PODCAST: UAE in a minute for August 8, 2017

Making today's headlines: Fire-safe cladding, Qatar's outlook rating and a lunar eclipse

A picture taken on August 4, 2017 shows a general view of "The Torch", one of the tallest towers in Dubai, after a fire blaze ripped through it early in the morning.

This is the second blaze to hit the skyscraper after a previous inferno in 2015 caused extensive damage to its luxury flats and triggered an evacuation of nearby blocks in the Marina neighbourhood.
Authorities said no casualties were reported from the blaze which erupted in the middle to upper floors of The Torch, once the tallest residential development in the world. / AFP PHOTO / KARIM SAHIB

On Friday, a fire quickly spread to 64 floors, raising questions about how such a fast moving fire could be stalled in future. Karim Sahib / AFP

Juman Jarallah

Aug 08, 2017

Fire-safety authorities are studying plans to protect buildings that have combustible cladding and are evaluating if fire-resistant barriers can be added to replace the flammable exterior cladding.

> Plan to introduce fire-resistant barriers on older UAE buildings being studied

Qatar's banks have had their outlook downgraded from stable to negative by Moody's Investor Service due to weakening operating conditions amid a dispute with a number of co-regionalists including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

> Moody's cuts Qatar's bank outlook to negative as concerns about profitability rise amid Gulf spat

Star-gazers in the Arab world were treated to a dazzling celestial display when a partial lunar eclipse appeared in the sky.

> Check out the photos here: Lunar eclipse puts on dazzling celestial display