Israel removes more security installations from al-Aqsa

Feb 5: US President Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address on Tuesday, the eve of his expected impeachment acquittal in the United States Senate.

The mood in the House of Representatives reflected the divisions running across the country. Republicans cheered as Trump was introduced, with some chanting "four more years" while Democrats stood silently.

On the foreign policy front, Trump said the US is "working to end America's wars in the Middle East".

He boasted about his decision to order the killing of top Iranian Commander Qassem Soliemani. That decision escalated tensions between the US and Iran, with many fearing an outright war.

Iran retaliated by attacking two Iraqi military bases housing US troops. After Trump initially said no troops were injured, the Defense Department announced dozens of US soldiers had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

Trump also reiterated his vow to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. When he plans to do that, however, remains unclear.

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani earlier this week that there has not been any significant progress in his talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad said he was hopeful of reaching an understanding with the group on reduction of hostilities, but did not offer any timeframe.

Trump also touted his newly-unveiled Middle East plan, which has been vehemently rejected by Palestinians.

And he received loud applause after reminding the country that ISIL (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed last year in a US military operation in Syria.

"Today, the ISIS territorial caliphate has been 100 percent destroyed, and the founder and leader of ISIS - the bloodthirsty killer Al Baghdadi - is dead!" Trump said.

Economy

Trump spent much of his speech highlighting the economy's strength, including low unemployment, stressing how it has helped blue-collar workers and the middle class, though the period of growth began under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

"In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back!" Trump declared.

And what Trump calls an unprecedented boom is, by many measures, not all that different from the solid economy he inherited from Obama. Economic growth was 2.3 percent in 2019, matching the average pace since the Great Recession ended a decade ago in the first year of Obama's eight-year presidency.

Trump stressed the new trade agreements he has negotiated, including his phase-one deal with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement he signed last month.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has frequently touted his stewardship of the US economy. As recently as two weeks ago, he claimed it was in "a rather dismal state" until he and his administration turned it into a "roaring geyser of opportunity".

But the numbers do not support the "geyser" narrative. There are signs the record US economic expansion - now in its 11th year - is getting long in the tooth.

Job creation is slowing. And the US economy's modest 2.3 percent growth was well short of the 3 percent growth Trump had predicted following a $1.5 trillion tax cut package he and his fellow Republicans pushed through Congress in 2017.

Trump's trade war with China weighed on US manufacturing last year as businesses held back on investment. And while factory activity bounced back in January amid the signing of a phase-one trade deal between Washington and Beijing, US tariffs still remain in place on some $360bn of Chinese goods.

The coronavirus outbreak and the ongoing troubles for Boeing surrounding the 737 MAX could also present headwinds to growth, analysts say.

Awkward moment at awkward time

One of the big questions of the night was whether Trump would directly mention impeachment. He chose to stay away. The House impeached the president at the end of last year for abuse of power related to his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress for refusing to participate in the impeachment inquiry.

The Senate started its trial more than two weeks ago, and a final vote is scheduled for 4pm local time (21GMT) on Wednesday.

Trump shared an awkward moment with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who kicked off the House's impeachment inquiry in September following a whistle-blower complaint that centred on Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to launch investigations into the president's political rival.

At the start of Trump's speech on Tuesday night, it appeared Pelosi went to shake the president's hand, a gesture amid the impeachment proceedings.

The president was presenting folios to Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence as he arrived for the evening speech when it appears she reached for the shake. At the same time, Trump turned away from her to face the audience of lawmakers gathered for the annual address.

Pelosi gave a look.

Later on Twitter, Pelosi tweeted that "Democrats will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople. We will work to find common ground where we can, but will stand our ground where we cannot".

After the address was over, Pelosi ripped up her copy of the speech - a move the White House criticised.

Trump is only the third president to be impeached. He has denied any wrongdoing.

While some Republicans have acknowledged Trump did something wrong, they've argued that it didn't amount to an impeachable offence. Trump is headed towards an all but certain acquittal on Wednesday in the Republican-led Senate.

Trump appeals to base

As expected, Trump also dedicated a section to "American values", discussing efforts to protect "religious liberties" and limit access to abortion as he continues to court the evangelical and conservative Christian voters who form a crucial part of his base.

He attacked the Democrats over their healthcare plans, labelling them "socialist".

He brought up his signature campaign issue - immigration, at times making untrue or misleading statements.

"Before I came into office, if you showed up illegally on our southern border and were arrested, you were simply released and allowed into our country, never to be seen again," Trump falsely. "My administration has ended catch-and-release. If you come illegally, you will now be promptly removed."

But under previous administrations, Mexicans were quickly returned back over the US-Mexico border, while others were held in detention until they were deported. Some migrants from other countries were released into the interior of the US to wait out their immigration cases.

And despite Trump's claims that all irregular migrants are now "promptly" removed, there is a one million immigration court case backlog, which means many migrants wait up to three years before a court hearing before a judge who will determine whether someone is deported. After a judge rules a migrant deported, travel papers must be obtained, which often leads to further delays.

As for ending the so-called "catch and release" policy, Trump actually expanded that policy last year during a surge in migrants, releasing thousands of migrants who flooded shelters along the border. The surge has since passed, so fewer people are being held and fewer would need to be released. But an effort by immigration officials to detain children indefinitely was blocked by a judge, so children are still released into the country.

In a gesture that left nearly everyone - including its recipient - looking dumbfounded, Trump announced he was giving right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh the nation's highest civilian honour.

Limbaugh, who announced this week that he had advanced lung cancer, appeared stunned, his jaw visibly dropping as Trump made the announcement. Others sat in silence as first lady Melania Trump draped the medal around his neck on the spot.

"Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country," Trump told Limbaugh, who often promotes conspiracy theories on his radio show.

Boycott, walkouts

At least 10 Democratic lawmakers, including some who have been attacked by the president, boycotted the address in a sign of protests.

"After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalise Trump's lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a series of tweets announcing her decision.

Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Representative Ayanna Pressley, who also boycotted, were the subjects of racist attacks by the president last year that resulted in the House voting to condemned his comments, telling the pair and two other congresswoman of colour - Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib - to "go back" to their countries. All four are US citizens.

Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the first two Muslim women in Congress, attended the address, wearing traditional Palestinian and Somali clothing.

"This is what America looks like," Omar tweeted.

Tlaib, along with some other Democratic representatives said they walked out of Trump's speech, calling it "shameless".

Dozens of other congresswomen wore white, representing the colour of women suffragettes.

Other Democrats wore red, white and blue-striped lapel pins to highlight climate change, saying Trump has rolled back environmental safeguards and given free rein to polluters.

Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her party's official response and drew a contrast between actions taken by Democrats and the president's rhetoric.

"It doesn't matter what the president says about the stock market," Whitmer said. "What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don't have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs."

Dubai, Apr 16: Most of the patients who have fully recovered from Covid-19 in the UAE followed healthy behaviours that helped strengthen their immune systems, said Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector.

Dr Al Hosani made the remarks during the UAE Government's regular briefing on the latest developments related to the spread of coronavirus in the country, which was held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani spoke about the precautionary measures that aimed to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ammar Al Muaini, Official Spokesperson of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, also explained the outcomes of the National Mental Health Programme.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani affirmed that recorded cases in the country, especially recoveries, were related to key factors and reasons.

"In most cases of recoveries, we noticed that they have followed several daily health behaviours, such as doing exercise, eating a healthy diet, strengthening the immune system, and maintaining an ideal weight, as well as abstaining from bad habits, such as smoking and unhealthy eating. The psychological aspect is also important, and it is necessary to support the mental health of individuals, along with their physical health," she said.

"These practices, which we always emphasise and promote, will help raise a person's immunity and resistance to diseases, in addition to medicines, and can speed up the process of recovering from disease," she added.

Dr Al Hosani also talked about the importance of not being complacent if one's temperature rises. "We highlight the importance of periodic temperature checks for family members at home. This step is one of the health measures that we are encouraging.

"Everyone who has a high temperature must contact the nearest health centre or hospital or go to a drive-through testing centre because personal health is linked to the health of those around us and we are responsible for it. There is no room for hesitation in protecting our families," she stressed.

Dr Al Hosani highlighted the importance of covering the nose and mouth, whether by wearing surgical, paper or cloth masks, or any other covering or clothing.

"This procedure is important for everyone leaving home to avoiding the transmission of any infection and preserving the safety of everyone, along with leaving a safe physical distance between people in public places, markets and workplaces, and following the precautions," she explained.

Regarding high temperatures and their relationship to the coronavirus, Dr. Al Hosani said: "All studies that attempt to understand the relationship between the virus and climate have not been able to confirm that higher temperatures will help kill the virus. We are continuing to monitor the results of these studies."

Al Muaini explained the details and developments of the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' which aims to support the mental health of community members.

"The UAE Government, represented by the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, has launched, under the current circumstances, the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' that aims to provide psychological support to members of society facing the repercussions of the novel coronavirus, in line with relevant national efforts," Al Muaini said.

"The campaign reflects the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, affirming that quality of life is a high priority, and health is the most important pillar of quality of human and society," Al Muaini added.

Al Muaini stated that the phrase, 'Don't Worry,' is profound in its meaning, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and reassures everyone that everything will be fine. "Today, the concept of health is not limited to physical health, but it also includes mental health. During this period, and due to the social, professional, and educational changes that directly affect our lives, we need to support and enhance our mental health to overcome these challenges," he  added.

Al Muaini said that over 50 specialists, psychologists and social workers are voluntarily participating in the national campaign to serve the country, which includes three main components focusing on providing psychological support to all members of society, especially as this type of support is one of the necessary community needs during the current circumstances.

The first component, 'Let's Support Together,' aims to answer enquiries regarding psychological challenges, provide educational advice, and support individuals in facing challenges, through daily live broadcasts on the social media networks of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, @HappyUAE. Two events are broadcast every day, with the first being at 17:30 in English and the second at 20:30 in Arabic to benefit all segments of society.

Al Muaini explained that the number of live broadcasts on the programme's social media accounts has reached 30 and covers various topics, including psychological care for senior citizens, psychological care for children, psychological support for working mothers, and how to address anxiety and psychological concerns.

According to scientific studies, fear and anxiety are among the strongest influences that weaken human immunity, and, therefore, it is necessary to learn about how to deal with them. The duration of each broadcast is one hour, attracting some 250,000 views each.

Al Muaini explained that the second component of the campaign is the hosting of closed virtual sessions, entitled, 'Let's Talk Together,' which aim to provide psychosocial support to specific groups of society, to enable them to talk to each other in a safe environment to discuss the psychological challenges they are facing.

The programme has organised over eight closed psychological support sessions to maintain the privacy of participants, under the supervision of certified physicians and psychologists. Some 300 people have participated and some sessions were held for those under quarantine, including working mothers, school and university students, and doctors working in the first line of defence.

Some 300,000 people watched "Let's Reassure Each Other" programme Al Muaini noted that the third component of the campaign, titled, "Let's Reassure Each Other," focuses on raising awareness of the importance of psychological resilience and promoting its importance to society. The programme has so far posted more than 21 video clips containing messages of support and reassurance to the community.

The number of people who watched the programme reached some 300,000 viewers.

Al Muaini stressed that the campaign is an effective interactive platform available on a daily basis, to provide psychological support to all segments of society at a time when people require reassurance and psychological support to overcome the current crisis. The campaign hosted doctors working in the first line of defence and their enquiries were answered directly. A group of people under quarantine was also involved in the closed support sessions, which were also popular with participating doctors.

Abu Dhabi, Apr 26: Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor says he is appalled after the bodies of three Indians flown back to India were returned to Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The three deceased Indian nationals had died of non-coronavirus causes and were flown to Delhi on Thursday but were promptly returned by authorities there.

“We are appalled at what has happened,” Kapoor told Gulf News. “We do not know if the bodies were returned because of coronavirus-related restrictions, but we are obviously not sending the remains of people [who have passed away from COVID-19],” he added.

“[As we understand], it happened because of new protocols at the airport and we are trying to sort it out,” he said.

Sent back a few hours later

“The remains were not offloaded from the plane, and were sent back a few hours later,” Kapoor explained.

The deceased were Kamlesh Bhatt, who passed away on April 17, and Sanjeev Kumar and Jagsir Singh who both died on April 13.

According to reports in Indian media, Kamlesh Bhat was 23 years old, and hailed from Tehri Garhwal district. He allegedly died of cardiac arrest. Along with the remains Kumar and Singh, Bhatt’s body was initially repatriated on an Etihad Airways flight, then sent back, even though his relatives had been on their way to collect them.

Kapoor explained the procedure through which remains are normally returned to family members back home, saying that the worker’s employer typically makes arrangements with cargo companies to repatriate bodies on cargo aircraft.

The employer applies for a No Objection Certificate from the Indian Embassy, which is granted once the Embassy ensures that all local formalities have been completed. The cargo company then applies for airport clearance, and the airline obtains approvals from the receiving airport.

“If airport protocols have changed, it means cargo companies have to be more careful about the clearance they’re getting,” Kapoor advised.

Additional costs
The ambassador added there may eventually be additional costs to repatriate the bodies but that it is first necessary to sort out the concerns.

The global coronavirus outbreak has spawned difficulties in repatriating mortal remains as a result of the travel restrictions imposed by countries. Remains of people dying from COVID-19 are not being sent back, but the caution surrounding the handling of bodies often affects the repatriation of those who succumb to other causes.

As Gulf News reported, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached out to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday for intervention in bringing back the bodies of Keralites who have died in the Gulf from non-COVID-19 causes.

“I would like to draw your attention to the grievances received from Non-resident Keralites Associations (NRKs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on the delay caused in bringing home the mortal remains of NRKs who had expired due to reasons other than the COVID-19 infection,” read the letter by the CM.

“It is learnt that a ‘clearance certificate’ from the Indian Embassies is required to process the application of bringing home the mortal remains of the dead. The Embassies are [further] insisting on the production of a no-objection certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), New Delhi. To enable to bring back the bodies of the NRIs whose deaths occurred due to reasons other than COVID-19 infection, without necessary procedural hassles, I request your kind intervention,” Vijayan has requested.