Tuesday 26 May 2020

3 Shawwal - 1441

2 Riyals

www.thepeninsula.qaVolume 25 | Number 8269

Eid Mubarak

BUSINESS | 01 PENMAG | 03 SPORT | 08

Bayern keen to show Dortmund who’s boss

Classifiedsand Services

section included

EU must present united front to shield

banks

GCC faces unprecedented challenges: Secretary-GeneralQNA — RIYADH

Secretary-General of the Coop-eration Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), H E Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al Hajraf has underlined that the GCC had been facing many challenges during the past four decades, and has witnessed many achievements made in several areas and on more than one level, and the Council was able to overcome these challenges and preserve the achievements for the good, development, security and prosperity of the countries and its citizens.

In a speech on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the GCC, which falls on May 25, His

Excellency warned that GCC, which is on the eve of the fifth decade of its blessed career, faces unprecedented challenges, and today requires more than ever collective thinking and cooper-ation to counter these challenges and deal with its repercussions.

H E the Secretary-General stressed that the Gulf dispute, which is approaching its third year, constitutes a challenge to the march of GCC as it repre-sents a common concern for all the countries of the Council.

His Excellency noted that the dispute is being addressed by the Amir of the State of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah since the first day, and His Highnesss

efforts have received Gulf and international support.

His Excellency added that the other challenge facing the Council is what the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic imposed on all aspects of life and affected all humanity, which requires the cooperation system to enhance joint action and collective prepar-edness to deal with the post-coro-navirus world, with its economic, health, social, security, labor and strategic dimensions, to protect the peoples of the GCC states, safeguard their achievements, and enhance their blessed march and a guarantee their future.

His Excellency pointed out that the world after coronavirus and the great changes that it is

experiencing requires the Council to extrapolate the new global scene and prepare as a

system to deal with its data and challenges, in order to ensure and enhance the GCC strategic

position and protect and safe-guard the achievements of its countries and peoples. �P2

Qatar distributes 50,000 food kits to community members to celebrate Eid

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar’s government has distributed 50,000 food kits to community members, under ‘Let’s Celebrate Eid Together’ initiative. The ‘Let’s Celebrate Eid Together’ initiative has reflected Qatar government’s keenness towards ensuring the welfare of its expatriate communities during the tough time of the COVID-19. Helping them celebrate Eid Al Fitr at home and conveying the message of staying together, a total of 50,000 food kits were distributed to the community members.

Jointly initiated by the Min-istry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA), Qatar Charity and Ooredoo, ‘Let’s Cel-ebrate Eid Together’ has come as another step that strengthens the bond between Qatar and members of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Nepal, Sri

Lanka, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Gambia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ghana and Kenya.

Individuals who belong to 17 nationalities were given the food kits. The kits were delivered to the community organisations which distributed

them among the deserved persons in coordination with the embassies. The food kits were arranged by Qatar Charity.

Conveying the message of Eid Al Fitr, a total of 50,000 Eid greeting cards were distributed among the community members. These are in addition

to the 4,350 toys for children, 2,279 gifts and 20,00 recharge cards from Ooredoo for workers.

The Ministries of Interior and Labor have made use of the occasion to raise awareness against COVID-19 and the kits include awareness brochures

in 11 languages, especially of Asian communities residing in Qatar. A total of 25,000 Stay at Home stickers were also part of the kits.

A total of 40 organisations joined hands with MoI and Min-istry of Labor, received food kits and distributed them to the persons in need.

The main community organizations benefitted from this project include Tunisian Community in Qatar (1,000 kits), the Bangladeshi Com-munity-Qatar (7,050 kits), the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (2,000 kits), the Indian Cultural Centre (1,500 kits), the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (2,950 kits) and the Cultural Forum (500 food baskets), the Nigerian Com-munity (1,000 kits), the Indo-nesian Community (500 kits), the Indian Community Center (1,300 food baskets), the Paki-stani Community (4,500 food baskets), the Pakistani Women’s Association- Qatar (400 kits). �P2

Amir sends cable of greetings to King of JordanQNA —DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday a cable of congratulations to H M King Abdullah bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the occasion of his country’s inde-pendence anniversary. Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a cable of congratulations to H M King Abdullah bin Al Hussein on the same occasion.

Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani sent cables of congratulations to the Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Omar Razzaz, on the same occasion.

Amir congratulates Argentina President on National DayQNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Argentine Republic, H E Alberto Fernandez, on the occasion of his country’s National Day, yesterday. Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent similar cables H E the President of the Argentine Republic.

Officials with some of the food kits.

MoPH: 1,193 more patients recover; 1,751 new casesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ministry of Public Health has recorded 1,751 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,193 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered people in Qatar to 10,363, yesterday. The Ministry also reported three deaths due to the virus.

Also 22 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 202.

The Ministry stated that the new deaths recorded yes-terday belong to people aged 52, 62 and 65 years who were suffering from chronic dis-eases and received treatment in intensive care.

The Ministry of Public Health extended its “sincere condolences and great sym-pathy to the families of the

deceased.”The total number of positive

COVID-19 cases recorded in Qatar till now stands at 45,465 and there are 35,076 active cases under treatment.

So far, 26 people have died from the coronavirus in Qatar. Ministry conducted 4,341 tests in last 24 hours taking the total tests done so far to 192,484

tests.The Ministry of Public

Health stated that Qatar is still in the peak phase of the virus outbreak, which is seeing a rise in the number of infections recorded daily, and therefore it is necessary to adhere to, more than ever before, the preventive measures and social measures recommended.

The Ministry also stressed on the importance for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases and their family members to follow strict measures to reduce the chances of infection, including refraining from social visits during Eid Al Fitr and beyond.

Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should either quickly contact the 16000 hel-pline or go directly to one of the designated health centers for testing the virus.

This is important as the earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.

The four main testing centers are: Muaither Health Center, Rawdat Al Khalil Health Center Um Slal Health Centre; and Al Gharafa Health Center.

NEW RECOVERIES

ACTIVE CASES

TOTAL RECOVERIES

TOTAL DEATHS

1193 35,076

10,36326

NEW CASES ANNOUNCED

1,751

COVID-19QATAR UPDATES ON 25 MAY 2020

On the second day of Eid nocritical case reported to HMCFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) main Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital (HGH) treated at least 539 cases during the second day of Eid Al Fitr due to several reasons including stomach ailments, respi-ratory problems, trauma and road accidents, yesterday.

T h e E m e r g e n c y Department at Al Wakra Hos-pital treated around 215 cases on the second day of Eid. The Ambulance Service at HMC has received a total of 815. Among them 52 calls were related to trauma and road accidents. The life-flight has responded to one case in Mesaieed area but transported the patient by road.

“All were mild and moderate cases. No critical cases reported,”

Dr Galal Saleh Al Essai, Con-sultant, Emergency Medicine and vice-chairman of Corporate Affairs at HMC Emergency Department told The Peninsula.

The Emergency Department at HGH has seen 364 male patients, 175 females. Some 12 cases were admitted for further treatment. The Emergency Department at Al Wakra Hos-pital has treated 150 male patients, 65 females and 18 were admitted to the hospital.

Emergency Department at HGH and Al Wakra Hospital had treated 651 cases on the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

HMC’s the Trauma and Emergency Center, emergency departments at HGH and Al Wakra, Ambulance Service con-tinues to operate throughout the 24-hour Eid holiday period as normal. �P2

The ‘Let’s Celebrate Eid Together’ initiative reflects government’s keenness towards ensuring the welfare of its expatriate communities during the tough time of the COVID-19.

Individuals who belong to 17 nationalities were given the food kits.

A total of 40 organisations joined hands with Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Admin-istrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, received food kits and distributed them.

Ministries of Interior and Labor have made use of the occasion to raise awareness against COVID-19

A total of 25,000 Stay at Home stickers were also part of the kits.

GCC today requires more than ever collective thinking and cooperation to counter challenges and deal with its repercussions: H E the Secretary-General.

The dispute is being addressed by the Amir of the State of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah since the first day.

COVID-19 pandemic imposed on all aspects of life and affected all humanity, requires the cooperation system to enhance joint action.

General Cleaning Dept continues work during Eid

02 TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020HOME

FAJR SUNRISE 03.18 am 04.45 am

W A L R U WA I S : 26o↗ 32o W A L K H O R : 25o↗ 36o W D U K H A N : 25o↗ 34o W WA K R A H : 26o↗ 38o W M E S A I E E D 26o↗ 38o W A B U S A M R A 25o↗ 37o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 05:19–19:26 LOW TIDE 02:15 – 12:48

Misty at places at first becomes hot daytime with some clouds, mild by night.

Minimum Maximum28oC 37oC

ZUHRMAGHRIB

11.31 am06.19 pm

ASR ISHA

02.56 pm07.49 pm

Kuwait Envoy: Residents should adhere to precautionary health measures

SIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

Ambassador of Kuwait to Qatar, H E Hafiz Mohammed Al Ajmi, said that Eid Al Fitr comes this year under exceptional circum-stances that the whole world is going through, as a result of COVID-19 outbreak. Such circumstances require everyone to adhere to the precautionary

measures set by health entities in Qatar, he said.

In a press statement on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, Ambas-sador has said that these measures taken by the State of Qatar come as a concern for the life of every individual living in it. We all should pray to God to save Kuwait, Qatar, and all the Arab and Muslim countries and other countries of the world

from this pandemic.Earlier, the Ambassador

emphasised the keenness of the State of Kuwait to cooperate with Qatar to confront the COVID-19 and the repercussions caused by the COVID-19 and to provide medical services, in the two countries, to contain the pandemic.

“I congratulate Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, The Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and all Qatari residents on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr,”

In a previous statement, Ambassador had announced the return of 541 Kuwaiti citizens and their companions from Qatar to Kuwaiti through five flights.

He has praised the efforts of officials and relevant authorities in the State of Qatar for the support and facilitation in pro-cedures needed for the safe return of Kuwaiti citizens. The Qatari-Kuwaiti relations are considered distinguished, and they have witnessed remarkable development and prosperity, especially in recent years.

The Ambassador said that since the establishment of the two brotherly countries, there have been continuous efforts to enhance ties covering all areas political, economic, trade, investment, military and security cooperation, education, tourism and art.

A joint high committee was established on June 18, 2002 to create a partnership between the

two brotherly countries cov-ering all aspects of cooperation.

The bilateral investments have exceeded $7bn in both the public and private sectors in both countries. The two coun-tries witnessed strong growth in trade exchange. The two chambers in both countries have agreed to establish a joint

business council to promote cooperation between private sectors in both countries.

In the end of 2018, the volume of trade with Qatar grew by QR2.8bn (about $770m) and the number of Kuwaiti companies operating in Qatar have increased by 34 percent in 2018 compared to 2017.

Ambassador of Kuwait to Qatar, H E Hafiz Mohammed Al Ajmi

The measures taken by the State of Qatar come as a concern for the life of every individual living in it. We all should pray to God to save Kuwait, Qatar, and all the Arab and Muslim countries and other countries of the world from this pandemic.

Public encouraged to seek support from mental health helpline if requiredFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

The protracted disruption to life due to COVID-19 could bring feelings of anger, depression, anxiety and even grief. Therefore public is encouraged to seek professional mental services by calling the helpline 16000, if needed.

“COVID-19 is having a significant impact on our lives and for many people their daily routines have been turned upside down. The unpredicted situation we are facing can leave people feeling frightened, confused and worried and can lead to increased feelings of stress and anxiety,” said Dr Majid Al Abdulla, Chairman of Mental Health Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

“It is important for people to understand that it is normal to feel this way and you are not alone,” he said in posts by HMC on social media platforms.

“If you feel stressed or anxious call our

helpline on 16000 for a confidential talk with a mental health professional,” said Dr Al Abdulla.

The Mental Health Service of HMC in April launched the new helpline to provide support for people experiencing stress or psychological distress, as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Working with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) this is a national ini-tiative to support all sections of the community.

“Staying at home, self-isolating or spending time in quarantine will hugely affect the way we feel. Many people may be feeling more stressed or anxious than normal and our helpline is designed to provide the help and support many people are asking for,” Dr Al Abdualla, during the launch of the helpline.

The helpline is staffed by experienced mental health professionals who can provide assessment and support to callers

through four main categories: children and young people (and parents), adults, older people, and frontline healthcare workers.

To access the helpline, which is available from 7am to 10pm every day, members of the public can call the toll free number, 16000.

The helpline is confidential and users can remain anonymous, avoiding the stigma often associated with mental health.

The staff taking calls at the helpline speak a range of languages and every effort will be made to enable callers to commu-nicate in their language of choice. Staff will make an initial assessment of need, may offer brief support or refer for more spe-cialist help when this is required. An appointment can be made on the line and a tele-consultation can be arranged with a suitable clinician.

Within the first three weeks more than 4,000 people had sought help by calling the mental health helpline.

Qatari Forum for Authors discusses cultural issuesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Qatari Forum for Authors discussed remotely a number of cultural issues that enhance the presence of Qatari writers, both in Arab and internationally.

A number of writers partic-ipated in the session including Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, Director General of the Qatari Forum for Authors, writer and journalist Saleh Gharib Al Obaidly, Programs Director at the Qatari Forum for Authors, and Dr. Abdel Haq Belabed, Professor of Criticism at Qatar University.

At the beginning of session, Saleh Gharib spoke about the atmosphere of Eid Al Fitr this year and its difference from

previous years under the current circumstances, where Eid is characterized by popular rituals in the Qatari society. People get busy in preparation, early lunch and visits between family, neighbors and gatherings. These were absent this year due to the spread of the coronavirus.

He said that these rituals are

absent this Eid in response to the measures and precautions put in place by the Ministry of Public Health to limit the spread of the virus. Gharib also talked about the social and popular aspects and the songs accom-panying this important occasion, the most important of which is “Ya Al-Aydoh”,

stressing that the Qatari com-munity has preserved its local folk costumes that distinguished them from others in the way of sewing and embroidery, whether in the clothes of men or women.

For his part, Dr. Abdel Haq Belabed presented an overview of the criticism project adopted

by the Qatari Forum for Authors in the direction and vision of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, to enhance the culture of crit-icism, indicating that the Forum presented a project during the year to promote a culture of lit-erary criticism to involve intel-lectuals, writers and journalists in critical work. He also pointed

out that the project continued during the month of Ramadan through the “Read Me, I am this Book” initiative, where a number of Arab critics were hosted to focus on the Qatari narration.

Dr. Hanan Al Nasser, talked about the atmosphere of Eid in Kuwait in light of the crisis of coronavirus, which did not differ from many countries, noting that she benefited from staying at home and wrote four books. The crisis of corona-virus carries positives things as it has shown the role of doctors and health teams in our lives more and more, and volun-teers, and attention to the value of health.

The General Cleaning Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment continued its efforts during the days of Eid Al Fitr to keep the country neat and tidy. The cleaning included the internal and external streets. An integrated work team equipped with the latest equipment and mechanisms are working 24/7 to keep all streets clean specially during Eid days. The Ministry is asking people to play their part by using the containers allocated for waste.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Al Khor Family Park, which includes a mini zoo, has witnessed birth of an Arabian wildcat, one of the most threatened subspecies of wildcats. This cat is endemic to northern Oman and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It’s typical habitat is semi desert areas with rock and scrub.

It lives among stones, inside holes in tree trunks and deserted holes of foxes. It feeds on grasshoppers, young rodents, birds, reptiles and insects. The pregnancy period in a female cat is 65 days. The park’s mini zoo has seven sections which house 315 animals of 49 species. Among other animal the zoo has an Asian bear, two African lions, two Bengal tigers, two white tigers, two black jaguars and two cheetahs.

Qatar condemns explosion in SomaliaQNA — DOHA

The State of Qatar has expressed its strong condem-nation and denunciation of the explosion that targeted a gath-ering to celebrate Eid Al Fitr, north of Baidoa in southern Somalia, killing at least five people and injuring 20.

In a statement issued yes-terday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting violence and terrorism regardless of the motives and causes. The statement expressed the condolences of Qatar to the victims’ families and to the government and people of Somalia, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

"The initial information we have received indicates the dead bodies of five people were collected from the scene of the blast and more than twenty others have been wounded," police officer Mohamed Muktar told AFP.

FROM LEFT: Saleh Gharib Al Obaidly, Dr. Abdel Haq Belabed, Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi and Dr. Hanan Al Nasser.

GCC faces unprecedented challengesFROM PAGE 1

His Excellency said that GCC countries and peoples will overcome these challenges more stronger, determined and more powerful, preserving the gains of the Council, and renewing its ideas, and developing its working mechanisms to ensure the sus-tainability of its effectiveness and leadership.

Qatar distributes 50,000 food kits to community members to celebrate Eid

FROM PAGE 1 The Afghan community (500 food baskets), the Helping Hands

Association - Al Khor (600 kits), the Filipino Community in Qatar (9,000 kits), the Nepalese Community (5,000 kits), the Thrissur Dt. Souhruda Vedi (1,000 food kits), the Kerala Cultural Center (1,100 kits), the Sri Lankan Community Development Forum (2,100 kits), Ughandan community (700 kits), the Sri Lankan Coordination Com-mittee (1,500 kits) and the Kenyan community in Qatar (1,000 kits).

The MoI in cooperation with Ministry of Labour set up sep-arate google registration links for each community and com-munity organisations. These are in addition to a general regis-tration form by the MoI in order to reach the benefit for those who are not associated with any community organizations. The author-ities have taken steps to ensure that deserved persons in each community receive the aid. And the kits were distributed through the community organisations that delivered to those who com-pleted registration. These organisations deputed volunteers who approached the beneficiaries at their door steps.

No critical case on second day of EidFROM PAGE 1

But Nesma’ak Hamad Patient Contact Centre, HMC Urgent Consultation Centre (16000 hotline) has made some changes to its service time. The Nesma’ak call centre will be closed from May 24 to 26 in observance of Eid Al Fitr, and reopen at 7am, tomorrow, May 27.The urgent consultation call centre of HMC reopened yes-terday, May 25. The timings until May 29 will be from 8am to 4pm. From May 30, the regular hours - from 7am to 10pm - will resume. As for the pharmacy services, the call center also reopened yes-terday. The timings until May 28 will be from 8am to 3pm.

Endangered Arabian wildcat gives birth at Al Khor Family Park

03TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020 HOME

Toastmasters International to conduct events virtuallyTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Toastmasters International continues to monitor the effects the COVID-19 on the health and safety of all members, and strict compliance with regulatory requirements on top priority. Deepak Menon International President stated, “Our activities as Toastmasters have certainly shied, with our primary focus on protecting ourselves so that we can protect the globe. I hope that we stay connected and come through stronger, as we endure new challenges, but also find new reasons to be grateful.”

The Board of Toastmasters has taken decisions which include no in-person events, access to training App Pathways to continue the educational journey to support those not able to renew, discounted Zoom Enterprise licenses, and to provide the Toastmaster

magazine online. The 2020 Toastmasters International Convention that was to be held in Paris, France in August was cancelled. However, the Lead-ership Training, the Annual Business Meeting, and the World Championship of Public Speaking will be conducted virtually.

“We need to show that our World’s No. 1 District Qatar can stand up and show up when things get tough. Districts with the most robust member orientations are best able to survive and tran-scend crises, because they plan together, gain knowledge from each other, and draw on goodwill to get back to normal quickly when the crisis abates,” said Sun-daresan Rajeswar, Past Director.

“Toastmasters in Qatar quickly responded to the needs by facilitating online meetings, training, contests by putting together a proficient technology

and leadership team to extend support across eighty-two clubs. Further, some of the top global leaders from around the world were reached out for words of wisdom and motivation,” said Raghavan Menon, District Director.

“During this unprecedented time, we have been presented with a unique opportunity to grow certain skills that many of us may be lacking or want to improve. For those looking to develop or improve their public speaking, communication, and leadership skills, Toastmasters has transitioned to online meetings. Toastmasters can help you build skills in a sup-portive, self-paced envi-ronment. All you will need to join a meeting is a computer, tablet, or smartphone with a microphone and camera. Learn how nearly-100-year-old Toastmasters program can help

improve your communication skills while we enjoy some much-needed social con-nection” said Manzoor Moideen, Club Growth Director of Qatar

The pandemic is now affecting all aspects of our per-sonal and professional lives with so many activities on hold. For Toastmasters, this is unsettling and makes one feel isolated as members rely on one another for growth, support, and cama-raderie. Communication is at our core; Toastmasters are finding it is possible to thrive through technological connec-tions now. Online meetings, speeches, and chats are giving purpose and reason to smile with one another, even in this challenging time. Toastmasters was always a laboratory, of sorts, for experimenting and learning, and now it allows us to become more creative as we engage online together.International Convention at Denver hosting Toastmasters flag.

Bollywood stars, fashion icons applaud healthcare, essential workers in QatarTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

FAB Entertainment, a Qatar based company, announced the launch of a global community initiative in recognition of healthcare and essential workers from across the globe and in Qatar, who are working tirelessly and ardently during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Launched during Mental Health Awareness Month and the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, this ini-tiative conceived and produced by FAB, has gathered world renowned Bollywood movie stars, sports celebrities, music and fashion icons in a com-munity from across the globe, to show their support to the real-life heroes serving on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.

Fauzia Adeel Butt, Partner & CEO of FAB Entertainment in Qatar said: “As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Qatar and globally, healthcare and essential workers continue to work tirelessly at frontlines risking their lives every day for the humanity. This obviously takes a toll, not only on their physical but also mental state. Qatar has always been very vocal about social causes like Mental Health thanks to the invaluable efforts of the leaders of Qatar, who have always inspired us and led us on cre-ating awareness of such critical

issues.”“Many of these healthcare

workers are working around the clock with little attention to rest or food, wearing their PPE’s for long hours and carrying on regardless of any discomfort. There has been a steady increase in fatigue, stress and mental depression seen amongst healthcare workers globally. This initiative serves as as morale boosting to say

chin up! Stay strong, stay safe because in the end we will get through this together!” Fauzia added.

What started off as a coffee table conversation between world renowned celebrities voicing serious concern about the state of frontline workers, soon turned into a full-fledged initiative where they have all come together as one task force to recognize today’s heroes,

showing their support and telling everyone to stay positive, stay strong, and stay safe.

FAB Entertainment, founded by CEO Fauzia Adeel Butt, coor-dinated all efforts between all parties the world over and the result was an outstanding video shout out, gathering 10 interna-tional figures including movie stars, sports celebrities across cricket, football, and Formula 1 Racing, fashion and music icons,

who have all come together through this initiative to thank the healthcare and essential workers working on the front-lines against the pandemic in Qatar and across the globe.

The video has gone live on celebrity platforms with already millions of of views within the first 24 hours. The video which has also gone viral on social media includes Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar,

renowned Producer/Director Karan Johar, Turkish German actress Meryem Uzerli, captain of the Indian cricket team-Virat Kohli, captain of the Indian football team- Sunil Chhetri, Formula 1 Racing World Cham-pion-Damon Hill, Singer/Music Director duo Vishal & Shekhar, singer-Hariharan and globally acclaimed fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

Bollywood icons Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar and Manish Malhotra have also pro-vided a special shout out, in addition to the global initiative specifically for the frontline heroes serving in Qatar with personal videos highlighting their support to all those working tirelessly in Qatar to support and protect the nation.

This outstanding global video as well as specific videos by Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar and Manish Malhotra for Qatar, conceived and produced by FAB, comes as part of the Mental Health Awareness Month and Year of the Nurse with the main goal to uplift the morale of those working tirelessly on the front-lines of the fight against the pandemic, coming directly as acknowledgment from the worlds most celebrated icons.

“FAB extends immense gratitude to these icons who have come together at such short notice to voice their appreciation for our real-life heroes”, Fauzia concluded.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Virat Kohli, Manish Malhotra, Meryem Uzerli, Damon Hill, Sunil Chhetri and Hariharan.

Post-Ramadan Health Checkup registration opens at Aster Medical Centre THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Aster Medical Centre, a division of Aster DM Healthcare, the integrated healthcare provider in the State of Qatar has opened registration for Post-Ramadan Health Checkup at QR69. This facility will be available for a limited period up to June 30, 2020.

Aster Post-Ramadan Health Checkup offers customers com-prehensive services including Complete Blood Count (CBC), Blood Sugar (fasting), Total Cholesterol, Uric Acid (kidney), SGPT (liver), Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Physical examinations and unlimited General Physician consultation for a period of three month.

Talking on the importance of Post Ramadan Health Checkup, Dr. Shamseer Palora, Specialist- Internal Medicine at Aster Medical Centre, Industrial Area said, “Ramadan is an opportunity to stop bad habits that negatively affect our health. It is a good chance to be healthier. Experts have found that restricting food intake during the day can help prevent health problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity, as well as improve digestive systems, mental health and overall wellbeing”.

“By not consuming any food, our body is able to concentrate on removing toxins, as we give the digestive system a rest. A detailed checkup after Ramadan

will help you to understand the health benefits of Ramadan. This will also help you to keep the good routine which is procured through the Holy month of Ramadan in your life.”

Aster Post Ramadan Health Checkup will be available in all Aster Medical Centres situated in Al- Hilal (Near Woqod Petrol

Station), C Ring Road (Near Subway Signal), Industrial Area (Near Street 1 and foot over bridge), Al Rayyan (Near Shafi Masjid) and Al Khor (Near Lulu Mall). Residents can now reg-ister by using the link, https://bit.ly/AsterTeleConsultation or Whatsapp “HEALTH” to 74799300.

Aster Post-Ramadan Health Checkup offers customers comprehensive services including Complete Blood Count (CBC), Blood Sugar (fasting), Total Cholesterol, Uric Acid (kidney), SGPT (liver), Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Physical examinations and unlimited General Physician consultation for a period of 3 months.

QM, Ashghal launch open call to mark 3rd anniversary of blockadeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Museums and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) have launched an open call inviting the community of Qatar to submit images and videos to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the blockade. On the night of June 5, chosen images and videos will be part of live installations across the country.

The façade of the National Museum of Qatar, and the arches at the 5/6 Interchange on the Lusail Expressway will light up with video and image submissions from the public.

The opportunity is open for all citizens and residents of Qatar who want to express their perspective on the blockade. Qatar Museums will also be accepting entries in the form of audio and text mate-rials, which will become part of the National Museum of Qatar’s (NMoQ) growing digital archive.

To submit materials for the live installation and digital archive, participants must email their submission and full name to PaOpenCall@qm.org.qa. It is recommended that large files be shared using a WeTransfer or Dropbox link. Image and video based entries submitted before the first of June 2020 will be reviewed by QM curators, and a select number of entries will be part of the live installation. Partic-ipants selected to be part of the

live installation on the arches of Interchange 5/6 will be notified via email. Entries sub-mitted after June 1 will still be accepted and added to the

National Museum of Qatar’s growing digital archive.

According to Qatar Museums, all submissions must be original works and it is recommended to include a short caption with submitted images and videos. Audio, image, text and video files can be submitted to be archived and be part of a digital exhi-bition. But only select image and video submissions will be displayed on the monument.

Each person can submit as many images and videos to be displayed on the monument. There is also an unlimited amount of audio and text entries for the digital archive and exhibition. The opportunity is for anyone from and/or based in Qatar of any nation-ality and is open to all ages. Only entries submitted before the first of June 2020 will be selected to be displayed on the monument. Application can be submitted at email address: PaOpenCall@qm.org.qa

The opportunity is open for all citizens and residents who want to express their perspective on the blockade. Qatar Museums will also be accepting entries in the form of audio and text materials, which will become part of NMoQ's growing digital archive.

Eid celebrations

Lockdown effect

04 TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020MIDDLE EAST

No one can take Palestine’s lands: Turkish President

ANATOLIA — ISTANBUL

Turkey’s President reiterated his coun-try’s support for Palestine as the Muslim world celebrates Eid Al Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

“We will not allow the Palestinian lands to be offered to anyone else,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured), said in a video message on Twitter addressed to US Muslims.

“I would like to reiterate that Al Quds Al Sharif, the holy site of three religions and our first Qiblah, is a red line for all Muslims worldwide,” Erdogan said, referring to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, also known by Jews as the Temple Mount, and home to the Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

“It is clear that the global order has long failed to produce justice, peace, serenity, and order,” he said.

“Last week we witnessed that a

new occupation and annexation project, which disregards Palestine’s sovereignty and international law, was put into action by Israel,” he added.

Israel has said it will annex parts of the West Bank on July 1, as agreed to between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the head of the Blue and White party.

The plan has drawn outrage worldwide, and especially sharp con-demnation in Turkey.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied ter-ritory under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there — as well as the planned annexation —illegal.

Turning to the holiday, Erdogan said: “I congratulate my American Muslim brothers and sisters’ Eid Al Fitr on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Turkey.”

“I pray to my Lord that these holy days may herald an era of peace,

safety, and serenity for American Muslims, the entire Islamic world, and humankind,” Erdogan said.

“The coronavirus pandemic has shown that there are no hierarchies or privileges among any region, nation, or country in the world,” he added.

“It is only through global cooper-ation that the problems caused by dis-eases, various conflicts, wars, migration, racism, Islamophobia, ter-rorism, and poverty that threaten

humankind can be overcome,” Erdogan said.

“Turkey has endeavoured to respond to all countries, including the United States, who asked for our support in the fight against the global pandemic,” he said, referring to the medical and aid supplies for the pan-demic that Turkey sent to scores of countries worldwide.

“I wish Allah’s grace upon our brothers and sisters who lost their lives because of COVID-19, patience to their families, and a speedy recovery to those receiving treatment,” he added.

“Undoubtedly, the prayers we say in this climate are more candid and sincere than ever,

“Our hearts are one and united even though we have spent the month of Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr bitterly,” he said.

On the ongoing civil war in Syria, the Turkish President said: “As eve-ryone is focused on the pandemic, the oppressed Syrian people continue to suffer.”

Since 2011, Syria’s civil war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 10 million, according to UN estimates.

On the conflict in Libya, he said: “The putschist [Khalifa] Haftar forces

continue to attack their own people and destabilise the country and the region.”

Following the ouster of the late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya’s government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political agreement.

The Libyan government, also known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), has been under attack by warlord Haftar’s armed forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

“Blood and tears have, unfortu-nately, continued to be shed in the holy month of Ramadan as well across the Islamic world,” he added.

“Our brothers and sisters living in Western countries suffer from new Islamophobic, racist attacks nearly every day,

“The COVID-19 pandemic has again called into question the utility and reliability of international organ-izations against global threats,” he said.

“We hereby reiterate our call for fairly redesigning the global system, which we describe as ‘the world is bigger than five’,” he said, reiterating his motto on reforms to the UN Security Council, a cause he had long championed.

Netanyahu says he won’t miss West Bank annexation opportunityREUTERS — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Israel will not miss a “historic opportunity” to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday, calling the move one of his new government’s top tasks.

Palestinians consider such a step as illegal annexation of occupied land they seek for a future state. Last week, they declared an end to security cooperation with Israel and its ally, the United States, in protest at the territorial plan.

Netanyahu has pledged to put Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty. He has set July 1 as a starting date for cabinet discussions on the issue, which has also raised

alarm within the European Union.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called the matter complex and said it required coordination with Washington. Netanyahu’s new political partner, centrist Benny Gantz, has been equivocal about de facto annexation. At a meeting of legislators of his right-wing Likud party yesterday, Netanyahu set land moves in the West Bank as “perhaps the first in importance in many respects” of the tasks to be undertaken by the government he and Gantz formed on May 17.

“We have a historic oppor-tunity, which hasn’t existed since 1948, to apply sovereignty judiciously as a diplomatic...step in Judea and Samaria,” he said, referring to the year of Israel’s birth and using the

biblical names for the West Bank.

“It is a big opportunity and we will not let it pass by,” he said a day after the start of his corruption trial. He denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Netanyahu has cited US President Donald Trump’s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace as underpinning de facto annex-ation. The Palestinians have rejected the proposal, announced in January, under which most Jewish settlements would be incorporated into “contiguous Israeli territory”.

Palestinians and most coun-tries view the settlements on land Israel took in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Israel disputes this. Israeli critics of annexation have voiced concern it could increase anti-Israeli violence.

Two Palestinians injured by Israeli settlers’ gunfireQNA — RAMALLAH

Israeli settlers yesterday opened fire and injured two Palestinians near the Ramallah-area village of Al Mughayyer, Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

WAFA said that settles attacked the herders while they were in the open fields between Al Mughayyer and Turmous Ayya injuring one in the stomach and the other in leg, adding that the two were rushed to hospital for treatment.

Israeli occupation forces attacked with teargas vil-lagers who came to the aid of the shepherds, it added.

Meanwhile, an Israeli settler ran over and killed three sheep while injuring a dozen others as other settlers set fire to crops in the south of the West Bank, according to local activists.

Rateb Jabour, from the anti-wall, anti-settlements popular committees in the south of the West Bank, told Palestinian WAFA news agency that a settler driving a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, sped when he saw sheep in the fields in the Al Dirat village and ran them over killing three and injuring 12 others before running away.

Raising sheep and herding is an important source of income for thou-sands of Palestinians who live in Masafer Yatta in the south of the West Bank.

In another incident, set-tlers from the illegal Havat Maon outpost in Masafer Yatta, set fire to more than 30 dunums of land planted with wheat and barley, totally destroying them, according to Fouad Al Imour, from the land defence committee in Masafer Yatta.

An aerial view of empty Taksim Square is seen during the third day of the four-day nationwide restriction to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday.

Iran reopens key religious centres after two-month virus closureAFP — TEHRAN

Iran yesterday reopened major religious centres across the Islamic republic, more than two months after they were closed, as it reported its lowest deaths from coronavirus since March.

At Tehran’s Shah Abdol-Azim shrine, people had to wear a mask, walk through a disin-fection tunnel and have their temperature checked as they began returning from the early morning.

A visitor, 45-year-old engineer Hassan, said he was wearing a mask and keeps dis-infectant in his bag “so that my visit would not lead to infection for myself, my family or other worshippers”.

The Imam Reza shrine in

Mashhad in northeast Iran and the Fatima Masumeh shrine and Jamkaran mosque in the city of Qom also reopened while observing health protocols, state news agency IRNA reported.

They are allowed to open starting from an hour after dawn until an hour before dusk.

Religious centres were closed alongside schools, uni-versities and all non-vital busi-nesses in March after Iran reported its first two corona-virus deaths in Qom in late February.

Yesterday, health ministry s p o k e s m a n K i a n o u s h Jahanpour said the total number of COVID-19 infections in Iran had reached 137,724, while the overall number of death had

risen to 7,451. In the past 24 hours, Iran

recorded 2,032 new cases

while the number of fatalities stood at 34 —the lowest daily count recorded since March

7 — he told a news conference.

Experts inside and outside Iran have cast doubt on the country’s official figures, and say the real toll could be much higher.

Iran has allowed a phased reopening of its economy and gradual relaxation of restric-tions since early April, with a further easing expected in the coming days despite a recent uptick in new cases.

“High-risk” businesses such as restaurants, cafes and wedding halls in Tehran, which were left shuttered, will reopen from today, the capital’s deputy police chief Nader Moradi told ISNA news agency.

Authorities are yet to say when similar measures will be allowed in other provinces.

QNA — KUWAIT

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced that 665 persons more have tested positive for the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the overall count to 21,967.

Nine more deaths from COVID-19 took the death toll to 165, said the Ministry’s Spokesman Dr. Abdullah Al Sanad in state-ments to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday.

“The newly identified cases were locally transmitted,” Dr. Al Sanad said, noting that the health authorities are surveying the persons who were in contact with patients.

Earlier yesterday, the ministry also announced the recovery of 504 cases of those infected with the coronavirus, bringing the number of recoveries to 6,621.

Kuwait reports 665 new COVID-19 cases, nine deaths

Palestinian government ends two-month coronavirus lockdown in West BankAFP — RAMALLAH

The Palestinian government is ending its two-month corona-virus lockdown in the occupied West Bank, prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh announced yesterday after a steady decline in new cases.

Shops and businesses will operate as normal from today, while government employees will return to work after the Eid holiday on Wednesday, Shtayyeh told a press conference.

Mosques, churches and public parks will also reopen, though with social distancing measures. Public transport will resume.

Cafes and restaurants would be reopened but subject to restrictions to be announced in the coming days, he added.

“The easing in the measures and gradual return to normal life is being taken with caution,” Shtayyeh said, warning that an increase in cases could lead to restrictions being reinstated.

The West Bank-based Pal-estinian Authority declared a state of emergency in March to try to quell the spread of COVID-19.

There have been more than 400 cases in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with three deaths.

In Gaza, which is con-trolled by a rival Hamas-led government, the easing of measures began several weeks ago.

The lockdown in the West Bank had been due to remain in place until June 5 but was ended early with few new cases in recent weeks.

People walk along the seaside promenade in the Lebanese capital Beirut on the second day of Eid Al Fitr, amid coronavirus restrictions in the country, yesterday.

“I would like to reiterate that Al Quds Al Sharif, the holy site of three religions and our first Qiblah, is a red line for all Muslims worldwide,” Erdogan said, referring to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Giraffe crossing

05TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020 AFRICA

Libyan govt says Russian mercenaries evacuatingAFP & ANATOLIA — TRIPOLI

Forces backing Libya’s unity government said yesterday that hundreds of Russian merce-naries fighting for their rival, military commander Khalifa Haftar, had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli.

The claim comes after a series of setbacks for Haftar’s year-long offensive to seize the capital from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

“An Antonov 32 military cargo plane landed at Bani Walid airport to resume the evacuation of Wagner (Group) mercenaries who had fled southern Tripoli, to an as-yet unconfirmed destination,” pro-GNA forces wrote on Twitter.

Several countries including Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have been accused of involvement in the battle between the GNA and Haftar’s forces.

Earlier this month, United Nations experts confirmed US media reports that the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian par-amilitary organisation seen as close to President Vladimir Putin, had sent fighters to back Haftar. The Kremlin has always denied involvement.

Pro-GNA forces, with growing support from Turkey, have chalked up a series of vic-tories in recent weeks largely thanks to their air superiority.

They said on Saturday they had seized three barracks south of the capital, days after Haftar’s forces said their fighters would pull back from some positions south of Tripoli.

Haftar’s forces did not

immediately comment on the claim, and it was not possible to confirm it independently.

Pro-GNA forces said yes-terday some “1,500 to 1,600 mercenaries” had fled from the frontlines in Tripoli to Bani Walid, some 145km southeast of the capital.

They said the previous day seven cargo planes had landed at the town’s airport, bringing in munitions and weaponry and evacuating the fleeing fighters.

Haftar’s forces, which control much of eastern and southern Libya, launched their offensive on Tripoli last April, but despite early successes, stalled on the edge of the capital.

The battle has left hundreds dead, including dozens of civilians, and displaced more than 200,000 people.

Meanwhile, the members of the East Libya-based par-liament yesterday rejected an attempted coup by the warlord Khalifa Haftar. This came in a statement issued by 11 prom-inent members of the Tobruk-based parliament in which they stressed support to a peace ini-tiative proposed by its speaker

Aguila Saleh. The parliament “fully supports Saleh’s initiative as a final political solution to the Libyan crisis.”

Notably, the parliament currently holds its sessions with only some one-fifth of its 200 lawmakers.

The lawmakers called on all sides to accept the initiative, asserting it comprises “a mech-anism of selection and decision-making, a fair distribution of wealth between regions and the appointment of a new com-mittee of experts to develop a consensual constitution.”

Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya’s government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.

Since April 2019, the gov-ernment has been under attack by Haftar’s forces, based in eastern Libya, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in the violence.

With the continuous defeats of Haftar in the battlefield against Libyan government forces, Saleh announced late April a proposal to reach a political solution to the crisis.

Immediately after the pro-posal, Hafter declared himself the sole ruler of Libya, dropping the UN-brokered Skhirat agreement signed in 2015 between Libyan warring sides, the move which was con-demned by international actors and regional allies.

Haftar, however, was unable to overthrow the Tobruk-based House of Repre-sentatives and its speaker Saleh —who was seen as a subor-dinate of Haftar — as he enjoys major tribal support in East Libya.

A giraffe walks before crossing under the bridge of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line inside the Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday.

Burundi declares Ndayishimiye victor in bitter presidential pollAFP — BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI

Burundi’s ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye was yesterday declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, but the opposition vowed to contest the results of the “electoral farce”.

The national election com-mission announced that Nday-ishimiye had won 68.72 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Agathon Rwasa came in far behind with 24.19 percent.

Ndayishimiye, 52, is a former army general who was handpicked by the ruling CNDD-FDD to replace Pres-ident Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005 and whose final years in office have been wracked with turmoil.

Nkurunziza’s third-term election run in 2015 sparked violence which left at least 1,200 dead and pushed 400,000 to flee the country.

Ndayishimiye is set to inherit a deeply isolated country, under sanctions and cut off by foreign donors, its economy and national psyche damaged by the years of political violence and rights violations.

The election was conducted with scant regard to the coro-navirus outbreak -- which has

been largely ignored. No foreign observers were

allowed in to keep an eye on the election process.

“The CNL continues to contest these results which came about through massive fraud, because the election took place in conditions that remove all credibility,” Therence Manirambona, spokesman for the National Freedom Council (CNL), said.

He said the party was putting together a legal com-plaint and “will follow the law

and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will submit it so that the court can take a decision on the massive fraud that marked this electoral farce.”

He said that according to the CNL’s data, they should have won the poll with around 57 percent. Rwasa, the main opposition candidate, attracted large crowds throughout his campaign, and observers said he may reap the benefit of a populace exhausted by the CNDD-FDD’s rule.

The CNL has alleged the stuffing of ballot boxes, proxy voting, intimidation, and said its polling agents were arrested or booted out during voting and counting.

The commercial capital Bujumbura was calm on Monday, with shops open and only a slight increase in the vis-ibility of security forces.

A high-ranking member of the ruling party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party had urged its supporters to remain calm.

“The message was to remain calm and vigilant... not to provoke and that when the time is right the party will tell us when to celebrate our victory.”

The election commission has yet to respond to the fraud allegations, but Pierre Nkurikiye, the spokesman for Burundi’s public security min-istry, accused members of the CNL of attempted fraud, con-firming some of their members were arrested for minor incidents.

A foreign diplomat in Burundi, speaking anony-mously, expressed strong doubts about the official result but said it was not surprising.

“We were expecting it to happen like this. Nobody could imagine for a second that the

CNDD-FDD and its generals would cede power in any way,” the diplomat said.

Burundi, which the World Bank ranks among the world’s three poorest countries, has been under sanctions from its major donors since 2015, when Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term as president trig-gered violent unrest and political chaos.

Burundi is tightly controlled by the ruling party and its youth wing, the Imbonerakure, have been accused of a forceful crackdown against the govern-ment’s critics in the aftermath of 2015.

State security forces have been accused by rights groups and the United Nations of crimes against humanity and severe rights abuses such as torture, disappearances, sexual violence and executions.

Ndayishimiye is expected to be sworn in for a seven-year term in late August, when Nku-runziza’s term ends.

Observers have noted it is unclear whether Ndayishimiye would be able to rule free from interference by Nkurunziza, who in February was elevated by parliament to the rank of “supreme guide for patriotism” and will remain chairman of the party’s highly influential council of elders.

Hit by coronavirus, Kenyans turn to car boot commerceREUTERS — NAIROBI

More Kenyans are starting to operate small businesses out of the boots of their cars to make ends meet as the coronavirus crisis has hit jobs and the economy.

The East African nation has 1,286 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 and the disease has devastated crucial sectors of the economy like tourism and farm exports.

Those problems have spilled over into the transport sector, where John Njenga’s taxi business struggled to get pas-sengers, forcing him to start hawking avocados and bananas

from his car. “I had to get some-thing else to do to feed my family,” he said as he sold his wares in a posh Nairobi neighbourhood.

“We are bringing services closer to people instead of them going to the market.” Boniface Mbugua, who lost his catering job, drives his car to markets to sell food to traders.

Some, like Agnes Njoki, who used to repair mobile phones in a shop in downtown Nairobi, says selling bananas from her car next to a busy highway is even more lucrative.

“I don’t think I will go back to my former job. This looks good for me,” she said.

Ivory Coast children head back to school after virus shutdownREUTERS — ABIDJAN

Thousands of children in face masks flocked back to school in Ivory Coast yesterday after the country became one of the first in West Africa to restart lessons after a two-month coronavirus shutdown.

With a total of 2,376 cases and dozens of new infections each day, Ivory Coast has yet to contain the virus. But author-ities are confident pupils can study together in safety after the introduction of extra hygiene measures.

In Abidjan’s Adjame neigh-bourhood, children in back-packs queued to wash their hands under a teacher’s watchful eye before entering

their school, where they sat just one to a desk with bottles of sanitising gel within reach.

“At first we were a little scared. When we saw that the protective measures were being respected, the fear went away,” said 14-year-old Samira Cisse.

Nearby countries are likely to follow closely whether the Ivory Coast’s decision to reopen schools causes a spike in infection. With millions of children still at home, aid agency Save the Children says many could face serious set-backs due to limited options for distance learning in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Ivorian education min-istry said it appreciated the seriousness of its decision.

“We also have an imper-ative duty to ensure that the children entrusted to us can complete their education,” said ministry official Assoumou Kabran.

Reopening classrooms also means thousands of pupils and their teachers must be ferried back to boarding schools outside Abidjan, epicentre of the epidemic.

French teacher Patrick Yobouet, 38, waited with hun-dreds of others in a sun-baked stadium to board buses out of the city.

“We’re a bit worried as we leave, because we don’t know if we have the coronavirus or not or if the children are con-taminated or not,” he said.

Eight foreign sailors freed after Benin kidnappingAFP — LAGOS

Eight foreign crew members kidnapped from a Singapore-owned container ship off Benin’s coast in April have been freed and are undergoing medical checks, the Nigerian navy said yesterday.

German shipping firm Transeste said the vessel, the Tommi Ritscher, had been boarded by pirates on April 19 while at anchor off the port of Cotonou.

The eight included nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Philippines.

“They were all freed on Saturday,” “Admiral Oladele Daji, who headed the rescue operation, said.

“It’s premature to give any details on their captivity and release. They are on medical observation and one of them is receiving medical treatment for malnutrition”.

Transeste confirmed in a statement that the detained crew members had been released and would be repat-riated back to their families.

Schoolchildren receiving face masks in classroom from the director at a primary school in popular district of Attecoube in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on the first day after the resumption of classes after COVID-19 lockdown, yesterday.

Libya coast guardintercepts about400 migrantsAP — CAIRO

Libya’s coast guard inter-cepted about 400 Europe-bound migrants off the coun-try’s Mediterranean coast over the past two days, and brought them to the capital of Tripoli from where they were taken to a detention center, the UN migration agency said.

Safa Msehli, a spokes-woman for the International Organization for Migration said the migrants were taken to the Al Nasser detention center in the town of Zawya, west of Tripoli, she said.

Mselhi said departures from Libya have increased, which is “especially worrying amid a sharp decrease in... search and rescue capacity.”

The UN refugee agency in Libya said two people had died of the 315 migrants who were intercepted and returned to Tripoli early yesterday. Their bodies were recovered.

Evariste Ndayishimiye of the Burundi’s ruling party, the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), casting his ballot at a polling centre during the Presidential and Legislative elections on May 20, in Gitega, Burundi.

“An Antonov 32 military cargo plane landed at Bani Walid airport to resume the evacuation of Wagner mercenaries who had fled southern Tripoli, to an as-yet unconfirmed destination,” pro-GNA forces wrote on Twitter.

06 TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020ASIA

Confusion and jitters asdomestic flights resumein India; virus cases riseAGENCIES — MUMBAI

India yesterday posted its biggest single-day jump in cases of COVID-19, overtaking Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart.

India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to gov-ernment data, despite the world’s longest lockdown imposed in March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Total deaths have passed 4,000.

The rise in new cases came as some businesses and travel reopened under a new phase of the national coronavirus lockdown.

Domestic flights resumed yesterday, while confusion about quarantine rules prompted jitters among pas-sengers and the cancellation of dozens of planes.

Some passengers and crew members scheduled to board a flight yesterday at New Delhi airport said the mood at the ter-minal was sombre as security forces implemented strict social distancing norms and pas-sengers donned masks.

While the federal gov-ernment has not insisted that

passengers be quarantined after their flights, some states have implemented their own quar-antine measures, creating con-fusion among travellers.

“Flying to meet my family almost feels like I am entering a war zone, it’s the mask and gloves that add to the stress,” said Subham Dey, an engineer travelling to the north-eastern state of Assam.

India had halted all flights within the country, and departing and leaving for abroad, in late March as it sought to stop the spread of coronavirus with the world’s largest lockdown.

But desperate to get Asia’s third-largest economy moving again, the government

announced last week that around 1,050 daily flights — a third of the usual capacity — would resume yesterday.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said strict rules would include mandatory mask-wearing and thermal screenings, although middle seats on the aircraft would not be kept empty.

The announcement reportedly caught airlines and state authorities off-guard, with several local governments announcing that passengers would have to go into quar-antine for two weeks on arrival.

Maharashtra, the Indian state with the highest number of coronavirus cases, capped at 50 the number of departures and arrivals in and out of its capital Mumbai.

Airlines scrapped dozens of flights on Monday while hun-dreds of passengers cancelled their bookings, reports said.

The NDTV news channel said 82 flights to and from New Delhi had been cancelled and nine at Bangalore airport.

Other flights from cities including infection hotspots Mumbai and Chennai were struck off, many at short notice, reports said.

At Mumbai airport social

distancing was forgotten as irate passengers harangued staff after their flights were cancelled at the last minute.

At New Delhi airport, hun-dreds of people anxious to get home but apprehensive about the risks queued from before dawn — all wearing masks and standing at least one metre apart.

Security personnel behind plastic screens verified check-in documents and that pas-sengers had the government contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu, on their phones.

“While I’m looking forward (to flying home), the idea of flying is really scary,” student Gladia Laipubam said as she

stood in line.“Anything can happen. It’s

very risky. I don’t really know when I’ll be able to come back to Delhi now. There is no clarity from the university too at this time.” One female airline employee wearing gloves, a mask and a protective face shield said she and many other colleagues felt “very nervous” about starting work again.

“Dealing with so many people at this time is so risky. I must have interacted with at least 200 people since this morning,” she said, not wishing to be named.

Cabin crew on the planes had to wear full protective suits with masks, plastic visors and blue

rubber gloves, and many were also confused about the rules, the Press Trust of India reported.

“There is no clarity on whether I need to go into home quarantine for 14 days after returning to my base or show up for duty on Monday,” one pilot told PTI.

New coronavirus cases in India crossed 6,000 for the third consecutive day on Sunday, surging to a record single-day spike of 6,767 infections.

Indian Railways also said it would run an additional 2,600 special trains in the next 10 days to help nearly 3.5 million stranded migrant workers get to their homes.

A security personnel checks the e-ticket of a passenger from inside the booth at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport as domestic flights resumed, on the outskirts of Amritsar, yesterday.

Kerala manarrested forhiring snaketo kill wifeAFP — NEW DELHI

After first failing with a viper, an Indian man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife by letting loose a cobra in her room, police said yesterday.

Police in the southern state of Kerala said phone records showed the man — named as Sooraj — had been in contact with serpent handlers and had also watched snake videos on the Internet.

In March, the 27-year-old got hold of a highly venomous Russell’s viper which bit his wife Uthra and left her in hospital for almost two months, police official Ashok Kumar said.

While still recuperating at her parents’ house earlier this month, Sooraj obtained a cobra from a snake handler and threw the animal at his sleeping wife.

“Sooraj stayed in the same room as Uthra as if nothing had happened. He was going about his morning routine the next day when he was alerted by Uthra’s mother’s screams,” a police statement said.

“They took her to the hos-pital where the doctor said she had died,” it added.

Uthra’s parents became sus-picious when Sooraj tried to secure ownership of his wife’s property just days after her death. She was from an affluent family, but Sooraj — who worked in a private bank — was not so well off. The couple had a one-year-old child.

Police said the marriage had involved a huge dowry comprising nearly 100 gold coins, a new car and some Rs500,000.

India, Bangladesh celebrate Eid amid restrictionsAP — DHAKA

Muslims in India and Bang-ladesh joined prayers to cele-brate a subdued Eid Al Fitr yesterday, marking the end of the Ramadan holy month by seeking blessings for a world free from coronavirus.

Across India, government leaders and imams appealed to Eid celebrants to follow lockdown norms and maintain social distance. Bangladesh’s leader stressed public safety in her Eid greetings.

The three-day holiday that begins by the sighting of the moon is usually a time of travel, family gatherings and feasts after weeks of dawn-to-dusk fasting. But this year, Muslims

were praying at home, their cel-ebrations quieter and tinged with worry about the virus and the impact of lockdowns and other restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

Outside New Delhi’s iconic Mughal-era Jamia mosque, closed as part of a ban on reli-gious congregations, security officers patrolled the streets and almost all shops were closed barring a sweet shop. Police made rounds on motorbikes and a mini police camp stood just outside a gate.

“It’s been 1,400 years since the Islam was founded,... even our elders could never imagine that we will have to celebrate Eid in such a way,” said busi-nessman Shehzad Khan.

He said money typically spent buying new clothes to wear for Eid was sent to the poor, who have lost livelihoods due to the virus and the measures taken to contain it. “That money we have given them so that they too can cele-brate Eid with us,” Khan said.

In Bangladesh, authorities asked people to avoid mass prayers in open fields, which draw tens of thousands nor-mally. Devotees could join prayers at mosques by main-taining safe distances.

Yesterday morning, those praying in the country’s more than 300,000 mosques wore masks, and many wore gloves as well.

In the capital’s main Baitul

Mokarram mosque, thousands joined the prayers in phases as authorities allowed them to enter in groups and prayers were held every hour. Many waited in lines for more than an hour to enter the premises.

“This is a new experience. We never felt like this,” gov-ernment official Abdul Halim said after attending the prayer in Dhaka.

“I did not bring my two sons for the prayers, they are staying home. My family could not visit my parents this time,” he said.

India has eased its strict lockdown in recent weeks, including allowing domestic flights to resume starting yesterday.

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi extended his greetings to Muslims. “Eid Mubarak!” Modi tweeted. “May this special occasion further the spirit of compassion, brotherhood and harmony. May everyone be healthy and prosperous,” he said.

New cases and deaths from COVID-19 are rising in Bang-ladesh, which has confirmed 35,585 cases and 501 deaths.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered Eid greetings but stressed the need for main-taining health guidelines and for individuals to stay safe.

“Your safety is in your hands. Remember that if you remain safe, you are also keeping your family, neigh-bours and the country safe,” she said in an address to the nation.

Heavy rain batters PerthShops badly damaged by the recent storm are seen as Western Australia is battered by strong winds and heavy rain in Perth, Australia, yesterday.

Myanmar submitsfirst Rohingya casereport to ICJAFP — THE HAGUE

Myanmar has submitted its first report to the International Court of Justice on steps it has taken to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims, the UN’s top court said yesterday.

The ICJ made a provisional order in January that majority-Buddhist Myanmar must take “all measures within its power” to stop the alleged genocide of the minority group, and that it must report to the court at regular intervals.

The case was brought by the mainly Muslim African state of The Gambia, and fea-tured a hearing in December where former civilian leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi presented Myanmar’s case.

One million Rohingya are languishing in camps in neigh-bouring Bangladesh after a brutal crackdown by Myan-mar’s military in 2017, while another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar’s south-western Rakhine state.

“On 22 May 2020, Myanmar submitted the first report indi-cated in the ICJ Order on pro-visional measures of 23 January 2020,” the International Court of Justice said in a tweet, without giving further details.

The contents of Myanmar’s report, of which a copy is to be sent to The Gambia, however will remain confidential until its judges decide to make it public, court officials told AFP.

Rohingya pressure groups

however said however that Myanmar had taken “no mean-ingful steps whatsoever” to improve the situation in Rakhine since the ICJ decision in January.

“Make no mistake — the genocide against the Rohingya is continuing unabated in Myanmar,” said Tun Khin, president of the British-based Burmese Rohingya Organi-sation UK.

He said that “women, men and children continue to suffer a hellish existence” in Rakhine.

Tun Khin urged the ICJ to make public the report as soon as possible and called on the international com-munity to “redouble their pressure on Myanmar” to comply with the court’s pro-visional measures.

In a unanimous ruling, the ICJ early this year rejected arguments by Nobel Peace lau-reate Suu Kyi that the extent of crimes against the Rohingya might have been exaggerated, and that it was an internal affair.

The court granted Gambia’s application for emergency measures, pending a full legal case that could take years, and said that Rohingya in Myanmar “ r e m a i n e x t r e m e l y vulnerable”.

Myanmar was ordered to report back after four months, and then every six months after that. It was also ordered not to destroy any evidence of crimes against the Rohingya.

Govt inquiry warns Australia bushfires not a ‘one-off event’AFP — SYDNEY

An inquiry into Australia’s recent bushfires that scorched an area larger than most nations and displaced thou-sands opened yesterday, with a stark warning that such disasters would become longer and more frequent.

The government was widely criticised for its response to the devastating blazes — including Prime Minister Scott Morrison who holidayed in Hawaii at the heigh of the crisis — and announced the national inquiry in February.

The Royal Commission —tasked with finding ways to

improve how Australia deals with natural disasters — heard from a leading government sci-entist that last summer was not a “one-off event”.

The Bureau of Meteorol-ogy’s head of climate moni-toring, Karl Braganza, said a prolonged drought was one of the key factors that led to the dangerous fires.

However, Braganza empha-sised that the recent bushfires were part of an underlying climate trend, which has emerged this century and “really challenged what we thought fire weather looked like preceding this period”.

“This isn’t a one-off event

that we’re looking at here,” he said. “The frequency of these events, if you look at the his-torical record, seems to be increasing.”

“These large fire events, when you look back over the 19th and 20th century, were not as frequent as they were this century.” Scientists say global warming is lengthening the country’s summers and making them increasingly dangerous, with shorter winters making it more difficult to carry out bushfire prevention work.

More than 30 people died and thousands of homes were destroyed during the blazes in late 2019-early 2020, leaving

local communities devastated. Some victims are still living in tents as the southern hemi-sphere winter approaches.

An estimated one billion animals perished as more than 20 percent of Australia’s forests burned in one of the worst bushfire seasons on record.

Australia has seen dozens of inquests into the causes of bushfires and steps that could be taken to mitigate them. But many measures recommended by inquiries going back to the 1930s have still not been implemented.

The inquiry is required to report its findings by August 31 ahead of the next bushfire season.

India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to government data, despite the world’s longest lockdown imposed in March. Total deaths have passed 4,000.

07TUESDAY 26 MAY 2020 ASIA

Afghan govt frees 100 Taliban prisoners as truce holdsAFP — KABUL

Afghan authorities released 100 Taliban prisoners yesterday as part of the government’s response to a surprise, three-day ceasefire the insurgents called to mark the Eid Al Fitr festival.

The pause in fighting, only the second of its kind in Afghan-istan’s nearly 19-year-old war, appeared to be holding on day two after the government wel-comed the truce by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates.

President Ashraf Ghani said his administration was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban, seen as key to ending the war in the impover-ished country.

“The government of Afghan-istan has today released 100 Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison,” National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said. He said the prisoner release was to “help the peace process” and will continue until 2,000 prisoners are freed.

Faisal said there had been no reports of any ceasefire vio-lations so far, adding that authorities plan to release insurgent prisoners in batches of 100 daily.

“We hope this will eventually lead to a lasting peace that the people of Afghanistan so much desire and deserve,” he said.

In the northern city of Kunduz, which the Taliban attacked just days ago, calm prevailed as residents cele-brated Eid at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

“Just two days ago panic had set in the city,” said Atiqullah, a shopkeeper from Kunduz.

“Today, you go out and feel as if there is no more fighting. People are actually celebrating Eid.” The current ceasefire is the

first initiated by the Taliban. The only other comparable pause came over Eid in 2018, and was first offered by Ghani.

The normally restive southern province of Uruzgan was also calm, police said.

“There was non-stop fighting every single day, but since the ceasefire was announced not a single shot has been fired,” said Haji Lal Agha, the provincial police chief.

“It is especially good for the residents of Trinkot who would hear the sound of gunfire every day,” he added, referring to the provincial capital.

There were no reports of fighting from Kandahar, once a bastion for the Taliban, and the southeast province of Khost was also peaceful, police said.

“We are carefully moni-toring the ceasefire and the sit-uation, and there has not been any major activity by the enemy since the ceasefire was announced,” interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said.

He said they were, however, investigating a mortar attack on Sunday in Laghman province that killed five civilians.

Violence had escalated since the Taliban signed a deal with Washington in February to withdraw all US forces from the country by next year.

The agreement also set the stage for intra-Afghan peace talks and stipulated that the gov-ernment would first release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the militants would free about 1,000 national security personnel.

B e f o r e S u n d a y ’ s announcement to free up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a

“goodwill gesture”, Kabul had already released about 1,000 Taliban inmates while the insur-gents had freed about 300 Afghan security force captives.

The Taliban insist Kabul must release all 5,000 members as agreed in the deal with the US.

“This process should be

completed in order to remove hurdles in the way of com-mencement of intra-Afghan negotiations,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the ceasefire, but insists the freed Taliban prisoners should not return to the battlefield.

Taliban prisoners wave inside a vehicle during their release from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram, some 50km north of Kabul, in this picture released by Afghanistan’s National Security Council, yesterday.

State of emergency lifted in Tokyo, 4 other areasAP — TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and four other remaining areas yesterday, ending the restric-tions nationwide as businesses begin to reopen.

Experts on a government-commissioned panel approved the lifting of the emergency in Tokyo, neighbouring Kan-agawa, Chiba and Saitama pre-fectures, and in Hokkaido to the north, which had more cases and remained under the emer-gency declaration after it was removed in most of Japan earlier this month.

Abe said the lifting of the emergency does not mean the end of the outbreak. He said the goal is to balance preventive measure and the economy until vaccines and effective drugs become available.

Japan, with about 16,600 confirmed cases and about 850 deaths, has so far avoided a large outbreak like those experienced in the US and the Europe despite its softer restrictions.

But the world’s third largest economy is fallen into a recession, and public discontent over Abe’s handling of the coronavirus has sent his support ratings tumbling. Recent media surveys show public support for his Cabinet has

plunged below 30 percent, the lowest since he returned to office in December 2012.

Abe declared the state of emergency on April 7 in several parts of Japan including Tokyo, expanded it to the entire nation later in the month, and then extended it until the end of May.

Under the emergency, people were asked to stay at home and non-essential busi-nesses were requested to close or reduce operations, but there was no enforcement. Since May 14, when the measures were lifted in most of Japan, more people have left their homes and stores have begun reopening.

E c o n o m y M i n i s t e r

Yasutoshi Nishimura said recent data suggest that infec-tions have slowed enough and pressure on the medical system has fallen enough to allow a gradual resumption of social and economic activity. He said Tokyo, Kanagawa and Hokkaido, where the number of infections is still fluctuating, need to be watched closely.

Yesterday, Matsuya department store, a landmark in Tokyo’s posh Ginza shopping district, resumed operation. Sales staff wearing plastic face shields welcomed customers with bows but no verbal greetings under new guidelines.

Pilot of crashed PIAplane ignored warningfrom ATC thriceINTERNEWS — KARACHI

The pilot of the ill-fated PIA plane that crashed a couple of days ago had ignored warnings from Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the plane’s height and speed as the aircraft approached for landing.

The PK-8303 tragedy has become the third most-cata-strophic aviation disaster in Pakistan’s history.

The plane crashed into a narrow residential street in Karachi on Friday, dealing sig-nificant damage to houses in a densely-populated area. Of the 99 people aboard, 97 were killed and only two passengers survived.

According to a report from air traffic control, the flight left the Lahore airport at 1.05pm and was scheduled to land at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi at 2.30pm.

The report said the plane had enough fuel in it to fly for two hours and 34 minutes, while its total flying time was recorded at one hour and 33 minutes.

At 2.30pm, the plane was 15 nautical miles from Karachi at Makli, flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet above the ground instead of 7,000 when air traffic control issued its first warning to the pilot to lower the plane’s altitude.

Instead of lowering the plane’s altitude, the pilot responded by saying that he was satisfied. When only 10 nautical miles were left till the Karachi airport, the plane was at an altitude of 7,000 feet instead of 3,000 feet.

The report states that air traffic control issued a second warning to the pilot to lower the plane’s altitude. However, the pilot responded again by stating that he was satisfied and

would handle the situation, saying he was ready for landing.

According to an earlier report, prepared by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), the plane’s engines had scraped the runway thrice on the pilot’s first attempt to land the plane, causing friction and sparks. Three long marks have been observed and recorded by the PCAA’s experts on the runway.

Sources in the PCAA had said the plane’s engines first made contact with the ground at the 4,500-feet marker, fol-lowed a second time at the 5,500-feet marker, and a third time at the 7,000-feet marker.

After the third impact, the pilot took the aircraft off into the air again, which officials found very strange as the cockpit did not inform air traffic control of any problem with the landing gear when it was already clear that it was the reason why it couldn’t land properly.

There was no indication from the pilot or his first officer to the air traffic control that something was wrong with the plane. Experts are of the view that when the engines scraped the ground on the first failed attempt at landing, the engine’s oil tank and fuel pump may have been damaged.

The engine’s oil may have started to leak, which would have prevented the pilot from achieving the required thrust and speed to raise the aircraft to safety.

According to sources in the ATC as well as PCAA, the pilot made a decision “on his own” to undertake a “go-around” after he failed to land the first time. It was only during the go-around that the ATC was informed that landing gear was not deploying.

Thai researcher eyes affordable virus vaccine for Southeast AsiaREUTERS — BANGKOK

A researcher leading Thailand’s push to manufacture a corona-virus vaccine says its aim is to make it cost-effective and accessible to Southeast Asia, and play a part in preventing a supply shortage globally.

Thailand’s government announced last week its plans to have a vaccine ready for deployment next year after researchers at Bangkok’s Chu-lalongkorn University success-fully conducted trials on mice.

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