A 11km bridge project that connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street in Abu Dhabi opened to traffic on Thursday.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, opened the bridge, said Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The project has seven bridges, including two that run over water for 3.8km. The six-lane highway, built by Aldar in partnership with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, can accommodate 6,000 vehicles an hour in each direction.
It also includes pedestrian and cycle paths.
To preserve the natural environment in the area surrounding the project, the developers used precast concrete elements and arch-shaped causeways to ensure water flow and minimise adverse impact on mangrove wetlands, said officials.
The arched causeway also maintains navigation channels for boats and allows fish and other marine animals to pass freely. Mangrove trees were also planted on nearby Jubail Island.
Aldar sourced 85 per cent of materials locally, as part of its commitment to adding value to the local economy.
The bridge is the first phase of the Mid Island Parkway project that is currently under design. It will ultimately link Al Reem Island and Saadiyat Island, Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City.
This network is planned for completion by 2028 and is designed to include cycle tracks and walking trails and incorporate sustainable landscapes.
Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport; Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and chairman of Aldar; Saif Saeed Ghobash, secretary general of the Executive Council; and Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive of Aldar, were also present at the opening ceremony.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
