Squeaky clean: New York curtails rubbish dumping to deter rodents


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New Yorkers are facing new limits on when they can leave rubbish bags on the street, as the city tries a new weapon in its unending war on rats.

Any visitor to the Big Apple knows well the sight — and smell — of rubbish piled up high on the pavement, with bags often dumped during daytime hours.

Rats enjoy the easy access to rubbish and food remains, and the voracious rodents are a familiar sight on the city's streets, subways and alleys.

Rat sightings have increased 71 per cent since 2020, New York City Council member Shaun Abreu said.

On Monday, New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams said that homes and businesses would only be allowed to take out the rubbish from 8pm, four hours later than current rules allow.

“New Yorkers will not have to fear as many rats hiding in late night shadows,” Ms Tisch said.

Residents who are able to place their rubbish in pest-proof bins can take it out from 6pm.

“No more watching these bags litter our sidewalks,” Mr Adams said.

The mayor has pledged to solve the city’s sanitation issues and said in June that part of the more than $100 billion budget this year will be allocated to cleaning up public spaces.

In the first six months of 2022, complaints about rubbish on pavements jumped to 17,749 from 13,026, Politico reported in August.

Perhaps the best known incident of a New York rat sneaking some food waste home was captured in this viral video from 2015.

Profile

Company: Libra Project

Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware

Launch year: 2017

Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time

Sector: Renewable energy

Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.

PRESIDENTS CUP

Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:

02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
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World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

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Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe 

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How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

Updated: June 21, 2023, 7:16 AM