Israel apologises to UAE after blaming Dubai travel for surge in Covid-19 cases

Agencies
January 29, 2021

Duabi, Jan 29: Israel has reportedly extended an apology to the UAE for a comment made by a senior official, who blamed a surge in virus cases in the country on people returning from Dubai.

According to an Israeli channel, Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, chief of Public Health in the Health Ministry, allegedly said that "more people died in two weeks of peace with Dubai than in 70 years of war with them".

Israel’s national daily YNet stated that when an explanation about the remarks was sought by UAE officials, Israeli officials apologised for Dr Alroy-Preis' statement, saying the remark was made in jest.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office apologised for Alroy-Preis’ comments, adding that her comment was merely “an unsuccessful joke” that was not meant for public consumption and she is not authorised to speak for the Israeli government on such matters.

Tweeting about the same, the Dubai Media Office on Friday shared the apology from Israel posted by YNET, stating: “Israel offers an apology to the UAE for the statements of a senior official in the Israeli Ministry of Health that included false allegations that linked travel to Dubai to the increasing number of people infected with Covid-19 in Israel.”

Thousands of Israelis are said to have made their way to the UAE ever since the two countries normalised ties and began flight operations in November 2020.

However, noticing a surge in cases from the beginning of this year, Israel on Monday night closed down its Ben Gurion Airport until the end of January.

The airport closure will remain in effect at least until this coming Sunday, when national lockdown measures are set to be eased, though the government is expected to extend both closures.

A British variant of the coronavirus is said to be causing widespread infections in Israel, accounting for nearly half of recent daily cases, according to health officials. Thirty cases of a South African strain have also been found in the country, in addition to four cases of a California mutation.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel recorded 7,079 positive Covid cases on Thursday. Out of the 76,000 people screened, 9.3 per cent tested positive.

The Israeli government has set a goal of vaccinating the entire adult eligible population over the age of 16 by the end of March.

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Amarjit Singh …
 - 
Friday, 5 Feb 2021

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My date of birth 16/02/1987

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 24,2025

israelsyra.jpg

Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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