Last summer, after months of intense sacrifice and hardship due to Covid-19, some people around the world were lucky enough to be in a position to start seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
The UAE was one such country. It was a period in which the Emirates felt the relief of a gradual re-opening after several months of strict but necessary controls. Life was still far from normal, however. New variants were emerging, and deaths were still commonplace across the world.
Many of the countries that lucky holidaymakers visited during the summer season, often to see family members they had been separated from for months, would have still required PCR tests in advance and proof of vaccination. The return to schools was staggered, with the constant prospect of a resumption of remote learning if cases rose.
That is why this summer has still been an important chapter in the story of the UAE and the world's recovery from Covid-19. This one felt more normal than 2021, bar severe restrictions in only a few countries and travel chaos in many international ports, particularly in Europe.
But we are not out of the woods yet. In recognition of this fact, the government on Tuesday released the latest batch of Covid-19 regulations for when state-run schools restart on August 29. The announcement, made by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, also applies to school staff. Private school regulators in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have not yet announced guidelines.
Pupils aged 12 and over and anyone who works in government schools must have a negative PCR result no more than 96 hours before the start of term. Face masks are not needed outside but are required indoors. Social distancing restrictions are now being left to the discretion of schools. Those who come into close contact with an infected person do not need to isolate and can attend school if they do not have symptoms. In Abu Dhabi, a green status on the Al Hosn app will be necessary.
Taken together, these rules are a reflection of a vastly improved situation. But vigilance is still needed to keep new infections at the current low. There were only 602 diagnosed cases on Wednesday, for example, and no Covid-19 related deaths.
This should be easy enough to maintain, with the continued approach. For almost three years, UAE policies have been at the heart of one of the most successful Covid-19 strategies globally. The country's swift action at the beginning of the pandemic, to contain the danger, was followed by one of the quickest vaccination programmes in the world. This led to a re-opening that progressed relatively quickly, and which maintained momentum. There were no drastic lurches backwards and forwards as seen in some countries.
With the economy opening to international travel sooner than many others, the Emirates also gave the world a model for safely entering what has come to be known as the "new normal". We are still in that phase. Schools in particular, which by design involve so much mixing, can continue to set that example on August 29. By doing so, in the coming year, pupils and staff are paving the way for an even more resilient response to the virus.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Major matches on Manic Monday
Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)
Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Afro%20salons
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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