What's happening in India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Philippines, Europe? News in pictures from East to West today

PRANAB MUKHERJEE'S FUNERAL: Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee's funeral took place on Tuesday with full military honours. The former President, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, died on Monday, weeks after his brain surgery. He was 84. The government and many states have announced seven-day official mourning. | Prime Minister, Narendra Modi paying last respects to the former President of India. https://gn24.ae/a69a2353bd62000

SAUDI ROYAL DECREE: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has issued a royal decree sacking the Commander of the Joint Forces and the Deputy Governor of Al Jouf over corruption, Saudi news agency SPA reported early on Tuesday, citing a royal decree. The decree read: “The termination of the service of the Commander of the Joint Forces, the relieving of the Deputy Governor of Al Jouf of his responsibilities and their referral along with a number of officers and civil servants of the Defense Ministry for investigation.” https://gn24.ae/a6930290d52b000

INDIA SCHOOL OPENINGS: Public health experts in India from three medical associations have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting that schools and other educational institutions should be reopened in a graded manner. The statement issued by the Indian Public Health Association, the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and the Indian Association of Epidemiologists stated that the closure has had a significant impact on the teaching-learning system and mental health of the children. "It is time now to move towards normalcy. The opening of schools and other educational institutions could be started in a graded manner. There should be a pragmatic approach, especially in areas where a sufficient population is already infected," the experts said.

TEXTS BOOKS AND FACE MASKS: Tens of millions of pupils returned to school in France, Poland and Russia on Tuesday, their rucksacks loaded with exercise books, geometry sets and, for many, face masks to protect them from a resurgent coronavirus pandemic. Hand cleansing stations, social distancing and staggered play time will become the new normal as countries across Europe seek ways to get children back into the classroom safely and their economies functioning once again. But they do so at a time when infections rates are spiralling upwards across the continent and there are widespread concerns that the return to schools and offices, the autumn flu season and excess mortality in winter could drive a second wave.

WUHAN RE-OPENS ALL SCHOOLS: Students in face masks returned to class Tuesday in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged last year, as the city opened schools and kindergartens for the first time in seven months. Nearly 1.4 million students resumed classes at some 2,800 kindergartens, primary and middle schools across the city, following the re-opening of high schools in May.

BHUTAN OUT OF LOCKDOWN: The Bhutan government on Tuesday began easing the nationwide lockdown imposed last month after the emergence of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The lockdown was imposed on August 11 after Covid-19 cases were found outside of a quarantine facility in Gelephu, and community transmissions were confirmed in Phuentsholing, a southern town bordering India, reports Xinhua news agency. Addressing the nation late Monday night, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said the lockdown measures have been successful. He said the lockdown would be eased in a phased manner in a period of 10 days.

UAE's SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has valued the positive role played by the Palestinian community in the UAE's development drive, reaffirming that the UAE will continue to embrace and unswervingly support the Palestinians and their cause. This came in a speech delivered by Sheikh Abdullah via video conference during a meeting organised today by the Palestinian community in the UAE .

WORRIED FILIPINO EXPATS: Filipino expats have expressed their concerns after the salary threshold for securing a supplementary travel document mandated by Philippines Immigration for a Filipino to bring a family member over to the UAE has been revised. The minimum salary required to acquire an Affidavit of Support and Guarantee (AoS), an attested letter issued to Filipino tourists as a proof that they have the support of their family during their stay in the UAE, was raised from Dh3,500 to Dh10,000 with effect from August 24. https://gn24.ae/a695b4529ead000

'KILL DRUG SMUGGLERS': Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte publicly ordered the country's top customs official to shoot and kill drug smugglers in one of his most overt threats during a deadly four-year campaign that has been the centerpiece of his presidency. https://gn24.ae/a699d5d08162000

RUSSIAN JET VIOLATES AIRSPACE: A Russian military jet violated NATO airspace while it was attempting to intercept a US Air Force B-52 bomber flying near the Danish island of Bornholm, the alliance said in a statement Monday, calling the incident a "significant violation of international law." "The Russian Su-27, flying from Kaliningrad, followed the B-52 well into Danish airspace over the island, committing a significant violation of airspace of a NATO nation," NATO's Allied Air Command said in a statement.

'HOTEL RWANDA' HERO ARRESTED: Paul Rusesabagina, who saved hundreds of Rwandans during the genocide by sheltering them in the hotel he managed, and saw his story made into the Hollywood film 'Hotel Rwanda', has been arrested on terror related offenses, Rwandan authorities announced. The country's bureau of Investigation said in a Twitter statement that Rusesabagina was now in their custody after being arrested "through international cooperation." An international warrant was issued for his arrest and he is currently in police custody in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, said the Rwanda Investigation Bureau.

1.4 TRILLION RUPEES BACK-FEES: India's top court approved a 10-year payment plan for telecom companies to clear combined back-fees worth 1.4 trillion rupees ($19 billion), a ruling that may give cash strapped Vodafone Idea Ltd. some room to maneuver. The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the 20-year payment timeline as proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration and supported by telecom companies, but allowed the federal government to collect the amount in installments. The three-judge panel headed by Justice Arun Mishra said 10% of the dues must be paid in the first tranche. https://gn24.ae/a698436be69a000

RUSSIA VIRUS CASES SURGE: Russia surpassed the one million mark in total coronavirus cases on Tuesday as students throughout the country returned to classrooms on the first day of the new school year. Health officials reported 4,729 new confirmed infections, bringing the total to 1,000,048 - the world's fourth-largest caseload after the United States, Brazil and India.

SANOFI HALTS TRIAL OF COVID-19 DRUG: French pharma giant Sanofi said Tuesday that international Phase 3 clinical tests of its Kevzara drug for serious COVID-19 cases had proved inconclusive and it was halting the trial. The Phase 3 test - normally the last before official approval for use - "did not meet the primary or secondary evaluation criteria compared with a placebo, and in both cases, compared with established hospital care," it said in a statement.

DOCUMENTARY LABELS TRUMP 'MALIGNANT NARCISSIST': A new documentary based on the testimony of mental health professionals has labeled the US President Donald Trump a "malignant narcissist." "Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump" - released on streaming platforms Tuesday - claims not to be politically motivated. The film interviews several psychologists who argue they have a medical duty to warn the US public about Trump's alleged mental state.

UN MEETING ON BELARUS : The UN Security Council is to hold an informal meeting on Friday on the situation in Belarus, this time in public and with the participation of the country's opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, diplomats said. The videoconference session will focus on human rights in Belarus after the expulsion over the weekend of some foreign media and the refusal to grant accreditation to others, a diplomatic source said.

NO FANS, NO PROBLEM: Karolina Pliskova led a day of dominance for seeded players as the underdogs failed to bite at the US Open on Monday. Top seed Pliskova shrugged off the surreal setting of an empty arena at Arthur Ashe Stadium to breeze past Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-0 in 1hr 3min.

'BIO-BUBBLE NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED': Bio-bubble needs to be maintained in order for Indian Premier League (IPL) to happen, said Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli. The IPL 2020 will be played from September 19-November 10 in the UAE across three venues --Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. The initial tournament would be played without fans, and all the teams would be staying in a bio-secure bubble as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus. https://gn24.ae/a698fa8bc962000

FACEBOOK'S THREAT: Facebook threatened Tuesday to block users and media organisations in Australia from sharing news stories if a government plan to force digital giants to pay for content goes ahead. Australians would be stopped from posting both local and international news stories on Facebook and Instagram, the company said, claiming the move was "not our first choice" but the "only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic". https://gn24.ae/a69464f6f303000