To get a sense of how much Indians treasure the Ganges River, just look at the many names it takes. Ganges originates from the Hindu Goddess Ganga. There are several other titles, many of which have religious connotations. Today, cremation ashes are sprinkled in it and Hindus believe that bathing there can help wash away sin.
The Seine in France also has religious connections. It is named after the young female Celtic deity Sequana.
These are just two examples to show how humans still venerate their crucial, symbolic waterways. But they are also examples of how modern man is failing them.
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, which takes place in 2024, France has launched a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) effort to clean up the Seine. Years of pollution – largely as a result of sewage spilling into it – led to a ban on swimming in the river in 1923. By 2025, more than 100 years later, swimming will finally be allowed again because of the successful clean-up.
It is a less positive picture in the UK, where dangerously high water-pollution levels across the country have been controversial in recent years. They are in large part due to excessive use of fertiliser and pesticides, untreated sewage and polluted run-off water from roads and towns. High levels are estimated to put 10 per cent of freshwater and wetland species at risk of extinction.
Fortunately, people are taking note around the world. In 2017, a river in New Zealand was granted the same legal rights as a human being, after advocacy from a local Maori tribe.
A similar story took place in India, too. In March 2017, the High Court in Uttarakhand state, ruled that the Ganges and Yamuna rivers had the same legal status as human beings, although it was eventually overturned that year by the Supreme Court.
These practical and symbolic moves by people trying to protect waterways demonstrate two things. First, that humanity will always need freshwater. It is no coincidence that many of the world's great capitals were founded next to rivers. In Egypt, the Nile is as crucial today as it was for the Ancient Egyptians, in terms of health, livelihoods and environmental well-being. As the consequences of climate change become more obvious, their practical benefits will only become clearer.
The second is more profound. No matter what the culture, rivers always have some kind of deeper significance for people. One the most poignant and worrying declines in Iraq is the drying up of its ancient rivers and marshlands. As they disappear, people lose something beautiful and spiritual that their ancestors shared for thousands of years. It is little surprise that in the Iranian city of Isfahan, the dried-out river bed of the once copious Zayandeh is often cited in anti-government protest movements.
All countries have a right to industrialise, and it is inevitable that a rapidly growing population and economy will have effects on the natural environment. But it must be protected as much as possible. The good news from countries such as India, France and New Zealand is that a great deal can be done to reverse even decades of decline. In 2015, the Indian government launched Namami Gange, a plan to revive the Ganges, with a budget of 200 billion rupees, which this year has been given an extra 100 billion.
By taking the initiative to do so, governments around the world cannot just save the environment and its people, but the very soul of their countries, too.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Naga
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Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
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Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
The years Ramadan fell in May
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
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
