Migrants stand on the deck of the 'Ocean Viking' rescue ship. AP
Migrants stand on the deck of the 'Ocean Viking' rescue ship. AP
Migrants stand on the deck of the 'Ocean Viking' rescue ship. AP
Migrants stand on the deck of the 'Ocean Viking' rescue ship. AP

Italy permits 422 rescued migrants to land in Sicily


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

More than 400 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, 49 of whom have the coronavirus, arrived on the Italian island of Sicily.
The Ocean Viking docked at Augusta and health checks were carried out on the 422 migrants.

The search and rescue vessel, operated by French NGO SOS Méditerranée, made repeated requests for a safe place to land as a storm brewed in the Mediterranean.

The group said local health authorities informed the crew that 49 migrants - 41 of them adults - had tested positive for coronavirus.

The migrants were rescued during several search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean between February 4 and 5.

SOS Méditerranée said eight of the migrants, who are mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, initially tested positive on the ship after being rescued.

They were isolated on the aft of the ship.

Italy granted permission for the vessel to enter Augusta on Sunday, and on Monday, Italian health authorities conducted more testing aboard the ship before allowing the migrants to disembark.

The migrants were rescued during four separate operations, with 121 of them found on a flimsy rubber dinghy.

On Saturday, a pregnant woman was flown with her partner by helicopter to Malta for treatment.

The Ocean Viking was blocked by Italy from carrying out rescues for five months, but since its return on January 11 it has rescued 798 people.

More than 1,200 migrants and asylum seekers died in 2020 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, according to the UN’s migration agency.

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  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
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NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Company profile

Name: The Concept

Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 7

Sector: Aviation and space industry

Funding: $250,000

Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products

Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
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Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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