Latest: Dubai 'panther' sighting just a domestic cat, police say
A Dubai resident told of how she spotted a big cat in her garden, sparking a full-scale search by the authorities.
Eilidh Shaw, 39, who lives in the Meadows, told The National she saw the creature prowling near her swimming pool on Saturday evening.
Ms Shaw, her husband and three young children – aged six, four and six months – watched as the animal strolled just metres away, before slipping out through the fence.
The cat, thought to be a young panther or jaguar, then reappeared in the garden the next evening, on Sunday, which is when Ms Shaw shot a video and reported it to Dubai Municipality.
“This very odd, large cat walked past the pool,” she said.
“To me it just looked like a weird, oversized cat with a very strange body build. It had a chiselled jaw, big shoulders and a slim back and long tail.
“It was big enough that it caught my attention but not big enough that I felt it was an exotic wild animal.
"It wasn’t fazed by us being there one bit.”
Less than an hour after reporting the sighting to Dubai Municipality on Sunday, she received a call saying the animal welfare officers were investigating the claim.
After forwarding the video clip to the municipality, the lead co-ordinator visited the site and said it was "unlikely to be a domestic cat" because of the size of the prints.
“They were on it straight away and alerted security in the area. They were very responsive and have taken the report very seriously,” she said.
"The police and municipality officers were very vigilant and they set a humane trap just outside the garden, on a path alongside the nearby lake, with food inside to try and catch the cat.
"The animal welfare officer said because it had passed through our garden several times, it was obviously using it as a path, so it could return."
For now, Ms Shaw said they were staying indoors and keeping the children out of the garden.
She said she sent the video on a small WhatsApp group, in good faith, to see if people could identify what breed the cat was, and unfortunately it caused a big stir and so much speculation.
On Wednesday morning, the trap was still empty but the family was being kept up to date with the search progress by the authorities.
Dubai Police officers used drones to scan the Springs and Meadows neighbourhood on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Officials advised residents to exercise caution and to call 999 if they spot the creature, but said there was no need for panic.
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Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
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Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
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- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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Funding: about $8m
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Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
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Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
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