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Faisal J. Abbas

COVID-19: 100 days that changed the world

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LIVE: Cases continue to rise across the Middle East as Bahrain allows some shops to reopen

Iranians, some wearing protective masks, gather around the capital Tehran's grand bazaar, during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic crises, on March 18, 2020. (File/AFP)
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Updated 09 April 2020
Arab News
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LIVE: Cases continue to rise across the Middle East as Bahrain allows some shops to reopen

  • Kuwait reports 55 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 910
Updated 09 April 2020
Arab News

DUBAI: Countries around the world have been helping each other in tackling the coronavirus crisis by sending aid planes to COVID-19 hotspots.

Countries in the Middle East have also stood in solidarity with other nations, providing support to help them deal with the pandemic. The UAE has sent aid planes to multiple countries such as Pakistan and Colombia.

Thursday, April 9 (All times in GMT)

19:15 - Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the deadline to submit requests to return to the Kingdom has been extended to April 14.

19:07 - Egypt announced 139 new cases of coronavirus, 15 deaths and 43 cases of recovery on Thursday. 

18:41 - The United Arab Emirates decided on Thursday to extend the closure of mosques and places of worship until further notice, the state news agency reported.
The statement added this decision comes as part of the precautionary measures across the UAE to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

17:35 - France records another big jump in its death toll from the virus, announcing it had reached 12,210 on Thursday from 10,869 on Wednesday.

17:15 - Jordan records 14 new coronavirus cases, meaning the country's total now stands at 372.

16:43 - Turkey's confirmed cases of coronavirus increased by 4,056 in the last 24 hours, and 96 people have died, taking the death toll to 908, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.

The total number of recovered cases stood at 2,142, with 296 recoveries in the last 24 hours, and the number of tests carried out in that time was 28,578, the highest number yet, Koca said on Twitter.

Turkey's total confirmed cases stood at 42,282, he added.

16:26 - Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday Britain had not yet reached the peak of the coronavirus epidemic and that it was too early to lift the lockdown.

Experts were still gathering data on the lockdown and it was too early to say conclusively whether it was working, he told reporters.

Raab, standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, told reporters he did not expect to be able to say more on the lockdown until late next week.




Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks during a media briefing on coronavirus in Downing Street, London, Thursday, April 9, 2020. (AP)

16:24 - New York saw a sharp drop in the number of people newly admitted to a hospital in the past 24 hours to the lowest level in the coronavirus crisis, a sign that social distancing steps are working, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.
Cuomo also told a daily briefing that the number of deaths increased to 799 on April 8, up from 779 a day earlier and a record high for a third day.

16:22 - Britain announced another 881 deaths of people testing positive for coronavirus in Thursday's daily update, bringing the country's total toll to 7,978.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, in charge as Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care battling COVID-19, announced the figures as he warned that the country hadn't "yet reached the peak of the virus".

16:10 - Bahrain makes wearing face masks compulsory in public for citziens, residents and shop workers. It also allowed shops that provide goods and services for customers to re-open. 

15:00 - Muslim football stars Riyad Mahrez and Xherdan Shaqiri are among 150 Premier League players who announced an initiative to help fund the UK’s National Heath Service (NHS) in its fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. FULL STORY.

15:05 - One hundred doctors have died of the coronavirus in Italy.

14:20 - Saudi Arabia announced 355 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday bringing the total number of cases in the Kingdom to 3,287. FULL STORY.

13:50 - Iran’s health ministry on Thursday said 117 new deaths from the novel coronavirus took the total to 4,110 in the country, one of the worst-hit by the disease.

Opinion

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12:28 – Saudi Arabia confirmed 355 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 3,287. The number of patient recoveries meanwhile reached 666, while fatalities are now at 44.

12:09 – Bahrain reported 32 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 855 infections.

10:28 – Lebanon confirmed seven new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 582 infections.

10:26 – Qatar recorded 166 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,376 cases.

10:01 – Morocco reported 71 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 1,346 infections.




Moroccan authorities wearing protective masks check people at a road block in a street in Casablanca on April 8, 2020. (AFP)

09:38 – Iran said it had 1,634 new #coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 66,220 cases.

09:38 – Spain confirmed 5,756 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 152,446.

09:35 – Kuwait recorded 55 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 910.

08:14 – Italy recorded 3,836 new coronavirus cases, bringing the toll to 139,422, 542 deaths, bringing the toll to 17,669 deaths.

08:13 – The Philippines reported 21 new deaths and 206 additional cases of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Thursday.

08:36 – Lebanon’s higher defense council has advised the government to re-extend the coronavirus lockdown until April 26.

07:54 – Russia recorded 1,459 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 10,131.

07:49 – Oman confirmed 38 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 457.

05:51 – Taiwan demanded an apology from the World Health Organization chief on Thursday after he accused the island’s government of leading personal attacks against him and his agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. READ THE STORY

05:44 – Thailand confirmed 54 new coronavirus cases and two more deaths.

05:34 – Israel’s coronavirus death toll increased to 74.

04:56 – The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Germany rose by 4,974 in the past 24 hours to 108,202.




German residents coverge at the former airport at Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin on April 8, 2020. (AFP)

03:48 – New Zealand will begin moving citizens to compulsory quarantine from Friday as they return from overseas, stepping up its efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus halfway through a four-week nationwide lockdown.

03:48 – Migrant workers in Singapore are living in fear following a surge of coronavirus infections in their dormitories where they say cramped and filthy conditions make social distancing impossible.

Wednesday, April 8 (All times in GMT)

16:45 – The UAE Cabinet has agreed to offer paid leaves to some categories of employees at the federal government, state news agency WAM reported. The decision is part of the country’s efforts to control the coronavirus spread.

14:51 – A UAE plane carrying 10 metric tons of medical supplies was sent to Colombia to help the country take control over the coronavirus spread, state news agency WAM reported. This move will also benefit more than 10,000 healthcare employees in the country.

12:49 – A Kuwaiti army transport plane loaded with tons of medical supplies arrived back from China to help the government curb the spread of coronavirus, state news agency KUNA reported, citing the Ministry of Defense. 

08:42 – Kuwait’s coronavirus cases have reached 855 with death toll at one while Bahrain's cases reached 823 with deaths raised to five.

 

Topics: Coronavirus

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Missing US journalist's mother says new Syria leaders 'determined' to find son

Updated 20 January 2025
AFP
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Missing US journalist's mother says new Syria leaders 'determined' to find son

Updated 20 January 2025
AFP
DAMASCUS: The mother of US journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012, said on Monday in Damascus that the war-torn country's new leadership was committed to finding him.
Tice was working as a freelance journalist for Agence France-Presse, McClatchy News, The Washington Post, CBS and other media outlets when he was detained at a checkpoint in August 2012.
"I have been privileged to meet with the new leadership of Syria," Debra Tice told journalists in Damascus, after holding talks with Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
"It was so wonderful to learn that they are dedicated and determined to bring home my son, and your son," she added.
She expressed hope the incoming administration of Donald Trump, who takes office as US president later on Monday, will work to bring her son home.
"Today... Trump will be sworn into office and a page will be turned," she said.
"I have great hope that the Trump administration will be very engaged in diligent work to bring Austin home.
"I look forward to working closely with the team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Presidential Envoy Adam Logan."
Debra Tice said she was "looking forward" to engaging with the Trump administration.
"His people have already reached out to me," she said.
"I haven't experienced that for the last four years, and so I'm very much looking forward to their help and involvement, and I think they're going to be quick at it."
Last month, US officials said Syria's new leadership had assisted in the hunt for Tice, including searches at sites of interest.
"We feel it's our duty as the US government to press on until we know with certainty what happened to him, where he is and to bring him home," said Roger Carstens, the US pointman on hostages.
He made the remarks during the first visit to Damascus by US officials since Islamist-led forces toppled autocratic Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Yemen’s Houthis say to limit attacks in the Red Sea corridor

Updated 20 January 2025
AP
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Yemen’s Houthis say to limit attacks in the Red Sea corridor

  • Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023
Updated 20 January 2025
AP

DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi militia have signaled they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold.
The Houthis made the announcement in an email sent to shippers and others on Sunday. The Houthis separately planned a military statement on Monday, likely about the decision.
The Houthis, through their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, made the announcement by saying it was “stopping sanctions” on the other vessels it has previously targeted since it started attacks in November 2023.
The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage.
The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate US- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.

Topics: Yemen Houthi Red Sea

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China ‘welcomes’ Gaza ceasefire coming into effect

Updated 20 January 2025
AFP
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China ‘welcomes’ Gaza ceasefire coming into effect

  • China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict
Updated 20 January 2025
AFP

BEJING: China on Monday hailed the start of a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas formally entered into force on Sunday, paving the way for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages.
A spokeswoman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said “China welcomes the Gaza ceasefire agreement coming into effect.”
“We hope that the agreement will be fully and continuously implemented, and that a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza will be achieved,” Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.
“China will continue to work with the international community to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” she said.
China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
It has positioned itself as a more neutral actor on the conflict than its rival the United States, but has repeatedly called on Israel to end what it calls humanitarian disasters in Gaza.
Last summer, China hosted rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in Beijing, where they signed an agreement to form a “national unity government” in Gaza after the end of hostilities.

Topics: China Gaza

UAE launches largest Gaza aid operation as truce starts

Updated 20 January 2025
Arab News
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UAE launches largest Gaza aid operation as truce starts

  • 20 trucks carry essential food supplies, winter clothing and basic necessities 
Updated 20 January 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: The UAE has launched its largest relief operation in Gaza, under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, as the Hamas-Israel ceasefire took effect on Sunday.

A convoy of 20 trucks carried over 200 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid including food, winter clothing and other basic necessities for Palestinian families impacted by Israel’s war on Gaza.

To date, Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has already sent 156 convoys to Gaza, amounting to about 29,784 tonnes of humanitarian aid.

This aid has significantly alleviated the challenging circumstances faced by Gaza’s residents, particularly the most vulnerable groups, by meeting their basic needs, state news agency WAM reported.

Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has been in operation for over 441 days and has overseen over 500 planeloads of aid, five transport ships, and more than 2,500 trucks from Egypt into Gaza, WAM added.

The UAE’s projects include a field hospital in Gaza, and a floating hospital in Arish, Egypt.

In addition, the country has overseen water supply projects including the construction of desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, and the “Birds of Goodness” initiative, which involves airdropping aid to areas inaccessible by land, notably in northern Gaza.

Topics: War on Gaza Gaza UAE

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Israel frees 90 Palestinian prisoners as ceasefire takes hold after Hamas returns 3 Israeli hostages

Updated 20 January 2025
AP
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Israel frees 90 Palestinian prisoners as ceasefire takes hold after Hamas returns 3 Israeli hostages

  • Palestinians across Gaza return home as first trucks with humanitarian aid enter devastated territory
  • Israel’s military, which occupies the West Bank, had warned Palestinians against public celebration
Updated 20 January 2025
AP

RAMALLAH, West Bank: The first three hostages were released from Gaza and the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli custody as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold following 15 months of war, with mixed emotions and more difficult steps ahead over the next six weeks.
Palestinians across Gaza began making their way home, and the first trucks with a surge of humanitarian aid began to enter the devastated territory.
The ceasefire that began on Sunday morning raises hopes for ending the devastating conflict and returning the nearly 100 remaining hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. But major questions remain about whether fighting will resume after the six-week first phase.
First came the release of Emily Damari, 28; Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, in a tense handover to the Red Cross on a Gaza City street. Footage showed them surrounded by a crowd of thousands, accompanied by masked, armed men wearing green Hamas headbands.
The women were taken to Israeli forces and then into Israel, where they hugged family members fiercely and wept. Damari was shown raising her bandaged hand in triumph. The military said she lost two fingers in the Oct. 7 attack.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of people who gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in applause. For months, many had gathered in the square weekly to demand a ceasefire deal.
“An entire nation embraces you,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Over seven hours later, the first Palestinian prisoners were released. They had been detained for what Israel called offenses related to its security, from throwing stones to more serious accusations such as attempted murder.
Israel’s military, which occupies the West Bank, warned Palestinians against public celebration — the release took place after 1 a.m. — but crowds thronged the buses after they left the prison, some people climbing on top or waving flags, including those of Hamas.
There were fireworks and whistles, and shouts of “God is great.” Those released were hoisted onto others’ shoulders or embraced.
The most prominent detainee freed was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a member of a secular leftist faction that was involved in attacks against Israel in the 1970s but later scaled back militant activities. Since her arrest in late 2023, she was held under indefinitely renewable administrative detention orders that were criticized by human rights groups.
The next release of hostages and prisoners is due on Saturday, with 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to be freed over the ceasefire’s 42-day first phase. In just over two weeks, talks are to begin on the far more challenging second phase.
This is just the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.
But Netanyahu, who had been under pressure from both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to achieve a deal before Monday’s US inauguration, has said he has Trump’s backing to continue fighting if necessary.
Meanwhile, Israel’s hard-line national security minister said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire, reflecting the political friction that some Israelis said delayed a deal. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure weakens Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.
‘Joy mixed with pain’
Across Gaza, there was relief and grief. The fighting has killed tens of thousands, destroyed large areas and displaced most of the population.
“This ceasefire was a joy mixed with pain, because my son was martyred in this war,” said Rami Nofal, a displaced man from Gaza City.
Masked militants appeared at some celebrations, where crowds chanted slogans in support of them, according to Associated Press reporters in Gaza. The Hamas-run police began deploying in public after mostly lying low due to Israeli airstrikes.
Some families set off for home on foot, their belongings loaded on donkey carts.
In the southern city of Rafah, residents returned to find massive destruction. Some found human remains in the rubble, including skulls.
“It’s like you see in a Hollywood horror movie,” resident Mohamed Abu Taha said as he inspected the ruins of his family’s home.
Already, Israeli forces were pulling back from areas. Residents of Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya in northern Gaza told the AP they didn’t see Israeli troops there.
One resident said they saw bodies in the streets that appeared to have been there for weeks.
Israelis divided over deal
In Israel, people remained divided over the agreement.
Asher Pizem, 35, from the city of Sderot, said the deal had merely postponed the next confrontation with Hamas. He also criticized Israel for allowing aid into Gaza, saying it would contribute to the militant group’s revival.
“They will take the time and attack again,” he said while viewing Gaza’s smoldering ruins from a small hill in southern Israel with other Israelis gathered there.
When President Joe Biden was asked Sunday whether he has any concerns about Hamas regrouping, he said no.
Immense toll
The toll of the war has been immense, and new details will now emerge. The head of the Rafah municipality in Gaza, Ahmed Al-Sufi, said a large part of the infrastructure, including water, electricity and road networks, was destroyed, in addition to thousands of homes.
There should be a surge of humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza daily, far more than Israel allowed before. The UN humanitarian agency said more than 630 trucks with aid entered on Sunday, with at least 300 going to hard-hit northern Gaza.
“This is a moment of tremendous hope,” humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said.
Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants abducted around 250 others. More than 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
Some 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been displaced. Rebuilding — if the ceasefire reaches its final phase — will take several years at least. Major questions about Gaza’s future, political and otherwise, remain unresolved.

Topics: Gaza Israel Palestine Hamas

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