India has lifted the requirement for pre-boarding Covid tests for travellers arriving from China and nearby countries, following a sharp decline in infections there.
New Delhi introduced the measure on January 1, citing an increase in Covid cases due to the highly transmissible BF. 7 coronavirus variant in China. Travellers coming from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand were also required to show a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before departure.
They also had to upload a self-health declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal that India launched during the peak of the pandemic to enable contact tracing of foreign arrivals.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told the civil aviation authority that New Delhi was lifting these rules amid a downward trend of Covid cases in all six countries.
The Health Ministry will, however, continue random testing on 2 per cent of all arrivals from abroad, irrespective of the country of origin, to track emerging variants.
Covid-19 killed more than 530,000 people and infected about 44 million people in India, which witnessed a peak in cases in early 2021.
The daily case count has now dropped to an average of 100 or fewer, with 85 new infections on Monday, according to Health Ministry data.
Globally, the number of daily cases has dropped by 89 per cent in the past 28 days, according to the WHO.
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The five pillars of Islam
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Plastic tipping points
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“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.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
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6pm: UAE Arabian Derby Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 2,200m
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Plastic tipping points
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
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Price: Dh898,000
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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