• Slackliner Sandor Nagy practices on the beach in Boscombe, on the south coast of England. AFP
    Slackliner Sandor Nagy practices on the beach in Boscombe, on the south coast of England. AFP
  • Olympique Lyonnais' team players and US Port-Valais' players fight for the ball during a friendly football match between in Evian les Bains at the Camille Fournier stadium, part of the Olympique Lyonnais training camp in the city. AFP
    Olympique Lyonnais' team players and US Port-Valais' players fight for the ball during a friendly football match between in Evian les Bains at the Camille Fournier stadium, part of the Olympique Lyonnais training camp in the city. AFP
  • Farmers try to scare away a swarm of locusts from a field on the outskirts of Sukkur in southern Sindh province. Farmers are struggling as the worst locust plague in 25 years wipes out entire harvests in Pakistan's agricultural heartlands, leaving people scrambling for income. AFP
    Farmers try to scare away a swarm of locusts from a field on the outskirts of Sukkur in southern Sindh province. Farmers are struggling as the worst locust plague in 25 years wipes out entire harvests in Pakistan's agricultural heartlands, leaving people scrambling for income. AFP
  • A police officer secures a cordon after police entered the Times Square shopping mall to search for protesters during a rally set against a new national security law in Hong Kong. AFP
    A police officer secures a cordon after police entered the Times Square shopping mall to search for protesters during a rally set against a new national security law in Hong Kong. AFP
  • A waitress wearing a mask and face shield to curb the spread of the coronavirus brings order for a patron at the "Sanborns of the Azulejos" restaurant in Mexico City. AP Photo
    A waitress wearing a mask and face shield to curb the spread of the coronavirus brings order for a patron at the "Sanborns of the Azulejos" restaurant in Mexico City. AP Photo
  • Teachers and students wear protective gear as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak during a class at a Quran educational facility at on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Photo
    Teachers and students wear protective gear as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak during a class at a Quran educational facility at on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Photo
  • Students in a protective gear are seated at partitioned desks at the Samkhok School in Pathum Thani, outside Bangkok. AP Photo
    Students in a protective gear are seated at partitioned desks at the Samkhok School in Pathum Thani, outside Bangkok. AP Photo
  • Christ the Redeemer with a projection in tribute to the victims of Covid-19 that reads 'More than 500 thousand lives', in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. EPA
    Christ the Redeemer with a projection in tribute to the victims of Covid-19 that reads 'More than 500 thousand lives', in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. EPA
  • A man pushes a cart filled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders on a street painted with circles for people to maintain social distancing after a few restrictions were relaxed during an extended lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. Reuters
    A man pushes a cart filled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders on a street painted with circles for people to maintain social distancing after a few restrictions were relaxed during an extended lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. Reuters
  • A large mask hangs on the face of a lion statue standing outside of the main branch of the New York Public Library in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US. Reuters
    A large mask hangs on the face of a lion statue standing outside of the main branch of the New York Public Library in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US. Reuters

World

World in focus - best photos for July 2, 2020

Take a look at some of the best images from around the world during the past 24 hours

The National

July 02, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

More galleries from The National:

24-karat baths and gilded lifts: Take a look inside Vietnam's gold-plated hotel

Bafetimbi Gomis: Al Hilal's 'Lion' ready to roar again when Saudi Pro League restarts

Landslide at Myanmar jade mine kills more than 110 workers

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Plastic tipping points
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: CVT auto

Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km

On sale: now

Price: from Dh195,000 

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
While you're here
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