• Janio Morais Braga, 47, walks through his damaged banana plantation at a flooded area on the banks of the Solimoes in Amazonas state, Brazil. Reuters
    Janio Morais Braga, 47, walks through his damaged banana plantation at a flooded area on the banks of the Solimoes in Amazonas state, Brazil. Reuters
  • People visit Cape Collinson Chinese Cemetery to pay respects to their departed loved ones to mark the Ching Ming Festival, also known as tomb-sweeping, near the Chai Wan area of Hong Kong. AFP
    People visit Cape Collinson Chinese Cemetery to pay respects to their departed loved ones to mark the Ching Ming Festival, also known as tomb-sweeping, near the Chai Wan area of Hong Kong. AFP
  • Onlookers gather as the authorities recover a capsized boat in the Shitalakshya, Narayanganj, Bangladesh. AFP
    Onlookers gather as the authorities recover a capsized boat in the Shitalakshya, Narayanganj, Bangladesh. AFP
  • A picture shows the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, days before the reopening of museums and monuments following coronavirus restrictions. AFP
    A picture shows the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, days before the reopening of museums and monuments following coronavirus restrictions. AFP
  • Cambridge celebrate winning the Oxford v Cambridge university boat race on the Great Ouse, Ely, England. Reuters
    Cambridge celebrate winning the Oxford v Cambridge university boat race on the Great Ouse, Ely, England. Reuters
  • A one-year old mountain gorilla hangs upside down in the forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda. AP Photo
    A one-year old mountain gorilla hangs upside down in the forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda. AP Photo
  • People stand near a damaged house hit by flood water on a river bank in Dili, East Timor. Dozens of people are dead or missing as floods and landslides caused by torrential rains hit the eastern part of Indonesia and East Timor. EPA
    People stand near a damaged house hit by flood water on a river bank in Dili, East Timor. Dozens of people are dead or missing as floods and landslides caused by torrential rains hit the eastern part of Indonesia and East Timor. EPA
  • People visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation during its reopening in Cairo, Egypt. The museum reopened a day after a parade of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies - 18 kings and four queens - from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to their new resting place. EPA
    People visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation during its reopening in Cairo, Egypt. The museum reopened a day after a parade of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies - 18 kings and four queens - from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to their new resting place. EPA

From flooding in the Amazonas to a landslide in Indonesia - these are today's best pictures


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More from The National:

From a foggy wedding in Lebanon to Kyrgyz horsemen - these are Sunday's best pictures

From pelicans in London to firefighters in Russia - these are Saturday's best pictures

From Lego dinosaurs to Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate - these are Thursday's best pictures

From a monolith in Spain to cherry blossom in Washington - these are Wednesday's best photos

From Iceland volcano tourism to UK lockdown easing - these are Tuesday's best pictures

While you're here
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

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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 

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

The cost of Covid testing around the world

Egypt

Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists

Information can be found through VFS Global.

Jordan

Dh212

Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.

Cambodia

Dh478

Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.

Zanzibar

AED 295

Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.

Abu Dhabi

Dh85

Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.

UK

From Dh400

Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.

Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 qualifying, 10:15am

Formula 2, practice 11:30am

Formula 1, first practice, 1pm

GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm

Formula 1 second practice, 5pm

Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.