Huge fires, monsoon rains and deadly landslides have wreaked havoc across the globe during the summer of this year.
Natural disasters have killed thousands of people around the world in just months, injuring countless more and leaving tens of millions without homes.
Experts say climate change has been a major factor in worsening weather events and the UN has called on nations to work together to tackle it.
Here are five recent natural disasters which have sparked calls for urgent action from leaders and scientists.
Flooding in India and Pakistan
A third of Pakistan ended up under water after rainfall levels doubled in September, with more than 1,500 killed and 33 million displaced.
In India, unprecedented rainfall has killed at least 500 people in flooding and landslides since the onset of 2022's monsoon season.
The annual monsoon brings South Asia 70 to 80 per cent of its annual rain, but it also brings death and destruction.
Experts believe the weather system for the Indian subcontinent is being altered by climate change.
A team of scientists has found that global warming was not the chief cause of the disaster in Pakistan — but climate change played “a really important role” in the fatal flooding, according to Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College of London and the study’s senior author.
Mr Otto said while it would have been a “disastrously high rainfall event” even without climate change, the flooding was “worse because of climate change”, and small changes matter a lot, “especially in this highly vulnerable region”.
The scientists examined records of past rains, which go back to 1961, and used computer simulations to compare what happened last month to what would have happened in a world without heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
Pakistan’s climate minister Sherry Rehman blamed global warming for the flooding, calling flooding that began in August a “man-made disaster”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told his cabinet in September that despite the country producing less than 1 per cent of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, it faced disproportionately more damage from climate-induced floods than other nations.
Earlier in September, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's external affairs minister, said: “We've had a very difficult time in India. And, of course, we are seeing this now [with] these extraordinary floods in Pakistan. So, if people still haven't woken up to it, they should wake up to the enormity of what these climate changes project”.
Typhoon Nanmadol
Typhoon Nanmadol, which killed two people as it brought heavy rain across Japan in September, is one of a trend of wetter storms in a warmer future, according to Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The storm injured more than 100, halted traffic and left thousands of homes without power. More damage was reported in southern Japan, where the storm made landfall before weakening as it moved north, AP said.
Two deaths were reported in Miyazaki prefecture on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. A man was found in a submerged car at a flooded farm in Miyakonojo town, and another was found underneath a landslide in Mimata.
“The worst storms will get worse,” Mr Wehner told CBS News.
Hurricane Fiona
Hurricane Fiona was another example of the worrying trend, according to Mr Wehner.
More than 1,000 stranded residents had to be rescued after the hurricane hit the US territory in mid-September, Governor Pedro Pierluisi said. The storm knocked out the island's power supply and caused catastrophic flooding and landslides after landfall, officials said, leading to 30 rescue operations. One man died while operating a generator.
The storm ripped asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, swamped cars, forced airports to close and dumped so much rain that some rivers rose up to six metres in a few hours, witnesses said.
Mr Pierluisi said more than 2,000 people were in more than 100 shelters on the island.
California fires
California's Governor Gavin Newsom signed what he called “some of the nation’s most aggressive climate measures in history” to combat climate change in September.
It comes after the state was hit by a huge blaze — dubbed the “Mosquito Fire” — California's largest of 2022.
Scientists say climate change has made the west warmer and drier over the past three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. In the past five years, California has experienced the largest and most destructive fires in its history.
The Mosquito fire, fuelled by dry vegetation, spread over 250 square kilometres soon after it began on September 6. It destroyed more than 70 homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Fairview Fire, about 120km south-east of Los Angeles, affected 114 square kilometres. Two people were killed attempting to escape the fire, which destroyed at least 35 homes and other structures in the state’s Riverside County.
Wildfires, droughts and storms in Europe
At least 10 people died and four were missing after violent storms lashed Italy’s central Marche region — just days before the country’s general elections on September 25.
About 400 millimetres of rain fell in just two hours, turning main streets into rivers. The flooding followed the worst summer drought in the country for 70 years, draining the Po River, Italy's largest water reservoir.
Wildfires caused by extreme heat caused chaos in Portugal and Spain, with a drought in the latter drying up a reservoir and revealing the “Spanish Stonehenge” — an ancient circle of megalithic stones believed to date back to 5,000 BC. In France and Germany low rivers reduced electricity output and affected the ability of barges to navigate rivers.
The fires and falling rivers are “manifestations of climate change brought about by human activities”, climate scientist Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at the National Centre of Atmospheric Research in Colorado, told The Conversation.
Dr Trenberth warned that 2022 is likely to produce a third year of a La Niña event, in which cool waters dominate the central and eastern tropical Pacific.
The pattern affects atmospheric circulation, keeping the main rains over southern Asia and the Indonesian region, with record-breaking marine heatwaves in the North and South Pacific, he said.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
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
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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POWERWASH%20SIMULATOR
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
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
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- 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
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
57%20Seconds
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RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
