ABU DHABI // Iftah Ya Simsim, the Arab world’s series based on the popular children’s TV programme Sesame Street, is introducing the newest addition to its Muppet family at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair.
The character, named Shams, an energetic six-year-old girl, will make her first public appearance at the annual Abu Dhabi International Book Fair ahead of the much anticipated relaunch of the show later this year.
Cairo Arafat, managing director of Bidaya Media, the production company behind Iftah Ya Simsim said: “The show is well underway with filming and production at its Abu Dhabi home, and I speak on behalf of everyone at Bidaya Media when I say that the public debut of Shams is an incredible milestone in our journey to bring one of the region’s most loved television shows back into homes of old and new fans alike. We felt that the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is the perfect platform to introduce Shams, as it is both educational and a great way to reach out to young fans.”
Shams was created by Emirati puppeteer, Asma Alshamsi.
The character will appear on stage throughout the duration of the book fair.
Children are invited to Knowledge Square in Hall 7, in Creativity Corner, to meet and listen to stories read by the show’s puppeteers.
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair runs from May 7 to 13.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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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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Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)
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The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
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- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
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- 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
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Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
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Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
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Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
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Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
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Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
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The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
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