Top headlines: Partial solar eclipse in UAE tomorrow; portable pools are risky, warn police; new RTA bus depot comes up in Dubai

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Dubai - A look at the stories that made the headlines over the last 24 hours.

By Web Report

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Published: Sat 20 Jun 2020, 5:10 PM

Last updated: Sat 20 Jun 2020, 7:14 PM

Partial solar eclipse in UAE on Sunday: All you need to know

The UAE will witness a partial solar eclipse for around three hours on June 21, an expert said.

Mohammed Shawkat Awda, representative of the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomical Centre, said the partial solar eclipse will be seen in all Arab countries, except the Kingdom of Morocco and most areas in Mauritania. And in parts of Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman, an annular eclipse will be spotted. (Solar eclipse 2020: Where you can watch rare 'ring of fire')

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is located between the earth and the sun, and its apparent diametre, is slightly smaller than the apparent diametre of the sun, Shawkat explained.

Portable swimming pools are dangerous for kids, police in UAE warn parents

Don't let your children swim in the portable swimming pools without supervision as they are dangerous, the Ajman and Sharjah Police and civil defence authorities have cautioned parents.

The alert comes as more and more parents are buying inflatable pools for their kids who are confined to their homes due to anti-Covid measures. However, most of them are blissfully ignorant about the inherent hazards that these pools pose.

Dubai's RTA completes new bus depot to meet Expo needs

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the completion of Al Quoz Bus Depot to support the daily movement of buses.

The new facility, which complements other bus depots at Jebel Ali, Al-Khawaneej, Al Ruwayyah , Al Aweer and Al Qusais, serves buses operating on 24 routes all over Dubai.

His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors inspected the operational readiness of the depot where employees, engineers, technicians and drivers were deployed in various capacities.

Three Sharjah public libraries to welcome back visitors, with strict safety rules

Three public libraries in Sharjah are set reopen this Sunday, June 21, with strict safety measures in place, authorities said.

The Sharjah Public Library (SPL) said its main branch in the city, as well as branches in Dibba Al Hisn and Al Dhaid, will be welcoming back book lovers, researchers, and visitors, with each library accommodating 30 per cent of its capacity. The select branches will also operate with 30 per cent of their staff.

The libraries will be monitoring the number of visitors by implementing phone reservations, according to the SPL. Visitors must call the branch prior to their arrival to book their preferred time and duration of stay.

Phase 2 of Covid-19 screening for Sharjah government employees begins

More than 1,700 Sharjah Municipality employees and 500 Souq Al Jubail vendors will be tested for Covid-19 in the second phase of the screening programme, the Sharjah Medical District has said.

The first stage of the initiative - implemented by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) in cooperation with the Sharjah government and the Sharjah Committee for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management - included home testing for 28 senior citizens and 19 of their sitters to ensure their safety, as well as to provide the best levels of health care to protect the health of the people and to enhance the safety of individuals and to contain the pandemic.

More UAE residents, firms delay insurance payments amid Covid-19, say experts

The UAE residents and businesses are increasingly delaying their insurance premium payments following job losses, salary cuts and slowdown in the economy since the outbreak of coronavirus.

The insurance industry executive say that delays in premiums are mainly from the businesses while health and life insurance segments are still doing well as people are more concerned about their health due to Covid-19.

Walter Jopp, CEO, Zurich International Life Limited, Middle East, says during these unprecedented times, there has been an increase in premium delays relating to premiums payments from customers that is due to loss of employment or salary reductions.

PM Imran Khan says allowing international flights to facilitate overseas Pakistanis

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said his government is opening up the country's air space for international flights to help overseas Pakistanis who're stranded in foreign countries to return home following the outbreak of Coronavirus.

"Tomorrow, we will partially open airspace for international flights. This is being done specially to help our overseas workers who have suffered the most in this pandemic but have shown great courage and made us proud. We welcome you back home and our government will facilitate you in every way," Imran Khan said a tweet on Saturday morning.

India records highest single-day spike of 14,516 Covid-19 cases, tally reaches 3,95,048

With the highest single-day increase of 14,516 Covid-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus count stood at 3,95,048 on Saturday.

The death toll has gone up to 12,948 in the country with 375 persons succumbing to the infection.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of cases includes 1,68,269 active cases, 2,13,831 cured/discharged/migrated and 12,948 deaths.

Man dies after family members unplug ventilator to plug in cooler

A 40-year-old man died at a government hospital in Kota after his family members allegedly unplugged the ventilator he was on to plug in an air cooler.

He was suspected to be suffering from Covid-19 and admitted at ICU in the Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) Hospital on June 13. His test report, however, came negative later.

Hospital authorities said a three-member committee will probe the incident.

The man was shifted to an isolation ward on June 15 as a safety measure after another patient in the ICU tested positive for the disease.

Brazil becomes second country to hit one million Covid-19 cases

Brazil has become the second country in the world to confirm more than one million cases of Covid-19, as the disease continues to spread.

The health ministry also posted a record number of new cases in the past 24 hours - more than 54,000, the BBC reported.

In addition, there were more than 1,200 deaths for the fourth consecutive day, taking the total to nearly 49,000.

A lack of testing suggests the true figures are higher and experts say the outbreak is weeks away from its peak.

Teens in UAE feel the coronavirus pandemic strain

The number of teenagers struggling with mental health issues as a result of the Covid-19 challenges has been on the rise in the UAE, according to psychologists.

The restrictions that were imposed by the government to contain the spread of Covid-19 have been tough for many teenagers - deprived of their friends as they can't go out for social gatherings, and worried about job prospects in a post-pandemic economy.

Psychologists said without the normal routine and structure of school and college attendance, teenagers have been starved of some of the support and reassurance they are accustomed to as they grow in emotional maturity and approach adulthood.


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