A Palestinian youth is arrested by Israeli soldiers for throwing stones during a protest in Karmi Tsour in October last year. The Middle East's most intractable conflict is poised for another year of acrimony, petty squabbles and irresolution.
A Palestinian youth is arrested by Israeli soldiers for throwing stones during a protest in Karmi Tsour in October last year. The Middle East's most intractable conflict is poised for another year of Show more

The world enters 2011 with a full plate of challenges



Peace and stability will remain the focus in many parts of the world as the new year begins. Middle East peace talks and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon are high on the watch list, while the West focuses on its economic mess and a renewed fight against militancy.
 
GCC
Regional security, domestic politics, football and opera could well be the focus of attention across parts of the Gulf over the next 12 months. Saudi Arabia is due to host the annual Gulf Co-operation Council summit, which is likely to pick up on last year's theme of regional security.
Kuwait is facing a political crisis, amid allegations of clampdowns on political freedoms. The early new year could see parliament dissolved or the government resign, amid opposition efforts to oust the prime minister. Meanwhile, ongoing tension between the government and the opposition could spark further unrest in Bahrain.
The event may still be more than a decade away, but this year the spotlight is likely to fall on Qatar's winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup, as planning gets underway for innovations including carbon-neutral outdoor, air-conditioned football stadiums. The region will also get its first dedicated opera venue, when the Royal Opera House is officially opened in the Omani capital Muscat in October.
* Zoi Constantine
 
Lebanon
Lebanon is bracing for the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon to issue indictments for the 2005 assassination of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. In the lead-up to the indictments, Lebanon is likely to remain consumed by some of the key issues surrounding the court's investigation: are some of those who testified before the tribunal "false witnesses"? Will Hizbollah members be implicated? Will the country slide back into sectarian strife or will a Saudi-Syrian initiative - or a Lebanese resolution - help to pull the country back from the brink? This year will be shaped by the tribunal's impending indictments - expected to be released in the coming months.
* Zoi Constantine
 
Palestinian Territories and Israel
Coming off the heels of direct negotiations that ended faster than most could have predicted, the Middle East's most intractable conflict is poised for another year of acrimony, petty squabbles and irresolution. Dividing Israel from the Palestinians are a number of familiar but stubborn issues, including settlements, refugees, Jerusalem, control over water and borders.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, also have difficult years in store for them domestically.
* Hugh Naylor
 
Iran
Iran will face the challenge of nuclear talks with the 5+1 group - the US, Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany - in Istanbul this month.
Further UN and other sanctions may be on the cards this year if the talks fail, while the possibility of US and/or Israeli strikes on the country's nuclear facilities, or other military action, remains a threat. On the domestic front, the Iranian people are expecting a period of economic austerity as the government continues to push ahead with economic reforms. Elimination of one fifth of the US$100 billion (Dh367bn) annual subsidies for energy, food and services in December has so far been smooth but government critics say the move will lead to a steep rise in inflation.
* Maryam Sinaiee
 
Iraq
Iraq's squabbling politicians just about managed to form a new government before the start of this year, although the new year begins with a still incomplete Cabinet running the country. The prime minister, Nouri al Maliki, in charge for a second term of office, now wields unprecedented power. It remains to be seen if he will be the democratic moderniser, finally delivering peace and oil-fuelled prosperity. Either way, he faces the major challenges of holding together a fragile coalition government and suppressing a still-powerful insurgency. With US troops scheduled for complete withdrawal at the end of the year, hopes that the next 12 months will be peaceful seem slim. Expect to see more violence, more corruption and more poverty - unless the oil really starts flowing - plus much jockeying for position in the post-US Iraq of 2012.
* Nizar Latif
 
Jordan
The biggest concern for Jordanians is how to deal with price hikes in the coming year as oil prices have crept up internationally. For the government, the list of challenges includes reducing a budget deficit estimated at 1.06bn Jordanian dinars (Dh5.5bn), or five per cent of the GDP, as well as lowering the public debt of 12bn dinars, or 57 per cent of the GDP. It is unlikely that the government will clash with the newly elected parliament.
* Suha Philip Ma'ayeh
 
Yemen
With crushing poverty fuelling violence in the north and south, Yemen faces another year of security challenges. The ruling party said it would go ahead with parliamentary elections without the opposition - which could lead to a spike in violence.
Also, it is expected that there will be more clashes between government troops and al Qa'eda in the Arabian Peninsula, which claimed responsibility for several attacks last year. The continued instability means international investment will be low in a country desperately in need of an economic boost. Unemployment is near 30 per cent and more than 40 per cent of Yemen's 23 million people live on less than Dh8 a day.
* Mohammed al Qadhi
 
Syria
Damascus has a cat-like knack of falling on its feet, and it will take all of that agility to ensure that remains true this year. The Hariri tribunal threatens to plunge Lebanon - Syria's backyard - into civil war. Inexorably mixed up with that is the ongoing conflict with Israel, and Damascus is more expectant of renewed conflict with Israel than it is of signing treaties. There is the matter of nuclear inspections, with the UN likely to start pushing harder over an alleged secret reactor programme. And then there is the weather; after years of crippling drought, fingers are crossed for rain. There are some positives to look out for: the economy should continue robust growth and Syria can look to a widening club of international friends.
* Phil Sands
 
Afghanistan
With 2010 the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since the ousting of the Taliban government in 2001, the fears are that the scale of the bloodshed will continue this year. The drawdown of US troops is scheduled to begin in July, but whether this is just symbolic or will be the beginning of a full transfer of security powers to the Afghans is yet to be seen. While the suffering of Afghans will continue, much depends on the tempestuous relationship between President Hamid Karzai and Washington.
* The National
 
Pakistan
Pakistan moves into 2011 with little hope of respite from the traumas it faced last year. The daily threat of terrorist attacks and ethnic violence continues and the country is still recovering from devastating floods.
Washington's military goals in the region depend heavily on success in Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border. The increased rate of missile strikes from drone aircraft is likely to continue against militants.
This month, Pakistan's cricket-lovers will watch three of its players appear in Doha before the International Cricket Council tribunal, currently probing spot-fixing betting allegations.
Shah Mahmmod Qureshi, the country's foreign minister, is expected to visit India early this year to try and breathe new life into the India-Pakistan dialogue process, stalled since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
* Anuj Chopra
 
India
On the economic front, 2011 will be similar to last year, if not better: a year of high-octane growth, vertigo-inducing stock market rallies and the spread of unbridled consumerism. Last year, world leaders, with ministers and business delegations in tow, visited India eager to strike multibillion-dollar deals.
The government might survive corruption scandals this year, but it might not survive the fury over an unusual issue - the soaring price of onions. High food-price inflation threatens to impede economic growth, but for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, taming onion prices will be a do-or-die battle to save his own job.
* Anuj Chopra
 
United States
Barack Obama, the US president, is in for a difficult year. Domestically, he faces an uncertain Congress where Republicans, having seized control of the House of Representatives, take several months to decide whether to oppose the president at every turn or work with him on some issues.
Meanwhile, a sluggish economy continues its slow recovery, pleasing no one.
There will probably be little change on foreign policy. Iraq continues to be two steps forward and one back, while Afghanistan (and Pakistan) is one step forward and two back. Iran sticks with its waiting game.
* Omar Karmi
 
United Kingdom
Different sorts of unions will dominate the political and social landscape in Britain throughout the year. There will be royal unions, such as the marriage of Prince William, second in line to the throne, to Kate Middleton in April. More uncomfortably, there will be the political union between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats, who formed the first post-war coalition government after May's election. That arrangement looked decidedly rocky at year's end and will face even sterner tests in the coming year, not least when the public delivers its verdict in local elections in May. Finally, there are the trade unions, which could make life uncomfortable for pretty much everyone with threatened strikes over the government's public sector spending cuts.
* David Sapsted
 
Europe
It looks like being a case of "plus ça change, plus c'est la même euro" in Europe in the coming year. The financial crisis that has already seen Greece and Ireland slide inelegantly into receivership may yet claim Spain and Portugal as victims, further calling in doubt the future of the 16-nation currency zone, which became 17 today after Estonia joined the club. If that were not bad enough, the European Union is preparing itself for some vicious internecine warfare in June over the size of Brussels' spending in the second half of the decade. But it is not all gloom on the economic front. Booming Turkey promises to emerge as a real European, even global, force during the year.
* David Sapsted
 
Asia
After becoming the world's second-largest economy, and following two decades of double-digit defence spending increases, China was willing to flex its muscles last year, picking a diplomatic fight with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea. More regional tensions involving an increasingly assertive Beijing and its neighbours over the East China Sea and South China Sea, which China insists it has "indisputable sovereignty" over, would be no surprise this year. Domestically, Beijing will grapple with an economy that continues to grow impressively, but shows signs of overheating, including rampant inflation that is cited as a potential source of social discontent.
Following a fraught 2010, this year might see a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Seoul having said it was willing to re-enter six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear programme.
* Daniel Bardsley
 
Africa
Sudan is due to hold a referendum on independence for its south on January 9. The referendum already faces legal challenges and could be postponed - although that could spark a furious reaction from southerners who would see it as a northern plot to keep control of their oil, and could lead to conflict. Ivory Coast also looks to be teetering on the brink of conflict after disputed November elections.
* The National

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

BMW%20M4%20Competition
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20Dh617%2C600%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: From Dh280,000

Results

6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson

The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters

Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo

Results

Men's finals

45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.

51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. ​​​​​​​54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.

57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.

63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.

71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg:​​​​​​​ Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).

81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.

91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.

Women's finals

45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.

51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.

57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.

63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).

Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

The figures behind the event

1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew

2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show

3) 1,000 social distancing stickers

4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue

THE CARD

2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m

3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m

3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m

4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m

4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Tell-tale signs of burnout

- loss of confidence and appetite

- irritability and emotional outbursts

- sadness

- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue

- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more

- impaired judgement

- excessive and continuous worrying

- irregular sleep patterns

 

Tips to help overcome burnout

Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’

Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do

Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones

Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation

Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.

MATCH INFO

France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')

Italy 1
Bonucci (36')

The bio

Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home

RESULT

Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')

Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)

States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

North Pole stats

Distance covered: 160km

Temperature: -40°C

Weight of equipment: 45kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 0

Terrain: Ice rock

South Pole stats

Distance covered: 130km

Temperature: -50°C

Weight of equipment: 50kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300

Terrain: Flat ice
 

LIGUE 1 FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)

Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)

Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)

Habib El Qalb

Assi Al Hallani

(Rotana)

Grand Slam Los Angeles results

Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos

Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf 

New schools in Dubai
Scores in brief:

Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).

The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience

by David Gilmour

Allen Lane

Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

-      Don’t do it more than once in three days

-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

-      Manage your sleep

-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

Afghanistan squad

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

RESULT

Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo:
Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')

ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)

Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)

Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)

MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

The specs: 2018 Genesis G70

Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000

Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
THE SCORES

Ireland 125 all out

(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)

UAE 125 for 5

(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)

UAE won by five wickets

If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

Anna and the Apocalypse

Director: John McPhail

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton

Three stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
bundesliga results

Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')

Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')