• A woman sips her coffee from under her facial protection at a cafe with outdoor tables in Rome. AP
    A woman sips her coffee from under her facial protection at a cafe with outdoor tables in Rome. AP
  • El Salvador President Nayib Bukele puts on a face mask after a news conference during a nationwide quarantine as El Salvador's government undertakes steadily stricter measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ilopango, El Salvador. REUTERS
    El Salvador President Nayib Bukele puts on a face mask after a news conference during a nationwide quarantine as El Salvador's government undertakes steadily stricter measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ilopango, El Salvador. REUTERS
  • People line up in respect of security distancing to access St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican during the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
    People line up in respect of security distancing to access St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican during the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
  • A fan of AS Roma wearing a Francesco Totti jersey undergoes a body temperature scanning procedure as he enters a Gucci luxury shop in Via dei Condotti in central Rome during the country's lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
    A fan of AS Roma wearing a Francesco Totti jersey undergoes a body temperature scanning procedure as he enters a Gucci luxury shop in Via dei Condotti in central Rome during the country's lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
  • Schoolchildren wearing protective mouth masks and face shields attend a course in a classroom at Claude Debussy college in Angers, western France after France eased lockdown measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
    Schoolchildren wearing protective mouth masks and face shields attend a course in a classroom at Claude Debussy college in Angers, western France after France eased lockdown measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP
  • A resident of Paraisopolis, one of the city's largest slums, takes part in a protest in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to demand more aid from Sao Paulo's state government during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. AFP
    A resident of Paraisopolis, one of the city's largest slums, takes part in a protest in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to demand more aid from Sao Paulo's state government during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. AFP
  • A medical staff member wearing protective gear amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus takes the temperature of a resident while going door-to-door for health check-ups in Yangon. AFP
    A medical staff member wearing protective gear amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus takes the temperature of a resident while going door-to-door for health check-ups in Yangon. AFP
  • A Dana Inc. assembly technician wears a face mask as she assembles axles for automakers, as the auto industry begins reopening amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Dana plant in Toledo, Ohio,U.S. REUTERS
    A Dana Inc. assembly technician wears a face mask as she assembles axles for automakers, as the auto industry begins reopening amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Dana plant in Toledo, Ohio,U.S. REUTERS
  • A passenger from the first Lufthansa flight to Greece, following a nationwide lockdown against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is tested for coronavirus, upon their arrival at the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Greece. REUTERS
    A passenger from the first Lufthansa flight to Greece, following a nationwide lockdown against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is tested for coronavirus, upon their arrival at the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Greece. REUTERS
  • A police officer issues Atilis Gym co-owners Ian Smith, left, and Frank Trumbetti summons outside their gym in Bellmawr, N.J. The New Jersey gym reopened for business early Monday, defying a state order that shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. AP Photo
    A police officer issues Atilis Gym co-owners Ian Smith, left, and Frank Trumbetti summons outside their gym in Bellmawr, N.J. The New Jersey gym reopened for business early Monday, defying a state order that shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. AP Photo
  • Students stand next to cones to mark social distancing as they wait in line before entering the classroom at Les Magnolias primary school during the partial lifting of COVID-19, lockdown regulations in Brussel. AP Photo
    Students stand next to cones to mark social distancing as they wait in line before entering the classroom at Les Magnolias primary school during the partial lifting of COVID-19, lockdown regulations in Brussel. AP Photo
  • People clash with police during a protest for lack of food, during the State of Constitutional Exception of Catastrophe decreed by Chilean President, to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, in Santiago, Chile. Around a hundred residents of El Bosque, a town on the outskirts of Santiago, protested this Monday to denounce the lack of food and poverty they suffer due to the quarantine decreed by the Government to try to contain the coronavirus pandemic SARS-CoV-2. EPA
    People clash with police during a protest for lack of food, during the State of Constitutional Exception of Catastrophe decreed by Chilean President, to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, in Santiago, Chile. Around a hundred residents of El Bosque, a town on the outskirts of Santiago, protested this Monday to denounce the lack of food and poverty they suffer due to the quarantine decreed by the Government to try to contain the coronavirus pandemic SARS-CoV-2. EPA

Leading NGOs blast UN over virus pandemic inaction


  • English
  • Arabic

Leading non-governmental organisations on Tuesday blasted the UN Security Council's "shameful" inaction towards the Covid-19 crisis, especially over a call for truces in some conflict zones during the pandemic.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for ceasefires in fighting around the world two months ago.

But the Security Council, debilitated by a confrontation between China and the United States, has failed to agree on a resolution supporting the initiative in the conflicts which fall under its mandate, the NGOs said in a statement.

"The paralysis of the Security Council in the face of Covid is shameful. To millions of people, it is also incomprehensible," said David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

For Rob Malley, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Washington and Beijing "have treated these negotiations as an opportunity for a blame-game over the origins of Covid-19 rather than an opening to make a straightforward call for a reduction in violence during the pandemic."

Neither country "seems able or willing to show leadership at the UN during a global crisis," Mr Malley said.

Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, said the Security Council "has a historic opportunity to stop the fighting globally and to ensure aid workers have full access to those most in need."

Security Council negotiations have been at an impasse since May 8, when Washington rejected compromise text proposed by France and Tunisia which would urge a halt to fighting in countries like Afghanistan and Yemen.

The United States is rejecting any mention of the World Health Organisation in the resolution, while China has threatened to veto any resolution that does not reference the WHO.

Mr Guterres' wider call has the support of 200 NGOs and individually some 140 countries of the 193 UN members.

Unlike the Security Council, the UN General Assembly has adopted two pandemic-related resolutions, one on April 3 aimed at strengthening international cooperation and the other on April 20 to call for equal access to any future vaccines.

Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash

Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.

Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.

Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.

Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.

Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.

War and the virus
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20Music%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410.99%20(from%20%249.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.99%20(from%20%2414.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndividual%20annual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24109%20(from%20%2499)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20TV%2B%3Cbr%3EMonthly%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%246.99%20(from%20%244.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAnnual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2469%20(from%20%2449.99)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20One%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.95%20(from%20%2414.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2422.95%20(from%20%2419.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20premier%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2432.95%20(from%20%2429.95)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Squads

India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur

West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Britain's travel restrictions
  • A negative test 2 days before flying
  • Complete passenger locator form
  • Book a post-arrival PCR test
  • Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
  • 11 countries on red list quarantine