patients from 175 hospitals in the UK to test a range of potential treatments.

Other drugs continuing to be tested include: the combi-nation of HIV antivirals Lopi-navir and Ritonavir; a low dose of the steroid Dexame-thasone, typically used to reduce inflammation; anti-biotic Azithromycin; and the anti inflammatory drug Tocilizumab.

Researchers are also testing convalescent plasma from the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19, which contains antibodies to fight the virus.

Researchers said 1,542

patients were randomly assigned to hydroxychloro-quine and compared with 3,132 patients given standard hospital care alone.

They found “no significant difference” in mortality after 28 days between the two groups, and no evidence that treatment with the drug shortens the amount of time spent in hospital.

“This is a really important result, at last providing une-quivocal evidence that hydroxychloroquine is of no value in treatment of patients hospitalised with COVID-19,” said Peter Openshaw, a pro-fessor at Imperial College London, in reaction to the results.

He added that the drug was “quite toxic” so halting the trials would be of benefit to patients. Hydroxychloroquine has been in use for years but it has a number of potentially serious side effects, including heart arrhythmia.

Researchers from the Recovery trial said they would share their data with the World Health Organisation (WHO), which on Wednesday restarted its own trials of hydroxychloroquine.

They were temporarily halted last month because of a now-retracted observational study in The Lancet medical journal that had suggested hydroxychloroquine and chlo-roquine, a related compound, were ineffective against COVID-19 and even increased the risk of death.

Authors of The Lancet research said on Thursday that they could no longer vouch for the integrity of its underlying data, in the face of serious concerns raised by fellow sci-entists over a lack of clarity about the countries and hos-pitals that contributed patient information.

The scandal cast a shadow over The Lancet and another top medical journal, but it did nothing to clear up the increasingly politicised question of whether or not hydroxychloroquine works as a treatment for COVID-19.

Macron seeksrelease ofFranco-IranianacademicREUTERS — PARIS

France demanded yesterday that Franco-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, whom Tehran has sentenced to six years in prison, be released immediately, saying her detention was harming trust between the two countries.

“One year ago, Fariba Adelkhah was arbitrarily arrested in Iran. It is unac-ceptable that she is still in prison,” tweeted President Emanuel Macron.

“My message to Iranian authorities: justice demands that our compatriot be imme-diately released.”

Iran does not recognise dual nationality and has rejected previous calls to release the 60-year-old anthropologist, detained since June 2019, saying the case is an Iranian domestic legal matter.

“Political pressure and propaganda campaigns cannot disrupt the execution of (Adelkhah’s) legal sentence,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told state media.

“We hope that French authorities... put an end to interference in the internal affairs of our country.”

In March, the two countries carried out a prisoner swap, exchanging academic Roland Marchal for engineer Jalal Ruhollahnejad.

However, since then there has been little sign that Adelkhah will be released and she was sentenced in May to six years in prison on security-related charges.

“This ongoing situation can only have a negative impact on the bilateral relations between France and Iran, and can only significantly reduce the trust between our two countries,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement yesterday.

Relations between France and Iran have improved over the last year, but remain tense over Iran’s nuclear activities, i ts ball ist ic missi le programme.

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage charges.

Spain to further ease curbs, won’t rush on border openingREUTERS — MADRID

Spain will further ease a coro-navirus lockdown in its two biggest cities from Monday, but will not start opening its borders to foreign tourists before July 1, the government said yesterday.

Health Minister Salvador Illa said some restrictions would be lifted in Madrid and Barcelona, which have so far lagged behind the rest of the country’s easing programme.

From Monday, restaurant patrons will be allowed to sit inside rather than exclusively on outdoor terraces, while children will be able to play outside at any time of day.

On Thursday, Tourism Min-ister Reyes Maroto said land borders would reopen from June 22, though her ministry later walked back on the statement, causing some con-fusion, as well as criticism in neighbouring Portugal.

“There has been no change in the government’s position since day one,” government spokeswoman Maria Jesus

Montero told a news briefing, referring to the previously announced July 1 date.

Despite relying heavily on tourism, which generates some 12 percent of GDP, hard-hit Spain has been reluctant to open its borders without a European Union-wide agreement on defining safe travel.

Belgian Interior Minister Pieter De Crem earlier said Spain was an exception to a general willingness among EU and Schengen area countries to reopen internal borders from June 15.

In a sign that consumer appetite is beginning to return, data showed bank card spending rose by 16 percent in May after plunging in April, when industrial output slumped 34 percent according to a sep-arate data release.

But in a reminder of the devastation wrought by the virus, Spain fell silent for a minute at midday, marking the end of a 10-day mourning period for the more than 27,000

people who have died. There have been more than 258,000 infections.

In Madrid, which accounts for about a third of the deaths,

reactions to the easing were not universally positive.

“I think it’s a bit risky and if there’s another outbreak I don’t know if we will have enough

resources,” dental hygienist Noemi Seco said.

“I know lots of people who work in hospitals and we’re stretched very thin.”

A woman wearing a protective face mask salutes as people hold a minute of silence during the last day of the official ten-day mourning of those who died of the coronavirus, in Madrid, yesterday.

Italy reports 85 virus deaths; alarm in LombardyANATOLIA — ROME

Italy yesterday reported 85 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 33,774, as the northern Lombardy region remains the epicentre of the outbreak, regis-tering a worrying number of new infections.

But overall, the slowing trend in the number of deaths seen in May has continued in June, confirming that the peak of the crisis has been left

behind. The tally of active infections fell again yesterday, by 1,453, placing the total at 36,976.

Meanwhile, recoveries con-tinued to climb, surging to 163,781, as more patients left intensive care, lifting pressure on Italy’s strained health care system. However, the situation in Lombardy continues to alarm Italian authorities, which fear a possible new wave of conta-gions. In the region — the

worst-hit nationally — victims continued to edge up, rising to 16,222, while new infections stood at 402, out of a total of 518 nationwide.

Italians on Wednesday were allowed to travel between regions for the first time after three months of lockdown, despite regional governors warning that residents coming from the worst-hit regions could help spread the virus.

Italy was also one of the

first countries in Europe to reopen its borders to interna-tional tourism — hoping to relaunch its key touristic industry, hit hard by the pandemic.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio yesterday met his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin to discuss the European response to the pan-demic and the reopening of EU borders to tourists.

Di Maio praised Berlin’s

decision to remove any alert on tourism to Italy from mid-June, calling it a “loyal and trans-parent choice” that reflects the current state of the country’s health.

The Italian top diplomat will also meet other European counterparts in the next few days to promote Italy’s image abroad, as the country hopes to relaunch tourism, which con-tributes more than 12 percent of its gross domestic product.

Finland’s finance

minister resigns

over training rowAFP — HELSINKI

Finnish Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni stepped down yesterday after it emerged she spent 56,000 euros of taxpayers’ money on public-speaking lessons.

Finnish media had on Tuesday revealed that the training sessions, between August last year and this March, were paid for with public money by the finance and business ministries, and not by Kulmuni’s Centre Party, of which she is the head. Kulmuni said she was not previously aware of the cost of the training but on Wednesday promised to pay the money back, before offering her resig-nation yesterday at a press con-ference in parliament.

“During my speaking training I practiced my party conference speech, which I should not have done,” Kulmuni said.

“As a politician my duty is to carry responsibility and I have concluded that I will no longer continue as a member of the cabinet,” she said. Kulmuni said she would continue to serve as leader of the Centre Party.

The 32-year-old, who studied international relations at university in Lapland, gar-nered international attention last December as the youngest member of Finland’s all-female coalition government in which four of the five party leaders were aged under 35.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin yesterday offered her support to Kulmuni for her “difficult decision” and said the Centre Party would remain in the coa-lition government.

A separate study published yesterday said about 53,000 people in England had coronavirus in the last two weeks of May. But only 29 percent of those who tested positive had symptoms.

10 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020EUROPE

Czech Republic expels2 Russian diplomatsover poison plot hoaxAFP — PRAGUE

The Czech Republic has expelled two Russian diplomats after a Russian embassy employee spread false information about a planned poison attack on three Prague politicians, officials said yesterday.

In April, Respekt newspaper cited security sources as saying that a Russian national using a diplomatic passport had arrived in Prague carrying ricin, a toxic poison that can be used as a bio-logical weapon.

Around the same time, three Prague politicians who had each made political gestures that angered Russia were placed under police protection.

“One embassy employee sent deliberately made-up information about a planned attack on Czech politicians to BIS,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babis, referring to the Czech intelligence service.

“We have adopted appro-priate and adequate measures and declared two embassy staff personae non gratae.”

The case further soured already tricky relations between Prague and the Kremlin, with Russian foreign ministry spokes-woman Maria Zakharova saying in April that the Respekt report was “misinformation” and “sick fantasies”.

The Russian embassy in Prague dismissed the expulsion on its Facebook page as “provocation”.

“Based on ungrounded

accusations in the media from the beginning, this hostile step shows Prague is not interested in normalising Russian-Czech relations, which have recently degraded, for which we cannot be blamed,” the embassy said.

One of the three politicians named in the hoax, Ondrej Kolar, had spearheaded the April removal of a Cold War-era statue dedicated to Soviet general Ivan Konev — a hero to many Russians but a symbol of Soviet-era oppression to many Czechs.

Another of those targeted, Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib, supported renaming the Prague square where the Russian embassy is based after Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader murdered in 2015.

And the district run by Pavel Novotny, the third politician mentioned in the hoax, installed a memorial to the so-called Vlasov Army — Red Army defectors who helped to liberate

Prague in May 1945.Mikhail Bryukhanov, head

of the Russian foreign ministry’s international cooperation agency Rossotrudnichestvo, said both of the expelled diplomats were its employees.

Speaking to the RIA Novosti news agency, Bryukhanov said one was Andrei Konchakov, the interim head of Rossotrud-nichestvo’s Czech branch.

Czech media have previ-ously said Konchakov had arrived in Prague in March, sug-gesting he was the supposed man with ricin in his suitcase.

“The Czech Republic has invented this ‘ricin scandal’, a mean story out of a cheap thriller.

“The decision is absolutely unjustified and it obviously won’t help relations between the two countries,” Bryukhanov said.

Babis cited intelligence information as showing the hoax was the result of infighting at the Russian embassy.

“Besides burdening our security forces, (the employee) caused further complications in Czech-Russian relations and harmed the good reputation of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic,” said the bil-lionaire populist prime minister.

Foreign Minister Tomas Pet-ricek said Russia’s approach had left his country with no option other than to expel the dip-lomats “even though we’re aware of the expected reciprocal steps”.

Ukrainians rally outside parliament to demand resignation of ministerAFP — KIEV

Hundreds of Ukrainians rallied outside parliament yesterday to demand the interior minister be fired in the wake of police scandals including an alleged assault and molestation.

The protesters, mostly young people wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus, lit flares and burnt an old police car as they demanded the departure of longtime minister Arsen Avakov.

Some held placards reading “No to the police state!” and “Avakov must be fired!” “It is a terrible situ-ation when law enforcement agencies, who live off of our

taxes, torture Ukrainians,” activist Dana Vynogradova told the protesters, adding: “Avakov must go.”

Many Ukrainians have been disappointed by the failure of a Western-backed effort launched in 2015 to reform the notoriously corrupt and often ineffective police force.

Outrage has been building after a police officer allegedly assualted a 26-year-old woman at a police station in the town of Kagarlyk outside the capital Kiev.

The woman was allegedly forced to put on a gas mask and handcuffed before being abused.

Two off icers were detained over the incident

last month. Critics have also accused police in Kiev of failing to do their duty after a brazen shootout last week between gangs linked to rival bus companies left three people wounded.

Avakov, who has been interior minister since 2014 and kept his post after the election last year of President Volodymyr Zelensky, defended himself before lawmakers in parliament yesterday.

He said authorities had reacted immediately to the “shameful” abuse allegations and that steps would be taken to prevent further abuses.

“I ask you not to condemn the entire police force because of several bastards,” he said.

Demonstrators stand in flares and smoke bombs outside the Ukrainian parliament, in Kiev, yesterday.

Russian nuclear sub city closes access over virus outbreakAFP — MOSCOW

A Russian Arctic shipyard city known for nuclear submarine production, Severodvinsk, was sealed off yesterday to contain a coronavirus outbreak there as the country’s confirmed cases neared 450,000.

The governor of the Arkhangelsk region where Severodvinsk is located signed a decree shutting access to the city of more than 180,000 people from midnight yes-terday, with no fixed end date.

Police were already manning checkpoints at entry roads yesterday, the Region 29 local news agency reported.

Severodvinsk is considered a hotspot with more than 1,000 confirmed cases, according to the regional health watchdog.

It has already made wearing g l o v e s a n d m a s k s compulsory.

On Thursday, 57 new cases were reported in the city, including 30 among workers at the shipyards.

Nearly half of Severod-vinsk’s working-age population

is employed in production and repairs of ships and submarines at huge enterprises including Sevmash and Zvezdochka, both part of a state conglomerate.

Under the USSR, Severod-vinsk was a closed city requiring special passes to enter due to its involvement in nuclear sub-marine construction.

“Just like 29 years ago, Severodvinsk has become closed again,” reported Region 29. Under the new rules, however, residents will still be

able to leave to get medical treatment and even to visit second homes, known as dachas.

The shipyards are not closing but authorities have rec-ommended they stop bringing in workers from outside the city. Though “it wasn’t easy to take this decision, it really is needed”, acting regional gov-ernor Alexander Tsybulsky said on Thursday.

“You need to stick it out for a week or 10 days so that we don’t see the infection rate grow further,” he told residents.

The Arkhangelsk region as a whole has 2,712 confirmed cases according to the regional virus task force.

Russia has also seen high numbers of virus cases in eastern Siberia and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered troops to build a field hospital in the Zabaikalye region, which has 1,321 con-firmed cases. Russia has the third-highest number of con-firmed cases in the world at 449,834 and 5,528 people have died from the virus.

A woman wearing a face mask walks in central Moscow amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Russia says has stopped spread of Arctic fuel spillAFP — MOSCOW

Russia has managed to contain a massive diesel spill into a river in the Arctic, a spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry said yesterday.

“We have stopped the spread of the petroleum products,” the spokeswoman for the taskforce in charge of the accident clean-up said.

“They are contained in all directions, they are not going anywhere now.” Environmen-talists said the oil spill, which took place last Friday, was the worst such accident ever in the Arctic region.

The accident happened when a diesel reservoir col-lapsed at a power station outside the northern Siberian city of Norilsk.

It caused 15,000 tonnes of fuel to leak into a river and 6,000 tonnes into the soil, according to Russia’s state envi-ronmental watchdog.

The power plant is owned by a subsidiary of Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered a state of emer-gency to deal with the disaster and Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev flew in to manage the clean-up operation that currently involves around 100 people.

Zinichev was set to report back to Putin yesterday.

Greenpeace Russia said it was the “first accident of such a scale in the Arctic” and compa-rable to the Exxon Valdez dis-aster off the coast of Alaska in 1989. The Ambarnaya River, which is affected by the spill, feeds into Lake Pyasino, a major body of water and the source of the Pyasina River that is vitally important to the entire Taimyr peninsula. The clean-up oper-ation placed oil containment booms in the Ambarnaya River to stop the diesel fuel going into the lake and was using special devices to skim off the fuel.

The emergencies ministry spokeswoman said that “we managed to stop (the spread) thanks to the booms”.

The ministry said yesterday it had removed more than 200 tonnes of the fuel.

Poland and Baltic states to open borders to each other next weekREUTERS — VILNIUS

Poland and the Baltic states will open their borders to each other next week in an easing of coronavirus travel restrictions, Lithuanian Prime Minister said yesterday after a video conference with his Polish counterpart.

The Baltic states — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — opened their common borders on May 15, creating the first so called “travel bubble” within the European Union in a bid to jump-start stalled economies.

“We agreed that free movement between the Baltic states and Poland will be restored next week,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on his Facebook page after the talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

“Ministries of both countries were told to work on this as fast as possible,” he added.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia each allow entry into their common travel area from most EU countries, singling out those where infection rates are deemed low enough to mitigate any risk of rekindling outbreaks that have slowed across the Baltics.

Travellers from other countries are told to self-isolate for 14 days. Travel from countries where infection rates are high, such as Britain, remains banned.

In response to an emailed request for comment, Poland’s interior ministry said that, as previously announced, controls on the borders with Lithuania, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia had been extended until June 12 and that it would issue a statement about any further developments.

Sweden puts former envoy on trialover China dissident negotiationsAFP — STOCKHOLM

Sweden’s former ambassador to China went on trial in Stockholm yesterday accused of overstepping her mandate and risking national security by trying to negotiate the release of a dissident.

Anna Lindstedt faces up to two years in prison if she is con-victed of brokering an unau-thorised meeting in January last year when she was ambassador.

She was trying to secure the freedom of Chinese-born Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, who published gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders in a Hong Kong book shop. He has been in jail in China almost continuously since 2015.

Lindstedt, a former envoy in both Vietnam and Mexico who acted as Sweden’s chief negotiator at the 2015 climate summit in Paris, denies the charge.

Prosecutor Henrik Olin laid

out his case during yesterday’s hearing, telling the court: “Anna Lindstedt was at the time Swe-den’s ambassador to China, but acted outside the bounds of the mandate she had for the con-sular case.”

He said the crime had endangered Sweden’s peaceful relations with China.

But defence lawyer Conny Cedermark replied that the only part of the prosecution’s description his client agreed with was that “Anna Lindstedt at the time was Sweden’s ambassador in China”.

According to media reports, Lindstedt is expected to argue that she had informed her superiors of the meeting.

Gui disappeared while on holiday in Thailand in 2015 before resurfacing in mainland China, where he was put in jail.

A few months after his October 2017 release he was again arrested, this time while he was on a train to Beijing with Swedish diplomats.

In February this year, he was given 10 years in jail on charges of illegally providing intelligence abroad.

Lindstedt helped organise a meeting between Gui’s daughter, Angela Gui, and busi-nessmen with ties to Beijing.

Angela Gui wrote in Feb-ruary 2019 on her blog about a “strange experience” where Lindstedt had invited her to Stockholm in January.

During discussions in the lounge of a hotel in the Swedish capital, in the presence of Lind-stedt, she was introduced to the businessmen who claimed they could help secure her father’s release.

In exchange, Angela Gui said she was told she “needed to be quiet” and to “stop all media engagement”, and later described the tone of the meeting as “threatening”.

Sweden’s intelligence service launched an investi-gation after reports of the meeting emerged.

Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said Russia’s approach had left his country with no option other than to expel the diplomats “even though we’re aware of the expected reciprocal steps”.

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,” Mattis said.

11SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020 AMERICAS

Trump’s relations with military veer towards breakdownAFP — WASHINGTON

Secretary of Defence Mark Esper’s rebuff of President Donald Trump over deploying troops to quell protests and sharp blasts from previous Pen-tagon leaders including Jim Mattis have left Trump’s rela-tions with the US military dan-gerously frayed.

Esper’s announcement on Wednesday that he opposed deploying active military to quell nationwide protests over police brutality was an extraor-dinary pushback to the official armed forces commander in chief.

“I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,” Esper said, referring to the 1807 law Trump has wanted to use to activate armed military per-sonnel for policing riot-hit cities. Hours later Esper’s pred-ecessor Jim Mattis delivered a lashing attack against Trump.

“When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” he wrote.

“Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the

Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens,” Mattis said, referring to the right to protest.

Mattis, who served as Trump’s defence secretary for two years before resigning on bad terms, even noted that the German Nazis swore by the creed “divide and conquer”.

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,” Mattis said.

And two former joint chiefs chairs — whose former subor-dinates now populate the top echelons of the Pentagon — also weighed in. “America is not a battleground. Our fellow

citizens are not the enemy,” said retired General Martin Dempsey, the Pentagon’s top general from 2011 to 2105.

“I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes,” wrote Dempsey’s predecessor, retired admiral Mike Mullen.

The blatant opposition to the President by normally non-political figures has raised the spectre of a breakdown of civil-military relations. It could also mean Esper’s job is on the line — White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany declined to say whether he still had Trump’s full confidence.

And it effectively shattered Trump’s claim to a solid alliance with the men and women in uniform, which he parades in political ads as a sign of his own toughness.

The resistance has built since last week when Trump threatened to send armed regular troops, and not just national guard reservists, onto US streets to halt the protests and rioting that followed the May 25 killing in police custody of African American George Floyd.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on commercial fishing in Bangor, Maine, US, yesterday.

Esper appeared in agreement when he ordered 1,600 military police to the Washington region on standby in case riots worsened, and then told governors of states to “dominate the battlespace”.

When he and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley appeared by Trump’s side on Monday in a photo op at a church by the White House, minutes after security forces cleared the area of peaceful demonstrators by firing pepper balls and smoke bombs, it looked like they were on board with Trump’s promise to dis-patch soldiers. But amid howls that he was making the US mil-itary trump’s political tool, Esper reversed his position.

Aides said he had clumsily

used the military jargon “bat-tlespace” out of habit, and sug-gested that Trump had effec-tively tricked Esper and Milley into joining the church photo-op. Esper said firmly on Wednesday that he opposed using active duty soldiers to deal with protestors.

“The option to use active duty forces should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” he told reporters in the Pentagon. “We are not in one of those situations now.” Making their positions clear, Esper, Milley and other top Pengaon officials made state-ments to the troops that they were sworn to defend the US constitution, especially the right to free speech.

F o r m e r P e n t a g o n spokesman David Lapan said he had never seen such pushback to a President, espe-cially by someone with the stature of Mattis. “This president has politicised the military in ways that hasn’t ever been done,” Lapan, now at the Bipar-tisan Policy Institute, said.

Esper and Milley “waited too late and allowed the situ-ation to fester,” he said. “In that week’s time, they lost some confidence both from the force and the American public.” He said Mattis, Dempsey and Mullen were not trying to foment rebellion among the troops, but that they saw the military’s reputation with the American public at risk. “It’s been building,” he said.

Death toll from virus in Brazil surgesAFP — RIO DE JANEIRO

Brazil’s death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed Italy’s to become the third-highest in the world. The bleak figures from Brazil underlined the toll the virus is taking in Latin America, the latest epi-center in the pandemic.

Brazil’s death toll topped 34,000, overtaking Italy’s to become the third highest in the world, while cases Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Chile con-tinued to mount.

Impoverished Haiti, with its fragile health system, is also seeing worrying trends as infections and deaths rise in the face of swirling rumours and disinformation about the severity of the disease.

After Brazil reported a new 24-hour record death toll, its fatalities stand behind only the United States, with more than 108,000 deaths, and Britain, with nearly 40,000.

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has fiercely criti-cised coronavirus stay-at-home measures, arguing that they are needlessly hurting the economy. Brazil is the hardest-hit country in Latin America, though Mexico reported a record number of new infec-tions for the second straight day, with 4,442.

And in Peru, desperate res-idents lined up to buy oxygen tanks for their loved ones, as the government declared oxygen a “strategic health resource” amid an acute shortage.

Nine states, DC to vote amid pandemic and social unrestAP — NEW YORK

Voters are being asked to navigate curfews, health con-cerns and a sharp increase in mail balloting on Tuesday as elections take place from Mar-yland to Montana.

Four states were originally scheduled to vote in April but delayed their contests because of the coronavirus outbreak. Pennsylvania offers the day’s biggest trove of delegates and represents a high-profile test case for Republicans and Dem-ocrats working to strengthen their operations in one of the most important general election battlegrounds.

“We think we’re prepared,” Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills said. “Thank goodness we have the opportunity of working this out in the primary because we don’t know where we’ll be with the pandemic in November.”

Joe Biden needs to win 89% of all delegates at stake on Tuesday to formally clinch the nomination, but his role as his party’s clear presidential nominee is not in danger should he fall short.

With a dominant showing on Super Tuesday in early March, the former vice-pres-ident pushed out all his major opponents. He will almost cer-tainly secure the needed dele-gates later in the month if

necessary. Still, Tuesday offers a historic opportunity for the 77-year-old Democrat, who is waging his third presidential campaign and who hopes to amass as many delegates as possible to show strength before going up against Pres-ident Donald Trump.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is not actively cam-paigning, having suspended his operation and endorsed Biden, but his name will appear on the ballots. On the eve of Tuesday’s primaries, senior adviser Jeff Weaver encouraged progressives to vote for Sanders anyway.

Party unity will likely be an afterthought this week, however, as more immediate health and safety concerns dominate the national conver-sation. The coronavirus death toll has surged past 100,000 nationwide, and thousands of new cases are reported each day. At the same time, several major cities, including some voting on Tuesday, are grap-pling with protests following the killing of George Floyd.

Those voting on Tuesday include the District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Mar-yland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota. Another state holding primary elections, Iowa, chose its presidential nominee early in the year and focused on other offices.

Americans misuse disinfectants in ‘high risk’ practice to prevent infection: SurveyREUTERS — WASHINGTON

More than a third of Americans misused cleaners and disin-fectants to try to prevent infection by the coronavirus, according to a US survey taken shortly after President Donald Trump publicly asked whether injecting such products could treat COVID-19.

Washing food with bleach, using household cleaning or disinfectant products on bare skin, and intentionally inhaling or ingesting these products were some of the most com-monly reported “high-risk” practices in a May 4 online survey of 502 US adults, the US

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.

The survey’s lead author said it was undertaken following a “sharp increase” in calls to poison control centers for exposure to cleaners and disinfectants during the pandemic.

In late April, Trump asked scientists during one of his coronavirus task force briefings whether inserting disinfectant into the bodies of people infected with the virus might help clear the disease, horri-fying health experts. Makers of household cleaners were com-pelled to urge people not to drink or inject their products.

Some 39% of people

surveyed reported intentionally engaging in at least one high-risk practice not recommended by the CDC to prevent corona-virus infection, including using bleach to clean food, misting the body with a disinfectant spray and drinking or gargling with diluted bleach solutions and soapy water.

A quarter of those surveyed reported having at least one adverse health effect during the previous month that they believed resulted from using these products. Limitations to the survey included that it was for a single point in time and was opt-in rather than a random sampling, the agency said.

‘Adapt and survive’ as Galapagos girds for life without tourismAFP — QUITO

As much of Ecuador went into lockdown against the corona-virus, scientists shipped out of the Galapagos, leaving important research activity frozen and the Pacific archipel-ago’s tourism in deep crisis.

Authorities are desperately hoping for a revival of the vital tourism industry — the main engine of the local economy — once visitors are allowed to fly in again from July 1.

In the meantime, local offi-cials say they have to take a leaf out of English naturalist Charles Darwin’s book and “adapt to survive”. Darwin based his theory of evolution on his studies of the islands’ unique flora and fauna. But dozens of researchers following in his

footsteps had to leave before air links were shut down as the pandemic advanced.

“Science has to a large extent been paralyzed these days in the Galapagos,” Diego Quiroga of Quito’s San Fran-cisco University said.

Sixteen researchers of various nationalities from the university’s Galapagos Science Center were repatriated along with 50 US students when Ecuador shut its borders, sus-pended flights and imposed strict restrictions on movement in mid-March.

The move meant that the Galapagos was largely spared the devastating impact of the virus felt on the mainland.

Ecuador, a country of 17 million, has more than 40,000 infections with 3,500 deaths.

The Galapagos is the least affected of its provinces, with

fewer than 80 infections among its 30,000 population.

The 76 projects being carried out under the Center’s auspices remain in limbo, and an international congress set to draw 200 scientists to the archi-pelago was canceled.

The Charles Darwin Foun-dation, which has been oper-ating on the islands for 60 years, had to shelve 20 research pro-grams. Around 30 of its scien-tists and volunteers who were carrying out field work “had to abandon their investigation sites,” said Maria Jose Barragan, the foundation’s CEO and science director.

With them went “an important season of investi-gation into the reproductive cycle of birds” in the Galapagos, she said. The Galapagos National Park (PNG), a public body responsible for conser-

vation of the archipelago, con-tinues to operate.

The Charles Darwin Foun-dation fears, however, the long-term impact of the pandemic on future research.

“We have to adapt, which is actually the principle of the theory of evolution: change and adapt,” Barragan said.

Galapagos Science Center head Carlos Mena says he does not believe “funding for science is decreasing, but yes, it will move to other sectors, such as economic rejuvenation or the study of diseases and viruses.”

In the months of lockdown, between March and May, the Galapagos — which had more than 270,000 visitors last year — lost $200m in tourism revenue, according to the Pro-vincial Chamber of Tourism.

An aerial file photo taken on January 21, 2018 of Puerto Ayora bay in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Migrant woesVenezuelan migrants attempting to return to their country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, queue at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge in Cucuta, Colombia, on Thursday.

US civil rights groups have filed a case suing Trump after security forces fired pepper balls and smoke bombs to clear peaceful demonstrators in Washington before the president walked to a church for a photo op earlier this week.

12 SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2020AMERICAS

Nurses and healthcare workers attend a ‘Black Lives Matter’ rally in front of Bellevue Hospital in New York City. RIGHT: People walk on the newly proclaimed “Black Lives Matter Plaza” near the White House in Washington, DC, yesterday.

Anger at new police abuse videos

AFP — NEW YORK

Outrage soared in America yes-terday over new images of police brutality caught on camera as demonstrators sought to take mass protests over the killing of an unarmed black man into a second weekend.

With rolling demonstrations over the death last week of George Floyd showing little sign of letting up, arguments raged over the level of force officers were deploying against largely peaceful protesters.

In Buffalo, New York, two cops were suspended without pay after a video showed then pushing over a 75-year-old pro-tester who fell and suffered a head injury. Reporting the sus-pension on Twitter, city mayor Byron Brown said he and the police commissioner were “deeply disturbed” by the video.

An earlier police statement

said the man, who appeared unconscious and bleeding heavily from the head, “tripped and fell.” Governor Andrew Cuomo called the incident “wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful,” in a tweet. “Police Officers must enforce - NOT ABUSE - the law,” he wrote.

In Indianapolis, police launched an investigation after a video emerged showing at least four officers hitting a woman with batons and firing pepper balls at her on Sunday night. And in New York City on Thursday, officers baton-charged dozens of peaceful pro-testers defying a curfew in the Bronx after pinning them in, leaving them with nowhere to run, several reports said.

The NYPD made 270 arrests

as its officers broke up several protests taking place across the city after the 8pm curfew.

Underfire New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who imposed the week-long night-time curfew after widespread looting earlier in the week, has repeatedly said the NYPD is showing “restraint.” In an editorial published yes-terday, The New York Times called on him to “open your eyes. “The police are out of control,” it said.

Thousands of people have been marching in cities across the United States for 10 straight days, with large demonstrations also taking place in European capitals.

Floyd, 46, died in the Mid-western city of Minneapolis during a May 25 arrest when a

white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

His death has reignited long-felt anger over police killings of African-Americans and unleashed a nationwide wave of civil unrest unlike any seen in the United States since Martin Luther King Jr’s 1968 assassination.

It has also posed Donald Trump with one of the greatest challenges of his tumultuous presidency. While condemning Floyd’s death, he has adopted a tough stance towards the pro-testers and has been accused of exacerbating tensions.

US civil rights groups have filed a case suing Trump after security forces fired pepper balls and smoke bombs to clear peaceful demonstrators in

Washington before the pres-ident walked to a church for a photo op earlier this week.

Mayor Muriel Bowser yes-terday renamed the area outside the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” — unveiling a giant street mural — after tweeting a letter calling on Trump to “withdraw all extraor-dinary federal law enforcement and military presence from our city”, But Trump was back in buoyant mood following the release of strong job numbers, telling reporters that it marked a “great day” for Floyd.

Trump also renewed his call for those states who have not deployed the National Guard, such as New York, to do so. Some of the early protests were marred by rioting and looting but they have been mostly peaceful since then.

Curfews have been lifted in Washington, Los Angeles and other cities but New York’s is due to run for the next three nights. Several more rallies have been scheduled as activists seek to keep up the movement’s momentum into the weekend.

Some of their demands have been met: Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd, has been charged with second-degree murder while three officers who assisted him have been charged with aiding and abetting his murder. “We’re going to keep going until we change the whole system of justice,” civil rights leader Al Sharpton said at a memorial for Floyd on Thursday.

In this still images courtesy of National Public Radio (NPR) television station WBFO and taken by Mike Desmond, a 75-year-old protester falls to the ground after being shoved by Buffalo, New York, police, on Thursday, after curfew went into effect.

Doctors andnurses joinanti-racismprotestsAFP — NEW YORK

New York nurses and doctors, hailed as heroes for fighting the virus outbreak, are denouncing racial segregation in the public health system by joining the George Floyd protests.

Wearing masks, hospital scrubs and other personal pro-tective equipment like face visors, about a hundred-some-thing medical workers briefly walked out of Manhattan’s Bel-levue Hospital late on Thursday to demonstrate against struc-tural racism in America.

They held signs reading “Health care for all” and “Racism kills my patients,” and knelt silently for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time a Minneapolis police officer pressed down on Floyd’s neck before he died.

“We took an oath to serve all communities, we took an oath to protect public health and right now excessive use of force and police brutality is a public health emergency,” said Kamini Doobay.

Doobay, an emergency doctor at Bellevue, was one of the organizers of co-ordinated protests which involved six hospitals across New York. “As a health care professional cur-rently fighting COVID-19, I also continue to fight the virus of racism,” Billy Jean, a nurse who is black, told the crowd.

The coronavirus epidemic, which killed around 21,000 New York City residents, has disproportionately affected minority communities, including African Americans.

On Tuesday, dozens of doctors and nurses from Mount Sinai Hospital took to the streets to applaud thousands of pro-testers marching up Fifth Avenue. Similar spontaneous protests have taken place outside other hospitals in New York and elsewhere in the country, including the Texas Medical Center in Houston and Howard University Hospital in Washington DC.

The applause was remi-niscent of the 7pm clap for medical staff that has become a daily ritual for New Yorkers during the coronavirus crisis.

Authors pull study flagging hydroxychloroquine risksAFP — WASHINGTON

The Lancet on Thursday retracted a study that raised safety fears over the use of a drug favored by President Donald Trump to treat COVID-19, after the paper’s authors said they could no longer vouch for its underlying data.

It was soon followed by the with-drawal of another coronavirus paper in the New England Journal of Med-icine (NEJM) that was not linked to hydroxychloroquine but relied upon the same healthcare company’s patient database.

The unfolding research scandal threatens to undermine confidence in two of the world’s top medical journals in the midst of a pandemic. But it is the retraction of The Lancet study that may supercharge what has become a highly politicized debate about hydroxychlo-roquine, an old malaria and rheu-matoid arthritis drug now backed by

many US conservatives against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In their paper published on May 22, the authors claimed to have retrospec-tively analyzed some 96,000 patient records, finding that hydroxychloro-quine and chloroquine, a related com-pound, were ineffective against COVID-19 and even increased the risk of death. Heart arrhythmia was flagged as a particular concern.

This finding led the World Health Organization to temporarily suspend clinical trials into the medicines, though the paper soon triggered widespread concern among scientists over a lack of information about the countries and hos-pitals that contributed data.

Mandeep Mehra, a professor at Harvard University who led the work, along with Frank Ruschitzka of the University Hospital Zurich and Amit Patel of the University of Utah, said in a statement that they had tried to

launch a third-party peer review.But Surgisphere, a little-known

healthcare analytics firm based in Chicago that provided the data, refused to cooperate. “Due to this unfortunate development, the authors request that the paper be retracted,” the three said.

“We deeply apologize to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.”

The Lancet, a British journal, offered its own statement, saying, “There are many outstanding ques-tions about Surgisphere and the data that were allegedly included in this study.” Vascular surgeon Sapan Desai, Surgisphere’s chief executive and the paper’s other author, did not join the retraction and declined to comment to AFP.

Despite the finding apparently vin-dicating hydroxychloroquine’s safety, there is not yet any proof from a

randomized clinical trial (RCT) that the medicine is effective against COVID-19.

One such trial that was published on Wednesday found the drug was not significantly better than a placebo in preventing the disease among people who had been recently exposed to the virus. But scientists broadly agree that more RCTs — considered the gold standard for clinical investigation — are needed, and hydroxychloroquine should not be discounted yet.

Researchers began to closely scru-tinize The Lancet paper shortly after its publication, highlighting numerous red flags ranging from the huge number of patients to the unusually complete infor-mation on their demographics. Internet sleuthing by the Guardian revealed that Surgisphere had a scant online presence, with only a handful of staff listed on LinkedIn including a science fiction author and an adult model.

The firm was involved in yet another

attention-grabbing study that found the anti-parasite drug ivermectin could be useful against COVID-19. Though this paper had not been peer-reviewed or appeared in a journal, it caused a run on the drug in Latin America where it is widely available.

While Desai and Surgisphere have been the focus of most scrutiny, the lead author of all of these papers was Mehra, who is also the medical director at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Heart and Vascular Center in Boston. The lead author is considered responsible for per-forming due diligence on data and vouching for its integrity.

Chris Chambers, a professor of psy-chology at Cardiff University, added the affair “raises serious questions about the standard of editing at the Lancet and NEJM — ostensibly two of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.”

A statue of Confederate general J EB Stuart was marked during widespread civil unrest following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Richmond, Virginia, yesterday.

Pressure mounts to remove Confederate monuments as protests across US rageAFP — WASHINGTON

As protests for racial justice grip the United States, pressure is mounting to take down monu-ments to the slave-holding Civil War South, with several memo-rials being dismantled this week and others slated for removal.

Debate over what to do with Confederate symbols has sim-mered for years and has reached a boiling point with the death of George Floyd, the African-American man killed by a white police officer in Min-neapolis last week.

Floyd’s death triggered

demonstrations nationwide and some of the anger has been directed at the Confederate mon-uments seen by many Americans as symbols of a racist legacy.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced on Thursday that a statue of Con-federate general Robert E Lee in Richmond, the capital of the Con-federacy during the 1861-1865 Civil War, would be removed “as soon as possible”. The stone ped-estal of the statue had been spray-painted by protestors over the past few days with slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” and “Hold Cops Accountable”.

The decision to remove Lee’s statue came two days after a Confederate monument was taken down in another Virginia city, Alexandria, by its owner, the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The bronze statue of a Con-federate soldier was named “Appomattox,” for the site of the 1865 Rebel surrender to Union forces, and was erected some 130 years ago.

In the southern city of Mobile, Alabama, a statue of Confederate admiral Raphael Semmes was taken down yesterday. In Mont-gomery, Alabama, demonstrators

knocked a statue of Lee off its pedestal on Monday at a high school named after the general.

Defenders of preserving the

Confederate symbols argue that they serve as a reminder of a proud Southern heritage, and removing them is erasing history.