Across the world, December 2021 ended on a note that many people would have wished was different. There was vast progress made last year: speedy vaccine development and distribution, global economic recovery, and a return in the second half of the year to a semi-normal life. Yet, the Omicron variant asserted itself in the past few weeks with high infection numbers, so much so that December could have forgivably been viewed by some as a repeat of 2020, when coronavirus and its toll changed our lives.
Seen at this turn and just as we have entered the new year, an optimistic message from the World Health Organisation provides context and perhaps even solace, especially to the millions of people who have lost loved ones to Covid-19.
Expressing confidence that the world can finally put the pandemic behind us in 2022, the message of WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underlines the need for global co-operation and the imperative to reduce vaccine inequity, so that all nations, rich and poor, can together emerge from the woods.
Considering the increase in the number of infections globally in the past fortnight, due to the Omicron variant, Dr Tedros's message was a timely reminder of the goal that international stakeholders need to aim for this year. While acknowledging that 2021 has been tough, Dr Tedros said the world is in a much better position than it was a year ago. Strong, positive, fact-based messaging from the top, even when it comes with the familiar caveats, is the sort of well-regarded guidance that can lift wearied spirits.
We all want the pandemic to be over. There is no doubt or disagreement that all countries need to do their bit to reduce vaccine inequity. As Gavi's Dr Seth Berkley wrote in a piece for The National: "Today, the world’s wealthiest nations have protected more than 75 per cent of their citizens, while only in the poorest countries just 8.3 per cent of people have had their first shot."
While the severity of Covid-19 cannot be underestimated, there are glimmers of hope. The South African government, having done away with quarantine as a strategy, has said the Omicron variant is retreating. And data from a study in the UK says Omicron is less likely to cause severe disease, even though it is highly transmissible, so much so that a whiff of infected breath is adequate exposure.
In the UAE, the infection trend may have corresponded to high case numbers globally, but a determined vaccination programme over the past year – along with efficient collection and processing of Covid-19 data – has yielded good signs. The country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with more than 21.8 million doses recorded since December 2020. The UAE has also sent medical aid and vaccines to countries in and outside the region, be it to Syria, Gaza, Tunisia, other countries in Africa, or further east, to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Vaccination continues to be the best means to safeguard most people, without underlying health problems, from life-threatening conditions. Our individual responsibility is to ensure that we remain careful and consistent with masks, distancing and hygiene so that our circles and our communities are safe. It is how we can be best prepared to see the wane of Omicron, be equipped for other variants that could emerge, and perhaps in following these best practices, we can cautiously join in the hope, along with Dr Tedros, to beat the pandemic in the next 12 months.
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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%3Cp%3E-%20US%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20435%20members%20make%20up%20the%20House%2C%20and%20100%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20party%20needs%20control%20of%20218%20seats%20to%20have%20a%20majority%20in%20the%20House%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20Senate%2C%20a%20party%20needs%20to%20hold%2051%20seats%20for%20control%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20event%20of%20a%2050-50%20split%2C%20the%20vice%20president's%20party%20retains%20power%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
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