SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 DHUL HIJJAH 4, 1441 AH ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI VOL. 39 NO. 254 | PAGES 16 OMAN DAILY Be Careful, Be Responsible! #Living_with_COVID19 www.omanobserver.om [email protected]MUSCAT: e Sultanate will be under lockdown from today until August 8 to curb the spread of coronavirus infection. People and vehicle movements between 7 pm and 6 am are strictly prohibited. Emergency medical cases, travellers to and from the airport, transport of essential supplies are exempted from the curfew. Speaking to the Observer, a key ROP official has confirmed that the lockdown is to prevent people from moving from one governorate to the other by road, on foot or using bicycle or bikes. Entry and exit between all the governorates will be controlled by checkpoints. ere wouldn’t be any health isolation on any wilayat and checkpoints would be only to regulate people’s movement between governorates. “Contrary to what is being circulated, there wouldn’t be any checkpoints between wilayats,” a senior official at the ROP told the Observer. Eid traditions alive online MUSCAT: Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to paralyse normal life, technology has kept traditions alive during the Eid al Adha celebrations. Instead of family gatherings in houses with lavish spread made of fresh meat from sacrificial animals, the celebrations will go online or virtual due to the lockdown. “COVID-19 won’t break our spirit. Although we are not able to come together physically, we will still be able to celebrate in a small way,” said Mohammed al Lawati in Muttrah. Eid al Adha, which begins on July 31 in Oman, will see Muslims offering sacrificial goats or a sheep to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s loyalty and obedience to Allah. Even though people are sad that they cannot get together physically for the celebrations, they are happy that technology has paved the way for bringing them face to face. “People can connect through various online platforms seeing each other while having meals in a festive ambience,” said Mustafa Ahmos from Egypt. “I used to go for Eid prayers with my sons in the morning. Since mosques are closed and gatherings not allowed, we will do it at home in virtual solidarity with others,” said Ahmed Malik from Pakistan. Despite all the hindrances, people across the country are trying to keep up the fervour and positivity. “Eid is incomplete without the presence of our near and dear ones. But as we cannot invite anybody to our house and can’t visit anyone, I have planned a virtual meeting with my friends and relatives,” said Haris Kunnel from India. Although some people have begun online shopping, many said they do not want to go to the malls this time as there is no let-up in the number of COVID-19 infections. “This is the first time in my life when I will be celebrating Eid on such a small scale. I used to go to the Habta market from where I would buy the animal of my choice with a bargain. But now I am buying them through online auction,” said Mohammed al Yakoobi in Ruwi. Buying of sacrificial animals has also gone online this year. Tharwa, an online start-up company, is offering online auction of cattle and livestock of different breeds acquired from Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Australia and South Africa. SAMUEL KUTTY LOCKDOWN FROM TODAY; CHECKPOINTS BETWEEN GOVERNORATES KABEER YOUSUF
Transcript
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 DHUL HIJJAH 4, 1441 AH
ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI VOL. 39 NO. 254 | PAGES 16
MUSCAT: The Sultanate will be under lockdown from today until August 8 to curb the spread of coronavirus infection. People and vehicle movements between 7 pm and 6 am are strictly prohibited. Emergency medical cases, travellers to and from the airport, transport of essential supplies are exempted
from the curfew. Speaking to the
Observer, a key ROP official has confirmed that the lockdown is to prevent people from moving from one governorate to the other by road, on foot or using bicycle or bikes.
Entry and exit between all the governorates will be controlled by
checkpoints. There wouldn’t be any health isolation on any wilayat and checkpoints would be only to regulate people’s movement between governorates. “Contrary to what is being circulated, there wouldn’t be any checkpoints between wilayats,” a senior official at the ROP told the Observer.
Eid traditions alive online
MUSCAT: Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to paralyse normal life, technology has kept traditions alive during the Eid al Adha celebrations.
Instead of family gatherings in houses with lavish spread made of fresh meat from sacrificial animals, the celebrations will go online or virtual due to the lockdown.
“COVID-19 won’t break our spirit. Although we are not able to come together physically, we will still be able to celebrate in a small way,” said Mohammed al Lawati in Muttrah.
Eid al Adha, which begins on July 31 in Oman, will see Muslims offering sacrificial goats or a sheep to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s loyalty and obedience to Allah.
Even though people are sad that they cannot get together physically for the celebrations, they are happy that technology has paved the way for bringing them face to face.
“People can connect through various online platforms seeing each other while having meals in a festive ambience,” said Mustafa Ahmos from Egypt.
“I used to go for Eid prayers with my sons in the morning. Since mosques are closed and gatherings not allowed, we will do it at home in virtual solidarity with others,” said Ahmed Malik from Pakistan.
Despite all the hindrances, people across the country are trying to keep up the fervour and positivity.
“Eid is incomplete without the presence of our near and dear ones. But as we cannot invite anybody to our house and can’t visit anyone, I have planned a virtual meeting with my friends and relatives,” said Haris Kunnel from India.
Although some people have begun online shopping, many said they do not want to go to the malls this time as there is no let-up in the number of COVID-19 infections.
“This is the first time in my life when
I will be celebrating Eid on such a small scale. I used to go to the Habta market from where I would buy the animal of my choice with a bargain. But now I am buying them through online auction,” said Mohammed al Yakoobi in Ruwi. Buying of sacrificial animals has also gone online this year. Tharwa, an online start-up company, is offering online auction of cattle and livestock of different breeds acquired from Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Australia and South Africa.
S A M U E L K U T T Y
LOCKDOWN
FROM TODAY;
CHECKPOINTS
BETWEEN
GOVERNORATES
K A B E E R Y O U S U F
2 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
REVIEW
MISSING PILLAR IN HEALTH IS BREATH
If I were to read only one book in my life, I would choose this one. And I know how bold this statement sounds - I am usually much more restrained when it comes to limiting my reading list.
However, this book is absolutely breathtaking and jaw-dropping, or this is how I would normally describe it. But in this case, what the book does is quite the opposite. Because it will not take your breath away. It will literally give it back to you, but slower and deeper. And it will also convince you to close your mouth, at long last.
James Nestor, the author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is a science journalist who suffered from chronic respiratory problems and decided to go deep into the theme of pulmonology.
Not only has he intricately explored the history of cross-cultural, ancient breathing techniques, but he also made himself a sort of a guinea pig to check how they correspond with the most cutting-edge research of the ‘lost art’ of breathing.
Throughout the 10,000 breaths (according to the author) that it takes the average reader to read the book, you will become aware of how
transformative and restorative slower and deeper breathing is. You will find out about the damage we are doing to ourselves while mouth breathing, and the therapeutic effects of a longer exhale.
In other words, if you are suffering from asthma, sleep apnea, snoring, blood pressure problems, seasonal allergies, anxiety and panic attacks, constant stress, or simply you have just realised that your breathing is shallow or at times erratic, this book is for you - which basically means it is for every one of us.
Because. as the author states: “No matter what we eat, how much we exercise, how resilient our genes are, how skinny or young or wise we are - none of it will matter unless we’re breathing correctly. (...) The missing pillar in health is breath. It all starts there.”
In the world of the respiratory syndrome coronavirus pandemia and when the words “I can’t breathe” stirred the #BlackLivesMatter movement to take desperate action, it seems like the book couldn’t have had a better timing.
Perhaps the whole planet calls for a slower, more conscious breath and we as humankind need to answer that call, holistically and with proper attention.
Because when one organ in our body or one element in our society is ailing, the whole system must be revised.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who breathes.
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www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 3
YOGA
It was love at first sight
and she immedi-
ately fell for Masirah Is-
land’s serene beau-ty.
Amelia German, who hails from the UK’s Berkshire, first visited the Sultanate’s largest island in July 2018.
It was her inter-est in nature that brought her to Masirah Island, having studied bi-ology and ecology and worked in wild-life conservation mainly in Wales and Scotland.
When the pan-demic hit the is-land, she decided to stayed back instead of going home.
Once settled in Masirah, she set about teaching yoga to residents and expatriates first face-to-face classes to online during lockdown.
Before COVID-19 hit the island, she taught yoga as well as English to the kids on the island.
According to her, practicing yoga can help fight coronavi-rus as it boosts the immune system.
“Practising yoga helps calm our minds because it triggers a parasym-pathetic nervous system through various postures (asanas) and pra-nayama (breath control exercises) that helps to re-duce tension in muscles and joints,” says Amelia.
Students from the UK, Spain, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India, Bang-ladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and Sudan too joined her online classes.
“The beauty of it was everyone suddenly had a lot of time available and could attend classes every day
and some even for twice a day. This was great towards their improvement so they could start seeing the health benefits quickly. It was lovely to con-nect to my family and friends, past students and peo-ple who I knew through social me-dia,” she explains.
In between her classes, she had
time to enjoy the sparsely populated 165-km long island as social distancing was never an issue.
She misses out on the kite surf-ers and windsurf-ers, who normally visit this time of the year to make the most of the excel-lent weather. The strong winds and shallow waters make it ideal for
them to travel from all over the world.
Another surprise was Masirah’s hid-den cave, foam eddies, mudflats, wadis and offshore islets, which are home to huge spe-cies of turtles and birds.
It took her two days of searching the mountains to locate them again. The route to the
cave, which is at the top of the mountain, takes past some strange rock for-mations that look like animals and ri-val Duqm’s famous Rock Garden.
Turtle breeding season is a treat to watch on the island as the island hosts all four of Oman’s nesting species of turtle. During the night one can see many huge tur-tles, some over 100 years old, making their way up to the beach to lay their eggs.
“I am always fas-cinated by places that are relatively untouched by de-velopment and there is an abun-dant nature. These prehistoric animals have been using the beaches here a lot longer than people have and I really hope that they con-tinue to do so,” she explains.
Amelia hopes that there would be much better protection of the turtles themselves, as well as their nesting sites and the environment in which they live, to ensure that they continue to thrive.
Before landing in Oman, she served as a volunteer in Ecuador assisting scientists with their research on rain-forest bird species, trained in Aber-deen in wildlife con-servation, taught English in South Korea and Bahrain and worked on a turtle conserva-tion project in Sri Lanka.
Amelia wants to carry on her work in both yoga and wildlife conserva-tion. She also plans to start doing yoga and wildlife ecot-ourism tours and explore India in the coming months.
(Follow Amelia in Instagram @ame-liayoga.om)
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMELIA GEORGE AND NIKA SEKARAK
LIJU CHERIAN
4 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
TRENDS
14 DAY QUARANTINE FOR ARRIVALS IN OMAN
MUSCAT: A 14-day institu-tional quarantine for expats and 14-day home quaran-tine for citizens arriving in Oman will now be manda-tory, the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) said on Friday.In a circular issued to all aircraft operators in the country, PACA said for-
eign travellers “must present confirmation of accommodation and means to cover its expenses.” Aircraft crew are exempted from the 14-day quarantine.
Meanwhile, the arriving passengers must download Tarassud+ mobile app and register before arrival as well as pay RO 5 for tracking bracelet to wear during
quarantine, PACA said.According to PACA, all
visitors are required to have health insurance valid for the full duration of their stay in Oman. PACA has also confirmed that expat residents are allowed to return to the country with a permit “ issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via their embassy or sponsor
or national airlines (Oman Air and SalamAir)”.
“The two national airlines (Oman Air and SalamAir) are allowed to carry transfer passengers. Foreign diplomats returning to Oman are excluded from the previous conditions except for the domestic quarantine requirement,” the circular said.
V I N O D N A I R
Last year wasn’t a good year for my blind cat Kiki. It
started in July when she had diarrhoea. She was hospitalised and didn’t like it much. Then came October and she lost her bal-ance falling off the first floor and break-ing her leg, which meant a surgery and another week at the vet’s.
Returning home wasn’t any relief. After six weeks in the ken-nel, Kiki came out and was shocked to realise that her territory - my room - was invaded by cats and humans alike.
The first on the purge list was chubby Sinan who gave up after a few chases around the room ac-companied by good slaps. But the same couldn’t be done with Duja who was occu-
pying Kik’s own dais: my bed. Duja’s famous high pitched meow: “Mamaaaaa!” scared the light out of all liv-ing beings including her. Not to be deterred, she decided to use a different manoeu-vre for the first time to tackle him: karate chops!
Kiki would jump on her hindlegs and chop the air fast. Being blind, she didn’t really care what came be-tween her and the tar-get as long as she was chopping (after a few of these, Duja learned the trick of hiding be-hind my leg to protect himself!). Getting tired of being the scratch
post of Kiki’s fury, I started putting Duja out of the room: a sec-ond victory to Kiki.
Now came time to win the war against the most important target: my aunt Reem. Kiki wasn’t keen on sharing her room with any creature and made sure to de-liver the message loud and clear. If my aunt placed her stuff any-where in the room, it would end up on the floor within minutes thanks to Kiki. She’d even get inside the cupboard and throw Reem’s clothes out.
When hearing Reem exclaim: “Kiki you wicked cat!” I couldn’t
help but smile appre-ciating the evil genu-ineness that I’d never witnessed in any of my cats before. To protect her realm further, Kiki had a few makeshift platforms from where she would survey and attack other feline intruders: the ironing board and a shelf in my cupboard. Sitting alert on the ironing board, Kiki resem-bles Batman watching Gotham city from the top of a building.
When night falls and her duties are done, Kiki would sit next to me on the bed and start her cleaning ritual. I read silently, knowing and dreading that I’ll soon be part of it. Kiki would lick my hand vigorously with her sandpaper-like tongue- sometimes trying to remove my nails (useless human accessories!). I bear the discomfort and thank her loudly for her kindness and con-sideration. Happy sec-ond birthday my lovely Kiki!
areen Mehdi has been synon-ymous with the environment. For many years she has been contributing in her own way to environment awareness in Oman following in the foot-steps of her father, Dr Mehdi Jaffer.
There was a sense of empti-ness as people came to know of her passing away on July 22. People expressed their sorrow and thoughts on social media.
“I had heard of Dareen long before we met one winter afternoon; we orbited on the same horizon, focused on the same planet, her love of the environment of Oman reached everyone like a gen-tle breeze. She had an infec-tious smile, vivid with exuber-ance; she bled happiness and positivity and shed light in the darkest of moments; most im-portantly she awoke the ideal in those who were lucky to meet her. She was a voice for voiceless creatures. Those of us who shared her love for the environment will always miss her,” reflected Nasser al Kindy, Clean up Oman Found-er.
Her Highness Sayyida Bas-ma al Said, founder of Not Alone Campaign and Whis-pers of Serenity described Dareen as a force of positive energy, her smile filled the sky.
“Been with her for the Penned Thoughts and that is what got us together - the thought of getting the youth talk about their feelings through poetry and writing. I always admired that and was happy to be part of it with her. She was going through the passing of her brother and that is how she healed – the healing poetry. She was al-ways there for us supporting the Not Alone Campaigns. I hope God looks after her, her family and her father who was very close to her,” Sayyida Basma said.
If people loved her smile, they thrived on her sense of humour, whether they knew her personally or by following her on social media with her personal blog. She talked about her childhood memo-ries as well as her reflections on life and philosophy and of course the environment and her projects.
A note on her memorial website says, “My friend you
taught me a lot, we challenged each other’s thoughts, grew new ideas and shifted some beliefs. I assure you that whatever projects we planned together, I will work hard and make it happen!”
She was there to inspire and support as she was at the Sultanate’s first environment-themed hackathon organised by the Environment Society of Oman, of which she was a board member, and Nama Group which tested the wit and technical prowess of 105 students to create digital solu-tions to environmental chal-lenges.
Yet another person who has worked with her, Jaber al Ajmi, said, “Our Dareen Mehdi will be missed by the people, the environment and everything related to nature and happi-ness. It is not easy to receive the news of her passing away. Oman will miss one of the most important individuals who devoted her life in raising awareness and preserving the Omani environment with its various components.”
In her final posting on social media Dareen wrote, “I was thinking about global orienta-tion to earth as 2020 starts as it is – It will be a strong year with transformations, events and facts…2020 is painful year in the surface...I think there is a hidden message – we are all equal in circumstances and possibilities.”
And her message on the environment when she shed light on the bright side of this world cri-sis, “In my opinion as we practice home quar-antine and so-cial distancing, this is a good opportunity to pause to look deeply within ourselves, our consumption patterns, our re-quirements, can we live a simpler life? Do we really need everything that we have now? How can we be innovative and flexible with green plans that respect both people as well as the planet?” These are the ques-tions Dareen have left us with.
THIS
VOICE
WILL
NEVER
FADE
AWAY
DL A K S H M I K O T H A N E T H
6 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
HERITAGE
The two facades of the National Museum in the
Yemeni city of Taez bear testament to the ravages of a war that has consumed the Arabian Peninsula country.
One side has been beautifully restored to its former grandeur, recalling a traditional palace from earlier eras.
The other is pocked with damage, crum-bling away to reveal collapsed floors and shattered walls.
The refurbished side is resplendent with curved ornamental mouldings juxtaposed with intricate ochre brickwork, reminis-cent of the style of old Sanaa, one of Yemen’s four Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Established as an Ottoman palace, then a residence for one of Yemen’s last kings, it became a museum in 1967.
It has since been “bombed” and “pil-laged” according to its director, Ramzi al Damini.
Taez, in Yemen’s southwest, is under government control but surrounded by Ansar Allah forces.
The renovated wings of the museum were restored in 2019 with assistance from the World Monuments Fund.
Yemen’s bloody five-year conflict pits pro-government forces, including a Saudi-led coalition, against the Ansar Allah fighters who have conquered much of the country’s north, including the capital Sanaa.
Thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and disease and famine stalk the cities and vil-lages, in what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Yemen’s rich cul-tural heritage has not been spared.
Inside the museum in Taez, a city ringed by mountains, ancient cooking utensils and priceless manuscripts lie exposed on wooden tables draped with old cloth.
ANTIQUES SOLD ONLINE“The museum is packed with rare antiquities, includ-ing manuscripts and stone sculptures, swords and shields,” Damini said.
“We’ve recovered some of it, but signifi-cant pieces are still missing,” said the di-
YEMEN’S BLOODY FIVE-YEAR WAR HAS
‘MASSIVELY AFFECTED’ ITS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
The picture shows the extensive damage to the National Museum in Yemen’s third city of Taez. The two faces of the museum are testament to the ravages of war. — AFP
rector as he stood in a courtyard piled with bricks and steel girders.
He said he was in contact with the authorities and Unesco to update them about the restoration works, but also to “recover articles smuggled out of the country”.
“It’s a difficult process,” said Mo-hanad al Sayani, head of Yemen’s General Organi-sation of Antiqui-ties and Museums (GOAM), which works with Unesco.
“We have two gov-ernments, a coun-try in a state of war - and the trafficking of antiquities exist-ed long before the conflict.”
Though there are no figures for the number of antiq-uities stolen, the authorities and Unesco have un-dertaken invento-ries at several of Yemen’s museums.
Restoration work is also underway at historical sites in Sanaa, Zabid, Shibam and Aden, Sayani said.
— AFP
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 7
WORLD
ERDOGAN JOINS THOUSANDS TO PRAY
FOR FIRST TIME AT HAGIA SOPHIA
CHINA ORDERS US CONSULATE IN CHENGDU TO CLOSE
BEIJING: China on Friday ordered the US consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu to close in retaliation for one of its missions in the United States being shuttered, capping a furious week of Cold War-style diplomacy.
The announcement of the closure followed a torrent of warnings from top American officials about the
“tyranny” of China, and Chinese nationals being indicted in the United States on various charges.
Ordering the Chengdu consulate to cease operation was a “legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable measures by the United States”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The current situation in China-US relations is not what China desires to see, and the US is responsible for all this.” The ministry emphasised the closure was directly in response to the United States on Tuesday ordering the Chinese consulate in Houston to shut down.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this week the Houston mission was a “hub of spying and intellectual property theft”. Republican Senator Marco Rubio called the consulate the “central node of the Communist Party’s
vast network of spies and influence operations in the United States”.
China described the allegations as “malicious slander”.
The order on Houston came a day after the US Justice Department unveiled the indictment of two Chinese nationals for allegedly hacking hundreds of companies and attempting to steal coronavirus vaccine research.
The Justice Department then announced on Thursday indictments of four Chinese researchers it said lied about their ties to the People’s Liberation Army, with one escaping arrest by taking refuge in China’s San Francisco consulate. The two nations have increasingly tussled over a plethora of issues, including China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its efforts to quash a democracy movement in Hong Kong. — AFP
ISTANBUL: Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of wor-shippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers there since he declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.
Erdogan and his top min-isters, wearing white face-masks as a precaution against COVID-19, knelt on blue carpets at the start of a ceremony which marks the return of Muslim wor-ship to the ancient struc-ture.
An imam began the formal prayer service at 1.45 pm (1045 GMT), after Erdogan read out a Quranic recita-tion and the call to prayer rang out from the mosque’s minarets.
Earlier, crowds formed at checkpoints around the his-toric heart of Istanbul where massed police main-tained security. Once through the checks, wor-shippers sat apart on prayer mats in secured areas outside the building in Sultanahmet Square.
“We are ending our 86 years of longing today,” said one man, Sait Colak, refer-ring to the nearly nine dec-ades since Hagia Sophia was declared a museum and ceased to be a place of
worship. “Thanks to our president and the court decision, today we are going to have our Friday prayers in Hagia Sophia.”
A top Turkish court announced this month it had annulled Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum. Erdogan immediately decreed that the building, a Christian Byzantine cathe-dral for 900 years before being seized by Ottoman conquerors and serving as
a mosque until 1934, had been converted once again to a mosque.
Several hundred invitees joined Erdogan for the cere-mony inside the sixth-cen-tury building. Some, includ-ing his son-in-law and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, could be seen recording images of the his-toric occasion on their mobiles phones. A large screen and speakers set up in the square broadcast
proceedings to the thou-sands gathered outside.
As crowds grew, leaving little space for social dis-tancing, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said authori-ties had stopped people entering the area due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. On Twitter he called for patience and said the mosque would be open for prayer until Saturday morning. — Reuters
Thousands of worshippers gathered at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul for Friday prayers. — Reuters
Panic as US jets fly near Iranian plane
TEHRAN: Two US jets flew dangerously close to an Iranian passenger plane over war-torn Syria, forcing the pilot to take emergency action and sparking panic on board, Iranian authorities said on Friday.
The US military said of Thursday’s incident that an “F-15 on a routine air mission... conducted a standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 metres (yards)”.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement after Iranian state television aired amateur footage of passengers on board screaming as the Mahan Air jetliner appeared to change course suddenly. — AFP
Tanzania’s former president Mkapa dead
DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s former president Benjamin Mkapa, who worked to end conflict in East Africa during and after his decade in power from 1995, died on Friday while being treated for an undisclosed illness, the presidency said.
Mkapa, who was 81, won the country’s first multi-party elections in 1995 and was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2000. He led several regional peace mediation initiatives and afterwards continued to seek reconciliation in Burundi, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region. — Reuters
India sees record 49,000 new virus cases
MUMBAI: India reported over 49,000 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus with 740 new deaths on Friday, marking the biggest daily surge in cases even as officials in some states complained of shortages of vital drugs for those hospitalised. As the number of cases neared 1.3 million in India, local authorities scrambled to procure generic versions of remdesivir, the drug that has shown promise in clinical trials in treating severely-ill patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. “Demand is huge as cases are rising rapidly in the state,” said a senior drug regulatory official in the western state of Maharashtra. “Supplies of the drug are limited, but companies have assured us they will provide more in a week.” — Reuters
8 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
WORLD
COPENHAGEN: The World Health Organization on Friday expressed concern over a coronavirus resur-gence in Europe as Britain and Austria tightened restrictions and China stepped up testing.
Europe accounts for a fifth of the world’s more than 15 million cases and remains the hardest hit in terms of deaths, with 207,118 out of 633,711 worldwide, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Friday.
The WHO’s European chapter pointed to rising cases on the continent over the past two weeks, stress-ing the need for tighter measures, if required.
A three-year-old girl died in Belgium, becoming the country’s youngest known coronavirus victim, in a fur-ther wake-up call for a con-tinent which has only recently emerged from strict lockdowns in several countries.
With 335 new cases for 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks, Kyrgyzstan is the worst affected coun-try in Europe. Others include Montenegro (207), Luxemburg (196), Bosnia (98) and Serbia (71).
“The recent resurgence in
COVID-19 cases in some countries following the eas-ing of physical distancing measures is certainly cause for concern,” a WHO-Europe spokeswoman said.
“If the situation demands, reintroduction of stricter, targeted measures with the full engagement of commu-nities may be needed,” she said.
‘MISTAKE TO LIFT MASK USE’Britain on Friday made it
compulsory to wear a face covering in shopping cen-tres, banks, takeaway out-lets, sandwich shops and supermarkets, following the lead of Scotland.
Exceptions have been made, for example, for chil-dren under 11 or people with respiratory problems, but anyone refusing to cover their nose and mouth risks a fine of up to £100.
Austria also made face masks became mandatory
again from Friday in super-markets, food stores, post offices, bank branches and healthcare facilities in addi-tion to public transport and pharmacies.
“It was a mistake to lift mandatory mask use so soon... As a precautionary measure (to prevent the virus’s spread) it is the less-er evil” compared to other measures, a shopper, Andreas Poschenreither, said. — AFP
WHO worries over Europe virus
cases as nations tighten curbs
Shoppers wear face masks on Oxford Street in London on Friday, after wearing face masks in shops and supermarkets became compulsory in England. — AFP
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 9
ANALYSIS
Why COVID-19 is killing US diabetics at alarming rates
Devon Brum-field could hear her fa-ther gasp-
ing for breath on the phone.
Darrell Cager Sr, 64, had diabetes. So his youngest daugh-ter urged him to seek care. The next day, he collapsed and died in his New Orleans home.
The daughter soon learned the cause: acute respiratory dis-tress from COVID-19. His death certificate noted diabetes as an underlying condition. Brumfield, who lives in Texas and also has type 2 diabetes, is “terrified” she could be next.
“I’m thinking, Lord, this could happen to me,” she said of her father’s death in late March.
She has good rea-son to fear. As US out-breaks surge, a new government study shows that nearly 40 per cent of people who have died with COV-ID-19 had diabetes. Among deaths of those under 65, half had the chronic condition. The US Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion analysed more than 10,000 deaths in 15 states and New York City from Febru-ary to May. Jonathan Wortham, a CDC epi-demiologist who led the study, called the findings “extremely
striking,” with serious implications for those with diabetes and their loved ones.
A separate Reuters survey of states found a similarly high rate of diabetes among people dying from COVID-19 in 12 states and the Dis-trict of Columbia. Ten states, including Cali-fornia, Arizona and Michigan, said they weren’t yet reporting diabetes and other un-derlying conditions, and the rest did not re-spond — rendering an incomplete picture for policymakers and cli-nicians struggling to protect those most at-risk.
America’s mortal-ity rates from diabe-tes have been climbing since 2009 and exceed most other industr-ialised nations. Blacks and Latinos suffer from diabetes at high-er rates than whites and have dispropor-tionately suffered from COVID-19. — Reuters
Electoral success, Brexit, a global health crisis that could have killed him, divorce, en-gagement and even
a new baby. Boris Johnson has had an eventful 12 months in anyone’s book.
Johnson, 56, marked his first anniversary as Britain’s prime minister on Friday, having had what one lawmaker described to the Guardian newspaper as a “hell of a year”.
A YouGov poll published on Thursday indicated he has the overwhelming backing of his ruling Conservative party: 89 per cent of members said he should remain leader.
But his toughest test could yet be to come, as the full impact of the coronavirus outbreak bites on the UK economy, which has been battered by three months of enforced shutdown.
Experts, too, are warning of a potentially devastating second wave of infection in the winter
months, which could amplify criticisms of his government’s handling of the first.
At the same time, concern is growing about whether he can secure a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, with time running out and little ap-parent progress made so far.
He also faces a resurgent main opposition Labour party, growing strength of Scottish nationalists and dissent among colleagues about increasingly centralised governance.
For the moment, Johnson sounds undeterred. — AFP
New life, political storms and a brush with death
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.
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JOHNSON, 56, MARKED HIS FIRST ANNIVERSARY
AS BRITAIN’S PRIME MINISTER ON FRIDAY,
HAVING HAD WHAT ONE LAWMAKER DESCRIBED
TO THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER AS A ‘HELL
OF A YEAR’
AS US OUTBREAKS SURGE, A NEW GOVERNMENT STUDY SHOWS
THAT NEARLY 40 PER CENT OF PEOPLE WHO
HAVE DIED WITH COVID-19 HAD
DIABETES
J A M E S P H E B Y
C H A D T E R H U N E , D E B O R A H J N E L S O N & R O B I N R E S P A U T
MUSCAT: Oman will have the first N95 masks pro-duced locally following approvals received from the Ministry of Health.
Al Farsi National Enterprises LLC, a leading Omani supplier of medical equipment to government and private hospitals based out of Al Misfah Industrial Area, has been approved to produce masks and will be launching Oman’s first tie-type mask and N95 respira-tor masks in a few days
Once full-fledged produc-tion and distribution starts, more than 25 Omani nation-als will be able to work with the company, an addition of 50 per cent more locals to the existing workforce, according to Issam al Farsi, Chairman of Al Farsi
National Enterprises.“We are an Omani compa-
ny supplying infection pre-vention and control supplies for hospitals for over 10 years. The initial scarcity of PPE items was the driving force behind such a 100 per cent Omani manufacturing facility to make surgical masks and healthcare res-
pirators and more than 25 Omanis can look forward to work with us once we are fully operational”, Issam told the Observer.
Made in Oman, Trusta sur-gical masks meet high standards of filtration BFE (99 per cent Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) melt-blown filter media for best
filtration rating and breath-ability.
According to Al Balushi, they are super-soft white facial layer for comfortable and odourless wear and the slim-line side borders help better fit and facial cover-age, fluid resistance and fit to create a better seal around the face.
“This ambitious Omani project aims to transform the country from an import-er to an exporter of surgical masks and N95 respirators”, Saju George, Managing Director.
“We would like to thank Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other government enti-ties for their exceptional support and encourage-ment during these testing times in providing approv-als and valuable advice on the project,” adds George.
K A B E E R Y O U S U F
10 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
BUSINESS
Oman’s first N95 mask production begins
MUSCAT: Oman’s authorities are moving to address deficiencies in the country’s cold-chain infrastructure to help optimise value generation from the Sultanate’s increasingly lucrative agriculture, farming and fisheries sector.
Shortcomings in the cold-chain infrastructure have long contributed to wastage of perishables such as fish, vegetables, fruits and other farm pro-duce, thereby reducing the earnings potential of Omani individuals and businesses operating in this key industry.
Now the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, supported by other stake-
holders, is driving investments in new cold-chain capabilities — comprising temperature-controlled warehous-ing, refrigerated trucks (reefer) and other logistics infrastructure — to help maximise value creation from the sector.
“As Oman continues to increase its fresh produce exports, it is also increasing its need for a dependable cold-chain network. Therefore, this initiative serves as a platform to devel-op a coordinated cold-chain optimisa-tion plan for the Sultanate”, said a report by the Implementation Support and Follow-up Unit (ISFU), a special
task force with the mandate to fast-track the delivery of projects and ini-tiatives deemed critical to accelerat-ing Oman’s economic diversification.
“To enhance their efficiency as they eye the export market, it is imperative that the fresh produce logistics com-panies operating in Oman have access to refrigeration facilities and services for seafood, agricultural, meat, dairy and poultry products. This is critical in order to minimise wastage due to perishing”, it noted.
As part of the initiative, cold store facilities at a number of fish markets located around the Sultanate, notably at Masirah and Dhank, have been overhauled. At Suhar, a developer is being tapped by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to invest in enhanced cold-chain facilities.
Separately, Asyad Group — the transport and logistics investment arm of the Omani government - is supporting the development of a 22-strong fleet of reefer trucks, each of over three-tonne capacity — to facilitate cross-border exports.
Oman’s cold-chain infrastructure to be enhancedCONRAD PRABHU
KEY GOAL: It is imperative that the fresh produce logistics companies operating in Oman have access to refrigeration facilities and services for seafood, agricultural, meat, dairy and poultry products
WASHINGTON: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive for 2,000 US-registered Boeing 737 NG and Classic aircraft that have been in storage, warn-ing they could have corro-sion that could lead to a dual-engine failure.
The directive covers planes not operated for seven or more consecutive days. The FAA issued the directive after inspectors found compromised air check valves when bringing aircraft out of storage.
If corrosion is found, the valve must be replaced
prior to the aircraft’s return to service, the FAA said.
Boeing said on Friday it had advised operators to
inspect the planes and added “with airplanes being stored or used infrequently due to lower demand dur-
ing the COVID-19 pandemic, the valve can be more sus-ceptible to corrosion.”
US airlines stored thou-sands of airplanes after the coronavirus pandemic sharply reduced travel demand and some have been bringing some aircraft back into service as demand rises.
The directive covering the 737 NG (600 to 900 series) and 737 Classic (737-300 to 737-500 series) was prompt-ed by four recent reports of single-engine shutdowns caused by engine bleed air 5th stage check valves stuck in the open position.
— Reuters
BUSINESS
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 11
Fisheries sector set for strong growth
The Omani gov-e r n m e n t believes that the annual income from the fisheries
sector will increase during the next decade in line with the country’s economic diversification efforts. Fisheries represent one of five important sectors that underpin the economic growth strategy of the Sultanate, which aims to build more modern ports specialised in maritime fishing. Today, there are about 25 fishery ports in the country to serve this sector, whether for tradi-tional or modern vessels. Thus, the trend towards building modern ports for fishing will spur fishing activities, daily catches, processing and exports.
The number of countries that will get Omani fish exports will increase in the future. Today, Oman’s fish exports reach 57 countries
around the world, accord-ing to data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for 2019. At the same time, the number of countries that will be importing live, fresh, canned and frozen fish in the future is expect-ed to double and will increase the added value component as well.
The GCC accounts for 35 per cent of the total Omani fish exports via overland shipments or by air. While the pandemic has impact-ed land and air flows, mari-time transportation ena-bles fish exports to reach other countries. Omani fish is also in demand in other countries. Around 41 per cent of Omani fish exports found their way to several Asian countries in the past year, while the rest has been shipped to countries of the Arab, African and European Union, as well as the US.
Today, the fish sector offers great opportunity for
investment in marine fleets, processing factories, refrig-erated stores and distribu-tion companies to be estab-lished in the future. For several years, work has been taking place to con-struct and equip the largest fisheries port in the Middle East region in Duqm Special Economic Zone, which over-looks the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Major facto-ries are planned in the SEZ.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries signed recently a new agreement to implement a project to develop a fisheries port in Dibba at a cost of $104 mil-lion at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. This port
will be close to the GCC countries and Iran, through which fish products can be delivered via trains to many Islamic countries, and mar-kets around the Black Sea, potentially reaching China as well. The port will include facilities for the tourism, marine, commercial and investment sectors, as well as facilities for traditional fishermen. There is no doubt that these institu-tions will attract more investment and knowhow, and provide more opportu-nities for Omani youth, in addition to developing the governorates that are located along the coastline of Oman.
FAA issues directive on 2,000 Boeing 737 NG, Classic planes
A man covering his face walks past 1MDB advertisement in Kuala Lumpur. — Reuters
BUSINESS
KUALA LUMPUR: US investment bank Goldman Sachs has reached a $3.9 billion settlement with the Malaysian government over the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal, the two sides said on Friday.
The deal includes a $2.5 billion cash payout by Goldman and a guarantee by the bank to return at least $1.4 billion in assets linked to 1MDB bonds, Malaysia’s finance ministry said in a statement.
“We are confident that we are securing more money from Goldman Sachs compared to pre-vious attempts, which were far below expectations”, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said in a statement.
“We are also glad to be able to resolve this outside the court sys-tem, which would have cost a lot of time, money and resources”, he said, adding the deal would resolve all outstanding charges and claims against Goldman Sachs.
Malaysian prosecutors filed charges in December 2018 against three Goldman Sachs units for misleading investors over bond sales totalling $6.5 billion that the bank helped raise for sovereign wealth fund 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying that certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB
lied to it about how proceeds from the bond sales would be used. The units of Goldman Sachs pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Goldman Sachs confirmed the $3.9 billion settlement and said it had reached an agreement in principle with Malaysia to resolve all criminal and regulatory pro-ceedings in the country involving the firm.
US and Malaysian authorities say about $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, in an elaborate scheme that spanned the globe and impli-cated former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Goldman Sachs, among others.
A Malaysian court will deliver its verdict in the case against Najib on Tuesday, the first of several corruption trials he faces linked to the 1MDB scandal.
Najib has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. — Reuters
Employees work on an Airbus A220-300 at their facility in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. — Reuters
PARIS: Europe’s Airbus said on Friday it was amending French and Spanish gov-ernment loans in a “final” bid to reverse US tariffs and jog the United States into settling a 16-year-old dispute over bil-lions of dollars of aircraft subsidies.
The planemaker said it had agreed to pay higher interest rates on two loans that it received to help develop its A350 jet, which entered service in 2015.
The European Union and France said the move to accept higher interest rates should settle the row with the United States at the World Trade Organization. The EU said it would retaliate with sanc-tions should that not happen.
“In the absence of a settlement, the EU will be ready to fully avail itself of its own sanction rights”, Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said.
The loans are part of a system tar-geted by the United States in the world’s largest corporate trade dispute, which has also involved European condemna-tion of US support for Boeing.
Failure to withdraw Airbus subsidies completely led to WTO approval for US sanctions last year on up to $7.5 billion of European goods ranging from wine to whisky.
Trade groups are bracing for an esca-lation of the row in the autumn when the EU is expected to win WTO approval to hit back with its own tariffs on US goods over subsidies for Boeing.
The WTO has faulted both Europe and the United States for doling out illegal support to their respective jetmakers. For the last eight years, the argument has been mainly about whether each side obeyed those rulings amid multiple appeals.
“With this final move, Airbus consid-ers itself in complete compliance with all WTO rulings”, Airbus said. — Reuters
Airbus offers subsidy concession to end US tariffs
Goldman Sachs to pay $3.9 bn to Malaysia to settle 1MDB dispute
Goldman Sachs reached an agreement in principle with Malaysia to resolve all
criminal and regulatory proceedings in the country
involving the firm
BUSINESS
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 13
LONDON: Britain’s private sector economic activity returned to growth in July on the easing coronavirus lockdown, a key survey showed on Friday, lifting hopes of a swift recov-ery from recession.
The composite purchasing manag-ers’ index (PMI) hit a 61-month peak at 57.1 points in July, registering the fastest expansion since June 2015, compilers IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) said in a statement.
That compared with a June read-ing of 47.7, which stood below the key 50-level that separates contraction and expansion.
The PMI has plunged since March on coronavirus fallout and last stood above 50 in February before the deadly pandemic erupted in Britain.
“July data indicated a marked improvement in business conditions across the UK private sector econo-my following the easing of lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease”, Markit/CIPS added in the statement.
“The latest survey indicated a return to growth for the service sec-tor and a much faster rise in manu-facturing production than seen in June”.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit, said the data fanned hopes that the broader
economy could return to growth in the third quarter or three months to September — but warned that there was “a long way to go”.
“The UK economy started the third quarter on a strong footing as busi-ness continued to reopen doors after the COVID-19 lockdown”, noted Williamson.
“The surge in business activity in July will fuel expectations that the economy will return to growth in the third quarter after having suffered the sharpest contraction in modern history during the second quarter.
“However, while the recession looks to have been brief, the scars are likely to be deep”.
Recent data showed the coronavi-rus-ravaged economy tanked in the first quarter by 2.2 percent — which was the biggest quarterly contrac-tion for more than 40 years.
Most economists expect another sharp slump in the second quarter, or three months to June, that would place Britain in a technical reces-sion. — AFP
Workers are seen as the sun sets behind a construction site in London. — Reuters
THE SURGE IN BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN JULY WILL
FUEL EXPECTATIONS THAT THE ECONOMY WILL
RETURN TO GROWTH IN THE Q3 AFTER HAVING
SUFFERED THE SHARPEST CONTRACTION IN MODERN HISTORY
DURING THE Q2
UK business activity grows again, lifting recovery hopes
14 SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 www.omanobserver.om
SPORTS
T O P T E N N I S , AT H L E T I C S
IN CHINA
GOVERNMENT’S CORONAVIRUS EDICT COULD ALSO SPELL DOOM FOR CHINESE F1 GP
SHANGHAI: All top-level tennis and the Diamond League athletics were
wiped off China’s 2020 sporting cal-endar on Friday, following a govern-
ment edict aimed at controlling the coronavirus which could also spell
doom for F1’s Chinese Grand Prix and the country’s biggest golf tournament.
The WTA Finals in Shenzhen and the Shanghai Masters were prime
among the tennis tournaments to fall as the sport, which is struggling to
restart in the face of the pandemic, suffered another major blow.
Shanghai’s Diamond League athlet-ics and Masters snooker have also
gone, promoters said, just over two weeks after China’s General
Administration of Sport said most international events this year would
be cancelled to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19.
The cancellations come despite the return of domestic sports in China,
with football’s Chinese Super League starting on Saturday and fans
allowed to attend China Basketball Association games from this week-
end.Women’s Tennis Association chief Steve Simon said he was “extremely
disappointed” that the women’s ten-nis tour, which has bet heavily on the
China market, has had to scrap seven tournaments including the
showpiece WTA Finals.“We are extremely disappointed that our world-class events in China
will not take place this year,” Simon said.
“We do however respect the deci-sion that has been made (by Chinese
authorities) and are eager to return to China as soon as possible next
season.”Also among the cancelled WTA tournaments is October’s Wuhan
Open, which promised to be hugely symbolic as the city was at the centre
of the coronavirus outbreak when it emerged late last year.
The men’s Association of Tennis Professionals said it too was cancel-
ling its 2020 China swing, including the prestigious Shanghai Masters
and China Open - a men’s and wom-en’s event - in Beijing.
“We respect the Chinese govern-ment’s decision to do what’s best for
the country in response to the unprecedented global situation,” said
Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman.“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce ATP tournaments will not
be played in China this year.” — AFP
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 15
SPORTS
NEW DELHI: The star-studded Indian Premier League cricket will start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates, its chairman said on Friday, adding that players may need to undergo quaran-tine.
Although India’s cricket authorities are still await-ing government approval, Brijesh Patel said the world’s richest cricket tournament will be played for 51 days with the final on November 8.
Under current UAE coro-navirus rules, all travel-lers must self-isolate for two weeks after arriving. “Whatever are the UAE rules for tourists will be followed by everyone,” Patel said.
“The IPL will take place between September 19 to November 8. This is con-
firmed and the rest we will decide in the (IPL) govern-ing council meeting next week.”
Top stars ranging from England’s Ben Stokes to Australians Steve Smith and David Warner have been lined up by the eight
IPL teams on lucrative contracts. Any quarantine period could clash with domestic seasons.
Patel said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will prepare operat-ing procedures to combat the virus threat during the
tournament.“It is going to be a full-
fledged 51-day IPL. We are in touch with the ECB -- Emirates Cricket Board. And we will get clearance from the Indian govern-ment soon,” he said.
The 13th year of the IPL was meant to have started in March but has been repeatedly postponed because of the pandemic. Dates were finally set after the T20 World Cup, which was scheduled to start in Australia in October, was postponed this week.
With the pandemic not expected to peak in India for several weeks, a tourna-ment in India is considered too risky. The IPL is the BCCI’s main revenue earn-er. It has said it would lose more than $500 million if this year’s tournament had not gone ahead. — AFP
IPL TO START IN UAE ON SEPT 19P L A Y E R S M A Y N E E D T O U N D E R G O Q U A R A N T I N E : C H A I R M A N
SPORTS
MILAN: Seko Fofana scored the winner as Juventus fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Udinese on Thursday to miss the chance to seal the Serie A title for the ninth time in a row.
Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt had put the defending champions ahead three minutes before the break in Udine.But a diving Ilija Nestorovski header seven minutes after the interval got Udinese level, with Fofana completing a comeback for the north-eastern side in injury time.
Juventus remain six points ahead of second-placed Atalanta with three games left to play, and have another chance
to seal the title for the 36th time on the pitch at home against 14th-placed Sampdoria on Sunday.
Maurizio Sarri’s side needed just three more points and the coronation could even come on Saturday, depending on the results of their rivals Atalanta and Inter Milan, who play AC Milan and Genoa respectively.
“We paid for a lack of order after a good first half because we wanted to win at all costs,” said Sarri.
“In this way we took the game to a dangerous level, and after the 90th minute, we lost it.”
The coach added: “In this period we are physi-cally and mentally tired.”
Juventus’ performance
against the minnows from Udine, close to the border with Slovenia, was worrying ahead of their crunch Champions League last 16 game against Lyon on August 7.
“At the moment I am not thinking about the Champions League, in my mind there is only Sampdoria,” added Sarri.
It was a precious three points for Udinese who moved up to 15th position, seven points clear of the relegation zone.
“Juventus wanted to win the championship, but we had a great game,” said Fofana.
“We said beforehand that (relegation rivals) Lecce were going strong and we had to push for-ward.” — AFP
FOFANA DELAYS JUVE PARTY
www.omanobserver.om SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 16
ITALIAN SERIE A RESULTSON THURSDAY:
Udinese 2 (Nestorovski 52, Fofana 90+2) Juventus 1 (De Ligt 42)Lazio 2 (Milinkovic-Savic 47,
Immobile 60) Cagliari 1 (Simeone 45)
ON WEDNESDAYParma 2 (Caprari 45+3-pen, Kulusevski 87-pen) Napoli 1
(Insigne 54-pen)SPAL 1 (Cerri 24) Roma 6 (Kalinic 10, Perez 38, Kolarov 47, Peres 52,
75, Zaniolo 90)Torino 1 (Zaza 67) Hellas Verona 1
(Borini 56-pen)Sampdoria 1 (Gabbiadini 32)
Genoa 2 (Criscito 22-pen, Lerager 72)
Inter Milan 0 Fiorentina 0
Lecce 3 (Lapadula 22, 32, Saponara 70) Brescia 1
(Dessena 63)
ON TUESDAY Atalanta 1 (Muriel 62) Bologna 0
Sassuolo 1 (Caputo 42-pen) AC Milan 2 (Ibrahimovic 19, 45+2)
