The headline of a CBS news article a fortnight ago was: “Omicron Covid-19 variant was in Europe before South African scientists detected and flagged it to the world.”
This report was a few days after a number of countries beyond sub-Saharan Africa suspended flights from southern Africa. There was no corresponding news of flights bans from European countries and the world was slow to express gratitude to scientists in South Africa, who had managed to discover the new Omicron variant that is worrying so many worldwide. Some Asian countries eventually banned travel from European countries, where Omicron was discovered. But the predominant reaction worldwide was to suspend travel from South Africa.
When it comes to crises, let's look at what the world might have learnt in the past two years. The pandemic was quickly identified as a global health problem. It became clear that no country could isolate itself from Covid-19. The very nature of the “global village” – that is, the world we inhabit, and the inter-connectedness of our economies – makes it impossible. But the world may have learnt something else as well, that the idea of a “global village” can be a myth, one that some liberals might be keen to promote as evidence that inequalities in the world are being flattened but the evidence points to inequalities of the world not being flattened.
In any village in any traditional society, it is unthinkable that one household dying from disease would be left to sort it out on their own, while the rest of the village went about its business, or the rest of the house battened down its doors and windows. Rather, everyone would and should band together to fight the ailment as a common threat.
It is not just Omicron the world has to worry about. There are likely to be more variants in the future
In this case, the western world didn’t do that. Vaccines were not first sent to the populations most vulnerable to Covid-19. They were sent to those populations whose governments could afford to buy them first, or those governments who planned in advance to receive them while others didn’t have the capacity.
As a result, some countries are encouraging their populations to get third doses of vaccines or booster shots while many countries in the world are struggling to get even one dose to the majority of their populations because vaccines are less available to them or the health system is incapable of widespread delivery of vaccines.
This is entirely counter-productive. Pandemics do not end with one part of the world getting itself vaccinated; not in the 21st century, because we are that interconnected. In today’s age, pandemics can only end when we are all protected, which is when the possibility of variations and mutations is lessened.
If, however, we do not take care of that neighbour in our “global village”, the likelihood of new variants developing increases. Rather than recognise this and waive patents for vaccine production, for example – so that more people can gain access to vaccines more quickly – companies and countries that produce the vaccines refuse to do so.
We all have responsibilities in this regard. The “anti-vax” movement across the world has variants of its own. In many countries, where there is high access to vaccines, such as the US or the UK, the scourge of “fake-news” pertaining to vaccines and Covid-19 has posed a serious threat. In this regard, countries must let science be the bedrock of policies in public health. Governments also have an onus to push back against disinformation that make such policies difficult to uphold.
It is not just Omicron the world has to worry about. There are likely to be more variants in the future. And beyond Covid-19, there could be other health crises as well, including the looming climate crisis. None of these are local, national, or regional problems and they all require international solutions.
In an interconnected world, we have two choices. One is to revert to a pre-modern existence, where what happens in, say, Australia might not affect what happens in, for example, America. The other choice is to recognise that in an interconnected world, we have no option except to acknowledge that our destinies are wound together, and global problems – particularly global health crises – require global solutions. Otherwise, the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic thus far will be only the first example of worse things to come.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More on Quran memorisation:
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Tour de France Stage 16:
165km run from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
The five pillars of Islam
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Company%20Profile
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