By Joseph VargheseStaff Reporter

Qatar Airways created history yesterday by operating the world’s fi rst fully vacci-nated fl ight. All the passengers, crew as

well as the check-in staff were fully vaccinated with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Flight QR6421 took off from Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) around 12 noon and returned at 3pm. The special service was operated by the airline’s most technologically advanced and sustainable aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000. The fl ight also fully carbon off set in line with the car-rier’s environmental responsibilities.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Qatar National Tourism Council secretary-gen-eral HE Akbar al-Baker told the media at HIA that the airline wanted to send a strong message to the world that air travel is safe with fully vac-cinated passengers.

“Qatar Airways is delighted to launch this historic fl ight, the world’s fi rst fully Covid-19 vaccinated fl ight. All the passengers are given a certifi cate stat-ing that they were in the fi rst international airline carrying fully Covid-19 vaccinated passengers.

“We want to convey the message that air travel is safe and you can travel without the fear of get-ting infected with Covid-19 if you are vaccinated against the virus. Some people still feel that air travel can result in Covid-19 infection.

However, people have to be responsible in their behaviour and follow all the Covid-19 pro-

tocols. Until and unless a robust anti-viral drug is available for the diseases, it will be an up and down cycle of the disease,” continued the CEO.

Qatar Airways also showcased several meas-ures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, including its latest innovation, the world’s fi rst ‘Zero-Touch’ in-fl ight entertain-ment technology.

The passengers included people from various walks of life including some leading entrepre-neurs. To Page 12

Iranian cargo ship attacked in Red Sea

‘Construction of 3 Azuredata centres is complete’

New Delhi under Covid night curfew

Oxford pauses vaccinestudy in children

An Iranian cargo ship has come under attack in the Red Sea, Al Arabiya TV reported yesterday, quoting unnamed sources, and semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim said the vessel was targeted by a limpet mine. The vessel was attacked off the coast of Eritrea and was affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Al Arabiya TV said. The vessel Iran Saviz has been stationed in the Red Sea for the past few years to support Iranian commandos sent on commercial vessel (anti-piracy) escort missions.

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti yesterday announced the completion of construction and infrastructure work required for three centres to host Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Data Centre. He said this during a ceremony organised virtually by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), in partnership with Microsoft, to celebrate the first anniversary of cloud transformation milestones. Page 2

The Indian capital yesterday imposed an immediate night curfew one day after the nation posted a record coronavirus surge, with financial hub Mumbai also introducing similar restrictions. Alarm has grown since India passed more than 100,000 new cases in a single day for the first time on Monday. New Delhi, home to 25mn people, and other major cities have all ordered a clampdown on public movement. The ban will be in place each night from 10pm-5am through the end of April. Page 8

The University of Oxford said yesterday it had paused a small UK trial testing the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca Plc in children and teenagers, as it waits for more data on rare blood clotting issues in adults who received the shot. The trial disruption is the latest blow to the vaccine, once hailed as a milestone in the fight against the pandemic, after several countries restricted its use in light of reports of medical issues after inoculations. Page 9

HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari yesterday visited Al Wakra Hospital to meet senior members of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Tactical Command Group and Al Wakra Hospital’s leadership team following the designation of the hospital as a Covid-19 medical facility. During the visit, HE the minister discussed with HMC senior leaders how the hospital will play an important role in the strategy to ensure that the healthcare system is able to manage any future escalation in the number of Covid-19 patients needing medical treatment. She also inspected the inpatient units and intensive care units as they prepare to admit Covid-19 patients. Page 12

Iran and world powers held what they described as “constructive” talks yesterday and agreed to form working groups to discuss the sanctions Washington might lift and the nuclear curbs Tehran might observe as they try to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Yesterday’s talks included a meeting of the remaining parties to the original deal - Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia - in a group called the Joint Commission that is chaired by the European Union. The United States did not attend. While neither Washington nor Tehran say they expect any quick breakthroughs from the talks, both they and the EU described the early exchanges in positive terms. Pictured are diplomats of the European Union, China, Russia and Iran at the start of talks at the Grand Hotel in Vienna, Austria, yesterday. Page 7

Health minister visits Al Wakra Hospital

World powers, Iran hold ‘constructive’ talks

SPORT | Page 1BUSINESS | Page 1

Qatar Airways expects delivery of ‘fi rst three’ 777X jets in 2023

Sport has the ‘unique power’ to change the world for good: al-Thawadi

GULF TIMES

published in

QATAR

since 1978WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXXII No. 11876

April 7, 2021Sha’aban 25, 1442 AH www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief

HIA expansion ‘very advanced’By Pratap JohnBusiness Editor

Hamad International Air-port (HIA) “is very ad-vanced already in the ex-

pansion to cater to the huge rush we will have during 2022” (FIFA World Cup 2022), Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker said yesterday.

Addressing a webinar hosted as part of the ‘Qatar – US Busi-ness Culture Series’, al-Baker said: “The expansion is also on the western side of the runway, which will hugely increase ad-ditional aircraft parking spaces.

And in order to cater to a huge infl ux of chartered fl ights in an already very busy scheduled air-line airport, we have started work to renovate and reactivate the old airport, which is just 5km to the west of Hamad International.

“So, totally we will have a huge capacity increase to effi ciently and smoothly connect all the passengers who will be coming to watch the FIFA games in 2022.”

In an interview with Qatar TV in February, al-Baker said expan-sion at HIA was in full force and would ensure a capacity to handle 58mn passengers by 2022.

“Soon after 2022, after the FIFA World Cup, there will be

another fi nal phase of the expan-sion, to increase the capacity to just under 70mn passengers,” al-Baker told Qatar TV.

HIA, the airline’s home and hub, was recently ranked “Third Best Airport in the World”, among 550 airports worldwide, by the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2020.

Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the ‘World’s Best Airports’ rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA was voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fi fth year in a row.

Qatar Airwaysoperates world’sfi rst fully Covidvaccinated fl ight

HE Akbar al-baker speaking to the media at HIA.

Health card not needed for vaccination: MoPH

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that people in Qatar are temporarily

no longer required to provide a health card in order to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

“When attending your vaccination appointment, please ensure that you have a valid QID and that your Ehter-az status is green,” the MoPH said in a post on social media yesterday.

“It is, however, still recommended that you register for a health card as it will allow you to access governmental

healthcare facilities,” the ministry ad-vised the public.

Covid-19 vaccination is taking place at health centres, Qatar National Con-vention Centre and two drive-through facilities at Al Wakra and Lusail.

Some 26,712 doses of the vac-cine were administered in the last 24 hours, taking the total so far to 961,555 doses, the MoPH said yester-day. The ministry also registered 927 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, 512 recoveries and six deaths in the last 24 hours. Page 12

HE the Minister of Trans-port and Communica-tions Jassim Seif Ahmed

al-Sulaiti yesterday announced the completion of construction and infrastructure work required for three centres to host Micro-soft’s Azure Cloud Data Centre, Qatar News Agency (QNA) re-ported.

He said this during a cer-emony organised virtually by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), in partnership with Microsoft, to celebrate the first anniversary of cloud transformation mile-stones. This comes under the umbrella of the strategic part-nership that Qatar, represented by the MoTC, concluded with Microsoft to establish the com-pany’s cloud regions in Qatar to become a national platform for cloud computing services for Qatar and the world, the minis-try said in a statement.

The event was led by HE al-Sulaiti and the chargé d’aff aires of the US embassy in Doha, am-bassador Greta C Holtz. The event was also attended by sev-eral senior offi cials representing government entities. In his key-note speech, HE the Minister said Qatar - led by its wise leadership - is looking forward to leadership in all fi elds thanks to being richly endowed with material and hu-man resources that qualify it to be at the level of advanced coun-tries.

He said Qatar’s wise leader-ship is committed to invest in cloud computing in order to be a regional hub for information and communications technol-ogy and for investors in this fi eld. “Slightly more than a year ago, we concluded a strategic part-nership with Microsoft to estab-lish a regional centre in Qatar for Microsoft Azure Cloud,” he said.

Having such data centres in

Qatar, HE al-Sulaiti added, en-courages local companies to benefi t from such an investment and begin introducing new serv-ices and jobs that can support the market and boost technological production in Qatar. This will, in turn, help increase GDP and con-tribute to realising Qatar’s goal of building a knowledge-based economy.

HE the minister said they suc-ceeded, in partnership with local companies, to build three data centres that are in line with Mi-crosoft’s standards. He added that construction work took into account the importance of using clean energy and limiting carbon emissions.

HE the minister added that work is going on to ensure that the centres are linked together using fi bre optics to ensure the availability of data at all times. He added that the Azure Qatar centre will begin operations in the fi rst quarter of 2022.

He said the MoTC remained committed to the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and under the supervision of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in focusing on human capital and launched a training programme for Azure’s diff erent technologies, QNA added. He noted that the programme saw hundreds of government em-

ployees get training at diff erent levels.

Further, HE al-Sulaiti stressed that Qatar’s ambition is “sky-high” to realise Qatar National Vision 2030 and its pillars. He called on local companies to focus on the vision when plac-ing their strategies of expanding outside the Qatari market. He added that the ministry aspires to fi nd Qatari tech off ered on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, and accessed by users all over the world.

Acting Assistant Undersec-retary of Government Informa-tion Technology at the MoTC, Mashael Ali al-Hammadi, said the fast-paced advancement in the fi eld of IT and the growing

desire for processes automation are prompting people to look for e-services before they think of physically visiting a govern-ment offi ce to do their transac-tion manually. This is something that “created a major motivation for us to adopt the ‘cloud comes fi rst’ principle; so, we did not wait until construction works are fi nalised, but directly went ahead and started working with the government entities inter-ested in moving to the cloud,” she observed, adding that now at least 56 government and semi-government entities and public sector businesses have estab-lished their new services and are migrating their existing ones to the cloud.

“In the first anniversary of the announcement of Azure Qa-tar, we recognise the progress and achievements of organisa-tions that utilised Azure Qatar and the Microsoft Global Cloud to accelerate digital transfor-mation, drive business conti-nuity and resiliency navigating successfully through these un-precedented times to respond and recover from the challenges of the pandemic, to reimagine the future and innovate in the new normal. This wouldn’t be possible without the strong and lasting partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Our ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Communica-

tions reflects the extent of our firm commitment to advance the country’s sustainable de-velopment strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030,” added Lana Khalaf, country manager of Microsoft Qatar.

On the sidelines of the event, several entities were recognised and honoured for overcoming the current challenges posed by the Covid-19 situation and for being able to keep pace with the “new normal”, using Microsoft cloud technologies, based on special evaluation criteria related to in-novation, cost optimisation and crisis response.

The winning entities in the fi ve categories are: Crisis Response - Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the health sector represented by the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corpora-tion; Industry Innovation - AL Jazeera; Business Continuity: Ministry of Commerce and In-dustry and Ministry of Adminis-trative Development, Labour and Social Aff airs; Born on Cloud: Qatar Free Zones Authority; and Cost Optimisation: MoTC.

QATARGulf Times Wednesday, April 7, 20212

Offi cial

Amir condoles with Madagascar president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables of condolences to Madagascar President Andry Nirina Rajoelina on the death of former president Didier Ratsiraka. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani also sent a similar cable of condolences to Prime Minister Christian Louis Ntsay.

Amir condoles with Indonesian president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani sent yesterday cables of condolences to Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the victims of Cyclone Seroja that struck southeastern Indonesia, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Amir sends cable of congratulations to Vietnamese president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to Nguyen Xuan Phuc on taking the oath of off ice as President of Vietnam. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani also sent a cable of congratulations to Pham Minh Chinh on taking the oath of off ice as Prime Minister of Vietnam.

Work to build Microsoft’s Azure Cloud facility in Doha completed

Azure Qatar centre will begin operations in first quarter of 2022;event held to mark first anniversary of strategic partnership with Microsoft

A screen image from the virtual event held yesterday.

Shura Council committee holds meeting

The Financial and Economic Aff airs Committee of the Shura Council held a meeting yesterday, chaired by its Acting Rapporteur HE Nasser bin Rashid bin Saree al-Kaabi. The committee studied the standing of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in light of the support provided to them by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to help them confront the diff iculties they face due to the pandemic. The meeting was attended by the Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Aff airs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Saleh bin Majed al-Khulaifi. The committee decided to complete the study of this issue at its next meeting.

The minister said Qatar’s wise leadership is committed to invest in cloud computing in order to be a regional hub for information and communications technology and for investors in this field

Qatar affi rms commitment for transparent business practices, policies at WTO meetQNAGeneva

Qatar affi rmed its com-mitment and support for transparency of busi-

ness policies and practices, and a rules-based trade system, out of its keenness to adopt this system to achieve the goals of Qatar Na-tional Vision 2030.

This came in a speech delivered by HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari who chaired yesterday Qatar’s delegation participating in the opening session of Qatar’s third Trade Policy Review meet-ings at the World Trade Organi-sation (WTO), which will run for three days.

During the session, HE al-Ku-wari reviewed Qatar’s trade poli-cies in front of 164 WTO mem-ber states. He stressed that Qatar ascribed high value to the Trade Policy Review mechanism, as it supports a direct and transparent approach to clarifying members’ policies, options, and positions, and simultaneously provides val-uable information to the private sector.

He assured that Qatar remains committed to the rule-based sys-tem of trade, not only due to its adoption of transparency and en-hancing predictability in interna-tional trade but also because of its keenness to make extensive use of this system as it moves forward to meet its development goals in the Qatar National Vision 2030.

HE al-Kuwari pointed out that since its last Trade Policy Review in 2014, Qatar had relied exten-sively on the multilateral trading system. The multilateral trad-ing system plays an important role in tackling many challenges, especially with regard to the mechanisms available to settle trade-related disputes, provid-ing appropriate policies for the private sector, and continuing to promote economic development through trade facilitation and in-vestment promotion.

He said that Qatar had real-ised the importance of enhancing

the role of international trade in working for its future develop-ment.

Thus, Qatar has been keen to further liberalise its domes-tic markets to foreign investors across the economy, particularly in knowledge-intensive areas and real estate. Furthermore, HE al-Kuwari clarifi ed that Qatar had sought to achieve these objectives by creating an investment pro-motion agency, overhauling the public procurement framework, enacting a new foreign invest-ment law, and amending its free zone regime.

He stressed that these ef-forts had contributed to reduc-ing transaction costs across the economy, a factor that comple-ments the trade and investment facilitation measures. Talking about the measures Qatar has taken to limit the repercussions of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pan-demic, HE al-Kuwari said that the state had responded proactively to protect public health and the economy with a package of pre-ventive measures, monetary aid, and tax facilitation measures, that included a QR75bn aid package, a six-month payment deferral on all loans with the Qatar Develop-ment Bank, a six-month exemp-

tion from electricity and water fees for certain sectors, as well as a temporary custom duty-exemp-tion on food and medical supplies, and increased oversight to curb monopolistic pricing practices.

Additionally, the diffi culties the state faced had only served to strengthen the government’s resolve to move forward with its national development goals, he said. To this end, the National Development Strategy document for 2018-2022 has been updated to refi ne the focus of Qatar’s de-velopment plans at the sector level, in light of the Planning and Statistics Authority’s studies and reports. Moreover, the review has also served to further align Qa-tar’s development goals with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said.

He explained that in the frame-work of paving the way for achiev-ing economic development, a new Food Security Department was established under the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to oversee the implementation of the country’s food strategy. The state also launched the General Tax Authority, and the Central Ten-der Committee was eliminated, as part of the general overhaul of Qa-tar’s public procurement frame-

work, in addition to creating the Investment Promotion Agency, he added.

HE al-Kuwari pointed to the state’s eff orts in terms of protect-ing intellectual property rights. Qatar has updated its legislation on trademark protection, en-forced existing laws on the pro-tection of trade indications, trade names, geographical and indus-trial designs and templates, as well as implemented electronic patent registration to streamline processes.

HE al-Kuwari stated that the private sector and foreign inves-tors wishing to establish them-selves in Qatar could make use of Information Technology tools, biotechnology, and artifi cial in-telligence, stressing the state’s keenness to create a business and investment-friendly environ-ment.

He further mentioned that

Qatar had continued to imple-ment measures to facilitate trade, by signing several Service Level Agreements with domestic agen-cies to streamline the issuing of technical, health, and environ-mental approvals on imported goods as well as establishing plat-forms and processes to handle the online submission of documenta-tion.

Qatar is also working on several additional measures to further facilitate trade fl ow, boost in-vestment, and provide logistical support in terms of exports and imports, he added. On the legis-lative environment in Qatar, the minister referred to the new law regulating the investment of non-Qatari capital in the economic activity enacted in 2019, which allows foreign ownership of up to 100% of shared capital.

The state has also issued a law that enables foreign investment

in real estate and allows Real Es-tate Investment Trusts to operate in Qatar through the Qatar Finan-cial Centre. HE al-Kuwari further touched on the law regulating public-private partnerships.

This law enacted recently aims at promoting competition, in-creasing private sector partici-pation in infrastructure devel-opment and management, and encouraging the public sector to decrease public expenditure and increase effi ciency in project de-livery and management.

In the conclusion of the session, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry affi rmed the continua-tion of eff orts to diversify the eco-nomic activity to achieve Qatar’s economic development goals.

The session featured the par-ticipation of Qatar’s delegation, which included representatives from the General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Commerce and In-dustry, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Planning and Statistics Au-thority, Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Petroleum, General Authority of Customs, and Qatar Chamber.

HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari reviewed Qatar’s trade policies in front of 164 WTO member states. The delegates at WTO meeting.

Ministry discusses ‘Code of Conduct of Public Offi cials’

The Ministry of Administrative Development Labour and Social Aff airs, represented by the Institute of Public Administration, con-cluded the meeting of the ‘Code of Conduct and Integrity of Public Off icials’, which it established in co-operation with the Administrative Control and Transparency Author-ity within the enrichment meetings that the institute holds annually for the participants to develop the skills of those working in leader-ship and supervisory positions. General Director of the Institute of Public Administration Abdulaziz Saad al-Majali said during the meeting in which the directors of departments, assistant managers and heads of departments in a number of government agencies participated through visual com-munication technology, the need to continue co-operation between the institute and government agencies to implement training programmes, meetings and joint activities to implement the national strategy. He stressed that the code of conduct and integrity for public off icials, which was issued by Cabi-net Decision No (18) of 2020 and ratified by His Highness the Amir, has set behavioural standards that govern the work of the employee. Among the most important of these behavioural standards are honesty, objectivity, fairness, equal-ity, transparency, and integrity.

On the legislative environment in Qatar, the minister referred to the law regulating the investment of non-Qatari capital in the economic activity enacted in 2019, which allows foreign ownership of up to 100% of shared capital

QATAR3Gulf Times

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Education and research is key to building a healthier worldOn World Health Day, an ini-

tiative by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise

awareness about the overall health and well-being of people across the world, celebrated on April 7, we asked Dr Hend Mansoor, Assistant Profes-sor at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), how the college is contributing to this year’s theme of building a fairer, healthier world amid the current challenges facing popula-tions.

What is the role played by CHLS in promoting the health and wel-fare of community members and its contributions to addressing Qatar’s grand health challenges?

One of our central roles of CHLS is research discovery within the fi eld of precision health. Our eff orts are di-rected toward impacting the clinical sector (clinical bioinformatics, drug discovery, pharmacogenomics, gene editing, and multi-omics analysis)

and preventative healthcare. Exer-cise science is directed at develop-ing knowledge on the role of physical activity and exercise in sustaining health, fi tness, and recovery from in-jury.

The college’s other major contribu-tion is through our research-intensive graduate degree programs. We are providing educational and research training for the next generation of research scientists who will become leaders in addressing current and fu-ture health challenges in Qatar, the region, and further afi eld.

What are the eff orts exerted by

CHLS to improve healthcare serv-ices in Qatar?

While improving healthcare serv-ices is not central to our educational and research mandate, CHLS’ cross-institutional collaborative activity generates substantive intellectual and research benefi ts. These contribute to addressing the cutting-edge clini-

cal research, pharmacogenomics, and precision medicine diagnostic plat-forms founded on clinical bioinfor-matics.

What are the focus areas of the

research projects conducted by CHLS?

Research projects at CHLS empha-sise the translation of research out-comes to address clinical challenges in several areas including neuroscience, cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases, cancer, omics, exercise science, and epidemiology. The creation of multi-disciplinary teams is a major focus within the college in order to maintain and build the technologies required to support these research goals.

What are the most signifi cant

research projects conducted by the college recently and how will the intended outcomes benefi t residents of Qatar and the Gulf re-gion?

There have been several signifi cant research projects published recently by faculty members. To name a few: Dr Omar Albagha, professor at CHLS, and his team published the fi rst and largest genetic association study in

the Middle East using data from the Qatar Genome Project. Dr Borbala Mifsud, assistant professor, has re-cently been awarded a major grant from Qatar National Research Fund to study the role of certain anti-infl am-matory agents named TNF inhibitors in certain autoimmune conditions prevalent in Qatar, such as leukaemia.

Has CHLS conducted any spe-cial research projects related to Covid-19?

There are several that can be high-lighted. Dr Dindial Ramotar, profes-sor at CHLS and Dr Mustapha Aouida, research scientist and lab manager at the college developed a strategy that will help to eliminate false positives and false negatives in detecting Cov-id-19. The approach works extremely well in vitro and is now being vali-dated in asymptomatic individuals as well as with ICU patient samples. Dr Georges Nemer, professor and co-ordinator of the Genomics and Preci-

sion Medicine program at CHLS, and his team assessed the use of in silico tools to repurpose existing drugs in order to combat Sars-CoV-2 and fea-ture the fi rst non-biased approach to rank these drugs.

CHLS off ers many specialised

programmes that prepare stu-dents to pursue a career in the health and medical services sec-tor. Please tell us about these pro-grammes.

CHLS off ers several PhD and mas-ter’s programmes in the fi elds of Bio-logical and Biomedical Sciences, Ge-nomics and Precision Medicine, and Exercise Science. Graduates have promising career prospects and typi-cally choose to pursue opportunities in biomedical research, exercise physiol-ogy, healthcare, or other related areas, working in academia, biomedical com-panies, governmental ministries, or other sectors where they can address national and global health challenges.

Dr Hend Mansoor, Assistant Profes-sor at the College of Health and Life Sciences.

AAB brings elevated style, sophistication to Qatar sedan market with launch of new Toyota Camry

Further strengthening the appeal of one of the Mid-dle East’s best-loved ve-

hicles, Toyota has launched the latest version of the Camry in the region.

“Featuring an imposing yet elegant silhouette and spa-cious, high-quality interior, the new Camry combines engaging performance with thoughtful technology to help drivers and passengers get the most out of every journey,” according to a press statement issued in Doha by Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co (AAB), the sole distributor for Toyota vehicles in Qatar.

The new model introduces a level of refi nement that exceeds expectations, further cement-ing the Camry’s reputation as a class-leading vehicle that off ers an unparalleled driving experi-ence, the statement notes.

“We are excited to bring drivers in the Middle East a re-freshed version of the Toyota

Camry, a vehicle they already know and love,” said Kei Fujita, chief representative, Middle East and Central Asia Repre-sentative Offi ce, Toyota Motor Corporation.

The new Camry provides a comfortable and stable ride with superior handling characteris-tics thanks to the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which retains all of “Toyota’s traditional values of superlative build quality and safety while injecting a fun driving experi-ence”.

The latest evolution of the Camry’s styling gives the ve-hicle a bold look that engages the senses more strongly than ever. Also, the new Camry’s interior melds functionality, elegant styling and impeccable craftsmanship. These include a panoramic moonroof, a fl oating 7-inch or 9-inch multimedia touchscreen that comes inte-grated with Apple CarPlay and

Android Auto, a wireless charg-ing system for smartphones, dual-zone automatic air-con-ditioning, a six-speaker sound system, multi-adjustable power front seats, and 60/40 split and reclining rear seats.

The new Camry is available with a choice of three power-train options: a 2.5-litre four-

cylinder Dynamic Force engine that produces 204hp and 243nm of torque and is paired with an eight-speed Direct-Shift auto-matic transmission; a 3.5-litre V6 engine with D-4S fuel in-jection system that produces 298hp and 356nm of torque and is mated to an eight-speed au-tomatic transmission; and an

electrifi ed hybrid system. The combined power of the two power sources is 214hp.

The hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) model can be driven en-tirely by electrical power with zero-fuel consumption and carbon

emissions, or with a combi-nation of the petrol engine and

two electric motors depending on the vehicle speed and cus-tomer’s driving behaviour, the statement adds.

The batteries in the hybrid electric drivetrain are auto-matically charged by either the petrol engine or when braking and decelerating, eliminating the need to plug in a power cord.

The new Camry HEV does not require special fuel, yet drives like any conventional vehicle.

The vehicle’s advanced safe-ty system is complemented by Toyota Safety Sense, an ad-vanced safety technology pack-age that includes Pre-Collision System, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Lane Tracing Assist and Auto-matic High Beam. In addition, the vehicle features an array of safety features to protect its occupants, such as six SRS air-bags, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Brake Assist, Hill-start Assist Control and a rear-view camera, among others.

The new Toyota Camry comes in 11 distinctive exterior colours. In addition, it can be fi tted with 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels that feature two intricate designs.

The new Toyota Camry. A view of the interior.

QNTC outlines achievements, way forward at annual meet

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) under-lined its achievements

over the past year during the entity’s staff annual meeting at the drive-in cinema in Lusail re-cently.

Despite the challenges brought about by the suspension of travel and tourism globally, QNTC adapted and focused on building its digital market-ing capabilities. It also engaged stakeholders – both external and internal – in capacity building initiatives.

QNTC secretary-general and Qatar Airways Group chief ex-ecutive HE Akbar al-Baker high-lighted the achievements of the Qatari tourism industry and its aspirations to contribute signifi -cantly to the national economy.

He stressed the importance of each employee’s role in boosting Qatar’s reputation as a tourism destination and promoting Qa-tar’s hidden gems.

QNTC COO Berthold Tren-kel said: “We are eager to use all communication channels to stay close to our employees, and this annual meeting is one of those ways allowing us to exchange ideas, create dialogue, and share QNTC’s plans and strategic goals for the next few years. This townhall is also an opportunity to emphasise the importance of achieving excellence and quality in all our operations.”

Trenkel was keen in lauding the eff orts of the Council’s em-ployees, as well as tourism sector

stakeholders who collaborated in supporting Qatar’s eff orts in halting local transmission of the virus, particularly the hospital-ity sector. It enabled citizens and residents to return to Qatar by providing quarantine facilities.

He also lauded the role of the council’s employees in the Cri-sis Committee and the National Command Centre.

The Townhall spotlighted QNTC’s accomplishments over the past year, such as the launch of “Qatar Clean” programme, carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

With a push towards digital, QNTC has been redeveloping the international visitor website,

and its partnership with Voda-fone will allow it to harness big data and advanced analytics to accelerate Qatar’s goal of being a world-class tourist destination. Other notable occurrences in-cluded the launch of the “Qatar Calendar of Events” and the 17th edition of “Heya Arabian Fash-ion Exhibition”, which was suc-cessfully organised under strin-gent precautionary measures in line with the hygiene and safety guidelines put forth by MoPH.

Trenkel also distributed awards honouring outstand-ing QNTC employees, as well as those who have spent over five years, more than 10 years, and more than 15 years con-tributing in the development

of the tourism sector.“I am delighted to honour our

long-serving employees, who are an important asset for the tourism sector, their experiences will help us achieve our plans, and combined with the compe-tencies of our new joiners, we will be able to enhance Qatar’s position as a global tourist des-tination, off ering service excel-lence, and products that lead the competition in the region,” he said.

The meeting was organised at the drive-in cinema, in line with the hygiene and safety guide-lines put forth by MoPH, such as checking the “Ehteraz” applica-tion and measuring attendees’ body temperature, as well as maintaining physical distanc-ing. Employees were also able to benefi t from a variety of enter-tainment off ers.

Environmental group aims for ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle in QatarBy Peter AlagosBusiness Reporter

Promoting sustained campaigns that raise awareness on the dangers of using plastic products would help push the growth of a “zero-waste lifestyle in Qatar,” an off icial of a Doha-based environmental youth group has said.Neeshad Shafi, co-founder of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQA), said the group seeks to inspire young people in the country and even abroad to put their ideas into action in order to protect the environment.“We foster positive visioning and creativity; although our focus is to raise awareness on the dire state of our environment, we aim to develop and promote ‘positive possibilities’. We believe in using creative ways to engage and involve people, encouraging them to imagine the future they want to inhabit,” Shafi told Gulf Times in a statement. “We are part of an experimental, learning network. Being part of a network means we can create change more quickly and more eff ectively, drawing on each other’s experiences and insights. “We want to acknowledge and learn from failure, as well as success if we’re going to be bold and find new ways of reaching and engaging with the community. We will not always get it right the first time. We will be open about our processes and will actively seek and respond positively to feedback,” he stressed. According to Shafi, AYCM Qatar believes the real problem of plastic pollution “has grown so large,” and that tackling the problem is a collective eff ort because “no individual person can make a real diff erence.” He stressed that the issue “is a universal problem with a thousand diff erent causes that must all be addressed systemically.” Shafi expressed his reservations on the eff ectiveness of beach cleanups, saying only “9% of all the plastic ever produced has ever been recycled,” and that the “marine plastic

problem continues unabated.”“The only way to really make a diff erence is to stop plastics from entering the ocean in the first place by stemming its source and this can only be achieved when plastic producers are made accountable. So, we need our government and industry to speed up this translation by first bringing eff ective legislation and bringing up eco-friendly ventures,” he explained. Shafi said the group is working to kick-start a first-of-its-kind initiative towards a ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle in Qatar to see how the zero-waste and plastic-free mindset becomes mainstream in the country. “As part of our strategic initiatives, we will be host series of workshops, webinars, conferences, study tours, and produce case studies and policy papers, as well as long-term online and off line campaigns, thus introducing the right knowledge to implement change and change social behaviours rather than mere beach clean-ups, which has not changed the public perspective. “We will call for good design and denounce products that are not made with circularity in mind. Moreover, through sustained campaigns we will push for the growth of a zero-waste lifestyle movement in Qatar,” Shafi added.

Neeshad Shafi, co-founder of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQA).

HE Akbar al-Baker, along with Berthold Trenkel and Omar al-Jaber, at QNTC’s recently held staff annual meeting.

QNTC’s staff annual meeting was held at the drive-in cinema in Lusail with all the Covid-19 precautionary measures in place.

QATARGulf Times Wednesday, April 7, 20214

Qatar’s ambassador to Aus-tria and the Permanent Representative to the UN

and international organisations in Vienna, HE Sultan bin Salmeen al-Mansouri, has said that there is a qualitative leap in the state’s co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Offi ce on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In an interview with Lu-sail newspaper, he emphasised Qa-tar’s close relations with the IAEA and its commitment to the agency’s goals to expand the role of nuclear energy in achieving world peace, development and prosperity.

HE al-Mansouri said that Qatar co-operates with the UN organi-sations and other international organisations operating in Vienna, most notably the IAEA, the UN-ODC, the UN Industrial Develop-ment Organisation (Unido), the Preparatory Commission for the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, the Unit-ed Nations Offi ce for Outer Space Aff airs (UNOOSA), the Interna-tional Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Eu-rope (OSCE).

He pointed out that Qatar, since its accession to the IAEA in 1976, has maintained close co-operation relations with the agency through agreements and memoranda of understanding on various aspects related to the peaceful uses of nu-clear energy and the sharing of nu-clear knowledge and technologies, especially in the areas of research and development on vital prob-lems facing developing countries, through directing work eff orts towards food, health, water, the environment, and the fi elds of nu-clear and radiological technology.

HE al-Mansouri underlined that Qatar is keen to fulfi l its fi -nancial obligations to the agency’s budget and the Technical Coop-eration Fund (TCF). He praised the

co-operation between Qatar with the agency when it comes to mon-itoring nuclear security measures during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as well as the participation of Qa-tar’s experts in courses held by the agency, in both its headquarters in Vienna and in Qatar.

On co-operation with the UN-ODC, HE al-Mansouri said that since its establishment in 1997 in Vienna, the UNODC has played a pioneering role in the fi ght against illicit drugs and international crime in all its dimensions, in ad-dition to being responsible for im-plementing the UN Counter-Ter-rorism Strategy.

The offi ce, he said, also works to improve crime prevention pro-cedures and help reform criminal justice systems in the world in or-der to strengthen the rule of law.

In this regard, HE al-Mansouri pointed out that the 13th UN Con-gress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice hosted by Qatar in 2015 has established a distin-guished and fruitful co-operation

between Qatar and the UNODC, in particular through the Doha Dec-laration Global Programme, which is funded by Qatar.

He added that the programme has become a pioneering model to be emulated in providing sup-port to the UN Offi ce on Drugs and Crime in order to assist countries, especially developing ones, in ad-dressing organised crime, corrup-tion, drugs and terrorism, and in building well-established and fair criminal justice systems and con-tributing to the implementation of the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

HE al-Mansouri underlined that the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Dec-laration refl ected the wisdom and foresight of the country’s political leadership, led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Qatar’s belief in plural-ism in international work as well as its endeavour to convert interna-tional political commitments into projects on the ground.

Qatar Charity (QC), in co-operation with Etlaqq Busi-

ness Management and Bedaya Centre for Entre-preneurship and Career Development, contin-ues to support “excellent projects” under the Tam-ken programme by launching a promotional campaign for them.

The programme is con-cerned with developing capabilities in the areas of economic empowerment and contributing to the fi eld of entrepreneurship in Qatar.

The marketing campaign aims to acquaint people with the projects and support youth to launch their projects and encourage them to put forth their ideas.

Among these projects is Afaq, an electronic platform and mobile application project for art lovers and organi-sations, and the Cakeaty project, which off ers cakes with a taste that recalls the memories of childhood, QC has said in a statement.

Programmes and Community Development director Jassim Mohamed al-Emadi said that Qatar Charity and its partners continue to support these projects.

He indicated that QC extends support through a pro-motional campaign aimed at acquainting people with the winning projects and encouraging young people to launch similar projects in the fi eld of entrepreneurship, while the partners continue to provide support for the rest of the projects that require formal procedures and the necessary licences.

Etlaqq Business Management chief executive Dr Latifa al-Darwish affi rmed that workshops yielded signifi cant results as the participants benefi ted from them.

She said they are following up on the winning projects and their work procedures.

She also thanked QC and the Bedaya Centre for this fruitful co-operation, indicating that the participation of Etlaqq in the programme is aimed at helping entre-preneurs, especially in light of the continued coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The owners of the winning projects expressed happi-ness with the continued support.

Sarah al-Baqer, owner of the Cakeaty project, thanked the QC for extending its continuous support to the project, noting that the promotional campaign by Qatar Charity received a good response from the Qatar commu-nity.

Mona al-Badr, owner of the Afaq project, thanked the QC and the partners for providing unlimited support,

constructive initia-tives like Tamken, workshops and consultations to in-crease the project owners’ awareness of the Qatar market.

The Tamken programme was launched in late-2020.

It is an integrated training programme provided remote-ly through Qatar Charity’s social me-dia accounts.

The initiative tar-gets persons with ideas and small projects, those in need of training to enter the market, and people with special needs, in addition to those aff ected by the Covid-19 pandemic to enable them to enter the market and market their projects properly.

Qatar Charitybacks winning projects of the Tamkenprogramme

The Afaq project.

The Cakeaty project.

Jassim Mohamed al-Emadi

Qatar committed to IAEA goalsQNADoha

HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali met yesterday with Russian Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin. During the meeting, which was held via video conference, aspects of co-operation between the two countries and ways to support and develop them in sports were reviewed. (QNA)

Qatar-Russia sports ties reviewed

Aspetar launch ‘Healthy Ramadan’ campaign

For the 11th year in a row, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital

has announced the launch of a new ‘Healthy Ramadan’ campaign.

Dubbed as ‘Healthy Ramadan Story, this year’s campaign seeks to increase awareness of the importance of adopting an ac-tive and healthy lifestyle during the holy month. The campaign includes messages on the lat-est fi ndings from Aspetar sports medicine researchers, who have

spent several years studying the impact of fasting on athletic per-formance and overall health.

Throughout Ramadan infor-mation on topics around nu-trition, physical activity, psy-chological aspects (sleep and stress), and oral health will be shared mainly via Aspetar’s of-fi cial social media channels @aspetar. The audience is also in-vited to submit their questions on Ramadan and these topics on Aspetar social media, and Asp-

etar experts will then give their answers in dynamic and interac-tive ways.

The campaign, which runs until the middle of Ramadan, aims to promote physical activ-ity among community members in Qatar, as well as professionals and recreational athletes. How-ever, with Ramadan taking place in the shadow of Covid-19 pan-demic for the second time, sub-sequent restrictions will still be factored in.

QATAR5Gulf Times

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

MoPH reports 927 new Covid-19 cases and 166,953 total recoveriesQNADoha

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported yesterday, 927 new con-

fi rmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19).

Of these, 814 are from com-munity and 113 from travellers returning from abroad.

The MoPH recorded 512 re-coveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 166,953.

It also reported six new deaths of people aged 34, 49, 52, 58, 76 and 79, who were receiving the necessary medical care.

Meanwhile, the health min-istry said 961,555 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been ad-ministered since the start of the national vaccination pro-gramme. Of these 26,712 doses were given in the past 24 hours.

The health ministry said hun-dreds of people are becoming sick daily due to Covid-19 with many requiring hospital admis-sion.

Since February 1, the number of people with Covid-19 admit-ted to hospital has doubled. It said Qatar is now seeing posi-

tive Covid-19 cases with the new variants from the United King-dom. This new variant is much more contagious and can spread more easily between people than the existing strain and may be

associated with increased sever-ity of disease.

However, the good news is that the Pfi zer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in Qatar’s vaccination programme

are eff ective against the new variants. The ministry said the pace of the vaccination pro-grammes is holding out hope of a gradual return to normality for people in Qatar as well as around the world. “But this will not happen in the next few weeks or months.”

It said Covid-19 will continue to be a threat to health for the best part of 2021, and until all eligible members of the popula-tion are vaccinated, people must continue to follow the preventive measures.

With the recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Qatar, it is important for every-one to play their role in control-ling the virus by following pre-cautionary measures:Adherence to physical dis-

tancingAvoiding close contact with

others, crowded places and con-fi ned closed spaces where people congregateWearing a face maskWashing hands regularlyAnyone suff ering from Cov-

id-19 symptoms should contact 16000 helpline immediately. This is important, as the earlier the disease is detected, the eas-ier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.

Visit the MoPH web-site for regular updates and new information.

HMC advises pregnant, breastfeeding women to take precautions if fasting during holy month of Ramadan

An expert at Hamad Med-ical Corporation (HMC) has advised pregnant

and breastfeeding women to take necessary precautions, if fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Pregnant women with un-derlying health conditions should avoid fasting in order to protect themselves and their un-born babies from any further un-wanted complications,” said Dr Faten El Taher, senior consult-ant in Obstetrics/Gynecology at HMC’s Women’s Wellness and Research Center.

“However, pregnant women who are willing to fast dur-ing Ramadan should seek their doctor’s advice throughout the month to make sure that fasting is not aff ecting their baby,” she explained.

Women who have pregnancy complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure or anaemia are generally advised to avoid fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Breastfeeding women are also advised to have a general health check to ascertain their fi tness and ensure their baby’s well-being before undertaking fasting, according to the expert.

According to Dr El Taher,

there are some concerns that fasting may aff ect how well a baby grows in the uterus (womb), or that fasting may be linked to premature labour. “There is usu-ally an increase in the number of pregnant women visiting our Emergency Department during Ramadan due to fasting.”

“Some studies suggest that more babies are born early if their mothers fast during Ram-adan. If Ramadan coincides with the summer months, this means hot weather and long days, which puts pregnant women at greater risk of dehydration due to a low fl uid intake. This could induce premature labour and

subsequently lead to preterm births,” Dr El Taher said.

She suggested that fasting pregnant women should contact their doctor as soon as possible if they are not putting on enough weight or are losing weight; be-come very thirsty, are urinating less frequently or if their urine becomes dark-coloured and strong-smelling - this is a sign of dehydration and can make them more prone to urinary tract in-fections or other complications; develop a headache or other pains, or a fever; and become nauseous or start vomiting.

She added that they should contact their doctor “straight away” if there is a noticeable change in their baby’s move-ments, such as if the baby is not moving around or kicking as much; they notice contraction-like pains - this could be a sign of premature labour; and they feel dizzy, faint, weak, confused or tired, even after they have had a good rest.

“If any of the instances above occur, women should break their fast immediately and drink water containing salt and sugar or an oral rehydration solution. They should also contact their doctor immediately,” Dr El Taher added.

26,712 Covid-19 vaccine doses given in the past 24 hours

477 face prosecution for violations of Covid precautionary measures

The designated authorities referred 477 people to the Public Prosecution for violating the preventive and precautionary measures enforced by the country to contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), QNA reported. Among them, 377 people were referred to the prosecution for not wearing masks in places where they are mandatory, while 11 were found violating the maximum number of four people allowed in a vehicle including the driver, except when they are members of one family, 88 did not adhere to safe distancing, and one person did not install Ehteraz app on his mobile phone.

SkipCash off ers digital payment solution via mobile phone

SkipCash, a Qatari mobile payment technology com-pany, is promoting innova-

tive and contactless mobile pay-ment solutions to provide one of the unique and safe payment services for both individuals and merchants.

SkipCash is the innovation of Qatari entrepreneur Mohamed Abdulaziz al-Delaimi, who has long experience in technology. He devised a product to meet the local fi ntech sector requirements and fi ll in digital payments gaps, decreasing the dependency on cash or even bank cards.

In addition, SkipCash is the ideal contactless payment method during the pandemic and represents the perfect pay-

ment solution for individuals and merchants.

SkipCash was licensed by Qa-tar Financial Centre in 2019, and approved by Qatar Central Bank, after which the team started the new platform driving it to win third place in the 3rd edition of the Digital Incubation Centre at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The company introduced its fl agship SkipCash application in two levels, for merchants and individual users, and launched its actual operation in December 2020 to be Qatar’s leading mobile digital payment solution.

“SkipCash seeks to make the most out of the signifi cant tech-nology revolution to provide con-

sumers with an innovative range of unique digital payment services and multi-benefi t programmes. We are pleased to introduce this special service to the Qatari mar-

ket, which has been developed by national skills to optimise our society and homeland and to keep pace with the prevailing global trends in this fi eld,” al-Delaimi, founder and managing director for SkipCash, said in a press state-ment.

“Due to its quality and ease of its service along with the high de-gree of security and privacy, Skip-

Cash managed to position itself as a leading digital platform in the market. We built trust in a short period among a large number of partners and individuals who be-lieved that SkipCash is the best solution to pay and gain a range of great benefi ts in one app,” he said.

SkipCash application can be easily downloaded on mobiles through the Google Play Store or Apple Store on iOS. The applica-tion is user-friendly thanks to its perfectly designed platform. Besides, users can leverage from wide range of other services in-cluding tracking of all payments, check the latest promotions and discounts from various mer-chants, view their rewards, and identify the merchant’s locations

along with their products and services. Users can also link their bank card with SkipCash account and use it without adding a bal-ance.

Moreover, the app off ers mer-chants several advantages such as reducing the operation cost as they will not need machines for payments, downloading the app for free and receiving their pay-ments anywhere. Besides, they can collect and analyse data to promote and develop their busi-ness to meet consumer trends.

SkipCash is an innovative dig-ital platform that provides all contributors from merchants, individuals, and banks the oppor-tunity to collaborate and enhance the way of payments through this

digital platform. Besides, Skip-Cash generates positive results on the Qatari economy, driving the digital cashless economy and provides pioneering solutions for contactless payment, especially during the current pandemic.

Startups are the pillar of a country’s economy, which are considered a great tool to improve overall performance, create jobs in the market and stimulate the economy.

Customers can now download the app on smartphones and enjoy contactless digital payment with-out the need for cash or bank card. SkipCash is currently available in more than 120 restaurants, shops, coff ee shops, sports clubs, hotels, and even transport services.

SkipCash off ers an easy solution that is open to users replacing cash or bank cards.

Mohamed Abdulaziz al-Delaimi

Online platform ‘Turkish Souq’ launched in Ankara

The online shopping platform ‘Turkish Souq’ was launched in

Ankara yesterday with a new universal look and feel in the context of eff orts of en-hancing trade co-operation between the Turkish capital and Doha.

Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communi-cations (MoTC) announced that the event was attended by Qatar Post chairman and managing director Faleh al-Naemi, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karais-mailoglu, Turkey Post PTT (Posta ve Telgraf Teskilatı)

Corporation director-gen-eral Hakan Gulten.

During the trial launch, several online purchases were made through the platform from over 50 countries. Demand is ex-pected to grow from around the world during the com-ing weeks and as marketing begins.

The ‘Turkish Souq’ is a modern platform for e-commerce for Turkish commodities and products. Customers are now able to buy high-quality Turkish products anywhere in the world with home delivery in Doha via Qatar Post.

QATAR

Gulf TimesWednesday, April 7, 20216

9th Ajyal Film Festival to inspire enthusiasts

with hybrid edition from November 7-19

After the success of the Ajyal Film Fes-tival’s hybrid edition last year, the ninth edition of the annual event by

the Doha Film Institute (DFI) will be held from November 7-19.

Continuing to follow safety protocols, the festival will once again be held in hybrid format, with a selection of in-person events and online activations. One of the region’s most anticipated fi lm festivals celebrating creative interaction and promoting cultural understanding through cinema, Ajyal Film Festival 2021 will return to showcase com-pelling fi lms from across the world.

DFI’s annual signature event is an immer-sive celebration of community and the per-meating power of fi lm for audiences across generations, with a unique focus on young talent development through its interna-tionally acclaimed youth jury programme for ages 8-25.

In a press statement, festival director and DFI CEO Fatma Hassan al-Remaihi, said: “The ninth edition of the festival re-inforces its founding philosophy: to cel-ebrate the fi nest of cinema from around the world while nurturing the appreciation and engagement of youth in creative and criti-cal thinking. Ajyal continued to set a new standard in promoting cinema, despite the challenges following the pandemic, and we will build on our positive momentum by de-livering a community-oriented festival that will inspire all.

“Ajyal’s focus on nurturing young talent and cinematic voices from around the world fuels our belief that in these unprecedent-ed times, the impact of fi lm and art moves beyond boundaries and limitations, and its

innate power to connect and inspire is now more important than ever. Taking into con-sideration that travel restrictions are still in place in many countries, we will continue to maximise the reach of the hybrid model and ensure that all safety protocols are met.”

Ajyal Film Festival 2021 will have several exciting features that will be announced in due course. Submissions of feature length and short fi lms for the festival will be open from April 20 that will screen fi lms from across the globe including DFI-supported fi lms in addition to the acclaimed ‘Made in Qatar’ programme of fi lms by Qatari and Qatar-based fi lmmakers.

The Ajyal Creativity Hub will delight families with a multisensory extravaganza that combines fi lm, art and music; Geek-dom, Qatar’s largest and one-of-a-kind pop culture event; Ajyal Talks, gathering lead-ers from fi lm, art, television, and technol-ogy for inspiring and insightful discussions; and Ajyal Tunes, celebrating the country’s musical talents through a mix of online ini-tiatives and in-person concerts. Guests can also look forward to the Ajyal Exhibition se-

Fatma Hassan al-Remaihi at the Ajyal Film Festival 2020.

ries that present works of art by emerging and accomplished local artists.

An exchange of culture and learning through fi lm, Ajyal’s move into the virtual sphere last year inspired an even greater number of participants to benefi t from this one-of-a-kind cultural initiative. The eighth edition of the festival in 2020 screened 80 fi lms from 46 countries in an innovative mix of virtual and in-person fi lm screenings, interactive discus-sions, and DFI’s fi rst-ever drive-in cinema in Lusail as part of a programme of unique experiences for all ages.

Ashghal completes roads,infrastructure works near Abu Nakhla Petrol StationThe Public Works Author-

ity (Ashghal) has com-pleted the roads and in-

frastructure works around Abu Nakhla Petrol Station on Salwa Road in Mebaireek.

The works are part of the Road Improvement Works in Al Rayy-an Area-Phase 5.

The main purpose is to pro-vide safe roads and entrances for users of the petrol station and to regulate traffi c around it as well as to facilitate access to the ex-isting schools in the neighbour-ing areas.

Engineer Fahad Mohamed al-Otaibi, head of Western Area Section in the Roads Project Department, said Ashghal was keen to accelerate work progress of the roads around Abu Nakhla Petrol Station in Mebaireek, in order to serve the users of this facility including visitors and residents of this area and neigh-bourhoods like Abu Nakhla and Al Sailiya.

Al-Otaibi pointed out that in addition to constructing roads which serve the petrol station, two roundabouts were con-structed to facilitate and regu-late traffi c access to the existing schools on Rawdat Umm Islama Street, located behind the sta-

tion, including Al Sailiya School, Abu Nakhla School and Fatima Zahra School.

He said the roads delivered by the project serve both the station and the educational institutions, facilitating local access to them

while providing infrastructure utilities and road safety ele-ments to fulfi l the needs of the residents of Mebaireek and Abu Nakhla areas as well as other nearby areas.

The project’s scope of works

involved providing entrances and exits to and from the petrol station at a total road length of 1.6km and asphalt works over a

10sq m surface as well as pro-viding lighting systems along-side the new streets and install-ing directional signage and road markings.

As for infrastructure works, 1.2km-long stormwater and surface water drainage networks have been implemented in or-der to protect the area from the risk of fl ooding, in addition to upgrading 300m of potable wa-ter network lines and protecting electricity and telecommunica-tions services’ lines.

He added Ashghal was keen on using locally produced and manufactured materials and said local components make up 85% of the project works. The local materials used included Gabbro, lighting poles and luminaires, surface water drainage pipes, as-phalt, prefabricated manholes, concrete, and reinforcement steel.

This project is part of Ash-ghal’s plan to develop the exist-ing road network and improve its effi ciency nationwide. Works are underway to construct a new bridge to serve Mebaireek areas.

Film submissions for the festival presented by the Doha Film Institute will open from April 20

Some of the completed works.

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) president engineer Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari received the Social Responsibility Award for the best institution in the energy sector for 2020, from the organising committee of the Social Responsibility Conference, held virtually.

Kahramaa wins award

QU Health Interprofessional Education Committee organises activity on mental health

Qatar University (QU) Health Interprofes-sional Education Com-

mittee (IPEC), which consists of representatives from all healthcare schools in Qatar, organised its second activ-ity titled the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Activity on Mental Health.

Some 151 students and 13 fa-cilitators attended the event. The professions and colleges involved were Biomedical Sci-ences, Human Nutrition and Public Health from the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Col-lege of Medicine (CMED) and College of Pharmacy (CPH).

This IPE activity aims to introduce the concept of in-terprofessional education by promoting collaboration be-tween diff erent healthcare pro-fessions. The session started with an introductory video by QU-CHS associate professor of Public Health and lead facil-itator Dr Lily O’Hara, followed by the introducing of the team members.

Then, discovery interviews were conducted to learn about other health professional disci-plines within the group. Final-ly, a case study was introduced to students on mental health about a 23-year-old female. They looked at her vital signs, nutrition intake and physical assessment and addressed the issues of mental health and services available for her. They also discussed the role of each health profession and how they

can be involved.Students identifi ed the cli-

ent’s needs and recognised the roles of the various IPE team members and their scope of practice in addressing those needs. In addition, they looked into how each health profes-sion’s scope of practice com-plements and enhances other professions, collectively en-able improved health out-comes, and discovered ways to enhance communication in multidisciplinary teamwork.

Commenting on the event, Dr O’Hara said: “Bringing students from diff erent health disciplines together to learn about, with and from each other is an incredibly valuable experience for them. In this event, we had a case study of a young woman. This case study was highly relevant to young people today, as they are deal-ing with many similar issues.

“By working together inter-professionally, students were

able to think about these com-plex issues more holistically, and understand the role that each health professional may play in contributing to a system that can address these issues in a more co-ordinated and sup-portive way.”

Kaoutar Barakat, student of CPH Professional fi rst year, said: “This IPE activity was such an amazing opportunity for us to learn more about our colleagues’ roles in the medical team, as we worked together on the given case, from diff erent majors to reach the best deci-sion for the patient, taking all aspects into consideration by sharing our experiences. This emphasised to us how only one major working alone cannot do a lot, but together we can make a signifi cant change. I was im-pressed by the way of deliver-ing the activity virtually during these circumstances, and how our facilitator made it such an unforgettable activity.”

A visual from the activity.

World powers, Iran and US launch indirect talks to revive nuclear dealReuters Vienna

Iran and world powers will meet on Friday after their experts fl esh out concrete plans on how the United

States would lift sanctions and Iran return to its obligations, as part of in-direct talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

European intermediaries have started shuttling between Iranian and US offi cials in Vienna as they seek to bring both countries back into full compliance with the accord that Washington abandoned three years ago, diplomats said.

The 2015 deal lifted sanctions on Iran in return for curbs to its nuclear programme.

Then-president Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, prompting Iran to steadily overstep the accord’s limits.

While new President Joe Biden aims to restore the agreement, each side wants the other to act fi rst.

Tehran has rejected direct negotia-tions, and Washington said on Mon-day it expected the discussions to be diffi cult.

Even without face-to-face talks, however, the presence of both Iran and the United States in the same location marks a step forward.

British, French and German offi -cials will shuttle between the Ameri-can and Iranian delegations, based in separate Viennese hotels fi ve minutes

away from each other. Russia and China, as fellow parties of the deal, are also present. Two expert-level groups have been given the task of marry-ing lists of sanctions that the United States could lift with nuclear obliga-tions Iran should meet, and report-ing back on Friday. “This is going to involve discussions about identifying the steps that the US has to take and identifying the steps that Iran is going to have to take,” Robert Malley, head of the US delegation, which also includes sanctions expert Richard Nephew, told NPR radio yesterday morning.

Iran briefl y met at a hotel for pre-paratory talks with the fi ve other parties to the deal — but without the Americans.

“Constructive Joint Commission meeting. There’s unity and ambition for a joint diplomatic process with two expert groups on nuclear imple-mentation and sanctions lifting. As Co-ordinator I will intensify separate contacts here in Vienna with all rele-vant parties, including US,” European Union chief coordinator Enrique Mora said on Twitter.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ab-bas Araqchi echoed those comments adding that senior diplomats would meet again on Friday.

Russia’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Uly-anov, tweeted that the restoration of the deal “will not happen immediate-ly. It will take some time. How long? Nobody knows. The most important thing after today’s meeting of the Joint

Commission is that practical work to-wards achieving this goal has started.”

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations and a former nuclear negotiator, put the onus on Washington.

“The US has so far failed to hon-our @POTUS campaign promise to rejoin the JCPOA. So this opportu-nity shouldn’t be wasted,” he said on Twitter, referring to the nuclear deal by an acronym. “If US lifts all sanc-tions, Iran will then cease all remedial measures.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the fi nal say on all state matters, has demanded sanc-tions be lifted all at once and rejected proposals that would lift them gradu-ally.Araqchi said Tehran had rejected a US proposal for Iran to suspend its enrichment of uranium to 20% fi ssile purity in return for the release of $1bn of its funds blocked in other countries amid the US sanctions.

Diplomats said the talks would spread over several weeks.

The objective is some form of an accord ahead of June’s Iranian presi-dential election, an EU offi cial said, although Iranian and US offi cials have said there is no rush.

The Biden administration has also said it wants to build a “longer and stronger agreement” that would deal with other issues, including Iran’s long-term nuclear programme, its development of ballistic missiles, and its support for forces across the Middle East.

Troops kill PalestinianReutersRamallah

Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestin-ian motorist who they said tried to ram them at a checkpoint in the

occupied West Bank yesterday — an account disputed by his wife, who was with him in the car.

Salem Eid, the mayor of Biddu vil-lage, where the man lived, said Pales-tinians may raise the incident at the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor announced last month it would formally investigate war crimes in the Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the vehicle accelerated towards a group of soldiers “in a way that endan-

gered their lives” and they responded with gunfi re “to thwart the threat”.

The Palestinian health ministry said the man, identifi ed as 42-year-old Osama Mansour, had been killed and his wife had sustained bullet fragment injuries. The military statement said no troops were hurt in the late night incident.

“They told us to stop the car and we stopped and turned it off ,” the man’s spouse, Sumaya Mansour, 35, told Pal-estine TV.

“Then they looked at us and told us to go, we turned the car on and moved and all of them started shooting at us.”

Asked about the woman’s account, an Israeli military spokesman said: “The attempted attack carried out

earlier this morning is being investi-gated by the commander of the Bin-yamin Regional Brigade.”

Eid challenged the military’s accu-sation that the driver had carried out an attack, noting that he was a father of five and his wife was with him in the vehicle. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the incident, describing it as “a field execution”.

Citing security concerns, Is-rael maintains a network of military checkpoints in the West Bank, ter-ritory it captured in the 1967 Mid-dle East war. Rights groups have documented incidents in which they said Israeli troops were unjusti-fied in opening fire at Palestinians they perceived as posing a threat at checkpoints.

Palestinians carry the body of Osama Mansour, who was killed and his wife wounded by troop firing earlier in the day, during his funeral in the village of Biddu near Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank, yesterday.

Death toll from fi ghting in Darfur rises to 56

AFP Khartoum

At least 56 people have been killed in four days of violence in Su-dan’s West Darfur region, the

United Nations said yesterday, report-ing gunfi re in the city of El Geneina.

Thousands are fl eeing the fi ghting, which has seen a power station in El Geneina destroyed, at least one rocket-propelled grenade hit a key hospital, and another smash into a UN com-pound, the UN said.

“The number of deaths has risen to 56 and more have been injured,” the UN humanitarian co-ordination offi ce said, with clashes pitting Arab groups against the non-Arab Massalit people.

“People are fl eeing into neighbour-ing Chad,” it added.

Confl ict between the communities started in mid-January, forcing over 100,000 people to fl ee their homes.

El Geneina, capital of West Darfur and close to the border with Chad, has seen days of fi ghting including gunfi re and shelling, residents said.

“On April 6, shooting continues to be heard across the town,” the UN said. “The local power station was destroyed last night and there is no electricity”. The government on Monday declared a state of emergency and deployed troops to West Darfur.

“This recent round of inter-com-munal violence further deteriorates an already dire situation for vulnerable people,” the UN added.

The UN said it had suspended fl ights and aid operations to the city, a key hub for humanitarian assistance — a deci-sion the world body said would aff ect

upwards of 700,000 people.However, two government helicop-

ters fl ew from the capital Khartoum to evacuate the wounded.

El Geneina resident Mohamed Abdel Rahman said shooting raged for around an hour yesterday morning.

“There was calm overnight, but this morning we heard gunfi re,” he said.

The vast Darfur region was ravaged by a civil war that erupted in 2003, leaving around 300,000 people dead and 2.5mn displaced, according to the UN. It fl ared when ethnic minority rebels rose up against Omar al-Bashir’s government. Khartoum responded by unleashing a notorious militia known as the Janjaweed from among the re-gion’s nomadic tribes.

The confl ict has subsided over the years, and the latest in a string of peace deals was agreed in October.

The prime ministers of Italy and Greece yesterday joined a grow-ing number of foreign leaders visiting Libya as it seeks to emerge from a decade of post-revolution chaos under a UN-sponsored peace process. Italy’s Mario Draghi, whose country was the former colonial power in the North Afri-can state, held talks in the capital Tripoli, making his first trip abroad since taking off ice in mid-February.“This is a unique moment for Libya,” with a new unity govern-ment in place, Draghi told a news conference, standing alongside interim Prime Minister Abdul Ha-mid Dbeibah. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also arrived in Tripoli yesterday, to reopen his country’s embassy, following the example of France and Malta.

Border clashes between Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions have killed at least 100 people, a regional off icial said yesterday, the latest outbreak of violence ahead of national elec-tions in June. Around 100 civilians were killed since clashes broke out on Friday and continued through yesterday, Ahmed Humed, deputy police commissioner for the Afar region, told Reuters by phone. He blamed the violence on an attack by Somali regional forces. Ali Bedel, a spokesman for the Somali region, said 25 people had been killed on Friday and an “unknown number of civilians” died in a subsequent attack.

Italy, Greece PMs join influx of visitors to Libya

At least 100 dead after border clashes in Ethiopia regions

DIPLOMACY

UNREST

Three-way new round of talks over dam fail in Kinshasa

Iran sees new daily record of coronavirus cases

ReutersKinshasa/Cairo

Egypt and Sudan said yesterday that the latest round of talks with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian

Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Kinshasa have ended with no progress made.

Delegations from the three countries were meeting in the Democratic Repub-lic of Congo hoping to break a deadlock in negotiations over a project Ethiopia says is key to its economic development and power generation.

Egypt fears the dam will imperil its supplies of Nile water, while Sudan is concerned about the dam’s safety and water fl ows through its own dams and water stations.

Before the meetings began, Egypt had said they represented the last chance to re-start negotiations before Ethio-pia begins to fi ll the dam for the second year in a row after seasonal rains begin this summer. Sudan’s foreign minister Mariam al-Sadig al-Mahdi told report-ers yesterday that Ethiopia’s insistence on such unilateral moves represents a violation of international law.

AFPTehran

Iran yesterday announced a new record number of daily coronavirus cases, as authorities warned of a

“major increase” in infections to come as the country faces its fourth wave.

Over the past 24 hours, the Islamic republic offi cially recorded 17,430 cases of infection, health ministry spokesper-son Sima Sadat Lari said.

The fi gure eclipses a previous peak in late November of 14,051 daily cases, and brings Iran’s total number of cases to 1,963,394.

Iran also recorded 174 additional vi-

rus deaths, Lari said, bringing the total to 63,506.

Lari warned the population of a “major increase in infections” to come.

Iranian women wear protective face shields and masks as they walk in Tehran Bazaar, yesterday.

REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA7Gulf Times

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

New Delhi imposes night curfew as India battles record Covid casesAFPNew Delhi

The Indian capital yester-day imposed an immediate night curfew a day after

the nation posted a record coro-navirus surge, with fi nancial hub Mumbai also introducing similar restrictions. Alarm has grown since India passed more than 100,000 new cases in a single day for the fi rst time on Monday.

New Delhi, home to 25mn peo-ple, and other major cities have all ordered a clampdown on pub-lic movement. The Delhi regional government said the “sudden increase in Covid-19 cases” and “high positivity rate” meant a night curfew was needed. The ban will be in place from 10pm to 5am with only essential services or people travelling to and from vaccination centres allowed on

the streets. But Delhi residents AFP spoke to expressed doubts about how eff ective the night-time restrictions would be in reducing the spread of the virus. “Most people who are going to get Covid are going to get it in the day when they are out and about... The night curfew is not going to change anything much,” fi nancial consultant Arvind Khanna, 62, told AFP.

“India is a very populated country and Delhi is one of the most populated cities in the world. So there really is no ef-fective way. People just need to follow the rules— wear a mask, use sanitiser, keep the distance,” added 18-year-old student Angel Miyamoto.

Delhi reported 3,548 new posi-tive cases on Monday, still below its peak of nearly 9,000 in No-vember, when it was one of the worst-hit cities across the nation

of 1.3 billion people. The govern-ment has so far shied away from reimposing a repeat of the na-tionwide restrictions imposed in March last year — one of the world’s toughest lockdowns — as it seeks to revive the devastated economy.

But India’s wealthiest state Maharashtra, which includes Mumbai, on Sunday announced a weekend lockdown and night curfew on its population of 110mn. The state currently ac-counts for more than half of new cases reported each day nation-wide.

Vinod K Paul, a member of the government advisory body NITI Aayog, said late Tuesday during a health briefi ng that the next four weeks would be very critical for the country. India, which has the world’s third-highest number of infections after the United States and Brazil, has reported

almost 12.7mn cases and more than 165,000 deaths. Single-day infections have been rising since early February, when they fell to below 9,000.

The country has recorded more than 549,000 cases in the last seven days — an increase of 40% compared to the previ-ous week, according to an AFP database. Brazil recorded just under 440,000 cases and the United States reported just over 453,000, but both with a de-creasing trend from the previ-ous week. India’s health minis-try said Tuesday that more than 83mn vaccination shots have been administered as part of an ambitious drive to inoculate 300 million by the end of July.

Delhi has meanwhile ordered one-third of all its vaccination sites at government hospitals to open around-the-clock to speed up the pace of inoculation. An empty street is seen in New Delhi yesterday.

Myanmar activists stage ‘red’ protestReutersBangkok

Opponents of Myanmar’s military junta sprayed red paint on roads in the

country’s biggest city yesterday to mark the deaths of hundreds of “martyrs” killed by troops, as the crisis dragged on with no clear diplomatic solution in sight.

Some 570 people have been killed during nearly two months of unrest since the military coup on Feb. 1, and security forces have arrested close to 3,500 people, with about four-fi fths of them still in detention, advocacy group the Association for Political Pris-oners (AAPP) said yesterday.

Demonstrators woke early in Yangon to spray and splash pavements, roads and bus shel-ters with red paint in protest at a sweeping crackdown by secu-rity forces that has caused weeks of international outrage. “The blood has not dried,” said one message in red. Another daubed across a bus shelter took aim at rank-and-fi le soldiers who it said were being exploited by klepto-cratic generals. “Don’t kill people just for a small salary as low as the cost of dog food,” it said.

Anger has swept Myanmar in the past two months over the return of a military government and an abrupt end to a brief era of democratic and economic reform and international integration that was absent under the mili-tary’s oppressive 1962-2011 rule.

Some protesters have called their movement a “spring revo-lution”, characterised by street marches, quirky acts of non-vi-olent rebellion and civil disobe-dience campaigns aimed at crip-pling the government apparatus.

Their ability to organise may have been hampered in recent days by the military’s halt of broadband wireless Internet, adding to a weeks-long block of mobile data services which had been the main channel for spreading word of what was hap-pening in the country during the crackdown. Those able to access social media, including some journalists, shared pictures of striking workers marching for a second day in the city of Manda-lay, some wearing gas masks and giving the three-fi nger salute

that has become a symbol of re-sistance to army rule. A day ear-lier, demonstrators held placards of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and signs calling for interna-tional intervention.

Authorities have issued arrest warrants for dozens of celebri-ties, models and infl uencers, and yesterday a popular come-dian was arrested in Yangon, the Mizzima news site reported. Sithu Aung Myint, a prominent journalist, was on the wanted list. Writing on Facebook, he said he was proud to be considered a threat. “When the coup coun-cil who have been committing crimes announces you as a law-

breaker together with the whole country, you will be more than happy because you are recog-nised as a hero in this revolution,” he wrote. “Your next generation will be proud of you.”

Protesters and workers have come out daily against the mili-tary takeover, which followed several years of awkward power-sharing between generals and Suu Kyi’s civilian government under a democratic system cre-ated by the army. Suu Kyi’s party won an election by landslide in November, and had pledged to change the constitution to reduce the military’s political clout.

Despite the election commis-

sion saying the vote was fair, the military justifi ed its coup by al-leging that the ballot was fraud-ulent, and has promised to hold a new election at an unspecifi ed time.

On Monday, the military’s mouthpiece newspaper, the Glo-bal New Light of Myanmar, car-ried a banner quoting the junta’s leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. “Democracy is based on the wish of the majority, but such a wish must be authentic with honest politics,” it said.

Min Aung Hlaing has sought to play down the unrest and dis-missed international concern as misplaced, calling it an internal issue that the military was han-dling with “utmost restraint”. Western countries have called for a restoration of Suu Kyi’s govern-ment, a position echoed by only a handful of Myanmar’s regional neighbours.

Brunei, the chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Monday agreed to a meeting of its leaders over the crisis in Myanmar, though no date was set,

Asean operates by consensus but the divergent views of its 10 members on how to respond to the army’s use of lethal force against civilians and the group’s policy of non-interference has limited its ability to act.

Protesters holding up the three finger salute in front of red paint splashed on the road in Myanmar’s Karen state.

Red paint splashed on a road by protesters, representing blood spilled during demonstrations against the military coup, in Taunggyi in Myanmar’s Shan state.

Bangladesh protest turns violent, at least three shotAFPDhaka

A protest over police en-forcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bang-

ladesh turned violent late Mon-day when a mob of demonstrators attacked a police station, with at least three people shot, police and a doctor said. The incident took place in the central town of Saltha in Faridpur district, where police said rumours had spread that a man was injured in a police sweep at a market aimed at en-forcing health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases spike nationwide.

Thousands of villagers took to the streets in anger. A group of them hurled bricks at a police station and vandalised govern-ment offi ces in the town, torch-ing an offi cer’s home and two cars belonging to government

offi cials, police said. “Police fi red in self-defence after they attacked the police station,” a police spokesman in Faridpur district told AFP. A second police offi cial, inspector Nur-a-Alam Fakir, confi rmed the incident.

Police did not give any casualty fi gures, but Abdul Matin, a doc-tor at the emergency ward of the state-run Faridpur Medical Col-lege Hospital, said three people were in critical condition after suff ering gunshot wounds. “One of them was hit in his buttocks, another in his chest and the third person was shot in both legs,” he told AFP.

Bangladesh on Monday insti-tuted a seven-day nationwide lockdown after coronavirus case numbers reached record highs and fatalities skyrocketed in re-cent weeks. On Sunday, at least 7,087 people tested positive for the virus, the highest daily case total since the virus was fi rst de-

tected in the South Asian nation in March 2020.

All domestic travel services — including buses, ferries, trains and fl ights — have been sus-pended, and shops and malls will be shut for a week. A nighttime curfew is in eff ect. Hundreds of shopkeepers protested in the capital Dhaka over the lockdown, saying it would disproportion-ately aff ect their businesses.

Two offi cers said supporters of the group Hefazat-e-Islam joined the attack on the police station at Saltha.

Tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters staged nationwide demonstrations against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi late last month, which triggered deadly clashes with police.

There was no immediate com-ment from Hefazat over police claims of their involvement in the incident in Saltha.

Bangladesh ferry disaster death toll hits 34The death toll from a ferry accident in Bangladesh at the weekend rose to at least 34 after six more bodies were retrieved, off icials said yesterday. The ferry packed with around 50 passengers heading home from the central city of Narayanganj ahead of an impending coronavirus lockdown had collided with a larger cargo vessel late on Sunday. Authorities called off a search-and-rescue mission on Monday after salvaging the ship from the

heavily polluted Shitalakshya river and recovering 22 bodies. But under pressure from relatives of people still missing, rescuers late Monday resumed operations with helicopters to scour the murky waters for any more bodies. “Based on the relatives’ account, at least two people are still missing,” local off icial Mustain Billah told AFP. Under Bangladesh’s seven-day lockdown in response to surging Covid cases, all domestic travel services were suspended on

Monday and shops and malls were shut. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers. Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding. In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people. In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river.

Rescuers hunt for survivors after cyclone kills 119 in IndonesiaReutersJakarta

Rescuers searched for doz-ens missing in the remote islands of southeast In-

donesia yesterday, as reinforce-ments arrived to help in the af-termath of a tropical cyclone that killed at least 119 people.

Helicopters were deployed to aid the search, and ships carrying food, water, blankets and medi-cine reached ports previously blocked by high waves whipped up by tropical cyclone Seroja, which brought heavy rain and triggered deadly fl oods and land-slides on Sunday.

Indonesia’s disaster agency BNPB revised upwards the death toll from the cyclone in the East Nusa Tenggara islands, after earlier saying 86 had died. Sev-enty-six people were still miss-ing. “The rescue team is moving on the ground. The weather is good,” BNPB spokesman Raditya Jati told a news briefi ng. Search and rescue personnel, however, had trouble transporting heavy equipment for use in the search.

“Search for victims is con-strained, the existing heavy equipment cannot be sent to their destination, especially in Adonara and Alor,” the head of BNPB, Doni Monardo, said.

The Adonara and Alor islands were among the islands worst hit by the cyclone, with 62 and 21

people dead respectively. Aerial images from Adonara yesterday showed brown mud and fl ood water covering a vast area, bury-ing houses, roads and trees.

The military and volunteers arrived on the islands on Tuesday and were setting up public kitch-ens, while medical workers were brought in. Video taken by a lo-cal offi cial in Tanjung Batu village on Lembata, home to the Ile Le-wotolok volcano, showed felled trees and large rocks of cold lava that had crushed homes after be-ing dislodged by the cyclone.

Thousands of people have been displaced, nearly 2,000 buildings including a hospital were impacted, and more than 100 homes heavily damaged by the cyclone.

Two people died in nearby West Nusa Tenggara province. There were also concerns about

possible Covid-19 infections in crowded evacuation centres. In neighbouring East Timor, at least 33 were killed in fl oods and landslides and by falling trees. Civil defence authorities were using heavy equipment to search for survivors. “The number of victims could still increase be-cause many victims have not been found,” the main director of civil protection, Ismael da Costa Babo, told Reuters. “They were buried by landslides and carried away by fl oods.”

Some residents of Lembata is-land may have also been washed away by mud into the sea. A vol-cano that erupted on Lembata last month wiped out vegeta-tion atop the mountain, which allowed hardened lava to slide towards 300 houses when the cyclone struck, a senior district offi cial said, hoping help was on the way.

“We were only able to search on the seashore, not in the deep-er area, because of lack of equip-ment yesterday,” Thomas Ola Langoday told Reuters by phone. He feared many bodies were still buried under large rocks.

President Joko Widodo urged his cabinet to speed up evacu-ation and relief eff orts and to restore power. Weather agency head Dwikorita Karnawati said once-rare tropical cyclones were happening more often in Indo-nesia and climate change could be to blame.

Thousands of people have been displaced, nearly 2,000 buildings including a hospital were impacted, and more than 100 homes heavily damaged by the cyclone

New Zealand, Australia to open travel bubbleAFPWellington

New Zealanders and Aus-tralians rushed to book fl ights yesterday as the

beleaguered tourism indus-try welcomed the “lifeline” of a travel bubble between the largely coronavirus-free neighbours.

New Zealand Prime Minis-ter Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way, quarantine-free travel corridor would open from 11:59pm on April 18. Jim Boult, the mayor of New Zea-land’s Queenstown, called the move a “saviour for busi-nesses”. “This is the lifeline we

needed; this is what we’ve been asking for,” he said. Air New Zealand and Qantas announced they were ramping up flights as thousands of tickets were sold immediately after Ardern’s an-nouncement.

A spokesman for Australian fl ag carrier Qantas said tickets to New Zealand were “selling like hot cakes” with a strong “load” to Queenstown, which is billed as the country’s “Adventure capi-tal”.

Air New Zealand boss Greg Foran said his staff were “rushed off our feet”. The travel bubble comes more than a year after New Zealand closed its doors in response to the pandemic and six

months after Australia allowed Kiwis to fl y into selected states without the need to quarantine.

Before Covid-19 brought New Zealand’s tourism industry to its knees, it was the country’s big-gest export industry, with Aus-tralians accounting for about 40% of the international visi-tors and contributing more than NZ$2bn (US$1.4bn) to the econ-omy. Tourism New Zealand boss Rene de Monchy estimated the opening of a travel bubble could recoup more than NZ$1.0bn this year.

The trans-Tasman route is also Australia’s busiest international aviation market with travellers from New Zealand account-

ing for 18% of all air arrivals and spending A$1.6bn (US$1.2bn) annually on travel and tourism.

Ardern described the travel bubble as a world-leading move between New Zealand, with just 26 Covid-19 deaths in a popula-tion of fi ve million, and Australia with fewer than 1,000 deaths in a population of 25mn.

“I cannot see or point to any countries in the world that are maintaining a strategy of keeping their countries Covid-free whilst opening up international travel between each other,” she said.

“That means in a way we are world leading.” Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he appreciates the arrangement.

WORLDGulf Times Wednesday, April 7, 20218

WORLD9Gulf Times

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on his arrival in Islamabad yesterday. This is the first visit by a Russian foreign minister to Pakistan since 2012. Their talks will centre on Afghanistan, bilateral ties, including economic co-operation, counter-terrorism and socio-economic ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic. (AFP)

In Islamabad, warmth on a rainy day

A woman gestures to police during a restaurant owners’ demonstration as tensions rise over Covid-19 restrictions on businesses in Rome yesterday. (Reuters)

In Rome, food for thought Suspect arrested over Van Gogh, Hals theftsAFPThe Hague

Dutch police arrested a 58-year-old man yesterday on suspicion of steal-ing two paintings by Vincent Van

Gogh and Frans Hals from small museums, saying it brought them closer to recovering both masterworks.

The man was held at his home in the cen-tral town of Baarn over last year’s thefts of Van Gogh’s 1884 work “Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring”, and 17th century painter Hals’s “Two Laughing Boys”.

Police said that they have not yet found either of the paintings — the Van Gogh is val-ued at up to six million euros ($6.6 million) — but the arrest was an “important step” in the investigation.

“For months, intensive investigations into the robbery of both paintings were conduct-ed under the leadership of the public pros-ecution service,” a Dutch police statement said.

“This has led to the arrest of a 58-year-old suspect from Baarn. He was arrested at his home this morning. The man is suspected of stealing the paintings.”

The Van Gogh painting was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam

just over one year ago on March 30, 2020, while it was closed due to coronavirus meas-ures.

It is around six miles from Baarn where the suspect was arrested.

The “Two Laughing Boys” by Hals was meanwhile taken in August from the Hofj e van Mevrouw van Aerden museum in Leer-dam.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand, dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the Art World” for fi nding a number of lost paintings, hailed the news of the arrest.

“Another huge success for Dutch Police,” Brand tweeted. “The plot thickens...”

It was Brand who two months after the theft of the Van Gogh received two “proof of life” photos of the painting.

The Singer Laren Museum said it hoped the arrest would lead to the recovery of the “beautiful work”, which it had on loan from the Groninger Museum in The Netherlands.

“Compliments to the police for their in-vestigative work. Nobody is allowed to break in with impunity,” general manager Evert van Os said in a statement.

“I sincerely hope that this arrest will lead the police to the painting in the short term... It has now been a year since the break-in took place and every day we hope for this good news.”

The Hofj e van Mevrouw van Aerden said on its Facebook that there was now a “little bit of hope” about getting the Hals painting back. The police statement said that “both paintings have not yet resurfaced with this arrest. The search continues unabated.”

“This arrest is an important step in the investigation. If you have information and have not yet shared it with the police please do this,” it added.

“Parsonage Garden” comes from early in Van Gogh’s career, before the prolifi c artist embarked on his trademark post-impres-sionist paintings such as “Sunfl owers” and his vivid self-portraits.

The theft happened on what would have been his 167th birthday.

The Hals painting, featuring two laugh-ing boys with a mug of beer, had for its part previously been stolen twice before from the Hofj e van Mevrouw van Aerden museum in 2011 and 1988.

It was recovered after six months and three years respectively.

Hals, a contemporary of fellow masters Rembrandt and Vermeer, is best known for works including “The Laughing Cavalier”, which hangs in the Wallace Collection in London, and “The Gypsy Girl”, now housed in the Louvre in Paris. Van Gogh’s works have been a frequent target of crime.

Vaccine proof not needed at start of reopening: Johnson

ReutersLondon

Covid-19 status certifi -cates will not be required to go to a pub or restau-

rant in England when they fi rst reopen, but no decisions have been taken on their use in the longer term, British Prime Min-ister Boris Johnson said yester-day.

Johnson gave the green light for England to take the next step in easing its third national lock-down since March 2020, but he gave few details on how any possible vaccine certifi cation scheme would work.

Step 2 of a roadmap charting plans to gradually reopen the economy over coming months will see shops and pub gardens reopen next week, while the reopening of indoor hospitality venues in step 3 is scheduled for May.

“On Monday the 12th, shops are going to be open, outdoor pub beer gardens, outdoor res-taurants and so on, you don’t need any kind of certifi cate to go then. You won’t need anything on May 17 when we open up in-door hospitality restaurants, indoor pubs, no question of needing anything,” Johnson told broadcasters.

Johnson said the government was looking at various ways people could prove they were not contagious, including certi-fi cation of vaccination but also previous infection or tests that could inform a Covid certifi ca-tion scheme.

Britain has recorded more than 4.3 million cases of coronavirus and has a total death toll of 126,862 people as of Monday, one of the highest death rates in the world. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ire-land have their own anti-corona-virus policies separate to England.

Some lawmakers in Johnson’s Conservative Party object to the idea that proof of Covid status could be needed to go to a pub or restaurant, arguing that such a system risks creating a two-tier society.

Johnson has said he expects so-called vaccine passports to have a role in international travel, but there were ethical questions about a certifi cation scheme which only took vaccination status into ac-count.

Vaccine minister Nadhim Za-hawi said any scheme would be designed not to be discriminatory, adding no decision had been taken, and that lawmakers would get a vote on any plans.

On international travel, Johnson said he was hopeful it could restart in May, but the government would have to be realistic.

“We can’t do it immediately. But that doesn’t mean that we’ve given up on May 17,” Johnson said. The government were examining ways to make testing requirements less onerous, he said.

Denmark launches ‘corona pass’ to facilitate reopeningAFPCopenhagen

Denmark yesterday began requiring people to use a new Covid certifi cate to

enter certain businesses or face fi nes, one of the fi rst European countries to do so.

The “corona pass” certifi es that someone has either been fully vaccinated, has tested neg-ative in the previous 72 hours, or has tested positive two to 12 weeks earlier, conferring immu-nity to the virus.

“I did a test on Saturday, so it’s valid until this afternoon and I’m used to getting tested every week or multiple times a week so it’s not really an inconven-ience for me,” Rune Hojsgaard told AFP as he went for a haircut he had waited three months for.

Pernille Nielsen, a hairdresser and manager of a Copenhagen salon, said it felt “so good to fi nally be back. We have been waiting for this opening for so

long now so we just take what-ever we can to be allowed to open.”

If that means requiring a co-rona pass, “then we have to do it and then of course hope it will soon be over,” Nielsen told AFP.

While most will use a smart-phone app, the passport is also available in paper form and is still under development, with a fi nal version scheduled for May.

Denmark is one of the fi rst European countries to imple-ment such a programme, while the European Commission is preparing a digital “green” pass to allow free travel around the Schengen area.

The Danish version will not be used for travel right away, but grants access to hairdressers, beauty salons, tattoo parlours and driving schools.

It will also be compulsory for outdoor restaurant service that is to open on April 6 — and then for indoor service, in museums, theatres and cinemas which are to open on May 6.

EMA associates AZ vaccine with rare brain blood clotsReutersRome

A senior official at Eu-rope’s medicines regu-lator has said there is a

clear “association” between AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vac-cine and very rare blood clots in the brain, though the direct cause of the clots is still un-known.

The European Medical Agency (EMA) said in a state-ment after the comments by Marco Cavaleri, chair of its vaccine evaluation team, that it was still conducting a review of the vaccine and expected to announce its findings today or tomorrow.

An AstraZeneca spokesman declined to comment on Cava-leri’s remarks, which he made in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Messagero that was published yesterday.

“In my opinion, we can now say it, it is clear that there is an association (of the brain blood clots) with the vaccine. How-ever, we still do not know what causes this reaction,” Cavaleri said, without giving evidence to support his comments.

The EMA has said the ben-efits of the AstraZeneca shot outweigh any risks, and the World Health Organisation has backed the vaccine. As-traZeneca has said previously that its studies have found no higher risk of clots because of its vaccine.

The EMA is investigating 44 reports of an extremely rare brain clot known as cer-

ebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) out of 9.2 million peo-ple who have received the vac-cine in the European Economic Area, which comprises Euro-pean Union member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Cavaleri said the EMA would say in its review that there is a link, but was not likely to give an indication this week on which age groups should or should not get the AstraZene-ca shot.

Some countries, includ-ing France, Germany and The Netherlands, have suspend-ed the use of the vaccine in younger people while the in-vestigations continue.

In response to Cavaleri’s comments, the Amsterdam-based EMA said in a statement yesterday: “EMA’s Pharma-covigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has not yet reached a conclusion and the review (of any possible link) is currently ongoing.”

The EMA said last week that its review had not identified any specific risk factors, such as age, gender or medical his-tory, for these very rare events.

In a separate interview, Ar-mando Genazzani, a member of the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), told La Stampa daily that it was “plausible” that the blood clots were cor-related with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A high proportion of the re-ported cases are in young or middle-aged women, but that has not led the EMA to con-

clude this group is at particu-lar risk.

Scientists are exploring sev-eral possibilities that might explain the rare brain blood clots.

One theory suggests the vaccine triggers an unusual antibody in some rare cases; other investigators are looking into a possible link with birth control pills.

But many experts say there is no definitive evidence and it is not clear whether or why AstraZeneca’s vaccine would cause a problem not shared by other vaccines that target a similar part of the corona-virus.

The University of Oxford has paused dosing children and teenagers in a small UK study of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca, pending more information about rare blood-clotting issues in adults who have received it, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.Oxford is waiting for more information from the UK’s drugs watchdog, before giving any further vaccinations to children or teenagers in the paediatric trial, an Oxford spokesman told the Journal. AstraZeneca and Oxford University did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Oxford pauses dosing in AZ paediatric trial

Jab risk-benefi t is ‘still largely positive’: WHO

AFPGeneva

The risk-benefi t balance for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is “still largely positive”, the World Health Organisation said yesterday after fresh claims about links to blood clots.

The WHO said there was no evidence that the risk-benefi t analy-sis had shifted on the jab, which is one of only three diff erent Cov-id-19 vaccines so far to have received the green light from the UN health agency.

“There is no link for the moment between the vaccine and throm-botic events with thrombocytopenia,” Rogerio Pinto de Sa Gaspar, the WHO’s director for regulation and pre-qualifi cation, told a press conference.

“The appraisal we have for the moment — and this is under con-sideration by the experts — is that the benefi t-risk assessment for the vaccine is still largely positive.

“For the time being, there is no evidence that the benefi t-risk as-sessment for the vaccine needs to be changed.”

The AstraZeneca jabs produced in South Korea and India, plus the Pfi zer-BioNTech vaccine and that of Johnson and Johnson, are the only ones to have received WHO authorisation so far in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Navalny supporters detained

ReutersPokrov

Russian police detained nine people outside a prison holding Kremlin

critic Alexei Navalny yesterday as a small group of his support-ers came to the facility, and au-thorities turned away a doctor who tried to see him.

Navalny, 44, an opponent of President Vladimir Putin, an-nounced a hunger strike last week in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison au-thorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.

Some allies had said they would protest at the prison in this town about 60 miles east of Moscow, unless he saw a doc-tor of his choice and was given proper medicine.

The prison has said his health is satisfactory and that he has had all necessary medical care.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia, said she had received a letter from prison authorities dated March 17, say-ing he did not have his passport with him and that this could prevent him being admitted to hospital if ill.

Anastasiya Vasilyeva, a Na-valny ally who leads a doctors’ trade union, was turned away at the prison although she said she had an appointment with a sen-ior prison offi cial and wanted to see Navalny and check on his health.

“All our peaceful actions don’t work,” she said.

Police later detained her along with at least six other people, including several supporters and two reporters for CNN, Reuters correspondents said..

One year after the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, many of us are still grappling with the ‘new normal’. As

the president of the United Nations General Assembly, I am proud to report that the United Nations and its 193 member states remain steadfast in our solidarity and commitment to combat the pandemic and meet the needs of the people we serve.

No-one has been spared from the impact of this crisis. Some 2.7 million people have succumbed to the eff ects of the Covid-19 virus, which has had a severe impact on families and communities. The global economy shrank by 4.4% as an estimated 255 million jobs were lost in 2020, pushing people back into poverty. Right now, 34 million people are on the brink of starvation, and 235 million people will require humanitarian assistance and protection in 2021 – an increase of 40% from last year.

It is clear that those who were already struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic, have been disproportionately impacted. For refugees living in camp settings, social distancing and hand washing are luxuries beyond reach. For people living in confl ict settings, peace may feel unattainable. More women and girls experienced violence in their homes as a result of lockdowns. People living in Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked

Developing Countries, and countries experiencing desertifi cation face the triple threat of the virus itself, the related socio-economic fall-out, and the existential threat of climate change. At the same time, we have witnessed the rise of extremism and hate in the forms of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Asian violence.

No doubt, this is the greatest multi-faceted challenge the world has experienced since the United Nations came into existence 75 years ago.

However, this is exactly why the United Nations was created: to save the world from ruin, to give hope at times of despair, to demonstrate solidarity, and to protect and uphold the rights of everyone, everywhere.

This crisis struck at a time when the organisation faced its worst liquidity crisis in recent years, yet the UN has stepped up.

Since the start of the 75th Session, the General Assembly and its Main Committees have adapted working methods in accordance with medical

guidance in order to mitigate risks for delegates. This has allowed me to convene in-person meetings for the implementation of essential mandates.

At the special session of the UN General Assembly on the coronavirus response, convened in December, there was a shared sense that the international community can turn the Covid-19 crisis around and recover better, guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the protection of human rights.

Governments recognised the need for the equitable and fair distribution of vaccines, and voiced their support for the WHO-led ACT-Accelerator and Covax facility. Most recently, on March 26th, 181 countries endorsed a Political Declaration on Equitable Access to Covid-19 Vaccines, demonstrating the bold and principled solidarity of the membership. It remains clear that the only path forward is through equal and fair distribution of #Vaccines4All.

For the remainder of the 75th session, the General Assembly will address some of the most critical issues of our time: from digital co-operation and connectivity to the protection of our oceans, culture and sustainable development to the prevention of land degradation, desertifi cation and drought. The special session against corruption in June will result in a high-level political declaration demonstrating the international community’s zero tolerance approach to corruption.

Many of these issues pre-date the pandemic, and will require investment and consideration even at this time of crisis to safeguard the future of the world. Although our operating environment has changed, our duty to the people of the world has not.

Member states play a vital role in every facet of our work from the promotion of multilateralism, the maintenance of international peace and security, to achieving sustainable development and upholding fundamental human rights.

The support of member states such as Qatar is essential. In the General Assembly, Qatar has co-facilitated the intergovernmental negotiations to commemorate the seventy-fi fth anniversary of the United Nations, initiated the resolution which created the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, and co-founded the Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security.

As a troop contributing country which promotes a culture of peace, promotes intercultural and interfaith dialogue, and supports humanitarian assistance and development aid, Qatar is committed to advancing the work of the United Nations.

Most recently, Qatar and the UN signed multiple agreements to open new UN offi ces in Doha which will include a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offi ce to promote sustainable development goals at the global level and a new UN Offi ce for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Aff airs (OCHA) to support the global humanitarian operations through partnerships with national and international actors.

Consistent support of the United Nations such as this, from policy to practice, is essential if we are to make up ground on the hard-earned gains made towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which the pandemic has eroded.

In this Decade of Action, ambitious leadership of member states like Qatar reminds the world of our collective responsibility to meet the needs of the people we serve.

If we are to recover better, all member states must re-commit to multilateralism. Let us not forget that we, the peoples will — through our action or inaction — determine the fate of future generations.

• Volkan Bozkır is President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Gulf Times Wednesday, April 7, 2021

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CHAIRMANAbdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFFaisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka

Deputy Managing Editor

K T Chacko

Green, blue, or brown: Fixing the colour of ESG debt

Globally, more than $40.5tn is now estimated to be invested using “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) analyses.

And the past fi ve years have seen an unprecedented increase in investors’ ESG awareness.

Record demand for sustainable fi nance is now spurring a rainbow of debt types by governments and companies, to fund increasingly specifi c ways of mitigating climate change.

While green bonds – which pledge their proceeds to fi nance wind farms or solar parks – are the dominant debt meme, some of these labels have so far remained relatively niche.

That’s set to change as a market now worth over $2tn develops rapidly with fi nancial engineers creating new ways to brand such debt.

It’s only fi ve years since the world’s fi rst green sovereign debt was issued by coal-reliant Poland, to help transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Now the emerging spin-off s include blue bonds to fund marine and water projects; brown or transition bonds for industries too dirty to do green; nature bonds for biodiversity and carbon neutral to achieve net-zero emissions.

There’s also social bonds to help society and sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) to set organisation-wide targets.

Chinese banks issued their fi rst blue and carbon-neutral bonds in recent months. Junk-rated companies in Latin America are joining a European boom in SLBs so they

can lower the borrowing costs, as well as boost their image.The European Union has already broken demand records

with its social bonds. Government stimulus to recover from the pandemic,

together with a raft of net-zero ambitions, could “turbo-charge this trend and contribute to a sharp rise in sustainability-linked loans and thematic bonds in 2021 and 2022,” says Gabriel Wilson-Otto, global head of sustainability research at BNP Paribas Asset Management.

Along with the increasing fragmentation, there are also calls for comprehensive rules and global standards.

Even in Europe, where sustainable bonds make up more than 20% of this year’s sales, there are no set defi nitions on what constitutes a green project.

Positively, policymakers are rising to the challenge. The US government is seen planning a US green fi nance

framework that should start to take shape by June. The US and Europe could have an identical set of rules that

determine what counts as green investment, according to French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.

China is also working with its European counterparts to announce a common green taxonomy this year, to defi ne and classify green projects. That’ll be in focus at the Group of 20 meetings in Rome in October.

Make no mistake, investor demand for ESG products is surging.

Governments, corporations, and other groups raised a record $490bn last year selling green, social, and sustainability bonds. A further $347bn poured into ESG-focused investment funds: An all-time high.

Moody’s Investors Service expects sustainable-debt issuance to reach $650bn this year, while money fl ows to ESG funds show no signs of slowing.

BlackRock, has put its $8.7tn heft behind a powerful message: The decades ahead will be defi ned by minimising emissions, requiring an overhaul to everyone’s business models.

There’s no shortage of demand for more sustainable debt investments.

Moody’s expects sustainable-debt issuance to reach $650bn this year

UN can help us build back better

VITAL: “The support of member states such as Qatar is essential,” says Volkan Bozkır.

By Volkan Bozkır

In this Decade of Action, ambitious leadership of member states like Qatar reminds the world of our collective responsibility to meet the needs of the people we serve

At Floyd murder trial, calls for police reform fade from viewAFPMinneapolis

George Floyd’s death unleashed a fi erce debate in the United States over reforming the police, but the

trial of the offi cer accused of his murder has steered clear of putting the force itself on the stand.

Protests erupted across the country when footage emerged of Floyd dying after offi cer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, with many saying the incident revealed systematic police brutality and racism.

Calls have grown for fundamental change in how police operate and their apparent immunity, with the “defund the police” movement demanding that money instead be diverted to social justice programs.

In the calm of the Minneapolis courtroom, however, legal proceedings have focused on whether Chauvin was guilty of murder or manslaughter when Floyd died on May 20, 2020.

“There is no political or social cause

in this courtroom,” Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, told the jury at the start of the trial, while prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell struck a similar note saying “this case is not about all police.”

Chauvin, who is white, was seen in the phone video kneeling on the neck of Floyd for more than nine minutes as the African-American man complained repeatedly that he “can’t breathe.”

His death — and the role of the US police — became a battleground issue in last year’s election, as some “Black Lives Matter” protests turned violent, and then-president Donald Trump sought to portray himself as a “law and order” leader.

Keen to distance the force from the alleged misconduct of one offi cer, police testifying at the trial have painted Derek Chauvin as a black sheep who acted unprofessionally.

“That in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy,” Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo told the court this week, a rare case of one offi cer testifying against another.

“It is not part of our training and it

is certainly not part of our ethics or our values,” he added.

Inspector Katie Blackwell, who headed the police training unit, was asked if Chauvin had used an approved neck restraint.

“I don’t know that kind of improvised position that is,” she said. “It’s not what we train.”

Lieutenant Richard Zimmerman, the longest-serving offi cer in the Minneapolis Police Department, described Chauvin’s use of force as “totally unnecessary.”

“Pulling him down to the ground facedown and putting your knee on a neck for that amount of time, it’s just uncalled for,” he said.

Chauvin was sacked after the incident, but the witnesses’ evidence was a crumbling of the infamous “blue wall of silence” when police protect their colleagues from misconduct allegations.

Chauvin’s union also supported his sacking, while Minneapolis city reached a $27mn “wrongful death” settlement with Floyd’s family just before the trial.

In similar controversies there is often an “instinctive reaction to protect a

brother offi cer, but we didn’t see that here,” said Ashley Heiberger, a former offi cer who now works as an advisor on police practices.

“Every time you saw a comment from police about that. It was negative.”

Since Floyd’s death, some cities have banned police choke holds, and others made police disciplinary records accessible to the public or beefed-up police training.

But federal reform on police immunity was buried by the Senate, and proposed cuts to the New York police budget were reduced and spread over time.

Local activists in Minneapolis have also questioned police claims during the trial that the force has already learnt lessons and changed practices.

For Kate Levine, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law, in New York, the lack of police support of Chauvin could be a strategy to avoid the loud calls for much-needed reform.

“My concern is that Derek Chauvin gets convicted, and the police department that he works for says: ‘this guy was a bad apple, otherwise, we have no problems,’” she said.

QATAR11Gulf Times

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Doha Debates turns to fi lms to start dialogue to help solve challenges

GU-Q students recognised

for academic excellence

Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates and the US-based Points North Institute are

teaming up to launch Solutions Cinema to foster public dialogue and explore potential solutions to global challenges, helping em-power individuals and communi-ties to shape their future.

Points North Institute is a non-fi ction arts organisation best known for producing the Camden International Film Festival, which celebrates its 17th edition this September, as well as several art-ist development initiatives that support nearly 60 projects annu-ally.

Kicking off this month with a month-long series of free virtual fi lm screenings and summit-style interactive discussions, Solu-tions Cinema will bring together a global community dedicated to story-driven social change.

“Doha Debates is delighted to partner with the Points North Institute to launch Solutions Cinema,” said managing director Amjad Atallah.

“This initiative will be extraor-dinary, bringing together fi lm-makers, educators, and students for thoughtful dialogue and de-bate about how to better use the medium of fi lm in the pursuit of solutions to some of humanity’s most challenging issues.”

The inaugural Solutions Cin-ema programme, to be presented in four parts, will include the screening of 12 feature and short

documentary fi lms. Selected fi lms have been curated to encourage robust conversations, each high-lighting people who are address-ing injustice and inequity using the tools of community organis-ing, politics, education, media-making, and the law to fi ght for a better future.

Featured fi lms will include two recent Sundance award-winning titles, Homeroom, by acclaimed director Peter Nicks, and Writ-ing With Fire, the debut feature from Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh.

The programme also includes several short fi lms recently pro-duced by Doha Debates, includ-ing Cherán: The Burning Hope, a short documentary by fi lmmak-ers Elpida Nikou and Rodrigo Hernández exploring how an In-digenous community sparked a social movement in Mexican state of Michoacán.

Another short fi lm includes The Water Queen, by South Af-rican fi lmmaker Lungelo Mdla-lose, which draws attention to South Africa’s worsening issue of water scarcity, with an all-South African cast that includes actor Busisiwe Mtshali. Another documentary, The Invisibles, directed by Italian fi lmmak-ers Carola Mamberto and Diana Ferrero, off ers a rare behind-the-scenes look at African mi-grant laborers during the height of the pandemic in Italy in April 2020.

Interactive discussions will take place each Thursday in April from 7pm to 8:30pm, Doha time, starting April 8. These summits, which will be held on Zoom, will explore story-driven strategies for social change, including how fi lmmakers, fi lm protagonists, and fi lm audiences can each fi nd agency to address inequity and injustice.

Additionally, each session will include a number of noteworthy participants, including lawyers, elected offi cials, academics, and activists. Students, educators, fi lmmakers, and fi lm industry professionals will also be invited to contribute to the conversa-tion. These meetings will be hosted by award-winning fi lm-maker Marjan Safi nia, director of the PBS series And She Could Be Next and former board chair at the International Documentary Association.

“Social impact documentaries have historically spent more time describing social problems than exploring people’s responses to them,” said Points North pro-gramme director Sean Flynn.

“Inspired by the great work we’ve seen in solutions journal-ism, we want to create a unique communal space online so we can unpack the ‘theories of change’ behind documentary fi lms and explore how they might help us imagine and manifest a brighter future.”

Film screenings and participa-

More than 150 students at QF partner Georget-own University in Qatar

(GU-Q) have been recognised for their high academic achievement during the Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters with the release of the Dean’s Academic Honors.

The list of high achievers is based on overall academic per-formance during the previous school term. Full-time, under-graduate students earn First Honors by achieving a semester grade point average, or GPA, of 3.9 or higher. They earn Second Honors for earning a GPA of 3.7 to 3.89.

A total of 153 student recipi-ents were acknowledged this year, representing all four off ered majors at the university, includ-ing Culture and Politics, Inter-national Economics, Interna-tional Politics, and International History. GU-Q off ers students in Qatar the same internationally recognised Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree off ered on its Washington, DC, campus, allowing students and faculty to engage, conduct research, and be a part of an educational enter-

prise that is uniquely positioned to shape international aff airs in the century ahead.

The annual academic honors are traditionally celebrated with a reception and award ceremony hosted by the university’s dean, Dr Ahmad Dallal. In his an-nouncement to the university community, Dean Dallal high-lighted the remarkable achieve-ments of the honors students in light of the global health crisis that made an in-person ceremo-ny impossible.

The Water Queen

Cherán: The Burning Hope

GU-Q dean Ahmad Dallal.

MES Indian School inaugurates new branch

MES Indian School yes-terday inaugurated its new branch at Abu

Hamour at a soft launch cer-emony. “The new branch is purpose-built to further the learning horizons of students in a sophisticated ambience,” MES governing board president K Abdul Karim said.

“The school will be func-

tioning with classes I-VIII during the ongoing academic year 2021-22. We are also seeking affiliation from CBSE to extend classes up to XII, in the ensuing years,” explained general secretary Ahmed Isham.

Principal Dr Mohamed Ha-neef stressed that the school is committed to provide quality

education at par with interna-tional standards.

“The new school premises can accommodate 1,450 learn-ers as per the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education regulations,” he said.

Some of the salient fea-tures of the school include: Fully digital campus with state-of-the-art facilities;

FM Radio 2.O; Happiness Centre; Green Army; labs for science, mathematics, home science, engineering graph-ics; reading programme; outdoor and indoor play ar-eas; twin computer labs; purpose-built activity room and art and craft room; lan-guage lab; well-experienced and highly qualified teach-

ers; e-Learning empowered methodology for all classes; opportunities to participate in events organised by CBSE Sahodaya Qatar Chapter; and clubs/house based arts and sports activities.

The admission registration for the school and all other de-tails are available at www.me-sisqatar.com.

MES off icials announce the soft-launch of the new school yesterday. Artist’s impression of the new school.

Two QF schools awarded Eco-schools Green Flag.

Qatar Academy Doha (QAD) Primary and Qa-tar Leadership Acad-

emy (QLM) have been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag by Qatar Green Building Council – making them the fi rst Qatar Foundation (QF) schools to be recognised by the initiative.

As part of the Eco-School programme, schools are re-quired to complete seven steps before applying for the award. They are: Form an Eco Commit-tee; Carry out a Sustainability Audit; Action Plan; Monitor and Evaluate; Curriculum Work; In-form and Involve; and Produce an Eco Code.

Elizabeth Kennedy, well-be-ing facilitator at QAD Primary – which is part of QF’s Pre-University Education, said: “We took a holistic and heartful ap-

proach to what it really meant to be an eco-school, and that came right down to our mission and vision – to really understand who we are and what we do.”

QAD Primary’s tagline is “cultivating a sustainable mind-set”, as, according to Kennedy, changing outlooks and atti-tudes is vital in order to create impactful change – and to drive long-lasting change within the school’s community.

“Activities are locked in time and space,” she explained. “Day-to-day living is where we will have sustained change. And that is what we are really focused on. Yes, we have activi-ties at school, and yes, we par-ticipate in Qatar Sustainability Week and Earth Day. But, for us, changing mindsets and culti-vating a lifestyle approach is

where we have had the biggest impact.”

An important component of the award for QAD Primary is empowering teachers to em-power students, and this in-cludes student leadership. Fea-turing four branches – Student Council, House Captains, Eco-Warriors, and Activists in Ac-tion – the system has sustain-ability weaved into its fabric.

The award is a two-year proc-ess, and while Covid-19 has cre-ated challenges, it has forced the children to become more crea-tive, which has led to even more collaborative opportunities.

All QF schools are undergo-ing the process of Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation, and are on course to achieve this by 2022. As one of the fi rst QF schools to receive the award,

Kennedy says it serves as an op-portunity to help other schools within the PUE ecosystem.

Jameel al-Shammari, direc-tor, QLA, said, “We are proud to receive the Eco-School Green Flag from Qatar Green Building Council.

“It is the result of a lot of hard work from our students and teachers, who are striving to highlight the importance of environmental sustainability and water conservation, as well as mitigate climate change. To achieve this, we have embedded these principles within all our programs across the curriculum at Qatar Leadership Academy.”

Ruba Hinnawi, QGBC’s technical specialist and the lead on the Eco-School Pro-gramme, said, “We are proud to see QAD Primary and Qa-

tar Leadership Academy re-ceive their first Green Flags and join the global network of more than 50,000 schools. It is wonderful to see young people engage and participate in pro-tecting their environment and empowering climate action. We look forward to seeing all other PUE schools follow suit and celebrate this memorable achievement.”

The Activists in Action cam-paign launched by QAD Primary students is raising awareness about the environmental im-pact of single-use plastic bags, and aims to collect 10,000 sig-natures on a petition calling for such bags to be banned in Qatar, which will then be presented to Qatar’s leadership. It has al-ready been signed by more than 7,300 people.

Qatar Academy Doha Primary awarded Eco-Schools Green Flag

Qatar Leadership Academy (QLM) has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag.

Qatar attends regional meetings for CustomsQNADoha

Qatar participated in the 53rd Regional Meeting of Customs Managers

in North Africa, Near East and Middle East, and the 41st Meet-ing of Customs Managers in the Arab Countries, which were held on April 4-5 via videoconfer-encing. Qatar was represented by HE the Chairman of General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Jamal.

The regional meeting ad-dressed many topics, most prominent of which were the report of building capacity in the participating countries, and the report of the Regional Intel-ligence Liaison Offi ces (RILO). The eff orts to include the Ara-bic language in the work of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) have also been reviewed, as well as the recommendations related to the project of regional electronic cargo tracking for shipments passing through the region.

During the regional meet-ing, participants also discussed terms of reference for appointing an Arabic-speaking technical at-

tache in WCO, and the develop-ments of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC), in addition to discussing the mechanisms of work to issue an electronic magazine on Customs news of the countries in the re-gion, and the proposal to estab-lish a website for the Customs of the countries of North Africa, Near and Middle East.

On the other hand, the 41st Meeting of Customs Managers in the Arab Countries discussed developments in the Arab Cus-toms Union, presented the data and information to be ex-changed electronically between member states, and updated translations and explanations of the harmonised system for classifying goods. The model of mutual recognition of the ap-proved economic operator has also been presented, and devel-opments in the Arab Customs Cooperation Agreement and the Agreement on the Regulation of Transit Transport among Arab countries have been dis-cussed, in addition to reviewing the recommendations that had been implemented in the previ-ous meeting as well as the rest of the topics on the meetings agenda.

Qatar was represented by HE the Chairman of General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Jamal.

tion in the weekly Solutions Cinema Summit interactive discussions are free and open to the public. Advance regis-tration is required and most featured fi lms have limited virtual seats available. All fi lms will be available to view online for 10-day periods during the

month of April. Films will be made accessible to registered attendees one week prior to the discussions.

To see the entire list of se-lected fi lms, or to register for the Solutions Cinema Summit, visit www.SolutionsCinema.com.

Al Sheehaniya Municipality, in co-operation with the Widam Food Company, on Sunday opened a slaughterhouse next to the Azab Al Sheehaniya complex. According to a statement by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), the new slaughterhouse is part of the eff orts to meet the requirements of the people of Al Sheehaniya City and the surrounding areas. Al Sheehaniya Municipality director Jaber Hassan al-Jaber, Widam Food Company chief executive Salem al-Marri, and Municipal Control Department director Mohamed Nasser al-Anzi were present at the opening.

New slaughterhouse opens at Al Sheehaniya

QATARGulf Times Wednesday, April 7, 202112

HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mo-hamed al-Kuwari visited

Al Wakra Hospital yesterday to meet senior members of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Tactical Command Group and Al Wakra Hospital’s leadership team following the designation of the hospital as a Covid-19 medical facility.

The majority of services at Al Wakra Hospital were transferred to other hospitals in the public healthcare sector to enable Al Wakra to be utilised as a dedi-cated Covid-19 facility.

The Covid-19 respiratory dis-ease is caused by the coronavirus.

“In recent weeks, we have seen a signifi cant increase in the number of people requiring ad-mission to hospital due to mod-erate and severe Covid-19 symp-toms,” said HE Dr al-Kuwari.

“The designation of Al Wakra Hospital, one of the largest hos-pitals in HMC’s network, means we now have seven facilities sole-ly dedicated to providing medical care and support for Covid-19 patients.”

“We have taken a proactive approach to our capacity expan-sion strategy throughout the pandemic, ensuring that we al-ways have suffi cient bed capac-ity to meet any future increases in demand for hospital admis-sion,” she explained. “There are now more than 2,100 Covid-19 patients being cared for in HMC hospitals, including more than 400 admitted to intensive care.”

“By adding Al Wakra Hospital to our Covid-19 hospital net-work, we now have an extra 400 hospital beds and 150 intensive care beds available for Covid-19 patients, should the demand require them,” HE the minister added.

During the visit to Al Wakra Hospital, HE Dr al-Kuwari dis-

cussed with HMC senior lead-ers how the hospital will play an important role in the strategy to ensure that the healthcare system is able to manage any future in-crease in the number of Covid-19 patients needing medical treat-ment.

HE the minister also inspected the inpatient units and intensive care units as they prepare to ad-

mit Covid-19 patients.“Al Wakra Hospital becomes

the seventh HMC facility dedi-cated to providing care for pa-tients with Covid-19,” said HMC chief medical offi cer Dr Abdulla al-Ansari. “By creating a clear divide between our Covid-19 fa-cilities and non-Covid-19 facili-ties, we can ensure our Covid-19 resources are best utilised to de-

liver high-quality care to Covid-19-positive patients.”

“Additionally, patients attend-ing non-Covid-19 facilities for regular medical services can do so safely, without the risk of in-

fection,” he added.“Due to the designation of Al

Wakra Hospital as a Covid-19 facility, we have transferred the majority of routine services to other hospitals, meaning pa-

tients will continue being able to access excellent care during this time,” he added. “I would like to thank the public for their support and understanding during this second wave of Covid-19.”

Minister visits Al Wakra Hospital More than 2,100 Covid-19 patients currently being cared for in HMC hospitals, including over 400 admitted to intensive care Addition of Al Wakra Hospital to Covid-19 network makes extra 400 hospital beds and 150 intensive care beds available for coronavirus patients, should demand require them

QNADoha

HE the minister discussed with senior HMC off icials how the hospital will play an important role in the strategy to ensure that the healthcare system is able to manage any future increase in the number of Covid-19 patients needing medical treatment.

Al Wakra Hospital is the seventh HMC facility dedicated to providing care for patients with Covid-19.

Qatar Airways’s US net-work will reach 12 des-tinations with resump-

tion of fl ights to Atlanta in June, Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker has said.

“Our commitment to the US market has also seen us add and expand strategic partnerships with American carriers, off ering our passengers hundreds of ad-ditional fl ight connections with Alaska Airlines, American Air-lines, JetBlue, and Cape Air,” he told a webinar hosted as part of the “Qatar–US Business Culture Series” yesterday.

Al-Baker said: “American Air-lines is now Qatar Airways’ larg-est partner worldwide, which speaks volumes about the im-portance of US operation and partnership for us.”

“I am glad to report that our current US network has already surpassed the number of des-tinations we used to operate (before the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic), keeping in mind that we were the only international carrier that kept on launching new destinations dur-ing the pandemic when others shut their network,” he stated.

“Our passengers travelling to and from the US can enjoy seam-less connections via the best air-port in the Middle East – Hamad International with the widest network of destinations in Af-rica, Asia Pacifi c and the Middle East.”

Al-Baker noted: “Qatar Air-ways has always been positively engaged with US authorities. And we will continue to support job creation and greater consum-er choice for all Americans.”

“As part of our engagements and with a view to ensure equal

opportunity to compete amongst all players in the market, the open skies air transport agreement be-tween the US and Qatar was rati-fi ed by the US in July of last year,” he said. “With this milestone we now have an aviation agreement in eff ect.”

By the peak of the IATA Sum-mer Season, the national car-rier plans to operate over 1,200 weekly fl ights to more than 140 destinations.

Qatar Airways continues to expand its network of destina-tions, off ering more fl ights to international destinations than any other airline.

By the middle of summer 2021, Qatar Airways plans to rebuild its network to 142 destinations: 23 in Africa, 14 in the Americas, 43 in Asia-Pacifi c, 43 in Europe, and 19 in Middle East.

Many cities will be served with a schedule of daily or more fre-quencies.

Qatar Airways’s US network to reach 12 destinations: CEOBy Pratap JohnBusiness Editor

First fully Covid-vaccinated fl ightFrom Page 1

One of the passengers on board, Dr Mohamed Althaf, di-rector of LuLu Group Interna-tional, told Gulf Times that it was a great experience travelling in a fully-vaccinated fl ight.

“During the pre-Covid era, I used to travel a minimum of 28-

30 weeks a year. But now, it is just a fond memory, and I believe that with more and more people getting vaccinated, there will be more travel opportunities,” he said. “So I am really delighted at the invitation to travel in the world’s fi rst fully-vaccinated fl ight.”

“Moreover, this initiative by

Qatar Airways also sends out a strong message that air travel is safe, especially if you are fully-vaccinated,” he added. “There is a kind of fear among some sec-tions of people that air travel leads to increased infections of Covid-19. I hope the travel and hospitality sector picks up soon in a big way.”

Frequencies to go up in summer

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Qatar National Tourism Coun-cil secretary-general HE Akbar al-Baker said the airline will add frequen-cies as passenger numbers grow, especially in the summer months.He also said the airline is waiting for the Indian authorities to open the airports to carry more passengers to various destinations in the country.HE al-Baker was speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the media in-teraction at the launch of the world’s first fully Covid-19-vaccinated flight.“We are a scheduled carrier and we are going to continue our schedule. We will keep adding more frequencies as the number of passengers grow,” he added. “As far as the Indian sector is concerned, we are waiting for the Indian authorities to open up their airports so that we can carry the passengers.”

Right: The pilots of the world’s first fully vaccinated flight.

Cabin crew on the world’s first fully vaccinated flight.

Left: The route of the world’s first fully vaccinated flight.

Dr Mohamed Althaf, the director of LuLu Group International, on board the flight.