Etihad passengers to the US and Canada will be the first to trial the International Air Transport Association's Travel Pass. Courtesy Iata
Etihad passengers to the US and Canada will be the first to trial the International Air Transport Association's Travel Pass. Courtesy Iata
Etihad passengers to the US and Canada will be the first to trial the International Air Transport Association's Travel Pass. Courtesy Iata
Etihad passengers to the US and Canada will be the first to trial the International Air Transport Association's Travel Pass. Courtesy Iata

Covid-19: Singapore to become one of the first countries in the world to accept a mobile travel pass


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On May 1, Singapore will become one of the first countries in the world to start accepting visitors who hold a mobile travel pass containing digital certificates for Covid-19 tests and vaccines, the country's aviation regulator said on Monday.

Singapore will accept the International Air Transport Association mobile travel pass, which was announced in December, for pre-departure checks. Travellers can get clearance to fly to and enter the country by presenting a smartphone application containing their data from accredited laboratories.

The Iata pass has already been successfully tested by Singapore Airlines. More than 20 international carriers, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines, are also testing the pass.

Last month, Virgin Atlantic became the latest airline to announce it will trial the pass on its London to Barbados route from Friday, April 16.

Singapore Airlines has been trialling the Iata Travel Pass. Reuters
Singapore Airlines has been trialling the Iata Travel Pass. Reuters

"The success of our joint efforts will make Iata's partnership with the government of Singapore a model for others to follow," Iata director general Willie Walsh said.

The Asian business hub, which has had relatively few coronavirus cases this year, has been a leader in developing and using technology during the pandemic, and wants to be among the first countries to reopen to host international events.

Airlines are hoping more countries will approve digital passes on apps to allow travel to resume faster and avoid complications and delays at airports where several checks are required.

Currently, travellers from most countries are required to take pre-departure Covid-19 swab tests within 72 hours of their flights in order to travel to Singapore, with results presented at airport check-in and on arrival.

On Monday, the nation's Ministry of Health confirmed no new cases of locally transmitted Covid-19 infections and 17 imported cases.

Profile of Bitex UAE

Date of launch: November 2018

Founder: Monark Modi

Based: Business Bay, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: Eight employees

Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Brief scores:

Manchester City 3

Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'

Bournemouth 1

Wilson 44'

Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

Bio:

Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour

Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people 

Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite food: Fish and vegetables

Favourite place to visit: London