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World
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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020
Africa
Middle East
TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) — Iran began reopen-
ing government of ices on Saturday after a
brief nationwide lockdown to help contain
the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle
East, which has killed more than 4,300 peo-
ple in the country.
Authorities had orderedmost government
agencies and all non-essential businesses to
remain closed for a week after the Nowruz
holiday ended on April 4.
In Egypt, meanwhile, police used tear
gas to disperse a group of villagers who
tried to stop the burial of a physician who
died from the COVID19 illness caused by
the virus. The villagers feared that the burial
would spread contagion.
Government of ices outside Iran’s capital,
Tehran, re-opened on Saturday with a third
of all employees working from home, state
media reported. Women who have young
children were given priority in deciding who
works remotely. Businesses outside the capi-
tal were also allowed to reopen on Saturday,
the irst day of the work week.
Businesses in Tehran will be allowed to
re-open this Saturday, provided they regis-
ter with authorities and follow guidelines
on social distancing set out by the Health
Ministry. Government of ices in the capital
will reopen with two-thirds of employees
coming in.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported
another 125 deaths, bringing the overall toll
to 4,357. Iran has reported more than 70,000
con irmed cases, and authorities said more
than 40,000 have recovered.
The virus causes mild to moderate symp-
toms in most patients, who recover within
a few weeks. But it is highly contagious and
can cause severe illness or death, particularly
in elderly patients or those with underlying
health problems.
For weeks, Iran declined to impose the
kind of wide-scale lockdowns adopted by oth-
er Middle Eastern countries, even as the num-
ber of con irmed cases and fatalities steadily
climbed. The virus has also infected and killed
a number of senior Iranian of icials.
Authorities have defended their response,
saying they have to consider the economic
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel’s Benny Gantz re-
quested on Saturday more time to try join
forces with erstwhile rival Benjamin Netanya-
hu, as the former general’s mandate to form a
government was nearing expiration.
Gantz had nearly four weeks ago re-
ceived the mandate from President Reuven
Rivlin to try to build a coalition following the
March 2 general election, Israel’s third in less
than one year.
With no clear path to the necessary parlia-
mentary majority among the anti-Netanyahu
bloc, the former chief of Israeli military had
on March 26 facilitated his election to Parlia-
ment speaker and called for an emergency
unity government in a clear indication of an
alliance with the incumbent premier.
Negotiations between the sides, however,
have failed thus far to yield an agreement.
A statement from Gantz’s Blue and White
said he had “requested a two week extension
fromRivlin” to form a government with Netan-
yahu, noting Israel’s “health and social crisis”
in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I believe that we are close to signing
an agreement, and that with additional time
an agreement can be inalised,” Gantz told
Rivlin of his party’s negotiations with Netan-
yahu’s Likud.
Rivlin did not immediately respond to
the request.
The Likud meanwhile said Netanyahu had
invited Gantz and his negotiators for talks on
Saturday, stressing the “goodwill and national
responsibility to form a unity government as
soon as possible”.
TRIPOLI (XINHUA) - Libya’s United Nations-
backed government forces said on Satur-
day that the rival east-based army target-
ted pharmacies in southern Tripoli two
days after attacking a hospital for COVID19
patients in the capital.
The east-based army launched an at-
tack with Grad missiles on medicines
stores in Al-Swani district in southern
Tripoli, two days after targetting medi-
cines stores of Al-Khadra General Hos-
pital, the government forces said in
a statement.
The Al-Khadra General Hospital was
shelled last week, forcing the hospital au-
thorities to evacuate all the patients and
close the hospital.
United Nations Humanitarian Coordina-
tor for Libya Yacoub El Hillo condemned the
attacks on the hospital, saying it is a clear
violation of international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, the east-based army said
that a drone belonging to the government
forces had attacked an ambulance in south-
western Libya, killing two people and injur-
ing another.
Iran begins lifting
restrictions after
brief virus lockdown
impact of any quarantine measures since
the country is under severe United States
(US) sanctions. US President Donald Trump
imposed heavy sanctions, including on oil
exports, after withdrawing the US from Iran’s
2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The US has offered humanitarian aid to
help Iran combat the outbreak, but Iran’s
leaders have rejected it, instead demanding
the sanctions be lifted.
In a separate development, Iran executed
one of the alleged ringleaders of a prison
break last month, the state-run IRNA news
agency reported. It said Mostafa Salimi had
been on death row for killing two policemen
during a prison riot in 2004.
Around 70 convicts escaped from a pris-
on in the western city of Saqqez on March
27 after ighting with the guards. Iran has
temporarily released around 90,000 pris-
oners, but those held in Saqqez were not
among them.
IRNA quoted a local prosecutor as saying
authorities had arrested 65 of the escaped
prisoners and were still searching for the oth-
er nine.
Medical irm staff work in a lab on coronavirus testing kits in Tehran, Iran. PHOTO: AP
Israel’s Gantz requests more time to
form government with Netanyahu
Libya accuses east-based army of
targetting pharmacies in Tripoli