While there’s no denying we’d all rather be outside, most will understand how important it is to stay at home right now.
We’ve read the news and seen the statistics, staying indoors is essential – it’s for the greater good.
But spare a moment for the dogs no longer allowed to be walked. Unlike us, they don't know why this has happened.
Dogs don't do well with change, much the same as people
Dubai Authorities have introduced a temporary ban on walking dogs, as a sterilisation programme to stop the spread of Covid-19 continues across the emirate. If you have a garden, you are of course still able to offer your pet some form of exercise, but what about if you don't?
“Dogs don’t do well with change, much the same as people,” says Dubai-based pet behavior counsellor Aimee Orme, who runs Pawfect Behaviour. “Any kind of change is stressful for them.”
Five tips to help keep dogs who have to stay inside happy and house trained
Physical exercise: use outdoor space if you have it
It is important to limit the stress to dogs as much as possible, keeping pets stimulated throughout the day. “The best thing is mental stimulation, getting them to use their brains. It’s just as tiring, if not more tiring for them,” she says. “Right now, it’s going to be impossible to give them the physical exercise they need, unless you’ve got access to a big garden.”
If you do, Orme advises the typical games dogs love – high energy rounds of fetch or letting them chase you. “I play tag games with my dogs and my clients’ dogs,” she says, “getting them all excited and tapping them on the bum before running away.”
But those kind of games are much more difficult to play inside an apartment, especially if you don’t want to upset the neighbours. That is where mental stimulation needs to come in.
Mental exercise: teach an old dog new tricks
“You can go over their old training that they know, fine-tuning their “sits” and their “stays”, or any other commands they know,” Orme says. “Now is also a great time to teach them new tricks, like rolling over, playing dead, how to high five or jump over things.”
Lesley D'Souza is a force-free dog trainer based in Dubai. Through her business Paws for Applause's social media accounts, she has been sharing some of the games she plays with her own dog Sandy, to help them get through this period of self-isolation.
“One of our favourites is a DIY treasure hunt,” she says. “I got a normal empty cardboard box and filled it with layers of newspaper, and then in between the layers, I just dropped a little bit of her dry dog food and got her to go find it.
"It really gets them going mentally, it challenges them, and it brings out their hunting and foraging instincts as well. It’s a good way to mentally tire them out as we can’t physically exercise them outside now.”
Meal times: get them working for their food
Orme also stresses the importance of getting dogs to work for their food while spending great chunks of time indoors.
“Rather than just feeding them their food rations out of their bowl right now, make sure they are earning it,” she says.
“Whether that is through training, or just throwing the food into the garden for them to hunt for, or through feeding toys or puzzles, anything where they have to use their brain and work for things is going to really help.”
Routine: try to mimic their regular activity pattern
Making sure dogs get enough time for play and stimulation is also vital right now. D'Souza suggests trying to fit in an hour-and-a-half to two hours of play time a day, broken up into smaller chunks of time throughout.
“People are working from home and have kids at home too, so 15 minutes to 20 minutes at a time is fine. Each member of the household can take turns in engaging with the dog, so it keeps everyone busy and keeps the dog busy too."
Orme suggests trying to mimic their regular activity pattern. So, if you would usually take your pet for three to four walks a day, scheduling in time for stimulation at similar intervals.
“It’s also important for them to get enough downtime,” she says. “If you are in a busy household with a family all at home right now, the dog probably isn’t getting as much sleep as they are used to, and that makes them grumpy.”
House training: potty train them as if they are a puppy
Of course, being unable to go outside brings about an added problem for those with limited outdoor space – toilet training.
For many dog owners, this situation will be a first, and will mean potty training your dog as if they were a puppy again.
“My advice is to take a puppy potty training pad, it’s like a baby nappy but much bigger, and on top of that lay some sand or grass or gravel - whatever material the dog is used to going on when they are outside,” D’Souza says.
“Let the dog familiarize itself with it, and when they eventually do go, all the dog owner has to do is reward them or praise them as much as possible to show them they are doing what they are expected to do.”
Orme adds that setting up a dedicated toilet area for the dog is important. “Whether that’s a balcony or spare bathroom, set up a quiet area away from the main living space,” she says.
“Take them to it regularly. If they’ve just woken up, if they’ve had a drink recently, if they have been running around playing. You basically need to retrain them as if they were a young puppy again.”
It will take a bit of time and a lot of patience, D’Souza adds, but don’t lose hope. “I’ve had to do this with my dog Sandy, she’s 9,” she says. “It took her a while, but she got there in the end.”
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
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'Nope'
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
SHAITTAN
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
