FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Unless people follow all precau-tionary measures, the country may experience a second wave of the virus and see numbers increasing as there are already signs of this happening in other countries around the world, senior experts at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have cautioned.

In a social media campaign HMC experts have said that while the restrictions of COVID-19 are gradually being lifted in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by fol-lowing precautionary measures.

“We reached a very good stage now working together. Now, there is a greater respon-sibility on the public to make sure that the numbers come even lower and to stop a second wave if it happens,” said Dr. Yousuf Al Maslamani, Medical

Director of Hamad General Hospital.

He has insisted that people should wear masks and maintain social distancing while meeting friends and with col-leagues at work place.

“Never leave home unless it is necessary, if you have to go out, wear a mask all the time. When you are outside, when you sit with colleagues or a friend, you should wear a mask and be away from them at least two and a half metres and never touch anybody,” said Dr. Al Maslamani.

Dr. Andrew Martin, Senior Consultant, HMC, has stressed the importance of adhering to COVID-19 precautionary measures, especially wearing a face mask in public helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus only if it is worn properly, covering both nose and mouth.

“Wearing masks is scientif-ically proven to reduce the spread of coronavirus. We wear

masks here because it means you don’t want to affect your friends, your family, and your colleagues. It’s important to wear masks. There are different types of masks you can wear,” said Dr. Martin.

In a video message he has explained that masks trap droplets that are released when the person wearing the mask sneezes, coughs or talks. The virus gets caught in the mask and it doesn’t spread to other people. “That’s simply how it works,” said Dr. Andrew.

Dr. Jameela Alajmi, Exec-utive Director, Corporate Infection Prevention and Control at HMC stresses the importance of adhering to COVID-19 precautionary measures, as the country is in the final phase of the gradual lifting of restrictions.

“We are in the last phase of gradual lifting of restrictions in against the COVID-19. This doesn’t mean that we should not

just continue to follow the pre-ventive measures against this virus. Unfortunately, the virus there spread everywhere. Some countries have started to re-apply the safety measures because the number of infected cases are increasing. Some

countries are still experiencing high number of cases and deaths. So we need to protect ourselves,” said Dr. Alajmi.

“Also we need to be aware that at the moment there is not any effective treatment. Yes, we have some vaccine in phase

three clinical trial and we hope to have this vaccine in future. But this will not happen today or tomorrow. So to prevent the disease, all members of society should follow safety measures and stay at home if you are sick,” she said.

Sunday 16 August 2020

26 Dhul-Hijja - 1441

2 Riyals

www.thepeninsula.qa

Volume 25 | Number 8351

Choose the network of heroes Enjoy the Internet

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QC and Doha

Institute for

Graduate Studies

sign pact

HMC experts call for vigilance against COVID-19

Ashghal completes major bridge ahead of new academic yearSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) yesterday opened Duhail Al Gharrafa Bridge and parts of traffic signals within Duhail Interchange Devel-opment Project on Shamal Road, six months before schedule, coinciding with opening of schools for the new academic year 2020-21.

Duhail Al Gharrafa Bridge will provide free flow traffic between Al Khafaji Street and Al Gharrafa Street and cut the travel time by 95 percent

between areas of West Bay, Al Markhiya, Madinat Khalifa, and Duhail towards Gharrafat Al Rayyan, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan areas.

The newly-opened bridge consists of a 400-metre three-lane dual carriageway to accommodate about 12,000 vehicles per hour on both sides.

Ashghal clarified that remaining parts of Duhail Inter-change project are scheduled to open in next September, within 18 months from the start of works on the project.

In addition to Duhail Al Gharrafa Bridge, parts of traffic

signals under North Bridge are also open. Thus commuters from Shamal can directly access Duhail and West Bay through Al Khafaji Street and vice versa. Similarly, commuters from Al Gharrafa can directly reach North Road and vice versa. Whereas, commuters along Al Gharrafa Street, Al Khafaji Street and Shamal Road can take U-turn after opening of all U-turn exits on all streets.

Due to its vital location at the northern gate of Doha city on Shamal Road, the new openings on Duhail Interchange will contribute in enhanced traffic flow in the region, as it will provide alternate routes to many schools and educational facilities in the surroundings including Qatar University, North Atlantic College and Edu-cation City. It will also serve commuters heading to other lively facilities and commercial entities in the region.

This opening will also provide alternate traffic routes at Izghawa Interchange on one hand and Umm Lekhba Inter-change on the other, which is being developed within Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project, resulting in reduced traffic con-gestion on two vital interchanges.

Speaking to the media person at the opening ceremony, Eng. Yousef Al Emadi, Director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal, asserted that Ashghal continues its journey towards completion of various infrastructure projects, and sets priorities in major projects that serve large section of people. �P2

MoTC signs MoU with Ashghal for cooperation in road projectsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has signed a Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on planning, studying, designing, maintaining and managing the road projects.

The MoU is upgrading the level of collaboration, joint efforts and constructive coop-eration between the two sides with the aim of providing a safe, integrated transportation system in line with best uni-versal practices and standards within the tasks and compe-

tencies of the two parties. The Ministry of Transport

and Communications (MoTC) and Ashghal aim to develop and manage the mobility and trans-portation projects as an inte-grated network compatible with other modes of transpor-tation in such an efficient, eco-nomic, safe and environment-friendly fashion.

The two sides aim to fulfil the needs of the State of Qatar in mobility and transportation in line with the Second National Development Strategy (2018-22) and Qatar National Vision 2030.

The MoU was signed by MoTC Acting Assistant Under-secretary of Land Transport Affairs Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla and President of Ashghal Dr. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi.

The MoU defines and explains the roles, missions and responsibilities of the two sides based on the Amiri decisions in such a way that avoids dupli-cation and limits overlapping competencies through acti-vating a joint working mech-anism for planning, studying, designing, implementing and operating. �P3

Fall 2020 semester at Qatar University begins today with distance educationQNA — DOHA

The Fall 2020 semester at Qatar University (QU) begins today with the distance education system without students coming to the campus until the end of the third phase of lifting the restrictions imposed by the country to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

QU’s Vice-President for Student Affairs, Dr. Iman Mostafawi, emphasized the necessity for students to attend lectures remotely according to

the academic calendar, as well as following their e-mails to see the circulars sent by the various departments at the university, in addition to regularly

following up the blackboard system to ensure effective communication.

Dr. Mostafawi also called on students to follow COVID-19 precautionary measures, such as measuring temperature, wearing masks, observing social distancing, and activating the Ehteraz application, in the event that they are on the campus to receive textbooks.

For her part, Director of Academic Advising Center at Qatar University, Wedad Rebeeh, said that the work of

academic counselling offices will continue remotely until the start of the fourth phase of lifting the restrictions imposed due to the virus, adding that meeting with the academic advisor will not require the student to personally attend the campus, but rather book an appointment to meet his aca-demic advisor through the Appointment Manager system, to be contacted remotely by the advisor at the scheduled date.

She invited the students to book their appointment with the

academic advisors as soon as possible on the appointment res-ervation system, emphasizing that the academic advising offices are working to facilitate the academic process for the students by guiding them to develop the appropriate study plan, steps for registration and important dates, helping them to adapt to the university envi-ronment, and helping them to achieve his personal, academic and professional goals according to their capabilities and personal inclinations. �P3

QUARTER-FINALYESTERDAY'S RESULTLyon 3 - 1 Manchester City

Meeting reviews Qatar team’s rescue mission in LebanonCommander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, H E General Joseph Aoun; Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Lebanon, H E Mohammed Hassan Jaber Al Jaber, and members of the Search and Rescue Team of Lekhwiya and the Qatar Army reviewing Qatari team’s mission in Lebanon during a meeting yesterday.

HMC campaign says unless people follow all precautionary measures, the country may experience a second wave of the virus.

People should wear masks and maintain social distancing while meeting friends and colleagues at workplace.

Masks trap droplets that are released when the person wearing the mask sneezes, coughs or talks. The virus gets caught in the mask and it doesn’t spread to other people.

New opening will benefit many schools, Qatar University, North Atlantic College and Education City.

Duhail Al Gharrafa Bridge to connect zones including West Bay, Al Markhiya, Madinat Khalifa and Duhail with Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan.

The bridge consists of a 400-metre three-lane dual carriageway to accommodate about 12,000 vehicles per hour on both sides.

WEAR MASKS

MAIN

TAIN

SOCI

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DIST

ANCI

NG

Hamilton clinches

Spanish GP pole

position ahead of

Bottas

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020HOME

Amir congratulates President of IndiaDOHA: 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 E Presi-

dent of the Republic of India Ram

Nath Kovind on the anniversary of

his country’s Independence Day.

Prime Minister and Minister of Inte-

rior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa

bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent a

cable of congratulations to Prime

Minister of the Republic of India

H E Narendra Modi. -QNA

Amir congratulates Congo President

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 President of the

Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)

H E Denis Sassou Nguesso on the

occasion of his country’s National

Day. Prime Minister and Minister

of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin

Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also

sent a cable of congratulations to

Prime Minister of the Republic of

the Congo (Brazzaville) H E Clem-

ent Mouamba on the occasion of

his country’s National Day. -QNA

Amir congratulates Prince of Liechtenstein

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim

bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy

Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin

Hamad Al Thani sent yester-

day cables of congratulations to

Prince of the Principality of Liech-

tenstein HH Hans-Adam II on the

occasion of his country’s National

Day. Prime Minister and Minis-

ter of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid

bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani

also sent a cable of congratu-

lations to Prime Minister of the

Principality of Liechtenstein H E

Adrian Hasler on the occasion of

his country’s National Day. -QNA

Embassy of Bangladesh observes the 45th

anniversary of martyrdom of Father of the NationTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Embassy of Bangladesh in Doha observed the 45th anniversary of martyrdom of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day yesterday with due solemnity at the Embassy premises, following the preventive and precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

On the occasion, the national flag was hoisted at half-mast. Recitation of the Holy Quran was done from the early morning seeking the sal-vation of the departed souls of Bangabandhu, his family members who were brutally killed on August 15, 1975.

Floral wreath was laid at the portrait of Bangabandhu to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his great contri-bution for the independence of Bangladesh.

During dissuasion, mes-sages given on the day by the Honourable President of Bang-ladesh, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and State Minister for Foreign Affairs were read out before the gathering.

A self-composed poem on Bangabandhu was recited by the Vice-Principal of Bang-ladesh MHM School in Qatar.

Ambassador of Bangladesh, H E Ashud Ahmed in his remarks, expressed his deep homage to the memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose historic

leadership ushered the Bengali nation to their long cherished dream of independence.

He applauded the lead-ership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Banga-bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who has uplifted Bangladesh as the role model of development in the comity

of the nations. He called upon all members

of the Bangladesh community to uphold the image of Bang-ladesh in Qatar in line with Government’s seamless efforts to turn Bangladesh into a ‘Golden Bengal’.

A documentary titled Bang-abandhu Bojre tumar Baje

Bashi was played to highlight life and activities of Banga-bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. A milad and special prayer was held to seek eternal salvation of all martyrs and peace and prosperity of BangIadesh.

A good number of people representing different profes-sions, political and community organisations in Qatar partici-pated in the observance of the National Mourning Day.

Ambassador of Bangladesh, H E Ashud Ahmed, and other Embassy staff and community members paying floral tribute to Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Ambassador of Bangladesh, H E Ashud Ahmed, applauded the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who has uplifted Bangladesh as the role model of development in the comity of the nations.

QRCS repairs damaged homes, provides medical aid for BeirutTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The immediate response by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) to the Beirut Harbour explosion is going on in cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross, under the Heart for Lebanon campaign co-launched by QRCS and Qatar Charity, under the supervision of the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA).

QRCS’s relief groups are repairing the homes damaged by the explosion, using the shelter kits sent from Qatar as humanitarian aid for Beirut. On the first day, 25 homes were repaired, as part of 500 homes planned to be repaired within 7 to 10 days.

By repairing the doors and windows, the affected families will be able to return to their homes soon. Further repairs will be done at later stages to remove the destruction resulting from the explosion, thus alleviating the economic, health, and mental impacts on the population and meeting their needs.

At the same time, a first batch of medical sup-plies was delivered by the QRCS representation mission in Lebanon to the ambulance workers of the Lebanese Red Cross at Martyrs’ Square, central Beirut, including 70,000 masks, face shields, gloves, and sanitisers.

Apart from the repair of damaged homes, an early recovery plan is in progress to provide medical and ambulance aid, fresh meals, food supplies, and family hygiene kits. These activ-ities cover Zone 2 (Martyr’s Square), Zone 23 (Gemmayzeh), and Zones 6-11 (Karantina) in the proximity of Beirut Harbor.

To continue to undertake the humanitarian intervention over the coming period of time, QRCS welcomes donations from the people of Qatar via the website www.qrcs.org.qa, donor service line (66666364), home collector service (33998898), or RACA-licensed donation collectors at malls and shopping centres.

Amir congratulates President of Republic of KoreaDOHA: 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 President of the

Republic of Korea H E Moon Jae-in

on the anniversary of his country’s

Liberation Day. Prime Minister and

Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Kha-

lid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani

also sent a cable of congratulations

to Prime Minister of the Republic

of Korea H E Chung Sye-kyun on

the anniversary of his country’s

Liberation Day. -QNA

Representatives from QRCS’ relief groups repairing homes damaged in Beirut port blast.

Qatar Calendar

House to launch

application on

smartphones

QNA — DOHA

Qatar Calendar House (QCH) is preparing to launch its appli-cation on smartphones at the beginning of the new Hijri year, in implementation of its new policy of developing and bringing its services closer to the public.

Eng. Faisal Mohammed Al Ansari, Executive Director of Sheikh Abdullah Al Ansari Complex, which includes Qatar Calendar House, said that the “Qatari Calender” application will be available to the public on Android and Apple devices free of charge, starting Thursday the first of Muharram 1442 AH.

He explained that the appli-cation will embody the spirit and message of Qatar Calendar House, as it provides basic mate-rials for the calendar such as the times of entry of the zodiac, hor-oscopes and the star of Suhail, sunrise and sunset times and the expected astronomical phe-nomena during the year.

Lebanese Commander lauds role of Qatari search and rescue teamTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, H E General Joseph Aoun received yesterday Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Lebanon, H E Mohammed Hassan Jaber Al Jaber and a delegation from the Search and Rescue Team of Lekhwiya and the Qatar Army.

The Search and Rescue Team was dis-patched to Lebanon following the directive of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for supporting the Leb-anese brothers after Beirut port explosion, said a report on the website of the Min-istry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was attended by dip-lomats from the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Lebanon and senior officers of the Lebanese Army.

At the beginning of the meeting, General Joseph Aoun welcomed the ambassador and the military delegation and thanked the State of Qatar for its per-manent standing by Lebanon, especially in this tragedy and the painful conditions caused by the Beirut port explosion.

The Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces appreciated the stand and initiative of H H the Amir for extending a helping hand to the Lebanese and sending a large number of aircraft loaded with hospitals and full medical supplies.

He also praised the efforts made by the search and rescue teams, who showed great professionalism and extensive expe-rience in the scope of their work and sup-ported the local forces in the search for the missing.

General Joseph Aoun praised the Qatari army team for operating the two hospitals after constructing them in a record time in order to receive the sick and treat the wounded, expressing his appreciation for the solidarity shown by

the two teams, which indicates the lofty and fraternal feelings they enjoy.

He expressed his gratitude for the State of Qatar for meeting Lebanon’s needs at this critical stage, noting the coordination and cooperation between the army leadership and the embassy and the rapid response it provided during this humanitarian crisis.

He expressed his hope and intention to pay a visit to Doha in order to per-sonally thank and appreciate the senior officials in the State of Qatar, specially H H the Amir, for the great support that His Highness directed to provide to Lebanon.

For his part, the head of the Qatari delegation, Lieutenant-Colonel Abdullah Eid Al Muhannadi, on behalf of the Search and Rescue Team assured the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, to provide all facilities to the team during its presence in Lebanon.

H E Ambassador of Qatar to Lebanon reiterated the State of Qatar’s support for Lebanon and praised the Lebanese army’s good management of the crisis and the organization in receiving and distributing aid in coordination with the official authorities, and this is evidence of the great confidence that everyone attaches to the army, leadership, officers and individuals.

Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, H E General Joseph Aoun, received yesterday Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Lebanon, H E Mohammed Hassan Jaber Al Jaber.

Ashghal completes major bridge ahead of new academic year

FROM PAGE 1

He also pointed out that Ashghal project works are going on without interrup-tions despite the blockade or Covid-19, and the strong evidence is this opening of Duhail Al Gharrafa Bridge and traffic signals prior to six months of proposed schedule.

For his part, Eng. Bader Darwish, Manager of H i g h w a y P r o j e c t s Department at Ashghal con-firmed that Duhail Inter-change is considered as a vital infrastructure project, as it is the gateway to Doha city on Shamal Road, and once completed it will bring radical change in traffic flow.

Assistant Project Manager Eng. Sheikha Al Mansoori from Projects Affairs at Ashghal said that 75 percent of works on Duhail Inter-change development project are completed in record time not exceeding eighteen months, and the remaining works are in full swing to end

the project in 2021. Whereas, Eng. Saad Al

Dousari said that almost 60 percent of materials used in the project works are locally manufactured in Qatar, such as iron, concrete, fittings and most of the asphalt works.

For his part, Mubarak bin Fraich Al Salem, member of Central Municipal Council (CMC) for constituency No. 15 confirmed that the new openings would mostly benefit for people residing in Al Gharrafa and Gharrafat Al Rayyan, and visitors of vital facilities in the region, as the area houses many schools and commercial entities, praising Ashghal for the efforts it exerted to com-plete the project in a record time.

Ali bin Khalaf Al Kubaisi, member of CMC for constit-uency No. 3 opined that Duhail Interchange is located in a very vital area and in the heart of densely populated zones such as Duhail, Al Markhiya and Al Gharrafa.

FAJR SUNRISE 03.47 am 05.08 am

W A L R U WA I S : 32o↗ 36o W A L K H O R : 29o↗ 42o W D U K H A N : 34o↗ 40o W WA K R A H : 29o↗ 43o W M E S A I E E D 29o↗ 43o W A B U S A M R A 29o↗ 38o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 15:31 – 00:00 LOW TIDE 07:38–23:21

Very hot daytime with scattered clouds and slight dust to

blowing dust at some places at times.

Minimum Maximum34oC 43oC

ZUHR

MAGHRIB

11.38 am06.10 pm

ASR

ISHA

03.07 pm07.40 pm

03SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 HOME

Embassy of India celebrates 74th Independence DayTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Embassy of India, Doha, celebrated the 74th Inde-pendence Day of India with great zeal at the premises of the Embassy yesterday.

Considering ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held in accordance with the local regulations/guidelines, maintaining social distancing during the celebration, said the Embassy in a press release which was shared on its social media account. The event was live-streamed for the Indian com-munity on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The Ambassador of India, HE Dr. Deepak Mittal hoisted the flag of India followed by the national anthem. The Independence Day message from the honourable President of India was read out on the occasion. He paid floral tribute to Father of the Nation,

Mahatma Gandhi. The event ended with the

presentation of cultural pro-gramme by the students of the Indian schools. The event was attended by community

members and Mission’s staff and their families.

On this auspicious occasion, the Ambassador underscored the cordial ties existing between Qatar and India.

H E Mittal thanked for the co-operation extended by the State of Qatar in the success of the Vande Bharat Mission for facili-tating repatriation of stranded Indian nationals and welcomed the announcement of the air bubble between India and Qatar.

He commended the efforts by the Indian community during COVID-19 pandemic to help the fellow Indians in distress. The Ambassador also planted a sapling at the Embassy premises, along with heads of the apex

community organisations working under the aegis of the Embassy and other community members. The Ambassador read out the speech of the President of India, H E Ram Nath Kovind, given on the eve of India’s 74th Independence Day.

Reading the President’s speech, he said: “It gives me great pleasure to greet all the people of India, living in the country and abroad, on the eve of the 74th Independence Day. August 15 fills us with the excitement of unfurling the tri-colour, taking part in celebra-tions and listening to patriotic songs. On this day, the youth of India should feel the special pride of being citizens of a free

nation. We gratefully remember our freedom fighters and martyrs whose sacrifices have enabled us to live in an inde-pendent nation.”

“The ethos of our freedom struggle forms the foundation of modern India. Our visionary leaders brought together a diversity of world views to forge a common national spirit,” he said.

“Troubled by social strife, economic problems, and climate change, the world seeks relief in Gandhiji’s teachings. His quest for equality and justice is the mantra for our Republic. I am glad to see the younger genera-tions re-discover Gandhiji,” he added.

Ambassador of India, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, with Embassy staff and community leaders, planting a sapling in the Embassy premises.

Ambassador of India, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, with other Embassy staff unfurling the National Flag, to mark the 74th Independence Day.

Ambassador of India, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, paying floral tribute to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on the occasion.

Ooredoo partners with Es’hailSat to launch Inmarsat Satellite voice, data servicesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ooredoo, the region’s leading enabler of digital business inno-vation, announced yesterday a partnership with Es’hailSat to deliver next-generation Inmarsat L-band satellite voice and data services that will enhance business communica-tions across Qatar and worldwide.

Ooredoo will offer cutting-edge satellite services for cus-tomers in Qatar, including pre-paid and post-paid global sat-ellite voice services and satellite broadband plans. Business cus-tomers can also turn their smart-phones into satellite phones and

easily communicate worldwide.Yousuf Abdulla Al Kubaisi,

COO, Ooredoo, said: “Ooredoo is seeing a strong demand for satellite services for mega-projects, specialised industries and mission critical situations. Thanks to our partnership with Es’hailSat, Ooredoo continues to be Qatar’s leading provider of satellite services, with tailored plans that let businesses have robust voice and Internet when

and where they need it any-where around the world.”

In particular, Ooredoo is tar-geting business customers in key industry verticals such as gov-ernment and public sector for diplomats and international relief agencies, oil and gas energy exploration and drilling and protecting critical national infrastructure.

Satellite services are also ideal for media agencies that are

covering stories in remote loca-tions, including international mega-events and disaster areas, and for Qatar’s fast-growing adventure travel sector for tour guides conducting desert safaris and other activities.

Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, Pres-ident & CEO, Es’hailSat, said: “Whether drilling for oil off-shore or working on mega-projects in-land, Es’hailSat’s expertise in satellite communi-cation enables businesses of all sizes and verticals to adopt sat-ellite services for their mission-critical operations. By continuing our partnership with Ooredoo, we are exchanging global best practices to support Qatar’s

mobile workforces and eco-nomic growth.”

L-band satellite services delivered by Es’hailSat utilising Inmarsat satellites complement its existing portfolio of fixed Ku and Ka band services, and are designed to provide customers with the most flexible and reliable access to satellite con-nectivity services in the region.

Business customers can lev-erage the Ooredoo Advantage, making Ooredoo “Best for Business”, thanks to its breadth and depth of talent, best fixed and mobile networks, broadest portfolio of ICT services and solutions, and trusted partner for 60 years.

Prevent chronic diseases through diet and lifestyle, says expertTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The best way to prevent chronic diseases is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding factors that might lead to these “silent” ailments.

Detecting chronic illness at an early stage can also help to manage the illness better, said Dr. Abdullah Abdul Rahman Alnaama, Head of Rawdat Alkhail Health Centre and Senior Family Medicine Con-sultant, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).

“The key to protect our-selves from chronic diseases include health awareness and education, good eating habits, physical activity, and a responsible lifestyle. These silent ailments develop over a period of time, and patients are unaware of the issues until

after suffering symptoms,” Dr. Alnaama said.

Change in eating patterns and a lack of physical activity has contributed to a rise in the number of people suffering from chronic diseases worldwide. Dr. Alnaama defines chronic diseases as “non-contagious diseases”, as they are not passed from one person to another, but typi-cally take a long time to develop as part of a relatively slow process.

Chronic diseases are divided into four broad cate-gories — heart diseases such as heart and brain strokes and high blood pressure; cancers of all types; chronic respi-ratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pul-monary disease; and diabetes. Chronic disease constitutes a

challenge to health and medical practitioners and decision makers worldwide as it means a lifetime of treatment, instead of

treatment over a specific period of time.

Dr. Alnaama warns that the major risk with chronic ail-ments is a patient’s failure to follow their physician’s advice and recommendations.

“Common behaviour includes smoking, shisha; chewing tobacco, non-adherence to the treatment plan or medicine dose, failure to visit the doctor when required, lack of regular exercise and healthy eating habits and a patient becoming restless over long treatment periods, which might result in them abandoning the treatment,” said Dr. Alnaama.

In line with its com-mitment to providing prevent-ative care to the community, the PHCC assigns a dietitian to provide healthy food

guidance tailored to each patient, and a health educator to inform and discuss issues with the patients.

Patients are also referred to necessary medical spe-cialties at PHCC’s Health Centres, including ophthal-mology; dermatology; and ENT. Early detection of colon and breast cancer and mental support is provided, which is integral to the treatment plan received by patients.

“It is crucial for every patient to follow a balanced healthy diet, exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day, and for those with a family history of a certain chronic ailment, such as diabetes, to take measures to ensure they are not at risk or to help detect a chronic disease early,” said Dr. Alnaama.

Dr. Abdullah Abdul Rahman Alnaama

H E Mittal thanked for the cooperation extended by the State of Qatar in the success of the Vande Bharat Mission for facilitating repatriation of stranded Indian nationals and welcomed the announcement of the air bubble between India and Qatar.

247 recoveries

and 277 new

virus cases

reported

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Another 247 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 111,505.

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

In addition, the Ministry announced two new deaths due to COVID-19, aged 75, 81 and both were receiving the necessary medical care.

The Ministry further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have succeeded in flat-tening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus.

MoTC signs MoU

with Ashghal for

cooperation in

road projects

FROM PAGE 1

The MoU also calls for maintaining and managing the road projects in the country according to approved devel-opment plans, implementation priorities and following up the implementation according to the set delivery timelines.

This also includes taking all the necessary measures and activating the road assets delivery mechanism after road projects have been carried out by the contractor and the end of the period dedicated for maintenance.

Additionally, there will be an activation of a joint working mechanism regarding putting the necessary strategies and plans for maintaining and managing road projects and networks as well as coordi-nating on resolving the com-plaints from the public, doing the necessary maintenance works, developing and boosting joint cooperation to benefit from their capabilities in joint fields and stimulating sustainable economic and social development for the State of Qatar.

The MoU also covers acti-vating community partici-pation, facilitating cooper-ation, transferring knowledge and technology for supporting the efforts of achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 in this domain, as well as realising mutual benefits, services and expertise that each party can make available for the other party.

Land Transport Affairs at MoTC is preparing the nec-essary studies for planning and designing land transportation networks and railroads and governance of land transpor-tation system in accordance with latest systems and best global practices in the field.

This is aimed at widening the scope of the economic movement, catering for the requirements of national development and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.

Fall 2020 semester

at QU begins with

distance education

FROM PAGE 1

According to the university calendar, the last date for deletion and addition is August 20, where students can delete or add courses electronically through the student self-service system (banner), and benefit from remote academic advising services through the online appointment reser-vation system.

The university is scheduled to announce later this month, the details of the steps for the gradual transition from dis-tance to on campus education, as the decision will be applied to all students, except for the most vulnerable to disease and its complications, such as those with chronic diseases and pregnant women.

Khawla Al Jaray, Health Educator at Madinat Khalifa Health Center.

04 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020HOME

Indian schools celebrate 74th Independence Day THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Birla Public School Birla Public School (BPS) hoisted the Indian Flag to celebrate the 74th Independence Day of India. Principal A P Sharma raised the National symbol of pride in the Main campus of Birla Public School.

It was followed by a virtual assembly, where all the members of the Management, leadership team, teachers, stu-dents and parents congregated in a jubilant manner, joined the school choir, to sing the national anthem recollecting the sacri-fices of the past.

The Independence Day message, delivered by the Chairman Gope Shahani, declared the urgency, “to hold on to our great past and carve an inspiring future for the next generation. We are not, ever, alone; we stand beholden to the past and future.”

The programme recorded the virtual attendance of Chairman, Gope Shahani; Directors Dr. Mohan Thomas and C V Rappai; Management Representative Chindhu Antony Rappai; Prin-cipal A P Sharma; Vice-Prin-cipals; Head Mistresses; Heads of various Departments; Year

Coordinators, parents and students.

Addressing the assembly the Principal expressed, “It is a matter of great pride to be here together, away from our moth-erland, yet serve her with

greater strength amidst this pandemic, promising to face the 21st century challenges with true character.”

MES Indian School MES Indian School marked the 74th Independence Day of India with traditional gaiety and fervour at the Conference Hall of the school yesterday.

The Chief Guest, K Abdul Karim, President officiating, MES Governing Board, unfurled the Indian national flag, which was followed by the national anthem.

In his keynote address, the chief guest urged the students to rededicate themselves for the unity and prosperity of the

motherland thus dispelling the ethnic and regional differences, and called for fighting against social evils like poverty, cor-ruption and illiteracy, which acts as a glowing tribute to the ultimate sacrifices made by the freedom fighters in their struggle.

The guest of honour, P K Mohamed, General Secretary, MES Governing Board, in his address remarked that as stu-dents are the pillars and assets of the promising world of tomorrow, they should utilize their potential in the right manner to bring a positive change in the world.

School Principal, Hameeda Kadar, in her address, exhorted

the younger generation to uphold the ideals taught and lived by the freedom fighters and persevere to excel in carving a niche for the moth-erland in the international arena.

The school choir rendered a special patriotic song in virtual mode depicting the glory of the national movement.

Ideal Indian School Seventy-fourth Inde-

pendence Day of India was cel-ebrated at Ideal Indian School (IIS) with high patriotic fervor. Principal Syed Shoukath Ali hoisted the Indian flag amidst chanting of the national anthem.

Speaking on the occasion he urged everyone to imbibe the right patriotic feelings and to be truthful and devoted to the cause of national integration. “It is a time to recall with a grat-itude the sacrifices of our freedom fighters who gave us a country where our dignity and individual freedom are guar-anteed by an enlightened Con-stitution,” said Principal Syed Shoukath.

The ceremony was attended by the school administrative and other non-teaching staff. All the COVID-19 norms and safety protocols were followed during the ceremony including social distancing and wearing masks.

BPS students celebrate Independence day with patriotic fervour.

PHCC ensures mother & child well-being to remain priority during COVID-19THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The maternal and child health clinics at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) Health Centers are continuing to operate uninterrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on providing health and wellness education.

Khawla Al Jaray, Health Educator at Madinat Khalifa Health Center, PHCC, said that PHCC believes health education plays a significant role in enhancing the health of individuals and societies. “This is in keeping with PHCC’s aim to provide enhanced pre-ventative, health and wellness services in the community, by focusing on empowering people to make informed decisions for their health.”

“In fact, health education is a pri-ority when it comes to protection from diseases, which in turn helps accom-plish the objectives of the health

centres. PHCC has assigned qualified and experienced health educators at the centres to help create awareness among patients regarding various health issues. We assist them in making the right decisions and finding solu-tions; providing them with essential health information; promoting and supporting good health behavior; amending or correcting bad health atti-tudes and beliefs; and building a healthy lifestyle,” said Al Jaray.

“The prenatal services at the health centres support women from gestation through childbirth and include assessment; early detection of risk factors; referral of high-risk cases to secondary care, and stable and low-risk cases to the hospital for follow up; and assessment at week 34 of preg-nancy to ensure delivery with minimal risks,” she added.

Supporting the country’s health care system and the measures taken

to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, PHCC had proactively turned certain health centres into dedicated COVID-19 testing centres. However, at the same time, PHCC believed it was imperative to continue services to ensure the well-being of mothers and children. New measures were introduced to limit the number of vis-itors to the health centres at any given time, avoiding crowding and minimizing the chances of spreading infection.

“The PHCC option of virtual services was also popular with the patients. When required, the teams would organize appointments and per-sonal visits to patients at advanced stages of pregnancy, ultrasound services, and medical tests. In addition, vaccinations continued uninterrupted,” said Al Jaray.

PHCC post-natal program, mean-while, helps assess the physical and

mental health of mothers, providing them with support to help them through challenges that might affect their health during the post-natal phase.

According to Al Jaray, this service is available only to new mothers giving natural birth at any Hamad Medical

Corporation obstetric hospital, and who are registered at PHCC Health Centers. Additionally, health edu-cation awareness services are pro-vided to mothers with a special focus on the role of breastfeeding and healthy nutrition to raise a healthy child.

WCM-Q VSP reaches out to global talentTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Talented high school students in eight countries were welcomed to the new Virtual Summer Program (VSP) of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), recently.

VSP is a week-long online initi-ative that offers a glimpse of life as a medical student at an elite university.

A total of 76 high school students in Qatar, Morocco, Kuwait, Canada, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman and UAE logged in for the five-day program, which featured online learning classes in biology, chemistry, anatomy and disease investigation led by WCM-Q’s world-class teaching faculty.

The VSP, which was offered by WCM-Q’s Office of Student Outreach and Educational Development, also included sessions delivering infor-mation on careers in medicine, advice on how to write a personal statement for college applications, a meeting

with admissions professionals and an introduction to the WCM-Q Student Research Association. There were also free-form live chat sessions at the end of each day to allow the students to get to know one another and ask questions.

Speaking to students in the virtual event, Noha Saleh, Director of Premedical Administration, Student Outreach, and Educational

Development said, “Our newly launched VSP, which is part of our Enrichment Program series, g ives us an extremely effective tool for reaching out to the very brightest minds from schools all over Qatar, the MENA region and beyond to show them just how e x c i t i n g a n d rewarding studying

and pursuing careers in medicine through WCM-Q can be. The students and faculty engaged with great enthusiasm and energy and created a real buzz online, which made the inaugural VSP a remarkable success — we are looking forward to receiving many high-quality applications to study at WCM-Q as a result.”

WCM-Q offers a unique fully inte-grated Six-Year Medical Program,

which comprises a two-year pre-medical curriculum and a four-year medical cur-riculum. Students who successfully complete the program receive the same Cornell University MD degree awarded to graduates of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.

A participating high school student is led through a practical experiment during the WCM-Q Virtual Summer Program.

PHCC believes health edu-cation plays a significant role in enhancing the health of individuals and societies. This is in keeping with PHCC’s aim to provide enhanced pre-ventative, health and wellness services in the community, by focusing on empowering people to make informed decisions for their health.

LEFT: A P Sharma, Principal of Birla Public School hoisting the national flag. ABOVE: K Abdul Karim, President officiating, MES Governing Board, with other school staff unfurling the national flag of India on the occasion of 74th Independence Day. RIGHT: Syed Shoukath Ali, Principal, Ideal Indian School, with other officials during the Independence Day celebrations.

05SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 HOME

06 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Call for ‘credible’ Beirut blast probeAFP — BEIRUT

US envoy David Hale called yesterday for a “transparent and credible” probe into the monster blast at Beirut’s port, as FBI investigators headed for Lebanon.

“We need to make sure there is a thorough and trans-parent, credible investigation,” Hale said, while touring the blast site on the final day of a visit to the crisis-hit country.

“We can never go back to an era in which anything goes at the port or the borders of Lebanon.”

A huge stock of hazardous material abandoned in a ware-house at the port in the heart of

the capital exploded on August 4, killing 177 people and devas-tating swathes of Beirut.

The hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been left unsecured for several years, despite repeated warnings of the dangers it posed.

“Every state, every sov-ereign state, controls its ports and its borders thoroughly,” said Hale, US undersecretary for political affairs.

“I imagine all Lebanese would like... not to have the anything goes atmosphere.”

The disaster led to demands at home and abroad for an international investigation, calls that have been rebuffed by Leb-anon’s political leaders, widely

accused of negligence that led to the explosion.

“The FBI is arriving this weekend and they will be playing their role at the invi-tation of the Lebanese,” Hale said, adding they would help determine “what led to the cir-cumstances of this explosion”.

The powerful Shia group Hezbollah stands accused of wielding great influence over Beirut’s port and border posts.

The explosion reignited claims that Hezbollah, which is designated by Washington as a terrorist group, stored arms at the blast site.

The FBI personnel are to join other international experts already on the ground.

US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, David Hale (second right), and US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, accompanied by Lebanese army officers, tour the site of last week’s explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, yesterday.

Iran cries victory after US bid to extend arms embargo flops at UNAFP — TEHRAN

Iran yesterday hailed a UN Security Council vote rejecting a US bid to extend an arms embargo on the Islamic republic, saying its foe has “never been so isolated”.

President Hassan Rouhani said the US had failed to kill off what he called the “half alive” 2015 deal with major powers that gave Iran relief from sanc-tions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

“The United States failed in this conspiracy with humili-ation,” said Rouhani. “This day will go down in the history of our Iran and in the history of fighting global arrogance.”

Only two of the Council’s 15 members voted in favour of the US resolution seeking to extend the embargo, highlighting the division between Washington and its European allies since President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord in 2018.

Washington’s European allies all abstained, and Iran mocked the Trump adminis-tration for winning the support of just one other country, the

Dominican Republic.“In the 75 years of United

Nations history, America has never been so isolated,” foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi tweeted.

“Despite all the trips, pressure and the hawking, the United States could only mobilise a small country (to vote) with them.”

People on the streets of Tehran had mixed reactions.

“This is an American political game. One day they give a resolution to the Security Council, the next they say they have taken” Iranian fuel, said a worker at the city’s Grand Bazaar who gave his name only as Ahmadi.

The result increases the likelihood the US will try to uni-laterally force a return of UN sanctions, which experts say threatens to plunge the Council into one of its worst-ever dip-lomatic crises.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a visit to Poland yesterday, made it clear the United States would press on despite the defeat at the UN.

“It is unfortunate that the French and the United Kingdom... didn’t support what the Gulf states have demanded, what the Israelis have demanded... I regret that deeply,” Pompeo said.

“The United States is deter-mined to make sure that the Ira-nians and this regime, this the-ocratic regime does not have the capacity to inflict even more harm on the world”.

Israel’s UN ambassador called the vote a “disgrace”.

“This decision will further destabilise the Middle East, and increase the spread of violence around the world,” said Gilad Erdan.

The embargo on conven-tional arms is due to expire on October 18 under the terms of

a resolution that blessed the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Compre-hensive Plan of Action.

Since Trump pulled out of the JCPOA and slapped uni-lateral sanctions on Iran, Tehran has taken small but escalatory steps away from compliance with the accord as it presses for sanctions relief.

European allies of the United States — who, along with Russia and China, signed the deal with Iran — have voiced support for extending the 13-year-long conventional arms embargo, saying an expiry threatens stability in the Middle East. However, their priority is to preserve the JCPOA.

The US text, seen by AFP, effectively called for an indef-inite extension of the embargo on Iran, which diplomats said would threaten the nuclear deal.

Iran says it has the right to self-defence and that a contin-uation of the ban would mean an end to the agreement.

Apart from 11 abstentions, Russia and China opposed the resolution.

“The result shows again that unilateralism enjoys no

support, and bullying will fail,” China’s UN mission tweeted.

Ambassador Gunter Sautter of Germany, which abstained,

said “more consultations are needed” to find a solution acceptable to all Council members.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after the National Combat Board Meeting in Tehran, yesterday.

“The United States failed in this conspiracy with humiliation. This day will go down in the history of our Iran and in the history of fighting global arrogance,” said Hassan Rouhani.

A ‘shameful’ agreement, says Iran’s Revolutionary GuardAP — TEHRAN

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard vowed yesterday there would be dangerous conse-quences for the United Arab Emirates after it announced a historic deal with Israel to open up diplomatic relations.

The UAE is the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to establish normalised relations with Israel, Iran’s regional arch-enemy. As part of the

US-brokered deal, Israel agreed to temporarily put off the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.

The Iranian Guard called the deal a “shameful” agreement and an “evil action” that was underwritten by the US, according to the group’s statement on a website it runs, Sepah News.

The Guard warned that the deal with Israel will set back American influence in the

Middle East and bring a “dan-gerous future” for the Emirati government.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also condemned the Emirati move. In a televised speech Saturday, he warned that the United Arab Emirates has made a “huge mistake” in reaching a deal toward normal-ising ties with Israel.

Rouhani warned the Gulf state against allowing Israel to have a “foothold in the region.”

Iran’s foreign minister,

Mohammad Javad Zarif, called the agreement a painful betrayal of Arab and other countries in the region, during a trip to Lebanon on Friday.

Less than 100 people gathered in front of the Emirates embassy in the capital Tehran on Saturday evening to protest the deal.

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal

to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.

The UAE presented its con-troversial decision as a way of encouraging peace efforts and taking Israel’s planned annex-ation of parts of the occupied West Bank off the table.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly pushed back insisting the pause i n a n n e x a t i o n w a s “temporary.”

Turkey ‘will not back down’ in Mediterranean standoff: ErdoganREUTERS — ISTANBUL

President Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday Turkey will not back down to threats of sanctions nor to incursions on its claimed territory in the Mediterranean Sea, where it is in a standoff with EU-member Greece over oil and gas exploration rights.

European Union foreign ministers on Friday said Ankara’s actions were antago-nistic and dangerous after a meeting requested by Athens.

Tensions between Nato members Greece and Turkey have risen in the past week after Turkey sent the Oruc Reis survey vessel, escorted by war-ships, to map out possible oil and gas drilling in territory over which both countries claim jurisdiction.

“We will never bow to ban-ditry on our continental shelf.

We will not back down against the language of sanctions and threats,” Erdogan said in the northeastern city of Rize.

The Oruc Reis, which is between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete, will continue work until August 23, he added. The vessel has been shadowed by Greek frigates and on Wednesday warships from the two sides were involved in a mild collision.

EU foreign ministers met via video conference on Friday and said Turkey’s naval move-ments would lead to a “heightened risk of dangerous incidents”.

They said a deterioration in the relationship with Turkey was having far-reaching stra-tegic consequences for the entire European Union, well beyond the eastern Mediterranean.

Crime rate in South Africa drops during lockdownAFP — PRETORIA

Crime-plagued South Africa posted a drastic drop in criminal offences, including assaults, during the first three months of its coronavirus lockdown, the police minister said.

The latest quarterly sta-tistics showed crime dropping by up to 40 percent between April and June, when the country was placed under strict stay-home restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

“These statistics show major decreases in all crime categories compared to the same comparative period last year,” said Police Minister Bheki Cele, adding that the sta-tistics “paint a never seen before ‘rosy’ picture of a peaceful South Africa experi-encing a ‘crime holiday’.”

“A 40.4 percent decrease in the number of rape cases were reported during the three months,” Cele told a news conference.

Contact-related crimes, such as arson and malicious damage to property, registered a 29 percent drop.

Cele said the figures showed that the absence of booze had helped reduce crime. But he added that attacks on schools and stores had risen, with burglaries reported at 2,692 education facilities and 1,246 shops over the same time period.

Mauritius braces for split of ship leaking oilAFP — PORT LOUIS

A ship that has leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of oil in pristine waters off the Mauritius coast appeared to be breaking apart yesterday.

The Japanese-owned MV Wakashio struck the reef on July 25 and began oozing oil one week later, threatening a pro-tected marine park boasting mangrove forests and endan-gered species.

Mauritius declared an envi-ronmental emergency last week, and salvage crews raced against the clock to pump the remaining 3,000 tonnes of oil off the ship.

As of yesterday about 90 tonnes of oil remained on board, much of it residue from the leakage.

Yesterday morning the salvage team warned that the ship’s condition “was wors-ening and it could break at any time”, a crisis committee formed in response to the spill, said. “Indeed, on the same day at around 4.30pm, a major detachment of the vessel’s forward section was observed.”

Images showed the MK Wakashio close to splitting completely in half, though the two pieces were still partially attached.

Coast guard vessels were

being positioned near the vessel and the deployment of booms to absorb oi l was “strengthened” to prepare for the ship eventually breaking apart, the crisis committee statement said.

“Skimmers are on stand-by mode near the vessel and will intervene as and when required,” it said, adding that the weather was expected to “worsen over the coming days with waves reaching a maximum height of 4.5 metres”.

The Mauritian government has come under fire — including from opposition leaders — for doing too little in the week after the ship ran aground.

COVID-19: Algeria reopens mosques, beaches after 5-month lockdownAP — ALGIERS

Algeria started reopening its mosques, cafes, beaches and parks yesterday for the first time in five months, gradually relaxing one of the world’s longer virus confinement periods.

Curfews remain in place in more than half the country, and masks are required outdoors as Algeria tries to keep virus infections down. But author-ities decided to start reopening public places starting yesterday, saying the virus infection rate is believed to have stabilised.

Crowds packed beaches in the capital Algiers, celebrating the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean Sea amid the August heat.

Restaurants were also allowed to reopen, and mosques that can hold more than 1,000 people and ensure

social distancing measures.However, mosques remain

closed to all women, children and the elderly until further notice, and the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday will remain banned to limit crowds. Mosque-goers must wear masks and bring their own

prayer mats.“This reopening will depend

entirely on the discipline of each person to respect pro-tection measures,” said the minister for religious affairs, Mohamed Belmahdi, who was among those attending the first services yesterday at Khaled

Ibn El Walid Mosque in the resort town of Heuraoua east of Algiers.

He warned that authorities would close mosques again if Algerians show even a “slight indifference” toward pre-ventive measures. “The health of citizens comes before faith.”

07SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 ASIA

Indian PM announces health ID for each citizen

ANATOLIA — NEW DELHI

India’s Prime Minister yesterday announced health ID for every citizen and said the country is prepared to mass produce COVID-19 vaccine with the green light from the scientists.

The announcement by Narendra Modi came during his speech marking the 74th Inde-pendence Day of India, which is being celebrated amid the coronavirus outbreak wit-nessing a massive spread in the country.

Modi also announced a national digital health mission for the country.

“It [mission] will bring a new revolution in India’s health sector. Everyone will be given a health ID. It will include information all about your health, doctor’s visit, disease, investigation etc.” he said.

The premier also said the testing of three coronavirus vaccines at different stages is also going on in the country.

“When we will get green

signal from scientists, we will do the production of vaccine at a mass-scale for which prep-aration are also ready,” he vowed.

There are three vaccines which are undergoing testing in India. Bharat Biotech Inter-national in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) is testing a vaccine which has been named as Covaxin, while as Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute of India are also car-rying out tests on potential vac-cines separately.

This year, the guest list was trimmed at the main venue of Independence Day celebration in the capital New Delhi. Unlike previous years, the event was not open for the public and it was held under social dis-tancing rules.

After Modi unfurled the flag at historic Red Fort in New Delhi, his address remained focused on self-reliant India, the government’s achieve-ments and initiatives, and

future plans.“World is witnessing the

results of reforms which we are unveiling one after another; last year foreign direct investment in India set all-time high with an 18 percent increase. Now along with Make in India, we have to move forward with mantra of Make

for World also,” he said.“I am confident that India

will realise the dream of Aat-maNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).” He said that the coun-try’s National Infrastructure Pipeline project will play a crucial role in pulling the country out of the impact of COVID-19.

“Over Rs110 lakh crores [approx. $1.46tn] will be spent on this and 7,000 projects have been identified across various sectors,” he said.

He also mentioned Ladakh — the border area in Hima-layan region, where India and China recently engaged in fatal clashes.

“From LoC (Line of Control) to LAC (Line of Actual Control), whoever tried to raise their eyes towards the country’s sov-ereignty, our soldiers responded in the same manner,” he said, adding that what our “jawans”, or soldiers, and India can do, “the world has seen in Ladakh.” India and China are witnessing a heightened faceoff along the LAC, a de facto border line between the two nations in the Ladakh region of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

The prime minister also touched on Jammu and Kashmir, which recently com-pleted one year since India’s decision to revoke the special status of the region.

“It was a year of a new development journey for Jammu & Kashmir. Delimi-tation activity is underway and once the process is complete, elections will be held again,” he said.

While the main event in Delhi was held with a limited guest list, it was a miss this year for those Delhi residents who had been attending the event.

“Last year, I went along with my family members to Red Fort and listened to the PM’s speech there. This year, it was closed to the public because of COVID-19. We watched the speech on television,” said Ankit Kumar, a Delhi resident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the guard of honour during the Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort, in New Delhi, yesterday.

Indian, Nepalese Prime Ministers talk amid border disputeAP — NEW DELHI

The prime ministers of India and Nepal spoke over the phone yesterday to try to ease bilateral tensions that have existed since a border dispute erupted between the two countries in May.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from his Nepalese counterpart, KP Sharma Oli, greeting India on its Independence Day and its recent election as a

non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, a statement by India’s External Affairs Min-istry said.

The border dispute between the countries began over India’s inauguration in May of a Hima-layan link road built in a dis-puted region that lies at a stra-tegic three-way junction with Tibet and China.

“Prime Minister Oli appre-ciated Prime Minister Modi’s renewed priority to neigh-borhood as spelt out in today’s

Independence Day address. The prime minister of Nepal looked forward to meaningful bilateral cooperation,’’ a Nepal foreign ministry statement said.

Nepal has been complaining that India is not responding to its offer made in November and December last year to hold official-level talks to resolve the issue.

Nepal recently issued a new political map showing the dis-puted territory within its borders.

The brief statements issued by the two sides yesterday didn’t say whether the two countries plan to hold official-level talks on the issue any time soon.

India inaugurated the 80km Lipu Lekh road, which is the shortest route between New Delhi and Kailash-Mansarovar, a revered Hindu pilgrimage site in the Tibetan plateau. India said the road did not illegally cross into neighbouring Nepal.

Nepal has fiercely contested India’s claim on the territory,

which it has included in contem-porary boundary maps as part of the Indian state of Uttara-khand, because of its potential as an economic corridor.

Nepal, which was never under colonial rule, has long claimed the areas of Limpiya-dhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh in accordance with the 1816 Sugauli treaty with the British Raj, although these areas have remained in control of Indian troops since India fought a war with China in 1962.

COVID-19 cases risein New Zealand; Australia still strugglesREUTERS — MELBOURNE

New Zealand yesterday reported seven new cases of the corona-virus as a lockdown in the coun-try’s biggest city, Auckland, was extended on Friday in response to the country’s first coronavirus outbreak in months.

Six of the seven new cases have been linked to the cluster responsible for all the previous community cases, while one case was being investigated, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a media briefing in Wellington.

The new cases bring New Zealand’s total infections since the start of the year to 1,258, while the number of currently active cases stands at 56. Twenty two people have died so far.

The lockdown in Auckland, home to 1.7 million people, was extended for nearly two weeks,

and followed the discovery on Tuesday of the country’s first COVID-19 infections in 102 days, in a family in Auckland.

New Zealand and its neighbour Australia have suf-fered far less death and disease from the COVID-19 pandemic than many other nations, thanks in part to swift lockdown measures. Although economi-cally costly, the measures raised public trust in the leaders of both countries significantly.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, is now, however, under pressure ahead of a upcoming general election, with the main opposition National Party accusing the government of failing to secure quarantine facilities and withholding information.

And Australia’s second most-populous state, Victoria, con-tinues to struggle after it last

month became the centre of the country’s biggest coronavirus outbreak. Its capital, Melbourne, is under a strict six-week lockdown and the rest of the state has limited public movement. Yesterday, Victoria recorded 303 new cases and four deaths, following 372 new

infections and 14 deaths on Friday.

Although yesterday’s numbers are well below the peak of 725 new cases seen on August 5 and there has been some stabilisation in the out-break, state authorities urged vigilance.

“The signs are encouraging but it is not over,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told a televised briefing.

“There is a long way to go and the only thing that wins if we get fatigued, if we were in a sense to give up, the only thing that wins is the coronavirus.”

Medical staff prepare to take a swab sample from a motorist to test for coronavirus disease at a drive-through testing clinic, in Melbourne, Australia.

Australia marks

end of WWII with

message of unity

REUTERS — MELBOURNE

In socially distanced cere-monies across Australia that echoed a message of unity, politicians, veterans and ordinary people commemo-rated yesterday the 75th anni-versary of the day that brought the end of World War Two to the country.

Prime Minister Scott Mor-rison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese laid wreaths at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, with a small group of veterans attending the national ceremony, subdued by the coronavirus pandemic.

“A country of seven million united and became one in a mighty national effort to defend human civilisation from the bullies who sought to destroy it,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

“Australia wasn’t alone. We stood with our allies and our friends, this was a global fight. All understood that if tyranny was not confronted together, eventually it would be con-fronted alone. True then, true today.” The August 15 Victory in the Pacific Day commemo-rates Japan’s acceptance of the Allies’ demand to surrender, three months after Nazi Germany surrendered in Europe.

Almost one million Aus-tralians served in World War Two. Some 39,000 died and another 30,000 were taken prisoner, according to gov-ernment data. About 12,000 of those serving in the war are still alive.

Thai student leader freed on bail, vows to keep up protestAP — BANGKOK

A student leader of Thailand’s anti-government movement vowed to continue protesting after being released on bail yesterday, a day after his arrest on a sedition charge.

The arrest on Friday of Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak came as the government tries to deal with a wave of pro-democracy protests, mainly consisting of students who have rallied in schools and on campuses in many Thai cities.

The students are demanding the disso-lution of parliament, fresh elections, a new constitution and an end to intimidation of the government’s opponents.

Parit was defiant as he spoke to a crowd of journalists and supporters after being freed by the Bangkok Criminal Court. He had been allowed to walk free on condition he did not repeat his alleged offenses.

He immediately spoke in more provoc-ative terms than he had at the July 18 protest for which he was charged with sedition.

Parit read out a list of proposals for reforming the monarchy that was first

launched at a university rally on Monday, rocking the country because public criticism of the royal institution is virtually unprece-dented and traditionally taboo. It is unclear if all members of the protest movement support the proposals.

“I don’t regret being arrested because ever since joining the movement I knew it might happen, but it won’t be in vain. Everyone should have the courage to talk about the monarchy,” he said.

Mainstream media in Thailand have by and large refrained from reporting the demands about the monarchy because of their sensitivity. A strict law against defaming the monarchy carries a punishment of three to 15 years in prison, and criticism of the monarchy can also be prosecuted under several other statutes mainly covering national security.

After his release, Parit declared on his Facebook page that he would see his fol-lowers at a major rally planned for today in Bangkok. The sudden and brazen criticism of the monarchy has drawn swift reaction from the government and its conservative supporters, with many warning the students to change course. It presents Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha with the challenge of how to avoid a violent crackdown that might only draw more supporters to the protest movement.

Parit said he would not be deterred.“There is a police unit — unit 904 —

trailing me, so I am not sure about my safety,” he said. “But tomorrow there is a big rally so I needed to get bail to be out, to lead it.”

Parit Chiwarak, a pro-democracy student

Death sentence of Myanmar men commuted in Brits’ murder caseAFP — BANGKOK

Two Myanmar migrant workers on death row for the brutal murder of a pair of British back-packers in Thailand have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment following a mass royal pardon.

The men’s lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said the pardon decree — which was published on Friday and applies to all inmates on death row — was “effective immediately”.

Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of the assault and murder of Hannah With-eridge, 23, and of killing David Miller, 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of Koh Tao in September 2014.

But defence lawyers have said the evidence used to convict

the two men— who are both from Myanmar’s impoverished Rakhine state — was unreliable and alleged that confessions by the pair were obtained under duress.

“I can’t find words to express how thankful we are,” Ye Zaw Tun, a brother of Win Zaw Tun, said yesterday following the decree.

“We knew this case was totally unfair, and we sometimes feel bitterness, but we want to say thanks for the royal pardon.”

A commutation of their sen-tence had been the pair’s only remaining hope after their final appeal failed last year, with Thai-land’s top court ruling the evi-dence against them was clear.

The case triggered a strong reaction from Myanmar, where many felt the two men had been given an unfair trial.

The premier also said the testing of three coronavirus vaccines at different stages is also going on in the country. ‘When we will get green signal from scientists, we will do the production of vaccine at a mass-scale for which preparation are also ready,’ he vowed.

The international community will play an important role as facilitators and mediators of the talks, ensuring that momentum, and a level playing field, are maintained. Our international partners must also continue to stand firm for the values and principles in which we have all invested for 20 years.

08 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

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

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ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

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

EDITORIAL

IN March and April this year when the COVID-19 began to spread in many countries and measures to control its spread were taken, experts warned of the second wave of the virus spread.

The recent re-emergence of the infection in form of new waves in many countries of the world which had eased the health restrictions shows credibility of the experts’ prediction and importance of the pre-ventive measures which are being reimposed in these countries.

Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) stressed the need to continue implementing all precautionary and preventive measures and importance of the society cooperation in implementation of the health instructions and rules to prevent COVID-19 virus from returning in the form of a second wave.

The hike in the numbers of new cases in the past few days prompted the health authority to warn the public from another wave, in particular with the opening of work-places and return of employees to work from offices.

A fact highlighted during a press conference held on Thursday by the Chair of the National Strategic Group on COVID-19, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, who is also the Head of the Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corpo-ration (HMC), who said that the increase in the number of new infections after a period of decline is due to lack of commitment of many individuals to preventive measures during Eid Al Adha vacation as most of the infections were among members of the same family.

The health officials and experts stressed repeatedly, controlling the spread of the virus among members of society depends on the awareness and cooperation of the society and commitment to the precautionary measures and safety rules.

Therefore the MoPH urged the society members to be committed to all preventive measures to protect the society to avert the return of the disease in the form of a second wave. The increase in the number of new cases during the past couple of days were attributed to the Eid Al Adha celebration which brought families and indi-viduals together undermining the preventive measures.

Health authorities warned about a noticeable and worrying trend of increase, in recent days, among cit-izens and residents professionals and accordingly number of admissions to the hospital in the following days.

Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control at the MoPH, Dr. Hamad Al Rumaihi, in the same press conference stressed that the next phase requires protection for vulnerable groups of the elderly and people with chronic diseases by estab-lishing a safe zone at home for the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

Paramount duty of averting second wave

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Quote of the day

The (South Korean) government has consulted

with Japan on a smooth resolution, on which

victims can agree, and leaves the door of

consultations wide open now as well.

Moon Jae-In, President of South Korea

Newly freed Taliban prisoners gather at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday.

The Afghan people want peace. This has been our constant demand and foremost priority for four decades, an entire lifetime for most of us. In June 2018, the Afghan government, and our people, took a risk for peace by initiating the country’s first cease-fire since 2001. It allowed us, for three days, to

not only want peace but to live it. Over the past two years, we have taken multiple risks in the pursuit of peace because we cannot afford to pay the costs of failure.

Last week, we made the decision to take another risk for peace. After releasing 4,600 Taliban prisoners to facilitate certain conditions of the US-Taliban deal of Feb. 29, we were confronted with the difficult issue of releasing 400 remaining prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including the killing of Afghans and cit-izens of the international com-munity. We were assured that their release would fulfill the Taliban’s final demand before facing us at the negotiating table.

This was not a risk I could take alone, constitutionally or morally, without consulting the Afghan people. Earlier this week, 3,400 women and men from all provinces of Afghan-istan and all strata of society came together, in the presence of the country’s political leadership, at a con-sultative assembly known as a Loya Jirga, to deliberate and debate. They decided to approve the release of the prisoners, and the next day I signed the order. It was the Afghan people’s latest, and boldest, risk for peace.

In 2018, we knew peace would be costly, but we did not know what those costs would be. We do know now, and we have paid heavily. The cost of releasing these 5,000 prisoners meant, among other things, denying justice and healing for the families of those they murdered. Since March, we have also paid for peace with intensified Taliban violence. Over the past five months, while Afghan security forces maintained a

defensive posture, the Taliban and associated terrorist groups (which the Taliban has yet to publicly renounce) killed or wounded 12,279 Afghan security forces and civilians, according to our own figures.

We have paid with our lives - tens of thousands of Afghan lives, including even our tiniest, most precious and innocent lives. We have paid the costs. There must now be a dividend of peace for the Afghan people.

Now, despite the violence, Afghans are coming to the negotiating table with renewed momentum for peace, a stronger relationship between the government and citizens, a better sense of coordination with our inter-national partners, and unity among our political leaders.

Assurances will no longer be enough to propel the peace process forward. It is now time for the Taliban to sit across from the representa-tives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in earnest, in order to reach a political solution and to declare a comprehensive cease-fire. We acknowledge the Taliban as part of our reality, and we are solidly committed to reaching a political deal that accommodates this reality. The Taliban must, in turn, acknowledge the changed reality of today’s Afghanistan. The Taliban must work with us to preserve and expand the gains the Afghan people have made over the past 19 years, including for the benefit of the thousands of Taliban fighters, and refugees and returnees, who will need to be immedi-ately reintegrated into society.

The international com-munity will play an important role as facilitators and

mediators of the talks, ensuring that momentum, and a level playing field, are maintained. Our international partners must also continue to stand firm for the values and principles in which we have all invested for 20 years.

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have not only been sacrificing to preserve and protect our country, but also in pursuit of counterterrorism objectives that we share with the United States and the international community. Our forces took over full responsibility for combat operations from foreign troops in January 2015, and since then the Afghan gov-ernment has taken measures to substantially reduce the burden on US taxpayers. We thank the United States and our interna-tional partners for their con-tinued support of our security forces, which will be critical as we move forward with the peace process.

We share a vision with the United States and our inter-national partners for the outcome of our talks with the Taliban: a sovereign, unified, democratic Afghanistan at peace with itself, the region and world, capable of pre-serving and expanding the gains of the past two decades.

We must all come together to achieve this vision. It will require a different kind of strength than war. It will require us to practice patience, make compromises and pay further costs toward the price of peace. But to fail in our pursuit of a sustainable peace is not an option; it would demand a far deadlier price - one that the Afghan people, and our international partners, cannot afford to pay.

The writer is President of Afghanistan.

BEN SCHOTT BLOOMBERG

As many of the certainties that underpinned the social, political and economic order were swept away by Covid-19, the stock market has … boomed. And with it has boomed investor confi-dence.

According to the latest Schroders Global Investor Study, when asked about the performance of their investment portfolio over the next five years, the mean global investor expects an average annual total return of 10.92%. This is 1.02%

higher than they expected in 2018 and 0.22% higher than in 2019. Perhaps inevitably, American investors are the most bullish about their prospects, predicting a five-year return of 15.38%, whereas the average Jap-anese expectation is just 5.96%.

Schroders surveyed over 23,000 people in 32 coun-tries in April, defining “people” as those who planned to invest at least 10,000 euros, or the equiv-alent, in the next year and who have made changes to their investments (excluding cash and

property) during the past decade.

When asked about the expected performance of their portfolios over the next 12 months, respondents were equally bullish. The average global return was expected to be 8.84% - though 24% of investors expected a return of 10% to 14%, and 19% expected a return of 15% to 20%. The more proficient an investor claims to be, the more opti-mistic they are: 53% of self-described “expert” or “advanced” investors expect to see a 12-month return of 10% or more, compared to

29% of “beginner” or “rudi-mentary” investors.

This exuberance - which even Schroders called “improbable” and “over-optimistic” - might be explained by the fact that 80% of those polled (and 85% of investing “experts”) agreed with this statement: “I have received these returns in the past, so it is very likely this will continue in the future.” It’s almost as if we’ve stopped hearing the mantra mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Rule 156: Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Afghans and their international partners have paid the costs. Now we’re taking a risk for peace.

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American investors are feeling lucky

Established in 1996

ASHRAF GHANI THE WASHINGTON POST

09SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 OPINION

The fatality rate among COVID-19-infected indigenous Amazonians had soared by early August, up from the 150% higher than the broader population found in a study in June by IPAM, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute.

There are crucial moments in history that define the world’s future. For Poland and Europe, one of such moments in the 20th century was the day of August 15, 1920. It was then that Poland newly reborn in 1918 fought a decisive and victorious battle with the Bolshevik forces that aimed to spread the fire of the communist revolution all across Western Europe, devastated by the human and material losses of the Great War. According to the British diplomat Edgar D’Abernon, it was the eighteenth decisive battle in world history. The Battle of Warsaw deserves to be listed on a par with the D-Day as a critical turning point in the fight against total-itarianism in Europe. Because of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe as a result of the Yalta Conference, the significance of this specific event to the history of Europe did not get imprinted in the world’s memory as promi-nently as it deserves. This concerns both mass culture and history textbooks. It is time to finally fill those gaps

in European collective memory. The anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw should be celebrated not only in Warsaw, not only in Poland, but in all of Europe. Even though it was Poland that had won on the Vistula River, that victory concerned to a large extent the freedom of European nations – their freedom from the totalitarian darkness of communism.

From a historical per-spective, the year 1920 closes a series of events which began with the partitions of Poland by Prussia, Russia, and Austria in late 18th century. The Battle of Warsaw was the culmi-nation of one of the most remarkable episodes of the building of a modern nation in European and global history. The nation without a state, emerging on the ruins of military and political defeat (including numerous Polish uprisings and collapses of successive substitutes of the state) at the time Poland was erased from the map of Europe, which extended from the end of the 18th century to the end of World War I.

The first Polish phe-nomenon worth mentioning is the scale of transformation of the Polish society from a feudal one to one of Europe’s most modern civil societies – and, as a matter of fact, without having any state institutions. An enormous network of social, cultural, and sport institutions, like the “Sokół” gymnastic associ-ation, financial unions, scien-tific societies, and school self-education societies can be compared only to reforms during the Meiji period enacted by the strong central power in Japan. The big Polish

grassroots revolution of the second half of the 19th century was carried out in defiance of the powers occu-pying Poland. This is evidence that the Poles were able to learn a lesson from their own history and consolidate around the most modern con-cepts – Positivism, demo-cratic reforms, empowerment of women and social masses. Had there been no victory on the Enlightenment’s front of education, science, and social thought, there would have been no victory on the mil-itary fronts.

The remarkable history of Poland’s first democratic rev-olution is not widely known in Europe. Sadly, because it is a tale that equals such gems of literature as Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. Soon after regaining independence in 1918, Poland adopted some of the most modern social and electoral legislations of the Western world. A shared sense of regained freedom prevailed over prejudice and a temptation to discriminate against wider segments of society. Poland had to build the unity and cohesion of the entire nation. The intellectual work undertaken at the end of the 19th century found its succession in the pro-state efforts once public institutions were regained after 1918.

The phenomenon of Poland is thus a story of democratization different from that in Western Europe. This is a story of democrati-zation taking place along with the process of regaining inde-pendence and significance as a social and political entity. This is a story of modernity being built in defiance of imperialism, absolutism, and

despotism of powers that dominated Europe of the 19th century. The story which found its climax in the very demanding test of maturity for the state – less than two years after it regained inde-pendence, Poland had to face a totalitarian threat from the Bolsheviks.

The war with the Bol-sheviks was a demonstration of an uncommon political unity of the Polish nation. In July 1920, the Government of National Defense was estab-lished, with Wincenty Witos, leader of the peasant movement, as Prime Minister, and Ignacy Daszyński, one of the leaders of the Polish Left as Deputy Prime Minister. In light of the need to defend the very existence of the newly regained homeland, political differences among the fathers of the Polish independence receded to the background. Poland’s political elite passed the test of maturity at the most critical moment. The

Polish people massively sup-ported the war effort, with an enormous involvement of the Catholic Church. The Bol-shevik troops had to confront the nation that was not going to give up its hard-won independence.

The central point of the Polish-Bolshevik war was the Battle of Warsaw, a daring counter-attack on the Bol-shevik forces advancing towards the center of Poland, executed by the commanders – Marshal Józef Piłsudski, Chief of Staff Tadeusz Rozwa-dowski, and operational com-manders – General Władysław Sikorski and Edward Śmigły-Rydz.

The French renowned military historian Hubert Camon saw the enveloping maneuver which gave the Poles victory in the Battle of Warsaw as an emanation of the Napoleonic maneuver. With minimal losses, the Poles defeated the enormous Bolshevik army advancing with great impetus towards Western Europe. The war mobilization of the Polish society was remarkable, given that Poland was one of the most devastated countries in World War I. Also remarkable was the response from the Poles, as evidenced by how amazingly fast General Haller’s Volunteer Army was formed to soon exceed 100,000 troops.

The press called the Poles’ victory “the Miracle on the Vistula” in a clear reference to “the Miracle on the Marne” of World War I, when the French-British forces stopped the German armies.

The Polish-Bolshevik war was not only about the clashes of huge armies, the spectacular effort of the entire society, or the strategic genius of the commanders. It was also about the struggle between intelligence services – that is cyphers, minds, and intellects. The great hero of the covert front of the Battle of Warsaw was Jan Kow-alewski, officer of the Polish military intelligence who broke Soviet cyphers. It was his work that helped get key information needed to create the Polish operational strategy. That unsung hero played a crucial role in halting the Soviet aggression against Europe in 1920. Moreover, during World War II he was an important figure of the Tripod Action which was devised by the Polish gov-ernment-in-exile in London and aimed at preparing the Allies’ invasion of the Balkans through making Italy, Rumania, and Hungary withdraw from the alliance with the Axis powers. Alas, under the pressure from Stalin, Roosevelt abandoned the plan to land in the Balkans

which was pushed by Winston Churchill. If history had taken a different course, Jan Kowalewski might have saved East Central Europe twice from the totalitarian Soviet domination.

The centennial of the Battle of Warsaw is one of the most important anniversaries of today’s free Europe. The Poles saved the West from the experience of totalitarian genocide as described by out-standing French historians in the famous Black Book of Communism. The Polish experience of communism with its tragic and long-term consequences for the country and its people is often misun-derstood. The legacy of com-munism is a real problem, one that deforms the social and institutional reality of the countries that underwent democratic transformation. Władysław Reymont, the great Polish novelist and lau-reate of Nobel Prize in Liter-ature, in his novel The Revolt (Polish: Bunt), which he wrote following the Battle of Warsaw, presents an allegory of a revolt raised by animals against man and, parallel to this, he portrays totalitarian mechanisms. He did so twenty years before George Orwell and his famous Animal Farm. Reymont could write this book because the Poles experienced confrontation with communism long before the West did. The Battle of Warsaw was also a culmi-nation of more than five decades of Poland’s grass-roots democratic revolution, one of the most unusual and unwritten histories of Europe of the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. It is a story of great patriotism, religious devotion, military genius, and the sig-nificance of ciphers.

The Polish-Bolshevik war was a founding moment for modern Poland and a crucial moment for the entire Europe, even though the awareness of this may be insufficient. It was the real clashing point of two diverse civilizations, and no one knew it better that Karol Wojtyła, born in 1920, who would later become John Paul II: “Since the day I was born, I’ve been greatly indebted to those who then took up the fight against the invaders and won, paying the ultimate price.” The obligation to repay this debt rests on us all. Today, one hundred years after the victorious Battle of Warsaw, is a perfect oppor-tunity to remind ourselves and the whole of Europe about it.

The article is published concurrently in the Polish monthly Wszystko co Najważniejsze under a project realized in part-nership with the Institute of National Remembrance.

The Battle of Warsaw 1920: One of the most important anniversaries of today’s free Europe

FABIO ZUKER REUTERS

The rate of coronavirus deaths among indigenous people in Brazil’s Amazon is nearly 250% higher than in the general population, for reasons ranging from a lack of

access to healthcare to inva-sions of indigenous land, researchers said.

The fatality rate among COVID-19-infected indig-enous Amazonians had soared by early August, up from the 150% higher than the broader population found in a study in June by IPAM, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute.

“The situation has worsened. It is clear that we did not learn from the first few months,” said Martha Fellows, one of the IPAM researchers who worked on the June study and on an upcoming update.

In particular, the virus “exploded” in indigenous health districts that until mid-June had seen no cases of the virus, she said.

The rate of deaths among indigenous residents of the Amazon, based on data col-lected through August 7, was 247% higher than in the general population, she said.

The data,

from the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COAIB), shows 559 corona-virus deaths among indig-enous people in Brazil’s Ama-zonian states since the start of the pandemic.

According to COIAB data, the Kokama people, in Ama-zonas state, have the highest losses in the region with 57 deaths followed by the Xavante people, in Mato Grosso, with 51 deaths.

Angela Kaxuyana, a member of COAIB’s executive team, said she did not believe the higher death rate was because indigenous people had immune systems more vulnerable to the virus.

Instead “we are placed in a situation of vulnerability,” she said, particularly with ongoing entry into indigenous land by illegal miners, loggers and others carrying the virus.

“We are talking about invasion of territories, con-tamination of rivers, psycho-logical pressures caused by

invasions of miners and loggers, and by insecurity in indigenous territories,” she said.

She said lack of access to adequate healthcare in indig-enous areas of the Amazon was another reason for the higher death rate there com-pared to cities in Brazil.

“Imagine (the virus) in an indigenous village, which has no health center, no doctor. There isn’t anyone there to act quickly and isolate people. That’s why it spreads so intensely,” she said.

On Kaxuyana-Tunayana indigenous land - where Angela Kaxayuna is from, in the north of the state of Para - 574 people living on four river systems have access to just one state health center, along one of the rivers, she said.

Brazil’s Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health (SESAI), the federal agency responsible for assuring access to healthcare for indigenous people living within indigenous territories, has been criticized

for not including in its COVID-19 death toll indigenous people who live in or con-tracted the disease in urban areas. SESAI’s figures, through August 7, show 263 indigenous people dead from COVID-19 in the Amazon region - less than half the number of deaths recorded by COIAB.

Angela Kaxuyana said it made no sense to count indig-enous deaths only in reserves when there are 487 indig-enous territories recognized by Brazil’s government but another 237 still waiting for recognition.

“It’s totally contradictory to say that the indigenous healthcare policy will only serve those in the indigenous territories,” Kaxuyana said.

Territories not yet recog-nised do not receive health services aimed at indigenous people, as provided for in Brazil’s constitution. Brazil’s Ministry of Health in 2004 restricted SESAI’s services to indigenous villages.

A SESAI spokeswoman

confirmed that its legal mandate is to provide health services to indigenous people resident in indigenous villages.

“Indigenous people living in urban regions are served by the state and municipal public health system,” the spokes-woman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation via email.

Angela Kaxuyana said the rules effectively deny many indigenous people adequate healthcare. “It is a prejudiced division that diminishes indig-enous people who are in the city without choosing to be there,” she said.

Many indigenous families have been displaced to cities by illegal mining, logging, farming and other activity by outsiders in their territories, she said. Fellows, of IPAM, said SESAI’s count of indig-enous coronavirus deaths overlooks data from about 100,000 indigenous people in the Amazon living outside reserves, based on the last Brazilian census in 2010.

Indigenous land intrusions help drive higher virus death toll in the Amazon

MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND

The Polish-Bolshevik war was a founding moment for modern Poland and a crucial moment for the entire Europe, even though the awareness of this may be insufficient. It was the real clashing point of two diverse civilizations.

Soldiers stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during ceremonies commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw at the Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, Poland, yesterday.

10 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020ASIA

WWII anniversary: Japan PM vows not to repeat warREUTERS — TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking on the 75th anni-versary of Japan’s World War Two surrender, pledged never to repeat the tragedy of war and Emperor Naruhito expressed “deep remorse” over the wartime past, which still haunts East Asia.

“Never to repeat the tragedy of war. We will continue to remain committed to this res-olute pledge,” said Abe, wearing a face mask at an official cer-emony for war dead on Sat-urday that was scaled back because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Abe, who did not echo Naruhito’s reference to remorse, sent a ritual offering to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for war dead. But he avoided a per-sonal visit that would anger China and South Korea.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech Seoul was always ready to discuss history disputes with Tokyo.

At least four Japanese Cabinet ministers paid their respects in person at Yasukuni, which honours 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as

war criminals by an Allied tri-bunal, as well as Japan’s war dead. The shrine is seen by Beijing and Seoul as a symbol of Japan’s past military aggression.

Shuichi Takatori, a member of Abe’s ruling Liberal Demo-cratic Party, told reporters he made the offering on behalf of Abe as party leader, delivering a message that Abe “paid his respects from the heart to the war dead and prayed for the rest and permanent peace of their souls.”

Abe has not gone to Yas-ukuni in person since a December 2013 visit that out-raged China and South Korea, but has sent offerings.

Environment Minister

Shinjiro Koizumi, 39, often floated as a future premier, was among the ministers who visited the shrine on the emotive anniversary.

South Korea’s foreign min-istry spokesman expressed “deep disappointment and concern” over the ministers’ visit and said Japan’s leaders must show their “deep remorse through action”.

Thousands of men and women braved scorching heat amid the COVID-19 pandemic to pay their respects at Yasukuni, where queues quickly became congested, despite markers and signs seeking to maintain social distance. Many people stood in long queues for hours, holding parasols to block the sun in heat over 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

“I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated,” Naruhito, 60, said at the official ceremony after bowing together with Empress Masako before an altar in front of a bank of flowers. Both royals also wore face masks.

The grandson of Emperor Hirohito in whose name Imperial troops fought the war, Naruhito is Japan’s first monarch born after the war. He

ascended the throne last year after his father, Akihito, abdicated.

The United States and Japan have become staunch security allies in the decades since the war’s end but its legacy still haunts East Asia.

Koreans, who mark the date as National Liberation Day, resent Japan’s 1910-1945 colo-nisation of the peninsula.

China has bitter memories of imperial troops’ invasion and occupation of parts of the country from 1931 to 1945.

“We must learn from history, let history be a warning for the future, and show that we are prepared to fight in the event of a war”, said a com-mentary by the official news-paper of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army.

Japan’s ties with South Korea especially are strained by a dispute over compensation for Koreans forced to work in Japan’s wartime mines and factories.

“The door for negotiation is still widely open,” Moon said in a speech in Seoul.

Relations are also strained over “comfort women”.

Consensus over the war remains elusive within Japan, where more than 80 percentof people were born after the con-flict’s end.

Abe has said future gener-ations should not have to keep apologising for mistakes of the past.

One visitor to Yasukuni, Nobuko Watanabe, 51, said she understood why Koreans would resent visits there but added ties could improve.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe making a speech during a memorial service marking the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II at the Nippon Budokan hall, in Tokyo, yesterday.

Philippine security forces on alert for reprisals after militant heldAFP — MANILA,

Philippine security forces were on alert for possible reprisal attacks after arresting a key leader of an IS-linked militant group accused of kidnapping and beheading several foreigners.

Abduljihad Susukan, a member of Abu Sayyaf, was detained in the southern city of Davao and flown to the capital Manila on Friday, where he was being held at the national police headquarters.

He has been charged with 23 murders, five kidnappings and six attempted murders, a police statement said.

Listed by the United States as a terrorist organisation, Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of Islamic militants blamed for the country’s worst terror attacks as well as kidnappings of foreign tourists and Christian missionaries.

“The Philippine National Police along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines remain alert and vigilant to prevent and

respond to any reprisal attack,” police spokesman Brigadier-General Bernard Banac said.

The Philippine military said Susukan was behind the April 2016 beheadings of Canadian tourists Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, after Manila and Ottawa rejected the kidnappers’ ransom demands.

In 2017, Susukan’s group also beheaded Jurgen Kantner, who was abducted from his yacht off the southern Philip-pines the previous year, said military spokesman Brigadier-

General Edgard Arevalo.“There is a strong possi-

bility” that Susukan was also behind the 2015 beheading of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then, who was abducted in Malaysia’s Sabah state, Arevalo added.

The authorities said Susukan had gone to Davao, near where the Canadians were abducted, to get a prosthetic arm after losing one in a clash with security forces.

Police said they found him in the home of rebel leader Nur

Misuari, who is awaiting trial for an attack carried out by hun-dreds of his armed followers on the southern city of Zamboanga in 2013 that left more than 200 people dead.

Despite the charges, Misuari has government permission to live at his home and travel.

President Rodrigo Duterte enlisted Misuari’s help last year to negotiate peace with various armed groups in the country’s troubled south as well as to help negotiate the release of Abu Sayyaf hostages.

Seoul tightens curbs to control COVID-19 surgeAFP — SEOUL

South Korea tightened coro-navirus measures in Seoul and its surrounding areas as the country reported the highest number of new daily infec-tions in more than five months.

The stricter social dis-tancing guidelines include restrictions on gatherings and activities including profes-sional sports, which will be played behind closed doors in the capital area again.

The move came as South Korea reported 166 new cases yesterday, the highest daily figure since early March, bringing country’s total infec-tions to 15,039 with 305 deaths.

South Korea stands at a “critical juncture” in the battle to control the coronavirus surge, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a government response meeting.

“Our top priority is to contain the spread of the virus in the greater Seoul area.”

A majority of the new cases came from the greater Seoul region — home to half of the country’s 51 million people — raising fears about a major spike with a three-day weekend starting in South Korea from yesterday.

Despite the outbreak and calls to avoid large gatherings, thousands of right-wing protestors rallied against Pres-ident Moon Jae-in’s centre-left government in Seoul yes-terday. Around 20,000 par-ticipated, according to the Yonhap news agency.

South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks outside mainland China but brought it broadly under control with extensive tracing and testing while never imposing the kind of lock-downs ordered in much of Europe and other parts of the world.

A member of the medical staff takes blood sample of a court staff member during a rapid test for the COVID-19 at the Denpasar court in Denpasar, on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, on Friday.

Afghan women’s rights activist survives gun attackAFP — KABUL

Trailblazing Afghan women’s rights campaigner Fawzia Koofi, a member of the negoti-ating team that will hold peace talks with the Taliban, has been wounded in a gun attack near Kabul, officials said yesterday.

Gunmen opened fire on Koofi, 45, and her sister on Friday when they were returning from a meeting in the province of Parwan near the capital, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

Koofi, a former member of parliament and strong critic of the Taliban, was shot in her

right hand, he said, adding that she was in a stable condition.

The Taliban denied they were involved in the attack on Koofi.

The attack drew strong con-demnation from Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani — who described it as a “cowardly attack”, according to his spokesman Sediq Seddiqi.

Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the national reconcili-ation council, called on Afghan authorities to bring “the perpe-trators of the attack to justice”.

The chief of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, Shaharzad Akbar,

also condemned the “horrific attack”.

“Worrying pattern of tar-geted attacks that can nega-tively impact confidence in peace process,” she wrote on Twitter.

In recent months, there have been gun attacks against human rights activists and pros-ecutors in Kabul.

Koofi survived a previous assassination attempt in 2010, when gunmen fired at her as she was returning to the capital after an International Women’s Day event.

She was among the few women in a pan-Afghan

delegation that held several rounds of unofficial dialogue with the Taliban in 2019.

That dialogue came alongside separate negotiations between the Islamist militants and the United States in Qatar which finally led to the signing of an agreement between the two in February this year.

At the time, Koofi said how she had received threats previ-ously from militants just for wearing nail polish.

Koofi is now one of four women negotiators in the Afghan team that will hold direct talks with the Taliban in the coming days.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech that Seoul was always ready to discuss history disputes with Tokyo.

Indonesia reviewing plan to reopen tourist areasBLOOMBERG — JAKARTA

Indonesia is reviewing a plan to reopen its tourist areas to foreign visitors amid concerns that such a move could compromise the country’s effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said.

Thohir, who is overseeing the daily operations of the

country’s coronavirus task-force, was responding to a question if the government will go ahead with a plan to reopen Bali, Indonesia’s most popular tourist spot, on September 11 as scheduled.

“We don’t want that the programme to make Indonesia healthy becomes compromised by the plan to allow foreign tourists to come, and it creates possible new clusters,” Thohir

said in an online discussion “Therefore, the committee has decided to review this plan to allow foreign tourists to come.”

Foreign holidaymakers, who generate billions of dollars in revenue, remain a critical part of Indonesia’s economy, he said. The world’s fourth-most populous nation remains under the grip of the pandemic with the number of cases quintupling since the end of May.

Pakistan launches anti-polio drive as virus cases declineAP — ISLAMABAD

Pakistani health officials yesterday launched a seven-day vaccination campaign against polio as part of efforts aimed at eliminating the crip-pling disease amid a steady decline in fatalities and infec-tions from the coronavirus, which had recently over-whelmed the country’s fragile health system.

The anti-polio campaign, which began amid tight security, aims to vaccinate as many as 34 million children across Pakistan, including former Taliban strongholds bordering Afghanistan, a gov-ernment statement said.

Medical workers partici-pating in the drive against polio were seen adhering to social distancing regulations as they wore face masks and gloves while going house-to-house to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases.

“I am hopeful that parents will continue to realise the importance of vaccinating their children during this campaign,” said Faisal Sultan, an adviser to the prime minister on health issues.

According to Rana Safdar, who heads the government’s

polio programme, similar cam-paigns against polio will be launched in October, November and December.

Yesterday, Pakistan’s mil-itary said Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and bil-lionaire philanthropist, praised Islamabad’s success in the fight against coronavirus in a tele-phone call to the country’s army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. It said Gates also dis-cussed the resumption of the drive against polio.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the three countries in the world where polio — a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the polio virus — is still endemic.

The nonprofit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has helped Pakistan and other places worldwide fight the disease.

Pakistan had hoped to eliminate the disease by 2018, when only 12 cases were reported. But there was a surge in new cases the following year.

Since January, Pakistan has reported about 100 new polio cases from various parts of the country, including the north-western region bordering Afghanistan.

US Navy carrier conduct exercises in South China SeaREUTERS — SHANGHAI

A US Navy aircraft carrier conducted exercises in the contested South China Sea on Friday, the US navy said in a statement.

A strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan conducted flight operations and high-end mar-itime stability operations and exercises, the statement said.

“Integration with our joint partners is essential to ensuring joint force responsiveness and lethality, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” US

Navy Commander Joshua Fagan, Task Force 70 air oper-ations officer aboard USS Ronald Reagan, was quoted as saying.

The United States has long opposed China’s expansive ter-ritorial claims in the South China Sea and has sent war-ships regularly through the strategic waterway.

China has objected to such exercises and said the US rejection of its claims in the South China Sea has raised tension and undermined sta-bility in the region.

In a special message on Victory over Japan Day, the Queen and Philip offered their “grateful thanks” to those involved in a campaign that has been widely overlooked in the decades since. The war cost the lives of some 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops, nearly half of whom perished in brutal prison camps.

11SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020 EUROPE

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with veteran Arnold Hutchinson from the Parachute Regiment at the V-J Day National Remembrance event, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Britain, yesterday. RIGHT: A picture released yesterday by the British Ministry of Defence shows The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows performing a fly-past over the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, to mark the 75th anniversary of V-J (Victory over Japan) Day.

UK marks 75th anniversary of V-J DayAP — LONDON

The UK yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Japan during World War II, with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip leading tributes to those who fought during the six-year campaign.

In a special message on Victory over Japan Day, the Queen and Philip offered their “grateful thanks” to those involved in a campaign that has been widely overlooked in the decades since. The war cost the lives of some 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops, nearly half of whom perished in brutal prison camps.

“Those of us who remember the conclusion of the Far East campaign, whether on active service overseas, or waiting for news at home, will never forget the jubilant scenes and

overwhelming sense of relief,” said the 94-year-old Queen, who remains in quarantine at her res-idence in Windsor Castle because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Amongst the joy at the end of the conflict, we also remem-bered, as we do today, the ter-rible devastation that it brought, and the cost borne by so many,” she added.

Following the surrender of the Nazis on May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day, Allied troops carried on fighting the Japanese

until an armistice was declared on August 15, 1945 in the wake of the US’s dropping of two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945, but many Pacific War veterans felt their efforts were not fully recog-nized and forgotten in the fog of the mushroom clouds. They dubbed themselves the “for-gotten army”.

They were being remem-bered yesterday across the UK,

firstly with a commemoration at the National Memorial Arbo-retum in central England and a two-minute silence.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. They all spoke with some of the around 40 veterans present, carefully observing social dis-tancing guidelines to remain at least 2 meters apart. And all those present looked skyward in wonder after the official cer-emony to see a special Battle of Britain flypast.

In a first since the London 2012 Olympic Games In London, the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows scheduled a UK-wide tour with flypasts over the four nation’s capital cities. However, due to poor weather the flypast over the Scottish capital of Edinburgh was

cancelled and the Red Arrows flew over Glasgow Prestwick Airport instead. The pilots landed there to greet three veterans.

In an open V-J Day anni-versary letter addressed to “Vet-erans of the Far East Cam-paign,” Johnson hailed the courage of those who fought in Asia and the Pacific. “You were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today,” he said.

Johnson acknowledged their war-time experiences had been “overshadowed in popular imagination by the conflict in Europe,” but he stressed that their service had brought WWII to an end and inaugurated a period of peace and prosperity across southeast Asia that remains intact to this day.

Britain, which had been a

colonial power across much of the region, suffered arguably its biggest military defeat to Jap-anese forces in the early years of the war. Overwhelmed troops had to retreat from Malaysia, Singapore and Burma in some of the most inhospitable condi-tions imaginable.

“These blows were so heavy that many feared they would break your will to fight on,” Johnson said in his tribute letter. “But you survived the longest retreat in British history, marching almost 1,000 miles from Burma to India, and then you regrouped and reformed.”

The Prime Minister also highlighted the creation of the “formidable” 14th Army, a fighting force that was made up of nearly a million soldiers, including from India and Africa, and which helped “turn defeat into victory”.

Second virus wave threatens EuropeAFP — LONDON

Brit ish holidaymakers returning home from parts of Europe began having to quar-antine yesterday under new restrictions, as a second wave of virus infections threatened more disruption and economic chaos on the continent.

The UK opted to remove France, the Netherlands, Malta and several other countries from its list of places exempt from self-isolation rules, sparking a rush for plane, train and ferry tickets by Britons des-perate to get back before the 4am (0300 GMT) change.

All travellers arriving from the three countries — as well as Monaco, and Caribbean island states Turks & Caicos and Aruba — after the deadline must quarantine for 14 days.

France is facing a resur-gence of the disease that emerged in China late last year and has so far infected over 21 million people and killed more than 750,000 globally. French authorities have reported more than 2,500 new cases on each of the past three days — levels not seen since May.

Germany added most of Spain — where cases have also surged in recent weeks — to its list of regions from where arrivals must show a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for two weeks. Austria urged its citizens to return from popular Mediterranean desti-nation Croatia before similar rules come into effect on

Monday, while Serbia introduced mandatory testing for travellers from four neighbouring countries.

And thousands of Albanians queued for miles in their cars at the Greek border before tougher entry requirements designed to brake mounting infections began.

Britain’s new quarantine rules, announced late on Thursday, prompted a frenzied 36-hour scramble to get home. Eurotunnel, which operates a drive-on train service for cars through the Channel Tunnel, was fully booked on Friday while some air fares from France to the UK were more than six times more expensive than normal.

French holidaymakers in Britain will face tough choices of their own, as Paris pledged to impose a “reciprocal measure”. The Netherlands said it would advise against all but essential travel to Britain, but will not introduce a quarantine of its own for arrivals.

Meanwhile, just 10,000 of the usual 250,000 pilgrims will visit France’s Lourdes Roman Catholic shrine Saturday for the annual Assumption mass, with mask-wearing compulsory, according to organisers.

A slew of data revealed the scale of the economic impact of the virus and punishing lock-downs, with Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark all booking hefty hits to GDP in April-June.

Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died amid the clashes protesting the election results on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk, yesterday.

Putin, Lukashenko say problemsin Belarus will be solved soonREUTERS — MINSK/MOSCOW

The leaders of Russia and Belarus agreed yesterday that the problems in Belarus would be resolved soon, the Kremlin said, as tens of thousands took to the streets in Minsk once again to urge President Alex-ander Lukashenko to quit.

Lukashenko had earlier issued an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Belarus leader grapples with the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule and the threat of new Western sanctions. Ties between the two traditional allies had been under strain before the

election, as Russia scaled back the subsidies that propped up Lukashenko’s government. Russia sees Belarus as a strategic buffer against Nato and the EU.

Statements by both sides contained a pointed reference to a “union state” between the two countries. Lukashenko has previously rejected calls by Moscow for closer economic and political ties as an assault on his country’s sovereignty.

“Both sides expressed con-fidence that all the problems that have arisen will be resolved soon,” a Kremlin statement said after Lukashenko and Putin spoke by phone. “These

problems should not be exploited by destructive forces seeking to harm the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the union state,” it added.

The European Union is gearing up to impose new sanc-tions on Belarus in response to a violent crackdown in which at least two protesters have been killed and thousands detained.

On a visit to Poland, US Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was monitoring the situation closely. The leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania called on Belarus to conduct new “free and fair” elections.

Russia produces first batch of virus vaccine

AFP — MOSCOW

Russia said yesterday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine, after President Vladimir Putin announced it had been first in the world to approve a vaccine.

Putin’s announcement on Tuesday about the vaccine was met with caution from scien-tists and the World Health Organization who said it still needed a rigorous safety review.

“The first batch of the novel coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya research institute has been produced,” the health ministry said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.

Putin said the vaccine was safe and that one of his own daughters had been inocu-lated, though clinical trials were not yet complete and final stage testing involving more than 2,000 people only started this week.

Western scientists were sceptical, with some warning that moving too quickly on a vaccine could be dangerous, but Russia denounced crit-icism as an attempt to undermine Moscow’s research.

The Russian vaccine is called “Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957. It was developed by the Gamaleya research institute for epidemiology and microbiology in Moscow in coordination with the Russian defence ministry.

The head of the institute, Alexander Gintsburg, told the TASS state news agency yes-terday that volunteers taking part in the final stage testing of the vaccine’s safety and efficacy would have two inoculations.

Russia has said that indus-trial production is expected from September and that it plans to manufacture 5 million doses per month by December or January. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the vaccine would first be made available to medics and would later be available to all Rus-sians on a voluntary basis.

Migrant arrivals to Italy soar but below earlier recordsAFP — ROME

Migrant arrivals to Italy increased by nearly 150 percent over the past year with an over-whelming majority arriving from Tunisia and war-riven Libya, Italy’s interior ministry said yesterday.

Italy has been struggling to deal with daily arrivals of hun-dreds of migrants to its southern shores, a task further compli-cated by coronavirus-linked

security measures. With frus-tration growing among local mayors, the government has chartered massive ferry ships to hold migrants under quar-antine and called in the army in some cases after some migrants who tested positive for coronavirus escaped from reception centres.

From the start of August last year to the end of July this year, 21,618 migrants arrived at Italy’s shores — 148.7 percent higher

than the 8,691 landings a year earlier, according to data pre-sented by Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese.

Despite the sharp rise, the number of migrant arrivals is still far below numbers recorded in recent years. From 2016 to 2017, Italy recorded 182,877 migrant arrivals.

After Italy signed a deal with Libya for its coast guard to prevent migrant departures, the number fell to 42,700 in the

2017 to 2018 period. Lamorgese said the difficulty was not the number of arrivals but the extra work required by anti-Covid-19 security measures.

“There is a need for a pro-tection system both for the pop-ulations receiving the migrants and for the migrants themselves,” she said. Migrants testing positive present logistical challenges within the reception centres where they are brought.

Some 41.6 percent of the

migrants who arrived over the past year departed from Tunisia, followed by Libya at 40.5 percent.

Over a third of those who arrived listed Tunisian as their nationality. The interior ministry data showed that 622 asylum seekers were relocated to other European countries during the period from September 5, 2019 to July 31, up 167 percent. France took in the most at 395, while 132 migrants were sent to Germany and 42 to Portugal.

The warning comes amid a vigorous campaign by President Donald Trump to sow doubts about votes cast by mail. Facing an uphill battle to retain the White House, Trump has launched a battle against mail-in voting, which he fears would favour Democratic rival Joe Biden.

12 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020AMERICAS

US Postal Service warns of delays for mail-in votesAP & AFP — WASHINGTON

The US Postal Service is warning states coast to coast that it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted, even if mailed by state deadlines, raising the possibility that mil-lions of voters could be disenfranchised.

Voters and lawmakers in several states are also com-plaining that some curbside mail collection boxes are being removed. Even as President Donald Trump rails against widescale voting by mail, the post office is bracing for an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The warning letters sent to states raise the possibility that many Americans eligible for mail-in ballots this fall will not have them counted. But that is not the intent, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in his own letter to Democratic con-gressional leaders.

The post office is merely “asking elected officials and voters to realistically consider how the mail works, and be mindful of our delivery standards, in order to provide voters ample time to cast ballots through the mail,” wrote DeJoy, a prominent Trump political donor who was recently appointed.

The warning comes amid a vigorous campaign by Trump to sow doubts about mail-in voting. Facing an uphill battle

to retain the White House, Trump has launched a battle against mail-in voting, which he fears would favour Demo-cratic rival Joe Biden.

Former President Barack Obama has criticized Trump’s “attempts to undermine the election", tweeting on Friday that the administration was “more concerned with sup-pressing the vote than sup-pressing a virus”. “If you’re in a state where you have the option to vote early, do that now,” he said on Twitter.

Though Trump casts his own ballots by mail, he’s repeatedly criticized efforts to allow more people to do so, which he argues without evi-dence will lead to increased voter fraud that could cost him the election.

The Post Office released letters it sent to all 50 states and the District Columbia on its website. While some states were given a less stringent warning, the majority were told the situation was more dire.

The laws, the letter said, create a “risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be

returned by mail in time to be counted.” The mass mailing of the warning letters was first reported by The Washington Post.

Many state officials criti-cized the move. “This is a deeply troubling development in what is becoming a clear pattern of attempted voter suppression by the Trump administration,” Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said. “I am com-mitted to making sure all Vir-ginians have access to the ballot box, and will continue to work with state and federal lawmakers to ensure safe, secure and acces-sible elections this fall.”

Kim Wyman, the Repub-lican secretary of state in Wash-ington state, where all voting is by mail, said sending fall ballot material to millions of voters there is a “routine operation of the US Postal Service”.

“Politicizing these adminis-trative processes is dangerous and undermines public confi-dence in our elections,” she said. “This volume of work is by no means unusual, and is an oper-ation I am confident the US Postal Service is sufficiently prepared to fulfill.”

Meanwhile, members of

Demonstrators gather outside of the home of current US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy yesterday in Washington, DC. The protests are in response to a recent statement by President Donald Trump to withhold USPS funding that would ensure that the post office would be unable handle mail-in voting ballots for the upcoming 2020 Election.

Congress from both parties have voiced concerns that curbside mail boxes, which is how many will cast their ballots, have abruptly been removed in some states. At the same time that the need for timely delivery of the mail is peaking, service has been curtailed amid cost-cutting and efficiency measures ordered by the DeJoy. He has implemented measures to elim-inate overtime pay and hold mail over if distribution centers

are running late.The removal of Postal

Service collection mail boxes triggered concerns and anger in Oregon and Montana. In Montana, postal officials said the removals were part of a program to eliminate underused drop boxes. But after the outcry, which included upset members of Congress, the officials said they were suspending the program in Montana. It was unclear if the program was also

suspended in other states.Separately, the National

Association of Letter Carriers, which represents 300,000 current and retired workers, endorsed Biden. The union said Trump has been hostile to the post office and has undermined it and its workers while Biden “is - was - and will continue to be - a fierce ally and defender of the United States Postal Service,” said union president Fredric Rolando.

Museums and galleries in NY to reopen from August 24

AFP — NEW YORK

New York’s museums, art gal-leries and other cultural insti-tutions will be allowed to reopen starting August 24, state governor Andrew Cuomo said after a five-month shutdown due to the coronavirus.

However, there will be mandatory face masks, timed ticketing with staggered entry and just 25 percent occupancy, he tweeted. The reopening does not include performing arts venues, which will remain shut until the end of the year.

New York’s famed Metro-politan Museum of Art, which normally welcomes seven million visitors a year, said it would reopen on August 29.

“After nearly six months, The Met’s reopening will be a historic moment for the Museum and the City,” Met president Daniel Weiss said.

The Whitney Museum of American Art will reopen on September 3 but the Museum of Modern Art has yet to announce its reopening date.

The Metropolitan Opera is scheduled to resume on December 31, while Broadway theaters will remain closed until at least January.

COVID-19 cases in Latin America exceed 6 million

REUTERS — SANTIAGO

Coronavirus cases in Latin America, the region of the world worst-affected by the pan-demic, exceeded 6 million and continued to accelerate, as most of its nations begin to relax lockdown measures.

The region, which has reported an average of more than 86,000 daily infections of the new coronavirus in the last seven days and more than 2,600 COVID-19 deaths, reached 6,000,005 confirmed cases by Friday evening and 237,360 deaths.

The region’s worst-affected country is Brazil, which has the most cases in the world after the US, and 15% of world’s total.

Peru and Chile also have the highest case loads and number of deaths in the world per 100,000 inhabitants, of countries with more than 100,000 cases.

Democrats to elevate Biden and Harris atunique online confabAFP — MILWAUKEE

US Democrats kick off an unprecedented political exper-iment beginning tomorrow, an all-virtual national convention that nominates Joe Biden as their White House candidate to battle Donald Trump in the heat of a deadly pandemic.

With his vice-presidential pick Kamala Harris, the first woman of color on a major US presidential ticket, Biden is campaigning to unify a nation ravaged by political and racial turmoil, voter suppression con-cerns and profound anxiety over the devastating corona-virus crisis.

But the running mates will deliver their message, aiming to inspire the Democratic base while luring frustrated Repub-licans, under unique circum-stances: a four-day Democratic National Convention conducted entirely online.

No huzzahs, backroom dealings or balloon drops on ecstatic crowds and candidates, hallmark elements of US political conventions. Instead, organizers are retooling to conduct business online, like drafting the party platform and coordinating scores of presen-tations and speeches from mid-day tomorrow.

Wednesday evening will spotlight Harris, a 55-year-old US senator and former prose-cutor who is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immi-grants. Biden has promoted her story as the American Dream.

The four-day affair culmi-nates on Thursday night with political moderate Biden, a former vice-president and three-decade Senate veteran,

being nominated by state del-egates casting their votes online. He then delivers his acceptance speech from his home state of Delaware.

The convention had been scheduled for Milwaukee, in critical swing state Wisconsin, and the cancellation is a brutal blow for the Midwestern city which had spent millions of dollars preparing to host the high-profile event.

With the economy shedding millions of jobs during the pan-demic, Biden will tout his $700bn “Build Back Better” plan that would invest in new technologies and create some five million new jobs, an aggressive challenge to Trump on economic policy. Organizers have promised an energized “convention across America,” despite the potential online awkwardness.

“In just three days, we will kick off a Democratic National Convention that will look and feel very different than past conventions,” acknowledged DNC program executive Stephanie Cutter.

Participants will highlight “Donald Trump’s failed lead-ership and the promise of what we can and should be with Joe Biden as president.”

The party has invited its luminaries, from former pres-ident Barack Obama and wife Michelle, who earned keynote speaking slots on Wednesday and Monday respectively, to Hillary and Bill Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Several senators who challenged Biden for the nom-ination will also speak, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Unrest in GeorgiaMembers of far right militias and white pride organizations rally near Stone Mountain Park in downtown Stone Mountain, Georgia, yesterday. Militia members, such as III%, clashed with anti-racist and anti-fascist protesters organized by F.L.O.W.E.R, a frontline organization based in Atlanta to combat racism.

DirecTV restarts services in VenezuelaAFP — CARACAS

Satellite television network DirecTV has begun to restore services to its subscribers in Venezuela nearly three months after it shut operations due to US sanctions against the South American country, the telecoms authority said.

Dozens of channels offered by DirecTV, owned by American telecoms giant AT&T, are again available through intermediary company Scale Capital, the National Telecoms Commission (Conatel) said on its Twitter account.

On May 19, AT&T announced its withdrawal from the pay TV market in Venezuela after it was caught between obeying US sanctions against President Nicolas Maduro’s government

and complying with the terms of its license in the Latin American country. On its website, Scale Capital says it is an investment company with offices in Miami, London and Santiago.

Scale said it would offer DirecTV’s services free for 90 days, using DirecTV’s infra-structure. Maduro confirmed the resumption of DirecTV services and praised the efforts of Conatel to reach an agreement with Scale Capital to achieve the result, while crit-icizing the “criminal sanctions” imposed by Washington.

Three DirecTV executives arrested in early June and held at the Venezuelan intelligence service headquarters have been released, their lawyer Jesus Loreto said. DirectTV’s departure had left two million subscribers

in limbo, with soccer fans deprived of the popular Futbol Total program which was broadcast by DirecTV Sports for Latin America.

Under the terms of its pay TV license granted by Maduro’s gov-ernment, DirectTV was obliged to carry private news network Globovision and PDVSA TV. Texas-based AT&T said in May it was forced to close the tele-vision operation because US sanctions banned the trans-mission of Globovision and PDVSA TV, the channel of the Venezuelan state oil company.

Under President Donald Trump, Washington has been seeking to oust the leftist Maduro. The Venezuelan pres-ident, many of his top gov-ernment allies and PDVSA are all subject to US sanctions.

Pentagon to set up new unit to investigate UFOsAFP — WASHINGTON

The Pentagon said on Friday that it was setting up a new task force under the US Navy to investigate UFO sightings.

With the creation of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), the Defense Department hopes “to improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs,” spokes-woman Susan Gough said.

Rather than little green alien invaders, the US military is

actually concerned about “uni-dentified aerial phenomena” connected with its terrestrial adversaries.

Washington is particularly concerned about China’s spying capabilities, using drones or other airborne means.

“The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could poten-tially pose a threat to US national security,” Gough said.

The Pentagon take “any incursions by unauthorized air-craft into our training ranges or

designated airspace very seri-ously and examine each report,” she said.

“This includes examinations of incursions that are initially reported as UAP when the observer cannot immediately identify what he or she is observing.” Deputy Defence Secretary David Norquist approved the establishment of the new task force on August 4.

The US Senate intelligence committee in June said it wanted to regulate a Pentagon UFO program, confirming the

existence of an informal working group which was revealed by the New York Times in 2017.

In December 2017, the Pen-tagon acknowledged funding the secret multi-million-dollar program to investigate sightings of UFOs, although it said it had ended in 2012.

The announcement of a new task force comes after the Pen-tagon in April officially released three videos taken by US Navy pilots showing mid-air encounters with what appear to be UFOs. The grainy black

and white footage had previ-ously been leaked and the Navy had acknowledged they were Navy videos.

One of the videos was shot in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015.

In one, the weapons-sensor operator appears to lose lock on a rapidly moving oblong object which seconds later sud-denly accelerates away to the left and out of view. In another video tracking an object above the clouds, one pilot wonders if it is a drone.