The Ariane 5 rocket carrying Al Yah 3 blasts off from French Guianalast January. P. Piron / EPA
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying Al Yah 3 blasts off from French Guianalast January. P. Piron / EPA
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying Al Yah 3 blasts off from French Guianalast January. P. Piron / EPA
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying Al Yah 3 blasts off from French Guianalast January. P. Piron / EPA

UAE's Al Yah 3 satellite ready to provide internet services after successful tests in space


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The Al Yah 3 satellite has successfully completed in-orbit testing and is ready to support the launch of commercial services, operators Yahsat said on Wednesday.

It will now provide high-speed internet access to some of the most isolated communities in the world.

Al Yah 3 was launched into space on an Ariane 5 rocket on January 26 from French Guiana.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, tweeted a message of support on Wednesday.

"The success of the Yahsat satellite mission, with the participation of talented young Emiratis, embodies our vision to build a better future for UAE and humanity," he posted on Twitter.

Al Yah 3 is set to extend's Yahsat’s coverage to 19 additional markets across Africa covering 60 per cent of the population.

It also marks the Abu Dhabi satellite broadcasting company's first entry into Brazil where 95 per cent of the population will have access to its satellite broadband services.

Masood Mahmood, chief executive at Yahsat, said the launch brought many new opportunities.

"We are excited by the opportunity Al Yah 3 brings in our ability to deliver reliable and affordable satellite broadband services to parts of the world that need it the most," he said.

Wednesday's news is the culmination of a project which has seen Al Yah 3 designed and built with Emirati engineers leading at every stage of the process in partnership with manufacturer Orbital ATK.

“It has been an incredible journey for us and a very proud moment for both Yahsat and for the UAE," said Mr Mahmoud. "We are now focusing on the commercial launch of our services using Al Yah 3 over the coming weeks.” Mahmood added.

In the minutes after its launch last January, Arianespace lost contact with the booster. It transpired, however, that Al Yah 3 had separated from the rocket and was working normally.

The issue arose after the satellite was “inserted into an orbit that differed from the flight plan”, Yahsat said at the time

But the company said a revised flight plan would be implemented to achieve the correct orbit. Now that's been borne out by Wednesday's news.

_______________

Read more: 

Yahsat confirms UAE’s latest satellite is safe in orbit with a revised flight plan

Update: Al Yah 3 in orbit despite earlier lost contact

UAE's newest satellite will provide internet to remote global communities 

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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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.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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Gertrude Bell's life in focus

A feature film

At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.

A documentary

A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.

Books, letters and archives

Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
 

if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

Four-day collections of TOH

Day             Indian Rs (Dh)        

Thursday    500.75 million (25.23m)

Friday         280.25m (14.12m)

Saturday     220.75m (11.21m)

Sunday       170.25m (8.58m)

Total            1.19bn (59.15m)

(Figures in millions, approximate)

UAE Falcons

Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.

 
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
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