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Abu Dhabi, UAEMonday 19 April 2021

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 30, 2021. Saif Almarzooqi gets vaccinated at the Biogenix Labs at G42 in Masdar City. As of March 25, Biogenix Labs now administers the Sinopharm Covid vaccine. Victor Besa/The National Section: NA Reporter: Shireena Al Nowais

Sinopharm '90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation'
 Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, speaks during his inauguration as president, in Kabul, Afghanistan March 9, 2020. Reuters

Ashraf Ghani: Afghanistan will not collapse after US pulls out

World
Austin police, SWAT and medical personnel respond to an active shooter situation located Great Hills Trail in Northwest Austin, Texas. Image: AP

Texas police seek suspect in shooting

The Americas
This picture taken in Cape Town on April 18, 2021 shows a fire-fighting helicopter picking up water from a reservoir to help extinguish a forest fire burning out of control on the foothills of Table Mountain, above the University of Cape Town. AFP

South African Table Mountain forest fire threatens University of Cape Town

Africa
EDITOR'S PICKS
FILE PHOTO: An aisle of non-essential goods is seen cordoned off at a Walmart store, as new measures are imposed on big box stores due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 8, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio 

Anger and frustration in Canada’s most populous province after lockdown measures put in place

The Americas
Concern is mounting over the health of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny nearly three weeks into his hunger strike. AFP

Alexei Navalny supporters plan huge street protests in Russia

Europe
A woman wears a protective face mask in Bangalore, India. EPA / JAGADEESH NV

Which countries are relaxing face mask rules - and why?

Science

If Biden cannot lead on Afghanistan, Taliban rule will follow

Con Coughlin
Lf18 apr Julia Roberts evo main

Julia Roberts's style evolution in 43 photos
From left: Chadwick Boseman, Chloe Zhao and Olivia Colman are frontrunners for the Oscars they're nominated for. Reuters, EPA

2021 Oscars predictions: Who will win on the night?
IMOLA, ITALY - APRIL 18: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on April 18, 2021 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen wins chaotic Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Helen McCrory in hit TV series 'Peaky Blinders'. The actress died on Friday, April 16, of cancer. She was only 52. BBC

From 'Peaky Blinders' to 'Harry Potter': five of Helen McCrory's best roles
A Nasa illustration showing the ‘Ingenuity’ helicopter in flight. AFP / Nasa

How to watch Nasa’s Mars helicopter take first flight
TOPSHOT - The coffin of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is laid onto a modified Land Rover Defender in the quadrangle ahead of the ceremonial funeral procession to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. / AFP / POOL / Adrian DENNIS

Kylie Minogue and Liam Payne pay tribute to Prince Philip
Jake Paul knocks down Ben Askren. Courtesy Triller

YouTuber Jake Paul crushes Ben Askren in toughest test to date - in pictures
ROME, ITALY - APRIL 15: A detail from Gucci Aria collection on April 15, 2021 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images for Gucci)

Gucci sends a rabbit down the runway for Aria collection
Coronavirus
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 30, 2021. Saif Almarzooqi gets vaccinated at the Biogenix Labs at G42 in Masdar City. As of March 25, Biogenix Labs now administers the Sinopharm Covid vaccine. Victor Besa/The National Section: NA Reporter: Shireena Al Nowais

Sinopharm '90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation'

Health
A nurse prepares to give a vaccine at Kindi Hospital in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. AFP

Iraq plans Covid-19 vaccine passports for travellers

Iraq
People wearing masks to help protect against the spread of coronavirus, work at a food market hours before a two-day weekend nationwide lockdown, in Ankara, Turkey, Friday, April 16, 2021. AP

Turkey reports record daily number of Covid-19 deaths

Europe
Arriving two months early, Mia was placed in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit where she has been for almost six weeks. Courtesy: Father, Jeremy 

Battling baby Mia offers hope amid heartbreak for Filipino family

Health
World
Brig Gen Mohammad Hejazi. AP

High-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general dies, aged 65

MENA

Iraq: two soldiers injured in rocket attack on Balad Air Base

Iraq

Ashraf Ghani: Afghanistan will not collapse after US pulls out

World

South African Table Mountain forest fire threatens University of Cape Town

Africa
Business
Borrowing to invest hit an all-time high in the US in November 2020, with investors taking out more than $722 billion in loans against the value of their stock holdings. In December, leveraging jumped again to $788bn. Photo: Getty Images

Should you invest in shares or pay down debt?

Money

Asda owner EG Group buys Leon Restaurants for £100m

Markets

The best ways to avoid financial blind spots and build wealth

Money

UAE hospitality and tourism recovery to accelerate in 2021

Travel and Tourism
Opinion
Intensive care units are critically full as India battles a surge in cases. Getty

Covid-19 in South Asia is everyone's problem

Editorial

Afghanistan is the latest example of why the US needs clear policy goals

Comment

DMX and the fine line between creativity and illness

Comment

Ending war's most taboo weapon

Editorial

Natanz is not the only reason US-Iran talks got more complicated

Comment
OPERATION 300bn
A hydroponic farm in Dubai. Food security is one of five priority sectors that Emirates Development Bank seeks to support. Antonie Robertson / The National.

Emirates Development Bank to sign deals with five partner banks

Banking
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, with Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and EDB's chairman, at the launch of EDB Strategy.

How will Emirates Development Bank help the UAE to achieve its Operation 300bn goals?

Economy
Taqa's 1.2-gigawatt Noor Abu Dhabi solar park. The company will generate more than 30 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. Taqa

Abu Dhabi's Taqa to invest Dh40bn and expand its push into renewables as part of 2030 strategy

Energy
UAE firepower by Caracal at Idex 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National 

10 things that are made in the UAE, from perfume to plane parts

UAE
UAE
Tatyana Brown, 21, is the second candidate at NYUAD to secure the Truman Scholarship in the past eight years. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi

New York University Abu Dhabi student wins top US scholarship worth $30,000

Police rescue sailors from sinking dhow in Dubai Creek

UAE weather: sunny, humid and a moderate breeze

Abu Dhabi upgrades more than 100 green public spaces

Coronavirus: UAE records 1,930 new cases as 1,503 recover
Arts & Culture
From left: Chadwick Boseman, Chloe Zhao and Olivia Colman are frontrunners for the Oscars they're nominated for. Reuters, EPA

'And the Oscar goes to ...': Predictions for film's top award in 2021

From 'Peaky Blinders' to 'Harry Potter': five of Helen McCrory's best roles

The true cost of data breach fatigue could be detrimental to our security

Oscars show to be reinvented as a movie, say producers

Amazon cancels 'Lord of the Rings' video game first announced in 2019
Lifestyle
Lf18 apr Julia Roberts evo main

Pretty well-dressed woman: Julia Roberts's style evolution in 43 photos

Kate Middleton wears Queen's Bahraini pearls to Prince Philip's funeral

David Attenborough and Kylie Minogue lead tributes to Prince Philip on day of funeral

Maserati Ghibli Hybrid: Road testing company's first electrified vehicle

Maldives to offer Covid-19 vaccine to tourists
Travel
The Burj Al Arab in Dubai is one of the world's tallest hotels. AFP

UAE hospitality and tourism recovery to accelerate in 2021

Highlander55: Ras al Khaimah launches first multi-day long-distance hiking experience in GCC

Maldives to offer Covid-19 vaccine to tourists

11 daycation offers in Abu Dhabi, Ras al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah

Anthony Bourdain's new book is a guidebook to the places he loved best
Technology
Crypto bulls are out in force as growing list of companies embrace Bitcoin, even as sceptics doubt the durability of the boom. Photo: AFP

Bitcoin slumps 15% after hitting new highs

Markets

Adobe founder and PDF creator Chuck Geschke dies aged 81

Technology

Bitcoin’s green Nordic haven running out of surplus electricity as industrial thirst for power grows

Energy

Generation Start-up: Saudi Arabia's Zid looks to help more businesses move online

Business

Elon Musk beats Jeff Bezos to win Nasa Moon flight contract

Technology
Motoring
The Maserati Ghibli Hybrid mixes a turbocharged, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine from Alfa Romeo with a 48V mild-hybrid system

Maserati Ghibli Hybrid: Road testing company's first electrified vehicle

Volkswagen Middle East releases three cars in two weeks to cash in on Ramadan buyers

Future positive for UAE motoring, says Al-Futtaim chief

New Toyota Corolla Cross arrives in the UAE – and it's a bit of a surprise

Hummer resurrected: Meet the brand new fully electric super truck
Sport
Real Madrid's French defender Ferland Mendy (R) challenges Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah during the UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final football match between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Valdebebas in the outskirts of Madrid on April 6, 2021. / AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS

Breakaway European Super League clubs face fierce criticism

Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers says he's ‘delighted for club’ to make FA Cup final

Max Verstappen wins chaotic Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Thibaut Courtois: Real Madrid won't cry about injuries after Getafe stalemate

Greenwood at the double as United maintain slim title hopes
Podcasts
The Burj Al Arab in Dubai is one of the world's tallest hotels. AFP

Dubai dhow rescue, UAE tourism recovery, 1,930 new cases - The Daily Update

Beyond the Headlines: How Abu Dhabi’s Hope Consortium is helping to vaccinate the world

100 million meals, 2022 for business normality, 1,958 new cases - The Daily Update

Ramadan rain, UAE's moon rover, 1,798 new cases - The Daily Update

Can the reality of the electric vehicle market justify the hype?

#STAYHOME
Swedish nasheed singer Maher Zain appears in a number of Ramadan-specific playlists across major streaming sites. Courtesy Youness Hamiddine/Mawazine

From playlists to podcasts: what streamers have in store this Ramadan

A vegan iftar: Plant-based recipes for a four-course Ramadan meal

28 of the best Ramadan TV shows to watch in the UAE

Greatest Ramadan hits: 10 classic series you can still watch online

Sharjah to broadcast more than 130 shows in Ramadan
LONG READS
Members of the Mesopotamia Commission, set up to discuss the future of Mesopotamia at the Cairo Conference, in 1921. Pictured are Gertrude Bell (second from left, second row), T E Lawrence (fourth from the right, second row), Winston Churchill (centre, front row), and Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (left of Churchill). Getty

How Winston Churchill’s ‘40 thieves’ carved out the modern Middle East

Egypt
Scholemoor Cemetery in Bradford, northern England, has struggled to cope with an increase in burials during the pandemic. Getty

How Covid-blighted UK city Bradford has fought back against virus

World
Shorthand teaser. Getty Images

Lessons in Covid lockdown: Resilience, routines and self-recognition

World
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses outsourcing firms to employ content moderators. PA

Backlash at Facebook’s outsourcing firms policing social media

World
Lf18 apr Julia Roberts evo main

Julia Roberts's style evolution in 43 photos
From left: Chadwick Boseman, Chloe Zhao and Olivia Colman are frontrunners for the Oscars they're nominated for. Reuters, EPA

2021 Oscars predictions: Who will win on the night?
IMOLA, ITALY - APRIL 18: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on April 18, 2021 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen wins chaotic Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Helen McCrory in hit TV series 'Peaky Blinders'. The actress died on Friday, April 16, of cancer. She was only 52. BBC

From 'Peaky Blinders' to 'Harry Potter': five of Helen McCrory's best roles
A Nasa illustration showing the ‘Ingenuity’ helicopter in flight. AFP / Nasa

How to watch Nasa’s Mars helicopter take first flight
TOPSHOT - The coffin of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is laid onto a modified Land Rover Defender in the quadrangle ahead of the ceremonial funeral procession to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 17, 2021. Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99 just weeks after a month-long stay in hospital for treatment to a heart condition and an infection. / AFP / POOL / Adrian DENNIS

Kylie Minogue and Liam Payne pay tribute to Prince Philip
Jake Paul knocks down Ben Askren. Courtesy Triller

YouTuber Jake Paul crushes Ben Askren in toughest test to date - in pictures
ROME, ITALY - APRIL 15: A detail from Gucci Aria collection on April 15, 2021 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images for Gucci)

Gucci sends a rabbit down the runway for Aria collection