A devastating wildfire in the province of Corrientes in north-eastern Argentina has razed almost 8,000 square kilometres of land, or nearly 10 per cent of the region's area.
A report by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) released on Friday said 785,238 hectares of land had been burnt, which represents 9 per cent of the province's area.
Firefighters continued operations to extinguish the flames.
"We are trying to stop the fire from moving westward [towards the Ibera wetlands], trying to stop it from spreading. It's a very tough and complicated job because the conditions are extreme, with high temperatures and wind and little humidity,” said Daniel Arce, one of the firemen involved in the operation.
The governor of Corrientes, Gustavo Valdes, declared the province an "ecological and environmental disaster zone".
The flames threaten wildlife in the Ibera National Park, the largest wetland in the country and one of its largest ecosystems.
Many animals have been burnt by flames or poisoned by smoke, while others have been run over on roads while trying to escape the fires. Some of them wander in search of new places, after their habitats were destroyed by drought and fire.
Local officials who manage the site of ecological importance said that drought had parched the once green area.
"The intensity of the fire that kept spreading, just as here, it happened in other places. Today 9 per cent of [Corrientes] province was burnt. To think that today we are defending from an intense drought, a province that is normally green, full of water,” said Alejandra Boloqui, administrator of Don Luis Natural Reserve.
Farmers in the area are abandoning hope that rainfall will come soon and ease the crisis.
"The fire is too big and overwhelming, we can only hope for rain that is not going to come,” said Mirta Niz, a rancher.
“So we depend on luck. We don't want it to continue because we have more lands, some 40km inland and we have two other very large pine plantations. All our lands are going to burn, we don't have anywhere to put the cattle, the cattle will burn,” he said.
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Plastic tipping point
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
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