Follow the latest on the earthquake in Turkey
More flights carrying humanitarian aid, including four so far from the UAE, landed at Damascus International Airport as the death toll in Syria passed the 3,000 mark in government and rebel-held areas in the north of the country.
The UAE has announced it plans to send seven aid flights to help with search and rescue operations in Turkey and Syria.
The National accompanied the UAE Armed Forces onboard a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft carrying more than 16 tonnes of humanitarian aid and relief.
The first cargo plane took off on Wednesday morning carrying 25 tonnes of aid, including food items, medical equipment and tents.
The two military transport aircraft landed on Wednesday evening.
The flights to Turkey and Syria over the past two days carried search and rescue teams from the Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, as well as taking a field hospital to Turkey.
The continuing operations are all a part of the UAE's Operation Gallant Knight 2.
“For Syria, the priority of aid identified by Syrian authorities are foodstuffs and tents, but we will also provide other support, with search and rescue teams, as well as a field hospital on the way,” said Maj Gen Saleh Al Ameri, Commander of Joint Operations at the Ministry of Defence.
Speaking to The National from the tarmac of Damascus International Airport, Syrian officials said several flights from other countries had touched down since the earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday morning.
“The flights from the brotherly country of the UAE comes within the framework of the air bridge that the UAE established to help the Syrian people as a result of the disaster that befell them,” Moataz Dowa Ji, Syria's assistant minister of local administration and environment, told The National.
The issue of humanitarian aid being sent directly to the Syrian capital has been a delicate one. The country's government has made an official plea to the EU for help, the bloc's commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic has said.
The EU was quick to send rescue teams to Turkey after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck.
But the bloc initially offered only minimal assistance to Syria through existing humanitarian programmes because of EU sanctions imposed since 2011 on the government of President Bashar Al Assad over his crackdown on protesters, which was followed by civil war.
After Syria called for help, the commission asked European countries “to respond favourably to this request” through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which co-ordinates aid.
The US said on Tuesday it was working with partners to provide earthquake relief in Syria, but would not work with the government in Damascus.
“In Syria itself, we have US-funded humanitarian partners that are co-ordinating life-saving assistance,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“We're committed to providing that assistance to help people in Syria recover from this disaster, just as we have been their leading humanitarian donor since the start of the war in Syria itself.
“I want to emphasise that these funds, of course, go to the Syrian people — not to the regime. That won't change.”
Mr Dowa Ji said the country needed “all kinds of aid to face this difficult circumstance that we are going through".
"Yesterday I was in Latakia province and I saw tragic scenes of the wreckage of the buildings, of the homeless people in the shelters, of the people who remained under the rubble,” he said.
International humanitarian groups working around the clock have said their biggest challenge was moving aid from Damascus airport to the affected areas in north of the country amid freezing weather.
“Much assistance is being received from many countries from around the region and the world,” said Hossam Elsharkawi, regional director at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“It's a race against time to get all of these supplies and all of these trucks all the way to the north, across many roads that have snow and rain and massive storms.”
Overnight on Wednesday, when temperatures reached minus 3°C in Damascus, staff at Damascus airport said they worked continually to receive relief aid flights from several countries and refuel planes for a quick turnaround.
“Logistics have been ongoing for several days since the devastating earthquake and we’ve been working non-stop and on overtime to ensure we’re receiving the aid and helping to refuel these military aircraft so that the runway is cleared for other flights sending assistance,” one airport worker told The National.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed ordered $50 million in aid to be sent to support people in Turkey and $50 million to be sent to help those in Syria, state news agency Wam reported.
On Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ordered humanitarian aid worth Dh50 million ($13.6 million) through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives to help people in Syria affected by the earthquake.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Teaching in coronavirus times
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Floward%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulaziz%20Al%20Loughani%20and%20Mohamed%20Al%20Arifi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EE-commerce%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbout%20%24200%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAljazira%20Capital%2C%20Rainwater%20Partners%2C%20STV%20and%20Impact46%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C200%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
SPECS
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