UAE reports 809 new Covid-19 cases, health minister begins vaccine trial

1 / 2
Dubai Economy, in cooperation with the Dubai Tourism Department, said it had closed one cafe and issued seven violations and five warnings to several other establishments for not abiding by the precautionary measures. (File/Reuters)
2 / 2
UAE Minister of Health and Prevention, Abdul Rahman Al-Owais, received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, after the UAE authorized its use for doctors and frontline workers. (WAM)
Short Url
Updated 19 September 2020
Follow

UAE reports 809 new Covid-19 cases, health minister begins vaccine trial

  • Kuwait records 521 cases and 1 death, Bahrain reports 690 cases, 3 deaths

DUBAI: The UAE on Saturday recorded 809 new cases of COVID-19 and one death.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of infected cases since the pandemic began has reached 84,242, while the total deaths has reached 404.
A further 722 people recovered from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 73,512 recoveries.

The ministry said 103,000 new tests have been conducted on various groups of society, using the best and latest medical examination techniques.
The UAE health minister Abdul Rahman Al-Owais received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, after the UAE authorized the use of the vaccine for doctors and frontline workers.
The ministry said in a statement that the minister received the vaccine “in line with the ministry’s plan that was announced last week, which includes providing the coronavirus vaccine to specific groups in the first line of defense,” state news agency WAM reported.
Al-Owais said: “By presenting this vaccine, we seek to provide all safety measures for the heroes of the first line of defense and protect them from any dangers that they may face due to the nature of their work.”




UAE Minister of Health, Abdul Rahman Al-Owais, received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, after the UAE authorized its use for doctors and frontline workers. (WAM)

He added that the clinical trials of the vaccine conducted by the country’s health sector “showed positive results, and proved that it is safe and effective and will contribute to reducing the losses caused by the pandemic to preserve lives.”
The UAE began experiments on a vaccine for the novel COVID-19 in mid-July, which is produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharma, and the experiments were conducted under the supervision of the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s health ministry.
The vaccine is included under the umbrella of the World Health Organization, and the UAE was chosen to conduct the experiments as it includes more than 200 nationalities.
Meanwhile, Dubai Economy, in cooperation with the Dubai Tourism Department, said it had closed one cafe and issued seven violations and five warnings to several other establishments for not abiding by the precautionary measures.
The cafe was closed as a performer was not wearing a face mask and the customers were not adhering to social distancing.

The authority said 660 entities out of the 673 inspected had met the precautionary measures set by the government.
Elsewhere, Kuwait recorded 521 new infected Covid-19 cases and one death during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 99,049 and 581 cases respectively.
The ministry of health said 8,970 cases remained active, with 96 in critical condition.

It also 722 cases had recovered from the virus, bringing the total to 89,498.
In Bahrain, 690 new cases, three deaths and 613 recoveries were reported.

The ministry said 6,959 cases remained active, while the total death toll had reached 220 and 56,700 cases had recovered from coronavirus.
Out of the active cases, 6916 were in stable condition and 43 were critical.


Hamas says ‘new’ Israeli conditions delaying agreement on Gaza ceasefire

Updated 11 sec ago
Follow

Hamas says ‘new’ Israeli conditions delaying agreement on Gaza ceasefire

GAZA: Hamas said Wednesday that “new conditions” imposed by Israel had delayed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, but acknowledged that negotiations were still proceeding.
“The ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations are continuing in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Egypt in a serious manner... but the occupation has set new conditions concerning withdrawal (of troops), the ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of displaced people, which has delayed reaching an agreement,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.

Syria authorities say 1 million captagon pills torched

Updated 25 December 2024
Follow

Syria authorities say 1 million captagon pills torched

  • Forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol and around 50 bags of pink captagon pills in the capital’s security compound.

DAMASCUS: Syria’s new authorities torched a large stockpile of drugs on Wednesday, two security officials told AFP, including one million pills of the amphetamine-like stimulant captagon, whose industrial-scale production flourished under ousted president Bashar Assad.
“We found a large quantity of captagon, around one million pills,” said a member of the security forces, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Osama. An AFP journalist saw forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol and around 50 bags of pink captagon pills in the capital’s security compound.


UK to host Israel-Palestine peace summit

Updated 25 December 2024
Follow

UK to host Israel-Palestine peace summit

  • PM Starmer drawing on experience working on Northern Ireland peace process
  • G7 fund to unlock financing for reconciliation projects

LONDON: The UK will host an international summit early next year aimed at bringing long-term peace to Israel and Palestine, The Independent reported.

The event will launch the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which is backed by the Alliance for Middle East Peace, containing more than 160 organizations engaged in peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer who worked on the Northern Ireland peace process, ordered Foreign Secretary David Lammy to begin work on hosting the summit.

The fund being unlocked alongside the summit pools money from G7 countries to build “an environment conducive to peacemaking.” The US opened the fund with a $250 million donation in 2020.

As part of peacebuilding efforts, the fund supports projects “to help build the foundation for peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians and for a sustainable two-state solution.”

It also supports reconciliation between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel, as well as the development of the Palestinian private sector in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Young Israelis and Palestinians will meet and work together during internships in G7 countries as part of the scheme.

Former Labour Shadow Middle East Minister Wayne David and ex-Conservative Middle East Minister Alistair Burt said the fund is vital in bringing an end to the conflict.

In a joint piece for The Independent, they said: “The prime minister’s pledge reflects growing global momentum to support peacebuilding efforts from the ground up, ensuring that the voices of those who have long worked for equality, security and dignity for all are not only heard, but are actively shaping the societal and political conditions that real conflict resolution will require.

“Starmer’s announcement that the foreign secretary will host an inaugural meeting in London to support peacebuilders is a vital first step … This meeting will help to solidify the UK’s role as a leader in shaping the future of the region.”

The fund is modeled on the International Fund for Ireland, which spurred peacebuilding efforts in the lead-up to the 1999 Good Friday Agreement. Starmer is drawing inspiration from his work in Northern Ireland to shape the scheme.

He served as human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board from 2003-2007, monitoring the service’s compliance with human rights law introduced through the Good Friday Agreement.

David and Burt said the UK is “a natural convener” for the new scheme, adding: “That role is needed now more than ever.”

They said: “The British government is in a good position to do this for three reasons: Firstly, the very public reaching out to diplomatic partners, and joint ministerial visits, emphasises the government turning a page on its key relationships.

“Secondly, Britain retains a significant influence in the Middle East, often bridging across those who may have differences with each other. And, thirdly, there is the experience of Northern Ireland.

“Because of his personal and professional engagement with Northern Ireland, Keir Starmer is fully aware of the important role civil society has played in helping to lay the foundations for peace.”


Erdogan announces plans to open Turkish consulate in Aleppo

Updated 25 December 2024
Follow

Erdogan announces plans to open Turkish consulate in Aleppo

  • Erdogan also issued a stern warning to Kurdish militants in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that Turkiye will soon open a consulate in Syria's Aleppo.

Erdogan also issued a stern warning to Kurdish militants in Syria, stating they must either "lay down their weapons or be buried in Syrian lands with their weapons."

The remarks underscore Turkiye's firm stance on combating Kurdish groups it views as a threat to its national security.


Turkish military kills 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, ministry says

Updated 25 December 2024
Follow

Turkish military kills 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, ministry says

  • Turkiye regards the YPG, the leading force within the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the PKK and similarly classifies it as a terrorist group

ANKARA: The Turkish military killed 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, the defense ministry said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry reported that 20 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish YPG militants, who were preparing to launch an attack, were killed in northern Syria, while one militant was killed in northern Iraq.
“Our operations will continue effectively and resolutely,” the ministry added.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the European Union, and the United States, began its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
Turkiye regards the YPG, the leading force within the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the PKK and similarly classifies it as a terrorist group.
Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Ankara has repeatedly insisted that the YPG must disband, asserting that the group has no place in Syria’s future.
The operations on Wednesday come amid ongoing hostilities in northeastern Syria between Turkiye-backed Syrian factions and the YPG.
Ankara routinely conducts cross-border airstrikes and military operations targeting the PKK, which maintains bases in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq.