A member of the FDNY passes outside the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, during the 76th Session of the U. N. General Assembly in New York. (AP Photo / John Minchillo, Pool)
A member of the FDNY passes outside the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, during the 76th Session of the U. N. General Assembly in New York. (AP Photo / John Minchillo, Pool)
A member of the FDNY passes outside the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, during the 76th Session of the U. N. General Assembly in New York. (AP Photo / John Minchillo, Pool)
A member of the FDNY passes outside the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, during the 76th Session of the U. N. General Assembly in New York. (AP Photo / John Minchillo, Pool)

Chaos of UN week a welcome sight for many New Yorkers


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

Follow for live UN General Assembly coverage

For New Yorkers, the gridlock and street closures of late September mean one thing: the UN General Assembly is back in town, signifying a return to normality with hundreds of world leaders and their entourages.

This time last year, even the most jaded residents would have welcomed the cacophony of angry horns and police sirens flooding the eastside of Manhattan near the UN headquarters.

In 2020, the assembly was held online and streets were almost deserted. Even ambulance drivers stopped using warning signals.

Karnail Singh poses in his New York City yellow cab. The driver is happy that the UNGA has returned even if it means more traffic. Willy Lowry / The National
Karnail Singh poses in his New York City yellow cab. The driver is happy that the UNGA has returned even if it means more traffic. Willy Lowry / The National

UNGA 2021 is a hybrid event due to the Delta variant surge, with 100 world leaders attending in person and many others choosing to stay home.

Leaders attending were encouraged to reduce their groups to seven on-site attending and access to the event has been pared down.

But there is a determination to take small steps towards a return. The traffic is just one indicator of this.

“There’s always a lot of police and traffic is deadlocked,” said Karnail Singh, who has driven a New York City yellow cab for 30 years.

And even though it is not a full slate of world dignitaries, it is a welcome return for many New Yorkers who view it as a harbinger of the end of the pandemic.

“On the one hand, I’m not a fan of the traffic, of having to show my ID just to get back into my apartment,” said Taimur Dar, who lives within the expanded police perimeter that is set up every year around the UN complex on the East River.

“On the other hand, after 2020, you kind of miss that kind of disruption and that normality, as annoying as it may be in your daily lives.”

Taimur Dar lives close to the UN headquarters and is excited to have world leaders back in town. Willy Lowry / The National
Taimur Dar lives close to the UN headquarters and is excited to have world leaders back in town. Willy Lowry / The National

New York City was hit extraordinarily hard by Covid-19. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 1 million New Yorkers have been infected with the virus and 34,000 have died.

The city has also experienced a mass departure as many left for employment and financial reasons, and pandemic restrictions have heavily reduced tourism, a major part of the city’s economy.

In 2020, 22.3 million people visited the city, a decrease of 67 per cent from the previous year.

The economic impact was even more devastating. The state comptroller reported that the economic impact from tourism has plummeted 75 per cent from $80.3 billion in 2019 to $20.2bn in 2020.

Those numbers are expected to climb slightly in 2021, said NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency, with 38.3 million people expected to visit the Big Apple this year.

New Yorkers appear to be cautiously optimistic that events like the general assembly, even hybrid ones, signal the welcome return of a city still struggling with the pandemic.

  • Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
    Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
  • Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
    Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
  • Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. EPA
    Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. EPA
  • Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-sixth session. Photo: United Nations
    Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-sixth session. Photo: United Nations
  • Syria's foreign minister Faisal Mekdad addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo
    Syria's foreign minister Faisal Mekdad addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo
  • Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz speaks in a prerecorded video during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bloomberg
    Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz speaks in a prerecorded video during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bloomberg
  • Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic's president, also speaks via live stream. Bloomberg
    Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic's president, also speaks via live stream. Bloomberg
  • A sign informs United Nations employees of coronavirus protocols. AFP
    A sign informs United Nations employees of coronavirus protocols. AFP
  • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the scaled-back meeting. Bloomberg
    Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the scaled-back meeting. Bloomberg
  • Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, speaks in a prerecorded video. Bloomberg
    Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, speaks in a prerecorded video. Bloomberg
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the UN General Assembly. AP Photo
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the UN General Assembly. AP Photo
  • Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi sent a recorded message. AP Photo
    Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi sent a recorded message. AP Photo
  • South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook outside the UN headquarters in New York. Reuters
    South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook outside the UN headquarters in New York. Reuters
  • Peruvian President Pedro Castillo speaks at the assembly. AP Photo
    Peruvian President Pedro Castillo speaks at the assembly. AP Photo
  • Poland's President Andrzej Duda leaves the stage after delivering his speech. Reuters
    Poland's President Andrzej Duda leaves the stage after delivering his speech. Reuters
  • US President Joe Biden addresses the session. AP Photo
    US President Joe Biden addresses the session. AP Photo
  • A member of the New York City Fire Department outside the UN headquarters. AP Photo
    A member of the New York City Fire Department outside the UN headquarters. AP Photo
  • Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaks during the meeting. Reuters
    Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaks during the meeting. Reuters
  • Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev addresses world leaders by video. Reuters
    Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev addresses world leaders by video. Reuters
  • Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim addresses the session. AP Photo
    Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim addresses the session. AP Photo
  • Streets near the UN headquarters in New York were closed ahead of the meeting. AFP
    Streets near the UN headquarters in New York were closed ahead of the meeting. AFP
  • Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih gets ready to address the annual UN General Assembly. AP Photo
    Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih gets ready to address the annual UN General Assembly. AP Photo
  • Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, addresses the UN General Assembly. Bloomberg
    Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, addresses the UN General Assembly. Bloomberg
  • Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to world leaders. AP Photo
    Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to world leaders. AP Photo
  • Delegates listen to speeches. AP Photo
    Delegates listen to speeches. AP Photo
  • President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces Turkey's willingness to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change. EPA
    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces Turkey's willingness to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change. EPA
  • Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attended the session by video from Tehran. AFP
    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attended the session by video from Tehran. AFP
  • UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks. AFP
    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks. AFP
  • US President Joe Biden and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres meet at the UN General Assembly. AFP
    US President Joe Biden and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres meet at the UN General Assembly. AFP
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. AP
    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. AP
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez. AP
    UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez. AP
  • China's President Xi Jinping addresses the UN General Assembly session in a recorded video. AP
    China's President Xi Jinping addresses the UN General Assembly session in a recorded video. AP
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to meet Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. AP
    UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to meet Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. AP
  • Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, centre, walks outside his hotel while in New York for the UN General Assembly. Reuters
    Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, centre, walks outside his hotel while in New York for the UN General Assembly. Reuters
  • Protesters block 2nd Avenue near the UN's headquarters, calling on US President Joe Biden and the international community to help provide wider access to Covid-19 vaccines. EPA
    Protesters block 2nd Avenue near the UN's headquarters, calling on US President Joe Biden and the international community to help provide wider access to Covid-19 vaccines. EPA
  • UN staff remove British flags from a podium after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the media at the UN General Assembly. AP
    UN staff remove British flags from a podium after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the media at the UN General Assembly. AP
  • President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, speaks during the General Debate in the UN General Assembly Hall. EPA
    President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, speaks during the General Debate in the UN General Assembly Hall. EPA
  • Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS appear at a Sustainable Development Goals meeting during the UN General Assembly. AP
    Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS appear at a Sustainable Development Goals meeting during the UN General Assembly. AP
  • UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at a Sustainable Development Goals event. Reuters
    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at a Sustainable Development Goals event. Reuters
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Destroyer

Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan

Rating: 3/5 

UAE release: January 31 

ICC Intercontinental Cup

UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed

Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2

UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium

Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

2.0

Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
RESULTS

Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)

Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)

Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)

Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)

Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)

Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)

Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)

Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowdash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Trevaskis%20and%20Enver%20Sorkun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERestaurant%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20Judah%20VC%2C%20TPN%20Investments%20and%20angel%20investors%2C%20including%20former%20Talabat%20chief%20executive%20Abdulhamid%20Alomar%2C%20and%20entrepreneur%20Zeid%20Husban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

'Saand Ki Aankh'

Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

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
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELee%20Cronin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyssa%20Sutherland%2C%20Morgan%20Davies%2C%20Lily%20Sullivan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

The biog

Place of birth: Kalba

Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren

Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken

Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah

Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

MEYDAN RESULTS

6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).          

7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner  Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner  Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner  Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m

Winner  Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar

10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

Updated: September 22, 2021, 12:23 AM