Another wave of industrial action has been sweeping across the UK, affecting key sectors and impacting millions of lives.
Major strikes were being staged on Thursday by a number of professions, from rail workers to healthcare consultants, each demanding better pay and working conditions.
NHS consultants' strike affecting patient care
Large-scale disruption to patient care is being reported as thousands of NHS consultants go on strike across England.
Consultant doctors and hospital-based dentists have decided to strike for 48 hours from Thursday until 7am on Saturday.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, warned the impact on patients and services was likely to be the most significant yet.
He said the NHS could not function properly without consultants.
Thousands of operations, procedures and appointments have been cancelled or rescheduled.
It is the first time in a decade consultants have been on strike and comes only two days after junior doctors staged a five-day walkout, the longest in NHS history.
The British Medical Association (BMA) held a ballot for protest action last month in which a vast majority (86 per cent) of more than 24,000 consultants voted in favour.
The government has offered a 6 per cent pay rise but the BMA described this as “derisory”, claiming doctors have witnessed their real-term pay decrease by more than a third in the past 14 years.
NHS trusts are now planning to manage without their most senior doctors, with many consultants expected to provide only emergency “on-call” cover on Thursday and Friday.
The government and the BMA are being urged to reach an agreement to prevent further strikes. Sir Julian urged them to find a way to agree on a pay rise that was fully funded by the government.
Rail workers' strike disrupts travel
Thousands of rail workers were on strike on Thursday, causing extensive travel disruption amid a protracted dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which includes station staff and train managers, is planning further walkouts on Saturday and July 29.
Simultaneously, Aslef drivers are enforcing an overtime ban this week.
Passengers across the country are dealing with varying service levels due to the strike action affecting 14 train companies, leading to later start times and earlier end times on many routes. In some regions only about half of the usual trains are running, while some companies have cancelled services altogether.
In a statement, a representative for the Rail Delivery Group warned that strikes and the overtime ban would cause “significant disruption for passengers”, potentially affecting their daily commute and plans for summer holidays.
Rail workers formed picket lines outside numerous railway stations across England.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said rail workers, who have been on strike for more than a year, are awaiting an invitation to return to the negotiating table.
“There is not an agreement in sight at the moment but we remain available for negotiation with the companies and with the government," he said.
The Department for Transport called on union leaders to present their members with “fair and reasonable” offers so the dispute can be resolved.
Meanwhile, another wave of strikes is expected to hit London Underground services next week due to a separate dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.
BBC journalists walk out in dispute over local radio cuts
In a dispute over cuts to local radio, BBC journalists are taking protest action that the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) says will affect coverage of Thursday's three parliamentary by-elections.
The NUJ reported receiving extensive public support for its campaign to protect local radio stations across England from job cuts and changes to working practices.
Paul Siegert, NUJ national broadcasting organiser, said the BBC's plans for job cuts and changes to local radio were unpopular.
He said: “We believe there are ways to protect and promote digital investment without cutting much-loved and valued local radio content.”
Those involved in the strike include journalists working in local radio, regional TV and online in England.
The strike is combined with a work-to-rule action as part of the continuing dispute.
A BBC representative said the corporation was continuing to support all those affected by the changes to their local online services and remains committed to delivering a local service across TV, radio and online that offers more value to more people in more local communities.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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How much of your income do you need to save?
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