We’ve all been there. You’re relaxing on an open beach, sailing on a boat, up a mountain or sitting outdoors at a cafe or restaurant, inhaling the fresh air...and then you notice it. Someone nearby – or maybe a whole group, is smoking, their fumes polluting the breeze and poisoning the moment. They don’t care, of course: if they did, they wouldn’t do it. Most seem to think that because it’s “outside”, it doesn’t matter. But the air we breathe is a shared space, so smoking on a beach is almost as bad as driving on it.
Initially introduced on a trial basis last November, Thailand has this week introduced a full ban on smoking and the dropping of cigarette butts on 24 of the country's most popular beaches, including several in Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Surat Thani. And the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources says the ban is expected to be rolled out across more beaches in future. Designated smoking areas are available for people who must light up.
The ban followed a survey last year which found over 100,000 discarded cigarette butts on a single 2.5km stretch in Patong, Phuket. As well as being an eyesore, the butts are toxic to marine life. Anyone caught breaking the law faces up to a year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht (Dh11,650), or both.
While most Thai beaches are unaffected by the ban – the country has over 350 "official" beaches - this is at least a start. Around the world, countries are waking up to the call for smoke-free environments. Last year, the Philippines issued an executive order bringing in a public ban on smoking in all public spaces, but most other countries, like Thailand, have only introduced piecemeal bans on smoking in certain areas.
National legislation banning smoking in all public indoor areas exists in a surprising variety of countries, including Canada, Australia, Russia, most of South America, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, as well as most Nordic countries, Turkey, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan.
Hopefully, restrictions on smoking around the world will continue to tighten and include a complete ban on smoking at airports, including in those not-so-airtight “smoking cabins”, beside the hotel swimming pool and – possibly worst of all – long distance coach journeys in countries like Vietnam, where there is no national legislation on smoking.
Other countries which smokers should perhaps head to, where there are no known “smoke free” restrictions, include Greenland, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Guyana, Suriname, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Yemen, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Bon voyage.
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The five pillars of Islam
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
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