Kofi Annan, an angel of peace, led the UN with sober dignity

Thanks for the beautiful article by Saeed Saeed From dance-hall to Sesame Street: Kofi Annan's pop culture moments (August 19). The piece introduced us to the multi-faceted personality of the wise and sagacious Kofi Annan, who led the United Nations with sober dignity and aplomb. He believed in quiet diplomacy, infinite patience and the virtues of silence in the midst of conflict. He was truly an angel of peace and his heart and soul were in the mission of the United Nations.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

School holidays should be based on weather patterns

I write in reference to Justin Thomas's opinion piece Why pupils might benefit from swapping the long summer holidays for a winter break instead (August 20): I think this should vary by country. Wherever winters are harsh, holidays should be in the winter. And when summers are harsh, they should fall during the summer. That would ensure concentration levels do not dip due to tough weather.

Asif Malik, Pakistan

Thanks to the UAE for its generous help to Kerala

I write in reference to your ongoing coverage of the devastating floods in Kerala: the UAE government deserves great praise for the generous help it has given to Kerala. Naturally, such appreciation from the public eventually subsides. God blesses those who do good work without self-interest. Many thanks to the UAE.

Jagdip Vaishnav, Mumbai

Bahrain ban is a rebuke of Qatar’s rulers, not its people

With reference to your article Bahrain stops issuing visas for Qatari nationals (August 22), The National's article was good to read. The recent ban on visas for Qatari nationals imposed by Manama, which excludes existing students, is a good development for the Middle East. Bahrain's decision reflects the hostile behaviour of Qatar and is therefore a rebuke of the Qatari goernment, not its people.Doha's recent attitudes and its failure to follow accepted international norms are the primary reasons for Bahrain taking this action.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

The UAE is on to a winner with artificial intelligence

I have been reading with keen interest your articles on the UAE’s investment in artificial intelligence. I really do think that, with this particular strategy, they might have picked a winner. Clearly the massive investment the UAE has already made in universities has paid off, since many Emiratis are managers and control large workforces.

If you now add to this the advantages of AI, you could well replace the need to draw intelligence from other nations while still allowing your wonderful fleet of managers to sit back and relax or focus on growth, while a computer does the hard graft. I look forward to seeing your nation thrive when the demand for oil runs out.

Glen Carruthers, California

PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

England v South Africa schedule:

First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

More from Neighbourhood Watch:

The changing face of Mussaffah

Hatta, where present and past collide

How old Dubai moved with the times and kept its heart

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

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 banned).

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.

Company%20profile

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Company%20profile%20

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE

Join parent networks
Look beyond school fees
Keep an open mind

if you go

The flights

Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.

The tour

While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20

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