Mass surprise was an early social symptom of Covid-19 around the world. From government announcements to work emails, words such as "unprecedented", "uncertain" and "unforeseen" became the norm, signs of collective bafflement and fear.
While shock was universal, how countries responded differed widely. The world had seen pandemics before. In 2015 Bill Gates gave a popular TED Talk on the impending danger of one. Many countries had emergency plans waiting in the wings. Some quickly swung into action, while others dithered. The UAE's agile governance allowed it to secure necessities from food security to mass testing. For the nations caught off guard, many of them developed, citizens wondered why no methodical response was forthcoming.
Handwringing in western nations led to devastating delays
In her book, The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Dangers We Ignore, Michele Wucker discusses why we often fail to respond to probable and severe threats. In an article last year for The National, the best-selling author asked how so many leaders were left desperately looking for policies to control the pandemic, and said Covid-19 should be the moment for an "urgently needed reset of our global mentality". This week, US Vice President Kamala Harris echoed the view by saying that the response to the virus was "not nearly good enough", asking major powers to start preparing for the next pandemic.
At the moment our biggest priority is fighting a raging health crisis. But Ms Harris is right to encourage leaders to turn today's reality into permanent lessons.
Success or failure at the outbreak of the pandemic largely depended on the speed at which governments reacted. Taiwan, despite being next door to Covid-19's point of origin, quickly introduced contact tracing and border controls. The response was so effective that the government is yet to impose a lockdown and has only recorded 12 deaths.
Hand-wringing in western nations led to devastating delays. Even a year on, politicisation continues to cloud the UK's otherwise improving situation after allegations emerged that Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would rather allow Covid-19 to "let rip" than see further lockdowns. The EU says it is suing AstraZeneca, a leading vaccine manufacturer, for what it claims to be the company's contractual failures. Whether true or not, a sluggish and bureaucratic response differs starkly to Britain's, which, rather than using the public sector to acquire doses, delegated the responsibility to a small taskforce comprising members with private sector experience, a rare but important success for London.
Future plans across the globe should take into account the specific difficulties at various stages of an outbreak. Whether preserving vital supply chains, tackling disinformation, or striking proportionate social controls, preparation will increase the chance of swift responses that do not underestimate, or indeed overestimate future threats.
Covid-19 will be with us for years, but at some point a new grey rhino will charge. This time the world better be prepared.
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
THE%20JERSEYS
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