P11BRYAN BROTHERS NOT ON US OPEN ENTRY LIST

PRAYER TIMINGS

WEATHER TODAY

MUSCATMAX: 360CMIN: 300C

SALALAHMAX: 260CMIN: 250C

NIZWAMAX: 440CMIN: 310C

SUNRISE 05.45 AM

FAJR: 04:26DHUHR: 12:15ASR: 15:42MAGHRIB: 18:40ISHA: 19:54

REGION

WORLD

GAZA: Israeli tanks shelled Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in response to Palestinian fire balloons as mediators sought to broker an end to the latest flare-up.

Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip almost every night since August 6 in retaliation for the balloons or, more rarely, rocket fire, from across the border.

It has also tightened its 13-year blockade of Gaza’s two million inhabitants. P3

MUMBAI: Almost 30 per cent of the population in India’s capital of New Delhi likely have been infected by the novel coronavirus, according to a serological survey of 15,000 people conducted by the local government, a figure that indicates infection numbers are much higher than those recorded. The survey, which tested a sample of the population for the presence of antibodies, was done in the national capital territory in the first week of August. P4

Israeli tanks shell Gaza

Millions infected in New Delhi

FRIDAY | AUGUST 21, 2020 | MUHARRAM 1, 1442 AH

OMAN DAILY

RESTAURANTS REOPEN WITH A NEW LOOK

P8DUQM PORT SEES POSITIVE UPTAKE OF LAND IN INDUSTRIAL, LOGISTICS ZONES

VOL. 39 NO. 281 | PAGES 12 | BAISAS 200

P2

HM GREETS KING OF MOROCCOMUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik congratulated King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion of his birthday. His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health, well-being and a long life to King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people further progress and prosperity.

Washington Post hails HM’s restructuring of ministries

WASHINGTON: The Washington

Post has hailed the step taken by His

Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

to regulate the State’s administrative

apparatus, particularly the Royal

decree on restructuring the Council

of Ministers.

A report published recently

by Washington Post said that His

Majesty the Sultan issued 28 Royal

decrees renaming and regulating

ministries.

The report quoted Kristin Smith

Diwan, an analyst at the Arab Gulf

States Institute in Washington. “HM

Sultan Haitham is making up for lost

time very quickly.” The report said

Oman remained a key interlocutor

between the West and Iran, as well

as Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement,

assisting in getting prisoners released

in the past. — ONA

RAIN IN WILAYATS

MUSCAT: A number of wilayats in the Sultanate received moderate to heavy rains on Thursday leading to floods in some wadis. These wilayats include Mahdha, Al Mudhaibi and Ibra. — ONA

Low humidity, dry air can increase COVID-19 riskSYDNEY: New research adds to

the growing body of evidence that

low humidity, dry air can increase

the risk of COVID-19 virus.

The study, published in the

journal Transboundary and

Emerging Diseases, focused on the

Greater Sydney area during the

early epidemic stage of COVID-19

found an association between

lower humidity and an increase in

community transmission.

“This second study adds to a

growing body of evidence that

humidity is a key factor in the

spread of COVID-19,” said study

researcher Michael Ward from the

University of Sydney in Australia.

The estimate is about a

2-fold increase in COVID-19

notifications for a 10 per cent drop

in relative humidity.

According to the researchers,

dry air appears to favour the

spread of COVID-19, meaning

time and place become important.

Accumulating evidence

shows that climate is a factor

in COVID-19 spread, raising

the prospect of seasonal disease

outbreaks. The study revealed

that reduced humidity was found

in several different regions of

Sydney to be consistently linked

to increased cases. The same link

was not found for other weather

factors — rainfall, temperature or

wind

Additional evidence from the

Sydney COVID-19 epidemic has

confirmed cases to be associated

with humidity.

According to the researchers,

there are biological reasons

why humidity matters in the

transmission of airborne viruses.

“When the humidity is lower,

the air is drier and it makes the

aerosols smaller,” Ward said,

adding that aerosols are smaller

than droplets.

“When you sneeze and cough

those smaller infectious aerosols

can stay suspended in the air

for longer. That increases the

exposure for other people,” he said

“When the air is humid and

the aerosols are larger and heavier,

they fall and hit surfaces quicker,”

Ward explained.

“This suggests the need for

people to wear a mask, both

to prevent infectious aerosols

escaping into the air in the case

of an infectious individual and

exposure to infectious aerosols

in the case of an uninfected

individual,” the study authors

wrote.

Earlier, a study published in

the Canadian Medical Association

Journal, found that temperature

and latitude are not associated

with the spread of the COVID-19

disease. — IANS

MUSCAT: The Majlis Ash’shura

commended the recent Royal

decrees issued by His Majesty Sultan

Haitham bin Tarik on restructuring

the state’s administrative apparatus.

The Majlis said in a statement

on Thursday that the Royal action

pumped fresh blood into the

administrative apparatus through

the inclusion of Omanis known for

their expertise in different spheres.

This, the statement added, will help

promote the objectives of Oman

Vision 2040 so that it could reflect

the aspirations of the people of Oman

and, eventually, realise His Majesty’s

pledge to shuttle Oman into a new

orbit of rebuilding and development.

The Majlis expressed its deep

appreciation for the inclusion of a

group of Majlis Ash’shura members

into the state’s administrative

apparatus which is an indication

that they won the confidence of

His Majesty for their aptitude to

contribute to the renaissance march

and enhance interaction between

the Majlis and the government.

In particular, the Majlis hailed the

Royal decrees for appointing more

women ministers and officials. At

the conclusion of its statement,

the Majlis reiterated its resolve

to activate the regulatory and

legislative powers granted to it with

the prime aim of better serving the

interests of citizens. — ONA

F R E S H F A C E S I N G O V T T O P R O M O T E O B J E C T I V E S O F O M A N V I S I O N 2 0 4 0

The Majlis said in a statement that the Royal action pumped fresh blood into the administrative apparatus through the inclusion of Omanis known for their expertise in different spheres

HARRIS MAKES HISTORY, OBAMA REBUKES TRUMP P6

RUSSIA COVID-19 VACCINE TO BE TESTED ON 40,000 PEOPLE P4

INSIDE

editor@omanobserver.om www.omanobserver.omfollow us @omanobserverEstablished 1981 Editor-in-chief : Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 02

insideoman

RESTAURANTS REOPEN WITH A

STAFF REPORTERMUSCAT, AUG 20

While restaurants in hotels have

been allowed to reopen, with that

comes a new look due to health

and safety and social distancing

measures to combat the COVID-19

pandemic.

In addition to all previous

hygiene directives such as wearing

gloves and masks and providing

regular temperature checking of

both staff and customers, a new

set of precautionary measures

was released by the authorities on

Thursday.

“There must be two metres

between tables, and the entry of and

exit period of customers and as well

as employees must be registered,”

says the circular issued by the

authorities.

The Supreme Committee dealing

with the COVID-19 situation

in the beginning of this week

allowed international and first-class

restaurants and cafes as well as gyms

and swimming pools located in

hotels, under certain regulations and

requirements.

According to the circular, open

buffets are not allowed, while tables

must be cleaned and disinfected

immediately upon customers

leaving.

Only four persons will be

allowed at one table with food and

beverages to be provided only in

single-use utensils and cups as per

specified standards.

Buffets are to be avoided

while salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup

and mustard must be served in

disposable bags and not in reusable

containers.

While newspapers and

magazines should not be kept on

tables and the waiting areas for

customers should be blocked, the

circular urged the managements to

encourage electronic payments as

desired by the Ministry of Health.

Cleaning and disinfection of

common surfaces, such as doors,

stair handles, cash machines, TV

and ACs, chairs and tables after

each service, washbasins, shelves

and drawers, have been made

mandatory.

“All workers must adhere

to the physical distance in the

catering halls, the kitchen and

other restaurant facilities, and if

a new employee is coming from

outside the Sultanate, he must be

quarantined for a period of two

weeks before starting work,” the

circular adds.

There must be two metres between tables

Only four persons will be allowed at one table

Food and beverages must be provided in single-use utensils and cups

Tables must be cleaned and disinfected immediately upon customers leaving

Entry and exit of customers and employees must be registered

All workers must adhere to the physical distance

Open buffets are not allowed

Knowledge Oman selected as ‘Innovation Partner’STAFF REPORTERMUSCAT, AUG 20

Knowledge Oman, the knowledge

sharing platform, has been selected

as the ‘Innovation Partner’ for The

Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative

for Global Prosperity (the Global

Prosperity Initiative), an initiative

of the Global Manufacturing and

Industrialisation Summit (GMIS),

to drive social innovation by engag-

ing the nation’s community.

The partnership is focused on

identifying innovators from the

Sultanate, including entrepreneurs,

start-ups, and SMEs that can design

scalable and cost-effective solutions

that could create a significant socio-

economic impact. As an innovation

partner to the Global Prosperity

Initiative, Knowledge Oman will

provide innovators mentorship, ac-

cess to its accelerator programmes

and support to develop reports and

whitepapers around socio-econom-

ic issues.

“We are honoured to be selected

as the innovation partner for the Mo-

hammed bin Rashid Initiative for

Global Prosperity, and look

forward to engage and

encourage the com-

munity to collaborate

and partner for global

good. We are excited

to connect with the In-

itiative’s global ecosys-

tem of start-ups, partners

and community of social

impact enthusiasts that

will help us achieve our

mission in transforming Oman into a

knowledge-based society,” said Tariq

Hilal al Barwani, Founder of Knowl-

edge Oman.

The Mohammed bin Rashid

Initiative for Global Prosperity is a

platform that brings together UN

agencies and organisations, ma-

jor industry and digital innovation

companies, NGOs, business accel-

erators and incubators, start-ups and

entrepreneurs, and academics to

drive dialogue and action on

transformative solutions

and partnerships that

will solve the world’s

most pressing issues.

The Mohammed

bin Rashid Initiative

for Global Prosper-

ity combines the Global

Maker Challenge, an

online open-innovation

platform designed to

promote and accelerate global pros-

perity through product innovation;

and the Global Prosperity Award,

a prestigious global accolade that

recognises and rewards corporate

social responsibility that advances

resilience, community, harmony and

dignity across the world, in line with

the Sustainable Development Goals.

Badr Al Olama, the head of the

Organising Committee for the Glo-

bal Manufacturing and Industriali-

sation Summit (GMIS), said: “We

are delighted to have Knowledge

Oman onboard as our Innovation

Partner to join us in inspiring inno-

vators to come forward with solu-

tions to solve global issues that will

contribute immensely to society

and help achieve global prosper-

ity. Through our cooperation with

Knowledge Oman, we look forward

to welcoming innovators, accel-

erators and the business commu-

nity from the Sultanate to positively

contribute to the well-being of our

world while fostering the Global

Prosperity Initiative’s values of re-

silience, community, harmony and

dignity.”

Tariq Hilal al Barwani

MUSCAT: The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the

Sultanate reached 83,769, while the number of recoveries stood at

78,386, comprising 93.6 per cent.

The total number of COVID-19 related deaths stood at 609, the

Ministry of Health said.

The ministry said 42 patients have been hospitalised during the

past 24 hours, adding that the number of patients hospitalised due

to COVID-19 stood at 429, of them 151 were in intensive care units

(ICU). Meanwhile, the ministry announced that it will stop issuing

the daily report of cases during weekends and official holidays.

It urged all people to shoulder their individual and social

responsibilities and abide firmly with precautionary measures by

wearing face masks, maintaining social distance of at least two

metres and cleaning hands regularly, using water and soap or

sanitisers, while at the same time avoiding touching the face, nose,

mouth and eyes.

The ministry also reminds all to follow healthy habits when

sneezing and coughing. — ONA

COVID-19 cases rise to 83,769; deaths hit 609

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region

Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank, shell GazaTEL AVIV/GAZA: Israeli soldiers

fired at Palestinians suspected of

“preparing to attack Israeli cars”

in the occupied West Bank on

Thursday, the military said, and

Palestinian officials said a Palestinian

teenager was killed.

A military spokeswoman said

members of a terrorist squad were

hit by the gunfire but she had no

details on their condition.

Palestinian health and municipal

officials said Mohammad Damer

Hamdan, 16, was killed by Israeli

forces and two other Palestinians

were wounded. The Hamas group

issued a statement mourning his

death.

Imad Zahran, chairman of the

local council of Hamdan’s village,

said the three youths were near a

road used by Jewish settlers when

the soldiers shot them.

The military spokeswoman said

the soldiers opened fire after spotting

Palestinians carrying flammable

material and preparing tyres which

they planned to ignite and use to

attack passing Israeli vehicles.

Zahran said two of the

Palestinians shot by the troops were

treated in Palestinian hospitals and

that the military, which had taken

Hamdan away, later informed him

that he had died of his wounds. A

Palestinian health official also said

Hamdan was killed.

ISRAELI TANKS SHELL GAZA

Israeli tanks shelled Hamas

positions in the Gaza Strip early on

Thursday in response to Palestinian

fire balloons as mediators sought to

broker an end to the latest flare-up.

Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip

almost every night since August 6 in

retaliation for the balloons or, more

rarely, rocket fire, from across the

border.

It has also tightened its 13-year

blockade of Gaza’s two million

inhabitants.

It has banned Gaza fishermen

from going to sea and closed its

goods crossing with the territory,

prompting the closure of Gaza’s sole

power plant for want of fuel.

“Explosive and arson balloons

were launched from the Gaza Strip

into Israel,” a military statement said

early on Thursday.

“In response... tanks targeted

military posts belonging to the

Hamas organisation in the Gaza

Strip.”

Gaza security officials said the fire

hit Hamas observation posts near

Al Maghazi and Al Bureij refugee

camps and the city of Khan Yunis,

without causing any casualties.

Since the exchanges erupted

two weeks ago, Israeli reprisals had

mainly involved warplanes, and

Gaza security sources said the switch

to tanks could be an attempt to de-

escalate.

It came after an Egyptian

delegation shuttled between the two

sides, trying to broker a return to an

informal truce.

The truce provided for permits

for Gazans to work in Israel and

financing for Gaza development

projects, both measures that would

provide some economic relief in

an impoverished territory where

unemployment exceeds 50 per cent.

Sources told AFP the twin issues

were at the root of the latest flare-up.

A source close to Hamas said

the Israeli government told the

Egyptian delegation it expected a

“return to calm” before considering

implementation of truce provisions

such as “the extension of the eastern

Gaza industrial zone” and the

construction of a new power line to

the territory.

Hamas has asked for the number

of work permits issued to Gazans

to be doubled to 10,000 once anti-

coronavirus restrictions are lifted,

the source said.

— Reuters/AFP

Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest against Jewish settlements near Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday. — Reuters

Lebanon can only subsidise basic goods for 3 more months

Iraq is open for US business: PM

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s central bank

will only subsidise fuel, wheat and

medicine for three more months,

an official source said on Thursday,

as critically low foreign currency

reserves dwindle.

A central bank official was not

immediately available for comment,

and the caretaker economy minister

referred questions on the matter to

the central bank.

The source said the bank had

informed the government it would

end the subsidies then in order to

prevent reserves from falling below

$17.5 billion.

Other sources had in July

estimated that the reserves stood at

some $18 billion, before this month’s

massive Beirut port blast that killed

179 people and wrecked swathes of

the city.

The explosion and its aftermath

compounded a financial crisis that,

since late last year, has slashed the

value of the Lebanese pound on

the parallel market, hitting imports

as dollars grow ever more scarce.

Inflation and poverty have soared.

Still, the official pegged rate of

1,507.5 Lebanese pounds to the dollar,

in place since 1997, has remained

available to subsidise the key imports

of fuel, wheat and medicine —

keeping their prices stable.

The now caretaker government,

which resigned over the August 4

blast, had launched talks in May with

the International Monetary Fund

after defaulting on its hefty foreign

currency debt, citing low reserves.

But the negotiations stalled over

inaction on reforms and a domestic

row over the size of vast losses in the

financial system.

Foreign humanitarian aid has

poured in after the port explosion,

but donors have made clear they will

not bail out the state without reforms

to tackle entrenched corruption and

mismanagement. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: US President

Donald Trump on Thursday said US

companies were involved in many

prospects in Iraq’s oil business,

as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa

al Kadhimi declared his country

open for American business and

investment.

Trump told reporters before a

meeting with the Iraqi leader that

the US military had very few troops

left in Iraq, but was there to help the

country.

The meeting comes as attacks on

American targets by fighters have

been on the rise.

Kadhimi, who took office in May,

faces challenges from factions of the

Hashed al Shaabi, a coalition of Iraqi

paramilitary groups.

The Hashed al Shaabi is officially

integrated into the Iraqi state, and its

political representatives have called

for the expulsion of the 5,000 US

troops deployed in the country as

part of anti-militant efforts.

US Secretary of State Mike

Pompeo said on Wednesday that

“armed groups not under the full

control of the prime minister have

impeded our progress,” calling for

them to “be replaced by local police

as soon as possible.”

Pompeo — who was speaking at

a press conference with Iraqi Foreign

Minister Fuad Hussein — appeared

to be referring to paramilitary

groups, though he did not identify

them by name.

Asked about the plan for cutting

the 5,000 US troops now in Iraq,

Pompeo said he had no numbers

and urged people “not to focus on

that.”

On the troop issue, a senior

administration official said: “There

are no hard fast timelines, and

there are no hard fast numbers but

that certainly would be part of the

discussion, as we evaluate what Iraq

security requirements are, and what

the United States believes it can do.”

The official described “armed

groups” as “a persistent problem

that challenges Iraqi security, has

threatened US forces’ interests in the

region, and certainly it’s a challenge

to Iraq sovereignty.”

“We think that Iraq’s internal

security needs are best met by forces

that are, first and foremost, under the

sovereign control the government of

Iraq,” the official said.

— Reuters/AFP

Gambian migrant workers protest in front of the consulate of Gambia on Thursday in Beirut, asking to be evacuated from Lebanon and be repatriated to their country. An estimated 250,000 domestic workers — mostly from Ethiopia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka — live in Lebanon, many in conditions condemned by rights groups. — AFP

US President Donald Trump speaks with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi as a translator listens in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Thursday. — Reuters

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world

West African leaders start talks on Mali crisisBAMAKO: Leaders of the West

African group ECOWAS on

Thursday began talks on Mali

following a military coup that sent

shockwaves around the region.

Rebel soldiers took power on

Tuesday after detaining President

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime

Minister Boubou Cisse in the

capital Bamako following months of

protests.

Opening the video summit, Niger

President Mahamadou Issoufou

`warned of “a serious situation...

whose security implications for our

region and Mali are obvious.”

“It shows how much ground

still has to be covered before strong

democratic institutions are set in

place in our region,” he added.

Issoufou noted that Mali’s last

coup, in 2012, had enabled “terrorist

and criminal organisations” to

overrun two-thirds of the country

in a matter of weeks.

Keita’s overthrow culminated

protests in which ECOWAS — the

Economic Community of West

African States — had tried to play a

mediating role.

The bloc proposed setting up

a unity government that would

include representatives of the

protest movement, although it stood

firmly by the 75-year-old Keita. The

package was bluntly rejected by the

opposition.

REPORTS OF DEATHS

The African Union, the European

Union, United States and

UN Security Council have all

condemned the putsch and

demanded the release of detained

leaders.

France, which is leading a military

campaign against extremists in the

Sahel, has voiced special concern.

The junta, led by an army colonel

named Assimi Goita, have vowed to

stage elections within a “reasonable

time” and respect “all past

agreements,” including international

anti-extremist missions.

It also urged citizens to return to

normal life and warned against acts

of vandalism after some buildings

were torched.

Soldiers were stationed in

Bamako on Thursday in front of the

administrative centre which houses

most of the ministries.

Markets were open and Malians,

who generally welcomed the change

of regime, went about their business

as usual.

Amnesty International joined

calls for the immediate release of

all those arrested during the coup

and for an investigation into the

reported deaths of four people

during Tuesday’s events.

The NGO said 15 others were

wounded.

“All the victims were hit by bullets

in unclear circumstances and were

sent to the Gabriel Toure hospital in

the capital Bamako,” Samira Daoud,

Amnesty International’s director for

West and Central Africa, said in a

statement.

The junta has denied that there

were any casualties during the

mutiny.

‘CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER’

ECOWAS comprises 15 members,

including Mali, but within hours

of Keita’s overthrow, the group

issued a statement announcing it

was immediately suspending the

country from its internal decision-

making bodies.

That statement also called for

the immediate release of Keita

and other detained leaders; said

its members would close land and

air borders to Mali; and pledged to

demand sanctions against “all the

putschists and their partners and

collaborators”.

— AFP

A screenshot shows a teleconference during the extraordinary summit of west African leaders. — Reuters

Millions likely infected by coronavirus in New DelhiMUMBAI: Almost 30 per cent of

the population in India’s capital of

New Delhi likely have been infected

by the novel coronavirus, according

to a serological survey of 15,000

people conducted by the local

government, a figure that indicates

infection numbers are much higher

than those recorded.

The survey, which tested a

sample of the population for the

presence of antibodies, was done

in the national capital territory in

the first week of August, its Health

Minister Satyendra Jain told a news

conference on Thursday.

“We found that 29.1 per cent

of the population of Delhi had

antibodies, which means that they

were infected and have been cured,”

Jain said.

Delhi has a population of 20

million and has recorded a total of

140,767 cases of COVID-19, out of

India’s total of 2.84 million.

The findings of the survey are

in line with what other cities like

Mumbai and Pune have discovered,

that a significant number of their

people have been infected.

India reported a record daily jump

of 69,652 coronavirus infections

on Thursday, data from the federal

health ministry showed. Deaths rose

by 977 to a total of 53,866.

India is the worst-hit country in

Asia and globally third only behind

the United States and Brazil in

number of cases.

— Reuters

A vendor selling jewellery looks for customers along the Rajpath street near India Gate in New Delhi. — AFP

Lanka president vows constitutional changesCOLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president

has vowed to abolish a controversial

constitutional provision restricting

his powers as he opened a new

parliamentary session following his

party’s sweeping election victory.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his

elder brother, Prime Minister

Mahinda Rajapaksa, campaigned

for voters to give their party a two-

thirds parliamentary majority in the

August 5 poll so they could roll back

reforms brought in by the previous

administration.

Their Sri Lanka Podujana Party

(SLPP) won 145 seats and secured

the support of six allies, one seat

more than the minimum number

needed to change the constitution in

the 225-seat legislature.

“The people have given us

the mandate we wanted for a

constitutional amendment,”

Rajapaksa said in his address to

parliament, adding it would be “our

first task”.

He also repeated a previous

assertion, without giving further

details, that he wanted an entirely

new constitution to replace the

current one introduced in 1978

when Sri Lanka changed to a

presidential system.

The Rajapaksa brothers are

adored by the Sinhala-Buddhist

majority for spearheading the defeat

of Tamil separatist militants in 2009

to end the bloody 37-year civil

war when Mahinda was president

and Gotabaya was secretary to the

ministry of defence.

But they have also attracted

criticism from the international

community, with the security

services they controlled accused of

war crimes committed in the final

months of the conflict.

Mahinda was ousted from the

presidency after a decade in power

when he lost the 2015 elections.

But with Gotabaya’s election in

the November 2019 presidential poll,

and his appointment of Mahinda as

PM, analysts warn that the brothers

would try to ensure they do not lose

power again.

Gotabaya’s remarks came as the

new parliament opened its first

session on Thursday.

— AFP

MOSCOW: Mass testing

of Russia’s first potential

COVID-19 vaccine to get

domestic regulatory approval

will involve more than 40,000

people and will be overseen by

a foreign research body when it

starts next week, backers of the

project said on Thursday.

These were the first details

on the shape and size of the

upcoming late-stage trial of the

vaccine given by its developers,

who are aiming to allay

concerns among some scientists

about the lack of data provided

by Russia so far.

The vaccine, called “Sputnik

V” in homage to the world’s

first satellite launched by the

Soviet Union, has been hailed

as safe and effective by Russian

authorities and scientists

following two months of small-

scale human trials, the results

of which have not been made

public yet.

But Western experts

have been more sceptical,

warning against its use until all

internationally approved testing

and regulatory steps have been

seen to be taken and proved a

success.

“A range of countries is

running an information war

against the Russian vaccine,”

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the

Russian Direct Investment

Fund (RDIF) that is backing the

vaccine, told a briefing.

The vaccine data will be

published in an academic

journal later this month, he said.

Russia has received requests

for up to a billion doses of the

vaccine from around the world

and has capacity to produce

500 million doses per year via

manufacturing partnerships, he

said.

A director at Moscow’s

Gamaleya Institute, which

developed the vaccine, said

40,000 people would be

involved in the mass testing at

more than 45 medical centres

around Russia.

The data is being provided to

the World Health Organization

(WHO), Dmitriev said, and

to several countries that are

considering participating in the

late-stage trial, including the

United Arab Emirates, India,

Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the

Philippines.

Sputnik V has already

received approval from

domestic regulators, leading

President Vladimir Putin and

other officials to name Russia

the first country to license a

COVID-19 vaccine.

The registration took

place, however, ahead of the

start of the large-scale trial,

commonly known as a Phase

III trial, considered by many

as a necessary precursor to

registration. At least four other

potential COVID-19 vaccines

are currently in Phase III trials

globally, according to WHO

records.

TWO-SHOT INOCULATION

But Russia’s early registration

of the vaccine will permit it to

begin administering it to people

in high-risk groups, such as

healthcare workers, alongside

the late-stage trial, from

October, Dmitriev said.

He said the process would be

conducted on a voluntary basis

and participants would have

regular medical check-ups.

The trial itself will be

supervised by a foreign

clinical research organisation,

Dmitriev said, ensuring the data

collection is fully in line with

international standards. He did

not give details of the research

organisation. — Reuters

People wearing face masks walk in central Moscow. — AFP

Russia COVID-19 vaccine to be tested on 40,000 people

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 0 5

europe

Macron and Merkel meet with Belarus, COVID on agendaBORMES-LES-MIMOSAS: French

President Emmanuel Macron

received German Chancellor

Angela Merkel at his Mediterranean

holiday retreat on Thursday to

discuss a long list of burning

issues including the coronavirus

pandemic, post-election unrest in

Belarus and growing tensions with

Turkey.

The pair have a packed agenda

for their meeting at the Fort de

Bregancon, with challenges raised

by Britain’s departure from the

European Union, climate change,

the coup d’etat in Mali, and the

consequences of the devastating

blast in Lebanon also set to loom

large.

Macron welcomed Merkel for

her first-ever visit to the presidential

summer residence with a Namaste-

style greeting, palms pressed

together and bending at the waist,

in observance of social-distancing

guidelines against coronavirus

spread.

According to the Elysee Palace, a

priority of the talks will be to push

ahead with a coronavirus recovery

fund for Europe which the pair had

piloted and was agreed at an EU

summit last month.

“The international agenda

is particularly full,” the French

presidency said ahead of the talks

which are to be followed by a news

conference and a working dinner.

It added that Paris and Berlin

shared “a high level of convergence”

on the issues.

The allies will look to coordinate

policy on the mass protests in

Belarus following President

Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed

re-election win which the

opposition had denounced as a

fraud.

DESTABILISING FACTOR

They will also discuss mounting

tensions between Greece and Turkey

over disputed Mediterranean

waters, with Macron taking a tough

line against Ankara.

In an interview with Paris Match

published earlier on Thursday, the

French president said his Turkish

counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan

was conducting an “expansionist

policy that mixes nationalism and

Islamism, which is not compatible

with European interests”.

He also accused Turkey of being

a “destabilising factor”.

Germany, for its part, is seeking

to mediate between Turkey

and Greece in a growing row

over gas reserves in the eastern

Mediterranean.

Also on this issue, “there is no

contradiction on the substance”

between Paris and Berlin, said the

Elysee.

Macron and Merkel last saw

each other at a marathon five-day

EU summit that ended on July 21

with member states agreeing to

a 750-billion-euro ($858-billion)

rescue plan for economies left

shattered by the coronavirus

pandemic.

Germany and France strongly

backed the package, which enables

joint borrowing by the 27 members

of the bloc to help virus-hit

countries, particularly Spain and

Italy.

The deal was a special victory for

Macron, who came to office in 2017

committed to strengthening the

European Union but has struggled

to deliver. — AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrives at Fort de Bregancon. — AFP

EU to buy 225m CureVac Covid-19 vaccine doses

Poland’s FM resigns amid Belarus crisis

Storm brings floods, chaos to Ireland

BRUSSELS: The European Com-

mission said on Thursday it has

concluded “exploratory talks” with

pharmaceutical giant CureVac to

potentially buy its Covid-19 vaccine.

If a contract gets signed, the

EU’s executive body would buy 225

million doses of the vaccine from

German pharmaceutical company

CureVac on behalf of the 27 EU

countries.

Commission President Ursula

von der Leyen said the body re-

mained in talks with multiple vac-

cine makers. “Each round of talks

that we conclude with the pharma-

ceutical industry brings us closer to

beating this virus,” she said.

The EU has previously reached a

similar agreement with French phar-

maceutical company Sanofi, aiming

for 300 million doses. It has already

signed a purchase agreement with

AstraZeneca to buy also 300 million

doses of a Covid-19 vaccine if it be-

comes available and proves to be safe

and effective. — dpa

WARSAW: Poland’s Foreign

Minister Jacek Czaputowicz

has resigned, the ministry

said on Thursday, the second

ministerial resignation in

a week as Poland tries to

play a leading role in the EU

response to a political crisis in

neighbouring in Belarus.

Czaputowicz had signalled

in July he may quit, as the

ruling Law and Justice (PiS)

party announced it plans

some personnel changes in the

government during a reshuffle

in the autumn that could see

the number of ministries

reduced.

His exit comes at an impor-

tant moment for Polish foreign

policy, as Warsaw has sought

to push the EU to take an ac-

tive diplomatic stance towards

Belarus, a close Russian ally

whose borders with Poland,

Lithuania and Latvia are major

Nato frontiers. — Reuters

LONDON: An overnight storm caused floods and cut electricity supplies to tens of thousands of homes on Thursday in southern Ireland.

Authorities said workers attended 40 incidents of storm damage in the worst-hit city of Cork, while weather forecasters warned of more heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Ellen until Fri-day.

ESB, the Irish national electricity company, said 194,000 homes and businesses were without power early on Thursday, with 130,000 premises still cut off by mid-morning.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin tweeted his thanks to emergency services “who did so much last night through #StormEllen to protect com-munities across the country.” — dpa

IN BRIEF

A flooded street in the town of Skibbereen, Ireland. — Reuters

Employees of British no-frills airline Easyjet demonstrate outside London Stansted Airporton on Thursday following the decision by the airline to close its operations at Stansted from August 31. — AFP

COVID-19 IMPACT ON TRAVEL

Greta urges Merkel to get out of climate ‘comfort zone’

BERLIN: Swedish activist

Greta Thunberg urged German

Chancellor Angela Merkel “to be

brave enough to think long-term”

in a meeting on Thursday where

they discussed the climate crisis and

measures to fight global warming.

During a 90-minute

conversation in the chancellery,

Merkel explained her climate policy

priorities for Germany’s European

Union presidency, the goal of

achieving EU climate neutrality by

2050 and interim targets to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,

a government spokesman said.

Speaking to reporters after the

meeting, Thunberg said Merkel

had been nice and very friendly,

but that the chancellor had a great

responsibility and huge opportunity

to become a world leader in the

fight against climate change.

“What it comes down to is that

we all start to treat the climate

crisis like we treat any other crisis,”

Thunberg said, adding that she

and her fellow activists had asked

Merkel to tackle climate change

with more urgency.

“What we want is leaders. We

want people to step up, to dare to

step out of their comfort zones,

to prioritise the future ahead of

us now and to be brave enough to

think long-term,” she said.

Thunberg was joined by fellow

members of the Fridays for Future

campaign group, among them

Luisa Neubauer.

“She at least confirmed that she

is willing to get stuff done during

the presidency,” Neubauer said.

“Yet eventually, at the end of the

day, it’s about common budgets,

it’s about very clear targets, it’s

about numbers and figures and

that we need action, more than

really nice and big words.” The

government spokesman said

Merkel and the activists agreed

that global warming posed a

challenge for the world and that

industrialised countries had a

special responsibility to tackle it.

“The basis for this is the

consistent implementation of the

Paris Climate Agreement,” the

spokesman said. The German

government admitted earlier this

week that it would have missed

its climate target for 2020 if the

economic havoc wrought by the

coronavirus pandemic had not

caused a large drop in greenhouse

gas emissions. — Reuters

Climate activists from the Fridays for Future movement arrive for talks with German Chancellor in Berlin. — AFP

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 06

world

Thousands flee as fires rage across CaliforniaSAN FRANCISCO: Thousands

of people were forced to evacuate

their homes across California on

Wednesday as nearly two-dozen

wildfires continued to blaze amid a

record-breaking heatwave in parts

of the western United States.

Firefighters were battling 367

known fires throughout the state

on Wednesday, Governor Gavin

Newsom tweeted, with 23 of them

major blazes.

The volatile mix of intense

heat and lightning storms have

contributed to many fires starting in

the last few days.

“CA [California] has experienced

10,849 lightning strikes in the last 72

hours and WORLD RECORD heat

temperatures,” Newsom tweeted.

Firefighters were able to

extinguish most of the smaller

fires quickly, state fire department

spokesman Daniel Berlant said

late on Wednesday. Almost 7,000

helpers were in action.

Evacuations were ordered in

several counties, which Berlant

urged residents in threatened

regions to quickly obey.

Newsom declared a state-wide

emergency on Tuesday and has

since called upon neighbouring

states to provide support.

“We’ve put out every resource we

have,” Newsom said in a briefing on

Wednesday.

One of the largest fires raged

near the Napa and Sonoma Valley

regions, around 80 kilometres north

of San Francisco.

The wildfire also tore through

the Northern California city of

Vacaville, where initial reports

said some 19,000 acres of land had

been scorched and 50 buildings

destroyed.

The smoke from the fire area

spread as far as San Francisco.

Newsom called on the

approximately 40 million residents

of California to save energy as the

heatwave placed further strain on

the state’s embattled electricity grid.

The World Meteorological

Organization has said it was working

to verify a Sunday temperature

reading of 54.4 degrees Celsius in

California’s Death Valley, which

would be the highest recorded

temperature on Earth since 1931.

— dpaA home burns in Vacaville, California. — AFP

NEW YORK: Former top

Trump aide Steve Bannon

was on Thursday arrested

and charged along with three

others for defrauding hundreds

of thousands of donors in a

Mexico border wall fundraising

campaign — a blow to the

Republican incumbent.

The online crowdfunding

campaign known as “We Build

the Wall” raised more than $25

million, prosecutors said, which

the defendants said would be

used on construction but was

instead used for their own profit.

The arrest is the latest in

a string of high-profile legal

battles faced by members of

Trump’s inner circle as the

Republican runs for re-election

in November.

Manhattan federal

prosecutors said Bannon, the

organisation’s founder Brian

Kolfage, Andrew Badolato

and Timothy Shea “received

hundreds of thousands of

dollars in donor funds from We

Build the Wall, which they each

used in a manner inconsistent

with the organisation’s public

representations.” The initiative

began in 2018 as a GoFundMe

campaign to raise money

organisers said would go

towards the border wall Trump

had promised during his 2016

campaign, which Bannon

orchestrated.

Kolfage, a 38-year-old based

in Florida, had vowed that all

funds raised would go to the

wall and he would not take

compensation — but according

to the indictment, he took more

than $350,000 for his own use

and worked to hide his actions.

‘LAUNDER DONATIONS’

After calling the effort a

“volunteer organisation,”

Bannon, 66, received over $1

million of the donations which

he funneled through a non-

profit he controlled, using some

of it for his personal expenses,

prosecutors said.

All four men are charged

with one count of conspiracy

to commit wire fraud and one

count of conspiracy to commit

money laundering.

“Not only did they lie to

donors, they schemed to hide

their misappropriation of funds

by creating sham invoices and

accounts to launder donations

and cover up their crimes,

showing no regard for the law

or the truth,” said Philip Bartlett,

head of New York’s division

of the US Postal Inspection

Service which worked on the

investigation.

Prior to leading Trump’s 2016

presidential bid, Bannon — a

brash, aggressively conservative

voice of US nationalism —

headed the far-right outlet

Breitbart News.

Once a prominent voice in

the president’s ear, Bannon was

behind some of Trump’s most

controversial moves, including

his ban on some travellers from

abroad and the decision to pull

the United States out of the Paris

climate change agreement.

After frequent clashes with

others in the White House

including Trump, Bannon was

pushed out in August 2017.

— Reuters

Steve Bannon was arrested in connection with a crowdfunding campaign to build a wall along the US southern border that raised millions of dollars. — Reuters

Lake Victoria floods expose need for regional water cooperationBUDALANGI: Women dashed

around open kitchens dotted across

the playground of Bubango Primary

School, preparing to feed the

hundreds of children who now call

the school in western Kenya their

home.

About 400 families from

Budalangi, in Busia County, have

been living at the school since April,

when the Nzoia River that flows

from Kenya’s western highlands into

Lake Victoria burst its banks in the

worst flooding the area has seen in

decades.

After more than a year of unusually

heavy rainfall, over 800,000 Kenyans

have been displaced by flooding,

according to the government.

The situation has been made

worse by flooded rivers channelling

huge volumes of water into Lake

Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, causing

it to spill over onto its shores — a

phenomenon called “backflow”.

“We lost everything when our

homes got inundated with water.

Houses have been destroyed,

livestock and crops swept away,” said

Hesborne Opondo, 45, who lost his

shop to the rising lake.

His wife now sells flatbread to

others living at Bubango school to

support their six children, he added.

Scientists warn that other massive

flood events may be ahead as climate

change strengthens, and some have

urged the three countries that share

the lake — Kenya, Uganda and

Tanzania — to work together to

put systems in place to lessen flood

damage.

“There should be a joint effort in

dealing with disaster management

and preparedness in the lake region,”

said Alfred Owuor Opere, a climate

and water expert at the University of

Nairobi.

Management of the dams that

regulate the flow of water into

Lake Victoria should especially be

a regional concern, as the area is

expected to receive enhanced rainfall

in future, he added.

While Budalangi is no stranger to

flooding, in recent years the damage

has been limited by two dykes the

government built 20 years ago along

the Nzoia River and on the southern

shore of Lake Victoria, according to

local elders.

But this year, the dykes could not

contain the flooding — the most

severe the area has seen since the

1960s, say experts, who attribute it to

a combination of climate change and

the erosion of shores by urbanisation

and farming.

A year of extraordinarily heavy

rains, which started in April 2019

following a drought, pushed the lake’s

water level up to 13.4 metres in May,

breaking the previous 1964 record,

according to the Lake Victoria Basin

Commission.

— Reuters

Unusually high rainfall has caused ‘backflow’ into Africa’s largest lake, displacing communities and spurring calls for more regional effort to manage water. — Reuters

Ex-Trump aide arrested in border wall fraud case

Harris makes history, Obama rebukes TrumpWILMINGTON: Kamala Harris

was set to accept the Democratic

nomination for vice-president

with an appeal for national unity

after what she said had been US

President Donald Trump’s deadly

“failure of leadership.” Accusing

Trump of turning “our tragedies into

political weapons,” Harris will call

on Americans to vote for Joe Biden,

“a president who will bring all of us

together.”

“Donald Trump’s failure of

leadership has cost lives and

livelihoods,” she said, according

to excerpts of the speech released

earlier. “We’re at an inflection point.”

Harris is making history as the first

black woman on a major party’s

White House ticket. If Biden defeats

Trump on November 3, she would

likewise become the first female

vice-president in US history.

America’s first black president,

Barack Obama, was also set to attack

Trump as a failure during his speech

on the third night of the all-online

Democratic convention.

Obama said that on handing over

the White House to Trump in 2017,

he thought the Republican “might

show some interest in taking the job

seriously; that he might come to feel

the weight of the office and discover

some reverence for the democracy

that had been placed in his care.”

“But he never did,” Obama said,

according to excerpts of his speech

released early.

As a result, Trump has left

America’s “worst impulses

unleashed, our proud reputation

around the world badly diminished,

and our democratic institutions

threatened like never before,”

Obama said.

Trump responded by telling

reporters that Obama had been “a

terrible president.”

Former first lady and secretary

of state Hillary Clinton, who lost

the 2016 presidential election

to Trump, will also address the

convention, which has been forced

due to coronavirus safety measures

to be staged entirely online and on

television.

Others on the night’s

programme include Massachusetts

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who

unsuccessfully challenged Biden

for the nomination, and Nancy

Pelosi, speaker of the House of

Representatives.

Former Arizona congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords, who has become

a gun control advocate after being

shot and severely wounded in a

2011 assassination attempt, is also

scheduled to speak along with

Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the

Parkland school shooting.

Young activists are to address

the dangers of climate change and

a Hispanic family is to discuss the

contributions of immigrants to

America.

Much focus will be on Obama.

He took a back seat during the

Democratic primaries but is now

throwing his still considerable sway

behind Biden’s campaign. — AFP

Senator from California and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention. — AFP

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 0 7

analysis

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.

LONDON: Researchers have found that adversity in childhood increas-

es the risk of premature death in early adulthood (16-36 years of age).

Childhood adversity includes child abuse and neglect, domestic vio-

lence, bullying, serious accidents or injuries, discrimination, extreme

poverty, and community violence.

In a study, published in the journal The Lancet, the researchers have

recorded social and stressful adversity in childhood among one million

Danish children. The research team divided the children into five groups

depending on the degree of adversity experienced in childhood.

“The more stressful experiences they have experienced during child-

hood, the higher the mortality rate in early adulthood,” said study au-

thor Naja Hulvej Rod from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

“For the most vulnerable children, the mortality rate is surprisingly 4.5

times higher.”

The higher mortality rate mainly manifests itself in suicide and ac-

cidents, but the study also shows a higher risk of dying from cancer in

this group. According to the researchers, the results of the study stress

the critical importance of broad structural public health initiatives to

reduce stressful adversity in childhood.

For example, prevention of childhood poverty and other adversity in

childhood. With time, it may help reduce social inequality in health. In

the study, social adversity is defined as financial poverty or long-term

unemployment in the family, while stressful adversity includes death of

a parent, divorce or alcohol/drug abuse among the parents.

The findings showed that 54 per cent of the children in group one

experienced no or only very few isolated incidents of adversity in child-

hood.

In group two to four, 43 per cent of the children experienced isolated

incidents of adversity in childhood, mainly related to poverty or illness

in the family. Here the researchers found a mortality rate in early adult-

hood that is 1.3-1.8 times higher than in group one.

The study revealed that three per cent in group five experienced great

social and stressful adversity throughout childhood. In this group, the

mortality rate is 4.5 times higher than in group one. According to the

team, the study is the first of its kind on a global basis.

“The size of the study has made it possible for the researchers to

study the associations between incidents of social and stressful adversity

throughout childhood and how it affects mortality rates among young

adults,” the study authors wrote. — IANS

Childhood adversity risks early death

What’s behind China’s record floods?JING XUAN TENG

hina has touted its massive dam

network as a remedy for its devastating

annual floods, but record deluges have

once again killed hundreds of people

and submerged thousands of homes

this year.

Millions of people have been

affected this time — with hundreds

of thousands evacuated, roads

submerged, tourist sites closed and

soaring economic costs.

China has historically relied on

dams, levees and reservoirs to control

and divert the flow of water.

From June to early August, around

30 billion cubic metres of floodwater

were intercepted by dams and reservoirs

in Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze,

mitigating flooding downstream in

areas including Shanghai, China’s

emergency management ministry said.

But the country’s vast infrastructure

has been unable to contain all the

flooding, with authorities in the eastern

city of Chuizhou, Anhui province,

forced to blow up two dams last month

to release water from the rising Chuhe

river over cropland, state broadcaster

CCTV reported.

And fears re-emerge periodically

over the structural integrity of the Three

Gorges Dam on the upper Yangtze, the

world’s largest hydroelectric dam, built

in an area criss-crossed by geological

faultlines.

The burden on China’s dams is

likely to grow as climate change

makes extreme weather events more

common. As the Earth’s atmosphere

gets warmer, it holds more moisture,

making downpours more intense,

Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth

Observatory of Singapore, said.

Water levels reached historic highs

in 53 rivers this summer, according to

China’s ministry of water resources.

Authorities warned this week that the

Three Gorges Dam is facing the largest

flood peak since it began operating in

2003.

Heavy rains are set to send 74,000

cubic metres of water per second

rushing into the Three Gorges

reservoir, the official Xinhua news

agency reported.

“This summer’s floods ring an alarm

bell for China that climate change is

here,” Li Shuo, a climate analyst for

Greenpeace East Asia, said.

The country’s rapid development

and breakneck urbanisation has also

exacerbated flooding.

Urban sprawl has covered more and

more land in impermeable concrete

— increasing the risk of rapid water

buildup on the surface during heavy

rain.

Horton also said that some of the

country’s big lakes have been drastically

reduced in size.

One of the solutions proposed by

the government has been the “sponge

city” programme that began in 2014.

It seeks to replace impermeable

urban surfaces with porous materials

like permeable pavements, more green

spaces, drainage areas and reservoirs

to stop water accumulating on the

ground.

“The objective is that stormwater

goes into drains or the green areas,

and affects the built areas less,” Cecilia

Tortajada, a researcher of water policy

at the National University of Singapore,

said.

But sponge cities will be little

consolation for rural communities in

the path of diverted water, which have

suffered severe damage to their homes

and crops.

“While urban dwellers in China’s

megacities are largely spared from the

rising water, much of the country’s

hinterlands along the Yangtze River

were put on the frontline,” Li said.

Entire villages are routinely allowed

to flood, with residents evacuated, in

order to spare densely populated cities.

Over the last week more than

165,000 hectares of crops were

damaged in severe flooding in Sichuan,

officials said.

The Mengwa Flood Diversion

Area, home to four townships and

nearly 200,000 people, was inundated

after officials ordered the opening of

13 sluice gates on the Huaihe river in

July, state media reported. China is also

turning to increased flood surveillance

and early evacuation to mitigate the

human cost of flooding. — AFP

Pandemic reignites German debate over four-day work

T

C

JEAN-PHILIPPE LACOUR

he coronavirus pandemic has reignit-

ed debate in Germany about cutting

the working week to four days to help

preserve jobs during and after the eco-

nomic shock.

But the idea remains highly contro-

versial.

The president of Germany’s pow-

erful metalworkers union IG Metall,

Joerg Hofmann, started a national con-

versation by proposing the measure at a

time when fears about unemployment

are rising, as they are across the world.

Before the pandemic pummelled

the global economy, Germany boasted

a record low unemployment level of

around five per cent.

By July, the rate had climbed to 6.4

per cent. German Labour Minister Hu-

bertus Heil, a member of the centre-left

Social Democrats, has signalled he is

open to moving away from a traditional

five-day working week.

“Reduced hours with some wage

compensation may be an appropriate

measure,” he said this week.

The basic idea is that in working less,

employees share more of the jobs that

are fading away.

Such a move could be the answer to

the structural changes hitting sectors

such as the car industry, which faces

a “digital acceleration due to the pan-

demic”, the IG Metall boss told the daily

Sueddeutsche Zeitung at the weekend.

Hofmann, whose union represents

more than two million workers, also

said that for those switching to a short-

er week, salary cuts should be kept in

check so as not to cause a fall in pur-

chasing power.

This isn’t IG Metall’s first battle on

working hours, and its achievements

have often set the benchmark for em-

ployees in other industries.

In 1995, it won a 35-hour working

week. In 2018, the union won the right

for employees to opt to work only 28

hours a week for two years, with only a

limited decrease in pay.

Its latest proposal is supported by

60 per cent of Germans, according to a

YouGov poll published on Wednesday.

Germany’s far-left Die Linke party

wants to go even further, urging a re-

duction of working hours to 30 a week

without a loss of pay.

But employers appear reluctant to

jump on board.

Switching to a shorter week will only

worsen “the enormous productivity

shock” being suffered at the moment,

according to Steffen Kampeter, director

of the employers’ federation BDA.

“The longer the crisis lasts, the more

we must find intelligent solutions that

do more than just distribute wages and

subsidies,” Carsten Linnemann, a sen-

ior member of Chancellor Angela Mer-

kel’s conservative party, told business

magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

Several large German companies,

such as engineering firm Bosch and

carmaker Daimler, have already im-

plemented schemes to reduce working

hours, while discussions continue at

tyre maker Continental and aerospace

giant Airbus.

But in these cases employees have

had to make major financial sacrifices.

Back in the 1990s, when Volkswa-

gen introduced a four-day week for

some employees to save 30,000 jobs

that were at risk when the group was in

crisis, those affected had to accept a 10

per cent salary cut.

In the beleaguered car industry’s

current climate, the four-day week

would be “neither appropriate nor eco-

nomically viable”, Daimler personnel

chief Wilfried Porth said. — AFP

Millions of people in China have been affected once again by flooding this year.

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The basic idea is that in working less, employees

share more of the jobs that are fading

away. But opponents say switching to a shorter week will only worsen the

pandemic impact

URBAN SPRAWL HAS COVERED MORE AND MORE

LAND IN IMPERMEABLE CONCRETE — INCREASING

THE RISK OF RAPID WATER BUILDUP ON THE SURFACE

DURING HEAVY RAIN

FRIDAY | AUGUST 21, 2020 | MUHARRAM 1, 1442 AH

business editor@omanobserver.om www.omanobserver.omfollow us @oman_biz

MUSCAT STOCK

MARKET

CRUDE OIL PRICE

3,628.90Oman Crude $ 44.65Brent Crude $ 44.18Light Crude $ 41.50

Duqm Port sees positive uptake of land in industrial, logistics zones

CONRAD PRABHUMUSCAT, AUG20

Growing numbers of local and

international companies are setting

up operations in specially created

zones earmarked for industrial

and logistics activities within the

concession area of Port of Duqm on

Oman’s Al Wusta coast.

According to a top official of the

maritime gateway, which anchors

the sprawling Special Economic

Zone (SEZ) at Duqm, investments

have picked up pace in the

1,000-hectare Logistics Zone as well

as the 3,000-hectare Industrial Zone

that form part of the port’s sizable

concession.

Reggy Vermeulen, CEO, said

the investment inflows into the

two zones, as well the start-up of

activities within these lands, were

largely in trend with the pace of

implementation of mega ventures

under way in the adjoining SEZ.

In an interview to Duqm

Economist, the quarterly newsletter

focusing on Duqm SEZ, Vermulen

noted that as many as 24 companies

have so far leased land within the

Logistics Zone administered by the

port. The list includes prominent

players such as Tristar, Rezayat, Al

Madina Logistics, Mammout and

Duqm Ahlia, all of which currently

operate from a 65-hectare site fully

leased by the port for logistics

activities.

In the Industrial Zone – an area

earmarked for all kinds of heavy-

to-light industrial investments – a

total of 16 companies have set up

operations so far. They include

investments in concrete batching

plants, steel fabrication yards and

other facilities designed to provide

support services to contractors

and project developers behind a

number of large-scale infrastructure,

industrial and petrochemical

ventures underway in the SEZ.

Underpinning the appeal of the

Logistics and Industrial zones is

their proximity to Duqm Port’s 2.2

kilometre-long commercial berth,

which is currently being readied for

multipurpose cargo handling, said

the CEO.

“The Port’s logistics land,

covering a total area of about

1000ha, acts as an extension of the

(limited) yard capabilities at the port

itself. It offers a clear opportunity for

logistics clients requiring proximity

to the Port and its terminals and

developing their various activities

in this area, like warehouses, open

yards, container freight stations,

parking areas, and so on,” Vermeulen

noted.

“Also, industrial clients may

require such proximity to the Port,

as the imports of raw materials and

re-export of finished goods require

optimal logistics in order to remain

competitive in an international

market. The Port has approximately

3000 ha of medium heavy, heavy and

petrochemical industrial land under

its custody, which it markets to its

local and international clientele,” he

stated.

Next in the port’s sights are

foreign direct investments that

seek to exploit Duqm’s strategic

geographical location as a

“springboard” to target international

markets, he added.

STEADY UPTICK: Investments have picked up pace in the 1,000-hectare Logistics Zone as well as the 3,000-hectare Industrial Zone that form part of the port’s sizable concession.

Project cargo destined for the Duqm Refinery site is discharged at the Port of Duqm

LONDON: OPEC and its allies

pressed oil nations pumping above

output targets to cut more in August-

September amid fears oil demand

recovery was slow while saying it

could reach pre-pandemic levels by

the year-end.

The group, known as OPEC+, met

on Wednesday to review compliance

and left oil cuts levels unchanged.

Cuts would deepen this month and

next because of compensation by

Iraq, Nigeria, Angola and Kazakhstan

for overproduction in May-July.

“Based on the average projections

of various institutions, including

OPEC, EIA and the IEA, it is

estimated that the world will reach

about 97 per cent of pre-pandemic oil

demand during the fourth quarter -

which is a big recovery from the huge

falls in April and May,” said Saudi

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz

bin Salman.

OPEC+ has previously eased

output cuts levels to 7.7 million

barrels per day (bpd) from August

versus a record high 9.7 million bpd

— or 10 per cent of global supply

— between May and July 2020 —

to balance supply with collapsing

demand.

OPEC alone traditionally

produced well over 30 million bpd of

oil over the past decades but after this

year’s cuts its output stood at 20-22

million bpd.

The virtual meeting on Wednesday

only discussed compliance by

countries such as Iraq, Nigeria,

Angola and Kazakhstan.

The countries within OPEC+

overproduced in May-July and

would compensate those volumes in

August-September, OPEC+ said in

a statement without disclosing exact

figures.

“It is very important to maintain

full conformity,” said Russian Energy

Minister Alexander Novak, who

had tested positive for coronavirus

and joined the virtual meeting from

home. “We should endeavour to

put this temporary compensation

regime behind us, by clearing all

the past over-production by end of

September,” said Prince Abdulaziz.

WASHINGTON: Federal

Reserve policymakers say the US

central bank may need to ease

monetary policy further to help

nurse the economy through the

coronavirus pandemic, minutes

from their policy meeting last

month showed.

The Fed has already slashed

interest rates to zero and bought

trillions of dollars of bonds in

response to the economic crisis

spurred by virus, moves which

have provided a boost to jobs and

spending.

But, according to the

readout of the July 28-29 policy

meeting, members of the rate-

setting Federal Open Market

Committee saw the rebound in

employment already slowing

and additional “substantial

improvement” hinging on a

“broad and sustained” reopening

of business activity.

Since last month, the number

of new daily coronavirus

infections has dropped, but is

still averaging around 50,000,

slowing business reopenings

and, in some parts of the country,

forcing schools to delay, reverse,

or abandon plans to conduct in-

person classes.

“Noting the increase in

uncertainty about the economic

outlook over the intermeeting

period, several participants

suggested that additional

accommodation could be

required to promote economic

recovery and return inflation

to the Committee’s 2 per cent

objective,” the minutes from the

meeting said.

Policymakers last month

discussed a range of possible

approaches that could be

appropriate “at some point,”

including promising to keep

interest rates low until certain

economic benchmarks are met,

or until a particular future date.

The Fed used both options

effectively during the last

recession.

In what would be a

novel approach for the Fed,

policymakers also expressed

little support for adopting caps

or targets for Treasury yields.

“Many participants judged that

yield caps and targets were

not warranted in the current

environment but should remain

an option” for the future, the

minutes said.

The apparent swearing-off of

pursuing a form of Treasury yield

curve control did not go down

well in the Treasury market.

Yields on 30-year bonds and 10-

year notes both rose notably.

“It seems the market is quite

displeased with the discussion

about yield curve control

specifically,” said Tom Simons,

a money market economist at

Jefferies in New York.

— Reuters

A police officer keeps watch in front of the US Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC. — Reuters

Fed sees more easing ahead to help brace US economy

OPEC+ presses for compliance with oil cuts

businessOMANDAILYOBSERVER9omaninternational

NEW YORK: Just two years after

Apple became the first publicly

listed US company with a $1 trillion

stock market value, the iPhone

maker has now topped $2 trillion.

The Cupertino, California-based

company’s shares briefly rose to

as high as $468.65 on Wednesday,

equivalent to a market capitalisation

of $2.004 trillion. The stock was last

up 1.2 per cent at $467.62, giving

Apple a market capitalisation of

$1.999 trillion.

Buoyed by bets on the long-term

success of the country’s biggest tech

names in a post-coronavirus world,

Apple’s shares have surged since

blowout quarterly results in July that

saw the iPhone maker eclipse Saudi

Aramco as the world’s most valuable

listed company. Apple’s stock is up

about 57 per cent so far in 2020.

The rally reflects growing

investor confidence in Apple’s

shift toward relying less on sales of

iPhones and more on services for its

users, including video, music and

games.

Apple now accounts for close

to 7 per cent of the S&P 500’s

total market value. Its market

capitalisation is about equal to the

combined values of the S&P 500’s

200 smallest companies.

However, Apple’s recent

stock rally has left it potentially

overvalued, according to a widely

used metric. The stock is trading

at over 30 times analysts’ expected

earnings, its highest level in

more than a decade, according to

Refinitiv.

Microsoft and Amazon follow

Apple as the most valuable publicly

traded US companies, each at about

$1.6 trillion. They are followed by

Google-owner Alphabet, at just over

$1 trillion.

Those and other heavyweight

technology companies have

surged to record highs during the

coronavirus pandemic as consumers

rely more on ecommerce, video

streaming and other services they

provide. Investors are betting these

companies will emerge from the

pandemic stronger than smaller

competitors, with some even

viewing their volatile shares as safe

havens.

Apple’s revenue grew across

every category and all of its

geographical regions in the June

quarter, even as the coronavirus

crisis caused the US economy to

contract at its worst rate since the

Great Depression.

Apple surprised Wall Street as

it was able to get loyal shoppers to

buy iPhones, iPads and Macs online

even as several brick-and-mortar

stores remained closed due to the

coronavirus lockdowns.

Started in the garage of co-

founder Steve Jobs in 1976, Apple

has pushed its revenue beyond the

economic outputs of Portugal, Peru

and other countries. Current Chief

Executive Officer Tim Cook took

over from Jobs in 2011 and has

more than doubled Apple’s revenue

and profits under his leadership.

The iPhone maker is slated to

split its stock four-for-one when

trading opens on August 31, with

the company saying it aims to

make its shares more accessible to

individual investors.

— Reuters

APPLE’S STOCK MARKET VALUE TOPS $2 TRILLION

SHANGHAI: As the US-China “tech war”

widens, investors are betting on China’s

efforts to replace US technologies with

indigenous applications to run networks

in the state sector.

In recent months, local governments

and state firms such as China Telecom

have announced plans and procurements

aimed at fostering a home-grown tech

ecosystem to displace gear from the likes

of Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and IBM.

An index tracking Chinese IT stocks

has jumped nearly 30 per cent this year,

doubling blue-chip gains. “We’re seeing

more US actions against China, and

the future tends to be ‘one world, two

systems’,” said Wu Kan, portfolio manager

at Soochow Securities Co, who has

invested in local tech leaders including

China National Software & Service Co

Ltd, China Greatwall Technology Group

and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software.

“Any segment that faces decoupling

risks represents big investment

opportunities.”

Some market watchers warn valuations

of China tech stocks are getting frothy at

roughly 60 times trailing earnings, noting

Chinese firms could take years to catch-

up to established global players. But Wu

said price levels are justified by growth

potential and direct government backing.

The Trump administration has recently

strengthened restrictions on China’s

Huawei Technologies and sanctioned

China-owned apps TikTok and WeChat.

Washington also rolled out a “Clean

Network” initiative to exclude Chinese

tech firms perceived as threatening

national security.

Under US pressure, Chinese vendors

are poised to gain local market share, said

Jie Lu, Robeco’s China research head.

“China will ramp up the investment

and R&D intensity for critical industries

such as semiconductors,” Lu said.

Dongxing Securities predicted that a

retooling would create a 1 trillion yuan

($144.46 billion) opportunity over the

next three years for local vendors.

Local governments are rushing to

form industry federations to promote

the use of Huawei’s Kunpeng processing

technologies.

Last week, China Unicom’s Wuchang

subsidiary struck a partnership with

Huanghe Technology, which makes

servers and PCs using Kunpeng

technologies. In May, IT distributer

Digital China said it was building plants

to make PCs and servers using Kunpeng

CPUs. Also in May, China Telecom said

it would procure up to 56,314 servers in

2020, one-fifth of them using Kunpeng

and Hygon Dhyana chips, which rival US

brands Intel and AMD in a move seen as a

gesture of Beijing’s localisation push.

“China must promote domestic

replacement to avoid being strangled,

even as its current technology lags by far,”

Zhang Chi, chairman of Xin Ding Capital

said during an investor roadshow for

Haigon Information Technology, maker

of Hygon Dhyana chips.

Some 95 per cent of Chinese servers

use CPUs from Intel.

It would be disaster, Zhang said, “if one

day, Trump bans Intel from selling CPUs

to China.”

Zhang expects Chinese government

agencies to replace all computers using US

chips in the next five years, echoing views

of many analysts.

National Software & Service, which

makes operating systems that compete

with Windows and middleware that

aims to rival IBM and Oracle, expects

revenue this year to jump 70 per cent to

10 billion yuan.

— Reuters

In US-China tech war, investors bet on China’s localisation push

F R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 0

Some market watchers warn valuations of China tech stocks are getting frothy at roughly 60 times trailing earnings, noting

Chinese firms could take years to catch-up to established global players.

ALERTBUSINESSThailand to sell $1.59 bn government savings bonds

BANGKOK: Thailand will sell 50 billion baht ($1.59

billion) of government savings bonds to the public from

next week to help finance the budget deficit, the finance

ministry said on Thursday.

The bonds will be offered in two tranches — 5 billion

baht of four-year bonds with a coupon of 1.7 per cent per

year and 45 billion of seven-year bonds with a 2.22 per

cent coupon, the minister said in a statement.

The proceeds will be for financing the budget

deficit, rather than for COVID-19 responses, Patricia

Mongkhonvanit, head of the ministry’s Public Debt

Management Office, told a briefing.

The offering follows the sale of 50 billion baht of

government savings bonds in May to finance steps aimed

at mitigating the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak

under a 1 trillion baht borrowing plan. — Reuters

Lufthansa reaches deal with pilots to cut costs

BERLIN: Lufthansa said it had reached an agreement

with pilots on Wednesday over a package of short-term

measures to cut costs as the German airline battles to

reduce losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In return for job guarantees until at least March 31,

2021, pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has agreed

to reduced top-up payments to short-time working

benefits as well as cuts to pension benefits through to the

end of 2020, Lufthansa said.

Lufthansa added it would only be able to avoid

redundancies beyond March if it reached a long-term

agreement for pilots, including a corresponding cut in

working hours and salaries. Lufthansa employs around

5,000 pilots.

It added that wage increases previously negotiated for

this year would be postponed until January 2021.

The VC union said the short-term agreement gave the

two sides time to work on a longer-term deal.

“We clearly reject Lufthansa’s threat to make

redundancies for operational reasons. In our opinion, a

social partnership must show how resilient it is, especially

in bad times,” VC President Markus Wahl said in a

statement.

Last week, the airline put German workers on notice

of compulsory layoffs, saying the slump in travel and

slow progress in union negotiations meant cuts were

unavoidable after the carrier lost 1.7 billion euros in a

single quarter. Lufthansa, which in June received a 9

billion euro government bailout to secure its future, said

last week it expected capacity to recover to only around 50

per cent of normal by the end of 2020 and to two thirds of

last year’s level in 2021.

Cabin crew voted in favour of a deal to stop pay rises

and cut hours, the UFO trade union said on Saturday,

while Lufthansa said on Thursday it had walked away

from talks with union Verdi on behalf of 35,000 ground

staff over a package to cut costs.

— Reuters

Buoyed by bets on the long-term success of the country’s biggest tech names in a post-coronavirus world, Apple’s shares have

surged since blowout quarterly results in July that saw the

iPhone maker eclipse Saudi Aramco as the world’s most valuable

listed companyThe Apple logo looms behind workers at a store in Beijing, China, in this file photo. — Reuters

Planes of German carrier Lufthansa are parked on a closed runway at the airport in Frankfurt. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Five US firms

including Chevron Corp signed

agreements on Wednesday with the

Iraqi government aimed at boosting

Iraq’s energy independence from Iran

as the Iraqi prime minister prepared to

make his first visit to the White House

on Thursday.

The US Department of Energy

in a statement said that Honeywell

International Inc, Baker Hughes Co,

General Electric Co, Stellar Energy and

Chevron signed commercial agreements

worth as much as $8 billion with the

Iraqi ministers of oil and electricity.

Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi

(pictured) is set to visit the White House

for the first time on Thursday and as

the Iraqi economy has been hammered

by coronavirus lockdowns and low oil

prices.

“These deals are key to Iraq’s energy

future, and I am confident that the

same companies that have empowered

the United States to become energy

independent will deploy their deep

expertise to help Iraq achieve its full

potential in the energy sector,” US

Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in

a statement.

The agreements were signed

following a meeting of the Iraqi ministers

of oil and electricity and Brouillette

as well as a roundtable in Washington

on Wednesday with the Iraqi prime

minister and the US energy industry.

A senior administration official,

briefing reporters separately ahead of

the Energy Department statement,

said officials would discuss national

security issues in addition to economic

collaboration. — Reuters

US companies unveil Iraq investments

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 010

sport

The relay is expected to start on March 25, 2021, in Fukushima prefecture from the J-Village soccer training centre, a symbol of Japan’s reconstruction from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Kyodo said, citing unidentified officials with knowledge of the matter.

TOKYO: Tokyo Olympic organisers

plan to follow roughly the same

schedule, delayed by a year, for the

nationwide torch relay preceding the

postponed summer Games, Kyodo

News reported on Thursday.

The relay is expected to start on March

25, 2021, in Fukushima prefecture from

the J-Village soccer training centre, a

symbol of Japan’s reconstruction from

the 2011 earthquake and tsunami,

Kyodo said, citing unidentified officials

with knowledge of the matter.

Runners are to pass through all 47

of Japan’s prefectures in the relay lasting

121 days, as originally planned, the

news agency said.

The relay had been scheduled to start

in J-Village on March 26 this year, but

just days before that, the International

Olympic Committee and Japanese

government decided to postpone

the Games by a year because of the

COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisers aim to stick to the event

as originally planned but could still

make changes to contain the spread of

the coronavirus, Kyodo said.

“We are continuing to respect the

original framework as much as possible

while we review how we organise the

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay,”

the organising committee said in an

e-mailed statement in response to the

report. The Tokyo Olympics are now

scheduled to run from July 23 to August.

8, 2021.

— Reuters

NEW YORK: Argentina’s Guido

Pella and Hugo Dellien of Bolivia

are in risk of missing the US Open,

which begins on August 31, after

they were put in quarantine for

14 days due to their fitness trainer

testing positive for COVID-19.

The United States Tennis

Association said on Tuesday that

a non-player has tested positive

for the virus within the controlled

environment that will host the

Western & Southern Open and the

US Open in New York.

Organisers of the Western &

Southern Open on Wednesday

said two players, who were in close

contact with the infected person,

have been placed in quarantine

and removed from the tournament

field. The players were not

identified.

However, men’s world number

35 Pella and Dellien, who is ranked

94, later posted separate videos

on Instagram to confirm that they

have returned negative results

for the COVID-19 test but are

currently in quarantine.

Due to the pandemic the

Western & Southern Open,

typically held in Ohio, will be

played at the Billie Jean King

National Tennis Center this year

as a lead-up event to the hardcourt

Grand Slam.

One of tennis’ four Grand

Slams, the US Open usually attracts

the world’s greatest players to

Flushing Meadows every year but

several top athletes have dropped

out of the 2020 edition due to the

pandemic. — Reuters

Torch relay schedule intact for next year

Two players in quarantine at US Open bubble after

contact tracing

OMANDAILYOBSERVERF R I D A Y l A U G U S T 2 1 l 2 0 2 0 11

sport

MCILROY FOCUSED

ON ATTITUDE

TO REGAIN FORM

LONDON: Rory McIlroy is entering

the FedEx Cup playoffs with a fresh

perspective.

McIlroy has been scuffling lately

on the course, but he said he felt

better after receiving a piece of

advice this week: “Don’t let your

golf influence your attitude; let your

attitude influence your golf.”

It’s something McIlroy will keep

in mind as he tees off on Thursday in

the Northern Trust at TPC Boston.

“That’s where I’ve been sort of

a little crossed recently where I’ve

been letting my golf influence my

attitude on the course instead of the

other way around, because if you

go out there with a good attitude,

that will hopefully help your golf

game,” McIlroy said to reporters on

Wednesday.

“I’ve sort of got those a little

crossed the last few weeks, and I

think going out there with a bit

of a better attitude, not being as

reactive to misses or certain shots,

will definitely be better for me going

forward as we enter this big stretch

of golf.”

McIlroy said a positive attitude

has played a big role in his success in

the past.

“I think when anyone is playing

well, they let their attitude influence

their game instead of the other way

around,” McIlroy said. “I think when

you start to get into trouble, if the

way you’re playing is influencing

how you’re thinking, how you’re

feeling, it should be the other way

around, right. Our mind is way more

powerful than really anything else.

“If you can utilise that the right

way, it’s inevitably going to help your

game on the course.”

McIlroy, 31, won the FedEx

Cup championship in 2016 and

2019. However, he has finished

32nd or worse in five of his past six

tournaments, including a tie for 33rd

at the PGA Championship earlier

this month. — Reuters

I’ve sort of got those a little crossed the last few weeks, and I think going out there with a bit of a better

attitude, not being as reactive to misses or certain shots, will definitely be better for me going forward as

we enter this big stretch of golf

RORY MCILROY

Bryan brothers not on US Open entry list

NEW YORK: Bob and Mike Bryan,

the most successful doubles pair in

the history of tennis, were not on

the entry list for the US Open re-

leased on Wednesday, raising the

prospect that the 42-year-old twins

may have chosen to end their pro-

fessional careers.

The Californian pair, famous

for their trademark chest-bump

celebration, had previously an-

nounced they would bid farewell af-

ter this year’s tournament at Flush-

ing Meadows, scene of their Grand

Slam debut in 1995.

In an interview last month af-

ter a World Tennis Tour event at

the Greenbrier in West Virginia,

they said they had not yet decided

whether they were finished compet-

ing.

“We love this life. We had a great

run if this is over,” Bob Bryan said.

“We’re gonna sit down and if we

decide to come back and play in 2021,

then you’ll probably see us play the

US Open just to keep it going.

“If we decide to shut it down

in 2021, this might be it. So who

knows.”

Playing almost exclusively with

each other throughout their 25-

year careers, the Bryans captured

a professional era record 119 titles,

including 16 Grand Slam wins, 39

ATP Masters 1000s and the ATP Fi-

nals title four times.

The Bryans also won Olympic

gold at London 2012 and were part

of the US Davis Cup-winning team

in 2007, the accomplishments they

have said they are the most proud

of. Mike claimed two more Grand

Slam titles with Jack Sock in 2018

after Bob was sidelined with a hip

injury. — Reuters

FRIDAY | AUGUST 21, 2020 | MUHARRAM 1, 1442 AH

editor@omanobserver.om www.omanobserver.om

follow us @observersportzsport

ORLANDO, US: Luka Doncic had 28 points,

eight rebounds and seven assists, and the

Dallas Mavericks earned a 127-114 victory

over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday

near Orlando to even their opening-round

Western Conference playoff series at one win

apiece.

Kristaps Porzingis added 23 points and

seven rebounds, Tim Hardaway Jr scored 17

points, and Trey Burke finished with 16 points

as the Mavericks levelled the best-of-seven

series.

Seth Curry chipped in 15 points and Boban

Marjanovic, a former Clipper, hit 6 of 8 shots

on his way to 13 points. Marjanovic added

nine rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard had 35 points and 10

rebounds for the Clippers. Lou Williams

contributed 23 points, while Paul George, who

was limited by foul trouble, had 14 points and

10 boards. Marcus Morris Sr had 14 points

and eight rebounds.

Toronto Raptors 104 - Brooklyn Nets 99

Norman Powell scored 12 of his 24 points

in the fourth quarter, Fred VanVleet had 24

points and 10 assists and Toronto rallied to

defeat Brooklyn to grab a 2-0 lead in the first-

round series.

The Raptors, who raced to a 33-point

first-half lead in Monday’s win, fell behind

by 14 in the first quarter of Game 2 in

the best-of-seven Eastern Conference

clash.

The Nets still led by six entering

the fourth quarter, but the defending

NBA champion Raptors opened the

period with a 19-5 run to lead 93-85

with 6:21 remaining.

Utah Jazz 124 - Denver Nuggets 105

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and

Jordan Clarkson added 26 to help Utah run

away with a victory the Denver in Game 2 of

their first-round Western Conference playoff

series.

Mitchell also dished out eight assists to help

the Jazz even the series at 1-1. Utah finished

with 32 assists on 45 baskets and shot 20 of

44 (45.5 per cent) from the 3-point arc. Royce

O’Neale chipped in a career-high eight assists

to help fuel the offense. The Jazz turned the

ball over only eight times.

Nikola Jokic scored 28 points, grabbed 11

rebounds and dished out six assists to lead

Denver. Michael Porter Jr added 28 points for

the Nuggets, who trailed the entire second half.

Boston Celtics 128 - Philadelphia 76ers 101

Boston recorded a second straight comfortable

win to begin its playoff series against

Philadelphia, getting 33 points from Jayson

Tatum for a 2-0 series lead.

Equaling the most 3-pointers in their

heralded postseason history, the Eastern

Conference’s third seed outscored the 76ers

57-15 from beyond the arc to successfully

follow up on a 109-101 win in the opener.

Kemba Walker added 22 points and Jaylen

Brown 20 for the Celtics, who had lost three

of four to the 76ers in the regular season. Joel

Embiid led all scorers with 34 points for the

76ers. — Reuters

DONCIC, MAVS PULL LEVEL WITH CLIPPERS