Workers remove snow during a heavy snowfall in Kiev, Ukraine. Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Workers remove snow during a heavy snowfall in Kiev, Ukraine. Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Whirling dervishes perform a "Sema" ritual during a ceremony to mark the 744th anniversary of the death of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the father of Sufism, at Mevlana Cultural Center in Konya. Adem Altan / AFP Photo
Whirling dervishes perform a "Sema" ritual during a ceremony to mark the 744th anniversary of the death of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the father of Sufism, at Mevlana Cultural Center in Konya. Adem Altan / AFP Photo
Midfielder Danilo Pereira heads the ball during the Portuguese league football match FC Porto vs Maritimo at the Dragao stadium in Porto. Miguel Riopa / AFP Photo
Midfielder Danilo Pereira heads the ball during the Portuguese league football match FC Porto vs Maritimo at the Dragao stadium in Porto. Miguel Riopa / AFP Photo
The scene of a portion of the Interstate I-5 highway after an Amtrak high-speed train derailed from an overpass near the city of Tacoma, Washington state. Kathryn Elsesser / AFP Photo
The scene of a portion of the Interstate I-5 highway after an Amtrak high-speed train derailed from an overpass near the city of Tacoma, Washington state. Kathryn Elsesser / AFP Photo
Albania's opposition lawmakers throw smoke bombs inside the Parliament during the election of the new prosecutor, in Albanian Parliament in Tirana. Reuters
Albania's opposition lawmakers throw smoke bombs inside the Parliament during the election of the new prosecutor, in Albanian Parliament in Tirana. Reuters
Surfer Joel Parkinson competes during the Billabong Pipe Masters at the Banzai Pipeline in Pupukea on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Eric Thayer / Reuters
Surfer Joel Parkinson competes during the Billabong Pipe Masters at the Banzai Pipeline in Pupukea on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Eric Thayer / Reuters
Protesters hold a Honduran flag as they block a road during protests against the presidential election of Juan Orlando Hernandez in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Juan Carlos / Bloomberg
Protesters hold a Honduran flag as they block a road during protests against the presidential election of Juan Orlando Hernandez in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Juan Carlos / Bloomberg
A South Korean Marine aims his rifle on a snowy hill during a joint winter drill with US Marines in Pyeongchang. Yonhap / AFP Photo
A South Korean Marine aims his rifle on a snowy hill during a joint winter drill with US Marines in Pyeongchang. Yonhap / AFP Photo

World

World in focus - best photos for 19 December, 2017

Take a look at some of the best photos from around the world in the past 24 hours

Jason Von Berg
Abu Dhabi

December 19, 2017

  • English
  • Arabic

View more galleries from The National:

Deadly Philippine storm triggers landslides and flooding

Watch the 1,200hp Red Bull Torque dune buggies race in Sharjah

T10 League team of the tournament: Afridi in even as Kerala Kings dominate Season 1's best XI

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Our best albums of 2017

As You Were by Liam Gallagher
As You Were by Liam Gallagher
Bebalee by Fairuz
Bebalee by Fairuz
Damn by Kendrick Lamar
Damn by Kendrick Lamar
Divide by Ed Sheeran
Divide by Ed Sheeran
English Tapas by Sleaford Mods
English Tapas by Sleaford Mods
Elwan by Tinariwen
Elwan by Tinariwen
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1 by Calvin Harris
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1 by Calvin Harris
In•ter a•li•a by At the Drive-in
In•ter a•li•a by At the Drive-in
Letter to the UN Security Council by Ramy Essam
Letter to the UN Security Council by Ramy Essam
Lust for Life by Lana Del Ray
Lust for Life by Lana Del Ray
Queen of Hearts by Offa Rex
Queen of Hearts by Offa Rex
Raskit by Dizzee Rascal
Raskit by Dizzee Rascal
Reputation by Taylor Swift
Reputation by Taylor Swift
Stony Hill by Damian Marley
Stony Hill by Damian Marley
The Dusk in Us by Converge
The Dusk in Us by Converge
Themes for a Dying Earth by Teen Daze
Themes for a Dying Earth by Teen Daze
Woodland Echoes by Nick Heyward
Woodland Echoes by Nick Heyward
While you're here
Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

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

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