WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021 www.thepeninsula.qa18 DHUL-HIJJAH - 1442 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 8696

Sport | 16

GWC reports

QR108m net profit for H1

Preparations for the US semi-final going well: Hassan

Business | 09

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Nearly 70% adult population fully vaccinatedTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar's vaccination campaign against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has reached a major milestone as more than two million people have been given at least the first jab, according the figures released by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

A total of 2,013,080 people in Qatar have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to date stands at 3,708,551. As many as 1,695,471 people have received both doses.

“Play your part in enabling life to return normal by getting vaccinated when it is your turn,” said the Ministry in a Tweet yesterday. It said 22,960 vaccine doses were adminis-tered in past 24 hours.

MoPH said 81 percent of the eligible population has now received at least one dose of the vaccine. 98.6 percent of over 60s (the most vulnerable pop-ulation group) have been vac-cinated with at least one dose; while 93.5 percent have received both doses.

Among people above the age of 16 years, 81% have received one dose, while 68.6% have received two doses.

Qatar has issued an emer-gency use authorisation for the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The current vaccination rollout includes two doses of either vaccine.

Qatar was one of the first countries to roll out the vac-cines. The COVID-19 vacci-nation campaign was launched on December 23, 2020, after the MoPH approved the Pfizer-

BioNTech and Moderna vac-cines for emergency use.

With the acceleration of the pace of vaccination programme against the COVID-19, Qatar continues to fight the virus by implementing the largest vac-cination campaign in its history for citizens and residents of the country, free of charge.

Qatar ranks among the top

ten countries with highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination. It is also among the countries with the lowest death rates in the world due to the quality and excellence of the healthcare system in the country.

Officials at the Ministry have said that the decrease in the number of daily cases, as well

as the decrease in the number of hospital admissions with infection, is due to the expansion of the vaccination campaign against the virus, and the commitment of community members to the preventive measures and the application of the imposed restrictions.

Officials at the National Strategic Group on COVID-19 have affirmed that there is clear evidence of the effectiveness of vaccines in protecting members of society from developing symptoms of COVID-19.

Data collected up to April 2021 in Qatar showed that only one percent of people admitted to intensive care due to COVID-19 infection had received both doses of the vaccine, showing high efficacy of the vaccines in preventing serious symptoms from the COVID-19 infection.

Registration for new students in govt schools from Aug 1SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has announced that the early regis-tration for new students in government schools will open on August 1.

“Early registration of new students in government schools for the 2021-22 academic year for all nationalities will be available on the Public Services Portal effective August 1 until August 15,2021,” the Ministry said in a tweet.

The applicants can access the Public Services Portal through the (eduservices.edu.gov.qa) website.

The electronic service allows parents to apply for online registration in a gov-ernment school for the next academic year.

Qatari students, those from other GCC countries, children of Qatari women and expa-triates working in government

sectors can apply for registration.

The applications submitted by the parents of eligible stu-dents will be assessed by the Student Affairs Department. Approval of the application for registration will be made by the school.

For inquiries about regis-tration, the applicants can go through the user guide available on the public services portal, or contact 155 hotline.

According to a report on the website of the Ministry, the number of public schools exceeded 207 plus 68 kinder-gartens in 2019-20 academic year serving more than 124,600 Qatari and non-Qatari students.

All public schools in Qatar are committed to teaching basic and integrated curricula — mathematics and science, Arabic and English languages, Qatar's history and Islamic education. �P2

Qatar Airways engages with IATA on environmental sustainability trainingTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways has selected the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Environmental Sustainability in Aviation Program offered in partnership between the Inter-national Air Transport Associ-ation (IATA) and the University of Geneva.

Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to secure accreditation to the highest level in the IATA Envi-ronmental Assessment Pro-gramme (IEnvA). With the increasing focus on aviation and the environment, the pro-gramme is built according to the needs of the industry so that managers and business leaders will be better prepared to tackle tomorrow’s demands in ensuring environmental sustainability.

The programme consists of six modules: Design a Sustain-ability Strategy, Environmental Management Systems in Avi-ation Intensive, Responsible Leadership, Sustainable Avi-ation Fuels (SAF), Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Ethics, and

Carbon Markets and Aviation. These courses will help aviation professionals understand how to lead, make decisions respon-sibly, and avoid ethical blindness.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Talent development is vital to sustainable business growth and success. Employees need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and values to act for the planet, enabling them to serve as driving forces of Qatar Airways’ sustainable environ-mental management. We encourage the industry to

follow our lead in educating employees in environmental sustainability training as a step towards achieving the indus-try’s sustainability goals.”

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director-General, said, “We are honoured that Qatar Airways has selected our new Environmental Sustainability training to ensure that its employees can acquire the new skill set needed, as the industry emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and begins to rebuild based in a more sustainable manner.” �P3

Aerial views of Al Thakhira mangroves near Al Khor. Qatar is home to the Avicennia Marina species (grey mangrove), found in Al Thakhira and the Purple Island mangroves in Al Khor. These mangroves, spanning 14 sq km, provide a haven for birds, fish, and mammals. The pictures were posted by H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, on Twitter yesterday, in connection with International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

Al Thakhira mangroves

Qatar’s trade surplus up by 184% in JuneTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which repre-sents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR16.7bn in June, representing an increase of about QR10.8bn or 184.2 percent compared to June 2020, and increase of nearly QR0.1bn or 0.4 percent compared to May 2021.

The Planning and Statistics Authority yesterday released preliminary figures of the value of exports of domestic goods, re-exports and imports for June 2021. The total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR25bn in June 2021, showing an increase of 96.3 percent compared to June 2020, and increase of 0.3 percent compared to May 2021.

Imports of goods in June 2021 amounted to around QR8.3bn, showing an increase of 21.1 percent compared to June 2020 and increase of 0.1 percent compared to May 2021. The year on year (June 2021 to June 2020) increase in total exports was mainly due to higher exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, conden-sates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR14.2bn approxi-mately in June 2021, an increase of 91.5 percent; petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR4.4bn, rising by 185.8 percent; and increase in the petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR2.3bn, increasing by 122.4 percent.

In June 2021, Japan was top destination for Qatar’s exports worth around QR3.8bn, a share of 15.3 percent of total exports, fol-lowed by China with almost QR3.3bn and a share of 13.3 percent, India with about QR3.2bn, a share of 13 percent.

China was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR1.3bn, a share of 15.7 percent of the imports. �P3

Dates Festival: A place for children to learnSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

The 6th Fresh Local Dates Festival 2021 is not only a place to trade in dates, but it is also an educational opportunity for families. Many parents have taken advantage of the Festival to educate their children about the various varieties of dates and their nutritional value.

The festival sees hundreds of families visiting the stands daily. More visitors are expected in coming days as the festival ends on Friday.

Rutab (fresh local dates) have attracted more visitors, as it is characterised by a distinct production method that con-tributes to its freshness and high quality.

More than 100 tonnes of fresh dates have been sold at the festival since its opening. The participating farms were

keen to provide the necessary quantities to meet the needs of the public. The Festival offers many fresh dates at affordable prices, starting from QR7 and QR8 per kg.

“The Festival has generated great sales for the different types of rutab products offered by Qatari farms. As of last Monday, 95 tonnes of different local kinds of rutab have been sold,” the Ministry of Munici-pality and Environment (MME) said in a tweet,

Over 80 farms are partici-pating in this year’s event, held daily from 4pm to 10pm. The daily sales of one farm are about 100 kg, while the daily average sales of all the partic-ipating farms range from about 9 to 10 tonnes. As for the most sales of fresh dates, Khalas has recorded the most sales, fol-lowed by Al Shishi, Khunaizi, and Barhi. �P2

More than 2 million people in Qatar have received at least the first dose, while over 1.69 million have received both doses.

81% of over 16 population has received at least the first shot, while 68.6% have received both.

of over 60s have received both doses. 3.7 million doses have been administered so far.

93.5%

Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to secure accreditation to the highest level in the IATA Environmental Assessment Programme.

Amir, Erdogan

review ties,

regional issues

QNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkey H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday evening.

During the phone call which H H the Amir received from H E the Turkish President, the two sides reviewed the strategic cooperation prospects between the two countries and ways of enhancing and developing them, in addition to the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern.

02 WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021HOME

W ALRUWAIS : 32o → 39o W ALKHOR : 34o → 44o W DUKHAN : 33o → 42o W WAKRAH : 34o → 43o W MESAIEED : 34o → 43o W ABUSAMRA : 32o→ 43o

Hazy to misty at places at first, becomes very hot daytime with scattered clouds at times, humid by night.

Minimum Maximum34oC 44oC

WEATHER TODAY

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SJC launches unified service center for all courts during evening

QNA — DOHA

The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) launched a unified service center for all courts in a specific location for the evening period at Lusail building, within its plans to activate the national initiative to develop justice systems aimed at providing easy judicial services to litigants.

The Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation’s location was chosen in Lusail area in order to provide the center’s various services — most prominent of which are case registration services, inquiry services, and technical support services for users of the electronic court portal.

This unified center comes in line with the efforts of the morning period service centers of each court, and its working hours will be from 4pm to 8pm local time.

This initiative also comes within the national initiative projects to develop the justice systems.

Qatar wins 3 gold medals in Biology Olympiad in PortugalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

A team of Qatari students won three gold medals in the 32nd International Biology Olympiad, which was held in Portugal recently.

The winners are Mohammed Hussein El Rafidi, a student from Ebla Secondary School; Ahmed Eyde, a student from the Reli-gious Institute and Noor Nahar Al Naimi, a student from Al Bayan Secondary School for Girls.

The student team partici-pating in the Biology Olympiad underwent intensive training from June 13 to July 15, three days a week, five hours a day.

The closing ceremony of the competition was held virtually in the capital, Lisbon, Portugal, on June 23.

The International Biology Olympiad is an important global scientific competition. It is held annually in the month of July. It is hosted by one of the 76 partic-ipating countries in the organization.

Portugal has been chosen as the host country for this year’s International Biology Olympiad.

The Qatari student team par-ticipating in the International Biology Olympiad was sponsored and supervised by the biology

instructors in the Science Section of the Department of Educational Guidance at the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education, which provided it with all high-quality educational and training.

The team received continuous support, which reflects the spirit of enthusiasm and determination to achieve victory, excellence, obtain gold medals, and raise Qatar’s name high among the ranks of the world’s nations.

Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Min-istry of Education and Higher Education Fawzia Al Khater, expressed her happiness and pride for the Qatari team partic-ipating in the Biology Olympiad

for winning the three gold medals.

She described this achievement as an advanced step to highlight the State of Qatar as a leader in the scien-tific and educational field, and to maintain its advanced position, and this is evidence of the intensive training given to students by highly qualified and experienced teachers and trainers in the Science Section of the Department of Educa-tional Guidance.

Al Khater said: “I congrat-ulate the participating Qatari team, their schools, supervisors and their families for the historic achievement they have

achieved, and I hope that they will be biologists in the future, and I consider them important partners in achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, wishing them and their fellow students more wins in local, Arab and other international scientific competitions.”

Director of the Department of Educational Guidance at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Moza Al Mudahka lauded the capabilities of the stu-dents’ team participating in the Olympics and their impressive success.

She said that it was not just participation but rather rose to win gold medals, which reflects

their skills in science.Head of the Science

Department Fatima Al Rashed expressed her pride in the work team, and for the great support it provided to the students’ team participating in the Olympiad.

She praised the distin-guished role of the students, and expressed her happiness with the impressive results achieved by the students.

Biology Instructor in the Science Department of the Department of Educational Guidance at the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education Muhammad Al Dulaimi expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of everyone who contributed to supporting and training the par-ticipating student team and the winner of the 32nd International Biology Olympiad.

Noor Nahar Al NaimiMohammed Hussein El Rafidi

Ministry announces

second round of

exam schedulesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has released examination schedules for the second round of day schools and adult education for all grades (1-12) for the academic year 2020-21.

The exams will start from August 18 and will continue until August 26. The details of exams for all grades for the academic year 2020-21 can be found through the website of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education via the fol-lowing link: https://www.edu.g o v . q a / a r / P a g e s / p u b -s c h o o l s d e f a u l t .aspx?ItemID=181.

Ahmed Eyde

Mangroves a key element in sustaining global ecosystemTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In arid areas and desert climates, mangroves play a crucial role due to their adaptability to the saltwater environment. The mangrove trees’ halophyte (ability to grow in soils or water with high salinity) character-istics enables growth in otherwise challenging environ-ments for other trees.

They are found in tropical and sub-tropical regions, on the boundary between land and sea, covering 14.8 million hectares globally.

The grey mangrove (Avi-cennia) is the predominant species in arid forests. They form dense forests of small trees, which sometimes can be less than half a metre tall.

These forests provide dis-proportionately high regional ecosystem services, supporting fisheries, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.

Mangroves can store five times more carbon per square metre than tropical or boreal forests. When these areas are destroyed, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere, con-tribute to global climate change.

To highlight the importance of mangroves to the ecosystem, especially as governments and institutions strive for solutions to curb climate change, the United Nations (UN) marks the

International Day for the Con-servation of the Mangrove Eco-system on July 26, after its adoption by in 2015.

Chairperson of Qatar Museums, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, shed light on Qatar’s mangroves in a tweet showing some brilliant photos from Al Thakira Mangroves.

“Amazing photos from Al Thakira Mangroves,” the tweet read.

“Mangroves are rare, spec-tacular & prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. These extraordinary eco-systems contribute to the well-being, food security, and pro-tection of coastal communities worldwide,” Sheikha Al Mayassa tweeted.

Qatar is home to the Avi-cennia Marina species (grey mangrove), found in Al Thakira and the Purple Island man-groves in Al Khor.

These mangroves in Qatar, which cover 14 square km, provide a haven for birds, fish, and mammals.

According to the UN, man-groves are disappearing three to five times faster than overall global forest losses, with severe ecological and socio-economic impacts.

Current estimates indicate that mangrove coverage has been divided by two in the past

40 years.Audrey Azoulay, Director-

General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organi-zation (Unesco), underscored the need for everyone to support the restoration and protection of these crucial habitats.

“They protect biodiversity by sheltering and nurturing marine life. They function like filtration systems, absorbing nutrients and pollutants. They fight coastal erosion, acting as breakwaters to dissipate storm surges and wave energy.

Above all, they play an essential role as carbon sinks, sequestering atmospheric and oceanic carbon for long periods of time,” said Azoulay.

“The world is now waking up to the importance of man-groves — and other blue carbon ecosystems, including salt marshes, seagrass beds, and coastal wetlands,” she added.

Unesco strives to conserve mangroves through its work on Global Geoparks and World Heritage Sites.

The latter alone spans more than 10 percent of all marine protected areas globally or 200 million hectares. More than 700 sites in 129 countries are part of the Unesco World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which turns 50 this year, as the UN launches a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

A view of ‘6th Fresh Local Dates Festival 2021,’ which is being held at Souq Waqif in Doha.

Ghana working towards hosting cultural festival in Doha later this year: EnvoyAYENI OLUSEGUN THE PENINSULA

The Ambassador of Ghana to Qatar H E Dr. Emmanuel Enos has indicated that Ghana will hold a cultural festival in partnership with Katara.

During a visit to Cultural Village Foun-dation (Katara), the Ambassador met with Professor Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, the General Manager of Katara. The Ambas-sador highlighted growth seen in Qatar-Ghana bilateral relations.

“Since the establishment of the embassy of Ghana in 2018, the relationship between the two countries has been moving from one higher level to another,” the Ghanaian envoy said in a video posted on Katara’s Twitter handle.

“I have come to see Prof. Khalid advancing plans about the cultural agenda we have this year. Hopefully, the Ghana Embassy, in collaboration with Prof. Khalid, will be hosting exhibitions and a cultural fes-tival (Ghana Cultural Festival and Art Exhi-bition) from October to November,” he added.

Qatar-Ghana relations have witnessed significant growth recently, boosted by the recent visit of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Ghana and the sub-sequent hosting of the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo in Qatar.

Earlier this year, while delivering a keynote speech at the American University Forum, Dr. Enos had highlighted Africa’s rich cultural offerings, urging Qatari citizens and

residents to visit the continent. Ghana has been boosting its tourism

potentials culminating in its 2019 hosting of

the ‘Year of Return’ to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia. According to Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, about 1.1 million people arrived in Ghana in 2019, compared to 956,372 in 2018.

“The sky is the limit, and we believe that we have a lot to share and a lot in common in Qatar-Ghana relations. At present, Qatar Airways is flying to Ghana, and we hope that this will boost not only cultural relations but investments, in terms of people to people relations, tourism and at all levels of our cor-poration,” Dr. Enos said. Meanwhile, Katara General Manager also received the Ambas-sador of Somalia to Qatar, H E Abdul Razak Farah Ali. The meeting discussed enhancing cultural ties between Qatar and Somalia.

General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation, Professor Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti with Ambassador of Ghana to Qatar H E Dr. Emmanuel Enos at Katara.

The student team participating in the Biology Olympiad underwent intensive training from June 13 to July 15, three days a week, five hours a day.

Qatar-Ghana relations have witnessed significant growth recently, boosted by the recent visit of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Ghana and the subsequent hosting of the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo in Qatar.

Registration for

new students in

govt schools

from Aug 1

FROM PAGE 1 Qatar also offers spe-

cialised programmes and cur-ricula, such as science, tech-nology and business to name a few. The public sector also pro-vides a variety of specialised educational services for stu-dents with special needs as well as gifted and talented students.

In addition, Qatar has spe-cialised schools for those with special needs, those with spe-cialised talent and those who are interested in a specialised focus and curriculum.

Students spend 12 years in public school, divided into several stages. After going through the pre-school or kin-dergarten stage students move to the primary stage that lasts 6 years. The primary stage includes co-educational schools, boys’ schools and girls’ schools. Second is the prepar-atory stage that lasts from seventh grade to ninth grade. The student then moves to the secondary stage from the tenth grade to the twelfth grade.

At the secondary school level, students can choose public schools with general education or specialised schools with a range of options that suit the student’s interests and academic priorities, such as science and technology and banking, to name a few.

Dates Festival: A place for children to learn

FROM PAGE 1

Qatar imports approxi-mately 10,000 tonnes of dates annually.

“Many families are keen to take their children to the fes-tival to educate them about the types of fresh dates and their nutritional value. There is a good turnout, whether from citizens or residents. This indi-cates the importance of dates to everyone,” said an exhibitor from Qatarat farm.

“The festival allows all ages to attend, allowing visitors, especially families from dif-ferent nationalities, to bring their children and to educate them about the types of dates,” he added. Regarding sales, he said there have been good sales since the beginning of the Festival.

Meanwhile, Ghafer, who

represents another farm, said he sold around 120kg dates daily. He said pavilions close to the main entrance record more sales compared to others.

The event is being organised by the MME, in col-laboration with Souq Waqif Administration. The Ministry said that the dates production for this year would reach 27,000 tonnes, achieving a 76 percent rate of self–sufficiency. It also said that Qatar’s palm tree reserve is estimated at 650,000 to 700,000 trees spanning 2.2 hectares.

The event is being organised by the MME, in collaboration with Souq Waqif Administration.

03WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021 HOME / MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Iran hits new COVID-19 infection recordAP — TEHRAN

Iran recorded over 34,900 new coronavirus infections yesterday, setting the nation’s single-day record for cases as vaccinations lag, public complacency deepens and the country’s outbreak spirals further out of control.

The previous record of 31,814 infections had been set only a day earlier, providing a sense of how quickly Iran’s latest surge, fuelled by the con-tagious delta variant, is

mounting. Health authorities recorded 357 COVID-19 fatal-ities yesterday, bringing the total death toll to 89,479 - the highest in the Middle East.

The alarming spread of the variant prompted new anti-virus restrictions last week.

The government ordered the closure of state offices, public places and non-essential businesses in the capital of Tehran.

But as with previous gov-ernment measures, the lockdown looked very little like

a lockdown at all. Tehran’s malls and markets were busy as usual and workers crowded offices and metro stations.

Iranian authorities have avoided imposing heavy-handed rules on a population that can little afford to bear them. The country, which has suffered the worst virus out-break in the region, is reeling from a series of crises: tough US sanctions, global isolation, a heat wave, the worst blackouts in recent memory and ongoing protests over water shortages

in the southwest.Now, health officials warn

that hospitals in the capital are overwhelmed with breathless COVID patients too numerous to handle.

Fewer than 3% of Iranians have been fully vaccinated in the sanctions-hit country.

Many front-line medical workers have been vaccinated with Iran’s locally produced shots or the Chinese state-backed Sinopharm vaccine that may be less effective than other inoculations.

Tunisia leading party moves to ease tensions, unions demand roadmapREUTERS — TUNIS

Tunisia’s leading Islamist party moved yesterday to ease the country’s political crisis, calling for dialogue and urging supporters not to protest after accusing President Kais Saied of launching a coup.

Tunisia faced its worst political crisis in a decade of democracy after Saied, backed by the army, sacked the prime minister and froze parliament on Sunday, sparking concern in Western capitals that have praised its transition from autocracy since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.

Influential civil society groups, including the powerful labour union, warned Saied not to extend extraordinary measures he announced on Sunday beyond a month and called on him to lay out “a participatory roadmap” out of the crisis.

There was no sign of tension in the capital where supporters and opponents of Saied’s moves had scuffled on Monday. The streets were calm, with no significant protests or heightened security presence.

Saied’s actions followed months of deadlock and disputes pitting him against Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi — also a political independent — and a fragmented parliament as Tunisia suffered an economic crisis exacerbated by one of Africa’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks.

Many Tunisians, tired of political paralysis and a moribund economy, took to the streets in a show of support for Saied on Sunday. “We have been silent for 10 years and we live in distress for 10 years and now people are sick and don’t know how to treat themselves,” said Halma Talbi, a woman in Tunis.

But the moderately Islamist Ennahda movement, the biggest party in parliament, and the next three largest parties have all denounced the moves as a coup. Reversing a call on its supporters on Monday to take to the streets against Saied, Ennahda urged dialogue and efforts to avoid civil strife.

“The movement... calls on all Tunisians to increase solidarity, synergy and unity and to confront all calls for sedition and civil strife,” it said in a statement.

Ennahda had already told supporters through party branches not to resume a sit-in outside parliament and to avoid pro-tests. Though some senior party members wanted to retain a street presence, its

leaders decided to avoid any further esca-lation and allow a period of calm, two Ennahda officials said.

The area outside the parliament building, the site on Monday of confronta-tions between hundreds of supporters of Ennahda and Saied, was empty yesterday morning. Ennahda’s supporters left on Monday evening and have not returned.

Saied said his move was in line with a constitutional clause allowing extraordinary measures during an emergency.

He said his move aimed to save Tunisia, saying public institutions were falling apart and warning of plans to ignite civil strife. He did not say who was behind the plans.

Policemen stand guard outside the parliament building in Tunis, Tunisia, yesterday

Iran claims arrest

of spy group

linked to Mossad

AP — TEHRAN

Iran’s state TV reported yesterday that authorities arrested members of a group linked to Israel’s Mossad intel-ligence agency amid ongoing protests over water shortages in the country’s southwest.

The report said “a network of spy agents, with a large amount of weapons and ammunition” was arrested after sneaking into Iran from across its western border. It claimed the alleged Mossad agents intended to use the weapons during riots in Iran and also for assassinations.

The state TV did not elab-orate or say how many alleged agents were arrested.

Saudi warning

over travel to

‘red list’ statesREUTERS — LONDON

Saudi Arabia will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens travelling to countries on the kingdom’s ‘red list’ under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants, state news agency SPA said yesterday.

It cited an unnamed interior ministry official as saying some Saudi citizens, who in May were allowed to travel abroad without prior permission from authorities for the first time since March 2020, had violated travel regulations.

“Anyone who is proven to be involved will be subject to legal accountability and heavy penalties upon their return, and will be banned from travel for three years,” the official said.

Saudi Arabia has banned travel to or transit at a number of countries including Afghan-istan, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

9th National General Convention of NRNA’s Coordination Council heldTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The 9th National General Convention of the Non-Resident Nepali Association’s (NRNA), National Coordination Council, Qatar was held on Friday at the Nepalese Embassy in Qatar.

The entire working com-mittee of the Non-Resident Nepali Association’s National Coordinating Council Qatar (NCC-Qatar), including its chairman Mohammad Muktda Musalman, has been elected unopposed.

For the first time, the entire working committee is unop-posed and the chairman has also set a new record of two terms. NRNA has been sworn in for the 2021-23 term through the ninth general convention of Qatar held on July 9 at Nepalese Embassy in Qatar.

The newly elected working committee was sworn in by Election Committee Coordi-nator Ramesh Bhatta. The chief guest at the event was the Ambassador of Nepal to Qatar, H E Dr. Narad Nath Bharadwaj.

The special guests were International Coordination Council (ICC) President Kumar Pant; Second Secretary of the Nepalese Embassy in Qatar Prabin Bhattarai; ICC Vice President Dr. Badri KC; ICC Secretary General Dr. Hemraj

Sharma; ICC Secretary RK Sharma; ICC Spokesperson DB Kshetri; ICC Adviser TB Kark; Middle East Coordinator Prabeen Gurung; Middle East Joint Coordinators Manoj Kumar Shrestha Gorkhali and Rajendra Aryal and Middle East Youth Coordinator Raj Regmi.

The event was also attended by ICC founding members, honorary Council members, ICC members, NCC Qatar past presidents and official bearers, chief adviser and advisers and representa-tives of all the participating

organisations established in Qatar, social workers and busi-nessmen were present.

Addressing the event, Ambassador of Nepal to Qatar, H E Dr. Narad Nath Bharadwaj said that he met officials at the Ministry of Sports and Culture and informed that he was taking initiative to build a cul-tural building for the Nepali community in Qatar.

He said that NRNA Qatar and Nepali Embassy are com-plementary to each other and wished the new team for success.

President Mohammad Muktda; General Secretary Padam Giri and Treasurer Binod Kumar Basaula were reelected for the tenure 2021-2023.

For the representation of NCC-Qatar seven Interna-tional Council members elected unopposed by the 9th National General Convention are Naresh Shrestha, Tanka Kumar Khadka, Sarita Bhandari Paudel, Ashad Husaain Mu, Purna Bahadur Pokharia, Ramu Regmi and Tej Katuwal.

Ambassador of Nepal to Qatar, H E Dr. Narad Nath Bharadwaj, with newly elected members of NRNA’s National Coordination Council Qatar, during an event.

Ooredoo records 497,000 votes for Nojoom promoTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ooredoo Qatar has announced the results of its recent Win With Winners promotion held to cele-brate the 12th anniversary of its loyalty programme Nojoom.

Win With Winners asked Nojoom members to vote for their top 12 favourite Nojoom network partners.

Each vote for a partner that

made it into the overall top 12 entitled the voter to an entry into a raffle draw to win an incredible 1 Million Nojoom Points.

Nojoom logged more than 41,000 unique voters taking part, casting almost 497,000 votes in total. The top 12 partners were — in alphabetical order — Booking.com; Centre point; Jumbo Elec-tronics; Kulud Pharmacies;

Malabar Gold & Diamonds; Qatar Airways; Qatar Charity; QIB; QNB; Qatar Red Crescent; Sports Corner, and Starlink.

Sabah Rabiah Al Kuwari, Director PR at Ooredoo, said: “We’re delighted to announce the top 12 partners across our awesome Nojoom partner network.

“We have so many

high-calibre partners, I’m sure it was very difficult for our members to decide! It’s vital to us that we ensure our members feel rewarded and appreciated as part of our drive to achieve complete customer satisfaction. We extend our thanks to our network of partners for their trust in us and to our members for their con-tinued loyalty and custom.”

MoPH reports 146 new virus cases, 96 more recoveriesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported 146 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, and 96 people recovered from the virus in 24 hours, bringing the total number of people recovered in Qatar to 223,210.

Out of 146 new cases, 86 are community cases and 60 from travellers returning from abroad.

No death was reported in the last 24 hours. The total death toll from COVID-19 stands at 600.

The total number of pos-itive COVID-19 cases recorded in Qatar till now is 225,522 and there are 1,712 active cases under treatment.

Two persons were admitted in intensive care in 24 hours and 25 people con-tinue to receive medical attention in ICU. There were six cases of hospital admis-sions in 24 hours, taking the total number of patients in the hospital to 68.

The Ministry also said that, in recent weeks the combined impact of COVID-19 restric-tions and increasing vacci-nation rates, and the over-whelming support of the com-munity, has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of new daily infections in the country.

“However, it is still important to be cautious as the

second wave is not yet over and there are still two highly contagious and highly virulent strains of the virus that are actively circulating in the com-munity,” said the Ministry.

The phase three of the gradual lifting of restrictions began on July 9 and is part of a four-phase plan to be delivered over the coming months.

The plan to gradually lift restrictions will be delivered over four phases with each phase lasting three weeks.

“The date of implemen-tation and the duration of each next phase will depend on the epidemic indicators, which depend to a great extent on the degree of compliance of the community members with the current measures, restrictions and guidance by the gov-ernment,” said the Ministry.

“For now, it is important that people, including those who are vaccinated, continue to wear a mask as advised and maintain social distancing,” it added.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded in Qatar till now is 225,522 and there are 1,712 active cases under treatment.

QA engages

with IATA on

environmental

sustainability

trainingFROM PAGE 1

Qatar Airways has com-mitted to training its employees and sharing its knowledge in developing a well-versed sus-tainability strategy and best practices on implementing an effective environmental man-agement system.

As Qatar Airways continues to incorporate environmental sustainability and sound business practices into its daily operations. It believes that employees must be given oppor-tunities to learn how to be proactive in pursuit of sus-tainable environmental man-agement in their operations.

In June, Qatar Airways rolled out a bespoke e-learning pro-gramme to increase environ-mental sustainability awareness among its staff, to incorporate environmental perspectives into the daily operations of their respective divisions.

Qatar’s trade surplus up by 184% in June

FROM PAGE 1

It was followed by the US with almost QR1.1bn, a share of 12.6 percent, and Germany with QR0.6bn, a share of 7.6 percent.

The group of ‘Turbojets, Turbo propellers & Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof’ was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR0.7bn, showing an increase of 100.3 percent. In second place was ‘Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles For The Transport Of Persons’ with QR0.4bn, showing an increase of 153.9 percent and in third place was ‘Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Teleg-raphy, Telephone Sets Etc.; Parts Thereof’ with QR0.2bn, an increase of 10.9 percent.

04 WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021ASIA

IN BRIEF

First person tried under Hong Kong security law found guiltyAP — HONG KONG

The first person to be tried under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law was found guilty of secessionism and terrorism yesterday in a ruling closely watched for indications of how the law will be applied as China tightens its grip on the city long known for its freedoms.

Tong Ying-kit was charged with inciting secession and ter-rorism for driving his motor-cycle into a group of police officers last year while carrying a flag bearing the banned protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” Rights groups condemned his conviction, and many are bracing for further such trials since more than 100 people have been arrested under the legislation—part of Beijing’s increasing crackdown on

dissent in Hong Kong following months of anti-government protests in 2019.

Tong, a 24-year-old res-taurant worker, pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing the slogan itself does not call for secession. He now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but his lawyers are expected to argue for a lighter punishment at his sen-tencing hearing tomorrow.

The new national security legislation not only resulted in the charges against Tong, but it also spelled out how the trial

would be conducted. The pro-ceedings, which ended July 20, were held in the Hong Kong High Court with no jury, under rules allowing the exception from Hong Kong’s common law system if state secrets need to be protected, foreign forces are involved or if the personal safety of jurors needs to be pro-tected. Trials are presided over by judges handpicked by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam.

Reading the verdict, Justice Esther Toh said Tong “com-mitted terrorist activities causing or intended to cause grave harm to the society” in pursuit of a political agenda.

His behavior was an act of violence aimed at coercing the central and Hong Kong govern-ments and intimidating the public and carrying the flag constituted an act of incitement to secession, she said.

Tong did not speak during the reading of the verdict. He waved to his parents and others in the gallery as he was escorted from the chamber.

Tong’s defense lawyer has said it’s impossible to prove that Tong was inciting secession merely by having used the slogan.

A prison van carrying Tong Ying-kit, the first person charged under the new national security law, arrives at High Court for a hearing, in Hong Kong, yesterday.

Blinken arrives in New Delhi; human rights, China on table

AP — NEW DELHI

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in India yesterday to discuss strengthening Indo-Pacific engagement, seen as a counter to China, as well as New Delhi’s recent human rights record and other issues.

Blinken’s visit includes meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials today, and comes just days after his No. 2 dip-l o m a t , W e n d y Sherman, was in China for face-to-face talks.

Washington has

long viewed India as a key partner in efforts to blunt increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region. The US and India are part of the Quad—a group that also includes Japan and Australia - allies in the region helping deal with China’s growing eco-nomic and military strength.

While the Biden administration has indicated it wants a more civil relationship with Beijing, its shown no sign of softening the Trump adminis-tration’s confronta-tional measures on trade, technology and human rights.

Thousands of foreigners leave Indonesia amid virus crisisAP — JAKARTA

Thousands of foreigners have left Indonesia in recent weeks, airport records released yesterday showed, apparently spurred by a brutal pandemic wave and a general shortage of vaccines, which have gone to high-priority groups first.

Indonesia now has the most confirmed daily cases in Asia, as infections and deaths have surged over the past month and

India’s massive outbreak has waned. Infections peaked in mid-July, with the highest daily average reported at more than 50,000 new cases each day. Until mid-June, daily cases had been running at about 8,000.

Since early this month, nearly 19,000 foreign nationals have left through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the capital, Jakarta.

The exodus increased sig-nificantly in the past three days

a l o n e , accounting for nearly half of all i n d i v i d u a l departures this month, said Sam Fernando, who heads the immi-g r a t i o n authority at the airport.

J a p a n ’ s ambassador to Indonesia, Kenji

Kanasugi, said the difficulty of getting vaccines for foreign nationals has prompted some Japanese citizens to get vacci-nated in their home country.

“Amid a pandemic situ-ation that is very difficult for all of us, some Japanese cit-izens in Indonesia will tempo-rarily return to Japan,” Kanasugi said on Instagram earlier this month.

Japanese and Chinese nationals made up the largest share of departures, with 2,962 and 2,219 individuals respec-tively, followed by 1,616 South Korean citizens. Airport figures also showed departures by 1,425 Americans, as well as 842 French, 705 Russian, 700 British, 615 German and 546 Saudi Arabian citizens.

Initially, only representa-tives of foreign countries and international nonprofit organ-isations were eligible for the government’s free vaccine

program. The program was expanded last month to include those aged 60 and older, as well as teachers and education staff.

Still, television reports showed foreigners complaining about the difficulties they’ve faced getting vaccinated.

Wiku Adisasmito, a spokesman for the National COVID-19 Task Force, said yes-terday that limited vaccine supply remains a challenge. He expressed hope that 45 million more doses set to arrive in August would improve the situation.

Indonesia, home to 270 million people, had secured at least 151.8 million vaccine doses by late July. The vast majority of doses — 126.5 million — are from the Chinese pharmaceu-tical company Sinovac.

Indonesia’s confirmed daily death toll surpassed 2,000 for the first time yesterday, hitting 2,069.

Bhutan fully vaccinates 90% of eligible adults within a weekGAUHATI, INDIA: The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population within just seven days, its health ministry said yesterday. The tiny country, wedged between India and China and home to nearly 800,000 people, began giving out second doses on July 20 in a mass drive that has been hailed by Unicef as “arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during a pandemic.” In April, Bhutan grabbed headlines when its government said it had inoculated around the same percentage of eligible adults with the first dose in under two weeks after India donated 550,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccine. -AP

Kazakhstan blocks LinkedIn over alleged fake accounts, gambling ads

NUR-SULTAN: Kazakhstan has blocked access to Microsoft subsidiary LinkedIn, over what the Central Asian country’s government said were online casino advertisements and fake accounts. The Ministry of Information and Social Development said in a statement it had asked LinkedIn to remove the items in question but the company has failed to comply. It said it would restore access to the social network once it addresses the complaints. -Reuters

US, Nato pledge $4bn to back Afghan forcesAP — ISLAMABAD

The US and Nato have promised to pay $4bn a year until 2024 to finance Afghanistan’s military and security forces, which are struggling to contain an advancing Taliban. Already, the US has spent nearly $89bn over the past 20 years to build, equip and train Afghan forces.

Yet America’s own government watchdog says oversight of the money

has been poor, hundreds of millions of dollars have been misspent and corruption is rife in the security appa-ratus. Monitoring where the future funding goes will become virtually impossible after Aug. 31, when the last coalition troops leave. Here is a look at some of the issues:

Nearly $83bn has been spent to build, equip, train and sustain Afghan-istan’s National Defence and Security Forces, which include the military,

national police and the elite special forces. That figure covers a wide range of items. For example, the US spent nearly $10bn for vehicles and aircraft. It spent $3.75bn on fuel for the Afghan military between 2010-2020. Separately, another $5.8bn went into economic and government development and infrastructure since 2001, with the expressed goal of winning public support and blunting the Taliban insurgency.

Bangkok to convert disused train carriages into COVID-19 ward

BANGKOK: Authorities in Thailand’s capital Bangkok plan to convert 15 disused railway carriages into a 240-bed COVID-19 isolation ward for patients with less severe symptoms, the city’s governing body said yesterday. Thailand has been battling its biggest coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began. The Southeast Asian country reported 14,150 new cases and 118 deaths yesterday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 526,828 and 4,264 deaths so far. “Some modifications are still to be done such as removing the top bunk beds, installing window nets, as well as water and electricity systems,” the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said in a statement. -Reuters

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to work on easing travel restrictionsREUTERS — ISLAMABAD

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia yesterday discussed how to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions, which have stranded around 400,000 Pakistani workers back home, foreign ministers of the two countries told reporters.

Islamabad took up the issue with Saudi Foreign Minister H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who is on a one-day visit to Pakistan. Al Saud is the first high profile Saudi official to arrive in Pakistan after cracks in their historically friendly relations earlier this year.

His Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a joint news conference in Islamabad that around 400,000 of over two million

Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia had been stranded at home due to travel restrictions. “They are facing challenges, you know the travel restrictions and you know the issues of vac-cination,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, which bars direct travel from Pakistan, has only approved the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, so anyone arriving without one of those shots is required to quar-antine at a cost many Pakistani workers say they cannot afford.

Most Pakistanis have received a Chinese vaccine, although Al Saud said his gov-ernment had given COVID-19 shots to 1.7 million Pakistani workers. The Pakistani work-force in Saudi Arabia

contributes $7bn, or a quarter of the country’s total annual remittances. “We talked about the challenges that COVID-19 has imposed on all of us. It has imposed challenges, travel restrictions, all of these we are working on,” Al Saud said.

Pakistani expatriate workers, desperate to obtain a Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca COVID shot so they can travel to work in Saudi Arabia, have been holding violent protests, at times storming vaccination centres.

Pakistan has lately started allowing people under 40 who have to travel for jobs abroad to obtain the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines, of which the country has limited supply obtained through the COVAX system.

Tong Ying-kit, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing the slogan itself does not call for secession. He now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but his lawyers are expected to argue for a lighter punishment at his sentencing hearing tomorrow.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi (right), along with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister H H Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, addressing a joint press meet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday.

South, North Korea reopen hotlines as leaders seek to rebuild ties

SEOUL: South and North Korea have restored hotlines that Pyongyang severed a year ago when ties deteriorated sharply, and the two coun-tries’ leaders are renewing efforts to rebuild relations, Seoul’s pres-idential office said yesterday. The decision on the hotlines was made by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who have exchanged multiple letters since April when they marked the third anniversary of their first summit, said Moon’s press secretary, Park Soo-hyun. North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA, also said all inter-Korean communication channels resumed operation at 10 am) in line with an agreement between Moon and Kim. The hotlines are a rare tool to bridge the two Koreas, but it was unclear whether their reconnection would expedite any meaningful restart of negotiations. -Reuters

05WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021 HOME

06 WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021EUROPE

IN BRIEF

UK reports highest deaths from virus since March as PM urges cautionREUTERS — LONDON

Britain reported its highest number of deaths and people in hospital with coronavirus since March yesterday, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging caution despite a week of lower reported numbers of infection.

Britain reported 131 new deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily total since March 17, though it came after just 14 deaths were reported on Monday, suggesting the weekend might have impacted when deaths were reported.

The number of COVID-19 patients in British hospitals has also steadily risen to 5,918, also the highest since March, fol-lowing a spike in cases earlier this month.

The number of new infec-tions has fallen each day for the last seven days, though Johnson stressed the pandemic was not over.

“It is very, very important that we don’t allow ourselves to run away with premature con-clusions about (lower case numbers),” Johnson told broad-casters, noting it would take a while for the lifting of

restrictions in England to feed through to the data. “People have got to remain very cau-tious and that remains the approach of the government.”

Johnson has lifted restric-tions in England and is betting he can get one of Europe’s largest economies firing again because so many people are now vaccinated, a decision which marks a new chapter in the response to the novel coronavirus.

Imperial College epidemi-ologist Neil Ferguson said the effective end of Britain’s pan-demic could be just months

away as vaccines have so dra-matically reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death.

“We’re not completely out of the woods but the equation has fundamentally changed,” Ferguson, whose modelling of the virus’s likely spread at the outset of the pandemic in early 2020 alarmed governments across the world, told the BBC.

“I’m positive that by late September, October time we will be looking back at most of the pandemic.”

Johnson lifted COVID-19 restrictions in England on July 19. New daily cases in the current wave peaked two days earlier at 54,674 and have since fallen dramatically, to 23,511 new cases yesterday.

The closure of schools for summer, the end of the Euro 2020 soccer championships and warmer weather are among factors epidemiologists say might have reduced social mixing indoors and therefore cases, even as England’s economy has fully reopened.

Case numbers have been falling for longer in Scotland, where the recent peak in new infections was on July 1, than in England, corresponding to

an earlier elimination from the Euros.

“Both of them seem to coincide in some ways with the end of activity in the Euro 2020 tournament,” Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, said, adding that changes in testing patterns might mean that the sharpness of the drop is overstated in daily testing figures.

“Cases may go up again, because we’re only just going to be starting to see the effect of the complete release of restric-tions associated with July 19 in England. So there may still be rises yet to come.”

Britain has one of the highest official fatality rates from COVID-19 in the world, with 129,303 deaths, but vacci-nations and lockdowns have

greatly slowed the rate since March.

Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch said a gradual return to usual social activity would help smooth the end of the current wave, but that the next few weeks would be unpredictable.

“On the way down is always bumpier than the exponential rise on the way up,” he said.

People wearing protective face masks walk along a platform on the London Underground, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in London, Britain, on Sunday.

One killed, 4 missing in German chemical blast; 31 injured

BERLIN: An explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies in Germany killed at least one person yesterday, with 31 others injured and four missing. Fire officials who tested the air said there did not appear to be a danger to nearby residents after author-ities initially urged people to shelter inside. The explosion at the waste management facility of the Chempark site in the city of Leverkusen, near Cologne, sent a large black cloud into the air. It took fire-fighters almost four hours to extinguish the fire that took hold after the explosion. -AP

Protesters removing a barrier installed by police to block the march as they demonstrate against the Green Pass plan, a digital or paper certificate that shows if someone has received at least the first dose of the vaccine, has tested negative or has recently recovered from COVID-19, that will be mandatory for indoor dining, cultural and sports events from next week, in Rome, Italy, yesterday.

Italy says 99% of virus deaths since February were not fully vaccinatedREUTERS — MILAN

Almost 99% people who have died of COVID-19 in Italy since February this year were not fully vaccinated, the National Health Institute (ISS) said yesterday.

The study, contained in a regular report on COVID-19 deaths released by the public health body, added that the few fully vaccinated people who died of COVID were also significantly older than those who died without full vaccination, at 88.6 years of age versus 80. They also had more underlying health problems before contracting the virus.

Italy last week followed France in announcing that proof of vacci-nation or immunity from COVID-19 would shortly be mandatory for an array of activities, including indoor dining and entering places such as gyms, pools, museums and cinemas.

Since the announcement, Italian authorities have recorded a marked pick-up in vaccination bookings. To date, almost 57% of the population over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated.

Italy reported 24 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday against 22 the day before, the health min-istry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 4,522 from 3,117. From Feb. 1 to July 21, there were 423 COVID deaths among fully vaccinated people, repre-senting 1.2% of the total of 35,776 COVID deaths, the Institute said in a statement.

Italy’s vaccination campaign began around the start of this year, so by the start of the study the first people to be vaccinated could have completed their two-jab vacci-nation using the Pfizer or Moderna brands.

Huge hailstones shut Italian highway in extreme stormAP — MILAN

Hailstones the size of tennis balls temporarily closed a highway in northern Italy and damaged dozens of cars, in an extreme example of a weather phenomenon that an agricultural lobby said yesterday has intensified in recent years.

“We are facing in Italy the consequences of climate change, with a trend toward tropicalization and the mul-tiplication of extreme events,’’ Coldiretti said, citing more frequent, sudden

and violent storms, short and intense rainfalls and rapids changes from sunny skies to storms.

Coldiretti estimates ¤14bn ($16.5bn) of damage over the last decade to agriculture production, buildings and infrastructure because of climate change-provoked events like flooding and landslides.

Video of a severe hail-storm near the northern city of Modena on Monday showed cars with windshields shattered by the hailstones pulled over on the side of a

highway as stunned drivers and passengers surveyed the damage.

While hailstorms are a common summer feature in Italy’s Po River Valley, mete-orologist Luca Lombroso told the Bologna daily, il Resto di Carlino, that the strength and frequency of hailstorms this year has made the phenomenon “unusual.”

Coldiretti said its analysis shows that hailstorms are occurring at the rate of 11 a day this summer, with 386 recorded so far this year. That

compares with a few dozen a year up to six years ago, a rate that grew to 92 in 2018 and 198 in 2019.

“The dimension of the hailstones also has changed, growing considerably in the last years with the real ice blocks falling from the sky even bigger than tennis balls,’’ Coldiretti said.

Hailstorms can wipe out entire fields or orchards of vegetable and fruit. Coldiretti attributes a 40% drop in peach and apricot harvests and a 50% drop in nectarines to “this crazy climate.”

Debris from a landslide litters the ground after heavy rain caused flooding in towns surrounding Lake Como in northern Italy, yesterday.

Ireland lowers vaccine age to 12

DUBLIN: Ireland became the latest European Union member state to commit to offering COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 12-15 as it opened its strongly subscribed programme to 16 and 17-year olds yesterday. Ireland’s vaccine programme is currently running at one of the fastest rates in Europe, with almost 70% of its adult popu-lation fully vaccinated and more than 84% partially protected with the first of two doses - greatly reducing the rate of serious illness and death from COVID-19. -Reuters

French health minister injects

colleague with COVID-19 shot

REUTERS — PARIS

Two ministers in the French government promoted the COVID-19 vaccine through their own example yesterday, with one of them administering the shot to the other.Health Minister Olivier Veran is a doctor by profession, which qualified him to administer the injection. The colleague receiving it was Olivia Gregoire, junior economy minister.

As he got ready to give the injection in front of television cameras at Necker Hospital in Paris, Veran struggled to put on a surgical glove, which he put down to being out of practice.

But his patient, who is pregnant and was getting her second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday, said she was not worried about his professional abilities. “I have complete faith,” Gregoire said.

After the injection was done, she told Veran she had not felt a thing. “You haven’t lost the knack,” she told him.

The public vaccination was designed to encourage people to get the shot, to head off what some public health officials in France warn could turn into a fourth wave of the pandemic.

To date, around 60% of people in France have had at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. “We can’t say the peak is behind us,” Veran said outside the hospital. “We need to get vaccinated, in large numbers.”

REUTERS — BUCHAREST

Unesco added the ancient Roman gold mining area of Rosia Montana in western Romania to its list of world heritage sites, throwing the town a lifeline and further compli-cating a long-stalled mine project.

Canada’s Gabriel Resources, which had planned to build Europe’s largest open cast gold mine in Rosia Montana, is currently seeking $4.4bn in damages from

Romania for losses related to its stalled project at the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

The government, which has a 20% stake in the project, officially withdrew its support for the mine in 2014 after months of country-wide street protests against it. The company gained concession rights to the area in 1999. “With joint efforts from officials and specialists Rosia Montana must become a role model

of showcasing the patrimony through sustainable development,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, saluting Unesco’s decision.

The town, which has few employment options and poor infra-structure, could see an inflow of funds after Unesco’s decision, officials said. Not everyone was pleased. Rosia Mon-tana’s mayor Eugen Furdui, a long-time supporter of the mining project, said the decision only brought addi-tional conservation costs.

Unesco names Romanian gold mine settlement a world heritage site

Britain reported 131 new deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily total since March 17, though it came after just 14 deaths were reported on Monday, suggesting the weekend might have impacted when deaths were reported.

Russia reports 779 COVID-19 deathsMOSCOW: Russia yesterday reported 23,032 new COVID-19 cases and 779 deaths, amid a wave of infec-tions blamed on the highly contagious Delta variant and the slow rate of vaccinations. Meanwhile, Russia has given the green light for clinical trials combining a British shot from AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to go ahead, according to Russia’s state drug office. -Reuters

Cuban Embassy in Paris attacked, France beefs up securityREUTERS — PARIS

Cuba’s embassy in Paris said yesterday it had been attacked overnight with petrol bombs that caused some damage but no injuries to its staff, in an incident that prompted French authorities to beef up security around the building.

Three petrol bombs were thrown by two unnamed individuals,

causing a fire on the facade and the entrance of the building, the embassy said in a statement.

Cuba has been rocked by protests against a deep economic crisis, the gov-ernment’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and curbs on civil liberties, prompting the Communist-run country to restrict access to social media.

Cuba’s foreign ministry published photos of the

petrol bombs on its official Twitter feed.

“Those directly respon-sible for these acts are those who incite violence and hatred against our country,” it said.

Its embassy in Paris pointed the finger at the United States, saying such acts had been “encouraged by campaigns by the US government against our country.”

The foreign ministers

of the United States and 20 other countries on Monday condemned mass arrests in Cuba and called for full res-toration of Internet access.

France’s foreign min-istry condemned the attack on the Cuban embassy, adding that a judicial inves-tigation had been opened to try and determine who was behind it. It confirmed that there had been some material damage but no injuries.

07WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021 AMERICAS

IN BRIEF

Police recount calamity of Capitol attack at hearingREUTERS — WASHINGTON

Four police officers delivered wrenching testimony yesterday on their struggle to defend the US Capitol on January 6 against a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters, describing to lawmakers how they were beaten, taunted with racial insults from rioters and faced threats like “kill him with his own gun.”

The testimony came as a Democratic-led House of Rep-resentatives investigatory com-mittee held its first hearing, with chairman Bennie Thompson and a Republican panel member, Liz Cheney, emphasizing the need for a thorough probe.

Thompson and Cheney warned against “whitewashing” the riot even as Trump allies try to downplay the incident and accuse the committee of political motivations. Cheney added that she hopes the nation does not become so blinded by parti-sanship that “we throw away the miracle” of American democracy.

The panel heard the most detailed public account to date of what law enforcement officers faced during the rampage, as hundreds of Trump supporters

sought to block Congress from formally certifying now-Pres-ident Joe Biden’s election victory. The officers held back tears as they testified.

The nine-member panel was formed after Senate Repub-licans blocked the creation of an independent commission to investigate the attack. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Dem-ocrat, named the committee’s members.

District of Columbia police officer Michael Fanone described being pulled into the crowd of rioters, beaten, “elec-trocuted again and again and again with a Taser,” and robbed of his badge.

During the attack, Fanone said, he heard a rioter say he would “kill him with his own gun.” Fanone said he was beaten unconscious and doctors told him he suffered a heart attack.

Fanone railed against people, including some Repub-lican lawmakers, who have downplayed the violence or blamed left-wing groups i n s t e a d o f T r u m p ’ s supporters.

“I feel like I went to hell and back to protect the people in this room,” Fanone said, referring to lawmakers. “But too many are now telling me that hell doesn’t exist or hell actually wasn’t that bad. The indif-ference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful,” Fanone testified, his voice rising as he slammed his hand onto the witness table.

Fanone appeared on Tuesday alongside his Wash-ington police colleague Daniel Hodges and Capitol police

officers Aquilino Gonell and Harry Dunn.

Gonell described being pummeled by rioters fired up by Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

“What we were subjected to that day was like something from a medieval battlefield. We fought hand-to-hand and inch-by-inch to prevent an invasion of the Capitol by a violent mob

intent on subverting our dem-ocratic process,” added Gonell, calling the violence “horrific and devastating.”

Gonell fought back tears as he recalled his family watching the violence unfold on tele-vision and wondering if he was alive.

Dunn, who is Black, said rioters repeatedly called him a racial slur while he was trying to defend the Capitol. Dunn said he challenged their claims that

no one had voted for Biden by telling them that he himself was a Biden supporter.

Hodges recalled how rioters screamed at him: “You’re on the wrong team!” and “You will die on your knees!” Hodges referred to the mob as “terrorists” mul-tiple times.

Thompson pledged that the panel’s work will be “guided solely by the facts” and that there is no place for politics or partisanship.

Aquilino Gonell, sergeant of the US Capitol Police; Michael Fanone, officer for the Metropolitan Police Department, and Harry Dunn, private first class of the US Capitol Police, listen while Daniel Hodges, officer for the Metropolitan Police Department, testifies during a hearing of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill in Washington, yesterday.

Man convicted of

killing officer,

attacks bailiff

SAN ANTONIO: A Texas man elbowed a bailiff who was attempting to handcuff him after the man was convicted of killing a San Antonio police detective.

Jurors deliberated about 25 minutes Monday before con-victing Otis McKane, 40, of capital murder in the November 2016 fatal shooting of Detective Benjamin Marconi. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty against McKane.

A bailiff was trying handcuff McKane when McKane elbowed him in the face before several officers pushed him into an adjacent room. - AP

Trudeau hails

vaccine

milestone

MONCTON: Justin Trudeau said his government has received enough vaccine doses to inoculate all eligible Cana-dians against COVID-19 two months earlier than expected.

Canada now has more than 66 million doses of the four vaccines, fulfilling a key pledge made by the incumbent Lib-erals as they prepare to trigger an election in coming weeks.

“Back in the winter, I made a promise that we would have enough vaccine for all eligible Canadians by the end of Sep-tember,” the prime minister said Tuesday in Moncton, New Brunswick. “Not only have we kept that promise, we’ve done it two months ahead of schedule.” - Bloomberg

Woman killed, 2

cops hurt in

drive-thru clash

DOLTON: Two suburban Chicago police officers were seriously injured and a woman died after one of the officers shot her early yesterday as she drove away from a restaurant following a disturbance and crashed, police said.

Police in Dolton were called to a restaurant at about 1am by employees who said a female driver with a gun was angry that the restaurant’s drive-thru was closed, village spokesman Sean Howard told WLS-TV.

When officers arrived, Howard said the woman and a male passenger were asked to get out of the car. The passenger complied, but the woman began driving away while one officer was reaching inside the car to get the keys. -AP

Mask guidelines stiffen as new variant spreadsBLOOMBERG - WASHINGTON

US health officials tightened guidelines for the use of masks, advising that fully vaccinated individuals wear them in public indoor settings in places where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly as part of a response to the rise of the delta variant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools wear masks indoors regardless of vacci-nation status, the agency’s director, Rochelle Walensky, said on a call with reporters.

Walensky said that recent data gathered by the agency

suggests that some vaccinated people infected with the delta variant can transmit the virus to others.

Public-health experts had urged the agency to recommend that even fully vaccinated people wear face masks in public as delta feeds a resur-gence of cases.

Former CDC Director Julie Gerberding said the agency is responding to the change in transmission patterns as the pandemic evolves. “That is exactly what we need them to do — follow the science,” she said.

“Nobody wants to bring the delta variant home,” Gerberding said. “That is why masking and

other common sense measures make sense until vaccination coverage improves and trans-mission once again slows.” Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has warned that the US is moving in the wrong direction in com-bating a new Covid wave spurred on by delta.

President Joe Biden was briefed by Fauci yesterday on the new guidance, press sec-retary Jen Psaki said in a briefing. The administration will follow every aspect of CDC guidelines on masking, Psaki said, including monitoring Covid transmission rates in areas where Biden will visit.

“We will be prepared to

wear masks again, if required, if the guidance is leading to that, as would the president,” she said. “And that will continue to be the case.” Some places, such as Los Angeles County, have already revived mask mandates for public indoor places regardless of vaccine status.

Poor Execution Former surgeon general Jerome Adams said the CDC acted prematurely in May when it announced that fully immunized Americans would no longer need to wear face coverings in most situations.

“The execution was poor, and the results speak for them-selves,” Adams said via email. “Low mask usage, slowed

vaccination rates and exploding cases.” The delta variant has prompted many countries to rethink their public-health strategies against Covid. However, as recently as July 22 Walensky said the agency was sticking with its recommenda-tions that fully vaccinated people don’t usually need masks, while allowing that wearing one may have some advantages.

Fatalities in the US surged 48% over the past week to a daily average of 239 and hos-pitalizations are also on the rise. The CDC says the delta variant now makes up 83% of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in the US.

Utah hospitals

swell with

unvaccinated

virus patients

REUTERS —UTAH

The COVID-19 intensive care unit where nurse Janine Roberts works in a Salt Lake City suburb is once again full, with patients who are mostly young, mostly unvaccinated and very ill.

They arrive in the unit at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, already intu-bated and unconscious, in many cases stricken by the delta variant of the corona-virus blazing through unvac-cinated communities.

“We have people in their 20s, 30s, even 40s who are so desperately sick, and we’re seeing all patients who are unvaccinated,” Roberts said. “It’s this new terrain.”

Healthcare providers like Roberts had expected the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to curb hospitalizations. But just 45% of Utah residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and their vulnera-bility is fuelling a surge in the virus, state data shows.

Utah’s intensive care units were 84% full on July 22, and COVID patients made up about a quarter of the population. By comparison, the units were 59% full on April 19, and only 11% of those patients had COVID, state data shows.

The quick rise in corona-virus transmission and hospi-talization in Utah and many other states serves as a reminder that the country is still in the throes of a deadly disease, even as signs of pre-pandemic life have returned with people flocking back to restaurants, concerts and summer camps.

The delta variant is far more contagious than earlier versions of the coronavirus, enabling it to pass quickly among unvaccinated people.

Mexican fuel for Cuba sovereign decision: PresidentREUTERS — MEXICO CITY

Mexico’s president yesterday asserted his country’s right to send fuel to Cuba and said US sanctions on the island were “inhumane,” after a diesel cargo shipped by Mexico’s state-run oil company Petroleos Mexi-canos arrived in Cuba’s Havana port.

Mexico’s left-leaning Pres-ident Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has criticized the US embargo against Cuba and pledged support for the Com-munist-run island, which has been hit by a surge in corona-virus infections and an eco-nomic slump that triggered rare protests this month.

Lopez Obrador said two shipments of humanitarian aid including medical supplies such as oxygen would soon depart the port of Veracruz destined for Cuba.

“We are an independent nation,” Lopez Obrador said at a news conference in response to a question about whether fuel deliveries risked contra-vening the US embargo on the Communist-run island.

Lopez Obrador criticized

policies he said made it difficult for ships that delivered goods to Cuba to then dock in US ports, which constitutes one of the main aspects of the embargo.

Authorities in Havana have long said the decades-old US

embargo on Cuba has caused widespread hardship on the island, where thousands took to the streets this month in the protests.

Cuban Trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca welcomed on Monday Mexico’s pledge of

two shipments of aid: “We are not alone,” he said on Twitter.

The US Treasury Department declined to comment and the State Department did not immedi-ately reply to a request for comment.

Mexico’s Navy ship ‘El Libertador’ carrying aid for Cuba leaves the port of Veracruz, Mexico, yesterday.

Man pleads guilty to Asian spa killings, sentenced to lifeAP — CANTON

A man accused of killing eight people, most of them of Asian descent, at Atlanta-area massage businesses pleaded guilty yesterday to four of the murders and was handed four sentences of life without parole.

Robert Aaron Long, 22, still faces the death penalty in the four other deaths, which are being prosecuted in a different county.

His shooting spree at three different businesses in March ignited outrage and fueled fear among Asian Americans, who

were already facing increased hostility at the time linked to the coronavirus pandemic. Many were particularly upset when authorities suggested that Long’s crimes were not racially motivated but were instead born of an “*** addiction,” which is not recognized as an official disorder.

In comments sure to further frustrate those outraged over Long’s apparent targeting of Asian women, a prosecutor reit-erated yesterday that Cherokee County investigators saw no evidence of racial bias. That’s at odds with the hate crime enhancement that Long, who

is white, faces just miles away in the four deaths in Atlanta.

“This was not any kind of hate crime,” District Attorney Shannon Wallace said.

The judge, while accepting the plea deal, also appeared to cast doubt on that notion, underscoring that Asians were among the victims.

“But what is also true is that you harmed people who were not in those categories because once hatred is given a gun, it doesn’t matter who gets in the way,” said Cherokee County Superior Court Chief Judge Ellen McElyea.

In Atlanta, Long could be

sentenced to death if convicted in the four other shooting deaths. There, he also faces charges of domestic terrorism in addition to murder, and pros-ecutors have said they will seek to have the deaths classified as a hate crime.

Wallace explained that Cherokee County prosecutors came to a different conclusion. When Long walked through the massage business in Woodstock “shooting anyone and everyone he saw,” he was motivated by a “*** addiction” and his desire to eliminate sources of temp-tation at the businesses where he engaged in indecent acts.

The panel heard the most detailed public account to date of what law enforcement officers faced during the rampage, as hundreds of Trump supporters sought to block Congress from formally certifying now-President Joe Biden’s election victory. The officers held back tears as they testified.

Events are unfolding rapidly in Tunis, where President Kais Saied has declared a state of emergency, dismissed the prime minister, frozen the parliament for 30 days and deployed the military to bar them from the building.

08 WEDNESDAY 28 JULY 2021VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

ENSURING healthier, more sustainable and equi-table food systems around the world will be the focus of a global Food Systems Summit the United Nations is going to hold in September as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Participating in the pre-summit, which is taking place in Rome from July 26 to 28, Minister of Municipality and Envi-ronment and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie highlighted the State of Qatar’s expe-rience in the food security sector.

Qatar has been successful in ensuring 100 percent availability of basic foodstuffs, while also ensuring high quality and affordability, on a daily basis, and at all times, including times of crisis and emergency. The government has worked through various initiatives to increase local food production capacity and cut reliance on imports.

Today the country is sourcing most of the market demand in vegetables, dairy, poultry and fish from the local farms. In some commodities, Qatar is now 100% self-sufficient, a remarkable feat given the challenges of harsh climate conditions and scarce natural resources.

Apart from raising local production capacity, the government has also worked for achieving sustain-ability in the food production in a number of ways. Treated wastewater is being used to produce green fodder in the country, which helps in addressing depletion of ground water reserves.

Similarly, sustainable fish farming projects have been launched to relieve pressure on the local fish stocks. Cutting food waste is another front the gov-ernment is working on, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

The Minister said food quality and safety remains at top of the State’s agenda, and announced that the country will soon have a food safety authority, based on modern approaches and risk assessment, in terms of inspection, control and protection of food standards from farm to table.

Qatar National Vision 2030 is a great model and example of designing sustainable development pol-icies as it maintains balance between economic, social and environmental development.

While developed nations have made great strides towards food security, the developing countries and regions embroiled in conflicts must not be left behind in this mission. Qatar has also called for global unity to support the food security system through the development and implemen-tation of regulatory frameworks that prevent any country from being deprived of the food supply in times of conflict.

Sustainable food system

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Quote of the day

There is a real danger of hunger among these

refugees in Tigray camps if supplies do not

resume as they may have already run out of

food supplies that were given to them.

Babar Baloch, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied leading a security meeting with members of the army and police forces in Tunis, on Sunday.

Back when then-Vice Pres-ident Joe Biden hosted then-Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at his Washington home in 2015, the American “underscored the importance the United States places on ensuring that democracy succeeds in Tunisia.” Now, the current Tunisian president is testing Biden’s commitment to that promise. So far, indica-tions are that the White House is wary of getting deeply involved in Tunisia’s spiraling democratic crisis.

Events are unfolding rapidly in Tunis, where Pres-ident Kais Saied has declared a state of emergency, dismissed the prime minister, frozen the parliament for 30 days and deployed the military to bar them from the building. Tunisian police stormed the headquarters of the news organization Al Jazeera. Pro-testers looted the offices of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which holds a plurality in the parliamentary assembly. Assembly speaker and Ennahda party head Rachid Ghannouchi led a sit-in outside the parliament building Monday, rejecting the president’s moves as unconsti-tutional and insisting the assembly was still in session.

“We call on President Saied to stop this attempted coup and ask all our friends inside and outside to support the people of Tunisia in resisting the forces of dictatorship and tyranny,” Ghannouchi told my Post colleagues.

The White House and State Department issued statements

Monday that were carefully crafted to avoid taking sides. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States was “concerned about the developments in Tunisia.” She said that administration officials were in touch with Tunisian leaders “to learn more about the situation, urge calm and support Tunisian efforts to move forward in line with democratic principles.” State Department spokesman Ned Price issued a similar statement. “The United States will continue to stand on the side of Tunisia’s democracy,” it said - entirely sidestepping the question of which party the Biden administration believes represents the democratic cause. Secretary of State Antony Blinken “encouraged President Saied to adhere to the principles of democracy and human rights that are the basis of governance in Tunisia . . . noting that the United States would continue to monitor the situation and stay engaged,” the State Department said in a Monday readout of their phone call.

“This falls very short of what I would hope to see from the United States gov-ernment,” said Sarah Yerkes, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who also served in the State Department and at the Pentagon. “It is clear that US officials are playing it safe and waiting to see how things unfold before making any strong statements.” Psaki also said the Biden administration would not be able to make a determination whether Saied’s actions constitute a “coup” until or unless the State Department’s legal team reviews the situation. That

could be a difficult call to make, considering that Tuni-sia’s constitutional court, which is meant to adjudicate such matters, hasn’t even been seated yet.

Meanwhile, the power grab by Saied could be just the beginning. US lawmakers and experts who oppose his actions argue that the Biden administration’s refusal to clearly call out Saied’s author-itarian moves will embolden him. That, in turn, will undermine the forces inside the country who are defending the constitutional separation of powers that has so far preserved Tunisia’s 10-year experiment with democratic governance.

“This is the place where the Arab world’s movement to representative government and democracy began, and it’s clear to me indecisiveness in the face of aggression is just going to destroy this movement,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told me in an interview. “The United States and the Western democracies need to be all in, on the ground in Tunisia, stopping this before it gets out of hand.” Without a robust US-led diplomatic initiative, pro-democracy leaders in the region such as Ghannouchi will be left to fend for them-selves, Graham said. That would send a clear signal to all other would-be coup plotters that they need not fear resistance or reprisal from Washington.

Several administration sources told me they were waiting to see how the very fluid situation plays out and hoping to work with Saied rather than alienate him. The Biden team seems to be

following the playbook of the Obama administration, which preferred to deliver tough messages in private and believed that public threats were counterproductive.

The good news now is that it’s not too late in Tunisia. There is still time for the United States and other Western govern-ments to convince Saied that pressing forward with an authoritarian power grab will not turn out well for him. The United States has significant leverage at its disposal - above all, economic aid, including a recently signed $500 million Millennium Challenge Corpo-ration compact.

“If the United States and European Union don’t really step up and give a red light to a coup, some Gulf countries will come in and make sure the coup happens, if they aren’t already involved,” said Sharan Grewal, a professor at the College of William & Mary and a fellow at the Brookings Institution. “The US, under this administration should be out there vocally making clear that we support Tuni-sia’s democracy and that we will do what we can to support those actors who are trying to keep it on track.” Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the ranking Repub-lican on the House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa subcommittee and the head of the Republican Study Committee's foreign affairs task force, wrote a letter to Blinken on Monday asking him why the Biden adminis-tration won't publicly condemn Saied's authori-tarian power grab and whether the Biden team is willing to work with Congress to put pressure on Saied.

JAPAN NEWS

In the United States, a succession of startups have been embarking on space tourism projects. This is the beginning of an era in which people who are not regular astronauts can visit space for sightseeing.

Jeff Bezos, founder of major US online retailer Amazon.com Inc., reached an altitude beyond 100 kilom-eters(62 miles) aboard a spaceship from Blue Origin LLC, which he also estab-lished. The entire process from launch to landing was livestreamed around the world on the internet.

Together with his younger brother, Bezos took his first manned spaceflight with the apparent aim of

demonstrating the safety of the spacecraft. An 18-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman also were on board, creating the impression that ordinary people can also ride the spaceship.

Earlier, British entre-preneur Richard Branson flew to space aboard a spaceship developed by his US-based firm Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., enjoying a state of weight-lessness for a few minutes. A glimpse can be seen of a rivalry to stay ahead of Bezos.

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of major US electric carmaker Tesla Inc., is also planning to take a trip to space on a spaceship from his firm SpaceX. The plan calls for full-scale space travel that will last several days as the spacecraft orbits the Earth.

Musk also is planning a future trip around the moon, with Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa expressing his intention to participate in the project. Reservations to take Virgin Galactic’s flights have already been made by 600 people. Tickets reportedly cost as much as about 28 million yen ($255,000 US) per person. At this price, customers will be limited to some wealthy people. It is vital to gradually lower the price and broaden the range of participants.

There are still issues sur-rounding space travel, such as the fact that the laws of each country and international rules have yet to be fully put in place to deal with the progress in space travel. It will also be necessary to study how to

ensure the safety of rockets carrying travelers into space and the surrounding areas of spaceports that are used for launching and landing bases.

Space tourism’s present mechanism is to return to the point of departure. However, if a spacecraft can head for another place on the Earth via space, a super-high-speed means of transportation connecting far-flung continents in dozens of minutes can be possible. Since there is a certain market expected for such travel, com-panies are looking earnestly at this as a new line of business.

In Japan, there are few examples of billionaires who have succeeded in internet and other businesses using their financial power to take on high-risk enterprises in other fields.

Biden must try harder to ensure democracy maintained in Tunisia

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Fantasy no more, age of civilians hurtling into space has dawned

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