Residents at one of Dubai’s most popular communities say their lives and ability to sleep are being severely disrupted by the intrusive flashing of aviation lights on a nearby building.
A new development in Barsha Heights, which is still under construction and currently referred to as Tecom Twin Tower, is causing upset in nearby residential community The Greens as it is beaming bright, "disco ball" lights into properties every evening.
Many in the community say they are enduring sleepless nights and are unable to use their balconies because of the lights, which are common on tall structures in Dubai to warn planes of the possibility of a collision.
Residents say the first light appeared about a month ago and the second was lit for the first time on Sunday, aggravating the problem. The misery is compounded by the fact that they have so far been unable to find out who owns the Tecom Twin Tower development.
"You can't watch television or step out on to your balcony at night because these ugly lights are flashing every five seconds," Steven Reilly, 35, an engineer from Ireland who lives in The Greens told The National.
“It’s just unbearable. Construction on the building has been on and off over the last three years, but they recently put the aviation lights up, which are being beamed at full power right into our homes.”
Other residents compared the aggressive lighting on the building to that used on space rocket launch platforms.
“I have contacted Tecom, Dubai Development Authority and Dubai Municipality but nobody is able to tell us anything,” said Ekin Bingol, 40, from Turkey.
“I live with my wife and young daughter and it is just so frustrating for us. It is impossible for us to sleep at night because these lights are flashing on and off, beaming into our bedrooms every few seconds.
“There is no escape from them at all.”
Mr Bingol said he had also been in touch with Emaar, the development company that owns The Greens, but even then he was not able to find anyone who could help ease their plight.
“I was told they couldn’t help us because the lights are coming from a building that is not on their property,” he said.
“I have even had to start watching videos on my phone in bed at night to try to distract me from the lights so I can try to get some sleep.”
Another resident said they think Emaar should be doing more to help the community in The Greens.
“Every night I get my fair share of disco lights beamed in, even through the blackout curtains we have,” said Elsie Gilmore, 55, from South Africa.
“Emaar should help us fight this as it is affecting the whole community and is having a life-changing effect.”
One tenant, who did not want to be named, said she was terrified that the value of her house was going to plummet if the lighting was a permanent fixture.
“It is like a disco being beamed into your apartment every night of the week. It is just awful,” said the Polish national.
“The only way to stop it is to use blackout curtains but I bought this property for the views.
“I had been considering renting out my property at some stage, but who is going to want to live here when there are blinding flashing lights pumped in every few seconds?”
She also suggested that the intensity of the flashing lights could pose a serious health issue.
“What about people that suffer from epilepsy?” she said.
“I have serious migraines and these constantly pulsing, flashing lights are not helping at all.”
While the offending building has no set opening date yet, it has already received a number of negative reviews online. A number of one star ratings have been left on Google for the Tecom Twin Tower by residents from The Greens.
“(These are) the sort of lights that go off at a bank during a robbery,” wrote Osama Uneeb Farooqui.
“That's funny because we have been robbed of a peaceful night in The Greens.”
Another resident posted that the lights were making it impossible for people to get to sleep.
“They need to be removed. They are disrupting everyone’s sleep," wrote Marianthai Skaloubaka.
Emaar, Tecom, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Development Authority did not immediately respond to requests to comment.
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Kanye%20West
%3Cp%3EYe%20%E2%80%94%20the%20rapper%20formerly%20known%20as%20Kanye%20West%20%E2%80%94%20has%20seen%20his%20net%20worth%20fall%20to%20%24400%20million%20in%20recent%20weeks.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20precipitous%20drop%20from%20Bloomberg%E2%80%99s%20estimates%20of%20%246.8%20billion%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3Cbr%3EYe%E2%80%99s%20wealth%20plunged%20after%20business%20partners%2C%20including%20Adidas%2C%20severed%20ties%20with%20him%20on%20the%20back%20of%20anti-Semitic%20remarks%20earlier%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3EWest%E2%80%99s%20present%20net%20worth%20derives%20from%20cash%2C%20his%20music%2C%20real%20estate%20and%20a%20stake%20in%20former%20wife%20Kim%20Kardashian%E2%80%99s%20shapewear%20firm%2C%20Skims.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
