JAKARTA: Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan with communal prayers Tuesday in a socially distanced contrast to the empty mosques of a year ago when Islam’s holiest month coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with Pakistan allowing mosques to remain open with strict adherence to coronavirus health guidelines.
COVID-19 cases are spiking in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, but vaccines are being administered and the government is loosening restrictions. Mosques were allowed to open for Ramadan prayers with strict health protocols in place, and with malls and cafes open, passers-by could again see curtains shielding the sight of food from people fasting.
Neighboring Muslim-majority Malaysia also eased its restrictions, including last year’s ban on “taraweeh” nighttime prayers and allowing popular open-air bazaars selling food, drinks and clothes to open.
Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas announced in a televised address Monday evening that the new Ramadan moon had been spotted. The holy month is marked by intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.
Last year, authorities shuttered all mosques and clerics issued a fatwa, or edict, urging Muslims to pray at home over the holy month rather than congregate in crowded spaces and risk spreading the virus.
Muslims this year are expecting a virus resurgence but all mosques will be continuing to adhere to social distancing and other precautions, which will significantly reduce crowds, said Nasaruddin Umar, imam of Jakarta’s Istiqlal grand mosque.
“I miss everything of Ramadan already,” Umar said, “The heart of faithful Muslims is tied to the mosque... the longing for Ramadan lovers has finally been relieved today although the pandemic has not yet ended.”
In the capital, Jakarta, authorities disinfected 317 mosques on Sunday in preparation for Ramadan, said Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan. Social distancing markers have been installed and soap and hand sanitizers have been prepared.
The government also will allow people to hold “iftar” gatherings during Ramadan in restaurants, malls and cafes, which can serve customers up to 50% of their capacity and follow strict health guidelines.
Iftar occurs at sunset, the time Muslims break their fast and usually the prime time for people to have dinner together with friends and family members before the night prayer.
“Easing restrictions is like a breath of fresh air for us who are tired by this COVID-19 outbreak,” said Anna Mardyastuti, a resident in Jakarta. “Yes, they should act to stop the virus, but not block the door to worship or to change our tradition of Ramadan entirely,” she said.
In Malaysia, Wan Noradriana Balqis, 21, welcomed the return of community prayers in mosques but said she will avoid Ramadan bazaars that are often packed with people.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to reopen the bazaars. The rules are there but many people don’t follow them,” the database administrative officer said.
Malaysia’s coronavirus cases have more than tripled since January to more than 362,000, with daily increases exceeding 1,000. Indonesia is the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia with over 1.5 million infections as of Monday and more than 42,600 deaths.
Indonesia will maintain its vaccine rollout through Ramadan as officials tried to ease worries over the Islamic teaching that Muslims should refrain “from anything entering the body” between sunrise and sunset.
Indonesia’s top Muslim clerical body said Muslims eligible for vaccinations are not only allowed but “required” to get them during Ramadan.
Although Muslims abstain from all food and drink in daylight hours during Ramadan, the vaccine enters muscle rather than the bloodstream and is not nutrition, so it does not invalidate fasting, said Asrorun Niam Sholeh, the head of fatwas for the Indonesian Ulema Council.
“If we carry on taking our vaccines, we can ensure that next Ramadan we do return to some normality,” Sholeh said.
Some vaccine sites in Jakarta are extending their opening hours so Muslims can come after they have broken their fast.
Indonesia plans to vaccinate two-thirds of its population of about 270 million people — or just over 180 million people by the end of next year. The current priorities are health care workers, elderly and other at-risk populations, and the two-dose vaccine will be free for all Indonesians.
In India, which is experiencing an explosive spread of the virus, Muslim scholars are appealing to their communities to strictly follow anti-virus protocols and refrain from organizing large gatherings. Ramadan prayers begin Tuesday night and fasting begins Wednesday in the country with 200 million Muslims.
Many Indian cities dealing with major virus surges have imposed night curfews, and it remains unclear whether the faithful will be allowed to offer Tarawih, the long post-Iftar congregational prayers in mosques that sometimes stretch late into the night.
Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir are still suffering from the two back-to-back lockdowns that left tens of thousands without any means to earn their livelihoods. The disputed region, the only part of the Hindu-dominated country that is majority Muslim, was under an unprecedented military lockdown in 2019 for months before the monthslong coronavirus lockdown last year. Local charities, like last year, have planned to distribute Ramadan ration kits for needy and destitute families.
Muslims open Ramadan with social distanced prayers, vaccines
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Muslims open Ramadan with social distanced prayers, vaccines

- Muslims began marking Ramadan with communal prayers Tuesday in a socially distanced contrast to the empty mosques of a year ago
- Pakistan has allowed mosques to remain open in Ramadan with strict adherence to social distancing rules
Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece’s capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate
Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece’s capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate

Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems
ATHENS: A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country’s Fire Service reported.
Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens received 3 SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters.
Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said “there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.”
“The real difficulties are ahead of us,” Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems.
Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames.
Under such conditions wildfires “expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,” Vathrakoyannis said.
The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece’s two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said.
Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.
Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official

- Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts
- Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo discussed the war in Ukraine on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by Russia’s invasion.
Leo saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said.
“During the conversation, numerous issues were raised concerning the state of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement.
Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine.
The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the
invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian church statement said that Kirill’s congratulations were conveyed to Leo for his election as pope.
“Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to his holiness patriarch Kirill for his good wishes and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church,” it added.
David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies

- “David was a great champion of global health and health equity,” Tedros wrote
- “His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world”
GENEVA: Dr. David Nabarro, a British physician who led the UN response to some of the biggest health crises in recent years, including bird flu, Ebola and the coronavirus pandemic, has died.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, confirmed Nabarro’s death on social media platform X.
“David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,” Tedros wrote Saturday. “His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.”
King Charles knighted Nabarro in 2023 for his contributions to global health after he served as one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He won the 2018 World Food Prize for his work on health and hunger issues.
He also was a candidate for the top job at the WHO in 2017 but lost out to Tedros in the final round of voting. Nabarro left the UN later that year.
The 4SD Foundation, a social enterprise in Switzerland focused on mentoring the next generation of leaders in global sustainable development, said its strategic director died at his home Friday in a “sudden passing.” Other details were not immediately available.
“David’s generosity and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of others will be sorely missed,” the foundation wrote on its website Saturday.
Survivors include his wife, Flo, as well as his five children and seven grandchildren.
Ukraine says its long-range drones hit electronic warfare plant in Russia

- The plant was one of Russia’s leading producers of electronic warfare equipment
- Long-range SBU drones struck the production facilities of the Stavropol Radio Plant ‘Signal’
KYIV: Ukrainian drones hit a radio and electronic warfare equipment plant in Russia’s Stavropol region in an overnight attack on Saturday, an official from the SBU security service told Reuters.
The official said two facilities at the Signal plant in the city of Stavropol, about 540 km (335 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were damaged in the attacks. He shared several short videos showing an explosion and a large column of dark smoke rising into the sky.
He said the plant was one of Russia’s leading producers of electronic warfare equipment, including radar, radio navigation equipment, and remote control radio equipment.
“This night, long-range SBU drones struck the production facilities of the Stavropol Radio Plant ‘Signal’,” said the SBU official.
“Each such attack stops production processes and reduces the enemy’s military potential. This work will continue.”
Reuters was unable to verify the details of the attack. Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both sides have launched multiple drone attacks on each other.
Ukraine, which is fighting a much larger Russian army, has developed a drone industry from scratch and is now focusing on increasing its capacity to produce more long-range drones.
Sri Lanka in talks with Middle East Green Initiative to explore climate partnership

- Led by Saudi Arabia, MGI is a regional alliance seeking to mitigate climate change impacts
- Sri Lanka is keen to share experience in climate resilience efforts, Colombo’s envoy says
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is exploring a potential partnership with the Middle East Green Initiative, Colombo’s envoy to Riyadh told Arab News on Saturday, as the island nation seeks to step up partnerships to combat climate change.
Sri Lanka — home to 22 million people — is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and is particularly at risk of extreme weather events, such as flooding and drought.
On Monday, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh facilitated an introductory virtual meeting between its Ministry of Environment and the MGI secretary-general “to explore potential ways and means for cooperation and partnership in the fields of environmental protection and sustainable development,” according to a statement.
Led by Saudi Arabia, the MGI was established in 2021 as a regional alliance aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change and forging collaborations to meet global climate targets in the region.
“The MGI is an important regional initiative spearheaded by Saudi Arabia in combating challenges posed by climate change. We are pleased to see Saudi Arabia is giving a great leadership role in promoting climate action and environmental protection,” Ameer Ajwad, Sri Lanka’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News.
Colombo is also keen to share its experience in climate resilience efforts.
“Sri Lanka is actively contributing to the global multilateral climate initiatives. Sri Lanka's expertise and rich experience in the field will be also useful for the MGI process for fostering environmental collaboration and advancing shared climate objectives,” Ajwad said. “For example, Sri Lanka could contribute its expertise in the field of mangrove conservation and sea grass management, et cetera.”
Sri Lanka has led several climate resilience efforts throughout the years, including restoration of its mangrove forests following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The country made a commitment to become the first to replant all of its mangrove forests — a goal the government sought to achieve by providing microloans and education to communities in exchange for mangrove conservation.
In 2022, it launched the Sri Lankan Climate Prosperity Plan to attract foreign investment and accelerate climate adaptation while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.