Sad news: Qatar reports 1st coronavirus fatality this year

 

DOHA --- Qatar on Thursday reported the death of a 73-year-old Qatari man who previously contracted coronavirus – the Gulf state’s first fatality from the virus in 2015.

Qatar’s Supreme Health Council said in a statement carried by Qatar News Agency, QNA, that the new victim suffered a number of chronic diseases but he died from coronavirus complications.

Another man, an expatriate who was diagnosed with coronavirus on 21st May, is receiving treatment and his condition is stable, explained the Supreme Health Council 

Qatar has reported four coronavirus cases this year, including the man who died on Thursday.

The latest virus fatality was reported in Qatar in 2013.

Also called MERS, the Corona disease has been reported in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and Oman.

The virus, for which no cure currently exists, is known for destroying the lungs and kidneys.

It is presumed that long-term physical contact with persons carrying the virus can lead to infection. –end-

 

 

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Tony Blair a "dismal failure" as Mideast peace envoy, Arabs say

DUBAI --- Tony Blair was a waste of time as Mideast peace envoy and that the people of Palestine are not one inch closer to a peace deal speaks volumes of the depth of commitment to the Middle East and the Arab people as a whole, said a local newspaper on Friday.

"How did he last so long in the position where the only apparent beneficiary of his efforts seems to be his bank account?", the English-language newspaper The Gulf News wondered in an editorial comment. 

After eight years, it added, the penny has finally dropped with Tony Blair that he was a dismal failure when it came to seeking a peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis as the Middle East envoy representing the so-call Quartet of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union. 

Recalling that Blair, when he was the United Kingdom’s prime minister, "disastrously followed the US into Iraq with no endgame in sight", the Dubai-based paper said, "That there was no endgame then and we are still living with the consequences of that invasion today has left Blair with blood on his hands."

"That he kept quiet when seven years, under his watch as "peace" envoy, Israel unleashed its military might and its US-backed killing machine on the entrapped people of Gaza, should have condemned him as a man of little consequence."

"That Israel again unleashed its arsenal against the people of Gaza a second time last year, should have condemned him as a man without moral courage and suffering from spinal atrophy," the Gulf News concluded. 

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This just in: Singapore, UAE firm up cooperation relations

SINGAPORE-- Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos, Singaporean Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mohammed Ahmad Hamel Al Qubaisi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, have discussed cooperation relations between the two countries.

The Singaporean Minister commended the outstanding efforts made by the UAE's Ambassador during his tenure in his country, which he said had played a great part in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, and wished him continued success in his future assignments.

During the meeting, Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos stressed his country's keenness to boost the distinguished relations between the two countries to serve the common interests of both sides. -end-

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Not just crude oil: UAE pushes clean energy

Merida, MEXICO- The United Arab Emirates took part today in the 6th Clean Energy Ministerial meeting (CEM6), held in the Mexican city of Merida.

Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy headed UAE delegation and delivered a speech at the opening session highlighting UAE's contributions in the fields of clean energy and the the Global Sustainable Cities Network (GSCN).

At the meeting's sidelines, Al Mazrouei met with the US Energy Secretary and discussed with him bilateral cooperation in energy fields and topics on the CEM6 agenda, as well as coordination for the UAE-US strategic dialogue on energy, to be held in September. He also met with the Canadian Energy Minister.

The UAE delegation to the meeting included Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Under Secretary of the Energy Ministry, Saeed Rashid Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to Mexico, Fatima Al Shamsi, Energy Ministry's Assistant Under Secretary for Power and Clean Energy Affairs and Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Permanent Representative to IRENA and Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  –end-

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Got extra money? More foreign investors welcome in UAE

The United Arab Emirates has maintained, for the third consecutive year, its global lead in financial policies and topped regional rankings in overall competitiveness, according to the Global Competitiveness Report for 2015.

The UAE also featured among the world's top three in the key pillars of global competitiveness index, including government efficiency and financial policies, while maintaining its ranking as12th in a global competitiveness index.

"We congratulate the leadership and people of the UAE on this achievement and we look forward to making further progress," said Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State and Chairwoman of the Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC).

Al Hashemi added that despite regional challenges such as the drop in oil prices, the UAE continues to invest in human development and to drive innovation.

Abdullah Nasser Lootah, ECC Secretary General said the Global Competitiveness Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum, is one of the key sources that help the council to measure performance.

Onward to Mars! UAE sets sights on space exploration

The benefits of Mars missions, space exploration and satellite developments were highlighted on the second day of the Global Space and Satellite Forum 2015, held in Abu Dhabi.

The objective of the second day of the forum was to present different programmes and approaches to Mars, and how various projects are developed and organised to meet their mission objectives. The session presented innovations in programme management, technology development, meeting science objectives and furthering the exploration of Mars.

Omran Sharaf, Project Manager, Emirates Mars Mission, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center explained how the UAE’s Mars mission is a mission of hope for the nation and for the youth of the region. He demonstrated that the mission is about contributing to society, building scientific capabilities and achieving sustainable development within the UAE.

Omran emphasised the point that the government has set a goal of adding value and not just doing what others have done, specifically from the science point of view. Space exploration will lead to giving back to society and serving humanity he added.

"It’s been proven that a lot of space technologies and infrastructure, directly or indirectly lead to development of science capabilities. The Mars mission is a catalyst to help us reach that goal. It will help us get the ball rolling, in terms of building knowledge. The Mars mission will allow us to improve techniques of monitoring climate, data utilisation and image processing. This all stems from space technology which can help lead to benefits in other industries such as healthcare. It will create new opportunities for scientists and engineers," commented Omran.

Dr. Mike Mcgrath, Director of Engineering, LASP, University of Colorado Boulder explained that significant investment and time is needed and such missions continue to be difficult. He remarked that there is an optimism, attitude and approach that looks forward to the challenge in the UAE. "The people are motivated and focused. The level of teamwork is remarkable. The Mars mission is about culture and cultural interaction, it will help advance the world."

James Crocker, Vice President and General Manager, Space Systems Company International, Lockheed Martin raised the point that the from last 10 mars missions, only 7 missions succeeded. Failure is a part of learning and he regularly tells the third generation of mars explorers. Crocker concluded by saying that when we succeed in Mars missions, it changes the way we look at the world and changes the way we look at ourselves.

The forum also presented the contribution of satellites to solving critical social and economic Issues.

Billions of dollars are available in universal service funds and nations throughout the world have been formalising national broadband plans. The panel discussed what needs to be done in order to assure that satellite-based solutions are included in those plans.

Distance education and, more recently, tele-health have proven to be well served by satellite-based connectivity. With the introduction of state-of-the-art satellite technologies, the panellists discussed what the future is for the vital public sector services.

Samer Halawi, CEO, Thuraya commented: "Our purpose as a satellite telecommunications company is to save and improve lives. For example, one person on a migrant boat that was sinking in the Mediterranean Sea last summer had a Thuraya phone; he had no credit but was able to call customer service. This led to the saving of 500 lives. We want to help improve communications and keep people connected across the world."

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO, Yahsat said: "We are engaged in remote locations, focusing on improving connectivity. Yahclick is having a profound and important impact across the region. Beyond business and commercial plans, domestically we are interested in knowledge transfer and deepening the understanding of space and satellite communications."

George Whitesides, CEO, Virgin Galactic echoed Masood’s sentiment by saying that there is a direct correlation in rise of broadband penetration and increase of economic growth across the world.

GSSF announced that it will resume as an annual space event, a congress that brings together the world’s top space leaders in the UAE. It will enhance Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional space hub. The GSSF will have a new name -- the Global Space Congress.

The forum, organised by Streamline Marketing Group (SMG), is officially endorsed and hosted by the UAE Space Agency.