Matagumpay na inilunsad ng Guardians Legion Qatar (GLQ) ang programang “Dugong Alay, Sagip Buhay” sa pangunguna ng Health, Welfare and Outreach Program Committee sa pamumuno ng Committee Chair na si Glenn “MG TAHZ” Garcia mula sa hanay ng GBI – TBBG Alamid at ang Vice Chairman na si Francis “MF KIKO” Reyes – mula sa hanay ng SGBI noong ika-23 ng Oktubre ng kasalukuyang taon sa Hamad Blood Donation Center. Ang layunin ng nasabing programa ay makapagdala ng mga boluntaryong residente upang makapag ambag sa pundo ng dugo sa ospital upang pang-tugon sa pagsagip-buhay sa sinumang mga nangangailangang masalinan ng dugo. Sa pamamagitan ng programa, at mula sa mahigit-kumulang na limampung katao na sumuporta, halos dalawampu’t pitong (27) bag ng dugo ang naibigay sa Center. Ang kaganapan ay inayudahan ng mga miyembro mula sa iba’t ibang hanay ng GUARDIANS Legion Qatar, kinabibilangan ito ng GBI-TBBG Alamid, SGBI, GBI-TBBG Persian Gulf, GPII-SUC, GBHFI/1GANAP, PGBI at GRII. Sinupurtahan din ito ng iba pang non-GUARDIANS na sina Riza Rillera, Mary Jane Parungao, Angeline Remedios, Monisha Kunnumpurath (Indian National) at Jhon Gallardo. Sa pamamagitan ng programa ay nabigyan ng labis na tuwa ang bawat isa, lalo na ang mga hindi kaanib ng kapatiran, ayon sa kanila, mula sa kanilang munting paraan ay ramdam nilang nakakatulong sila sa mga nangangailangan, sa munting naiambag nilang dugo ay meron silang buhay na masasagip. Anila’y isang karangalan sa kanila ang ganitong programang isinasagawa ng kapatiran. Handang mag bigay ng kanilang dugo para makasagip ng buhay. Ayon kay John Gallardo, na isang Architectural Draftsman ay simulat sapol naging gawain na nya ito kahit siya ay nasa bansang Abu Dabhi pa. Sina Riza, Mary Jane at Angeline ibinahagi naman nila ang kanilang unang karanasan bilang mga baguhan na kusang loob na mag bigay ng kanilang mga dugo “Talagang pinag handaan naming ang araw na ito, ito ang kauna-unahan naming karanasan na mag bigay ng aming mga dugo.” Gayun paman hindi lahat na mga dumating na donors ay qualified na makuhanan ng dugo, kahit gustuhin ni Monisha na isang Indian national na mag bahagi ng kanyang dugo ay nabigo dahil sa mababang hemoglobin nito. Ganun pa man, handa syang sumubok ulit sa susunod na pagkakataon. Malaking pasasalamat ni Glenn “MG TAHZ” Garcia at Francis “MF KIKO” Reyes ng Health, Welfare and Outreach Program Committee sa mga nag support sa pagkapatirang programa lalong lalo na kay Joey Dale “CGMF DALE” Allado – GLQ President, Midred “CNF MILES” Ngoaban – PPIMS Committee at Rolan “FRMG Bongbong” Nevado –GLQ Head Adviser at sa mga miyembro ng Guardians Legion Qatar at sa lahat ng non-GUARDIANS sa kanilang patnubay at pag alalay mula sa paghahanda hanggang sa matiwasay na pagtatapos ng programa. Isang malaking pasasalamat din sa Qabayan Radio sa pagpaparating nila ng mensahe sa Filipino Community on air. Inaasahan ng GLQ na sa susunod pang mga buwan ay magkakaroon ang Kapatiran ng pangkalawakang programa para sa kapakanan ng nakakrami. Para sa ibang kaalaman tungkol sa kapatirang GUARDIANS ditto sa Qatar, sumulat lamang sa official email add: guardians.legion.qatar@gmail.com o bisitahin ang kanilang website www.gurdianslegionqatar.org. Ronico Hernandez, GLQ-PPIMS

Ang super typhoon na si Rolly na sinasabing pinakamalakas na bagyo na tumama sa mundo ngayong taon ay nag-iwan ng 16 kataong patay bago ito tuluyang humina at lumayo sa Bicol region. Ito ay ayon kay Office of Civil Defense-Bicol Region Public Information Officer Alexis Naz. Dagdag pa Naz, 10 sa mga namatay na ito ay mula sa Albay at ang anim naman ay mula sa Catanduanes. Sa Batangas, iniulat ni Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas na isa sa kanilang lalawigan ang nawawala ng dahil sa bagyo. Bagama’t marami pang unconfirmed cases, sinabi ni Ricardo Jalad, Executive Director ng National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), na ginagawa nila ang lahat para ma-finalize ang bilang ng mga namatay at nasaktan. Sa ulat ng kanilang tagapagsalita na si Mark Timbal, mayroong 1,468,296 katao o 372,716 na pamilya mula sa Regions II, III, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, at V ang apektado ng bagyong Rolly. Sa bilang na Ito, 416,195 katao ang kasalukuyang nasa mga evacuation centers. Kumpara sa mga nakalipas na bagyo, malaki ang bilang nito dahil umano sa maagang evacuation ng mga pamilya bago pa dumating ang bagyo. Sa huling ulat ng NDRRMC mula kaninang umaga, may 457,903 residente o 126,300 pamilya ang na-pre-emptively evacuated sa mga lugar ng Regions II, III, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, V, VIII, Cordillera Administrative Region, and National Capital Region. Inaasahang lalabas ng Pilipinas ang bagyong Rolly, Martes ng umaga.

Event to be organized by Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC) at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) The 17th edition of HEYA Arabian Fashion Exhibition, Qatar’s biggest platform for contemporary Arabian fashion, will return this year from 27 November to 1 December 2020 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC). The exhibition is part of Qatar National Tourism Council’s efforts to support domestic tourism and diversify local events. HEYA will take place under the umbrella of QNTC, and will be organised by Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC), a subsidiary of QNTC which now oversees all operations at DECC. QNTC’s Qatar Clean programme for hygiene and cleanliness will be implemented along with DECC’s precautionary and safety measures. These follow best practices in business events both locally and globally, assuring a safe experience for exhibitors and visitors alike.

Nagtala ang Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) ngayong araw ng 164 na bagong kaso ng coronavirus (COVID-19) at 201 na bilang ng mga taong naka-recover sa virus sa loob ng bente kuwatro oras. Bahagyang bumaba ang bilang ng mga kaso kumpara sa mga nakalipas na araw. Sa kasalukuyan, mayroon na ring 129,784 na recovered cases sa Qatar. Mula sa 164 na bagong kaso, 135 sa mga Ito ay community cases at 29 naman ay mga taong bumalik ng Qatar galing sa ibang bansa. Samantala, sa kabuuang bilang mayroon ng 232 na mga tao ang namatay sa coronavirus. Dahil sa pangyayari, ang lahat ng naitalang bagong kaso ay inilagay na sa isolation area at inaasikaso na depende sa kanilang pangangailangan pang-medical. Ayon pa sa MoPH, 3,481 katao ang kanilang tinest uli sa virus sa unang pagkakaton sa loob lamang ng bente kuwatro oras na dumagdag sa 979,011 tests sa kabuuang bilang ng mga sumailalim dito sa buong Qatar.

Ang Exceptional Entry Permit sa mga residente ng Qatar na naipit sa ibang bansa dahil sa Covid-19, maari ng raw palawigin ng tatlumpung araw. Ang nasabing extension ay balido ng tatlumpung araw mula sa petsa ng extension. Ang Qatar Portal kung saan maaring mag-apply ng entry permits ay pwede ring magamit bilang extension ng entry permit. Ang original permit na inisyu para makapasok ng bansa ay maaring magamit ng tatlumpung araw mula na ito ay ma-isyu. Ayon sa Twitter account ng "Hukoomi", ang mga taong may paso ng exceptional entry permits ay maari pa ring mag-extend hanggang tatlumpung araw mula sa petsa kung kailan nila sinumite ang kanilang extension permits.

Doha: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said on their website that as part of State of Qatar’s plans for the gradual lifting of restrictions imposed to respond to COVID-19 pandemic, the previously announced travel and return policy was reviewed and agreed that implementation shall continue with minor amendments effective on 22nd October. The policy includes the following: First: Traveling Abroad Policy Citizens and Residents can travel abroad at any time, provided they adhere to the travel and return policy. Those wishing to travel must be aware of the precautionary measures implemented in the country they plan to visit in terms of quarantine policy, its duration, and the requirement to provide a COVID19-free certificate. Employees must coordinate with their employers about the dates of their travel and return to Qatar. They should consider the quarantine period when planning their trip. Second: Return and Entry Policy 1. Testing and Quarantine Policies Travelers returning from low-risk countries must have COVID-19 test upon arrival at the Airport, and sign a Home Quarantine Undertaking to comply with the home quarantine procedure for a week, noting that their health status on Ehteraz’s application will be yellow, indicating that the individual is under quarantine. On the sixth day, the individual should visit one of the PHCC healthcare centers to re-test for COVID-19. If the test result is positive, the individual is isolated and their health status on Ehteraz will change to red. If it is negative, then the quarantine period is completed by the end of the seventh day and their health status on Ehteraz will change to green. It should be noted that the COVID-19 Green List will be published on the Ministry of Public Health’s website and announced by the Civil Aviation Authority. The COVID-19 Green List will be reviewed and updated regularly based on public health indicators in Qatar and around the world. Travelers from the other countries, where approved COVID-19 testing centers are not in place, should be hotel quarantined at their own expense for a week. They should book a hotel quarantine for a week from the listed hotels on the “Discover Qatar” website. These individuals will require a COVID-19 re-test on day 6. If the result is negative, and the individual is asymptomatic, they are released from the hotel on the 7th day to continue the quarantine period at home for another seven days. Their health status on Ehteraz will remain yellow and will change back to green at the end of the quarantine period, which is 14 days in total. If there are MOPH approved COVID-19 testing centers at the country of travel, a COVID-19-free certificate should be obtained from one of these centers to be exempted from testing at the Airport. The Certificate should not exceed 48 hours before travel, noting that the list of COVID-19 testing centers is updated regularly on the Ministry of Public Health’s website. In the case of home quarantine, the accommodation conditions should be suitable and have a separate room with its ensuite bathroom. If the accommodation is not appropriate, one of the hotel quarantine packages must be booked for the quarantine period through the “Discover Qatar” website. People must adhere to the home quarantine guidelines to protect themselves and their family. If the traveler was a minor, their official guardian should sign the Home Quarantine Undertaking. 2. Citizens, their Spouses and Children, Permanent Residency Holders, and GCC Citizens: Citizens, their spouses and children, permanent residency holders, and GCC citizens can return to the State of Qatar at any time, provided that they adhere to the travel and return policies according to the countries of travel. Citizens, their spouses and children, permanent residency holders, and GCC citizens shall bear the cost of the hotel quarantine for a week, provided that the booking is made through “Discover Qatar.” If the individual’s accommodation condition doesn’t meet the home quarantine criteria, the hotel booking should be for 2 weeks. Patients receiving treatment abroad at the expense of the State, along with their escorts, shall be exempted from the cost of the hotel quarantine. The same applies to the employees who are on official missions, provided that the hotel quarantine conditions applies. 3. Residents: Residents were allowed to return to the State of Qatar on 1st August by applying for an “Exceptional Entry Permit” through the “Qatar Portal” website. The employer should submit an “Exceptional Entry Permit” application for the company/ institute’s employees electronically via the “Qatar Portal” website. A similar process applies to domestic workers. The employer shall bear the costs of the quarantine in the dedicated facilities for two weeks, provided that the booking is made through the “Discover Qatar” website. 4. Vulnerable Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine: The following vulnerable group returning from travel (Qatari and Residents) and their immediate family members living in the same household, including their domestic helpers returning with them are eligible for home quarantine: Persons aged 55 years old and above. Recipients of an organ or bone marrow transplant. Patients with hypertension who are on treatment. Patients with conditions that require immune-suppressive treatment. Patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease. Patients with moderate to severe asthma. Cancer patients with metastasis and those on treatment (Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy). Pregnant females (any trimester). Nursing mothers with children aged 0-5 years. Patients with End-Stage Renal Failure (ESRD) or on dialysis. Patients with Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) and decompensation. Patients with lower-limb amputations. People with disabilities where they are dependent on others for their activities of daily living. Children with disabilities and their mothers. Patients with epilepsy and on treatment. Patients with diabetic foot infections. People with deceased first-degree relatives in the last ten days. People with mental health problems on antipsychotic medications and whose condition is aggravated by staying in closed spaces. Diabetic patients on treatment. Minor travelers (below 18 years old) traveling without an accompanied guardian. Third: Ehteraz App. Policy Travelers returning to the State of Qatar must download and activate the Ehteraz app on their mobiles upon arrival at Hamad International Airport. The following requirements must be met to achieve that: A Qatari SIM Card from a local telecom operator (Ooredoo and Vodafone). Internet access. A smartphone that supports either Android 6 and up or IOS 13.5 and up. Download the application on your mobile phone either via Google Play or Apple App Store or from any search engines on the internet. Diplomats, holders of MOFA issued administrative cards, and VVIP visitors are exempted. Health status on Ehteraz will remain yellow until the completion of the full quarantine course (7 or 14 days) and a negative COVID-19 result is obtained as per the quarantine policy for the travel and entry policy above. It should be noted that the process of issuing return permits for residents will continue through the “Qatar Portal” website until the need to organize the entry process ends, based on the status of the public health indicators in the State of Qatar and around the world. For more information, you can contact the relevant entities responsible for each process, and they are as follow: For the “Exceptional Entry Permit”, please visit the “Qatar Portal” website, or call on (109) inside Qatar or (+974 44069999) outside Qatar. For Hotel Quarantine Package Booking, please visit the “Discover Qatar” website or call on (+974 4423 7999). For Quarantine or Ehteraz application, call the hotline (16000) or the Governmental Health Communication Center through the Ministry of Public Health website.

Para masigurong maprotekhan ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa Qatar, isang ministerial decision ang inaasahang ilalabas para tuluyan ng matanggal ang kasalukuyang batas sa “reporting of absconding workers” (Balag Al Horob) o iyong mga empleyadong tumakas sa kanilang mga pinagtatrabahuhang kompanya. “We are working with the Ministry of Interior to cancel the system for reporting runaway workers,” ito ang pahayag ni Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA), H E Mohamed Hassan Al Obaidli sa kanyang webinar address na pinamagatang, ‘Labour Reforms in Qatar: A Virtual Panel Discussion of Effective Implementation’ na inorganisa ng Ministry at ng Embassy of Canada kahapon kung saan naging moderator si Houtan Homayounpour, Head of International Labour Organization (ILO) Office ng Qatar. Ayon kay Al Obaidli, hindi na maaaring magreport ng absconding workers ang mga employers. Ang maaari na lang nilang gawin ay sabihan ang kanilang mga empleyado na magbitiw sa trabaho para maiwasan ang mga pananagutang may kinalaman sa kanilang trabaho. Sa pahayag na binigay ng Ministry, sinabi nitong iimbestigahan nila ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon ng mga absconding workers at aayusin ang kanilang mga problema ng naaayon sa batas. Maaari silang maghain ng reklamo o magpalit ng trabaho, ang mahalaga ay matuunan ng pansin ang karapatan ng mga sinasabing ‘runaway workers’ na ito. “The report for absconding worker will not affect their status at all,” dagdag pa ni Obaidli. Ayon pa sa kanya, isa itong malaking hakbang na ginawa ng Qatar sa pagrepaso ng mga labor laws nito katulad na lamang ng kanselahin nito ang pagbibigay ng no objection certificate (NOC) para makapagpalit ng bagong trabaho. “The new reform allowed workers to change their work organisations freely which is first of its kind in the Middle Eastern countries. We have cancelled the sponsorship system completely,” payahayag ni Obaidli. Dagdag pa niya, kamakailan lang ay ipinatupad na ang non-discriminatory minimum wage sa buong Qatar sa pakikipagtulungan ng mga ahensiya sa kanilang local at international partners at organisation katulad ng International Labour Organization (ILO) na may adbokasiya pagdating sa fair recruitment, at managing human trafficking. “The reforms are being taken under Qatar National Vision (2030) which aims at converting Qatar into an advanced country enabling to achieve sustainable development goals and provide decent life to Qatari citizens and those expatriates living in the country,” sabi ni Obaidli. Para masigurong nasa tamang direksyon, tutok daw ang Ministry na ipatupad ang mga bagong reporma para protektahan ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa at maibigay ang pinakamaayos na working environment sa mga ito na aprobado sa international standards. “The reforms aim at making suitable work environment to attract expatriate workers in Qatar, foreign investments and companies,” sabi ni Obaidli. Ayon pa sa kanya, ang huling dalawang reporma sa pagtanggal ng NOC at sponsorship ay magbibigay-daan sa pagbabago sa job market ngayon. “Now the market has become more competitive. The companies operating in Qatar can also benefit from easy transfer of the workforce,” pahayag ni Obaidli. Dagdag pa ni Obaidli, ang pagpapalit ng trabaho ay sasailalim sa ilang pamantayan katulad ng notifying at serving notice period base sa kontrata- isang buwang notice period kapag ang manggagawa ay nakapagtrabaho ng hindi bababa sa dalawang taon, at dalawang buwan naman para sa higit dawalang taon. “To safeguard workers’ rights, we have started classifying companies according to their adherence to labor law. The companies which are complying to the laws, wage protection system, and cooperating with the Ministry are being provided faster services with easy procedures by the Ministry,” ayon kay Obaidli. Bukod pa sa mga nabanggit, ipinagmalaki rin ni Obaidli na lalong naghigpit ang Ministry sa pagpapatupad ng parusa sa mga kompanyang hindi nagbabayad sa kanilang mga empleyado at sinigurong ipapasara at ilalagay sa blacklist ang mga pasaway na kompanyang ito. “The Ministry in cooperation with international organisations started taking actions to curb human trafficking. First verdict will be issued soon to convict people in a case of human trafficking pertaining to immoral activities. In addition to other cases for trading visas and exploiting workers which are also under the procedure,” ayon pa kay Obaidli. Ayon kay Ambassador of Canada to Qatar, H E Stefanie McCollum, mahalaga ang kasalukuyang labor reforms sa Qatar dahil karamihan sa mga kompanyang galing sa kanilang bansa ay nagnenegosyo sa Qatar na nasa field ng education, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, legal services and communications. “Reforms are also important because Canadians are recruited in Qatar under labor law. About 9,000 Canadians work and live here with their families,” giit ni McCollum. Iba naman ang pahayag ni Chargé d’Affaires of US Embassy in Doha H E Ambassador Greta C. Holtz, “We intend to keep open the line of communications with embassies here in Doha, Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, and National Human Rights Committee,” dagdag pa ni Holtz. Ilan pa sa nagbigay ng kanilang opinion ay si Legal Advisor at Qatar Chamber Abdul Rahman Solaiman, ayon sa kanya malaki ang gagampanang papel ng Qatar Chamber sa pagtatanggol sa karapatan ng mga pribadong kompanya at sektor para sa ikakaunlad ng kalakaran sa negosyo sa bansa. Para kay Associate Editor and Director of Projects Migrant-Rights Organization, Vani Saraswathi, isang magandang hakbang ang pagtanggal sa exit permit at NOC para mapabilis ang mobility ng mga empleyado sa merkado. “These two are really promising steps. One of the strong point about NOC abolishing is that all can be done online – notice period to employer and apply for a new job which means that face to face interaction is removed,” pahayag ni Saraswathi. Ayon kay Managing Director of Nelson Park and Board Member of the Canadian Business Council Qatar, Jeffrey Asselstine, ang mga labor reforms na ito ay may hatid na positive impact. “I think that online system for changing jobs will become more flexible and easier. That changes will bring great benefit for employees and employers as well as the system is being more flexible and transparent,” dagdag pa ni Asselstine.

Inilunsad ng Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) at ng Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) ang joint project na National Influenza Vaccination campaign ngayong araw sa Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City. Ang flu vaccine ay sinasabing ligtas sa lahat na may edad anim na buwan pataas. Ito ay makukuha simula bukas ng walang bayad sa PHCC health centers o kaya sa higit kumulang 40 na private at semi-government facilities. Inaasahang mahigit 500,000 ang mabibigyan ng bakuna ngayong papasok na ang winter season na tatagal hanggang Marso ng susunod na taon. Ipinaliwanag ni Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 at Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation, ang kahalagahan ng flu vaccine, "Taking the flu vaccine is more important this year than amid coronavirus Pandemic. Both the Covid-19 and flu have the same symptoms and getting co-infected with flu and coronavirus can lead to severe complications." Dagdag pa niya, maraming mas epektibong bakuna sa flu kesa sa Covid-19 kaya naman dapat masiguro ng lahat na mabakunahan nito para maging ligtas at protektado.

Ibinahagi ng Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) kamakailan ang mga preparasyon na ginagawa nila na may kinalaman sa cybersecurity para sa nalalapit na FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 sa kakatapos lamang na Omans Future Tech Summit and Expo sa Oman. Sa pamamagitan ng video conferencing, tinalakay ng committee ang mga posibleng makaharap na problem pagdating sa cybersecurity maging ang mga pagbabago na kanila ng mga nagawa para sa nalalapit na football event ng dekada. Ilan sa mga tinalakay sa pagtitipon ay ang mga sumusunod; Artificial Intelligence (AI), data protection, digital transformation, the Internet of Things, blockchain technologies, financial technology, at fifth-generation communication services. Ayon kay SC's IT Director Maryam Al Muftah, importante ang mga preparasyon pagdating sa cybersecurity dahil kaakibat nito ang iba’t-ibang pagsubok sa pagiging host ng isang napakaling event katulad ng FIFA World Cup. Iginiit niya na malaki ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng cybercrime, data security breaches, at information systems failure lalo sa mga ganitong okasyon. Ginawang halimbawa ni Al Muftah ang naging problema noon sa Olympic Games kung saan iba’t-ibang online scams ang nangyari. Dagdag pa ni Al Muftah: "It is likely our threats will expand as we draw nearer to the tournament, meaning it will be necessary to build our cybersecurity skillset, grow compliance and maintain all our current capabilities. We have developed strong partnerships with major cybersecurity partners and will continue to nurture these relationships. We all need to be vigilant and continue to expand our expertise to tackle all aspects of this issue." Hindi lamang daw limitado sa malalaking institusyon at kompanya ang mga panganib na ito, dahil maging ang mga small and medium-sized na kompanya at pati mga indibiduwal ay maari ring maaapektuhan katulad na lamang noong nangyari sa Beijing and London Olympics noong 2008 at 2012. Maging aral na rin daw ang nangyari sa FIFA World Cups sa Brazil at South Africa noong 2010 at 2014, kung saan naaging biktima ng cyber-attacks ang mga website ng organizers. Ayon pa kay Al Muftah: "Based on the experience of previous mega sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and Olympics, we have to anticipate the same players and adversaries will look to target Qatar 2022."

Isinagawa ng Kaagapay ng Manggagawang Pilipino (KMP) sa pakikipagtulungan ng POLO OWWA at Bayanihan Qatar ang isang pagsasanay tungkol sa career enhancement program - job hunting skills para sa mga OFWs nitong nakaranng Biyernes sa Inspire Academy. Inorganisa ang pagsasanay sa pamumuno ni Mr. Bernardo Dijamco Jr, pangulo ng KMP na suportado naman ng iba pang mga opisyal at executive committees ng organisasyon. Dinaluhan ang nasabing training ng mga 30 participants mula sa iba't ibang organisasyon sa ilalim ng Bayanihan Qatar. Sa inspirational message ni Engr. Ressie Fos, tagapangulo ng Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksiyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), binigyang diin nito ang kahalagahan ng paglinang sa mga kakayahan at kaalaman lalo pa't mahigpit umano ang kompetisyon ngayon sa merkado ng mga trabaho. Aniya, "mahirap maghanap ng trabaho dahil marami kang kalabang ibang aplikante sa iisang posisyon, kung kaya't napakalaking bagay ang alam natin kung papaano natin ihaharap ang ating mga sarili sa panimula pa lamang ng proseso katulad ng job interview. Higit sa lahat ay makita at mapatunayan sa atin ang ating mga competencies." Dumalo rin at nagbigay ng mensahe sa mga participants sina Mr Elmer Espiritu, PICPA Qatar Adviser at Engr. Jerry Ronquillo, tagapangulo ng Bayanihan Qatar. Nagsilibing pangunahing tagapagturo sa nasabing pagsasanay si Mr. Alvin Guanzon, na nagbahagi ng mga kaalaman tungkol sa paggawa ng epktibong Curriculm Vitae o Resume, pagharap at pagsagot sa mga job interviews, at mga tips sa paghahanap ng trabaho. Sa panghuling bahagi ng pagsasanay ay tinalakay ni Engr. Ronquillo ang mga proseso sa paglipat ng manggagawa sa ibang kumpanya, alinsunod sa ipinatutupad na bagong mga batas (Laws No. 18 & 19 of 2020). Natapos ang programa dakong 3:00 PM sa pamamagitan ng pamamahagi ng mga Certificate of Participation. Masayang nagpasalamat ang mga participants sa KMP at mga opisyales nito maging sa mga resource speakers para sa bagong kaalaman na kanilang natutunan mula sa nasabing pagsasanay. Nagpapasalamat din ang KMP sa POLO OWWA, Bayanihan Qatar at iba pang mga sponsors ng nasabing pagsasanay.

Yahoo Groups, one of the last vestiges of the old Yahoo web properties, will shut down on December 15, 2020, when Verizon plans to take the groups.yahoo.com website offline for good. Verizon, which bought Yahoo in 2017, announced the decision today in emails sent to Yahoo Groups users and a message posted on the Yahoo Groups website. Today's announcement marks the end of the road for one of the internet's largest message board systems of its time. Nonetheless, despite its long-tenured history, the Yahoo Groups service, which launched 19 years ago in 2001, had fallen to the wayside across the years and slowly lost most of its once-massive userbase to newer services like Reddit, Google Groups, and Facebook Groups. Verizon, which never had a plan to revive the service, cited "a steady decline in usage over the last several years," began phasing it out last year. An initial two-phase process was announced in October 2019. At the time, Verizon announced that users would no longer be able to create new content (discussions) to the site after October 21, and the company planned to permanently remove all past user content on December 14, 2019. Mysteriously, Verizon also killed any attempts for users to archive their past discussions. While Verizon's 2019 measures allowed the Yahoo Groups website to live on, the site was never the same. Users lost the ability to post new discussions on Yahoo boards, but they still had the ability to create new groups and have mass-email conversations with all members at once. With its two decisions, Verizon effectively transformed Yahoo Groups from a message board into a mailing list, a decision in which many saw the writing on the wall for Yahoo Groups and expected the service to be eventually shut down in 2020 or beyond. That final announcement came today. According to Verizon, starting today, Yahoo Groups users won't even be able to create new groups. Only the email functionality will be left active, but this, too, will go down after December 15, 2020, when Verizon plans to shut down all of the Yahoo Groups infrastructure and end an era for many early internet users. In the meantime, Verizon is encouraging any Yahoo Groups leftover members who didn't leave the site last December to organize and move to new message boards and meeting places before emails start bouncing.

Doha. Isang mabilis na COVID-19 test na may kakayahang maglabas ng resulta sa loob ng 10 minuto lamang ang ipapatupad ng Qatar, ayon kay Dr, Enas Al Kuwari, Chair ng Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology sa Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Ayon pa sa kanya, bagamat mabilis, may mataas na accuracy ang resulta ng nasabing test. Ayon pa kay Dr. Enas, "Isinasagawa ang test sa pamamagitan ng pag-swab sa ilong upang masuri kung may antigens sa katawan at ilagay ito sa isang test card. Kadalasang ginagawa ang nasabing swab test sa mga taong may malinaw na sintomas tulad ng pag-ubo at lagnat. Itong pagsusuri ay kayang tumukoy sa virus sa loob ng unang linggo ng impeksiyon ng may accuracy na 97%." “The test is done by taking a swab from the nose to check antigens in the body and then inserting them into a test card. This examination is usually done on people who have clear symptoms such as coughing and high temperature. This test can detect the virus during the first week of infection with an accuracy of 97 percent,” Dr Enas said. Nagsimula na ang experimental phase ng paggamit ng mga devices sa pakikipagtulungan ng ibang HMC Departments. Sa ganitong paraan, hindi na kailangang ilipat ang mga samples sa laboratory dahil ang mga naturang devices ay kaya ng maglabas ng resulta. Makakatulong ito upang mabigyan ng mabilis na paggamot at pag-alaga ang mga pasyente. Dagdag pa ni Dr. Enas, ang manual at mabilis na antigen examination ay nasuri at aprobado na, at sa mabilis na panahon ay gagamitin na sa Qatar ng mga specialised healthcare providers sa mga kasong may sintomas o katulad na sintomas ng coronavirus infection .