After a barrage of fake news and foreign-backed advertising, nerves are on edge as Ireland holds a generation-defining referendum to legalise abortion.
On Dublin’s historic O’Connell Street - which was central to the fight for Irish independence - opposing campaigners dressed in red and green jostle for position, waving banners and handing out stickers.
Campaigners wearing green call on the public to vote yes in Friday’s referendum to repeal the divisive eighth amendment to Ireland's constitution. Volunteers in red urge voters to say no.
Passed in 1983 when the Catholic Church was still a powerful force in Irish politics, the amendment equated the life of an unborn foetus to that of any other human being, making abortion illegal unless the mother’s life was in danger.
Ireland’s strict abortion laws contrast with those in the rest of western Europe and particularly in neighbouring Britain, where more than 3,000 Irish women travel every year to end their pregnancies.
The “yes” vote seemed certain to carry at the beginning of the year but the polls have narrowed in the days leading up to the referendum, with many voters believed to be undecided.
The change has made yes campaigner Paul Bowman, who is handing out leaflets on O’Connell Street, feel last-minute nerves.
"We've seen in the past, with Brexit, that polls can be quite wrong," the 51-year-old IT worker says.
Although he lives in cosmopolitan central Dublin, Mr Bowman has spent time recently canvassing in County Sligo, a rural area in the north of the country.
“I would have said that there would have been a higher proportion of no voters out in Sligo than in central Dublin but people were very civil even if they didn’t necessarily agree. I’ve been impressed about how open people have been to talk about a difficult subject.”
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Read more:
Ireland’s abortion referendum ramps up pressure on Westminster to supersede Stormont
Ireland to hold historic referendum on abortion laws
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For Mr Bowman and the army of yes campaigners, half the battle has been to try and dispel myths surrounding abortion.
“There’s a certain amount of misinformation being put around by the no campaign, so when we’re out canvassing we give people the real facts,” he says. “Genuinely, it’s about addressing people’s concerns but then redirecting them to think about the woman again.”
In the age of fake news, the spread of misinformation has been a real concern to politicians from the main parties, the majority of whom are backing the repeal. The vote is seen as a major test for the country’s popular Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, who is not even a year into his premiership.
Under closer scrutiny from legislators all over the world following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, technology companies have tried to minimise the influence their platforms could have on the vote. Fearful of being blamed for another Trump or Brexit-style upset, Google banned all advertisements relating to the referendum while Facebook said it was stopping foreign-bought advertising on the vote.
Repeal supporters praised the move after pro-life groups in the US were found to be funding a wave of online advertising targeting Irish voters.
But Irish anti-abortion groups, who had planned to ramp up their online campaign in the weeks before the vote, argue that traditional media is biased towards the yes side.
“The national media here hasn’t exactly been unbiased. The government is biased as well,” says Anne Murray, spokeswoman for the anti-abortion group Pro Life Campaign.
The advertising ban has meant that the no camp have stepped up their efforts on the ground. In Dublin there are barely any lampposts or pillars without a poster linked to the referendum. Most lampposts bear posters from both sides, one on top of the other.
While the repeal posters focus on women’s rights, the pro-life posters portray a scenario in which abortion becomes widespread. If Ireland votes for repeal, the government says it plans to pass legislation to allow unrestricted abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, termination would be permitted only if there is a risk to the mother's life, if there is serious harm to the physical or mental health of the woman or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. These cases would have to be approved by two doctors.
Across the country, posters warn voters that Ireland risks becoming like England where “one in five babies are aborted”, stating the UK department of health as its source. Critics have slammed the use of this statistic because it only looks at the number of abortions in comparison with the number of live births and still births. The number pregnancies which end in miscarriage are not included in the department of health's figures because the data for this is not available.
Asked whether the “one in five” poster was misleading voters, Ms Murray says: “At the end of the day, what it is saying is that there are a large number of babies aborted in Britain every year.”
But such statistics are a concern for repeal supporters such as Kelly Coyle, welfare officer at University College Cork Student’s Union. The union was mandated by an overwhelming majority of students in 2015 to campaign for more liberal abortion laws.
“The majority of their posters and the statistics that they’re giving out lie,” Ms Coyle says, pointing to another campaign poster which claims that 90 per cent of foetuses with Down Syndrome are aborted in England.
"The worst one is when they say repealing the eighth will allow abortion on demand up to six months, when that is not the case at all. It's very misleading and is trying to get people's emotive response to vote no."
The no campaign worry that legislators will eventually allow later-stage terminations on demand.
“Now it is until 12 weeks but it will be on demand in the future because the eighth amendment is the only constitutional right the baby has in the womb,” says Darragh Bailey, a 22-year-old no campaigner. “Then the government have a blank cheque to do whatever.”
The yes campaign fear what will happen if they lose the vote because the government has said it will not hold another referendum on the issue.
“The government had to be dragged here. Eighteen months ago they said this would never happen. If we lost, then they could say, 'we gave you your referendum now let’s forget about it',” says Stephanie Fleming, a paediatric physiotherapist. Dressed in a hi-vis green jacket, she is holding a large yes banner by the side of the River Liffey and is at the mercy of drivers yelling comments from passing cars.
“But even if there’s a 'no' result on Saturday, we’ll be back out here Monday morning.”
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
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The five pillars of Islam
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Bullet%20Train
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MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets