SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 05 MAY 2020. STANDALONE. Fire at the Abbco Tower near Nahda Park in Sharjah. Police and fire fighters responded to a blaze that was reported after 8:30. Police and Red Crecent members take the detailsof occupants while handing them water and juice. Resident Fadlallahie Hassoun (Syrian) with his cat that he saved from the apartment along with his wallet, phone and car keys. (Photo: Antonie Robertson/The National) Journalist: Salam Al Amir. Section: National.
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 05 MAY 2020. STANDALONE. Fire at the Abbco Tower near Nahda Park in Sharjah. Police and fire fighters responded to a blaze that was reported after 8:30. Police and Red Crecent members take the detailsof occupants while handing them water and juice. Resident Fadlallahie Hassoun (Syrian) with his cat that he saved from the apartment along with his wallet, phone and car keys. (Photo: Antonie Robertson/The National) Journalist: Salam Al Amir. Section: National.
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 05 MAY 2020. STANDALONE. Fire at the Abbco Tower near Nahda Park in Sharjah. Police and fire fighters responded to a blaze that was reported after 8:30. Police and Red Crecent members take the detailsof occupants while handing them water and juice. Resident Fadlallahie Hassoun (Syrian) with his cat that he saved from the apartment along with his wallet, phone and car keys. (Photo: Antonie Robertson/The National) Journalist: Salam Al Amir. Section: National.
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 05 MAY 2020. STANDALONE. Fire at the Abbco Tower near Nahda Park in Sharjah. Police and fire fighters responded to a blaze that was reported after 8:30. Police and Red C

Sharjah fire: homes up in flames is the last thing people need right now


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  • Arabic

With regard to Salam Al Amir's report Huge fire breaks out at Sharjah apartment block (May 5): it was horrible. Some cars parked close to the building were not spared by the flames either.

Jessy Jesz, Sharjah 

This is a very sad sight to see. With all the troubles people are already facing. Hoping the damage isn't too extensive and people can get back on their feet soon.

Evon Rawlings, Ajman 

Drive-in cinemas can't be great for the environment

With regard to Ashleigh Stewart's article Drive-in cinemas are coming to Dubai: is this the future of watching films? (May 6): a friend tried hard to get his drive-in cinemas licensed about five years ago. He got no support. How a virus can change things.
Stefan Wieland, Dubai

Twenty years ago drive-ins were all the rage.

Arif Khan, Dubai 

Is it smart having cars running for hours so people can watch the same movie as they could at home. Do we really not consider the environment at all?

Szilvia Olah, Dubai 

Good for winters only.

Fatima Rizvi, Dubai 

A search for answers and an appreciation for local heritage

I write to you regarding Anna Zacharias's report How Abu Dhabi was built: a tale told through its multicultural architecture (May 4): I was overwhelmed as I carefully went through each word the writer had penned.

I have lived on Electra Street for a year now. Just last week while strolling down the street, deserted because of Covid-19, to buy essentials I happened to notice that the name Electra Street is nowhere mentioned so I asked my husband, a long-time Abu Dhabi resident why people call it Electra Street. My husband is a doctor and I was expecting an appropriate answer from him although that was a futile effort.

Reading about it I found it is one of the oldest streets and was renamed Zayed Street in honour of the great ruler who transformed this place and rebuilt it besides preserving its heritage.

Reading about it I found it is one of the oldest streets and was renamed Zayed Street in honour of the great ruler who transformed this city and preserved its heritage. We have been going daily to watch the Al Hosn cannon firing during Ramadan and it is amazing to see cultural traditions being observed in such a modern city. Madinat Zayed has its own ancient heritage yet it is so contemporary. Loved knowing the history of the city that I am getting to fall in love with.

Dr Reena Agrawal, Abu Dhabi

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Scotland's team:

15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell

Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')

Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')

Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
What is an ETF?

An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.

There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.

The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash. 

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

Know your cyber adversaries

Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.

Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.

Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.

Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.

Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.

Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.

Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.

Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.

Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.

Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South